I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments John Sturges, my friend and the esteemed director of The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, among many other films, phoned me one day a few years back from his boat moored in a Mexican harbor. He told me that he had been asked to write a magazine piece about The Great Escape. There were a number of things that he wanted to refer to, but he wasn’t sure that he still remembered correctly. He asked me if by chance I still had a copy of the script, and if I did would I please send it to him. I was amazed. I said to John, “The Great Escape is one of the best films you ever directed, how is it possible that you haven’t kept a copy of the script?” He replied, “What are you talking about? All of that was nearly a half century ago, and I thought we were making movies, not history.” Obviously, his remark resonated with me, so thank you, John. Thanks to Bruce Davis, executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Both he and Robert Rehme, its past president , have been constant supporters of this project from its inception. Thanks to Anthony Slide for his editorial assistance and to Gasper Tringale for his jacket cover photo. Thanks, too, to Doug Bell of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who patiently led me through an oral history, which inspired me to embark upon this work and to expand and shape our dialogues . Thanks must also go to MGM, Warner Bros., and the Academy for permission to use photographic material. Thanks to the University of Wisconsin, which afforded me a superb education and gave me, as an undergraduate history major, a rudimentary grounding in historical research. I am flattered that its press has seen fit to publish this book. xv Thanks again to each of the actors, directors, writers, cinematographers , musicians, film editors, production designers, craftspeople, and technicians who contributed to this body of work. And finally, thanks to my brothers and partners, Harold and Marvin , to whose enormous contributions I have probably not paid full justice and whose families I hope will remember that I have, Rashomonlike , told this story as I remember it. xvi Acknowledgments / I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History ...