insisted lying on ice to get the death tremors he’d witnessed at his mother’s bedside exactly right. Who knew that off screen at this affecting moment an actress was kneeling beside him, just out of camera range, with his lines written out across her forehead?
When the film finished it had cost a whopping $20m, tipping MGM close to bankruptcy. The fingers of blame pointed at Marlon, as stories of his wacko behaviour, including having aeroplanes filled with cases of champagne flown to Tahiti for parties, were leaked to the press. It was clear to Brando that he was being made the scapegoat for the film’s spiralling costs, and that Hollywood had begun turning its back on him. ‘They start out by seducing you,’ he said, ‘and then they end up pissing on you.’
That was the least of his problems, though. He had woman trouble again. Out in Tahiti Marlon was steadily getting through most of the island’s female population when he fell in love with local beauty Tarita Teriipaia, who played Fletcher Christian’s love interest, a role that, ironically, Movita had played in the 1935 Clark Gable version of Mutiny on the Bounty ! Eighteen years younger than Marlon, Tarita become wife number three in August 1962 after Marlon’s quickie divorce from Movita came through. She would give him two children.
Back in Hollywood, Marlon again caused controversy with an appearance on a live TV chat show. Fellow guest Zsa Zsa Gabor was decked out in a low-cut pink evening gown and they got chatting. All of a sudden Marlon leaned forward and leered, ‘I don’t know why Zsa Zsa has to talk so much. With those boobs she really doesn’t have to say anything.’ The audience tittered but weren’t quite prepared for Marlon’s next comment. ‘Zsa Zsa,’ he went on, ‘a man can only do one thing with you: throw you down and fuck you!’
I don’t know why I get into gunfights. I guess sometimes I just get lonely.
Still at the Actors Studio, Dennis Hopper met and fell hopelessly in love with former Vogue cover model and wannabe actress Brooke Hayward. One of many girlfriends (Dennis was drowning in sex), Brooke was different and there was talk of marriage, provided he cleaned up his lifestyle. Brooke had two children from a previous marriage and didn’t want a wild man influencing them.
Devastatingly beautiful, Brooke came from rich and socially prominent Hollywood stock, the daughter of film actress Margaret Sullivan, who’d been Henry Fonda’s first wife, and Leland Hayward, who coproduced South Pacific and The Sound of Music on Broadway. It was odd company for someone like Dennis to be involved with, and Brooke’s father immediately railed against his daughter’s choice of husband. Tom Mankiewicz, a close friend of the Hayward family, got to know Dennis around this time. ‘I adored Dennis, I thought he was great. It was a different story with Leland. I remember he called me up and said, “You have to stop this marriage to Dennis Hopper.” I said, “We do?” And Leland said, “The guy is nuts.” I said, “Leland, Brooke really loves this guy.” He said, “This is going to be a disaster, it’s going to be terrible.” He carried on, and I said, “So you and Dennis, did you have fights and stuff?” He said, “I’ve never met him. But I know it’s wrong.”’
In August 1961 they married in a little chapel in New York. Mankiewicz was amongst the thirty guests. ‘I’ll never forget, just before Brooke was going to go down the aisle, Leland appeared. And I thought, that’s great, at least he’s here for his daughter. And he whispered something in her ear and left. I assumed it was, I love you very much honey. Afterwards I asked Brooke, “What did your father say? I’d love to know.” And she said, “He told me, there’s still time to back out.” He said this to her at the top of the aisle!’
It was at the wedding reception that Dennis first made the acquaintance of Peter Fonda, a friend of Brooke’s
When the film finished it had cost a whopping $20m, tipping MGM close to bankruptcy. The fingers of blame pointed at Marlon, as stories of his wacko behaviour, including having aeroplanes filled with cases of champagne flown to Tahiti for parties, were leaked to the press. It was clear to Brando that he was being made the scapegoat for the film’s spiralling costs, and that Hollywood had begun turning its back on him. ‘They start out by seducing you,’ he said, ‘and then they end up pissing on you.’
That was the least of his problems, though. He had woman trouble again. Out in Tahiti Marlon was steadily getting through most of the island’s female population when he fell in love with local beauty Tarita Teriipaia, who played Fletcher Christian’s love interest, a role that, ironically, Movita had played in the 1935 Clark Gable version of Mutiny on the Bounty ! Eighteen years younger than Marlon, Tarita become wife number three in August 1962 after Marlon’s quickie divorce from Movita came through. She would give him two children.
Back in Hollywood, Marlon again caused controversy with an appearance on a live TV chat show. Fellow guest Zsa Zsa Gabor was decked out in a low-cut pink evening gown and they got chatting. All of a sudden Marlon leaned forward and leered, ‘I don’t know why Zsa Zsa has to talk so much. With those boobs she really doesn’t have to say anything.’ The audience tittered but weren’t quite prepared for Marlon’s next comment. ‘Zsa Zsa,’ he went on, ‘a man can only do one thing with you: throw you down and fuck you!’
I don’t know why I get into gunfights. I guess sometimes I just get lonely.
Still at the Actors Studio, Dennis Hopper met and fell hopelessly in love with former Vogue cover model and wannabe actress Brooke Hayward. One of many girlfriends (Dennis was drowning in sex), Brooke was different and there was talk of marriage, provided he cleaned up his lifestyle. Brooke had two children from a previous marriage and didn’t want a wild man influencing them.
Devastatingly beautiful, Brooke came from rich and socially prominent Hollywood stock, the daughter of film actress Margaret Sullivan, who’d been Henry Fonda’s first wife, and Leland Hayward, who coproduced South Pacific and The Sound of Music on Broadway. It was odd company for someone like Dennis to be involved with, and Brooke’s father immediately railed against his daughter’s choice of husband. Tom Mankiewicz, a close friend of the Hayward family, got to know Dennis around this time. ‘I adored Dennis, I thought he was great. It was a different story with Leland. I remember he called me up and said, “You have to stop this marriage to Dennis Hopper.” I said, “We do?” And Leland said, “The guy is nuts.” I said, “Leland, Brooke really loves this guy.” He said, “This is going to be a disaster, it’s going to be terrible.” He carried on, and I said, “So you and Dennis, did you have fights and stuff?” He said, “I’ve never met him. But I know it’s wrong.”’
In August 1961 they married in a little chapel in New York. Mankiewicz was amongst the thirty guests. ‘I’ll never forget, just before Brooke was going to go down the aisle, Leland appeared. And I thought, that’s great, at least he’s here for his daughter. And he whispered something in her ear and left. I assumed it was, I love you very much honey. Afterwards I asked Brooke, “What did your father say? I’d love to know.” And she said, “He told me, there’s still time to back out.” He said this to her at the top of the aisle!’
It was at the wedding reception that Dennis first made the acquaintance of Peter Fonda, a friend of Brooke’s
Similar Books
