- Sue Lyon, Lolita, 1962. During their secret, six-year affair, both Sarah and Laurence Olivier (55 to her 21) were offered Lolita and Humbert. They (obviously) refused.At the 1963 Venice festival, their Lolita-esque, Term of Trial lost out to Kubrick’s film.
- Kathleen Breck, West 11, 1963. “She left at short notice,” said British director Michael Winner.His producer rejecteda previous choice as a B-movie type – that was Julie Christie!
- Jean Seberg, Lilith, 1963.
She tested in London for US director Robert Rossen who took “a very, long time to make up his mind.” Yvette Mimieux hadfound the JR Salamanca book and sent it to various directors, including Rossen. Unfortunately, her dream role was thwarted by his lengthy decision-making – and Warren Beatty advising him to see Seberg… after promoting Samantha Eggar and Romy Schneider. Also in the mix: Dianes Baker and Cilento (Salamanca’s choice, who was Mrs Sean Connery at the time) and Natalie Wood. Seberg, who never understood why it was not given to Audrey Hepburn, was delighted to win. “I’d really begun to reach the end of my little American girls in Paris.” Miles has sworn never to leave her Pyrenean mountain dog, Addo, for more than a week. Truth was she wanted to be free for when Lionel Kerr phoned, aka her lover during six, secret years. Laurence Olivier. -
Samantha Eggar, The Collector, 1964. Hollywood icon William Wyler saw Julie Christie, Sarah Miles, Suzanne Pleshette and Natalie Wood for the girl kidnapped by a deranged Terence Stamp. But Sam won Miranda. Until Wyler fired her. H then asked Weld to take over. “But after a long meeting during which she disagreed with the legendary director on absolutely everything,” recounted her later lover, Bond and Supermanwriter Tom Mankiewicz – Wyler decided to re-hire Sam. And kept her on-set all day, made her lunch alone and told Stamp to stop trying to bed her (like the whole crew). “I know this looks cruel,” said Wyler, “but we’re going o get a great performance out of her.” Robert Berdella said the movie inspired his serial killing of, at least, six men during 1984-1987. He died from a heart attack in jail in 1992. The Missouri media dubbed him The Kansas City Butcher and… The Collector.
- Sophia Loren, The Fall of the Roman Empire, 1964. “When I tell them you won’t film abroad,” said her agent Robin Fox, “they look at me as if I were mad.” Knowing Loren would be pricey, producer Samuel Bronston tried to find another Lucilla. Miles had no wish to travel to Italian and Spanish locations. Spanish superstar Sara Montiel simply said No. Loren was paid $1m, equaling Elizabeth Taylor’s record- breaking 1962 sum for Cleopatra – once offered to Sophia, among many others.
-
Julie Christie, Doctor Zhivago, 1964.
Kirk Douglas chased after the Russian novel winning the 1958 Nobel Prize for Literature. However, Rome producer Carlo Ponti secured the rights to Boris Pasternak’s book, based not only on Russia’s revolution and Stalin’s Great Purge of freedom, but the married writer’s long affair with the poet Olga Ivinskaya. Ponti signed David Lean to direct Mrs P, Sophia Loren, as Olga. Or Lara by now. “Too tall,” snapped Lean. They then looked at Jane Fonda, not keen on spending nine months in Spain. Rod Steiger was there for a year. As for Sarah Miles – Lean’s scenarist, Robert Bolt, didn’t want the “North country slut.” Then, he married her. Twice! And, when MGM was trying to to cut costs, the Metro starlet Yvette Mimieux. Fonda changed her mind, but too late (and how she regretted it ever after) because John Ford called Lean about the British girl in his Young Cassidy, while everyone else (and soon enough, Lean himself) were entranced by the same girl in Billy Liar… with her Darling Oscar around the corner. The incandescent Julie Christie! (Billy Liar, himself, Tom, Courtenay, became the young revolutionary Pasha). - Jeanne Moreau, Viva Maria, 1965. When Brigitte Bardot andLa Moreau – and their agents – got up realisateur Louis Malle’s nose, he suggested shooting the romp in English with Julie Christie and Sarah. “Really exciting young actresses but not yet stars.I think it would have served better.”
- Carroll Baker, Mr Moses, 1965. “With Robert Mitchum and elephants and although I’d always had an absolute pash for both, I couldn’t get anyone to help me smuggle [her dog] Addo across.”(“Women and their fucking hounds,” Mitchum told her when finally co-staring in Ryan’s Daughter, 1970, repeating his painful anecdote about being bitten in the ass by a dog when making love toit’s mistress).
- Julie Christie, Doctor Zhivago, 1965. “That girl Miles is the only one who acts with her eyes,” said impeccable director David Lean. His scenarist Robert Bolt thought her”justa North Country tart.” Two years later, he married her and (with the aid ofFlaubert) wrote Ryan’s Daughter for her and Lean.The Bolts divorced in 1967,he writer-directedher Lady Caroline Lamb in 1972, they re-wed in 1988 and she nursed him to his 1995 death..
- Alexandra Bastedo, Casino Royale, 1966.
- Susannah York, Sebastian, 1967. UK director Michael Powell worked his way through the obvious names but UK actresses had rarely been so booked. Sarah preferred holidaying with Robert Bolt.
- Genevieve Bujold, Anne Of The Thousand Days, 1969. “I refused to test because of leaving Addo.” Again!
- Jean Shrimpton, Privilege, 1969. Ex-TV director Peter Watkins’ stars, pop singer Paul Jones and The Shrimpmodel were exactly like Christopher Jones in Ryan’s Daughter. Great looks, zero acting talent.
- Julie Christie, The Go-Between, 1970. Although firm friends from 1963’s The Servant onwards,Miles was not available for the new Joe Losey drama.“But I did Steaming. He came up to me and said: ‘I just wanted you to know this will be my last film. I’m dying of cancer.’ He died with such grace and humility. It is how you die that shows who you are.”
- Sylvia Kristel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, 1981. Hollywood idea – finally announced for Emmanuelle‘s Just Jaeckin, without his knowledge. “I didn’t know whetherto sue the producers or make thefilm.”He chose the cheaperavenue, dubbing his ex-Emmanuelle to make her as English as Sarah would have been.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 14