The Story of William Tell: Difference between revisions
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| cinematography = Jack Cardiff |
| cinematography = Jack Cardiff |
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| studio = Junior Films |
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| distributor = [[United Artists]] |
| distributor = [[United Artists]] |
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| country = Italy<br>United States |
| country = Italy<br>United States |
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| language = English |
| language = English |
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| budget = £223,000<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48077358 |title=Comeback for the fabulous Errol Flynn. |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | date=24 December 1958 |accessdate=7 July 2012 |page=56 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |
| budget = £223,000<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48077358 |title=Comeback for the fabulous Errol Flynn. |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | date=24 December 1958 |accessdate=7 July 2012 |page=56 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> or $860,000 |
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'''''The Story of William Tell''''' is an unfinished film about [[William Tell]]. It starred and was produced by [[Errol Flynn]]. It commenced filming in Italy in 1953 and was meant to be the directorial debut of [[Jack Cardiff]]. It was filmed in [[Cinemascope]]. A £10,000 model town set was built near [[Mont Blanc]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28661545 |title=Creditors Are In Full Cry. |newspaper=[[The Sun-Herald]] |location=Sydney |date=11 October 1953 |accessdate=7 July 2012 |page=68 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |
'''''The Story of William Tell''''' is an unfinished film about [[William Tell]]. It starred and was produced by [[Errol Flynn]]. It commenced filming in Italy in 1953 and was meant to be the directorial debut of [[Jack Cardiff]]. It was filmed in [[Cinemascope]]. A £10,000 model town set was built near [[Mont Blanc]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28661545 |title=Creditors Are In Full Cry. |newspaper=[[The Sun-Herald]] |location=Sydney |date=11 October 1953 |accessdate=7 July 2012 |page=68 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |
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==Cast== |
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*[[Errol Flynn]] as William Tell |
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*Guido Turfidi as Jimmy Tell |
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*[[Bruce Cabot]] |
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*Antonella Lualdi |
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*Massimo Serato |
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==Development== |
==Development== |
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Flynn decided to produce the film himself with [[Barry Mahon]].<ref>"Goldstein Will Star Jean Peters as Siren" Hopper, Hedda. ''Los Angeles Times'' 26 Dec 1952: B4.</ref> |
Flynn decided to produce the film himself with [[Barry Mahon]].<ref>"Goldstein Will Star Jean Peters as Siren" Hopper, Hedda. ''Los Angeles Times'' 26 Dec 1952: B4.</ref> |
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In February 1953 it was announced that Jack Cardiff, who was cinematographer on ''Crossed Swords'' with Flynn, would make his directorial debut on the movie and it would be shot in Italy with location footage in Switzerland.<ref>NOTED ON THE BUSTLING ITALIAN SCREEN SCENE: New York Times 15 Feb 1953: X5. </ref> |
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<ref name="films">Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer & Clifford McCarty, ''The Films of Errol Flynn'', Citadel Press, 1969 p 197-198</ref> A distribution deal was signed with United Artists.<ref>Of Local Origin |
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New York Times 8 Sep 1953: 27. </ref> |
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==Production== |
==Production== |
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Actress [[Vira Silenti]] was cast as "Mary" but later replaced by [[Waltraut Haas]]. |
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Filming started in June and took place on the slopes among Mont Blanc above Courmayer in the [[Acosta Valley]]. In Cardiff's assistant was Giorgio Pastina who had directed an Italian version of William Tell staring Gino Cervi a number of years previously.<ref>MONTAGUE, CAPULET AND CASTELLANI IN ACTION: New York Times 12 July 1953: X5. </ref> |
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===Production Ceases=== |
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| ⚫ | Production ceased in September when the project ran out of funds and creditors seized sets and camera equipment.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50066918 |title=Flynn Has New Trouble. |newspaper=[[The Barrier Miner]] |location=Broken Hill, NSW |date=29 September 1953 |accessdate=7 July 2012 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He later said "when it was one third finished the backers pulled out; the money was cut off."<ref name="hedda">now it's family man FLYNN! |
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Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 27 May 1956: h28. </ref> |
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In September 1953 a court in Aosta ordered property held by two companies, one of them Junior Films headed by Flynn, be seized to satisfy creditors claims. The property included cameras and materials including the negatives of the picture. They also took possession of Errol Flynn's car and furniture.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23322797 |title=Bailiffs seize Errol's car. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=1 October 1953 |accessdate=7 July 2012 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Creditors included local hotel keepers in the village of Courmayeur, a local lumber company which built a Swiss village and other local furnishers. Flynn said the action was aimed at the Italian co producers. "They were to put up the necessary lire and we put up the dollars. We have done that. They apparently ran short of money. But we are completely clear on that." Flynn claimed an agreement had been made between the Italian producers and an Italian syndicate and that the film would start again.<ref>Creditors Grab Errol Flynn's Italy Property |
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Los Angeles Times 27 Sep 1953: 16. </ref> Creditors met and agreed to allow the producers to finish the film.<ref>Way Now Clear to Shoot Movie, Says Errol Flynn |
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Los Angeles Times 28 Sep 1953: 7. </ref> |
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| ⚫ | Flynn desperately sought financing to resume production, estimated at around £150,000, but failed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23317485 |title=Flynn needs money. |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne |date=13 November 1953 |accessdate=7 July 2012 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |
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In March 1954 Flynn ended his relationship with Warner Bros. He said he was still intending to finish ''William Tell''.<ref>ERROL FLYNN ENDS PACT AT WARNERS: Actor and Studio Agree to Part -- Star Made 35 Films in 20 Years on Lot |
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By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 20 Mar 1954: 10. </ref> |
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In July 1954 when Flynn signed to do ''The Black Prince'' (later ''The Warriors'') he was still intending to make the film.<ref>Stellar Trio for 'Prince'; Green Signs Selected Johnny New Pact |
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Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 23 July 1954: B7. </ref><ref>3 STARS ASSIGNED TO 'BLACK PRINCE': Errol Flynn, Peter Finch and Joanne Dru Will Make Film in England for Allied New York Times ]23 July 1954: 9. </ref> |
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In May 1955 Bruce Cabot sued Flynn in a London court for unpaid salary of £17,357 ($48,599.60) saying he had been promised four weeks' work on the film but did not get it.<ref>Cabot Sues Errol Flynn |
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New York Times 25 May 1955: 37. </ref> |
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In March 1956, Flyn claimed the film "folded because the Italians failed to get their money in". He said he had $340,000 of his own money in the film and still hoped to finish it in autumn of that year when there was snow in the Alps. "It'll be a hell of a picture," he said.<ref>"Errol Claims He's Now in Like Flynn With Creditors", Scheuer, Philip K. ''Los Angeles Times'' 4 Mar 1956: E2.</ref> In May he said "I'm going to finish it. I have the film in New York; it's my property, so is the story."<ref name="hedda"/> The film was never completed. |
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| ⚫ | The film's collapse ruined Flynn financially.<ref>[http://www.filmthreat.com/features/1762/ Phil Hall, "Outta Gas – Film Threat's Top 10 Unfinished Films of All Time", ''Film Threat'', June 21, 2006] accessed July 5, 2012</ref> He estimated it cost him $400,000 in all.<ref>"ERROL FLYNN: HE BLEW $8,000,000" Hopper, Hedda. ''Chicago Daily Tribune'' 21 July 1957: f26.</ref> |
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In August 1953 [[Hedda Hopper]] reported that [[Patrice Wymore]] told her Flynn wanted to follow ''William Tell'' with another movie directed by Cardiff called ''Josephine and Poiphar''. It was never made.<ref>Looking at Hollywood: Mitchell's Faith Gets Him a Line in 'Robe' |
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Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 10 Aug 1953: b6. </ref> |
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==Impact of the film== |
==Impact of the film== |
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* A little more than a minute of footage was shown on [[Turner Classic Movies]] in the early 1990s as part of a feature on Flynn, but that short clip itself is now lost as well. Flynn's estate have chosen to remain silent about it. |
* A little more than a minute of footage was shown on [[Turner Classic Movies]] in the early 1990s as part of a feature on Flynn, but that short clip itself is now lost as well. Flynn's estate have chosen to remain silent about it. |
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Revision as of 02:59, 7 November 2019
| The Story of William Tell | |
|---|---|
 1953 frame of the unfinished film. Shows Flynn as "William Tell"; Waltraut Haas as "Mary" | |
| Directed by | Jack Cardiff |
| Written by | John Dighton |
| Produced by | Errol Flynn Barry Mahon |
| Starring | Errol Flynn Bruce Cabot |
| Cinematography | Jack Cardiff |
| Music by | Mario Nascimbene |
Production company | Junior Films |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Countries | Italy United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £223,000[1] or $860,000 |
The Story of William Tell is an unfinished film about William Tell. It starred and was produced by Errol Flynn. It commenced filming in Italy in 1953 and was meant to be the directorial debut of Jack Cardiff. It was filmed in Cinemascope. A £10,000 model town set was built near Mont Blanc.[2]
Cast
- Errol Flynn as William Tell
- Guido Turfidi as Jimmy Tell
- Bruce Cabot
- Antonella Lualdi
- Massimo Serato
Development
Flynn decided to produce the film himself with Barry Mahon.[3]
In February 1953 it was announced that Jack Cardiff, who was cinematographer on Crossed Swords with Flynn, would make his directorial debut on the movie and it would be shot in Italy with location footage in Switzerland.[4]
He put up approximately $430,000 of his own money towards the $860,000 budgeted production which started in June 1953. Had the film been completed on time it would have been the first independent movie filmed in CinemaScope. [5] A distribution deal was signed with United Artists.[6]
Production
Actress Vira Silenti was cast as "Mary" but later replaced by Waltraut Haas.
Filming started in June and took place on the slopes among Mont Blanc above Courmayer in the Acosta Valley. In Cardiff's assistant was Giorgio Pastina who had directed an Italian version of William Tell staring Gino Cervi a number of years previously.[7]
Production Ceases
Production ceased in September when the project ran out of funds and creditors seized sets and camera equipment.[8] He later said "when it was one third finished the backers pulled out; the money was cut off."[9]
In September 1953 a court in Aosta ordered property held by two companies, one of them Junior Films headed by Flynn, be seized to satisfy creditors claims. The property included cameras and materials including the negatives of the picture. They also took possession of Errol Flynn's car and furniture.[10] Creditors included local hotel keepers in the village of Courmayeur, a local lumber company which built a Swiss village and other local furnishers. Flynn said the action was aimed at the Italian co producers. "They were to put up the necessary lire and we put up the dollars. We have done that. They apparently ran short of money. But we are completely clear on that." Flynn claimed an agreement had been made between the Italian producers and an Italian syndicate and that the film would start again.[11] Creditors met and agreed to allow the producers to finish the film.[12]
Flynn desperately sought financing to resume production, estimated at around £150,000, but failed.[13]
In March 1954 Flynn ended his relationship with Warner Bros. He said he was still intending to finish William Tell.[14]
In July 1954 when Flynn signed to do The Black Prince (later The Warriors) he was still intending to make the film.[15][16]
In May 1955 Bruce Cabot sued Flynn in a London court for unpaid salary of £17,357 ($48,599.60) saying he had been promised four weeks' work on the film but did not get it.[17]
In March 1956, Flyn claimed the film "folded because the Italians failed to get their money in". He said he had $340,000 of his own money in the film and still hoped to finish it in autumn of that year when there was snow in the Alps. "It'll be a hell of a picture," he said.[18] In May he said "I'm going to finish it. I have the film in New York; it's my property, so is the story."[9] The film was never completed.
The film's collapse ruined Flynn financially.[19] He estimated it cost him $400,000 in all.[20]
In August 1953 Hedda Hopper reported that Patrice Wymore told her Flynn wanted to follow William Tell with another movie directed by Cardiff called Josephine and Poiphar. It was never made.[21]
Impact of the film
- A little more than a minute of footage was shown on Turner Classic Movies in the early 1990s as part of a feature on Flynn, but that short clip itself is now lost as well. Flynn's estate have chosen to remain silent about it.
- The model ski resort was turned into a real ski resort that uses the film's production to lure tourists in every year, and is still active today.
References
- ^ "Comeback for the fabulous Errol Flynn". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 24 December 1958. p. 56. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ "Creditors Are In Full Cry". The Sun-Herald. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 11 October 1953. p. 68. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ "Goldstein Will Star Jean Peters as Siren" Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 26 Dec 1952: B4.
- ^ NOTED ON THE BUSTLING ITALIAN SCREEN SCENE: New York Times 15 Feb 1953: X5.
- ^ Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer & Clifford McCarty, The Films of Errol Flynn, Citadel Press, 1969 p 197-198
- ^ Of Local Origin New York Times 8 Sep 1953: 27.
- ^ MONTAGUE, CAPULET AND CASTELLANI IN ACTION: New York Times 12 July 1953: X5.
- ^ "Flynn Has New Trouble". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. 29 September 1953. p. 3. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ a b now it's family man FLYNN! Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 27 May 1956: h28.
- ^ "Bailiffs seize Errol's car". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 1 October 1953. p. 3. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ Creditors Grab Errol Flynn's Italy Property Los Angeles Times 27 Sep 1953: 16.
- ^ Way Now Clear to Shoot Movie, Says Errol Flynn Los Angeles Times 28 Sep 1953: 7.
- ^ "Flynn needs money". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 13 November 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ ERROL FLYNN ENDS PACT AT WARNERS: Actor and Studio Agree to Part -- Star Made 35 Films in 20 Years on Lot By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 20 Mar 1954: 10.
- ^ Stellar Trio for 'Prince'; Green Signs Selected Johnny New Pact Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 23 July 1954: B7.
- ^ 3 STARS ASSIGNED TO 'BLACK PRINCE': Errol Flynn, Peter Finch and Joanne Dru Will Make Film in England for Allied New York Times ]23 July 1954: 9.
- ^ Cabot Sues Errol Flynn New York Times 25 May 1955: 37.
- ^ "Errol Claims He's Now in Like Flynn With Creditors", Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 4 Mar 1956: E2.
- ^ Phil Hall, "Outta Gas – Film Threat's Top 10 Unfinished Films of All Time", Film Threat, June 21, 2006 accessed July 5, 2012
- ^ "ERROL FLYNN: HE BLEW $8,000,000" Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 21 July 1957: f26.
- ^ Looking at Hollywood: Mitchell's Faith Gets Him a Line in 'Robe' Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 10 Aug 1953: b6.