{"id":2182,"date":"2010-08-25T13:49:35","date_gmt":"2010-08-25T13:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2182"},"modified":"2010-08-25T13:49:35","modified_gmt":"2010-08-25T13:49:35","slug":"robert-woods-interview-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/performers-directors\/robert-woods-interview-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Woods interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just found a Robert Woods interview I hadn’t read before on a website called www.glasshousepresents.com<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s buried down in the page, so I’m going to reprint it here (completely unedited).<\/p>\n

Robert Woods: <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Most Popular Actor You \t\tNever Knew!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Spaghetti Western & Cult Movie Anti-Hero<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Carl Glass<\/strong><\/p>\n

The \t\tSpaghetti Western as it has become to be known in film culture is a name \t\tfor a sub-genre for movie westerns that emerged on the movie screens \t\tworld wide in the mid 60s. Its golden age took place within the decade \t\tof 1965-1975. This particular genre of film depicts some of the worst \t\thuman nature has to offer where actions will emote from the anti-hero \t\tand other characters the extreme expressions of darkness, brutality, \t\tviolence and vengeance. The screenplays revolve around these themes. \t\tLots of gunfights, action and dark sarcastic dialogue accompany the \t\t\u2018don\u2019t mess with me attitude!\u2019 This is what distinguishes the Spaghetti \t\tWestern from its American counterpart. And let\u2019s not forget the unique \t\tmusic that played a significant role becoming one of the most recognized \t\ttrademarks. The music could define the moment as well as its actors or \t\tdirector. And speaking of director\u2019s, \t\tit \t\twas Sergio Leone who was the master in capturing all the darkness, \t\tbrutality and death in the faces of his characters. It takes one \t\tclose-up into the cold, hard face and angelic eyes of the Spaghetti \t\tWesterns finest actor, Lee Van Cleef<\/em> to know what is\u2026and what is \t\tto come. It\u2019s a capture of the epitome of brutality, darkness and \t\tvengeance. I rest my case.<\/p>\n

Like me, many in the American audiences and \t\tworld-wide for that matter would develop a taste of the high intensity \t\tlevel of the violence and the way vengeance, justice or injustice were \t\tcarried out. \t\tThe \t\tfocus was on the anti-hero who was the recipient of a beating, a double \t\tcross, or murder of a family member, loved one or a plan gone wrong. It \t\twas vengeance\u2026 vengeance\u2026 and more vengeance! Sad to say, we could live \t\tout our fantasies and darker side through these characters. No?! C\u2019mon \t\tguys. Tell me you never wanted to wield out justice just once, one \t\tagainst many in a gunfight like \u2018The Man With No Name\u2019 pretending to be \t\tshootin\u2019 down the enemies of your life.<\/p>\n

There was a great advantage for the Italian studios \t\tproducing these films as they were able to keep their cost productions \t\tlow. The backdrop of the Tabernas Desert of Almeria, Andalucia region of \t\tSpain shared an affinity with the American Southwest. Another reason had \t\tto do with being able to access Italian\/Spaniard actors as gangs and \t\tbandits.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, I have the good fortune to find myself \t\tin the right place at the right time. It was that way when Jan Alan \t\tHenderson<\/em> and I were outside of the \u2018Ray Courts Show\u2019 in Burbank two \t\tweeks ago. We were introduced to cult film favorite, actor Robert \t\tWoods<\/em> (not to be confused with Robert S. Woods<\/em> of One Life \t\tto Live <\/em>soap fame). I didn\u2019t realize I was shaking hands with a \t\tgenuine international film star. I took one look at his resume and I \t\trealized just what this man meant to the golden age of the Spaghetti \t\tWestern. He was indeed one of its finest stars. I remembered him and \t\tinwardly, I was floored. His myriad of fans around the world considers \t\thim a legend. I do too! Indulge me again by saying that if you are not a \t\tfan of the genre, you\u2019ll gain plenty from Robert as he talks about his \t\tjourney and the many famous actors, directors, the business and the \t\tstuff life encounters.<\/p>\n

Actor Robert \t\tWoods:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most popular actor you never knew!<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> Robert, I \t\tfirst of all would like to thank you for so graciously taking time out \t\tfor this interview and what a delight it was meeting you at the Ray \t\tCourts Show<\/em> in Burbank. I found you to be a real gentleman, \t\tcongenial and engaging. Like most fans of the \u2018Spaghetti Western\u2019 genre, \t\tit\u2019s an honor meeting one of the screen\u2019s pioneers and legends whose \t\tcareer spanned throughout the golden age of these uniquely made films.<\/p>\n

I have learned that you are from Colorado. Would \t\tyou give our readers some background as to where you grew up? What were \t\tyour interests and what caused you to take the pathway into acting?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> I was born, abandoned and adopted in Colorado, raised until I was nearly \t\teight years old on a high mountain ranch near Granby, Colorado.\u00a0 We \t\tmoved to Boulder just before the Second World War.\u00a0 My dad enlisted \t\tin the Navy at that time and I was left in the care of my adopted mom \t\tand her sister.\u00a0 As far as the performing arts were concerned, it \t\twas never something I really had much of a desire to do\u2026it just \t\thappened.\u00a0 I was in my first play in grade school, was first-chair \t\ttrumpet in my high school band, sang and played gigs with a little \t\tjazz-band all over the state.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t a troubled youth, just \t\tenergetic and tall, when it came to mischief, I was always the first to \t\tbe seen, caught and disciplined.\u00a0 I dropped out of high school when \t\tI was sixteen and ran away from home, hitch-hiking to California with a \t\tfriend. At seventeen I returned to Colorado.<\/p>\n

Due to a little misunderstanding with a judge about \t\ta relationship with his daughter in my home-town, I joined the Navy with \t\tmy father\u2019s concerned permission and went off to basic training in San \t\tDiego.\u00a0 My company commander insisted that because of my height, I \t\twas to be his squad-leader in Boot Camp, but I wasn\u2019t happy about that, \t\tso I snuck across the base without permission to audition for the Drum & \t\tBugle Corps and was accepted.\u00a0 A group of us from the Corps formed \t\ta jazz group that was allowed off base to play gigs up and down the \t\tcoast.<\/p>\n

After boot-camp, I was accepted to The Navy School \t\tof Music, but the wait was over a year for admission which would have \t\textended my enlistment, so I opted to be a Commissary man instead.\u00a0 \t\tAfter school, I was stationed at the Great Lakes and ultimately served \t\tthe remainder of my time on a destroyer, Charles S. Sperry<\/em>.\u00a0 \t\tI got my diploma from Boulder High School by taking GED tests.\u00a0 I \t\talso finished two years of college by correspondence course.<\/p>\n

When my time in the Navy had been served, the day \t\tbefore my twenty-first birthday, I was put off the ship in Guantanamo \t\tBay, flown home and honorably discharged.\u00a0 I consider that point \t\tthe beginning of my life and I was just beginning to learn the art of \t\tputting one foot in front of the other.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know then, nor \t\thave I ever known what I wanted to be when I grew up.\u00a0 I certainly \t\thad no idea I would ever become an actor.<\/p>\n

I had the GI Bill which gave me some money toward \t\tmy education, so I blindly chose teaching as a possible avenue for a \t\tcareer.\u00a0 I went to college at San Diego State, majored in English \t\twith an education minor.\u00a0 The money from the Navy wasn\u2019t really \t\tenough, so I started singing in talent contests to augment it.\u00a0 It \t\tdifficult getting my chops again in the beginning, but with lot of \t\tpractice and a desire to win for the money, I actually began to enjoy \t\tperforming. I won the final contest at The Hillcrest Hideaway<\/em> and \t\tgot a paying gig at \t\tThe Shelter Island Inn<\/em> which led to another at The Saddle and \t\tSirloin<\/em> in Escondido.<\/p>\n

On campus, I always studied in the little theater \t\tbecause it was generally abandoned and quiet.\u00a0One day they had readings \t\tfor the play Victoria Regina. The readings interrupted my routine, were \t\tless than entertaining and I was rude enough to laugh.\u00a0 The \t\tprofessor, Dr. Adams, looked up and said, \u201cAre you here to read or to \t\tmake fun?\u201d\u00a0 I told him I was sorry. To which he replied, \u201cThis is \t\tthe theater.\u00a0 Read, leave or shut up!\u201d\u00a0 I decided to read and \t\twas offered the role of Prince Albert.\u00a0 It was uplifting, \t\tenjoyable, and not work in the truest sense and there were good reviews \t\tand applause.\u00a0 I liked it.\u00a0 At Dr. Adams suggestion, I changed \t\tmy major.\u00a0 He turned out\u00a0 to be a great mentor, working long \t\tand hard with me to teach me technique. After the next project we did \t\ttogether, the Three Penny Opera<\/em>, I went off to do \t\tThe Girls in 509<\/em> at the Old Globe and West Side Story<\/em> in \t\tthe Amphitheater where I understudied the role of Tony.\u00a0 Thanks to \t\tDr. Adams, I returned to Colorado and spent my last summer-break at The \t\tPerry-Mansfield School of the Theater in Steamboat Springs, teaching \t\tmime and directing the play Ring \u2018Round The Moon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

When I graduated, Dr. Adams insisted I go to \t\tHollywood with some letters of introduction he provided.\u00a0 I spent \t\tthe first couple of months sleeping on his friend\u2019s floors.\u00a0 The \t\ttruth was they did little to help me.\u00a0 With no money and no GI \t\tBill, I took a job as a singing waiter at The Flower Drum, a Chinese \t\trestaurant on Highland Avenue.\u00a0 One day, finally fed up with \t\tseemingly never getting an acting audition, I reluctantly stood in a \t\tline around the block at Central Casting, seeking extra work. They sent \t\tme to MGM in Culver City to stand in another line, (this time of \t\tlook-alikes), waiting to stunt-double and stand-in for George Hamilton \t\tin the feature Where The Boys Are<\/em>.\u00a0 Besides arriving late \t\tbecause I didn\u2019t know where Culver City was, at six foot four, I was \t\ttaller than anyone there and was relegated to end of the line.\u00a0 \t\tGeorge came out of his dressing room and paced slowly down the line, \t\tlike a general inspecting troops.\u00a0 When he finally got to me, I \t\tbent my knees, reducing my height to around six one and tried not to \t\tlaugh.\u00a0 George looked down at my bent position and broke up. \u201cI\u2019ll \t\ttake this one,\u201d he said and an immediate friendship was born.\u00a0 I \t\thad so much fun. Before the first week was over, the producer Joe \t\tLevine, also a new friend, offered me a small part, the part of a \t\tpoliceman, (not an electric guitar player), a one liner with Chill Wills \t\toutside the police station which provided me with my Screen Actor\u2019s \t\tGuild card and no credit.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> I\u2019m glad \t\tyou cleared that up about your role in that film. It goes to show you \t\tcan\u2019t trust IMDB. Where The Boys Are <\/em>had a good cast. In fact its \t\tone of\u00a0 the better beach movies with the lovely Dolores Hart, \t\tGeorge Hamilton, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Hutton, Barbara Nichols, Chill \t\tWills, Frank Gorshin and of course Connie Francis who was riding high on \t\tthe music charts in that era. I\u2019m curious about the relationship you had \t\twith the cast. Any personal favorites?\u00a0 Anything special behind the \t\tscenes?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> I think I \t\tliked Paula Prentiss most of all.\u00a0 She was just out of \t\tNorthwestern, fresh and new, her mother at her side.\u00a0 She was \t\tsweet, na\u00efve and fun.\u00a0 Delores Hart\u2026what charisma and beautiful \t\tspirit.\u00a0 Chill Wills could pick up two new pages of monologue, scan \t\tit, put it down and do the entire piece verbatim.\u00a0 Barbara \t\tNichols\u2026smarter than she appeared on film, very bubbly, very kind.\u00a0 \t\tJim Hutton\u2019s son Timothy was born during the shoot and he was running \t\tback and forth to the hospital so I didn\u2019t really get to know him, or \t\tthe very beautiful and allusive Yvette.\u00a0 Frank Gorshin\u2019s \t\timpressions were outrageous, outstanding and he was always on and great \t\tfun to be around.\u00a0 Connie was fantastic, what a singing talent, \t\tsensitive and compassionate as a human being, always a kind word for \t\teveryone.\u00a0 George [Hamilton] was always on, always joking, a \t\twonderful guy to hang out with, even work for.\u00a0 I\u2019ll always like \t\tGeorge.\u00a0 I actually ran into him on the Via Veneto in Rome when my \t\tcareer was in full swing.\u00a0 We reminisced about Where The Boys \t\tAre<\/em> and had a few laughs.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> In your \t\tacting resume there seems to be a five year gap after Where The Boys<\/em> Are. <\/em>I have to believe these were transition years. Fill in that \t\ttime period for us.<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> Let me \t\treiterate; I\u2019ve really never thought about a having a career\u2026I\u2019ve always \t\tjust lived my life.\u00a0 Entertaining, acting, writing and singing and \t\thave simply been a part of it.\u00a0 I have never had a publicist, with \t\tthe exception of those connected with the films I\u2019ve done, because in my \t\tmind I\u2019ve never thought of the work as a career. It\u2019s just fluff. The \t\tfive year gap?\u00a0 There really wasn\u2019t a gap\u2026I was just practicing to \t\tlive my life as usual.\u00a0 After Boys<\/em> I hung in Hollywood for a \t\twhile, worked briefly at Warner Bros as a staff writer, co-wrote an \t\tepisode of \t\tThe Jim Backus Show<\/em>, continued to sing at The Flower Drum<\/em>, \t\tsaw beyond the glitter of Hollywood and had a desire to travel.\u00a0 \t\tOne day out of the blue, I woke up on the conservative side of the bed \t\tand took a job with Underwood Olivetti and went off to Connecticut for \t\ttraining to run an office for them in Los Angeles.\u00a0 While I was in \t\tHarford, I took a trip to New York to visit a childhood friend (Larry \t\tWilcox) a prominent musical arranger at the time.\u00a0 The first \t\tquestion he asked me was \u201cAre you still singing?\u201d and at about eleven \t\to\u2019clock that same night I found myself in Buster Davis\u2019 apartment \t\tauditioning for The Voice of Firestone<\/em>.\u00a0 Around midnight, \t\tBuster decided to call Buddy Bregman<\/em> and sent me to the Camelot Club<\/em> to audition for his new review. It was easy, I had fun.\u00a0 \t\tI got the job.\u00a0 It was a Monday and rehearsals were to start Friday \t\tat one P.M.\u00a0 That presented a major dilemma; I was just finishing \t\tmy Olivetti training Friday morning and I knew I was cutting it close. \t\tBut the security of a high paying regular job helped me make my \t\tdecision.\u00a0 As fate would have it, I arrived two hours late to a \t\tlengthy lecture by Mr. Bregman.\u00a0 I had been replaced by \t\tBobby Van<\/em>.\u00a0 Because of that incident, The Voice of \t\tFirestone<\/em> was also out of the question.\u00a0 But I still liked New York so I went \t\tto work for Olivetti on Fifth Avenue, sneaking out for the occasional \t\taudition.<\/p>\n

I was up for a Joshua Logan Musical called, All \t\tAmerican,<\/em> which thanks to the advice of a friend, I turned down.\u00a0 \t\tIt opened at The Garden Winter<\/em> Garden<\/em> and played for one \t\tnight.\u00a0 After that, I landed a singing gig in the village, playing \t\tstraight man to the famous drag-queen, Lynn Carter.\u00a0 I resigned \t\tfrom Olivetti. We played for nineteen weeks to packed houses and Lynn \t\tasked me to go to Canada and Australia as a permanent part of the act.\u00a0 \t\tIt was fun but it wasn\u2019t exactly my life-style, so I reluctantly \t\tdeclined.\u00a0 Apart from the occasional rude grope when I passed \t\tthrough the audience to get to my dressing-room, I had enjoyed doing \t\tthat show and Lynn was a wonderful entertainer.<\/p>\n

I studied acting privately in New York with Boris Marshalov<\/em>, the last living member of The Russian Repertory \t\tTheatre.<\/em> It was at his studio that I met Jimmy<\/em> (James<\/em>) \t\tMacArthur <\/em>and his mother Helen Hayes<\/em> for the first time.\u00a0 \t\tI also studied and worked at Circle In The Square<\/em> in the days of \t\tEdward Albee<\/em> and Alan Schneider<\/em>.\u00a0 I was at the Circle<\/em> until Virginia Wolf<\/em> took them away with it and the group that \t\tthey left behind was in decline.\u00a0 I also quietly did a little \t\tmodeling for True Romance Magazine<\/em> and did some covers for \t\tromance novels.\u00a0 I wanted to do more.\u00a0 It paid well, but they \t\ttold me I was too tall for fashion.<\/p>\n

Also, during my five year gap, I auditioned for \t\tOtto Preminger for the movie The Cardinal<\/em>.\u00a0 He offered me a \t\tsmall but pivotal role, the part of a priest, but there was a condition.\u00a0\u00a0 \t\tI would have to already be in Italy for the shoot and take care of my \t\town expenses.\u00a0 I thought about it and decided to take the chance. I \t\thad very little money at the time, but I purchased a one way ticket on \t\tthe Queen Elizabeth bound for Paris, with about four hundred dollars in \t\tmy pocket.\u00a0 I arrived at the end of 1962.\u00a0 Filming on The \t\tCardinal<\/em> was to begin that spring in Rome.\u00a0 Running out of money and saddled \t\twith a large hotel bill, I discovered a group of American and British \t\tactors who were dubbing films into English and quickly got a job in a \t\tsmall dubbing studio just off the Champs Ellysee.\u00a0\u00a0 At the \t\tsame time I discovered The American Theatre<\/em> on the Quay Dorsee \t\twhere I auditioned and was accepted into their repertory company.<\/p>\n

I was dubbing some films in a studio just below the \t\tArch De Triumph <\/em>and I stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant \t\tdown the street called The Pam-Pam. I was having dessert when a man I \t\tcan only describe as effeminate walked past me then turned around, \t\twalked back and asked me if I was a model.\u00a0 I told him I was an \t\tactor and he asked if would consider doing some test photography with \t\thim. It wasn\u2019t encouraging and by the time the conversation had ended, I \t\twas late for work.\u00a0 He handed me his card on the way out and said, \t\t\u201cIf you ever change your mind\u2026\u201d\u00a0 When I arrived back at the studio \t\ta little late, the director wanted an explanation.\u00a0 I told him a \t\tgay guy, I believed was hitting on me with the excuse that he wanted to \t\tdo photographs of me.\u00a0 I was simply trying not to be impolite.\u00a0 \t\tMy dubbing director asked me who he was and I handed him the card the \t\tman had given me. His mouth dropped in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cYou have to \t\tcall this guy immediately,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIf he\u2019s the guy who gave you \t\tthe card.\u201d\u00a0 I protested.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to put myself in that \t\tkind of position.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t blame you,\u201d the director said. \u201cIt\u2019s only \t\tHelmut Newton, one of the most famous photographers in the world.\u00a0 \t\tAnd believe me, he\u2019s not gay.\u201d\u00a0 So I called, went to his studio, \t\tmet his wife June and realized Helmut had a kinky demeanor and an \t\tabstract view of life, but my director was right, he was definitely not \t\tgay and he was a brilliant photographer\u00a0 I did tests for days.\u00a0 \t\tFor nearly the entire year of 1963 I was Helmut Newton\u2019s model.\u00a0 \t\tPierre Cardin, the man, not the corporation he became later, measured me \t\tpersonally, cut my suits and filled my closet.\u00a0\u00a0 Needless to \t\tsay I never made it to Rome to do The Cardinal<\/em>.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> 1965 \t\treveals to us that you went to work for director, writer and producer Alphonso Balcazar<\/em>. His career spanned from the 50s to the 80s. He \t\tchose you to star as the lead in Los Pistolas de Arizona, <\/em>aka: Five Thousand Dollars on One Ace<\/em>. Tell us how you two got connected \t\tand how you landed that role?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> Because of \t\ttime consumed at the photo-shoots and travel to exotic places I was \t\tforced to give up the dubbing.\u00a0 I did settle in Paris that year and \t\tspent my free time doing Chekhov\u2019s Cherry Orchard<\/em> at the American \t\tTheatre.\u00a0 One night Spanish Producer, Alfonso Balcazar<\/em> came \t\tto see my performance and afterward made me an offer to do a Western in \t\tBarcelona.\u00a0 I was making a lot more money modeling, than he was \t\toffering, so I politely turned him down.\u00a0 He returned the next \t\tnight and presented me with a contract for five films with money on a \t\tgraduating scale even the modeling couldn\u2019t compete with.\u00a0 I closed \t\tmy eyes, thought about it for a second, then signed.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> Many \t\tAmerican actors entered the \u2018Spaghetti Western\u2019 genre for various \t\treasons. Clint Eastwood as an example had a popular TV run with Rawhide<\/em>. However, after doing the big three, Fist Full of \t\tDollars, For A Few Dollars More <\/em>and The Good, The Bad And The \t\tUgly, <\/em>he becomes an international star. Guy Madison<\/em> had \t\talready peaked from earlier years but chose to work in the genre. I \t\tcould be wrong, but I saw that as a way to keep working or perhaps \t\trevive his career. I always wondered why Henry Fonda did them.\u00a0 \t\tCould you comment on the reasons American actors chose that path and \t\twhat you felt working in that genre would do for you?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> Speaking for myself, I originally did film for the money, but once you \t\twork in European productions like the Spaghetti Westerns, you realize \t\tthat there is a big difference between them and American films.\u00a0 \t\tIt\u2019s called collaboration!\u00a0 In America, everyone is divided into \t\tup-tight unionized groups. God help you if you help another group with \t\tits work.\u00a0 In Europe, you are part of a family where everyone; \t\tactors, extras, grips even drivers worked creatively together to produce \t\ta palatable end result.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think there was ever one of those \t\tfilms, that when it was over and we went our separate ways, I didn\u2019t \t\tfeel the pain of separation.\u00a0 It was a beautiful way to make a \t\tliving.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know the reasons others give for their desire to \t\tdo these films.\u00a0 But I do know that Charlie Bronson<\/em> and Eric Flemming<\/em> both turned Leone down for Fist Full of Dollars<\/em>, \t\tbefore Clint was offered the role and it wasn\u2019t because of the genre.\u00a0 \t\tIt was the money.\u00a0 The initial film in their contracts always paid \t\tso little.\u00a0 If you got to the second film in the contract and \t\tbeyond, the money was good. Leone loved Charlie and was determined to \t\twork with him.\u00a0 A long time passed before that happened. The genre \t\twas extremely successful and the money was there, before he agreed to do Once Upon A Time In America. <\/em>Henry Fonda and I were very \t\tclose, during and after Battle of The Bulge<\/em> and he once told me \t\the took the Leone project, because I had spoken highly about the \t\tdiversion and the collaborative aspect of Spaghetti Westerns.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> You are \t\tworking on or have just completed a film, Man From Canyon City. <\/em> Then, you end up as a cast member on one of the greatest war films of \t\tall time, Battle of The Bulge <\/em>with a stellar cast of Henry \t\tFonda, Robert Shaw, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews<\/em> and Telly Savalas<\/em>. \t\tIn this role you play Henry Fonda\u2019s pilot. How did you land that role? \t\tWhat were the rigors on working in this film and the relationship you \t\thad with the director, cast and crew?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> We had an \t\tincident, Alfonso Balcazar and I, during the Pistolero<\/em> shoot.\u00a0 \t\tI did this one take, a long, dangerous scene where I fell off a cliff \t\trolled down an embankment into a ditch (battered and bruised) crawled \t\tout, caught and mounted a horse and rode away.\u00a0 When it was over, \t\the said \u201cLet\u2019s do one more for security!\u201d\u00a0 I told him if he wanted \t\tit done again, he would have to do it himself and I refused.\u00a0 That \t\tevening after the shoot, I was driven to the office where he actually \t\ttore up my contract in front of me.\u00a0 We agreed to finish Pistolero<\/em> with the stipulation that we would work no more together.<\/p>\n

After we had wrapped the film and I left Barcelona \t\twith a bad taste in my mouth, I drove to Madrid and walked into the \t\toffices of Ken Anikin<\/em>.\u00a0 I had no agent.\u00a0 Ken stood up, \t\tlooked me over, drew up the contract while I waited, signed me and \t\thanded me the script.\u00a0\u00a0 He didn\u2019t require me to audition or do \t\ta test.\u00a0 Within days, \t\tWilliam Morris<\/em> took me on and David Niven<\/em>, Jr<\/em>. \t\tbecame my agent.<\/p>\n

Just after that, Alfonso found me in Madrid and \t\ttold me sweetly that MGM had bought Pistolero <\/em>and they required \t\tan additional action scene, a stage-coach fight in the mud.\u00a0 I \t\tdidn\u2019t want to go back after the contract incident, but he insisted so I \t\ttold him to call William Morris and talk to David.\u00a0 David got me \t\tmore than double the pay to return and finish Pistolero<\/em> and \t\tinformed him that he only had a window of a week before I started Bulge<\/em>.\u00a0 So I flew down to Barcelona and found my contract, \t\tscotch-taped and in tact on Alfonso\u2019s desk.\u00a0 He insisted that when Bulge<\/em> was over, he would honor our agreement.\u00a0 I did the scene \t\tin Pistolero<\/em> that MGM<\/em> wanted and returned to Madrid, ready for my close-up.<\/p>\n

I was under contract for months on Battle of the \t\tBulge<\/em>, because the aerial scenes required blue and green backing to \t\tbe delivered from America. I made a lifetime of friends with Fonda, \t\tBronson, Telly, Robert Ryan, George Montgomery, Dana, Robert<\/em> Conrad<\/em> (who did second unit), Ty Hardin<\/em> and Steve Rowland<\/em>.\u00a0 \t\tI also renewed my connection with Jimmy MacArthur<\/em>.\u00a0 I never \t\treally got to know Robert Shaw<\/em>.\u00a0 Henry<\/em> Fonda<\/em> became the closest friend I have ever had in the business.\u00a0 \t\tWhenever he came to Rome, we spent a lot of time together. When I \t\treturned to America, we attended several events together.\u00a0 Through \t\thim I met a myriad of people including Jason Robards<\/em>.<\/p>\n

One day, while walking \t\tdown the street with Fonda, I was approached by Roy Rosatti<\/em>, David Lean\u2019s<\/em> right hand man to do Geraldine Chaplin\u2019s<\/em> test \t\tfor Dr. Zivago<\/em>.\u00a0 I had time, but no \t\tpermission.\u00a0 Hank told me to do it quietly.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t have \t\tto know.\u00a0 So I did her test with David Lean<\/em> directing and no \t\tone knew\u2026until one evening at the Madrid Hilton when the most of the \t\tcast you asked me about saw David come in a side door.\u00a0 A hush fell \t\tover the group.\u00a0 All you could hear were whispers adoration. \t\t\u201cThat\u2019s David Lean\u201d.\u00a0 He literally crossed the lobby straight to \t\tme, shook my hand and thanked me for doing Geraldine\u2019s test.\u00a0 He \t\ttold me that she got the job and he had something for me in it, and then \t\twalked away.\u00a0 Two days later, Julie Christie<\/em> hand delivered \t\ta script from him to my apartment.\u00a0 He wanted me to do two pages of \t\tmonologue as a soldier trying to stop deserters from leaving the battle \t\tfield. It was a meaty role and I was excited.\u00a0 With the long wait \t\tfor the backing I still had time to do it, but when I requested \t\tpermission from Phil Yordan<\/em>, he and Warner Bros<\/em>. squelched it.\u00a0\u00a0 Many scripts began coming \t\tfrom Rome and I agreed to do the lead in a film called Seven Guns for \t\tThe MacGregors<\/em> after I finished Bulge<\/em>.\u00a0 I did the Man \t\tFrom Canyon City <\/em>in less than a week, before I went to Rome to live \t\tand work.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> You are \t\tworking quite steadily from 1965-75 primarily in the \u2018Spaghetti \t\tWesterns\u2019 as the lead character. In 1968 you worked with \u2018B\u2019 film legend \t\tJohn Ireland<\/em> in a film entitled, Quel Caldo Maledetto Giorno \t\tdi Fuoco<\/em>, also known as That Damned Hot Day of Fire<\/em>, Gatling Gun,<\/em> or Machine Gun Killers<\/em>. John Ireland, who played \t\tTarpas <\/em>was a half-breed, uncouth bandit who could throw a knife \t\twith his toes. As with most westerns of this genre it was quite violent. \t\tYou take a real beating in this one. <\/strong>You\u2019re \t\tdragged by a horse, used as a punching bag and even buried alive. There \t\tis also a gory extraction scene of a bullet removed from a hand. Would \t\tyou share some of the memories of that film and what it was like working \t\twith John Ireland?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> Quel \t\tCaldo Maledetto Giorno di Fuoco<\/em> was a film that Dr, Amati of Fida \t\tFilms gave me carte Blanche to do.\u00a0 Six months before, I had done a \t\tlittle modern thriller called Hypnos<\/em> directed by Paolo Bianchinni \t\tthat I really liked so I hired Paolo write the script and direct.\u00a0 \t\tI had a choice between Henry Silva<\/em> and John Ireland<\/em> to do \t\tthe part of Tarpas and thanks to mutual friend John Melson<\/em>, who \t\twas the original writer of Battle of the<\/em> Bulge<\/em>, I had \t\tlunch with John and we hit it off immediately.\u00a0 John and I remained \t\tvery close friends for the rest of his life. He was a special human \t\tbeing.\u00a0 He threw a wonderful party for me when I came back to \t\tAmerica at his restaurant in Santa Barbara.\u00a0 We spent much time \t\ttogether.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> The \t\t\u2018Spaghetti\u2019 genre always demonstrates great amounts of physical violence \t\tand action sequences. It appears from the viewers stand point very \t\tdemanding on the cast members and stunt workers. How involved were you \t\tin the action sequences of your films? And were you ever injured?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> Oh yeah I \t\twas bruised and battered in almost every Western, but never enough to \t\thalt production.\u00a0 Because of my height, I did most of my own \t\tstunts.\u00a0 Only once, doing a lead in Hong Kong on a film called Savage In the City<\/em> with Viktor Buono<\/em> did I seriously injure \t\tmyself.\u00a0 John Shadow<\/em>, the director asked me to jump from a wall.\u00a0 It was \t\ttwelve feet and the surface I had to land on was concrete.\u00a0 I \t\tfractured my ankles, but somehow managed to finish the film.\u00a0 It \t\ttook roughly two years to recover and I don\u2019t and won\u2019t do that anymore.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> As you did \t\ta few to several films a year in the decade between 1965-75, was it \t\tnecessary to establish a residence in Europe?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> I never had \t\ta problem with it in Europe, but I hardly ever left. I loved Europe and \t\tthe life style.\u00a0 I did however have a problem in England.\u00a0 I \t\tsigned to do a British TV series in Malta, called Vendetta<\/em> and \t\twhen I arrived at London\u2019s Pinewood Studios<\/em> to shoot the first \t\tinteriors, they paid me and sent me back to Rome, because of the quota.\u00a0 \t\tIt\u2019s interesting to note, they paid me nearly double what I had signed \t\tfor because it was law and their mistake.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> One of my favorite films of yours is Savage Guns <\/em>from 1971. In \t\tQuel Caldo Maledetto Giorno di Guoco, the Gatlin Gun is stolen and held \t\transom and it must be recovered before it falls into the hands of the \t\tConfederate Army. In Savage Guns <\/em>the Gatlin becomes an instrument \t\tof revenge for you. It was quite clever as Mash Flanaghan and his gang \t\twas laying in ambush for the wagon to pass through thinking it was the \t\twagon to rob of the goods. When they discovered after the wagon had \t\tstopped, the two guards in front driving the wagon were dummy figures. \t\tThe side door of the wagon drops and you start blazing away. Mash \t\tthought you were out of the equation believing you were dead by one of \t\this gang. Then you turn and another door drops and you finish off the \t\tambushers. That was a great scene. And after you finish off Mash who you \t\tsaved for last and put him on a horse, the real guards and wagon enters \t\tthe scene and passes you by as if nothing happened. You and the Gatlin \t\tgun go hand in hand, Robert. Did it handle pretty well for you and what \t\tmemories do you have of the film?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> I did two, \t\tthree, maybe four films with Miles Deem<\/em> (Dimofolo Fidani<\/em>).\u00a0 \t\tMy favorite was a thing called Peones <\/em>about a revolutionary \t\tMexican hero who gets killed in the end for the cause.\u00a0 Savage \t\tGuns <\/em>was another one of those films that hurt me.\u00a0 In one of the \t\tfight scenes, the DP shot it with a hand held camera and he forgot to \t\tpull back as choreographed.\u00a0 He split my lip open with the \t\tsun-guard of the camera.\u00a0 They shot me in profile for the next \t\tthree days.\u00a0 There was another scene, where I jumped off a hill \t\tonto the back of a horse.\u00a0 The wrangler was holding it in place \t\twith a wire.\u00a0 The horse pulled away ripping his hand open with the \t\twire. When I landed, the horse\u2019s head shot up with such force that it \t\tnearly took my head off.\u00a0 I finished the scene, got off the beast \t\tand collapsed.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> In 1972, \t\tyou started to switch gears and entered into the Horror\/Erotic genre. \t\tWas this a decision by your agent, or was this by personal choice? Who \t\tafforded you that opportunity?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> After I filmed Lina Wurtmuller\u2019s Belle Star Story<\/em> with Elsa \t\tMartinelli<\/em> in Yugolslavia, I wanted to try something off beat and as \t\tfate would have it, Jess Franco<\/em> called me to do the lead in a \t\tthing called The Strange Eyes of Dr. Orloff<\/em> with Edmond Purdom<\/em> and William Berger<\/em>.\u00a0 I had directed Edmond in a film with Rosalba Neri<\/em> called L\u2019Amanti di la Demonio <\/em>a year or so \t\tbefore this event, so I called him to find out how erotic Jess\u2019s stuff \t\treally was.\u00a0 My parents were still alive!\u00a0 Needless to say I \t\taccepted his offer for one film and finished by doing four more (they \t\twere erotic but not porn by contract) on the island of Madieras<\/em>, \t\tbetween Africa and the Canary Islands, then two more on the mainland.\u00a0 \t\tI wound up spending a year with Jess.\u00a0 Jess Franco<\/em> has just \t\treached cult hero status in France last year.\u00a0 I know because I \t\thave been getting many calls from all over the world about those films, \t\tmost of which I remember little about.\u00a0 I do remember that some of \t\tthe stuff I did with him was good and actually required acting skill. \t\tJess won an award in Spain for The Other Side of The Mirror<\/em> with Emma Cohen<\/em> and me. I did do the lead in a couple of his most famous \t\tfilms. My parents never saw them I am happy to say.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> I\u2019ve always \t\tfound the character actors in these films to be quite memorable. I don\u2019t \t\talways \t\tremember the names, but the faces are unmistakable and have made an \t\tindelible mark in the industry. Actors like Jose Terron, Antonio \t\tMolino Rojo, Aldo Giuffe, Klaus <\/em>(the hunchback) Kinski, Luigi \t\tPistilli, Jose Calvo<\/em> and Joseph Egger<\/em>. Who were among the \t\tfavorite character actors you worked with?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> I liked Fernando Sancho<\/em>\/ worked with him quite a lot.\u00a0 Aldo Berti, \t\tMolino Rojo <\/em>was a good friend. Klaus was a bit mad, but also a good \t\tfriend.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> Klaus \t\tKinski emanates that madness quite well through the screen. Especially \t\tafter a match was lit off his back. Here\u2019s a list of actors who were \t\tamong your peers in the industry. They have made one or several \t\tSpaghetti Westerns<\/em>, James Coburn, Clint<\/em> Eastwood, Jack \t\tElam, Henry Fonda, Terance Hill, John Ireland, John Phillip Law, Jack<\/em> Palance, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Charles Bronson, Jason Robarbs<\/em> and Keenan Wynn<\/em>. I would be curious to know the relationship you \t\tmight have had with any of these fine actors and their attitudes about \t\tthe genre.<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> Friends \t\tamong this group; Jimmy Coburn<\/em> and I have some stories and some \t\thistory together.\u00a0 Clint and I worked often at the same small \t\tstudio.\u00a0 We spent quite a bit of time together.\u00a0 Every once in \t\ta while, I take a trip to Carmel to relax with him and reminisce. I see \t\thim occasionally here, grab a bite and shoot the preverbal.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> Who would \t\tyou consider your mentor in the business?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> HENRY \t\tFONDA<\/em> was my biggest fan and supporter.\u00a0 He, plus and a \t\tcomposite of many characters from all walks that I have gotten to know \t\tin my life and travels.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> Is there a \t\tfilm, a scene, a moment where Robert Woods can say, \u2018Yeah, that was my \t\tfinest work ever?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> Not really.\u00a0 \t\tI have always refused to go to the rushes and seldom see the final \t\tresult, because I\u2019m not a very good judge of my own work.\u00a0 I just \t\tdo it and if it makes money, I do it again.\u00a0 It does make me feel \t\tgood when my work is praised by my peers.<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> You\u2019ve \t\tcontinued to do some work in the industry up until as recent as 2008. \t\tWhat is on the horizon for Robert Woods?<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> It ain\u2019t \t\tover \u2018till the fat lady finds Fellini\u2026<\/p>\n

After I was honored at the Torino<\/em> and Venice Film Festivals <\/em>in 2007, opportunity has become more \t\taccessible.\u00a0 I have quite a lot in the works and apparently, though \t\tnot so \t\twell \t\tknown in America, I have a large fan base in the world.\u00a0 There is a \t\tlot more to do, some of which is in the works; a TV series called Aspen<\/em>\/ a film titled Bend Me\/Shape Me<\/em>\/a western called Heathens and Thieves<\/em> and someone in America has recently approached \t\tme about a documentary on my life tentatively titled; The Most Famous \t\tActor No One Knows<\/em>\u2026 And the beat goes on\u2026<\/p>\n

CG:<\/strong> Robert, I \t\twish you much continued success. Keep me informed about your future \t\tprojects as it would be a delight to keep the reading public informed. \t\tYou\u2019ve had a most interesting journey and thanks for your time sharing \t\tit with us.<\/p>\n

RW:<\/strong> Thanks for \t\ttaking the time to interview me, Carl. All the best.<\/p>\n

March 2009<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just found a Robert Woods interview I hadn’t read before on a website called www.glasshousepresents.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[733,7],"tags":[638],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2182"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2182"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2183,"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2182\/revisions\/2183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thewildeye.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}