Early this year he turned 75 and yet he hasn't filmed a major movie in almost two decades. He has become something of a myth. Born in Philly in 1932 Lester's parents were immigrants from Ireland. Before he was a teen, Lester became interested for music and wanted to become a musician. Within a couple of years Lester began to grow interested for movies instead. He then took a job as assistant director and then director at the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. By the time he was 23 Lester (who was already balding) traveling the world in the search to find a boost for filmmaking or music. When he came to Great Britain, he saw his chance. He employed at the BBC and it was there that he created the radio show titled "The Goon Show" in 1958. The next year he and Sellers collaborated on a movie short entitled "The Running, Jumping, and Standing Still Film". That too was another success. Lester made his first featured film Ring-a-Ding Rhythm in 1962.
That was followed the next year with The Mouse on the Moon; a sequel to The Mouse That Roared (that starred Lester's former partner Peter Sellers) with Terry Thomas.
The movie was a hit
and so with his next movie he teammed up with the music group The Beatles to direct what some say is the first watershed movie of the decade: A Hard Day's Night.
The producer(s) of that movie didn't not have any time to prepare so Lester came up with the idea of using three cameras for every scene as a way of telling the story of how The Fab Four prepare for a concert while going through distractions including Paul's grandfather (Winfield Brambell) and Ringo being late.
Not surprisingly, the film was a huge hit in both England and America and Lester follow that movie with Help! in which he again uses The Beatles in humorous situations-time time centered around Ringo losing one of his rings.
When released in 1965 Help! was a success but that same year Lester had his first critical success when he directed the adaptation of the London stage comedy "The Knack" as it was titled The Knack...And How to Get It". The film would win the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival that year.
I don't know if I told you this but that scene in which Colin (Michael Crawford) chases Nancy (Rita Tushingham) around the floor on all fours with a bag on his head and then smashing into the wall after Tolen backs her away has to be one of the most funny scenes I ever saw because it is so unpredictable. The next year Lester used Crawford again for the adaptation of another stage comedy: A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum.
Lester also casted Zero Mostel and Phil Silvers. In 1967 Lester teamed with Crawford and Beatles co-lead singer John Lennon again to direct the war satire How I Won the War.
The film was a success. Then, that spring Lester traveling back to America and went to San Francisco to direct his first American feature: Petulia.
When released in 1968 the relationship comedy-drama was a critical success but ii seemed that it couldn't find an audience. Today movie fans think the movie was a watershed for its time. Lester then closed out the decade by returning to England and filming the comedy The Bed Sitting Room with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
After this movie Lester would not direct another movie until 1974 but he would return with a vengeance as he would direct six movies in just three years. Yet his work in the 1960's remains a reminder of how far the movies went in the decade.
No comments:
Post a Comment