Sunday 16 March 2008

BY A NOSE

Being filmed for a DVD 'extra' the other day - and having been horrified by my resemblance to Quasimodo on my last such appearance - I asked the crew if they could film my 'best side'. Unfortunately, finding the 'best' side was easier said than done!

This embarrassing episode reminded me of a story I read in a recent obituary to David ('Wendy') Watkin, the legendary cinematographer of such films as Help!, Charge of the Light Brigade, The Devils, The Three Musketeers, Robin and Marian and Out of Africa.

Watkin was engaged to film Yentl starring (and directed by) Barbra Streisand. On meeting the star, Watkin daringly tapped Streisand on the Nose and commented: "I can see we're going to have a lot of trouble with THAT!"

Somehow, and rather surprisingly, he got away with it-- and more...

Later in the production - in the middle of a shot - Streisand suddenly yelled: "David, you're shooting me from my bad side!"

To which, Watkin calmly responded: "It's not your bad side, Barbra, it's your other side."

So you see, Barbra and I: two of a kind!


5 comments:

Matt Jones said...

Ha,ha! Great story- was he really Wendy to his friends?!

Brian Sibley said...

MATT J - Yes, he was and was openly gay even at a time when homosexuality was illegal.

He gave this nick-name to a lighting set-up that is known in the industry as a 'Wendy light'.

Boll Weavil said...

I want to know what your extras were for Mr B ???

Brian Sibley said...

BOLL - A couple of up-coming Disney DVDs: 'Dr Syn, Alias the Scarecrow' (starring Patrick McGoohan) and 'Sleeping Beauty'.

Matt Jones said...

I recently found the old ARENA interview with Orson Welles on YouTube-he tells a great anecdote on Edward G Robinson getting upset at him for shooting him on his bad side. Welles asks the interviwer 'can you imagine Edward G Robinson having a BAD side'!