I Want to be a Producer...

Last night in Sutherland Auditorium, there was a showing of Amazing Grace, which I've seen before, have on DVD at home, and is an awesome movie. My history professor said that we would get extra credit for attending. So I decided to go.

First of all, I felt like the movie was better than ever. Maybe it was just the experience of watching it in Sutherland with free popcorn and a few good friends. Maybe it was that I paid attention more. Either way, it was better than I expected (even though I've seen it before).

Secondly, Ken Wales, the producer, was there. He did a Q&A after the film. He told us that he would stay until the last student left. Even if that meant he was there answering questions and talking until dawn. (Sadly, I still had homework for my teaching class, so I couldn't stay the whole time, however long that ended up being)

May I just say, that Ken Wales is like the coolest person ever.

He moved to California with his parents so his dad could be a pastor for a church in Santa Monica. Ken Wales was in high school at the time and would play with his ham radio and go surfing in Malibu. One day, he was surfing with this girl named Kathy, and they were just taking turns on the board and hanging out and having fun. Her dad came up and asked how they were doing, and she said "we've been having a lot of fun! we've been surfing all day..." And her dad said, "Kathy. You're tiny, you're short. You're like 4'11''. And you're a girl...you're a Gidget!" So he knew the real Gidget, and was there the moment her dad came up with the idea.

Then, while still in high school, he Ken Wales was one of four other boys picked to be in a movie --- Rebel Without a Cause. Do you remember the scene when James Dean first arrives at the school, and he makes the mistake of standing on the school seal? And this really tough kid picks on him and shoves him around? Well, that was Ken Wales. The crew used to have him come along to watch them make the scenes at Griffith Observatory with Natalie Wood, too.

And, again, still in High School, some guy called looking for a teenager. They wanted to see what an average teen thought and did. That guy was Walt Disney. And guess who got to be that average teen? For a week it was Ken Wales' job to get up at 5, leave at 6 to drive with his dad all the way into Burbank, so he could be there at 7 to eat Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner with Walt Disney. People would come in and ask him what he thought of different colors and looks, etc., and he had the opportunity to ask Walt Disney questions about the movie industry. One day, Walt Disney decided they should do something different. So they went to Disneyland together. Before it was finished. At the end of the day, Walt said to him, "I understand that you're interested in being in the movie business." And Ken replied that he would, not just acting, but he wanted to tell stories. "Well," Walt Disney started, "I think you have the potential to do really well.", and pulled out his checkbook (his Personal checkbook, not the company one), wrote a check, handed it to Ken Wales and said, "There is $5,000. That's $1,000 every year for the next five years, which is the tuition to USC. I want you to use this wisely and enroll in USC's Film School."
Walt Disney paid Ken Wales' college tuition.


While in school, Mr. Wales received a special award from Glenn Ford, who then became his mentor. He did a play for school, and Glen Ford watched him, and then got him a screen test. Mr. Wales signed to MGM, was paid about $175 a week (I don't remember the exact amount), and was able to continue at USC, since he was doing mostly small bit parts. However, he did end up taking a couple semesters off for some larger roles he did.

One film that he got a role in was Some Came Running, with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Shirley MacLaine (her first role, actually). The part he was supposed to do was that of an underage kid, trying to convince the bartender to give him booze, since he has a hot date that night and wants to get her drunk. Ken Wales told director, Vincente Minnelli, that he couldn't do the role. Minnelli told him that, yes, he could do the role, he was under contract. When Wales told him that, as a Christian, he couldn't do the part, Minnelli told him that if he didn't do the part, he would be suspended for 6 months, without pay, and wouldn't get a decent job again. Wales turned the part down.

At the same time, Mr. Wales had been teaching in youth groups. One night, the kids decided to go out for pizza and a bunch of them went to the movies to see Some Came Running. How would a spiritual role model been able to explain doing the part?

Later on, he received a role as an FBI agent in Experiment in Terror. One of the last days of shooting was going horribly wrong. Cameras were falling over, film spilling out, etc. The radios to the helicopters had broken, so director Blake Edwards couldn't communicate to the helicopters to get the shot he needed. Ken came over and asked if he could take a look. With his earlier experience from a ham radio, he knew what part was needed and ran to the payphone, unscrewed it, and taped the pieces and radio together and got it working again. About a week later, Blake Edwards called Ken Wales into his office, and said, "I just wanted to thank you for what you did last week." Slightly confused, Ken Wales replied, "It was my pleasure to help out. It was no trouble at all. It was only right." "No, I don't think you understand", started Mr. Edwards, "Everything was going wrong, and everyone was standing around, and you offered to help. I want to make you my assistant director."

One day, working with Blake Edwards on editing What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?, Mr. Wales decided he wanted to see what was being filmed nearby with the water tank. "No, no, no", said Edwards, "I don't want to go over there." "Aw, come on, there's a sailing ship! Let's just go take a look". Finally, Edwards relented, and Wales opened the door for him; and a ton of water came rushing in, drenching Blake Edwards, but leaving Ken Wales dry. As Edwards was sputtering at expressing his anger at Mr. Wales, Wales noticed the actress on the ship. She was tied on so she wouldn't fall off with all the rocking of the ship, and was wearing a drenched white dress. Blake Edwards looked up, and met Julie Andrews. They fell in love, and were married by Ken Wale's father with Ken was their best man.

So, basically, Ken Wales is one of the coolest people ever.

And, lately, I've been thinking that I would love to do something with film. Anyone who knows me, probably knows that I love movies. And that I am enraged at the state of the film industry today. I don't think I would ever be able to be a screenwriter, and I don't think I could ever make it as an actress. Besides, from the small amount of experience I have had, I am really interested in producing. Not producing as in I'm paying for this to be made, but the producer who is involved in many aspects of the film. Working with the director and costuming and props and casting...I really like being a part of everything. And I really like making sure that all the little details turn out well. I have no idea how that could ever possibly tie into being an Elementary Teacher, and maybe it can't, but I really am passionate about film and stories and the legacy of truly great films.