FREE audio-book with Kevin and 5 other stars via link below.
Most people have seen the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers more than once. Kevin McCarthy running onto the highway and yelling, "There coming. You're next." is a memorable scene. Often the movie is ranked with the original The Thing from Another World as the top two science fiction films of all time.
I had listened to an audio-book of Kevin reading Psycho many times over the years. It was recorded 30 years ago and hard to find. At a movie star show, that always had 80 or more stars, I mentioned it to Kevin. He said, "I remember recording it. But I never heard the results."
"It's terrific," I said. "And in an audiobook catalogue review it said, 'It's Kevin McCarthy's best performance'."
Weeks later, I found two copies of the Psycho audiobook on Ebay and bought them for Kevin for the next time he came to the show. But four years past and he hadn't been to a show that I attended. (The show was four times a year. I flew in twice a year from Japan, timing my trips to go to the show.)
Then I started production of my first full-cast audiobook; Rock Star Rising with Rod Taylor, Robert Culp, Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, and James Darren.
I wanted to have Kevin do a part in it. And wouldn't it be great to give him his Psycho tapes when he walked in to record? Before I could set things up with Kevin's agent, my agent Larry calls me to go to an Academy of Motion Pictures' screening of Body Snatchers hosted by Clint Eastwood on stage.
Clint was friends with the director, Don Siegel, who directed Eastwood in four movies. So Clint selected Body Snatchers to show as an example of Siegel's work. Before showing it, he would talk about working with Siegel on; Coogan's Bluff, Dirty Harry, The Beguiled, and Two Mules for Sister Sara.
Larry and I go to the Director's Guild Theater, which has a metal detector scanner at the entrance, and get our seats. And who do we see walking in? Kevin McCarthy.
Larry recognizes a casting director that is personal friends with Kevin. During his talk, Eastwood mentioned 'the good actors' in the movie, which was great with Kevin being in the audience.
When the movie ended, Kevin started walking up the aisle and the audience started applauding. He said, "It's the first time I've seen the movie in a theater."
In the lobby, Larry has the casting director introduce us to Kevin. We explain about giving him the Psycho tapes, but not about working on Rock Star Rising. We wanted to do that professionally through his agent. So we said we'll get the tapes to his casting manager and then said good-night.
A few days later we arrange Kevin to come to the recording studio when James Darren and Robert Culp are recording their parts because Kevin's long scene is with Culp. When Kevin walks in, I presented him with the Psycho tapes.
"Wow. So you two are the guys on this project," he says, remembering us from the screening. "I haven't heard this recording of mine. Am I any good?"
I say," You're great in it and so was the review."
James Darren advised Kevin to get it transferred to CD as soon as possible for a protection copy. Then Kevin recorded his scene with Robert Culp.
It was great to hear Kevin, playing an unscrupulous lawyer, pushing Culp, into a corner. During the five minute scene, Kevin laughed and used sarcastic tones in the right places, really making the scene work.
I had my number in a note with the Psycho tapes, and a few days later, Kevin gave me a surprise call to thank me again for the tapes. "How did my scene turn out?" he asked.
"It came out great," I said.
For me, a kid that grew up on Body Snatchers and many other of Kevin's movies, the whole thing was a dream.
Two years later, Kevin's Body Snatcher co-star, Dana Wynter, flew in from London to join Kevin at the movie star show .
My parents and I watched Body Snatchers and then drove down to Hollywood to meet the two stars. On the table were new CD copies of Kevin's Psycho recording that he was selling and autographing.
My only regret is that I forgot that Dana Wynter had a great scene as Burt Lancaster's wife, in Airport. I wish I had remembered that so we could have talked about it. But we four had a nice talk and I had the two stars sign a photo from Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
At the link below is the free audiobook with no ads. Kevin's scene with Robert Culp is at 3:21:15.
well done
Never stop writing !
m
Ron