Thursday, May 7, 2009

Remembering Albert Band

Albert Band was born in Paris on May 7, 1924, the son of painter Max Band; his first movie job was as a film cutter at Pathe Studios. Relocating to Hollywood in the late 1940s, Band was employed as a combination production assistant and "fall guy" for maverick director John Huston, gleaning valuable experience on the set of The Asphalt Jungle (1950) and Red Badge of Courage (1951), even while being subjected to Huston's sadistic practical jokes. Band's own directorial bow was the 1956 oater The Young Guns; his best Hollywood film was the low-key 1958 shocker I Bury the Living. In the 1960s, Band kept busy as producer, director, and/or screenwriter on a variety of internationally financed productions, including Spaghetti westerns “Massacre at the Grand Canyon” (1963) and “The Tramplers” 1966 also the better-than-you'd think Dracula's Dog. Among his later efforts as producer were Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992) and Dragon World (1993). Albert Band is the father of director Charles Band, composer Richard Band and grandfather of actors Alex and Taryn Band. Alfredo Antonini was a pseudonym he employed but mistakenly taken to be his real name. Albert Band died on June 14, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. We remember him today on what would have been his 85th birthday.

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