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Jerry Orbach, star of Dirty Dancing, Beauty and the Beast and Law & Order once worked for Mae West as a chauffeur. They stayed in touch after he left her employ and remained friends until she passed away.
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Alfred Hitchcock's Rope is known for its revolutionary cinematography and editing. The film is shot so as to look like it was filmed in one continuous session, though there are many clever edits orchestrated by Mr. Hitchcock. The unorthodox production resulted in a broken foot for one crew member who stifled himself so that shooting could continue. The shot was used in the final cut of the film.
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When Roman Polanski began casting his film Fearless Vampire Killers, producer Martin Ransohoff insisted that he cast the little known actress Sharon Tate in the film. Roman resisted, thinking that Sharon Tate was a terrible actress and ill-suited for the film. Sharon's first impressions of Roman were equally negative and she wanted nothing to do with him. Martin persisted and they gave in, falling in love on the set and eventually marrying each other despite their initial misgivings.
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When Orson Welles made the film Citizen Kane, which was loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, Mr. Welles became public enemy number one in Hearst's eyes. Mr. Hearst used every weapon in his media arsenal to shut the film down. He didn't succeed, though Mr. Welles found things to be rough going for the rest of his career. Mr. Welles used to talk about an awkward elevator ride in which he just so happened to share the space with Mr. Hearst himself. The two men stood in silence for the entire time, awkwardly looking at anything other than each other.
