Look Glue's Talking! - Hollywood's Knacker's Yard, Part 2
In which Ian McKellen attempts to go to war, David Carradine seeks to make the ultimate home movie, and Quentin Tarantino tries to act.
The Bells Of Hell Go Ting-A-Ling-A-Ling (1966)
The victims Gregory Peck, Ian McKellen, David Baxter, David Miller (director)
The gist A squad of British airmen attempt to smuggle plane parts into enemy territory with the aim of reassembling them and attacking German targets.
The death blow “It was a disaster!” laughs Sir Ian McKellen when asked about his first moviemaking experience. “We shot in the Alps, presumably because The Sound Of Music had been filmed there and the studio hoped they’d enjoy similar success. Anyway, after five weeks of filming, the Alpine summer was invaded by early snow which was forecast to persist through the following six months. The shooting was already well behind schedule so [producers] the Mirisch brothers decided to cut their losses, abandon the film and send us all home. I was very relieved when the unit photographer gave me the news that we were to be paid off - me with £4,000 in cash in my pockets which was enough to keep me solvent for the next few years!”
Were we denied or saved? The film sounds like a complete dud. However, had it been finished it might have convinced McKellen to dedicate himself to screen acting far earlier, which could only be a good thing.
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