In 1975, I was 29 years old…I sold my interest in a car-rental business I had for the past ten years, back in Chicago and came out to California to get involved in the movie business.
In town six months, I met a writer Bob Bonney from Texas, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel one evening who convinced me that he could write a slick independent film that we could produce on a budget. We became partners and over a six month period, developed a script called “The Texas boys” It was about four rich Texas boys with wealthy powerful fathers, raising hell in a Mexican border town, one last time before going off to college.
A friend, Michael Speed told us of a screening at USC of student films. One of the films called “Fraternity Row” had Paul Newman’s son, Scott Newman in it. Our intention was always to cast our film with the sons and daughters of movie stars like Keith Carradine, we had even considered Dean Martin’s son Dino for Marquee value. “Fraternity Row” stood out at the screening, here was a student film made by privileged kids with heavy duty contacts in the film industry. It looked like they spent upwards of a million dollars, it was slick. It actually was released in theaters in 1977, the cast included Cliff Robertson and Gregory Harrison, both well established stars at the time. A student film indeed…
Michael liked hanging out with us and was always trying figure ways to help facilitate the making of “The Texas Boys”, and hopefully be involved in the making of it. He introduced us to Scott after the screening. We told Scott about our project; Scott said he’d love to read it.
Scott got back to us quickly. He was very interested in playing Jake, our lead character. He could definitely relate to the strained relationship of powerful father and son. Paul Newman was a screen legend and superstar, he had the most famous blue eyes in the world…how could Scott live up to that? Scott and I started hanging out together, clubbing it a bit.
A little while goes by and Scott calls me, tells me he gave The Texas boys to his dad…Paul Newman. Really?
Paul read it, likes it and is considering directing it.
Really?!
Paul would like to invite me and Bonney up to the house in Hollywood hills off Coldwater Canyon. He’d like to screen the film he directed most recently, “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigold”. I shit you not. That was the name of the picture, came out in 1972…hey, he’s Paul Newman, baby!
Yeah, we’ll be there. Tell me when.
The big night came and Bob and I drove up to the house in Coldwater canyon. Man, I’m in town now a total of a year, a little guy, out from Chicago and on my way to have Paul Newman and Joann Woodward his wife screen a movie for us in their private screening room…How do I like It!? A year ago, I was back in Chicago, going up to the counter at Holiday Rent-A-Car saying…
Did you want full insurance with the truck, sir?
We arrive and Paul greets us in his Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt, he’s busy popping pop- corn.
Hi I’m Paul; common in…go on upstairs, the Coors’ in the small fridge on the way up. Thanks Paul, nice meeting you.
Upstairs Scott introduces us to his stepmother Joanne Woodward, who is just glowing like the movie star that she is, along with her are neighbors, a doctor and his wife. In a minute Paul bounds up the stairs and announces the movie.
Hope you enjoy it, everybody.
He turns down the lights and up on the screen comes.
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigold
The movie lived up to its title and turned out to be just as soft. It was an American movie bathed in sixties European sensibilities…I really can’t remember what it was about…not sure I ever knew.
After the screening we go downstairs to the living room…it’s just Paul, Scott, Bob and me. We sit across from each other on comfortable couches. Paul tells us how much he likes the script but he feels something missing on a visceral level; it had the action and fun built in but Paul didn’t feel it as emotionally as he’d like too on a gut level.
That was the first time I heard the word visceral. I sat back and listened to Bonney respond. Bob Bonney you must understand did not really think much of actors…in his pompous way he thought they were all big dummies. Didn’t matter whether they were stars or not. Writers were the smart guys; actors should just shut up and play their part. He tells Paul something to the effect…that he appreciates his input, but everything in the story was designed to add up to certain-justified beats and he really wasn’t interested in tearing it apart at this moment but would think about what he’s saying…Paul also suggested a crab like approach to scenes
Come in one way into a scene and go out another, if the scene starts out with the characters crying have them end up laughing.
Bob wanted to talk about the deal, not the story. Bob’s attitude was couched in subtlety for sure, but a discerning person like Mr. Paul Newman is not going to miss the underlying truth that Bonney just condescends to actors and is a pompous asshole. It turns out to be a very short talk; Joanne comes down to say good night to us as Paul escorted us out.
Word came back Paul wasn’t interested, and that we were a couple of hustlers out to make a buck.
“The Texas boys” never got made…Bonney got an assignment the following year to write “The Night the Lights went out in Georgia” starring Dennis Quaid.
25 years later… a film I co-wrote called “Poolhall Junkies” was released in 200 theaters starring Christopher Walken, Chazz Palminteri, Mars Callahan and the late great Rod Steiger.
Chris Corso (a patient man)
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