Tag Archives: cia

The CIA Join Twitter With The Best Tweet Ever

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The CIA Join TwitterThe CIA joined twitter with what is, possibly, the best first tweet ever.

The Twitter account was launched a few days after the CIA opened a Facebook page, on which it honoured D-Day.  The agency will use its social media to post job openings, trivia from the CIA World Fact book, photos and “reflections on intelligence history.” The agency will also partake in Throwback Thursday and event livestreaming.

 

The CIA quickly had over 400,000 followers (now at 584,000) and the tweet has 280,000 retweets and 170,000 favourites. Not bad for three days.

What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Argo | Film review

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Just under a decade ago, it seemed that it was nearing the end for Ben Affleck. Having climbed to immediate fame with an Oscar win for the script to Good Will Hunting and engaging performances in the films of Kevin Smith, Affleck appeared in several critical flops that tarnished the golden boy image. The most notable examples were Michael Bay’s excruciatingly saccharine war drama Pearl Harbour and the tonally misjudged crime comedy Gigli which occurred at the same time he found himself caught up in the hysterically inane media frenzy referred to as ‘Bennifer’. It seemed that the talent had been squandered and it was only a matter of time before he was swallowed up by obscurity, another casualty on Hollywood’s walk of fame. But some refuse to go down without a fight and over the last few years Affleck has slowly been building up his resume as not just an excellent actor but a filmmaker. His 2007 debut Gone Baby Gone won critical acclaim and the follow up The Town proved to be a solid if unremarkable effort that performed well with audiences. Affleck showcased an unfussy, clear and stark directorial style that convinced many that his future now lay behind the camera rather in front of it. Now he stars in and directs a new project that both (cautiously) bites the Hollywood hand that feeds but also offers up a true story that seems so unbelievable upon first listen but proves to be a fruitful subject for a thriller.

In 1979, the American embassy in Tehran was overrun by revolutionaries furious that America had given sanctuary to the recently exiled Shah. Over fifty American diplomats and military personal were taken hostage in a crisis that lasted over a year and saw a collapse in diplomatic relations between America and Iran and left geopolitical aftershocks that can still be felt today. The crisis itself kept the nation on tenterhooks yet the story here concerns something not made public at the time. Six Americans managed to escape the embassy before its downfall and took refuge at the Canadian ambassador’s residence. Realizing that their discovery would result in capture and possible death, the CIA struggled to come up with a plan to get them out of the country safely. This where Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes into the story. Having exhausted all other ideas, Mendez proposes an idea as bizarre as it is dangerous; they will pass the six off as a Canadian film crew scouting ‘exotic locations’ for a science fiction B-Movie called Argo including setting up a fake production company and a script to make the ruse as believable as possible.

From the opening shot of the classic seventies Warner Bros logo and through its tense, frenetic opening act it’s clear that Affleck has done his homework. Handheld cameras, saturated filters and even replicated scratches on the digital print all combine to make Argo appear to be a genuine political thriller made in the era of its setting. There’s a visual tone and atmosphere that recalls the likes of All The President’s Men and The Parallax View though certainly not without its own visual sheen that thankfully never becomes to on the nose. Affleck’s proven he’s got the gritty chops in his previous endeavours but what really impresses in this latest outing is his control over the tone of the story. It’s a work which crosses over the line between humorous incredulity and genuine life or death tension. The first half of the film is filled out with Mendez’s exploits in Hollywood as he recruits Oscar winning makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (a scene stealing Alan Arkin) to painstakingly set up a production they have no intention of making. As Chambers puts to Mendez, ‘You want to come to Hollywood, flash some money and not do anything? You’ll fit right in!’ It’s playful, light satire that doesn’t stray into the more cynical depictions of Tinseltown we’ve seen in the past but it provides a sharp relief from the darker tones of the drama. Thankfully there is no awkward transition; when Mendez heads out to Iran the tone of tension and claustrophobia is simply unrelenting. Narrative events clearly drift into dramatic license toward its final set piece but when the execution is this good then that is forgivable. I was reminded of Ron Howard’s Apollo 13, a film that drew every bead of tension available from an inevitable conclusion.

Whereas in The Town Affleck seemed a little stiff in front of the camera, he feels much more relaxed here. He fits the dual role of spy and every day practical man rather well and sells the urgency of his character’s predicament without ever resorting to an over the top performance. A subplot involving Mendez’s separated wife and son feels quite unnecessary but is thankfully kept to a bare minimum. It is a film that favours its ensemble cast rather than one particular performer and this works all the better for it. Goodman and Arkin are a safe pair of hands and handle the comedic aspects of the Hollywood scenes with aplomb while Bryan Cranston is reliably grouchy in the role of Mendez’s CIA boss. If there is anyone to single out and praise it is the six who portray the American refuges. Established character actors rather than big name stars, they convey fear, resilience, scepticism and compassion that stays clear of melodrama and makes you genuinely care about their predicament and fate. Scoot McNairy in particular continues to build on a strong filmography that includes his superb turn in this year’s Killing Them Softly. Some commentators have criticised the films portrayal of Iranians, claiming it confuses the actions of the government with the general population and reduces them to a mass of simplified, chanting antagonists. I personally disagree with this; I found it much more even handed with sympathetic portrayals of certain characters and the grounding in historical fact. There is one wry scene where an Iranian official berates Mendez, undercover as a producer, for portraying Iran as ‘a land of flying carpets and snake charmers.’ There is certainly room for discussion though given the recent flowering of Iranian cinema in to western audiences and the complicated history between the two nations.

Argo is certainly not a classic but is an astonishingly well made, confident and brisk thriller that walks a fine line between its two sides of the coin and stands as Affleck’s most assured directorial work to date and a front runner for upcoming awards season. It will be fascinating to see where he goes next.

Interview with Homeland Actor David Harewood

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David Harewood is the British actor who plays David Estes, the director of the CIA’s Counterterrorist Centre, the the brilliant Channel 4 drama Homeland. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Harewood has been a fixture on the London stage for many years, earning praise for his work in such plays as Sam Mendes’ Othello at the National Theatre, which later went to Broadway.

Harewood appeared in Separate Lies, written and directed by Julian Fellowes; the 2004 screen version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons; and Blood Diamond, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly.

On British television, Harewood was a regular on such series as The Vice, Robin Hood and Babyfather. He was also seen as Mandela in the television movie Mrs. Mandela. Harewood also guest stars in a number of series including Doctor Who, Strikeback and Criminal Justice.

 

A surprising number of fans of Homeland don’t realise that you’re a Brit. Explain where you’re from…

I’m from Small Heath in Birmingham. It’s hilarious to me. I’ve been acting for 26 years, in everything from Casualty to The Bill to The Vice, I’ve played Othello at The National Theatre – it’s taken me 26 years to be an overnight success, as the old gag goes, and it’s hilarious that all these Brits think that I’m American. And here in America, whenever I turn up on the red carpet, they’re all stunned to find out that I’m British.

 

That’s particularly impressive that the Americans themselves are stunned. That clearly shows that you’re doing something right.

Well, yeah. It’s always something I try to do. I’ve always tried to put character ahead of personality. I’m really glad that, even today, people kind of recognise me, they kind of know where I’m from, but no-one’s able to place me. I think that’s because I’ve done so much stuff, and hopefully it’s a testament to my ability to act.

 

Growing up in Birmingham, you were a very useful goalkeeper, weren’t you?

Very useful – The Cat, I was once known as. [Laughs] I used to play a lot as a kid, and I had trials as an All England Schoolboy. But I was never going to do it too seriously. Whenever it rained, on a wet, windy Saturday morning, I’d stand there thinking “What on earth am I doing here?” My heart was never really in it. But I played with some fantastic footballers, and it was a huge part of my life.

 

You went to RADA at the age of 18. Did that open up a whole new world for you?

Completely! I’d never really paid much attention at school – I was always a bit of a clown, really – that’s why I started acting. I wasn’t particularly attractive, and I wasn’t particularly academic, so the only way I could really get any attention was to mess about and be a bit of an idiot. At the time it was fantastic, but I suppose it was to the detriment of my education. Then I turned up at RADA, and went in on my first day, and they’re all talking about Brecht and Moliere and Dostoyevsky, and I’m thinking “Who the hell are they?” It was a real eye-opener. I really started to appreciate literature, and it was a wonderful journey. I was very lucky, I had a wonderful few years there.

 

Did you struggle to find work after you left?

I was very lucky, I came straight out and got a job. I played Romeo for Temba Theatre Company, which was the biggest black theatre company at the time. I’ve always been really, really busy, I’ve been very lucky. I think I spent the first five or six years just not stopping. I didn’t have any difficulty – the difficulty came much later on, when I got older and started to play roles with more authority on stage, that there were fewer and fewer roles for me on screen to do. That’s when I started to struggle, because of the frustration of playing really authoritative, strong roles at The National, but really struggling to match that on screen. I’ve been really, really fortunate to fall into this role [in Homeland].

 

Landing the role must have been a great thrill – acting opposite actors of the calibre of Claire Danes, Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin.

I hadn’t worked for a year when I got the gig – partly for personal reasons, and partly because I just couldn’t get a gig, and then suddenly to find that I was sharing a screen with them was just extraordinary. I’ve just had a wonderful year. I suppose it’s like football – you play with better footballers, you get better. I’ve really found that just by watching them and working closely with them, seeing how they prepare and how they execute, has been a real joy, and I can only hope that there are more roles for me of this calibre, working with this calibre of actor. It’s been an absolute pleasure, it really has.

 

When you’re filming something like Homeland, do you get a real sense that you’re making something that’s going to be really, really good, or can you never tell?

A bit of both. I think everybody was very surprised by the immediacy of the success of the show – we were still filming the show when it became a massive hit in America. It’s kind of a goldfish bowl filming here in Charlotte, North Carolina – I think people do watch it here, but I was really surprised when I went to New York how many people were coming up to me and saying they enjoyed the show. I think in LA it’s such a huge show – it’s on posters and billboards everywhere, and this isn’t that kind of town, where there are billboards for TV shows.

 

David Estes is a fairly ambitious character, intent on climbing the greasy pole. What are your feelings towards him?

To be honest with you, I really struggled with him during the first season – I just didn’t know who he was. I told that to the writers at the end of the season, and they’ve done a fantastic job of really filling him out this year and giving him much more of a personality. Last year he was just the authority figure in the background who was always anti-Carrie. That was difficult, because I didn’t know why he had such antagonism towards her, and I didn’t know who he was. I only really discovered that when I played a scene right at the end of the season, when I played a scene with Mandy Patinkin, when you realise that actually he is implicated, and inextricably linked to this whole bomb attack on Abu Nazir, and how much he’d buried all of that information, and how much he was linked to the Vice President. I didn’t know any of that until the very last couple of episodes. It was a huge revelation to me that the reason why I’d been so antagonistic about Carrie finding out about Abu Nazir was because I’d been responsible for this drone strike. It was a huge piece of the jigsaw for me, when I read those scenes, and it’s been like taking a cork out of a bottle. This season has been fantastic for me, because now I know who he is, I understand him, I like him. Yes, okay, he may have sold his soul to a certain extent to get where he wants to, but who wouldn’t? A lot of us, to get where we want to be, would do what we can. It’s fascinating being out here in the world of American politics during an election. You see the real dirty side of politics, with the ads they’re running. If you want to get where you want to get to, you might have to do things that are seemingly unpalatable.

 

Why do you think they went for two Brits in key roles in the series?

That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? It’s what everybody’s been asking. And we’ve got a third Brit – we’ve got Rupert Friend joining in this series. The director just says that they were the most interesting tapes that he saw.

 

When you’re on set, between scenes, or when you break for lunch, do you keep talking in an American accent, or do you revert back?

It’s quite extraordinary – all three of the British actors have almost an unspoken rule that nobody’s ever mentioned – we nearly always stay in our American accents when we’re at work. Damian’ll come to work and I’ll be like [puts on American accent] “Hey, man, how’s it goin’?” And he doesn’t look at me and say “What the f*** are you talking like that for?” It’s just unspoken. Every now and again one might drop out of accent and talk about the Olympics, or about something political that happens in the country, like the riots last year, when you have to get out of the accent. But most of the time you just forget, it becomes second nature.

 

You’ve mentioned that it’s election year in America. I hear that Homeland is Barack Obama’s favourite show. Is that a great thrill?

Oh it is. He’s metnioned it several times in interviews – it’s a fantastic thrill. It’s unfortunate that we were on hiatus when he was here for the Democratic convention. I’m sure he knows that we film the show here in Charlotte. Apparently, because his big speech was moved from the stadium to indoors because of the weather, he might be coming back to the state just to do something for the volunteers. Wouldn’t it be amazing to get a visit from the President?

 

Dare I say that it probably wouldn’t be as much of a thrill to have Mitt Romney visit?

Not really! I am astonished it’s so close, to be honest with you. It’s just beyond me that people are even considering him. But there are a lot of people who aren’t convinced by Obama. A lot of people are saying they’re not even going to bother voting this time. That’s bad, that people feel that politics doesn’t mean anything to them. That’s the scary part, that he’s going to lose because the people who voted for him last time just can’t be bothered this time.

 

Season 2 is about to Premiere in the US. Are you excited?

I’m really genuinely excited. From a personal point of view, it’s great because Estes has been given a lot more to do in this series. But it’s just such a fantastic show, I think people are going to be really, really excited to see it. I’ve read so many tweets and blogs where people have said it’s just a one season show which they can’t take any further, but these writers are fantastic. They’ve managed not only to recreate the same amount if tension, but to ratchet it up again. I think fans of the show are going to be very, very pleased.

 

Are you allowed to give us any hints about what we can expect from the series?

I can tell you that the second season begins in Israel. And I can tell you that Carrie will be back in the CIA in some capacity, and that, from what I hear, though I still don’t know, the mole will be revealed. You’re all going to be very surprised.

 

You were awarded an MBE at the beginning of the year. How did that feel?

Absolutely tremendous. It remains, and always will be, one of the proudest days of my life. To have gone there and got that pinned on, and had my daughter and mum be at the palace watching me get that award, it’s one of the proudest things that ever happened to me. I’m really, really chuffed about it.

 

Series 2 of Homeland will be on Channel 4 in October.

Win a DVD Boxset of CIA Thriller Covert Affairs.

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From the producer of The Bourne Trilogy…

Piper Perabo stars in COVERT AFFAIRS. SERIES 1

Out on DVD from 18 June

Also available for legal download and via video-on-demand on 18 June

Frost Magazine have one boxset of CIA thriller Covert Affairs to giveaway. For how to win, see below. The sexiest, action packed spy series to hit the UK, COVERT AFFAIRS: SERIES 1, comes to DVD on 18 June from Universal Playback. TV channel Really’s most watched drama ever stars Golden Globe (R) nominee, Piper Perabo (Cheaper By The Dozen, Coyote Ugly), Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty, Love Bites) Peter Gallagher (The O.C., Burlesque) and is from the producer of The Bourne Trilogy, Doug Liman.

Series 2 is currently showing on Really, with Series 3 expected to air later in 2012 as the show continues to grow in popularity.

Being a federal agent isn’t easy as Annie Walker (Perabo) experiences at her first interview at the CIA. Wired up to a polygraph machine Annie has to answer probing questions from a future co-worker who clearly doesn’t think she’s up for the challenge. Using her wit and intelligence Annie manages to avoid all stages of embarrassment and impresses her new colleague with some tactful answers, all the while beaming with confidence.

Annie is thrust into the inner sanctum of the agency when she is unexpectedly promoted to field operative and is propelled into a shadowy world full of cons, killers and international crime rings when she begins working on a case lead by Arthur Campbell (Gallagher), who heads up the agencies most secretive department.

While it appears that she has been plucked from obscurity for her exceptional linguistic skills, there may be something, or someone, from her past that her CIA bosses are really after.

Covert Affairs: Series 1 is available on DVD from 18 June, courtesy of Universal Playback.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DVD DETAILS

Title: Covert Affairs – Series 1

Certificate: 12

Run Time: xx

Genre: TV Drama

RRP (DVD): xx

Special Features:

 Deleted scenes

 Gag reel

 Cast and crew commentaries

 Behind the scenes featurettes including:

o Welcome to the farm

o Blind insight

o Set tour

Film Characters To Put Into Your Low Budget Film.

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The key to low-budget film-making is to have as few locations as possible. Locations and travel cost money.


Anna Paquin who is in the vampire TV show True Blood

Now, onto characters. You can’t afford to have a baseball player in your film if you want to see him in action. The key is having characters who can look authentic without renting expensive stadiums.

CIA agents are always popular in films. All you need is an actor in a suit, and, possibly, a fake gun. (If you are filming outside with a fake gun you must alert the authorities and tell them you will be filming in the area. Least you get shot by armed police thinking you are some kind of homicidal killer).

FBI agents: Ditto.

Waitress. Make a gritty, real life drama. It is relatively easy to talk a cafe owner into filming in their establishment for free. They will probably say yes for some publicity and a thank you in the credits.

People in love; everyone loves a good love story, and a happy ending. The purpose of film is to tell a story visually. Is there possibly an easier story to tell than a story about love and relationships. Something we all understand and go through?

Gangsters. a suit, a fake cockney accent and a fake gun. Brevity is the soul of low-budget film-making. Be careful when doing a gangster film though. They are heard to do well as Martin Scorsese has put the bar so high. You could make a good short if you have a good, original take on it.

Zombies; It’s easy to find a trainee make up artist who wants to add to their portfolio so your zombies will be authentic. It’s another popular genre.

Vampires; They are huge right now thanks to Twilight and True Blood. How hard is it to find some black clothes and fake blood? Bloody easy in fact.

More important than the genre and characters for a film is the script. An original film, well acted, and with a good script can beat any big budget blockbuster. Money is no longer a problem for independent filmmakers. You can make a film on a shoestring budget.

Photo credit: DarkChacal

Covert Affairs Season Two Review

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Really. Mondays, 9pm

Covert Affairs is the show that fills in the Alias shapped holes in  spy fans lives. A well written CIA drama with an attractive young women at the helm.
Piper Perabo is an incredibly talented actress, making Annie Walker both vulnerable and capable. I’m a fan of this American spy drama. It’s American entertainment at it’s best. Walker reminds me of the Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire quote; “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in heels”. Walker is a women in a man’s world kicking ass and taking names. A great thing to see.

 

Golden Globe nominee Piper Perabo returns for another brand new and exclusive series of the hit US spy show.

Annie Walker (Perabo) is a smart, stunning and very recent CIA field operative in one of the organisation’s most secretive branches, the Domestic Protection Agency. Dressing up in weird and wonderful disguises to infiltrate the bad guys? Check. Running and shooting in six-inch heels? No problem. No matter how hotshot she becomes, not being able to sort out her own love life? Sigh.

There was high drama at the end of the last series – Annie’s ex Ben, the man who disappeared after a holiday romance in Sri Lanka, walked into CIA headquarters and gave himself up, confessing that he was a rogue agent. Sent with Annie back to Sri Lanka to prove he’s one of the good guys and crack an arms dealing ring, we last saw the reunited love birds on a helicopter zooming out of the country, Ben laying in Annie’s arms.

Series two starts much as series one did. Just as Annie thinks that there might be a future for her and Ben, he buggers off again. Men! But there’s no time to think – Annie is assigned to protect an Estonian tennis player who is considered a CIA asset.

Starring Piper Perabo, Christopher Gorham, The O.C.’s Peter Gallagher, Lost’s Sendhil Ramamurthy and 24’s Kari Matchett.

 

Fair Game Review

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As a Vanity Fair subscriber I came across this story a long time before the movie came out. When Valerie Plame was outed as a CIA officer by the White House in retaliation for her husband Joe Wilson stating that, actually he DIDN’T find any yellow cake urainium in Niger, despite what the president was saying. It’s a shocking true story, and also quite depressing that the White House went to such great lengths to find reason for their ilegal war in Iraq.

Naomi Watts play Plame and Sean Penn plays Wilson. They are both excellent. Totally on form. The film is that rare thing, something that educates and entertains. Even rarer, it is a film that shows the CIA in a (semi) good light. You get the feeling that Plame really wanted to help change the world for the better and so much was taken from her. Scooter Libby getting his comeuppance it worth the price of admission.

This is a film that is definitely worth seeing.

Crossing The Bridge – Marilyn Monroe Reveals All

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So, I suppose the first question is how are you? Assuming that it isn’t a redundant question.

Not at all. I feel fine. To tell you the truth, nothing much changes from before. You still feel everything you felt before. After all, it’s what makes a person, your emotions.  Without them, you’re kinda nothing at all. So, what you were before, you still are. But all the rough edges are sorta taken off. Does that make sense?

Without going into the religious aspect too much. Is it Heaven? Have you seen God?

Heaven’s what you make it, if you want to call it Heaven. It’s not like you’re taught at school. Let’s face it, no one can know what’s out there, so it’s all guesswork until it happens to you. It’s another state of mind really. It’s whatever you want. Some people prefer the green fields and flowing rivers, others prefer a city bar and a shot of bourbon. Me, I like both and that’s the beauty, afterlife’s what you make it! (Giggles).

So let’s get this out of the way, once and for all. August 5th 1962. What really happened?

Oh God, Here we go. I knew this would come up. OK. So let’s get it straight. You can’t help laughing at all the conspiracy theories. To be honest, if you didn’t, you’d cry. I’ve seen it so many times since. Jack in Dallas, Elvis, even your Lady Diana. It just seems like when certain people die, other people can’t accept accidents and have to put a different meaning to it. I don’t know, maybe because their grief demands it. It makes people less mortal, less weak if there’s something else behind it. Of course, Jack was murdered, but people are still tying themselves up in knots over the hows and whys.

So OK, who did shoot JFK?

Who do you think? Oswald was apparently on the sixth floor (of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas). The first shot hit Jack in the back and came out through his neck. That’s not a shot from high up. Same with the second hit. (Governor John) Connally was shot in the back too and the bullet came out of his chest. The third got Jack in the head. Oswald didn’t make the shot. Wrong place. Plus he just didn’t have the skill. For the third shot to kill Jack and miss Jackie? That’s a trained marksman. CIA. They weren’t happy with Jack’s reforms. Bang.

And getting back to you in ‘62? You must be aware that there’s talk the CIA were involved.

Ha! I think they barely noticed me in a political sense. If anything, I provided them with a convenient distraction. While Jack’s with me, they’re free to carry on while the focus is elsewhere. Listen, I’m not proud of it, but the Kennedys were great people. Jackie knew Jack had a weakness for women. And let’s face it, I wasn’t the first or last. You’ve got the most powerful man in the world paying you attention? You’d have to be as hard as steel not to have your head turned.

Truth is, I really wasn’t well. You’re supposed to be a world-famous actress, adored by millions. But honestly? It’s surprisingly lonely. No one really wants you to be yourself. There’s Marilyn and there’s Norma Jeane. When the door closes, it’s just Norma Jeane.

I know it’s a cliché, but you really do suspect everyone’s motives for trying to get near you. They may be crazy, they may think they really love you, but it’s the image they see on film they love. You’ve met people in the industry. Their public persona is nothing like the people they really are in most cases.

The Misfits was so tough. I was drinking, drinking too much really. I wasn’t sleeping and the doctors were putting me on more and more drugs. It wasn’t good for me, but, you know, you think they know what they’re doing and you’re gonna get through it. And things’ll get better in time. There just wasn’t that much time for me, I guess.

When (Clark) Gable died just days after we wrapped, I felt kinda responsible. I hadn’t been at my best during the whole thing and I confess I went AWOL a couple of times. His wife Kay didn’t blame me, of course, but I could have made things easier, I suppose.

It was Something’s Got To Give that was a step too far really. It makes me laugh that the conspiracy nuts don’t really notice how appropriate the title was. I’d done the nude scenes in the pool, which they sold to Life magazine as publicity and then, of course, sang to Jack on his birthday.

I was exhausted, but the production sacked me ‘cos I missed so many days of shooting. I could’ve lived with that, although it was a blow, but next thing Fox are suing me for half a million bucks.

Let’s be honest. If I was gonna kill myself that would’ve been the time. But we eventually sorted it all out and I even had the two-picture deal in the bag. But yeah, it affected me. Who wouldn’t’ve found it tough? And you can see from the pics I did with (Bruce) Stern, I’d lost so much weight.

But what did it was simply a medical mistake. Dr. (Ralph) Greenson had given me an enema to help me sleep, because I was having trouble coming off the barbiturates. But (Doctor Hyman) Engelberg had given me more Nembutal the day before. From what I understand now, I had enough Nembutal in my system that it reacted with the chloral hydrate I’d been taking.

It was all very quick. I chatted to Joe (DiMaggio) around 7pm, but when Peter (Lawford) called about 30 minutes later, it felt like I was drunk. I figured the tablets were making me woozy, so got into bed. And, well, “That’s all Folks!” I just wasn’t strong enough any more.

So you would have made more films?

Of course. Like I said, I had a contract literally worth a million dollars and Something’s Got To Give was due to start filming again in the Fall. And there were other offers on the table, giving me more control. It would perhaps have been a springboard for other things. I was trying to get my head sorted and was ready for it this time around.

So how do you think your later career would’ve gone?

Hmm. I don’t know really. Let’s be honest. I was never going to be one of those character actresses. I truthfully wasn’t good enough. I mean, I reckon I had more to me than the kooky blonde, and that would have been difficult to carry off as I got older.

I would have liked to have done some more serious roles, perhaps as the mom, but I could see myself ending up as the kooky granny instead on the odd film or TV sit-com. Or maybe having a cat sanctuary like Bardot. (Laughs).

Some Like It Hot has been voted the greatest American film comedy of all time by The American Film Institute. What does that mean to you?

I’m very, very proud of Some Like It Hot. It was one of those films where everything comes together, you know? I mean Billy Wilder was superb, but it’s really Jack (Lemmon) and Joe (E. Brown) who steal the show. Jack was at the top of his game and Joe just played Osgood so well. This complete unawareness of everything’s that going on around him. He just has eyes for Daphne without taking in that she’s really this strapping guy. It’s hilarious.

Tony Curtis said that kissing you in that film was like kissing Hitler. What do you think about that?

That’s just typical of Tony. We knew each other from before, of course, and had a little fling when we were younger. He denies saying it, but it was actually a bit of an aside to the film crew. I reckon he was just trying to spare their feelings. (Laughs). He enjoyed it, at least in the early takes. There are some things a man just can’t hide! (Giggles).

Are you surprised about just how iconic you’ve become? Frankly, you are probably just about the most famous woman in the world.

Amazed. Completely, utterly amazed. I mean I was lucky enough to be around at the right time and grab the public’s attention. And, of course, I had famous men around, Joe and Jack were both American legends even then. But as I said before, I was never the best actress. I had no illusions about it, so to have books still written about me. You’d think they’d be nothing left to say and now here you are too. Talking about it almost 50 years later. It just goes to show.

Had I lived, I reckon there’s no way I would have had the same recognition. But suddenly dying at 36, I suppose all that unfulfilled potential, unfulfilled life, you could say, just grabs people. You become a sort of instant legend.

And what are your thoughts on the film industry today?

Truthfully? It doesn’t change much. Of course, the special effects are just out of this world. You can do so much more, so there are other areas of films that are opened up to actors, directors and writers.

But movie actors are still among the most overpaid people on the planet.

The quality doesn’t change either. There are so many great films, but people are still making appalling movies too. Except that they’re no longer called ‘B’ Movies. Instead, Joe Public forks out and don’t realise they’re likely to see something that’s honestly garbage until it’s too late.

I suppose the big difference now is that the studio thing has gone. It used to be that stars had to dress like stars whenever they went out. To keep that illusion that we were almost untouchable for ‘normal’ people. To keep that distance and sense of wonder so people want to see the movies. We were abnormal in that sense. We were always acting in a way, even when off-camera. Nowadays, movie stars go on holiday and there’ll always be someone with a camera waiting to get a shot of their boobs or saggy chin or whatever.

And people try so much now just to be famous, without really thinking how or why or even what it means. And they want it instantly. People should remember that fame is fleeting. It soon goes, sometimes before you know it. Like life. Trust me, I know.