"I suppose that is why we call it Divine Rupture."

December 14, 2009 8:36 AM

Brando, Depp, the missing millions and Divine Rapture, the lost movie: "After settling into his rented Georgian mansion, Brando phoned [director] Eberhardt asking if they could meet at 11pm. "I said, 'No, Marlon, I'm too tired. I've been rehearsing all day.' Then he said, 'I'm going to shave my hair off and wear an orange wig'.""

Adapted from a much longer article which originally appeared in Film Ireland, annoyingly split up into six pages.

posted by Len (14 comments total)

Poor ol' crazy Marlon Brando. A friend of mine worked as Robert DeNiro's "personal assistant" (i.e. gopher) during the filming of The Score, which also starred Brando. All that stuff about him calling Frank Oz (the director) "Miss Piggy," refusing to appear on set if Oz was around, acting in his underwear...sounds like it was all true and then some. Christ what an, etc. etc.

Last week I organized a screening of A Streetcar Named Desire at the library I work at, and ye gods...it had been so long since I'd seen a Brando movie predating his self parody phase that I'd forgotten just how great he was back in his glory days.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:02 AM on December 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

Brando, what a dick! He could have at least paid off the house he'd rented and other personal expenses
posted by Neekee at 9:25 AM on December 14, 2009

man, that shorter version leaves out the most important piece of information:

CineFin had only ever pretended that they were going to bankroll Divine Rapture. They'd put the picture together as a front to assure they got the money for it. Then they spent the money on other movies and intentionally left Divine Rapture and the town it was to be filmed in, in the lurch. Sure, Brando was a dick, but in the end that movie was never intended to be made. those CineFin guys are pieces of shit.
posted by shmegegge at 9:45 AM on December 14, 2009

Heh, "Marion Brando."

Film Ireland copyeditor, your move?
posted by The Bridge on the River Kai Ryssdal at 9:50 AM on December 14, 2009

I just recently saw Meet Marlon Brando, and man, it's something else. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
posted by Greg Nog at 9:55 AM on December 14, 2009 [5 favorites]

I think that playing up the "Crazy Brando" angle on this is completely misleading. This is about a shady production company screwing people over, not an eccentric actor ruining the project.
posted by CaseyB at 10:56 AM on December 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

I didn't bother to read the article as, based on what I've read elsewhere, the angle's all wrong.

I've always loved Brando, as fucked up as he's been. Conversations with Brando is a great read. My favorite anecdote that he tells (though it's probably in his bio) is about how when he first got to NY in the 40s he went to a diner for breakfast and sat between two strangers. He struck up a conversation with both men, one white and one black. All three men were struggling artists who were down on their luck. They remained friends from then on (or at least acquaintences). One was James Baldwin and the other was Norman Mailer.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 1:09 PM on December 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

I think that playing up the "Crazy Brando" angle on this is completely misleading. This is about a shady production company screwing people over, not an eccentric actor ruining the project.

Sounds like he's not that crazy, if he got a big chunk of his fee up-front. Sounds smart, actually.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:44 PM on December 14, 2009

Sounds like he's not that crazy, if he got a big chunk of his fee up-front. Sounds smart, actually.

Stupid is not the opposite of crazy.
posted by zardoz at 1:57 PM on December 14, 2009

Stupid is not the opposite of crazy.

Well, either way, he got paid a cool mil for doing nothing.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:09 PM on December 14, 2009

Well, either way, he got paid a cool mil for doing nothing.

Well... he did shave his head.
posted by shmegegge at 2:23 PM on December 14, 2009

That's quite true.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:32 PM on December 14, 2009

I have to say, "eccentric actor" isn't a pass for being a dick in my opinion. Pay your expenses, pay others' expenses, pay everybody you can until that million is gone and all you have left is plane fare back home. Jesus.
posted by ZakDaddy at 2:45 PM on December 14, 2009

Film Ireland copyeditor, your move?

On the same page: During the mid-iggos...' ah, the joys of optical character recognition.
posted by anigbrowl at 12:09 AM on December 15, 2009