Merrick here...


Jeremy was kind enough to send in this report from last night's screening of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW.

Director Peter Bogdanovich was in attendance and spoke about the film. I love his story about meeting Jerry Lewis - hadn't heard that one before.


Here's Jeremy...

Last night the New Beverly Cinema hosted a night with Peter Bogdanovich, showing an archive print of his masterpiece "The Last Picture Show" -- which is probably my favorite film (and I say probably because it's difficult to pick one favorite).

No matter, "Picture Show" is a tried and true classic. From the stark B&W cinematography to Ben Johnson's rip your heart out monologue, the film is nearly pitch-perfect.

Mr. Bogdanovich talked after about how the film came to him (Sal Mineo gave him the book), to discovering Cybil Shepard (on a magazine cover he saw in a grocery store), and how Orson Welles told him -- yes, told him -- that black and white was the only way to make the film and how it is the actors friend ("When was the last time you saw a good performance in color." -- Welles).

Although, the best story Bogdanovich told was how when he met Jerry Lewis after "Picture Show" came out. Bogdanovich and his first wife were driving an old beat-up yellow car at the time, which they had spray painted black. When Jerry Lewis saw "Picture Show" he contacted Bogdanovich about a meeting, which eventually became a series of meetings. One day Bogdanovich was leaving a meeting when Jerry Lewis told him to take one of his Ford Mustangs. Bogdanovich said he couldn't take it. Lewis instructed him to take it, telling him: "I've got too many cars already, besides I'm tired of looking at that piece of shit in my driveway everytime you come over here."

I've kind of always had these little mini-dreams of meeting certain filmmakers and talking to them, and while I didn't get to have a sit-down-chat with him, it's was very, very cool to just be able to see Peter Bogdanovich talk and cut-up a couple of feet away.

And to cap the night off, an autograph on an original lobby insert.