Raoul Walsh’s account as related in his autobiography, Each Man In His Time, gives the MOST entertaining version of this alleged incident… WELL WORTH seeking out.
As for “THE TRUTH”… I’ll come clean and say I’m with Gene (and of course Buster- and Ralph as well).
That said, the fact that this “account” continues to have legs after 78 plus years, gives credence to the oft repeated phrase in the closing scene from a film of some note:
Maybe this biography of W.C Fields with anecdotes as remembered by Mrs. Monti can be of help. In the movie version starring Rod Steiger the macabre manhandling of John Barrymorgue, ehm Barrymore, is reenacted. If the story was in the book, which appeared two years before Walsh went public with it, another affermative source has appeared. If on the other hand it was incorporated by Austrian co director Billy Wilder, even if it was lacking in the bio, knowing his knack for Hollywood folklore, I`d say he fully was prepared to take the hilarious heist at face value against better knowledge, for it was too good a story to pass over.
Ralph Schiller
August 21, 2020 at 5:55 pm
Thanks Tim, In his autobiography movie stuntman Buster Wiles says there is no truth to this Hollywood legend.
Karl
August 22, 2020 at 12:07 pm
Here’s a bit more of the HISTORY of the story…
www.oldradioshows.org…
Raoul Walsh’s account as related in his autobiography, Each Man In His Time, gives the MOST entertaining version of this alleged incident… WELL WORTH seeking out.
As for “THE TRUTH”… I’ll come clean and say I’m with Gene (and of course Buster- and Ralph as well).
That said, the fact that this “account” continues to have legs after 78 plus years, gives credence to the oft repeated phrase in the closing scene from a film of some note:
“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend…”
Gentleman Tim
August 25, 2020 at 4:06 am
What? It’s not true!?
Please don’t tell me that Weekend at Bernie’s was fiction, too!
gfycat.com…
Well, let’s hope Drew gets the party she wants, and I’d bet J.B. would have really loved.
shangheinz
August 25, 2020 at 11:27 pm
[img]https://www.theerrolflynnblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Fields.jpg[/img]
Maybe this biography of W.C Fields with anecdotes as remembered by Mrs. Monti can be of help. In the movie version starring Rod Steiger the macabre manhandling of John Barrymorgue, ehm Barrymore, is reenacted. If the story was in the book, which appeared two years before Walsh went public with it, another affermative source has appeared. If on the other hand it was incorporated by Austrian co director Billy Wilder, even if it was lacking in the bio, knowing his knack for Hollywood folklore, I`d say he fully was prepared to take the hilarious heist at face value against better knowledge, for it was too good a story to pass over.
Karl
August 26, 2020 at 1:32 pm
In Errol’s FINAL interview (with Life Magazine published 10/26/59) even HE couldn’t pass up the opportunity for the retelling of a good STORY!