Marty Rubin - San Francisco Internal Film Festival History Site - San ...

MARTY RUBIN: Yeah, she was very much the grande dame. I remember we had to—this is
where George Gund came in—she insisted as part of the conditions, because she didn’t want to
spend any more time than was necessary, that a private jet would pick her up exactly at the right
time, take her to the Festival exactly at the right time, and then bring her back. George Gund did
have a private jet, so that was what clinched the deal with Lauren Bacall—that we were able to
provide that service without having to spend a fortune.
MARGARITA LANDAZURI: Well, she gets up on the stage and she gives her performance and
everything is fine, but you’re right, you know. Then she’s the grande dame offstage.
MARTY RUBIN: I don’t really remember anything particular about her personal appearance or
interview or anything like that.
MARGARITA LANDAZURI: What about the clips? What about her as an actress?
MARTY RUBIN: As an actress, she has a strange career because there’s this big blaze at the
beginning, and then it becomes more uneven. I mean, I really like Written on the Wind, but she
has kind of a dull part in it. As I recall, the best clip from her late films was from Designing
Women by Vincente Minnelli, and that really carried the last part of the tribute. You start out
with To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep and it’s like, Wow! But then it slows down and
she doesn’t get as interesting roles. That was the challenge there, to find material beyond her
very early films.
MARGARITA LANDAZURI: The Shootist.
MARTY RUBIN: The Shootist, that was a good scene. You’re right. Very good. I’m trying to
remember what the other ones were that I went for. How to Marry a Millionaire. That was fun.
There must have been a good scene from that. Woman’s World, I showed a clip from that.
That’s a fun film, too.
MARGARITA LANDAZURI: Yeah it is. There were fewer tributes this year. Do you know why
that was?
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