OCTOBER 26, 1961
The new elephants imported from Britain are “jolly” fellows. Doing a fine job.
Liz and Eddie on the set to watch Burton in a complicated scene in which he lifts a girl off one elephant, kisses her, and puts her on another while the mob cheers.
Every two weeks the nurses would come by the hotel and take blood tests and protein tests, then check my cholesterol and adjust my pills accordingly. I am in fine shape, thank God.
OCTOBER 31, 1961
Long phone talk with Hollywood today about the Todd-AO cameras, which hum. The studio cabled back “camera noise” when they processed our latest film, which upset everyone. The camera crew is now working over their equipment. This is a most serious problem.
NOVEMBER 1, 1961
JLM suggests a five-day week so he can have the entire weekend to write.
Elizabeth, Richard, and Rex said they will take a cut in salary so he can have the extra day, but I fear the studio will object. One of the reasons they were enthusiastic about Rome was the six-day week here. However, JLM is terribly concerned about getting the script finished and the strain is telling on him.
NOVEMBER 2, 1961
Liz worked in the carpet scene. Came off very well.
The scene in which Liz is delivered to Caesar wrapped in a carpet was tricky because the carpet had to be specially made of a lightweight fabric so that she would not be uncomfortable and you could see the outline of her form in it.
NOVEMBER 3, 1961
President Sukarno of Indonesia requested, through the U. S. Embassy in Rome, that we give a luncheon for himself and his staff.
The lunch took place today in the Cinecitta restaurant and everyone from our cast was present to meet the President and his aides.
An incredible character who carries a marshal’s baton and speaks perfect English, the President soon made it plain to me that he has an eye for beauty. He knows the name of every starlet in Hollywood and is equally familiar with most of the pictures made in Hollywood in the past few years.
After lunch he went on set to be presented to Liz. He gave her some attractive costume jewelry and started to pin one of the gifts on her bodice. I interrupted the President because I was fearful the pin might make a hole in Liz’s dress which would show up in the scene.
NOVEMBER 4, 1961
Yesterday Levathes cabled JLM to say he was flipping over the rushes, they were marvelous. Today he called me from Hollywood, upset about the operation costs. He is coming here in a few days with Skouras, who is also panicked about the costs.
Levathes said absolutely “No” to JLM’s request for a five-day week.
“We are the laughing stock of the industry; that is the greatest disaster in show business,” he said.
When I reminded Peter of the wire he sent only the day before saying the rushes were great, he ignored me.
I was dismayed by his call though I could understand it. We were drawing about $500,000 a week which is a lot of money to be taking out for operating expenses without putting anything back. And none of the pictures Fox had in release or out were coming up to expectations, so the studio was in a difficult spot.
Later in the afternoon Pete called back saying he was going to send Joe Moskowitz over from New York to represent the corporation and be the top man here. I told him that any heavy-handed direction from the studio would end the picture.
I talked with JLM, who is calm and wise as usual whenever there is a real crisis. “We’ll just give them the best damned picture they ever saw and they’ll quiet down,” he said.
NOVEMBER 5, 1961
Received a cable from Levathes saying that under no circumstances would we be allowed to go on a five-day shooting week. He pointed out, as I suspected he would, that our original decision to film in Italy was based on the advantages of a six-day week.
NOVEMBER 6, 1961
Another forty-minute call from Peter about costs.
He is unconcerned over the fact that the phone bill also goes on our budget, as do the frequent trips here of Skouras and himself.
NOVEMBER 7, 1961
Rain. Everyone says that this is the worst weather in Rome in a century—the same story we heard in England!
NOVEMBER 10, 1961
Talked with Peter again, who said he was coming next week. He said Skouras figures our budget at $10,000,000 with overhead, which is just impossible.
NOVEMBER 11, 1961
Here is our current budget, not including overhead. I doubt we can stay inside it.
Scenario $93,285.11
Director 608,007.30
Producer & Assts. 183,879.47
Producer & Directors Sectys. 27,233.94
Cast 2,622,700.00
Scen. Dir. Cast: (3,535,105.82)
Music 88,160.00
Re-recording 68,400.00
Titles, Inserts, Fades 50,000.00
Projectionists 2,253.50
Editorial 78,418.31
(287,231.81)
Art Costs 206,274.60
Set Costs 2,981,992.00
Lighting Platforms 29,052.00
Striking Costs 273,582.00
Miniatures 400,000.00
Spec. Photographic Effects 44,065.68
Dance Director & Staff 60,550.00
Staff 321,266.77
Extras 1,324,537.32
Standby Labor & Material 161,481.11
Camera 140,544.64
Sound 56,706.65
Electrical 396,051.79
Mechanical Effects 135,823.00
Set Dressing 527,532.84
Animals and Action Props 417,600.00
Women’s Wardrobe, Men’s Wardrobe 1,211,900.00
Make-up & Hairdressing 138,771.07
Prod. Film & Lab. Work 250,000.00
Stills 47,600.00
Transportation Cars, Trucks 241,200.00
Talent Tests 2,894.97
Insur. Tax. Fringe Benefits 506,233.04
Location Expense 510,317.85
Miscellaneous 870,033.25
Stage Rentals 136,000.00
Total $15,214,348.21
NOVEMBER 12, 1961
Nicholas Reisini, head of Cinerama, told me he is interested in taking over Cleopatra from Fox and transferring the footage already shot to the Cinerama process.
Now there is a tempest raging outside—the first in the history of Rome. Unbelievable wind and rain.
My apartment is at the Grand Hotel, rooms 57 and 58. Although I face the courtyard, there is, unfortunately, a glass roof over the main salon just outside my window. When it hails or rains the racket is nerve-wracking to me, because I can’t help visualizing this same storm falling on our sets. That means no shooting tomorrow.
NOVEMBER 16, 1961
Skouras and Levathes arrived. A six-hour conference.
They both took out after me about the cost. They said the limit now is $12,500,000 without overhead. I pointed out that we had already spent that much, but they both seem to get comfort from listening to themselves, not from facing reality.
Then I told them that I had spoken with Reisini, who wanted to buy Fox out of the picture for their investment. They were furious that I even talked to someone about selling the picture to get the studio off the hook. Later, Skouras got me alone in the lobby and said that under no circumstances was I to mention the Reisini offer to anyone. “It will ruin the company if the story gets out that the picture is for sale,” he said.
“You’re always complaining that the cost is going to ruin the company, so why not let Reisini bail us out for everything the studio has invested in it?” I asked Skouras.
“You just keep on making the picture,” said Skouras. “It’s not for sale.”
Rogell now made “president and head of the studio,” a title Skouras bestows on anyone and everyone.
Later, Skouras saw JLM and said “You’re in charge. You can do anything you want to do.” Then he told me I am in charge.
NOVEMBER 19, 1961
&nbs
p; Meeting in Skouras’ big suite at the Grand Hotel.
He called 27 people involved in the production into his room—from the man in charge of costumes, who gets about $250 a week, to JLM and me. He harangued us all on the high cost of the movie for about an hour.
When I asked why all the hysteria, he turned on me and shellacked me for about fifteen minutes, proving my point.
Afterwards, everyone there who was a union member sent in a bill for double time for attending the meeting!
NOVEMBER 20, 1961
To Liz and Eddie’s for a dinner party with Skouras, Levathes, and JLM.
What I liked most about the evening was the way Liz handled Skouras. She was able to say things to him that no one else dared; she could make points that we wanted to make, but where he would shut us up, he always listened to Liz. Tonight she shocked him by saying, “What do you care how much Cleopatra costs? Fox pictures have been lousy. At least this one will be great—though expensive.”
Although he was frequently annoyed, he took Elizabeth’s barbs and jests in what passed for good humor, probably because he was aware that she had nothing to lose or gain by telling him the truth.
Elizabeth can always be relied on to be blunt and honest.
NOVEMBER 23, 1961—THANKSGIVING DAY
My daughter Steff came to Rome to spend Thanksgiving with me. The plan was to have dinner with JLM, Rosemary Mathews, his production assistant, his sons Chris and Tom, and his sister Erna. The Hume Cronyns were also to be there.
I met Steff at Simonetta’s Salon, and asked her to try on some dresses which I planned to buy her for a present. She said she didn’t feel well enough to try them on, which really convinced me that something was wrong with her. Simonetta suggested a children’s doctor, who examined Steffi and in minutes gave his diagnosis—acute appendicitis. His recommendation: See a surgeon. Simonetta called Dr. Valdoni for me, who sent his resident. He also diagnosed acute appendicitis and prescribed immediate surgery. We rushed Steffi to Sanitrix Clinic where Dr. Valdoni, a friend of Simonetta and one of the foremost surgeons in Europe, operated.
I spent Thanksgiving night pacing in a hospital corridor and praying. My daughters are more precious to me than anything else in the world.
I called my wife, Joan, to report Steff’s recent operation. I will never cease to wonder how news travels. Here in Rome it’s impossible to have a dream without everyone knowing about it. And in New York Joan had heard about Steffi before I even had a chance to telephone from the hospital.
NOVEMBER 24, 1961
Visited Steff at the clinic. Simonetta came in with flowers and books at 8 A.M. She’s a remarkably sweet and thoughtful woman.
NOVEMBER 25, 1961
Letter to Spyros Skouras:
When you were here last week you complained about a certain unfavorable type of publicity Cleopatra was getting. I wish to reiterate that most of its publicity comes from the Hollywood columnists that we finance to come over and write destructively about the film.
I have repeatedly asked that we stop sending these people over and the only answer that I get is that another such writer is arriving November 29th at our expense.
In view of our attempting to curtail expenses, it seems to me that when we are getting so much good publicity we should cease spending money to get bad publicity.
With best wishes, as always,
Walter
DECEMBER 4, 1961
Another letter to Spyros:
I am amazed that you feel that the columnists are very important to our industry. Unless you mean that they are important as subversive agents undermining a great industry.
For years I have claimed that this was the only industry in America that financed its own blackmail. And I cannot agree that a first-class organization should cater to these scandal-mongers who are interested only in increasing their own power by printing scandal and destructive items.
Surely Walt Disney built a good business without catering to them. Even DeMille survived without them. They haven’t helped J. L. Mankiewicz, George Stevens, or Wm. Wyler achieve their position. This catering to columnists, dear Spyros, is a myth; and one that is costing you a great deal of money. Each time you send one over he digs up some item that causes us a great delay in work dealing with stars and weakens the efficiency of our operation. There is no way of treating them properly except to ignore them.
Incidentally, nearly the entire group of columnists tried to prevent me from making I Want To Live! I ignored them completely and ended up with a hit film and an Oscar for Susan Hayward.
I beseech you as President of 20th Century-Fox to save the company’s money and keep them away from our operation.
Very sincerely yours,
Walter
DECEMBER 6, 1961
Am much concerned over the plan to have Liz work for one straight month with no time off.
It’s a practically impossible schedule for her, but it’s necessary for us to get on with the picture. There will be just too much tension and strain on her, I fear. She is as aware as we are that she carries the picture. She takes her responsibility seriously and, being a perfectionist, she will be under tremendous strain. In addition, she is not in the best physical condition; the bad back is liable to act up at any moment again. I know she has been in pain some of the days we have worked, but she has said nothing about it and refused to have the doctor.
DECEMBER 7, 1961
Rex crisis.
Rex Harrison had been in England for a few days, and when he returned he found that Sid Rogell, who was active in cutting costs, had changed his trailer and refused to pay for his Cadillac on the grounds that the car company jacked up the mileage. Rex’s chauffeur refused to work because he hadn’t been paid. Rex called me and said he didn’t intend to report for work himself until he got his trailer and car back and his driver was paid. Rex then called Rogell and insisted we all have a meeting in his dressing room on top of one of the sound stages.
Rex, who should have been in costume, was in his street clothes. He started the interview off by establishing that he was a star, and Sid a production man.
He said, “I treat my servants very well, and you’re my servant.” After that promising start he went on to give Sid the worst lacing I have ever heard, finally stating that he wouldn’t get dressed at all in his costume, nor would he report for work until his car and trailer were back and his chauffeur paid. Rex ended by pointing his finger imperiously at Sid and saying, “You are now dismissed.”
As we left the dressing room together, Sid, who was a big man, said he had never before taken so much from anyone, but he admitted Rex had a point. So he arranged to return the car and trailer and pay the chauffeur.
Later in the afternoon when Rex showed up on set, there was tremendous applause at his entrance. Obviously someone had heard the entire tirade and it went out on the studio grapevine.
Everyone knew Cleopatra business by the grapevine. It was the main gossip in Rome, and the lowliest extra could dine out for days on his reports of our artists.
I learned more about the “racket” involved in our transportation problem from my driver than I ever learned from studio investigators.
Irene Sharaff’s seamstresses and wardrobe girls gave her a fund of information; Liz had her own sources of intelligence and frequently when I would tell her when to report the following day she would say, “OK, Walter—but you won’t be ready for me until an hour after I arrive.” Invariably she was right.
JLM’s contacts were Pamela Danova and Rosemary Mathews whom I called “The Dolly Sisters.” Rosemary was assistant to the production manager. Really sisters, they had both been brought up in Europe and they spoke fluent Italian, German, and French. They always brought the news to JLM, who first would say, “Don’t tell me anything bad,” then in the next moment would ask, “What happened?”
DECEMBER 8, 1961
Andrew Marton arrived to help out with the second unit.
Marton was the second-un
it director on Ben-Hur. Most big pictures have second, third, and fourth units shooting backgrounds, action sequences, and other film of secondary importance while the director is concerned with the important scenes involving the principals.
JLM had been shooting material usually done by second unit because there was nothing else to shoot.
DECEMBER 13, 1961
Liz does the nude scene.
Eddie, who has been attending conferences because he is going to produce Liz’s next picture, is aware of a scene coming up calling for Cleopatra to be massaged by handmaidens. He surprised us by suggesting that we shoot the scene with Liz nude. “Do it properly and artistically,” he said.
JLM arranged for the tightest security precautions on Stage 5 where the scene was to be filmed in Cleopatra’s bath—an elaborate square of marble with statuary spouting water. The set was fenced in and heaters placed all around so Liz would not be cold.
Only the minimum crew necessary for the actual shooting was used. No visitors were allowed on set other than Eddie and Roddy McDowall, a close friend of Elizabeth’s, who had been given special permission to take still photographs of the scene.
The only members of the cast on stage were the handmaidens who were to do the massaging.
When JLM commenced preparations to shoot, I left the set but arranged with our own still photographer who was covering the scene to turn his negatives directly over to me. That way I would have control of the pictures so there would be no leaks to the press.
DECEMBER 15, 1961
Saw the stills of Liz in the nude and they were as artistic as we hoped they would be. JLM felt the scene came off beautifully. I gave our negatives to Eddie so we could never be blamed for exploiting them.
DECEMBER 18, 1961
It was too cold to shoot today—Stage 5 is not properly heated.
DECEMBER 19, 1961
Larry Rice, one of our chief accountants in Hollywood, arrived today to co-ordinate figures and estimate our budget. At least he is realistic: he figures $24 million with overhead, with no second unit and without certain locations.
DECEMBER 21, 1961
Liz is having trouble with her leg, which frightens me very much.
We discovered that Liz had phlebitis—an inflammation of the veins—and she had to rest her leg. The doctor told me that it would be dangerous if a blood clot formed.
My Life with Cleopatra Page 11