Dear Leonard
So sorry that you are not here anymore, as I do believe you had more to say and more to do in this physical world, but I am encouraged by the thought that you will be carrying on in the spiritual world which you are very familiar navigating as I recall.
I also hope you are in touch with Bob, who introduced us back in 1977, in Waukegan IL on the set of “A Wedding” and I remember your reaction when we asked if we could use “Suzanne” (yet again) in our film?
I don’t know if I had ever explained to you the circumstances that led me to direct you in “I Am A Hotel”, so I thought that I would write to you this letter of my account…
Sometime ago, in the beginning of my “behind the camera” career (co- writing “A Wedding” was my initiation) I was tested by Bob.
You should know something about me that I don’t much talk about and that is that my ability to say “yes” (or more likely my inability to say “no”) when challenged with just about any task is what got me into this position.
For my entire life I have wanted to please others.
Some may say that I wanted everyone to love me and to have no enemies.
I have spent a lot of time looking deep inside but I have never really come up with the answer. I have never been able to spend enough time in the presence of a psychiatrist to figure it out for me…is that not how it works?
I am rambling here…so I will stop.
In the summer of 1982, I found myself in Phoenix, Arizona in the role of producer/first assistant director on Robert Altman’s film “The Incredibly Mind-Roasting Summer of OC & Stiggs”.
During the pre production period I was challenged with directing Television commercials that were to be a part of the story line of the film and would play on televisions in certain scenes. We (or I) secured a local TV Studio for the taping of these commercials that starred the movie’s stars, and we had a blast. Bob came by a couple of times to watch our progress and was extremely pleased. The next evening he asked me to join him for dinner at the local Italian restaurant, which we were using as a location. We combined our dinner with a production meeting about the scenes to be filmed at the restaurant.
As I finished downing my second or third Sambuca and was chewing on the coffee beans, he began to tell me about a Leonard Cohen project that he had committed to film in Toronto, the following week, that he had to drop out of, and would I fly to Toronto and fill in for him.
Would I?
You bet!
Two days later I arrived at the King Edward Hotel and met with the writers/ producers, who handed me the script, let me know the limitations of your schedule, and, reluctantly seemed to be accepting me as a replacement for the infamous Robert Altman. You, along with your friends Barry and Mark had created this “mystical” musical from your songs where you were cast as the spiritual “resident” of the hotel and various guests and staff were documented as you watched them from afar.
You titled it “I Am A Hotel”.
They went on to let me know how far along they were in the production and that we would be casting in the next few days, selecting wardrobe, location scouting (it was all to be filmed at the King Edward Hotel as one of the producing partners), deciding on a look and feel, and they wanted me to offer my vision and my interpretation. I asked for more time with the script and asked when I was to meet with you, as I wanted to run my thoughts by you before I responded.
When you finally arrived a few days later, I remember you were somewhat surprised to learn that Bob was not coming to direct the piece as he had promised, and that he had sent me in his stead.
I felt a bit awkward and suggested that you and Bob have a phone conversation.
I felt that the whole project might be abandoned at that point, as here I was, a first time director, handling your first foray into the world of visual story telling.
After your conversations with Bob and your co-creators, you and I went to the hotel bar for a glass of Calvados and a cigar…now I did not own up then but I didn’t smoke!
I did that night.
I also didn’t much care for Calvados (see Sambuca section earlier) but I made that work too.
We talked at length about our ideas for the piece and how we both saw it as a “dance” which worked perfectly as we had cast entirely with dancers. I remember we looked at the photos from the casting and we were both extremely excited about your choice for the role of “Suzanne”- Alberta Watson.
There was something magical about the moment that you became invested in the process and the collaboration of our team bringing this piece to life. Suddenly, you seemed to forget about your concerns. My presence was bringing enough of Bob’s spirit to the project and you were comfortable going forward with my ideas.
I should add that if I learned one thing from Bob, it was how everyone feels better about a project when they feel totally immersed in that project and when they are aware that they are investing a piece of themselves in its creation and they just know…there is no turning back.
You were in!
I was in!
We began filming.
The best memory I have from the shoot is when we did the “band” scene and we invited my brother, Dave, to be your bass player, and you and he got along so well…it was a highlight for me then, and later in my life, following his untimely passing at age 43.
I remember you playing rough mixes of “Song For Bernadette” for me, featuring Jennifer’s incredibly touching rendition.
I also remember the joy in your face and your whole being as you danced out of the laundry room, down the hallway following Robert and Claudia (they send their love).
I also remember our “moon shot” by Hazel, but that will remain our secret.
I do remember asking you about Buddhist life and you told me how it worked for you and just how personal it was.
You did emphasize that it was the simplicity you loved the most when you spent time at the Buddhist retreat in the mountains…the simplicity of a single bed, a book, and a pitcher of water.
It was clear to me that simplicity was key to your poetry, your lyrics, and your melodies.
You have this incredible ability to piece together a collection of simple words and put them in a complicated sentence about a complicated world, all the while making it a simple song to be reckoned with…
What I learned in that week and a half was that, you, Leonard are a straight ahead great guy, as well as being one of the most talented poets on this earth.
I do plan on seeing you in the not too distant future though, and when I do, I will thank you in person for letting me know simplicity and that I have continued my search for it everyday on this complicated earth.
Love,
Allan
