Staircase (Richard Burton & Rex Harrison)

[Windthrop]

I don't think either was put into production because of the actor's influence. But Liz made The Only Game in Town go way over budget because she insisted it be filmed in Paris where Staircase was being filmed, even though the story was set in Vegas, requiring huge sets be built when location shooting would have made more sense. I think perhaps both plays were bought before they opened, a common practice back then, or might have even been partly financed by the studio. I don't know if this is true as I didn't look it up. I do know Dr. Cook's Garden by Ira Levin, author of Rosemary's Baby, was bought before the play opened and was a huge flop, closing almost immediately. Because they had so much money in it, it was produced as a TV movie starring Bing Crosby and was better received than the play.

Plays were often bought when they opened by producers. When they plays flopped they were often downgraded in terms of director and cast. John Mills illustrated this in his bio with Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. A hit in the west end it was bought in expectaion of being a broadway hit. Burt Lancaster was cast opposite Mills with Alexander Mackendrick directing. Play flopped on Broadway and the budget was reduced with Ernest Borgnine replacing Lancaster and Leslie Norman replacing Mackendrick to save money. Mills only stayed because Norman pleaded with him. In Mills words they were 'forgotten men' and the film got a brief release with no fanfare and bombed.

[Rick C]

Have I got the correct idea going back 40 years now that "A Flea in her Ear" (also a Rex Harrison/20th Century-Fox/1968-1969 schedule) was also filmed in Paris as a kind of 'risque two-film partnership' with "Staircase" ?



"A Flea in her Ear" (I need to get back to my collection later in the week if anyone wants adverts etc) also first-ran at the Carlton almost a year earlier, but got a General Release starting 1st December 1968 on the Rank Circuit. Maybe audiences had tired of Rex quite suddenly after this first X-rated comedy (family audiences and all that) so therfore "Staircase" was a turkey waiting to happen?

[will.15]

Have I got the correct idea going back 40 years now that "A Flea in her Ear" (also a Rex Harrison/20th Century-Fox/1968-1969 schedule) was also filmed in Paris as a kind of 'risque two-film partnership' with "Staircase" ?



"A Flea in her Ear" (I need to get back to my collection later in the week if anyone wants adverts etc) also first-ran at the Carlton almost a year earlier, but got a General Release starting 1st December 1968 on the Rank Circuit. Maybe audiences had tired of Rex quite suddenly after this first X-rated comedy (family audiences and all that) so therfore "Staircase" was a turkey waiting to happen?

Audiences got tired of Rez Harrison's poor choices for movies to star in, the same thing happening to Burton and Taylor, who became such box office poison they ended up several years later making a TV movie together (another bad one).

[popeye]

Talking of famous actors making "flops" one of the worst i saw Richard Burton in was (i think) called the Klansmen), Lee Marvin was in it too so it should have been good, but Burton looked Pi$$ed most of the time and Marvin looked like he'd rather be somewhere else, haveing read the book i found it a real let down, but then thats mostly the case with films and books,

[doojeen]

Burton looked Pi$$ed most of the time...

It's on record that he was totally out of it for the entire shoot...I'm sure I've seen an account in which he said that he had absolutely no recollection of making the film.

[popeye]

It's on record that he was totally out of it for the entire shoot...I'm sure I've seen an account in which he said that he had absolutely no recollection of making the film.

i thought so!!!, nice work if you can get it, get ratassed and get paid (well)

for it dont seem to get the hard drinking womaniseing guys these days, the likes of Richard Burton, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, their all wrapped up in their "art" now



regarding the staircase, i saw it many years ago and totally forgot the tital, finally found it on the film list of Richrd Burton on wikipedia and have been keeping an eye out for a copy since, remember it being pretty good and quite funny in places also quite sad, the part where Harrison's takeing the mickey out of Burtons wig due to his "alipecia"(spelling?) made me laugh which is a bit ironic as i now have it, certainly not resorting to a "syrup" tho if it gets bad i'll shave the bstd off