Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1279181
32 I M PS E . O R G Richard Louis Anderson was born in a suburb of St. Louis in 1951. He grew up watching action-adventure, "Hollywood" movies. RICHARD L. ANDERSON: I always liked dinosaurs as a kid… I remember going to see Journey to the Center of the Earth at the Fox Theater in downtown St. Louis. One of the big old theaters. I enjoyed the movie generally, but I was disappointed that the dinosaurs were obviously lizards! You know, with fi ns glued on their body! When Richard was 5 years old, he saw Around the World in 80 Days and it was one of the fi rst times he took notice of the fi lm's sound, when a marching band went by in stereo. RLA: Even at that age, very early, when the band is marching by... I noticed you could hear each of the sections. They probably just recorded it that way, with fi ve microphones. But nevertheless, I was impressed that the sound went by and matched. ...I remember thinking, "That's the way it really is." I'd been to parades, and when the trumpets go by, you'd hear the trumpets, when the fl utes go by, you'd hear the fl utes. Richard initially went to college locally. RLA: My fi rst year of college I was on the other side of Missouri, the Kansas City area. A small town called Liberty, Missouri. Famous for being the site of the fi rst daylight bank robbery! Presumably, it was by the James gang. STEVE LEE: You were originally studying medicine, right? RLA: It was just my fi rst year of college so it was all my general ed courses, but at the time I thought that's what I was going to do. SL: But your second year, you decided to transfer to USC to study fi lm. Were your parents supportive of that …? RLA: Yes! A lot of people would go, "What? Are you nuts? There's no money in that!" My Lunch with BY STEVE LEE When I was asked to be a contributor to the new MPSE Wavelength magazine, I was delighted … but when I was asked if I would interview Richard Anderson… I already had the sandwich I wanted picked out. I was privileged and honored to work with Richard Anderson for 20 years. He's been a boss, friend, and mentor … and I was lucky to have the chance to contribute sound e ects to many amazing fi lms because of him. And even after parting ways professionally, we still have lunch once a month or so to reminisce, trade awful puns, critique deli sandwiches … and laugh an awful lot. Besides being one of the fi nest sound editors in the business, Richard is undeniably one of the wittiest, funniest guys I've known. I've often said that if I were ever given a chat show—he would be my Ed McMahon (or Andy Richter for you youngins). L to R: David Stone and Richard Anderson in the library of Weddington Productions, circa 1992. Photo courtesy the collection of The Hollywood Sound Museum