The White Star Garage

TAPED June 1982

THE WHITE STAR GARAGE was filmed almost 32 years ago. Regarding our country’s immigration problem, medical problems and our situation with the poor, the series INSIGHT was not only current — regarding the future, it was uncannily prescient.

One of the exciting occurrences in directing was launching new talent, There was a trio of young aspiring performers (Maggie, Mark, Fausto) that I met through Peter White (the bank executive in this production). All were graduates of the University of California in San Diego with majors in theatre. I cast Fausto Bara to play the leading role of Jose in our drama. It was Fausto’s FIRST screen performance.

And then there was the other side of the coin. Seventy-eight year old Elisha Cook made his first screen appearance over half a century before in 1930. At that time he was already a veteran performer, having debuted on stage at the age of fourteen. He appeared in over 200 films and television shows, appearing in such classics as PIGSKIN PARADE, playing opposite a very young Judy Garland in her first major screen role, THEY WON’T FORGET, Warner Bros. searing drama based unofficially on the Leo Frank murder trial with Lana Turner playing the sweater-clad murder victim, SERGEANT YORK with Oscar winner Gary Cooper, and in the screen appearance that proved to be his admittance into screen immortality, his role as the whining weasel in the Humphrey Bogart classic, THE MALTESE FALCON. He is truly one of the screen immortals.

I remember during the three days of rehearsal in the rehearsal hall, being concerned. I felt Fausto was perfect casting for the role of Jose. I felt he had the talent to play the role. I thought he was conscientious and committed to his craft. But he was slow learning his lines. I was used to and a believer in Beulah Bondi’s approach to her craft – she had the entire script committed to memory before her first rehearsal. I’m not sure, but I think I may have voiced my concerns to Fausto. It may have been his first encounter with a professional company. By the time we hit the cameras on the soundstage, everything was in place. Fausto was a perfect professional during the difficult shoot. And I found he had a powerful screen charisma.

Peter White (the bank executive) was the only member of this cast that I had directed before. Peter had played Alan in the acclaimed film, THE BOYS IN THE BAND. I remember that I was working for Quinn Martin Productions at the time, and that film proved to be a veritable gold mine for fresh talent. Since Quinn did not object to our hiring New York actors, which meant in addition to their salaries there was the expense of round-trip transportation plus per diem during their stay in Los Angeles, I cast Laurence Luckinbill in an episode of DAN AUGUST, followed by casting Peter in my next outing on that show, BULLET FOR A HERO. Peter broke his back filming his last sequence on that film. You can read about that by visiting my post for BULLET FOR A HERO at http://senensky.com/bullet-for-a-hero/

I had planned and had rehearsed for a spotlight to flash across the windows indicating an arriving automobile before the crash sound, but during the take the light didn’t happen. The rest of the take was very acceptable, so I didn’t see the necessity to redo the long scene for that one effect.

Have you put two and two together? Christmas Eve! The name of the leading lady is Maria. Her husband is Jose. There are 3 strangers. The setting is not a stable, but it is a rundown garage. I do believe we are viewing a modern nativity.

As I recall, this was the only INSIGHT I directed that was strongly religiously oriented.

I’ve said this before, I say it again: the elimination by the networks of the anthology format from their schedules was artistically unfortunate. True there were still some series that managed to produce provocative dramas – i.e. THE WALTONS, STAR TREK – but those series still were restricted by their continuing series format. I think that is an additional reason why INSIGHT was such an important part of American television programming.

THE WHITE STAR GARAGE was the last INSIGHT I directed. What I didn’t know at the time was that the series would soon be closing down.

The journey continues