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11. The Undefeated: The Bridge on the River Kwai
- The University Press of Kentucky
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ThePeakYearsinHollywood 224 tohisnascentcompanyas“ShitCreekProductions”attimes—untilhehad ahitwithTheStranger(1946),athrillerdirectedbyandstarringOrson Welles.1 Spiegelbecameanautocratic,bullyingwheeler-dealerashegrewmore successful. The director Fred Zinnemann (HighNoon [1952]) described himtomeasanimpressiveman,saying,“Hiseagle-likenosemadehimresemble a Roman emperor in profile; all prominent men have prominent noses.” IthadbeencustomaryinthepastforHollywoodproducerstoworkfor onestudioandsimplycarryouttheordersofthetopexecutives.Spiegel cametoepitomizetheindependentproducerofhisera.Hewasanentrepreneur ,packagingalimitednumberofprojectsand,usually,releasingthem throughamajorstudiolikeColumbia.Heengagedtopdirectorsandbigname stars. LikeRankandKordabeforehim,Spiegelrealizedthatrisingproduction costsandfallingboxofficereceiptsmeantthatapicturecouldnolongerrecoup itscostsinthehomemarket.Yet,asnoted,somuchofBritishcinema atthetimewasparochial.ManyfilmsmadeforBritishaudiencesdidnot translate well for international audiences. So Spiegel aimed at producing filmsfortheworldmarket.Hence,alongwiththemainHorizonPictures officeinNewYork,hemaintainedabranchofficeinLondon.Heoftensaid thathehadnorealAmericanroots,“onlypermanentrefugeestatus”inthe UnitedStates.Consequently,helovedtoroamtheworld;wheneverhewas askedwherehishomewas,herepliedthatitwas“inavalise.”Asamatterof fact,SpiegelloathedHollywood,callingit“afactorytowninthesun.”He returnedtoHollywoodonlyforshortperiods,toarrangethefinancingand distributionofpicturesthathewasproducing.Heoncesaid,“Ineverstayin Hollywoodmorethanfivedays[atatime].”2 BythetimeDavidLeanencounteredSpiegel,thelatterhadalreadyproduced someOscar-winningblockbusters,likeJohnHuston’sTheAfrican Queen(1951)withKatharineHepburnandEliaKazan’sOntheWaterfront (1954)withMarlonBrando. CarlForeman,ablacklistedexpatriateAmericanscreenwriterwhowas employedbyAlexanderKordatofindpotentialprojectsforfilming,had optionedPierreBoulle’sPontdelarivièreKwaï,orTheBridgeontheRiver Kwai,whichdealswithBritishsoldiersinaJapaneseprisoner-of-warcamp. But,werecall,Kordahadrejectedtheproposedproject,seeingthecentral character,ColonelNicholson,asanunstableofficerwhocommandshismen tohelptheJapanesebuildarailwaybridge.HeassumedthatBritishaudiences wouldbeoffendedbythestory.Spiegeldisagreed. LeanChap11B.indd 224 9/21/06 2:58:04 PM [18.119.107.161] Project MUSE (2024-04-24 21:08 GMT) TheUndefeated 225 Spiegel,whoreadseveralEuropeanlanguages,hadpickedupacopyof thenovelinParisandreaditwithinterest.So,aftercontactingBoulleand beingdirectedtoLondonFilms,hepurchasedthescreenrightsfromKorda. HefirstsoliciteddirectorslikeCarolReedandFredZinnemanntodirectthe picture,sendingthemtherecentlypublishedEnglishtranslationofthenovel by Major Xan Fielding, a British officer who saw action in Crete and northernFranceduringWorldWarII.But,astheylatertoldme,Reedfound theending—inwhichmostoftheprincipalcharactersarekilled—toomuch ofadowner,andZinnemanntoofounditdisappointing. SpiegellikewisemailedacopyofthebooktoLean—bywayoftheLondon officeofHorizonPictures—whilehewasstillmakingSummertime.When Leanexpressedinterest,SpiegelinvitedhimtoNewYorktodiscusstheproject .Lean,whowasrenownedintheBritishfilmindustry,wasrelativelyunknown inHollywood,butSpiegelhadheardofhimthroughhisLondon office.HeknewthatLeanhadcodirectedthesuccessfulWorldWarIImovie InWhichWeServe,whichSpiegelthoughtreflectedLean’skeengraspofthe militarymind.HewasalsoawarethatLeanhadrecentlywontheNewYork FilmCriticsAwardasbestdirectorforSummertime.OnFebruary4,1956, SpiegelofficiallyaskedLeantodirectKwai.Leanagreed. TheBridgeontheRiverKwai(1957) Leanhadnoprojectonthefrontburneratthetime;moreover,asweknow, hewasdownonhisluck.Because...