Interview with Alan Young
Conducted
by Don Coleman |
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Alan
Young as he appears today
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Don :
At what point did you change your name from Angus to Alan.
Alan :
Well, I was very young. I was 19 years old when I came to America
and they called me Agnus. They couldn't get the name right, in New
York. And I'd say, "No that's Angus" and they'd say, "No, that's a
cow." So when you are 19, you know, you don't like that so I changed
it to Alan.
Don :
Do you have a Scottish background?
Alan :
Yes, we moved to Scotland when I was a little boy. Moved from
England. I was born on the border. We moved to Edinburgh and then
we sailed from Edinburgh to Canada. I'm Scottish really.
Don :
Have you ever gone to the Scottish Games in Orange County?
Alan :
No, but I've been to them here and in Canada. I used to play
the bagpipes for the ones in Canada but I haven't been to Orange County,
no. My sister is there and she goes.
Don :
Well maybe you can get down there some time.
Alan :
I will.
Don :
In your book, you mentioned that when George contacted you
about doing "The Time Machine" that he told you that it would probably
be a three week shoot? Did it turn out to be that way?
Alan :
Yes, about. It wasn't a hard three weeks. I suppose it was three
weeks.
Don :
I wasn't sure if that was your part of it or the entire shoot.
Alan :
No, no, just my part with the cast. Then the part with Rod and
Yvette took up the rest of the time. I don't know how long that took.
Then the special effects, of course, would take up time.
Don :
I was curious as to what you were able to contribute to the
characters of both Jamie and David Filby.
Alan
as 17 year old
James Filby (Jamie)
Alan :
Well, I think that I wrote in the book that he paid me so little
for "Tom Thumb", and he said, " you know when we do "Time Machine"
I want you to do that character. Then when he called me up, when I
was out here he said, "you'll do the part", but he said "I can't pay
you as much money as I paid you for "Tom Thumb." But he said, "I'll
let you do whatever you want with the character." So I said that I
would like to make him Scottish and to do that, if you dye my hair
red so that when my son comes in, he's got red hair too, so that we'll
know the connection. So George said fine. Anything you said to George
was fine. If he didn't like it he wouldn't say that, but it
was fine. Play it anyway you like. Scottish, it'd be good.
George
meeting Jamie in 1918.
Don :
I really enjoyed the accent.
Alan :
Well Rod was English, or Australian, but he had a more English
accent. And then we had another two Englishmen in there so I thought
well that's fine so let's put a Scotsman in there.
Don :
Did you pick that up when you were living in Scotland?
Alan :
My father had an accent. I had a slight accent when I was raised
in Canada as I was raised in a Scottish community and you just don't
loose it. So, but I had lost it when I came to America, intentionally.
But I just went back to my old accent.
Alan
as David Filby
Don :
I was wondering if you recall which order the sequences
were shot in? I know a lot of the time scenes are often shot totally
out of sequence.
Alan :
Yeah. George tried to shoot in sequence as I recall. I have the
shooting schedule packed away somewhere. I have a couple copies of
the original scripts. I think the opening scene around the table was
the first one we shot. In fact, I am pretty certain because he had
the big cast and to save money you get rid of the big cast as soon
as you can.
Don :
Right.
Alan :
So he did those scenes, then the scene in the living room was
next and the others fell into sequence.
Don :
Ok, I see.
Did they do a life mask on you for the old age makeup? Were there
appliance pieces made for you?
Alan :
Yes, I think they did a life mask. I had it done for some show
or picture. Maybe it was that one. I know when I played myself, when
I played Filby, at the age of , no it wouldn't be Filby it would be
his son, at the age of 90 or so, they had rubber. I got made up in
the morning for the whole day's shoot and they put the rubber stuff
on me and we were shooting out of doors and the makeup man gave me
a bottle of spirit gum and said that's to stick the pieces back on
if they come off cuz I can't go out there with you because George
can't afford a second man. They didn't shoot my scene until three
in the afternoon and you could almost see the gutta percha showing
because bits were pulling off. I had to stick it back on. It wasn't
a full mask it was just pieces.
Alan
in old age makeup for the 1966 sequence.
Don :
I assumed that it was just probably bags under the
eyes and that type of thing.
Alan :
Yeah and if he had waited, I could have had my own! But finally
George said I can't shoot a close-up because I can see the rubber
pieces peeling off.
Don :
Right.
Alan :
That man was brilliant. I don't know how he did it.
Don :
Did they do makeup tests on you for that?
Alan :
No we didn't. He just didn't have the time or the money. He
knew how to make up an old man so that was that. He knew what he wanted.
I forget the makeup man. He was a good makeup man.
Don :
Bill Tuttle?
Alan :
Yeah, Bill Tuttle! He knew what he was doing.
Don :
Do you recall how long it took to put that on?
Alan :
It wasn't a short time. Maybe an hour or so.
Don :
Did they take it off for you or did they leave you to your
own devices to remove it?
Alan :
I don't recall. I think that I took it off myself. Just peel
it off and throw it away, that's all.
Don :
Now a days they pamper everybody.
Alan :
Oh yes, well they did then with a show that had a budget
but M.G.M. was going broke then and they knew George Pal would always
make up for any deficiencies in the production. Which he did. So they
let him do it. You know, if you can do the job they let you do it.
Don :
Just as long as it doesn't cost them anymore money.
Alan :
Absolutely, that way they don't have to pay anymore.
Don :
In the opening sequence when you are walking across the street
from the department store to George's house, you are almost run over
by a person on a bicycle...
Alan :
Oh yeah.
Don :
Is that you doing the voice saying "Excuse me, Mr. Filby"?
It sounds very much like you. I always wondered if it was you.
Alan :
No. I don't think so. It was dubbed in afterwards, I know that.
But I don't think that I did it. It was so long ago, I forget but
I remember the sequence. Yeah. That might have been.. No that wasn't
the first shot, no.
Don :
Do you recall which lot the London street was with Filbys
Dept. Store. Was that on Lot 2 or 3 ?
Alan :
Oh, I don't recall. M.G.M. has changed so much since then.
Don :
It's all gone now.
Alan :
I don't recall what lot it was at all. It was just the London
Street, that's all..
Don :
Do you recall where the exterior of George's house was? Was
that on a sound stage or a lot?
Alan :
That was the same street. We only had the one section of the
street.
Don :
It seemed like it was a matte shot of the London Street and
you went so far and then it was picked up in front of the house.
Alan :
It was all the same street. My shop was across the street from
his house in actual fact. So it was all the same street.
Don :
It looked so much like there was a matte line going up the
street.
Alan :
Well there may be a matte line for the war, the explosion, when
the cars were all knocked about but as I recall it was the same street.
I could be wrong there. It was a long time since we shot all of this.
But I am positive it was the same street.
Don :
I spoke with Wah Chang who did some of the miniatures and
effects work. Before I talked with him I said that I realize that
no one told you that in forty years there would be a pop quiz on this.
Alan :
(laughing), Yes, yes. And we have all done a lot since then so
it is kind of hard to remember.
The
Library full of clocks.
Don :
Oh absolutely!
In the room when the miniature was disappearing, at the table. That
room was full of clocks. I know a lot of the time when they film with
clocks the clocks are all stopped because the sound dept...
Alan :
Have to stop the sounds.
Don :
How was that shot, because I noticed that the clocks were
all running. Did you have to re-loop all of your dialog?
Alan :
No, they weren't running. The sound wasn't running. I don't
know whether they were showing pendulums going back and forth...
Don :
Yeah, the pendulums were running while you were doing dialog.
Alan :
Well maybe they were "unticking" pendulums or something! But
we never had to alter or do any dubbing. Again, that would have been
expensive.
Don :
Right! I work in the film industry also and I know that every
time you see a clock they stop it because they hate the ticking .
Alan :
Of course they do.
Don :
The sound guys go crazy.
Alan :
Cutting is impossible.
Don :
I hadn't thought of it in that respect but it would be.
Were there any out takes or was anyone ad libbing on the set?
Alan :
No, as I say George was pretty sure what he wanted and we were
pretty sure to do it that way because that was what he wanted! I don't
remember any foolishness or anything wrong happening.
Don :
It was probably just such a tight budget...
Alan :
Yes. Now with Rod's scenes with the Eloi, there were so many
people there, there must have been something happening but not with
ours.
Don :
When you finished your three weeks did you go back at all
to see any of the other filming.
Alan :
No.
Don :
You took the paycheck and went home!
Alan :
(laughing) Took that and then went home, yeah! I don't recall
going back and seeing anything.
Don :
Anything else you would like to say about George Pal as to
how he did things.
Alan :
Well, very quiet, very capable. He was a perfect director in
that he let the actors do what they felt was right until he didn't
feel it was right and then he would make some suggestion but he had
some good actors in there around the table.
Don :
Sebastian Cabot.
Alan :
Yes, Sebastian... and who else was there...
Don :
Tom Hellmore.
Alan :
Hellmore, had experience and dear...
Don :
Doris Lloyd.
Alan :
Yes, of course, and then the only American in it was Whit Bissell
who is a professional actor, a real good actor. So they know what
he wanted and they just did it. I wish I could say that something
odd happened but it just went beautifully. Rod and I got along so
well together and, we respected each other so that helps a great deal.
It was the easiest shoot I've ever had. The only thing that was a
shame is the old joke saying that my picture wasn't released, it escaped!
This had no release at all. In fact, I think I put in the book, that
I had to go out to Van Nuys, I found it playing in a theater on Van
Nuys Boulevard. A little old theater It never was on Hollywood Blvd.
And when my wife and I drove up there to see it, that was the first
time I saw it.
Don :
I sort of saw it by mistake myself. I was like 8 or 9 years
old at the time and my parents would drive me down to one of the local
theaters and drop me off to get me out of their hair for the day.
My cousin and I were going to go to one theater but she didn't like
the picture that was playing so we ended up seeing "The Time Machine."
Alan :
Wow.
Don :
I just loved the film .
Alan :
I was tickled when I saw it. I thought, "gee it's an example
of George's genius, the way he turned it out for that kind of budget".
I don't know what the budget was but it was like... Tom Thumb didn't
have any budget either. But he is just..... I just can't say enough
about him.
Don :
I think that the budget was somewhere around $800,000.00
.
Alan :
That's peanuts isn't it.
Don :
Yeah!
Alan :
Today that's nothing.You'd pay the actor that! If you were lucky!
Don :
Any other comments on the other actors, Tom Hellmore?
Alan :
I didn't know Tom. I knew Whit Bissell. I'd worked with him
before. I didn't know any of the others. But they were all professionals
and it just doesn't take any time at all.
Don :
I know that Whit Bissell has a list of credits.
Alan :
And so does Tom. He's been in the business a long, long time.
Don :
I looked up Doris Lloyd on the Internet and her list was
just incredible.
Alan :
That's why George cast them. He knew he had to get people that
could come in knowing their lines and do it! And of course, that was
the beauty of those people, they were just terrific.The only one who
was new was little 17 year old Yvette.
Don :
Right.
Alan :
But I had never worked with her but she seemed to be fine. She
did a good job. I had never worked with Rod before, either. I didn't
know him at all but he was an experienced actor. Australian fella,
well taught. So it was a time saver.
Don :
I was wondering if you had any production notes or scripts.
Alan :
Yeah, they're packed away in the boxes in here. I'll dig it
out. It was only the one day but I'll see what it is. The script has
all the notes in it and everything.
Don :
I'd love to take a look at it.
Alan :
OK. Fine.
Don :
I'd like to touch on "The Journey Back" for just a little
bit, how were you contacted for that? Did Clyde just call you out
of the blue one day...
Alan :
I think we had been working on the script for the "Return of
The Time Machine" and I was playing in a show down in San Diego, a
musical, and he called me up and I had to drive up, I think during
the day and do the thing and drive back at night because I had a show
that night. So I had to learn the lines, I learned them from a tape
recorder coming up and we shot in a little studio in the Valley here.
I don't think we had a rehearsal.
Don :
There wasn't much. I was there.
Alan :
Were you there? I don't know whether we rehearsed or not.
Don :
I think you did one walk through.
Alan :
Did we?
Don :
And then shot it.
Alan :
It was so good working with Rod again. I think we felt the camaraderie
there and it was a very touching, very touching little scene.
Don :
It was very nice. I mentioned to you at the autograph show
that when you went through it the first time you could have heard
a pin drop. I think everybody was just really taken by just how it
came off.
Alan :
I don't know who wrote it.
Don :
David Duncan, the original screen writer.
Alan :
Oh, did he write it? Well I didn't think that "our friend" wrote
it!
Don :
Clyde actually contacted David who I think is up in Washington..
Alan :
Ohh, is that right?
Don :
I am going to be sending some questions to him in probably
the next few weeks or so and see what light he can shed on things.
Alan :
I haven't heard if he has been writing since then.
Don :
I don't know what else he may have done since then. I know
he has written some novels. But I think most of those were done before
he wrote "The Time Machine."
Alan :
Well he is a good writer. That scene was very sweet.
Don :
Had you worked with Rod or seen him between doing "The Time
Machine" and doing "The Journey Back"?
Alan :
Nope. Never talked to him never. The only time I'd ever met
him, apart from him coming here for a few weeks and working of the
script was just in Gelson's market. I heard a voice behind me saying,
"Hello, Filby, how're you doing!" and it was Rod! We were both shopping
and I haven't seen him since. He's an independent cus, you know. Of
course, he's in Australia quite a bit of the time now I gather. Nice
man.
Don :
Yeah, he seemed like that when I met him on "The Journey
Back".
Alan :
Good man.
Don :
Did they give you any input on that segment for "The Journey
Back" or was it mostly already written out?
Alan :
It was already written. I didn't know what to expect. I was
sent the script, of course, which I put down on tape. But I didn't
know what they had in mind doing with it.
Don :
I was pretty surprised, I was down there that day and I turned
around and you were standing behind me in full makeup and costume...
Alan :
Oh yeah...
Don :
And I was face to face with David Filby.
Alan :
Was my hair red?
Don :
Yeah. You had everything, all of the make-up.
Alan :
I guess they dyed it red. I don't know!
Don :
Have you seen the segment?
Alan :
Yes, I have a copy of it somewhere.
Don :
How did you like it.
Alan :
Oh, I thought it was nice! It was, the lighting could have been
better, I think but um. I don't think they did close-ups or anything
like that they just did it once as I recall.
Don :
I don't think you did too many close-ups.
Alan :
Just one or two set-ups. And the lighting wasn't perfect but
it was OK.
Don :
I think they had a problem with the focus.
Alan :
Did they? I thought maybe they did shoot a couple but they didn't
use them at all. Ah, that's a shame. Oh well.
Don :
Did you know also that Dream Works is planning a remake of
"The Time Machine."
Alan :
Ah, Spielberg. I hear so.
Don :
I have been submitting my work to them as well trying to see
what's going on.
Alan :
Sure, sure. Is he doing it as H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine"
or just...
Don :
I understand that it's going to be a remake of what George
Pal did.
Alan :
Ah, because it's public domain, I mean H.G. Wells' book...
Don :
Yeah, I kind of gathered it is.
Alan :
George Pal, he changed quite a few things, or Duncan did, I mean.
Don :
The talking rings were not in the book.
Alan :
No. Then in the book they had little people coming in at the
end, some wild little people. Eloi, they were different kinds of people.
I didn't like it in the book. It was very good for those days, a hundred
years ago but for today I didn't think that it was fitting. Maybe
it is. I don't know. Spielberg knows more than I do about it ! Spielberg
will take a long time.
Don :
Last time I talked to them it was going to be eight months
before crew-up and that was only about a month or so ago.
Alan :
Ohhhh, oh well.
Don :
So it's a ways off.
Alan :
You're talking three years, two or three years.
Don :
Possibly!
Don :
Well, that's all I have concerning "The Time Machine", unless
there is anything you can add.
Alan :
No, you've covered it pretty well. I've said everything I know
about it. I don't know anything about the technical end. That's not
my business and I don't need to bother with it. I just know that George's
innovations were copied by many people and they all admit that they
did, you know. We did a, I don't know if you ever saw it, a one hour
documentary on George Pal and all of these science-fiction people,
the big ones, gave their, Charleston Heston was in it too and I was
in it, giveing our comments.
Don :
I think I saw the last twenty seconds...
Alan :
Ahhh.
Don :
I had just gotten home, and all I saw was you on the screen,
with a little model of the Time Machine behind you and you were talking
about George and I looked and said, "what's this?!", and about that
time the whole thing was over with!
Alan :
Ohhhh! It was a good documentary. Shot by a man who was the
first one who wanted to do "Return to Time Machine" and he was a bit
wild too.
Don :
Arnold Leibowit?
Alan :
Yes! Yes!
Don :
He's involved with the Dreamworks project.
Alan :
Is he?
Don :
Um hmm.
Alan :
Hmmm.
Don :
So I have been communicating with him.
Alan :
He got Mrs. Pal's permission for certain things and he was in
cahoots with her, I mean, in partnership I should say, and didn't
like "our friend", whose name I keep forgetting.
Don :
That's alright!
Alan :
So ah, that's just as well! Liebowit, that's it. Oh, it was
twenty years ago when he started doing that.
Don :
Yeah, that was some time ago.
Alan :
Umm Hmm.
Don :
I have a photograph of you, I think it's from "The Time Machine".
Alan :
That's another thing. They didn't have any still photographer
on the set to take candid photographs.
Don :
I've been told that this is during the filming of "The Time
Machine." It may not have been.
Alan,
George Pal, and ?
Alan :
I can tell by the jackets! I don't know. Well, that's Mrs. Pal,
isn't it?
Don :
I'm not sure. Someone told me that was Gaye Griffith?
Alan :
No, no that's not Gaye. Gaye was dark haired.
Don :
Oh, ok. That's what happens when you just get a photograph
and no captions.
Alan :
Yeah. Well I definately know that it's not Gaye and it's definately
George and it's definately me! I was going to say that it looked like
one the the jackets that I wore on Mr. Ed" but it wasn't on the set.
Looks like it was taken in the um, I must have visited there, on the,
ah, shooting with the Eloi.
Don :
That looks like where you were at .
Alan :
Yeah, I must have come on the set then afterwards. I used to
meet with George a lot. He wanted me for another picture, two other
pictures and I was doing the "Ed" show, so I wasn't able to do it.
That was "The Brothers Grimm", which I'm glad that I didn't do because
it didn't turn out too well. I don't think.
Don :
I think it has a fan following, mostly because it is a stop
motion, George Pal film.
Alan :
But it didn't do well critically and everything else. It's a
shame. Poor guy. He had a broken heart. I think that's what he passed
away from.
Don :
I know that he was trying to get a sequel going at one time.
Alan :
Oh, I'm sure!
Don :
Were you involved or did it ever get that far?
Alan :
It never got that far. I used to see him quite a bit. He was
doing, oh, what did he want me for, something else. Oh, he wanted
to do a television version of ah, Dr...., Tony Randall did the movie,
Dr. something...
Don :
Dr. Lao?
Alan :
Yeah! And he thought that would be a great television show and
he called me up and wanted me to do Dr. Lao. And I said, "gee, I can't...Tony
Randall is so marvelous" but he said , "No, I want you for television."
We talked but that was about the size of it. Then he did the thing
with the Tarzan guy.
Don :
Oh, ah, "Doc Savage."With Ron Ely.
Alan :
Is that what it was? Yeah.
Alan :
I used to visit him. He'd call me up and he'd say let's have
lunch together and we did that until...in fact, he was so cute. I'd
met him in London, and you know, I wasn't a football fan I played
soccer and that sort, but he called me up and said, "I'm now a football
fan. I've got season tickets for the Rams would you like to join me?"And
I said, "I'm not a football fan.' But he was a rabid football fan.
Rams, Oh Boy! I was so sad. I think I was away when he passed on.
It was after the fire in Bel Air. The last time I talked to him was
in the 70's and that's when he wanted to get tickets to go see the
Rams. I don't know, I was away, again, when he passed on.
At this point Alan has risen from his chair and removed from a shelf
a very small model of the Time Machine and returns to his chair, placing
the model on the table between us.
Alan :
I don't know who this fellow was, a very nice chap, he gave
me, it's fallen apart since then , but ....Do you know who that might
have been?
Don :
I think I know who made it. I think it was Steve Stockbarger.
Alan :
The wheel's come off the back but I don't know where it is.
Hmm. I guess in dusting, she may have....Yeah, the wheel's come off
the back. I guess she... I generally glue everything down so it doesn't
fall off.
Don :
So you are missing the part as well?
Alan :
Yes, it has come off.
Don :
I'll tell Steve.
Alan :
You know him?
Don :
He told me that he made that one for you.
Alan :
Yeah, he sure did. I couldn't believe it.
Don :
I believe he gave it to you at a show in Anaheim when you
were doing the "Mr. Ed" book signing.
Alan :
The book signing maybe. That's right! Down in Costa Mesa, Newport
Beach.
Don :
My wife and I went to the Scottish Highland Games that weekend....
Alan :
Oh yeah.
Don :
Steve had you autograph a copy of your book for us.
Alan :
Oh is that right? Oh great.
Don :
It's a very small world.
Alan :
Oh yes it is! It was in Costa Mesa, cuz my sister set it up.
She was so very proud of me writing a book, she called the Costa Mesa
store and they said sure! So that's when I went down there and I didn't
get a chance to talk to him so much because there were so many people
around.
Don :
Right.
Alan :
But he just handed this to me. It was very kind of him.
Don :
I'll tell him. Right now he's at home with pneumonia.
Alan :
Aww, is he?
Don :
Yeah. He sounded pretty bad the other day I talked to him.But
I'll tell him that your machine is in need of repair and I'm sure
that he'll be more than happy to repair it for you.
Alan :
Oh, that's very sweet, thank you. I was very proud of it. I had
it up there for some time and then when the wheel....I don't really
know what happened. I guess what I should do is glue this down or
something, so that the maid won't brush into it. I'll have to tell
her not to touch it.
Don :
That's a little one, isn't it?
Alan :
Yeah, fabulous! It's a great conversation piece.
Don :
You mentioned at the autograph show that you are doing a play...
Alan :
"You Can't Take it With You". I'm filling in for Moss Hart's
son, Chris Hart, is directing it and it was written by Kaufman and
Hart and it's very successful. It was a very successful movie. I just
saw it on television a little while ago. And it's a great picture
and I like to do live stage thing every year. So this came up and
I said that I'd love to fill in and boy, what a job learning our lines
in two weeks. But it's fun.
Don :
Where is it playing at?
Alan :
It's called the Cooley Theater down in Hollywood. It's down on
Argyle Street. I'm going tonight to see "The Fantastics" there. They
are putting that show on in the next theater to us. A nice group of
co-op actors who just got together and said they want to act in the
things they want to do. So there's no money exchanged but it's a lot
of fun. It keeps you active and keeps your mind working.
Don :
It's important to keep active.
Alan :
Yeah, oooohhh yeah!
Don :
That's something that I've learned. My wife works at an orthopedic
surgeon's office and deals with a lot of older patients and the one's
that keep active, keep on going.If you don't you just fall to pieces.
Alan :
Oh, it's a shame. That's why I work out and I have a trainer
and work out in this gym. I hate her because she's tough! (laughter)
But it's good, it's good for you.
Don :
What is your favorite medium: television, film, or stage and
why?
Alan :
Stage. I think any actor would say because it's the basis of
performing also you get an instant reaction from the audience instead
of waiting for six months for a picture to show up.
Don :
How do you go about developing a character? What is your approach?
Alan :
When I read a script I imagine what the character looks like
and try to figure out what his background might be and then I go from
there. Cause I never had any lessons in acting so I don't know anything
about researching.
Don :
Do you base anything of your characters on people you've known
in your past?
Alan :
No, I don't base it on anything except what I see in the script
because I think the writers idea is probably the best, you try and
find what the writer had in mind..
Don :
Who has influeneced you most as an actor?
Alan :
I never wanted to be an actor. I was a comedian. I love pantomime
so of course Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel was my favorite and Buster
Keaton. All those wonderful comedians. I try to.. I was inspired by
them.
Don :
Did you ever have a chance to meet any of them?
Alan :
I met Stan Laurel , one evening I was invited to this doctor's
house who had brought my little boy into the world and he said I've
got a surprise for you if you want to come up and have dinner with
me. So my wife and I went up there and walked in the door and there
was Stan Laurel. I had done some pantomime in a show, and he was a
fan of mine, his daughter told me later and it turns out that I was
born within about six blocks from where he was born in the old country
so we had something in common and he was so dear, he had his Water
Rats book with him. Water Rats is group of actors in London, been
there for a hundred years and had a little white book with autograpghs
and he asked me to autograpgh it. I was so thrilled and touched and
nervous that I never got to get his autograph I just couldn't speak,
so later on his daughter gave me a photograph with she and him together
and wrote on it somethnig very nice. I think he was one of the nicest
people I ever met. He lived in Santa Monica near the end. He was listed
in the phone book, and people would phone him up and talk with him
on the phone, very humble man and I hope I follow in his footsteps
that way.
Don :
What has been your favorite project you've worked on?
Alan :
Gosh, I loved them all mostly, apart from a few pictures. "The
Time Machine" was for me the most satisfying and "Androcles and the
Lion". Television, I was very fond of too, naturally.
Don :
Who was your favorite director you've worked for?
Alan :
Well, George Pal, maybe because I liked him so much. The director
I've just worked with on this picture had the same attitude as George
Pal and most good directors do. They hire the actor based on his ability
and so they let him go ahead and play it the way he wants and then
they will correct it if it's something they didn't like and George
Pal was just a prince of a man.
Don :
When you watch yourself on the screen how are you watching
? Are you critical of your performance or are you watching the story
unfold?
Alan :
I think, most actors if they're honest will say they're critical
of their performance. Ooh I could have done that better. Ooh Why did
I do that? Its a personal thing, probably egotistical too. I try to
relive the character and enjoy the picture but still critisize my
performance.
Don :
What are your personal interests?.
Alan :
I love scuba diving. I took it up very late, about five years
ago, but that I think is the most thrilling thing in the world to
me, scuba diving. It's like another world and you're by yourself.
You've got a partner with you, but for all intents and purposes you
are by yourself and its just a beautiful new world, and that's one
of them.
I guess, reading. I don't read anything deep I'd love to say I did.
And I love sports. I'm a soccer fan. I used to have a team here in
Los Angeles, and that's about it.
Don :
Soccer just never really caught on here in the states.
Alan :
It certainly didn't when I had a team. Americans aren't raised
with it. It's what you're raised with. It's great for kids. Little
kids especially because they don't have to have muscles they just
have to have coordination and speed. Smaller kids can be just as good
or better than the bigger ones which is a good plus.
Don :
Thank you very much for taking the time ..
Alan :
Oh it was my Pleasure.... dear Time Machine .
| Don : | At what point did you change your name from Angus to Alan. |
| Alan : | Well, I was very young. I was 19 years old when I came to America and they called me Agnus. They couldn't get the name right, in New York. And I'd say, "No that's Angus" and they'd say, "No, that's a cow." So when you are 19, you know, you don't like that so I changed it to Alan. |
| Don : | Do you have a Scottish background? |
| Alan : | Yes, we moved to Scotland when I was a little boy. Moved from England. I was born on the border. We moved to Edinburgh and then we sailed from Edinburgh to Canada. I'm Scottish really. |
| Don : | Have you ever gone to the Scottish Games in Orange County? |
| Alan : | No, but I've been to them here and in Canada. I used to play the bagpipes for the ones in Canada but I haven't been to Orange County, no. My sister is there and she goes. |
| Don : | Well maybe you can get down there some time. |
| Alan : | I will. |
| Don : | In your book, you mentioned that when George contacted you about doing "The Time Machine" that he told you that it would probably be a three week shoot? Did it turn out to be that way? |
| Alan : | Yes, about. It wasn't a hard three weeks. I suppose it was three weeks. |
| Don : | I wasn't sure if that was your part of it or the entire shoot. |
| Alan : | No, no, just my part with the cast. Then the part with Rod and Yvette took up the rest of the time. I don't know how long that took. Then the special effects, of course, would take up time. |
| Don : | I was curious as to what you were able to contribute to the characters of both Jamie and David Filby. |
|
|
|
Alan
as 17 year old
James Filby (Jamie) |
| Alan : | Well, I think that I wrote in the book that he paid me so little for "Tom Thumb", and he said, " you know when we do "Time Machine" I want you to do that character. Then when he called me up, when I was out here he said, "you'll do the part", but he said "I can't pay you as much money as I paid you for "Tom Thumb." But he said, "I'll let you do whatever you want with the character." So I said that I would like to make him Scottish and to do that, if you dye my hair red so that when my son comes in, he's got red hair too, so that we'll know the connection. So George said fine. Anything you said to George was fine. If he didn't like it he wouldn't say that, but it was fine. Play it anyway you like. Scottish, it'd be good. |
|
|
|
George
meeting Jamie in 1918.
|
| Don : | I really enjoyed the accent. |
| Alan : | Well Rod was English, or Australian, but he had a more English accent. And then we had another two Englishmen in there so I thought well that's fine so let's put a Scotsman in there. |
| Don : | Did you pick that up when you were living in Scotland? |
| Alan : | My father had an accent. I had a slight accent when I was raised in Canada as I was raised in a Scottish community and you just don't loose it. So, but I had lost it when I came to America, intentionally. But I just went back to my old accent. |
|
|
|
Alan
as David Filby
|
| Don : | I was wondering if you recall which order the sequences were shot in? I know a lot of the time scenes are often shot totally out of sequence. |
| Alan : | Yeah. George tried to shoot in sequence as I recall. I have the shooting schedule packed away somewhere. I have a couple copies of the original scripts. I think the opening scene around the table was the first one we shot. In fact, I am pretty certain because he had the big cast and to save money you get rid of the big cast as soon as you can. |
| Don : | Right. |
| Alan : | So he did those scenes, then the scene in the living room was next and the others fell into sequence. |
| Don : | Ok, I see. Did they do a life mask on you for the old age makeup? Were there appliance pieces made for you? |
| Alan : | Yes, I think they did a life mask. I had it done for some show or picture. Maybe it was that one. I know when I played myself, when I played Filby, at the age of , no it wouldn't be Filby it would be his son, at the age of 90 or so, they had rubber. I got made up in the morning for the whole day's shoot and they put the rubber stuff on me and we were shooting out of doors and the makeup man gave me a bottle of spirit gum and said that's to stick the pieces back on if they come off cuz I can't go out there with you because George can't afford a second man. They didn't shoot my scene until three in the afternoon and you could almost see the gutta percha showing because bits were pulling off. I had to stick it back on. It wasn't a full mask it was just pieces. |
|
|
|
Alan
in old age makeup for the 1966 sequence.
|
| Don : | I assumed that it was just probably bags under the eyes and that type of thing. |
| Alan : | Yeah and if he had waited, I could have had my own! But finally George said I can't shoot a close-up because I can see the rubber pieces peeling off. |
| Don : | Right. |
| Alan : | That man was brilliant. I don't know how he did it. |
| Don : | Did they do makeup tests on you for that? |
| Alan : | No we didn't. He just didn't have the time or the money. He knew how to make up an old man so that was that. He knew what he wanted. I forget the makeup man. He was a good makeup man. |
| Don : | Bill Tuttle? |
| Alan : | Yeah, Bill Tuttle! He knew what he was doing. |
| Don : | Do you recall how long it took to put that on? |
| Alan : | It wasn't a short time. Maybe an hour or so. |
| Don : | Did they take it off for you or did they leave you to your own devices to remove it? |
| Alan : | I don't recall. I think that I took it off myself. Just peel it off and throw it away, that's all. |
| Don : | Now a days they pamper everybody. |
| Alan : | Oh yes, well they did then with a show that had a budget but M.G.M. was going broke then and they knew George Pal would always make up for any deficiencies in the production. Which he did. So they let him do it. You know, if you can do the job they let you do it. |
| Don : | Just as long as it doesn't cost them anymore money. |
| Alan : | Absolutely, that way they don't have to pay anymore. |
| Don : | In the opening sequence when you are walking across the street from the department store to George's house, you are almost run over by a person on a bicycle... |
| Alan : | Oh yeah. |
| Don : | Is that you doing the voice saying "Excuse me, Mr. Filby"? It sounds very much like you. I always wondered if it was you. |
| Alan : | No. I don't think so. It was dubbed in afterwards, I know that. But I don't think that I did it. It was so long ago, I forget but I remember the sequence. Yeah. That might have been.. No that wasn't the first shot, no. |
| Don : | Do you recall which lot the London street was with Filbys Dept. Store. Was that on Lot 2 or 3 ? |
| Alan : | Oh, I don't recall. M.G.M. has changed so much since then. |
| Don : | It's all gone now. |
| Alan : | I don't recall what lot it was at all. It was just the London Street, that's all.. |
| Don : | Do you recall where the exterior of George's house was? Was that on a sound stage or a lot? |
| Alan : | That was the same street. We only had the one section of the street. |
| Don : | It seemed like it was a matte shot of the London Street and you went so far and then it was picked up in front of the house. |
| Alan : | It was all the same street. My shop was across the street from his house in actual fact. So it was all the same street. |
| Don : | It looked so much like there was a matte line going up the street. |
| Alan : | Well there may be a matte line for the war, the explosion, when the cars were all knocked about but as I recall it was the same street. I could be wrong there. It was a long time since we shot all of this. But I am positive it was the same street. |
| Don : | I spoke with Wah Chang who did some of the miniatures and effects work. Before I talked with him I said that I realize that no one told you that in forty years there would be a pop quiz on this. |
| Alan : | (laughing), Yes, yes. And we have all done a lot since then so it is kind of hard to remember. |
|
|
The
Library full of clocks.
|
| Don : | Oh absolutely! In the room when the miniature was disappearing, at the table. That room was full of clocks. I know a lot of the time when they film with clocks the clocks are all stopped because the sound dept... |
| Alan : | Have to stop the sounds. |
| Don : | How was that shot, because I noticed that the clocks were all running. Did you have to re-loop all of your dialog? |
| Alan : | No, they weren't running. The sound wasn't running. I don't know whether they were showing pendulums going back and forth... |
| Don : | Yeah, the pendulums were running while you were doing dialog. |
| Alan : | Well maybe they were "unticking" pendulums or something! But we never had to alter or do any dubbing. Again, that would have been expensive. |
| Don : | Right! I work in the film industry also and I know that every time you see a clock they stop it because they hate the ticking . |
| Alan : | Of course they do. |
| Don : | The sound guys go crazy. |
| Alan : | Cutting is impossible. |
| Don : | I hadn't thought of it in that respect but it would be. Were there any out takes or was anyone ad libbing on the set? |
| Alan : | No, as I say George was pretty sure what he wanted and we were pretty sure to do it that way because that was what he wanted! I don't remember any foolishness or anything wrong happening. |
| Don : | It was probably just such a tight budget... |
| Alan : | Yes. Now with Rod's scenes with the Eloi, there were so many people there, there must have been something happening but not with ours. |
| Don : | When you finished your three weeks did you go back at all to see any of the other filming. |
| Alan : | No. |
| Don : | You took the paycheck and went home! |
| Alan : | (laughing) Took that and then went home, yeah! I don't recall going back and seeing anything. |
| Don : | Anything else you would like to say about George Pal as to how he did things. |
| Alan : | Well, very quiet, very capable. He was a perfect director in that he let the actors do what they felt was right until he didn't feel it was right and then he would make some suggestion but he had some good actors in there around the table. |
| Don : | Sebastian Cabot. |
| Alan : | Yes, Sebastian... and who else was there... |
| Don : | Tom Hellmore. |
| Alan : | Hellmore, had experience and dear... |
| Don : | Doris Lloyd. |
| Alan : | Yes, of course, and then the only American in it was Whit Bissell who is a professional actor, a real good actor. So they know what he wanted and they just did it. I wish I could say that something odd happened but it just went beautifully. Rod and I got along so well together and, we respected each other so that helps a great deal. It was the easiest shoot I've ever had. The only thing that was a shame is the old joke saying that my picture wasn't released, it escaped! This had no release at all. In fact, I think I put in the book, that I had to go out to Van Nuys, I found it playing in a theater on Van Nuys Boulevard. A little old theater It never was on Hollywood Blvd. And when my wife and I drove up there to see it, that was the first time I saw it. |
| Don : | I sort of saw it by mistake myself. I was like 8 or 9 years old at the time and my parents would drive me down to one of the local theaters and drop me off to get me out of their hair for the day. My cousin and I were going to go to one theater but she didn't like the picture that was playing so we ended up seeing "The Time Machine." |
| Alan : | Wow. |
| Don : | I just loved the film . |
| Alan : | I was tickled when I saw it. I thought, "gee it's an example of George's genius, the way he turned it out for that kind of budget". I don't know what the budget was but it was like... Tom Thumb didn't have any budget either. But he is just..... I just can't say enough about him. |
| Don : | I think that the budget was somewhere around $800,000.00 . |
| Alan : | That's peanuts isn't it. |
| Don : | Yeah! |
| Alan : | Today that's nothing.You'd pay the actor that! If you were lucky! |
| Don : | Any other comments on the other actors, Tom Hellmore? |
| Alan : | I didn't know Tom. I knew Whit Bissell. I'd worked with him before. I didn't know any of the others. But they were all professionals and it just doesn't take any time at all. |
| Don : | I know that Whit Bissell has a list of credits. |
| Alan : | And so does Tom. He's been in the business a long, long time. |
| Don : | I looked up Doris Lloyd on the Internet and her list was just incredible. |
| Alan : | That's why George cast them. He knew he had to get people that could come in knowing their lines and do it! And of course, that was the beauty of those people, they were just terrific.The only one who was new was little 17 year old Yvette. |
| Don : | Right. |
| Alan : | But I had never worked with her but she seemed to be fine. She did a good job. I had never worked with Rod before, either. I didn't know him at all but he was an experienced actor. Australian fella, well taught. So it was a time saver. |
| Don : | I was wondering if you had any production notes or scripts. |
| Alan : | Yeah, they're packed away in the boxes in here. I'll dig it out. It was only the one day but I'll see what it is. The script has all the notes in it and everything. |
| Don : | I'd love to take a look at it. |
| Alan : | OK. Fine. |
| Don : | I'd like to touch on "The Journey Back" for just a little bit, how were you contacted for that? Did Clyde just call you out of the blue one day... |
| Alan : | I think we had been working on the script for the "Return of The Time Machine" and I was playing in a show down in San Diego, a musical, and he called me up and I had to drive up, I think during the day and do the thing and drive back at night because I had a show that night. So I had to learn the lines, I learned them from a tape recorder coming up and we shot in a little studio in the Valley here. I don't think we had a rehearsal. |
| Don : | There wasn't much. I was there. |
| Alan : | Were you there? I don't know whether we rehearsed or not. |
| Don : | I think you did one walk through. |
| Alan : | Did we? |
| Don : | And then shot it. |
| Alan : | It was so good working with Rod again. I think we felt the camaraderie there and it was a very touching, very touching little scene. |
| Don : | It was very nice. I mentioned to you at the autograph show that when you went through it the first time you could have heard a pin drop. I think everybody was just really taken by just how it came off. |
| Alan : | I don't know who wrote it. |
| Don : | David Duncan, the original screen writer. |
| Alan : | Oh, did he write it? Well I didn't think that "our friend" wrote it! |
| Don : | Clyde actually contacted David who I think is up in Washington.. |
| Alan : | Ohh, is that right? |
| Don : | I am going to be sending some questions to him in probably the next few weeks or so and see what light he can shed on things. |
| Alan : | I haven't heard if he has been writing since then. |
| Don : | I don't know what else he may have done since then. I know he has written some novels. But I think most of those were done before he wrote "The Time Machine." |
| Alan : | Well he is a good writer. That scene was very sweet. |
| Don : | Had you worked with Rod or seen him between doing "The Time Machine" and doing "The Journey Back"? |
| Alan : | Nope. Never talked to him never. The only time I'd ever met him, apart from him coming here for a few weeks and working of the script was just in Gelson's market. I heard a voice behind me saying, "Hello, Filby, how're you doing!" and it was Rod! We were both shopping and I haven't seen him since. He's an independent cus, you know. Of course, he's in Australia quite a bit of the time now I gather. Nice man. |
| Don : | Yeah, he seemed like that when I met him on "The Journey Back". |
| Alan : | Good man. |
| Don : | Did they give you any input on that segment for "The Journey Back" or was it mostly already written out? |
| Alan : | It was already written. I didn't know what to expect. I was sent the script, of course, which I put down on tape. But I didn't know what they had in mind doing with it. |
| Don : | I was pretty surprised, I was down there that day and I turned around and you were standing behind me in full makeup and costume... |
| Alan : | Oh yeah... |
| Don : | And I was face to face with David Filby. |
| Alan : | Was my hair red? |
| Don : | Yeah. You had everything, all of the make-up. |
| Alan : | I guess they dyed it red. I don't know! |
| Don : | Have you seen the segment? |
| Alan : | Yes, I have a copy of it somewhere. |
| Don : | How did you like it. |
| Alan : | Oh, I thought it was nice! It was, the lighting could have been better, I think but um. I don't think they did close-ups or anything like that they just did it once as I recall. |
| Don : | I don't think you did too many close-ups. |
| Alan : | Just one or two set-ups. And the lighting wasn't perfect but it was OK. |
| Don : | I think they had a problem with the focus. |
| Alan : | Did they? I thought maybe they did shoot a couple but they didn't use them at all. Ah, that's a shame. Oh well. |
| Don : | Did you know also that Dream Works is planning a remake of "The Time Machine." |
| Alan : | Ah, Spielberg. I hear so. |
| Don : | I have been submitting my work to them as well trying to see what's going on. |
| Alan : | Sure, sure. Is he doing it as H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" or just... |
| Don : | I understand that it's going to be a remake of what George Pal did. |
| Alan : | Ah, because it's public domain, I mean H.G. Wells' book... |
| Don : | Yeah, I kind of gathered it is. |
| Alan : | George Pal, he changed quite a few things, or Duncan did, I mean. |
| Don : | The talking rings were not in the book. |
| Alan : | No. Then in the book they had little people coming in at the end, some wild little people. Eloi, they were different kinds of people. I didn't like it in the book. It was very good for those days, a hundred years ago but for today I didn't think that it was fitting. Maybe it is. I don't know. Spielberg knows more than I do about it ! Spielberg will take a long time. |
| Don : | Last time I talked to them it was going to be eight months before crew-up and that was only about a month or so ago. |
| Alan : | Ohhhh, oh well. |
| Don : | So it's a ways off. |
| Alan : | You're talking three years, two or three years. |
| Don : | Possibly! |
| Don : | Well, that's all I have concerning "The Time Machine", unless there is anything you can add. |
| Alan : | No, you've covered it pretty well. I've said everything I know about it. I don't know anything about the technical end. That's not my business and I don't need to bother with it. I just know that George's innovations were copied by many people and they all admit that they did, you know. We did a, I don't know if you ever saw it, a one hour documentary on George Pal and all of these science-fiction people, the big ones, gave their, Charleston Heston was in it too and I was in it, giveing our comments. |
| Don : | I think I saw the last twenty seconds... |
| Alan : | Ahhh. |
| Don : | I had just gotten home, and all I saw was you on the screen, with a little model of the Time Machine behind you and you were talking about George and I looked and said, "what's this?!", and about that time the whole thing was over with! |
| Alan : | Ohhhh! It was a good documentary. Shot by a man who was the first one who wanted to do "Return to Time Machine" and he was a bit wild too. |
| Don : | Arnold Leibowit? |
| Alan : | Yes! Yes! |
| Don : | He's involved with the Dreamworks project. |
| Alan : | Is he? |
| Don : | Um hmm. |
| Alan : | Hmmm. |
| Don : | So I have been communicating with him. |
| Alan : | He got Mrs. Pal's permission for certain things and he was in cahoots with her, I mean, in partnership I should say, and didn't like "our friend", whose name I keep forgetting. |
| Don : | That's alright! |
| Alan : | So ah, that's just as well! Liebowit, that's it. Oh, it was twenty years ago when he started doing that. |
| Don : | Yeah, that was some time ago. |
| Alan : | Umm Hmm. |
| Don : | I have a photograph of you, I think it's from "The Time Machine". |
| Alan : | That's another thing. They didn't have any still photographer on the set to take candid photographs. |
| Don : | I've been told that this is during the filming of "The Time Machine." It may not have been. |
|
|
|
Alan,
George Pal, and ?
|
| Alan : | I can tell by the jackets! I don't know. Well, that's Mrs. Pal, isn't it? |
| Don : | I'm not sure. Someone told me that was Gaye Griffith? |
| Alan : | No, no that's not Gaye. Gaye was dark haired. |
| Don : | Oh, ok. That's what happens when you just get a photograph and no captions. |
| Alan : | Yeah. Well I definately know that it's not Gaye and it's definately George and it's definately me! I was going to say that it looked like one the the jackets that I wore on Mr. Ed" but it wasn't on the set. Looks like it was taken in the um, I must have visited there, on the, ah, shooting with the Eloi. |
| Don : | That looks like where you were at . |
| Alan : | Yeah, I must have come on the set then afterwards. I used to meet with George a lot. He wanted me for another picture, two other pictures and I was doing the "Ed" show, so I wasn't able to do it. That was "The Brothers Grimm", which I'm glad that I didn't do because it didn't turn out too well. I don't think. |
| Don : | I think it has a fan following, mostly because it is a stop motion, George Pal film. |
| Alan : | But it didn't do well critically and everything else. It's a shame. Poor guy. He had a broken heart. I think that's what he passed away from. |
| Don : | I know that he was trying to get a sequel going at one time. |
| Alan : | Oh, I'm sure! |
| Don : | Were you involved or did it ever get that far? |
| Alan : | It never got that far. I used to see him quite a bit. He was doing, oh, what did he want me for, something else. Oh, he wanted to do a television version of ah, Dr...., Tony Randall did the movie, Dr. something... |
| Don : | Dr. Lao? |
| Alan : | Yeah! And he thought that would be a great television show and he called me up and wanted me to do Dr. Lao. And I said, "gee, I can't...Tony Randall is so marvelous" but he said , "No, I want you for television." We talked but that was about the size of it. Then he did the thing with the Tarzan guy. |
| Don : | Oh, ah, "Doc Savage."With Ron Ely. |
| Alan : | Is that what it was? Yeah. |
| Alan : | I used to visit him. He'd call me up and he'd say let's have lunch together and we did that until...in fact, he was so cute. I'd met him in London, and you know, I wasn't a football fan I played soccer and that sort, but he called me up and said, "I'm now a football fan. I've got season tickets for the Rams would you like to join me?"And I said, "I'm not a football fan.' But he was a rabid football fan. Rams, Oh Boy! I was so sad. I think I was away when he passed on. It was after the fire in Bel Air. The last time I talked to him was in the 70's and that's when he wanted to get tickets to go see the Rams. I don't know, I was away, again, when he passed on. |
| At this point Alan has risen from his chair and removed from a shelf a very small model of the Time Machine and returns to his chair, placing the model on the table between us. | |
| Alan : | I don't know who this fellow was, a very nice chap, he gave me, it's fallen apart since then , but ....Do you know who that might have been? |
| Don : | I think I know who made it. I think it was Steve Stockbarger. |
| Alan : | The wheel's come off the back but I don't know where it is. Hmm. I guess in dusting, she may have....Yeah, the wheel's come off the back. I guess she... I generally glue everything down so it doesn't fall off. |
| Don : | So you are missing the part as well? |
| Alan : | Yes, it has come off. |
| Don : | I'll tell Steve. |
| Alan : | You know him? |
| Don : | He told me that he made that one for you. |
| Alan : | Yeah, he sure did. I couldn't believe it. |
| Don : | I believe he gave it to you at a show in Anaheim when you were doing the "Mr. Ed" book signing. |
| Alan : | The book signing maybe. That's right! Down in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach. |
| Don : | My wife and I went to the Scottish Highland Games that weekend.... |
| Alan : | Oh yeah. |
| Don : | Steve had you autograph a copy of your book for us. |
| Alan : | Oh is that right? Oh great. |
| Don : | It's a very small world. |
| Alan : | Oh yes it is! It was in Costa Mesa, cuz my sister set it up. She was so very proud of me writing a book, she called the Costa Mesa store and they said sure! So that's when I went down there and I didn't get a chance to talk to him so much because there were so many people around. |
| Don : | Right. |
| Alan : | But he just handed this to me. It was very kind of him. |
| Don : | I'll tell him. Right now he's at home with pneumonia. |
| Alan : | Aww, is he? |
| Don : | Yeah. He sounded pretty bad the other day I talked to him.But I'll tell him that your machine is in need of repair and I'm sure that he'll be more than happy to repair it for you. |
| Alan : | Oh, that's very sweet, thank you. I was very proud of it. I had it up there for some time and then when the wheel....I don't really know what happened. I guess what I should do is glue this down or something, so that the maid won't brush into it. I'll have to tell her not to touch it. |
| Don : | That's a little one, isn't it? |
| Alan : | Yeah, fabulous! It's a great conversation piece. |
| Don : | You mentioned at the autograph show that you are doing a play... |
| Alan : | "You Can't Take it With You". I'm filling in for Moss Hart's son, Chris Hart, is directing it and it was written by Kaufman and Hart and it's very successful. It was a very successful movie. I just saw it on television a little while ago. And it's a great picture and I like to do live stage thing every year. So this came up and I said that I'd love to fill in and boy, what a job learning our lines in two weeks. But it's fun. |
| Don : | Where is it playing at? |
| Alan : | It's called the Cooley Theater down in Hollywood. It's down on Argyle Street. I'm going tonight to see "The Fantastics" there. They are putting that show on in the next theater to us. A nice group of co-op actors who just got together and said they want to act in the things they want to do. So there's no money exchanged but it's a lot of fun. It keeps you active and keeps your mind working. |
| Don : | It's important to keep active. |
| Alan : | Yeah, oooohhh yeah! |
| Don : | That's something that I've learned. My wife works at an orthopedic surgeon's office and deals with a lot of older patients and the one's that keep active, keep on going.If you don't you just fall to pieces. |
| Alan : | Oh, it's a shame. That's why I work out and I have a trainer and work out in this gym. I hate her because she's tough! (laughter) But it's good, it's good for you. |
| Don : | What is your favorite medium: television, film, or stage and why? |
| Alan : | Stage. I think any actor would say because it's the basis of performing also you get an instant reaction from the audience instead of waiting for six months for a picture to show up. |
| Don : | How do you go about developing a character? What is your approach? |
| Alan : | When I read a script I imagine what the character looks like and try to figure out what his background might be and then I go from there. Cause I never had any lessons in acting so I don't know anything about researching. |
| Don : | Do you base anything of your characters on people you've known in your past? |
| Alan : | No, I don't base it on anything except what I see in the script because I think the writers idea is probably the best, you try and find what the writer had in mind.. |
| Don : | Who has influeneced you most as an actor? |
| Alan : | I never wanted to be an actor. I was a comedian. I love pantomime so of course Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel was my favorite and Buster Keaton. All those wonderful comedians. I try to.. I was inspired by them. |
| Don : | Did you ever have a chance to meet any of them? |
| Alan : | I met Stan Laurel , one evening I was invited to this doctor's house who had brought my little boy into the world and he said I've got a surprise for you if you want to come up and have dinner with me. So my wife and I went up there and walked in the door and there was Stan Laurel. I had done some pantomime in a show, and he was a fan of mine, his daughter told me later and it turns out that I was born within about six blocks from where he was born in the old country so we had something in common and he was so dear, he had his Water Rats book with him. Water Rats is group of actors in London, been there for a hundred years and had a little white book with autograpghs and he asked me to autograpgh it. I was so thrilled and touched and nervous that I never got to get his autograph I just couldn't speak, so later on his daughter gave me a photograph with she and him together and wrote on it somethnig very nice. I think he was one of the nicest people I ever met. He lived in Santa Monica near the end. He was listed in the phone book, and people would phone him up and talk with him on the phone, very humble man and I hope I follow in his footsteps that way. |
| Don : | What has been your favorite project you've worked on? |
| Alan : | Gosh, I loved them all mostly, apart from a few pictures. "The Time Machine" was for me the most satisfying and "Androcles and the Lion". Television, I was very fond of too, naturally. |
| Don : | Who was your favorite director you've worked for? |
| Alan : | Well, George Pal, maybe because I liked him so much. The director I've just worked with on this picture had the same attitude as George Pal and most good directors do. They hire the actor based on his ability and so they let him go ahead and play it the way he wants and then they will correct it if it's something they didn't like and George Pal was just a prince of a man. |
| Don : | When you watch yourself on the screen how are you watching ? Are you critical of your performance or are you watching the story unfold? |
| Alan : | I think, most actors if they're honest will say they're critical of their performance. Ooh I could have done that better. Ooh Why did I do that? Its a personal thing, probably egotistical too. I try to relive the character and enjoy the picture but still critisize my performance. |
| Don : | What are your personal interests?. |
| Alan : | I love scuba diving. I took it up very late, about five years
ago, but that I think is the most thrilling thing in the world to
me, scuba diving. It's like another world and you're by yourself.
You've got a partner with you, but for all intents and purposes you
are by yourself and its just a beautiful new world, and that's one
of them. I guess, reading. I don't read anything deep I'd love to say I did. And I love sports. I'm a soccer fan. I used to have a team here in Los Angeles, and that's about it. |
| Don : | Soccer just never really caught on here in the states. |
| Alan : | It certainly didn't when I had a team. Americans aren't raised with it. It's what you're raised with. It's great for kids. Little kids especially because they don't have to have muscles they just have to have coordination and speed. Smaller kids can be just as good or better than the bigger ones which is a good plus. |
| Don : | Thank you very much for taking the time .. |
| Alan : | Oh it was my Pleasure.... dear Time Machine . |