Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Fight Master Magazine The Society of American Fight Directors 1-1979 The Fight Master, January 1979, Vol. 2 Issue 1 The Society of American Fight Directors Follow this and additional works at: https://mds.marshall.edu/fight Part of the Acting Commons, Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, Performance Studies Commons, and the Theatre History Commons tbe Property of the ~oci~t1i of fi9bt J\merinm Jlf igfrt JDirecforz rnaste~ tbe sociefcY of amer2ican fight <lir2ector2s If•'------------------ THE FIGHT MASTER The Magazine of the Society of American Fight Directors 1 'V JANUARY 1979 R€PLICA SWORDS NO. 4 We carry a wide selection of replica Editor - Mike McGraw Lay-out - David:. Boushey swords for theatrical and decorative use. Typed and Duplicated by Mike McGraw 'ilECOMMENDED BY THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FIGHT DIRECTORS *************************************** Society of American Fight Directors The second Society of Fight Directors in the world has been incorporated in Seattle, Washington. Its founder is David Boushey, Overseas Affiliate or the Society of British Fight \ Directors. ,,I OFFICERS a President David L, Boushey 4720 )8th N,E, Seattle, Wa. 98105 Vice President Byron Jennings 1440 Sacramento #6 San Francisco, Calif. 94109 Write for our Illustrated Sec/Treas. Erik Fredricksen catalog ($2,00) and prlca 11st 202 W. 98th #5-D The; .ARMOURY New York, N,Y. 10025 AMERICAN FENCERS SUPPLY CO., 2116 FILLMORE ST.,,SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115 . 415/346•8662 2 ANNUAL DUES Membership fees for 1979 are now due, 90% of the 1 the designated time will have to be removed from the society's receipts via dues go-toward the publication membership roster of the society, There are a number of our magazine, The Fight Master. In order to maintain of individuals who donate a great deal of time to keep the standards set forth in regard to the quality of the our society prospering, Through your dues and partici­ magazine, it is expedient that the membership pay their pation, the society will continue to grow as a viable annual dues by no later than the end of February. Orig­ part of the theater/cinema scene, inally, we had hoped that the dues for Affiliates would amount to $10,00. However, with the increase of printing D. Boushey Pres, - S.A.F,D. costs and materials, we must ask that Affiliates pay $15,00 for dues, Full members pay $15,00 and Student members' dues will remain at $10,00. It costs $2,55 to publish each magazine. We follow the most economically feasible plan to keep it at that cost. Due to the limited number of issues, printing is expensive. We hope the membership sees the value in our society's magazine and will continue to support its pub­ lication. Any present members who do not pay their dues by -- ·•"'iJ44 ' 5 4 * WAITING FOR NUREYEV the bridge in the guard of prime and advancing menacingly by Henry Marshall toward Nureyev, who, driven back by the combined lunges of the first four, and having kicked them across a parapet, He first appeared not long after ~e had.started re-d was now to be standing bravely on a plinth. Since-I guessed that we would have very little time hearsaShleika~n~n~f~~1ie!!~es~:l}o~nih:l~~~~e!1~~r~gd~h~~~deon to rehearse Nureyev himself, I had confined his moves to as a it d d myself and shook an 8 • the ad joi1;in~fsthag~h• Id dnonreo a~yc~ "A little'" he said• We the minimum (about thirty) so his attacks and parries to I asked him 1 e a • · 'th the second and third waves of attackers were of the simplest. th S howed him what had been arranged for him, w1 one en · t d "A "They get by too easily, He doesn't do enough with them," f the stuntmen standing in for him, and he co~men e , Ken said on his next visit, So we changed the second and third bo1· t slow" He wanted more movement ( i .e • • lunginhgt) dhownre rows of soldiers round to the other side of the bridge to ' ·1 d t grasp immediately w a e - the atep~. When I fa1 e o d d l'ke· "Pshewi" and make a mass attack on Nureyev from the opposite direction,. quired, he made a remark that soun e 1 . after he had ~isposed of the first four. Now I had to cobble took his departure. up a completely new sequence on the spot. By this time - The day had not started well. Arriving on the film it was the evening on the second day - the producer and a bevy set - a bridge and surrounding garden terrace - I found of onlookers had appeared on the set to enjoy the spectacle, it deserted except for some carpenter's debris. The w~ole Suggestions flew fast and furious from all quarters with me stage was empty and the only sound was that of some distant trying desperately to think quickly and keep some sort of banging workmen. Later, the prop man.appeared. "What kit;d control of the increasingly complicated proceedings, One of swords do you want?" was his opening, an ominous beginn­ suggestion from Terry Walsh, a Fight Arranger himself and ing but we got the ones ordered within a few minutes. The veteran of dozens of Dr, Who fights and was on the stunt members of the stunt team engaged to play the soldiers grad­ team, was most useful and we incorporated it in the sequence. ually trickled down from the dressing room. Ken Russell had Nureyev's rehearsal availability was what might be already made an unheralded entrance, wearing spectacles and, called minimal. Half an hour here, a few minutes there. in a short exchange of dialogue, changed the whole start of For one whole day we didn't see him at all. There was no time the fight as already planned. He now wanted to sho?t Nureyev to teach him anything except the basics of his own moves. from behind, being driven down the steps of the bridge by He picked:these up very quickly, but anything in the nature his opponents. of style or exact movements was out of the question. He The steps were a near disaster. Stairs for fighting wanted some modifications of his own to the moves arranged clearly need to be specially constructed with wide treads and these changes were, naturally, made to suit him. After and a very small rise. These steps were narrow and steep. one rehearsal of a few minutes only, but before shooting a One lunge down them could lead straight into a headlong quite complicated sequence, which Ken Russell intended to tumble. We later had a few wider treads put in? but the film on the spot, I asked Ken, "This is perfection?" "At result was never conducive to the smQoth coordination of this time of night, it is," he said. It was about six o'clock footwork for four men driving one man back down the steps. and we had to finish at six thirty. A second visit from Ken Russell produced a demand ror We had blocked the whole fight with a stand-in and more men coming over the bridge, so I arranged two more rows of soldiers, three in a row, leaping briskly up on l l 7 6 timed it and rehearsed it in the same way. The rest of the nitiated to judge from, The image he presented was a time was spent waiting for Nureyev, who was busy shooting dazzling one - particularly in solo shots, when he did on the next stage and appeared at unexpected moments in a some wrist-twisting blade flashes he developed himself. After variety of costumes with ungainly or unsuitable footwear one bit of swahbuckling right into the camera, followed by for very short periods, usually interrupted as soon as we a winning grin, he exclaimed, "That's what's called camp". were getting anywhere, He clearly had a wry humor and it would have been fascinat­ Surprisingly, he had difficulty with the leaps onto ing to have a real conversation with him and establish a high levels. Then one remembered that most ballet is per- working relationship. formed on a flat surface with shoes made for dancing, and As far as the stuntmen were concerned, they were, with­ here he was supposed to jump onto irregular or narrow spaces out exception, a very good group, They included Stuart, the in high-heel shoes and proceed upwards on a narrow false stunt coordinator, an acrobat, fire-eater, and stilt-walker. staircase (imposed later on the real steps of the bridge) Tex - falls from airplanes and smashing cars. Bronco - with a fifteen feet drop on one side. Under the circumstances, horses. Barry - Arab horses. Billy - about to rr.ake a comeback he was naturally cautious. Considering that his professional as a professional heavyweight at the age of fortynine! Mike - career and reputation depended on his legs, one could see horses, swordplay, jousting, in a rich shorthread accent. his point. Malcolm, with spectacles, a young stuntman and therefore There was one memorable moment when the stand-in had exceptional. Tim - Nureyev's stand-in, also a jouster and pointed out the three or four foot positions mapped out for fighting nightly as the Black Knight at a Tudor Banquet him on the false staircase. Nureyev said carefully, "I don't Room. There were twelve of them altogether. Only about half think I can remember all that footwork''.