Modern Screen (Jan-Dec 1960)

Liz Walks Out! (Continued from page 40) When she walked out of the door of the Gold Medal Studios in the Bronx, she took a whiff of the cool, fresh air, and felt clean inside. "No regrets?" Eddie asked. "Not one," she replied vigorously. "And I don't care if I ever work again." She meant it. She hadn't wanted to do Butterfield 8 — from the very beginning. When she received the script she wasn't prepared for what she'd find, because she hadn't read the book. Her own literary preference was toward Black Beauty and Snow White, when Butterfield 8 was published back in 1935. At that time Butterfield 8 was banned in many cities and severely condemned as lewd and offensive. When MGM first bought the story, they were warned by The Hays Office to see that it was "excessively laundered" before putting it on the screen. But even with such laundering, the script was "put on the shelf" — where it lay half-forgotten for nearly two decades. Ready for Butterfield 8 Back in 1939, Hollywood was shocked when the singular usage of the word "damn" in the climactic scene of Gone With The Wind, was approved by the censors. It was a revolutionary concession. By 1959, however, damn, hell, and practically every other four, five and seven letter word was being used indiscriminately in movies. And by 1959, Hollywood felt it was ready for Butterfield 8. It was dusted off and scheduled. But ironically when Liz Taylor, the woman who had been morally castigated, was finished reading the script her first instinct was to tear it into a thousand shreds. Eddie walked into the room as she was struggling to rip the heavy duty paper. He had never seen his wife in such a snit. "Bad part?" he grinned. "Depends on what you call bad," she answered, giving up the struggle and tossing the manuscript into the waste basket. "Oh — I'm sure a dozen actresses would want such a fat part — but Eddie, it's positively— well — nothing but sex and sensationalism. I just won't do it — and that's all there is to it!" "Worse than Suddenly Last Summer?" he teased. She laughed. "Oh you never will get over the fact that you didn't want me to do that picture, will you?" "Nope. Not even for six Oscar nominations. Not even if you get the Oscar." "All right, I grant you that Suddenly wasn't exactly suitable for a kiddie's matinee. But Eddie, at least it was subtle. I mean, if you didn't know about such things — it would go right over your head. And if you were old enough and sophisticated enough — what harm would it do? Adults are aware that such things exist." "Such things as cannibalism among Caucasians?" "Oh Eddie, you're impossible. You know what I mean." She playfully tossed a throw pillow in his direction. He ducked and came up fighting. . . . "Now— about Cat On A Hot Tin Roof? Kiddie Matinee?" She grew serious. "That was for Mike. He wanted me to do it. He was so proud because . . ." Her voice trailed off. "But that was cleaned up — and if you didn't know the play, well . . . Funny, and most of the critics complained because it was 'watered down.' But darling, this one is so different." Now Eddie grew serious. "Then, of course, you're not going to do The threat to Liz But Liz had one more picture to make while she was under contract — and she would make this one, Sol Siegel felt, or else. . . . She was threatened with a suspension — until she came around to the studio's way of thinking. A furious Liz told the United Press, "It's a terribly mean thing they've done to me. I don't think the studio is treating me fairly. But they have the power to keep me off the screen for two years unless I agree to do Butterfield and it looks as if that's what they are going to do. "I've been with the studio for seventeen years. During that time I was never asked to play such a horrible role. The leading lady is almost a prostitute. It's so unpalatable I wouldn't do it for anything — under any conditions. I was going to set up a trust fund for my children from the money I make in Cleopatra. I don't understand how one man can take a million dollars from me and my children." Equally furious, Sol countered with: "We are willing and happy to have Elizabeth earn a million dollars for Cleopatra — if she fulfills her contract and makes Butterfield 8 for us first." He also went on to imply that Liz had overestimated her own importance — and she was not needed at the studio that badly. . . . Married women are sharing this secret . . . the new, easier, surer protection for those most intimate marriage problems What a blessing to be able to trust in the wonderful germicidal protection Norforms can give you. Norforms have a highly perfected new formula that releases antiseptic and germicidal ingredients with long-lasting action. 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