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Subtitles by explosiveskull
www.OpenSubtitles.org
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- Okay, here we go.
- Yeah.
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Arrival Joe, take one.
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Camera speed.
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Action.
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Hey, Joe.
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- Peter.
- Jesus Christ!
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Hey, how are you?
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- I knew you would be...
- What brings you here, mate?
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...in the fucking bar.
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- Nothing's changed, has it?
- Give it to me.
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It's great to see you, pal.
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Great to see you.
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- Lovely to see you.
- Yeah, long time, eh?
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I just wonder if I should
walk into this...
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Given that we get
this other shot.
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Uh, just carry on.
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Action.
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- Joe!
- Hey.
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- Peter, how are you?
- Jesus Christ!
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- I haven't seen you for years.
- Oh, my God.
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What's happening?
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- Good to see you.
- How are you?
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Lovely to see you, mate.
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It's incredible
we're doing a film
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on our own film,
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which is completely insane.
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- Never been done before.
- Yeah, I don't think so.
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Not by the people
who actually made it, you know.
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but they waited until
everyone is dead.
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- Yeah.
- But not yet.
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On every movie I made,
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I put a book together,
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and there are 24 movies
I made over the years.
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And this, I just, just in case
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it reminds you of anything,
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but this was the book on ghosts.
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This was the first day
of shooting.
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I remember
the first day of shooting
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was absolutely magnificent.
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Mind your head!
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We were on the boat and I
jumped off into the water.
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It was so hot.
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And looking at the hull
of the pirate ship,
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and the sun breaking through,
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and it was the most
magnificent memory of mine.
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Because from that point on,
it was a nightmare.
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You know, because
you are responsible
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because you are
the fucking director.
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For 43 years,
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I covered up this very dark
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spot on my life.
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I carried this grudge
against myself,
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all my life,
for all these years.
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Now I'm here...
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and I'm lost.
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What have I done?
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So we find ourselves
on the Kings Road,
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and why, precisely,
are we here?
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The Kings Road
was this absolute
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monumental place.
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And it was absolutely packed
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on a Saturday.
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There's people walking
and parading,
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and showing off
their new clothes,
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and the latest fashion,
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and everything like that.
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And it was just sensational.
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Were you working
as a director?
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I was... Yes, I mean,
from 1968
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I've been directing movies.
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And why are we here
at this spot?
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It's because, because of
this place at which
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was a restaurant
called Alvaro's.
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And this was the most important
restaurant in London.
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And everybody from
Michael Caine
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to Roger Moore,
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- Mick Jagger...
- Would all be
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- in here.
- The cream of England was here.
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On a Saturday,
I'm walking down
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and I see Peter Sellers,
you couldn't miss him.
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And I said,
"Peter, baby, you're back!
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You're back from New York."
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"That's absolutely perfect.
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I want you to come
and direct my movie.
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It's a 17th century
pirate comedy in Cyprus.
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And we're all ready to go,
and all you gotta say is 'Yes.'"
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You know? And like an idiot,
I said "Yes."
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We must find that woman.
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Stick your arm out.
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When the idea
of this film came out,
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I jumped at it.
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He was the greatest comic actor
in the world.
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Mr. President...
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I would not rule out
the chance
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to preserve a nucleus
of human specimens.
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It will be quite easy.
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at the bottom of...
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some of our deeper mineshafts.
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Because it's right after
Dr. Strangelove,
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it's right after the first two
Pink Panther movies,
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which became an enormous hit
in the world.
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Peter Sellers.
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- Spike Milligan.
- Mmm.
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It gave me
an incredible chance
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to work with Spike Milligan.
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And you couldn't have got
two more bigger comic geniuses
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in England in 1973.
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How about a film
possibly scripted
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by Spike Milligan
starring Peter Sellers
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and of course,
Spike Milligan.
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What about it, Spike Milligan?
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Yes!
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Well, quite clearly,
I'm not gonna get anything
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- out of you.
- Okay, okay.
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- Now I think this...
- ♪ I want to be unhappy
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♪ But I can't be unhappy
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♪ Until I make you
unhappy too ♪
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This film was
a great opportunity
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for Peter and me
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and Spike Milligan
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to work together
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and to create something
completely wonderful and crazy.
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For a director,
it was irresistible.
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So, you haven't
been here since 1973,
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so tell me what it was like
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when you came here all those
years ago to see Spike?
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Well, I... It was
a sensational idea
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to do this 17th century
pirate comedy, you know?
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And, uh, Spike was such
an important part of it.
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Because of his incredible,
zany, crazy humor.
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"You're lucky to be alive.
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"And I was about to say why."
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Well, I was struck head on
by the 10:40...
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I can't...
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Peter!
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Oh, my God.
There's Norma.
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Good God.
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The Hungarian refugee.
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I know, I escaped again.
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00:08:02,228 --> 00:08:03,897
- I can't believe it.
- I'm here.
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I cannot believe it.
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00:08:05,298 --> 00:08:07,901
- It's been, what, 42 years?
- 42 years?
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00:08:07,935 --> 00:08:10,004
- I know.
- You look the same.
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00:08:10,036 --> 00:08:12,706
- Except you've gone gray.
- I know.
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00:08:12,740 --> 00:08:14,040
- Lovely to see you.
- Yes.
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I'm really thrilled.
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I bet Spike is laughing
his head off, you know.
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Come in.
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00:08:21,182 --> 00:08:22,516
- And you are?
- I'm Simon.
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00:08:22,550 --> 00:08:23,785
- Simon.
- Hello, Simon, I'm Norma.
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- Happy to see you.
- Nice to see you.
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Sit down.
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Nothing's changed here.
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Look at all these pictures
of Spike.
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Bernie, darling, it's Norma.
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I know I'm in trouble.
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As usual.
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So here we are
after 42 years,
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sitting in your office,
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Don't keep saying that.
It makes me sound so old.
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Well, its makes us old,
but it doesn't matter anymore, does it?
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No, it doesn't.
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Hello, darling,
how are ya?
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Just... It brings back
incredible memories being here.
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I mean, that's all
is left for me.
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00:09:07,695 --> 00:09:09,931
Ghost in the Noonday Sun.
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00:09:09,964 --> 00:09:11,666
Lots of pictures of Spikey...
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00:09:11,698 --> 00:09:12,732
No, no, wait a minute.
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This is not all
that's left of you.
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No, I mean my memory.
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All, yeah, all your joy.
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- I know.
- And listen, 42 years later,
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- I know.
- We are laughing about it.
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00:09:22,142 --> 00:09:24,045
- I know.
- And we're smiling about it.
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We went through hell,
we had nightmares, you know.
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But, you know, it, it, it...
It never left me
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ever since then.
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Well, I can see that.
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What happened to the film
was an absolute tragedy.
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- Mm.
- Because instead of
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this kind of wonderful thing,
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- however crazy...
- Mm.
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And instead of that,
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the film was never shown.
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00:09:46,232 --> 00:09:48,668
I was accused of
all kinds of things
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00:09:48,701 --> 00:09:49,937
which I wasn't responsible.
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00:09:49,970 --> 00:09:52,505
My career nearly
was completely
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destroyed by this movie.
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- Mm. So...
- And it's so, it's so
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upsetting even today.
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- You've gotta let go.
- You're right.
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00:10:00,413 --> 00:10:01,414
You've gotta let go.
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00:10:01,448 --> 00:10:02,983
- This is not all you've got.
- Yeah, absolutely.
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00:10:03,017 --> 00:10:05,052
You've got it all
up here, you know?
196
00:10:05,085 --> 00:10:06,888
And Spike wouldn't like that.
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00:10:06,921 --> 00:10:08,122
- No.
- He wouldn't, you know...
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00:10:08,154 --> 00:10:10,091
If you said to Spike,
"This is all I've got,"
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00:10:10,124 --> 00:10:11,225
- he'll call you a fucking idiot.
- No.
200
00:10:11,258 --> 00:10:13,261
- I know.
- Give me your hand.
201
00:10:13,293 --> 00:10:15,795
Give me your hand.
It's a matter of your memories.
202
00:10:15,828 --> 00:10:17,330
- This is not all that is left.
- I know.
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00:10:17,364 --> 00:10:18,266
It's rubbish.
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00:10:23,570 --> 00:10:25,706
Negatives
was a wonderful book,
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00:10:25,739 --> 00:10:27,141
I started shooting it,
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00:10:27,173 --> 00:10:30,877
and it was like
an absolute dream come true.
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00:10:30,910 --> 00:10:33,413
And that was the beginning
of my career.
208
00:10:35,381 --> 00:10:39,319
Out of the blue,
I had a phone call from Columbia Pictures.
209
00:10:39,352 --> 00:10:41,388
if I would be interested
in reading the script
210
00:10:41,422 --> 00:10:43,625
on A Day in the Death
of Joe Egg.
211
00:10:45,225 --> 00:10:47,128
And The Ruling Class, you know,
212
00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,196
it was the crown of it all.
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00:10:50,998 --> 00:10:52,633
It went to Cannes,
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00:10:52,666 --> 00:10:54,535
and had tremendous attention.
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00:10:55,402 --> 00:10:57,372
It couldn't have been better.
216
00:11:01,207 --> 00:11:03,743
We're interested in the work
of the director, Peter Medak,
217
00:11:03,777 --> 00:11:06,013
who can be something special.
218
00:11:06,046 --> 00:11:07,615
He has done two pictures.
219
00:11:07,648 --> 00:11:09,716
Fantastic growth,
I think, in England.
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00:11:09,750 --> 00:11:11,184
- He's Hungarian.
- He is?
221
00:11:11,217 --> 00:11:12,185
- Yeah.
- I didn't know that.
222
00:11:12,219 --> 00:11:14,088
We're part Hungarian.
223
00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:15,588
And me,
naively thought,
224
00:11:15,621 --> 00:11:17,791
that that's how
it's always gonna be.
225
00:11:27,134 --> 00:11:29,235
He really was very high
on the fact
226
00:11:29,269 --> 00:11:30,804
that you were gonna do it.
227
00:11:30,837 --> 00:11:32,272
- Yeah?
- I mean, he was excited.
228
00:11:32,306 --> 00:11:35,043
It was the happiest
I had seen him for ages.
229
00:11:36,976 --> 00:11:38,879
You had just you know,
come off directing
230
00:11:38,912 --> 00:11:40,247
Peter O'Toole.
231
00:11:40,279 --> 00:11:43,049
Peter always loved having
232
00:11:43,082 --> 00:11:44,651
something that somebody
else had had
233
00:11:44,684 --> 00:11:46,353
- so...
- Took over a big success.
234
00:11:46,386 --> 00:11:47,287
Absolutely.
235
00:11:53,693 --> 00:11:57,230
Think of Wardour Street
and you think of film.
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00:11:57,264 --> 00:11:58,765
For the whole
of the 20th century,
237
00:11:58,798 --> 00:12:00,100
this famous thoroughfare
238
00:12:00,134 --> 00:12:01,769
has been the center
of the film business.
239
00:12:07,274 --> 00:12:10,010
John Heyman was the producer
of it.
240
00:12:10,043 --> 00:12:13,680
And John Heyman, uh,
was absolutely
241
00:12:13,714 --> 00:12:15,349
the brain of
242
00:12:15,381 --> 00:12:17,884
independent financing
in England
243
00:12:17,918 --> 00:12:21,121
in the early '70's.
244
00:12:21,154 --> 00:12:22,722
And I knew John because
245
00:12:22,755 --> 00:12:24,791
he was a very dominant figure
246
00:12:24,825 --> 00:12:27,360
in British movies.
247
00:12:27,394 --> 00:12:29,397
This was the money side
of the business.
248
00:12:29,429 --> 00:12:30,798
And the money side
of the business
249
00:12:30,831 --> 00:12:33,634
was, "Well, if we could
set it up for people."
250
00:12:33,667 --> 00:12:37,738
And, Peter Sellers was
one of those names
251
00:12:37,770 --> 00:12:39,906
that made it work
252
00:12:39,940 --> 00:12:42,043
from a distributor's
point of view.
253
00:12:42,076 --> 00:12:44,545
And any Peter Sellers picture
254
00:12:44,577 --> 00:12:47,247
was deemed to have
a financial chance.
255
00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:49,682
But, in those days,
it was pretty unusual
256
00:12:49,716 --> 00:12:51,118
to be able to go into Columbia
257
00:12:51,150 --> 00:12:54,421
and raise $2.6 million
to make a picture,
258
00:12:54,455 --> 00:12:56,323
- sight unseen, unread.
- Yeah.
259
00:12:56,355 --> 00:12:58,859
Which was the power
of Peter Sellers.
260
00:12:58,892 --> 00:13:02,163
And the reputation after The
Ruling Class of Peter Medak.
261
00:13:02,796 --> 00:13:05,833
And, Peter was a genius,
262
00:13:06,633 --> 00:13:09,070
but very difficult.
263
00:13:09,102 --> 00:13:12,138
I mean very, very,
very difficult.
264
00:13:12,172 --> 00:13:13,908
I mean, I have a name
of being very difficult.
265
00:13:13,941 --> 00:13:15,176
I am not difficult at all.
266
00:13:15,208 --> 00:13:16,509
I just cannot take mediocrity.
267
00:13:16,543 --> 00:13:19,013
I just cannot take it
on any level.
268
00:13:19,046 --> 00:13:22,316
If you take it,
you sink absolutely
269
00:13:22,349 --> 00:13:24,118
or you have the luck.
270
00:13:24,150 --> 00:13:25,351
And it is luck,
271
00:13:25,384 --> 00:13:27,487
to work with great directors
only.
272
00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,391
I've had that maybe
just on two or three occasions.
273
00:13:31,424 --> 00:13:34,360
The rest of the time has been,
you know, a bit ropey.
274
00:13:34,394 --> 00:13:36,931
But, it won't be in future
because
275
00:13:36,964 --> 00:13:40,668
I feel that I want to be very,
very discriminating.
276
00:13:42,235 --> 00:13:44,672
I knew Peter
was a lot of trouble.
277
00:13:44,705 --> 00:13:46,474
But that never worried me
because then
278
00:13:46,506 --> 00:13:48,408
I worked with
the most difficult actors.
279
00:13:48,442 --> 00:13:50,644
That is okay, you know,
you have to just
280
00:13:50,677 --> 00:13:52,779
cope with them
and deal with them.
281
00:13:54,815 --> 00:13:57,951
But then, I saw the script
was weak.
282
00:13:57,985 --> 00:14:02,355
Not unsolvable, but it needed
some clever grafting, you know.
283
00:14:04,258 --> 00:14:06,060
I turned up at Spike's office
284
00:14:06,092 --> 00:14:08,294
and started working
on the script
285
00:14:08,327 --> 00:14:10,096
and we gone through
the whole thing.
286
00:14:13,833 --> 00:14:15,335
And Spike was
287
00:14:15,369 --> 00:14:17,238
divinely insane.
288
00:14:22,708 --> 00:14:24,811
The story of the film,
289
00:14:24,845 --> 00:14:26,714
basically is that
290
00:14:26,746 --> 00:14:28,115
uh, there was this
291
00:14:28,148 --> 00:14:29,750
cook of the boat.
292
00:14:29,783 --> 00:14:32,986
by the name of Big Scratch,
which was Peter Sellers.
293
00:14:33,019 --> 00:14:34,855
They come to this island
294
00:14:34,888 --> 00:14:37,258
to bury the secret treasure.
295
00:14:38,725 --> 00:14:42,730
They dug the hole and they're
burying the treasure,
296
00:14:42,763 --> 00:14:45,566
And then he throws the knife
into the captain,
297
00:14:45,599 --> 00:14:48,201
goes back to the boat,
the pirate ship
298
00:14:48,235 --> 00:14:51,238
and he says,
"I am the captain now,
299
00:14:51,270 --> 00:14:53,406
because I know
where the treasure is."
300
00:14:55,375 --> 00:14:58,445
And they immediately get lost
for 20 years.
301
00:14:58,477 --> 00:15:01,014
- Ah! Me Ireland!
- He learned that
302
00:15:01,048 --> 00:15:04,051
this little kid,
has the talent
303
00:15:04,083 --> 00:15:05,585
to spot ghosts.
304
00:15:06,385 --> 00:15:08,621
And they all get thrown
into jail.
305
00:15:08,654 --> 00:15:10,790
And they then escaped
from the Arabs.
306
00:15:10,823 --> 00:15:12,058
It's a big battle.
307
00:15:13,659 --> 00:15:15,828
And they arrive at this other island,
308
00:15:15,861 --> 00:15:18,565
which I can't even tell you
which country it is.
309
00:15:18,599 --> 00:15:21,368
I don't think you know
where the treasure is!
310
00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:23,971
By finding
the wrong treasure...
311
00:15:24,004 --> 00:15:25,605
I know where the treasure is!
312
00:15:25,639 --> 00:15:27,975
They find the right treasure.
313
00:15:28,008 --> 00:15:30,076
It is unexplainable.
314
00:15:32,178 --> 00:15:34,948
And I tried to talk
to Peter about it
315
00:15:34,981 --> 00:15:36,516
on the phone.
316
00:15:36,549 --> 00:15:38,318
And every time I talked to him,
317
00:15:38,351 --> 00:15:40,788
I had this terrible feeling
that Peter doesn't
318
00:15:40,821 --> 00:15:43,123
understand what I'm talking
about.
319
00:15:43,155 --> 00:15:46,526
And that's where my suspicion
grew more and more and more.
320
00:15:46,559 --> 00:15:49,529
To realize, I don't think he's
ever read this bloody script,
321
00:15:49,562 --> 00:15:50,664
you know.
322
00:15:53,166 --> 00:15:55,802
So, one Saturday,
I decided to visit
323
00:15:55,836 --> 00:15:59,206
Peter when he was living
in this house
324
00:15:59,239 --> 00:16:02,676
as he was running away
from one of his wives
325
00:16:02,708 --> 00:16:04,944
because he was convinced
that she was a witch.
326
00:16:06,245 --> 00:16:07,715
The phone rang, suddenly.
327
00:16:07,748 --> 00:16:10,283
And it was his then girlfriend,
Liza Minnelli,
328
00:16:10,317 --> 00:16:11,985
who, they were having this
329
00:16:12,952 --> 00:16:14,221
great love affair.
330
00:16:14,254 --> 00:16:15,422
Well, folks,
331
00:16:15,455 --> 00:16:17,958
it's love time at the
Copacabana.
332
00:16:17,990 --> 00:16:20,561
And, yes, we're in love.
333
00:16:20,594 --> 00:16:21,962
It's frightfully good.
334
00:16:21,995 --> 00:16:25,365
And she was very upset and she
was crying on the phone.
335
00:16:25,399 --> 00:16:27,701
And I could hear her crying,
but also could,
336
00:16:27,734 --> 00:16:30,571
Peter was saying, you know,
"Darling, please don't cry,
337
00:16:30,604 --> 00:16:34,108
I really love you and there's
nobody else, it's just you.
338
00:16:34,140 --> 00:16:35,842
And I'm going to count to 10
339
00:16:35,875 --> 00:16:38,745
and with each number, everything
is going to get more and more
340
00:16:38,778 --> 00:16:40,780
"purple around you."
And he started counting,
341
00:16:40,813 --> 00:16:43,884
I couldn't believe it.
I'm sitting with the script open
342
00:16:43,917 --> 00:16:45,286
at page seven,
343
00:16:45,318 --> 00:16:47,987
and he counts and
"You feel it yet?" and
344
00:16:48,020 --> 00:16:49,622
"two, three..."
345
00:16:49,655 --> 00:16:51,291
"Can you see? Can you feel?"
346
00:16:51,325 --> 00:16:53,427
"Is your eye closed?
Is it purple?"
347
00:16:53,460 --> 00:16:55,129
"I love you."
348
00:16:55,162 --> 00:16:57,665
And he gets to 10
and he hangs up.
349
00:16:57,697 --> 00:17:00,199
Now he breaks down
and starts crying.
350
00:17:00,232 --> 00:17:02,335
I get up and I go over to him
351
00:17:02,369 --> 00:17:04,571
and he's crying
on my shoulder,
352
00:17:04,604 --> 00:17:07,274
And I said, "Pete, come on,
let's go for a walk."
353
00:17:07,307 --> 00:17:09,375
So we went for a walk
354
00:17:09,409 --> 00:17:11,979
and I realized,
this is the end of it.
355
00:17:12,011 --> 00:17:13,813
We're never gonna get
through the script.
356
00:17:17,983 --> 00:17:19,285
The script is vital.
357
00:17:19,318 --> 00:17:21,254
It's essential.
Absolutely essential.
358
00:17:21,288 --> 00:17:23,589
You can't move without it.
359
00:17:23,623 --> 00:17:26,125
Uh, and it's got to be as good
as it possibly can be
360
00:17:26,159 --> 00:17:27,728
before you start shooting.
361
00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:29,629
And so many people rush
into productions
362
00:17:29,663 --> 00:17:31,230
- one way or another
- True.
363
00:17:31,263 --> 00:17:33,067
unless you have
364
00:17:33,099 --> 00:17:34,667
- some amazing talent.
- Yeah.
365
00:17:34,701 --> 00:17:36,836
You can actually pull it off.
But it's rare.
366
00:17:36,869 --> 00:17:39,138
You can't, you should never
start a film
367
00:17:39,172 --> 00:17:40,807
when you know the script
isn't ready.
368
00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,476
I know, but by then,
the whole thing was set up.
369
00:17:43,509 --> 00:17:45,578
- It's too late.
- And the boat is sailed, it was too late.
370
00:17:45,612 --> 00:17:47,581
It's a great lesson by the way.
371
00:17:48,115 --> 00:17:49,615
You don't make films
372
00:17:49,648 --> 00:17:51,617
- because you can get them made.
- Yeah.
373
00:17:51,651 --> 00:17:54,855
You get films because
you got an erection to make it.
374
00:17:57,022 --> 00:17:59,092
I still thought
that I can manage
375
00:17:59,125 --> 00:18:03,497
his genius talent
and get the best out of him.
376
00:18:03,529 --> 00:18:06,834
But there was no choice for me,
I had to carry on
377
00:18:06,866 --> 00:18:10,805
because my wife was pregnant
with my second son.
378
00:18:11,704 --> 00:18:13,639
And I needed the money
desperately
379
00:18:13,673 --> 00:18:15,476
and I had to continue.
380
00:18:22,516 --> 00:18:24,852
We found this boat yard
in Athens
381
00:18:24,884 --> 00:18:27,555
which looked like a junkyard.
382
00:18:29,455 --> 00:18:31,224
My producer's boat,
383
00:18:31,258 --> 00:18:33,559
old African cigarette boat.
384
00:18:33,593 --> 00:18:36,130
And out of that, it went
into the shipyard.
385
00:18:36,163 --> 00:18:39,133
Then, they started building
the superstructure
386
00:18:39,165 --> 00:18:41,601
and try to make it up into
387
00:18:41,634 --> 00:18:44,003
a wonderful looking
pirate ship.
388
00:18:51,310 --> 00:18:54,615
At the time Ghost in the Noonday
Sun, came along,
389
00:18:54,647 --> 00:18:56,817
there were only five of us
390
00:18:56,849 --> 00:19:00,520
working in a small office in
South Molton Street.
391
00:19:00,554 --> 00:19:02,589
I had worked on three films
with Peter.
392
00:19:02,622 --> 00:19:04,658
We got on very well and that,
393
00:19:04,691 --> 00:19:07,928
the idea of working in Cyprus
sounded very tempting.
394
00:19:07,961 --> 00:19:10,064
I looked forward to working
with him again.
395
00:19:12,332 --> 00:19:14,334
But, when I took
a careful look at it,
396
00:19:14,366 --> 00:19:16,202
well, not even that careful,
397
00:19:16,236 --> 00:19:18,572
just the concept to build
398
00:19:18,605 --> 00:19:19,972
a pirate ship,
399
00:19:20,006 --> 00:19:24,678
put a film crew on it with a
couple of stars, go out to sea,
400
00:19:24,711 --> 00:19:28,281
I thought, "Well, this is
courting catastrophe."
401
00:19:30,282 --> 00:19:31,918
And you are completely
at the mercy of the
402
00:19:31,951 --> 00:19:34,922
weather and the waves,
the currents and the wind.
403
00:19:37,656 --> 00:19:39,025
It worried me about it,
404
00:19:39,058 --> 00:19:41,360
because of that,
I suggested to Peter
405
00:19:41,394 --> 00:19:42,930
that the schedule should
be longer
406
00:19:42,962 --> 00:19:45,732
than the schedule that
they were proposing to give him.
407
00:19:48,335 --> 00:19:49,702
On every movie,
408
00:19:49,736 --> 00:19:52,840
film financiers
were the guarantors,
409
00:19:52,873 --> 00:19:54,975
there's an absolute file on it.
410
00:19:55,008 --> 00:19:58,479
And in these two boxes,
is the entire history
411
00:19:58,511 --> 00:20:00,480
of what happened in Cyprus.
412
00:20:00,513 --> 00:20:02,548
Let's see what we have in here.
413
00:20:02,582 --> 00:20:05,285
It brings tears to my eyes,
because this is
414
00:20:05,317 --> 00:20:07,421
43 years ago.
415
00:20:07,453 --> 00:20:09,155
- Everything is in here.
- Yeah.
416
00:20:11,057 --> 00:20:12,992
These are amazing,
these documents.
417
00:20:13,026 --> 00:20:15,762
Well, it's just a history
of what happened day by day.
418
00:20:15,795 --> 00:20:17,498
But if you look at the report,
419
00:20:17,530 --> 00:20:20,166
by John Croydon, he was
420
00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:21,735
extremely cautious about this.
421
00:20:21,768 --> 00:20:23,636
As a matter of fact, they used
to say about John,
422
00:20:23,670 --> 00:20:24,971
anything with water,
423
00:20:25,005 --> 00:20:27,007
even somebody washing
their hands,
424
00:20:27,039 --> 00:20:29,843
He would say, he wanted
nothing to do with it.
425
00:20:29,875 --> 00:20:31,979
Because it was scary to him.
426
00:20:35,848 --> 00:20:37,717
But I knew, because
David did say
427
00:20:37,750 --> 00:20:39,385
that when he looked
at the budget,
428
00:20:39,419 --> 00:20:40,821
you know, that it isn't
sufficient.
429
00:20:40,854 --> 00:20:43,423
Which I then went and told
430
00:20:43,455 --> 00:20:45,658
John Heyman immediately.
431
00:20:45,692 --> 00:20:48,295
And it was totally
and completely ignored.
432
00:20:48,327 --> 00:20:51,498
That was the end of my
involvement with the film.
433
00:20:51,530 --> 00:20:53,767
What's amazing is that
nobody
434
00:20:53,799 --> 00:20:57,270
thought carefully enough,
before they started.
435
00:20:57,304 --> 00:21:00,607
Just, I thought
an extremely impractical way
436
00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:02,276
of approaching this film.
437
00:21:03,910 --> 00:21:06,680
I wanted to make
this film work.
438
00:21:06,712 --> 00:21:08,281
But that's when I realized
439
00:21:08,315 --> 00:21:12,019
that, you know, I'm really
kind of fucked, you know.
440
00:21:18,892 --> 00:21:20,561
I remember when I was
on the plane,
441
00:21:20,594 --> 00:21:21,728
I got a little drunk,
442
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:23,430
and I was saying to myself,
saying,
443
00:21:23,462 --> 00:21:25,132
"What the hell you doing now?"
444
00:21:54,294 --> 00:21:55,662
My God.
445
00:22:00,666 --> 00:22:02,068
I can't believe this.
446
00:22:02,701 --> 00:22:06,707
I feel like, back in 1973.
447
00:22:15,414 --> 00:22:17,151
It's like nothing changed here.
448
00:22:18,284 --> 00:22:19,886
Everything is the same.
449
00:22:19,919 --> 00:22:21,889
How can time stand still?
450
00:22:25,724 --> 00:22:27,360
It is haunting.
451
00:22:27,394 --> 00:22:29,730
Absolutely haunting to be here.
452
00:22:37,303 --> 00:22:39,640
My first real
453
00:22:39,673 --> 00:22:41,642
strong, strong memory of Cyprus
454
00:22:41,674 --> 00:22:43,710
is standing with Peter,
455
00:22:43,742 --> 00:22:45,979
watching the boat arrive.
456
00:22:46,011 --> 00:22:48,749
And the boat came
onto the horizon
457
00:22:48,781 --> 00:22:50,549
and it was beautiful
458
00:22:50,583 --> 00:22:52,152
and it was a beautiful day.
459
00:22:52,184 --> 00:22:56,123
And this absolutely marvelous
boat came.
460
00:22:59,558 --> 00:23:01,927
Then I heard all the locals
461
00:23:01,961 --> 00:23:04,030
from the villages rushing down,
462
00:23:04,064 --> 00:23:06,667
you know, because they said,
"the pirate ship is coming,"
463
00:23:06,700 --> 00:23:08,035
"Your pirate ship."
464
00:23:08,067 --> 00:23:10,202
And there, in the horizon,
465
00:23:10,236 --> 00:23:13,707
sailed this beautiful,
beautiful pirate ship
466
00:23:13,740 --> 00:23:15,509
with three sails,
467
00:23:15,541 --> 00:23:16,942
And they were slowly coming,
468
00:23:16,976 --> 00:23:18,945
it took forever. I think it took
couple of weeks
469
00:23:18,978 --> 00:23:20,980
from Athens to get here.
470
00:23:21,013 --> 00:23:23,082
And it finally came here
and made
471
00:23:23,115 --> 00:23:25,419
this magnificent turn here.
472
00:23:28,087 --> 00:23:31,625
And then suddenly hear
this terrible crashing noise.
473
00:23:31,657 --> 00:23:34,560
And we looked,
and the pirate ship here
474
00:23:34,594 --> 00:23:36,630
was rising out of the water.
475
00:23:36,663 --> 00:23:39,165
And the Greek captain,
who was drunk,
476
00:23:39,199 --> 00:23:42,803
crashed the entire pirate ship
against the rocks.
477
00:23:44,069 --> 00:23:47,273
And then the boat started to go
slowly down.
478
00:23:47,307 --> 00:23:50,009
And as the boat was going
slowly down,
479
00:23:50,042 --> 00:23:51,711
Peter was standing by my side,
480
00:23:51,744 --> 00:23:54,113
- and he was going slowly down too.
- I did.
481
00:23:54,146 --> 00:23:55,881
That's how the movie began.
482
00:23:55,914 --> 00:23:59,586
It, on the first second,
it was a disaster already.
483
00:23:59,618 --> 00:24:01,754
Like we're being cursed
from day one.
484
00:24:19,005 --> 00:24:22,009
The day before Peter arrived
to Cyprus,
485
00:24:22,575 --> 00:24:24,178
Peter and Liza broke up.
486
00:24:30,717 --> 00:24:33,020
He was catatonically depressed.
487
00:24:34,621 --> 00:24:36,890
I have been disappointed
488
00:24:36,923 --> 00:24:39,125
so many times
489
00:24:39,159 --> 00:24:40,594
in people
490
00:24:40,626 --> 00:24:42,128
that I have become
491
00:24:43,262 --> 00:24:44,663
not
492
00:24:44,696 --> 00:24:46,833
uh, most certainly not bitter,
493
00:24:47,432 --> 00:24:48,769
but, I
494
00:24:48,801 --> 00:24:50,803
tend to
495
00:24:50,836 --> 00:24:53,507
approach people
very wearily, in case
496
00:24:53,539 --> 00:24:55,942
they're going to clobber me.
497
00:24:56,675 --> 00:24:58,611
I find I get clobbered a lot.
498
00:25:09,923 --> 00:25:11,724
So finally,
on a Saturday,
499
00:25:11,758 --> 00:25:14,594
I pick Peter Sellers up
at the airport.
500
00:25:14,626 --> 00:25:16,262
And his driver, Burt, was there
501
00:25:16,296 --> 00:25:18,999
and we brought him here,
to this incredible villa.
502
00:25:19,766 --> 00:25:21,567
So, as we walked in,
503
00:25:21,601 --> 00:25:22,870
Peter said to Burt
504
00:25:23,435 --> 00:25:25,038
"Before we go in,
505
00:25:25,070 --> 00:25:27,907
"please just line up
all the suitcases here."
506
00:25:27,941 --> 00:25:32,179
So Burt lined up 15 pieces
of luggages.
507
00:25:32,211 --> 00:25:35,816
And he said, "First set up
the stereo before we go in."
508
00:25:40,787 --> 00:25:42,756
And when Ravi Shankar's music
509
00:25:42,788 --> 00:25:44,657
started playing,
510
00:25:44,691 --> 00:25:46,559
Peter said, "Okay,
now we can enter."
511
00:25:46,593 --> 00:25:48,028
So we went inside.
512
00:25:49,895 --> 00:25:51,565
So, as we came inside,
513
00:25:53,465 --> 00:25:55,067
here was this incredible,
514
00:25:55,734 --> 00:25:57,670
Mediterranean house.
515
00:26:02,808 --> 00:26:03,943
And then he said to Burt,
516
00:26:03,977 --> 00:26:05,979
he said, "Burt, look at that
bookshelf.
517
00:26:06,011 --> 00:26:07,413
"There's a Who's Who there."
518
00:26:07,446 --> 00:26:09,915
He said, "Give him Who's Who."
You know, he said,
519
00:26:09,949 --> 00:26:12,952
"Let me look up Tommy Clyde and
Ben Kadish."
520
00:26:12,986 --> 00:26:14,754
The two producers of the film.
521
00:26:14,787 --> 00:26:16,088
So, he pulled this book,
522
00:26:17,022 --> 00:26:18,824
opened it up,
523
00:26:18,857 --> 00:26:20,661
and then he started reading out
524
00:26:21,493 --> 00:26:23,562
the life of Thomas Clyde.
525
00:26:23,596 --> 00:26:25,365
A titled English gentleman.
526
00:26:25,397 --> 00:26:27,867
Partner of
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
527
00:26:27,901 --> 00:26:29,803
Had made such a, such a,
such a films
528
00:26:29,836 --> 00:26:31,104
and so forth, you know.
529
00:26:31,136 --> 00:26:32,873
And then he closed the book,
he said,
530
00:26:32,905 --> 00:26:34,540
"Let's fire them."
531
00:26:34,574 --> 00:26:37,644
He said, they're incompetent,
you know,
532
00:26:37,676 --> 00:26:39,545
"Let's get rid of them."
And I said,
533
00:26:39,578 --> 00:26:42,014
"They've been your partners
now for two, three years,
534
00:26:42,048 --> 00:26:44,683
you developed this project
together."
535
00:26:44,717 --> 00:26:46,786
Well, it's needless to say,
536
00:26:46,818 --> 00:26:48,454
within about a week,
537
00:26:49,388 --> 00:26:50,522
they had vanished
538
00:26:50,556 --> 00:26:51,924
and left the island.
539
00:27:00,232 --> 00:27:03,369
I didn't know that we were
getting rid of Tommy Clyde.
540
00:27:03,403 --> 00:27:06,306
Um, Tommy Clyde turned up
in my office,
541
00:27:06,338 --> 00:27:07,406
and said, "I'd been fired."
542
00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:09,241
I'm the only person
who can fire you.
543
00:27:09,275 --> 00:27:11,945
It's the only film
that I can ever remember
544
00:27:11,978 --> 00:27:15,015
where the producers
got sacked after the first week.
545
00:27:15,048 --> 00:27:18,585
By the star.
546
00:27:18,617 --> 00:27:20,552
For years,
he has stuck idiots.
547
00:27:20,586 --> 00:27:23,189
Idiot producers who've ruined
wonderful material.
548
00:27:23,221 --> 00:27:25,625
Idiot managers who told him
he couldn't act.
549
00:27:25,657 --> 00:27:28,894
Idiot BBC officials who treated
him like a naughty boy.
550
00:27:28,928 --> 00:27:30,931
And he won't take it anymore.
551
00:27:30,963 --> 00:27:32,598
He just won't take it.
552
00:27:37,269 --> 00:27:38,471
Know, dead mens,
553
00:27:39,105 --> 00:27:40,473
we's gone with this boat
554
00:27:40,839 --> 00:27:42,041
on a search
555
00:27:42,075 --> 00:27:43,410
for the treasure.
556
00:27:44,777 --> 00:27:47,780
Know that I'm willing to share
this treasure with ya.
557
00:27:47,814 --> 00:27:50,750
I'm willing to do that,
so let me have a show of hands
558
00:27:50,782 --> 00:27:52,851
all of you's boys.
Who's with me?
559
00:28:01,961 --> 00:28:05,030
♪ Fi-diddlie-do
560
00:28:05,064 --> 00:28:09,201
♪ Fi-diddlie-dee
Yo-ho
561
00:28:10,936 --> 00:28:16,075
♪ For the rolling sea
562
00:28:18,076 --> 00:28:20,713
♪ We'll sing you a song ♪
563
00:28:20,747 --> 00:28:22,481
The boat was repaired
564
00:28:22,515 --> 00:28:25,151
and Gareth Wigan,
John Heyman's
565
00:28:25,183 --> 00:28:27,886
associate was sent out
566
00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,356
to have some kind of a control
567
00:28:30,390 --> 00:28:32,426
over this insane situation.
568
00:28:34,826 --> 00:28:36,596
Having not had any experience
569
00:28:36,628 --> 00:28:38,397
about shooting on water,
570
00:28:38,431 --> 00:28:40,700
I was totally
unprepared for it.
571
00:28:40,732 --> 00:28:43,135
♪ Fi-diddlie-do
572
00:28:43,169 --> 00:28:46,806
♪ Fi-diddlie-dee
573
00:28:46,838 --> 00:28:49,274
♪ Old Scratch
574
00:28:49,307 --> 00:28:53,145
♪ Is the man for me ♪
575
00:28:53,179 --> 00:28:55,815
This is where we used
to moor the boat.
576
00:28:55,847 --> 00:28:57,616
We used to sail off from here.
577
00:28:58,183 --> 00:29:00,519
Into the Mediterranean.
578
00:29:00,553 --> 00:29:02,455
And how many people
would be on the boat?
579
00:29:02,488 --> 00:29:04,157
How many crew?
580
00:29:04,190 --> 00:29:07,460
The entire crew
was about 110 people.
581
00:29:07,492 --> 00:29:10,829
And normally this happened
around 6:30-ish in the morning.
582
00:29:10,863 --> 00:29:12,132
So very like this?
583
00:29:12,164 --> 00:29:15,234
Yeah, it was exactly
because now it's 7:15
584
00:29:15,934 --> 00:29:18,070
But, this is what it was like.
585
00:29:18,104 --> 00:29:20,573
And it was gorgeous, you know.
586
00:29:20,605 --> 00:29:22,843
Until we got out
into the open sea.
587
00:29:27,212 --> 00:29:30,049
I want to be brought ashore.
I've been kidnapped.
588
00:29:30,083 --> 00:29:32,152
- Kidnapped?
- But you're only a kid.
589
00:29:34,220 --> 00:29:36,789
Even with this little boat,
you can feel
590
00:29:36,823 --> 00:29:41,761
the movement, so imagine
being on the boat all day long.
591
00:29:41,794 --> 00:29:44,631
What it does to you.
And try to act like this.
592
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:48,902
Behind this ship,
593
00:29:48,934 --> 00:29:50,836
they towed a generator boat,
594
00:29:50,869 --> 00:29:55,174
with the cables going into the water,
into the arc lights which were here.
595
00:29:57,109 --> 00:29:59,044
We had to switch off
the engines
596
00:29:59,077 --> 00:30:00,946
so we can shoot sound.
597
00:30:03,115 --> 00:30:05,585
At that point, the boat
started drifting.
598
00:30:05,617 --> 00:30:08,288
And we had to be five miles
out of the land
599
00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,689
so we don't see the land
over there.
600
00:30:11,923 --> 00:30:14,793
I knew one of the guys
who worked on the crew at sea,
601
00:30:14,826 --> 00:30:16,695
and he said it was impossible.
602
00:30:18,196 --> 00:30:19,765
They're all moving, you know.
603
00:30:19,798 --> 00:30:22,402
Can we go back? No, no because
the sun's in the wrong position.
604
00:30:23,970 --> 00:30:25,771
Boat moved
about so much,
605
00:30:25,805 --> 00:30:28,408
so many of the crew
were being sick.
606
00:30:29,075 --> 00:30:30,643
Makeup man,
607
00:30:30,675 --> 00:30:31,777
looking grey,
608
00:30:31,810 --> 00:30:34,447
somebody else said, "Get back."
So we all came back.
609
00:30:36,781 --> 00:30:38,951
And terrible smell.
610
00:30:38,984 --> 00:30:40,719
I can still smell that diesel.
611
00:30:42,888 --> 00:30:44,456
My two great producers
612
00:30:44,490 --> 00:30:47,861
put two old engines
into the boat.
613
00:30:47,894 --> 00:30:51,463
Which everyday broke out
at five miles out at sea.
614
00:30:51,497 --> 00:30:53,500
So we had to be rescued
by the Costas brothers,
615
00:30:53,532 --> 00:30:56,368
who towed us in.
Every day it happened.
616
00:30:57,537 --> 00:30:59,905
The engines, they were
in a really bad condition.
617
00:30:59,939 --> 00:31:02,275
It wasn't really serviceable.
618
00:31:02,307 --> 00:31:05,979
It was a second-hand boat,
it always had problems.
619
00:31:09,714 --> 00:31:11,951
"Unable to operate
open-sea call.
620
00:31:11,983 --> 00:31:15,654
Bad weather reports, so ships
returned to harbor one after another."
621
00:31:19,025 --> 00:31:22,629
The sea was rough,
so you couldn't do the trip properly.
622
00:31:23,796 --> 00:31:26,766
So we have to tow the big ship
back to the harbor.
623
00:31:28,401 --> 00:31:30,737
In and out, in and out,
all day long.
624
00:31:32,672 --> 00:31:35,842
The elastoplasts are still
all over the place.
625
00:31:36,375 --> 00:31:39,278
It was a nightmare.
626
00:31:44,317 --> 00:31:46,452
But then to us,
it started beautifully.
627
00:31:47,752 --> 00:31:48,954
Ahoy, there!
628
00:31:48,988 --> 00:31:50,456
And those early scenes,
629
00:31:50,489 --> 00:31:52,725
the first time on the boat
and all the excitement
630
00:31:52,758 --> 00:31:56,162
when I was the officer
with lovely Jamie Villiers.
631
00:31:56,194 --> 00:31:59,265
I mean, that was a joy to play.
632
00:32:01,334 --> 00:32:03,236
Welcome aboard
our humble ship.
633
00:32:05,671 --> 00:32:07,740
Excuse me, sir,
what is that smell?
634
00:32:09,642 --> 00:32:12,010
- It is him.
- Yes, of course.
635
00:32:12,044 --> 00:32:14,280
What are those spots?
636
00:32:14,313 --> 00:32:18,017
Those red spots
upon your face, sir?
637
00:32:18,049 --> 00:32:19,818
It is nothing.
It is the crot.
638
00:32:19,852 --> 00:32:21,653
That is just the crot.
639
00:32:21,686 --> 00:32:23,923
Yes, good, excellent.
That's very good.
640
00:32:23,955 --> 00:32:25,591
Fine. The red plague.
641
00:32:26,192 --> 00:32:29,762
The red plague, sir.
642
00:32:30,796 --> 00:32:33,298
The red plague? What?
643
00:32:33,332 --> 00:32:34,467
Yes, sir.
644
00:32:34,500 --> 00:32:36,736
- The plague?
- The plague...
645
00:32:36,769 --> 00:32:39,137
Abandon ship!
646
00:32:39,171 --> 00:32:40,340
Number One, abandon ship!
647
00:32:40,373 --> 00:32:42,075
The red plague!
648
00:32:43,174 --> 00:32:44,876
The red plague!
649
00:32:56,521 --> 00:32:59,157
- I think it's a lovely, lovely comedy scene.
- Yeah.
650
00:32:59,191 --> 00:33:01,861
And then from then on,
we were told
651
00:33:01,894 --> 00:33:04,130
that seeing our scene
652
00:33:04,163 --> 00:33:06,598
and how good James and I
were together,
653
00:33:06,632 --> 00:33:08,601
- 'cause we were a great double act.
- Yes, wonderful.
654
00:33:08,634 --> 00:33:11,570
- Pity we only had that one scene.
- I know.
655
00:33:12,637 --> 00:33:14,941
Um, but were told that
he'd seen that
656
00:33:14,973 --> 00:33:16,775
and everybody was praising it.
657
00:33:17,777 --> 00:33:19,612
And the smile
went off his face,
658
00:33:19,644 --> 00:33:22,548
and we were persona non grata.
659
00:33:22,580 --> 00:33:25,284
And from then on,
it just got worse
660
00:33:25,317 --> 00:33:26,920
- Worse and worse, I know.
- It did.
661
00:33:31,957 --> 00:33:33,559
I mean, he turned around
to me on the boat
662
00:33:33,592 --> 00:33:35,795
while we were rowing along
in the Mediterranean,
663
00:33:35,827 --> 00:33:38,230
and everybody's seasick,
you know,
664
00:33:38,263 --> 00:33:40,599
and he rips his big wig off
and he says,
665
00:33:40,633 --> 00:33:42,567
"This is absolutely
fucking crazy."
666
00:33:42,601 --> 00:33:45,305
He said, "It's impossible
to make a comedy like this.
667
00:33:45,337 --> 00:33:47,406
I mean, who thought of this?
668
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,042
How could you have gone along?"
669
00:33:49,075 --> 00:33:52,211
And I said, "Well, Peter,
this is how the whole scene was set up.
670
00:33:52,243 --> 00:33:53,913
And it's your movie."
671
00:33:56,981 --> 00:33:58,518
Peter was like that.
672
00:33:58,550 --> 00:34:00,986
It was the most marvelous
thing in the world
673
00:34:01,019 --> 00:34:03,221
and he was gonna do it,
and blah, blah.
674
00:34:03,255 --> 00:34:04,824
Two or three days later,
675
00:34:04,856 --> 00:34:07,093
he could say,
"I don't want to do that."
676
00:34:07,125 --> 00:34:09,028
And that would be it.
677
00:34:11,463 --> 00:34:13,865
Truly, if anyone had said
to him, I think,
678
00:34:13,898 --> 00:34:16,001
"You can stop filming
and go home",
679
00:34:16,034 --> 00:34:17,836
he would have been happy.
That's all he wanted.
680
00:34:17,869 --> 00:34:19,572
- Yeah.
- He wanted to go back to London,
681
00:34:19,605 --> 00:34:21,240
he didn't want to be there.
682
00:34:21,273 --> 00:34:23,876
Suddenly, the island that he
had loved that was so beautiful
683
00:34:23,909 --> 00:34:26,445
became, you know,
the hell-hole of the world.
684
00:34:26,478 --> 00:34:29,081
I cannot stand it
any longer!
685
00:34:29,114 --> 00:34:31,317
Help! I can't swim!
686
00:34:31,349 --> 00:34:33,219
I seen them when they do'd it.
687
00:34:33,251 --> 00:34:37,523
Unfortunately,
the production was very unprepared
688
00:34:37,556 --> 00:34:40,259
for this impossible
shooting at sea.
689
00:34:40,291 --> 00:34:42,461
Save me! Save me!
690
00:34:42,494 --> 00:34:44,029
Save me first!
691
00:34:44,063 --> 00:34:46,965
- Save me!
- I'm the captain!
692
00:34:46,998 --> 00:34:52,137
And it affected the shooting
and preparation on land.
693
00:34:53,172 --> 00:34:55,775
You're late. Years late.
694
00:34:58,210 --> 00:35:00,179
Incarcerate him.
695
00:35:03,815 --> 00:35:05,016
Hark!
696
00:35:07,652 --> 00:35:10,455
So Costas, what was your role
in the movie? What did you do?
697
00:35:10,489 --> 00:35:12,023
Well, I was, uh...
698
00:35:12,056 --> 00:35:16,395
I believed I was the head
of the pirates, yeah.
699
00:35:16,429 --> 00:35:18,998
So we got up in the morning,
700
00:35:19,030 --> 00:35:21,534
we got the costumes on
and things like that,
701
00:35:21,567 --> 00:35:23,168
and we did the shots.
702
00:35:23,202 --> 00:35:25,071
By that time,
after two shots...
703
00:35:25,103 --> 00:35:26,505
You know how film is.
704
00:35:26,539 --> 00:35:29,109
It was break for lunch.
705
00:35:30,809 --> 00:35:35,480
I got into the queue to go
to the buffet there to eat.
706
00:35:35,514 --> 00:35:37,416
The lady there,
she said, uh,
707
00:35:37,449 --> 00:35:40,685
"I'm sorry,
you are not having food."
708
00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:42,121
I said, "I beg your pardon?"
709
00:35:42,153 --> 00:35:44,556
She said, "No, you are
not allowed to eat."
710
00:35:44,590 --> 00:35:47,460
"Only for the actors."
711
00:35:47,492 --> 00:35:52,030
I said, "Excuse me,
what do you think we are?"
712
00:35:52,063 --> 00:35:53,365
"What? You are extras."
713
00:35:53,398 --> 00:35:55,567
We are treated like natives.
714
00:35:55,601 --> 00:35:58,503
"We are the natives! Oh-ho-ho!"
This kind of thing.
715
00:35:58,536 --> 00:36:01,940
You know, who should say,
"Ah, thank you for...
716
00:36:01,974 --> 00:36:03,843
- Yes.
- ...putting us in the picture."
717
00:36:03,876 --> 00:36:05,644
No, it was embarrassing,
I remember.
718
00:36:05,677 --> 00:36:08,914
So I said,
"Okay, if you insist.
719
00:36:08,947 --> 00:36:12,884
We'll go, and we'll go
in our huts.
720
00:36:12,918 --> 00:36:16,489
Have our bread and olives.
721
00:36:16,521 --> 00:36:18,990
And then we'll have a siesta,
722
00:36:19,023 --> 00:36:23,563
and when...
if we feel like it, we'll come back."
723
00:36:26,699 --> 00:36:33,271
I remember also some sweet guy
who was wearing a huge turban,
724
00:36:33,304 --> 00:36:36,675
being so angry that he threw
his turban on the ground
725
00:36:36,708 --> 00:36:39,945
and jumped on it
and shouted, "I actor!"
726
00:36:41,146 --> 00:36:44,050
I was going, "You don't have
a turban anymore,
727
00:36:44,083 --> 00:36:45,851
actor or not.
728
00:36:48,387 --> 00:36:50,023
Then it was a big riot.
729
00:36:51,155 --> 00:36:54,626
I remember, three quarters
of them had left
730
00:36:54,659 --> 00:36:57,696
with their clothes on,
and they never came back.
731
00:36:57,730 --> 00:37:00,233
Uh, we knows exactly
where he's hiding.
732
00:37:00,266 --> 00:37:02,668
- Yes, yes.
- We know that.
733
00:37:02,701 --> 00:37:04,871
I love the idea
of all those extras going
734
00:37:04,903 --> 00:37:06,706
- with their costumes on.
- I know.
735
00:37:06,739 --> 00:37:08,541
So all over Cyprus,
there were pirates
736
00:37:08,574 --> 00:37:10,610
- and extras in villages.
- I know.
737
00:37:10,643 --> 00:37:12,043
They really left
with their clothes.
738
00:37:12,077 --> 00:37:15,081
I remember Ruth Myers,
poor Ruth didn't know what to do.
739
00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:25,490
We did actually manage to buy
a fair amount of them back
740
00:37:25,523 --> 00:37:28,827
from the local market
a few days later.
741
00:37:28,860 --> 00:37:30,462
So as you went back
to the market,
742
00:37:30,496 --> 00:37:32,030
- you spot bits of costume...
- Oh, yes.
743
00:37:32,063 --> 00:37:34,466
- Oh, that's brilliant.
- They were all sitting there.
744
00:37:34,500 --> 00:37:36,302
- You had to negotiate it.
- Yes.
745
00:37:40,105 --> 00:37:42,507
The truth of the matter is,
I should have got on the plane
746
00:37:42,541 --> 00:37:44,876
- and come to see first-hand for myself.
- I wish you had,
747
00:37:44,909 --> 00:37:46,745
because you would have
seen the truth.
748
00:37:46,778 --> 00:37:48,347
We had about
four or five films shooting.
749
00:37:48,380 --> 00:37:51,450
Seven movies you were doing,
I think, at the time.
750
00:37:51,483 --> 00:37:54,086
And we had a great boat,
751
00:37:54,119 --> 00:37:56,789
great location,
everything beautiful.
752
00:37:56,822 --> 00:38:00,927
We had less than competent
producers.
753
00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,061
But we thought we could
make it good enough,
754
00:38:03,094 --> 00:38:05,597
and we kept going,
A, because we had to,
755
00:38:05,630 --> 00:38:07,532
anyway, we were going
to get paid,
756
00:38:07,565 --> 00:38:10,135
and B, because we thought
it would look good.
757
00:38:10,168 --> 00:38:12,304
♪ I'm a raggling boy
from Dublin
758
00:38:16,507 --> 00:38:18,577
♪ He had black hair
and...
759
00:38:18,610 --> 00:38:20,813
♪ Dum-dee-dee-dum-dum-tee ♪
760
00:38:20,846 --> 00:38:24,849
One day, he came to me
on this beach, and he said,
761
00:38:24,882 --> 00:38:27,386
"You should quit the movie."
762
00:38:28,721 --> 00:38:31,056
He says,
"I've got director approval,
763
00:38:31,090 --> 00:38:33,893
so they won't pay you
because you quit,
764
00:38:33,925 --> 00:38:36,596
but they pay me,
and I give you half of the money.
765
00:38:36,628 --> 00:38:39,397
on my children's life",
you know.
766
00:38:39,431 --> 00:38:41,067
And I said,
"You see those people?
767
00:38:41,099 --> 00:38:44,670
They've been here
since 6:00 in the morning.
768
00:38:44,702 --> 00:38:48,007
So, get your fucking
make-up on,
769
00:38:48,039 --> 00:38:49,507
and let's get ready and shoot
770
00:38:49,541 --> 00:38:52,879
because the sooner we shoot,
the sooner we'll be home."
771
00:39:02,987 --> 00:39:05,357
So here we are
in the top of the hill
772
00:39:05,391 --> 00:39:07,827
overlooking this incredible bay.
773
00:39:07,860 --> 00:39:11,230
And it was in the second week
of the film, to do the shot
774
00:39:11,262 --> 00:39:15,900
of the pirates
burying the secret treasure,
775
00:39:15,934 --> 00:39:19,806
and behind them, Peter tied up
his pots and pans.
776
00:39:24,143 --> 00:39:26,144
So we started doing
the tracking shot
777
00:39:26,177 --> 00:39:30,148
and we were tracking away
and tracking away,
778
00:39:30,181 --> 00:39:32,450
and when we got
to the middle, suddenly...
779
00:39:35,253 --> 00:39:37,188
Peter collapsed.
780
00:39:37,222 --> 00:39:40,626
My god! Everybody was running in
from all over the place,
781
00:39:40,659 --> 00:39:43,528
Jerry Crampton,
Joe Dunne, everybody,
782
00:39:43,561 --> 00:39:46,965
they knew something was
desperately wrong with Peter,
783
00:39:46,998 --> 00:39:49,334
and Peter is lying
on the floor,
784
00:39:49,967 --> 00:39:51,870
having a heart attack.
785
00:39:51,903 --> 00:39:54,706
So they took Peter away
into the local hospital
786
00:39:54,739 --> 00:39:56,375
over there in Kyrenia.
787
00:40:03,782 --> 00:40:06,853
We knew that he had
this terrible heart condition.
788
00:40:08,686 --> 00:40:12,857
In 1964, on his
kind of honeymoon,
789
00:40:12,891 --> 00:40:15,894
he suddenly suffered
eight heart attacks
790
00:40:15,927 --> 00:40:20,165
and he actually physically
died, but was revived.
791
00:40:21,065 --> 00:40:23,268
It's a miracle he was alive.
792
00:40:24,802 --> 00:40:29,275
And me saying, "Oh, my god,
this is the beginning of the movie.
793
00:40:29,307 --> 00:40:31,277
What am I gonna do?
794
00:40:31,309 --> 00:40:33,880
Is he gonna die,
is he gonna survive?"
795
00:40:37,983 --> 00:40:40,986
We closed down production.
796
00:40:41,018 --> 00:40:42,987
And we're not shooting,
and I'm sitting
797
00:40:43,021 --> 00:40:45,324
two days later in the harbor.
798
00:40:46,157 --> 00:40:48,226
I open up the Evening Standard.
799
00:40:49,027 --> 00:40:52,298
In the Evening Standard
is Peter
800
00:40:52,331 --> 00:40:55,468
at San Lorenzo's restaurant
in Beauchamp Place,
801
00:40:55,501 --> 00:41:00,005
near Harrods, having dinner
with Princess Margaret.
802
00:41:00,038 --> 00:41:02,007
And I looked at this
and I can't believe this.
803
00:41:02,039 --> 00:41:04,409
He's supposed to be
in the hospital there.
804
00:41:04,443 --> 00:41:06,512
How did he get off the island?
805
00:41:06,545 --> 00:41:08,180
Then he turned up
two days later
806
00:41:08,213 --> 00:41:10,850
with some fake
doctor's certificate from...
807
00:41:10,882 --> 00:41:13,384
- Remember Tony Greenberg?
- Of course I do.
808
00:41:13,418 --> 00:41:17,323
And in his hand, there was
this medical certificate
809
00:41:17,356 --> 00:41:19,759
by Dr. Tony Greenberg,
810
00:41:19,791 --> 00:41:23,161
who issued it saying that
he was unfit to work.
811
00:41:23,195 --> 00:41:25,197
I can quite easily understand
812
00:41:25,230 --> 00:41:28,099
because it would be the sort
of thing I would have done.
813
00:41:28,132 --> 00:41:31,202
If it was a good friend,
if he said, "You know, I'm ill."
814
00:41:31,235 --> 00:41:33,172
I'd say,
"Yes, of course you're ill."
815
00:41:35,039 --> 00:41:38,244
What kind of a person
would do that?
816
00:41:38,277 --> 00:41:42,280
To fake a heart attack when you
have a terrible heart condition?
817
00:41:45,349 --> 00:41:48,953
From that point on,
he decided
818
00:41:48,987 --> 00:41:51,824
that he has got to get
off the movie somehow.
819
00:41:51,856 --> 00:41:56,061
So he did everything
to sabotage it.
820
00:41:56,094 --> 00:41:59,264
Ah, this is a terrible time
in me life.
821
00:41:59,297 --> 00:42:01,733
I'll have to think
of something else.
822
00:42:01,766 --> 00:42:05,103
Now then,
what's another thing?
823
00:42:07,072 --> 00:42:10,910
He knew his influence
and power over everybody,
824
00:42:10,943 --> 00:42:13,179
- and he had to control it.
- Yes.
825
00:42:14,246 --> 00:42:17,615
He had that
extraordinary ability
826
00:42:17,648 --> 00:42:19,050
- to draw you in.
- Of course.
827
00:42:19,083 --> 00:42:20,919
I mean, you wanted
to be there. I mean,
828
00:42:20,952 --> 00:42:22,688
- who wouldn't? It was exciting.
- Of course.
829
00:42:22,721 --> 00:42:24,157
It was never dull.
830
00:42:28,994 --> 00:42:32,765
My crew and myself
got up at four o'clock that morning.
831
00:42:32,797 --> 00:42:35,700
We laid a track for a crane,
832
00:42:35,733 --> 00:42:37,168
which was a big deal.
833
00:42:37,202 --> 00:42:40,439
We had to have that
ready by eight o'clock
834
00:42:40,472 --> 00:42:42,641
- and Peter never turned up.
- Never turned up.
835
00:42:42,673 --> 00:42:44,108
And then we got a message,
836
00:42:44,141 --> 00:42:46,578
then we got a message
to go back to base.
837
00:42:46,612 --> 00:42:51,317
Peter Sellers was having
a meeting with the crew
838
00:42:51,349 --> 00:42:54,519
to vote no confidence
in the director.
839
00:43:04,429 --> 00:43:07,900
- That's him, Mr. Kite.
- Hey, you!
840
00:43:07,932 --> 00:43:09,869
Suddenly,
I hear Peter parading
841
00:43:09,902 --> 00:43:12,471
in front of 99 people,
the entire crew.
842
00:43:12,503 --> 00:43:14,505
- With the hands up, honestly.
- With his hands up.
843
00:43:14,539 --> 00:43:17,076
And he said, "I hereby elect myself...
844
00:43:17,108 --> 00:43:20,679
...the shop steward
of all directors and the crew."
845
00:43:21,947 --> 00:43:24,048
He said,
"I declare myself
846
00:43:24,081 --> 00:43:26,284
that this is
absolutely impossible
847
00:43:26,318 --> 00:43:29,021
to make a film
under these conditions,
848
00:43:29,054 --> 00:43:32,724
and I want all of you
to vote who thinks
849
00:43:32,757 --> 00:43:36,261
that Peter Medak has no idea
what he's doing."
850
00:43:37,061 --> 00:43:38,297
And I said,
851
00:43:39,264 --> 00:43:42,268
"Peter thinks he's Fred Kite."
852
00:43:47,105 --> 00:43:48,673
Right, brothers.
Have we all gathered?
853
00:43:50,474 --> 00:43:54,413
My purpose in convening you is
to lay before you certain facts.
854
00:43:54,980 --> 00:43:56,481
A few minutes ago...
855
00:43:56,514 --> 00:44:00,184
I then realized that he's now
taken the character he played
856
00:44:00,217 --> 00:44:01,853
which was the shop steward,
857
00:44:01,887 --> 00:44:06,158
and it's a scene directly
out of I'm All Right Jack.
858
00:44:06,190 --> 00:44:09,661
And everything about it
constitutes quite definitely,
859
00:44:09,695 --> 00:44:11,864
a definite breach
of the existing agreements
860
00:44:11,896 --> 00:44:13,731
that exist between
management and union.
861
00:44:13,764 --> 00:44:15,067
A diabolical liberty.
862
00:44:15,099 --> 00:44:16,302
Hear, hear!
863
00:44:18,603 --> 00:44:20,505
I started screaming.
864
00:44:20,539 --> 00:44:22,508
And I said, you're all
a bunch of...
865
00:44:22,541 --> 00:44:24,110
Fucking assholes.
866
00:44:24,876 --> 00:44:28,514
You also said,
"You all decide."
867
00:44:28,547 --> 00:44:30,916
And you got into
that dune buggy or whatever...
868
00:44:30,949 --> 00:44:32,084
Yeah, the Minimoose.
869
00:44:32,117 --> 00:44:34,153
...and sped off
into the sunset.
870
00:44:37,655 --> 00:44:39,458
And I drove up the hill,
871
00:44:39,490 --> 00:44:42,260
and I said, "One more
fucking thing, Peter,
872
00:44:42,293 --> 00:44:45,063
I can go back to Hungary
and never come back."
873
00:44:45,097 --> 00:44:46,299
And I drove off.
874
00:44:49,467 --> 00:44:51,936
And everybody was looking
at each other, saying,
875
00:44:51,969 --> 00:44:53,471
"What sort of film is this?
876
00:44:53,505 --> 00:44:56,141
There's the director
going in that direction,
877
00:44:56,173 --> 00:44:59,311
and there's the actor
878
00:44:59,344 --> 00:45:01,146
standing up
as a shop steward."
879
00:45:03,581 --> 00:45:06,284
I said, there's no way
I'm going to quit
880
00:45:06,318 --> 00:45:09,153
because I can't quit.
If I quit, I get sued.
881
00:45:09,186 --> 00:45:12,257
I'll never work again,
and I'll be held responsible
882
00:45:12,289 --> 00:45:14,592
because I'm the idiot
who everybody will blame.
883
00:45:14,626 --> 00:45:17,997
Because they always
blame the directors.
884
00:45:18,030 --> 00:45:22,201
In the film business, I mean,
you have to be tougher than I was.
885
00:45:22,233 --> 00:45:24,969
I mean, I was not
street-smart enough.
886
00:45:25,003 --> 00:45:27,706
I went three days
with Peter on the set
887
00:45:27,739 --> 00:45:29,307
where he didn't talk to me.
888
00:45:29,340 --> 00:45:32,243
No, it's true. It's tragic.
It's absolutely tragic.
889
00:45:32,277 --> 00:45:34,213
But we were young,
890
00:45:34,246 --> 00:45:37,782
and not that we were
full of ourselves,
891
00:45:37,815 --> 00:45:41,252
but we did our first movies
and it was absolutely bang-on.
892
00:45:41,286 --> 00:45:43,121
- Yes, yes.
- Nothing stood in our way.
893
00:45:43,155 --> 00:45:46,191
You know, so it was
an incredible period.
894
00:45:46,224 --> 00:45:48,427
And then I have to go
listen to this shit.
895
00:45:50,829 --> 00:45:55,901
Everybody's looking at me
and I'm dumped in Cyprus,
896
00:45:55,934 --> 00:46:00,806
and my responsibility
was to complete the movie.
897
00:46:00,838 --> 00:46:03,307
And Peter's answer to it was,
898
00:46:03,340 --> 00:46:07,346
is to somehow
manipulate the film
899
00:46:07,378 --> 00:46:11,016
that he would get paid off
900
00:46:11,048 --> 00:46:12,351
and the film would not happen.
901
00:46:12,384 --> 00:46:14,019
I mean, this is insane.
902
00:46:14,052 --> 00:46:15,421
- What could you do?
- Nothing.
903
00:46:15,454 --> 00:46:17,689
You can't bring him
to the set screaming and...
904
00:46:17,722 --> 00:46:18,623
No. No, no.
905
00:46:18,657 --> 00:46:21,193
And if I had quit,
I would have been blamed.
906
00:46:21,226 --> 00:46:22,795
If I don't quit,
I'd be blamed.
907
00:46:22,827 --> 00:46:24,695
- You were blamed anyway.
- The whole crew was there.
908
00:46:24,728 --> 00:46:27,365
Every, um, serious artist
909
00:46:28,300 --> 00:46:31,036
tries to engineer
910
00:46:31,068 --> 00:46:33,871
the circumstances in which
they can shine.
911
00:46:33,905 --> 00:46:35,140
- We all do it.
- Yes.
912
00:46:35,172 --> 00:46:38,709
We all try and change it
so it works for us.
913
00:46:38,742 --> 00:46:40,846
And then, when you have
actors on a set,
914
00:46:40,878 --> 00:46:42,413
everybody is maneuvering that,
915
00:46:42,447 --> 00:46:45,983
and hopefully,
it's all harmonious,
916
00:46:46,016 --> 00:46:49,221
but Peter did that ruthlessly.
917
00:46:49,253 --> 00:46:51,123
- Mmm-hmm.
- Absolutely ruthlessly
918
00:46:51,155 --> 00:46:53,759
without any consideration
for anybody else.
919
00:46:53,791 --> 00:46:54,893
- most of the time.
- Hmm.
920
00:46:54,927 --> 00:46:58,130
I was just unfortunate
not to work with Peter Sellers
921
00:46:58,163 --> 00:47:00,431
- who I loved and admired and had seen.
- Yes.
922
00:47:00,465 --> 00:47:02,934
Somebody who would come in
and fire you up
923
00:47:02,967 --> 00:47:04,036
and you would continue...
924
00:47:04,068 --> 00:47:06,170
Even in a good film,
it was never fun.
925
00:47:06,204 --> 00:47:08,606
- No.
- Never fun with him.
926
00:47:08,639 --> 00:47:10,641
- Never fun.
- No.
927
00:47:10,675 --> 00:47:12,044
And he gave me gifts.
928
00:47:12,077 --> 00:47:14,446
And it's not enough.
It's not enough!
929
00:47:14,478 --> 00:47:16,381
- Completely irrelevant.
- It's not enough.
930
00:47:23,989 --> 00:47:25,858
I spent a lot more time
with my mom
931
00:47:25,891 --> 00:47:28,961
and then my dad,
there was always a different lady.
932
00:47:30,262 --> 00:47:32,197
And he always would make
such a big deal,
933
00:47:32,230 --> 00:47:33,664
but probably because
he felt bad
934
00:47:33,697 --> 00:47:36,134
because he didn't spend
any time.
935
00:47:36,168 --> 00:47:38,537
So when he did,
he had to go so over the top.
936
00:47:38,570 --> 00:47:42,074
It couldn't just be normal.
It had to be like, "Whoa!"
937
00:47:42,106 --> 00:47:45,076
Because he never
did that that often, so.
938
00:47:45,110 --> 00:47:47,146
Yeah.
939
00:47:47,179 --> 00:47:49,581
But, I mean,
I was used to that.
940
00:47:57,889 --> 00:47:59,825
You could say, right,
941
00:47:59,858 --> 00:48:02,428
successful millionaire,
942
00:48:03,228 --> 00:48:04,697
three beautiful children,
943
00:48:05,563 --> 00:48:07,899
all these material things
around me,
944
00:48:07,932 --> 00:48:09,367
why aren't you happy?
945
00:48:12,570 --> 00:48:15,406
He was completely
unpredictable.
946
00:48:18,876 --> 00:48:22,980
As a person, he could never
actually feel comfortable
947
00:48:23,014 --> 00:48:24,950
being Peter Sellers.
948
00:48:24,983 --> 00:48:26,952
He had to become a character.
949
00:48:29,920 --> 00:48:34,358
It was very hard to get
to the real Peter Sellers.
950
00:48:34,391 --> 00:48:35,793
And I'm not
the real Peter Sellers.
951
00:48:35,827 --> 00:48:38,297
I am, in fact, a mock-up.
952
00:48:38,329 --> 00:48:40,598
A plastic mock-up.
953
00:48:40,632 --> 00:48:42,867
I'm beginning to think that
increasingly every day.
954
00:48:49,340 --> 00:48:51,242
I don't think I have
ever worked on a film
955
00:48:51,275 --> 00:48:53,578
where I found it noticeable
956
00:48:53,612 --> 00:48:57,382
how isolated one star was.
957
00:48:57,414 --> 00:48:59,817
And he was.
He was really isolated.
958
00:49:01,452 --> 00:49:04,422
He didn't have
any social skills
959
00:49:04,456 --> 00:49:05,791
with other actors.
960
00:49:05,824 --> 00:49:08,894
I don't think he was even
very interested in them.
961
00:49:12,797 --> 00:49:14,599
He was always
under pressure
962
00:49:14,632 --> 00:49:17,602
to be the greatest
comedian in the world.
963
00:49:19,838 --> 00:49:21,873
That brought
a tremendous loneliness
964
00:49:21,905 --> 00:49:24,543
and he was very alone
all the time.
965
00:49:25,543 --> 00:49:29,047
But at times, you could
see him switch off
966
00:49:29,079 --> 00:49:30,481
in the middle of a take.
967
00:49:30,514 --> 00:49:33,351
The filming and everything
is fantastic,
968
00:49:33,385 --> 00:49:35,721
and suddenly he just goes...
969
00:49:35,753 --> 00:49:37,021
He wasn't there.
970
00:49:37,054 --> 00:49:38,389
There was nobody inside.
971
00:49:38,422 --> 00:49:40,491
He's kind of gone
somewhere else.
972
00:49:45,597 --> 00:49:47,699
But the thing was that
Peter was never...
973
00:49:47,731 --> 00:49:51,536
never really diagnosed
with his problem.
974
00:49:54,806 --> 00:49:57,876
It was always like,
"Peter's nuts, watch out."
975
00:49:57,909 --> 00:50:00,579
But nobody ever
really took care of him.
976
00:50:09,688 --> 00:50:12,590
We lost a tremendous
amount of time.
977
00:50:12,623 --> 00:50:15,693
We started getting behind
and I had to make up for it
978
00:50:15,726 --> 00:50:18,829
and shoot
all the scenes quicker, and...
979
00:50:18,862 --> 00:50:20,898
But it was impossible
to keep up
980
00:50:20,931 --> 00:50:24,268
with Peter
and with the weather,
981
00:50:24,302 --> 00:50:27,806
and the technical
complications, as well.
982
00:50:27,838 --> 00:50:30,041
With the boat
which kept breaking down.
983
00:50:30,942 --> 00:50:34,045
It looked like a madhouse.
An insanity.
984
00:50:42,519 --> 00:50:45,190
And at the same time,
I'm receiving
985
00:50:45,222 --> 00:50:49,460
these absolutely disgusting
threatening telegrams
986
00:50:49,494 --> 00:50:51,730
from John Heyman saying,
987
00:50:51,762 --> 00:50:54,766
that unless I can
control your star,
988
00:50:54,798 --> 00:50:58,637
I have no alternative
but to fire you.
989
00:51:01,338 --> 00:51:04,041
If we had stopped the picture
990
00:51:04,074 --> 00:51:05,976
at the moment
it should have been stopped,
991
00:51:06,010 --> 00:51:08,714
which was probably
the second week of production...
992
00:51:08,746 --> 00:51:10,348
Yeah.
993
00:51:10,382 --> 00:51:12,084
there was nobody
to pay for it.
994
00:51:12,117 --> 00:51:13,618
We'd have all gone broke.
995
00:51:13,650 --> 00:51:15,753
We only got paid
if we delivered it.
996
00:51:16,887 --> 00:51:20,558
So at that stage,
it was too late to stop
997
00:51:20,592 --> 00:51:23,061
- because we couldn't afford to stop.
- Yeah.
998
00:51:23,862 --> 00:51:25,697
The reports I got
999
00:51:25,730 --> 00:51:29,034
were that Peter Medak
had not done his homework,
1000
00:51:29,067 --> 00:51:34,005
and he was the person to blame
for what was going on.
1001
00:51:34,038 --> 00:51:37,708
And they said, "There is no way
we can salvage this film."
1002
00:51:37,742 --> 00:51:40,345
And my instructions
were to finish it
1003
00:51:40,378 --> 00:51:42,748
and get out
as cheaply as possible.
1004
00:51:42,780 --> 00:51:44,682
Deliver it,
and let's all walk.
1005
00:51:49,286 --> 00:51:50,922
Once you start
in a bad race,
1006
00:51:50,954 --> 00:51:53,525
it's very difficult
to recover from it.
1007
00:51:55,760 --> 00:51:57,662
And I said,
"Well, tell fucking Heyman
1008
00:51:57,695 --> 00:52:00,399
to come here and try
to control Peter
1009
00:52:00,431 --> 00:52:02,000
because nobody can."
1010
00:52:04,001 --> 00:52:06,971
He probably missed
14 days of the film
1011
00:52:07,005 --> 00:52:10,108
when he physically
refused to be there.
1012
00:52:11,809 --> 00:52:15,146
He felt he knew everything
about comedy
1013
00:52:15,179 --> 00:52:16,681
and I didn't.
1014
00:52:23,554 --> 00:52:26,724
Making a film is a war.
1015
00:52:28,326 --> 00:52:30,161
It's like a suicide mission.
1016
00:52:31,728 --> 00:52:35,766
And the one who's forced to
commit suicide is the director
1017
00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:39,771
because everybody has
his own excuses about the film.
1018
00:52:39,804 --> 00:52:42,508
Heyman had 800
other movies to make.
1019
00:52:43,440 --> 00:52:45,443
All the producers want to do
1020
00:52:45,476 --> 00:52:46,577
is the minute you start,
1021
00:52:46,610 --> 00:52:48,579
is to finish it
as soon as possible.
1022
00:52:48,612 --> 00:52:50,481
"Why is he bringing
all these tracks?
1023
00:52:50,514 --> 00:52:51,650
"What is the helicopter for?
1024
00:52:51,682 --> 00:52:53,418
What are all these things?
1025
00:52:53,451 --> 00:52:55,721
Let's just get
this bloody thing over."
1026
00:52:56,721 --> 00:52:59,123
I mean, I want to kill people,
1027
00:52:59,157 --> 00:53:01,226
but they're all dead.
1028
00:53:02,927 --> 00:53:07,999
This letter was written
by the already fired producers
1029
00:53:08,032 --> 00:53:11,970
as the excuse for being
removed from the island.
1030
00:53:13,737 --> 00:53:17,175
Let me read the letter to you,
and you can tell me how you feel about it.
1031
00:53:28,485 --> 00:53:32,857
"I was most concerned about
Peter Medak's general approach
1032
00:53:32,891 --> 00:53:36,661
which involved lack of communication
with heads of departments,
1033
00:53:36,693 --> 00:53:39,197
lack of detail in preparation,
1034
00:53:39,230 --> 00:53:42,967
over-coverage, and a refusal
to shoot the picture
1035
00:53:43,001 --> 00:53:44,769
at any pace
other than his own.
1036
00:53:44,802 --> 00:53:46,605
And I immediately
gave him my views,
1037
00:53:46,637 --> 00:53:50,040
which are in essence
that Medak should be replaced,
1038
00:53:50,074 --> 00:53:51,175
and unless he was,
1039
00:53:51,208 --> 00:53:53,811
I felt I could not be
responsible for the outcome."
1040
00:53:53,844 --> 00:53:55,813
So this is the first time
you've ever seen this letter?
1041
00:53:55,847 --> 00:53:57,682
- It's the first time.
- So you've never seen...
1042
00:53:57,715 --> 00:54:00,552
I've never seen this letter
because it's a complete,
1043
00:54:00,585 --> 00:54:03,554
absolutely disgraceful,
disgusting...
1044
00:54:03,588 --> 00:54:05,690
It's a complete lie.
1045
00:54:05,722 --> 00:54:06,991
And it's because of that,
1046
00:54:07,025 --> 00:54:09,793
it's nowhere near what
my career would have been
1047
00:54:09,827 --> 00:54:11,863
had this fucking letter
not been written.
1048
00:54:11,896 --> 00:54:13,664
I should have hidden
that away from you.
1049
00:54:13,697 --> 00:54:14,766
No, no, it's okay.
1050
00:54:14,798 --> 00:54:16,668
I know.
He is quite upset about it.
1051
00:54:16,701 --> 00:54:19,338
It's great to know
the truth, you know.
1052
00:54:28,246 --> 00:54:29,280
I'm interested to know
1053
00:54:29,313 --> 00:54:32,516
why you're putting yourself
through the pain,
1054
00:54:32,550 --> 00:54:35,653
if you like, of revisiting
this story
1055
00:54:35,686 --> 00:54:38,589
and making this
documentary film.
1056
00:54:38,623 --> 00:54:41,458
Of course, it throws up
a lot of the past,
1057
00:54:41,492 --> 00:54:43,528
a lot of memories,
you know,
1058
00:54:43,561 --> 00:54:47,132
a lot of things which kind of
held me down over the years.
1059
00:54:47,164 --> 00:54:50,168
Because when I look back
at some of the memos
1060
00:54:50,201 --> 00:54:52,603
which are fortunately kept,
you know,
1061
00:54:52,637 --> 00:54:55,907
it's blatantly obvious
from the first week on
1062
00:54:55,940 --> 00:54:58,409
when I'm just starting
to cry out
1063
00:54:58,443 --> 00:55:00,745
for help from somebody
1064
00:55:00,777 --> 00:55:03,014
instead of turning against me.
1065
00:55:08,686 --> 00:55:10,055
I was blaming myself.
1066
00:55:10,088 --> 00:55:14,092
Never mind those telegrams
threatening to fire me,
1067
00:55:14,826 --> 00:55:17,295
I was crucifying myself.
1068
00:55:22,800 --> 00:55:25,170
I was born in '37.
1069
00:55:25,202 --> 00:55:30,442
Hungary was invaded
by the Germans in 1944.
1070
00:55:30,474 --> 00:55:33,978
I was seven years old,
so I was a very young kid.
1071
00:55:34,012 --> 00:55:38,283
But I remember when Eichmann
came in with his forty tanks.
1072
00:55:39,117 --> 00:55:41,720
I walked into
my father's study
1073
00:55:41,753 --> 00:55:46,257
and I overheard
his two best friends
1074
00:55:46,289 --> 00:55:48,059
saying that, uh,
1075
00:55:48,992 --> 00:55:52,230
what is to come,
we will not survive it.
1076
00:55:53,965 --> 00:55:56,268
That's the first time
I was scared.
1077
00:55:57,934 --> 00:56:01,139
So we pretended
to be Christians
1078
00:56:01,172 --> 00:56:04,943
and we started
living with a lie.
1079
00:56:07,577 --> 00:56:10,315
By some miracle,
we survived the war.
1080
00:56:11,983 --> 00:56:13,952
But my poor brother died
1081
00:56:13,985 --> 00:56:17,456
when I was 14
and he was 16.
1082
00:56:18,956 --> 00:56:23,228
That's when my first guilty
feeling started about anything,
1083
00:56:23,260 --> 00:56:26,130
because I felt I was
responsible for his death.
1084
00:56:30,101 --> 00:56:32,737
And then, the next
was my father
1085
00:56:32,769 --> 00:56:34,806
who was imprisoned
by the Russians,
1086
00:56:34,838 --> 00:56:36,273
and when he came out,
1087
00:56:36,306 --> 00:56:40,177
he died in my arms of a
heart attack when I was 15.
1088
00:56:42,380 --> 00:56:46,550
And tragically, my first wife
committed suicide
1089
00:56:46,583 --> 00:56:48,286
when I did Ruling Class.
1090
00:56:48,318 --> 00:56:51,456
And I'm responsible
for everything.
1091
00:56:57,094 --> 00:57:01,465
So I was like a sponge
of guilt-ridden feelings.
1092
00:57:05,737 --> 00:57:07,872
And why do you make movies?
1093
00:57:07,905 --> 00:57:11,209
Because it's an escape
from your own life, that's why.
1094
00:57:12,876 --> 00:57:15,079
You know, because you get
very busy
1095
00:57:15,112 --> 00:57:17,047
creating a whole other life.
1096
00:57:17,081 --> 00:57:18,750
Which becomes real life,
1097
00:57:18,782 --> 00:57:21,920
and then, your life
becomes secondary
1098
00:57:21,952 --> 00:57:24,389
because you have no time
to do anything about it.
1099
00:57:25,722 --> 00:57:27,425
- You know what I mean?
- I do.
1100
00:57:27,458 --> 00:57:29,160
You're right, but...
1101
00:57:29,193 --> 00:57:32,697
Because I can have characters
that do things that I can't.
1102
00:57:32,730 --> 00:57:33,831
Exactly.
1103
00:57:33,864 --> 00:57:36,233
Like be heroic,
or fall in love properly,
1104
00:57:36,266 --> 00:57:38,235
or kill people or...
1105
00:57:38,268 --> 00:57:39,269
We're too sensitive.
1106
00:57:39,302 --> 00:57:42,172
So our characters can do
the things we can't do.
1107
00:57:42,206 --> 00:57:43,909
Yeah. Absolutely.
1108
00:57:45,443 --> 00:57:46,445
Okay, cut.
1109
00:58:02,059 --> 00:58:05,063
One day, we were
shooting on the boat
1110
00:58:05,096 --> 00:58:06,864
and I was in the helicopter.
1111
00:58:14,572 --> 00:58:17,407
Talking on the walkie-talkie
with all the rotor blades,
1112
00:58:17,440 --> 00:58:20,210
it was impossible
to communicate.
1113
00:58:20,244 --> 00:58:24,082
And Peter refuses to do
what I'm asking him to do.
1114
00:58:24,114 --> 00:58:25,916
I said, "Fuck, forget it."
1115
00:58:25,949 --> 00:58:27,652
I said, you know,
"Let's just go up."
1116
00:58:27,684 --> 00:58:29,554
We went up 10,000 feet,
1117
00:58:31,688 --> 00:58:35,126
and there is my pirate ship
with the crew and everybody.
1118
00:58:42,099 --> 00:58:46,738
I looked to my left,
and there were Russian jets flying
1119
00:58:46,771 --> 00:58:49,374
and there was
the Russian warships.
1120
00:58:49,407 --> 00:58:50,809
To the right,
1121
00:58:50,842 --> 00:58:52,577
there was the American Navy.
1122
00:58:54,512 --> 00:58:58,416
It was the few days before
the Israeli war broke out.
1123
00:58:58,449 --> 00:59:02,554
And I saw, I said, "My god,
I've got this total insanity below me,
1124
00:59:02,586 --> 00:59:05,456
and the world is coming
to an end up here."
1125
00:59:05,489 --> 00:59:07,224
And I thought, "God,
you better go back down
1126
00:59:07,257 --> 00:59:09,193
and try to finish that scene."
1127
00:59:09,226 --> 00:59:11,461
- 'Cause the war was on the boat...
- Absolutely.
1128
00:59:11,494 --> 00:59:12,998
- ...at that time.
- Exactly.
1129
00:59:26,911 --> 00:59:28,512
There.
1130
00:59:28,545 --> 00:59:30,547
And next time, my boy,
1131
00:59:30,581 --> 00:59:32,450
you listen to me,
you hear me?
1132
00:59:34,318 --> 00:59:36,788
You're a real pirate though,
aren't you, Pierre?
1133
00:59:36,820 --> 00:59:38,056
If you say so.
1134
00:59:38,088 --> 00:59:39,224
Not like Scratcher.
1135
00:59:39,257 --> 00:59:40,625
No.
1136
00:59:40,657 --> 00:59:41,592
Not like Scratcher.
1137
00:59:43,094 --> 00:59:45,063
I remember when he said,
1138
00:59:45,096 --> 00:59:47,398
"Rita, can you be ready soon?
1139
00:59:47,431 --> 00:59:50,300
We're going on location
to Cyprus."
1140
00:59:50,333 --> 00:59:52,469
He is going to play a pirate.
1141
00:59:57,173 --> 01:00:00,210
And it was
a happy location for us.
1142
01:00:00,244 --> 01:00:02,881
It was just like,
I was happy to be there,
1143
01:00:02,914 --> 01:00:06,051
uh, I loved it that
the kids were with us.
1144
01:00:06,717 --> 01:00:08,052
He was happy.
1145
01:00:10,554 --> 01:00:14,224
Tony was this
incredible, kind of vivacious,
1146
01:00:14,257 --> 01:00:18,395
great-looking,
swashbuckling hero.
1147
01:00:18,429 --> 01:00:21,932
And I knew that he was
a friend of Peter Sellers,
1148
01:00:21,965 --> 01:00:24,168
and Peter very much
wanted him.
1149
01:00:24,201 --> 01:00:26,371
Right, that's right.
He's right.
1150
01:00:26,403 --> 01:00:29,072
Tony was really excited
to work with Peter.
1151
01:00:29,106 --> 01:00:32,043
Tony always knew
that Peter...
1152
01:00:32,076 --> 01:00:33,911
was a difficult man.
1153
01:00:33,945 --> 01:00:35,313
So was Tony, I mean,
1154
01:00:35,346 --> 01:00:39,083
I think every artist
has had their problems.
1155
01:00:39,817 --> 01:00:42,085
But Tony took it very serious.
1156
01:00:42,119 --> 01:00:45,023
And what happened in Cyprus,
1157
01:00:45,056 --> 01:00:47,191
very quickly, he found out
1158
01:00:47,224 --> 01:00:50,327
that Peter might not
have taken it that seriously.
1159
01:00:50,360 --> 01:00:53,230
And for what reason,
we didn't know.
1160
01:01:01,237 --> 01:01:03,942
Well, I remember.
I used to take Peter myself
1161
01:01:03,974 --> 01:01:05,143
with my speedboat,
1162
01:01:05,175 --> 01:01:07,144
and he always used to come
at 12 o'clock,
1163
01:01:07,177 --> 01:01:09,346
one o'clock, two o'clock,
1164
01:01:09,380 --> 01:01:10,481
very sleepy,
1165
01:01:10,514 --> 01:01:13,150
and everybody was upset
with him, you know?
1166
01:01:13,184 --> 01:01:15,887
And they all waited
for nothing the whole day.
1167
01:01:15,920 --> 01:01:19,289
So obviously, Tony,
he had enough.
1168
01:01:19,322 --> 01:01:22,126
I mean, how many times
you don't turn up?
1169
01:01:24,027 --> 01:01:28,065
Tony never came back
in a bad mood, per se.
1170
01:01:28,099 --> 01:01:30,702
He just said,
"Poor Peter Medak."
1171
01:01:32,969 --> 01:01:36,907
Now look, Capitan,
we are four points off the course,
1172
01:01:36,940 --> 01:01:38,108
and I will tell you now,
1173
01:01:38,141 --> 01:01:40,311
that this is the true course.
1174
01:01:42,079 --> 01:01:44,148
If that's how you want it.
1175
01:01:44,181 --> 01:01:46,083
Come and fight like a man.
1176
01:01:47,485 --> 01:01:51,189
Peter Sellers just kept,
"Oh, you big American cowboy..."
1177
01:01:51,222 --> 01:01:53,257
- It was insulting Tony.
- Very, yeah.
1178
01:01:53,289 --> 01:01:55,192
So what are your memories
of that, Rita?
1179
01:01:55,226 --> 01:01:57,362
- Was that very powerful?
- I do have memories of that
1180
01:01:57,394 --> 01:02:00,664
because that is one thing
he just couldn't take.
1181
01:02:00,697 --> 01:02:04,034
- And Tony had his Italian temper, and...
- Yeah.
1182
01:02:04,068 --> 01:02:06,571
Um, I mean,
he, he felt like
1183
01:02:06,603 --> 01:02:09,906
killing Peter
sometimes, you know.
1184
01:02:09,940 --> 01:02:12,543
Of course he didn't,
but, uh...
1185
01:02:12,576 --> 01:02:14,478
- Something like that.
- I mean, what happened is
1186
01:02:14,512 --> 01:02:17,215
there was this dueling scene
between the two of them.
1187
01:02:19,250 --> 01:02:22,353
Peter was teasing Tony.
1188
01:02:22,385 --> 01:02:25,389
And by then, poor Tony
was absolutely
1189
01:02:25,422 --> 01:02:28,425
at the absolute edge
of his nerve.
1190
01:02:31,695 --> 01:02:35,533
And so, Peter was
leaning over the poop deck.
1191
01:02:36,634 --> 01:02:39,903
Tony pulled
his pirate sword out,
1192
01:02:39,936 --> 01:02:42,406
and he went up like this,
1193
01:02:42,440 --> 01:02:45,309
and he brought it down,
but he stopped this far away.
1194
01:02:45,342 --> 01:02:47,577
- But Burt, Peter's driver...
- Yes.
1195
01:02:47,610 --> 01:02:50,580
...was on the deck,
and he saw it.
1196
01:02:50,614 --> 01:02:55,385
And Burt was telling him
that you nearly got killed.
1197
01:02:55,418 --> 01:02:59,289
And I saw Peter
suddenly taking off his wig,
1198
01:02:59,322 --> 01:03:01,491
throwing it over the boat.
1199
01:03:01,525 --> 01:03:05,463
And Sellers turned around to
me, and he says,
1200
01:03:05,496 --> 01:03:07,198
"I know what happened,"
and he says,
1201
01:03:07,231 --> 01:03:12,370
"I'm never, ever going to be in the
same frame with Tony Franciosa."
1202
01:03:12,402 --> 01:03:14,471
And we had, like,
30 pages of the script
1203
01:03:14,505 --> 01:03:16,474
- between the two of them.
- Oh, my god.
1204
01:03:16,507 --> 01:03:19,811
We just... After that,
they just didn't talk at all, did they?
1205
01:03:19,844 --> 01:03:21,878
- They just...
- Oh, no, they hated each other.
1206
01:03:21,911 --> 01:03:23,480
You couldn't get anywhere
near the two of them.
1207
01:03:23,514 --> 01:03:25,884
- They absolutely hated each other.
- Yeah.
1208
01:03:29,552 --> 01:03:32,255
I started writing
letters to John Heyman
1209
01:03:32,289 --> 01:03:34,258
that we're
in a very dangerous situation,
1210
01:03:34,291 --> 01:03:37,161
and the quality of the film
is at stake.
1211
01:03:37,193 --> 01:03:39,063
So, I wrote this letter
which I've got here.
1212
01:03:39,096 --> 01:03:40,530
You know, it sums
everything up.
1213
01:03:40,563 --> 01:03:42,366
And the only thing
I can do is read it.
1214
01:04:14,231 --> 01:04:16,234
I mean, this, kind of,
sums up, basically,
1215
01:04:16,266 --> 01:04:17,902
what the hell was going on.
1216
01:04:17,934 --> 01:04:20,704
- It was a nightmare.
- It was an absolute nightmare.
1217
01:04:23,072 --> 01:04:27,177
I was just trying to stay
alive, and keep shooting.
1218
01:04:27,210 --> 01:04:30,714
And every evening,
when you got off the boat, you would die.
1219
01:04:47,498 --> 01:04:50,201
So, Norma,
you and Spike arrive on the island,
1220
01:04:50,233 --> 01:04:51,869
and all of this
is going on.
1221
01:04:51,902 --> 01:04:54,271
So, how did he feel being caught in
the middle and, kind of, what happened?
1222
01:04:54,304 --> 01:04:56,139
Oh, no, he wouldn't be
caught in the middle.
1223
01:04:56,172 --> 01:04:57,607
That wouldn't be Spike.
1224
01:04:57,641 --> 01:04:59,876
He'd just say,
"I'm not getting involved," you know?
1225
01:04:59,909 --> 01:05:04,181
And then walk. But he knew
when we went to rushes,
1226
01:05:04,215 --> 01:05:07,251
and he said,
"This is not good."
1227
01:05:07,284 --> 01:05:10,354
He said, "The film
is on a disaster course.
1228
01:05:10,387 --> 01:05:13,758
"And somehow or other,
he's got it in for Medak."
1229
01:05:13,791 --> 01:05:16,494
That was the first night
we were there.
1230
01:05:20,164 --> 01:05:22,700
Spike went at it
very quickly.
1231
01:05:22,733 --> 01:05:23,935
Pokey, pokey, pokey.
1232
01:05:26,869 --> 01:05:29,539
But sometimes,
it made less sense.
1233
01:05:29,572 --> 01:05:31,875
Fire!
1234
01:05:31,909 --> 01:05:36,681
It didn't matter to him
how insensible it is.
1235
01:05:36,713 --> 01:05:40,150
The more it was like that,
the funnier it was for him.
1236
01:05:40,184 --> 01:05:42,586
Oi, Captain,
think of his mother!
1237
01:05:42,619 --> 01:05:45,690
- Get out!
- Think of your mother!
1238
01:05:48,157 --> 01:05:50,394
- Mother.
- Push him in.
1239
01:05:53,597 --> 01:05:56,133
Spike couldn't really
understand film.
1240
01:05:56,166 --> 01:05:58,236
I'm sat right here!
1241
01:05:58,268 --> 01:06:00,337
And we'd gone
through the whole thing,
1242
01:06:00,371 --> 01:06:02,907
and he kept forgetting
what we did before.
1243
01:06:09,679 --> 01:06:13,216
When Peter Boyle gets killed
in the story at the beginning,
1244
01:06:13,250 --> 01:06:14,684
he said,
"Oh, let's kill him again."
1245
01:06:14,717 --> 01:06:16,620
And I said,
"But he's dead."
1246
01:06:16,653 --> 01:06:19,724
You know, so it was
that kind of stuff.
1247
01:06:21,525 --> 01:06:24,695
But Peter had
calmed down a bit.
1248
01:06:24,728 --> 01:06:26,896
And we had dinners
in the evening,
1249
01:06:26,929 --> 01:06:29,466
and everybody
was getting stoned, and...
1250
01:06:29,500 --> 01:06:30,934
You know, so it was...
1251
01:06:30,967 --> 01:06:34,538
We had a lot of fun as well
at the same time.
1252
01:06:34,570 --> 01:06:37,875
Oh, Bill.
Bill Bombay, my darling.
1253
01:06:37,907 --> 01:06:40,610
I see you're still working
the old pea cup game.
1254
01:06:40,643 --> 01:06:42,379
So, I'd like to put
a bit of money.
1255
01:06:42,413 --> 01:06:43,780
I'm feeling
a betting mood.
1256
01:06:43,813 --> 01:06:47,384
Spike's character
was this other lunatic,
1257
01:06:47,418 --> 01:06:49,920
Billy Bombay from Bombay.
1258
01:06:49,952 --> 01:06:52,088
I got treasure
on my own!
1259
01:06:52,121 --> 01:06:53,590
What? Treasure?
1260
01:06:53,623 --> 01:06:56,159
Treasure? Treasure?
Treasure? Treasure?
1261
01:06:56,193 --> 01:06:58,429
Treasure? Treasure? Treasure?
1262
01:06:58,461 --> 01:07:00,498
And there was
a palm tree,
1263
01:07:00,530 --> 01:07:02,632
and when they start
to confront each other,
1264
01:07:02,666 --> 01:07:04,869
I wanted Spike
to hit this palm tree
1265
01:07:04,902 --> 01:07:06,871
so it kept coming
between them.
1266
01:07:06,903 --> 01:07:08,905
The exact spot!
1267
01:07:08,938 --> 01:07:10,740
Listen, listen,
I'll give you one last chance.
1268
01:07:10,773 --> 01:07:12,042
Bill, will you come
with me or not?
1269
01:07:13,911 --> 01:07:15,646
Well...
1270
01:07:15,679 --> 01:07:17,213
All right then,
a pox on you, Bill.
1271
01:07:17,246 --> 01:07:20,050
Get out of here!
Get out of here!
1272
01:07:20,083 --> 01:07:21,751
But then, for us,
it was a nightmare because...
1273
01:07:21,784 --> 01:07:25,489
I mean, what was the day
when Spike took over?
1274
01:07:25,521 --> 01:07:28,793
And he had this shot
where, um, it was...
1275
01:07:28,826 --> 01:07:30,427
It wasn't obligatory
to be in it
1276
01:07:30,460 --> 01:07:32,429
because it wasn't
in the script.
1277
01:07:32,463 --> 01:07:37,501
And I know I refused,
which Spike didn't really like,
1278
01:07:37,534 --> 01:07:41,238
when he made everybody
dress up as Spike Milligans.
1279
01:07:41,271 --> 01:07:43,341
Thirty years
I've been your captain.
1280
01:07:45,376 --> 01:07:48,312
And 30 years ago,
I promised you a side of the treasure.
1281
01:07:49,947 --> 01:07:52,016
And half of the time
I couldn't tell who's who
1282
01:07:52,048 --> 01:07:54,684
and which is Spike,
and I completely lost him.
1283
01:07:54,717 --> 01:07:56,653
So, I had to say,
"Spike, where are you?"
1284
01:07:56,686 --> 01:07:58,655
And then, he got them
trained, all the others,
1285
01:07:58,688 --> 01:08:00,457
so they were answering
with his voice.
1286
01:08:00,891 --> 01:08:03,193
Oh!
1287
01:08:03,226 --> 01:08:04,961
It was driving me crazy,
and I said,
1288
01:08:04,994 --> 01:08:07,764
"For fuck's sake, Spike,
put your hand up!"
1289
01:08:14,371 --> 01:08:15,472
Peter comes to me,
1290
01:08:15,505 --> 01:08:16,574
and, you know,
when he wanted something,
1291
01:08:16,606 --> 01:08:17,875
he said, "Oh, darling,"
you know.
1292
01:08:17,908 --> 01:08:19,944
He said, "You need
to do me a favor."
1293
01:08:19,976 --> 01:08:22,979
I said, "What?" And he
said, "Next weekend,
1294
01:08:23,012 --> 01:08:25,983
"you've got to direct this
commercial for me at Benson and Hedges.
1295
01:08:26,015 --> 01:08:27,684
"Because the only way
I can make it
1296
01:08:27,717 --> 01:08:30,054
"is if they shoot it
here in Cyprus, you know."
1297
01:08:35,525 --> 01:08:38,662
We were night shooting
for two weeks,
1298
01:08:38,694 --> 01:08:41,931
so it was the first weekend
of a rest day,
1299
01:08:41,965 --> 01:08:45,036
when everybody could sleep
on Saturday, Sunday.
1300
01:08:47,671 --> 01:08:50,274
He said,
"I'm getting £50,000,
1301
01:08:50,306 --> 01:08:52,576
"and I'm getting a Mercedes."
1302
01:08:52,609 --> 01:08:56,347
"Spike," he says,
"is getting £25,000,
1303
01:08:56,380 --> 01:09:00,885
And James Villiers, he
said, we can get him £5,000.
1304
01:09:00,917 --> 01:09:02,819
I said, "Okay, I'll
do this commercial,"
1305
01:09:02,853 --> 01:09:05,288
just to have my peace
with him, you know,
1306
01:09:05,322 --> 01:09:10,560
thinking that now he's gonna be
more accommodating and nicer,
1307
01:09:10,594 --> 01:09:12,229
and will do
what I ask him to do.
1308
01:09:12,261 --> 01:09:15,832
Dennis said to me, "Look, I've got
this very strange note from Peter.
1309
01:09:15,865 --> 01:09:18,836
"saying that he wanted
a brand-new Mercedes
1310
01:09:18,868 --> 01:09:22,472
"and, um...
And cash in the car."
1311
01:09:22,506 --> 01:09:23,974
In the car itself?
1312
01:09:24,006 --> 01:09:27,310
In the car, he wanted
an envelope of cash.
1313
01:09:27,344 --> 01:09:31,314
In England, it was 90% tax in those
days, or some huge amount.
1314
01:09:31,347 --> 01:09:34,185
So, we got agreement,
in principle, to do this thing.
1315
01:09:37,587 --> 01:09:39,722
Needless to say,
the next Saturday,
1316
01:09:39,756 --> 01:09:42,660
I'm in this same place
here, standing here,
1317
01:09:42,693 --> 01:09:45,630
making this Benson
and Hedges commercial.
1318
01:09:50,533 --> 01:09:53,336
I dressed Peter up
as the Clouseau character
1319
01:09:53,369 --> 01:09:54,704
from the Pink Panther movies,
1320
01:09:54,738 --> 01:09:57,608
with the hat and the
raincoat, and all that.
1321
01:09:57,640 --> 01:09:59,275
But there's an alarm bell.
1322
01:09:59,309 --> 01:10:02,913
The jam the Benson and
Hedges pack into that.
1323
01:10:04,948 --> 01:10:07,718
Spike and Peter
and Jimmy Villiers
1324
01:10:07,751 --> 01:10:09,020
go through this door.
1325
01:10:11,320 --> 01:10:12,989
This is a Customs shed
1326
01:10:14,358 --> 01:10:16,260
filled with gold bullion.
1327
01:10:19,128 --> 01:10:22,800
Spike was wearing a long,
white raincoat with his funny hat.
1328
01:10:25,068 --> 01:10:27,805
And they finally
come out here.
1329
01:10:29,238 --> 01:10:32,842
They need to get the pack
out of the alarm bell.
1330
01:10:32,876 --> 01:10:35,945
So, what do they do?
So, I said to Peter, he said, "Darling."
1331
01:10:35,979 --> 01:10:38,949
I said, "Just twirl it
in the beautiful sun."
1332
01:10:38,981 --> 01:10:41,652
And Peter puts his arm
around me and he said,
1333
01:10:41,685 --> 01:10:43,554
"Daddy, didn't Dennis
tell you?
1334
01:10:43,587 --> 01:10:46,490
"I cannot touch the pack." And I said, "What
do you mean you can't touch the pack?"
1335
01:10:46,523 --> 01:10:48,893
He said, "I'm not allowed
to touch the pack."
1336
01:10:48,926 --> 01:10:52,630
He said, "I'm chairman
of the Anti-Smoking League."
1337
01:10:52,662 --> 01:10:54,163
I said, "What?"
1338
01:10:54,197 --> 01:10:56,100
I said, "Are you kidding me?"
I said, "Really?"
1339
01:10:56,132 --> 01:10:58,469
I said, "Are you joking?"
"No, I'm not joking."
1340
01:10:58,502 --> 01:11:02,072
I went to Spike, I said,
"Spikey, look."
1341
01:11:02,104 --> 01:11:05,341
I said, "Your idiot friend
will not touch the pack."
1342
01:11:05,375 --> 01:11:07,677
He said, "Peter, I love you.
1343
01:11:07,711 --> 01:11:10,014
"Don't ask me something
I have to say no to."
1344
01:11:10,046 --> 01:11:11,948
He said, "I will not
touch the pack."
1345
01:11:11,981 --> 01:11:15,319
I said, "Why?" He said,
"Because I'm the assistant chairman
1346
01:11:15,351 --> 01:11:16,554
"of the Smoking League."
1347
01:11:16,587 --> 01:11:18,956
Assistant chairman
and the chairman.
1348
01:11:18,988 --> 01:11:21,257
I'm surrounded by two fucking
idiots, you know.
1349
01:11:21,291 --> 01:11:23,327
And they're doing a Benson
and Hedges commercial,
1350
01:11:23,359 --> 01:11:24,761
they won't touch
the pack.
1351
01:11:24,795 --> 01:11:27,965
So, I go to Jimmy, I said,
"Jimbo, will you touch the pack?"
1352
01:11:27,997 --> 01:11:30,166
He said, "Yeah, absolutely.
Give it to me."
1353
01:11:30,199 --> 01:11:32,603
So, he went there.
He was very tall.
1354
01:11:32,636 --> 01:11:34,972
Pulled it out.
1355
01:11:36,739 --> 01:11:39,042
Spike ran across,
jumped into the boat,
1356
01:11:39,076 --> 01:11:41,578
broke through the boat,
and it sunk.
1357
01:11:41,612 --> 01:11:43,681
Boom! That's the end
of the commercial.
1358
01:11:51,822 --> 01:11:53,690
Because the
commercial required
1359
01:11:53,724 --> 01:11:55,859
Spike to jump in the water,
1360
01:11:55,891 --> 01:11:57,827
Spike had this
fixation, right,
1361
01:11:57,860 --> 01:12:00,130
that all these pieces of
seaweed, right,
1362
01:12:00,162 --> 01:12:03,400
that were floating around
in the harbor were turds.
1363
01:12:04,701 --> 01:12:07,337
So, he got
a whole group of people
1364
01:12:07,371 --> 01:12:09,038
to get in their boats
with fishing nets
1365
01:12:09,072 --> 01:12:12,208
and take all these pieces
of seaweed out.
1366
01:12:12,242 --> 01:12:14,311
- And he wouldn't get in the water...
- Until it's all cleared out.
1367
01:12:14,344 --> 01:12:17,114
...unless we got all the
"turds" out of the water.
1368
01:12:17,146 --> 01:12:20,283
- I doubled for Spike on that commercial.
- Did you?
1369
01:12:20,317 --> 01:12:24,787
He was very, very happy, and
then, the next day, he was...
1370
01:12:24,820 --> 01:12:25,989
You know what
Spike was like.
1371
01:12:26,023 --> 01:12:27,824
- Yeah.
- He was miserable.
1372
01:12:27,858 --> 01:12:29,360
And I said,
"What's happened to Spike?"
1373
01:12:29,393 --> 01:12:33,497
He said, "He's realized that
he's done a commercial
1374
01:12:33,529 --> 01:12:36,666
"for cigarettes
which he's damned."
1375
01:12:36,699 --> 01:12:39,536
He's gone on TV and said,
"Nobody should smoke,"
1376
01:12:39,569 --> 01:12:41,071
and he's doing
a commercial for it.
1377
01:12:41,104 --> 01:12:45,009
Then Norma came and said,
"Look, Spike insists
1378
01:12:45,042 --> 01:12:48,045
"that the check
is made from Gallaher's,"
1379
01:12:48,078 --> 01:12:49,913
who are the
cigarette people,
1380
01:12:49,945 --> 01:12:51,881
insist that they pay,
1381
01:12:53,649 --> 01:12:55,752
uh, Anti-Smoking
and Health.
1382
01:12:55,786 --> 01:12:57,354
- Yeah.
- The company, right.
1383
01:12:57,386 --> 01:12:59,055
And who've spent
all their money
1384
01:12:59,088 --> 01:13:01,324
trying to stop
people smoking.
1385
01:13:01,358 --> 01:13:04,895
Gallaher said, "Look,
we don't mind giving them cash,
1386
01:13:04,927 --> 01:13:07,831
"we don't mind them paying
the lawyer or the agent,
1387
01:13:07,863 --> 01:13:10,233
"but we're simply
not going to
1388
01:13:10,266 --> 01:13:14,438
"write a check out
to Anti-Smoking and Health."
1389
01:13:14,470 --> 01:13:17,707
- I mean, there's no way this could happen today.
- No.
1390
01:13:17,740 --> 01:13:22,512
You know, and they were really
two wonderful, brilliant, genius,
1391
01:13:22,546 --> 01:13:24,347
major lunatics, you know.
1392
01:13:24,381 --> 01:13:26,583
And one inspired
the other one all the time.
1393
01:13:26,615 --> 01:13:29,485
Yeah, they were like two
catalysts of a nuclear bomb.
1394
01:13:29,519 --> 01:13:30,721
- I know.
- They just...
1395
01:13:30,753 --> 01:13:32,422
You know, one of them
by themselves was fine,
1396
01:13:32,456 --> 01:13:34,591
but you put them both
together and you had mayhem.
1397
01:13:34,623 --> 01:13:36,159
I know. It's a disaster.
1398
01:13:41,030 --> 01:13:44,201
It was a way
of trying to finish my movie.
1399
01:13:44,234 --> 01:13:46,804
Because I thought, "Well,
if I do him this favor,
1400
01:13:46,837 --> 01:13:48,972
"he will do me
another favor."
1401
01:13:49,005 --> 01:13:51,141
But that's not
how his brain worked.
1402
01:13:54,344 --> 01:13:58,114
Spike had formed a very
good bond with Peter Medak.
1403
01:13:58,148 --> 01:14:01,251
And... But Sellers was
his old, old, old friend.
1404
01:14:01,283 --> 01:14:02,652
You know,
they started together
1405
01:14:02,685 --> 01:14:05,456
in The Goon Show,
as you know.
1406
01:14:05,488 --> 01:14:08,257
That was a tremendous
love-hate relationship.
1407
01:14:08,291 --> 01:14:10,427
They... I think they
respected each other's talent,
1408
01:14:10,460 --> 01:14:13,764
but they also were vying
for top dog all the time.
1409
01:14:13,796 --> 01:14:15,331
He'd go to Sellers,
and he'd say,
1410
01:14:15,364 --> 01:14:17,568
"Hey, you're behaving
like a bloody idiot.
1411
01:14:17,600 --> 01:14:19,001
"What's the matter with you?"
1412
01:14:19,034 --> 01:14:20,770
And of course, Peter didn't
want to hear that from Spike.
1413
01:14:20,804 --> 01:14:22,405
What he wanted Spike
to say was,
1414
01:14:22,439 --> 01:14:25,142
"It's okay, Peter. You show them.
You're brilliant."
1415
01:14:25,175 --> 01:14:26,342
Yeah, yeah.
1416
01:14:28,345 --> 01:14:31,615
So, he went
into battle on my behalf.
1417
01:14:31,648 --> 01:14:34,418
And then,
he and Peter fell out,
1418
01:14:34,451 --> 01:14:36,953
then they weren't
talking to each other.
1419
01:14:38,421 --> 01:14:42,092
I suspect when Spike came to the
island originally, I mean, he...
1420
01:14:42,125 --> 01:14:45,796
Peter felt this was gonna...
He's gonna have an ally
1421
01:14:45,828 --> 01:14:47,630
- who is 100% on his side.
- Yeah.
1422
01:14:47,663 --> 01:14:49,500
And, of course,
that's not quite true.
1423
01:14:49,533 --> 01:14:52,569
He thought that Spike
was gonna fix everything...
1424
01:14:52,601 --> 01:14:54,604
- Yeah. Right.
- ...which he couldn't, you know.
1425
01:14:54,637 --> 01:14:57,407
And they started arguing.
1426
01:15:08,083 --> 01:15:10,787
Peter and I barely
spoke to each other anymore
1427
01:15:10,820 --> 01:15:13,123
because I wanted
to kill him.
1428
01:15:17,961 --> 01:15:19,963
This insane situation
1429
01:15:19,996 --> 01:15:22,900
continued to the end
of the shooting.
1430
01:15:24,367 --> 01:15:26,003
With Tony Franciosa,
1431
01:15:26,036 --> 01:15:28,438
I was forced
to shoot them separately
1432
01:15:28,470 --> 01:15:31,441
because Peter would not
appear in the same frame.
1433
01:15:42,519 --> 01:15:45,389
How would you like
a taste of Irish steel?
1434
01:15:49,158 --> 01:15:52,862
I was forced again
by the producers
1435
01:15:52,895 --> 01:15:54,831
to put the camera low down
1436
01:15:54,864 --> 01:15:56,300
so you're looking
up at the sky,
1437
01:15:56,332 --> 01:15:58,935
you're thinking
you're out at open sea.
1438
01:15:59,869 --> 01:16:01,537
What language is it
you're speaking, sir?
1439
01:16:01,570 --> 01:16:04,240
We couldn't afford
to go to Ireland anymore.
1440
01:16:04,274 --> 01:16:08,744
The designer built
a Irish village in Cyprus.
1441
01:16:08,778 --> 01:16:12,149
This is not Greece, sir,
this is Ireland.
1442
01:16:13,550 --> 01:16:15,686
Ireland! Ireland!
1443
01:16:15,719 --> 01:16:19,489
Oh, me Ireland.
I love ya! Oh!
1444
01:16:19,521 --> 01:16:24,126
God bless all here, lads.
God bless all here.
1445
01:16:24,159 --> 01:16:29,599
And the weather went from 100
degrees to a bit more than sub-zero.
1446
01:16:36,573 --> 01:16:40,177
But somehow we got out
of the island alive,
1447
01:16:40,210 --> 01:16:42,313
which was a miracle.
1448
01:16:45,981 --> 01:16:52,389
And then, I had to shoot some stuff
in Bray Studios, which is in Windsor.
1449
01:16:52,421 --> 01:16:54,957
And I remember
the end-of-picture party,
1450
01:16:54,990 --> 01:16:56,726
and I didn't want to go,
1451
01:16:56,760 --> 01:16:59,128
and I thought I have got
to go because of the crew,
1452
01:16:59,162 --> 01:17:03,500
you know, who suffered through
this 67 days of nightmare.
1453
01:17:04,067 --> 01:17:07,237
And so I went on the set,
1454
01:17:07,270 --> 01:17:10,307
and there was nobody there
1455
01:17:10,340 --> 01:17:12,409
except couple
of electricians
1456
01:17:12,442 --> 01:17:16,512
from another movie,
who were completely drunk.
1457
01:17:17,046 --> 01:17:19,148
And they had no idea.
1458
01:17:19,181 --> 01:17:20,817
I said, "Did you
work on the film?"
1459
01:17:20,850 --> 01:17:22,419
They said, "Oh, no, God,"
you know.
1460
01:17:22,452 --> 01:17:25,088
"We're working on another
movie on the other stage."
1461
01:17:25,121 --> 01:17:28,158
Nobody turned up.
1462
01:17:28,190 --> 01:17:31,528
So, Dick Scratcher has to live
to sail again, then.
1463
01:17:31,560 --> 01:17:36,032
Not with me. For I should never have
listened to you in the first place.
1464
01:17:36,065 --> 01:17:37,833
Oh, so it's you then, Bill.
1465
01:17:37,867 --> 01:17:40,337
- Yes!
- Oh, then I should have never listened to you...
1466
01:17:40,369 --> 01:17:42,171
- Yeah.
- ...in the second place, how about that?
1467
01:17:45,007 --> 01:17:48,545
What are you thinking when you
watched the cut taking shape?
1468
01:17:48,578 --> 01:17:50,514
I was just thinking that
you have to get it right.
1469
01:17:50,546 --> 01:17:55,251
You have to make the best possible
version out of this kind of thing,
1470
01:17:55,284 --> 01:17:57,453
where certain things
were missing.
1471
01:17:59,154 --> 01:18:02,024
But it was completed,
1472
01:18:02,057 --> 01:18:05,929
and Columbia refused
to accept it,
1473
01:18:05,962 --> 01:18:10,133
because they said that certain
scenes had not been shot in the film,
1474
01:18:10,166 --> 01:18:13,304
and because of that,
the film is incomplete.
1475
01:18:18,073 --> 01:18:20,076
I knew it was a disaster.
1476
01:18:21,511 --> 01:18:24,014
I knew it.
And I knew that I failed
1477
01:18:24,046 --> 01:18:26,882
because I hadn't been able
to pull it off.
1478
01:18:26,916 --> 01:18:30,554
And in the first three movies,
I succeeded like a clockwork.
1479
01:18:31,520 --> 01:18:34,224
So, this was like
a dagger through me.
1480
01:18:35,692 --> 01:18:38,595
And here is this incredible
fucking genius, you know,
1481
01:18:38,627 --> 01:18:41,497
and everything
you wanted, you know,
1482
01:18:41,997 --> 01:18:44,134
and it doesn't work?
1483
01:18:44,167 --> 01:18:45,703
What happened?
1484
01:18:46,536 --> 01:18:49,373
And the guilt
of it, too, you know.
1485
01:18:51,073 --> 01:18:52,641
We all were to blame.
1486
01:18:52,675 --> 01:18:54,744
None of us should have
made this picture.
1487
01:18:54,778 --> 01:18:57,847
I mean, it's not as though
we didn't know Peter was nuts.
1488
01:18:57,881 --> 01:18:59,048
- Yeah.
- Truth of the matter is
1489
01:18:59,082 --> 01:19:01,885
- none of us knew how nuts.
- No.
1490
01:19:01,917 --> 01:19:05,188
But there is no question,
on reflection,
1491
01:19:05,220 --> 01:19:06,989
and I've seen the film.
1492
01:19:07,023 --> 01:19:09,159
- I actually did sit through it.
- Yeah.
1493
01:19:09,192 --> 01:19:12,662
Uh, that it
shouldn't have been made.
1494
01:19:12,694 --> 01:19:15,498
- No.
- Now, it shouldn't have been made
1495
01:19:15,532 --> 01:19:17,300
because the script
wasn't ready,
1496
01:19:17,332 --> 01:19:18,768
it shouldn't have been made
1497
01:19:18,801 --> 01:19:21,871
- because the production organization was not ready.
- No.
1498
01:19:21,904 --> 01:19:24,673
It shouldn't... The only thing
that was ready was the money.
1499
01:19:24,707 --> 01:19:29,679
I was desperate, absolutely
desperate, after the first week.
1500
01:19:29,712 --> 01:19:32,015
And I knew
at that point...
1501
01:19:32,047 --> 01:19:34,050
I mean, when I got
your telegram saying...
1502
01:19:34,083 --> 01:19:35,551
You know,
which puts me on notice
1503
01:19:35,585 --> 01:19:39,689
that unless I behave in a
first-class director manner,
1504
01:19:39,721 --> 01:19:42,192
uh, I have to replace you.
1505
01:19:42,225 --> 01:19:45,162
But I knew
if I would quit the movie,
1506
01:19:45,194 --> 01:19:47,663
I still would be blamed
for everything.
1507
01:19:47,697 --> 01:19:52,135
But I had to fight it through
and finish the film
1508
01:19:52,167 --> 01:19:56,872
because that was my duty.
I signed that contract for you, with you.
1509
01:19:56,905 --> 01:20:01,278
The amount of passion you have to
put into a film, to make a film...
1510
01:20:01,310 --> 01:20:03,779
- Is unbelievable.
- ...on which you have a credit...
1511
01:20:03,813 --> 01:20:06,416
- Yeah.
- Um...
1512
01:20:06,448 --> 01:20:07,983
- It's a personal investment.
- Absolutely.
1513
01:20:08,016 --> 01:20:10,586
I didn't have a personal
investment in Ghosts of Noonday.
1514
01:20:10,619 --> 01:20:13,489
Ghosts of Noonday Sun was
another piece of inventory.
1515
01:20:13,523 --> 01:20:16,560
Of course, of course.
And I totally understand it, you know.
1516
01:20:16,592 --> 01:20:19,762
But for a director,
to make every...
1517
01:20:19,796 --> 01:20:22,132
To create a frame of film,
1518
01:20:22,164 --> 01:20:24,967
you put your entire life
into that film.
1519
01:20:25,001 --> 01:20:28,371
Your identity.
It doesn't matter what the subject is,
1520
01:20:28,404 --> 01:20:30,307
your soul is going
on the line.
1521
01:20:30,340 --> 01:20:33,543
I understand all of that.
1522
01:20:33,576 --> 01:20:35,444
- Everybody lost something.
- Yeah.
1523
01:20:35,478 --> 01:20:38,515
The most...
You lost reputation, you lost...
1524
01:20:38,547 --> 01:20:40,349
- Tremendous because...
- Self-respect.
1525
01:20:40,382 --> 01:20:42,284
- Whatever you lost.
- Absolutely.
1526
01:20:42,318 --> 01:20:44,087
- I lost money.
- Yeah.
1527
01:20:44,119 --> 01:20:45,721
Believe me...
1528
01:20:45,755 --> 01:20:48,391
I'm still here,
I'm still eating three meals a day.
1529
01:20:48,423 --> 01:20:50,025
- Not catastrophic.
- Yeah. Yeah.
1530
01:20:50,059 --> 01:20:56,500
The bottom line, if you take
all of the bullshit away,
1531
01:20:56,533 --> 01:20:58,401
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
had no message.
1532
01:20:58,434 --> 01:21:00,070
- Nothing.
- We weren't politically motivated.
1533
01:21:00,103 --> 01:21:02,939
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
as meant to be
1534
01:21:02,971 --> 01:21:04,573
a pure piece
of entertainment
1535
01:21:04,606 --> 01:21:08,011
that would take people out of
their drab lives for two hours,
1536
01:21:08,043 --> 01:21:10,546
and make them laugh,
and cry and smile.
1537
01:21:10,579 --> 01:21:12,681
- It did none of those things.
- Mmm.
1538
01:21:12,715 --> 01:21:15,418
I don't know how many nails
there are in the coffin,
1539
01:21:15,451 --> 01:21:19,389
but this is
a very small nail.
1540
01:21:19,421 --> 01:21:22,725
We're all to blame.
We all have a teeny scar.
1541
01:21:22,759 --> 01:21:25,962
- Yeah.
- But to make the scar more than teeny...
1542
01:21:25,994 --> 01:21:28,030
- Yeah. Is insane.
- ...is insane.
1543
01:21:38,474 --> 01:21:41,811
In the period
after that, did you work?
1544
01:21:41,844 --> 01:21:44,146
Did I work?
Yes, I did.
1545
01:21:44,180 --> 01:21:47,784
I mean, in my mind, I blocked up
everything so much that I thought
1546
01:21:47,817 --> 01:21:50,787
the next film I did
was, like, six months later,
1547
01:21:50,819 --> 01:21:53,590
but, actually, it was
five years later.
1548
01:21:53,622 --> 01:21:57,693
And I did work because I've
worked on a number of films,
1549
01:21:57,726 --> 01:22:01,730
which I then walked out of
for various reasons, you know.
1550
01:22:01,764 --> 01:22:04,801
And probably my walking out
of those films
1551
01:22:04,833 --> 01:22:09,438
was really driven and
governed by my own guilt
1552
01:22:09,471 --> 01:22:12,009
of what happened
on this film unconsciously.
1553
01:22:14,743 --> 01:22:16,813
And then, the minute
I walked out of something,
1554
01:22:16,845 --> 01:22:21,050
then I felt a tremendous remorse
and, and upset
1555
01:22:21,083 --> 01:22:23,921
of allowing myself
to do that.
1556
01:22:30,993 --> 01:22:34,831
Out of the blue,
I was offered The Odd Job
1557
01:22:34,863 --> 01:22:40,202
with Graham Chapman,
Diana Quick and David Jason.
1558
01:22:40,235 --> 01:22:42,171
He's got to come in
on the next shot
1559
01:22:42,204 --> 01:22:43,872
because I can't get him
to go away.
1560
01:22:43,905 --> 01:22:46,576
The great merit from this
kind of financial source
1561
01:22:46,609 --> 01:22:48,778
is that there is no
interference whatsoever.
1562
01:22:48,810 --> 01:22:51,146
Nobody tells you
who to cast in the film.
1563
01:22:51,180 --> 01:22:53,417
You don't have to have
star names.
1564
01:22:55,184 --> 01:23:01,091
And Peter is shooting his next Pink
Panther movie with Blake Edwards
1565
01:23:01,123 --> 01:23:02,826
next stage to my stage.
1566
01:23:04,460 --> 01:23:07,430
And...
So, I'm shooting away,
1567
01:23:07,462 --> 01:23:10,532
and Burt, his driver,
comes on the set,
1568
01:23:10,565 --> 01:23:11,867
and taps my shoulder.
1569
01:23:11,900 --> 01:23:13,836
I said, "Hey, Pete.
You know, lovely to see you."
1570
01:23:13,869 --> 01:23:17,239
And he said, "You know, Pete is shooting
here next door to you, you know."
1571
01:23:17,273 --> 01:23:18,875
I said, "How could I not know?"
1572
01:23:18,908 --> 01:23:22,212
I said, "The whole studio
was painted pink, you know.
1573
01:23:22,244 --> 01:23:23,145
"I know."
1574
01:23:23,179 --> 01:23:25,148
But he would love to come...
1575
01:23:25,180 --> 01:23:26,415
Why don't you come
and say hello?
1576
01:23:26,448 --> 01:23:28,384
He'd love to see you.
1577
01:23:28,417 --> 01:23:30,886
So, of course,
I didn't go.
1578
01:23:30,920 --> 01:23:36,091
A day or two days later, tap,
tap on my shoulder, it's Peter
1579
01:23:36,125 --> 01:23:38,494
in his Pink Panther outfit.
1580
01:23:38,528 --> 01:23:39,996
He said, "Baby..."
1581
01:23:40,029 --> 01:23:41,197
He said, "I sent for you.
1582
01:23:41,229 --> 01:23:44,100
"You didn't come
to say hello, you know."
1583
01:23:45,534 --> 01:23:49,505
And I said, "Peter,
don't you remember what happened?"
1584
01:23:49,538 --> 01:23:52,141
He said, "What are you
talking about?"
1585
01:23:52,175 --> 01:23:54,543
You got rid
of everybody else,
1586
01:23:54,577 --> 01:23:57,047
you tried to get
rid of me, you know.
1587
01:23:57,913 --> 01:23:59,114
And...
1588
01:23:59,149 --> 01:24:01,551
And he said, "No, no, darling.
What are you talking about?
1589
01:24:01,583 --> 01:24:04,688
"It was us against them."
1590
01:24:04,720 --> 01:24:06,622
I said, "Peter,
there were no them left."
1591
01:24:06,655 --> 01:24:08,057
"It was just you and me."
1592
01:24:09,826 --> 01:24:13,796
He said, "Oh, no, come on.
I love you."
1593
01:24:13,829 --> 01:24:15,465
And then, he said to
me, he said,
1594
01:24:15,497 --> 01:24:17,867
"You know, we should
buy back the movie,
1595
01:24:18,868 --> 01:24:22,572
"and you and Spike
rewrite the narration,
1596
01:24:22,604 --> 01:24:25,341
"and then I'll get
the movie released.
1597
01:24:25,375 --> 01:24:28,043
"I'll buy the fucking
movie back."
1598
01:24:28,077 --> 01:24:31,847
And we then really, kind of,
reunited that evening, you know.
1599
01:24:31,881 --> 01:24:34,951
And he was absolutely
just lovely.
1600
01:24:34,984 --> 01:24:38,454
So, I was there quite late,
and we got quite drunk,
1601
01:24:38,488 --> 01:24:41,992
and that was the evening
I last saw him, and then...
1602
01:24:51,466 --> 01:24:54,837
One day, I pick up the
paper, and he's dead.
1603
01:24:56,773 --> 01:25:02,212
And I said, "You motherfuck,
you cheated death, you know.
1604
01:25:02,244 --> 01:25:04,213
"It's not fair.
You can't be dead."
1605
01:25:05,981 --> 01:25:07,117
And that was it.
1606
01:25:14,856 --> 01:25:17,659
And despite of it all,
which I keep saying all the time,
1607
01:25:17,693 --> 01:25:19,829
I absolutely loved him
1608
01:25:19,862 --> 01:25:21,765
because he was
a fucking genius.
1609
01:25:25,134 --> 01:25:27,804
And it was just great
to be there for a second,
1610
01:25:27,837 --> 01:25:30,073
you know, whatever
pain it caused.
1611
01:25:45,287 --> 01:25:50,092
And I remember truly,
truly being heartbroken that...
1612
01:25:50,725 --> 01:25:52,295
That he was on his own.
1613
01:25:52,328 --> 01:25:56,432
Because, for Peter, the worst
thing in the world was to be alone.
1614
01:25:56,466 --> 01:25:59,702
And he was alone.
He died alone,
1615
01:25:59,734 --> 01:26:02,605
which, for him,
is so wrong.
1616
01:26:03,706 --> 01:26:05,708
I'm sorry.
1617
01:26:05,740 --> 01:26:07,877
It's silly, isn't it?
1618
01:26:07,909 --> 01:26:10,913
And people keep saying to me,
"So, what's the point of you
1619
01:26:10,947 --> 01:26:13,615
"doing this now?"
And I don't know.
1620
01:26:13,649 --> 01:26:16,553
Uh, it's probably
to free myself of it.
1621
01:26:16,586 --> 01:26:19,588
As I said to you just now,
even for me, I think it's cathartic.
1622
01:26:19,622 --> 01:26:21,124
- Yeah.
- I mean, you just...
1623
01:26:21,157 --> 01:26:25,094
It's saying things that perhaps
we've only thought for a long time,
1624
01:26:25,127 --> 01:26:29,199
and not had an arena
to say them, to get it out.
1625
01:26:29,231 --> 01:26:30,934
- Uh, some of your...
- Yeah.
1626
01:26:30,966 --> 01:26:33,402
Some of the hurt as well.
It's not just frustration.
1627
01:26:33,435 --> 01:26:35,505
- I mean, we're all human...
- Of course.
1628
01:26:35,537 --> 01:26:36,839
...and we can be hurt.
1629
01:26:36,872 --> 01:26:38,942
And I think it was very hurtful,
a lot of what he did to you.
1630
01:26:38,975 --> 01:26:41,044
Particularly because
when you admire somebody
1631
01:26:41,077 --> 01:26:45,481
and their talent,
and their work, and, uh...
1632
01:26:45,515 --> 01:26:49,252
- You didn't stand a chance.
- No.
1633
01:26:49,284 --> 01:26:50,987
It's not you.
1634
01:26:59,795 --> 01:27:02,565
God, it is absolutely
incredible ruins
1635
01:27:02,597 --> 01:27:04,833
of 3,000 years ago...
1636
01:27:04,867 --> 01:27:07,971
And Simon, it puts everything
into perspective, you know.
1637
01:27:08,003 --> 01:27:12,742
Me being here 42 years ago,
which is nothing.
1638
01:27:12,774 --> 01:27:16,812
And what little,
unimportant creatures we all are,
1639
01:27:16,845 --> 01:27:20,115
- Mmm.
- And it's just wonderful to be here.
1640
01:27:23,386 --> 01:27:27,190
How do you feel as more and
more people who were involved in it
1641
01:27:27,222 --> 01:27:28,625
have died and passed away,
1642
01:27:28,658 --> 01:27:30,193
and you're
still going strong?
1643
01:27:30,225 --> 01:27:32,594
And every time I meet you,
you're gonna make a new film,
1644
01:27:32,627 --> 01:27:34,663
- you've got this, you know.
- Yeah.
1645
01:27:34,697 --> 01:27:37,534
You're a vibrant,
living spirit
1646
01:27:37,567 --> 01:27:41,604
surrounded by these ghosts.
How do you feel about that?
1647
01:27:42,438 --> 01:27:43,672
I feel incredible,
1648
01:27:43,706 --> 01:27:47,577
but I really feel the presence
of Peter and Spike.
1649
01:27:47,609 --> 01:27:49,811
I really do.
1650
01:27:49,845 --> 01:27:52,815
I feel that Peter and Spike
are laughing their head off.
1651
01:27:54,050 --> 01:27:58,253
And the best way to describe it
is John Heyman's take on it
1652
01:27:58,287 --> 01:28:03,159
that we should have never,
ever have made this movie,
1653
01:28:03,192 --> 01:28:04,793
any of us,
1654
01:28:04,827 --> 01:28:07,195
because it was impossible to
make something great out of it.
1655
01:28:07,229 --> 01:28:09,731
And it's absolutely right.
1656
01:28:09,765 --> 01:28:13,570
He said, "Forget it.
It's past. It's gone.
1657
01:28:13,603 --> 01:28:15,305
"It doesn't exist anymore."
1658
01:28:15,337 --> 01:28:19,074
Do you feel that
you've stopped blaming yourself
1659
01:28:19,108 --> 01:28:20,976
about Ghost?
1660
01:28:21,010 --> 01:28:22,845
I think so.
I really think
1661
01:28:22,877 --> 01:28:24,980
because it's really
so long ago.
1662
01:28:25,014 --> 01:28:28,885
And it was terribly important for
me, terribly important,
1663
01:28:28,917 --> 01:28:32,421
to have that conversation
with John.
1664
01:28:33,655 --> 01:28:38,595
And to release me
and give license
1665
01:28:38,627 --> 01:28:40,729
to go on, which he did,
1666
01:28:42,530 --> 01:28:45,635
without him knowing, actually,
1667
01:28:45,667 --> 01:28:50,706
what good he was doing
to me, you know.
1668
01:29:06,655 --> 01:29:08,425
Thank you, Simon.
1669
01:29:11,394 --> 01:29:12,996
There's so much
inside, you know.
1670
01:29:13,029 --> 01:29:16,833
I know. I know.
It was great.
1671
01:29:17,667 --> 01:29:20,971
Okay, let's start up
the next thing.
1672
01:29:22,238 --> 01:29:25,342
I mean, this is
such a great angle here.
1673
01:29:26,609 --> 01:29:28,411
Isn't it?
1674
01:29:28,444 --> 01:29:29,412
- This way?
- Yeah.
1675
01:29:29,444 --> 01:29:30,979
Yeah, two shot.
1676
01:29:31,012 --> 01:29:34,716
It's important to get,
really, a good shot of him.
1677
01:29:34,750 --> 01:29:36,720
Yeah.
1678
01:29:51,600 --> 01:29:53,003
And action!
1679
01:29:54,770 --> 01:29:58,107
Oh, my God.
There you are.
1680
01:29:58,140 --> 01:30:01,978
Hey, Spikey, you picked
the right bloody spot.
1681
01:30:03,279 --> 01:30:05,815
It's a beautiful place.
1682
01:30:05,847 --> 01:30:09,051
And you've been sitting
here for 13 years?
1683
01:30:09,085 --> 01:30:11,988
See? I get
the final laugh now.
1684
01:30:12,020 --> 01:30:14,423
I mean, Norma
should come up,
1685
01:30:14,457 --> 01:30:15,792
or Terry Gilliam
should come up
1686
01:30:15,824 --> 01:30:17,693
and do this once a week,
1687
01:30:17,726 --> 01:30:19,996
and John Cleese
and all of them.
1688
01:30:23,032 --> 01:30:24,667
You see, I'm here.
You never thought
1689
01:30:24,699 --> 01:30:26,635
I was gonna
turn up on one day.
1690
01:30:26,668 --> 01:30:29,639
Because you cannot
get rid of me.
1691
01:30:29,671 --> 01:30:31,740
Never, ever.
1692
01:30:31,774 --> 01:30:33,142
I don't have the
same boots as you do,
1693
01:30:33,175 --> 01:30:35,712
but I'll sit exactly
the same way.
1694
01:30:35,744 --> 01:30:37,212
Like this.
1695
01:30:38,413 --> 01:30:39,849
Here, like that.
1696
01:30:39,881 --> 01:30:42,918
Have a little nod, okay?
1697
01:30:42,952 --> 01:30:44,787
All right, darling,
sleep well.
1698
01:30:44,819 --> 01:30:46,221
I love you.
1699
01:30:54,699 --> 01:30:59,699
Subtitles by explosiveskull
www.OpenSubtitles.org
1700
01:30:59,702 --> 01:31:06,842
♪ You can never hope to know
just the way a life can go
1701
01:31:06,876 --> 01:31:10,279
♪ When you think
you know it all
1702
01:31:10,311 --> 01:31:15,318
♪ Something makes you
fall again
1703
01:31:15,350 --> 01:31:19,121
♪ Life is just
a dance with time
1704
01:31:19,154 --> 01:31:22,625
♪ I learned the moves
and learned to climb
1705
01:31:22,658 --> 01:31:25,995
♪ All the games
I play to win
1706
01:31:26,028 --> 01:31:31,167
♪ Yet somehow
it's just beginning
1707
01:31:31,199 --> 01:31:34,770
♪ Oh, I've danced
with fools and kings
1708
01:31:34,804 --> 01:31:38,106
♪ In my time
I've seen most things
1709
01:31:38,140 --> 01:31:41,878
♪ But in the twilight
now it's clear
1710
01:31:41,911 --> 01:31:47,583
♪ No more pain
no more fear
1711
01:32:08,904 --> 01:32:14,043
♪ Just a dance
with time
1712
01:32:14,643 --> 01:32:18,547
♪ That's all life is
1713
01:32:18,581 --> 01:32:23,786
♪ Just a dance
with time
1714
01:32:23,819 --> 01:32:28,090
♪ And memories
1715
01:32:28,122 --> 01:32:33,528
♪ Just a dance
with time
1716
01:32:33,561 --> 01:32:37,699
♪ That's all life is
1717
01:32:37,733 --> 01:32:42,838
♪ Just a dance with time
1718
01:32:42,872 --> 01:32:48,077
♪ And memories ♪