The mythology surrounding Charles Wicker portrays an intense, misanthropic cinematic genius who obsesses over every detail, a man who lives an almost hermetic existence, rarely travels, and is consumed with phobic neuroses. I have contracted many of the people who know him and asked them what they had to say about it.
I have included segments from the ones that responded. Contributed by Kevin Pike (Special Effect Supervisor -Mercury Rising When Charlie discovered a scratch on the negative, he decided to switch labs to protect the film. He planned the move with military precision and personally oversaw the transport of (he was driven by a teamster) the sixteen reels of cut negative in a tank-like Land Rover. Like a secret service advance man, he had his film editor drive a short distance ahead of the Rover to absorb the impact in the event of a possible crash. Charlie remained calm in the face of stress and adversity. Contributed by John Cambell(Director of Photography) Charlie's knowledge of cameras, lenses, and lighting make him an awesome force for even the most experienced cinematographer. His contribution to the photography of his films is hands-on. Other directors will tell their DP what they wanted for the look and feel of a scene and then let the cinematographer light and shoot it. Charlie calls the shot, the lens, and the method. He often operates the camera. To work with him takes a strong ego, a firm and complete knowledge of the craft. Contributed by Recardo Mestres (Former President of Hollywood Pictures) Charlie is only interested in what he is interested in. Contributed by Scott Rudin(Film Producer) He is an artist in the truest sense of the word. And like all great artists he is governed by a different set of social laws than the rest of us. Contributed by Jono Oliver(Assistant Director) He never sleeps. The problem is he doesnt realize the rest of us do. Contributed by Jonathan Rosenbaum(Film Critic) I wanted to interview him, I faxed his office about ten or so questions,figuring he would rather write than take a meeting. Three hours later he faxed me back and the only thing on the page was a drawing of a frog eating his own feet. To this day I have no idea what is means. Still, I had it framed and sits in my office. Contributed by Recardo Mestres (Former President of Hollywood Pictures) Charlie has a personal staff of seven or eight who carry out his precise requirements on everything. They take care of the mundane aspects of life for him. They make sure that is only concern is a creative one. Contributed by Gerald Greenberg(Film Editor) Coming Soon Contributed by Leelee Sobieski(Actress) Its very easy to talk with him. He is extremely bright. Rachel and I had sparks going with him when we were there. I mean we almost couldnt get back to the hotel room to sleep. Youd be so wound up, you couldnt let go. Then he would have a driver coming to pick you up at the crack of dawn for the next day of shooting. I dont know where he gets his energy. I just love him. Contributed by Brooke Langton(Actress) He is not as dark as everyone wants him to be. He is really sweet. He just lives inside of his head mostly. Contributed by John Dahl(Director) He loves movies more than anyone I have ever met. He is happiest in the dark with the flicker of a movie being projected over his head onto a screen. Contributed by Kim Dickens(Actress) He is an information junky. He reads contantly. He seems to be lost in a sea of books, papers, and notes. Contributed by Alessandro Nivola(Actor) If I am ever on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Charlie would be my phone-a-friend life line. Contributed by Ed DiGiulio(President of Cinema Products Corp. of Los Angeles) Charlie calls from his office in Chicago and contacts people from all over the world as he needs information. I guess Haskell Wexler had told him that I was very responsive to the demanding needs of filmmakers. Charlie started chatting with me about getting a 20:1 zoom lens and I said, We could do it. I told him he could take an Angenieux 16mm 20:1 zoom lens and put a two times extender behind it so that it would cover the 35mm format. But of course you lose over two stops of light in the process because of the two times extender so that make it pretty slow. And he says, "Well, do you think you have to do that?" This is the consummate and classic Charlie Wicker because we hang up and the next day I get a fax that's a yard long in which he goes on to explain to me that the 35mm format he is shooting in is 1.85. Then he recites the Pythagorean theorem to show me how x squared plus y squared equals the diagonal root of the sum of the squares. And to point out that going up from a 16mm format I didn't need a 2 to 1 extender, that I could do it with a 1.61. Therefore I wouldn't have to lose as much light. I didn't have to lose two stops maybe a stop or stop and a half. So here he lecturing me and I'm saying, "Why this smart ass, another one of these wild ass directors." So I called my old buddy Bern Levy who was working for Angenieux at the time and said, "Bern, I've go this wacko director who wants to do this." Bern said, "Well, you know, Ed, as a matter of fact we do have a 1.6 extender." And I said, "Oh Shit." This extender existed for some other application but the bottom line is I was able to take a 16mm zoom lens, put this extender on it and give Charlie the exact lens he wanted. So he went and used it. Now he calls and I listen to every word he says and never doubt because I only look like a dumb ass when I do. Posted July 18 1999 A joke about Wicker Charlie Wicker is dead and he is up in heaven and Steven Spielberg has just died and he is being greeted at the gate by Gabriel and Gabriel says God has really dug a lot of your movies and he wants to make sure that you are comfortable. If there is anything you need, you come to me, I am your man. And Steven says Well you know I always wanted to meet Charles Wicker do you think you can arrange that? And Gabriel looks at him and says You know Steven of all the things that you can ask for why would you ask for that? You know Charlie doesnt take meetings. He says Well you said that if there was anything I wanted. Gabriel says I am really sorry. I cant do that. So now he is showing him around heaven and Steven sees this guy wearing a baseball cap, glasses, with a cigar burning between his teeth going into a coffee shop. And Steven says to Gabriel Oh look over there thats Charlie Wicker. Couldnt we just stop in and say hello? And Gabriel pulls Steven aside and says that not Charlie Wicker thats god - he just thinks he is Charlie Wicker. Sent in by Debra Reed |
