Michael Powell explains why "A Canterbury Tale" (1944) was a tremendous flop:
‘'A Canterbury Tale' (1944) was really Emeric Pressburger’s film. I’m a director; I hate writing. With 'A Canterbury Tale', I had doubts, because the script had a wonderful idea—this man who cares so much about truth and beauty that he has to act for it, even on pain of being regarded as some sort of lunatic for what he does—but it was a Continental idea that did not fit into an English film.
If I was going to make an English film with it at all, I should have done more with it, translated it more. But I didn’t. I filmed it straight and the result was a tremendous flop. Since then I’ve never filmed anything I had reservations about, as I’m not conceited enough to think I’m so good I can get away with anything I’m not absolutely sure of."
(Michael Powell's interview to The Times, 1960)
P.S: On this day, 82 years ago, 'A Canterbury Tale' (1944) premiered in Canterbury, UK.
Remembering Orson Welles on his 111th birthday!
Charlton Heston on the qualities and drawbacks of Orson Welles as a director:
"Working with Orson [in "Touch of Evil" (1958)] was fun. I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a director who communicated better with actors. He could somehow persuade you that every setup just happened to be the most important setup in the picture, and then he would tell you why. Even if it was just walking down the stairs and getting into a car, he could explain why this just happened to be the most crucial shot in the whole film and why you must concentrate on getting it right. This all made for a very stimulating time.
Orson is the most talented man I’ve ever met, which doesn’t mean that I think he was the best director or the best writer or the best actor, because I don’t. Whatever talent is, that subjective, immeasurable quality we call talent, Orson has it. Indeed, he may have it in too large a measure. So many things are so easy for Orson. He can think of a solution to a scene or a new idea or a fresh approach so readily that perhaps he has never developed the qualities of creative discipline that motivate a George Stevens or a William Wyler or a Frank Schaffner, and this possibly has hampered his career. Certainly the paucity of films we’ve had from Orson Welles is a rebuke to us and to Orson. He is marvelous with casts and crews, and he can charm the birds out of the bloody trees. Crews would waive meal penalties and actors would waive twelve-hour turnarounds for him, but he not only failed to try and charm studio executives, he seemed deliberately to alienate and antagonize them.
This is, I think, some kind of a tragic flaw. He’s an extremely complicated, utterly charming but at the same time unpredictable and in some respects, I’m afraid I’d have to say, unreliable man. It’s all very well to say that he should be allowed to make a film a year in any way he wanted, but film is unique among the artistic media in that the raw materials cost a great deal of money. The “paper and pencils” are very expensive and the artist cannot afford to buy them for himself. Therefore they are bought by an entrepreneur who both expects and deserves to get his money back, and if he doesn’t, he won’t buy you any more paper and pencils. No matter how uncomfortable that makes you, it is fair. But Orson, along with many other filmmakers, really doesn’t think it’s fair. He can be terribly difficult and opaque with those fellows, and naturally they don’t like it. But this is simply a reality of the economics of the industry, and if you are unable to recognize and respond to it, then you won’t get to make very many films."
(Charlton Heston, AFI, 1979)
Looks like a good summer ahead with some choice festivals including this one in September. Looking forward to DJing at Mucky Weekender #dreadzonedjset#festivals
Desmond Dekker - You Can Get It If You Really Want
Live performance of the reggae classic. Originally recorded by Jimmy Cliff and released in July 1970, Desmond Dekker released his own version just weeks after. Dekker's rendition became a big hit, climbing to #2 in the UK.
Happy Record Store day. Theres no Dreadzone on this release, its a DJ mix album.. Big up the Serious Dropout collective of artists and producers who made these dubwise tunes in the 90s and respect to the Echo Beach label for forwarding this project. 'From Frankfurt to West London' as Don @RebelDread says
CD release out today and vinyl for Record store day tomorrow . Released on the Echo Beach Label (limited Edition of 500) Greg Dread feat. Don Letts @RebelDread presents Serious Dropout - DJ mix album