Our first honoree in 2004 was Daniel Selznick, son of "Gone With the Wind" producer David Selznick. He also was a grandson of Louis B. Mayer. Selznick was not honored just because of his family. He produced several award- winning television shows in the 1970s including the Emmy award-winning documentary, "Gone With the Wind — The Making of a Legend." While heading up Universal Pictures’ low budget film division in 1970-71, he gave several young filmmakers their start, including George Lucas, when he green-lighted "American Graffiti." Selznick plans to be on hand to present this year’s Thomas Ince Award.
Next Up
The 2007 Thomas Ince Award Winner is legendary writer/producer Budd Schulberg. In the 1930s, Schulberg’s father, B.P. Schulberg, was Vice President In Charge of Production at Paramount Pictures. As a movie industry insider, Schulberg wrote the damning expose of Hollywood, "What Makes Sammy Run?" in 1941. He created the greatest Hollywood anti-hero of all time, Sammy Glick, and he was persona non grata in Hollywood for years. "What Makes Sammy Run?" was twice produced for television in New York-based productions, in 1949 and 1959. It also was produced on Broadway as a musical with Steve Lawrence as Sammy. The Broadway "Sammy" ran for 540 performances. Several attempts have been made to turn the book into a film. Most recently, actor/producer Ben Stiller commissioned a new screenplay through his Red Hour Films. Stiller calls this version more faithful to the original book than earlier attempts.
The Squared Circle
Budd Schulberg went on to write and produce several classic films. Schulberg wrote the screenplay for 1954’s "On The Waterfront," starring Marlon Brando in one of his career defining roles. The film also starred Karl Maldon and Eva Marie Saint. She received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Boxing has always been a favorite topic for Schulberg. His hard-hitting novel that exposed the corruption in professional boxing, "The Harder They Fall," became the basis for Humphrey Bogart’s last film, "The Harder They Fall," in 1956. He has also written the book "Loser and Still Champion — Mohammed Ali." In 1986, he wrote and produced the documentary, "Joe Louis — for All Times." In 2003,at the age of 89, Schulberg was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.
A Human Coming Attraction
Mr. Schulberg will be on hand during the this winter’s Festival to sign copies of his latest book, "Ringside." The second Backlot Film Festival will be held at the 450 -eat Fine Arts Theatre, 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, from Tuesday, Jan. 30 through Saturday, Feb. 3. The Thomas Ince Awards Ceremony will be held at Veterans’ Memorial Building, Culver City, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m. Two of Budd Schulberg’s personal favorites, "A Face In The Crowd," which starred Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal, and "Wind Across the Everglades," with Christopher Plummer, will screen during the festival.
Looking for a Winner
The past leads to the future. Like many festivals, the Backlot Film Festival hopes to attract fresh new filmmakers, perhaps the next Coppola, Spielberg or Lucas will show up with cans of cinematic gold under their arms. While the BFF isn’t offering huge sums of cash to the winners, it is offering something that may be even more valuable, a one- week run of the winner’s films in New York and Los Angeles. This will give the person a real shot at having the public and critics discover his or her talents. The final purpose of the Backlot Film Festival is to call attention to the fact that many of the most celebrated films in American film history were made, here on the Westside. In Culver City King Kong ran amok, Rhett and Scarlett escaped from the Yankee invasion of Atlanta, Gene Kelly sang and danced in the rain, and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers sang and danced their way through eight unforgettable musicals. On the Santa Monica Pier, Jimmy Stewart romanced June Allyson in "The Glenn Miller Story," and Robert Redford and Paul Newman plotted "The Sting" on the Santa Monica Pier. Henry Fonda thumbed a ride from a suspicious Truck driver in "The Grapes of Wrath" on Sawtelle and National Boulevards in West Los Angeles. Orson Wells turned Venice and Ocean Park into a seedy Texas bordertown in "Touch of Evil." For this part of the Festival, "The Loved One," Tony Richardson’s hilarious take on the American Way of Death, which was filmed in Culver City by MGM, and "Cisco Pike,” starring Kris Kristofferson and Gene Hackman, which was filmed in Venice, will be screened.
BFF Benefits Charities
Therapeutic Living Center for the Blind. For more than 20 years, TLC has been one of the very few agencies in the country providing residential and day programs for people with multiple disabilities and blindness. Twenty-five percent of all cash sponsorships for the Festival will benefit TLC.
Oklahaven Childrens’ Chiropactic Center. Since 1962, OCCC has been a resource for families with chronically ill children. through its vision of drug-free health care. A special screening of "What Babies Want," a documentary narrated by E.R. star Noah Wylie will be sponsored by the Ptak Spinal Rehabilitation Center in West Los Angeles and will benefit the OCCC.
Postscript
For sponsorship opportunities, or to submit a film for the Festival, contact Ross Hawkins at 310.204.6920 or at rjhculvercity@aol.com. Submission forms for film entries may be downloaded at www.backlotfilmfestival.com
