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Artists of every stripe like to say that the work is what matters to them.
But in the case of Norman Jewison, who died Monday at 97, it was really true.
Norman Jewison directed that.
Even some film buffs dont realize what range he had.
Then to their horror, they found out I was a Methodist.
Flexibility was the Toronto-born filmmakers M.O.
There are contortionists who cant fold themselves into as many different shapes as Jewison did during his career.
I tried to not make people conscious that the film is being directed …
I love musicals, I love comedy, I love drama.
Between you and me, I think my metier is probably musicals, but they dont make musicals anymore.
Capturing a singer or instrumentalist is not an exercise in transformation.
Tony Curtis visited the set and was so impressed that he told Jewison he should be directing features.
They feel more like notions for movies than completely satisfying works.
Thats not the case with JewisonsFiddlerandSuperstar, which have some of the prismatic energy of Bob Fosses film musicals.
It wasnt as much about a game as it was about corporate control of society, Jewison said.
Black audiences went batshit, and rightfully so, Henderson wrote.
Tibbs wasnt just slapping some white guy; he was going upside the head of an entire institution.
Norman related that to me.
Self-deprecation was his default.
His memoir was titledThis Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me.
But all those nominations you talk about, theyre not for my work, Jewison said.
Theyre for the work of artists who work with me and make a major contribution in every area.
But theyre described as films by Norman Jewison, the host pressed.
Yeah, he said, laughing.
