The movie itself plays with colors that has been seen before in Eastwood’s pictures. The names of the crew are quite familiar to those who’ve seen other Eastwood’ movies. The first shot is actually in black and white and very much in the period in terms of building and cars when the first caption reads out: 1928.

Slowly but surely, from an aerial shot to ground level, the black and white changes into color. We are introduced to Christine Collins who brilliantly played by Angelina Jolie. Collins is a single mom who’s also a telephone operator supervisor required to use roller skates to fix little emergencies and handle supplies. Her first scene firmly establishes her as a loving mother.

After returning from work to take her son to the latest Chaplin movie, she finds her son is nowhere to be found. Captain J. J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan) reassures her that the LAPD will find her son. A child is brought forth from Illinois and the press are present to record the mother child reunion. However, the first words out of Collin’s mouth is “He is not my son.” Pictures are taken anyway.

Later, she comes back to complain to Jones that the child is not hers, he actually gets angry as far that he’s concerned, the LAPD did its job. Just prior to this, she meets with Rev. Gustave Brieleb, (John Malkovich) who has his own radio broadcast program denouncing the very corrupt LAPD, whose tie-ins with organized crime he knows about.

Jones actually has her committed. She’s listed as a Code 12, one who has had trouble with the police and where electric shock therapy is used. Meanwhile, Detective Lester Ybarra (Michael Kelly) follows a tip and captures an illegal alien from Canada. This boy tells a shocking story of boys being hacked up to bits that he was forced to help and among the boy s identified is Michael Collins as among the dead.

Gordon Northcott (Jason Butler Hamer) gets thrown in jail for committing those hideous acts. In one powerful screen, he calls Christine to give her closure which he never does. There’s cross cutting between the police cover-up trail and Northcott’s trial and both get the right verdicts with thunderous applause, one dramatic taken out of Capra, who has been criticized for same and the movie ends with Collins winning a bet that “It Happened One Night” would win at the Academy Awards.

When Eastwood came out, he was chewing on some popcorn. This took place two years before he was born. He recalled his years growing up in the Pacific Palisades and remembers the Red Car, electric rail trolleys that were replaced by diesel buses, not so bright idea in retrospect.

The script by J. Michael Straczynski was presented to him by Paul Glazer’s company and he liked it very much. He offered the lead role to Jolie as both have expressed interest in working together. Clippings of transcripts were taped on the other side of the script pages really sold him.

He praised Anthony Mann, Howard Hawks and John Ford when pressed what was his favorite Western. He rarely uses playback because those old pros didn’t and even gave a passable impersonation of John Wayne while acknowledging other great actors who played cowboy parts.

He even talked about making the Piano Blues doc for Scorsese when prompted. All in all, he was quite respectful in his responses to his audience who accorded him the respect when he left. A true living legend.

There are writers that personify an age just as much as a performer.  That’s why I begin this article with F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda who have been honored to have a museum in their honor.  His writing was terse and very much in the vernacular of his time.  Calling a friend “old man” got even hard to say without a straight face in the sound thirties films.

Bob Dylan scornfully yells “You’ve read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book.  You’re very well read, that’s well known.” Andy Kaufman read “The Great Gatzby” to bored audiences who got the whole book read to them instead of a comedy routine.  Somewhat mutes what the book is supposed to remembered for, a rich man tries to recapture a love that he never had to begin with.

Ironically, Fitzgerald who also wrote The Last Tycoon and several others did not have success in Hollywood. Still, he fascinates.

The Fitzgeralds stayed here briefly.  Here he wrote Tender Is the Night while she wrote her only book Save Me the Waltz.  The years were 1931-1932.

The museum is located in Montgomery, Alabama and has received high ratings for bringing back one of the top celebrity couples of the jazz age.

Second billed and cast as an aviator and inventor was Humphrey Bogart.  At this point of his career, he was stage actor with limited success at Warner Brothers, which would be his home studio.  He was given a chance here to be a Charles Lindbergh type, just unlike what his screen persona would be.

This film falls into the pre-code category.  There’s a Hale Hardy who plays a sugar daddy to Bogart’s kid sister who gets tricked in a scheme to be a big star.

I’ll be brief as the film was brief, really just a programmer.  Highly improbable and without Bogart, quite forgetable, this nevertheless showcases what did pass for light entertainment in the early thirties.

His most popular screen persona was playing the lovable heel.  Lovable because he did have those playful blue eyes and almost a humble grin that’s so disarming.  Being a child of the sixties, I didn’t see many of early successes until much later.  THE LONG HOT SUMMER, probably always mentioned becasue this is the movie where he would meet his wife is almost ironic when seeing the movie itself and attempting to divorce the actors from the characters they’re playing.  Woodward plays a high society girl who gets taken down a peg or two with this gigolo who at the end gets a conscious.  Great Southern atmosphere and Newman could have gone playing those types of roles as long as youth would have allowed him.  Though a little dated, this movie is not bad.

But THE YOUNG PHILADELPHIANS, he expanded his depth as an actor.  This was made in 1958 and yes, it does get turgid like so many fifties melodramas, it is one of those that help made the code obsolete.  Adam West’s character flaws couldn’t be discussed back then but Newman bravely forces with this defense.  His best lawyer role, THE VERDICT, was still ahead of him.  Barbara Rush gave him good support.

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF teamed him up with Elizabeth Taylor.  Again, 1958, again, Southern style drama.  The Tennesee Williams script was watered down that actually made Newman’s behaviors a bit confusing but enough liquor and mendacity can confuse anyone.  Burl Ives played Big Daddy, who almost takes the movie away from Taylor and Newman, but they knew, of course director Richard Brooks knew when to underplay and when to take the spotlight.  Outstanding drama with the underlying question everyone asks:  what to do when the parents go?

Otto Preminger’s EXODUS (1960) is a must see because the hot issue of Israel and the Middle East is being looked at in this time frame.  Newman plays a no nonsense leader though he does underplays through most of it.  His scenes with Eva Marie Saint barely had any excitement at all.  Epics are generally more plot driven and must be noted, Sal Mineo did give his best performance here.

Robert Rossen’s THE HUSTLER, just about my favorite Newman picture.  His Eddie Felson here is just amazing.  His scenes with Piper Laurie quite touching.  I think beautiful losers when they meet.  It’s a joy seeing George C Scott, though a bit one dimensional and Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats perfection.

Richard Brooks’s SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH again had Newman at his prime as the gigolo with alcoholic movie star Geraldine Page.  This Tennessee Williams play was cleaned up too and unfortuanately, this movie has an happy ending out of sych of what went on before.  Again, great Southern style drama, Rip Torn and Ed Begley, Sr. the “good old boys’ in force.

Martin Ritt’s HUD was a multi generational movie.  Newman co-stars with Mervyn Douglas and Brandon De Witt, father and son respectively, who’s not quite the hero his family would like him to be.  Patricia Neal also delivers the goods in this one, a fine actress.

Alfred Hitchcock’s TORN CURTAIN is strangely detached.  The Cold War tale pairs Newman with Julie Andrews who had just recently did her biggest success THE SOUND OF MUSIC.  Not that this movie didn’t have any gems.  At one point, Newman views a dancer who spins around and around and when she finished, it’s clear she recognizes him and will expose him.  A lesser film for all.

COOL HAND LUKE remains one of Newman’s most popular movies.  “What we have here is a failure to communicate”, comes from this.  A real pleasure to watch, start to finish.  Who doesn’t want to bust parking meters?  A nonconformist with other nonconformists, who thought an egg eating contest be so cinematic.  This prison gang movie ranks with the best and George Kennedy won an Oscar.  It still belonged completely to Newman.  LUKE is very clever and giving what Newman’s character was all about.  Guilty pleasure:  Beautiful woman washing a car, decades before Paris Hilton.

THE SECRET WAR OF HARRY FRIGG somehow doesn’t get mentioned much.  Yes, there’s stereotypes of Germans and Italians and even the Americans get treated as fools, but this was a comedy, right?  I laughed through most of it.  Escape from the SS in less than five hours was terrifically done.

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID.  The planets were aligned with the making of this one.  The Bert Bachurach score, the use of old photographs, actually new but made to look old, the immediate chemistry of Newman and Redford and this movie did make them icons.  George Roy Hill solidly directed.  My favorite Western and yes I know THE SEARCHERS, HIGH NOON, FORT APACHE, (Well, actually that’s a favorite too).  But why compare movies?  This one delivers and is a masterpiece.

Paul Newman’s SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION, based on a book by Ken Kesey and co-starred the iconic Henry Fonda, does have one of the most depressing scenes i’ve ever seen.  It’s the scene where his brother, played by Richard Jaeckel, is trapped by a tree and is underwater.  Newman tries to save to save and all he can do is watch his brother drown.  Lee Remick is also in this in.  It’s a good film but tough.

John Huston’s THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN and THE MACINTOSH MAN.  Strangely, Huston and Newman came up with confused efforts, the first of Western where Newman kills an awful lot in the beginning and the second a cold war thriller with one of the most abrupt murder endings in history.  There is some off beat humor in both, but still what were they thinking?  Huston would get back on track shortly thereafter with THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING.

George Roy Hill’s THE STING.  This period revenge drama swept the Oscars in 1973.  Newman and Redford teamed up for the second and last time.  The marker was Robert Shaw.  Excellent minor character and great plot.  The team played off well with each other. Redford’s career at this stage actually eclipse Newman’s for awhile but they did remain friends.  This movie reintroduced the haunting piano compositions of Scott Joplin.

THE TOWERING INFERNO.  This all star 1974 epic adventure teamed up Newman with Steve McQueen and yes, this is the one where O.J. Simpson saves a kitty.  One best enjoyed if not taken too seriously.

THE DROWNING POOL.  Though a bit routine, this was a popular whodunit Southern style that co-starred his wife Joanne Woodward.  Newman as Lew Harper, why ask for more?

Mel Brooks’s SILENT MONEY Newman does a nice camero in a wheel chair.

George Roy Hill’s SLAP SHOT.  Newman in a very funny hockey movie.

Sidney Pollack’s ABSENCE OF MALICE This one co-stars Sally Field in a strong drama how wrong headed journalism can destroy somebody’s life.

Sidney Lumet’s THE VERDICT.  One of Newman’s very best, superlative legal drame.  Strong support by James Mason and Charlotte Rampling.

Paul Newman’s HARRY & SON.  I consider this as one of Newman’s best efforts as a director.  His son was played by Robert Benton.

Martin Scorsese’s THE COLOR OF MONEY He’s Fast Eddie Falcon again and this time was a protege by the name of Tom Cruise.  There’s always discussion where he should have won an Oscar, but he’s excellent here in his only movie with Scorsese.

Joel Coen’s THE HUDSUCKER PROXY.  This 1994 Coen Brothers effort has Newman supporting Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh.pays reference to screwball directors such as Capra, Sturges and even throws a little Spielberg (E.T. style).  Very funny and over the top.  Robbins invents the hula loop and the infomercial among other things.  Newman is his antagonist in one of his funniest roles.

Sam Mendes’ THE ROAD TO PERDITION.  Newman as aging Irish Mafia boss.  I believe him.  He stole every scene he was in with Tom Hanks.

There are many films I left out as I haven’t seen them all. I have seen others but enough’s enough. I loved his creating NEWMAN’S OWN salad dressing and popcorn and his OUT OF THE WALL GANG.  He not only talked the talk; he walked the walk in providing free camps to disadvantaged youth.  Perhaps this is what Paul really should be remembered for.

American culture lost a true hero but at least he left plenty for us to enjoy.  What a way to go!!!!!!

As an Arab-American woman, I am of course aware that the title of my book is an ethnic slur. Indeed, I selected the title to highlight one of the novel’s major themes: racism. In the tradition of Dick Gregory’s autobiography Nigger, the Jewish magazine Heeb, or the feminist magazine Bitch, the title is rude and shocking, but it is not gratuitous. Besides the fact that the main character must endure taunting about her ethnicity (including being called a “towelhead"), so much of the novel’s plot is fueled by the characters’ attitudes toward race.

I was not contacted by any organization or group when my novel was released in 2005. I don’t know if this was because no one had heard about my book, or because they didn’t feel it would have as much of an impact as a film. Having lived in a world in which my book has existed without protest for the past three years, however, I feel I have at least some view onto what to expect from the public in terms of a response. The bottom line is, never once have I encountered anyone who didn’t understand the seriousness of the word “towelhead” and all its implications.

This is not to say that I don’t find these concerns legitimate—I absolutely do. We live in a racist society, one in which people continue to use ethnic slurs to delineate those who are different than they are. Realistically speaking, though, these people are neither the audience for my book, nor for the film.  They will continue to use whatever language they wish whether or not a movie called ”Towelhead” is released. For this reason, I am pleased that Warner Bros. is standing by the title.

Towelhead, like its many cousins—nigger, spic, gook, etc.—is an ugly word. The job of the artist, however, has been, and always will be, to highlight that which is ugly in the hopes of finding something beautiful.  This charge, by necessity, will at times put the artist at odds with admirable groups such as CAIR. The solution, it seems to me, is not to force the artist to alter his or her work, but instead to use the occasion of that work as an entry point for meaningful debate and discussion.

ALICIA ERIAN—In addition to Towelhead, Erian wrote a book of short stories called The Brutal Language of Love. She is currently working on a memoir.

*

As a gay man, I know how it feels to be called hateful names simply because of who I am.  Therefore, I felt it was important to retain the title of Alicia Erian’s novel, in which she so effectively dramatizes the pain inflicted by such language, something many people of non-minority descent never have to face.  I believe one of the unintended consequences of forbidding such words to be spoken is imbuing those words with more power than they should ever have, and helping create the illusion that the bigotry and racism expressed by such cruel epithets is less prevalent than it actually is, which we all know is sadly not the case.

ALAN BALL—”Towelhead” is written for the screen and directed by Alan Ball, Academy Award-winning writer of ”American Beauty, “ and creator of “Six Feet Under” and “True Blood.”

One of the ideas conveyed in the film is that we all make assumptions about each other, without knowing, based on racial stereotypes. It was our goal in releasing ”Towelhead” to help make this point. 

Some of our past releases, like ”Paradise Now, “ were extremely controversial and elicited demands that the film not be released; ”Good Night, and Good Luck.” drew criticism from some as well.  Warner Bros. supported the release of these films then, as they do now of ”Towelhead,” as a medium to create dialogue and support the expression of ideas, as controversial or as unpopular as they may be.  We apologize for any offense that is caused by this title but support Alan Ball and Alicia Erian in this effort.

WARNER INDEPENDENT PICTURES

The concept of cinema can be described as ‘the cultural transmission of symbolic forms’ which include actions, utterances, images and texts and are embedded in structured social contexts which involve relations of power.  These forms are produced by subjects and are recognized as meaningful constructs.  As a form of entertainment, it also plays ‘a leading role in shaping attitudes and ideas, including political ideas’.  In-depth studies of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood films over the past eighty years have found that out of the nine hundred films examined, only five percent of all the movies (approximately fifty movies) debunked the barbaric image of Islam. 

There are very few films that show Islam in a positive light.  Dr. Rubina Ramji, Film Editor for the Journal of Religion and Film, is one the scholars who has researched the images of Islam in Hollywood films.  Dr. Ramji screened Towelhead at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and found that this film is indeed one of those few that promote different faiths and the challenges faced by these groups in America, while offering a much more balanced representation.  Using the derogatory term “towelhead” as the film’s title, in the context of this film, provides a different meaning to the term, one that encourages viewers to observe these challenges first-hand and to better understand how Muslim characters have been stereotypically displayed in previous films.

By bringing forth the racist attitudes which have arisen about Muslims living in America, Towelhead openly reveals projected fears about difference and offers a constructive, yet difficult, approach to bring forth understanding.  We, the undersigned scholars, have spent years researching and understanding the impact that cinema has had and continues to have on various religious groups in American culture.  We hope that the true intentions of the semi-autobiographical novel, written by Alicia Erian, who has encountered such racism as an Arab-American, will continue to be accurately reflected in the film Towelhead, by leaving the title as is - a thought-provoking and difficult term that needs to be deconstructed. 

Dr. William Blizek, Founding Editor, Journal of Religion and Film; Professor of Philosophy and Religion, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Dr. Amir Hussain, Associate Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles; Author of Oil and Water: Two Faiths, One God (2006)

Dr. John Lyden, Professor and Chair of Religion, Dana College; Chair of the Religion, Film, and Visual Culture Group of the American Academy of Religion; Author of Film as Religion: Myth, Morals, Rituals (2003)

Dr. Rubina Ramji, Film Editor, Journal of Religion and Film; Professor of Religious Studies (Islam and media), Cape Breton University

Rev. Danny Fisher, Doctoral Candidate, University of the West

*** The above statements represent the personal views of the signatories and are not attributable to any particular organization. 

This past weekend marked the 44th Annual CineCon Classic Film Festival, stretching five days and spanning decades of cinema.  Held in the center of Hollywood at the Renaissance Hotel, CineCon’s international crowd comes together for a showcase of rare and unusual works, many featuring special guests and audience interaction.

Screenings are held at the historic Grauman’s Egyptian Theater, originally opened in 1922 and fully restored in late 1998. Appropriately for the theater (which hosted the very first Hollywood premiere with Douglas Fairbank’s “Robin Hood") CineCon 44’s second night featured the King of silent Hollywood himself in 1920’s “The Mollycoddle”.

Though the festival slogan jokes, “Spend five days in the dark this Labor Day weekend,” the event itself is far from a solitary experience. Stretching from the five dealer rooms (which boast a fantastic collection of movie memorabilia; everything from posters and lobby cards to DVDs and rare soundtracks) to the theater, it’s not at all uncommon to pass two old friends, reuniting over the right film or, in some cases, the stars themselves. Elena Verdugo was met with a packed house and thunderous applause as she took the stage for a Q and A following a 35mm print of Universal’s “House of Frankenstein” (1944).

Other celebrity guests included Walter Mirisch (whose career was celebrated in a special showcase opening night), Warren Stevens (following a screening of “The Case Against Brooklyn) and Celeste Holm (After “Champagne for Caesar").

But the screen itself was host to many other stars; some gone, but clearly not forgotten. Charley Chase was uncommonly vocal in 1937’s sound short “The Awful Goof” and the half-silent/half-talkie “Modern Love” (1929). Harold Lloyd, Bette Davis, Cary Grant and Gary Cooper were among the many faces of old Hollywood to dazzle CineCon goers with their celluloid immortality.

Though CineCon may seem to cater primarily to an older demographic, everyone I talked with seemed delighted at the prospect of getting classic works across to younger audiences. When told it was my first CineCon experience, there was not a single festival goer not eager to tell me about his or her picks for the weekend and recommend some must-see selections. Because the event is held right in the middle of Hollywood, there’s a fine blend of devoted fans and those who have turned their love into industry professions.

One decades-long CineCon goer told me that, even more important than getting to see the films, is seeing the people he only gets to see once a year.

“After you do it for ten years,” he said, “everyone just stops aging. It’s great.”

For more information about CineCon, including how to participate in next year’s event, visit www.cinecon.org.

What was the most challenging thing about making your short?

It was the first movie (short) I ever directed. I threw up right before the first scene and I didn’t think I was nervous. Also, the level of actors we got was ridiculous. So talented. So I had to be honest and work with humility. It was great.



How did you go about selecting your cast?

It was a very organic process. I sent the script out to the people we wanted. Some weren’t available so we had casting sessions. Tamara Hunter was so focused and brought in amazing actors. We actually got our lead out of her sessions. The rest of the cast wound up becoming available and wound up being the first peope we went out to for the other roles.

What do you hope your short film achieves?

I hope that everybody that watches it is moved in some way. I never answer the “what did you want this to mean?” or “ what happens next?”. I want the audience to fill in those blanks.


What is your next project?

I’d like to direct The Rackets, based on the novel written by Tom Kelly



This film will be screening Sunday, August 10th at 1:05pm in the Hollyshorts Film Festival.  Cast members Beth Grant, Jack McGee, and Brian Thomas Smith will all be on hand for the screening.  To learn more about this film, log on to their official website.