Erring on the Side of Caution (Warner Brothers, September 1974)
Erring on the Side of Caution (Warner Brothers, September 1974)
Written and Directed by Shaun K. Davis
Produced by Michael Medwin
Cast
Liza Minnelli as Julie Shaw
Judy Garland as Beth Shaw
David McCallum as Doctor Fitzsimmons
Ellen Corby as Missy Edwards
Robert Culp as Doctor Rydell
Sam Westwood as Mike Shaw
Melba Moore as Starla
Beatrice Straight as Nurse Claybourn
Anne Ramsey as Wife in Street
Logan Ramsey as Husband in Street
Paul Winfield as Police Seargent
Harris Walker as Rick- Man #1
James Cromwell as Orderly #1 (Uncredited)
Scott Glenn as Orderly #2 (Uncredited)
F. Murray Abraham as Man #2 (Uncredited)
Ken Norton as Man #3 (Uncredited)
Kate Jackson as Grocery Store Customer (Uncredited)
Plot
Notes from IMDB
David McCallum had a commitment to star in the British TV series Colditz. His scenes were shot in three days.
Erring On The Side Of Caution was shot during June 1972. The film was to be released by National General Pictures. However, the studio went defunct not long after. National General was sold to Warner Brothers, who shelved the film, finally releasing it in the fall of 1974. [1]
Garland and Minnelli had hoped to team up again for a showbiz drama entitled Mama Can You Hear Me? around 1976, but the project ultimately fell through due to Judy's ongoing health problems and planned director Edward O'Malley's increasingly erratic behaviour. Plans to recast the film with Carol Channing fell through.
Although the film was met with mixed reviews and mainly broke even because of the Garland-Minnelli pairing, it would become notable later for how the subject matter was approached. There was also Oscar buzz surrounding Liza Minnelli's performance.
A fan-made video compiled of scenes from the film set to Liza Minnelli's 1973 cover of 'You're So Vain' later became a popular YouTube upload.
From a cassette tape belonging to the archive of Nolan Hendricks. This one is labelled 'Sam Westwood, 1990'.
Nolan: That movie had an impressive cast.
Sam: It did, yeah. I was on the set long enough to film my scenes and reconnect with Harris. And then get Harris out of New York.
Harris: That's the Reader's Digest condensed version.
Sam: Basically, yeah. (Sam chuckles)
It was a great script. I didn't care that it was a smaller part but was concerned that my appearing in the film could be a distraction. I asked for my name to be removed from the opening credits. Shaun felt that as part of the cast I should be billed as such. So I gave in and let them bill me sixth after Robert Culp.
Harris: Sam had a crush on Robert Culp!
Sam: That's bulls***! (laughs)
I didn't even see Robert Culp. I did have a crush on the still photographer. I forget his name. Harrison...something.
Harris: Someone is sleeping in the car tonight!
Everyone is heard laughing
Sam: I was mostly on the set with Judy, Liza, and Melba Moore. Liza and Judy had some clout regarding the cast and Liza wanted Melba in the film. People tend to forget that Melba Moore had won a Tony award and done quite a bit of Broadway. This film had some seriously talented performers involved. And I was able to work with Harris.
Harris: I liked the few times Sam and I were able to do something together.
Sam: It was nice. We'd get to swap anecdotes about the same shoot.
Nolan: So, an actor was cast and it fell through?
Harris: Yeah. The shoot was one day behind because the guy they hired to play the first gentleman caller showed up on the set loaded. The producer had rented this place to do exterior shots and we only had a few days.
Sam: If you were doing a film with Judy later in her career and she saw people drinking or using drugs on set, it did not end well.
Harris: Yes. Except Judy wasn't on set that day. It was Liza and Ellen Corby. And the two other guys who were hired to play gentleman callers which turned out to be Ken Norton and F. Murray Abraham. I think the only one who never worked again was the guy who showed up loaded.
Sam: This would have been before I showed up on set to film my part.
Harris: It was. Everyone was hanging around the set because this guy bombed and Shaun was trying to figure out what to do. I'm having a cigarette and he was talking to Liza and they were both looking over at me and I thought "Oh s***"
Nolan: Did you think you were going to get fired?
Harris: Yeah. Can't speak for Liza, but I hadn't touched a drop that day! You can't be shaky doing unit still photography, which is probably why I was drinking so much after filming wrapped. So Shaun comes over. Shaun knew every single name on that set.
Sam: He's never like "Hey kid, come over here!".
Harris: It's always "Hey Harris, can I please borrow you for a second?".
Harris: So Shaun pulls me aside and I thought "Well, I'm done" and he said "We need to shut down for a day while we resolve the casting issue. Liza told me you've been in a few films. Are you still acting?" and I told him that yes, I was and Helen Benson was trying to find me work while I did still photography. So he says "Great. I'm gonna talk to Michael Medwin", who was the producer. And he got Medwin to talk to Helen.
Later, Shaun calls and tells me to be ready for the camera in the morning. And that is how I wound up in the movie. And how my character became Rick and got one line which was a close up at the door and "Hey Baby!". To really add to the role, Shaun instructed me to look really greasy and had me shove a wad of gum in my mouth. And there is that long shot of me rubbing a cigarette out on the ground and Ellen Corby looking disgusted.
Sam: Shaun told me later that Harris saved the shoot because they got it on one take and were able to move onto the rest of that sequence.
Harris: Barely. Liza was trying not to laugh because she hadn't expected to see that when opening the door.
Nolan: People sort of forgot about your earlier career--
Harris: Well, I had this publicist the Benson's hated which is how 'Playgirl' happened. And then from there, I was doing more work in front of the camera again. Helen wanted me to be a respected actor, but I'd do something stupid like 'Playgirl'. Drove her mad.
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From a 1974 People Magazine profile on Shaun K. Davis [2]
Upon first meeting, Shaun K. Davis, the writer/director of the film Erring On The Side Of Caution wants to make one thing straight:
"The K stands for nothing. My full name is Albert Shaun Davis, but I've always hated Albert"
That footnote aside, Davis has been making waves with his debut film Erring, a project which stars the dynamic mother/daughter duo of Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli.
"The film took about a month to shoot" Davis recalls "A director who was originally hired wanted to bring in a lot of elements, like what the father of Liza's character did and why he went to prison. He wanted to specify what Judy Garland's character was dying from. I didn't like it".
Mr Davis, 32, says the film was inspired by his late sister's diary. To keep the film closer to his vision, Davis showed the writings to none other than Garland herself.
As Davis recalls: "Judy told the producer she’d do the movie for scale and a percentage if they’d let me direct".
Davis comes from a rather chequered past that could be straight out of his own film. The third of eight children, Davis' father was questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee during the late 1940's. He refused to answer questions on principle, the family name was changed and a move was made from New York City to California.
"They chose California because my mother's uncle was in show business. He worked as an extra in pictures" Davis explains, adding that he prefers not to name family members out of respect.
Tragedy struck several years later when in 1960, Shaun's parents and youngest two siblings were killed when their father ploughed into a tree while driving under the influence. Davis remembers his father as "a horrible alcoholic. It all started after we had to leave New York City".
A couple of years after this tragedy, Shaun watched his oldest brother, who Davis only refers to as "H" have a nervous breakdown. Not only was Davis now responsible for his youngest remaining siblings, but they were also forced to go to court and have "H" involuntarily committed. "H" was released two years later, but committed suicide in 1966. For several years, Davis remained estranged from his older sister who refused to get involved. In 1969 she died of what was ruled an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. Upon her death, Shaun came across his sister's diary and was horrified to discover that she had been molested by both her uncle and oldest brother.
"I was disgusted and felt guilty," Davis tells People. "I wish I could have done more to help her".
Shaun initially went to work supporting his younger brothers and sister while working in the offices of American International Pictures. Davis was eventually able to move behind the camera while working on his script. By the time Erring was shot, the filmmaker had three television commercials, and two TV credits (Bracken's World, Dark Shadows) under his belt.
"I hope to accomplish much more," Davis tells People.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Trade Magazine Snippets, Fall, 1974:
"20th Century Fox has offered Ellen Burstyn a contract to star in a film of her choice after the recent success of Harry And Tonto. Burstyn, who is best known for films like The King Of Marvin Gardens, has received rave reviews for her supporting role as Art Carney's daughter. The actress is in talks to make a film for the studio called Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, based on a screenplay by Robert Getchell". [3]
"A film at Columbia is in development titled Devil Child with a script by Shaun K. Davis. The film, described as horror, is set to star Patty Duke-Astin, Sam Westwood, and Judy Garland. Filming is set to start sometime in early 1975".
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
[1] Buy out that also occurred IOTL.
[2] Shaun K. Davis and Shannon Gibbs are both the nom de plume of desmirelle. In future posts, if a script is by Davis or Gibbs, the plot for it came from desmirelle.
[3] IOTL, Warners wanted to do another film with Ellen Burstyn after The Exorcist and her agent came up with Alice for her. ITTL, Alice is made about a year later by another studio.
Written and Directed by Shaun K. Davis
Produced by Michael Medwin
Cast
Liza Minnelli as Julie Shaw
Judy Garland as Beth Shaw
David McCallum as Doctor Fitzsimmons
Ellen Corby as Missy Edwards
Robert Culp as Doctor Rydell
Sam Westwood as Mike Shaw
Melba Moore as Starla
Beatrice Straight as Nurse Claybourn
Anne Ramsey as Wife in Street
Logan Ramsey as Husband in Street
Paul Winfield as Police Seargent
Harris Walker as Rick- Man #1
James Cromwell as Orderly #1 (Uncredited)
Scott Glenn as Orderly #2 (Uncredited)
F. Murray Abraham as Man #2 (Uncredited)
Ken Norton as Man #3 (Uncredited)
Kate Jackson as Grocery Store Customer (Uncredited)
Plot
The film opens with Julie Shaw (Minnelli) losing her job as a cashier at a grocery store after pouring a gallon of milk over the register in an argument with a customer. During the argument, scars on Julie’s wrists are clearly visible. Beth Shaw (Garland) closes up the realty office where she works as a secretary and comes home to her small home to find that Julie has trashed the living room once more. She asks her daughter why and Julie replies she’s tired of always being wrong and that’s she’s been fired (again). Beth asks if Julie’s been home, why didn’t she make supper, Julie ignores her and goes back into her room. Beth starts supper.
The next day, Beth goes to work. Julie is in the kitchen making telephone calls to a ‘Rick, baby’ when Beth leaves. During the day, neighbour Missy Edwards (Corby) notes on three separate occasions (while taking out the trash, taking in the clothes and getting into her car to leave) that a different man is arriving each time at the Shaw house.
Missy visits Beth after an argument with herself about whether or not Beth should be told. It’s obvious Beth and Missy are good friends. Missy tells Beth that Julie’s having ‘those boyfriends’ coming by again. Beth is upset by the news.
Julie goes with her mother to her mother’s ‘follow-up’ appointment, where it’s obvious Julie is a patient of Dr Zachary Rydell as well. Julie goes in with her mother and asks the doctor for a renewal of her sleeping pills. When Dr Rydell says he’ll let her know, she leaves the room. Rydell, after learning from Beth that Julie has lost two jobs since he was last seen by Beth, suggests to Beth that Julie see Psychiatrist Dr Ian Fitzsimmons. Beth, in confidence, tells Rydell she doesn't have much time. Beth's illness is not addressed aside from Rydell saying if they’d caught it earlier, she might have been cured.
Rydell, even though Beth is reluctant, contacts Fitzsimmons, who is making rounds. This is how Rydell knows where to find him, and asks him about seeing Julie right away. Fitzsimmons agrees to see her the next day.
Meanwhile, it becomes increasingly obvious that Julie is having trouble coping in the ‘real world’ – she accosts a man and his wife on the street while she and Beth are going to see Fitzsimmons. Julie accuses the man of ‘not paying her’ and the woman of stealing her tricks. Beth apologizes to the couple, who have just come out of the Miller & Fitzsimmons Medical Center. The shaken couple leave quickly and Julie’s personality changes as the Shaws enter the building. The inside signage reveals that all the doctors are either psychologists or psychiatrists; one floor is listed for “Short Term Observation” and the top five floors are listed for “Long-Term Patient Care”.
Beth has her son Mike over for dinner. Julie asks Mike where his wife is. Mike responds, telling Julie his wife is at a PTA meeting, adding “You know she doesn’t like walking up the stairs”. However, an exchange of looks between him and his mother reveal that Julie is the reason. After dinner, Julie changes into a skimpy dress and leaves with her friend Starla to “see a movie”. Beth asks Mike if he’s thought about what she asked him and Mike gives a resounding and resolute no. Mike refuses to take Julie in when his mother dies, he’s got a family to think of and leaves after telling his mother not to ask him again, his decision is final. Beth cries after he’s gone.
Julie is arrested for street walking with Starla and calls her mother to bail her out. Beth, however, has unplugged her bedroom phone and a shot of the kitchen wall phone shows the ringer to be ‘off’). Julie has a meltdown in the cell and is sent to a local hospital’s psych ward for evaluation. Dr Fitzsimmons is called (apparently by Dr Rydell, whom Julie names as her doctor) and is given the job of overseeing her evaluation.
Fitzsimmons tells Beth that Julie has several issues, from when she was a child because of “what her father did, her lack of coping skills and inability to control her own behaviour under stress” – Beth acknowledges that her late husband had problems; Fitzsimmons points out that Mr. Shaw has been dead for nearly 15 years and Julie’s behaviour is getting worse, not better – Beth agrees. Fitzsimmons then tells Beth that while they can treat the many of the symptoms with pills, the odds are Julie won’t, at present, take them properly and she needs long-term, in-patient treatment. He tells her that she needs to get Julie to voluntarily commit herself; because once she’s in, they can make an evaluation and legally keep her from living as a danger to herself and others.
Beth, at home that night, looks over family photos and papers on her bed. There are shots of a family, but also paperwork indicating Algernon Shaw was released on parole and his death certificate (just the top part, when and how aren’t shown). Then she gets up and heads into the living room where Julie is seated, eating and watching TV. Beth turns off the set and tells Julie she has a big favour to ask her.
Two days later, Julie and Beth drive to Miller & Fitzsimmons, where the latter is waiting. Julie greets him with a smile and a quick: “Bet you’ll send me home faster than the manager at Food Mart did. I don’t seem to fit in anywhere.” To which Fitzsimmons replies: “You’ll fit in here, Julie, I wouldn’t let you come if I didn’t believe that.”
The end shot is a crying Beth going back to her car.
The next day, Beth goes to work. Julie is in the kitchen making telephone calls to a ‘Rick, baby’ when Beth leaves. During the day, neighbour Missy Edwards (Corby) notes on three separate occasions (while taking out the trash, taking in the clothes and getting into her car to leave) that a different man is arriving each time at the Shaw house.
Missy visits Beth after an argument with herself about whether or not Beth should be told. It’s obvious Beth and Missy are good friends. Missy tells Beth that Julie’s having ‘those boyfriends’ coming by again. Beth is upset by the news.
Julie goes with her mother to her mother’s ‘follow-up’ appointment, where it’s obvious Julie is a patient of Dr Zachary Rydell as well. Julie goes in with her mother and asks the doctor for a renewal of her sleeping pills. When Dr Rydell says he’ll let her know, she leaves the room. Rydell, after learning from Beth that Julie has lost two jobs since he was last seen by Beth, suggests to Beth that Julie see Psychiatrist Dr Ian Fitzsimmons. Beth, in confidence, tells Rydell she doesn't have much time. Beth's illness is not addressed aside from Rydell saying if they’d caught it earlier, she might have been cured.
Rydell, even though Beth is reluctant, contacts Fitzsimmons, who is making rounds. This is how Rydell knows where to find him, and asks him about seeing Julie right away. Fitzsimmons agrees to see her the next day.
Meanwhile, it becomes increasingly obvious that Julie is having trouble coping in the ‘real world’ – she accosts a man and his wife on the street while she and Beth are going to see Fitzsimmons. Julie accuses the man of ‘not paying her’ and the woman of stealing her tricks. Beth apologizes to the couple, who have just come out of the Miller & Fitzsimmons Medical Center. The shaken couple leave quickly and Julie’s personality changes as the Shaws enter the building. The inside signage reveals that all the doctors are either psychologists or psychiatrists; one floor is listed for “Short Term Observation” and the top five floors are listed for “Long-Term Patient Care”.
Beth has her son Mike over for dinner. Julie asks Mike where his wife is. Mike responds, telling Julie his wife is at a PTA meeting, adding “You know she doesn’t like walking up the stairs”. However, an exchange of looks between him and his mother reveal that Julie is the reason. After dinner, Julie changes into a skimpy dress and leaves with her friend Starla to “see a movie”. Beth asks Mike if he’s thought about what she asked him and Mike gives a resounding and resolute no. Mike refuses to take Julie in when his mother dies, he’s got a family to think of and leaves after telling his mother not to ask him again, his decision is final. Beth cries after he’s gone.
Julie is arrested for street walking with Starla and calls her mother to bail her out. Beth, however, has unplugged her bedroom phone and a shot of the kitchen wall phone shows the ringer to be ‘off’). Julie has a meltdown in the cell and is sent to a local hospital’s psych ward for evaluation. Dr Fitzsimmons is called (apparently by Dr Rydell, whom Julie names as her doctor) and is given the job of overseeing her evaluation.
Fitzsimmons tells Beth that Julie has several issues, from when she was a child because of “what her father did, her lack of coping skills and inability to control her own behaviour under stress” – Beth acknowledges that her late husband had problems; Fitzsimmons points out that Mr. Shaw has been dead for nearly 15 years and Julie’s behaviour is getting worse, not better – Beth agrees. Fitzsimmons then tells Beth that while they can treat the many of the symptoms with pills, the odds are Julie won’t, at present, take them properly and she needs long-term, in-patient treatment. He tells her that she needs to get Julie to voluntarily commit herself; because once she’s in, they can make an evaluation and legally keep her from living as a danger to herself and others.
Beth, at home that night, looks over family photos and papers on her bed. There are shots of a family, but also paperwork indicating Algernon Shaw was released on parole and his death certificate (just the top part, when and how aren’t shown). Then she gets up and heads into the living room where Julie is seated, eating and watching TV. Beth turns off the set and tells Julie she has a big favour to ask her.
Two days later, Julie and Beth drive to Miller & Fitzsimmons, where the latter is waiting. Julie greets him with a smile and a quick: “Bet you’ll send me home faster than the manager at Food Mart did. I don’t seem to fit in anywhere.” To which Fitzsimmons replies: “You’ll fit in here, Julie, I wouldn’t let you come if I didn’t believe that.”
The end shot is a crying Beth going back to her car.
Notes from IMDB
David McCallum had a commitment to star in the British TV series Colditz. His scenes were shot in three days.
Erring On The Side Of Caution was shot during June 1972. The film was to be released by National General Pictures. However, the studio went defunct not long after. National General was sold to Warner Brothers, who shelved the film, finally releasing it in the fall of 1974. [1]
Garland and Minnelli had hoped to team up again for a showbiz drama entitled Mama Can You Hear Me? around 1976, but the project ultimately fell through due to Judy's ongoing health problems and planned director Edward O'Malley's increasingly erratic behaviour. Plans to recast the film with Carol Channing fell through.
Although the film was met with mixed reviews and mainly broke even because of the Garland-Minnelli pairing, it would become notable later for how the subject matter was approached. There was also Oscar buzz surrounding Liza Minnelli's performance.
A fan-made video compiled of scenes from the film set to Liza Minnelli's 1973 cover of 'You're So Vain' later became a popular YouTube upload.
From a cassette tape belonging to the archive of Nolan Hendricks. This one is labelled 'Sam Westwood, 1990'.
Nolan: That movie had an impressive cast.
Sam: It did, yeah. I was on the set long enough to film my scenes and reconnect with Harris. And then get Harris out of New York.
Harris: That's the Reader's Digest condensed version.
Sam: Basically, yeah. (Sam chuckles)
It was a great script. I didn't care that it was a smaller part but was concerned that my appearing in the film could be a distraction. I asked for my name to be removed from the opening credits. Shaun felt that as part of the cast I should be billed as such. So I gave in and let them bill me sixth after Robert Culp.
Harris: Sam had a crush on Robert Culp!
Sam: That's bulls***! (laughs)
I didn't even see Robert Culp. I did have a crush on the still photographer. I forget his name. Harrison...something.
Harris: Someone is sleeping in the car tonight!
Everyone is heard laughing
Sam: I was mostly on the set with Judy, Liza, and Melba Moore. Liza and Judy had some clout regarding the cast and Liza wanted Melba in the film. People tend to forget that Melba Moore had won a Tony award and done quite a bit of Broadway. This film had some seriously talented performers involved. And I was able to work with Harris.
Harris: I liked the few times Sam and I were able to do something together.
Sam: It was nice. We'd get to swap anecdotes about the same shoot.
Nolan: So, an actor was cast and it fell through?
Harris: Yeah. The shoot was one day behind because the guy they hired to play the first gentleman caller showed up on the set loaded. The producer had rented this place to do exterior shots and we only had a few days.
Sam: If you were doing a film with Judy later in her career and she saw people drinking or using drugs on set, it did not end well.
Harris: Yes. Except Judy wasn't on set that day. It was Liza and Ellen Corby. And the two other guys who were hired to play gentleman callers which turned out to be Ken Norton and F. Murray Abraham. I think the only one who never worked again was the guy who showed up loaded.
Sam: This would have been before I showed up on set to film my part.
Harris: It was. Everyone was hanging around the set because this guy bombed and Shaun was trying to figure out what to do. I'm having a cigarette and he was talking to Liza and they were both looking over at me and I thought "Oh s***"
Nolan: Did you think you were going to get fired?
Harris: Yeah. Can't speak for Liza, but I hadn't touched a drop that day! You can't be shaky doing unit still photography, which is probably why I was drinking so much after filming wrapped. So Shaun comes over. Shaun knew every single name on that set.
Sam: He's never like "Hey kid, come over here!".
Harris: It's always "Hey Harris, can I please borrow you for a second?".
Harris: So Shaun pulls me aside and I thought "Well, I'm done" and he said "We need to shut down for a day while we resolve the casting issue. Liza told me you've been in a few films. Are you still acting?" and I told him that yes, I was and Helen Benson was trying to find me work while I did still photography. So he says "Great. I'm gonna talk to Michael Medwin", who was the producer. And he got Medwin to talk to Helen.
Later, Shaun calls and tells me to be ready for the camera in the morning. And that is how I wound up in the movie. And how my character became Rick and got one line which was a close up at the door and "Hey Baby!". To really add to the role, Shaun instructed me to look really greasy and had me shove a wad of gum in my mouth. And there is that long shot of me rubbing a cigarette out on the ground and Ellen Corby looking disgusted.
Sam: Shaun told me later that Harris saved the shoot because they got it on one take and were able to move onto the rest of that sequence.
Harris: Barely. Liza was trying not to laugh because she hadn't expected to see that when opening the door.
Nolan: People sort of forgot about your earlier career--
Harris: Well, I had this publicist the Benson's hated which is how 'Playgirl' happened. And then from there, I was doing more work in front of the camera again. Helen wanted me to be a respected actor, but I'd do something stupid like 'Playgirl'. Drove her mad.
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
From a 1974 People Magazine profile on Shaun K. Davis [2]
Upon first meeting, Shaun K. Davis, the writer/director of the film Erring On The Side Of Caution wants to make one thing straight:
"The K stands for nothing. My full name is Albert Shaun Davis, but I've always hated Albert"
That footnote aside, Davis has been making waves with his debut film Erring, a project which stars the dynamic mother/daughter duo of Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli.
"The film took about a month to shoot" Davis recalls "A director who was originally hired wanted to bring in a lot of elements, like what the father of Liza's character did and why he went to prison. He wanted to specify what Judy Garland's character was dying from. I didn't like it".
Mr Davis, 32, says the film was inspired by his late sister's diary. To keep the film closer to his vision, Davis showed the writings to none other than Garland herself.
As Davis recalls: "Judy told the producer she’d do the movie for scale and a percentage if they’d let me direct".
Davis comes from a rather chequered past that could be straight out of his own film. The third of eight children, Davis' father was questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee during the late 1940's. He refused to answer questions on principle, the family name was changed and a move was made from New York City to California.
"They chose California because my mother's uncle was in show business. He worked as an extra in pictures" Davis explains, adding that he prefers not to name family members out of respect.
Tragedy struck several years later when in 1960, Shaun's parents and youngest two siblings were killed when their father ploughed into a tree while driving under the influence. Davis remembers his father as "a horrible alcoholic. It all started after we had to leave New York City".
A couple of years after this tragedy, Shaun watched his oldest brother, who Davis only refers to as "H" have a nervous breakdown. Not only was Davis now responsible for his youngest remaining siblings, but they were also forced to go to court and have "H" involuntarily committed. "H" was released two years later, but committed suicide in 1966. For several years, Davis remained estranged from his older sister who refused to get involved. In 1969 she died of what was ruled an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. Upon her death, Shaun came across his sister's diary and was horrified to discover that she had been molested by both her uncle and oldest brother.
"I was disgusted and felt guilty," Davis tells People. "I wish I could have done more to help her".
Shaun initially went to work supporting his younger brothers and sister while working in the offices of American International Pictures. Davis was eventually able to move behind the camera while working on his script. By the time Erring was shot, the filmmaker had three television commercials, and two TV credits (Bracken's World, Dark Shadows) under his belt.
"I hope to accomplish much more," Davis tells People.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Trade Magazine Snippets, Fall, 1974:
"20th Century Fox has offered Ellen Burstyn a contract to star in a film of her choice after the recent success of Harry And Tonto. Burstyn, who is best known for films like The King Of Marvin Gardens, has received rave reviews for her supporting role as Art Carney's daughter. The actress is in talks to make a film for the studio called Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, based on a screenplay by Robert Getchell". [3]
"A film at Columbia is in development titled Devil Child with a script by Shaun K. Davis. The film, described as horror, is set to star Patty Duke-Astin, Sam Westwood, and Judy Garland. Filming is set to start sometime in early 1975".
*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
[1] Buy out that also occurred IOTL.
[2] Shaun K. Davis and Shannon Gibbs are both the nom de plume of desmirelle. In future posts, if a script is by Davis or Gibbs, the plot for it came from desmirelle.
[3] IOTL, Warners wanted to do another film with Ellen Burstyn after The Exorcist and her agent came up with Alice for her. ITTL, Alice is made about a year later by another studio.
