Behind The Camera: Two-Lane Blacktop

HPP: What did you see as the plot of the movie?
MH: I was hard-pressed to find one (laughs). My nature is to tell stories and I didn't really know what the story was, but I found it fascinating for some reason. I guess I'm a frustrated documentarian. As soon as I get into a film that's about a group of people-as this one was-I get caught up in just that reality. I found the street racers to be interesting people, so it became a cross between reality and fiction. In the case of Two-Lane Blacktop, I extrapolated the street racing into my experience, which was in movies. So I felt that these characters could be from any walk of life. It's about the passion for perfection, and that could apply to almost everybody. That's how I related to it.

HPP: Who or what did you see as the real star or driving force of the movie?
MH:
I don't know. I think it was more of a movie about all of the characters.

HPP: Why were there no names for the characters?
MH: They had names, but we just never learned them. It's my experience that people don't call each other by name, unless they're trying to get somebody's attention across the road. Names are used more in screenplays and in movies than they are in real life. If you live with someone, you could go days without saying his or her name and just proceed with ongoing conversation.

HPP: You had a very established actor in Warren Oates, yet you cast two musicians and Laurie Bird, who did some modeling. Was it your plan to use nonactors in these other key roles?
MH: Well, I saw many actors in Hollywood and New York, and I even took it to San Francisco to meet actors up there. I never planned to use nonactors; I couldn't find actors that I liked enough to play the roles. The most important part of directing-in my opinion-is casting, because once you have the right people, the rest falls into place.

HPP: Was Warren Oates considered right from the beginning, or was he somebody who came in toward the end?
MH: He was part of my stock company, so he was my first choice.

HPP: How did you come upon James Taylor and Laurie Bird?
MH: I saw a picture of James Taylor on a billboard on the Sunset Strip promoting his new album. I thought his look was right for the part of The Driver. Regarding Laurie Bird, I took a trip to New York to meet with Rudy Wurlitzer, and, while there, met with a number of modeling agencies just to explore that field. When you're looking for someone that age to play that role, it's impossible to find someone who is established, so I anticipated finding an unknown. I checked out modeling agencies and met with people in L.A. as well and she was recommended. Laurie was so inexperienced it never occurred to me that I would actually cast her. She seemed so typical of what we had in mind for the character, however, that we used her as a prototype. Rudy and I did a three-hour taped interview with her; she became the template for the character. I still thought I could cast an actress who could play the part, but I couldn't. Someone then had the bright idea of screen-testing Laurie.

HPP: Did Dennis Wilson come very late in the process?
MH:
Yes. He was the last one to come onboard, after I ran through every actor and some other musicians. As a matter of fact, we even met with Randy Newman. Fred Roos, the casting director, finally suggested Dennis.

HPP: Were there any other notable actors or other known people who were considered?
MH: If memory serves, I saw Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and James Caan; I think I saw every young actor in Hollywood.

HPP: How were these four principal actors to work with?
MH: They were terrific. Dennis was very easy going. The only problem was that he was having so much fun that it was hard to find him when we were ready to shoot because he was off somewhere playing all the time. James took it very seriously and was very professional.