As I approach 80 years of age, I have fewer and fewer opportunity to make movies. More than anything else, I wanted to make another picture with director Clem Keiffenheim, who has been like a son to me for over three decades. I would have been happy making this picture even if it was awful just to be on set with Clem another time, so you can image how happy I was when I read the script. It was wonderful! I laughed my head off. I think it's one of the best films I've made.

I was first introduced to Clem in 1970 by his sister Ulla. I was building my film studio in Cave, Italy, outside of Rome. She told me she had a brother who was interested in the film business. So I told her to bring him along sometime, and I'd show him around. The next day, he was there with her. I told him to really understand the motion picture business, you have to start at the bottom, so I gave him a hole digger, and had him dig holes to lay down a fence. We became great friends from that day forward. He would come down to Rome and stay with me, or I would stay at his place in Munich. When I moved back to Los Angeles, he would always call to see how I was doing, and came to see me every year.

I loved working on Das Musikill. It was great being back in Germany, and being around young people again. It was very energizing! Clem worked my butt off. He had me paint 25 canvasses, and I had to be on the set all day long. The cast and crew was very supportive not only of me, but one another. It was a real ensemble!

Grand amigo, Gordon

www.gordonmitchell.net
www.graphicmuscle.com

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