Richard Todd
Don’t bother to knock
1961
comedy film
Film
Review magazine November 1960
αναγγελία γυρισμάτων της ταινίας
Κινηματογραφικά
(το
εξώφυλλο του περιοδικού Film Review, Νοέμβριος 1960.
Η Elke Sommer πρωταγωνίστρια της ταινίας “Don't Bother to Knock”. )
We quote Richard Todd on his
new film “Don’t
Bother To Knock”. Not that he has been deprived of female company in
his other films; far from it. His screen partners have included such sirens as
Eva Bartok, Martine Carol, Anne Baxter and Juliette Greco, but Richard Todd gets
quantity as well as quality this time — four leading ladies and ten “ starlets
”.
That’s what
comes of being your own boss in a film! “Send me five blondes, four brunettes,
three redheads, range 36-22-30,” you can say, and a consignment arrives by the
next coach. “Don’t Bother To Knock”,
you see, is Richard’s own first independent production with his new company,
Richard Todd-Haileywood Productions Ltd., for Associated British.
“As my own
boss,” he said, “I’m certainly having fun in this film. I play a travel agent
who has numerous romantic affairs with girls of all nations. I give each one a
key to my bachelor flat in Edinburgh, and things really get tricky when they
all turn up at once during the Festival!”
We were
chatting over a cup of tea in a restaurant in Edinburgh, where Richard Todd had
a date with an attractive young Festival guide, who turned out to be June
Thorburn. Edinburgh, however, was in reality over 300 miles away, and this
interview took place on the set of "Don't Bother To Knock" at Elstree, where the
restaurant was one of several sets built for this film.
“There has
been tremendous enthusiasm about the international stars we have signed up for
this film,” he went on. “The scores of press interviews and camera bulbs
flashing everywhere, both on arrival and on location in Edinburgh and the south
coast, is evidence of the exciting quality of these international names who are
new and news to Britain.
“ Elke Sommer
is just plain exciting in any language! Nicole Maurey is one of the most delicious
girls you could find anywhere. It was my plain good fortune that, with all her
other commitments, she was able to do the role, and that it suited her so well.
It all started quite by chance when I saw her in a London restaurant and knew
at once that she was the perfect choice for the French girl part. Within two
days all the agreements were completed.
“ Of the two
English girls, June Thorbum was our choice right from the time we first started
scripting; out of all English actresses she was ideal for the part. A
nineteen-year-old, Dawn Beret so impressed our director Cyril Frankel
that he has described her as ‘the most talented girl I ever met’.
As a male
continental star, we have Rik Battaglia —a ‘beefcake’ idol in Italy.”
“ Have you found it difficult to launch your first
independent production?” I asked.
“ Setting up
this film has not meant so very much of a mental switch for me,” he said,
“though there is indeed a lot of extra worry and work involved. I aimed to keep
myself free of other engagements in order to devote all my time to the job, but
at the crucial moment “The Long And The Short And The Tall” went into
production. During the time I was filming here with Laurence Harvey and Richard Harris,
I spent every lunch-time and evening discussing “Don’t Bother To Knock”.
“ I was
fortunate in persuading Frank Godwin to produce the picture and Cyril Frankel
— an English director with a big international reputation — to direct. It has
turned out a very happy combination and we would all like to keep this a
regular team for future productions if we can.
“ Associated
British have gone out of their way to help me branch out on my own,” he
continued. “ After twelve years at Elstree, I have been able to hand-pick my
team of film-makers, and the studios have co-operated all along the line.”
“ I take it
you feel very happy about this picture altogether,” I said.
“ I certainly
have a tremendous sense of achievement in having put the thing together,” he
replied. “ My feeling at the end of it all will naturally depend on how the
film turns out, but I shall, in any event, have the satisfaction of having
achieved a long-standing ambition.
“ Naturally,
it makes for more worry having financial interests in a picture rather than
just acting in it. For instance, the first thing I think on waking up in the
morning is: ‘ What sort of weather is it for locations ?’ At the end of the
day, instead of going home, relaxing over dinner and learning my lines for the
next morning, I have to discuss the day’s work and all that we have still to
do. Fortunately, I have always taken a deep interest in the production aspect
of films I have made for other people, so I haven’t had to spend time learning
technicalities.
“ I certainly
don’t consider this as a complete change of vocation,” he added. “ I hope I
will always be an actor as well as setting up my own films.”
We certainly
hope so too. Looking back over the years and recollecting his many brilliant
performances at these very studios; remembering him in “The Hasty Heart”, “The Dam
Busters”, “Yangtse Incident”, “Chase A Crooked Shadow” ... we wish him
luck in his new venture, and many happy roles to come.
Roy
Curtis-Bramwell
“Don't Bother To Knock” is Richard Todd's
first venture into film production. Being also the star of the film, it is
natural that he should give careful consideration to the selection of a leading
lady ... but fancy grabbing four! The pair in this location picture are Nicole
Maurey and Elke Sommer, from Paris and Nuremberg respectively.
Film Review magazine, November 1960
H ταινία κυκλοφόρησε στα 1961 με τίτλο για την αγγλική αγορά «Don’t Bother
to Knock” και για την αμερικάνικη αγορά «Why Bother to
Knock”.
ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΓΡΑΦΟΣ
[ ανάρτηση 25 Φεβρουαρίου 2024:
Richard Todd
Don’t bother to knock
1961 comedy film
Film Review magazine November 1960
αναγγελία γυρισμάτων της ταινίας
Κινηματογραφικά ]
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