Translated from Michael Moon "Richard Burton: Prince of Flowers"
After the shooting of "Berlin Bourbon" was completed, the Burtons returned to Getzstad for a two-month vacation. In June 1965, Richard heard that Hibir was going to marry a pop band called Wilds. Member of, and she no longer wants the generous alimony that Rich gives her every year.
Life suddenly became brighter, especially when Richard was excited about a new movie project. "The Spring Festival Night of Spiritual Desire", based on the script of Albert Alby.
Making the Burtons play the quarreling couple George and Martha was not what the producers Ernest Lehman and Warner Bros. originally wanted. Of course they wanted Elizabeth to play the fat and swearing Martha, but they I don't want Richard to play the role of Professor George who is afraid of his wife.
"I have to persuade Elizabeth to play Martha," Richard said. "I told her it might be her Hamlet, so she accepted the role. She insisted that I play George. They didn't want me, but Elizabeth was in the film industry. Very powerful, she is the best businessman in the film industry I know, so they reluctantly gave me this role. She also chose Michael Nichols as the director, and he has never even made a movie before. She has good instincts."
Elizabeth received a salary of 1.1 million US dollars, plus many perks and a large percentage of the box office share. Richard received 750,000 US dollars plus a box office share. But by the standards of movie stars, the Burtons are not greedy, because when the filming work exceeds the scheduled time of 30 days, they give up overtime pay. According to the contract, they can get another 1 million US dollars.
George Seager and Sandy Dennis also starred in this movie. When I interviewed Sandy Dennis in London in 1983, she said: "It's amazing to work with the Burtons. They are like royals, but Richard is so approachable. They abuse each other. I think it's funny."
Michael Nichols is not sure if this is fun. "They said something very bad to each other," he said.
Nichols observed that the filming caused damage to Richard and Elizabeth's marital relationship, and perhaps these characters are too close to their real lives.
Nichols said: "This has reached the point where Richard no longer has the courage to endure the excessive exposure that George brought him. In one scene, Elizabeth had to spit on his face. We shot several times. It didn't work, but Elizabeth burst into tears and couldn't take the picture anymore. Richard kept standing there and let her sing, but in the end he had a nervous breakdown and he didn't get out of the dressing room until he drank a few glasses of wine."
No wonder Richard declared: "I am George!" This film was shot at Warner Bros. Pictures. This is the first time Richard has filmed a movie in Hollywood in many years. During this time, they settled in Los Angeles. But in Hollywood, Rich still did not get the respect of the locals. Although he and Elizabeth were both nominated for Oscars, he lost again. However, she won, and he was happy for her.
"I think Richard wanted to give Elizabeth the best," Sandy Dennis recalled. "He really helped her complete this role well."
However, Michael Nichols felt that Elizabeth "tired him out".
Sandy Dennis also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The film won an Oscar for black and white photography, black and white art direction, and black and white costume design. Richard once again starred in an Oscar-winning movie, but none was made for him.
"I will never win an Oscar, no matter how great I may be." Richard told me in 1984. He had no resentment, but was disappointed. However, Richard won the British Film Institute Award, which is equivalent to the British Oscar in 1966, but in that era, the British Film Institute Award was not awarded to the actor of a certain film, but to the best male of the year. actor.
Both "Berlin Bourne" and "Long Desire" have given Burton this award. It was not until the 1970s that people finally made a wise decision that actors must rely on specific roles to win prizes.
Michael Nichols believes that Richard deserves an Oscar. "It only needs that one scene. He sits alone under a tree and tells a sad story. He did his best in only one shot. This is overwhelming. The success of this scene alone is worthy of the Oscar.” This film keeps Richard among the top ten box office stars.
Rich rarely watched his own movies, at least he said so, but he watched this one and he said his performance was not good enough. I asked him which performance was good. He said, "There is no such thing. If I really reach the standard of excellence in my mind, then my film career will stop."
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