Sharon au bain et les tartufes de la MGM

Été 1967.

Roman Polanski tourne The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me But Your Teeth Are In My Neck (ou Dance of the Vampires, en français Le Bal des vampires).

Voici quelques extraits du mémo que lui adresse la direction de la MGM. Les culs-bénis du studio semblent avoir un mal de chien à accepter que "the girl" se promène à poil dans leur film, ou que la caméra la caresse de trop près. Polanski ne cèdera pas d'un pouce.

~

Les chiffres renvoient aux pages du script.

[5] Please avoid any overemphasis on the girl's cleavage.

[7] Please avoid any overexposure of the girl throughout this bathing sequence.

[14] Alfred's intimate caressing of the girl would be unacceptable as described in scene 101.

[17] It would be important to avoid excessive gruesomeness throughout this production. Specifically, we ask that you eliminate the "bloodstained mouth."

[21] The double meaning dialogue on this page should be toned down. Specifically, we ask that you eliminate the expression "...have a quick one?"

[22/4] The attack on the girl will have to be done with restraint since she is in the midst of her bath. Please avoid undue nudity. Also the "biting" and "gulping" could not be approved as described at the bottom of page 23.

[30] We cannot approve the line "I'll stick it somewhere up you..."

[59] We cannot approve the expletive "Jesus!" Also, on this page we ask that you avoid using the word "whore" twice.

[63] We caution you against nudity in connection with this bathing scene.

[Deux ans plus tard, le 9 août 1969, les barbares de la famille Manson allaient mettre fin à la belle histoire.]

---