My Day in New York City! (January 16th, 2018)

                                                                           

So this week was a wild and crazy one; last Tuesday I got an email from John Forslund via Backstage inviting me for an audition today (January 16th) in NYC at the West End Lounge after I applied to their casting call for the Singers Showcase. I learned I was wanted for the audition at about 6:30 in the morning when I got up for work. We had had a snow storm and the weather outside was frightful (Pardon the pun. ahem.) So my Dad dropped me off at work that morning.
As soon as I got a chance to see my manager I told her I had an audition and needed the day off.
Long story short it was a tough job getting the day off and finding a ride to my audition, in fact up until about 9:30 Sunday night I really thought I was going to miss it. But by the grace of God, I got the day off for work, and I found a friend who was able to take the day off to take me to the audition.
We did the smart thing and made a whole day out of it.
My gorgeous friend Elaina, (who agreed with me today that she will be my NYC buddy for every trip going forward! WOOHOO!) picked me up at 9:15 this morning and we headed out.

                                                                       

(Elaina, smiling for the Camera on the way to Central Park this afternoon.)


We took the New Jersey Turnpike straight into NYC. No Traffic, no mess, no frustration. Just an absolutely gorgeous ride, with barely any other cars on the road, straight into Manhattan.

                                                                         
We listened to the Beatles the entire ride in and it only took us an hour and a half to get there.
We arrived and found a safe place to park the car on 108th street and then stopped for Breakfast at The Ellington Kitchen, which we stumbled on totally accidentally. Since my friend Luke had told me that Duke Ellington had lived in the area and the Ellington was the very first place we saw, I took it as a sign and went with my gut, suggesting we eat there for breakfast.
It was a great idea!
The food was absolutely delicious! I got a vegan sandwich called an MTA with vegan mozzarella cheese, avocado and tomatoes and pasta sauce.
                                                                         
                                                                       

(My MTA Sandwich at The Ellington Kitchen)

After breakfast we went into Central Park and took advantage of seeing some of the gorgeous sights around us. And we took some touristy pictures too!

(Elaina, posing in an epic fashion on a giant rock in Central Park.)

Then we did some sight seeing and random picture taking of the pretty places around us. There were many so we took lots of pictures! 

                                                                           

We walked around for about an hour until we discovered that our hands and legs were frozen and we stopped into the Birch Coffee house for a cuppa to warm up.

                                                                               

Then we headed off to 107th Street to get to the audition. We arrived about 20 minutes early. The place wasn't even open yet. By 2:30 the doors were opened and we went inside. At 2:45 I got my turn to sing, went in and did my audition and finished. I talked to the pianist for a few minutes. He was very kind, and he kept my head shots and resume, and said I should hear back in about a week's time.

After that Elaina and I were able to leave. We had two hours before dark and neither one of us wanted to leave, so we walked back up to the parking garage, picked up the car and headed towards Time's Square. On the way there we decided to check out Roddy's old stomping grounds. We went to the Theatre District, and with the help of some text messages from Julie Carriker, we were able to locate the apartment buildings where Roddy lived during his 10 years living in New York City.

                                                                                  

(El Dorado Apartments, 300 Central Park West.)

(The Dakota 1 W 72nd St.

Sorry the front and the side are a bit blurry. We couldn't stop due to traffic flow in this area.)

(and finally the 200 block of E 66th Street.)

There was another apartment building Roddy lived in at 237 E 61st St but it was 18 minutes drive from our main area and we both decided it would be best to skip that one til a later time as all the other apartment buildings were all relatively within the same vicinity of one another. 

So after we saw these buildings we continued on to Time's Square to the Theatre District. I just had one theatre left on my list to see before heading home. The Ambassador. Where Roddy and Dean Stockwell appeared in the final showings of Compulsion before it closed in February, 1958.

We managed to find it effortlessly.

                                       

                                                                               

After parking we wandered around Time's Square for about 30 minutes before heading home. (Little tip to anyone sight seeing in NYC and thinking of using parking garages. Do NOT use the parking Garage directly across from the Ambassador! They charged us $40 for 30 minutes of parking! You're better off leaving your car in a garage on 108th street and taking a bus to get wherever else you're wanting to go. They only charged us $20 for 3 hours of parking.)

That being said, we enjoyed our stroll through Time's Square. It was a perfect end to an already perfect day. We will definitely be repeating this trip again sometime in the near future!

It was a great day out, and not only did we manage to get me to my audition successfully but we also had a great time as friends enjoying an out of the ordinary excursion to the city that never sleeps!

Great adventures today! I'll never forget the memories we made walking those ancient streets!

What a great place! Roddy brought me luck today. I could feel him all around me, especially in Time's Square and the Theatre District. Walking the same streets that he walked, 60 years ago.

Thanks for tagging along with us today Rod. Your company was a blessing and a treasure.

                                                                              

                                                                              

The Subterraneans (1960)

Hey everyone! Happy new year!
Please forgive my 6 month absence from posting.
Life sort of took off for me in September.
I had spent August and September planning the first two episodes for my podcast "Not Just Yesterday: The Roddy McDowall Podcast" which I had created for Roddy.
Many weeks were involved in preparing for both shows. The creation of the shows involved lots of research and preparation and I had deadlines for both. The second being Roddy's 89th birthday on September 17th.
After both shows had been posted my life kind of rocketted into existence.
I began taking acting classes on September 5th, and on September 25th I became employed for the first time in a year and a month.
So the last few months I've been working steadily both at my sales job and as a voice over actress.
I'm currently involved in several projects which have been taking up my time. But my schedule for my sales job is pretty decent now (I was working full time; now I'm only part time and it's much better for getting things done!) so I can begin getting back into the things I love doing again, which is; taking care of this website for my darling Roddy and working on my podcasts again.

But tonight, as my return to blogging has now taken place I would like to take the opportunity to talk about Roddy's performance in a beautiful film I've just seen called "The Subterraneans".


                                                                       

Roddy plays a character called "Yuri"; who is very close to Roddy's own personality in that he is a deeply loving, sympathetic, empathic and geniunely sweet character.
He is head over heels in love with Mardou (played by Leslie Caron); a french woman with a psychological inability to give of herself completely to those she loves, despite having a desperate need to love and be loved at all times.



                                                                             

Yuri seems to be the rock at the center of her life. A good friend who is good at turning at up to cheer her up when the going gets rough.
and he has some beautiful scenes with her.
I found myself getting very saucer eyed each time Roddy came on the screen (which is not unusual for me, I often open my eyes wide when I see him to ensure that I miss nothing of him. Every moment of screen time is a precious gift!)
Towards the end of the film he shows his true colors as a beautiful person by attempting to bring Mardou together with the man she loves, despite the fact that he (Yuri) really wants Mardou for himself. Though it breaks his heart, and even after telling Mardou repeatedly that he truly loves her with his entire being; he lets her go. And he is the last thing we see at the end of the film, walking away with a rose that Mardou gave him, cradled lovingly, as though it were a rare jewel, in his hands.


                                                                         

I found myself screaming "I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!" Inside my soul when the end of the film came and Roddy was exuding such gorgeous emotions at every turn and camera angle. He was just simply marvelous!
But then again, since when is this anything new? He's always marvelous!


                                                                             

Roddy had such a genuine something about him. He was always captivating, no matter what age he was. Whether he was 11 years old as Huw in How Green was my Valley, or 67 as the Barber in The Grass Harp; he always had a sparkle and shine to him. He lit up the entire room where ever he was and whatever he was playing. There was a natural, genuine beauty to him that no one else has ever had. Roddy was so special. and there isn't enough information available on the internet about him for fans such as myself to enjoy. Many of his movies are either lost or hard to come by which is a real shame.  He was a national treasure. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I had access to some sort of time machine, so that I could go back in time and meet him. There are few people in the world that I connect with on every level, spiritual, physical, emotional, etc.
Roddy is one of those people that, despite my never being able to meet him before he died, I feel as though I know him personally. and I feel such a strong connection and personal love for him because of this. It was his personality that drew people in. Every one he ever knew, even accidentally brushed past loved him with all of their hearts and souls. He was just a love. The Subterraneans is a strange film. It's based on the book of the same title written by Jack Kerouac. But the gentle, loving nature that Roddy brought to it made a weird film into a beautiful work of art.
The characteristics he portrays, the genuine love with which he handles everyone around him in the picture, as well as his undying devotion to Mardou; paints a real life portrait of the soul within the man behind the mask of his character. He had the ability to shine through all masks he wore. Whether they were human, or ape. Roddy McDowall was a true star.

If you haven't seen the Subterraneans before, it is available to watch on Daily Motion in two parts.
You can find the links below.

Have a great day guys.
Keep smilin'!
~Zoe.

The Subterraneans Part 1

The Subterraneans Part 2

Roddy McDowall - Roar (Fan Video)

The other night, I was looking at pictures on xmoppet.org and listening to Katy Perry's "Prism" album; when 'Roar' came on.
As the song came to the chorus, I stumbled upon a particularly beautiful photo of Roddy and Elizabeth Taylor together. They were both teensy. Roddy couldn't have been older than 12 or 13, and he and Elizabeth were both on horseback.

When I opened the picture, the chorus of 'Roar' began; and as the music swelled, I began to weep. 
Not out of sadness, but out of pure appreciation for the wonderful man that Roddy was, and the beautiful friendship he had with Elizabeth that he cherished for his entire life.
And thus, the inspiration for this fan video was born; Roddy and Elizabeth together.
However, I ended up making Roddy the focal point, as his portrayal of Octavian pretty much screamed this song for me.

Roddy almost won an Oscar for his performance as Octavian in Cleopatra. But due to a careless clerical error which was never corrected, he lost his only chance to win the biggest award of his life!
That was 54 years ago.
Today, Roddy's performance as Octavian in Cleopatra is one of his most famous, and (for good reason) his most memorable.
This fan video illustrates his very best moments in the film, and showcases some promotional photographs and one clip of behind the scenes footage from the production.
Enjoy!

Roddy McDowall - Roar

Personal Life and Trivia

Roddy McDowall was not only one of the most famous actors in Hollywood during the 60s and 70s; but he was also an intensely private person.
Most of his actual private life is completely unknown, including relationships he had during his life.
This secrecy about what went on behind closed doors has always made Roddy a massive target for speculation, and in recent years his image in society has been whittled down to nothing more than people measuring his importance by who he may or may not have had between the sheets while he lived. This is NOT however, how Roddy wanted to be remembered. If it had of been, he would have written expose's full of all the dirt in Hollywood. But he didn't. and the secrets he DID write about, were in his personal and private papers and journals.
In order to protect the friends he loved so much, Roddy stipulated that his personal documents be sealed and never released to the public eye until 100 years after his death; the year 2098.

My desire for this website is to have Roddy remembered for what he loved most; his careers as an actor and a professional photographer.

So here goes.

Getting to know Roddy McDowall the man:

Roddy's life was all about his friends, his craft and his passion for photography.

His work in film and photography was beautiful! Everything he touched turned to gold.

Some of my favorite photos that Roddy snapped with his ever present camera, are of a few of his dearest and most cherished friends.

                                        Elizabeth Taylor

                                                              Natalie Wood

Sharon Tate

Mia Farrow

Bette Davis

and Julie Andrews

In 1966, Roddy published his first in a series of 4 books of his photography called "Double Exposure"; which were a compilation of his celebrity photographs, and messages from people who were close to the celebrities featured. 

These books can be found on Amazon.com for collectors item prices (they're not cheap!) but they're worth looking at.

Roddy photographed many actors as well, such as Paul Newman, Sal Mineo, Anthony Perkins, Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp, Dean Stockwell, Dennis Hopper and Vincent Price (most of whom were among his enormous list of close hollywood friends) throughout his life and career and all these can be found with a simple google search of "Photography by Roddy McDowall."

For a more in depth look at Roddy's professional career, check out this biography done on him by A&E from 1998. It was filmed in 1996 but never aired until the week after McDowall's death on October the 8th, 1998.

Roddy McDowall: Hollywood's Best Friend

More trivia to come later. . . . 

Welcome to "Behind the Lens: The Life and Work of Roddy McDowall"!

Welcome all new visitors and fans of the wonderfully talented and unique actor Roddy McDowall!
This website's intention is to bring attention to the TRUE Roddy McDowall. Who he really was, both as a person, an actor and an artist.

Since his death in 1998, Roddy's image has been twisted and masked by society's agendas, and the roles he is most famous for playing; causing the real Roddy to get lost in translation sometime during the shuffle.
I want to change that, and with the help of my friend Julie Carriker; and my sister Mary,  I hope to be able to achieve that end.
This website will not be meant for the usual gossip and flat out untruths about Roddy's personal life like some of the others; but is and will remain a place for people who want to get to know the real Roddy McDowall for who he truly was.

I hope that Roddy will be pleased with our efforts to see that the world remembers him properly from now on.




Biography:

Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall was born in London to Thomas McDowall and his wife Winnifred Corcoran on September 17, 1928.
Roddy's mother was a very ambitious woman who had always dreamed of becoming an actress, but was never able to achieve her goals.
As a young child his mother encouraged Roddy and his older sister Virginia to become interested in music and play acting, and by 1938, Roddy had his first film role in Britain.
When a German bomb fell through the roof of their home at the beginning of the second world war, Roddy's Father felt his family would be safer in America, and In September of 1940, Roddy, and his mother and sister left England for safer shores; while Thomas remained behind to fight for Great Britain. Now living with a friend of Winnifred's in New York, Roddy was assigned to a New York Agent who referred him to 20th Century Fox in Hollywood.
In 1941, Roddy received his first part in an American film; playing a leading role as Vaner, in "Man Hunt". Later that year, Roddy played Huw, in "How Green was my Valley." This film put Roddy on the Hollywood stardom map.

(Roddy with Maureen O'Hara, in "How Green Was My Valley".
This was the beginning of a friendship that lasted 57 years!)

For the next 7 years he worked endlessly in film after film, often finding himself working on several films at one time.
His popularity continued to skyrocket and by 1947, Roddy was a house hold name in Hollywood; But once he hit 17, the studio told him he should expect to never work again, as he was now an adult and was no longer wanted.
But Roddy refused to accept this and began working in stage productions, taking every part he could get his hands on, thirsty for work; only to find himself floundering.

(Eighteen year old Roddy in the film "Rocky", 1948.)

Finally in 1951; frustrated by his Mother's overbearing nature and consistent attempts to control every aspect of his life, as well as his difficulty getting work in films, 22 year old Roddy moved to New York and spent several years studying acting and working in stage productions; learning to hone his craft.

(Roddy with Andy Griffith in the stage production of "No Time for Sergeants".)

(Roddy with Dean Stockwell in the stage production of "Compulsion".)

By the 1960s success found Roddy once again and his career took off; eventually landing him in the highly successful cult franchise of "Planet of the Apes".
But Roddy was concerned for himself in that he only had acting as a career, and soon found that he had a passionate interest in photography. His talent and facility for it soon opened the doors for his second (and also highly successful) career as a professional photographer.

(Roddy with his camera, behind the scenes of Planet of the Apes.)

He worked consistently from then on into the 1990's, which brought even more variations to his career; including voice over work in children's cartoons. From 1995 to 1998, Roddy largely worked on various interviews for several episodes of A&E's BIOGRAPHY series; giving background on fellow actors he had both worked with and befriended.
But the beautiful spirit was not to be among  us for much longer.

In April of 1997, Roddy was diagnosed with Terminal Lung Cancer. When the news of his illness spread his innumerable and close friends to flew to his side, to provide their love and support. Foremost among them, was his best friend Elizabeth Taylor; who reportedly would remain with him for days on end, holding him in her arms and never letting go.

(Roddy with Elizabeth in the early 1980's)

(Roddy with Elizabeth in the 1990's.)

On October 3rd, 1998 Roddy died at the age of 70.
By his wishes; he was cremated, and his ashes were spread in the Pacific Ocean.

Roddy left behind a legacy not only of film, photography, music and stage work, but also one of deep love and memories of the strong bond he had with everyone he had befriended, and to this day; those friends who still survive him still have nothing but warm and loving memories of the man who never made a single enemy in his entire life.
His kindness shone so evidently in his eyes and that spellbinding smile, that disarmed any and everyone who ever crossed his path, or saw his work on television or the big screen.
Roddy McDowall was not only immensely talented, but he had the most beautiful soul that this world has ever known. He has been and will remain to be both in present and future, loved by all who know his name.