For 30 plus years veteran TV and cult movie actor Jackson Bostwick has appeared
in all manner of the loved and the obscure, becoming an always reliable star
over the years working with many high profile names in the industry. An
excellent and confident performer, Jackson has graced the screen, produced, and
also started his own film group in his native Alabama to help young beginners
mold their craft. He's also taken the time to stop by Cinema Nocturna for this
exclusive one on one. And now...SHAZAM!...an interesting, candid, and enjoyable
conversation with Jackson Bostwick. Enjoy!
Before we get started, I'd like to thank you Mr. Bostwick for this opportunity
to discuss your lasting career in film and television. It's truly a thrill and a
great privilege to be able to conduct this, and we
appreciate it.
And now without any hesitation...
the questions!
Q: Growing up as a young man in Alabama, was becoming an actor always your
number one goal?
JACKSON: Not hardly. My father was a neurosurgeon, and I graduated with a B.S.
in
Pre-med from The University of Alabama with a major in Biology and a minor in
physics and chemistry, and could have triple minored in psychology. If you had
told
me I was going to be an actor while I was growing up and going to school,
I'da politely called ya a #&*%@ idiot.
Q: What type of preparation did you go through to become an actor and what
roadblocks did you overcome?
JACKSON: After 2 years in the Army as a Medical Supply Officer, and appearance
on the
Dating Game (which led to an offer from a scout from Paramount), I went for an
MFA in Acting at USC. They took a chance on me, and I was one of the original
11 (eleven) members of the Master's Company at Southern Cal ... and I didn't
even know who Lawrence Olivier was.
Q: Who gave you your first big opportunity?
JACKSON: Actually all opportunities can be called potentially big, and there are
many,
but I would say that Bill White, the professor at USC who saw something in a
totally unproven young Southern boy from Alabama, and who stuck his neck out
to get him into one of the top acting schools in America, would be the one who
got everything started for me.
Then, Bill Shepard, from Walt Disney Studios, that kept me going.
And, of course, Bob Chenault the original producer of "SHAZAM!" who cast me
as Captain Marvel; not to mention my late Dad and Mom who hung in there with
me all the way (and still do).
Q: Before we get into some of your films, lets talk about one of your
biggest successes - SHAZAM! How did you feel about being looked up to as a
TV superhero?
JACKSON: While shooting the show, I always tried to give the kids the same kind
of
hero to look up to as I had when I was growing up watching my good friend, the
late Clayton Moore, when he returned us "to those thrilling days of yesteryear"
as "The Lone Ranger." If I came anywhere near as authentic a superhero to them
as he came across to me, my mission was accomplished.
Q: Why do you think Captain Marvel appealed to so many?
JACKSON: MAGIC! Every child's dream is to be able to say a magic word and turn
into
a mighty hero that can save the day, and beat up the bully (an instant
Charles Atlas course); not to mention being able to fly, and having bullets
bounce
off of you. Plus, Captain Marvel is more human (the "World's Mightiest
Mortal"); not an alien like Superman.
Q: What was the reason behind John Davey replacing you in seasons 2 and 3?
JACKSON: In John's own words when posed that question on the "Live with Regis"
show by
a call in viewer: JOHN: "They (meaning Filmation) wanted a more mature Captain Marvel."
PHONE CALLER: "MORE MATURE?!" (sputtering) "You look more like a THUG!"
REGIS: (coughing) "Okaay ... Our next caller, please..."
God love him, it wasn't John's fault. He's a fine actor. It's just that he's
no more a Captain Marvel than I am Wonder Woman. Those clowns at Filmation
actually thought that I was holding out for more money, when in fact, I was at
the doctor's office having my eye examined from an accident on the set the
previous day. I go into much greater depth in my forthcoming book, "Myth, Magic,
and a Mortal," as I touch on the in-the-dead-of-night maneuverings
surrounding the "brilliant" (read, pathetic) reasoning of the Filmation execs in
justifying their truly "remarkable" (read, clairvoyant) vera causa for action;
and
the subsequent decline of the show.
Q: Prior to SHAZAM!, in 1973 you starred in the bizarre anti-child abuse
slasher film THE PSYCHOPATH. You also acted as executive producer. What do
you think of the film's wild concept from director Larry Brown?
JACKSON: I thought Larry came up with a very original and timely approach to the
old
revenge plot and "slice and dice" genre. The movie, also, has a young John
Ashton playing a cop, long before "Beverly Hills Cop," and has developed a
rather
boutique cult following.
Q: Tom Basham's performance as Mr. Rabbey in the film is frighteningly
realistic. Was Basham as unusual when the cameras weren't rolling?
JACKSON: Oh, yeah! Tom Basham was Mr. Rabbey. Tom was then a contract player at
Universal, and had done a lot of good work for the studio in their "Dark
Shadows"
series, among many other of his guest starring roles. I had appeared in my first
film (also a Larry Brown production) called, "The Pink Angels," in which Tom,
also, had one of the leads. It was about a group of gay hairdressers from
L.A. who ride motorcycles to a hairdresser's convention in San Francisco while
all dressed-up as a motorcycle gang; along the way they encounter a real Hell's
Angels gang, and the fun begins; so, yes, you most definitely could say that
Sir Thomas of Basham was not just your run of the mill unusual sort of chap. He
was beyond unusual.
Q: Was there any controversy over the film's final scene in which the little
girl shoots her mother?
JACKSON: Not unless you call outgrossing "The Getaway" starring Steve McQueen
the
weekend they both opened in L.A., a controversy. I call that provocative. Years
later, the lady who owned Crown International Films who released '"Pink Angels,"
told me it was their biggest grossing moneymaker of all time. Oh ... I'm
sorry ... you meant a controversy in "Psychopath" ... well, no, none that I was
ever aware of, other than hysterical teenagers screaming and crying, and old
ladies leaving the theater, hurling all the way ... No copycats, either ... I
don't think.
Q: At the beginning of the 80's in 1980 and 1981 you shot two
science-fiction films for Bob Emenegger and Allan Sandler - THE KILLINGS AT
OUTPOST ZETA and ESCAPE FROM DS-3. What are your memories of shooting these?
JACKSON: Ann Spielberg (Steven's sister) was working on these shows in several
capacities (including casting), this was while she was writing, "Big," that Tom
Hanks
later starred in, and Penny Marshall directed.
Sandler Productions did 10 films in one year for Gold Key Entertainment. They
were paid "X" amount of dollars to do these films with a science fiction
overtone with Gold Key having script approval, star approval, and final
approval.
They shot each film in two weeks, of which I was asked to do two. While we
were shooting "Killings," they asked me to do the lead in "Escape"; which, by
the
way, was Bubba Smith's first movie.
The interiors for all 10 productions were shot entirely in an old Bank of
America building on Pico Blvd that was converted into a sound stage. We did as
many as 75 setups in one day.
Q: Which did you hate wearing worse, the motorcycle helmet and space spandex
in THE KILLINGS AT OUTPOST ZETA or the yellow prison uniform in ESCAPE FROM
DS-3?
JACKSON: Both should have been zapped by the fashion police, but, ab nauseum
aside,
were not entirely uncomfortable. Holy moley, don't forget ... as "the big red
cheese" I wore girl's Danskin tights for 17 episodes of "Shazam!".
Q: In the Edwin Brown slasher film THE PREY (1980) you play the heroic
forest ranger up against the gigantic Carel Struycken of Adams Family fame.
How did it feel to have his huge hands around your neck in the throat
ripping scene? How was the scene achieved?
JACKSON: Carel is a great guy to work with. He most assuredly has a Condor-size
pair
of mitts for hands.
I showed Ed how we could do the killing gag by having me standing on apple
boxes. As Carel is lifting me off the ground, they would film us from the waist
up, and I would just stand up straight as Carel hoists me up; then the scene
could CUT to just my feet as they were being lifted off the ground (I was doing
a pull-up on a tree limb OFF CAMERA). It was, also, my idea to hold stage
blood in my mouth, and spray it out as the big guy is crushing my windpipe.
I was signing pictures at Dragon*Con in Atlanta last year (2002), and Carel
was sitting right next to me signing pictures from "The Adams Family," and I
didn't even realize he was the "lovechild" of "The Prey" that had killed me.
When we did the film in '78 he was a relative unknown. Just a big man with a big
film presence. Well, during one of the days at the con, someone happened to
come up and ask him if he wasn't the killer guy in "The Prey," and he told them,
"yes." I was busy signing photos, but my wife, Elizabeth, over heard the
conversation and turned to me, "Honey, you were in "The Prey" weren't you?" I
kept
on signing a picture and said, "Yeah. Why?" She said, "So was Carel." I
turned and looked at him, and blurted, "Oh, %$#&@ ! You were the @$#%&* that
killed
me! The 'Deliverance' banjo player all growed up."
It never even dawned on me that he was in that film, and here we had both
been sitting next to each other and talking movies for nearly two days.
Q: Just joking around, now do you regret not grabbing more than just the
tranquilizer gun?
JACKSON: I regret not just walking away, and letting him keep that whiny broad.
Q: How long was shooting on THE PREY and where was this beautiful setting
located?
JACKSON: All in all, I think it took us just under 4 weeks. We had several days
of
pickups back in and around the L.A. area, but the principal setting was up at
Idlewild nestled high in the mountains above Palm Springs. We used several
locales up there, including the University of Southern California's music camp.
Q: What was it like working with veteran greats Richard Johnson and Robert
Powell on WHAT WAITS BELOW (1984)?
JACKSON: British actors are very disciplined, which I prefer. Anne Hayward was
good to
work with, too.
I remember I had a big fight scene with Robert where they were reluctant to
let us do our own stunt work. We pulled it off, however, but because of some
sloppy camera work, the best moves of the fight were lost. Of course, we both
got some minor scrapes and dings, and I do remember Robert forgetting to duck
one of my swings and being tagged in the temple with the butt of my knife. It
decked him. I immediately fell on top of him as he lay stunned on the dirt
floor of the cave, and whispered in his ear, "Don't let 'em know your hurt." I
held that position until they yelled cut, then hustled him to his feet, patting
him on the back as we moved to our set chairs. As we sat down, the 1st AD (one
of the doubters) sauntered over and asked, "Are you two all right?" Before
Robert could reply I chirped, "Hell, yeah! Let us know when they're ready to
rehearse the next angle." Robert ... he jus' lay low.
Timothy Bottoms was in the film, and he and I enjoyed going out to the local
discos.
Q: Was the 1986 slasher movie THE OUTING the first voice work you've done?
JACKSON: No. I did a ton of dubs, voices, and walla walla work for several
features at
Disney, including "The Apple Dumpling Gang," The Cat from Outer Space,"
"Zorro," The Devil and Max Devlin," etc. I also did some voices for their movies
that I was featured in; one of which ("My Science Project") I am actually
answering myself on a walkie talkie.
There is one track of continuos background jabber where I go on and on about
installing an air conditioner and a TV antenna. I was told by the sound ADR
guys that this bit of walla walla has been used over and over again by them for
background mixes in innumerable projects at Disney. They have it in their
sound library under, I think, "The Air Conditioner Bit."
Q: Tell us a bit about the entertaining sounding DODGE CITY: A SPAGHETTO
WESTERN (2003). How was it working with the legendary Issac Hayes?
JACKSON: Issac is killed off in the first part of the script before my character
arrives in the story, so I didn't work with him directly.
The movie is a "Magnificent Seven" meets "Dodge City" set in a modern day
hood of Dodge City.
Q: I can't wait to see the superhero throwback BOMBSHELL (2004). With
familiar faces like yourself, Pat Morita, and Adam West, it sounds
irresistible. How do you feel about it?
JACKSON: Sounds like a hoot to me, too. It's still in the embryonic stages of
development, and I've just recently been asked to come on board, so I'm not
quite up
to speed on all the nuances of the characters, but from what I can tell it's
got a shot at being an "E" ride.
Q: What made you decide to form the Lower Alabama Film Group? What's it all
about?
JACKSON: I Incorporated L. A. Film Group in 1987 in Alabama for the purpose of
creating films, and teaching acting to find the talent to draw from to use in
those
features. After the sudden death of both my parents, and then shortly after
winning the Gold Award at Worldfest Houston for my first company project, a
Short
called, "Southern Fried Shakespeare (in the 21st century)," which I dedicated
to Dad and Mom, I put the company to sleep for over 12 years. I soon will be
waking up L.A. Film Group and the acting classes, again, in Nashville, Tenn
starting with a low budget feature I wrote, and will act in and direct, and that
will, hopefully, lead up to larger projects and from there, my full length
feature version of "Southern Fried."
Q: On a final word, what's the best advice you could give to students of the
acting world?
JACKSON: Don't be afraid of the Universe! Pull up your underpants and attack,
screaming, with your hair on fire.
On behalf of myself and the Cinema Nocturna staff, thank you very much
Jackson for this time. It's been a treat and a pleasure. All the best from
all of us to you and here's to another successful 30 years of performance!
Be sure to stop by Jackson's official website at www.jacksonbostwick.com
-Interview Conducted by Cinema Nocturna Contributing Staff Writer Devin Kelly,
July 21, 2003
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