A French actor in a Sword and Sandal flick

Michel Piccoli: France discovered what the critics defined "Cinema Bis": Maciste against Nero, the galleys of Cleopatra, the bad Romans, the innocent young girl or her vicious counterpart, the courageous slaves etc. Not forgetting a curious mythicism that contributed hugely to the charm of this kind of film. The Pepla made the glory and the fortune of the actors who under the light of the sun displayed their muscles for all to see.

There came a time for me to be inserted into this World and all things considered it was an excellent experience. The movie was LE VERGINE DI ROMA (VIRGINS OF ROME/AMAZONS OF ROME), directed by Vittorio Cottafavi. LE VERGINE DI ROMA didn't evade the rule of economy that was in force for these films. Little money but lots of papier-mâché, and an imposing appearance. To tell the truth the extras were not expensive, they were a part of the Yugoslavian infantry.

The producers courted the Yugoslavians; there was the great Serbian plain and a real possibility to economize that came through borrowing the army, and I must say that we made everything look very beautiful. Rome was reconstructed in the Serbian plain and as we stood in our costumes under a close and biting wind, everything took on a fantastic air. The Virgins of Rome, the Amazons with a single breast, were interpreted by Yugoslavian cavalry, who galloped around with wigs of yellow, black, brown; with trousers showing under tunics, and socks poking out of sandals. Cottafavi reigned his little world with elegance and detachment, and everything went well up to the day that a conflict, that had been very obviously brewing, was transformed into a crisis: Cottafavi abandoned us. One of the principal actors had wanted to take over the direction from him, but we inherited, following a necessary coup d'etat, a cineaste who a few days later made it the actor's turn to be fired.

An actor complains...

Renato Terra: I also worked with Tanio Boccia, a director whose name had become proverbial, considered in Rome as the last of the directors who worked carelessly and at a whirlwind pace, in short a complete hack, even if he wasn't really any worse than some of the others. For example, it had become the fashion when one screwed up a film to say, "Tanio Boccia could have done better than that!" A trademark in fact...a director who ran, who danced: camera here, camera there, with incredible speed. Well, this Tanio Boccia whose name had become proverbial, then went off and changed his name. He became Amerigo Anton. I did a Western with him, produced by Rovere, entitled UCCIDI O MUORI (aka KILL OR BE KILLED, aka RINGO AGAINST JOHNNY COLT). I had to play an alcoholic doctor in a saloon, and I had to walk around the tables and the customers, begging for something to drink. And Boccia was going: "More Thomas Mitchell! I want you to be more Thomas Mitchell!" I responded: "But look here! Why don't you be more John Ford!" Even so it went well; at least, he told me he liked it, Naturally, I didn't feel at home in these sorts of films. Apart from the usual nonsense of the screenplays, one who has worked with Visconti, with Germi, with De Santis, naturally felt at a loss.

Vittorio Cottafavi on AMAZONS OF ROME

Vittorio Cottafavi: For LE VERGINE DI ROMA I worked on the screenplay with Leo Joannon and directed the film for two weeks, but I disagreed with the producer from the beginning and was not sure that I would be successful in making the film the way I wanted. Then I found a possibility of abandoning the film, so that it would be taken over by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia. I directed the sequence of the bridge defended by Orazio Coclite, certain scenes in the camp of Porsenna, others of the crowds in the forum, the girls crossing the river, and parts of the scene in the sewers. When I saw the edited film I was quite angry. They had not used all the material that I had given them. The sewer sequence was rather long and complicated. The more the girls advance, the deeper the water gets, becoming more and more dirty, until it rises to the height of their breasts and of the heads of the horses. And I had also made certain fairly disgusting shots of mice running nearby in the sewer and frightening the horses. This conveyed the will power required by the girls in order to go on.

The idea of Louis Jourdan eating the fruit (before the battle) was in the script, it was useful for giving a sense of "nonchalance gauloise" (French insouciance) to the Chief of The Gauls... A man who takes food and women with such seriousness, but doesn't consider the war to carry the same sort of thrill.

More on the making of THE DESERTER

From HOLLYWOOD TRAIL BOSS by Burt Kennedy

Speaking of being electrocuted, I was doing THE DESERTER in Rome, and we were shooting a scene which was supposed to take place during a thunderstorm. They way you make lightning is you take two electrical cables and put them on what we call "scissors", which are just long poles that are bolted together at the bottom. Then, when you want to have lightning, you pull these poles together, like a pair of scissors, and then the two arcs get close enough, the spark will jump from one to the other and give off blue flame.

So we were doing this thing onstage in Rome, and I said to the effects man, "Are you gonna use scissors?"

He said, "Oh, yes, yes." They always told you what you wanted to hear in Italy.

We got going, and all of a sudden I heard thunder, and it's time for the lightning, and I looked up to see an electrician. He had on a pair of dark goggles, and instead of having the scissors on the boards, he had these two cables in his hands, which he held out in front of him until they sparked. He was standing in the rain doing this!

I stopped everything and said, "You can't do that! Get scissors!"

The effects man argued, "No those are too dangerous."

I insisted. "But the guy could be killed!"

He tried to assure me, "No, no, we do this all the time."

They may still be doing it. I don't know.

One of the problems with being a director is that you probably make four hundred decisions in a day, little things. People come up and ask, do you want this, do you want that.

Sometimes an actor would come up and say, "Am I finished?"

Not thinking, I'd say, "Yeah."

And they'd ask, "Can I go home."

And I'd say, "Fine."

On this one occasion I was in Spain shooting THE DESERTER, on a location called El Torcal, north of Malaga. We were up in these mountains. Richard Crenna and Ricardo Montalban were doing a scene. It was late in the day, and Richard came up to me when I was busy and said, "Are you through with me? Can I go home?"

I said, "Yes."

Later, when we were getting ready to do this scene, we got the camera set up and all of a sudden I realized I'd sent Richard Crenna home. Luckily, by the time they got it lit, it started to rain, and when it was raining hard enough, I just said, "All right, that's a wrap. Let's go home." Nobody ever knew that I had goofed.

I take that back. I'm sure Crenna did, because he's a good director himself and I suspect he was trying to pull one. I never did ask him, but I will one day.

The Making of THE DESERTER

From HOLLYWOOD TRAIL BOSS by Burt Kennedy

Chapter 5 My Diary

June 26, 1969

Arrived Rome to direct THE DESERTER. Called Karl Malden, Ernie Borgnine, Hank Fonda, Richard Boone, Marty Balsam, and Marty Landau. Western Costume: two hundred and twenty cavalry outfits. Boots, hats, belts, and twenty-five scouts. Lunch with Dino De Laurentiis at his studio.

June 28, 1969

Karl Malden wants $250,000; $1,500 a week expenses; two tickets to Rome. Call Richard Boone; Herb Solo at Metro.

July 2, 1969

Back at Los Angeles. Lunch at MGM with Herb Solo (worldwide head of MGM) and Paul Kohner (a top agent, handling mostly European actors and actresses). The cavalry outfits are $35.75 apiece; $60 per officer and $35.75 per scout. Sooner or later, we're gonna have trouble with boots, and are probably going to have to make them over in Rome.

July 7, 1969

Talked to Frank Sinatra in New York, reference DIRTY DINGUS MAGEE. Meeting him in New York on my way to Rome.

July 8, 1969

TWA to New York. Checked into the Waldorf Tower. Talked to Frank Sinatra - will see him tomorrow.

July 9, 1969

TWA flight to Rome/. Wire Frank Sinatra - remind him of MURPHY'S WAR, the book he wants to do.

July 11, 1969

Flew to Split, Yugoslavia. Private jet. Locations no good. Back to Rome. Flight 406. Wire Dick Lyons, reference Sinatra.

July 15, 1969

Leaving for Spain. Talked to Herb Solo at MGM. Looks good for January start. Sinatra. Talked to Herb Tobias, my agent. Trying to get Ricardo Montalban and Patrick Wayne for roles in THE DESERTER.

July 16, 1969

Arrived Madrid. Waited four hours for plane to Almeria. Arrived Almeria at six o'clock. Found locations and the fort. Leaving for Malaga tomorrow. Have to find river crossing.

July 21, 1969

Trying to get Jack Elam and Bobby Walker Jr. Found locations. Have a script from Frank Sinatra. Bobby Walker said no. Elam said no - they're both working.

August 1, 1969

In Madrid, trying to set Brandon de Wilde and Pat Wayne. Got 'em.

August 6, 1969

Meeting with Dino De Laurentiis. Got back script for Frank Wolff - an actor I wanted in the picture - but he killed himself while he was working on another picture. Problem at MGM. They're selling off the back lot and all the props. Heading for Dublin.

August 14, 1969

Looks like MGM deal is in trouble because of takeover by Krikorian. Arrived in Dublin. Called Bob Mitchum; John Huston to deliver script of BACKBONE.

August 17, 1969

Arrived John Huston's place. The big, bad, and the beautiful. Huston is a pompous pain in the ass - just right for the picture. He's playing a general in THE DESERTER. Leaving today for Dublin and the riots. Then to Rome Monday. Chuck Connors called - a younger pain in the ass. Staying at John Huston's estate is like dying and going to heaven by mistake. Returned to Dublin.

August 19, 1969

Huston conflict of start dates - trying to get Henry Fonda. Pepe Lopez arrived from Spain - my first assistant.

August 20, 1969

Just received a wire from Robert Evans saying he insists on Techniscope. First sign of a bad picture is when the company insists you do things their way. Bottom of the bill, here we come.Things I've learned in Europe: If there are clouds over St. Peter's, it'll rain in Rome. If there's a mist over the Irish Sea, it'll be clear in Dublin. If Dino De Laurentiis doesn't shake hands when you come into his office, there's gonna be a big storm.Talked to Bob Evans. He said stand firm on Huston and no one eight-five ratio (which is a form of wide screen, such as CinemaScope and Panavision).

August 22, 1969

Made a handshake deal with Dino De Laurentiis for a Rolls-Royce if I rewrite the script for nothing.

August 30, 1969

Rome. Two guys are here to sign me for a ten-million-dollar picture, and they ran out and left a bad check for the hotel. Clerk thinks I'm in business with them. Every time the manager sees me in the lobby, he yells, "What about that bad check?"I signed the MGM deal. To rewrite, produce, and direct DIRTY DINGUS MAGEE.Leaving for Madrid in the morning. Went to see Harry Jackson, who had the Time magazine cover of John wayne in TRUE GRIT. He's clever. Made me pay for his book - damn clever.

September 1, 1969

Arrived in Madrid. Went out to see the horses. Saddles are a problem. Seems we have one hundred horses and they bought twenty-five saddles.Staying the in room at Castellana Hilton, where I staying when I came here to make RETURN OF THE SEVEN. I hope that isn't a bad sign.

September 7, 1969

Left Madrid for Malaga location at Antequera. Drove from Malaga to Almeria - six hours, twenty-three hundred curves. Turned down the set and found another.Just discovered I'm only forty-seven. I thought I was forty-seven last year.My agent called to tell me we got a bad review on YOUNG BILLY YOUNG. Didn't surprise me inasmuch as it's a bad picture.We start Thursday - I'm ready.

September 10, 1969

THE DESERTER starts tomorrow - I'm ready.

September 11, 1969

First day on the picture - no problems. Our cast is gonna be good. Rained-out half day. Dino wants to know how I'm gonna cut the script to make up the time. Here we go again - no one in this damn business worries about the right thing. Called everybody a no-good sonofabitch and went back to work.

September 14, 1969

Free day - Sunday - I feel like a fighter between rounds. Hotel manager just informed me that Chuck Connors wants his water supply purified twice. Glad it's Sunday - that'll give me all day to get it done.Had lunch with Riccardo Montalban - a wonderful actor and a wonderful man.My agent, Herb Tobias, sent me a good-luck wire on the first day of the picture. Trouble is, it's in Spanish. He probably got a rate.

September 17, 1969

Did big action sequences today. I told the Italian cameraman to be careful around the horses - his first western. Cameraman stepped on by a horse - now he's careful.

September 19, 1969

Wardrobe Chuck Connors, Ian Bannen, Brandon de Wilde, Albert Salmi, and Woody Strode. Had to let them go early to see El Cordobes fight a bull. Tomorrow they all work.

September 20, 1969

Haven't seen any dailies. Seems there's an Italian law says you have to have four thousand feet to ship it out of the country. There's another law says you save money if you do it that way. I hope I never have to make another picture over here.

October 2, 1969

Two dogs in the picture had a fight. One had to go to the hospital.

October 3, 1969

Two actors had a fight. One went to the hospital.This is the worst crew I've ever worked with. The cameraman is trying to win an Academy Award. The picture is rotten so far, but I have a chance when we get to the scenes. Leaving for Malaga tomorrow.

October 4, 1969

Went to work in a driving rainstorm - road washed out. Cast spent six hours in car getting to location. Sun came out at three o'clock. My star Bekim Fehmin refused to work - he left for Malaga. Floodwaters cut us off from the hotel. Bekim went by boat; it capsized, and he swam ashore. We crossed the flood at eleven-thirty at night - damn near lost our car in the water.

October 16, 1969

The sun came out. A horse fell off a bridge. He lived - a miracle. The first one on this picture. I think we need another one - when it opens.

October 24, 1969

Finished mountain stuff. Rained fifteen days - leaving Almeria tomorrow.

Novemer 23, 1969

Finished picture. Was a struggle - I think I won, but you never know.Left for L.A., stopped in Paris and London - lost my goddamned bumper chute.

Tessari on making Sword and Sandal movies

Duccio Tessari: Totally dependant on our meager means, we shot at Cinecitta and in nearby Manziana. The base was Manziana because there were the woods. Then Montecelato, for there was a waterfall that was used by all our directors, from Campogalliani to Visconti, from Lizzani to Cottafavi, all the directors from Italian cinema, for any type of film, they went to Montecelato. Then Torre San Lorenzo, and again Fogliano. Fogliano was one of those classic locations which served well for everything.

These films, however, were prepared with great detail and without sparing expense. With Pasqualino De Santis, as cameraman, and I as assistant director, we had done MESSALINA, VENERE IMPERATRICE (MESSALINA) with Cottafavi. And remembering the times of Messalina together, Pasquale told me: The means that I have now to do a film for Francesco Rosi on THE MATTEI AFFAIR, with Gian Maria Volonte, they are a tenth of those that we had to do the epoch of a Messalina type film."

The truth is for that type of film, we did spend. All the uniforms of the pretoriani (The Emperor’s Guard), the armors, the sandals were made as new, the furnishings were studied and arranged with such great accuracy, that it would not be possible to do more. And then the chariots, the perfection with which they had to be reproduced, the requirements of the horses which had to be got ready, the villages and Roman taverns reconstructed with profound respect for Historical documentation. Or all the incidental items and the special effects typical of such films as ERCOLE ALLA CONQUISTA DI ATLANTIDE (HERCULES CONQUERS ATLANTIS, aka HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN), realized with the richness of all our efforts. For the scenes of massed crowds, we then had a boundless abundance of extras that, because there was lots of work, were professional extras. And therefore one was not obliged to give in to the blackmail of the types of extras of today who have made life impossible to the point that one prefers not to shoot in Rome in order to avoid them.

The Making of HANNIE CAULDER

From HOLLYWOOD TRAIL BOSS by Burt Kennedy

December 2, 1970

Left for London via TWA. Going to make picture starring Raquel Welce [HANNIE CAULDER]. Raquel is playing woman gunfighter in a serape. Sergio would probably call it A TITFUL OF DOLLARS.

December 3, 1970

I'm in London, and they've set me up in an office in Rogers and Cowan's. We're on the tenth floor and there's a sign on the door that says IN CASE OF FIRE, GO TO THE WINDOW AND JUMP TO THE ADJOINING ROOFTOP. Jesse Owens couldn't make it - it's forty goddamn feet!

December 7, 1970

Twenty-nine years ago the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. This week I bombed London with DIRTY DINGUS MAGEE. Leaving for Madrid in the morning.

December 23, 1970

Ran into John Huston at the Hilton in Madrid. We got drunk and decided to make a steeplechase picture with my daughter's horse. Also made plans to partner in a picture in Africa. Great idea for a film. We both would probably end up in the elephant burial ground. Huston is still a pompous pain in the ass, but I like him.Leaving for London on the 22nd, back to Madrid on the 29th.

December 25, 1970

This is the second Christmas at the Hilton in Madrid that I've spent alone. Miss my kids, but they're fine.

December 26, 1970

What the hell happened to Christmas? Left Madrid for London.

January 2, 1971

New year - starting HANNIE CAULDER on the 18th. I'm ready.

January 9, 1971

David Haft in the producer of HANNIE CAULDER. He thinks he's a writer - what he says goes. I hope he doesn't say Raquel Welch, because without her, we have no film. Pat Curtis, Raquel's husband, says he's the boss, and what he says goes. Wish to hell he'd say David Haft.

January 1971

The company ran out of money and I'm now in Dublin, Ireland, where the girls are not pretty. If I ever saw a place needing a street-sweeper, this is it. I think they got the "wearin' o' the green" from the mold.

March 18, 1971

Sitting at a studio in London called Twickingham. Waiting for the film to come in. Time for decision - I either cut the picture of cut my throat. Like I've always said, success is getting up one more time than you get knocked down.

May 31, 1971

It's hard to believe, but I'm on a plane to New York, then out to see a cut of HANNIE CAULDER. The producers claimed I was in breach of contract, which I wasn't. The only way I could stay out of court and get the money they owe me. What can I tell you?Arrived in New York and went to the Americana Hotel. I was staying there when John Kennedy was shot. Also went there when I heard about Audie Murphy being killed.

June 2, 1971

Got to London to find they had cut HANNIE CAULDER into a mess. They were about to score it anyway, but I can help it. I've already been offered two scripts in London. Things are looking up. Recut the picture and they sold it to Paramount within a half an hour.

June 18. 1971

Went back to Hollywood.

July 21, 1971

This is hard to believe, but I'm back in London for the final cut of HANNIE CAULDER. This isn't a picture - it's a way of life.

November 2, 1971

Wrote a new script - THE TRAIN ROBBERS. Sent it to Duke Wayne.