Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1197255
him over time. His approach was "matter-of-fact" about where the mic needed to be, and everyone knew he was always paying attention and doing a good job so they obliged. He was always studying cameras, lenses, and lights, absorbing all of the terminology and purpose behind each tool, as it helped his negotiations for doing his job correctly. Jim continued to bounce around the studio system through the '60s, working on various movies and TV shows such as Wagon Train, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Appaloosa, Wild and Wonderful, A Gathering of Eagles, and Father Goose, where they shot on location in Jamaica. He brought his wife Marlene out to visit the island, and Cary Grant invited them to dine with him, a memorable evening. In 1971, Jim was offered his first mixing job on The Andromeda Strain, and although he had already planned a family vacation, his wife understood that duty calls and told him to take the job. The film shot in Texas, New Mexico, and the deserts of California. His equipment package was supplied by the Universal Studios sound department, and he had a four-person crew (the recordist position was still very prevalent in that era). The conditions were tough, windy, and inaccessible, so a lot of times they had to do long cable runs, or create a new kind of blimp for better wind protection. This usually consisted of someone's T-shirt wrapped a few times over chicken wire—and it seemed to work just fine. The movie was a great success, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Jim's mixing career was off to a great start. Throughout the 1970s, Jim continued mixing features, with TV in between. The Universal sound department would keep him busy. The call time was at the sound shop, and you wrapped at the sound shop. His frustration at the lack of mobility for his sound equipment led him to develop his wheelchair cart solution, which was a precursor for all vertical sound carts today. After shows like Shoot Out, Night Gallery, and Sometimes a Great Notion, Jim was offered Slaughterhouse- Five. This show presented unique challenges, as he found himself amidst a sort of fantasy-style storytelling. There was a scene having to do with a daydream in which they were to take off in a plane, and do zero-gravity drops so that everything was floating. He rigged the entire plane with plant microphones and had a lot of fun filming at zero- gravity in a wildly bucking plane. He was developing a name for himself and was requested on various movies—including The Sting. In the production meeting, he was reviewing his budget and asked why there wasn't a budget for a cable person. They explained, "That's how we'd like to do this one; it shouldn't be too difficult." Jim replied, "Well, I don't work that way. I work with a three-person department. If that doesn't work for you, I'll be on my way." They tried to persuade him to stay, and he said, "Give me a call when I have my third. I'd be more than happy to work with you. Have a great day!" and he walked out the door. This was indicative of how he felt about his crew, having been a boom operator himself. He treated them with the utmost respect, and always went to bat for them. He always expected the best from them, and gave his best in return. When he was a Board member of Local 695, during an executive meeting with the AMPTP, it is said he gave one of the most eloquent speeches in support of Paragraph 106, defining the importance of having a cable person or utility sound technician. He fought to make sure that position would not disappear, and it didn't. From top: Mixing The Andromeda Strain in his company- mandated "Smooth Doctor" attire; Jim and his crew discussing the shot, or possibly what's for lunch based on the smiles; mixing on his makeshift wheelchair cart on Ferris Bueller's Day Off.