"Sam Bacile" -- an added note

I have to add one quick note to the post below. It turns out that "Sam Bacile" hired an actual director -- a fellow named Alan Roberts, who has been in the film business since the early '70s. I've never seen any of the movies he directed previously, although I was quite aware of Panorama Blue, a soft-core porno in wide screen and stereo released in 70mm at the old Paramount theater (now the El Capitan) in Hollywood. Believe it or not, my primary interest was in the 70mm format. Alas, I was too young to buy a ticket.

Roberts -- who has compiled a fairly impressive resume as an editor -- appears to be non-political, and may not have known that the movie was intended to slur Mohammed. In the original script, the prophet was called George. I still can't get over that: George.

This Los Angeles Times article on the men behind this affair has some interesting tidbits. But the piece is almost perverse in its refusal to note the existence of Jimmy Israel, who may have played the most important role.