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Working on "Harold & Maude"


Jeff Wexler

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Bret Haller, son of the late, great Michael Haller (Production Designer) pulled an image from the Criterion release of "Harold and Maude." This was my first job working on a movie, the job that made me abandon my plans to teach sociology and pursue a career in movies. I was hired as a P.A. in the Art Department but after the movie and after the decision that it would be my life's work, I wanted to do something more technical than the Art Department --- so, it would be Camera or Sound (and it wasn't going to be Camera!).

 

In the picture you can see Hal Ashby, Colin Higgins (standing), Bud Cort and the two stand-ins (though I don't remember their names). I'm working on getting the casket positioned properly for the shot. 

 

post-1-0-15013500-1366550144_thumb.jpg

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I was hired as a P.A. in the Art Department but after the movie and after the decision that it would be my life's work, I wanted to do something more technical than the Art Department

Well thank god for that - if you stayed in the art department this forum would be about set painting techniques and props.

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Harold & Maude is a very strange, very funny film. That was one of the first films on which I did the home video transfer, right around late 1979, at the dawn of VHS movie business. I think I did that one week and Brewster McCloud a week later, and felt like I was zonked out of my mind for several months. Very, very strange, quirky films.

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  • 9 months later...
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Did a little pilgrimage when I was out in SF last year. Stopped by Sutro Baths and Mori Point. Great locations to visit if you are a fan of the film.

 

Not a bad way to get into the industry, JW! Beats the the hell out of my first film-- Ghoulies IV!

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I loved that film so much. Very influential in my youth, as was Cat Stevens' music. I think it's long overdue for a revisit. A cult favorite when I showed films in college on 16mm back in the eighties. It's impressive that you started out on such a high... and then kept it up! Thanks for the share. (months ago, I know, but I missed the post then).

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Having had the great fortune to work with Jeff I can say for sure that he is into the process and craft 100% if not more. It is not an accident he is where he is today, it was hard work and commitment that got him here.

BTW, also a H&M fan, but more so a Hal Ashby fan. Great director.

CrewC

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I did hang around with the sound department even though I was working in the art department. The mixer was Bill Randall and the Boom Operator was his brother, Chuck Randall. I have been a gadget freak all my life and into sound (music mostly) from a very early age, so it was natural for me to hang around the sound crew. I actually did music playback for one scene --- first time I ever operated a Nagra III. The other thing I did in sound on the movie was to work on the dailies projection room --- we had Billy Brasier as the location projectoionist (I hope I'm not having to explain to people what dailies are) and the sound system with his projector was really bad. Hal Ashby asked me if I thought I could do anything with it. I brought in some of my Hi-Fi gear, a Dynaco preamp and a really nice Tannoy speaker, hooked it all into the projector and the dailies sound was vastly improved.

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  • 2 years later...

Actually, it was a screening of the new documentary "Hal"  ----  I was there Friday night and it was wonderful! The E-type hearse was parked outside just as an attention getter  ---- there's a guy who had this built to be as close to the original as possible and he takes it all around the country on tour. More on the documentary later (I'm in it as well as my father, very emotional for me).

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TAKE:  ONE!

Ha!

 

The mansion in the film was a mile or so from my now-wife's childhood home (she did not grow up in such opulence, btw). When we were dating, we worked as wait staff for a fundraiser held there. We were both cracking up: "This is the seppuku room! And the harps are still there!" And then "the pool!" I must say, it brought us a step closer to saying, "yep, this is the person for me." So thanks Jeff, in your small way, for helping to bring Madeline and me together. 😉 

 

 

Also, I'm looking forward to seeing the Hal doc. 

 

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