The V.I.P.’s (1963, Anthony Asquith) **
A slapped together potboiler of a B-movie, often turgid with a star-studded cast who provided box office gold for Warner Brothers and the soon to be, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Burton. The V.I.P.’s tells its story of intersecting characters during an endless fogged in night at a London airport, almost exclusively with interior studio shots and little second unit work or location shots.
The whole thing plays like an homage to the Warner Brothers’ extravaganzas of the 1930’s like Grand Hotel and Dinner At Eight. As a time capsule The VIP’s revives the notion that travel was once a romantic undertaking, especially among those of a certain class who were impeccably dressed and quaffed oblivious to those around them sweating the details.
Hollywood legend has it that screenwriter Terence Rattigan once reminisced that his screenplay was inspired by Vivian Leigh’s difficulty telling Oliver that she was leaving him for Peter Finch.
Capitalizing on the gossip press generated by Elizabeth Taylor’s affair with Richard Burton during the filming of Cleopatra (released 31 July 1963), The V.I.P.’s was made during the failed epic’s lengthy post-production process (released 9/19/64). The hope was to capitalize on the heat of the scandal with a wide release of Liz and Dick feature while Cleopatra was exclusively playing in road show engagements (here in Los Angeles at The Egyptian Theater no less).
I won’t attempt to retell the saga of Elizabeth Taylor and her many husbands (count ‘em it’s either seven or eight depending on whether or not you count Richard Burton twice), scandals and pretty much manufactured life here. Let’s suffice it to say that after being widowed at age 27 she ran off with her best friends’ husband, married him for a while and then ran off to play the lead in the biggest movie of all time at that time (yes, bigger than Ben Hur, a little ditty called Cleopatra) and falls in love with her married costar (Richard Burton). All the while this international Passion play was being had advertised across all possible media venues of the day. Trust me, I lived through this phenomenon as a child (my mother was crazy for fresh gossip about the sensational sexpot Liz Taylor.
In The V.I.P.’s Elizabeth Taylor continues to push the envelope of sexual fury, building on her portrayal of Maggie in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. The fireworks we see here with Burton are but a small preview of what is to come three years later in Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolfe? Here she again leaving a husband (in this case Richard Burton); this time for an international playboy Louis Jourdan.
During this period in her career Elizabeth only made films with her ‘true love’ and latest husband, Richard Burton. All were middling (The Sand Piper, The Taming of the Shrew, Dr. Faustus, The Comedians, Boom) with the exception the Mike Nichol’s directed production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe? (1966).
But that’s a post for another day.
Also of interest:
Margaret Rutherford wins her Oscar (no doubt to a three way tie of the women from Tom Jones competing in the Best Supporting Actress category) playing a stereotypical character opposite her real life husband Dennis Price. And yet another sterling performance by the under appreciated Michael Hordern.
Orson Wells plays a “life imitating art” faux Alexander Korda styled movie mogul who too is forever being pursued by the IRS. Not particularly memorable but always nice to see. Maggie Smith makes something an American debut opposite Rod Taylor batting clean up in a terrific supporting role.
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