Quintessential Jack: The Art of Jack Nicholson on Screen

296 Pages·2017·8.964 MB·English

by  Scott Edwards

Quintessential Jack
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Quintessential Jack
The Art of Jack Nicholson
on Screen
S E
COTT DWARDS
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
Photographs are from the collection of the author unless
credited otherwise.
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Names: Edwards, Scott, 1960–author.
Title: Quintessential Jack : the art of Jack Nicholson on screen / Scott
Edwards.
Description: Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc.,
Publishers, 2018 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017052749 | ISBN 9781476670942 (softcover : alk.
paper)
♾
Subjects: LCSH: Nicholson, Jack—Criticism and interpretation.
Classification: LCC PN2287.N5 E39 2018 | DDC 791.4302/8092—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017052749
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
ISBN (print) 978-1-4766-7094-2
ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4766-3086-1
© 2018 Scott Edwards. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
On the cover: Jack Nicholson in Heartburn, 1986 (Paramount
Pictures/Photofest)
Printed in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
Acknowledgments
There are many people who have honored me with
their inspiration, without whose contributions and assis-
tance this book could not have been possible:
My mother and father, both of whom passed away
during its writing. My older brother, Kenny, now gone
for 16 years, who shared and fueled my early obsession
with film. And my younger brother, Michael, who now
keeps the family going with me.
Love and support from Natalie.
Encouragement and enthusiasm for the craft of
writing from friend David Stuart, author of Jane at the
Fair: The Adventures of Calamity Jane at the 1901 Pan-
American Exposition. The confidence to try from Diane
di Prima (directed specifically to me) and Ray Bradbury
(as part of a group).
Special thanks to Mews Small for the behind- the-
scenes photo shown in the Preface and to Emily Corey
for permission to quote from and show her father’s notes
found in the Jeff Corey Collection at the Ohio State Uni-
versity. Appreciation to Rich Maurer for his sonic foren-
sics to uncover additional content in recorded interviews.
Gratitude to all who took their time to provide
interviews and insight, in particular Mews Small, Gary
Kent, Michael Margotta and Dr. Brooke Cannon.
v
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments v
Preface 1
1. The Actor as Auteur 5
2. Heroes and Villains 29
3. Men on a Mission 50
4. Pieces of Schmidt 65
5. A More Perfect Union 75
6. The School of Roger 90
7. As Cuckoo as It Gets 100
8. Hippies and Hogs and Horses 120
9. From Ballbusters to Heart Attacks 138
10. The Developing Delinquent 146
11. Writers on the Storm 155
12. Rom- Com Wonder 176
13. Misfits and Misanthropes 193
14. The Dicks Versus the Hoods 204
15. Head Trips 220
16. The Occasional Filmmaker 248
Chapter Notes 267
Bibliography 275
Index 283
vii
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Preface
“This project will be a little tough to get off the ground.”1
—JackNicholson’sagent,SandyBressler
Mr. Bressler was correct. But 12 years and 100,000 words later, this book
belongs to you, the reader. Quintessential Jack: The Art of Jack Nicholson on
Screen presents the most comprehensive study of the actor’s career that is
neither a story of the man’s life nor a Films of… approach, but rather an in-
depth examination of roles, acting style and technique, and screen persona,
as well as the films’ thematic links.
Every film is represented, organized into chapters that correlate the types
of characters (such as disaffected youth or men trapped in a fatalistic cycle);
compare and contrast movie archetypes (heroic roles vs. the villainous);
examine the portrayal of the human condition (the depiction of those suf-
fering from mental illness); and follow common messages and themes (sexual
freedom and anti- consumerism).
The fluid nature of the book’s structure, liberated from a film- by-film
chronological format, allows for an enriching exploration of seemingly dis-
parate men. For instance, a shared dedication to duty, honor and a higher
organizational calling bring Colonel Jessep from A Few Good Men into the
same orbit as Jimmy Hoffa from the Danny DeVito biopic and ACLU lawyer
George Hanson from Easy Rider.
To help collect even the most incongruent characters together in this
way, a literary device brings the men of a given chapter together in the same
physical space at the same time to introduce them within that chapter. Jessep
and Hoffa and Hanson are in one place at one time. They coexist physically
just as they coexist via shared character traits.
Four or five Nicholson characters might be in the same diner or jailhouse
or some other related setting. This cinematic device underscores the inter-
section of multiple movie worlds and provides a creative entrée to the idea
that is presented in a particular chapter.
1