Mankiewicz vs. Zanuck

Summary

The Plot Thickens: Episode "Mankiewicz vs. Zanuck"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Plot Thickens
• Host/Author: TCM
• Episode: Mankiewicz vs. Zanuck
• Release Date: August 14, 2025
• Season: 6 (Cleopatra Series)

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Introduction: The Turbulent Production of "Cleopatra"

In the sixth season of The Plot Thickens, host Ben Mankiewicz delves into the tumultuous production of one of Hollywood's most infamous films, Cleopatra. This six-episode series unpacks the myriad challenges that plagued the project, from medical emergencies and climate disasters to internal power struggles and scandalous affairs. The episode titled "Mankiewicz vs. Zanuck" focuses on the fierce conflict between Joe Mankiewicz, the film’s director and Ben’s uncle, and Darryl F. Zanuck, the powerful president of 20th Century Fox.

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Section 1: Joe Mankiewicz’s Descent Under the Egyptian Sun

[00:32] Ben Mankiewicz sets the stage by recounting a particularly distressing period in June 1962 when Joe Mankiewicz reached his breaking point during the filming of Cleopatra in the harsh desert outside Alexandria, Egypt. The extreme heat—often exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit—coupled with relentless work hours, took a severe toll on Joe’s physical and mental health.

Joe Mankiewicz: "The nurse hit the sciatic nerve and I just couldn't walk. And I was in agony." [01:53]

Exhausted from ten months of directing and writing without adequate rest, Joe’s reliance on Dexedrine shots became excessive, turning him into a "walking pin cushion." An accident where a Dexedrine shot was administered incorrectly left him wheelchair-bound, further complicating the already grueling filming conditions.

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Section 2: 20th Century Fox’s Financial Crisis and Zanuck’s Ascendancy

Amidst Joe’s personal struggles, 20th Century Fox was grappling with its own dire financial situation. Profits had plunged by 53% from the previous year, and ticket sales were plummeting, pushing the studio to the brink of collapse. Spiro Skouris, the then-head of 20th Century Fox, faced mounting criticism for the company's substantial $70 million production losses over five years.

[04:54] Ben Mankiewicz: "And that didn't include the budget for Cleopatra, which was still climbing."

Enter Darryl F. Zanuck, a seasoned Hollywood producer renowned for his ability to "motivate, produce, and direct writers and directors". Zanuck harbored a personal vendetta against Skouris and saw an opportunity to take control of the faltering studio.

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Section 3: The Clash Over "Cleopatra"

With Zanuck's takeover, he immediately set his sights on Joe Mankiewicz and Cleopatra. Joe, determined to see his vision through despite his crippled condition, embarked on the arduous task of editing the film. He contended with a bloated screenplay of 466 pages and 600,000 feet of footage.

[08:46] Darryl F. Zanuck: "I am Caesar. Only one."

Joe worked tirelessly with an editor for nine weeks, striving to distill the sprawling epic into a coherent masterpiece. However, the looming shadow of Zanuck’s intervention made the process increasingly fraught.

In October 1962, Zanuck demanded a viewing of Joe’s rough cut in Paris. The screening was disastrous:

[13:54] Darryl F. Zanuck: "If any woman ever acted to me the way you have her act to him, I'd cut her balls off."

Zanuck vehemently opposed Joe’s vision of releasing Cleopatra as two separate films, arguing that audiences would balk at paying twice to witness Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s on-screen chemistry a second time. Instead, Zanuck insisted on consolidating the epic into a single, albeit extensive, four-hour film.

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Section 4: Public Fallout and the Battle for Control

Zanuck's rejection of Joe's dual-film concept led to a severe rift. Without informing Joe directly, Zanuck began re-editing the film behind his back, a move considered "the ultimate betrayal in Hollywood." Joe, left in the dark, began suspecting Zanuck’s intentions.

Faced with mounting tension, Joe went public to defend his work, with support from Elizabeth Taylor, who criticized Zanuck's interference:

Elizabeth Taylor: "He [Zanuck] took Cleopatra over when it was nothing, when it was rubbish, and he made something out of it. He certainly should have been given the chance to cut it."

In response, Zanuck held his own press conference, painting Joe as a megalomaniac who couldn’t control the film's budget, culminating in his eventual termination.

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Section 5: Personal Turmoil and New Beginnings

Amidst the professional chaos, Joe’s personal life took a significant turn. His marriage to Rosemary Matthews, a vibrant production assistant he met during the filming of Barefoot Contessa, brought a semblance of stability to his tumultuous life.

[31:00] Joe Mankiewicz: “We might as well get married.”

Their union on December 14, 1962, marked a poignant moment for Joe, providing emotional support during the Cleopatra ordeal.

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Section 6: The Final Push to Complete "Cleopatra"

Despite the mounting pressures, Joe remained steadfast in his commitment to complete Cleopatra. Following his wedding, Zanuck unexpectedly called him back to Spain to direct a crucial battle scene. Reluctantly, Joe agreed, driven by his unwavering dedication to the project.

Behind the scenes, Zanuck orchestrated a media campaign to cement his authority, showcasing himself in control through a televised special:

[36:25] Darryl F. Zanuck: "I like making motion pictures. I like this life."

This portrayal cast Joe as a tyrannical director battling against the studio head, further inflaming tensions.

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Section 7: The Anticipated Premiere

After relentless efforts, a trailer for Cleopatra was released, accompanied by contentious promotional materials. The iconic 1600-seat Rivoli Theater in New York was chosen for the world premiere on June 12, heralded as "the most expectantly awaited film in history."

As the countdown to the premiere began, the global spotlight intensified, setting the stage for an explosive conclusion to this saga of ambition, power, and artistic integrity.

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Conclusion: A Legacy of Strife and Triumph

Ben Mankiewicz wraps up the episode by reflecting on Joe Mankiewicz’s relentless pursuit to salvage his magnum opus against overwhelming odds. The conflict with Darryl Zanuck not only defined the production of Cleopatra but also left an indelible mark on Hollywood history.

[25:22] Ben Mankiewicz: "My Uncle Joe lost. Cleopatra stayed in the hands of Zanuck and it remained one movie. We'll never know if two would have been better than one, but according to Scott Imani, based on what we have seen, it's quite possible that Zanuck was right."

The episode sets the stage for the climactic premiere, leaving listeners eager to uncover the final outcomes of this legendary Hollywood battle.

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Notable Quotes:

• [01:53] Joe Mankiewicz: "The nurse hit the sciatic nerve and I just couldn't walk. And I was in agony."
• [13:54] Darryl F. Zanuck: "If any woman ever acted to me the way you have her act to him, I'd cut her balls off."
• [25:22] Ben Mankiewicz: "My Uncle Joe lost. Cleopatra stayed in the hands of Zanuck and it remained one movie..."
• [31:00] Joe Mankiewicz: “We might as well get married.”
• [36:25] Darryl F. Zanuck: "I like making motion pictures. I like this life."

---

Production Credits:

• Director of Podcasts: Angela Caron
• Story Editor: Rob Rosenthal
• Senior Producer: Jakob Friedman
• Script Writing: Jakob Friedman, Natalia Winkelman, Angela Caron
• Research and Fact-Checking: James Sheridan
• Audio Editing and Sound Design: Mike Vulgaris
• Mixing: Glenn Matullo
• Production Support: Liz Winter, Allison Fire, Matthew Ownby, Julie Bettone, Emma Morris, Jordan Chips, Nicole Hill, David Corwin
• Legal Team: Jon Renaud, Kristen Hassell
• Executive Producer: Charlie Tavish
• Special Thanks: Archival support from the American Film Institute, Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, Boston University
• Theme Music: Thomas Avery of Tune Welders

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The Plot Thickens masterfully captures the intricate dynamics and high-stakes drama that surrounded the making of Cleopatra. Through meticulous storytelling and insightful commentary, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of how ambition, power, and personal relationships intertwined to shape one of cinema’s most notorious productions.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Scott]

Of $45 for a three month plan equivalent to $15 per month. Required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy. Taxes and fees extra.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

See mintmobile.com this has nothing to do.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

With me, you son of a bitch. This is me. This is all about me. It was late June 1962, when my uncle Joe Mankiewicz finally erupted in anger. Every fucking thing that's happened has happened to me. Joe lost it while filming Elizabeth Taylor's final scene. When it came time to shoot Richard Burton's last scene a month later, things got even worse for Joe. They'd wrapped production in Rome. Joe and a small crew were now shooting in Egypt. In the desert outside Alexandria, the first.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Light of day, they would attack.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Richard Burton was nailing every scene. But my uncle, he was in rough shape. He'd been writing at night and directing during the day for 10 straight months. And July in Egypt was especially hot, some days over 100 degrees. Joe still needed a Dexedrine shot to wake up, then another shot in the afternoon to keep going. Joe had gotten so many shots on Cleopatra, he was a walking pin cushion. On the second to last day of filming, Joe got a shot in his rear end. It missed the mark.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

The nurse hit the sciatic nerve and I just couldn't walk. And I was in agony.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

So much agony. Joe was forced to use a wheelchair, which was not ideal for getting around in the desert. On the way to the set, John de Cure says Joe needed to be carried on a stretcher.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

I'm walking alongside of the stretcher. He's scribbling a little thing he's writing. And I said, joe, how's it going? He said, I'm writing the last page.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Script was still being written the last.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Day when we carried Joe on a stretcher across the sands of Alexandria.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I remember him being dragged through the.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Sand and plopped out in his chair.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

And I thought, oh, my God, is.

[Ryan Reynolds]

This ever going to end? I was really seriously concerned for his health.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

It is hard to get that image out of my head. My uncle Joe, 53 years old, younger than I am now, in so much pain he couldn't walk. Willing himself to see this through, to finish the movie. And he did. Somehow. The final shot was a simple one. Richard Burton all alone in the desert. Here's my cousin Tom and Dad held the slate. And on the slate, the scene number that was being shot, it just said.

[Ryan Reynolds]

This bleep is through.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe's job, though, wasn't finished. He still had post production to deal with. This movie had already pushed him harder than any he'd ever made. He'd lost his cool, he'd lost the use of his legs. And though he didn't know it yet, Joe Mankiewicz was about to lose his movie. I'm your host, Ben Mankiewicz. You are listening to season six of the Plot Thickens, a podcast from Turner Classic Movies. Each season we bring you an in depth story about the movies and the people who make them. This season, Cleopatra. How an epic production pushed my uncle to his breaking point. This is episode five, Mankiewicz versus Zanuck. While Joe's body was falling apart, so was 20th Century Fox. The stock was in the toilet. Profits were down 53% from the previous year. Ticket sales were dismal. The company was on the brink of collapse. The studio's board of directors needed someone to blame.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

It was the end of Spiro Skouris as head of 20th Century Fox. Under his direction, production losses had come to some $70 million in five years.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

$70 million in losses. And that didn't include the budget for Cleopatra, which was still climbing. And climbing. Film historian Scott they were in for $30 million. That's 30 million in 1962. In today's dollars, that's 319 million just for Cleopatra.

[Ryan Reynolds]

This is unheard of. People clutched their chests and called for oxygen. I mean, going with the wind cost four. Scourus had been, without mincing words, a complete catastrophe.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

One man in particular kept badmouthing scurris. Darrel F. Zanuck.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

We are in the New York office of Darryl F. Zanuck, producer of the Longest Day.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Darryl Zanuck looked like a chipmunk. He was small, he was about 5, 6, 5 7. He had a gap between his teeth. He had a high pitched voice.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Ladies and gentlemen, this June 6th, he.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Was the archetypal cigar chopping studio head. He would walk around the lot at Fox with a riding crop. When he was in a conference with writers or producers, he'd pace back and forth, slamming the riding crop against his leg. He thought he was Napoleon and he kind of was.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

But make no mistake, Zanuck knew How to make movies.

[Ryan Reynolds]

He could motivate, he could produce, he could direct writers, he could direct directors. And especially he was good in the cutting room. And he could run a company. How many guys could do that?

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Zanuck had it in for Scourus. And he had a personal reason. He was about to release a World War II epic called the Longest Day.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

There it is, man.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Omaha beach, dead ahead. Zanuck thought Skuros would screw up the release, and he said as much to the Fox board of directors. No doubt Skuros was rubbing his worry beads. So the board called a meeting. But before they could vote, Scurris resigned, claiming health reasons. He'd just had prostate surgery and he was tired. 20th Century Fox needed a new CEO.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

The stockholders rumbled. A decision had to be made. The board elected Zanuck president.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I think it played to his element of Napoleon returning from Elba and saving the Third Republic. He had formed the studio and by God, he would save it.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Zanuck wasted no time consolidating power. He took over Fox's New York office and fired a slew of executives. Then he put his own son in charge of production. While Zanuck was slashing and burning my uncle, Joe flew to Los Angeles, still in his wheelchair. It was August 6th and he was there to edit Cleopatra. When Joe arrived, the Fox studio lot was a ghost town. Zanuck had shut down every production. It was depressing. My cousin Nick Davis wrote the book Competing with Idiots about Herman and Joe Mankiewicz. Nick says Joe was relieved that Zanuck had taken over. Zanit came in to run the studio. Joe felt like, okay, good. Now there's a picture maker in charge and we're gonna get this done. But editing Cleopatra was going to be tough. Joe's screenplay topped out at 466 pages. Most two hour movies are around 120 pages. Joe shot over 600, 000ft of film. A ton of footage. He had to go through all of it, choosing the best takes, the best angles.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

I am Caesar. Only one.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

He worked with an editor non stop for nine weeks.

[Scott]

I summoned you to an audience in my throne room.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Then in early October, Zanuck demanded Joe come to Paris. That's where Zanuck was living at the time. The new boss wanted to see Cleopatra. Joe flew to Paris on October 11. He brought with him 25 heavy reels of film. It was a rough cut of the movie. The sound wasn't perfect and it didn't have music yet. It was what Hollywood called a work print. Joe actually walked off the plane, which was a big deal. His legs had mostly recovered during his two months in la. Joe had two things on his agenda. First, he had to re record dialogue with Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison, who were also in Paris. Second, he needed to sell Xanak on his vision, and it was a bold vision. Joe wanted Cleopatra to be two movies, an epic movie with an epic sequel.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Scores was going to let me come cut the two films. So everybody was going to make infinitely more money out of the two films. And it was going to be a terribly exciting thing to do.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

The story had a natural split. Cleopatra's two loves, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. In essence, each leading man would get his own film.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The first movie ended with the death of Caesar. The second movie was, well, the rest of the plot, plot, you know, ending with the death of Anthony and Cleopatra.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Today, studios would love this idea. Two movies for the price of one. Heck, nowadays studios would want three movies or four. They'd consider this the start of a franchise. They'd call it the Sword and Sandals Cinematic Universe or some like that. Michael Joe was ahead of his time. I mean that seriously. Joe pitched his idea to Zanuck, writing in his diary, Saturday, October 13th. My first meeting with Zanuck at his home at his peak of megalomania. Zanuck rejected the idea of releasing the film in two parts. Zanuck said, you know, no one's going to want to watch Rex Harrison making love to Elizabeth Taylor for an entire movie and then pay again to see the one that we want to see with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. He said, no, this is going to be one movie. People are not going to get two sales out of this. On the DVD commentary, my cousin Chris Mankiewicz says there was another reason to make only one film.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were on the tips of everybody's tongue around the world. There was tremendous interest to see this movie, so there was a great rush to get it out to the public as soon as possible.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Plus, Fox needed the money and needed it fast.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They were closed down, they were in financial trouble, and everybody was dying to see what these two great lovers looked like on the screen.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe held out hope. Maybe Zanuck would change his mind once he saw the two films. Joe held a screening at the Bologna Studios in Paris. Bologna was a small studio and its screening room wasn't big either. My uncle was anxious about showing Cleopatra in such a small room. He'd shot it in widescreen, in beautiful, vibrant color. It was meant to be seen in a Huge theater in front of a crowd. Instead, Joe had an unfinished print in a cramped little room. The only audience was a few jaded studio executives Zanuck brought with him. Joe sat near the back, smoking his pipe. The time has come, I think, for.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Us to understand each other.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

First half of the movie began at 7:30pm first of all, I am Caesar. And I am Cleopatra, Queen, daughter of ices. Part one finished well after 10. Then Joe made an unforced error. He wrote in his diary. Zanuck thought we should see the second half tomorrow. Mistakenly, I urged the group to return after dinner. During dinner, Zanuck spoke about his war movie, the Longest Day. It had just opened to great reviews. Nobody said a word about Cleopatra. By the time they finished dinner and returned to the screening room, it was nearly midnight. You will kneel.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

I will what?

[Ben Mankiewicz]

On your knees. The second half of Cleopatra ended at 2:15 in the morning.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

The lights went up and Zack turned around and he says, if any woman ever acted to me the way you have her act to him, I'd cut her balls off.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

In Joe's Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor totally dominates Richard Burton's Mark Antony. Zanuck hated it.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Richard did some beautiful work. He had some marvelous scenes of self pity, you know, maudlin, drunken self pity. There were some marvelous things that Richard Burton did that Zanick just didn't tolerate. In other words, you came to Darrow with a picture in which a woman dominated a man that completely. Darryl couldn't tolerate it. He couldn't tolerate it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And Zana came to the conclusion that a boring four hour movie is better than a boring six hour movie. This has to be one picture. It's going to be four hours. One movie. Not two movies, three hours apiece. One movie of four hours.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Zanuck made his decision, but he didn't tell Joe. Instead, he strung Joe along, saying he needed a couple of days to crystallize his thoughts. Those were Xanax exact words. I need to crystallize my thoughts.

[Scott]

So Joe went away, uneasy to say the least, and waited for a response. And waited and waited.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Sidney Stern is the author of the Brothers Mankiewicz. She says Joe called Zanuck's office repeatedly.

[Scott]

And when he called to ask, his assistant would say, he's crystallizing his thoughts. This went on for days and Joe is getting more and more upset and frightened. What he did not know was that Zanuck had called his editor and brought in his own editor and they were re editing already behind his back.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Re editing a movie without the director's consent. Is considered the ultimate betrayal in Hollywood. Zanuck was 60 years old and he'd been working in movies since he was 20. He surely knew he was breaking one of the cardinal rules of filmmaking. Joe was in the dark about what Zanuck was up to, but he had his suspicions. Friday, October 19th. I mistrust the entire situation. I think Zanuck intends to take over, but only after I have finished dubbing with the three stars. Joe kept busy recording dialogue and visiting with the cast. He had drinks with Elizabeth and Richard. One night, Joe met up with Audrey Hepburn and and her husband, the actor Mel Ferrer. Audrey was in Paris filming Charade with Cary Grant. Joe wrote in his diary, a fine dinner with Audrey and Mel at their absolutely enchanting villa. I find her not very bright. But then neither is Mel. A week after the screening in Paris, Zanuck finally responded with a letter that blamed Joe for pretty much everything.

[Scott]

It's all your fault. You shot it without having a script. There's so much waste, et cetera, et cetera. Which was just shocking to Joe because he had already told Zanuck that it was just a travesty to have been shooting without a screenplay. He had begged Scurris to shut down filming more than once over the years that they'd been doing it. Zanuck knew that perfectly well. So it's bad enough to be castigated for something, but when it's the opposite of what you did, it was just devastating to him.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe wrote in his diary. Sunday, October 21st. A long missive from Zanuck. An incoherent outline of his plans for re editing Cleopatra, then into a wild account of my complete responsibility for the cost of Cleopatra and. And winding up with a curt termination of my services after I finished the dubbing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

He'd been fired and kind of all.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Hell broke loose among the cast, Burton and Taylor and everybody else. This is ridiculous. He's the only man who can edit this and he deserves a chance to. To edit this.

[Ryan Reynolds]

If you didn't like the cut, like.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Let him work on it. Cleopatra was now in the hands of Daryl F. Zanuck. Joe described it as an act of piracy and he was pissed. Joe realized if this film was going to be his movie, he needed to fight for it. That's coming up.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Ben Mankiewicz]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe was stuck in a hotel room in Paris, seething. He was furious at Zanuck. Joe considered Cleopatra a work in progress and now he was blocked from working on it. So Joe attacked.

[Scott]

He went public to defend himself.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Two days after getting fired, Joe told the New York Times what happened. How Cleopatra had been taken from him, how Zanuck shut him out and then fired him for failing to control the budget, which wasn't his job.

[Scott]

It was just devastating to him. And remember, he's in a physical and mental and psychological state of devastation to begin with.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Elizabeth Taylor also came out swinging. She told the New York Times, I'm terribly upset. Mr. Mankiewicz took Cleopatra over when it was nothing, when it was rubbish, and he made something out of it. He certainly should have been given the chance to cut it. Zanuck had heard enough. He flew to New York, to Fox headquarters in Manhattan. On Friday, October 26, Zanuck invited reporters to his office.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Anyway, to begin with, I do thank you for coming.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

He sat behind a desk covered with screenplays and ashtrays. He lit a cigar, then mounted his defense.

[Scott]

Zanuck had a press conference and it basically accused Joe of megalomania and trying to have the final cut.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

In a job where you hire or you fire people, sometimes you have to step on their toes. If you believe you're right.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

This is Zanuck a couple of months later, talking about his clash with Joe.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

I suppose I can be very savage, but I believe I have retained respect even in moments of violence. That always comes when creative people clash.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe had known Zanuck could be savage, but he'd never been on the receiving end of it before. The two were never close pals, but once upon a time, Joe and Zanuck had a strong working relationship.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

A letter to Three wives and what a letter.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Zanuck was the man who hired Joe to direct after years of being a frustrated producer. Their first major hit Together was A Letter to Three Wives.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

The winner is Joseph L. Mankiewicz for A Letter to Three Wives.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

But before it became an Oscar winner, A Letter to Three Wives was a mess.

[Ryan Reynolds]

My father could not get the screenplay down properly.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Here's Joe's son, Chris, and he went.

[Ryan Reynolds]

To Zanuck and he said, darrell, I don't know what the hell I can do about this script. I've tried and tried and tried, and I've shortened every scene. It just doesn't work. And the script, which was then known as A Letter to Four Wives, Zanuck said, it's very simple, my dear boy. Just take out one of the wives. Brilliant. And that idea, which he credits Zanuck with having, had saved the movie.

[Scott]

I've been a good wife, the best.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Wife your money could buy. Strictly cash and carry.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

The next year, Joe name dropped Zanuck in his next Oscar winner, All About Eve. It was a tip of the hat, a way to honor him.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I start shooting a week from Monday.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Zanuck is impatient. He wants me. He needs me. What are you two? Lovers? Only in some ways.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

When Zanuck came back to Fox in 1962, Joe worried he wasn't getting the same Daryl Zanuck he used to work with, the super producer from the 1940s who helped Joe so much on letter to three wives and all About Eve. According to Joe, zanuck had changed Mr. Zanuck in Paris.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

He'd made one picture after another with one French floozy after another, which were disasters one after another. He caught lightning in a bottle with this dreary documentary called the Longest Day. This revived all of his ego, but none of the talent. He was a completely changed man. He was not remotely the Zanuck that I'd known.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

And to make matters worse, Joe couldn't even get Zanuck on the phone to talk about this like adults. Instead, the two of them continued fighting in the press.

[Scott]

Joe had a competing press conference and tried to push back, and Zanuck was responded.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Zanuck told reporters that a little bit of Caesar had rubbed off on Joe. Joe responded saying he and Caesar had met a very similar end in public. Joe was witty. Behind the scenes.

[Scott]

He felt humiliated because he was portrayed and continues to be portrayed as the director of the film that broke 20th Century Fox.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But ultimately it was Fox's movie, not Mankiewicz's, because it was Fox's money, not Mankiewicz. Mankiewicz didn't have final cut, so all he could do was brood and kick and be bitter, which he was understandably.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

My Uncle Joe lost. Cleopatra stayed in the hands of Zanuck and it remained one movie. We'll never know if two would have been better than one, but according to Scott Imani, based on what we have seen, it's quite possible that Zanuck was right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's a slow movie. At six hours it'd be paralytic. I mean, I can't conceive of two more hours of Richard Burton breathing heavily and Elizabeth Taylor wafting through the scenes. Because the air goes out of the picture when Rex Harrison croaks at the end of Part one. I mean, I think Zanuck was probably correct. In his estimation, a slightly boring four hour movie is infinitely preferable to a stupefyingly boring six hour movie.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

With nothing left to do, Joe flew home to New York. It was Saturday, October 27, the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

By the presence of these large, long range and clearly offensive weapons constitutes an explicit threat to the peace and security of all the Americas.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

The world was on edge. Joe's sons, Chris and Tom met him at the airport waving American flags and blowing horns. Sunday, October 28th. Wonderful to wake up in my wonderful house to tackle the wonderful Sunday papers over a wonderful Sunday brunch with my wonderful sons. That same morning, the Cuban Missile Crisis ended.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

In the face of US determination, the Soviets dismantled their missiles and bombers and shipped them home.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

With nuclear war averted, America turned its attention back to Cleopatra.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

What's My Mind? Brought to you by Geratov.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

In November, my uncle Joe appeared appeared on a TV game show, what's My Line? Joe disguised his voice while blindfolded panelists tried to guess his identity.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Have you ever produced motion pictures or directed them? Yes. Is that a yes?

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Yes. One of those panelists quickly figured it out.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Did you have something to do with a picture that the cutting of which has been with withdrawn from your hands and put in someone else's hands? Unfortunately. Yeah, yeah. Yes. Is it the gentleman that directed Cleopatra with Mr. Burton Taylor? Is it Joe Mackow?

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe was now just as famous for losing Cleopatra as he was for making it. Then Joe did something no one expected. Something optimistic and something a bit out of character.

[Scott]

I was fascinated with him. I thought he was an extremely interesting man. And of course to listen to him talk was amazing.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

You know, that's Rosemary Matthews talking about Joe. She was introduced to Joe the way most people were by watching one of his movies.

[Scott]

I was in London working in some stage thing and I went to see All About Eve.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

A lamb loose in our big stone jungle.

[Scott]

It completely bowled me over. I thought it was the most brilliant thing I'd ever seen. But I never dreamed that I would meet him two years later.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Rosemary was from London. Her father was an Episcopalian archdeacon and her mother an eye surgeon. She met Joe in 1953 while he was married to Rosa Stradner. He was 44, Rosemary, 24.

[Scott]

She loved the movies, and she had been working in Italy, and she got a job as a production assistant on Barefoot Contessa.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

The Barefoot Contessa will shock you, provoke you, excite you, as no motion picture before it ever has.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

The Barefoot Contessa, a big hit for Joe. He shot it in Rome at Chinichita. One of Rosemary's jobs on the movie was. Was dialect coach. She spoke fluent Italian. She also looked after my cousins. Tom was 11, Chris 13.

[Scott]

She would drive the two boys around town, showing them Rome, scaring them to death, because she drove like an Italian. She was very good with taking up the country she was in. But she was not beautiful. She was just young and fresh and efficient. And during the shooting, when, which was a very bad period of Joe and Rose's marriage, he had an affair with Rosemary. And she was completely smitten. And it was very glamorous and exciting for Rosemary.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

After the Barefoot Contessa wrapped, Rosemary moved to the States. My cousin Chris says she wanted to be near Joe.

[Ryan Reynolds]

She basically used to hang around New York waiting to have a night with him. When my mother would throw him out, she would hang around waiting for Joe to call up, say where they should get together.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

When Joe decided Cleopatra would be shot in Rome, he hired Rosemary again, this time as a production secretary. Rosemary stood by Joe through all the difficult months in Rome.

[Scott]

The man was deteriorating physically, and she helped with the medicine. She took care of him.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Rosemary stayed by Joe's side through the debacle with Zanuck, and they remained together when they returned to New York. By then, Joe was weak and beaten down.

[Scott]

One night around Thanksgiving in November, they were watching a game on TV and smoking his pipe, and he said, well, we might as well get married. This wordsmith, that was his proposal. And so Rosemary started jumping up and down. She told me that I love that story. And again, being Rosemary, she put together a wedding and, you know, maybe 10 days. Got her parents over from England for it. And his kids were stunned that he would marry somebody like Rosemary. This pa, this production assistant, this non glamour puss.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe told his son Chris, the news over the phone, and he said, you.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Know, I know that you all don't Think of Rosemary very, you know, highly. But time has come in my life that I want to just relax. I don't want to have a woman who's challenging me or who's on a sort of high class or mucho glamour kind of level.

[Scott]

He'd been with a lot of volatile actresses, which is, you know, not hard to find. I mean, most actresses are pretty volatile.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

This is my cousin, Alex, Jo and Rosemary's daughter.

[Scott]

My mother was curious. She was up for things and she was capable of running a small country. She adored my father, and it was mutual. And there was not overt affection. They were deeply respectful, good partners. She knew when to be there and when not to be there.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe and Rosemary married on December 14, 1962. It was a small gathering at Joe's house. While Joe was getting married, Daryl Zanuck continued to cut away at Cleopatra. At some point, though, he realized he cut too much. The context was missing. The movie no longer made sense. Zanuck decided to shoot a new battle scene and hire back the director he had just fired. Joe was about to leave on his honeymoon to the Bahamas when Zanuck called.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Joel, when can we start shooting? Darrell asked me whether I would cooperate, which I should never have agreed to do. I should have just really stayed severed from it. But I did agree.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

The two agreed to stop attacking each other in the papers. But could they work together? Could Joe Mankiewicz and Daryl Zanuck get Cleopatra across the finish line? That's coming up after the break.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Your burger is served. And this is our finest Pepsi. Zero sugar. Its sweet profile perfectly balances the savory notes of your burger.

[Scott]

That is one perfect combination. Burgers deserve Pepsi. This message is sponsored by Greenlight. With school out, summer is the perfect time to teach our kids real world money skills they'll use forever. Greenlight is a debit card in the number one family finance and safety app used by millions of families, helping kids learn how to save, invest and spend wisely. Parents can send their kids money and track their spending and savings while kids build money, confidence and skills in fun ways. Start your risk free green light trial [e-mail] Spotify that's greenlight.com Spotify.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Assistant directors, form up all units. Mr. Mankiewicz, Mr. Williams, the camera crane area, please. All assistant directors.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

After his honeymoon, Joe traveled to Spain. They were shooting a battle scene on a beach made to look like the desert.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

This will be a take. Personnel not engaged in camera operations, clear the set immediately.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Things got weird. Zanuck was there and arranged for a Second camera crew to be on set. They were filming everything that happened behind the scenes. In the footage you can see Joe directing. He's wearing white pants, a white shirt and a dark sweater. Zanuck is in a trench coat and a newsboy cap, a big fat cigar in his mouth, bossing everyone around, including Joe.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Joe, I think we ought to take no gamble and move him back about 6ft.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

This behind the scenes footage was for a TV special. It left no no doubt who was calling the shots.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

$2 million was the original budget. 35 millions have already been spent and 2 million more will be spent before it's the way Zanuck wants it.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

The special aired on NBC. It was called the World of Darryl F. Zanuck. It made Zanuck out to be the king of Hollywood.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

I like making motion pictures. I like this life. And that's why I'm here in Spain at this moment. I can't be a president that just sits in an office. I'll also probably be a field general Occasionally too.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe is portrayed as an uncompromising tyrant.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Suggestions are taken, but director Joe Mankiewicz insists on his way. The cameras will roll on his schedule. Troops will charge at his command. Actors will die on his cue.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

At one point, Joe picks up a bullhorn. A thousand men on horseback are waiting for him to tell them what to do. But before he could, the wind picked up.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Take cover as quickly as possible. Take cover at once. We expect extremely heavy winds.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

It was a full on dust storm. Everyone scrambled. They had to cover the cameras, get horses into tents and and take shelter immediately.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Cleopatra's Curse and prison on this film from its inception.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe is a little hard to hear there. He said. Cleopatra's Curse has been on this film from its inception. I suppose after everything Joe had been through, you start to get a little superstitious. Eventually the storm passed and everyone got back to work.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Mr. Zanuck to camera crane area please. All cameraman to crane area.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Immediately after the dust settled, Zanuck climbed onto a big crane and sat behind a camera. Remember, he's not directing, but there he was looking into a viewfinder hammer crane.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Move to position one for rehearsal.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Suddenly the crane lifts Zanuck high into the air. Beneath him on the ground. My uncle Joe smoking a pipe, dwarfed by the man on the crane. Joe said this was the whole reason Zanuck showed up in Spain.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Dallas stayed up there, spent the entire day riding up and down the boom while NBC photographed him. Then he got on his helicopter and flew off. Foreign.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

It's Obvious why Zanuck wanted Joe back. What I can't figure out is why Joe agreed. I asked my cousin Alex, why'd he do it? Why did he return to Cleopatra?

[Scott]

Dad could have said, well, the hell with you, you know, I'm not coming back. Good luck. But his fundamental ambition was the work and and how good it would be.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Alex's answer explains so much about my uncle. He agreed to direct Cleopatra for the money. It was an act of whoredom, as he put it, but he was incapable of phoning it in. The more time he spent on Cleopatra, the more invested he became. That's why he fought Zanuck for his right to edit the movie. And that's why he agreed to direct this new battle scene. He wanted, needed to make a good movie.

[Scott]

Everything about him was about what's the long game here? The long game is long after all of us, you know. There's going to be a film that either is just awful and for which I will be blamed and will go down forever, or I can make it as good as possible.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

So Joe kept playing that long game, kept on working. He did it at the expense of his health and his reputation. All because when it was over, there'd be a movie.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, Siren of the Nile.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

After the opening battle scene was finished, Fox released a Cleopatra trailer.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Richard Burton as Mark Anthony Rash, impetuous leader of once invincible legion.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Cleopatra was scheduled to premiere in three months.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

The most expectantly awaited film in history, Cleopatra. Its world premiere at Broadway's rivoli Theater on June 12.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

The Rivoli Theater in New York had 1600 seats and a deep curved screen. That screen was actually put in by Mike Todd back in 1955. Posters started going up around town. Back then, movie posters were the main way of getting word out about a film. Everybody saw them in Times Square. They put up an enormous, enormous Cleopatra billboard featuring Liz and Richard as Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Notably missing was Rex Harrison.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

They were very, very keen on publicizing the film on Elizabeth and Richard because of the shamosal and the romance.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe noticed the absence of Rex and mentioned it to him the next time they met.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

And he said, have you got a likeness clause in your contract? I said, I'd never heard of a likeness clause. What's that?

[Ben Mankiewicz]

A likeness clause is something big stars have in their contracts. It specifies how a studio can use their image.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

So I found that I had a likeness clause with Burton. Equal. Equal. So then started this absolutely idiotic folly on this poster.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Rex complained to the studio. So Fox added him to the billboard, made him a little face in the corner like a postage stamp on an envelope. So Rex complained again. He still wasn't equal equal with Burton.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

And then finally, because my lawyers were at them all the time, they finally made another poster.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

The final poster has Elizabeth lying seductively on a bed while Richard and Rex hover behind her. They're both staring at Liz. She's not looking at either one of them. She's staring off into the distance. As movie posters go, it's not great.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Cleopatra and the spectacle of 9,000 actors on the screen.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

For three years, the press had been obsessed with Cleopatra. Thousands of news stories, near death emergencies, a torrid love affair, hirings, firings, and tens of millions of dollars. It all led to one night. Wednesday, June 12th.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

Cleopatra opening tonight in its charity 40 million dollar movie. Cleopatra. World premiere on Broadway tonight of Cleopatra.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Joe Mankiewicz had made his movie, or at least the best version he could. Now it was up to a worldwide audience to determine if it was all worth it.

[Darryl F. Zanuck]

And the reviews are coming in, the crowd is pouring out, and there is excitement. Cleopatra has finally arrived on Broadway.

[Ben Mankiewicz]

Angela Caron is our director of podcasts. Story editor is Rob Rosenthal. Jakob Friedman is our senior producer. Script writing by Jakob Friedman, Natalia Winkelman and Angela Caron. Research and fact checking by the indispensable James Sheridan. Audio editing and sound design by Mike Vulgaris. Mixing by Glenn Matullo. Production support from Liz Winter, Allison Fire, Matthew Ownby, Julie Bettone, Emma Morris, Jordan Chips, Nicole Hill and David Corwin at Patches. Thanks to our legal team, Jon Renaud and Kristen Hassell. The following TCM staffers help us get the word out about our podcast. So thank you to Alina Novik, Katie Daniels, David Byrne, Diana Bosch, Caroline Wigmore, Michelle Height and Stephanie Tames. Our executive producer is Charlie Tavish. And a special thank you to the archivists at the American Film Institute, the Wisconsin center for Film and Theater Research, and Boston University. We could not make these podcasts without the work of archivists around the country. Or for that matter, archivists around the country. Still not sure which one's right. Special thanks to my family, especially my cousins, Alex Mankiewicz and Nick Davis. I regret that I never got to interview my cousins, Tom and Chris Mankiewicz. They died before we started production. Thomas Avery of Tune Welders composed our theme music. I'm your host, Ben Mankiewicz. Thanks for listening. See you next time.