MAYSLES INTERVIEW PT 1

Albert Maysles was born in Boston and received his B.A. at Syracuse and his M.A. at Boston U, where he taught Psychology. He made the transition to film in 1955 when he filmed patients in Russia in several mental hospitals. The film, Psychiatry in Russia was the first of many documentaries he, and his brother David (1932 -1987) would make. Most notable projects include, Meet Marlon Brando (1965), With Love From Truman (1966), Salesman (1968). Gimme Shelter (1970), What's Happing! The Beatles in the USA (1964), and many more.

Mr Maysles has won multiple awards including The International Documentary Association's Career Achievement Award, The John Grierson Award for Documentary, The American Society of Cinematographer's 1998 President's Award, The Sundance Film Festival 2001 Cinematography Award, just to name a few !

Mr Maysles and Maysles Films continue to produce films including two current projects, Lucky Dog, and Scapegoat on Trial.

For a complete biography, photos, filmography, etc. Please visit his web site. The link is in our LINKS section to the right.

For those visiting this site, Albert Maysles and his Brother David are best known for their 1976 documentary, Grey Gardens. This touching account of the haunting relationship between Big Edie and Little Edie Beale, and was without a doubt American's FIRST reality show !

Albert Maysles was kind enough to grant me an interview on the making of Grey Gardens, especially for this web site. We covered the Beales, The Musical and the upcoming film. My questions ranged from the most basic to more philosophical. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his kindness in helping out with this project.

RB = ROBB BRAWN

AM = ALBERT MAYSLES

RB: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO FILM THE DOCUMENTARY ?

AM: SIX WEEKS

RB: HOW LONG DID EDITING TAKE ?

AM: SIX MONTHS

RB: HOW MANY TOTAL HOURS OF FILM WHERE SHOT ?

AM: 60 HOURS

RB: SO, IF MY MATH IS RIGHT, THE TWO EXISTING DVDS AT ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF EACH.... THAT LEAVES 57 MORE HOURS !

MR MAYSLES JUST PROVIDED A HEARTY LAUGH !!!

RB: WHAT TIME OF YEAR WAS THE FILMING ?

AM: SEPTEMBER

RB: WITH TODAY'S TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN COMPUTERS AND CINEMATOGRAPHY, DO YOU THINK THE FINAL PRODUCT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT HAD IT BEEN FILMED TODAY ?

AM: NO, THE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXACTLY THE SAME.

RB: WAS THERE MUCH OF A SMELL IN THE HOUSE ?

AM: A TERRIBLE SMELL !

RB: FLEAS ?

AM: I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE FILMING EDIE AND JERRY ON THE FRONT PORCH. I REMEMBER NOTICING THAT EVERY SINGLE INCH OF EDIE'S LEGS WERE COVERED WITH FLEA BITES.

RB: HOW MANY CATS DID THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AT THAT TIME ?

AM: AT THE TIME OF THE FILIMING, ONLY ABOUT A HALF DOZEN, BUT RUMOR HAD IT THAT OVER TIME, THERE WERE 300 IN AND OUT OF THAT HOUSE.

RB: DO YOU THINK THE BEALES WERE GETTING PROPER NUTRITION AND MEDICAL CARE ?

AM: NO THEY WERE NOT.

RB: WATCHING THE FILM, THE VIEWER GETS THE IMPRESSION THAT BOTH EDIES BLAMED EACH OTHER FOR WHERE THEY WERE, OR WERE NOT IN LIFE. WAS THERE A LOT OF BLAME. ?

AM: THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL OF BLAME, HOWEVER, MUCH MORE LOVE THAN BLAME.