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At first I didn’t register who the nondescript blonde sitting alone on the bar was. I had solely arrived in Hollywood a couple of months earlier and was nonetheless discovering my manner.
After a couple of moments the girl turned to me and stated slightly sadly: ‘They needed me to play the lead in The Lady In The Purple Velvet Swing, however I’m too outdated.’
The movie she’d talked about was my first starring position since arriving within the US aged 20. It immediately dawned on me that this pale-faced girl was the fabled Marilyn Monroe.
She was extraordinarily pleasant, so we began chatting. After a few martinis, she warned me in regards to the harassment in Hollywood and the ‘wolves on this city’.
I replied that I used to be nicely used to them after a number of years within the British movie business.
‘All of us needed to put up with having our bottoms patted and males leering down our cleavage,’ I instructed her.
Joan Collins and George Peppard pictured within the movie The Executioner, 1970
The movie she’d talked about was my first starring position since arriving within the US aged 20. It immediately dawned on me that this pale-faced girl was the fabled Marilyn Monroe
‘That’s nothing in comparison with the studio energy bosses, honey,’ Marilyn replied. ‘In the event that they don’t get what they need, they’ll drop your contract.
‘It’s occurred to plenty of ladies. Specifically be careful for Zanuck. If he doesn’t get what he desires, he’ll fireplace you.’
‘Properly, thanks for the recommendation,’ I stated. ‘I’ll undoubtedly steer clear of him.’ I attempted to heed her warning. However on the studio a couple of days later, Darryl Zanuck himself [producer of such classics as The King and I, The Longest Day, Carousel and The Snows of Kilimanjaro] pounced on me, trapping me in opposition to a wall.
Respiration cigar fumes, he hissed: ‘You haven’t had anybody till you’ve had me, honey.
‘I’m the most important and the perfect and I can go all night time.’
I used to be so shocked I couldn’t consider something to say. I managed to wriggle free and ran again to the set.
I’m glad I used to be speechless, as a result of I heard {that a} starlet had not too long ago been fired as a result of when he stated: ‘Child, I’m the most important within the enterprise . . .’ she responded with: ‘You’d higher be, ’trigger you’re solely 5 foot two!’
It was the stuff of legend that he had a golden reproduction of his manhood sitting on his desk as a paperweight. Nevertheless it was true — I noticed it as soon as at his workplace. Ugh!
Within the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the complete extent of the depravity that fairly younger actresses have been pressured to descend to for potential roles was lastly out within the open and now not continues — or not less than is now not accepted. I hope.
Nevertheless it went on for much too many many years. I do know, as a result of I used to be there.
My first encounter with the casting sofa was whereas testing for the juvenile lead within the 1952 British film I Imagine in You.
One of many producers had made such apparent advances that I needed to dodge him by hiding in a wardrobe within the costume division, helped by sympathetic dressers, and ready till he left the studio earlier than taking the bus and Tube dwelling. However after my third check he caught me and persuaded me to simply accept a elevate dwelling in his flashy Bentley. Throughout the trip, he grabbed my hand and put it on his open fly.
I screamed in horror and yanked my hand away. ‘What’s the matter? Don’t you need the half?’ he leered.
‘Not this a lot,’ I cried, childishly bursting into tears as I realised I had blown my probabilities. I’d by no means seen a unadorned man earlier than, not to mention felt one.
‘Are you frigid?’ he hissed. It was the primary time I had been known as that by a person, however sadly not the final. Males who, as a result of they have been wealthy or highly effective, thought that girls have been playthings might be very merciless.
However the current mild that has been shed on the movie business has not simply landed on the predatory institutional sexism of Hollywood — it’s additionally been shed on any enterprise run by ruthless, highly effective and misogynistic males in different industries.
Fortunately, this producer was overruled by the director and the top of the studio, so I bought that position regardless of his threats. Nonetheless, he nonetheless pursued me, and after I instructed him I wasn’t and was nonetheless a virgin he known as me a ‘frigid little witch’.
It wasn’t simply producers who have been predatory. Sadly, most of the actors I labored with thought-about it their divine proper to have intercourse with their main woman. On the age of 21 I had repeatedly stated no to a good-looking, if brief, well-known actor I used to be working with.
One night time after taking pictures, he adopted my automobile and after I paused on the Twentieth Century Fox exit gate, he shouted on the prime of his lungs: ‘You silly cow — you’ll be washed up by the point you’re 23!’
Fortunately, I used to be below contract and for a superb wage, so I thought-about myself moderately protected till I hit 27, which was extensively deemed by studio bosses to be the age that girls misplaced their sexual attract.
A few years later, after I was doing a press junket in New York, my agent secured me an interview with a really well-known producer for a component I actually needed. I dutifully went to his workplace at 6pm, and after I arrived, his secretary was simply leaving.
‘He’s in there.’ She pointed to a again room. ‘He’s ready for you.’
I entered a bed room and a voice known as, ‘Come on in,’ from one other door. I tentatively walked in and there he was, mendacity within the bathtub with out as a lot as a bubble to cowl his embarrassment, with which he was tinkering.
‘Sit down,’ he commanded, gesturing to the top of the bathtub.
‘Oh, I’m advantageous, thanks. I’ll stand.’ ‘Come on in,’ he grinned. ‘The water’s advantageous.’ ‘Oh, ah, no thanks.’ I attempted to not shudder, nor discover what he was doing to himself below the soapy water.
Marilyn warned me in regards to the harassment in Hollywood and the ‘wolves on this city’. I replied that I used to be nicely used to them after a number of years within the British movie business. Pictured: Joan Collins within the Sixties
After a couple of minutes’ chat in regards to the movie, which I argued was completely proper for me because the character concerned was English, he agreed I’d be good, after which once more insisted I share his bathtub.
‘I’m sorry, I’ve to go — I’ve bought a date with my boyfriend,’ I stammered, horribly conscious that I wouldn’t get this position now.
‘Who’s your boyfriend?’ he requested.
‘Oh, you wouldn’t know him. He’s a younger actor — Warren Beatty.’
‘What are you doing losing your time with unknown actors?’ he stated, starting to sound aggravated. ‘C’mon, let’s go to 21 [a New York club and restaurant] tonight. I’m an essential man. We are able to have some enjoyable. By the way in which, how outdated are you?’
‘Twenty-five,’ I muttered.
‘Twenty-five, huh? That’s not younger on this enterprise any extra, sweetie.’ I stared at his ugly 55-year-old face, turned, and left.
‘You received’t get a lot additional on this enterprise, child, in the event you’re going to behave like a high-handed bitch!’, he known as after me.
American Kim Novak bought the position of the Cockney tart, however her accent left lots to be desired.
One other position that I coveted round that point was that of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Each the top of Fox, Buddy Adler, and the chairman of the board — a Greek gentleman sufficiently old to be my grandfather — had bombarded me with propositions and flowers, culminating in guarantees to forged me as Cleopatra if solely I’d be ‘good’ to them. They each used this euphemism, fairly prevalent in Hollywood on the time.
I couldn’t and I wouldn’t — the very considered these outdated males touching me was completely repugnant. So I dodged and I dived and hid across the lot and made excuses whereas the studio examined me for Cleopatra advert infinitum, with varied actors who, to say they have been picket could be unkind to bushes.
At one level Mr Adler cornered me to bop with him at a glamorous business social gathering. He instructed me I’d have ‘the decide of the scripts’ after Cleopatra and that he would set me up in an condominium which he would pay for so long as he might come and go to me three or 4 instances per week.
Having run out of excuses, I blurted out: ‘Mr Adler, I got here right here with my agent, Jay Kanter. Why don’t we talk about this take care of him?’
‘Honey, you’ve got fairly a way of humour,’ he stated.
‘And a way of humour is all you’ll ever get from me,’ I murmured as I left him on the dance flooring.
Elizabeth Taylor bought to play the half reverse Richard Burton, one other predatory actor I had performed reverse within the 1957 warfare movie Sea Spouse.
Richard had instructed me that if I didn’t go to mattress with him I’d ‘break his report’.
‘What’s that?’ I requested.
‘I’ve slept with all my main girls,’ he bragged.
After a couple of moments Marilyn turned to me and stated slightly sadly: ‘They needed me to play the lead in The Lady In The Purple Velvet Swing, however I’m too outdated.’
‘Properly, I’m not going to be one other notch in your well-punched belt, so I suppose I’m going to interrupt your report!’ He barely spoke to me for the remainder of filming. Likewise, George Peppard. We have been making The Executioner collectively and after attending a celebration to rejoice the beginning of filming, he dropped me off at my home in London, then tried to seize me.
Once I pushed him away, saying I used to be married and had two small children, he accused me of being ‘completely sq.’.
To not converse in poor health of the useless (however I’ll!), Mr Peppard proved an keen beaver within the amorous division. Carrying nothing however knickers and a sheet throughout our old flame scene, I used to be at considerably of a drawback as all six foot two of him was splayed on prime of me.
The wardrobe woman had swiftly pulled the sheet away on the final minute as he got here in for the kill.
I attempted a closed-mouth display kiss, however he wasn’t having any of that and tried the full-on Frenchie. Once I politely extricated his tongue from my throat for the fourth time, I grew to become indignant.
I protested to our director, Sam Wanamaker, whereas Mr Peppard appeared on in amusement because the make-up division tried to reconstruct each our lipstick-covered faces.
‘Simply do it rather less forcefully, George,’ stated Sam persuasively.
‘OK,’ growled the nice star, and off we went once more.
Motion! Sheet off, Peppard on, tongue in — ugh! Sam was lastly happy and cried: ‘Reduce.’
‘Did you take pleasure in that?’ smirked George.
‘No, I hated it. And also you didn’t need to be fairly so “methody,” ’ I retorted as I struggled again into my gown to cowl my nakedness, making an attempt to not be the day’s cabaret act for the crew.
‘You’re such a prude,’ he sneered. ‘Most actresses like it.’
‘Properly, I’m not one in every of them.’ I stalked off, speechless with fury.
After this, George grew to become so indignant and petulant that we communicated solely via our respective make-up folks and through our scenes.
When George was forged because the lead in a brand new serial drama known as Oil, he was so troublesome that the producer Aaron Spelling fired him. They recast with John Forsythe, retitled it Dynasty . . . and the remaining is historical past. I don’t suppose I might have stood 9 years working with George Peppard.
One other memorable however distasteful kiss was on the super-yacht of legendary producer Sam Spiegel, moored in a beautiful bay exterior Cannes. I used to be with Roger Moore and David Niven and their respective wives, wanting ahead to a birthday celebration for Sam.
Twenty of us have been seated on deck at a protracted desk stuffed with flowers. Roger made a toast to the birthday boy, then added: ‘And it’s Joanie’s birthday right this moment too!’
‘That’s fantastic! Congratulations, honey,’ beamed Spiegel. ‘And have I bought a gift for you, little woman.’ He lumbered as much as me and plonked a tonsil-probing smacker, full with snake-like tongue, on my lips.
Roger thought it was hilarious as I sat there gobsmacked with a sickly smile on my face.
The desk whooped with glee as I surreptitiously wiped my mouth on my serviette. The next day I got here down with a virulent pressure of flu and needed to spend the following three days in mattress.
I work in a career the place hugs, kisses and bodily contact is the norm, however name me chilly and aloof — and I attempt to not be — I don’t willingly take part.
How I love the Japanese tradition’s wise method by which folks simply bow and nod their heads once they meet, be it pals, acquaintances, or strangers. Arriving at airports, I arm myself with sufficient hand sanitiser, nose-blocking gel and child wipes to inventory a nook chemist.
Scared to get the flu even after having had the flu jab, I shield myself from the zillions of invisible germs that lurk on door handles, elevate buttons and grocery store trolleys.
Within the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the complete extent of the depravity that fairly younger actresses have been pressured to descend to for potential roles was lastly out within the open and now not continues — or not less than is now not accepted. I hope
However I imagine the deadliest germ carriers are different folks’s arms and faces. The bane of my life is the bear hug adopted by a sloppy kiss on the cheek from complete strangers.
As I used to be introduced up at a time the place you didn’t kiss or hug anybody besides your shut household, and it was the norm to seldom obtain a lot affection out of your dad and mom previous the age of ten, this overt bodily heat is one thing I can’t alter to.
My mom was a germophobe lengthy earlier than it was stylish. When she took me out within the pram, strangers would typically coo over me and get far too shut for her consolation, so she felt compelled to have an indication printed, which she placed on the blanket protecting her little darling, stating: ‘Please don’t kiss me.’
Sadly, I now not have that signal, as it might nonetheless be helpful!
It’s attention-grabbing that the #MeToo motion and the condescending new HR tips that proscribe the traditions of luvvie-land and make it verboten to get too near your colleagues go well with me advantageous, even when I disagree with the nannying.
Now after the curtain comes down, actors are usually not imagined to fraternise, presumably with one another and far much less with the administration and manufacturing employees. If these had been the principles in 2000, I’d by no means have been capable of date my husband once we met in San Francisco and toured the US.
Percy Gibson was managing the Love Story firm and I used to be taking part in reverse George Hamilton.
Fortunately, George was not a kind of actors who spray you with saliva when you’ve got a scene in shut proximity. Ever the gent, we labored collectively a number of instances on tv, and he has by no means parted his lips or performed ‘the French’ throughout a kissing scene.
So, pricey reader, if I don’t settle for your kisses, hugs and handshakes, it doesn’t imply I don’t such as you. It simply means I don’t need to catch your germs.
- Behind The Shoulder Pads by Joan Collins (Seven Dials, £22) to be printed September 28. © Gibson Lady UK Ltd 2023. To order a replica for £19.80 (supply legitimate to 02/10/2023; UK P&P free on orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or name 020 3176 2937. See Joan Collins dwell at a metropolis close to you from October 1 — JoanCollinsTour.com
