Movie Star

Kristen Stewart Says Jean Seberg's French Accent was "Terrible"

Kristen Stewart in "Personal Shopper." (IFC Films publicity still)

 

In a recent article that appeared on the Festival de Cannes website, author Tarik Khaldi asked actress and director Kristen Stewart if she was "French at heart."

 

She replied, "Almost! I’m getting as close as I can. I’m playing Jean Seberg in Benedict Andrews’ Against All Enemies. A lot of the dialogue is in French, although her [Seberg's] accent is terrible."

 

In Seberg's French films, she purposely exaggerated her accent to varying degrees as requested by her directors (eg. Jean-Luc Godard in Breathless and Seberg's husband Romain Gary in Birds in Peru).

 

"Her [Seberg's] accent was deliberate and reflected her intelligence," Diamonds are Brittle director Nicolas Gessner said. "It was with 'tongue in cheek' because it showed her superiority. When she spoke French she spoke it very well--but with an accent. Not quite showing off with it but taking away the criticism. She didn't want people to think 'Oh c'mon. She thinks she's French because she speaks French'. She went ahead of that criticism. Even today, so many years later, I can hear her speaking."

 

When Stewart was asked if she went on a French film binge [Seberg made more than a dozen films in French], Stewart replied: "Not as much as I should have."

 

Jean Seberg in "Birds in Peru" (Universal publicity still).

 

Keep up on all the news regarding the December release of the award-winning Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg by Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.) and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films) on DVD at JeanSebergMovie.com!

Vince Vaughn joins Kristen Stewart in cast of Jean Seberg movie project

Actor Vince Vaughn (Deadline.com)

It was announced on Deadline.com today that actor Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers, Hacksaw Ridge, Couples Retreat) has joined the cast of the new political thrillerAgainst All Enemies,  directed by director Benedict Andrews (Una) and starring Kristen Stewart (Personal Shopper, On the Road, Twilight) as Jean Seberg.  Vaughn will play Carl Kowalski, the FBI agent in charge of the investigation of Seberg involvement with supporting the Black Power movement.  Seberg was considered the darling of the French New Wave after starring in Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless.

Jean Seberg and Kristen Stewart (Ecran Noir).

Deadline.com reports: Fred Berger (La La Land) and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones of Automatik are producing alongside Kate Garwood and Stephen Hopkins. Phreaker Films, led by Alan Ritchson and Marina Acton, has come on board to produce and finance. Bradley Pilz of Bradley Pilz Productions is also producing. Sales kick off in Cannes this week via Memento Films International. UTA is repping U.S. rights.  The film is set to begin filming in Los Angeles in June.

To read more on the update click HERE. 

*The producers of Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg are not affiliated with Against All Enemies, nor is this project based on Garry McGee's book Jean Seberg: Breathless or Neutralized: the FBI vs Jean Seberg by Jean Russell Larson and Garry McGee.  

The award-winning documentary Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg by Emmy-nominated documentary film writer Garry McGee, McMarr LTD (author of Jean Seberg: Breathless) and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmakers Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films) will be released internationally on DVD near Christmas 2018.

Join the journey! To add your name to the film credits (before August 1, 2018) and make a tax-deductible contribution of $100 or more to Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg, contact us at fourthwallfilms@aol.com for details!

Star de Cinéma: les vies secrètes de Jean Seberg

Jean Seberg in the French New Wave film "Breathless".

As the award-winning Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg documentary undergoes final adjustments, we turn our attention to early preparations for the DVD bonus features, closed captioning and a French translation of the film.

Though Jean was an American actress, she appeared in 34 films in Hollywood and in Europe, and lived half of her life in France.  She is considered an adopted daughter of France and is honored and remembered there even today.  

Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg (Star de Cinéma: les vies secrètes de Jean Seberg) DVD will have the option of being viewed with French subtitles.

We continue our fundraising efforts to cover post-production expenses on Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg.  Ahhhh to have a Hollywood budget for our French/Hollywood story! What would that be like? Funding raised during this final phase will go toward E&O insurance and licensing fees.

The DVD is slated for release in December of this year!

If you or someone you know would like to make a tax-deductible contribution of $100 or more to the film project before it goes to DVD, contact us at fourthwallfilms@aol.com for details!

We cannot thank each of you enough for your generous and kind support of Movie Star.  We are very excited to see the project finally coming to a close.  We could not do it without you!

50th Anniversary "Breathless" DVD includes featurette by "Movie Star" producers

Breathless, the groundbreaking film that was an instant classic when first released in 1960 ushered in the French New Wave style of filmmaking and made stars of Jean-Paul Belmondo and director Jean-Luc Godard. Jean Seberg, who was living in France with her then-husband Francois Moreuil (also featured in Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg) was convinced by him to be in Breathless.

The financial backers also wanted a name to be in the film to help generate ticket sales and Seberg filled the ticket. It's also the first film in which audiences saw a natural Seberg--Godard allowed her much freedom in the interpretation of the character she played. And her instincts come through for the first time on film.

"We did a lot of improvising," Jean later recalled. "And I believe Belmondo and I often thought we were creating more than we really were. [But] Godard was very much in control of it all." 

"Jean really enjoyed making Breathless, and much of it was ad-libbed. It showed what Jean could do when left to her own devices," said Carol Hollingsworth, Jean's high school theater drama coach and friend. 

The 50th Anniversary of Breathless on DVD includes a featurette produced by Emmy-nominated filmmakers Garry McGee, Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle, whose award-winning documentary feature Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg will be released on DVD December 2018.

"The company was aware that Movie Star was in post-production and asked if we could create a featurette about Jean for inclusion on the DVD," said producer Kelly Rundle. "It was great fun to do and we are pleased to have it included on this special DVD marking the 50th anniversary of Breathless' release.

The 50th Anniversary Breathless DVD can be purchased via Amazon.com.

Keep up on all the news regarding the December release of the award-winning Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg by Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films) on DVD at JeanSebergMovie.com!

(Quotes used in post are from Garry McGee's book "Jean Seberg: Breathless")

Seberg Shines in "Breathless" at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica April 21

By Angela Matano
The Argonaut

There’s a certain je ne sais quoi — a nonchalance if you will — that comes with Frenchness, or at least American perception of Frenchness. Truth be told, that air of Frankly-my-dear-I-don’t-give-a-damn-ness is a quality everyone else in the world yearns for. It’s not indifference exactly, but a deep abiding confidence … or at least that’s how it comes across.

Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo in "Breathless" (1960).

Two movies epitomizing Parisian chic, “Breathless” and “Band of Outsiders,” screen this Saturday at that indomitable Santa Monica institution, The Aero Theatre. The double feature can be taken together or individually, providing an adequate dosage of swank — much like the flu shot, a yearly French film viewing does the trick. Both shrug their way toward being crime films, but in the most modest way possible. The important take away is their ineluctable style.

Directed by the legendary Jean-Luc Godard, both pictures sneak up on you, kind of tapping you on the shoulder from behind. Anti-establishment, anti-almost everything, the director’s early-sixties point of view captures a restless youthful ennui that persists to this day. A frustration with what came before that finds some respite in music, cinema and a cigarette. Check out actress Jean Seberg in her marinière (stripy shirt) and cropped hair — just as au courant today as ever. Ce flick est en fleek.

Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA.

If you haven’t made an effort to check out The Aero Theatre, do. The programming at The American Cinematheque (there is also the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood) bursts with cinematic gems that are honest-to-God worth the trek to see on the big screen. Classics and newer choices await, often with special guests, and family-friendly picks, like the recently screened “E.T.,” only underscore the emotional gulf that exists between watching things at home versus the irresistible communal experience.

Read the rest of THE ARGONAUT story HERE!

Keep up on all the news regarding the December release of the award-winning Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg by Garry McGee and Kelly & Tammy Rundle on DVD at JeanSebergMovie.com!

Jean Seberg Saves 'Day'

Columbia Pictures publicity still of Doris Day and Jack Lemmon in "It Happened to Jane".

April 3 marks the 96th birthday of Academy Award-winning actress Doris Day--another of author/filmmaker Garry McGee's favorite subjects (Doris Day: Sentimental Journey).

 

In March of 1959 with Bonjour Tristesse behind her and The Mouse that Roared ready for release in November, Jean Seberg was called upon by Columbia Pictures to replace an ailing Doris Day at the premiere of Day's film It Happened to Jane.

 

Jean Seberg publicity still from "The Mouse That Roared".

Jean told a reporter, "I never dreamt I'd be up at 5:30 this morning at home and running to catch a Chicago-bound plane to Des Moines so that I could make connections in Boston. I don't feel tired at all!"

 

Day would write a warm letter thanking Jean for covering for her. Happy birthday, Doris Day!

 

Keep up on all the news regarding the release of the award-winning Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg by Garry McGee and Kelly & Tammy Rundle on DVD at JeanSebergMovie.com!

 

Jean Seberg continues to make news as post-production work continues on "Movie Star"

Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg and Lee Marvin in Joshua Logan's Paint Your Wagon.

As producers Kelly and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films), and Garry McGee (McMarr, LTD) continue fundraising efforts for post-production editing on Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg, and work on the legal review of the documentary is underway, Jean Seberg continues to make news in 2018--the year that marks what would have been her 8oth birthday.

A new exhibit opens at the Baker Heritage Museum celebrating the 50th anniversary of Paint Your Wagon, the big-budget Western musical directed by Joshua Logan.

The Baker Heritage Museum located at 2480 Grove St, Baker City, OR.
 
The 1968 film starring Jean Seberg, Lee Marvin, and Clint Eastwood, was filmed in Eastern Oregon, near Anthony Lakes and along East Eagle Creek in the Wallowa Mountains.

Paint Your Wagon won an Oscar for Best Musical Score in 1970 and received two Golden Globe nominations for 'Best Picture - Comedy or Musical', and 'Best Actor - Comedy or Musical'.  Lee Marvin won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical.

The display will be featured in the museum's main gallery through the 2019 season.

You may have seen news items pop up announcing that Kristen Stewart has been cast as Jean Seberg in a movie that is in pre-production entitled Against All Enemies.  It is described as a thriller and is produced by Automatik Entertainment.

Please note that the producers of Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg are not affiliated with Against All Enemies, nor is that project based on Garry McGee's book Jean Seberg: Breathless or Neutralized: the FBI vs Jean Seberg by Jean Russell Larson and Garry McGee.

Fundraising for final post-production editing expenses on Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg continues.  If you or someone you know would like to make a tax-deductible contribution of $100 or more to the film project before it goes to DVD (target release date is December 2018), contact us at fourthwallfilms@aol.com for details!

Kristen Stewart signs to star as Jean Seberg in new fictional movie

Actress Kristen Stewart. (Image By Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0 Details HERE.)

Kristen Stewart is set to star in Against All Enemies, a thriller formerly titled Seberg, to be directed by Benedict Andrews (Una), The Hollywood Reporter printed.

Automatik Entertainment is producing, with Fred Berger (La La Land), Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Kate Garwood and Stephen Hopkins sharing the producer credits.  Read MORE.

Jean Seberg in Birds in Peru (1968).

Deadline reported "Seberg, an American actress who spent half her life in France, was a darling of the French New Wave. Because of her political and romantic involvement with civil rights activist Hakim Jamal (Anthony Mackie), she was also a target of the FBI’s attempts to disrupt, discredit and expose the Black Power movement. Jack O’Connell plays the ambitious young FBI agent assigned to surveil her, only to find their fates dangerously interwoven." Read MORE.

Indiewire reports that Against All Enemies is coming together quickly and will be shopped around to potential distributors. Read MORE.

IMDB reports that the film project will go into production Spring 2018.

The award-winning documentary Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg by Emmy-nominated documentary film writer Garry McGee (author of Jean Seberg: Breathless) and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmakers Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films) will be released internationally on DVD near Christmas 2018.

Join the journey! To add your name to the credits and make a tax-deductible contribution of $100 or more to Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg before it goes to DVD, contact us at fourthwallfilms@aol.com for details!

The producers of Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg are not affiliated with Against All Enemies, nor is this project based on Garry McGee's book Jean Seberg: Breathless or Neutralized: the FBI vs Jean Seberg by Jean Russell Larson and Garry McGee.

Jean Seberg Films Air on TCM in March

Jean Seberg and Warren Beatty in "Lilith".

March features two special Seberg films on Turner Classic Movies!

Jean Seberg in "A Fine Madness".

Lilith airs Tuesday, March 6 at 9:15 PM CST and A Fine Madness on Wednesday, March 21 at 3:15 PM CST.

Houston Chronicle revisits Romain Gary's Final Novel and His Final Word

Jean Seberg and husband Romain Gary.

By Conrad Bibens, Houston Chronicle
February 2, 2018

A famous writer publishes one of his best novels, a life-affirming work about love and courage, then a short time later commits suicide.

Is it macabre to read it, and enjoy it?

No. "The Kites" is still a tribute to the joy and necessity of living, regardless of what its writing took out of Romain Gary. It's a 37-year-old book that's just now appearing in the United States, translated from the French by Miranda Richmond Mouillot.

If Dos Equis had been a French beer, Gary would have been a natural to play "the Most Interesting Man in the World." Born Jewish in Lithuania, he converted to Catholicism when he emigrated to France as a teenager in the 1930s. He twice won his adopted country's highest honor for literature (once under a nom de plume since the Prix Goncourt is supposed to be awarded only once to an author).

Gary was good friends with fellow writer Albert Camus and was highly respected by philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and President Charles de Gaulle. Fluent in six languages, Gary served as a diplomat in several countries and was France's consul general in Los Angeles in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Along the way, he wrote much of the screenplay for the World War II movie epic "The Longest Day." His second wife was American actress Jean Seberg. When she had an affair with Clint Eastwood, Gary reportedly challenged him to a duel. Eastwood declined the challenge, a sensible reaction since Gary likely would have taken him. A real-life hero, Gary was a bombardier for a Free French squadron in the Royal Air Force during the second world war, winning many medals for bravery.

Read More...

Watch for the new award-winning documentary Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg on DVD late 2018!  Movie Star was co-produced by Fourth Wall Films and McMarr LTD.  Garry McGee (McMarr LTD), is the author of “Jean Seberg: Breathless” and co-author of “Neutralized: The FBI vs Jean Seberg” and “The Films of Jean Seberg”. He received a Regional Emmy® nomination for writing the documentary The Last Wright.  Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films received a Regional Emmy® nomination for their documentaries River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6, Letters Home to Hero Street (co-produced with WQPT) and Country School: One Room – One Nation.