Harold and Lillian Michelson spent their Hollywood careers largely under the radar. For most of his career Harold was a respected storyboard artist. Later in life he got some recognition when he picked up a few gigs and two Oscar nominations as an art director. In the latter capacity, he worked on several notoriously campy films that remain of interest to gay men: "Mame" (1974), "Can't Stop the Music" (1980) and "Mommie Dearest" (1982).
Lillian, whose own career began in middle age, became a beloved film researcher. She was the person directors called when they needed information on how to make their films as realistic and as true-to-life as possible. During one amusing interlude, Lillian recalls meeting with a drug lord so she could get information on how cocaine kingpins live and do business �" she needed to provide this information to the producers of the Al Pacino film "Scarface" (1983).
"Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story" is their story as they lived it within the film industry and in their home. The film, directed by Oscar nominee Daniel Raim, will have audiences looking at the movie business in a whole new light.
The film raises a number of interesting questions about who the actual creator of our favorite films are. Mention "The 10 Commandments" (1956), and most people will think of director Cecil B. DeMille. Bring up "The Birds" (1963), and everyone assumes that Hitchcock was the guiding force. But were they?
As the storyboard artist for both films, Harold sat at his sketchpad with each film's script in front of him. Shot-by-shot he draws each film's scenes onto paper. When comparing his drawings to the finalized film segments, it becomes clear that both directors merely copied Harold's drawings. Harold toiled for decades on film after film, earning a living but receiving little if any credit for his work until his art-director days.
Lillian, meanwhile, stays home with their three kids, one of whom is autistic. We follow the couple's struggles as they fight to keep a roof over their heads during lean times, and to properly care for their children.
Years later, when the kids are grown, Lillian begins working in a film research library. She rapidly becomes the go-to person directors call for the information they need regarding their films. Directors Francis Ford Coppola and Danny DeVito become not only clients, but also friends who hang out for coffee.
Through it all, Harold and Lillian's deep love for each other shines through. They're a lovely couple, and their story, as told by Raim, becomes engagingly sweet. The filmmaker illustrates the film with archival photographs, interviews, and a series of greeting cards that Harold gave to Lillian across the span of their 60-year marriage. "Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story" is a delightful charmer. The film opens July 21 at the Roxie Cinema, and the Elmwood in Berkeley.