The Last Waltz
Martin Scorsese and Robbie Robertson in Cannes for the The Last Waltz screening in 1978
While working on the titles for The Last Waltz with Martin Scorsese, he asked me to completely handle the entire first reel of the film, spread out the titles throughout reel one and re-tool the color and contrast to make it more raw and powerful.
We had already put a special title up in front of the Academy Leader just for the projectionists to see that instructed them to “PLAY THIS FILM LOUD!,” due to the raucous nature of The Band, the style of their music and the muscular style that Marty chose to document it. As a result of being so involved I had a good relationship with The Band leader Robbie Robertson.
Since this was to be The Band’s last concert together, Robbie was intimately involved with all the creative decisions on finishing the film. Due to their drug culture, he and Marty worked on the sound mix together all night long and slept all day.
Then Marty and Robbie asked me to design the ad campaign for the film and I subsequently had made two presentations to them and to the United Artists executives who were to release the film.
This was a continuation of my relationship with the powerful UA VP of Production, Mike Medavoy, who I had met when Bob Altman brought me into UA with an ad campaign for his Paul Newman film Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson that I had designed the previous year. Mike became very impressed with my work and loved me being on Waltz.
Well, one night I was lying in bed in my new Encino condo when the phone rang. A screeching sound was coming from the phone that was so loud I couldn’t put it to my ear. When it stopped I heard Marty’s voice calling to me from the re-recording stage at Warner Hollywood. He and Robbie were mixing and “suddenly thought of me”, he said. They wanted to talk about the ideas for the ad campaign and wanted me to come right down there as soon as I could.
Suddenly, I said goodbye to Johnny Carson, hopped out of bed, jumped in my Porsche convertible and flew down the Hollywood freeway to the Goldwyn Recording Stage.
When I got there, Marty and Robbie had cranked the music up so loud that they didn’t even hear me come in. Then Robbie noticed me and, gestured for me to sit in the cavernous theater, presumably to wait for them to find a break in the reel.
There was only one other person there who was sitting right in the middle of the theater. I came up and sat down next to this lovely young woman who was smoking a joint. I nodded hello and then realized it was Robbie’s friend, actress Geneviève Bujold. While waiting we shared her joint, laughed and rocked together to the great music.
After a bit, Robbie invited me into the client room that was soundproofed to look at some of my designs. While Marty continued mixing, we sat down at a round table. Robbie was all sweaty and looked totally ratty. He was wearing a black leather shirt that was dripping off of his body. He pulled a small bottle from one of the shirt pockets. It was about the size of a restaurant salt shaker. He ceremoniously put it in the middle of the table. It was filled with cocaine.
We did the obligatory few lines and then began talking about the campaign. When Marty came in I was greeted similarly by doing a line or two with him and then we got down to business. They loved the ideas. We later took them to UA but they had already settled on something else and my ideas went to the design graveyard in the sky.
