1171 Romeo and Juliet

[PillowRock]

Reading Romeo and Juliet always was on the 9th grade English syllabus at my high school. When I was in 9th grade (during the '75 - '76 school year) this movie showed up in a second run movie that was about a 2 mile drive from the school. The entire 9th grade class got bused to the theater for a matinee showing field trip. I must say that a theatrical screening was better than watching a VHS on a TV in a classroom - and obviously nothing along the lines of a teaching strategically blocking the screen could happen.

[dekadetia]

Now the subject of a lawsuit by its two principal cast members

[FrauBlucher]

Time for publicity

[furbicide]

Perplexing on a few fronts. Not unusual for people to come forward years later, but the fact that the scene has been addressed so often over the years in interviews (including, as the article says, quite recently, when the actors were already in their 60s) makes this strange. Makes me wonder if it’s coming more from one of them (say, Whiting) and Hussey is joining mainly out of solidarity.

And even if one were to interpret this as purely opportunistic, I can’t imagine they actually have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning. Their lawyer’s assertion that “nude images of minors are unlawful and shouldn’t be exhibited” doesn’t bear out, and there have been numerous precedents in the US that have dealt pretty conclusively with that question (e.g. Pretty Baby, which has always been legal to distribute and screen). So on what grounds could anyone legally determine that Zeffirelli was wrong to claim the scene was artistically necessary? Unless there’s more to this that we’re not hearing about (which, given Bruce Robinson’s experience, might not be entirely surprising).

Regardless, it is saddening to hear that the scene makes them feel uncomfortable and they felt pushed into it, and there’s no question that that knowledge casts a shadow over the film now.

[Feego]

I don't know how accurate this is, but according to IMDb, filming began on July 17, 1967. Whiting was born on June 30, 1950, which means he would have been 17 at the time. The article claims he was 16 and a minor. Would 17 have been legal age?

[Kracker]

Probably so. Articles can't seem to decide what age he was.

It'll be interesting to see what they have say in the interviews on the disc the despite sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud they endured, not to mention never seeing the film apparently since they just now, after over 50 years, saw they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge. I mean, the actors now being in their 70s, any defense could push the idea that these two have some level of onset dementia or Alz and simply forgot properly consenting to the shoot. Not to mention the director died a few years ago so him, along with all the other defendants who would be charged responsible, producers, studio heads, are no longer alive to defend themselves. Then on top of that, you have a statue of limitations to somehow get around.* Who are these lawyers taking on these absurd cases just so they can be thrown out?

*EDIT: it seems they got around that by taking advantage of the statute of limitations for older claims of child sexual abuse being temporarily suspended, due to an emergence of Boy Scout and Catholic Church cases, before that suspension could expire just a few days ago. wow.

[MichaelB]

I don't know how accurate this is, but according to IMDb, filming began on July 17, 1967. Whiting was born on June 30, 1950, which means he would have been 17 at the time. The article claims he was 16 and a minor. Would 17 have been legal age?

Definitely in the UK at the time, and I suspect this would have been true of virtually all of the rest of Western Europe. And the UK definition of "a minor" (and doubtless elsewhere in Western Europe) was someone under sixteen, not someone who'd already passed that milestone.

For a parallel example, John Moulder-Brown was born on 3 June 1953, and Deep End had its world premiere on 1 September 1970, when he'd only have been seventeen - and there's a very real possibility that he might still have been sixteen when some (or possibly even all) of it was shot. And you get to see at least as much of him as you do of Leonard Whiting, and in rather more bizarre circumstances, but I don't recall any controversy at all.

And the UK's 1978 Protection of Children Act originally set the age limit at 16 - it was upgraded to 18 several years later.

It'll be interesting to see what they have say in the interviews on the disc the despite sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud they endured, not to mention never seeing the film apparently since they just now, after over 50 years, saw they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge. I mean, the actors now being in their 70s, any defense could push the idea that these two have some level of onset dementia or Alz and simply forgot properly consenting to the shoot.

Surely the question of "properly consenting" is a matter of checkable contractual fact? Actors' contracts are usually very explicit about what they can and can't do with regard to nudity and sexual activity.

[furbicide]

Surely the question of "properly consenting" is a matter of checkable contractual fact? Actors' contracts are usually very explicit about what they can and can't do with regard to nudity and sexual activity.

In 2023, sure. But do you reckon such stipulations existed back then as any kind of standard aspect of acting contracts? I’d honestly be surprised if the documents they signed said anything about it one way or the other.

[colinr0380]

Well, I suppose that explains the lack of any new supplements on this edition. It terms of the debate going on, I hesitate to bring it up because it is rather below the radar but the big recent example of this is Keira Knightley pre-Bend It Like Beckham appearing topless (albeit in an autopsy scene, which... mitigates it?) in The Hole that was released in cinemas in April 2001, less than a month after her 16th birthday.

[Rayon Vert]

Regardless, it is saddening to hear that the scene makes them feel uncomfortable and they felt pushed into it, and there’s no question that that knowledge casts a shadow over the film now.

On Olivia Hussey's Wiki page, interviews are mentioned from 2018 where she said she felt omfortable on the set and where she defended the nude scene as necessary and tastefully done. The Variety interview.

[Fred Holywell]

Odd, but Mr. Whiting didn't seem to mind posing in front of a rather explicit poster for the film, when he appeared at a San Francisco screening back in 2015.

SpoilerShow

[reaky]

Well, I suppose that explains the lack of any new supplements on this edition. It terms of the debate going on, I hesitate to bring it up because it is rather below the radar but the big recent example of this is Keira Knightley pre-Bend It Like Beckham appearing topless (albeit in an autopsy scene, which... mitigates it?) in The Hole that was released in cinemas in April 2001, less than a month after her 16th birthday.

Nastassja Kinski was 14 when Hammer shot her full-frontally nude in To the Devil a Daughter. They deserved to go out of business after that.

[Feego]

While I don’t feel righteous at all in questioning someone’s motivation for coming forward, this just seems especially out of nowhere for Hussey and Whiting since they have long appeared so open and enthusiastic about this film and their participation in it. I wonder if this will have any impact on the Criterion release, or at very least the cover art, which is taken from the controversial scene.

[Kracker]

I'm pretty sure the people at Criterion see this is another "Nevermind baby" that will get thrown out of court, not to mention a win for them because this means more people will be picking this up. And I don't feel unrighteous at all because people do lie all the time and everyone is motivated by money and people, or the lawyers who exploit them I should say, do throw frivolous lawsuits at the wall hoping to it will stick enough to get at least a few bucks regardless whether it involves a sex crime or not. Even more so in this case because people know they get more unconditional support with accusations of this nature. While one crime gets more seriousness and pearl-clutching than another, one victim isn't more righteous or entitled than another in a fair justice system.

Surely the question of "properly consenting" is a matter of checkable contractual fact? Actors' contracts are usually very explicit about what they can and can't do with regard to nudity and sexual activity.

Yeah you would think but lawyers will try to slither around that too. "Properly consenting" would mean not just signing the contract but giving and maintaining agreement the entire way without any undue pressure and with full understanding of the contract at their young age. Especially nowadays, there's just lot of angles they can exploit. But with everyone involved on set now dead including witnesses who would attest the actors weren't under any form of duress, the case depends solely on their contradictory word after spending 55 years celebrating the film and the nude scene they now say they never agreed to.

[jheez]

The criterion blu-ray is currently the #9 best selling blu-ray on Amazon and #1 in the drama category. The lawsuit is causing either good publicity for the release or FOMO (people thinking this might get pulled).

[ford]

A particularly perfect sign o’ the times. Chef’s kiss. Four stars.

[Fred Holywell]

Discussed on "The View" today.

“Romeo And Juliet” Stars Sue Over Nude Scene | The View

[ford]

Discussed on "The View" today.

“Romeo And Juliet” Stars Sue Over Nude Scene | The View

Even better. Such a pure episode of Our Era.

No doubt Jeffrey Epstein himself was inspired by Franco Zeffirelli’s evil.

[colinr0380]

Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian on the situation, who also reminds that the film was already courting controversy as there were issues around Zeffirelli and the actor Bruce Robinson. Robinson at least was in his early 20s at the time, but Bradshaw suggests that his experience on Romeo & Juliet was a partial inspiration for Robinson to create the character of Uncle Monty in Withnail & I.

[MichaelB]

It’s hardly a “suggestion” - Robinson has been cheerfully open about the blatant references to Zeffirelli in Withnail & I for decades, whether it’s the boy landing a plum role for a “top Italian director” or the direct quotation of Zeffirelli’s own chat-up line (“Are you a sponge or a stone?”).

Amusingly, and no doubt deliberately, the film had its world premiere in a Lake District cinema called Zeffirelli’s.

[pistolwink]

wait 'til folks hear how young the main characters of the play are supposed to be!

[ellipsis7]

The word from Italy is that in both Hussey & Whiting's contracts there was a clause clearly stating they would not do nudity, so Paramount are basically 'incastrato'...

[Kracker]

The word from Italy is that in both Hussey & Whiting's contracts there was a clause clearly stating they would not do nudity, so Paramount are basically 'incastrato'...

Now that just sounds like gross speculation. If there was such a thing, not only does it change things completely, but they wouldn't have had to wait for a lapse in statue of limitations to sue, because they straight up violated a contract.

[RPG]

Nastassja Kinski was 14 when Hammer shot her full-frontally nude in To the Devil a Daughter. They deserved to go out of business after that.

Kinski was 13 when she went topless in Wrong Move, in bed with an adult man.

[Orlac]

Well, I suppose that explains the lack of any new supplements on this edition. It terms of the debate going on, I hesitate to bring it up because it is rather below the radar but the big recent example of this is Keira Knightley pre-Bend It Like Beckham appearing topless (albeit in an autopsy scene, which... mitigates it?) in The Hole that was released in cinemas in April 2001, less than a month after her 16th birthday.

Nastassja Kinski was 14 when Hammer shot her full-frontally nude in To the Devil a Daughter. They deserved to go out of business after that.

Wasn't she giving her age as older at the time? I've noticed in my old horror referrence books from the 90s that Kinski is listed as being older than the truth, whilst Ingrid Pitt shaved 7 years off her age!