Russ and Roger
Film culture has been built and enriched through the contributions of many different artists over many years. On occasions we have seen step changes in approaches to filmmaking, including from innovators like Sergei Eisenstein who changed worldwide approaches to editing, and Francois Truffaut who bridged the divide between film theory, film criticism and filmmaking to become a part of the French new wave.
Both Eisenstein and Truffaut were independent filmmakers, from the perspective of their approach to film, but also as artists who worked outside the structure of a studio system. Like all their fellow independents they began with a vision not shared by the studios and at least in their early days had to deal with tiny budgets while striving to realise their vision.
Some independent filmmakers have gone on to win over the studios and earn bigger budgets which in some ways made it easier for them to realise their vision. But the trade off was this often came with more studio interference. For others who stayed in the low budget arena, this trade off was something they were happy to avoid.
Two of these perennial low budget filmmakers are household names… Russ Meyer and Roger Corman. I recently read biographies about both of these madmen, but let me start with Russ Meyer.
Jimmy McDonough’s biography of Meyer is perfectly titled… Big Bosoms and Square Jaws. As described by McDonough, these were Russ’ two obsessions. While his first wife was something of an aberration, his second and subsequent wives as well as his many flings were with impressively endowed, top heavy women. Russ populated his films with similarly built actresses… which may be overly generous as they couldn’t really act. They were all women Russ had met while they were working as strippers and while they might have appeared in several successive Meyer films, Russ’ gaze quickly strayed to the next strip club and the next potential star.
According to McDonough, the defining period of Meyer’s life was the time he spent as a war time photographer. Russ always felt most comfortable in the company of other men and the hyper-masculine environment of the second world was a period he often referred as the time of his life. The kind of men he admired are the ‘square jaws’ the book’s title is referencing.
These characters also made their way into Myer’s films as the hard headed, hard fisted protagonists who drove his films’ violence. Meyer, the writer/producer/director, considered himself to be one of the square jaws, often treating cast and crew like a drill sargeant in charge of new recruits.
McDonough speaks of Meyer’s films as a fan and considers a number of his productions works of a special kind of genius… films that Russ, and seemingly no one else, knew there was an audience for. It is beyond question that Russ Meyer made a lot of money by finding a big audience for his films, he had a unique vision and his work influenced filmmakers and the future direction of some filmmaking.
McDonough cited two films as Meyer’s best work… Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. And I can safely say they were both complete shit. Their only saving grace is the cinematography… they look good in black and white and colour respectively. However the stories are at their worst disjointed and non-sensical (Faster Pussycat… Kill, Kill) and at their best third rate soap opera (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls), the acting is non-existent and in so many of his films the dystopian desert settings are sufficiently spartan to shine a spotlight on the bad acting and terrible script.
The biggest surprise with Meyer is his long association with Roger Ebert. Ebert was the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and the way he writes about film is both intelligent and interesting. The high esteem in which he held Myer as a filmmaker is hard to fathom and the scripts he wrote for Russ leave me glad he chose critcism over screenwriting.
This book contains a lot of interesting events and is a good insight into the mind of a madman, but take with a grain of salt anything McDonough says about the quality of Meyer’s films
When I read Beverly Gray’s book Roger Corman all I knew about the filmmaker was the great many films he made (56 as director, 493 as producer, and 46 as an actor) and the number of significant film identities he had given a start in the industry.
Many talented people worked for Corman, usually when they were starting out, including directors Martin Scorcese, Francis Ford Coppola and James Cameron, actors Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern and Talia Shire (Coppola’s sister who appeared in The Godfather before becoming Rocky’s love interest Adrian). And a number of producers and cinematographers who are not household names, but are respected within the industry.
Roger was a trained Engineer who turned a passion for film and a penchant for efficiency into a very long and successful career. He was able to turn a profit on almost every film he made, largely by under-paying the talent, recycling scripts and sets, and shooting and cutting films very quickly and cheaply.
Beverly Gray worked for Corman, but made a conscious decision to ensure her book was less about her experiences than it was a reflection of what others who worked for him told her. Most people’s opinion were a finely balanced love-hate relationship, but with an acknowledgement that without Roger they would have struggled to achieve the success they did.
Corman went through several stages, from 50s sci-fi, to 60s innovation, a move in the 70s from directing to prodcuing, and an 80s obsession with breasts and strippers. All the while Roger kept his finger on the public pulse, and due to his ability to quickly turn a fad into a finished film he was able to consistently cash in. He made ‘exploitation films’ when the term meant something different.
The most interesting thing about this book is how many people spoke openly and honestly about Roger, in ways that were both flattering and disparaging. Roger divided people, not into lovers and haters, but into those who both loved and loathed him.
I also went back to look at some of Roger’s films. While they were clearly made on tiny budgets, unlike Russ Meyer’s films, some contained good acting, good direction, and were telling stories that at times were well written. You need to be selective, but you can find a Corman film that is worth watching.
While I prefer Roger to Russ, there is no doubting that film was changed by the work of these two madmen. I’d encourage you to read both books.
Big Bosoms and Square Jaws is online here or you’ll find a hard copy here.
And the best place to pick up Roger Corman at a good price is on eBay
I suggest reading the books rather than watching the films, but if there are any Russ or Roger fans out there, would love to hear about which of their films you love and why.