My Hollywood stories

224 Pages·2014·2.966 MB·English

by  Morris, Eric

MY
HOLLYWOOD
STORIES
ALSO BY ERIC MORRIS

No Acting Please (with Joan Hotchkis)
Being & Doing
Irreverent Acting
Acting from the Ultimate Consciousness
Acting, Imaging, and the Unconscious
The Diary of a Professional Experiencer
Freeing the Actor

AUDIO TAPES

The Craft of Acting
The MegApproaches
Imaging for Acting

THE ERIC MORRIS ACTORS WORKSHOP IS LOCATED AT:
5657 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036 [phone]

Internet Web site
www.ericmorris.com
MY
HOLLYWOOD
STORIES

ERIC MORRIS
With Contributions from Others

ERMOR ENTERPRISES
Edited by Carin Galsett

Published by
Ermor Enterprises
8004 Fareholm Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Copyright © 2014 by Eric Morris
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof,
may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1
HI, DIDDLE DEE DEE, AN ACTOR’S LIFE
FOR ME. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE? 5
TAKE FROM OUT THE POCKET THE GUN! 5
THAT’S NEXT WEEK’S SHOW 8
WHICH HORSE WERE YOU SITTING ON? 9
SO I’M NOT STRONG ENOUGH? 10
I DON’T THINK HE LIKES ME—
IS IT METHOD OR MADNESS? 11
BEING A BLACK ACTOR 14
JUST WHEN YOU BEGIN
TO REALLY MAKE IT, YOU DIE 15
YOUR AGENT IS CALLING 18
MISADVENTURES IN A HOLLYWOOD
APARTMENT BUILDING 19
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
AN ACTOR BY ANY OTHER WILL… 24
I
ERIC MORRIS
ACTORS HELPING ACTORS
OR A FEW GOOD MEN…AND WOMEN 25
FOR GOD’S SAKE,
GET ME A PART IN PORK CHOP HILL 25
LET THE CAMERA SEE YOUR PRETTY FACE 26
I LOVE LUCY—AND I REALLY DID! 27
BEING PREPARED
IS NOT JUST FOR BOY SCOUTS 30
CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH? 31
HOLLYWOOD BEHAVING BADLY 32
HOLLYWOOD PARASITES 32
IS THERE A DEFINITION FOR EVIL? 33
THE TYRANT HARRY COHN
AND HIS BATTLE WITH RITA HAYWORTH 35
REICHSFÜHRER OTTO PREMINGER 37
THE ANATOMY OF A TALENTED
BUT COMPLICATED MAN 38
MY AIRPORT RENDEZVOUS
WITH ELI WALLACH 38
MIRROR, MIRROR 39
AMERICA, AMERICA:
OK, LET ME SEE YOU WALK, HARRY 40
LOSE THE FUCKING GUN 41
A MEGAPHONE IN THE CROWD 42
THE BOXING BEAUTICIAN, DENZEL
WASHINGTON, AND RUSSELL CROWE 43
II
MY HOLLYWOOD STORIES
BS AROUND THE CAMPFIRE 46
A VERY TALENTED ARISTOCRATIC ACTOR
WITH A CLOSET FULL OF SKELETONS 47
THE WILD BUNCH 49
MORE HOLLYWOOD BAD BOYS 49
AN IMAGINATIVE ACTOR
AND A LOOSE CANNON 50
HOLLYWOOD’S TALENTED BAD BOY 52
NOT SO EASY RIDER 53
THE AGE OF NEFARIOUS 55
HOLLYWOOD TRAGEDIES 60
SHARON TATE AND THE MANSON MURDERS
ON CIELO DRIVE 60
ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD TRAGEDY:
PEOPLE I KNEW 63
A TRAGEDY THAT DID NOT
HAVE TO HAPPEN 64
THE LIFE AND DEATH
OF FRANK WOLFF, ACTOR 66
THE BOY WITH A SPARKLE IN HIS EYES 68
HE ATE DOG FOOD
AND SOLD ROLLS ROYCES 69
LEIF ERICKSON (NOT THE VIKING) 71
HOGAN WASN’T A HERO 72
III
ERIC MORRIS
GUNFIGHT AT THE ANIMAL CORRAL 75
HE SURVIVED THE GODFATHER,
BUT NOT A NEW YORK CITY BUS 77
IT IS A TRAGEDY
IF YOUR CAREER DIES BEFORE YOU DO 77
THE COST OF SEEKING FAME 80
THE TRAGIC LIFE OF BRIAN KELLY 81
GOD CRIES EVERY TIME
A PARENT LOSES A CHILD 87
STIRLING SILLIPHANT’S
TRAGIC EXPERIENCE 88
ANOTHER FATHER LOSING A CHILD 88
WHERE WAS THE BABYSITTER? 89
THE TRAGEDY OF LOSING A SPOUSE 89
FOOD CAN BE LETHAL 89
MANY FATAL ACCIDENTS
HAPPEN IN THE HOME 90
WAS HE INTOXICATED OR NOT? 91
IF YOU HAVE A PORSCHE,
BE CAREFUL DRIVING IT! 92
HOLLYWOOD TRAGEDY:
IGNORANCE CAN BE FATAL 93
THE JEWISH INDIAN
KILLED BY A MEDICINE MAN 94
ACTOR DIES WHILE SHOOTING FILM 95
IV
MY HOLLYWOOD STORIES
TOO YOUNG AND TOO TALENTED
TO BE MURDERED 96
WHO’S ON FIRST 97
BLACKLISTING:
WHAT WAS REALLY UN-AMERICAN 98
THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD 98
KAZAN AND HUAC 99
NAMING NAMES 100
HE DIED IN THE SADDLE 101
SENATOR MCCARTHY’S GHOST
IS STILL HAUNTING HOLLYWOOD 102
AARON SPELLING’S LITTLE BLACK BOOK 103
SEX IN HOLLYWOOD
OR SOME LIKE IT HOT 104
SEX IN HOLLYWOOD; SEX TRADING 104
GO AWAY, HAVE A “FUCK FEST”
AND CLIMB YOUR WAY TO STARDOM 105
COME TAKE AN OCEAN CRUISE WITH ME 105
SEX WITH A WAR HERO 105
BS AROUND THE FIREPLACE 107
TWO BEAUTIFUL WOMEN
MAKING LOVE TO EACH OTHER 108
HE HAD THE NAVY JOIN HIM 109
V