Not only does practice make perfect, but it’s also the primary step in the direction of Carnegie Hall.
That’s why so many productions prioritize rehearsals. FIlm, the actual physical celluloid, has always been one of the most expensive parts of any project, and wasting it can prove incredibly costly.
Producers and directors often build a rehearsal period into any production schedule. Why waste time on the set when you can figure everything out ahead of time? Meticulous planning is one of the most important things to bringing a TV show or movie to completion on time and under budget.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that everybody loves rehearsal.
Take, for instance, Dan Blocker, best known as Hoss Cartwright from NBC’s Bonanza. In a 1968 interview with the Fort Lauderdale News, Blocker spoke about rehearsing and why it wasn’t his thing.
“Every rehearsal cuts down on the spontaneity,” he says.
At the time, Blocker had just wrapped a rare movie role in between seasons of Bonanza. His co-star in the movie, Frank Sinatra, felt similarly.
“Frank’s the same way as I am. He’s impatient. You asked me if I fished from my boat. Hell, no! I don’t have the patience,” said Blocker.
“It’s different in a film like, say, Virginia Woolf, where they rehearsed for weeks before filming the first scene. But in the average picture where short rehearsals are the usual thing, I don’t go along with it. By the time I’ve done a walk to the door four or five times, I begin to limp or even try to put some emotion into it. That’s ridiculous. Nobody thinks about how they walk to a door.”
Under the right circumstances, though, Blocker could be persuaded.
“Long rehearsals, say in classic-type pictures, are fine. You can extract the material and polish off the good stuff.”