Read My Life with Cleopatra Online
Authors: Walter Wanger
F
EBRUARY
26, 1960
Had lunch with Adler, who expects the threatened Screen Actors Guild strike to last a long time. No telling when we can start the movie. He had just come from a meeting with Elizabeth’s agents and feels we should find another Cleopatra.
“We’ll never get together on a contract,” he said. “Her demands are too great.” I didn’t feel Adler really wanted Elizabeth out, but the long sessions with agents and lawyers were beginning to wear him down. He said he was not feeling well. Or, perhaps he wants me to warn Frings not to be too tough. Buddy’s mind often operates that way.
M
ARCH
7, 1960
Johnny Johnston and John DeCuir back from Turkey. A harrowing tale.
Skouras had an idea that we ought to attempt to shoot some of the exteriors for
Cleopatra
in Turkey and began negotiations with the Turkish Government. Johnny Johnston, a production manager, and John DeCuir, the art director, were elected to go and look for possible sites.
Turkish officials met them in Istanbul and took them to the Turkish Riviera, which they are anxious to develop. The government is willing to make any concession we ask, in exchange for our shooting there and bringing them not only business but publicity. According to Johnston, however, the garden spot of Turkey is so inaccessible, it would be impossible to shoot there on any practical basis. Living conditions and supplies were impossible. So Turkey is out as a location, but the cost of the trip is on our budget.
M
ARCH
8, 1960
The Screen Actors Guild is on strike. Everyone at the studio is in a panic over what to do with
Cleopatra
. Skouras and Adler have now decided they want to make a co-production deal in Italy with Lionello Santi, who produced the Italian
Cleopatra
.
M
ARCH
9, 1960
Mamoulian to Italy for a week to scout locations and look at studio space with Santi. Everyone at the studio seems enchanted with Santi.
M
ARCH
14, 1960
The fight against my authority came out in the open this morning.
Schreiber called me into his office to tell me that Rouben, my art director John DeCuir, and production manager Johnny Johnston are going east tomorrow to meet with Sid Rogell, general manager of studio operations, Skouras, and the rest of the officials. He said it would not be necessary for me to go to New York as it was not planned to have me go to Italy.
“Why not?” I asked him.
“It has something to do with the Italian taxes,” he said.
“Why can’t I at least go to New York and discuss it with them? After all, it is my company’s production.”
“Walter, don’t you understand? They don’t want you.”
I know something about Santi and I know Mamoulian, and this isn’t going to work out. I settled for a wire to Buddy protesting his behavior, so I’d be on record, and decided to bide my time.
A
PRIL
11, 1960
Another writer. We made a four-week deal for Lawrence Durrell to revise our script.
He is to receive $7,000 in Italian lire, and we are to pay his
agents, Rosenberg-Coryell, the $700 commission. He is to start work on Friday, April 15, and deliver his revisions within four weeks. If we need additional revisions, he is to be paid at the rate of $2,500 a week in lire, with his agents’ commission deducted and paid in dollars.
A
PRIL
19, 1960
Received a memo from Mamoulian, who was now in London, on “making of
Cleopatra
in Italy.” Not encouraging.
Mamoulian noted:
There is a gulf between our way and the Italian way of making films intended for wide, popular consumption … the following seem to be the peculiarities of their modus operandi:
Story construction is treated in a very free, loose manner … their whole approach to film making is much less demanding than ours. The talent and craftsmen involved seem to be easily satisfied with what we would consider unacceptable results. This attitude creates a real problem of semantics: Though they and we may use the same words, their meanings are different. For instance, what would there be referred to as a “great and perfect” location, would be called by us “limited and not suitable,” and so on as applied to every facet of picture making. The whole standard of values and the criterion for achievement are widely different
.
After summing up the many difficulties likely to be encountered making a film in Italy, Rouben noted that it would be possible to “correct these unfavorable circumstances.”
A
PRIL
20, 1960
The romance with Santi is over. We are now to make the picture in England with locations in Italy.
In a full-page ad in
Variety
, Santi listed all of the pictures his Galatea Productions is involved in. Tucked between
The Story of Esther
and
The King Must Die
was “
Cleopatra
in color and for wide screen, directed by Rouben Mamoulian with Elizabeth Taylor.” No mention of Fox. It looked as though
Cleopatra
was just one of his many productions.
Adler was furious. In no time at all the plans were changed once again. Goldstein, general manager of production in Europe, was told we would definitely be using Pinewood Studios.
A
PRIL
28, 1960
Mamoulian back from Rome.
Rouben, who was supposed to be gone a week, stayed six.
M
AY
1, 1960
Had dinner with Elizabeth, Eddie, and Ketti Frings at the Colony in New York; discussed the
Cleopatra
situation.
We were all high about making the greatest picture ever. Elizabeth is especially excited about making a picture abroad. She wanted me to be sure and get Sidney Guilaroff as her hair stylist. He has done her hair on most of her pictures.
Sidney once worked at Bonwit Teller in New York. Then he went to Hollywood under contract to MGM and became a great favorite of many stars, especially Elizabeth and Ava Gardner, who always ask for him. Our only problem is to find out Sidney’s availability and arrange to borrow him from MGM and get permission for him to work in London.
Our starting date is June 17.
M
AY
3, 1960
Nothing going right here.
Johnny Johnston and John DeCuir, who arrived here in advance, met me at the airport and insisted on a meeting at once to “take stock.” The facilities at Pinewood, as anticipated, were not adequate; Denham Studio, which has the best stages in England, has been taken over by the U. S. Air Force and is not available; there was very little construction material available; we need a great many plasterers, and despite ads in the papers and on movie screens promising bonuses, we had less than a dozen. Of the dozens of draftsmen Goldstein said were available, we have been able to hire only a few, which makes it difficult to meet our starting date.
Additionally, there are basic differences between our ideas and methods and theirs. The English approach to film making is different from the American. The English can’t be pushed. Although efficient, they don’t want to work under pressure. We offered them bonuses which they refused. They would rather have their leisure at home and time to look after their gardens. Maybe they’re right.
And they work differently. In America, a prop man goes out and finds things or rents them from places he knows about. They don’t operate that way in England. First of all there are no props available for the
Cleopatra
period here, so everything has to be designed and then built, which means it will be expensive and slow.
We fear we may have a difficult time getting the proper results from the English extras, who are unfamiliar with the demands of this type of picture.
Also, it looks as though we are going to have trouble because of Sidney Guilaroff, the hairdresser. The British hairdressers’ union is protesting his employment, claiming our using him is a reflection on the skill of the English hairdresser.
What worries us all most, however, is the weather. Even though this is spring, it is cold and damp, and Elizabeth is just over pneumonia.
M
AY
6, 1960
Received a memo today from Adler saying the absolute limit on the
Cleopatra
budget is $4,000,000. Most unrealistic. We’ve spent half that already and haven’t a foot of film.
M
AY
9, 1960
David Merrick in town to try and get Laurence Olivier for
Becket
. We still hope to get him for
Cleopatra
, but we don’t have a new script to show him, so I fear we may be out of the running. Caesar is a most difficult role to cast.
M
AY
12, 1960
Bad news from Rome.
Bill Kirby, the English production manager, went with John DeCuir to Rome to check on the locations picked by Mamoulian. They also checked living accommodations and possibilities for renting filming equipment.
They found that the Olympic Games had taken over all the living space—something no one had considered. The studios Mamoulian chose need to be soundproofed, and it’s doubtful that can be done in time. Also, there isn’t the right kind of equipment available. A huge production like this needs a tremendous variety of lights, generators, and equipment. They have to be arranged for far in advance.
M
AY
13, 1960
On the basis of yesterday’s report, it has been decided to try and do everything possible in England if we can get Denham as Goldstein promised Adler. But the Denham Studio has been taken over by the U. S. Air Force. I called Jock Whitney, the
American ambassador, to ask if something could be worked out.
He was most co-operative and sympathetic, but after making every effort possible, he called back to say it was impossible.
WALTER WANGER
DORCHESTER HOTEL LONDON
DEAR WALTER TIME IS DRAWING NIGH ANYTHING NEW OF A HOUSE FOR A WIFE HUSBAND THREE CHILDREN AND ASSORTED ANIMALS STOP IMPERATIVE THAT MOST SATISFACTORY ACCOMMODATIONS BE FOUND STOP LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU
YOUR SON EDDIE
M
AY
14, 1960
Olivier is definitely out as Caesar.
He’s going to do
Becket
for Merrick, so we are trying—against Skouras’ wishes—to get Rex Harrison. Skouras told me there are two actors he doesn’t want—Harrison and Richard Burton. He had Harrison in movies in the past, and they didn’t do much at the box office; Burton had been in some great pictures, but Skouras doesn’t think he means a thing at the box office.
Mamoulian arrived today—quite rightly furious. He wasn’t met at the airplane and had to carry his own baggage. And he didn’t have proper living accommodations. I am afraid he will be more upset when he gets a full report on our production problems.
Later the plans for the picture at this point were well summed up by Rouben Mamoulian in a 1300-word cable to Skouras. Rouben pointed out that the cuts the studio wanted made in our script would not merely shorten the picture but would change it so that it would not be the glamorous and colorful film we hoped to achieve.
Rouben also pointed out the difficulty of finding the right landscapes in England and the grave problem of weather conditions. He suggested we make the film in Italy and asked for a clear-cut decision as to where we are going, because the time left for preparation with limited labor is alarmingly and dangerously short.
M
AY
19, 1960
This is absolute disaster.
Hollywood has given us an August 15 starting date, but we don’t have enough studio space, don’t have a full cast, don’t have a script, and don’t have a crew of laborers.
We need an enormous number of wigs, which are not available, and we don’t have the costumes. The only positive note is the news that construction has started on the city of Alexandria at Pinewood. The workmen are on overtime. With luck the set will be ready in November—weeks after we are scheduled to use it.
M
AY
27, 1960
Mr. Lew Schreiber
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Studios
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A.
Dear Lew:
I talked to Elizabeth in New York last night. She was not too disappointed over Olivier not doing the picture because she always felt that he did not have any real enthusiasm for it. She is very anxious and excited over having Rex Harrison as Caesar … of all the available, established actors it seems to me, and I am sure Rouben agrees, that Harrison is the most capable and strongest talent available. I think you told me that you saw him play Henry VIII and how impressed you
were. Not that this part is by any means similar, but he can handle costumes and he has strength and sex and, I think, will help Taylor enormously. The Sidney Guilaroff situation was brought up by Taylor last night. I explained to her that he could not work in the studio. She is insisting on bringing him over. I imagine any day you will be approached over a deal. I tried to ward off the situation by saying Oliver Messel wanted to control her hair problems in connection with the costumes, but she would not have any of it.
As always,
Walter Wanger
WALTER WANGER
DORCHESTER HOTEL LONDON
MUST CONFIRM SIDNEY GUILAROFF POSITION IMMEDIATELY OR HE WILL BE LOST AND THIS CANNOT HAPPEN
REGARDS
ELIZABETH
J
UNE
2, 1960
Our first estimate on a foreign budget: $4,119,978.
It is not only totally unrealistic but it does not take into account any of the $2 million already spent.
J
UNE
3, 1960
Darryl F. Zanuck turns us down.
Mamoulian and I to Paris for the weekend to work with Lawrence Durrell and see Darryl Zanuck. He greeted us at the
door of his apartment on the Left Bank. The walls were covered with very attractive pictures of Juliette Greco. Our purpose was to tell him of our serious trouble and try to get his help in putting the movie back on the rails, as he is one of the largest shareholders in Fox.