Search results
Apr 18, 2020 · In 1998 Dr Richard Schmidt was tried for attempted murder and sentenced to 50 years; in 2015 he was denied parole. Despite all the evidence against him, the doctor maintains his innocence. Janice, now remarried, is still hanging in there. There is a rumor that Janice passed away, but that appears to be just a rumor.
- It Was Initially A Very Different Film.
- It’S Named After Legitimate UFO Research.
- There’S A Cameo from The Godfather of UFO Research.
- Nobody Wanted The Starring role.
- But It Wasn't The Most Difficult Role to Cast.
- Meryl Streep Could Have Played Roy's Wife.
- They Shot in A Disused Air Force Hangar.
- The Team Bought A House For The Production—And Sold It For A Profit.
- The Memorable 5-Note Tones Took A Long Time to Figure Out
- Spielberg Used Tricks to Get The Performance Out of His Child Actor.
Spielberg’s initial story outline involved UFOs and shady government dealings following the Watergate scandal, which became a script entitled “Watch the Skies.” The idea involved a police or military officer working on Project Blue Book, the Air Force’s official study into UFOs in the 1950s and 1960s, who would become the whistleblower on the gover...
Spielberg partly based his idea on the research of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a civilian scientific advisor to Project Blue Book who eventually admitted that 11 percent of the study’s findings about unidentified flying objects could not be explained using science. The title (which is never specifically explained in the movie) is actually derived from Hyne...
Hynek, who also servedas a technical advisor on the movie, makes an uncredited cameo in the final scene of the movie. You can spot him pretty easily—he’s the goateed man smoking a pipe and wearing a powder blue suit who pushes through the crowd of scientists to get a better look at the aliens.
The director first offered the part of Roy Neary to actor Steve McQueen, who turned it down because he said he couldn’t cry on cue, something he saw as essential to the character. Spielberg then went to Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman, and James Caan who all turned him down as well before asking his friend Richard Dreyfuss, ...
Spielberg approached French actors like Lino Ventura, Yves Montand, and Jean-Louis Trintignant to play Claude Lacombe—who was based on famous UFO researcher Jacques Vallée—before settling on director and sometimes-actor François Truffaut. The initially skeptical Truffaut, who was nervous about appearing in a big budget Hollywood movie, accepted the...
Many actresses—including a then-unknown Yale Drama School grad named Meryl Streep—auditioned for the part of Roy’s wife Ronnie, but he ultimately cast actress Teri Garr because he saw her in a coffee commercial and loved the way she was able to convey a wide range of emotions in a 30-second clip.
Spielberg wanted to shoot in real suburban locations rather than studio backlots, but the production had trouble finding locations. The biggest question: Where could Spielberg shoot the climactic canyon sequence with the mothership? The production looked for huge indoor enclosures that would allow for the massive scale of the scene, though they onl...
The Nearys' house, which is located at 1613 Carlisle Drive East in Mobile, was actually purchased by the production for $35,000 so they could do whatever they wanted with the interiors. It was later sold for $50,000 after production wrapped, netting a $15,000 surplus that went back into the film’s budget.
Composer John Williams worked with Spielberg to come up with the movie’s distinct five-note musical method of communication between humans and aliens—which Spielberg partly based on the Solfège systemof musical education—a year before shooting began. Williams initially wanted a seven-note sequence, but it was too long for the simple musical “greeti...
Cary Guffey, who plays little Barry Guiler, had never acted before, so Spielberg set up ways to coax a performance out of the 3-year-old. To get a shot of Guffey reacting to the aliens first approaching the Guiler house, Spielberg slowly unwrapped a present for the young actor just off camera, making him smile. Guffey even exclaims “Toys! Toys!” in...
Sep 14, 2021 · Richard J. Allen is a prolific author of articles, manuals, and books. He has coauthored with Ed J. Pinegar Teachings and Commentaries on the Book of Mormon; Commentaries and Insights on the Book of Mormon; Unlocking the Doctrine and Covenants; Book of Mormon Who’s Who; Words of Wisdom for Missionaries; Look to the Temple; On the Bright Side ...
Richard John Allen offers a range of books on grief, providing support and guidance for anyone experiencing loss or for anyone who is about to lose a loved one. Whether you're struggling with the death of a loved one, or preparing for what is to come, Richard's books can help you find peace, and healing, and be prepared.
Richard J. Allen (born November 13, 1959, New York, New York) is an American television soap opera writer and playwright. His plays include The Man Who Killed Rock Monnenoff, Seducing Sally, and Starbright & Vine.
Richard J. Allen (born November 13, 1959, New York, New York) is an American television soap opera writer and playwright. His plays include The Man Who Killed Rock Monnenoff, Seducing Sally, and Starbright & Vine.
Whether you're struggling with the death of a loved one, or other life changes, I want to help people find peace and healing. Through my books, podcasts, or one-on-one coaching, I want to help others navigate their unique challenges.
