My Life with Cleopatra: The Making of a Hollywood Classic - Softcover

"Absolutely ravishing reading. . . . To read [My Life with Cleopatra] . . . was to be absorbed and delighted all over again by Mr. Wanger's 'diary, ' with the help of reporter Joe Hyams. One is struck by Wanger's calm collected intellectual vigor, his defense of Elizabeth the star, his defense of the talented Joe Mankiewicz as the final director, and his annoyance, irritation and disapproval of the then 20th Century Fox executive division."
--Liz Smith, The Huffington Post

"The story of the movie's production--which is also the story of how the budget got so big--is pretty remarkable, and is told remarkably by its producer, Walter Wanger, in the 1963 book, My Life with Cleopatra. . . . I've written often about the crucial role played by independent producers, in classic Hollywood and today, in liberating the best directors from the heavy hand of the studio system. Wanger was a friend to directors at a time when they needed all the friends they could get."
--Richard Brody, The New Yorker

Cleopatra faced countless problems during its filming and production: passionate casting disputes, broken contracts, a costly re-location from London to Rome, an emergency tracheotomy for its star, Elizabeth Taylor, scandal-ridden gossip surrounding relationships on set, and a budget of $2 million that ballooned to final costs of $44 million. Legendary producer Walter Wanger recalls the drama that occurred both on and off the set, including the incredible obstacles he had to overcome and the exhilaration of producing a cinematic triumph. A revealing story about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s tempestuous romance and an insightful filmmaker’s journal, now back in print for the 50th anniversary ofCleopatra’s release, My Life with Cleopatra shares the true story of the relationship and film that enthralled the world.

“I have been told by responsible journalists that there was more world interest inCleopatra, which I produced, and in its stars—Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Rex Harrison—than in any event of 1962.” —Walter Wanger