Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542039
PROPERTYMASTERSGUILD.ORG 15 the process like and how much freedom did you have to interpret the details that define the world of Ace Rothstein? DENNIS: I had a couple of meetings with Marty to get his ideas and then he let me run with it. I would have a show and tell once in a while, but he was easy. Bob De Niro and I spoke to the real Ace in Florida. All he spoke about was his jewelry and watches and rings, etc. After the conversation, I knew I was in trouble. We immediately met with Marty and discussed the phone call and the jewelry. Marty said go ahead. I found a jeweler in Vegas that had nine stores and a workshop. His name was Mordekai. He was a life-saver. Marty put him in the film as the jeweler that gets robbed by Pesci's Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Almost every morning after shooting all night, I would get a call to meet Bob and Marty in their trailer, and we would discuss more jewelry. Then off to see Mordekai and have the stuff ready for the night shooting. The UPM came to me and said I was spending too much on jewelry and I was going over budget. I told her she needed to talk to Marty and Bob and tell them they are spending too much money. I never heard any more about budget. PROP CULTURE: Walk us through your process on Casino, from your first script breakdown to building the budget, all the way to your prop show-and-tell with Martin Scorsese. DENNIS: I read the script a few times before I break it down. Then I list all the obvious props and problems, things to be built first because of time needed, then the rest all the while talking to the director and actors for their input. RESEARCH AGAIN… I do the best I can to process a budget based on my estimation of the director's vision and the actor's vision. I have very little control over the budget. Marty was basically happy if the actor was happy with his props. We shot tests with the cast with lots of eyeglasses and sunglasses and the jewelry for the overall look. Marty loves to shoot costumes and prop tests. PROP CULTURE: What was it like working with a cast of that caliber on Casino—Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, and Don Rickles—an incredible lineup of talent. Did they have strong opinions about the props as well? With so many big personalities on set, did it ever feel like you had a lot of bosses, or was Martin Scorsese always the final word on what appeared on screen? DENNIS: If it came to a final decision, it was always Marty who was the boss. He did give the actors a lot of freedom to give their opinion. He would often say if this is what Dennis had, then it's the right thing. I had little to no problems with the cast except for De Niro and his jewelry which was the part of the character he was portraying. I did what I could to help him, and I think it worked out. PROP CULTURE: Don Rickles was such a one-of-a-kind presence and a true legend with a quick wit and a big heart. What was it like having him on set and working with him day-to-day? Did that famous sense of humor carry over between takes, and are there any moments with him that still make you smile when you think back on that time? DENNIS: Don Rickles was the best and most fun on the Casino set. He never let up on Bob De Niro for a moment. Whenever they worked together, Rickles kept us in stitches. Marty just let him go on and on. There was no stopping, Don Rickles. I loved his humor, and no one has ever topped him. PROP CULTURE: Looking back on your career, what moments make you the proudest? DENNIS: There are a few. The recognition I got from working on Patton is on the top of the list. Some of the things I did on the Steve Martin film, Pennies From Heaven, directed by Herb Ross. It was a great period and getting all the props together without the help of the internet was fun. I built mini-pianos for young kids to dance on which took some thought and time to keep them from slipping off and hurting themselves and it needed to also hold up from the weight of the dancers on top. I also had to find and build miniature trumpets, trombones, and other instruments for the number. I am very proud of the way it looks on film. There are many others for another time. PROP CULTURE: What were the biggest CASINO THE JERK