He Is Spartacus

Spartacus is hardly a classic, but as movie spectacles go, it's better than most.  And Kirk Douglas's book on the making of the film is better than most such works as well.

It's called I Am Spartacus!: Making A Film, Breaking The Blacklist.  It's the subtitle that had me scared. I thought oh great, another book about HUAC and its fallout in Hollywood. I must've read that story a hundred times. But Kirk Douglas was right in the middle of it, and can tell it on a personal level.

Actually, considering all the problems it had, it's amazing Spartacus the film made it across the finish line.  The set-up is McCarthyism, and unfriendly witnesses being put in jail.  Two of them were author Howard Fast and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo.  Fast, who disavowed communism after Stalin's crimes came to light, was still untouchable, so when he decided to write a novel about a slave revolt in ancient Rome he had to print the books himself.  Nevertheless, it was a success.

Kirk Douglas, who had become a big star while all this was happening (and wasn't touched by the witch hunts, though he had to go along with loyalty oaths and the like), started his own company, Bryna.  He wanted to produce a film version of the novel, but Howard Fast insisted on writing the screenplay.  It was deadly dull so Douglas called on Trumbo--a fast, talented but still blacklisted writer--to come up with something fast that wasn't Fast.

That Trumbo had to work quickly and stay hidden was only a minor problem on the production.  Other problems:  Another studio was planning a Spartacus film, and had the jump on Douglas.  Douglas had trouble getting Laurence Olivier (whom he'd just worked with on The Devil's Disciple) to appear if he wasn't the lead.  Charles Laughton was unhappy about almost everything.  Friend Tony Curtis kept bothering him for a role (partly to work off his contract at Universal).  And Douglas couldn't find a leading lady.  He settled on a beautiful German actress, Sabina Bethman, who could barely speak English.

Then there was the matter of finding a director.  The studio forced Anthony Mann on Douglas, but it soon became apparent during production he wasn't working out.  They paid him off and Douglas brought in a personal favorite, Stanley Kubrick, who had directed him in Paths Of Glory.  Kubrick was not a major director yet, but, in his cold, heartless way, he took over--even though the veteran crew couldn't stand him. Kubrick didn't care.  He didn't care what others thought as long as he was in control.  He fired Sabina Bethman immediately, and she was replaced with Jean Simmons.  The only challenge he couldn't ignore was star Douglas, who brought him in but still fought with him. (Douglas the old man looks back at himself a few times in the book and wonders why he was so angry all the time.)

Then Trumbo threatened to quit.  He'd worked hard on the screenplay, but was tired of Peter Ustinov writing his own scenes.  Douglas convinced Trumbo to stay, and promised, when the film came out, he'd let Trumbo use his own name, which would effectively end the blacklist.

When the top people watched the rough cut they were disheartened. It wasn't the big film they wanted.  Trumbo wrote a lengthy memo explaining how to fix it, while Kubrick convinced Douglas and Universal to spend even more to get the big battle scenes they needed.  Even though the film's budget had tripled--and it wasn't cheap to begin with--it was a solid hit, and is still respected to this day. (It was disavowed by Kubrick, however, who was a control freak and couldn't bare to take credit for anything where he wasn't completely in charge from the start.)

The film is fun, and the English actors, whose parts were beefed up to lure them in, are especially good.  And while it has size, it also has human dimensions.  Douglas was never at his best in historical roles, but he has his moments here, and mostly pulls off the part. He worked like crazy to get it done, so I'm sure he's glad it's one of the films for which he'll be remembered.

PS.  Douglas has an epilogue where he speaks to us today.  It's fine, though he attacks modern-day "demagogues" like Rush Limbaugh.  Really?  Is he as bad as the red-baiters in the 50s who prevented people from working?  Today, being liked by Rush Limbaugh would make it tough to work in Hollywood. In fact, someone should tell Douglas that Limbaugh was prevented from being part owner of an NFL team because of his politics.  How's that for blacklisting?