Hollywood experience – Dirk Bogarde

In 1960, famous British film and theater actor, Dirk Bogarde (1921-1999) went to Hollywood to film a movie called “Song Without End”. The movie was about the life of famous virtuoso pianist Franz Lizst.

After making that movie, Dirk Bogarde said that Americans are very uncultured and that he has no intention to ever come to Hollywood again.

Why?

Here is one line from the script that Liszt says in the movie, and which completely made mad Dirk Bogarde, who was known as perfect connoisseur of music and literature:

“Hi, do you know my friend? This is George Sand. That’s your friend Chopin. This is Hubert. Common meet George Sand.”

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Film Something Else!

Jack Warner (1892-1978), one of the founders of Hollywood film production company The Warner Brothers (Warner Bros.), was known as a skilled businessman who didn’t care about other people's judgment. When he would read in the newspapers some unfavorable review for the film that he produced, he would say, carelessly: "Today newspapers, tomorrow toilet paper!"

One day Jack decided to invest money in a film about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven. The lead role was offered to famous film actor Paul Muni. However, having read the first version of the script, Jack Warner gave up from the idea:

"Do anything else, just stay away from this boring Beethoven!", said the producer to the writers of the script. "Well, who in the world would want to watch movies about some blind composer?"

To avoid any confusion, Ludwig van Beethoven, the famous German composer, was - deaf

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