The Smiley Smile Message Board

Has James Taylor ever said anything about Dennis in the past or recent years?

Not exactly what you're asking for but....:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,4500.msg174474.html#msg174474

Thanks. This is nice info, that I figured was out there somewhere! I guess I was wondering if any interviews exist with Taylor talking about Dennis. If not, someone should ask him in the future. It's only fair to us BB fans! (haha)

He talks about him a bit in the interview with Monte Hellman conducted for the Criterion DVD edition of Two-Lane Blacktop.

Didn't know that existed. I'll have to pick it up. Thanks!

Back in 1996 Vh1 showed Two-Lane on a weekend rock movie program they used to run, long before they became home to Dr Drew and Mafia Wives. It was only the second time I'd seen the movie, the first being 1989 when it popped up unexpectedly on local cable on a Thursday afternoon movie. (Don't ask me how....) Vh1 interviewed Taylor about the movie. Probably nothing that's not in the DVD interview, but my recollection was he had some nice if quick comments on Dennis, about how fun and energetic he was. Mostly Taylor recalled how bored the two of them were sitting around waiting for setups, etc.

Amazing what an afterlife this movie has enjoyed in the past 12-15 years.

Was reading a book on the California scene last night and it mentioned that JT was in the midst of a heroin relapse during most, if not all, of the Two Lane Blacktop shoot, and quotes him as saying 'I was pretty unconscious around then'. It is entirely possible he doesn't remember that much about Dennis!

As for the other way around, heroin junkies aren't known for being overly communicative and gregarious party animals, so I don't really know how Taylor would have come across to Dennis.

Interesting that several years later JT came across Dennis and things were perhaps the other way around. Not sure the time line of Stebbons story, but it sounds like when Dennis was a (cocaine) junky perhaps? And maybe JT was clean? Hmmm.

That disc is essential!  Hellman was really on a roll back then.  Such a great filmmaker.

If you have comcast cable the movie is on demand..
Look in the free movie section.

Addict is a more respectful word than "junky" or junkie. I think James saw Dennis in about 1982 or so and said he looked green, was frothing at the mouth, and he didn't recognize Dennis at first.