Voluntarycensorship. HalAshby. FilmsAndFilming. July 1978. RalphAppelbaum.

1.      Why has there been a reluctance on the part ofHollywood to deal with theVietnamissue?

2.      That’s a question that has been asked by almosteverybody who has seen the film [BoundForGlory1976], and I wish I could answer it. I directed my firstfilm in1969, and at that time – even the two or three years before that – I cannot recall any serious conversation by individuals contemplating such a project, which is not something I’m particularlyproud of, because I neverinstigated it, either. But understand, the possibility of a film aboutVietnam was neverthrown at me. Another interesting question is why have they suddenlybegun to explore that area, because in addition to our film, there are a number of others coming out. Maybe Hollywood is bothered by their conscience, maybe they feel they sidestepped it. [Either he’s blind or he’s lying.] It’s a veryinteresting question and I wish I could give a definite answer as to why. [I can.] I mean, I evenasked myself theasamequestion when I decided to do the film.

3.      I believe that theonlyfilm to deal withVietnam in the1960s was JohnWayne’s GreenBeretsThe.

4.      That’s right. Listen, we had onecritic refer to this picture as the liberal GreenBeretsThe. Well, that’s just what I had in mind (laughs). Can you imagine that, all of us sitting down saying, “Now wer’e going to make a liberal GreenBeretsThe.” I may make mistakes, but I’m not an idiot.

5.      Were you politicallyactive during the waryears?

6.      Yes. I was active in as many thing as I was able to deal with, [Like what?] none of them being enough – you know, there was just the pressure of keeping the pressure on, and the frustration of knowing that nothing was enough. I marched around and said what I had to say. [Like what?] It’s veryinteresting because LosAngeles, if for no other reason than the Geography of it, is usuallypassive and notwilling to get involved in causes. But there was a great deal of activity there in the[19]60s. For example, if Nixon, or others like him, came into town and stayed, say, at theCenturyPlaza, the people came down and they protested, they made their views known. People become united, they walked hand in hand with each other, and that was wonderful. In a sense, however, theonlything that was not so wonderful was the reason for this unity – and that was the war. [Fuckingprick.]