PeterRS Posted January 5, 2023 Posted January 5, 2023 It surely has to be the most frivolous case for a law suit! in 1967 the great director Franco Zeffirelli auditioned 300 young actors to play Romeo and Juliet in the new movie version he was making to be released the following year. He wanted more realism than possible for a stage version and actors for the lead roles who were roughly the ages Shakespeare's play intended. He selected two who already had not only aspirations to become actors but considerable experience. Leonard Whiting had been spotted by a theatrical agent at the age of 12. For 15 months he was a regular member of the cast of Lional Bart's musical "Oliver" in London's West End. He then spent 15 months with Britain's new National Theatre Company performing in a production of the classic William Congreve play "Love for Love" with Sir Lawrence Olivier in London, Moscow and Berlin. Olivia Hussey was also an apiring actor. In 1966 she had appeared along with Vanessa Redgrave in the London West End production of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". Both Whiting and Hussey would have been perfectly well aware that if they got the parts in the Zeffirelli movie, it would almost certainly do wonders for their careers. In the movie, their frivolous law suit suggests they were told by the studio and Zeffirelli that there would be no nudity in the movie. During shooting they allege they were then told there had to be mild nudity in the scene covering the morning after their wedding. In it, the upper part of Whiting's bare back is shown with the camera lingering for a moment on his buttocks. Hussey is shown with a sheet covering her front. For one brief moment it slips and reveals her breasts. Now, 56 years after filming, these two actors are alleging viollation of California and Federal laws against indecency and the exploitation of children! No doubt there is also something about emotional distress and long term mental damage in there! Is there anything more stupid? Why wait 56 years? Is it perhaps because Whiting's career never took off? Nor indeed did he have much success in his personal life. The child by his second wife, Charlotte, claims he never saw her until she was 12 years old. Hussey has had a much more successful acting career, but not in the leading roles she perhaps had thought might come her way. But surely Hussey gave away the fact that the present suit is indeed frivolous. In an interview in the show business publication Variety in 2018, she actually defended that nude scene (well, let's be honest, scene with tiny flashes of partial nudity!). "Nobody my age had done that before," she said, adding that Zeffirelli had shot it tastefully. "It was needed for the film. Everybody thinks they were so young they did not realize what they were doing. But we were very aware. We both came from drama schools and when you work you take your work very seriously." In a Fox News interview the same year, she said, "It wasn't that big of a deal. And Leonard wasn't shy at all! In the middle of shooting, I just completely forgot I didn't have clothes on!" Surely any judge reading that will throw this ridiculus law suit into the trash can where it belongs. Quote
Mavica Posted January 5, 2023 Posted January 5, 2023 A young man, 16 years of age, with a beautiful body - and supple ass - no doubt had more than one older man and woman in the entertainment community suck and/or fuck him. I loved that scene with him sprawled on the bed, with ass presented for our enjoyment. PeterRS 1 Quote
PeterRS Posted January 6, 2023 Author Posted January 6, 2023 The more I read about this law suit the more I confused I get. The movie was filmed entirely in Italy. Nudity in many European movies was far from uncommon at that time, unlike the much more prudish American fim industry. The two actors are both British, not American. Conveniently the lawsuit states they were all but forced to be nude by Zeffirelli, but he is dead and his estate is not named in the suit. The actors' lawyer has stated his clients "were very young children who had no iunderstanding aobut what was to hit them. All of sudden they were famous at a level they never expected, and in addition they were violated in a way they didn't know how to deal with." What a load of utter rubbish! tm_nyc 1 Quote
Members Riobard Posted January 6, 2023 Members Posted January 6, 2023 “A time for us someday there’ll be” … Not. Quote
PeterRS Posted January 7, 2023 Author Posted January 7, 2023 This diotic saga continues. Franco Zeffirelli's son has hit out against the two actors for basically lying. He reminds us that Olivia Hussey went on to work on Zeffirelli's mini-series Jesus of Nazareth and Whiting attended Zeffirelli's funeral in 2019. Hardly the actions of actors who believe they were violated. Pippo Zeffirelli adds - "In all these years, they have always maintained a relationship of deep gratitude towards Zeffirelli, releasing hundreds of interviews about the happy memory of their very fortunate experience." I hope Parmount counter sues! Quote
Members KYTOP Posted January 7, 2023 Members Posted January 7, 2023 I would think that at that age there must have been some parent involvement, surely they had to sign legal papers for underage child actor/actress? I've seen no mention so far in what I have read of their parents/guardians? And yes I think this whole thing is pretty stupid after all these years. Quote
PeterRS Posted January 7, 2023 Author Posted January 7, 2023 25 minutes ago, KYTOP said: I would think that at that age there must have been some parent involvement, surely they had to sign legal papers for underage child actor/actress? I've seen no mention so far in what I have read of their parents/guardians? That seems to be American thinking. These two young people were seasoned British actors and they worked in Europe. Nudity in movies was not such a big thing. Parental consent was required for Hussey showing a flash of her tits and it was given in writing. With the age of consent being 16, Whiting did not require any parental consent for showing his ass. After seeing the movie, the producers of "True Grit" offered Hussey the lead role of Mattie. She turned it down, saying "John Wayne doesn't do anything for me." In 1968 she was also offered the title role in Hal Wallis' movie "Anne of a Thousand Days" a movie that was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Actress. She turned it down. The role went to Canadian actress Genevieve Bujold who won a Golden Globe for her performance. So much for Ms. Hussey's career having suffered! She inflicted those wounds on herself! "Romeo and Juliet" was regulated by the British Board of Film Censors for showing in the UK. It gave it an A classification as being acceptable for minors in the presence of an adult. The BBFC was more concerned about the violence and suicides than it was with the nudity! In the USA it was given a G rating meaning all ages could see it. Only in 1973 was this rating changed to PG, meaning it MIGHT be inappropriate for children under 13. Children of 14 and 15 were still able to watch the movie without a guardian. This idiotic law suit is no doubt a ploy by an unscrupulous lawyer out to make a quick buck through a hefty percentage of any winnings. It such cases, often the accused (Paramount) will make a small out of court payment simply to avoid the cost of hiring lawyers and fighting the case in court. Hopefully Paramount will counter-sue. At least they stand to make perhaps a lot more cash with reruns of the movie on TV. Quote
