G.S.  I guess in a way it is a little surprising. It makes me smile to know it still has a bit of life and people keep discovering it and fans continue to enjoy it. Making it was an unforgettable experience for me. My role in it provided me with wonderful break into the movie business. A pyschic interior decorater! It was a delecious role in a terrific film.

S.F.  How did you get the role of Otho?

G.S.  In May of 1986, Tim Burton saw me in a play in Los Angeles called "Doctor Faustus Lights The Lights".  I was playing the role of Gertrude Stein.. believe it or not. [SEE BIO TALES] Michael McDowell, who wrote the screenplay for "Beetlejuice", saw it first and then suggested Tim see it as well. This led to a meeting with Tim, the late David Bombyck from Geffen Films and casting director Jane Jenkins in October of 1986. It was quite a long process. I had nothing on film to show them---I had a one line exchange with Jessica Lange in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and no other film credits whatsoever. Tim shot two screen tests with me to present to David Geffen for approval. This was in November and I was not given official word of my casting until January 1987.

S.F.  Where was the film actually shot?

G.S.  Initially at Laird which is now better known as Culver Studios in Culver City. It was the old Selznick lot where Gone With The Wind was filmed.  All the interior sets were on sound stages there and we shot ten days of exteriors in East Corinth, Vermont. There were a few days of re-shooting during post production at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.   95% of the work took place at Culver Studios during a shoot that ran from mid March to early June 1987.
 

S.F.  What was Tim Burton like at that point in his career?

G.S.  My first impression was that he was amazingly easy going and calm. He was always confident in his vision and at the same time very open to input from the actors. Nothing ever seemed to rattle him in the slightest. For someone who never finishes a sentence he was incredibly articulate in getting his point across and could guide actors without giving them exact choices. He would talk about a scene and where he thought it should go, but allow the actors to discover things for themselves within that framework. It was also very apparent that he was a genius with all things visual.  He worked very closely with Bo Welch, the production designer on every aspect of the set, and his background as an animator and artist served to create a great communication with the art department as well as with Aggie Rodgers who designed the costumes.  He knew what he wanted and he was able to bring everyone else into line with his vision. I never saw him lose his temper. Not once. He was so completely at home on the set that everyone else could relax and focus on the work at hand. There was simply no bull-shit whatsoever. Although he was certainly frustrated at times. There were an enormous amount of on set, mechanical special effects and things would come to a halt when complicated props failed to work. There were very few computerized effects. Most everything was created live on the sound stages. He always managed to maneuver his way through the delays and accomplish his goal one way or another. He would be dogged about getting the effect he wanted and was not inclined to settle for less than magic. I was definitely impressed.

S.F.  The Day-O Dinner Party scene is one of my favorites. How long did it take to shoot?

G.S.  About five days actually. The sequence was initially choreographed in rehearsals the week prior to shooting. The actors in the scene would meet each day after lunch in a rehearsal room to work out the dance and all of our business. It was quite a group; Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Dick Cavett, Winona Ryder, Susan Kellerman, Adelle Lutz and myself.  A choreographer was on hand to orchestrate our madness. We had Belafonte's "Day-O" (actually the title is "The Banana Boat Song") on a little cassette and we played it until it was ringing in our ears and visiting our dreams at night. Originally we were to dance to an old Ink Spots song but Miss O'Hara suggested that a calypso tune would be more fun. Jeffrey Jones suggested we try Harry belafonte's "Day-O". Tim and his producer were quick to agree and "Day-O" became the song that posessed us. Dick Cavett is a great wit but stiff as a board and not much of a dancer. Nevertheless, he gave it his all and he was very entertaining to watch! Catherine is a fabulous dancer (and singer) and she led the way for the rest of us. When we began to shoot we had an absolute blast. We all laughed ourselves sick that week. Our "shrimp dinners" were in fact hand puppets manned by six puppeteers who were all under the dinner table and worked through holes in the table's surface. It was a bit crowded under there and we all got very familiar with our "dinners". When the shrimps jump from the plates and grab our faces, Tim cut to a wide shot and six amazing stunt doubles took the fall to the floor.  I got to get in a line I wrote in response to the lovely Adelle Lutz. Her line was, "Paranormal? Is that what they're calling your kind these days?" I was originally suppose to sit there embarrassed and provide an "awkward moment" before the "Day-O" dance began. But I convinced Tim that Otho would have a comeback line, so I offered, "Don't worry about her. She's still upset because somebody dropped a house on her sister". I was delighted when it made the final cut! The scene is a memorable one and still gets a laugh out of me.

S.F.  Did you ever get to meet Danny Elfman during the filming?

G.S.  I first met Danny in 1980 at a memorial for an artist we both knew. Danny is the busiest man in Hollywood and has been as long as I've known him. Some people would have been content with Rock Stardom, but for Mr. Elfman it was truly just the beginning. I was blown away by the score he created for "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and his contribution to the tone and spirit of "Beetlejuice" was critical. Without him it would have really been a different movie altogether. The first time I saw the movie was with a test audience at a theater on Beverly and Fairfax in Hollywood. After the screening, Tim, Danny, Catherine O'Hara, Bo Welch, and I went for drinks at the Formosa across the street from Warner Hollywood. It had gone very well but executives were pressing for changes and Tim was concerned. We had no idea what would happen next but we knew in our hearts we had something special. Having heard Danny's score for the first time, I was convinced it was taking shape. Danny and Tim are magic together and I hope they join forces again. I am quite sure they will when the right project comes along.  When I visited Tim in London during the post-production of the original Batman I had the pleasure of watching Danny work with the London Symphony Orchestra as they created the soundtrack for "Batman".  Danny is now at the very top among film composers and deservedly so.

S.F.  What was it like to work with Winona Ryder?

G.S.  Well, she was the most self possessed and charming 15 year old I'd ever met. This kid had projects in development and could come up with a movie idea and pitch it from beginning to end in the time it took to eat a tossed salad during lunch in the commissary. And she didn't have a "slick child actor" bone in her body. It was no secret that she was at the beginning of a major career. A consummate pro. We were working together on "Heathers" the week "Beetlejuice" opened in theaters.

S.F.  How were Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin?

G.S.  Geena and Alec were both busy adjusting to being "dead" and I only had a few scenes with them and therefore spent much less time around them. I came to truly like Geena and I pretty much stayed out of Alec's way. He was pleasant but ambitious in a way that left little room for chit chat. He was always on the phone with agents and the like when he wasn't needed on set. If he grows more tactful he may end up as our President. He's very political these days. I'll probably get audited. I will say this about Alec: He's a better actor than Ronald Reagan. Back to Geena. I saw her recently and she is as radiant as ever. And a TALL drink of water that girl !  If ever a face was made for the movies she certainly has it. We both had studied with the late Roy London and I was glad she thanked him when she won her Oscar for "Accidental Tourist". When we wrapped "Beetlejuice", Geena presented the entire cast and crew with glass pitchers that had on them the image of a hand squeezing the juice out of a beetle. Mine holds ice tea. You have to ask me about what it was like working with Catherine and Jeffrey!!!

S.F.  Okay! What was it like working with Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones?

G.S.  Thank you. The entire cast was terrific but these two were very special to me and were my admitted favorites. I have had more fun with these two people than with anyone I have ever worked with. I met them on Catherine's birthday (March 4th) in 1987. Tim had the three of us in his office for a script conference. There was great chemistry at work here from the moment we met. It was my first time really making a movie and these two were an incredible support. Catherine is the funniest human being I have ever known. She can destroy me effortlessly. I claim credit for introducing her to her husband Bo Welch [Beetlejuice's Production Designer]. I did do the actual introduction but Tim deserves credit for that pairing as well. Later in the shoot I cornered Bo after lunch one day and suggested he ask Miss O'Hara out to dinner. I added "and I don't mean lunch!" They are now happily married (since 1992) with two wonderful boys, Matthew and Luke. Miss O'Hara and I love to get together and go to matinees when schedules allow. Jeffrey is one of my closest friends today and we had incredible fun during the filming of "Beetlejuice". The man works ALL the time. He is one of the busiest (and best) character actors in films. I know I'm gushing but these two are dear to me!

S.F.  We haven't spoken at all about Michael Keaton.

G.S.  Who? [laughter] Oh yeah…him.  Did you know Michael only worked two weeks during the entire initial shoot?

S.F.  Only two weeks? You've got to be kidding!

G.S.  No. Admittedly, a lot was packed into those two weeks, but two weeks it was. I worked with Michael again not long ago on Harold Ramis' "Multiplicity" and it reminded me what a truly brilliant actor he is. He uses improv within the framework of a scene in a way that is so much fun. And it really works. He would always vary his performance in each take. Not in a disruptive way but so as to elicit fresh and real responses and to challenge himself as well. You really stay on your toes in a scene with Michael or you get left behind. When we were shooting the scene where he jumps on my back [in "Beetlejuice"] he would do something wildly different with dialogue and blocking in each take. If I looked terrified when he hopped on my back… well I was! Who knew what this mad man would do next!

G.S.  Yes. There are very few actors I would hang around a set to watch but Michael is an exception. He is a revelation to watch. Few actors are as versatile and none more professional. It's a very nice plus that he is a delight personally as well. The Monday after "Beetlejuice" opened and came in #1 at the box office, I received a card from him that said simply "Congratulations! We're a Hit!"

S.F.  Since Beetlejuice was a big hit at the box office and still has a large fan base, is it possible that Tim will make a sequel?

G.S.  It would be a Tim Burton/Michael Keaton decision. And money would not be the motivating factor with those two. They have both turned down fortunes when scripts didn't suit them. That really is the key. A great script. If a truly wonderful script were to appear, there would be a chance to see another "Beetlejuice" adventure. Geffen commissioned two scripts in the early 90's. Michael McDowall, wrote one and Jonathan Gems [Mars Attacks!] wrote another called "Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian".  Nothing has made the cut as of yet.  Tim once said that maybe we'll do another in about ten years. He said that exactly ten years ago.

S.F.  If Tim called you up and asked you to play Otho again in a new sequel, would you?

G.S. I would do a musical comedy version of "Saving Private Ryan" if Tim Burton asked me to, but I sorta enjoy the fact that the film stands alone as an eccentric little creature all it's own, undiluted by II and III and IV and on and on…..

S.F.  I know what you mean.  But it would still be fun to see another one.

G.S.  Find a great script and send it to David Geffen!

S.F.  Okay, last question.  There was a goof up in the movie where your character's red shoes mysteriously change to white sneakers, then back to red shoes again. Could you please explain what happened?

G.S. Good grief, Shaun! You don't miss much do you? [laughter] Yes, Otho did have a lightening fast unscripted shoe change while sweeping through the house spray painting with Delia. I swear I asked before I switched to my tennis shoes. Those red Capezzios had no arch support and I'm a big guy. After eight or nine hours on a set I was ready for my Nikes. I was assured that they would be out of the shot. By whom? I'll never tell! Technically it was "Continuity's" responsibility. I'm glad it happened looking back on it now. Good trivia. You are not the first to bring this up believe it or not. I vigorously denied it the first time I was asked. Finally I ran it on laser disc at Jeffrey's one afternoon and there it was. C'est La Vie!