March 11, 2014 (Series 28: 7) John Cassavetes, KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE (1976, 135 minutes) Directed by John Cassavetes Cinematography by Mitch Breit Ben Gazzara ... Cosmo Vittelli Timothy Carey ... Flo Al Ruban ... Marty Reitz JOHN CASSAVETES (director) (b. John Nicholas Cassavetes, December 9, 1929 in New York City, New York—d. February 3, 1989 (age 59) in Los Angeles, California) directed 16 films and TV shows, which are 1986 Big Trouble, 1984 Love Streams, 1980 Gloria, 1977 Opening Night, 1976 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, 1974 A Woman Under the Influence, 1972 “Columbo” (TV Series), 1971 Minnie and Moskowitz, 1970 Husbands, 1968 Faces, 1966 “Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre” (TV Series), 1962-1963 “The Lloyd Bridges Show” (TV Series), 1963 A Child Is Waiting, 1961 Too Late Blues, 1959-1960 “Johnny Staccato” (TV Series), and 1959 Shadows. He also wrote 14 films and TV shows—2010 Antes del estreno (original story), MITCH BREIT (cinematography) has been cinematographer for 1999 Gloria (1980 screenplay), 1997 She's So Lovely, 1984 Love 2 films: 1976 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie and 1974 A Streams, 1980 Gloria, 1977 Opening Night, 1976 The Killing of Woman Under the Influence. a Chinese Bookie, 1974 A Woman Under the Influence, 1971 Minnie and Moskowitz, 1970 Husbands, 1968 Faces, 1966 “Bob BEN GAZZARA ... Cosmo Vittelli (b. Biagio Anthony Gazzara, Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre” (TV Series), 1961 Too Late August 28, 1930 in New York City, New York—d. February 3, Blues, and 1959 Shadows—and edited 2—1968 Faces and 1959 2012 (age 81) in New York City, New York) appeared in 133 Shadows. In addition, he appeared in 79 films and television films and television shows, among them 2011 Ristabbànna, 2011 shows, including 1985 “Nederland C” (TV Movie), 1984 Love Chez Gino, 2010 Christopher Roth, 2010 13, 2008 Looking for Streams, 1982 Tempest, 1982 The Incubus, 1981 Whose Life Is It Palladin, 2006 Quiet Flows the Don, 2006 Paris, je t'aime, 2005 Anyway?, 1978 Brass Target, 1978 The Fury, 1977 Opening Schubert, 2003 Dogville, 2001 “Brian's Song” (TV Movie), 2001 Night, 1977 Heroes, 1976 Mikey and Nicky, 1976 Two-Minute “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (TV Series), 2000 Jack of Warning, 1975 Capone, 1971 Minnie and Moskowitz, 1970 Hearts, 2000 The List, 2000 Very Mean Men, 2000 Blue Moon, Husbands, 1969 If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, 1969 1999 The Thomas Crown Affair, 1999 Summer of Sam, 1998 The Machine Gun McCain, 1968 Rosemary's Baby, 1967 The Dirty Big Lebowski, 1998 Buffalo '66, 1997 The Spanish Prisoner, Dozen, 1966 “The Long, Hot Summer” (TV Series), 1966 “The 1997 Stag, 1995 Bandits, 1995 The Zone, 1988 Quicker Than the Virginian” (TV Series), 1965 “The Legend of Jesse James” (TV Eye, 1987 Control, 1981 They All Laughed, 1981 Inchon, 1979 Series), 1964 “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” (TV Series), 1964 Saint Jack, 1977 Opening Night, 1977 “The Trial of Lee Harvey The Killers, 1959-1960 “Johnny Staccato” (TV Series, 27 Oswald” (TV Movie), 1976 Voyage of the Damned, 1976 The episodes), 1959 Shadows, 1958 “Studio One in Hollywood” (TV Killing of a Chinese Bookie, 1975 Capone, 1970 Husbands, 1969 Series), 1957 Affair in Havana, 1957 Edge of the City, 1956 The Bridge at Remagen, 1969 If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Crime in the Streets, 1955 “Kraft Theatre” (TV Series), and 1951 Belgium, 1965 A Rage to Live, 1963-1964 “Arrest and Trial” (TV Fourteen Hours. Series, 30 episodes), 1959 Anatomy of a Murder, 1957 The Cassavetes—KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE—2 Strange One, 1954 “Medallion Theatre” (TV Series), 1952-1953 difficult for him to convey uncomplicated good humor, and this “Treasury Men in Action” (TV Series). no doubt handicapped him as a young actor looking for work. At any rate, though he played for a time in a Rhode Island stock TIMOTHY CAREY ... Flo (b. Timothy William Carey, March 11, company, he looked in vain for parts on Broadway. “Nobody 1929 in Brooklyn, New York—d. May 11, 1994 (age 65) in Los would hire me,” he says, “because I was, quote, ‘such an unusual Angeles, California) appeared in 93 films and television shows, type.’” including 1986 Echo Park, 1984 “The New Mike Hammer” (TV His career got underway in 1952, when he played a Series), 1983 D.C. Cab, 1982 Fast-Walking, 1975-1978 small part in a Gregory Ratoff movie called Taxi. Ratoff hired “Baretta” (TV Series), 1977 “Charlie's Angels” (TV Series), him again—as assistant stage manager—for his Broadway 1977 “Starsky and Hutch” (TV Series), 1976 Chesty Anderson success The Fifth Season. The same year Cassavetes played an U.S. Navy, 1971-1976 “Columbo” (TV Series), 1973 The Outfit, intense and brooding young matador in “Paso Doble,” a short 1971 Minnie and Moskowitz, 1969 “The Virginian” (TV Series), play on the television magazine program Omnibus. Many similar 1967 “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (TV Series), 1967 A Time for television roles followed and Cassavetes became typecast as a Killing, 1958-1966 “Gunsmoke” (TV Series), 1964 Rio Conchos, disturbed or delinquent youth…. 1964 Bikini Beach, 1962 The World's Greatest Sinner, 1961 One-Eyed Jacks, 1957 Paths of Glory, 1956 Naked Gun, 1956 Cassavetes’ ambitions went beyond profitable The Last Wagon, 1956 The Killing, 1955 I'll Cry Tomorrow, assignments in routine entertainments. He has always “wanted to 1955 East of Eden, 1953 “Death Valley Days” (TV Series), 1951 express things that I think may be of value,” and been more Across the Wide Missouri, and “concerned with the problems 1951 Ace in the Hole. confronting real people. than emphasizing dramatic structure AL RUBAN ... Marty Reitz or bending characters to fit a Appeared in 12 films and TV plot.” It was this that brought shows: 1988 Mr. North, 1984 him into “this ridiculous Love Streams, 1982 Swamp business” of filmmaking. In Thing, 1978 The Big Fix, 1976 1956 he had begin to teach The Killing of a Chinese method acting at a Manhattan Bookie, 1968 Coogan's Bluff, drama workshop. One of the 1968 Madigan, 1965 “Kraft group’s improvisations seemed Suspense Theatre” (TV Series), to have the makings of a movie, 1965 “The Alfred Hitchcock and Cassavetes mentioned this Hour” (TV Series), 1965 The project on Night People, Jean Sexploiters, 1964 Bunny Yeager's Nude Las Vegas, and 1963 Shepherd’s unique late-night music and talk show. Shepherd’s 1,000 Shapes of a Female. He also produced 8 films—1990 audience of insomniacs and moonlighters sent in donations Texasville, 1987 Happy New Year, 1977 Opening Night, 1976 totaling $20,000. Thus encouraged, Cassavetes raised a similar The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, 1971 Minnie and Moskowitz, sum from show-business friends and his own savings, assembled 1970 Husbands, 1968 Faces, and 1964 The Beautiful, the a crew willing to participate for nothing, and started work on his Bloody, and the Bare—and was the cinematographer on 7—1984 first picture, Shadows. Love Streams, 1981 Jet Lag, 1979 David, 1977 Opening Night, Both the story and the dialogue of Shadows were 1976 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, 1974 A Woman Under the improvised by the cast who gave their names to the characters Influence, and 1968 Faces. they play.. .The film was made intermittently over a period of two years. The cameraman, Eric Kollmar, used a 16mm hand- “John Cassavetes,”from World Film Directors, V. II, Ed. held camera, and the picture acquired a grainy quality when it John Wakeman. H.W. Wilson Co., NY, 1986. was blown up into 35mm. The dialogue was recorded live and American director, actor, scenarist, and producer, was synchronized later, backed by the jazz of Charlie Mingus. Unable born in New York City, the younger of two sons of Greek to interest American distributors, Cassavetes sent Shadows to immigrants, Nicholas and Katherine Cassavates. His father, a Europe, where it was welcomed enthusiastically as a pioneering Harvard-educated businessman, had a knack for making (and triumph of cinema verité, a harbinger of an American New losing) millions. John Cassavetes grew up in the Long Island Wave. It won the Critics’ Award at the 1960 Venice Film towns of Sands Point and Port Washington, where he attended Festival and made a respectable profit. In 1961 it was released in public schools and became a movie buff, enamored of Frank the United States under the auspices of Lion-International, a Capra comedies and Dick Powell musicals. He majored in British company. English without taking a degree at Mohawk College and Colgate ...For many ...it marked the beginning of “the New University, both in New York State, and then, inspired by the American Cinema.” To those who wanted to crown him as the plays of Robert E. Sherwood, enrolled at the New York American Godard, Cassavetes responded unhelpfully that credit Academy of Dramatic Arts. He graduated in 1950. for the film belonged to the actors: “The director is the most The story is much quoted that Cassavetes, having expendable person in the film. If you have a good script and chipped his tooth in a fight when he was a child, was for years good actors, all the director has to do is aim the camera and keep afterwards too embarrassed to smile: “When I finally got enough things going.” money for caps, I’d forgotten how to smile.” It still seems Cassavetes—KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE—3 Impressed by the success of Shadows, Paramount hired two years on the editing. It was shown in 1968 at film festivals in Cassavetes to make a series of high-quality, low-budget films, New York, San Francisco, and Venice, where it received five beginning with Too Late Blues (1961) which stars Bobby Darin awards.