UNDERSTAND THE DAY TO DAY DELAY IN FINDING THESE SUITABLE HAIRDRESSERS FROM NATKE PLEASE CONTACT ME AT THE STUDIO OR AT HOME
REGARDS
WALTER WANGER
O CTOBER 12, 1960
Met with Elizabeth at the Dorchester about the Guilaroff situation.
Liz still had a low fever, but she hoped to be well within a day or two. I told her the situation—that if Guilaroff continued on the picture we would be faced with another expensive hairdressers’ walkout.
“I don’t want the picture to close down,” she said. “I don’twant a strike, but I don’t want Oliver Messel to do my hair.” Messel, who was designing Elizabeth’s wardrobe, had said he couldn’t prepare her properly as Cleopatra unless he also designed her jewelry, shoes, hairdress, wigs, etc.
“Whatever you work out is all right with me,” Liz finally conceded. As usual, she couldn’t have been nicer.
O CTOBER 13, 1960
The London
Daily Mail
has a story out that Liz has not been appearing in public because she is too fat. The Fox press department issued a denial. The
Express
also denied the story—said she is ill and not overweight.
O CTOBER 14, 1960
Heavy frost. Two-minutes, 15 seconds of sunshine, one thousand extras. Liz still ill.
O CTOBER 15, 1960
Sir Tom O’Brien called and complained that the union is embarrassed by the deal I made with the hairdressers, but he is happy they are back at work.
I had promised the girls a bonus if they would go back to work—anything to get on with the action, and the hell with protocol.
Mamoulian called Skouras, who was all kindness but can’t understand why we don’t shut down the company and let the insurance carry the burden. Rogell, on the other hand, believes we should make every effort to continue shooting around Elizabeth, who still has a temperature.
O CTOBER 18, 1960
Trouble brewing with the insurance companies.
F. G. Geddes, the insurance adjuster for Topliss & Harding representing Lloyd’s of London, is on the set every day checking everything we are doing. He knows everything that is going on.Whenever anyone doesn’t show up, or if a horse breaks a leg, or a piece of equipment is lost or stolen, Geddes is right on it. He is savvy enough about movies to be able to make suggestions to the production department on scenes they can shoot without Liz, so the picture continues.
Received a copy of a memo to Geddes from Lord Evans, the Queen’s physician, who was called in as a consultant by Dr. Goldman.
He traced Elizabeth’s illness back to an abscess she had three weeks ago. Then she developed what seemed to be a common cold, but it was accompanied by a mild fever which persisted despite treatment with a variety of antibiotics. He cautiously diagnosed it as “a case of infection of doubtful origin.”
He said it could be a virus or some sort of a Bacillus abortus or Malta fever infection.
Whatever the cause, he pronounced her clearly unfit for work and ordered her to stay in bed until the fever subsided.
O CTOBER 20, 1960
Mamoulian getting unhappy.
Rogell is an outspoken man whose first loyalty is to Twentieth. A company man, he didn’t think Rouben was working out for us, and he didn’t hesitate to say so.
Rouben is an Armenian who is very set in his ways but he has great integrity. He cannot tolerate not knowing what is going on, he doesn’t like interference, and he doesn’t like to be “pushed” as Rogell is “pushing” him. He takes great pride in his artistry. Like many directors, he fancies himself an expert on the entire art of cinema. He considers himself a writer, thinks he knows more about the camera than the cameraman—and is not always tactful about speaking out. Even in the tension of this situation which requires 24-hour-a-day attention, he refuses to discuss business at mealtimes. He frequently tried my patience, but I believe in his artistry and am willing to let him find his own level.
In the evening went to the theater with Liz and Eddie to see
The Millionairess
.
Liz
REGARDS
WALTER WANGER
O CTOBER 12, 1960
Met with Elizabeth at the Dorchester about the Guilaroff situation.
Liz still had a low fever, but she hoped to be well within a day or two. I told her the situation—that if Guilaroff continued on the picture we would be faced with another expensive hairdressers’ walkout.
“I don’t want the picture to close down,” she said. “I don’twant a strike, but I don’t want Oliver Messel to do my hair.” Messel, who was designing Elizabeth’s wardrobe, had said he couldn’t prepare her properly as Cleopatra unless he also designed her jewelry, shoes, hairdress, wigs, etc.
“Whatever you work out is all right with me,” Liz finally conceded. As usual, she couldn’t have been nicer.
O CTOBER 13, 1960
The London
Daily Mail
has a story out that Liz has not been appearing in public because she is too fat. The Fox press department issued a denial. The
Express
also denied the story—said she is ill and not overweight.
O CTOBER 14, 1960
Heavy frost. Two-minutes, 15 seconds of sunshine, one thousand extras. Liz still ill.
O CTOBER 15, 1960
Sir Tom O’Brien called and complained that the union is embarrassed by the deal I made with the hairdressers, but he is happy they are back at work.
I had promised the girls a bonus if they would go back to work—anything to get on with the action, and the hell with protocol.
Mamoulian called Skouras, who was all kindness but can’t understand why we don’t shut down the company and let the insurance carry the burden. Rogell, on the other hand, believes we should make every effort to continue shooting around Elizabeth, who still has a temperature.
O CTOBER 18, 1960
Trouble brewing with the insurance companies.
F. G. Geddes, the insurance adjuster for Topliss & Harding representing Lloyd’s of London, is on the set every day checking everything we are doing. He knows everything that is going on.Whenever anyone doesn’t show up, or if a horse breaks a leg, or a piece of equipment is lost or stolen, Geddes is right on it. He is savvy enough about movies to be able to make suggestions to the production department on scenes they can shoot without Liz, so the picture continues.
Received a copy of a memo to Geddes from Lord Evans, the Queen’s physician, who was called in as a consultant by Dr. Goldman.
He traced Elizabeth’s illness back to an abscess she had three weeks ago. Then she developed what seemed to be a common cold, but it was accompanied by a mild fever which persisted despite treatment with a variety of antibiotics. He cautiously diagnosed it as “a case of infection of doubtful origin.”
He said it could be a virus or some sort of a Bacillus abortus or Malta fever infection.
Whatever the cause, he pronounced her clearly unfit for work and ordered her to stay in bed until the fever subsided.
O CTOBER 20, 1960
Mamoulian getting unhappy.
Rogell is an outspoken man whose first loyalty is to Twentieth. A company man, he didn’t think Rouben was working out for us, and he didn’t hesitate to say so.
Rouben is an Armenian who is very set in his ways but he has great integrity. He cannot tolerate not knowing what is going on, he doesn’t like interference, and he doesn’t like to be “pushed” as Rogell is “pushing” him. He takes great pride in his artistry. Like many directors, he fancies himself an expert on the entire art of cinema. He considers himself a writer, thinks he knows more about the camera than the cameraman—and is not always tactful about speaking out. Even in the tension of this situation which requires 24-hour-a-day attention, he refuses to discuss business at mealtimes. He frequently tried my patience, but I believe in his artistry and am willing to let him find his own level.
In the evening went to the theater with Liz and Eddie to see
The Millionairess
.
Liz
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