Steven Spielberg

by Joseph McBride

  The author interviewed the following people involved in the making of 1941: Milius (in 1975), Gale, Stack, John Veitch, and Lionel Stander. The production was chronicled in Glenn Erickson and Mary Ellen Trainor, The Making of “1941,” Ballantine Books, 1980, and the 1996 MCA Home Video laserdisc documentary The Making of “1941,” produced by Laurent Bouzereau (the laserdisc also contains the 146-minute restoration of the film, outtakes, and Spielberg’s home movies of the filming). The ninth-draft screenplay by Zemeckis and Gale, from their story with Milius, is dated August 28, 1978. Gale’s novelization of the film, Ballantine Books, 1979, includes his preface, “About This Book.” Spielberg wrote about the film in his September 1979 introduction to “1941”: The Illustrated Story by Stephen Bissette and Rick Veitch, adapted by Allan Asherman, Heavy Metal/Pocket Books; and in “Directing 1941,” American Cinematographer, December 1979. That issue also contains A. D. Flowers, “Mechanical Special Effects for 1941”; Gregory Jein, “The Mini-World of 1941”; and “Photographing 1941.” See also David S. Reiss, “1941: A Conversation with DP William A. Fraker, ASC,” Filmmakers Monthly, December 1979.

  The first mention of 1941 in print, under the project’s original title The Night the Japs Attacked, was in McBride, “Milius Says Apocalypse Now Is a ‘Descent Into Hell,’” DV, September 2, 1975; Milius told the author about Spielberg sending him a copy of the article. Objections to the original title were mentioned in “Col Signs Spielberg for 1941,” DV, May 3, 1977; see also Gallagher and “Rising Sun New Title for Spielberg,” HR, January 13, 1978.

  Information on “The Great Los Angeles Air Raid” and Japanese attacks on the U.S. mainland is from Bert Webber, Retaliation: Japanese Attacks and Allied Countermea sures on the Pacific Coast in World War II, Oregon State University Press, 1975, and Silent Siege: Japanese Attacks Against North America in World War II, Ye Galleon Press, 1984; LAT coverage, February 22–27, 1942, including “Submarine Shells Southland Oil Field” (February 24), “L.A. Area Raided!” (February 25 extra edition), and “Army Says Alert Real” (February 26); and Sally Ogle Davis, “How Many Japanese Attackers Does It Take to Throw L.A. into a Panic?” Los Angeles, November 1979.

  General Joseph W. Stilwell’s activities in late 1941, including his viewing of Dumbo, are documented in The Stilwell Papers, ed. by Theodore H. White, William Sloane Associates, 1948. Samuel Fuller’s objection to playing Stilwell was reported by Fuller to the author in 1978 and to Lee Server, Sam Fuller: Film Is a Battleground, McFarland, 1994. John Wayne’s reaction to the script was recalled by Spielberg in The Making of “1941” and in Joe Morgenstern, “Bob Z Can Read Your Mind,” Playboy, August 1995.

  Additional reports on the filming of 1941 include “H’wood & Vine 1941 Location Lensing Nixed,” DV, July 24, 1978; Army Archerd columns, DV, December 20, 1978, and May 17, 1979; Chris Hodenfield, “Masters of Illusion,” Rolling Stone, February 8, 1979, and “1941: Bombs Away!”; Wayne Warga, “Remembering Pearl Harbor with Steven Spielberg,” LAT, March 11,1979; and “Animal House Goes to War,” Time, April 16,1979. Spielberg’s description of 1941 as “a celebration of paranoia” is from the pressbook for the film, Columbia/Universal, 1979. The budget and final cost, and the film’s ramifications for Spielberg’s career, were discussed with the author by Veitch and Gale, and by Michael Finnell, Howard Kazanjian, A. D. Murphy, and David Tomblin. Spielberg’s self-criticisms are from “Of Narrow Misses and Close Calls”; Anthony, and Royal, “Steven Spielberg in His Adventures on Earth.” Press coverage of the cost also includes Charles Schreger, “Milius’ A-Team Prods. Prepping Six Projects, One for Orion,” DV, March 6, 1978; Stuart Byron, “Rules of the Game,” The Village Voice, June 27, 1979; Andrew Epstein, “1941 Gets a Bad Press, But Payoff Is Promising,” LAT, April 20, 1980; and “Tanen Says U Will Recoup on 1941 Release,” DV, May 12, 1980. The European reception was discussed by Veitch; Epstein; and in “1941 Doing Well in Europe Theatres,” HR, April 2, 1980, and an item in New York, April 7, 1980. Drug use by John Belushi and others who worked on 1941, Spielberg’s notion of casting Belushi as the Japanese submarine commander, and Spielberg’s buyout price for Continental Divide are discussed in Bob Woodward, Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi, Simon & Schuster, 1984.

  Sources on previews of 1941 include Gale and Veitch; Bouzereau, The Cutting Room Floor; and 1979 articles: Dale Pollock, “1941 Openings Cancelled as Pic Undergoes Surgery,” DV, October 24; “Col & U: Opinions Differ on Spielberg’s 1941,” DV, October 25; “Re-Edit of 1941 Proceeding; Spielberg Sanguine Re Tightening,” Variety, October 31; “Minimum Run on 1941 Shortened,” Variety, December 12; and Pollock, “Spielberg Cuts 1941 17 Mins.,” Variety, December 19.

  Reviews (1979) include Ron Pennington, HR, December 13; Charles Champlin, “Spielberg’s Pearl Harbor,” LAT, December 14; Michael Sragow, “1941: World War II, Animal House style,” LAHE, December 14; and in 1980, Stephen Farber, “Nuts!” New West, January 14. Spielberg’s comment about Adolf Eichmann is from Rehlin.

  Information on the premiere of 1941 and Spielberg’s trip to Japan with Amy Irving is from Woodward, Wired; Archerd column, DV, December 17, 1979; Janos; Black; and Jahr. Rumors about Irving and Willie Nelson were mentioned in Chambers, Farber, and Jahr. Spielberg commented on Kathleen Carey in Skow, “Staying Five Moves Ahead”; their relationship also was discussed in “As E.T. Grows, Spielberg Cools Out and Mulls the Sequel,” People, August 23, 1982. A photo of Valerie Bertinelli on a date with Spielberg appeared in US, June 10, 1980; they also were seen together on The American Film Institute Salute to James Stewart (CBS-TV, March 1980).

  The author interviewed the following people who worked on Raiders of the Lost Ark: Gary Graver, Lawrence Kasdan, Kazanjian, and Tomblin. Information on the cost and schedule is from Kazanjian. Kasdan’s screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, was published in 1995 by O.S.P. Publishing as part of the Premiere magazine series The Movie Script Library. The revised third draft of the screenplay is dated August 1979. A children’s storybook adaptation by Les Martin was published by Random House, 1981.

  The production was chronicled in Taylor, The Making of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”; Ann Heller, ed., “Raiders of the Lost Ark”: Collector’s Album, George Fenmore Associates, 1981; and the 1981 Lucasfilm documentaries Great Movie Stunts: “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (directed by Robert Guenette) and The Making of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (directed by Phillip Schuman). Other information appears in Pollock, Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas; Alan McKenzie, The Harrison Ford Story, Arbor House, 1984; Thomas G. Smith, Industrial Light and Magic: The Art of Special Effects, Del Rey, 1986; Champlin, George Lucas: The Creative Impulse; and Mark Cotta Vaz and Shinji Hata, From “Star Wars” to Indiana Jones: The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives, Chronicle Books, 1994.

  Spielberg wrote about the filming of Raiders in “Of Narrow Misses and Close Calls,” American Cinematographer, November 1981, which also includes “Making Sure the Action Never Stopped” (interview with stunt coordinator Glenn Randall). Other articles on Raiders include Pollock, “Paramount Floating Lucasfilm’s Ark,” DV, November 30, 1977; “Paramount in Deal with Lucas for Lost Ark and Four Sequels,” Variety, December 5, 1979; item in HR, May 9, 1980 (on Tom Selleck); “Harrison Ford Lost Ark Star,” DV, June 10, 1980; and in 1981, Janet Maslin, “How Old Movie Serials Inspired Lucas and Spielberg,” NYT, June 7; David Ansen, “Cliffhanger Classic,” Newsweek, June 15; Richard Schickel, “Slam! Bang! A Movie Movie,” Time, June 15; Michael Sragow, ’’Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Ultimate Saturday Matinee,” Rolling Stone, June 25; James H. Burns, “Harrison Ford: The Name of the Game Is ‘Hero,’” Starlog, July; Mitch Tuchman and Anne Thompson, “‘I’m the Boss’: George Lucas Interviewed,” Film Comment, July– August; Ben Stein, “A Deal to Remember,” New West, August; and Peter Sullivan, “Raiders of the Movie Serials,” Starlog, August.

  Additional information on Kasdan’s script is from Robert F. Moss, “New Epic, Big Stakes,” Saturd
ay Review, June 1981; James H. Burns, “Lawrence Kasdan: Part I,” Star-log, September 1981; and “Kasdan on Kasdan,” ed. by Graham Fuller, in John Boorman and Walter Donohue, eds., Projections 3: Film-makers on Film-making, Faber and Faber, London, 1994. Information on eliminated sequences is from the author’s interviews with Kasdan, Gloria Katz, and Willard Huyck; and Kasdan’s third-draft screenplay of Raiders, August 1979.

  Sources on Frank Marshall include his publicity biography, Paramount Pictures (1995), and Robert Greenberger, “Meet Frank Marshall,” Starlog, January 1983. Kathleen Kennedy’s comment on Spielberg’s problem with intimacy is from Schiff. Other sources on Kennedy include her publicity biographies, Universal (1986) and Paramount (1995); and Alexandra Brouwer and Thomas Lee Wright, “Kathleen Kennedy” (interview), Working in Hollywood, Crown, 1990.

  Reviews of Raiders (1981) include Sheila Benson, “Lost Ark: Back to Saturday Matinees,” LAT, June 7; David Denby, “Movie of Champions,” New York, June 15; Robert Asahina, “Contrived Comic Books,” The New Leader, June 29; Victoria Geng, “Spielberg’s Express,” Film Comment, July–August; and Molly Haskell, “Lucas–Spielberg: An Ark de Triomphe,” Playgirl, September.

  13. “ECSTACY AND GRIEF” (PP. 323-58)

  Sources on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (working titles: E.T. and Me, A Boy’s Life) include the author’s interviews with Allen Daviau and John Veitch; the 1996 documentary The Making of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” including footage shot by John Toll during the film’s production in 1981 (the laserdisc also includes outtakes from the film); Melissa Mathison’s shooting script, A Boy’s Life, August 21, 1981; and articles in American Cinematographer, January 1983: George E. Turner, “Steven Spielberg and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”; Lloyd Kent, “The Photography of E.T”; and Allen D. Lowell, “Production Design for E.T.” Book tie-ins include William Kotzwinkle, ET: The Extra-Terrestrial in His Adventures on Earth, Berkley Books, 1982 (novelization); Kotzwinkle, based on the screenplay by Mathison, E.T.—The Extra-Terrestrial Storybook, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1982; Spielberg (introduction), Letters to E.T, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1983; and Kotzwinkle, based on a story by Spielberg, E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet, Berkley Books, 1985. The Spielberg-Mathison treatment “E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears” is discussed in John M. Wilson, “E.T. Returns to Test His Midas Touch,” LAT, June 16, 1985.

  Information on the Night Skies project is from Veitch; Crawley; and Steven Ginsberg, “Col Plans 20 Features for Year,” DV, April 21, 1980. Sources on Mathison include “Production Notes” for E.T., Universal, 1982; Philip Wuntch, “Spielberg Isn’t All There Is to E.T.,” LAHE, July 12, 1982; Andrew Epstein, “Melissa Mathison: The Hands of E.T.,” LAT, July 24, 1982; Deborah Caulfield, “E.T. Author Mathison on E.T,” LAT, March 23, 1983; David Robb, “E.T. Scripter Awarded 5% of Merchandising,” DV, March 1, 1989; and Bruce Ramer, “Credit on Creation of E.T.” (letter to the editor), DV, March 6, 1989. Spielberg’s childhood wish that “strange creatures” would change his life was related to Roger Ebert, “E.T.: The Second Coming,” Movieline, August 9–15, 1985; his wish for a best friend was recalled in “Personal Glimpses,” Reader’s Digest, November 1982. Donaid Richie’s comments on Shane are from his book George Stevens: An American Romantic, Museum of Modern Art, 1970. Allegations that E.T. was plagiarized were reported in 1983 by the LATs Caulfield in “Satyajit Ray Questions E.T. Origins,” March 16; “Authorship Claim Stirs the Studios,” March 18; and “E.T. Author Mathison on E.T”; and on June 23 in “Judge Rules E.T. Not an Infringement” (DV) and “Spielberg, Universal win E.T. lawsuit” (HR).

  Information on Carlo Rambaldi is from “Creating a Creature,” Time, May 31, 1982; Jane Hartneil, “A Wide-Eyed Wonder: The Creation of a Lovable Alien,” Marquee, July–August 1982; Callo, “Director Steven Spielberg Takes the Wraps Off E.T., Revealing His Secrets at Last”; Ed Naha, “Inside E.T,” Starlog, October 1982; and Carlo Rambaldi Enterprises, “E.T. Clarification” (advertisement), DV, February 11, 1983.

  Sources on Columbia’s rejection of E.T. and Me include Veitch and Caulfield, “E.T. Gossip: The One That Got Away?” Information on Spielberg’s Reel to Reel project is from the author’s interview with Howard Kazanjian and Army Archerd’s column, DV, April 18, 1983.

  The cover title A Boy’s Life was mentioned in Archerd columns, DV, June 12, July 14, and September 21, 1981; “Fourth encounters?” LAHE, July 13, 1981; and “Spielberg’s Secret Film,” Rolling Stone, November 12, 1981. The misleading description of the film was published in Motion Picture Product Digest, December 2, 1981. The secrecy surrounding the production also was reported in “Raiders of the Boss’ Art,” People, December 21, 1981, and Richard Turner, “Steven Spielberg: His Stories Aren’t Amazing Enough … Yet,” TV Guide, August 2, 1986. Information on the production cost is from Daviau and from Charles Michener and Katrine Ames, “A Summer Double Punch,” Newsweek, May 31, 1982. Audience figures and the length of the original run are from Universal’s “Production Notes” for the 1985 reissue. Sid Sheinberg commented on the Houston preview in Latham, “MCA’s Bad Cop Shoots from the Hip”; Ebert’s description of the Cannes premiere is from “E.T.: The Second Coming.”

  The White House, United Nations, and royal benefit premiere showings were reported (1982) in “E.T. Phone (First) Home?” LAHE, June 25; Jeff Silverman, “Spaced Out …” LAHE, June 30; “E.T. Goes to the U.N.,” NYT, September l6; HR item, November 4; and in February 1983, “U.N. Finds E.T O.K.,” The Twilight Zone Magazine. Spielberg’s comments on the Reagans’ reactions are from Callo, “Director Steven Spielberg Takes the Wraps Off E.T….” The Rolling Stone cover story is “A Star Is Born,” July 22, 1982. Spielberg’s protest, in the form of a “Letter from E.T.: Don’t Portray Me Glorifying Vice,” LAT, June 23, 1985, was in response to the June 16 cover of the LAT Calendar section; Charles Champlin wrote “Our Response: The Joke That Turned Out to Be on Us,” June 23.

  Reviews and commentary (1982) include Millar, E.T.—You’re More Than a Movie Star; Stanley Kauffmann, “The Gospel According to St. Steven,” The New Republic, July 5; Michael Sragow, “Extra-terrestrial Perception,” Rolling Stone, July 8; George F. Will, “Well, I Don’t Love You, E.T.,” Newsweek, July 19; William Deerfield, “Is E.T. a Religious Parable?,” letter to NYT, August 15; and Andrew Sarris, “Is There Life After E.T.?” The Village Voice, September 21. The Time profile is Corliss, “Steve’s Summer Magic”; the bumping of Spielberg from the cover was reported by John A. Meyers, “A Letter from the Publisher,” Time, July 15, 1985 (the issue that finally featured Spielberg on its cover). Universal’s Christmas 1982 ad for E.T. appeared in NYT. Jimmy Swaggart’s denunciation of E.T. was reported in Bill Quinn, “E.T., Phone Hell,” L.A. Weekly, November 8–14, 1985. Spielberg’s comment on E.T. ’s religious overtones is from Crist, Take 22.

  Information on E.T. merchandising and tie-ins (1982) is from Stephen J. Sansweet, “MCA Inc. Expects E.T. Merchandise to Outsell the Movie,” Wall Street Journal, July 19; David Van Biema, “Life Is Sweet for Jack Dowd as Spielberg’s Hit Film Has E.T. Lovers Picking Up the (Reese’s) Pieces,” People, July 26; Bernice Kanner, “The Selling of E.T.,” New York, August 9; “MCA Ties 43 Merchandisers to E.T. Windfall; Women’s Undies?” Variety, August 11; and “Start Your Christmas Shopping Here” (Universal Studios advertisement for E.T. Earth Center), LAT, December 3; see also, “Universal Quietly Shutters $1 Mil E.T. Facility,” DV, January 27, 1983; Wilson, “E.T. Returns to Test His Midas Touch”; and “U Tours’ E.T. Stops with Spielberg Aboard,” DV, June 3, 1991. Michael Ventura’s comments are from “Steven Spielberg: the Vision and the Nightmare,” L.A. Weekly, June 1–7, 1984.

  Spielberg’s earnings from the film were reported in “Spielberg’s Creativity,” NYT, December 25, 1982; Callo gave the figure at $1 million per day in “Director Steven Spielberg Takes the Wraps Off E.T….” Spielberg’s 1982 real estate purchases were reported in “Phone Home? How Can You Phone Home When It’s Not Built Yet?” LAHE, October 1; LAHE item, October 30;
and HR items, November 3 and 17. “Quelle Barn” was described in Kurt Andersen, “Architecture: Gwathmey Siegel & Associates: Steven Spielberg and Amy living’s East Hampton Residence,” Architectural Digest, May 1988; see also Suzanne Stephens, “Architecture: Gwathmey Siegel: Steven Spielberg’s Guesthouse in East Hampton,” Architectural Digest, November 1994. Spielberg’s 1982 purchase of a sled from Citizen Kane was reported in “Spielberg Acquires Original ‘Rosebud’ Sled,” DV, June 11; Caulfield, “Citizen Spielberg,” LAT, June 11; and “Citizen Spielberg’s Purchase,” NYT, June 13.

  Sources on Poltergeist include the author’s interviews with David Giler and Bob Gale; Callo, “Steven Spielberg’s Musings on Poltergeist”; and the 1982 MGM/UA documentary The Making of “Poltergeist,” directed by Frank Marshall. The screenplay, n.d., by Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor, based on Spielberg’s story, was novelized by James Kahn, Warner Books, 1982. Richard B. Matheson’s comments on “Little Girl Lost” are from his interview with the author and from Zicree, The “Twilight Zone” Companion. Spielberg commented on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and the genesis of Poltergeist in MGM’s 1982 Poltergeist “Production Notes” and press release, “Steven Spielberg Takes Terror to the Suburbs in MGM’s Poltergeist.”