The Story of How Paul Schrader Convinced Barry Diller to Cast Richard Gere in ‘American Gigolo’ | Entertainment

Paul Schrader, on the age of 78, is getting a bit philosophical, a trifle introspective and, if the reality be informed, extraordinarily pessimistic in regards to the future.

The legendary former movie critic turned screenwriter-director — his lengthy listing of credit contains, as screenwriter, Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980) and, as writer-director, American Gigolo (1980), First Reformed (2017) and this yr’s Oh, Canada — will arrive in Tuscany this week, as a particular visitor of the Lucca Film Festival. On Sept. 25, he'll educate a grasp class to college college students, and the day after, on Sept. 26, he'll obtain a lifetime achievement award. There may even be a retrospective of his biggest movies.

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THR Roma caught up with Schrader in New York, simply earlier than he hopped his flight for Italy. Before dishing the dust, and speaking in regards to the trials and tribulations of John Travolta, Schrader went all metaphysical.

Paul, you might be coming to Lucca. In a lifetime of monumental achievement, what would you want to be remembered for many?

I might reply that query, however my reply could be predicated on a perception in the longer term, which in reality I don’t have. So it's fairly onerous to discuss one’s legacy in the event you don’t imagine there will probably be any legacy. I feel we now have run out of fumes right here. Humanity is phasing itself out. Carbon-based life has had a very good run, but when there are humanoids 100 years from now who will hear or learn these phrases, then I feel that what I'm most proud of is having created every thing on spec. I began writing on spec with Taxi Driver, and I'm nonetheless writing as we speak on spec. I've written 4 movies in the final two years on spec. And that offers others a way that they'll do it. Just do it!

Tell me about writing Taxi Driver “on spec,” as you set it.

I wrote a very good deal earlier than I met Martin. I wrote Taxi Driver in 1972. I met Marty in 1974. I used to be a movie critic on the time in L.A. and I had written a script, a sort of existential cry. I didn’t do something with it. One day I used to be interviewing Brian De Palma, and I stated to Brian: “You know, I wrote a script.” And Brian stated: “Oh, God, no, no, no, please!” And then afterwards, once we have been enjoying chess, he stated “OK, I’ll read your script.” And he gave it to Marty. Brian informed Marty the movie may be for him.

Apart from Taxi Driver, your different most iconic movies are Raging Bull and American Gigolo. Giorgio Armani as soon as informed me a narrative about the way you introduced John Travolta to Milano to be fitted by Armani for the position that finally Richard Gere would take over. Do you do not forget that?

I've {a photograph} of it. I actually have {a photograph} of Giorgio taking John’s measurements. And Sergio [Galeotti], who was Armani’s accomplice each in enterprise and in life for a lot of, a few years, was watching. John and I had come down from London, the place he had opened Grease. And then he dropped out.

But earlier than Travolta dropped out, he had already been fitted by Mr. Armani himself, proper?

Yes, sure, sure. The garments have been all in the works. They weren’t made to order or they weren’t bespoke, however they have been all from his upcoming line, and it was clearly one thing that he had in thoughts as a result of he was preparing to make his transfer into North America.

What occurred with John Travolta? He had a household disaster?

Three issues occurred. First, his mom died, which hit him onerous. Two, he had his first mega-flop, a movie known as Moment to Moment, and that rocked him. And the third was I feel he had rising anxiousness in regards to the homosexual subtext [of the film]. In reality, the way in which the story goes, our good friend Kit Carson, who was alive then, was dwelling with Karen Black. Karen Black was going to Scientology [meetings]. She comes again and says, “Kit, I think John is gonna drop out of Schrader’s movie. He’s been talking about it in meetings.” And so I began sniffing round to see who was out there.

John Travolta was delicate in regards to the homosexual subtext as a result of he was in Scientology they usually didn’t approve of homosexual topics?

I don’t know if he’s out now, however he was firmly not out again then. I don’t know if was true or not, but when it have been, it was definitely not one thing that will be mentioned. No one, you already know, actually got here out till Rupert Everett. He was the primary. And he misplaced a bunch of work as a result of of it.

Anyway, John Travolta dropped out. What did you do?

I appreciated the concept of Gere. I didn’t suppose I might get Paramount to go for it.  Sure sufficient, John dropped out, on a Friday afternoon. I informed Barry Diller [the boss at Paramount at the time] that I wished to strategy Gere. And he stated “No, we’re going to go to Chris Reeve.” So the subsequent day, on Saturday, I known as up Chris Reeve’s agent and I stated: “I hear you have been offered the script, but I don’t think Chris is right for it.” So I poisoned the properly. No approach Chris was going to learn it! (Laughs mischievously.) And then, on Sunday I went to see Gere. He was staying on the seaside. So I'm going out to Malibu and Gere is busy watching the Super Bowl. I supply him the half. And he's hesitating and says he can’t be rushed into such an enormous choice on such quick discover. So I informed him: “The game is going to be over in half an hour, but if I walk out of here the film will probably fall through, and you’re not going to have the chance to make a decision again.” And he stated OK, he would do it.

And Diller?

I went over to Barry Diller’s home and left a be aware in his mailbox. An hour later he known as me. I informed him that Richard Gere was prepared to do American Gigolo, and I informed him that Chris Reeve didn’t suppose it was proper for him. I stated: “So tomorrow morning the news will hit the trades that John has dropped out. We can’t suppress that news any longer. It is too big. Now after that headline, they will ask for your reaction, Barry. Now I can keep John Travolta tied up for three months, legally, because he walked out 10 days before shooting. Legally, I can keep him from working for three months. Or, there could be another announcement, Barry, because I know you want John for Urban Cowboy. And I know John wants to do it. So the other announcement you could make is that John has dropped out of American Gigolo, and we are going forward with Richard Gere.” And Barry known as me again an hour later and we made the announcement.

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