11

T h e Aquiarian/April 5-April 12, 1978

Performing Arts
Coverage
FILM
THEATER

FASHION
from 4p.
•r N um ber 205 A pril 5 T o A pril 12

fay Joe Vitale

When you first m eet Ira Levin, you Author Of

I naturally expect him to be wearing a gold
locket filled with tanis root or som e other "Rosem ary’s Baby,’
infernal substance and to have the buds of
|tiny horns sprouting from his forehead.
‘
The B oy s From
Surely the author of Rosemary’ s Baby, A Brazil,’
I Kiss Before Dying, The Stepford Wives and
The Boys From Brazil must have bartered ‘Deathtrap’
|his soul to the Dark One ages ago.
But when you're ushered into his spa-
I cious six room. Park Avenue co-op, the
author of those'famous tales of murdeT and
mayhem turns out to be a soft spoken,
perceptive man with a keen sense of humor
and a penchant for understatement.
If Ira Levin seems happy and self-assured
these days, it’ s probably because his newest <
work. D eathtrap, is playing to pack ed >» .v
houses and critical acclaim downtown at

OF TALES
Broadway’ s Music Box Theater.
Levin’ s career began at the tender age of
20 when one of his television scripts was
produced by NBC. Two years later, he
wrote his first novel, A Kiss Before Dying, rtf1P
which became a best seller and, eventually,
a motion picture. In between was a stint in
the Army where he adapted Mac Hyman’ s
novel N o Time For Sergeants for the stage. m
“ That early success didn’ t really affect
m e,”said Levin. “ I just assumed that when
you write a play, that’ s what happens.”
The theater hasn’ t always been so kind to
Ira Levin, how ever. In 1965, his only A ,
musical. Drat! The Cat! closed after one “What’ s on TV now ob ­
week and, in 1973, V eronica’ s Room was
bombarded by the boys on the aisle. viously reflects the per­
“ The failure of Drat! The C at!”mused
'Levin, “ represented only about ten year? of
sonal tastes of the few v? \ V
my life down the drain." people who control the
Far more successful have been his novels.
While attending a lecture once on the
industry. So, I figure, m
|‘ cycles of human life. Levin became intrigued why g o in a n d fight
by the idea of a woman being pregnant with
a fetus that is quite different from what she
that?"
expects. After researching the topic for
many months, he brought out Rosem ary’ s
Baby in 1967.
The rest is history.
Rosem ary’ s Baby has sold five million
copies to date and has been translated into
every major language except Russian and
Chinese. The movie version, directed by
Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow
and John Casavettes, is credited with Ira Leuin...‘
‘
a so ft spoken , p ercep tiv e m an with a pen chan t fo r understatem ent.’
starting the late Sixties interest in the occult.
This Perfect Day, a novel set in the future,
followed in 1970. The Stepford Wives was shame to let all I was learning go to waste LEVIN: The influence of television, by people want to see.
published in 1973, and, in 1976, The Boys and that I should at least try one more time and large. Television is respon sible for LEVIN: 1think it’ s obvious now that that I
From Brazil spent 14 weeks on the New for what 1wanted. draining off a great deal of the interest in argument has worn pretty thin. Last year, I
York Times bestseller list. AQUARIAN: Was there a certain type of thrillers. There are all so rts of murder television viewing was down for the first time I
Levin, who was bom and raised in New play that you were after? mysteries on TV on any given night. Not all since it began. Obviously, people are getting I
York, is a graduate of New York Univer­ LEVIN: Yes, the “ one-set, five character, of them of such high quality, 1 might add. sick of what they’re being fed. I hope that the I
sity. He lived for a time in Wilton, Connec­ moneymaker”—every playwright’ s dream. AQUARIAN: Earlier in your career you trend continues because then the industry is I
ticut, but has been back braving the tor­ AQUARIAN: How does a writer con­ did a great deal of writing for television. going to be forced to reevaluate what it’ s|
ments (only som e of them supernatural) of struct the perfect thriller? LEVIN: My first work was done exclusive­ been doing.
Manhattan for the past 10 years. LEVIN: Well, in the case of Deathtrap, it ly for television. That was back in the early AQUARIAN: A long with D eathtrap, I
When the interview began, we w ere started with just one scene, one moment: Fifties when there were still opportunities another of your works which well be seeing
talking about his triumphant return to the when the main character, playwright Sidney for young writers. But 1 haven’ t worked in very soon is The B oys From Brazil, your I
theater. Bruhl, receives in the marl a script from one the medium for quite som e time now. novel which is currently being filmed ini
of his former students which he realizes has I w ouldn’ t mind doing more television South America with Gregory Peck and I
all the potential for huge com m ercial writing, but I don’ t know if that’ s possible Laurence Olivier. W hat’ s the status of the I
success. But I let that original idea ger­ now, given the present state of the “ art”— film?
AQUARIAN: Your success with Death­ minate in my mind for about five years. After and i use that word very loosely. From time LEVIN: Well, the actual filming has been I
trap must be very gratifying now, after a that, it w asn’t so much a matter of putting it to time, I’ve been approached about doing completed. The editing process has begun I
number of other plays that w eren’t received together, seeing where all the pieces fit, but something—and I do think th ere’ s tremen­ and it should take a few months. The release I
as favorably. just letting it take shape on its own, almost dous potential there, as witnessed by public date, originally, was November, 1978. But I
LEVIN: (Laughs) My flops you mean? out of necessity television—but what’ s on TV now obviously now, with the recent news coverage of I
AQUARIAN: Yes, I guess that’ s what I AQUARIAN: A well-written thriller is a reflects the personal tastes of the few people “cloning,”they may be forced to move it up. I
mean. very popular form in the theater. Death­ who control the industry. So, I figure, why AQUARIAN: The movie stars Gregory
LEVIN: Yes, it is very gratifying. But trap is playing to packed houses and, a few g o in and fight that? Peck in what is an unusual role for him—a I
somehow, through all those flops, 1felt that I years back. Sleuth was a very big hit. But AQUARIAN: But the people in charge of heavy. He plays the ex-Nazi surgeon Josef |
was gaining experience. 1 felt that it was a why aren’ t there more of these whodunits? TV say that what’ s on only reflects what (coniirtued on page 12)

photo credit: Sorce

ir~ (continued from page 11)
organization of ex-Nazis that still exists in
^ Mengele who is living in Brazil and plan- Brazil, apparently under the sanction of that
— ning the Fourth Reich. government. It’ s called the “C om rad es
LEVIN: And Fve been told by the pro- Organization” and it was founded by a
< ducers that it’ s the best thing he’ s done so former colonel in the German army right
uS far, although you can’ t always believe the after World War Two.
— producers. The organization helped escaped Nazis
o_ Also, Laurence Olivier portrays the Nazi- resettle, find jobs, change their names,
< hunter Yakov Liebermann, which is quite a
"c switch for him, considering that he played a
establish other identities. So there actually
is an organization of ex-Nazis in existence deathtrap
.2 sadistic Nazi dentist in Marathon Man. H e’ s today.
eg got to be totally confused by now! AQUARIAN: At one point in The Boys
g. AQUARIAN: You mentioned “ cloning.” JOHN w o o d
From Brazil, you talk about the so cio ­
It’
s no secret that that procedure, the asexual economic conditions that would have to be m* is v w s
^ reproduction of identical progeny, plays a present in order for another leader like m u em tM P
"M
-
j c major part in The Boys From Brazil. You Hitler to rise somewhere in the world. Do
I- couldn ’ t have asked for better free adver­ you see any of those conditions taking mmmwuom
tmm mtH&mwmm
tising with the recent news stories about the shape today? mmwmmm
su p p o sed ex isten ce of the first human LEVIN: In order for that situation to i*frvrx~K ■
«
*»
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***
clone. repeat itself, you’d need severe economic
LEVIN: Yes, I just hope that it doesn ’ t conditions, runaway inflation together with EHT MOORE
spawn a series of imitation movies before high unemployment. Y ou’ d also need a
the film is released. charismatic leader, someone who could OERSNOW
AQUARIAN: So many of your books bring together divergent groups and parties
. .. I'" *'
*%'
p$w **4P*
seem to anticipate new ideas in society. solely through the power of his personality. X . _ ^X&W***-?
Rosem ary’ s Baby coincided with a rebirth of Certainly the condition s in parts of *S»ft# **« **»»*«**•
interest in the occult, The Stepford Wives Europe seem to be heading in that direction.
was written just before w om en’ s libera­ Italy is in shambles. The situation, politic­ »TM«AT«* .
k v tOCfJ6*SW4«3e
tion came to the forefront, now cloning and ally, in France and Germany is extremely
The Boys From Brazil. Are you planning unsettled. The time would seem to be ripe
this? for a takeover of som e kind or another.
LEVIN: (Laughs) No, I just try to keep However, I don’ t think it’
s possible in this photo credit: Sorce Ira Levin b esid e a p o ste r o f his cu rren t hit, “
D eathtrap.’
one step ahead of everybody else. I try to country. Simply because the events of the
keep up with all the latest scientific goings last few years have m ade us healthily “I remember goin g into an occult bookstore once, a
on because that’ s the sort of thing that suspicious of all ‘leaders”—charismatic or
interests me. not. At least I hope so. year or s o after the novel was published. The
I subscribe to Science News, which is a With the advent of television, however— proprietor recognized me from the photo on the
good survey of all of the sciences. Once in a the ability to reach hundreds of millions of
while I see something and say to myself, people at one time—a leader of this kind book jacket, jum ped over the counter and started
“ Hmmm. That would make an interesting
story.”
becomes even more dangerous.
AQUARIAN: Moving from one sort of
thanking m e profusely for making his b u sin e ss”
I try to keep open to as many sources as demon to another, your book, Rosem ary’ s
possible—stimuli that might spark som e­ Baby, is generally credited or blamed with being pregnant with something other than When I wrote my first novel, A Kiss Before
thing in me. For instance, I came upon the starting the recent rebirth of interest in the human. Originally, I toyed with the idea of Dying, I didn’ t have the vaguest idea that it
ideas of cloning in an article way back in occult. What are your feelings about this making it an alien creature. Then, when I would ever be made into a film—and I’ m not
1972. now, in retrospect? finally centered on the demonic, I began to quite sure that it ever really was!
AQUARIAN: D o you think the stories LEVIN: The combination of the novel and research the whole area. So, actually, I I have always tended to write in dramatic
about a human clone are a hoax? the Polanski film, I guess, did have an came to the occult by way of the back door. scenes, probably because my first writing
LEVIN: Well, whether or not it’ s a hoax is influence on people. But I think it was T o me, the most frightening situations are was done for television. I had originally
of no importance because the technology is something that people were getting into when the evil force isn ’t really seen but is still always wanted to write plays and I studied
there and the reality will soon be upon us. anyway. R osem ary’ s B aby just pushed present somehow. And so, I thought, why playwriting for a while. So, I guess I do tend
W hat’ s important is our reaction to it, how things along a little bit. not make the evil force present within the to think in terms of “ scenes”rather than
we choose to deal with it, how we control it. W henever you have an upheaval in heroine and, what’ s more, a part of the chapters. But that’ s not because of the
B ecau se we absolutely must bring this society, as was witnessed in the 1960s, heroine? possibility that it might be filmed.
entire area of genetic engineering under you’ re going to have this sort of thing. AQUARIAN: Rosem ary’ s Baby caused I must confess to you that sometimes,
control. We can’ t make it the exclusive Similar occurrences have happened in other quite a shock when it first burst on the when Fm working on a character, I do stop
province of science. The potential for periods of history. scene. Was there a lot of adverse reaction and say to myself, “ Hmmm. This w ouldn’ t
disrupting society is enormous. I remember going into an occult book­ directed at you personally? W ere you be a good role for Laurence Olivier but
Just think, the Russians will begin cloning store once, a year or so after the novel was picketed by church groups? maybe Brando...”But I really don’ t want to
all of their Olympic athletes. So, of course. published. The proprietor recognized me LEVIN: Well the movie, as you know, was solve the screenwriter’ s problem for him. If
condemned by the Catholic Church. I got a it’
s filmed, that’ s his headache.
few outraged letters, but not nearly as many AQUARIAN: What effect d o e s great
as I expected. I even received a few letters success have on a writer? Is he ever the
from people who wanted to be put in touch same writer afterwards?
with covens of witches in their area. Un­ LEVIN: Well, it hasn’ t affected me so
fortunately, I w asn’ t able to help them. much because I kind of got it in small doses
AQUARIAN: Many of your novels have along the way.
been made into films, A Kiss Before Dying, I had a television script done when I was
Rosem ary’ s Baby, The Stepford Wives and 20, and to have a television script done when
now The Boys From Brazil. D o you actu­ you’ re 20 is a great success. But I cer­
ally get involved in filming? tainly don’ t think that spoiled me or changed
LEVIN: No, not really. I’ ve been asked on my style of writing. Maybe it’ s changed my
occasion, but I’ ve always chosen to stay out style of living. I have a nicer apartment now
of it. I would rather move on to something than I did then.
else rather than get involved with what’ s But I still have to sit down at the type­
already been done. When you rehash writer every morning the way I did when I
something that’ s old—even if it’ s reworking was 20.1don’ t have a secretary, I still have to
something for another medium—it always open my mail and things like that.
becom es work rather than joyous creation. AQUARIAN: What are your work habits?
Sometimes I’ m afraid that someone might LEVIN: Fm a very slow writer so Fve got
do an injustice to my work—totally mis­ to really discipline myself. 1usually sit down
understand it. But generally, when I finish a at the typewriter at 9 a.m. and try to work
book, I just say “it’s done,”and hope forthe through until 5 p.m. If I do that, and Fm
best. lucky, I can maybe squeeze out two pages
In the case of Rosem ary’ s Baby, I was that day.
delighted, because I felt that Polanski was It also takes me a long time between
incredibly faithful to the book. In the case of projects, anywhere from a few months to a
The Stepford Wives, I w asn’ t as pleased. year. Sometimes, that can be very frus­
well have to begin cloning ours because we from the photo on the book jacket, jumped There were certain things that were good trating. That’ s when 1sit in bed and read the
ca n ’
t have them winning all the gam es over the counter and started thanking me about the film but it seemed to miss the newspapers all day.
twenty years from now. profusely for making his business for him. point. The usual gestation period for one of my
I see it starting with athletes and then AQUARIAN: Are you a student of the But, no matter, I still feel that the novel novels is five years.
moving swiftly to artists and musicians. occult? can always stand on its own. Whatever is AQUARIAN: Well, what else should we
And, of course, the emphasis will be on nice, LEVIN: No, I like to think of myself as a done to it on film, it can’ t affect the work as know about the author of Rosem ary’ s Baby,
strong, attractive people, probably fair­ rational, twentieth century man—whatever literature. The Boys From Brazil and Deathtrap? Are
haired Nordic types.The Hitlerian dream that’ s worth. I’ m not a believer in witch­ AQUARIAN: So many of your novels you a gourmet cook, a collector of rare
made possible by modern science! craft or black magic. I think the whole area is have been made into films. When you’ re coins, an intrepid explorer?
AQUARIAN: That leads into another immensely interesting but ultimately pretty writing now, is there a tendency to write LEVIN: No, just a stay at home.
aspect of The B oys From Brazil. In the harmless. with a movie in mind? In fact, it seems like AQUARIAN: What can we expect from
novel, a group of ex-Nazis have gotten When I was working on the book, I your two most recent novels, The Stepford Ira Levin in the future?
together in South Am erica to form an distinctly remember thinking, “ Am I going to Wives and The Boys From Brazil, were LEVIN: A straight comedy. After scaring
organization of fellow comrades. Is this idea be laughed at if I show this to a publisher?” writtten specifically as blueprints for films. people for so long I think it’ s about time I
totally fictional? I didn’t start with an interest in the occult. I LEVIN: I redly don’ t write with a film in made them laugh.
LEVIN: On the contrary, there is an wanted to write a novel about a woman mind, although I’ ve been accused of that. -★-