Chatsworth
The Author
J.D. Salinger is nobody’s fool. He created one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century and resisted the urge to ruin his legacy by going back to the well. Da Vinci didn’t paint a second Mona Lisa, did he? But what happened to Holden? Where did he end up? That would be an interesting story.
The Director
It seemed a natural to me that Wes Anderson would tackle such a project. By advancing the narrative 25 years we are smack in the middle of the 1970s, an era Anderson is clearly fond of. Anderson has mentioned TCITR as a favorite work and the richly detailed characters he creates rival the detail of those created by Salinger.
The Music
Anderson is famous for his clever and evocative soundtracks, as well as his collaboration with Mark Mothersbaugh. I wanted to keep the music very much of the era, with all tracks coming from the early to mid-70s. In addition to the actual tracks, I added in ‘original works’ by Mothersbaugh that directly reference specific scenes from the film.
The Setting
Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley seemed appropriate for several reasons. Of course we know from TCITR that Holden’s brother, D.B., is a successful writer in Hollywood. Also, Holden actually recalls the events laid out in the book from a hospital/treatment center in Los Angeles. The reputation of L.A. residents as being phonies also provides a perfect backdrop for Holden’s psychosis – he seemingly needs to be within proximity to those he claims to despise. Building on the brief mention in TCITR that Holden has some talent at golf, I thought a job at a golf course would put him in a perfect position to comment on phonies while still not holding a real job.
The Plot
Twenty-five years have passed since the action of TCITR. Holden, an itinerant caddy and second rate golf instructor, has his fragile existence come crashing down around him when his younger sister, Phoebe, arrives in Los Angeles. She’s come to participate in the making of a film, written by their brother D.B., based on her childhood creation, Hazel Weatherfield, Girl Detective. Initially unable to deal with the success of his siblings and the unending procession of Hollywood phonies with whom they associate, Holden goes on a self-destructive spree of marginally criminal behavior, only to be repeatedly saved by D.B. and Phoebe. After a failed and half-hearted suicide attempt and an unsuccessful stab at landing a part in the movie, Holden accepts his place in the Caulfield firmament and joins his siblings for their moment of fame as D.B. and Phoebe appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
The Device
I wanted there to be an element of metafiction within the story as well as within this project. So, we have a tangible artifact (the CD), that is created for a fictional movie (Chatsworth) that is a sequel to a real book (TCITR). Then within that, the fictional movie (Chatsworth) revolves around the creation of a movie based on fictional characters (Hazel Weatherfield, Girl Detective) that were created for a real book (TCITR). In addition, I’ve ‘created’ an original score of fake music by a real composer (Mark Mothersbaugh); one of these tunes being Little Shirley Beans, which was a fictional song by a fictional singer from the original source material.
The Title and Cover Art
In addition to being an area of the San Fernando Valley, the name Chatsworth also seemed vaguely reminiscent of the Anderson film, Rushmore, to me. The CD cover takes its inspiration from the cover of the edition of The Catcher in the Rye I remember reading in high school, which featured a similarly clean design and color scheme. The back cover is actually a shot from a recording studio in Chatsworth taken in the mid-70s.
Track Listing
Todd Rundgren – Hello, It’s Me
Marlena Shaw – California Soul
Steely Dan – Any Major Dude Will Tell You
Jose Feliciano – Hard Times in El Barrio
Langley Schools Music Project – Desperado
Warren Zevon – Lawyers, Guns and Money
Randy Newman – Mama Told Me Not To Come
Maria Muldaur – Midnight At The Oasis
Fleetwood Mac – Over My Head
Johnny Mandel – Suicide Is Painless (Theme From M*A*S*H*)
The Rolling Stones – She’s A Rainbow
Vince Guaraldi Trio – Skating
Boz Scaggs – Lido
Doc Severinsen – The Tonight Show (Johnny’s Theme)
Blossom Dearie – Unpack Your Adjectives
