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A Tribute to Sidney Lumet, 1924-2011<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>How do you write a tribute to an icon of a bygone era in moviemaking?<\/p>\n You could go to Wikipedia to see that he directed, produced or wrote over 50 features, and was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director of 12 Angry Men<\/em> (1957), Dog Day Afternoon<\/em> (1975), Network <\/em>(1976) and The Verdict<\/em> (1982). You could find out that over the course of his remarkable career, he directed 17 different actors to Oscar\u00ae-nominated or -winning performances.<\/p>\n But then anyone who\u2019s a fan of Sidney Lumet (is anyone not?) probably already knows that. It\u2019s been well documented that Lumet, perhaps the personification of \u201cNew York\u201d filmmaking, started his career in acting \u2013 he was one of the original \u201cDead-End Kids\u201d on Broadway \u2013 and then later directed theater and television. What\u2019s harder to capture, now that he\u2019s gone, is how Lumet really felt about the world he inhabited for more than six decades, or of the people who worked with him.<\/p>\n In his book Making Movies<\/em>, the writer\/director\/producer said he wasn\u2019t going to give people insight into Sidney Lumet, the person, or gossip about the people he worked with. Nevertheless, his writings about his craft and his role as a director, spoke volumes.<\/p>\n Here are just a few\u2026<\/p>\n There are no minor decisions in moviemaking. Each decision will either contribute to a good piece of work, or bring the whole movie crashing down around my head many months later. What Lumet said about the camera, which he called a \u201cdirector\u2019s best friend\u201d is also telling.<\/p>\n First of all, the camera can\u2019t talk back. It can\u2019t ask stupid questions. It can\u2019t ask penetrating questions that make you realize you\u2019ve been wrong all along. Hey, it\u2019s a<\/em> camera! It can make up for a deficient performance. So, how do you say goodbye to one of the industry\u2019s most prodigious and influential talents, a director that respected and understood the role of the camera department as well as any who has ever stepped on a set? By talking to some of the people who had worked with him, of course.<\/p>\n After finishing a low-budget James Ivory-directed movie called The 5:48<\/em>, cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak went for a sail in the Caribbean with his family. After a few weeks at sea, he pulled in to port to check his messages and found a bundle from Burt Harris, Sidney Lumet\u2019s long-time producer and collaborator, that read, \u201cWhere are you? Sidney wants to meet you for a film!!!\u201d [Exclamation points not added.]<\/p>\n \u201cI am very nervous and very excited sitting with Sidney Lumet, who already was a legend,\u201d Bartkowiak recalls. \u201cHe told me he saw The 5:48<\/em> and loved it. Then he said he\u2019d let me know. As I was getting up to say my goodbye and leave, Sidney called Burt Harris in and said, \u2018Bertie,\u2019 he looked at me, \u2018let\u2019s not f–k around; you got a job, kid.\u2019 I nearly died.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the course of their 11 movies together, Bartkowiak remembers that Lumet thought carefully, made up his mind quickly, and stuck to his decisions.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce he committed to his shots and locations, he never changed his mind,\u201d Bartkowiak says. \u201cWe had three weeks rehearsals with the actors. On occasion, his stars would have a different idea [than his plan]. Sidney would go into a conversation of why their idea was not as good as his, and 99 percent of the time he got his way. It always started with Sidney getting into his station wagon at his home with Burt and me, to drive to location and talk about the day. [When we got there] you would see Sidney pacing, looking at his watch, waiting for the magical call time so he could start directing. He was like an impatient little boy waiting for his candy.\u201d<\/p>\n Bartkowiak notes that Lumet, whose parents, Baruch Lumet and Eugenia Wermus, were both actors in the Yiddish Theatre, was not particularly observant to his religion when it came to filming.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we needed thousands of extras, and had to shoot in mid-Manhattan, he always scheduled during the High Jewish holidays to shoot, knowing full well that the Garment District or the Jewelry District would be empty and traffic-less during those times,\u201d Bartkowiak laughs.<\/p>\n \u201cI will always remember an image of Sidney in his sneakers, blue jeans and blue sweater, which he wore every day on every movie, quietly pacing on the side, and lifting the left wrist of his sweater to look at his watch to look at his wrist. He loved the technology for getting images, but was very afraid of losing time, due to technical problems.\u201d<\/p>\n Cinematographer Ron Fortunato says Lumet was his hero in film school.<\/p>\n \u201cWe worshiped him. Over 20 years ago, I sent him my commercial reel. It was ridiculous that he would have considered me,\u201d Fortunato recalls. \u201cThen, in 2000, I was doing a panel for the French\/American Film Festival in New York with Steven Poster,\u201d he recalls. \u201cOne of the questions was, \u2018What director would you most want to work with and why?\u2019 I said my dream was to work with Sidney Lumet. After the panel we were walking across 57th<\/sup> street to a restaurant and my cell phone rang. \u2018This is Lily from Sidney Lumet\u2019s office.\u2019 I think I said something like, \u2018Oh, come on. Very funny.\u2019 I thought it was a joke. [I said,] \u2018Call me back tomorrow, I am a little busy.\u2019 She called the next day. It was really him.\u201d<\/p>\n Fortunato says that first interview epitomized Lumet\u2019s character.<\/p>\n \u201cThese days, directors see more than one person. They usually have a stack of reels on the desk. Sidney had nothing but time,\u201d Fortunato says. \u00a0\u201cHe asked a few semi-personal questions. By the end of the interview he said, \u2018Let\u2019s make it work\u2019. And we started the ground breaking 100 Centre Street<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Both cinematographers say that although Lumet was timid when it came to new technology, he eventually embraced camera progressions like the Steadicam, Luma or Technocrane.<\/p>\n \u201cStruggle was the word for it,\u201d Fortunato recalls. \u201cIn Before the Devil Knows Your Dead<\/em> there is a scene where Albert Finney was at the end of a very long table. Sidney wanted a very slow push-in and close-up on the face, as Albert decides to pull the plug. He suggested we put an operator on a blanket and pull him across the table.<\/p>\n \u201cI looked at my grip and made a \u2018T\u2019 sign,\u201d he laughs. \u201cSidney was pissed off. \u2018What the f–k is this?\u2019 I crossed my fingers and said \u2018Sidney, you\u2019re going to love it.\u2019 If it didn\u2019t work, I would never hear the end of it. When we had to do Ethan Hawke\u2019s shot, we swung the camera across the table and that was it. We rolled. He was sold. If it made it more expedient, Sidney loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n Operator Tom Priestley Jr. echoes Fortunato\u2019s recollections.<\/p>\n \u201cOne day I suggested we do something as a dolly shot,\u201d Priestly begins. \u201cSidney shook his head. \u2018No. One dolly shot. Scene 35.\u2019 He had a plan and that was it.\u201d<\/p>\n Priestly says the most amazing example of Lumet\u2019s work process was on Network<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe went to Canada to shoot the TV studio sequences, because in 1976, that was the only place where we could shoot at 25fps,\u201d he recounts. \u201cI remember watching him literally cut a three to five minute sequence like a live director. By the time he was finished, he was drenched in sweat. He had literally attacked the shot. It was amazing to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n For operator Peter Nolan, working with Sidney Lumet on 100 Centre Street<\/em> and then Strip Search<\/em> was a \u201cbaptism by fire for which I will always be grateful,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ll never forget when Sidney would line up his shots, he would slowly put his hand somewhere in space and say, \u2018Peter, let me see it over here on a fifty.\u2019 What he meant was, roll the camera over and put a 50mm lens exactly where his hand was and it always lined up. His precision was uncanny. He was always prepared, which actually led to a surprisingly collaborative work environment.<\/p>\n \u201cOne day we had an 8 a.m. call for a big exterior scene in the Bronx,\u201d Nolan continues. \u201cWe shot over five pages and I was back at my apartment in two hours. More than once, Sidney could turn to the AD and ask with a hint of glee, \u2018Is there time to cancel the caterer?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Operator Bruce MacCallum, who worked with Lumet on Find Me Guilty<\/em> and Before the Devil Knows You\u2019re Dead<\/em>, recalls a filmmaker who was supremely organized.<\/p>\n \u201cHe knew every crewmember\u2019s job,\u201d MacCallum states. \u201cOnce we rolled, Sidney was always to my left or right watching the actors. I rarely remember him being seated. If anyone had an issue with a shot, be it framing, focus, a bad light cue, a sound glitch or even an actor wanting another take, if he was happy with the performance and camera move we had to show him on playback or convince him otherwise why we needed another take. He set a very high bar.\u201d<\/p>\n But, as Local 600 Eastern Director Chaim Kantor, who worked on 100 Centre Street<\/em> remembers, Lumet wasn\u2019t above using chicanery to get his way.<\/p>\n \u201cSidney worked quickly with very few takes and many scenes covered with only the master to keep the actors (and crew) \u2018hot,\u2019\u201d Kantor says. \u201cThere were times, however, the producer side of Sidney took precedence over his role as writer\/director. On one occasion, I recall that an actor was not satisfied with a take at a point when Sidney was ready to move on. I don\u2019t recall whether the issue was a flubbed line or a piece of physical business, but after a bit of back and forth, Sidney assured the actor that he had that portion of the scene covered from \u2018the other side\u2019 (another angle). The actor was satisfied, and we moved onto the next scene. Of course, the crew knew that there was no \u2018other side\u2019. The scene had been done in one shot with no coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a crew member, you always knew precisely what you would be shooting and when you\u2019d be doing it,\u201d recalls D.I.T. Abby Levine, who worked with Lumet on 100 Centre Street, Find Me Guilty, Strip Search <\/em>and Before the Devil Knows You\u2019re Dead<\/em>. \u201cOnce in a while I had the opportunity to eavesdrop over the headphones or intercom, and heard Sidney instructing actors. In one scene, which appeared simple to me, Sidney described a character getting angrier and angrier with his mother, yet quieter and quieter out of respect, but then consequently needing to move closer to be heard. The precision, consciousness and clarity of his explanation became immediately obvious to the actor, and got the performance Sidney needed. It was a model of efficiency; and no one was ever fishing around to figure out what they should be doing.<\/p>\n \u201cI lived in Sidney\u2019s neighborhood, and would occasionally see him on my run to the park,\u201d Levine adds. \u201cOn one of those days my wife came to the set. Upon meeting her for the first time, Sidney said: \u2018Hey, I just saw your husband in his underwear this morning!\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone who worked with Lumet recognized his complexities. Although he preferred to rely on proven technology, the director embraced the digital world while it was still in its infancy, probably because he could go back to his roots and do things like \u201clive switching\u201d on 100 Centre Street<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was eager to embrace the newest technology and meld it with his love for speed and efficiency,\u201d says assistant Heather Norton, who worked with him as a day player on Night Falls on Manhattan<\/em>, then Strip Search, Before the Devil Knows You\u2019re Dead <\/em>and 100 Centre Street.<\/em> \u201cEverything I did with Sidney was like we were learning together.<\/p>\n \u201cHe treated all of us as if we were as knowledgeable as he was, as equal participants in a creative project. I remember he used to ask for lenses, no matter what conversion or format we were shooting in, that didn\u2019t exist, and I learned quickly that he was always right. The aspect ratio and shot that he had created in his mind was exactly what he was asking for and it was up to us to make the adjustments with the tools at hand to create his vision.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe crew loved it when he was directing 100 Centre Street<\/em>,\u201d says assistant-turned-operator Susan Starr, who also worked with Lumet on Gloria <\/em>and Strip Search<\/em>. \u201cWe knew we were going to have short days; he would be well-prepared. One Friday, we had a location day with a seven-page \u2018walk-and-talk.\u2019 Our crew call was 7 a.m. and we finished around 11 a.m.\u201d<\/p>\n Starr, like so many others polled for this tribute, says Lumet made the demanding and exhausting process of moviemaking \u201cjoyful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome compare making a movie or a TV show to being in an army,\u201d Starr reflects. \u201cIf so, then Sidney was a general. Some compare making a movie or TV show to an art form. If so, then Sidney was an artist. Some compare making a movie or TV show to being in a family, albeit sometimes dysfunctional. And if that\u2019s true, then Sidney was also the father figure.<\/p>\n In fact, Starr insists, Lumet was all three. \u201cHe was the leader, artist, confidant, and the conspirator you always wanted,\u201d she says. \u201cIf he liked you, he would tell you how to do everything from quitting smoking to becoming more confident in your job. He was quick to listen, quick to commiserate, and quick to advise. He always arrived with a smile \u2013 and a plan \u2013 and was quick to laugh.\u00a0 I can\u2019t think of another director, or person for that matter, like him. I was so lucky to have known Sidney Lumet.\u201d<\/p>\n As were we all \u2013 if not in person or on the set, surely through his powerful and still fresh body of work that included features like Long Day\u2019s Journey Into Night, The Pawnbroker, Fail-Safe, Serpico, Bye Bye Braverman, The Anderson Tapes, <\/em>and Prince of the City, <\/em>as well as live television plays like The Iceman Cometh, Rashomon, <\/em>and All The King\u2019s Me<\/em>n.<\/p>\n By Pauline Rogers. Photos by Will Hart.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Tribute to Sidney Lumet, 1924-2011<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-web-exclusive"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nI\u2019m the boss only up to a point. I\u2019m in charge of a community that I need desperately and that needs me just as badly.<\/em>
\nI try to create a very loose set, filled with jokes and concentration.<\/em>
\nI don\u2019t mind limitations. Sometimes they even stimulate you to better, more imaginative work.
\nPreparation allows the \u201clucky accidents\u201d that we\u2019re always hoping for to happen.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/images\/2.Lumet.jpg\")
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\nBut:
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\nIt can make a good performance better.
\nIt can create a mood.<\/em>
\nIt can create ugliness.
\n<\/em>It can create beauty.<\/em>
\nIt can provide excitement.
\n<\/em>It can capture the essence of the moment.
\nIt can stop time.
\nIt can change space.
\nIt can define a character.
\nIt can provide exposition.
\nIt can make a joke.
\n<\/em>It can make a miracle.
\nIt can tell a<\/em> story!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/images\/3.Lumet.jpg\")
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