Gerry Paris — “ You gotta have a funny bone!”
"Oh, no,” Paris said. “You don’t use just one phase
of your personality. You put in whatever phase of
yourself best fits that particular character. There are
more facets to yourself than just one.” Versatile ac¬
tors such as Alec Guinness. Dick Van Dyke and Robert
Redford were cited as good examples of those who put
different phases of themselves into their different
characters.
As far as production is concerned, things are chang¬
ing in Hollywood, Paris observed. Studios no longer
start things- more and more independent producers
are presenting ideas or packages of ideas to major stu¬
dios to be considered for production. Once this is ac¬
cepted. the producer’s job is pretty well done, and the
director takes over on the more creative aspects of
production — things such as finding locations, work¬
ing with camera angles and working with actors.
“My first time out as a director scared me so bad that
I threw up the night before. I worried about not getting
along with the actors. Then I worried about the script.
Then the camera work. But, I was working with Dick
Van Dyke then and when we actually got into rehearsal,
I started suggesting things and he started suggesting
things and it just came.”
Paris was initially hired as the next door neighbor
for the Dick Van Dyke show, but under the tutelage of
Carl Reiner, he took 15 weeks to learn the ropes and
ended up doing more directing than acting.
"To be a good director," he advises, “Learn to act
first. I had a director once who kept snapping his fing¬
ers in our faces to get his point across about camera
angles and stuff. He was new. and when he asked me
what I thought he could do to improve his directing,
I told him to quit snapping his fingers and go to acting
school. That’s the only way you can really understand
the actor.”
Asked about his acting experience, he said that his
work in entertainment these days consisted mostly of
directing with an occasional bit part "just to keep up
my Screen Actor's Guild pension!”
"The only time I miss acting is when 1 go to a play.
I’d rather work on stage than in TV or movies. But, as
an actor, I can only paint with one color. As a director,
I can paint a whole picture, working with pace and
styling on a total product.”
Paris reminisced about his experience working as
an actor with Humphrey Bogart:
“Bogart was a great actor, but would do terrible
things! I was flying to Hawaii with him once on a China
Clipper and he invited me down to the bar for a drink.
We got enthusiastic and started singing old college
songs. We were having a great time, getting people to
join in, when Bogart turns to this guy sitting next
to us and orders him, “Sing!” The guy politely refused,
saying he was tone deaf and Bogart said “Sing, or my
boy here’ll rub you out!” The guy still wouldn't sing
so he turned to me and said, "Gerry, take care of him.”
Now. I was tall, but this guy was big! I stood there, quak¬
ing, in front of him. not knowing what the hell to say or
do, and all of a sudden, I just said “Would you like to
step outside?” Everyone cracked up-Thank God!
1 found out from the stewardess that the guy was Les
Richter, a pro football player, later to be the No. 1
linebacker for the LA Rams for 12 years!"
Asked about which actor he had most enjoyed work¬
ing with, Paris cited Marlon Brando.
“We were in a class together at the Actor's Studio
and I had to do a scene from Dead End -really heavy,
dramatic thing. When I was done, the director tore
my performance apart and I felt awful. Then, Brando
came up and said, "Hey, that was pretty good.” He
offered to help me with my dramatic stuff and asked
me to teach him a few things about comedy. Later he
called and asked me to play with him in “The Wild
Ones.” I was really pleased with that."
As far as advice for aspiring student actors, Paris
advises:
“After college, get right into an acting group. Go with
talent and get with a group that does things. But, do
other things, too- don't just sit and sponge off other
people. Theatre is very exciting and very heartbreak¬
ing. It’s great therapy!”
Dance Cancelled
The Blue Key dance which was
scheduled for tonight has been can¬
celled due to conflicting events (you
are invited to attend the Choral
Concert at 8 p.m. in the Hunt Center
Recital Hall, instead).
By JANIE TAYLOR
Editor-in-Chief
In two morning sessions at Mago Hunt Center on Tues¬
day, February 26, actor-director Gerry Paris shared
some of his thoughts on the world of entertainment
with UP students and faculty. Questions were asked and
insights gained as Mr. Paris had his audience laughing
and reminiscing with him through his 25 year career
in stage, motion pictures and television.
Asked if comedy was inborn or learned, Paris’ reply
was, “Definetly it’s inborn! You gotta have a funny
bone! All comedy stems from reality; otherwise it’s
not funny.” He cited Woody Allen as a master of taking
a typical life situation and turning it into a great piece
of comedy, and called the nose operation scene in
“Sleeper,” (Allen’s latest film) “brilliant!" A good
drama teacher can bring out what is unique and there¬
fore suppressed in a student, he elaborated, but felt
that “it's gotta be there first.”
On the subject of method acting, Paris commented.
“Some people say that you have to live a character and
become the character in order to be good. Elia Kazan
once told me “Don't do that- take the character and put
your own personality into it."
Doesn't that make acting monotonous?
dc
Vol. 73 No. 21
March 1 , 1974
University of Portland, Port., Or. 97203
ATTEND
THE
LEAE!
What would happen?
What would have happened if Christ
had returned to earth during the height
of the Spanish Inquisition?
This intriguing possibility was the sub¬
ject of a famous story by the great Russian
novelist Dostoevski.
It is also the subject of an original draJha
by Father Harry Cronin which will be pre¬
sented Friday and Saturday, March 8 and
9 at 8 p.m. in the Hunt Center.
Entitled "The Legend of the Grand In
quisitor,” it features an original musical
score composed and conducted by J.R.
Day, U.P. graduate and noted Northwest
composer. Director John Dixon is a gradu¬
ate student at the University of Portland.
It will be presented on a double bill with
"Burden of the Day." another Cronin Day
collaboration, Mr. Paul Ouellette will di¬
rect "Burden of the Day.”
Together under the title “Tribute to
Trial.” the two plays explore the dilemma
of Christian commitment in the modern
world.
Groove to music
ISA sponsors dance
The International Students Association
will have their general meeting at the
Back Door today at 7:30 p.m. Following the
meeting the ISA is sponsoring a dance at
the "D Street" discoteque. Transportation
will be provided and UP students are wel¬
come. Cover charge is $2.
You may not
graduate unless . .
Attention Seniors! Today is the last
day to apply for your degree in May.
If you have not taken care of this, go
to the registrar’s office immediately.
today at noon
Melodious notes will again fill Hunt
Center at 12:15 today as UP musicians
present the bi weekly Music at Noon
concert. Not only will the tuneful voices
of Joseph Hyland and Dick Longstreet
caress awaiting ears but audience mem
bers will also be treated to a contem¬
porary woodwind composition. Pianists
Karen Grant and Pat Carter will solo
and Allan Morgan will trumpet his way
into listeners' ears. And there is more .
UP students, staff and faculty are wel¬
come and it's free!
