That’s when a small quiet pained attorney for the Army got his teeth into the windbag from Wisconsin
That’s when a small, quiet, pained attorney for the Army got his teeth into the windbag from Wisconsin. “At last, sir,” he asked, “have you no decency?” And a mass of Americans began to think, maybe the little man was right.That lawyer’s name was Joseph N Welch, and he was a character. Sure, he had truth and integrity on his side, but he was better at playing the TV camera than McCarthy was – that’s one reason why he stole the show. And Anatomy of a Murder – never mind how entertaining it is – is a great picture because, years ahead of its time, it showed that any trial was a game in which actors had to tell the best story to win.
And Preminger was so intelligent that he cast Joseph Welch as the judge in his picture. So, the Duke and a judge – what more do you think you deserve?. Last week, Notting Hill moved inexorably into the third age of a movie’s life-span – promotion. Given that the film doesn’t come out until May 28 (or May 21 if you’re lucky enough to live within striking distance of the Odeon cinema in London’s Leicester Square), it might seem a tad early to be building up people’s desire to see it.
But the schedule is pre-ordained by the availability of Julia Roberts and the world’s entertainment press. This, apparently, was the week that everyone was free to come to London. So we’ve had the premiere and the interview junket in one manic three- day period, and I just hope that everyone will be sensible enough to hold the resultant articles for two or three weeks Yeah, right. If you’re reading this, it didn’t happen.
It was particularly strange doing the junket, that intense conjunction of media and interviewees, because one of the funniest sequences in the film is set at just such an event.
It’s at the junket that the key people involved in the making of the film – especially the famous ones – are required to reflect on the movie they’ve made, and to come up with something interesting to say about it Again And again And again. Usually, the producer isn’t considered to be “talent”, and is left at home. But this time, my partnership with Richard Curtis means I was part of the whole palaver.The schedule at these things is so tight it’s shocking 2.05: Channel 10, Australia 2.13: CNT, Croatia 2.21: Channel 2, Iceland 2.29: Sic TV, Portugal. And on and on, a different interviewer every eight minutes, until 6.08. My favourite was the entertainment show from Singapore, entitled Showbuzz!You try to be interesting – and just about pull it off for the eight- minute interviewer. But the horror is that the same video crew records every interview – so the poor cameraman has to watch you saying exactly the same thing a hundred times This one started off the day thinking I was mildly amusing. And ended the day knowing I was the thickest, least imaginative and most repetitive person he’d ever met.The problem is – even now – it’s not that easy to remember the details of film-making.