Berry Gordy and The Last Dragon
Berry Gordy (center) with the cast of The Last Dragon, Glen Eaton, Taimak, and Leo O’Brien, 1985
Director Michael Schultz asked me to design and direct the opening main title sequence, filming with the lead actor, Taimak, who was a martial arts master.
We shot for one full day at a small studio in downtown Manhattan. I filmed a series of separate karate moves that I later built into a sequence incorporating the titles in an exciting, dynamic, graceful montage.
After returning to LA, director Schultz signed off on the edit but, I was told I couldn’t finish the sequence without the approval of the head of the company, the legendary owner and founder of Motown Records: Berry Gordy.
When I called Motown Films for an appointment I was instructed to meet Mr. Gordy’s chauffeur at a parking lot near Sunset and Vine Street in Hollywood.
I arrived to meet a rather sinister looking older man wearing a black suit and a driver’s cap.
He instructed me to follow him to “The Chairman’s” house. As we winded our way up high into the Hollywood hills following the big sedan with dark windows, I began to wonder if I could ever find my way back down to civilization.
We finally arrived at an enormous stone compound on the top of the hill with breath- taking views of Hollywood all the way to the ocean, around to the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Park Observatory. The entire property seemed to be shaded by majestic oak trees.
Through heavily ornamented wrought iron gates I followed around a gigantic circle drive and stopped behind The Chairman’s big, black limousine. There was a garage with at least 12 cars with their front ends hanging out. There was a Ferrari and an Aston Martin, a Mercedes-Benz and couple of Rolls Royces. It reeked of money and excess.
The chauffeur gestured for me to go to the massive wood carved front door where a servant in a white coat waited to usher me into the house. I was escorted to a vast living room and seated at a small table in front of a very large picture window overlooking the most extraordinary view. The sun was just beginning to set and everything was bathed in a beautiful, golden glow.
I was offered a drink and when the servant returned with a cold soda he placed a napkin down on the table that had a logo printed on it with the name of the house, something like ‘The Stone Mansion’ – as if it were a restaurant! Well, if I wasn’t impressed before, I certainly was now.
Eventually, I was collected by one of The Chairman’s many assistants and brought down a long hallway past many doors to a large room. As we entered I saw Gordy lying on an enormous leather sofa with his head in the lap of his girlfriend who was barely missing her considerable endowments as she continued to actually drop grapes into his mouth.
It seems he was evaluating a series of takes of a new song that one of his artists, DeBarge, had just laid down in the recording studio for Mr. Gordy’s listening pleasure.
His lovely, young producer was anxiously running back and forth from an oversized tape playback rig at the far side of the room, which was framed by gigantic stacks of speakers.
She was playing one take after another extolling the attributes of each trying to convince him to choose her favorite for release to the world as part of the debut of The Chairman’s first feature film.
The Last Dragon title card
I was introduced to him and, without even sitting up he extended a limp hand for me to shake – or maybe he meant to kiss. I couldn’t tell. I only know that he had a severe superiority complex.
After waiting for them to listen and re-listen to all 12 takes, that he blasted to earsplitting levels, he finally got up and – with his busty girlfriend – took me in to his projection room where we looked at my sequence just once. He then anointed me with a patronizing approval and waved me on back down the hall.
As I was walking out he said, “Oh, don’t’ forget, the title isn’t ‘The Last Dragon,’ it’s, ‘Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon.’” Well, the last time there was a title like that it was for Robert Altman’s Three Women. But at least Bob wrote the script to claim ownership of the title. Gordy had some nerve. But he got away with it because Michael Schultz didn’t make an issue of it.
I hopped into my car and gladly followed the chauffeur back down the hill. At the bottom he saluted me and drove off. So I went off to my little office on Hollywood Blvd.
Everyone loved the sequence and I never heard another word from The Chairman.