Thursday, June 17, 2004 | 8:14 a.m.
It wasn't the script that convinced Jack Nance to take the lead role in the cult classic "Eraserhead."
Nor was it the movie's director, David Lynch, who was an unknown student filmmaker at the time.
Instead, it was spying a 1959 Volkswagen with a wooden rack on the roof that made the actor think twice about rejecting the part in the movie -- especially after learning that Lynch was the car's owner.
"Pretty soon we were great buddies in the parking lot," Lynch said.
So Nance, the only actor Lynch auditioned for the role, was cast as Henry Spencer, an eccentric misfit with a tower of hair that would make Kramer envious.
How big?
"When we traveled with Jack we put him in the back seat because he would draw quite a crowd" because of his hair, Lynch recalled with a laugh.
As it happened, making "Eraserhead" was a good move for both the actor and director.
Nance remained busy in Hollywood with supporting roles, including appearances in nearly every Lynch film, until his death in 1997 of an apparent homicide.
Lynch, meanwhile, went on to create an impressive resume, including, "The Elephant Man," "Dune," "Blue Velvet," "Wild at Heart," "The Straight Story," "Mulholland Drive" and the seminal early '90s TV series "Twin Peaks."
The 58-year-old director is one of three honorees to receive the CineVegas Film Festival Vanguard Director Award for a distinguished career in film. Directors Bruce Conner and Julian Schnabel are also recipients. The festival is being held through the weekend at Brenden Theatres at the Palms.
Lynch made an appearance Wednesday night at the film festival to pick up the award. As part of the event, CineVegas screened "Eraserhead," immediately followed by an informal question-and-answer session with the director, moderated by New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell, who also sits on the film festival's board of advisers.
Joining Lynch and Mitchell in the discussion were Dennis Hopper, chairman of CineVegas, and Dean Stockwell, himself the recipient of the inaugural Changed My Life Award on Sunday. Both Hopper and Stockwell have worked with Lynch and credit the director for revitalizing their careers.
Sporting a black coat and tie, the smallish, gray-haired auteur was chatty and charming during the session, often peppering his answers with amusing anecdotes, especially when discussing "Eraserhead."
More than 25 years after its release, it's obvious the director retains affection for his first studio release.
While the film took five years or more to complete because of limited financing, Lynch, who worked as a Wall Street Journal delivery man, joked: "If the Wall Street Journal paid more, I could have finished it sooner."
When "Eraserhead" finally was released to a theater in New York in 1977, attendance was sparse. Still, the head of the studio that was distributing the film wasn't concerned, telling Lynch the art film would eventually be a hit -- even though the studio wasn't going to market the film.
"And he was right. (Later) they were lining up around the block" to see the movie, Lynch said.
A stark, black-and-white nightmare with cryptic imagery of deformed angels, mutant babies, bloody food and burned-out buildings -- all made more frightening with piercing wails and hisses -- it was little wonder the hallucinogenic film became a midnight movie staple.
"It was always on the marquee. After four years, even people who hadn't seen it knew the name of the film," Lynch said.
The grotesque and haunting movie proved to be Lynch's big break.
Mel Brooks, whose production company was financing "The Elephant Man," a movie Lynch was anxious to direct, asked to screen "Eraserhead" before hiring Lynch.
"I was told Mel wanted to see 'Eraserhead' and I said, 'Well, it's nice knowing you guys. As soon as he sees this, it's over,' " Lynch said.
In fact, it was the opposite.
"As soon as the movie was over, the door burst open and I thought it was bad news," Lynch said. "Mel came out and hugged me. He said, 'You're a madman and I love it.' "
Released in 1980, "The Elephant Man" was nominated for eight Oscars -- including best picture and best director -- but won none.
With that critical success, Lynch tried his hand at a big-budget movie, teaming with uber-producer Dino De Laurentiis on the film version of the sci-fi classic novel "Dune."
Unfortunately for Lynch, who wrote and directed the film, De Laurentiis maintained final say over the film's content and made numerous alterations to the movie.
As a result, the director said his experience with "Dune" was a "heartache."
"I consider the film pretty much a failure," Lynch said. "But I learned a lot.
His advice to young filmmakers?
"Always have final cut. If you don't have final cut, you're not making your movie and you'll die the death."
Despite his experience, and the fact that "Dune" proved to be a critical and a financial bomb, Lynch opted to partner with De Laurentiis again for his next film, "Blue Velvet."
This time, to maintain complete control of the project, Lynch was told he had to slash the film's budget and his salary in half, terms to which he agreed.
The result is arguably the director's finest work.
A darkly comic look at the seedier side of small-town life, the film is perhaps best known for Hopper's turn as Frank Booth, a wildly erratic villain prone to fits of profanity and murderous rage.
Lynch said he first conceived of Booth while observing a customer at a Bob's Big Boy restaurant.
One of the first actors he thought of to play that part was Hopper; however, the director had his reservations about casting the actor in the role.
"Word was Dennis had this tremendous (drug) problem and was down somewhere in Mexico putting his fist through walls," Lynch said. "I was told, 'You can't work with Dennis.' "
Then Hopper's agent called Lynch to rebuke the rumors about his client.
"(He) said, 'Really, he's clean and sober,' " Lynch said. "Hearing he was clean and sober was all it took."
As with most of Lynch's chances, the gamble paid off. Hopper's turn as the heinous and perversely evil Booth, while ignored by the Academy Awards, last year was named one of the 50 best villains -- No. 36 -- by the American Film Institute.
"He gave me a career again by giving me the part of Frank Booth in 'Blue Velvet,' " Hopper said.
To which Lynch replied: "You always had a career, buddy. You didn't need anybody to come along and help out."
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