What was to be a celebratory occasion - the screening of the powerful feature (A Dry White Season) for a contingent of guests from the French Consulate - many conceded turned out to be a downer brought to the fore by a lack of sound judgment on the part of the Director, Euzhan Palcy.
Yes - as fate would have it - the "Question & Answer" session afterward was where the spotlight fell; exposing behind-the-scenes production tales brimming with intrigue, suspense, and stabs in the back.
Ms. Palcy started the evening off pleasantly enough.
There were vivid details about the more intriguing aspects of the filmmaking process for this particular venture; for example, insider info detailing how she managed to secure the rights to the book and a smattering of thoughts on her subsequent soul-searching and in-depth preparations for a production about apartheid in South Africa.
To her credit, early on in-the-game, she noted to the audience that she realized the need to uncover the truth first-hand beyond the well-written pages of the best-seller by Andre Brink. So, she proceeded to authenticate the facts by journeying to South Africa incognito.
A rapt audience sat on the edge of their seats as the director recalled a clandestine trip to South Africa to research material for the feature film to be financed and distributed initially by Warner Brothers.
First hand, the locals provided her with shocking testimony about the atrocities - torture, stabbings, the killing of young children in villages - for example.
On the heels of gut-wrenching testimony - she slipped the incriminating evidence out of the country by way of her silk panties - at the height of the conflicts.
Once the script was on paper, the director focused on casting the right talent.
About this time "CRY FREEDOM" was released, so Warner Brothers wanted to shelve the production slated with Palcy.
In spite of this, they were also reluctant to let the project out of their hands, either.
Allegedly, Jane Fonda, Sidney Poitier - and a handful of other actors - pressured the studio until they finally relented.
At this juncture, "A Dry White Season" moved over to MGM.
Immediately, the production team pushed for the casting of South African actors to lend authenticity to the film. Fortunately, studio brass - like Alan Ladd Jr. - were behind Palcy one-hundred-percent and gave the go-ahead.
For the part of pivotal role of the attorney, the young auteur pined for Marlon Brando. Luckily, she knew Jay Kantor, a former agent of the acting icon. Because of an overture Jay made on her behalf, Marlon agreed to sign on.
In one hillarous recall - she noted her concerns about approaching Marlon on the issue of salary - sure Brando would back out when the meager remuneration she was capable of paying was offered up.
He allegedly chastised her for raising the issue.
"You're talking to me about money?" he allegedly responded somewhat incredulously.
"This is a cameo role on an important project and a comeback for me. I'll do it for free. Don't talk about money."
She was elated.
At the packed screening, Ms. Palcy now focused the discussion on a jovial Brando, amusing hours on the set, and underscored how everyone was so enamored of the superstar.
She boasted that at the end of the production, both cast & crew lined up for autographs, herself included.
Then, for some inexplicable reason, she suddenly said,
"I have to tell you one bad thing about Marlon, though."
We sat up, all ears!
She noted that one scene called for Mr. Brando to be dragged out of the courtroom after the Judge presiding over the case becomes frustrated by the aggravating courtroom theatrics of Marlon's character.
The whole point of the scene, she asserted, was to underscore that corrupt "powers-that-be" thought they were above the law.
However, after two takes, Palcy and the producer were allegedly at their wits end.
The semantics of nabbing the footage in the can were so challenging - even with a consummate pro like Brando at the helm - that it was doubtful they would succeed at the enormous task.
In the struggle with the guards, for example, Brando's wardrobe fell open.
"His belly popped out," she noted in disgust.
There were many wild guffaws from moviegoers in the theater who found the whole episode remarkably funny.
According to her, though, the takes were appalling - so much so - that she claimed that the editors laughed in the cutting room during playback.
Determined to delete the scene from the final cut - she hatched the idea to send Brando two versions of the film - one with the lackluster scene and the other without it and trusted that he would wise up.
But, the megastar was not amused with her ploy.
An argument ensued between the two and he demanded the scene be left in the film.
"It's my dramatic exit," he lamented excitedly.
After consulting with producer Paula Weinstein, they both to put their foot down.
At this point in the tale the evening turned dark and ugly.
Instead of dropping the issue - Ms. Palcy continued and repeated "vile foul language" she alleged Marlon hurled her way on the telephone on several occasions during the duration of their on-going dispute - some of which I would never repeat here.
In fact, Palcy was quite adamant that he not only made bodily threats, but threatened that he'd ensure she never worked in Hollywood again.
She described Mr. Brando as a sort-of vulgar madman bent on her destruction if he did not get his own way.
She claims she tried to appeal to his senses by emphasizing,
"This is about apartheid in South Africa and not about you, Marlon."
Well, over the years I've been privy to many showbiz arguments.
Yes, producers, directors, and actors fight - but generally when it comes to the issue of discussion - most professionals find tactful diplomatic ways to explain the scenarios in a tasteful dignified way on talks shows, in the press, and in their memoirs.
What occurred that evening was not only uncalled for, but amounted to an outright character assassination.
The whole episode was particularly distressing and distasteful to me because - for one - Mr. Brando is deceased. Is it proper etiquette to speak so ill of the dead?
Notwithstanding, Mr. Brando was not there to defend himself.
More shocking, perhaps, was the comment she made after her twenty-minute assault.
With a slight sneer on her face she added as if to validate her position,
"Then, look what happened to his children after that."
Personally, I was shell-shocked by the remark.
Was she inferring that Mr. Brando was directly responsible for those tragedies?
In sum, I found her reprehensible behaviour at the screening inappropriate, immature, downright tacky and unprofessional.
I attended the screening to honor Caesar, not bury him.
Brando in "The Wild One"...
