March 23, 2010 (XX:10) John Cassavetes, A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974, 155 min) Directed and written by John Cassavetes Original Music by Bo Harwood Cinematography by Mitch Breit and Al Ruban Peter Falk...Nick Longhetti Gena Rowlands...Mabel Longhetti Fred Draper...George Mortensen JOHN CASSAVETES (9 December 1929, New York City, New York - 3 February 1989, Los Angeles, California, of cirrhosis of the liver) directed 16 films and tv series, some of which were Big Trouble (1986), Love Streams (1984), Gloria (1980), Opening Night (1977), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), "Columbo" (1 episode, 1972), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), Husbands (1970), Faces (1968), "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" (1 episode, 1966), "The Lloyd Bridges Show" (2 episodes, 1962-1963), A Child Is Waiting (1963), Too Late Blues (1961), "Johnny Staccato" (5 episodes, 1959-1960), and Shadows (1959). BO HARWOOD worked in the sound department for 26 films and tv series and composed for 7 films, some of which were "Entourage" Bride (1987), Der Himmel über Berlin/Wings of Desire (1987), Big (2 episodes, 2006), "Six Feet Under" (26 episodes, 2003-2005), Trouble (1986), ...All the Marbles (1981), The Brink's Job (1978), "Felicity" (61 episodes, 1998-2002), 'Til There Was You (1997), The Cheap Detective (1978), Mikey and Nicky (1976), Murder by "My So-Called Life" (18 episodes, 1994-1995) (1 episode, 1994), Death (1976), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Husbands Meet the Hollowheads (1989), "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986), My (1970), Castle Keep (1969), Luv (1967), "Bob Hope Presents the Bloody Valentine (1981), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), Chrysler Theatre" (3 episodes, 1963-1966), "The Trials of O'Brien" I'm Calling Frank (2007), Love Streams (1984), Happy Birthday to (22 episodes, 1965-1966), "The DuPont Show of the Week" (2 Me (1981), Ups & Downs (1981), Opening Night (1977), The episodes, 1962-1964), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), The Balcony Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), and A Woman Under the (1963), "Naked City" (4 episodes, 1958-1962), Pocketful of Influence (1974). Miracles (1961), "The Twilight Zone" (1 episode, 1961), "The Untouchables" (2 episodes, 1960-1961), "Have Gun - Will Travel" MITCH BREIT did the cinematography on two films: The Killing of (1 episode, 1960), Murder, Inc. (1960), Pretty Boy Floyd (1960), a Chinese Bookie (1976) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974). and "Studio One" (2 episodes, 1957). AL RUBAN did the cinematography on 7 films: Love Streams (1984), Vértigo en Manhattan (1981), David (1979/I), Opening GENA ROWLANDS (19 June 1930, Madison, Wisconsin) appeared Night (1977), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), A Woman in 101 films and tv series, some of which were "Navy NCIS: Naval Under the Influence (1974), and Faces (1968). Criminal Investigative Service" (1 episode, 2010), "Monk" (1 episode, 2009), Broken English (2007), "Numb3rs" (1 episode, PETER FALK (16 September 1927, New York City, New York) 2006), The Notebook (2004), Taking Lives (2004), The Weekend appeared in 104 films and tv series, come of which were American (1999), Hope Floats (1998), Paulie (1998), Night on Earth (1991), Cowslip (2009), Next (2007), Three Days to Vegas (2007), The Another Woman (1988), Love Streams (1984), Gloria (1980), The Thing About My Folks (2005), "Columbo" (68 episodes, 1971- Brink's Job (1978), Opening Night (1977), Two-Minute Warning 2003), Made (2001), Vig (1998) (TV), Cookie (1989), The Princess (1976), "Columbo" (1 episode, 1975), "Marcus Welby, M.D." (1 Cassavetes—A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE—2 episode, 1974), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), "Medical and then, inspired by the plays of Robert E. Sherwood, enrolled at Center" (2 episodes, 1971-1973), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. He graduated in 1950. Faces (1968/I), Tony Rome (1967), "Peyton Place" (19 episodes, The story is much quoted that Cassavetes, having chipped 1967), "Kraft Suspense Theatre" (2 episodes, 1963-1965), "The his tooth in a fight when he was a child, was for years afterwards Alfred Hitchcock Hour" (3 episodes, 1962-1964), "The Virginian" too embarrassed to smile: “When I finally got enough money for (1 episode, 1963), "77 Sunset Strip" (1 episode, 1963), A Child Is caps, I’d forgotten how to smile.” I still seems difficult for him to Waiting (1963), "The Dick Powell Show" (1 episode, 1963), The convey uncomplicated good humor, and this no doubt handicapped Spiral Road (1962), Lonely Are the Brave (1962), "87th Precinct" him as a young actor looking for work. At any rate, though he (3 episodes, 1961), "Laramie" (1 episode, 1959), "Johnny Staccato" played for a time in a Rhode Island stock company, he looked in (1 episode, 1959), Shadows (1959), The High Cost of Loving vain for parts on Broadway. “Nobody would hire me,” he says, (1958), "Studio One" (1 episode, 1955), and "Robert Montgomery “because I was, quote, ‘such an unusual type.’” Presents" (1 episode, 1955). His career got underway in 1952, when he played a small part in a Gregory Ratoff movie called Taxi. Ratoff hired him FRED DRAPER (2 September 1923, Chester, Pennsylvania - 26 again—as assistant stage manager—for his Broadway success The December 1999) appeared in 18 films and tv series, some of which Fifth Season. The same year Cassavetes played an intense and were, Opening Night (1977), "Columbo" (6 episodes, 1971-1976), brooding young matador in “Paso Doble,” a short play on the A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Husbands (1970), Faces television magazine program Omnibus. Many similar television (1968), "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" (1 episode, roles followed and Cassavetes became typecast as a disturbed or 1966), "Peyton Place" (1 episode, 1966), "The Alfred Hitchcock delinquent youth…. Hour" (1 episode, 1965), "The Lloyd Bridges Show" (2 episodes, 1962-1963), A Child Is Waiting (1963), "The Adventures of Jim Cassavetes’ ambitions went beyond profitable assignments Bowie" (1 episode, 1957), and "M Squad" (1 episode, 1957). in routine entertainments. He has always “wanted to express things that I think may be of value,” and been more “concerned with the problems confronting real people. than emphasizing dramatic structure or bending characters to fit a plot.” It was this that brought him into “this ridiculous business” of filmmaking. In 1956 he had begin to teach method acting at a Manhattan drama workshop. One of the group’s improvisations seemed to have the makings of a movie, and Cassavetes mentioned this project on Night People, Jean Shepherd’s unique late-night music and talk show. Shepherd’s audience of insomniacs and moonlighters sent in donations totaling $20,000. Thus encouraged, Cassavetes raised a similar sum from show-business friends and his own savings, assembled a crew willing to participate for nothing, and started work on his first picture, Shadows. Both the story and the dialogue of Shadows were improvised by the cast who gave their names to the characters they play.. .The film was made intermittently over a period of two years. The cameraman, Eric Kollmar, used a 16mm hand-held camera, and the picture acquired a grainy quality when it was blown up into 35mm. The dialogue was recorded live and synchronized later, backed by the jazz of Charlie Mingus. Unable to interest American distributors, Cassavetes sent Shadows to Europe, where it was welcomed enthusiastically as a pioneering triumph of cinema verité, a harbinger of an American New Wave. It won the Critics’ Award at the 1960 Venice Film Festival and made a respectable profit. In 1961 it was released in the United States under the auspices of Lion-International, a British company. ...For many ...it marked the beguning of “the New American Cinema.” To those who wanted to crown him as the American Godard, Cassavetes responded unhelpfully that credit for the film from World Film Directors, V. II, Ed. John Wakeman. H.W. belonged to the actors: “The director is the most expendable person Wilson Co., NY, 1986. American director actor, scenarist, and producer, was born in New in the film. If you have a good script and good actors, all the director has to do is aim the camera and keep things going.” York City, the younger of two sons of Greek immigrants, Nicholas Impressed by the success of Shadows, Paramount hired and Katherine Cassavates. His father, a Harvard-educated Cassavetes to make a series of high-quality, low-budget films, businessman, had a knack for making (and losing) millions. John beginning with Too Late Blues (1961) which stars Bobby Darin as a Cassavetes grew up in the Long Island towns of Sands Point and struggling young jazz pianist. It pleased neither the critics nor the Port Washington, where he attended public schools and became a public, and Paramount canceled the contract. Cassavetes was then movie buff, enamored of Frank Capra comedies and Dick Powell signed by Stanley Kramer to direct A Child is Waiting (United musicals. He majored in English without taking a degree at Artists, 1963), a drama in which retarded children at a California Mohawk College and Colgate University, both in New York State, hospital play alongside the stars Judy Garland and Burt Lancaster. Cassavetes—A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE—3 There was a falling-out between Cassavetes and the studio, and he . Somehow Cassavetes has captured the texture of actual life on was given just two weeks to edit the film—extreme hardship for an film.” improvisational director who needs more time than most to cut and Husbands, which followed in 1970, is the only one of shape his material. Kramer made further cuts and the result, Cassavetes films in which he has given himself a major role. He according to Cassavetes, was a sentimentalization of his work.