In only his third directed film, Erich von Stroheim was gaining a reputation of being excessively profligate in spending wads of Universal Studio's cash in his obsessive perfectionism while producing January 1922's "Foolish Wives." The filming was taking a year, running up record costs. His spending on the project, so high because of set designs and hiring thousands of extras, was becoming so great the studio decided to secure some marketing advantage by placing an electronic sign on a Broadway building in New York City giving weekly updats on production expenses associated with "Foolish Wives." When the ticker tripped to one million dollars, Stroheim's film was reportedly the first to cross that magic figure in Hollywood history.
Universal had retained the Austrian-born actor/director/writer on the basis of his two previously successful movies, ones which exhibited a relatively degree of production efficiency and saved the studio from impending bankruptcy. Universal vice president R. H. Cochrane gave Stroheim a bigger budget for his third film, one that included constructing an exact facade duplication of Monte Carlo entertainment-complex as well as another set on the windy Monterey Peninsula.
Stroheim's spending on "Foolish Wives" became legendary: huge expenditures for costumes, including silk stockings and even silk underwear for the actors so they could get into their well-heeled characters, according to Stroheim. He also bought lavish set pieces with real crystal chandeliers and top--end tapestry wall coverings, and servings of expensive champaign and caviar during the banquet scenes. Why couldn't the director use the far cheaper blackberry jam and ginger ale to look similar to its outrageously exorbitant counterparts, asked a studio executive. "Because my actors will know the difference, I will know the difference, and the camera will know the difference," sniffed Stroheim.
Universal president Carl Laemmle became so concerned about the rising costs, budgeted at $250,000 but escalating well north of that, he sent his assistant, 21-year-old Irving Thalberg, from New York to Hollywood to quicken the pace. Irving got permission to fire Stroheim, prompting the director to say the film would never be completed since he was the main actor in the movie. Thalberg sat on the set, and once he felt there was enough of the story to be made into a complete movie, he shut down the production despite Stroheim's arguments against the move. Laemmle was so impressed by Thalberg's handling of the fiery Austrian he promoted the young man to head his studio's production division.
Stroheim had processed reams of filmed footage. He spent six months editing the behemoth monstrosity. Emerging out of the editing room, the director labeled his 32-reels, eight-hour film 'perfect.' Universal disagreed with his assessment that "Foolish Wives" could be seen in a two-evening setting. Several editors whittled the movie down to 14 reels and 210 minutes, prompting Stroheim to complain the studio stripped his masterpiece "to the bone." After further cuts from various state censor boards, the final film was a spare 10-reel, 73-minute picture. Several versions since its New York premier have expanded Stroheim's work. The box office take on "Foolish Wives" was $800,000, and if the reality of production costs were factored under one million, then Universal broke even.
The tale of the production of "Foolish Wives" overwhelms the Stroheim-written script of a Russian count with two female partners who set up married women to extort money from them from his seductions. One person he has an affair with is a mentally-challenged woman, whose father disapproves so much of the relationship that it will have lasting consequences for the swindler.
Despite all the rancor "Foolish Wives" created for Universal, he was still given several opportunities to direct movies throughout the remainder of the the 1920's. But having total control throughout with an unlimited budget wasn't in his future, however, after what happened with "Foolish Wives."
Universal had retained the Austrian-born actor/director/writer on the basis of his two previously successful movies, ones which exhibited a relatively degree of production efficiency and saved the studio from impending bankruptcy. Universal vice president R. H. Cochrane gave Stroheim a bigger budget for his third film, one that included constructing an exact facade duplication of Monte Carlo entertainment-complex as well as another set on the windy Monterey Peninsula.
Stroheim's spending on "Foolish Wives" became legendary: huge expenditures for costumes, including silk stockings and even silk underwear for the actors so they could get into their well-heeled characters, according to Stroheim. He also bought lavish set pieces with real crystal chandeliers and top--end tapestry wall coverings, and servings of expensive champaign and caviar during the banquet scenes. Why couldn't the director use the far cheaper blackberry jam and ginger ale to look similar to its outrageously exorbitant counterparts, asked a studio executive. "Because my actors will know the difference, I will know the difference, and the camera will know the difference," sniffed Stroheim.
Universal president Carl Laemmle became so concerned about the rising costs, budgeted at $250,000 but escalating well north of that, he sent his assistant, 21-year-old Irving Thalberg, from New York to Hollywood to quicken the pace. Irving got permission to fire Stroheim, prompting the director to say the film would never be completed since he was the main actor in the movie. Thalberg sat on the set, and once he felt there was enough of the story to be made into a complete movie, he shut down the production despite Stroheim's arguments against the move. Laemmle was so impressed by Thalberg's handling of the fiery Austrian he promoted the young man to head his studio's production division.
Stroheim had processed reams of filmed footage. He spent six months editing the behemoth monstrosity. Emerging out of the editing room, the director labeled his 32-reels, eight-hour film 'perfect.' Universal disagreed with his assessment that "Foolish Wives" could be seen in a two-evening setting. Several editors whittled the movie down to 14 reels and 210 minutes, prompting Stroheim to complain the studio stripped his masterpiece "to the bone." After further cuts from various state censor boards, the final film was a spare 10-reel, 73-minute picture. Several versions since its New York premier have expanded Stroheim's work. The box office take on "Foolish Wives" was $800,000, and if the reality of production costs were factored under one million, then Universal broke even.
The tale of the production of "Foolish Wives" overwhelms the Stroheim-written script of a Russian count with two female partners who set up married women to extort money from them from his seductions. One person he has an affair with is a mentally-challenged woman, whose father disapproves so much of the relationship that it will have lasting consequences for the swindler.
Despite all the rancor "Foolish Wives" created for Universal, he was still given several opportunities to direct movies throughout the remainder of the the 1920's. But having total control throughout with an unlimited budget wasn't in his future, however, after what happened with "Foolish Wives."