'Seconds' Gets Another Shot

By BILL DESOWITZ

May 5, 1997 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Every filmmaker has a failure he’d like to forget. For John Frankenheimer, it’s “Seconds,” the bizarre yet disturbing Faustian parable that starred Rock Hudson in his most prominent dramatic departure.

Now considered a cult classic for its experimental visual style and postmodern-like angst, the 1966 film gets its own second chance Tuesday when it goes from obscurity to home video as a Paramount VHS rental (and June 3 as a Pioneer widescreen laserdisc).

What’s more, the version being released is the European cut--featuring nudity during a controversial grape-stomping sequence staged like a bacchanal.

“It’s the only picture that’s gone from failure to classic without having success,” Frankenheimer suggests. “It’s not in my top six, but people love this picture.”

It’s no wonder: “Seconds” is a fascinating failure because of its daring risks.

The film has a wild premise (unfulfilled middle-aged banker John Randolph is “reborn” through plastic surgery as the younger Hudson) with a macabre sense of humor; it has James Wong Howe’s surreal black-and-white cinematography with that unforgettable fish-eye lens (earning him an Academy Award nomination); it has Jerry Goldsmith’s eerie, organ-driven score; and it has Saul Bass’ ominous main titles.

But, most of all, “Seconds” has Hudson’s unusual performance, which has been elevated to the sublime as a result of the actor’s own personal tragedy. The anguish and sorrow and regret he displays in trying to lead a secret identity are genuine.

“What the picture really says is that you are who you are,” Frankenheimer explains. “As soon as you try to erase the past, you’re doomed.”

Like most of Frankenheimer’s films, “Seconds” also touches on the theme of duality--but with more shocking consequences.

The director believes time may be kinder to this difficult film. “I think audiences will be more responsive to the film today. What it has to say may be more relevant.”

“Seconds” screenwriter Lewis John Carlino agrees: “It was way ahead of its time and the Faustian theme was hard for people to take. It was all part of a statement about our culture, how people had surrendered their lives to be what society told them to be. But Hudson did a terrific job, stepping so far out of his usual role. He really got into his own hysteria during the intense moments.”

Frankenheimer, who provides audio commentary on the laserdisc, says Hudson only got the role after one star passed and another was rejected by Paramount.

“I never thought of using two actors,” Frankenheimer admits. “I thought, ‘Who’s the best actor I can get to do this?’ I wanted Kirk Douglas, whose company was producing the film. But he was unavailable.

“Then I thought about Laurence Olivier. I flew to England, gave him the script, met with him and he said he would do it. Then I went back to Paramount and told them, ‘My God, we’ve got Olivier!’ They weren’t interested--he wasn’t a big-enough star.”

The director was then approached by Hudson’s agent. Although Frankenheimer didn’t really take Hudson seriously, he met the star as a courtesy.

“He was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. He really wanted to do this picture, but he would only do it as the second character. He didn’t think he could handle the older character.”

After rethinking the concept, Frankenheimer--who was at the height of his popularity, with a string of hits that included “Birdman of Alcatraz,” “Seven Days in May” and “The Manchurian Candidate”--surrounded Hudson with an impressive acting ensemble.

Most noteworthy were three actors who were previously blacklisted: Randolph, Will Geer and Jeff Corey.

Frankenheimer claims he hired them intentionally to make up for all those frustrating years as a director at CBS in the ‘50s, when he lacked the freedom to hire whoever he wanted.

But “Seconds” was doomed from the start: The film was booed at the Cannes Film Festival during a time of political upheaval and anti-Hollywood sentiment, and Paramount lost faith and didn’t provide proper support.

“They marketed the film all wrong,” Frankenheimer insists. “They made it into a horror film instead of elevating it with dignity and intelligence.”

As a result, the director suffered his first major failure--a setback that took years to overcome.

Frankenheimer stresses, however, that the film’s failure solely rests with him. “I should’ve demanded a better second act. I also should have never cut a scene where John [Randolph] meets with his daughter--incidentally, played by my wife, Evans.”

Then there’s the confusion about the film’s final abstract image of a man carrying a little girl on his shoulders.

“That refers to a previous scene that was also cut,” Carlino explains. “Hudson encounters a father and his young daughter on the beach. It’s the key scene for me. Without it, the last image doesn’t make sense.”

Despite having to make too many compromises, Frankenheimer still has fond memories of collaborating with the legendary Howe (they met every Saturday at a Turkish bath) and directing Randolph (who learned to be left-handed to match Hudson).

“At least the grape scene comes across now [in the restored European version],” he says. “The Catholic Church objected to the nudity, so it was cut. But it made the grape-stomping [seem] like an orgy. That was not my intention. It was supposed to be a release for the guy.

“My great disappointment is that we didn’t get Kirk. If he had done it, it would’ve been a real classic.”