Quote of the Week, A Mention of Bruce Lee and Sharon, An Interview with "The Ghost Writers" Olivia Williams and More

Quote of the Week:

Nan Morris-Robinson, friend of Warren Beatty's, on Sharon: "Gene Shacove and I double dated in 1964 with Sharon and Jay, who were going together. Gene and Jay, were both hairdressers and best friends. Jay was a little guy, sassy and fiery, he could do karate. Sharon had been brought into our circle by Richard Beymer. She was Richard's discovery, he got her an agent and introduced her around. I thought Sharon was the sweetest, most angelic creature, one who radiated gentility."

A mention of Bruce Lee and Sharon:

http://dr-hermes.livejournal.com/438955.html

Here is an interview with "The Ghost Writer" star Olivia Williams that mentions Polanski as well:

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/85476527.html

Here is some rare Sharon memorabilia:

Coming up this week... More translated articles...

Photo Comparison of the Week, A Play Based on the Tragedy of Sharon and More On Polanski

This is from our wonderful contributer in Mexico, Jimena.  She sent me these lovely photos of Sharon and Roman along with another photo of Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand.  She said that not only are the photos similar but also that Marcheline (Angelina Jolie 's mother) and Sharon "were very similar, beautiful ladies, never said bad things about anyone, were really vulnerable and of course their pregnancy changed their lives."

Here Angelina talks about her mother and it sounds like she's talking about Sharon. I think that Sharon would have been an amazing and protective mother, just like Marcheline. Angelina's words about Marcheline, start around the 5:30 mark. :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K27kAM1Dq2w

On a side note to this story, Sharon and Roman's friend, Jacqueline Bisset is Angelina Jolie's godmother.

For more information on Bertrand go to this wonderful blog created in her memory:

http://marchelinebertrand.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for this, Jimena!

A critic here mentions a play that has a part about the tragedy of Sharon's fate intertwined with Greek Tragedy:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/feb/26/furies-land-of-the-dead-helter-skelter

Here is a wonderful collage art photo of Polanski:

It comes from this website that also includes a review of Polanski's latest film, "The Ghost Writer":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022505326.html

Here is Rolling Stone magazine's Peter Travers great review of "The Ghost Writer":

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/32254953/review/32254955/the_ghost_writer

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Photo of the Week, "Eye of the Devil" Novel, Sharon's Style, and Roman talks about the light and love he still holds for Sharon

Here is the photo of the week:

I think this photo goes well with what Pierce Brosnan says about how Roman still feels about Sharon:
 

I looked for more of Odile in Philip Loraine's book, "Eye of the Devil."  However, there are only about three brief scenes she is in.  She is just mentioned really.  I am guessing that Ransohoff pushed the writers to make her part broader and more interesting, as I noticed that Philip Loraine--under the name of Robin Estridge-- along with Dennis Murphy wrote the screenplay.

Do you think Sharon would wear this?  Here is a style blog:

http://www.polyvore.com/sharon_tate_21_5o/set?id=16159876

And Pierce Brosnan talked about Polanski again in an interview for "The Ghost Writer" and he mentioned Sharon:

"I lost a wife, and this man lost his wife in the most barbaric fashion. He spoke tenderly and openly about the light and the love that he still carries for Sharon."

Read more: http://www.centredaily.com/2010/02/25/1817158/ghost-writers-real-life-parallels.html#ixzz0gg7TPkFM

More of Sharon's character from "Eye of the Devil", Polanski's Macbeth and his new film's stars talk about the director

Here's more from the novel version of "Eye of the Devil" by Philip Loraine:

....they heard the unmistakable roar of the Mercedes.

Francoise turned her head sharply.  "She's stopping."

They both looked up at the road which at this point followed the curve of the lake, divided from it by only a narrow field.  The white car was driving slowly round the bend, and the face of the girl at the wheel was turned towards them, very dark glasses masking her eyes; the brilliant hair shone in the sunlight.

"She is stopping."

Lindsay was shocked to recognize fear in her voice; he turned to look at her; she was staring up at the car, biting her lip.

"Steady on," he said.  "She's not really a witch, you know."

"I don't like her."

"Evidently."

But the white car was slowing down; it bumped on to the grass verge and came to a standstill.  The girl got out, waved to them, and began to climb the fence into the field.

"Now, why," said Francoise.  "Why?"  She looked reflectively at her children, who were sailing the grounded punt across oceans of the imagination; then she looked at Lindsay.

"You," she said.  "Yes, it must be something to do with you."

"Does it have to be something to do with something?  I mean, people do talk to people without motives."

Francoise gave him one of her unfathomable looks, when the light, the life, in her eyes seemed to have withdrawn into a deep dark cave.  She said nothing, but turned and watched the girl coming towards them.

To Lindsay she looked almost exactly like any one of the rather untidy maidens who slop around St. Tropez all summer.  She wore the same trousers that he had seen before and a shirt hanging outside of them; her feet were bare; she was very brown; whatever else she might be was obscured by the dark glasses.

Francoise said, "Odile!  I haven't seen you for ages.  This is James Lindsay.  Mademoiselle de Caray."

The girl smiled at Lindsay and sat down in one movement like a cat; the fact that she settled a little away from them--that is to say, a little farther from them than was quite natural--and then in a tuft of long grass, increased her likeness to that animal.

She said, "It's so hot; it makes me lazy."

Lindsay felt (quite wrongly as it happened), that he was beginning to get the measure of the people who frequented Bellac; in any case she had tickled his sense of humour so that he could not help laughing.  The dark glasses were levelled at him.  "You find this funny: that the heat makes me lazy."

"No," he said.  "It's nice of you, mademoiselle; you are so like a cat."

She smiled.  "How nice of you, monsieur; my mother says that I am like a ferret.  Now, I ask you, is that a nice thing to call your daughter?"

"Horrible."

She shrugged; clearly what her mother thought was of no interest to her.

The children had now rejoined them--Tante Estelle was not the only person at Bellac unable to resist strangers--and stood looking at Mademoiselle de Caray.

Gilles said, "Show us a trick, Odile."

"It's too hot."

From the sudden stillness of Francoise beside him, Lindsay gathered that this was the first time she had heard of  "tricks"; a moment later she verified his suspicion by saying, "But how interesting! What trick did Odile show you, darling?"

The small boy rubbed one leg against the back of the other.  "Oh, just tricks.  You know."

Odile, sucking a piece of grass, said, "I turned a frog into a goldfish, didn't I, Gilles?"

Antoinette, jumping up and down, shouted, "You didn't, you didn't; the goldfish was there all the time under the water-lily."

"No, truly," said Gilles, "truly Maman, she did turn the frog into a fish.  I saw."

Antoinette chanted, "Silly, silly, silly."

Francoise, pulling her son towards her and hitching up his trousers which seemed to be in danger of falling off, said, "You've got too much imagination, that's your trouble."

"No one," the girl replied, "can have too much imagination." 

"Wait until you have children."

"Children! Me!" She really was genuinely surprised--almost, Lindsay could have sworn, affronted.  "Francoise, what do you take me for?"

Something in all of this had made Francoise angry; she said, "I take you for a child yourself--sometimes a rather naughty one."

Odile lay down with her cheek against the grass.  Reflectively she said, "Yes.  I dare say you're right there.  But, Holy Face, what would life be like with no imagination."  She rolled over and took off the dark glasses.  "Don't you think so, Monsieur Lindsay?"

This was the first time that Lindsay had seen her eyes and they took him by surprise, for they were amber, two gleaming discs of tawny amber; and "discs" was the right word, for the pupils were very little darker than the iris; there was absolutely no denying that the effect was rather uncanny.  He could well understand that the local peasants might call her a witch.

"Imagination," he said.  "I'm the wrong person to ask; I never quite know where imagination begins and reality ends."

At this the girl sat up and looked at him; focused all her rather remarkable personality on him; the amber eyes widened.  "Ah," she said, "but this is the point: how intelligent of you!  There is no such thing as either reality or imagination; they are the same thing.  Gilles saw me turn the frog into a goldfish; Antoinette knew that the goldfish was underneath the water-lily all the time; as it happens neither of them are right, but where is the reality and where the imagined thing?  Which is which?"

"This," Lindsay said, "makes scientists the stupidest people in the world." He was absolutely fascinated by her eyes.

The girl spread her hands.  "Who denies that they are?  Give a scientist enough time and he would arrive at what he would call the truth, which is that I had caught the goldfish, before the children appeared; then I saw the frog, and I thought, 'Here's a chance for some magic.'  What's childhood without a little magic?  And so I did my 'trick.'  But the reality was not the dry truth, it was what the children saw--and what they saw, they saw with their imaginations."

Lindsay could see, in his mind, the little cold body of the goldfish secreted in her brown hand; each golden scale was clear to him, and the magical sheen of the belly, as if it had been painted with a rainbow.  And the wonderful golden eye, ringed with a circle of black.  And in the golden eye of the golden fish cold be seen reflected the Chateau of Bellac and the lake and the round, surprised faces of the children--children watching a miracle in the golden eye of a goldfish...

Suddenly he felt violently sick; it began with a nausea, and suddenly gripped his stomach so that he had to fight in order not to vomit; he heard himself let out a groan.  The sea of quivering gold--it was like looking out to sea directly into the eye of the sunset--receded; lapped away into illimitable distance.

Francoise said, "James, are you all right?"

He opened and shut his eyes once or twice. "Yes.  Yes, perfectly."

He looked up.  Odile de Caray was plaiting three pieces of grass, very intent on what she was doing.

"I..." He shook his head again.  "I felt a bit sleepy, that's all."

The girl smiled.  "Ah," she said, "so I am not the only one the heat affects in that way.  Well--I'd better be going."

She stood up, again in one sinuous movement, and put on her dark glasses.  "Nice to see you again, Francoise--and you, monsieur."

She waved to the children, who had returned to the punt, and walked slowly away from them across the field.

Francoise said, "James, what on earth...?  I thought you were going to faint."

Lindsay, frowning at the slim retreating back, said, "What a little bitch!  She hypnotised me--just like that."

Francoise let out a gasp.

"Just like that," he said.  "I fell for it completely."

"Hypnotised you!"

"There's nothing extraordinary about it.  Masses of people can do it.  But not as quickly as that, not as effortlessly."

"But why?  Why did she?"

"I may be wrong, but I think it's a warning."  He told her then about the book of fairy tales that had taken the place of the Montfaucon history while he slept.

"Oh, no," she said.  "Oh, I don't like that at all, James."

"I do.  I like it very well."

"But I feel... It was my idea that you should come here; I feel responsible for you."

He ignored this.  Eyes narrowed against the glare, he watched the girl get into her glamorous car.

"I like it," he said, "because it proves that we're on the right track.  I must get back to my history, Francoise."

And that ends that chapter. 

Here is an interesting blog about why Roman chose to make "Macbeth" after Sharon's death:

http://mrconversesenglish3201blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/macbeth-filmmakers-wife-murdered-by.html

I have found an array of many interviews with the stars of "The Ghost Writer," Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor.  They discuss what it was like working with Polanski.  They are all quite interesting...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/18/earlyshow/leisure/boxoffice/main6219911.shtml

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/ewan-mcgregor-praises-ghost-writer-director-roman-polanski/story?id=9873344

http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/02/18/pierce-brosnan-interview-the-ghost-writer/

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Interview-Ewan-McGregor-17134.html

http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/polanski-picked-on-mcgregors-accent-1538837.story

http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=111147&fm=newsmain,nrhl

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/the-moviegoer-talking-with-ewan-mcgregor/

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1632272/story.jhtml

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1632272/story.jhtml

http://www.insidebayarea.com/entertainment/ci_14450918

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/-235931--.html

http://www.austin360.com/movies/mcgregor-sees-parallels-in-polanskis-life-and-his-285371.html

Sharon Tate in Eye of the Devil, Sharon in The Fearless Vampire Killers is included on the Sexiest Vampires in Movies List, Polanski's Ten Best Films and More

I recently found a copy of the movie tie in book for "Eye of the Devil", which was previously published as Day of the Arrow by Philip Loraine.  I was curious as to how Sharon's character Odile is described as compared to her performance in the movie.  I thought I'd copy Odile's first occurence in the novel and put some screen captures with it. 

"Who's the fair girl who drives the Mercedes?"

Francoise looked slightly surprised.  "Cousin Odile.  You've met her?"

"I've seen her.  Whose cousin?"

"Philippe's.  What was she doing?"

"Now that," Lindsay said, "is a damned odd question."

Francoise nodded, her eyes very serious.  "Yes, isn't it?  For a damned odd girl."

"Does she spend a lot of time here?"

"More than one suspects, I sometimes think.  They don't live far away.  They're a very weird family, James--one of the oldest in France, one of the most inbred: no one else being quite good enough for them."

He was interested to observe that their passage-at-arms, whatever she might think of it privately, had brought about a change in her; the passivity that had so maddened him had vanished; her eyes were alive with intelligence and, he suspected, malice.  He felt a little surge of excitement.

"Well," he said, "it may interest you to hear that I haven't told you the full story of that bird Christian massacred."

"Don't tell me Odile was in on it too."

"Oh, yes."  He described how he had seen the girl take it out of her car--how he had seen her carry it into the tower.

Francoise merely nodded, pursing her lips.

"And while we're on the subject," Lindsay said, "what about the tower?  I take it to be Philippe's stronghold."

"Yes, it is; but there's nothing surprising in that; his grandfather had it converted: it's really a sort of self-contained residence inside a residence; the old man was mad about astronomy--he had his telescope there."

Lindsay snorted.  "You may not find it surprising, but I do; and I find the idea of that girl retiring behind locked doors, carrying a dead bird as if it were some kind of eucharist, a lot more than surprising: I find it bloody sinister."

Francoise stood very still for a moment, deep in thought.  Then she said, "If you asked anyone in this valley about the girl they would tell you at once that she was a witch."

"Ah!"

"Yes, very much 'Ah!' I assure you."

"Then what's Philippe up to with her?"

"I don't know, but I'll guess.  Philippe thinks he is going to die--don't ask me how or why or when or anything else about it.  It doesn't even matter whether it's true at the moment.  The fact is that he thinks it; he wouldn't be the first frightened man to . . . to fall back on old superstitions, would he?"

"You think she's his oracle."

"The oracle merely foretold; I wouldn't put it past Mademoiselle Odile to have a try at altering the general course of things."

That is where the conversation of Odile ends for at least 22 pages more.  I'll put more on tomorrow...

Sharon as one of the all time sexiest vampires? Yes, indeed! :

http://www.celebritywatchnow.com/2010/02/24/the-9-sexiest-screen-vampires/

Here is a great review of the film:

http://www.altfg.com/blog/film-reviews/the-fearless-vampire-killers-roman-polanski/

And here are Polanski's ten best films according to Kim Morgan:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-morgan/ten-of-polanskis-bestkitt_b_471948.html

More on Polanski... The film that almost wasn't:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/19/ghost.writer.polanski/?hpt=C2

Painfully Shy Sharon and Daphne DuMaurier 's Rebecca, One of Sharon's co-stars Lionel Jeffries passes, and More on Polanski

I've been reading some classic mystery novels lately on break at work and now I am reading Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca.  In it the heroine, the second Mrs. DeWinter, talks about how akward and shy she was--and, in fact--all young women are.  It reminded me of Sharon when she talked about how painfully shy she was in her late teens and early twenties.  I recall she began reading books on Buddhism to try to help settle and deal with her nerves.  Here is the passage in the book that I am referring to:

They are not brave, the days when we are twenty-one.  They are full of little cowardices, little fears without foundation, and one is so easily bruised, so swiftly wounded, one falls to the first barbed word.  Today, wrapped in the complacent armour of approaching middle age, the infinitesimal pricks of day by day brush one but lightly and are soon forgotten, but then--how a careless word would linger, becoming a fiery stigma, and how a look, a glace over the shoulder, branded themselves as things eternal.  A denial heralded the thrice crowing of a cock, and an insincerity was like the kiss of Judas.  The adult mind can lie with untroubled conscience and a gay composure, but in those days even a small deception scoured the tongue, lashing one against the stake itself.

I wonder if Sharon felt that way.  For instance, when two acting coaches talked about Sharon, this is what they said:

Jeff Corey, one acting coach, said, "An incredibly beautiful girl, but a fragmented personality. I tried to get reactions out of her, though. Once I even gave her a stick, and said, 'Hit me, do something, show emotion' ...If you can't tap who you are, you can never act."

Charles Conrad, another acting teacher, said, "Such a beautiful girl, you would have thought she would have all the confidence in the world. But she had none."

I just think that Sharon had a somewhat hard time of it because she was so very shy.  However, DuMaurier's passage makes perfect sense if that is how Sharon truly felt.

One of Sharon's co-stars from the film '12 + 1' has passed away, Lionel Jeffries:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/arts/20jeffries.html

Apparently some are already complaining about Polanski winning the Berlin Best Director Award saying it sends the wrong message when we give awards to people like him.  Here is an article on it:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Award-sends-the-wrong-message/articleshow/5604179.cms

And here is an article that defends him winning the award:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Separate-the-movies-from-the-man/articleshow/5604191.cms

Meanwhile, Bernard Henri-Levy congratulates Polanski on the award:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernardhenri-levy/salut-roman-polanski_b_470553.html

A Nude Angel Doll of Sharon? Sharon Tate and Jack Palance? Rare Photos from Polanski's Tess, Rare Memorabilia and More

I found someone who makes those look-a-like dolls and they made one of Sharon that is nicely done--no pun intended.  It looks more like a work of art.  I found these photos on the net but when I tried to go to the actual link it had been deleted.(?)  But thought you might want to see it. 

Sharon moved in with Jack Palance?  According to a director of one of her early films.  Here is where the comment comes from and what exactly was said:

From: JUST TELL ME WHEN TO CRY by Richard Fleischer

(The director is talking about the film "Barabbas" in his autobiography:) Trying to use the huge crowd to its best advantage, I decided to jump out of continuity and shoot the end of the gladiatorial battle between Quinn and our chief villain, Jack Palace, where Tony is victorious and the crowd calls for Palance's death. Nine thousand people screaming, with their thumbs down! What a shot! The result was unexpected. When the crowd saw Tony, in response to their thumbs-down gesture, kill Palance, they cheered, got up, and started to leave the arena. All nine thousand of them. They thought the show was over! It took an hour to get them stopped and headed back to their seats.

On the second day of shooting we were working closer to the crowd and I could scrutinize it. I was looking for good character faces I could feature in various reaction shots. There were some excellent types, but one face truly stood out, that of an eighteen-year-old girl of stunning beauty. She was gorgeous. A knockout. I pointed her out to my assistant and told him I wanted her in every close shot I could possibly use her in. And I asked him to find out who she was and where she came from. It turned out she was the daughter of an officer at the U.S. military base in Vincenza.

It wasn't too long before Jack Palance also spotted her. And it wasn't too much longer that she moved in with him. Her name was Sharon Tate.

*I think that Fleischer is telling what he thinks to be the truth, the only thing is: I don't think the Tates would have let Sharon move in with Palance at such a young age. They were still very protective of her at this time.  And while, I know Palance went out with her and even got her a screen test at the time, I have never heard from anyone else that they actually moved in together.  Any thoughts?

Here are some more rare photos from 'Tess', Polanski's film dedicated to Sharon:

Rare memorabilia of Sharon on the back cover of the novel version of "The Wrecking Crew":

Would you like to share your thoughts about Polanski's masterpiece, 'Chinatown?' :

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/critics-picks-video-chinatown/

How well is Polanski's latest film doing?  Apparantly quite good.  Most critics love it, Polanski won Best Director at the recent Berlin Film Festival for it and it is doing well at the box office:  This weekend, the political thriller had the highest per screen average by far at the US box office: $45,752 at four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, for a total of $183,009 according to Box Office Mojo.

Here is an article where Roman talks about winning the Berlin Award:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/22/roman.polanski.best.director.ppl/