I met Crawford Binion on the set of Bob
Rafelson's "STAY HUNGRY" in 1975 in Birmingham Alabama. The movie
starred Jeff Bridges, Sally Field and Arnold Schwartzenegger. Crawford
had recently graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville and was
spending his summer standing in for Mr. Bridges in this film that was being
shot in Birmingham.
In 1978 Crawford made
his way west to Hollywood and joined the mad collection of characters living
at Ten Bungalows. He made an appearance in the half-hour movie I
shot there in 1984 called "DRESSING ROOMS FOR DAY PLAYERS" and we did a
music video together for Juice Newton (I was a bit player. Crawford
was the co-star) Crawford has appeared in numerous movies including
"CREATOR" with Peter O'Toole and he even did "THE RETURN OF GODZILLA" in
1984. He is, by choice, temperament and talent a writer first and
has made a living writing screenplays since the late 1980's.
Currently Mr. Binion
is living in sin with his fiancé Elizabeth in the glorious old original
downtown residential section of Mobile Alabama where he was born and raised.
I stopped by for a visit in October of 1997 and was just in time for the
first earthquake anyone I know can remember occurring in Mobile (or anywhere
else in Alabama for that matter). Crawford is a real southern gentleman
and one of the most entertaining conversationalists I have ever encountered.
We spent many nights talking until dawn at Ten Bungalows during the 80's
and I miss his presence in Hollywood. Crawford's critiques of people,
places, art, movies, and restaurants are always dead-on and highly amusing.
Mobile is lucky to have him back.
Crawford was listening
to Elvis Costello's "Every Day I Write The Book" at Ten Bungalows on March
20th, 1990, when I took the photograph above.
>
