Stroheim

15. The Depths

15 Tht Dtpths :sun bl! financial morriu and seemingly banished from directing, Stroheim grew more depressed and more desperate. Director Rouben Mamoulian related to me a strange story about Stroheim at this period . "It's a tale in which I don't particularly shine," he said, "and which I am not proud of, but I'll explain."! In early 1933, when Mamoulian was casting The Song ifSongs, he needed a continental type and thought Stroheim would be ideal. He respected Stroheim very much and was anxious to meet him. However, he was a little reluctant to offer such a great talent a mere acting role. Stroheim came for the interview and, after a few minutes, became chatty, relating some graphic stories about his sexual exploits.Although Mamoulian did not consider himself a puritan by any means, he disliked this kind of talk and was terribly disappointed that the director he so respected would mention such things. In fact, the conversation was so distasteful that Mamoulian decided not to use Stroheim. Feeling that he could not say "No" to such a man, Mamoulian said he would let him know. A few days later, Stroheim inquired about his decision. Mamoulian, uncomfortable about what to do, had an assistant tell Stroheim he would have to make a screen test.This, Mamoulian thought, would be such an insult that Stroheim would refuse. But he showed up for the test, which another man directed. Mamoulian cast Lionel Atwill in the part. Years later, in 1955, when Mamoulian came to Paris with the 331 332 STROHEIM musical Oklahoma! Stroheim arrived at the theater. Mamoulian asked him whether he would mind going backstage, because many in the cast would like to meet him. Stroheim complied and later invited Mamoulian to Maxim's, where he mentioned his rejection for The Song ifSongs. Stroheim confessed that he had been frightfully nervous and, out of sheer panic, had switched the subject to sex. The light dawned on Mamoulian, and he was sorry that he had not understood how desperate Stroheim's situation had been. Although Stroheim was unemployed, he continued to write, and in early 1933 he put the finishing touches on Poto Poto, a script that included some elements from the African section of Queen Kelly. He submitted this to MGM, in the form ofa dialogue continuity; onApril 10, a synopsis prepared by a studio reader was sent to the studio's story editor.This hitherto unpublished document shows how long, complicated , and peculiar one of Stroheim's story ideas could be: Mademoiselle Soukoff, a product ofthe war, known as "Roulette Masha," "The Siren," "The Sweetheart of Seven Seas," a supposed Russian princess, is plying her trade on the palatial ocean liner, Prince oJWales, bound from Port Said to Zanzibar on the Red Sea. Her method of conquest is the roulette wheel-ifshe loses, she gives herself to the winner, and ifshe wins, she receives the money. Aboard the boat, she meets ... Henry Smith, an American businessman. After dancing, they adjourn to her rooms where theAmerican wins.TheAmerican's wife creates a scene when she learns of her husband's being with the notorious woman and calls for the Captain who arrives at the stateroom with the 1st officer. Mrs. Smith demands that the woman be put off at the next port.... The next morning the Captain tells Masha to leave at ... MombasaMilindi , which will be reached in an hour. She is put offat this out-of-the-way place.At the hotel she meets Mme Celestine, the owner, and Octave, her husband, uncouth and tawdry people. Dining in her room that evening she recognizes the waiter as Atkins, a cockney who had served her in her travels. Later she goes down to the bar where she is greeted by "Potc Jan"-a Mr. Vrenen, a landowner and trader who has The Depths 333 been in Africa twenty-five years. He has arrived at the hotel for a "bust" and is surrounded by all the "girls" ofthe place- "Fifi," "Senna," the Siamese twins, Sonya, a mixed group of all nationalities-when Masha comes on the scene. She rebukes his advances and returns to her room where he, in a rage at his first refusal by a woman, rushes after her, breaks down the door and starts to lash her with a whip he always carries. Her cold reaction sobers him and, begging forgiveness, he offers marriage. She...