has a lot of courage. There are very few actresses with nerve enough to stand up to the British press.
S EPTEMBER 6, 1960
I am no longer head of European production.
Sid Rogell came through London on his way to Greece. He asked me about the
Cleopatra
script, and I gave it to him and told him of some of our problems. He was living at the Savoy where he bumped into Darryl Zanuck over from Paris on business, who was also staying there. Rogell apparently showed the script to Darryl, who didn’t like it. Darryl apparently called Skouras to report on what he thought was wrong.
Skouras called me back and said, “Jesus Christ, Walter! At your age, you ought to know better than to talk to a fellow like Rogell.”
I said I had been advised I was to look after Rogell while he was in London.
“Well, you ought to know better,” said Skouras. “Just for that I don’t want you to have anything to do with Europe. You just stick to
Cleopatra
.”
S EPTEMBER 26, 1960
I hear Skouras is putting Sid Rogell in charge of Europe, as of today.
* Although this meeting is in its proper sequence, I did not come upon the memorandum reporting it until some months later in London.
BOOK II
FIASCO IN LONDON
[1960–1961]
— LONDON —
S EPTEMBER 29, 1960
A bad beginning.
SIR TOM O BRIEN
17 WATERLOO PLACE
LONDON WI
DEAR TOM SEVERAL DAYS AGO YOU ASSURED ME THAT YOU HAD IN HAND THE PROBLEM CONCERNING SIDNEY GUILAROFFS WORK ON THE PICTURE STOP AS YOU KNOW WE HAD TWO STOPPAGES OF WORK BY THE HAIRDRESSING DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY OUR FIRST DAY OF SHOOTING STOP YOU WERE VERY DEFINITE THAT THE SITUATION MUST BE RESOLVED BECAUSE THE ENTERPRISE WAS MOST IMPORTANT AND FOR ME NOT TO WORRY STOP AS YOU ADVISED APPLICATION FOR WORK PERMIT HAS BEEN LODGED AND A REQUEST FOR A MEETING BETWEEN THE UNION AND THE BFPA HAS BEEN MADE STOP I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH YOU NOR HAVE I HAD ANY COMMUNICATION FROM YOU EXCEPT THAT YOUR SECRETARIES ASSURED ME THAT THEY HAD GIVEN YOU MY MESSAGES STOP REPRESENTING FOX WE ARE FACING A VERY SERIOUS ECONOMIC CRISIS IF THIS MATTER IS NOT STRAIGHTENED OUT IMMEDIATELY AS YOU PROMISED STOP IT WILL FORCE THE COMPANY TO SHUT DOWN AND WHAT THE RESULTS WILL BE BEYOND THAT I DREAD TO THINK STOP YOU HAVE BEEN APPRISED OFTHE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION BY OUR EXECUTIVES IN LOS ANGELES AS WELL AS HERE AND I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY REMEDY THE SITUATION AS AGREED STOP I CANNOT OVEREMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO OUR COMPANY AND THE INDUSTRY
REGARDS
WALTER WANGER
Letter to Solly Wurtzel, associate production manager on
Cleopatra
and my assistant.
Dear Solly:
Please advise me whether our insurance covers Elizabeth Taylor not reporting today on account of a sore throat.
S EPTEMBER 30, 1960
Liz has a cold. We started shooting around her. Two minutes and 20 seconds of sunshine. Temperature: 45 degrees.
Since there are many scenes in the film that do not require Liz, we started on an exterior shot which the art department had been preparing for some time. The scene of Caesar (Peter Finch) and Mark Antony (Stephen Boyd) entering the city of Alexandria, peopled by thousands of extras, was a “glass shot.”
The camera and crew were mounted on a high platform opposite the impressive set—a million dollars’ worth of temples, other buildings, and the bow of a large galley, floating in a tank. In front of the camera lens there was a glass on which had been painted an Egyptian countryside and buildings. These appeared to extend out from the real set, substituting for the drab British countryside. When done skillfully, it is impossible to tell what is real scenery and what is painted on the glass. However, the lighton the real set and that painted on the glass must match exactly during shooting, which makes it tricky.
The hairdressers’ union is still adamant about letting Guilaroff work in England. Officially, it takes the position that by the London office’s failure to get
S EPTEMBER 6, 1960
I am no longer head of European production.
Sid Rogell came through London on his way to Greece. He asked me about the
Cleopatra
script, and I gave it to him and told him of some of our problems. He was living at the Savoy where he bumped into Darryl Zanuck over from Paris on business, who was also staying there. Rogell apparently showed the script to Darryl, who didn’t like it. Darryl apparently called Skouras to report on what he thought was wrong.
Skouras called me back and said, “Jesus Christ, Walter! At your age, you ought to know better than to talk to a fellow like Rogell.”
I said I had been advised I was to look after Rogell while he was in London.
“Well, you ought to know better,” said Skouras. “Just for that I don’t want you to have anything to do with Europe. You just stick to
Cleopatra
.”
S EPTEMBER 26, 1960
I hear Skouras is putting Sid Rogell in charge of Europe, as of today.
* Although this meeting is in its proper sequence, I did not come upon the memorandum reporting it until some months later in London.
BOOK II
FIASCO IN LONDON
[1960–1961]
— LONDON —
S EPTEMBER 29, 1960
A bad beginning.
SIR TOM O BRIEN
17 WATERLOO PLACE
LONDON WI
DEAR TOM SEVERAL DAYS AGO YOU ASSURED ME THAT YOU HAD IN HAND THE PROBLEM CONCERNING SIDNEY GUILAROFFS WORK ON THE PICTURE STOP AS YOU KNOW WE HAD TWO STOPPAGES OF WORK BY THE HAIRDRESSING DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY OUR FIRST DAY OF SHOOTING STOP YOU WERE VERY DEFINITE THAT THE SITUATION MUST BE RESOLVED BECAUSE THE ENTERPRISE WAS MOST IMPORTANT AND FOR ME NOT TO WORRY STOP AS YOU ADVISED APPLICATION FOR WORK PERMIT HAS BEEN LODGED AND A REQUEST FOR A MEETING BETWEEN THE UNION AND THE BFPA HAS BEEN MADE STOP I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH YOU NOR HAVE I HAD ANY COMMUNICATION FROM YOU EXCEPT THAT YOUR SECRETARIES ASSURED ME THAT THEY HAD GIVEN YOU MY MESSAGES STOP REPRESENTING FOX WE ARE FACING A VERY SERIOUS ECONOMIC CRISIS IF THIS MATTER IS NOT STRAIGHTENED OUT IMMEDIATELY AS YOU PROMISED STOP IT WILL FORCE THE COMPANY TO SHUT DOWN AND WHAT THE RESULTS WILL BE BEYOND THAT I DREAD TO THINK STOP YOU HAVE BEEN APPRISED OFTHE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION BY OUR EXECUTIVES IN LOS ANGELES AS WELL AS HERE AND I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY REMEDY THE SITUATION AS AGREED STOP I CANNOT OVEREMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO OUR COMPANY AND THE INDUSTRY
REGARDS
WALTER WANGER
Letter to Solly Wurtzel, associate production manager on
Cleopatra
and my assistant.
Dear Solly:
Please advise me whether our insurance covers Elizabeth Taylor not reporting today on account of a sore throat.
S EPTEMBER 30, 1960
Liz has a cold. We started shooting around her. Two minutes and 20 seconds of sunshine. Temperature: 45 degrees.
Since there are many scenes in the film that do not require Liz, we started on an exterior shot which the art department had been preparing for some time. The scene of Caesar (Peter Finch) and Mark Antony (Stephen Boyd) entering the city of Alexandria, peopled by thousands of extras, was a “glass shot.”
The camera and crew were mounted on a high platform opposite the impressive set—a million dollars’ worth of temples, other buildings, and the bow of a large galley, floating in a tank. In front of the camera lens there was a glass on which had been painted an Egyptian countryside and buildings. These appeared to extend out from the real set, substituting for the drab British countryside. When done skillfully, it is impossible to tell what is real scenery and what is painted on the glass. However, the lighton the real set and that painted on the glass must match exactly during shooting, which makes it tricky.
The hairdressers’ union is still adamant about letting Guilaroff work in England. Officially, it takes the position that by the London office’s failure to get
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