Willis was professionally known for his sparing use of light. Personally, he was irascible, and though he got along well with his famous director collaborators, Hollywood was less amenable to his anti-establishment views. As John Anderson details in his NYT obit, between 1971 and 1977, 39 of the films on which Willis worked garnered Oscar noms. Willis himself, however, did not earn a single one, although he did later win an Academy Award for The Godfather Part III in 1990, and received an honorary Oscar in 2009. He influenced cinematographers from Raging Bull's Michael Chapman to Groundhog Day's John Bailey.
If Willis' personality could be called "prickly," the word would be among the kinder characterizations for current relations between Walt Disney's surviving heirs. On Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter published a fascinating piece on the legal woes of Brad and Michelle Disney Lund. Trustees of the fund Brad and Michelle's deceased mother and Disney's daughter Sharon left to her children, have decided to grant Michelle her portion of the millions but not her twin brother. The twins' father and Sharon's ex-husband Bill, along with his new wife Sherry, have added their voices to the fracas, with the resulting accusations of drug abuse, mental illness and incest flying fast and crass. The sad saga is ongoing, proving the Shakespearean tenet that the success of the father is invariably visited tenfold in the sins of his children.
Children and legal action were foremost in the minds of deceased Midnight Rider camera assistant Sarah Jones' parents this week as well. The couple has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a number of parties involved in the Gregg Allman biopic, including the film's production company, director, director of photography, and location manager. The family is seeking an unspecified amount "to be determined by the enlightened conscience of the jury."
Happily, not every news item this week dealt in family tragedy. Hollywood kept churning, as it does, and Wednesday saw the announcement of the Coen Brothers signing on to write a draft of Steven Spielberg's new Cold War thriller starring Tom Hanks. (We suggest you don't stare too long at the previous sentence; the combined star wattage may prove overwhelming.)
Finally, in a great read for the long weekend, Cabinet Magazine published this comprehensive piece on Golden Era make-up artist Max Factor and his industry -- later societal -- cosmetic innovations.
Happy Memorial Day weekend!
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