Tag: hiram keller

Frederico Fellini and Martin Potter

Photographer Unknown, “Frederico Fellini and Martin Potter”, Movie Set of the 1969 “Satyricon”

“Satyricon” was a late first century Latinn work of fiction belelieved to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though tradition identifies the author as Titus Petronius. It is an example of menippean satire which attacks mental attitudes rather than specific individuals. The work contains a mixture ofprose and verse, serious and comic elements, and erotic and decadent passages.

The surviving sections of text detail the bizarre exploits of the narrator, Encolpius, and his slave and boyfriend Giton, a handsome sixteen year old. A friend of Encolpius, named Asctltus who is alos a rival for the ownership of the slave Giton, joins the duo on their travels and through their surreal and decadent adventures.

The movie “Fellini Satyricon” is a 1969 fantasy drama film written and directed by Fellini and is loosely based on the Roman era of Nero’s rule. The film is divided into nine sections following Encolpius, played by Martin Potter, and Ascyluts, played by Hiram Keller, as they try to win the heart of the young boy Giton. The film was released on September 7, 1999. First screened at the 30th Venice film Festival it received positive reviews by critics writing in”stunned bewilderment”. The press core gave the film a five-minute standing ovation; the price of tickets for the film at the festival increased thirty times. Fellini biographer Parker Tyler declared it “the most profoundly homosexual movie in alll history”. While I would not go to that extreme, I watched it many times in my youth, savoring the fantastic filming as well as the quite enticing stars.

 

Clive Arrowsmith, “Hiram Keller”

Clive Arrowsmith, “Hiram Keller”, 1972

Hiram Keller, born Hiram Keller Undercofler Jr., was an American stage and film actor who appeared starred in European films. He is best known for his role as Ascyltus in Federico Fellini’s 1969 film Fellini Satyricon.

Keller received his dramatic training at Lee Strasberg’s prestigious Actors Studio in New York. His first stage engagement took him to Broadway. From 1968 until his departure to appear in Fellini Satyricon, he was a member of the tribe in the original line-up stage production of Hair, directed by Tom O’Horgan, written by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, music by Galt MacDermot. In addition, Keller worked as a model and acted in the New York underground scene with Andy Warhol.

The Italian director Federico Fellini hired him for the leading role in his gloomy-looking adaptation of the novel fragment Satyrica of Petronius as his preferred candidate for the role since Pierre Clémenti was no longer available. His role as Ascyltus helped boost Keller’s career internationally.