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Robbie Robertson and Martin Scorsese
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From the desk of Contributing Editor, Eli M. Getson–
Martin Scorsese was introduced to The Band’s Robbie Robertson by the producer of Mean Streets, Jonathon Taplin, who coincidently helped manage the legendary rock group. Scorsese’s first impression of the guitarist was, “He was cool, far too cool.” This chance meeting and initial impression would turn into a creative collaboration and friendship that stretches on for the better part of four decades, and includes musical collaborations on at least eight Scorsese films.
By 1976 The Band were on their last legs, after more than sixteen years of non-stop touring the stresses of the road had taken their toll. The members agreed to one last show, to be played on Thanksgiving 1976 at the famed Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The show would feature several notable guest appearances by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, Muddy Waters, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Hawkins, and Eric Clapton amongst others. I have always found this ironic, given that Rock and Roll is big business today with the attendant merchandising and multi-media cash cow to feed, that a group like The Band that still had tremendous commercial appeal would just hang it up. Times were less cynical I suppose.
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Martin Scorsese, left, and Robbie Robertson traveled to the French Riviera in Cannes, France, in May 1978 to present “The Last Waltz” at the 31st Cannes International Film Festival. –AP image
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Scorsese was brought on to document The Band’s farewell show, largely because of Robertson admiring his use of music in Mean Streets. The film, The Last Waltz, released in 1978 is a classic, and is the standard by which all concert films are judged. It must have been a strange feeling after that show for Robertson, sort of like that feeling right after you win the championship-a great feeling to be sure, but now what? Between the royalties from all the music he wrote for The Band and the concert cash he could afford to do nothing. Scorsese, perhaps sensing a kindred spirit, invited Robertson to live at his place on Mulholland Drive and help him edit the reams of concert footage. The house on Mulholland Drive was one of the 1970’s intersections for Hollywood’s young Turks, the literary set, Rock royalty, the occasional Kennedy, and the debauchery that accompanied it. The 24 hour party scene, the people walking through the house on any given night and the conversations that must have been had…if the walls could only talk.
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November 25th, 1976, San Francisco– Bob Dylan performs with Robbie Robertson and the Band at the Winterland Ballroom– The Last Waltz. –Image by © Neal Preston/Corbis
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Through late night double features, all night listening sessions, and more than a little cocaine, Scorsese and Robertson forged a long lasting friendship and a creative give and take that would benefit both parties. While the two played in different mediums– film and rock music– there was that intuitive understanding for both of them that the other got it, even if at times they did not know what “it” was. As Robertson would later say about his relationship with the director and living through those times, “It was almost like having a war buddy. We were in the trenches together and we got out alive and a bomb went off right beside us. It’s that kind of feeling. In the course of that, we became really, really good friends.”
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1988– Robbie Robertson and Martin Scorsese –Image by © Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis
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Scorsese often credits his friendships to Robbie Robertson and Robert DeNiro for helping him survive those times. Sometimes you meet someone and you hit it off– he or she becomes that person you can count on, no matter what. These guys were lucky to find each other, and but I think we are even luckier that they did.
–Eli M. Getson
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