MICHAEL WINNER ON THE SET]

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01365R000300210010-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 29, 2004
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: August 1, 1972
• Content Type: NSPR

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Approved For Rele -Wi6 ' b?R3'. L-FAii4bli$8-O1365ROOO3OO21OO1O-3
I AUG 1972
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)1y ANNE CIIILD)t);SS "SCORPIO" is the first spy[ Lancaster for his choice of
MTotion Picture Editor film in Winner's varied career, roles," Winner said. "lle has
"Life isn't lived in movie lie has directed the comedies I often chosen very personal and
studios, is it?" asks director "?1'he Jokers," "I'll Never Forget; private subjects, like 'The
Michael Winner. It's one of his What's 'Isname" and "Ilannibal ! Birdman of Alcatraz,' instead of.
"favorite questions. IBrooks", the drama "The big general-audience pictures
"Life is lived in real places," Games," the W c s t e r n s that could have made him a lot'
Winner answers himself. "110- :'Lawman" and "Chato's Land"1 of money, lie's been very brave.,
'vies should be made in real I- and, most recently, "The "You know, Europeans think a
places'. I always insist on shoot- Nrg)rlcor.ersan offbeat great deal more of Burt La1-
ing everything on location." suspense film with Mal 101) caster as an actor than Amen-
, Location file in" gives a pie- Branco. cans c10. That's not, uncommon
hire authenticity, but it does i bid the chance to do a dif- __ ever,v country tends to ignore
have its drawbacks .-- one of I fercnt kind of film play a part in its own actors.
.which y"as a pareat en the of-1 his choice of "Scorpio?" I"here are. a number of 41
British
ternoon I talker! to 1~; irurer. We "Yes," he said. "I think actors who have bigger reputa-
V,ere in a 1Vashiin ;101, D.C. spying is a field t}tat films have lions in the United Sstates than
park, one of the sites he had scarcely touched in any serious) at . home. John Dills, ' for
choler) for his shy film. "Scot- way; only "I he Spy Who Canie,
instance - in England, we think
.plo," and the rain was coming In Pro the Cold' has dealt With of him as a competent actor hilt
clown in sheets. the realities of espionage. no more. Everyone' was dumb-
1he cre\'., v.as squeezed um-,'Scorpio' is in the same vein, founded when he won the Oscar
,cormtably in a dinar, vraiting fort and I Think it has a good plot. for 'Ryan's Daughter.'
the skies to clear, Every few Unexpected things happen' So aas I, I said.
minutes Winner would jump up; "lie played themal:eup," said
and rtut outside, pacing up and: "I WAS ALSO attracted by the p
up
down v:hi!c an aide held an um- n i"ain theme -- the problems of rneni 1cain r to c:ri see ws. whaendthejr u the mped vain
brella for him. "1 his having no N'?'1;o have opted out of normal l
effect on the v;e,rther, ire s ould society to make tit it ov;n v"ay, 1 had stopped.
come back and resume the in- find, incidentally, that many oft
terviety. my films deal with this idea.)
t hey have different settings, hull
I ASMEI) Winner, who is there is an underlying similarity
British, how location filming in'in that the characters are peo-
the-lUnited Slates compared to ale who onerat0 outside the
%bis experiences in other Colin. ordinary social conventions."
tries. I Winner's favorite theme, in
"It's fantastically- expensive
here " he said. "Six 01, seven I this instance of "Scorpio," b*e'
times as expensive. The creas comes a story about an aging; /
tin highly skilled and most CIA agent (Burt Lancaster),I
witlinn to work, so I have most' suspected of scaling out to the`
complaint there, but the, 1001- Russians, who tries to hide inn
Vienna until he can prove his'
' innocence. Alain Delon plays. a
lie. cast another look outside' free-lance assassin hired by them
Now I know why he was so I
CIA to kill Lancaster, and Paul
worried. Scofield is a Russian agent who'
"Of course, spy films in tries to r?'-sudae Lancaster to
general are expensive to make," 1
defect in earnest.
"he"continued, "because most of Lancaster has worked for!
'them take place in several dif- Winter before - in "Lawman"'
fei`ent countries. 'Scorpio' does: _ and the director has a high
after we leave Washirf,,ton we're opinion of him. ?
going to London, Paris, Vienna
the money -for transportation " I'VI ALWAYS admired
alone is considerable." -- - -- -=
Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP88-01365ROO0300210010-3