FATHER GEEK's thoughts on two giants who are no longer with us!

Man its been a busy couple of days here at CONvergence up in Viking country. The weather has been very pleasent for us Texas boys, highs in the mid 70s not the high 90s is just great. I'm sitting here at our suite's 12 chair conference table after finishing the panel on "Best Fantasy films of all time" trying to collect my thoughts about 2 Redwoods of the film industry that have just been uprooted.

Edward Dmytryk and Mario Puzo have died. When I was a film student I took 2 semester long courses taught by legends of the silver screen. The 1st of these courses was taught by the late great Howard Hawks who gave us such key films as TIGER SHARK, THE BIG SLEEP, 20th CENTURY, SCARFACE, RED RIVER, BRINGING UP BABY, etc... The 2nd was Edward Dmytryk, a member of the "HOLLYWOOD 10", one of the blacklisted directors of the 1950's red scare era.

Dmytryk was a Director, editor, producer, actor, and writer. He was a film professionial with a career that stretched for 50 years. He was a decent, upstanding man who loved his country and his work, even when they did not return that love and loyality. He was an inspiration to me and hundreds of other young film students, and he was one damn fine teacher.

He started like Robert Wise and so many other great filmmakers as an editor. From 1930 to 39 he cut film, in an era when you really cut film. He worked on the old BULLDOG DRUMMOND series, in 1938 he pieced together PRISON FARM. He worked on musicals, comedies, dramas and action films, then he started to direct and he made is mark on the industry.

In 1941 he gave us the wonderful DEVIL COMMANDS. During the war years he performed the yeoman task of producing pro-American propaganda films and he did it very very well; turning out such standout classics as 42's HITLER'S CHILDREN, 43's BEHIND THE RISING SUN and 1945's John Wayne masterpiece BACK TO BATAAN. Most of us probably remember him best for those stunning Film Noirs like THE SNIPER, CROSSFIRE, and of course "the" noir film... MURDER MY SWEET. Further, he did good work on several series movies like THE LONE WOLF, BOSTON BLACKIE, and THE FALCON.

But the nation grew paranoid, vicious, deceitful and our leaders forgot the great work he turned out for his adopted country during the World War a few years before. He was tried in the court of public opinion by lies and rumor, his life's work was ripped from his grasp and if not for powerful friends like Humphrey Bogart who attached him to THE CAINE MUTINY and THE LEFT HAND OF GOD in the mid-50's he would not have weathered the storm of fear that swept through our land of the free during those troubled times.

The 60's saw him rebound with super hits like WALK ON THE WILD SIDE with Jane Fonda and Harold Robbin's THE CARPETBAGGERS, and he worked steadily on through the end of the 1970's. He will be sorely missed. If you want to learn more about this wonderful American legend check out the 1976 film HOLLYWOOD ON TRIAL or his Bio ODD MAN OUT published in 96.

Another great left us this week. He had a shorter career, but it's impact was no less magnificant. The fantastic writer Mario Puzo is no longer up to write GODFATHER 4. The 2 time Oscar winner is gone. His SUPERMAN 1 & 2 scripts are amoung my favorite works of phantasy and of course the those great golden globe and Oscar honored GODFATHER series scripts as well as EARTHQUAKE, the COTTON CLUB, and THE LAST DON mini-series. Even his Razzie honored CHRIS COLUMBUS, THE DISCOVERY was better than many that get made regularly today. I'll miss Mario too; those GODFATHER 4 rumors of late really had sparked ol' Father Geek's interest.