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Stars behind the camera

Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven
  • Posted at 4:00pm
  • 04 July 2008
  • by AndrewCollins-RT

When Kathy Bates decided to direct herself in the 2005 adaptation of Jane Stern's book Ambulance Girl, she was candid about why: "I didn't want anyone else telling me what to do."

She sums up the seemingly eternal desire among actors to get behind the camera while simultaneously staying in front of it. They've had enough of being ordered around and wish to give the megaphone and monitor a go without actually depriving the adoring public of their face.

It's not always egomania, though. Charlie Chaplin's first short films were directed by other people but, as creator of the winning Tramp character, Chaplin quickly took over. By the time of feature-length classics like City Lights, he had a monopoly over his own work.

Perfect Englishman Leslie Howard also managed to have twin careers, with the likes of The First of the Few, until he was killed when his plane was shot down by the Luftwaffe in 1943.

Woody Allen, a big fan of Chaplin, was a sponge for the very best of Europe's auteurs – from Fellini to Bergman. And Woody the director seemed to get the best out of Woody the performer – Annie Hall swept the board at the Oscars in 1978, winning four including best director.

There are also financial reasons. When Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper made Easy Rider in 1969, they also wrote the script, Fonda produced and Hopper directed – simply to save money. Fonda also took a few turns behind the camera, starting with The Hired Hand in 1971.

There is something to be said, however, for dipping in and out. The fact that Allen has atrophied into a thin parody of himself may have something to do with the dictatorial style.

Clint Eastwood, meanwhile, has matured into a great modern director, his brisk shooting style possibly a reaction to the more meticulous directors he's acted under.

His first crack of the whip was 1971's Play Misty for Me, starring himself, which was surprisingly good, and there's no arguing with Unforgiven.

But witness the quality of Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, in which he did not appear – they make you wish that some other Hollywood hyphenates would just concentrate on one job at a time.

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