‘OTR is finished. Took 1 year to edit, and is very, very good. According to a discerning and in-the-know viewer, it’s so good that it would not be a stretch to see it open Cannes. Producers are thrilled with the result & eager to at least have it there.There were no problems w/ film at; just awaiting the right moment to show & actively start seeking distribution.And that’s all I know. (At least, that’s all I can tell you!) Hope it’s new to somebody; I don’t follow as close as some of you guys are.’

Source - Josh Dickey Twitter

Thanks to Laura from Garrett Minds!

Source for pictures – Celebuzz!

Thanks to hedlundlover for posting at Garrett Minds!

A good friend of  GarrettMinds, Travis Nicholson, produced a short film that is screening at Sundance this weekend. Some of you may remember Travis from Country Strong; he appeared in a couple of scenes as a stagehand and he worked off screen as Garrett’s assistant and they’re still great friends in real life.

The film he produced is called The Arm, and it’s a very clever comment on how technology is changing the way we have relationships.

To keep up with social pressure in a technological world, Chance starts a texting relationship with Genevieve. But tragedy forces Chance to realize that he was never in a relationship at all.

Yahoo is having a contest for the short films showing at Sundance.

Watch nine of the Sundance short films, share them with friends, and vote for your favorite one below. The movie with the top votes will win the Yahoo! Audience Award and the filmmaker will receive $5,000 to continue their creative journey as storytellers.

All nine films can be watched HERE, and the link to The Arm is HERE.

Thanks guys!

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Thanks to KstewAngel for sending a link for the picture to Laura from Garrett Minds

Source – Tim Roth Twitter

Via Mr Hedlund and Garrett Minds

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Regarding her collection, “Ms. Prada, who always sets the standard in Milan, was putting her personal fashion power behind a return of fit and elegance, but with many more coats than suits.

“It was a parody of power,” said the enigmatic Ms. Prada, whose own power over the fashion industry will only be strengthened by this performance.”

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Big thanks to all the lovely girls at Garrett Minds for their excellent photo detective work.

And look at the cutie that is Jamie Bell..

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Inside Llewyn Davis is gearing up for production in New York soon, and there’s a plenty strong cast already in place– Coens go-to guy John Goodman is set for a role, and Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Jeanine Serralles and F. Murray Abraham are all set to work with the brothers for the first time. It goes without saying that Llewyn Davis is high on any “most anticipated of 2012 list,” and even though production is just now starting, it seems likely the quick-working Coens could finish the film in time for a late year release. Will Hedlund get a chance to show off some acting skill before he gets tossed into the gears of a giant movie like Akira? If negotiations pan out, he’ll get one more movie to put between himself and the already badly aged Tron: Legacy.

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Part 2! Walter Salles and the Beat Museum Keep the Spirit of the Beats Alive

The Filming and Cast of On The Road

By: Elle Lutz

Yesterday, in Part 1 of my exclusive interview with Walter Salles and Jerry Cimino, I wrote about the movie On the Road, a collaboration among Francis Ford Coppola, Walter Salles and Jose Rivera based on Jack Kerouac’s book, “On the Road,” and the journey to bring Salles’ donated 1949 Hudson to its new home, the Beat Museum in San Francisco, CA. The film is a $25 million dollar production and it deals with the spontaneous cross-country trips and situations encountered by Sal Paradise, Dean Moriarty and friends as they sought to satisfy their lust for experience.  In Part 2, we focus more on the film itself. Specifically, can a film based on a book set in the 1950s and published in 1957 remain relevant in today’s world? Will the book’s themes, translated into film, resonate well with audiences?

I went looking for answers and approached director Salles and Beat Museum director and founder Jerry Cimino. They were both extremely gracious with their time and provided me with incredible insights.  Cimino never rushed me through our detailed conversation. Salles took the time to answer my questions despite being on vacation in his home country of Brazil for the first time in 18 months due his dedication to working on the film. Initially, I focused the discussion on the relevance of the Beats in today’s world but it was inevitable we would end up exploring the process and expectations that come from interpreting a book into film, as well as talking about the film and cast.

I turned to Cimino first to help put into context the book’s relevance in today’s world, particularly for those who may just be discovering Kerouac and the Beats.

“On The Road” speaks to a timeless issue; it’s about a quest for authenticity. It’s about a quest for living life and looking for joy in the world. It’s timeless in the sense that every person lives and goes through these moments,” he says. “I think Kerouac’s way of writing and his style and the way he portrays his characters is so endearing to people because people see themselves or their friends in the characters.”

He considers the book to be an archetype of spiritual quest and shares that notion with others as part of the educational aspect that inherently comes from running the Beat Museum. “A lot of people think it’s all about the sex, the drugs, the jazz, rock and roll, or the music and that’s fine; that gets them in the door. Once they get here, we try to help them understand this is really about finding out who you are in the world. It’s about finding in your own voice, your own level of authenticity and what’s important to you.”

Cimino points out the influence of the Beats is pervasive at so many levels today because 50 years ago they were already fighting hard for many of the freedoms we take for granted today—especially in regards to major social issues such as environmentalism, racial and gender equality, as well as gay and lesbian rights.

“The Beats were the non-conformists of the era and made it okay to be different. Ginsberg made it ok to come out of the closet. Kerouac said ‘I want to be a writer; I don’t want to go into a factory.’ They made it ok to choose an alternative path. Today, you can see it playing itself out in lots of various subcultures within America. These guys blazed those trails and made it ok to be unique and that’s one of the reasons why I celebrate them.”

While the Museum provides Cimino an educational platform, it also provides the opportunity for dialogue with visitors and Beat enthusiasts. It led us to discuss the skepticism some feel about “On the Road” being made into a movie and I brought up the fact that so many people are unaware Kerouac wanted the book to be made into a film (evidenced in the famous letter he wrote to Marlon Brandon in which he said how they ought to shoot the film and he needed to play Neal).

Cimino elaborated on even more specific details of Kerouac’s intent. “Jack fully expected the book to be made into a movie. They attempted to sell the movie rights while Jack was still alive. They offered something like $100,000 and his agent was trying to hold out for $150,000. It didn’t get picked up and Jack was angry when the agent didn’t sell it,” Cimino explains. “Jack understood that films are not books, it’s a different interpretation. That there are certain things you do in a book and when you make a movie, things change. It’s just the way it is and Jack understood that.”

In Hollywood years, the film has been forever in the making but Cimino is enthusiastic about the potential of the Coppola-Salles project. “I love the fact that it was Coppola who had the project because he just seems to be the kind of guy who is going to do it right or not do it at all,” he says. “Walter Salles knows as much about Jack Kerouac and the Beat generation as anybody I’ve ever met in my life and I know everybody. If they are in the Beat world, I’ve met them and I know them. Walter is right at the very top of the people who understand this stuff. If there is anybody in the world that can make “On the Road” into a great film, it’s this team of people. You got dedicated actors, box office draw and people who are hip to it before they were attached to the project. ”

I shared Cimino’s comments with Salles and his reply wasn’t what I expected but it’s also not the usual canned response filmmakers in similar circumstances tend to provide. Salles’ answer is a well-thought reply filled with his characteristic sense of respect, humility and sincerity as it touches upon the relevance of the Beats in today’s world.

“Firstly, we’re all honored by Jerry’s trust… he’s such a connoisseur of the book and of a generation that redefined not only who we are, but also the way we live. On the other hand, I strongly believe that a film adaptation should first and foremost create the desire for the audience to return to the original source, that is, the book. We can interpret it, but only Kerouac can tell us how the journey really was. He did it by blending seamlessly what had been lived with what he had imagined. That is, by juxtaposing the “objective truth” and the truth of imagination. And he did it brilliantly.”

I can’t help but think about how Cimino’s and Salles’ responses reflect the great admiration these two men feel for one another. Their respect for the material and the movement permeates throughout their words. Furthermore, it reveals their bonding over their intent to keep the Beat legacy alive for future generations.

I was anxious to start discussing the filming of the movie and I know how lucky I am to be able to relay both Salles’ and Cimino’s thoughts on it. Outside of the movie’s crew and staffers of its production company, MK2, Cimino is one of the few individuals with the historical perspective of the book and the process to bring it to the big screen. He also has significant insight regarding the actors’ level of preparation and commitment to the project.

We began by talking about his interactions with Salles and the film’s actors during their visits to the Beat Museum and at a fun evening of chatter with Riley, Hedlund, Sturridge and Danny Morgan at the world-renowned bar, Vesuvio, one of the classic San Francisco Beat hangouts.

Hedlund was the first On the Road cast member Cimino met when the actor visited the Beat Museum in 2007. It’s quite a story as it begins with Cimino receiving a warning from a staffer. “You’ve got to come meet this guy, he’s finding everything on Neal Cassady.” Cimino spies the stack of books and other things Hedlund picked out and tells him, “Damn, you’re really a Neal freak!”  Hedlund explained his interest was due to being involved with a project and Cimino connected the dots. “As soon as he said that, he’s such a good looking guy and is so striking in his mannerisms, it hit me,” Cimino said, seconds before asking, “You’ve been cast as Neal Cassady, haven’t you?”

A conversation followed about how Hedlund isn’t supposed to talk about the project but Cimino grabs him by the arm to show him “stuff he’ll never see” (a stash of rare videos showing Neal at parties and such). After talking for about an hour and a half, Cimino goes solemn on Hedlund. “Garrett, I know you’re a young actor but you’ve got to know that this is a career making role, right?’”

Hedlund looked him in the eye and replied, “I’m perfectly aware of that and I’m determined to do it right.”

We now fast forward to 2010 just as filming for On the Road is about to wrap up in San Francisco. Hedlund stopped at the Museum and had Riley with him.

“I hadn’t seen him in a couple of years and instantly I recognized his voice was different and his mannerisms were different. Of course, he’s a couple of years older at this point,” Cimino points out. He teleports me next to his get together with Riley, Hedlund, Sturridge and Danny Morgan at Vesuvio. “The four of us are sitting there drinking and they’re telling me their stories of what it was like to film the movie.  I really could see Garrett who’s the only one that I’ve ever met prior to that night in a different light than I had seen him years ago. He had really sunk into this role. I even commented to a friend of mine, he’s taking on these mannerisms as Neal. I just saw Garrett becoming this guy.”

Cimino is quick to clarify he was still a kid when Neal Cassady died in 1968, but is knowledgeable about him from seeing him on film and listening to the stories the Cassady clan has shared with him. He then adds, “Knowing Garrett the way I do now, he’s so invested in this. I mean, he loves this project and he’s had a lot of time to be involved in it because he was the first one cast. And then, the movie was ready to get made and then they had to pull back from that for a couple of years and he stuck with the project and he became more and more like Neal, frankly.”

Salles also sang high praises for Hedlund and his dedication to his Dean Moriarty role. “A few words about Garrett: I’ve rarely seen an actor devote himself to a role like Garrett did. You know, he’s not only a very talented actor, but he’s also a musician and a poet in his own right. He was so immersed in Dean’s world that he even bought an old Hudson for his own personal use.  During the shoot, Garrett could drive that Hudson like Mario Andretti drove a Formula car.”

I haven’t seen Hedlund driving around like that but I’ve heard him sing and recite some of his poetry, and we’ve discussed On the Road.  Those conversations were and will remain personal but I can attest that this project is, indeed, very dear to his heart.

Since Cimino keeps mentioning what a great time he had at Vesuvio with the actors, I followed his lead down that discussion path. Besides, aren’t stories that take place at a bar the best ones, anyway?

However, this wasn’t just one more evening of guys out drinking. It was an important night for the actors and Cimino put the evening in context. “I happened to be with them on their last night together after filming for two and a half months. It was interesting because Garrett was flying out the next morning. There was one more scene to take, from what I understand, which is Garrett driving over the Bay Bridge in the Hudson, and then he was flying out the next morning to LA to go to the Tron (Legacy). So, this little family that these people had formed was breaking up.”

The sense of camaraderie among the four young actors was pretty strong, as was their sense of pride of being involved with the film.  “Each one told me this was the greatest project they had ever been involved with in their lives, but they also said I can’t imagine ever being involved in a greater project. And this is what Walter brought off the table, he assembles this group of people but he brings together people who either already have it or can pick up this infectious state and they work well together. I could just tell they were so pleased to be in each other’s’ companies. They were respectful and so complimentary of everybody else they worked with.”

A while ago, I saw the movie Control with Sam Riley so when I found out he was going to be in On the Road, I was curious about how he would characterize Sal Paradise so I asked about him next. “Sam is a happy guy. I really like talking to Sam. It was a little weird in the sense he talks in his own natural voice so he has a British accent although I understand you’re not going to know he’s not a native born American during the film. Walter told me he tired Sam because Sam is such an amazing listener and it comes across on screen.”

As Cimino tells me how much fun he has with the four guys, I’m surprised to learn Sam was the most boisterous but it was for a reason. “There was excitement in the air. You’ve got to understand it was their last day of their shoot and they had just spent two and half months together. Sam and Garrett seemed inseparable to me.  They were buddies, they were great friends. They would finish each other’s sentences.”

Cimino shares other interesting tidbits of their conversation.  The 20-something actors were blown away about working with Viggo Mortensen -“It’s Aragorn from Lord of the Rings!” They talked about how they travelled to Argentina and shot scenes in the Andes (passing as the Rocky Mountains) because Walter insisted in shooting with real snow and cold weather. Somehow, we ended up talking about the craziness when Kristen Stewart was mobbed at the airport in South America and what the actors experienced. “All these teenage girls chasing her, freaking out. The girls were going nuts. Sam was with her and he says, ‘Yeah, I was her body guard you know? Nobody knew who we were; we were just trying to escort her through!’”

Then I asked about Danny Morgan who plays Ed Dunkle.

Danny and Tom

“Danny was a good guy and I’m sure he’s going to do great job in this role but Sam was the one relating all the stories,” Cimino says.

It sure sounds like Riley did a lot of talking that night! We only have Tom Sturridge left to discuss at this point. He plays Carlo Marx (who Kerouac modeled after Allen Ginsberg) and I ended up learning some cool things about his involvement in the film that I hadn’t heard before.

“I really liked Tom a lot and the reason is because he seemed to be very introspective and he had a lot of involvement behind the scenes. I don’t know if he did any of the shooting here in the San Francisco but I know he came along anyway just to be a part of it. He was involved with a lot of the ideas that they would come up with because a lot of it was spontaneous. Of course they had a script but they would do a lot of things impromptu and spontaneous because that’s the spirit that Walter wanted to capture.” With excitement, he also adds, “These are people who have really done their research. They had to execute in a hurry because all of a sudden, the money and their schedules came together. Part of their methodology was spontaneity but how can you make On the Road without spontaneity?”

Cimino’s tone of voice changed again as he shared an anecdote involving Sturridge that really struck him. As they passed each other in Vesuvio, Sturridge confided in him. “I just want you to know that if I’m quiet tonight, it’s not because I’m not excited to be here. I’m really kind of blown away by everything that has been going on. I’m a young actor that has been lucky to be cast in a particular role but I’m in awe of the story and I’m awe of the people that we’ve met.  We’re meeting Carolyn Cassady tomorrow night at the party. We’ve met all these people in the Boot camp; we come to your museum and we see other people. We see what it means to so many different folks. It kind of knocks me out and I’m pinching myself that I’m playing Allen Ginsberg in this film.”

I’m also sort of blown away at hearing the collective sense of dedication from the cast and crew—not only at the material but of their level of awareness at what it means to so many others. As our conversation comes to a close, Cimino summarizes well the approach and methodology for On the Road: “The thing I love how the way Hedlund has approached the role and the way Walter and everyone else involved in the film have approached this film; they are respectful of the heritage and the lineage of all of this. They understand how much it means to so many people and they understand this is their vision of something that so long has been anticipated by so many. They understand it’s an important thing.”

I couldn’t end the article without asking Walter Salles the question whose answer would yield the equivalent of hitting the jackpot in Vegas: “Can you provide a general update on where On the Road stands from a post-production standpoint?”

“We just finished the edit and the mix in Paris. There are still a few steps left until the film is completely finished (designing titles and credits, getting the digital workprint back to 35 mm, etc.),” Salles answers. “The independent company that produced the film, MK2, is now working on the site and trailer. As for release dates, they tend to vary from country to country when a film is distributed independently.”

I don’t hit the jackpot and although I still don’t know when the movie will be released in the US, the timeline for the trailer, or the film’s website launch date, Salles is so eloquent and personable in his responses that I’m happy with the information I’ve received.  However, there’s more to Salles’ answer. “In the case of The Motorcycle Diaries, it took from six to nine months for the film to be launched once it was done. It premiered in early January at Sundance, and then went to Cannes. Europe and Latin America launched the film before summer, while Focus, who acquired the rights for the US, opted to release it in the fall.”

The Motorcycle Diaries is his 2004 Academy Award nominated film and although I don’t want to start rumors, I think we can consider it a possible blue print for a timeline for the release of On The Road. From an award consideration standpoint, the timeframe is great.  As I wonder if I should have insisted more about dates, I hear from Auréliano Tonet, the editor-in-chief of MK2’s Trois Couleurs magazine. Tonet shares with me some exciting details about the special Beat edition of the magazine which is coming out in mid-March. Their reporters have travelled to Paris, Brittany, California, Lowell, New York, London and Berlin to track down the most vivid stories associated with Kerouac’s life, as well as his work and legacy in the fields of literature, cinema, music, the arts and society. Expect the edition to be at least 132 pages long; it will also contain exclusive content related to the movie such as interviews with the director, actors, producers, set designer, photographer, screenwriter, composer, etc. In it we can expect a special treat: a portfolio of photographs taken by Walter Salles before, during and after the shooting.  The details for making the magazine available in the States are still being worked out and more information will be available soon.

As I wrap up this two-part article, I can’t help but think about how Kerouac envisioned “On the Road” being made into a film. Wherever he is, he should be happy because the “On the Road” journey is one that doesn’t end; it lives on and very soon will hit the big screen.

All photos © 1995-2012 The Beat Museum, MK2 and Chronicle/Mike Kepka.

Lend your support to the Beat Museum by visiting http://www.kerouac.com/.

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Again – massive congratulations to Elle for her amazing work!

Jerry Cimino, director and founder of San Francisco’s Beat Museum, had been searching for a car, specifically a Hudson, for over five years to add to the Museum’s collection but when he finally found it, he had to keep his excitement hushed for a whole year as the vehicle came to him via a film project that was still in progress.

The Hudson in question isn’t an ordinary vintage car. Its pedigree can be found in an American literature classic considered by many to be the most important novel of the Beat generation:  Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.”  The cinematic connection comes from Francis Ford Coppola and internationally acclaimed director Walter Salles’ collaboration on the aptly titled film, On the Road (OTR). The film has a star-studded cast that includes Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Steve Buscemi, Amy Adams, and Tom Sturridge, among others.

In December 2011, Cimino was able to publicly share the big reveal when Hedlund (Tron Legacy, Country Strong) personally delivered the ’49 Hudson used in the film, which is one of the most anticipated films of 2012.  The project was filmed in 2010 across multiple locations: in the US (New Orleans, San Francisco), Canada (Montreal, Gatineau), South America (Argentina, Chile), and Mexico.  A second unit shot took place in Spring 2011 for which Salles, Hedlund and a small crew took the Hudson on an additional 4,000 mile US road trip.

Hedlund, who plays Dean Moriarty (a character modeled after Kerouac’s friend Neal Cassady, and a powerhouse inspirational source for many of the Beats), brought meaningful company with him on the road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco’s Beat Museum—Neal’s son John and Cassady family friend Albert C. Hinkle, the only living participant of the 1940s trips immortalized in the book.

With this highly anticipated project and its young cast about to propel a whole other generation to re-discover “On the Road” and the Beat movement, I reached out to Cimino in San Francisco, and Salles in his native Brazil, to get their perspectives on this unique occasion. We also discussed the film, its cast and the continued influence of the Beats on today’s society.  I’m fully aware of the privilege these men bestowed on me by sharing their experiences and in a good way, it burdened me with a greater sense of responsibility about how I was going to share this information, which I’ll cover in this two-part article. Their responses and reminiscences unveiled these two men are not just experts in a literary movement, they are also passionate spirits determined to keep the Beat legacy alive by taking concrete actions to keep it going.

The genesis of this story takes us to the lively and beloved neighborhood of North Beach in San Francisco where we find former hangout spots of the Beats. This is where the Beat Museum is purposefully located; it has become a popular pilgrimage destination for Beat enthusiasts ever since opening its doors in August 2007.

“I always knew if the Beat Museum was going to be anything, it had to be as close to the City Lights bookstore as possible, the epicenter of the Beats. The Beats met in New York City but they became famous out here in San Francisco and City Lights is where everybody would gather,” Cimino explains. “City Lights published the Beats; it was the place where people would hang out.  You have Vesuvio’s, the bar right next door to City Lights and you got the Caffe Trieste, which was the coffee house that everyone would go to and still goes to today. North Beach is the epicenter of the Beats.”

Cimino says establishing a museum to carry on the Beat torch hasn’t been an easy feat.

“We built the Beat Museum on a wing and a prayer.  We started at a difficult economic time. We had no funding and at the same time it was something I wanted to do because I felt it was important.”

A minute later, I learned the Museum’s initial location was in Monterey (California) and the “we” Cimino often mentions refers to lifelong friend John Cassady. The Museum’s next incarnation was a mobile unit in which Cimino and Cassady travelled for two years. Taking the project to a permanent location required determination and a dose of that fortuitous Beatnik spirit.

“When we came out to North Beach, we built this place out of nothing. Basically, we took out my own personal collection out of my garage and put it under a glass. We started telling a story of the Beats and people came out of the woodwork to support us,” Cimino exposed with pride. “People would walk in the door and say, ‘Here, this belonged to Allen Ginsberg or Jack Kerouac.’  They would give us artwork, personal effects and mementos. We’re able to tell a story with all the things people brought us. It was magnificent.”

Personally, I can’t think of a more meaningful way for a museum dedicated to the Beats to come together: being showered by openness, inclusion and spontaneity. With Salles’ solid knowledge about the movement and a detail-oriented personality, it’s no surprise he never lost sight of the big picture perspective of things. Nor was I surprised by his decision to donate the ’49 Hudson which, to this day, is the Museum’s largest acquisition (not only physically but also at large, due to its place and meaning in the book and film).  I asked Salles how the Hudson donation idea came about and his response was coated in a deep appreciation and respect for Kerouac, Cimino and the Museum.

“The passion I have for “On the Road” originates from Kerouac’s writings, but it has also been nurtured by silent heroes like Jerry Cimino, who devoted their lives to keep the legacy of that unique generation alive. The Hudson is a character in a book about a generation in motion.  The Beat Museum is where it belongs.  It is a way to thank those who have inspired us.”

In similar fashion, Cimino doesn’t hold back in expressing his gratitude for Salles’ donation.  “It lends an air of legitimacy of what we do, that we got the seal of approval and a blessing from the people that made the movie.”

As I reviewed Salles and Cimino’s responses, it didn’t take me long to figure out they both see the Museum as the heart and lungs needed to keep the Beatnik spirit alive both for today and for posterity.

The ‘inner guy’ in me was itching to learn more about the ‘49 Hudson’s features. Although it was interesting to learn it’s an eight cylinder car that had an original sticker price of approximately $2000, I soon realized my focus was off when Cimino began relating a story shared by Al Hinkle. It turns out Hinkle had been with Neal on the day he purchased the vehicle and it’s his fault the car didn’t have a heater.

“Neal didn’t have enough money for the down payment. Neal only had like fifty bucks on him and Al gave him an extra hundred. They had to make a choice,” Cimino says as he explains invoices of the era revealed extra features were $50-80 each. “Al said, ‘Neal we got to have a radio.’ At the point they bought the car, I don’t believe they were expecting to make this trip east. They were just buying it as a California car and you don’t need a heater here.”

We moved on to discussing Hinkle in greater detail. “He’s a very interesting guy because Al straddled both worlds. Al was the guy who was running around with Neal, going from city to city but he always had this straight life too,” Cimino explains. “He was the guy in the background helping Neal manage his time with all the women in his life. He was Neal’s buddy.”

That’s the perception I’ve always had about him: Hinkle is Neal’s buddy and a living legend for running around with Cassady and Kerouac during their cross-country trips. But Hinkle is a humble man and the often limited perception we have about him and his role in the Beat movement has been shattered by others.  Little did I know that in this process, I was about to be introduced to one of the most beautiful metaphors I’ve heard about friendship in a very long time.

Cimino anchors me back to the time when Al and Neal were school kids about 12 years old. “Al was a big kid and Neal was really nimble. The first thing they ever did together was like in gym class and they were doing the trapeze. Al would be the catcher and Neal would be the guy that would fly.  It’s a metaphor for their lives, Al was catching Neal all his life,”Cimino explains. “He protected him; he helped his family when Neal was in prison. Al kept Neal’s family together. He’s just the unsung hero in the background of all of it. None of this would ever come about if it had not been for Al Hinkle.”

The anecdote sheds light on why it was so meaningful to Cimino, Salles and Hedlund to have Hinkle included in the Hudson drop off. Of course, I wanted to know more details about how the trip plans unfolded so Salles explained: “When he heard that the Hudson would have a new home, Garrett insisted to deliver it personally to the Beat Museum. I then heard from Jerry that John would join, which was an incredible treat. News traveled and a few days later, Al’s family heard about the trip and Al, who’s one of the most wonderful and generous guys I had the opportunity to meet during the OTR odyssey, proposed to join.”

Hedlund’s insistence on delivering the car and personally calling to invite John and Hinkle opened the door to some interesting situations.

In late September, John let the cat out of the bag to about 100 people. At that point in time, Cimino had only shared the donation news with a handful of people – all sworn to secrecy- consisting of the Museum’s staff and a few individuals who were involved with designing the space.  The day after Hedlund called Cimino to ask for John’s number to invite him and Al on the trip, the Beat Museum hosted a special event with David Amran that John was attending. John was so excited about Hedlund asking him that he blurted out the plans to the audience:  “Garrett called me and I want to be in the car.” He looked at Cimino and said:  ‘I wasn’t supposed to talk about that, was I Jerry?’”

Knowing his friend well, Cimino could tell John slipped up because he was excited and honored that the people involved with the movie production would include him.  Although the audience seemed amused with the reveal, Cimino felt compelled to do some explaining.

“A year ago the production company was here and Walter Salles made the commitment to us that he was going to deliver to us the car so we would have it on display here at the Beat Museum.  I want you folks to know that I kept that secret for a year,” Cimino exclaimed, quickly adding, “Now, there’s two different types of people in the world; there’s those of us who can keep a secret -and I hold my hand to my chest- and there’s guys like John Cassady that can’t keep it more than one day.”

I sure hope those audience members appreciated witnessing a moment drenched not only in Beatnik spontaneity but a sense of brotherhood between the two men.

The next logical step was to discuss the delivery of the car as it took a while for the Hudson to journey to its new home.  “We had to meet everyone’s schedule and the car was still being used,” Cimino explains, adding that he knows John, Garrett and Al to be busy guys. “I was hoping to get it a few months ago but Garrett told us they had to do some work mechanically and then Walter took it into the studio and was recording engine sounds. For him, it got to be the actual vehicle that was used in the movie. I maintained my cool.”

Next, I inquired about the specifics of the trip from LA to San Francisco. “John flew out that morning and he met up with the guys down in LA. And they drove up into San Jose. They picked up Al and they let me know they were close,” Cimino says. “Getting the car in the building wasn’t hard because we had cars in the building before so we knew what to do. Positioning it into the right place took a bit of back forth.”

The visit led to an impromptu photo shoot with Hedlund and Hinkle which has been recently posted on The Beat Museum website. It involves one of the most robust collections of “On the Road” books that exists in the world today as it includes copies of the book in 25 different languages. It’s owned by Horst Spandler who lives Nuremberg (Germany) and it was part of an exhibit at the Museum.

“It just so happens that we’re shipping that collection back to him very soon and so, given that fact that Garrett was here, and I had just taken down the collection I said,  ‘Hey, I’ve got all these copies of “On the Road,” you’re Neal Cassady, what do you think of a photo opp?’” Cimino explains. “We took pictures of Garrett sitting upstairs in the Beat Museum with all these books surrounding him head to toe. It was pretty cool actually.  He’s a great sport. We had fun doing it.”

I asked Cimino what John’s and Al’s moods were that day.

Al Hinkle, the inspiration for the “On the Road” character Ed Dunkle, beams as he admires the ’49 Hudson.

“Everybody was electric and I think you can sum up Al Hinkle’s mood by looking at the very last photograph of the ones we just published. He’s sitting in there, in the driver’s seat of the car, with his hand resting on the dashboard and he’s grinning ear to ear like a kid in a candy store. He just loved it.”

I think Salles’ description of the Hudson’s final journey to its new home summarized the experience best. “Needless to say, that drive became the ultimate ride. I wish I could have been a fly in that Hudson.”

Me too, Walter, me too!

The ’49 Hudson is now prominently displayed at the Beat Museum as it remains…unwashed!

“I’ve got to tell you, it’s got me nervous (laughs) because it’s so important to Walter,”Cimino says. “Walter has expressed it to me on more than one occasion, jokingly, but still I know he’s serious. ‘Jerry whatever you do, don’t wash the car!”

But Salles’ request was not a capricious demand; it was a continuation of a tradition he started with his 2004 Academy Award nominated film, The Motorcycle Diaries, which led Francis Ford Coppola to approach him about On the Road. Salles explains it: “We donated the Norton 1949 used for the shoot, known as “La Poderosa” (“The Mighty One”), to the Guevara Museum in Havana. You can visit it there… still unwashed!”

Note to self: Must take trip to Cuba.

I digress. Anyhow, Cimino and I discussed the no-washing policy in detail and his good-humored voice turned serious, alerting me to the seriousness of what he was about to say. “Neal only owned the car for three months and then it was repossessed so it was probably never ever washed. In the book, as I recall, Jack mentions how dirty it was and this is almost like a representation of that for the film. Beyond that, I think Walter sees this as a metaphor for the drive across America. It’s got the dust, the dirt and the grime of the entire continent.”

I shared Cimino’s interpretation of his request with Salles and he commented, “The Hudson bravely transported us several times across America… it carries the dust, the sweat and the traces of that journey on its skin; the traces of every single hand that touched the car, drove it, worked on it. Washing it would be like taking away this memory, and what has been lived with such intensity.”

Is this man a poet too?  I’ve always thought Latin American people have a unique way of infusing words with emotions and imagery. If Salles’ answers are wrapped with such passion and care, my mind races with delight at anticipating what he’s done with On the Road.

Coming up tomorrow – Part 2: Cimino and Salles about the relevance of On the Road in today’s world, as well as a discussion of the film, the actors and the status of the movie.

All photos © 1995-2012 The Beat Museum

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(Thanks to Mr Hedlund for letting us copy the article.)