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Tom Lowell, The Carpetbaggers,1963. First of New York producer Joseph E Levine’’s three snitty/snotty movies about Hollywood – followed by The Carpet baggers, 1964, and The Oscar, 1965, each one worse than the precedent. Bill passed studio boss Martin Balsam‘s nephew-cum-assistant, David Woolf, to Lowell. Due to “scheduling conflicts. Or he’d read the scenario.
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Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate, 1967.
- Rubén Blades, The Milagro Beanfield War, 1986. Robert Redford’s second directing job (eight years after Ordinary People) came from John Nichols’ “magic realist” New Mexican trilogy. Redford was wary of Hollywood’s the generalised ethnicity that ldelivered the project to Tony Bill, Dustin Hoffman an Al Pacino back in the day. He wanted Hispanics as Hispanics. Blades, the Panamanian salsa songwriter, didn’t wait for an invite. “I went up to him unannounced… Hey, compadre… You want to do this movie right? Then you want me.” Done deal!
- Chris McDonald, Rumour Has It…, 2004. When auteur Ted Griffiin was dumped from his own project after a few “incredibly slow” days, new helmer, Rob Reiner scratched as s many as four actors from the Griffin line-up. Including Bill who, ironically, had himself taken over the direction of a movie, Crazy People, in 1989 – from Mitch Markowitz, who was never hired again as a director.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 4