1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,640 [Joan] Okay, so what are we waiting for? 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:09,360 [Woman] We're getting a nice light. 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 5 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:10,640 [Joan] All right. 6 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:11,680 [Woman] You look great, have a look at that- 7 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:12,800 Well, I look fine in life. 8 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:14,400 [Man] That's what I'm saying. 9 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:15,920 And usually, I should look better on the screen 10 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:17,280 than I do in life. 11 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:20,040 [Woman] I'm just gonna move out. 12 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:20,840 They're just gonna stick a film light in Joan, 13 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:22,480 if that's all right? 14 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,680 See, this light is great, if this is right on my face. 15 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,160 This light is not flattering because you've got the- 16 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,120 [Woman] So, this is for your all big key light down here. 17 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:32,480 Yeah, I'm getting stiff now, 18 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:34,320 let's go, let's just do something. 19 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:35,320 [Woman] Are we ready? 20 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,080 Okay, ready, I'm gonna start. 21 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,960 [upbeat music] 22 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:42,520 Are we on? 23 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:43,960 [audience applauds] 24 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,480 [Announcer] Lovely Joan Collins. 25 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,680 [Announcer] Dame Joan Collins, everybody! 26 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:51,320 [Joan] Okay, listen up. 27 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,200 I've been around for a while, and you know what? 28 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:55,920 It's tough. 29 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,680 I was in Hollywood in what is called the Golden Age, 30 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,600 and believe me, it wasn't all chauffeurs and champagne. 31 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,160 Although, along with my famous alter ego, 32 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,640 Alexis in "Dynasty," I've had my share of both. 33 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:13,120 They used to say that female stars were finished at 27, 34 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,440 but here I am, after seven decades in the business, 35 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,080 to tell you a thing or two 36 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,240 about how to survive the perils of the profession, 37 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:24,520 and what it really feels like to get what you want. 38 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,880 So this is my story, and I'm going to tell it my way. 39 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,200 [upbeat music continues] 40 00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:39,960 So, right, what are we gonna call this film? 41 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,280 I was thinking I should start with Hollywood, 42 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,680 or maybe Mummy and Daddy. 43 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:52,240 You know what? 44 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:54,880 I'm just gonna start with me. 45 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,440 [upbeat music] 46 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,360 It's hard to believe, I know, 47 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:03,960 but when I started out in this business, 48 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,400 I wasn't at all interested in stardom. 49 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,560 ♪ Papa loves mambo ♪ 50 00:02:09,640 --> 00:02:12,440 ♪ Mama loves mambo ♪ 51 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,160 ♪ Look at 'em sway with it, getting so gay with it ♪ 52 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,720 ♪ Shouting ole with it, wow ♪ 53 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,440 I didn't want to be a star, 54 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,200 I had no intention of wanting to be a star, 55 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,960 I wanted to be an actress on the stage in England. 56 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:28,440 Let him approach. 57 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,480 Now, my game plan was to go to drama school, 58 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,240 graduate to the West End, 59 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,800 and eventually become a serious actress 60 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:37,560 of the British theatre. 61 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:40,560 [audience applauds] 62 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:44,760 Exactly how many years have you been in this business? 63 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:46,040 Well, I'll tell you, 64 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,240 I actually made my first tottering steps 65 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:51,120 onto the stage at the age of three. 66 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,240 I retired for a bit, went to nursery school, 67 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,160 then resumed my training with Grandma Hetty. 68 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,800 Here's Grandma Hetty, I love this picture. 69 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:10,280 It says Miss Hetty Collins, comedy and dance, 70 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,560 and she's doing the splits 71 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:14,480 and she taught me to do the splits 72 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,320 when I was about three or four. 73 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:21,400 Here she is, where she loves to be, behind the bar, 74 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,840 and she liked a bit of a bevvy, she did. 75 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,200 This is a picture of my Auntie Pauline, 76 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,840 you think that Playboy was risque, look at that. 77 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:34,880 [intense percussion] 78 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,760 And that's where I inherited it from, maybe. 79 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,360 [Joan chuckles] 80 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:43,880 [jazzy music] 81 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:48,760 Here is Daddy. 82 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,120 This is when he was a hotshot agent. 83 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:52,360 He was very good looking. 84 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,600 Daddy ran a highly successful theatrical agency 85 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:58,920 in the West End. 86 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:00,600 They were mostly vaudeville artists, 87 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,720 and it was a virtual job centre for singers, 88 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,160 acrobats, ventriloquists and jugglers. 89 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,840 ["This is your Life" theme music] 90 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,680 "This Is Your Life," this very afternoon 91 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,240 at Heathrow Airport, from Hollywood, 92 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,680 a glamorous, controversial, 93 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,400 gossip writers' dream of a film star arrives. 94 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:27,520 Why was I always controversial? 95 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:29,600 What did I do that was so controversial? 96 00:04:31,280 --> 00:04:33,960 Just had a few boyfriends, got married a few times. 97 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,920 Oh, hi you, happy birthday! 98 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:40,880 -Joan- -What are you doing here? 99 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:42,480 I know you crossed the Atlantic 100 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:43,040 especially to be with your dad for his birthday. 101 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:44,440 Oh God! 102 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,200 But he's got a surprise for you, and so have I. 103 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:49,680 Joan Collins, tonight, "This Is Your Life." 104 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:51,720 [laughing] I can't believe this! 105 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:53,280 You're joking! 106 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,080 I, you didn't? 107 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,240 Joan Collins star of more than 50 films, 108 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,600 and roles from good time girl to a nun, 109 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,800 from chorus girl to Regency lady. 110 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,440 You were born at the family home in London's Maida Vale. 111 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,400 [Joan] I was born sometime between the end 112 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,240 of the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. 113 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,600 "Any woman who would reveal her age would reveal anything," 114 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,240 thus said Oscar Wilde, and I agree with him. 115 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:21,360 [Narrator] Not many young men 116 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:23,240 have to work as hard as Tony, 117 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,480 but then not many bosses are like Fontaine. 118 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,080 I attempted to shave a few years off my age 119 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:29,600 when I was promoting "The Stud." 120 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:30,480 It's an emergency. 121 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,080 However, the Daily Mirror dug up my birth certificate. 122 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,120 Joan Collins lies about her age! 123 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,000 Oh God, you'd think I'd murdered a convent full of nuns. 124 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,080 The reason that actresses lie about their age, 125 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:47,680 and believe me, 126 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,320 I am not the only actress who has ever done it, 127 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,080 [audience laughs] 128 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:53,440 as you can tell, 129 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,840 is because of agents, producers and directors. 130 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,640 So you do it purely to survive in the business, 131 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,760 you do not do it from any point of view of vanity. 132 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:05,520 I hadn't seen this book for a hundred years, 133 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,000 but let me see if a nice picture of Mummy. 134 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:10,640 Oh yeah, there's loads of pictures of her, 135 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:11,720 with Jackie and me. 136 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,200 -Yeah. -Yeah, she looks lovely. 137 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:15,760 She was a wonderful mother, 138 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:19,320 she was very kind, very caring, the perfect woman really. 139 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,080 My father was the dominant male figure, whose word was law 140 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,360 and my mother was the sweet, beautiful, pleasing woman 141 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:29,840 and he was the boss. 142 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,240 And she was so busy trying to please him all the time, 143 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:34,760 and I hated that, I hated that. 144 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:36,960 I vowed, my God, 145 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,000 I'm not gonna have to depend on a man for everything, 146 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:41,880 I have to have my own identity. 147 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,120 I can't pinpoint exactly 148 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,240 when I stopped being Daddy's little darling, 149 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,360 it could have been when little baby Jackie arrived. 150 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:54,440 [missile whistles] 151 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:55,440 [loud explosion] 152 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:56,760 [Reporter] London inferno. 153 00:06:56,840 --> 00:06:58,080 [Joan] It could have been the war, 154 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,840 when we were speedily packed off to Brighton. 155 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:02,680 [Reporter] Warning, devastation in a Britain under siege. 156 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:04,920 [Joan] At the height of the Blitz we moved back to London, 157 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,920 probably because Mummy didn't want to leave Daddy alone. 158 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,400 By now, he was 37, very handsome, 159 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,280 and no doubt catnip to the actresses and chorus girls 160 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:16,120 who surrounded him. 161 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:17,240 [Reporter] The German Armed Forces 162 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,040 have been utterly defeated. 163 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,600 Then, miraculously, the war was over. 164 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:26,400 One day I came home from school 165 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,720 and sitting in the hall was one of the most handsome men 166 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,240 I'd ever seen. 167 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:32,640 "How do you do? 168 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,440 You must be Joan, I'm Roger Moore." 169 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,760 "Daddy, I've just got to be an actress," I said. 170 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,920 He didn't want me to be in showbiz 171 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,040 because he knew the pitfalls. 172 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,240 You know, you'll be finished before you're 23, 173 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,200 and the men are so predatory. 174 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,800 He knew before the 'Me Too' movement, how they were. 175 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:58,640 My father also gave me some very good advice about showbiz, 176 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:01,280 he said that it's really the toughest profession 177 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,680 that you can go into, that it is dog-eat-dog. 178 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:08,120 Nothing if not stubborn, 179 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,840 I persuaded him that it was my true calling, 180 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,400 and just like Alexis, I got my way. 181 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:15,880 [Interviewer] Now you say you were trained, 182 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:16,680 that was in England? 183 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:18,040 [Joan] Yes. 184 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:19,320 [Interviewer] Where did you do your training? 185 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:20,600 At the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. 186 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:21,920 [Interviewer] Ah, well that's considered 187 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:23,880 the outstanding school, isn't it? 188 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:25,600 [Joan] Yes, I suppose it is. 189 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,000 Mummy walked me to RADA on my first day. 190 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:29,640 "Are you nervous, darling?" 191 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,480 "No, not at all," I lied. 192 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,160 "Let's face it, Mummy, 193 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,120 I do have a show business background." 194 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,640 Let's turn to the organs of articulation, 195 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,920 your tongue and your lips. 196 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,400 [teacher articulates at speed] 197 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:47,320 [students repeat] 198 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,680 [dramatic orchestral music] 199 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,240 I simply loved being at RADA, 200 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,560 and we studied every aspect of our craft. 201 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,480 Fencing, voice projection, expressive dancing. 202 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,840 I remember one of the end of term reports that I got. 203 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:08,800 What kind of an accent is that? 204 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:12,560 And it said, Miss Collins has certainly some talent 205 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:14,280 and is a very attractive girl, 206 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:16,160 but if she doesn't watch her projection, 207 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,680 it'll be the films for her and that would be such a pity. 208 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:20,360 Oh yeah, I'm trying to be American. 209 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:26,640 Whilst at RADA, I moonlighted as a teenage photo model. 210 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,040 Then suddenly, an agent saw my pictures 211 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:33,120 and persuaded me, reluctantly, to go into films. 212 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:34,520 [Actor] Girls, please. 213 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,160 [Joan] My first film was a little epic 214 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:38,800 in which I had one line as a beauty contestant. 215 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:42,520 This was followed by what would become 216 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,720 my teenage delinquent roles. 217 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:47,680 The head of RADA was appalled. 218 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,200 "You simply cannot go into films! 219 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:54,640 They're just attractive faces and none of them can act." 220 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:59,480 But the film was offering me a 300 pound a week salary. 221 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:01,960 I called my agent. 222 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,760 "You're going to have to give up RADA, Joanie," he said. 223 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:07,720 And I did. 224 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,240 It was sad, but it was the best decision I ever made. 225 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:15,640 [intense music] 226 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,440 "I Believe in You" gave me my first proper role. 227 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,360 Celia Johnson played my probation officer. 228 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:23,800 She's an old cow. 229 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:26,320 That's rather childish, isn't it? 230 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,040 [Joan] And then there was Laurence Harvey. 231 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:31,960 Larry epitomised a lifestyle 232 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,560 to which I knew I would eventually become accustomed. 233 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:41,160 Luxurious life, the fine restaurants, international travel, 234 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,960 gorgeous clothes and sophisticated parties. 235 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,720 "I'm going to educate you, little girl," 236 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,200 he said sipping a vintage claret. 237 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:51,600 [furniture clatters] 238 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:54,360 I only wish he'd warned me about Maxwell Reed, 239 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:58,000 the swashbuckling actor to whom he had introduced me. 240 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:00,120 Hey, Gilliatt! 241 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,400 You dirty pirate thief! 242 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:07,080 [Joan] Maxwell Reed was a very handsome film star. 243 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:08,760 When I was at school, 244 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,720 I would stick pictures of all my favourite idols 245 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:16,560 under my desk, Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly and Maxwell Reed. 246 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:19,520 Well, my friend, the more I see of this girl, 247 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:20,840 the better I like her. 248 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,280 He asked me out, I instantly accepted. 249 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:29,920 A gigantic powder blue Buick 250 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,200 drew up outside Bayswater tube station. 251 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:36,440 "Hi baby, how's it going?" 252 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:38,600 He had an American accent, 253 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:42,040 which was quite odd for a man from South London. 254 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:46,480 He was 33, I was 17 and a virgin, 255 00:11:46,560 --> 00:11:48,760 I knew that this would cause trouble at home. 256 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,640 Oh God, do we really have to have this bit in? 257 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:56,320 -Is it- -I think we do. 258 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:58,760 [Joan] Okay, let's go on. 259 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:01,400 "Where are we going?" 260 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,240 "You'll see, baby, it'll be a surprise." 261 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:06,560 And it was. 262 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,080 In those days, 263 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,320 my mother would've said I was taken advantage of, 264 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:14,920 now we call it date rape. 265 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:17,760 When she was young, 266 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:19,360 Joan Collins went out with a man 267 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,200 who beat, drugged and raped her. 268 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:23,800 How did she get even? 269 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:25,480 She married him. 270 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:29,080 Had I not been so innocent about men and about sex 271 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,360 and about the way things should be, 272 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,000 I wouldn't have done that, 273 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:34,960 but I had this strong long sense of guilt, so I did it. 274 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,480 The honeymoon was a fiasco, 275 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:42,520 outwardly we looked happy, but I was miserable. 276 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,320 I didn't know about sex, and nobody knew about sex 277 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,560 because it wasn't as freely available, 278 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,800 you didn't see on Page Three of your popular newspapers. 279 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:53,480 I'd never even seen a girl without her clothes, 280 00:12:53,560 --> 00:12:55,400 let alone a man. 281 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,760 [Presenter] Now you can clean all those awkward places. 282 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,040 That dust catching gap between the carpet and the wall, 283 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,280 those dark depths down the back of the chairs. 284 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,960 "I shall do no cleaning or shopping," 285 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,680 I announced grandly to the Daily Mirror. 286 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:11,760 And I got hate mail from women all over England. 287 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:12,720 "How dare you?" 288 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:13,960 "You're not a proper woman," 289 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:15,560 "You don't like cooking and cleaning?" 290 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:17,760 I said, "No, I don't like cooking and cleaning." 291 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:22,760 Well, this is certainly a very great honour 292 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,880 to be chosen this year, Miss Press Clippings of 1952. 293 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:27,160 [Presenter] The award was given to the star 294 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:28,520 who has had the year's best publicity 295 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,480 heaped upon her shoulder. 296 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,640 [Man] Quiet on set, camera rolling. 297 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:34,360 The J. Arthur Rank Organisation 298 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,960 was the most powerful film company in Britain, 299 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,480 and I was being groomed for stardom. 300 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:43,920 So this book is the book that Jackie, my sister, kept of me, 301 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:45,920 and she kept all my press clippings 302 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:50,000 and this is one of the first ones, August, 1951. 303 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,760 It says "You'll be seeing more of her." 304 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,000 Even then I was cast in the more feisty roles. 305 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:57,520 Call yourselves men! 306 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,000 You're nothing but a bunch of stupid kids 307 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:00,720 that can't be trusted. 308 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:02,600 Well, I've been doing some thinking since last night, 309 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:05,520 and from now on I'm in charge. 310 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:09,960 These are all when I was 16, 17, 18. 311 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:11,640 "Delightful Delinquent." 312 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:14,320 [Reporter] So, with Joan wearing all the nice things 313 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:15,960 the press said about her, 314 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,120 husband Maxwell Reed took his lovely film star wife home. 315 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,880 But as I was becoming hot, Max was becoming cold. 316 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,840 "Meet Sheikh Abdul Ben Kafir," said Max. 317 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:31,440 We were in Les Ambassadeurs, 318 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:33,720 a terribly chic nightclub in Mayfair. 319 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,560 Max had a habit of gravitating towards rich elderly men 320 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,000 and I was starting to get a vague idea 321 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:42,840 of what this was all about. 322 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:46,640 "He'll pay you 10,000 pounds for one night 323 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,000 and I can even watch." 324 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:50,600 "I beg your pardon? 325 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,400 Are you seriously suggesting that I go to bed 326 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,120 with that disgusting old man for money?" 327 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,840 "One night, baby, that's all." 328 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:04,600 I looked at my handsome, loathsome husband and began to cry. 329 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:07,200 "Never in a million years!" 330 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,240 My life was not going according to plan, 331 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:12,680 I went home to Mummy. 332 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,560 My first marriage I really don't think I should count 333 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:23,080 because I was only 17 and it was, 334 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:27,360 had I been more worldly wise, I would not have married. 335 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:33,280 I look at myself as I was and I think that is not me. 336 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:37,920 Mr. Halsey, you are your wife agent wanted 337 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,560 on the telephone. 338 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,000 [Joan] After making several successful British movies, 339 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,080 including this one, I received a call from my agent. 340 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,120 "Howard Hawks is making the Warner Brothers film, 341 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,400 "Land of the Pharaohs" in Rome, and he wants you." 342 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,240 This was my lucky break and I knew it, 343 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:01,160 because this was an epic movie. 344 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,920 [dramatic music] 345 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,680 [Narrator] Egypt, 50 centuries ago. 346 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:10,840 Within three weeks, I was whisked off to Rome 347 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:13,440 to play the evil Princess Nellifer. 348 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,720 Don't ever do that again! 349 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,600 Just how legendary director Howard Hawks 350 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,280 became involved with this one is a mystery to me. 351 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:28,960 However, this lavish costume drama is now a cult movie. 352 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:30,360 Look at me, Treneh. 353 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:31,680 I'm afraid to. 354 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:33,400 Sydney Chaplin, son of the Charlie, 355 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,040 played my lover on the screen and in real life. 356 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,040 La dolce vita was in full swing. 357 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,360 Syd had a nippy sports car, 358 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,200 and I adored the velocity and implicit danger 359 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,000 in those mad drives. 360 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:54,800 I'm rather partial to living in Rome. 361 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:57,840 I thought it was just marvellous. 362 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,680 At 20, you think you're immortal, 363 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:03,880 nothing was to be taken seriously 364 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,720 and after my life of torment with Maxwell Reed, 365 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:08,200 that was okay by me. 366 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,400 [phone rings] 367 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,080 "$350 a week, what do you think of that, Joanie?" 368 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,320 20th Century Fox was offering me a contract, 369 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,960 but I was not about to sell myself short. 370 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:24,640 "It's not enough, John, 371 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:28,920 I want 1,250 or I'll just be another cheap contract girl." 372 00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:35,480 Believe it or not, Fox accepted my terms, 373 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,520 but they wanted me in California immediately. 374 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,320 Amidst tears and laughter, I hugged Mummy and Daddy, 375 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,120 Jackie and my new little brother, Bill, 376 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:49,040 I was going to start a new life in Hollywood. 377 00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:52,360 [upbeat dramatic music] 378 00:17:57,120 --> 00:17:58,840 [Man] 259, take one. 379 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:01,320 [Joan] I arrived in Tinseltown 380 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,120 at the end of the Golden Age of cinema 381 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,000 when the gold was just beginning to tarnish. 382 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,520 I became part of the last wave of the contract system, 383 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,120 when actors were signed to studios. 384 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,960 Robert Wagner, Kim Novak, Jayne Mansfield. 385 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:18,560 [Presenter] And introducing 386 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:22,120 Hollywood's most exciting new personality, Joan Collins. 387 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,080 And now little old me. 388 00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:29,080 You went to these parties and you saw Lana Turner 389 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,040 and Rita Hayworth and Clark Gable and Cary Grant, 390 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:35,240 all looking just as good, if not better, 391 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:36,600 than they did on the screen. 392 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,680 I met Joan Crawford once, who's terrifying, 393 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:41,200 and not beautiful at all. 394 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,840 I will never forget seeing the dangerously gorgeous 395 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:49,600 Ava Gardner. 396 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:52,760 She was having a screaming argument with her date. 397 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:55,640 She looked entrancing and powerful, 398 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,880 like a jungle cat fiercely protecting her territory, 399 00:18:59,960 --> 00:19:01,640 the barefoot contessa. 400 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:05,760 Years later, this image came back to me 401 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,360 when I was thinking about how to play Alexis, 402 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:09,560 but that's for later. 403 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,640 In Hollywood, I was still on the nursery slopes. 404 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,520 I was a scruffy little kid from London 405 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,400 with sort of blue jeans and polo neck sweaters, 406 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,160 and they had to groom and glamorise me, 407 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:24,640 which they did to a tee. 408 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,040 The studio did everything in its power 409 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:31,680 to protect us from scandal. 410 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:36,080 No hint of drunkenness, adultery, 411 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:40,960 or heaven forbid, homosexuality, ever made the newspapers. 412 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,920 [camera clicks] 413 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,560 Hollywood was in the business of selling beautiful dreams. 414 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,000 The outfits the stars wore on the screen 415 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,120 were as important, if not more, than the films themselves. 416 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,360 I wonder where the mystique has gone now, 417 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:01,960 I wonder where the glamor's gone. 418 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:08,360 This is a very prized possession, it weighs a tonne. 419 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:10,840 This is my childhood scrapbook. 420 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,280 I loved movies, I love films, 421 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:15,640 so I started keeping the scrapbooks 422 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,120 with all my favourite stars in. 423 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,560 They certainly were glamorous in those days. 424 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:22,880 Look at these pictures, 425 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,800 I mean, Hedy Lamarr, absolutely ravishing. 426 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,440 They were all beautiful. 427 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,600 Oh, Richard Widmark. 428 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:34,200 All of the girls at school, 429 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:38,120 we got a tremendous crush on Richard Widmark, very sinister. 430 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:44,040 I adored Jean Simmons, I thought she was just so wonderful, 431 00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:46,640 she was the one I really wanted to look like. 432 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,560 I didn't know when I was cutting all these pictures out 433 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,520 that many, many of these people, I would either work with, 434 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,520 I mean, for example, Gene Kelly. 435 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,760 Bob Hope I loved, I got to work with him. 436 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,760 Joan Fontaine, well, I worked with her a couple of times. 437 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,600 When she is making pictures in California, 438 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,160 Joan Collins enjoys this view from her small house, 439 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:14,640 perched high in the hills overlooking Hollywood. 440 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:16,080 Hello Joan. 441 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:17,720 Hello Charles. 442 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:19,400 Soon after arriving in Hollywood, 443 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:20,760 I went to a party 444 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,120 and I met three of the most brilliant actors 445 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:24,880 of the 20th century, 446 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:29,320 Marlon Brando, James Dean and Paul Newman, 447 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:34,160 all sitting together on one sofa, the method actors. 448 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:35,320 Hey, Stella! 449 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:38,840 The method, well, what is the method? 450 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:42,280 [Joan] Flawed, troubled, anti-heroes. 451 00:21:42,360 --> 00:21:46,720 Marlon's brooding sensual looks mesmerised everyone. 452 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,880 "It's a bums life, means nothing, 453 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,960 acting is fundamentally a childish thing to do." 454 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:58,800 I asked him why, if he hated acting so much, he made movies. 455 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,080 He smiled, "Money, doll, money." 456 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,960 [dramatic music] 457 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:13,200 Now I was 21 and I was in my first big Hollywood movie, 458 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:14,760 "The Virgin Queen," 459 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,960 starring the utterly terrifying Bette Davis. 460 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:20,320 Your Majesty. 461 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:22,720 [Joan] Bette played Queen Elizabeth I, 462 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:24,960 I played one of her hand maidens. 463 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:27,240 [dramatic music] 464 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,520 Take care how you treat your queen's possessions, 465 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:31,960 Mistress Throckmorton. 466 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:33,560 I'm sorry, ma'am. 467 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,920 Bette didn't particularly like young actresses, 468 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,000 in real life or on screen. 469 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:39,680 Take this strumpet away! 470 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,080 Take her away! 471 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:44,680 [Joan] "Don't they teach you anything 472 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,640 at those English drama schools, you little fool?" 473 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:49,720 She snarled between takes. 474 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:53,840 [upbeat lavish music] 475 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,440 By now, the studio was pulling out all the stops with me, 476 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,120 and I was caught up in the merry-go-round 477 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,040 of being made into a star. 478 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:13,400 And in 1955 I was cast in "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing" 479 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:16,040 with Ray Milland. 480 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,040 I didn't mean it to be that sort of a kiss. 481 00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:26,720 I didn't either. 482 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:28,680 I loved making this fabulous film, 483 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:30,680 although the costumes, gorgeous to look at, 484 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:31,960 were agony to wear. 485 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,880 The hats were secured with lethal pins, 486 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,040 the collars had little bones in them, 487 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:39,480 so if I moved my head too much, 488 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:41,080 I would get stabbed in the throat. 489 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,320 Goodbye, all of you. 490 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,280 [crowd cheers] 491 00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:50,960 Despite the stunning costumes and the good reviews for me, 492 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:55,000 the film didn't do well at the box office, c'est la vie. 493 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:57,120 But I was learning my craft 494 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:59,600 and I loved everything about Hollywood. 495 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:05,440 [Presenter] This young star has been described 496 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,880 by a Hollywood chief as the greatest screen asset 497 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:09,960 America has imported from Britain. 498 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:11,640 Since she began work there, 499 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:13,840 she has climbed rapidly to stardom, and in doing so, 500 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,080 has acquired a full measure of transatlantic sophistication. 501 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,920 Bob, your impressions of Hollywood, please. 502 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,960 Did you see Joan Collins while you were there? 503 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,360 I met Joan Collins while I was there earlier, yes. 504 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,040 To me, she seemed quite American, 505 00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:29,560 I mean, she had been given an American accent 506 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,080 and she talked with a very strong American accent 507 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:33,800 and American phrases. 508 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,080 She seemed to me to have lost a specific English quality 509 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:37,440 that she had over here. 510 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:38,800 You must remember, 511 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:40,160 when a girl like Joan goes over to Hollywood, 512 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,000 they're given enormous training 513 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:43,720 when they're under contract with a studio, 514 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:48,000 but they're also given an accent and a tone of speech 515 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,760 that makes them suitable to American audiences. 516 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,680 [upbeat suave music] 517 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:55,960 Now, the name Darryl F. Zanuck 518 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:58,040 is probably familiar to most of you, 519 00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:00,600 for he is one of the most remarkable figures 520 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,520 in the film industry today. 521 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:04,400 Hi, Mr. Zanuck. 522 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:05,400 Good to see you. 523 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:07,240 Darryl Zanuck, the head of Fox, 524 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:08,920 was one of the first studio bosses 525 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,560 to have his own steam room connected to his office. 526 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:14,560 I'd heard all the rumours about Zanuck. 527 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:18,360 Not long after I arrived, 528 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:21,560 he chased me along a corridor and trapped me against a wall, 529 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,000 he pinned me like a beetle to a board. 530 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:26,640 "You need a real man, honey, a real man." 531 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,160 God, he was actually giving me the oldest line 532 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:32,040 in the business. 533 00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:35,000 Luckily, a makeup man came down the corridor 534 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:36,600 and I was able to escape. 535 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,280 Basically, I'm a survivor, I have survived, 536 00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:46,480 I have survived being a young female 537 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,800 in a business when practically all the men were predators. 538 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,160 My father used to say, 539 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,800 "Just give them a knee in the you-know-what." 540 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:57,440 [Interviewer] Joan, do most of the people 541 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,560 whom you do see out here, are they in motion pictures too? 542 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,480 Well, I think that everybody that lives in Los Angeles, 543 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:05,680 practically, that I meet is connected in some way or another 544 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:06,840 with motion pictures. 545 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,200 One night at a party at Gene Kelly's house, 546 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:13,880 I siddled up to the bar 547 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,560 and I sat next to a rather nondescript blonde 548 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,280 who was sitting by herself. 549 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:21,400 "Hi, I'm Marilyn," she said. 550 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,560 "Hi, I'm Joan." 551 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,640 Yes, it was she, the biggest star in the world. 552 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:30,120 She was the first girl that I'd ever seen walking around, 553 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,920 this is like the mid fifties, without a bra, 554 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,400 in a woollen dress, very daring in those days. 555 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,320 And she was just sitting quite quietly. 556 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,440 I studied Marilyn Monroe in awe, 557 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:44,760 her face, almost devoid of makeup, seemed ordinary. 558 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:47,320 It was hard to believe 559 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:48,920 she was not only the biggest star in the world, 560 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:53,000 but in retrospect, the greatest sex goddess of the century. 561 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:57,200 ♪ Diamonds are a girl's best friend ♪ 562 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:00,360 We chatted. 563 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:04,040 "Don't let the studio big guys dictate to you," she warned. 564 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,360 "You're just a piece of meat to them, we all are. 565 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,400 The Fox bosses are the most dangerous." 566 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,120 "What do you mean?" I ask naively. 567 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:16,960 "Wolves," mouthed Marilyn, 568 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:18,920 looking nervously over her shoulder 569 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,640 as if expecting one to jump out from behind a sofa. 570 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:25,960 "Look out for Zanuck," she whispered. 571 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:28,600 "Do you know what everybody said about me 572 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,840 in my first year at Fox?" 573 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:32,920 I was spellbound. 574 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:37,800 "They said I was handed around guys like hors d'oeuvres, 575 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,440 all of them, can you believe it?" 576 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:45,840 I starred at her, she gave me her gorgeous smile 577 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:48,600 and then I understood why the world was so bedazzled 578 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:49,960 by Marilyn Monroe. 579 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,120 We had another drink and I watched her shimmy away. 580 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,480 I never saw Marilyn Monroe again, 581 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,120 but when I was in Rome in 1962 582 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,320 and I heard the news of her death, 583 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:07,720 I must say I wept for her and for all of her pain. 584 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,000 ♪ Why do men who should know better ♪ 585 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:16,560 ♪ Gape at a well filled sweater ♪ 586 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:17,960 After a year at Fox, 587 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:20,880 I was loaned out to MGM for "The Opposite Sex." 588 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,320 And there I was in a bathtub covered in suds 589 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:29,120 when a server walked up and slapped me with a subpoena. 590 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:33,360 Maxwell Reed, that swashbuckling pirate, was back, 591 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:38,080 demanding $1,250 a month in support. 592 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:41,600 "He discovered me," he said, what a liar! 593 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,120 And just like the pirate in one of his cheesy movies, 594 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,760 he demanded I hand over the money he said he deserved. 595 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,840 You know, it's a funny thing how much I like money, 596 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:52,840 and a pretty woman. 597 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:58,320 That divorce cost me over $10,000. 598 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,360 I had to pay Max's legal fees 599 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,360 and give him all the money in my bank account. 600 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:07,600 I never heard of a woman being sued for alimony before. 601 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:12,440 And here was Maxwell Reed who, when I divorced him, 602 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:15,680 I tore out most of these pictures 603 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:18,160 'cause I didn't want to see them anymore. 604 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:22,560 With my sister, Jackie, I left the courtroom aged 23, 605 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:27,440 poorer, wiser and with a growing distrust of all men 606 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:29,520 and that was divorce number one. 607 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:34,280 [upbeat suave music] 608 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:37,200 Although women's liberation was not yet upon us, 609 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:40,040 I have always considered myself to be an early model 610 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,600 of an emancipated woman. 611 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:47,560 I've always considered myself to be an early feminist, 612 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:51,040 feminist, yes, much better than emancipated woman. 613 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,640 I made my own money and I lived by my own rules. 614 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,080 So after my divorce, I lived with several men. 615 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:05,000 And after my divorce, after my divorce, I did what I liked, 616 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:10,960 I did what I liked. 617 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:12,320 [Woman] Is that because several men 618 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,360 sounds like several men all at once, that's why- 619 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,560 Yes, which was not true. [laughs] 620 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:19,880 No, no. 621 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,000 I was, I was a serial monogamist, 622 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:24,440 if you know what I mean. 623 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:28,720 Always true to one man, and one after another. 624 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,240 By 1958, I had already appeared in several movies 625 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,720 with some of the most attractive male stars in Hollywood, 626 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:41,600 Paul Newman being one of them. 627 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,760 [upbeat music] 628 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,520 I think I can be very funny, she said modestly. 629 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,920 Gregory Peck was the most elegant leading man of all. 630 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:00,520 Go after them, Jim, and catch them. 631 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:04,760 Get them, kill them, kill them, kill them! 632 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:08,040 In contrast to his shivery 633 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,160 was the Neanderthal Richard Burton, 634 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,760 I played opposite him in "Sea Wife." 635 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:16,040 [Man] This is one of the most stirring stories 636 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:17,600 of our time. 637 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:19,920 A film about a nun wrecked on a desert island 638 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:21,560 with three men. 639 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,520 All this time, I've been so near you, all this time. 640 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,080 We had onscreen chemistry, 641 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:31,000 but then he made the obligatory pass as most actors do 642 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,080 and charmingly admitted to me 643 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:37,920 he would bonk a snake if it was wearing a skirt, wow! 644 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:40,480 [Man] On the lot I found Richard Burton, 645 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:42,320 Joan Collins and their director, Bob McNaught, 646 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:43,600 taking a tea break. 647 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:45,040 Joan plays the unusual part of a nun, 648 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:47,240 something quite new for her. 649 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:49,400 I'd admired Burton for years, 650 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,320 he was another one of my school girl autographs, 651 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,560 "Dear Ms. Collins, thank you for your letter, 652 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:56,480 best wishes, Richard Burton." 653 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,600 I've given my word to someone else. 654 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,920 And here I was acting opposite this paragon, 655 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,480 the great Richard Burton was a scalp collector, 656 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,120 but no way was I tempted. 657 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:12,840 Although I saw many other women fall 658 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:14,600 like nine pins at his feet. 659 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,400 He was a bit of a wolf, 660 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,120 he was known to be a bit of a wolf. 661 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:23,960 I'm surprised Elizabeth married him. 662 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:26,400 Don't you love me? 663 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,360 Don't you want Egypt? 664 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:32,400 Don't you want the world? 665 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,920 I spent early 1959 testing to play Cleopatra 666 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,960 in Fox's big blockbuster. 667 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:44,200 If you were a king, your son would reign after you. 668 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:45,440 I have no son. 669 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:46,360 Then get one. 670 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,880 Naturally, the casting couch reared its ugly head. 671 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,320 The chairman at Fox made it clear that he had a lot to say 672 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,840 when it came to casting, "He should know better," 673 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:00,960 I thought as I skipped out of his clutches. 674 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:03,560 If you slept with the producer, 675 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:05,640 you could have been Cleopatra. 676 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,040 If I slept with a producer, 677 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:08,560 I could have played any part I wanted to 678 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:11,320 at 20th Century Fox, those were the days! 679 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,960 But I didn't, I prefer to sleep with younger men. 680 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:16,800 [audience laughs] 681 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:19,680 So I didn't get the Cleopatra part 682 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:21,760 and I was drowning my sorrows one night 683 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:25,080 when I became aware of a young man staring at me 684 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,160 "That Shirley McLean's kid brother, Warren," said my agent 685 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,520 and the next day the phone rang and it was Warren. 686 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,680 "Do you wanna have dinner with me tonight?" He said. 687 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:36,640 [Interviewer] When you first meet him, 688 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:38,040 I think you are 23 and he's 22 689 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,680 and you're famous and he's not famous. 690 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:44,400 "He's not famous, he's broke and he's got spots!" 691 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,480 said my best friend, Cappie Badrutt, 692 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:49,320 but I wasn't bothered by a man not having money, 693 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:50,960 in fact, I preferred it 694 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:53,000 as I believe that if a man could buy anything, 695 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,280 it usually meant he thought it could buy me too. 696 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,520 I liked Warren Beatty, I liked his humour, 697 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:04,960 his conversation and his physical packaging. 698 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:08,040 [Man] You said he had to ring you 80 times a day. 699 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,280 Oh, I didn't say 80, 60 maybe. 700 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:13,720 I'd heard that men were at their sexual peak 701 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,960 between the ages of 17 and 23 702 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:19,640 and if Warren was anything to go by, this was true. 703 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,920 I got a lot of flack from the studio and also from- 704 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:26,600 [Man] Because of the publicity? 705 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:28,440 No, because it was shocking, people didn't live together. 706 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:29,400 [Man] No they didn't. 707 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:30,680 They just did not do that. 708 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,040 While I was living with Warren, 709 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:38,000 I was also learning to strip for the movie "Seven Thieves." 710 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,960 [upbeat jazz music] 711 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:44,720 And I was lucky enough to have the best stripper in America 712 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:46,080 as my coach. 713 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:49,960 Candy Bar taught me more about sensuality 714 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:53,560 than I'd learned in all my years under contract. 715 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,360 At the same time I was doing "Seven Thieves," 716 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,440 I was craming in wardrobe tests for "Sons and Lovers," 717 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,800 which was about to shoot in England. 718 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:08,520 "Don't go butterfly, don't leave your bee!" begged Warren. 719 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,000 What is your biggest career mistake? 720 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,440 Turning down a movie called "Sons and Lovers" 721 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:15,800 that I was asked to do when I was under contract 722 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,280 to do Fox and turning it down 723 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:19,920 'cause I was going out with Warren then and he said, 724 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,840 "No, the script stinks." And Mary Ure won the Oscar for it. 725 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:30,680 "I think we should get engaged," said Warren. 726 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:36,040 So within a week, the columnists announced our engagement. 727 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:37,000 Was that a really happy time, 728 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:37,960 that time with Warren Beatty? 729 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:39,440 It was happy, it was sad, 730 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:43,160 it had a lot of ups and downs, actually. 731 00:35:43,240 --> 00:35:46,000 Warren was insecure and argumentative, 732 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,600 so he and I made a volatile combination. 733 00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:52,960 Unfortunately I see the person who I'm in love with 734 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:54,440 at the time through rose coloured spectacles, 735 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:56,640 it's very, very childish and naive and stupid, 736 00:35:56,720 --> 00:35:58,520 I'm not like that anymore, obviously. 737 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:02,320 We argued so much that our last few months were a hazy blur 738 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,920 and I knew that marriage wasn't going to be the answer. 739 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:09,480 I accepted a film in London 740 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,360 playing opposite Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. 741 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,560 "It's crap!" said, Warren, 742 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:16,880 "Why do you need to do it?" 743 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:20,360 Two reasons, for the money and to get away from you. 744 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,440 So that was the end of our relationship and we knew it. 745 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:29,760 [Announcer] There's "Violent Love" with Alice 746 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:31,040 who clung like a Tigress 747 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:33,120 to the man every other woman wanted. 748 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:36,080 But by now my career was stagnating, 749 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:39,120 I was a utility infielder 750 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,600 starring in run of the mill films 751 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:45,200 and if Fox couldn't get Susan Hayward or Jean Tierney, 752 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:46,400 they got me. 753 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:52,600 ♪ Let's not start acting like people in love ♪ 754 00:36:54,720 --> 00:36:56,080 In "Road to Hong Kong," 755 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:58,840 I put on the correct loving expression, 756 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,840 to gaze into Bing Crosby's bland blue eyes 757 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:03,880 and smell his tobacco breath 758 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:06,320 and wondered how people could ever think 759 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,040 that an actress's life was a bowl of cherries. 760 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,120 I'd now passed my first quarter century, 761 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:18,760 an age that young actresses had learned to dread 762 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,000 ever since the studios had decreed that 27 763 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:23,960 was the end of beauty. 764 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:27,240 Because people think that if you're good looking, 765 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:30,280 there's a tendency for there not to be too much up here, 766 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:33,720 it is again, more difficult to be taken seriously. 767 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,720 Again, I hate that phrase, why does it keep on coming up. 768 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:37,880 Like to be regarded, let me ask you that. 769 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:39,440 Oh, all different ways. 770 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,240 And as the 1960s began to flower, 771 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,000 I began to think seriously about what I wanted to do 772 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:47,400 with the rest of my life. 773 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:52,120 I asked Fox for an early release from my contract. 774 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:58,400 [Interviewer] What are the future plans for Joan Collins? 775 00:37:58,480 --> 00:37:59,280 Well. 776 00:38:02,240 --> 00:38:07,080 ♪ If I say I love you, do you mind it ♪ 777 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:13,640 ♪ Make an idol of you, do you mind ♪ 778 00:38:14,720 --> 00:38:16,720 Anthony Newley was a pop star, 779 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:20,400 a writer and the [speaking French] of English theatre. 780 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:22,760 Where'd you meet Tony? 781 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:24,840 Backstage, wasn't it from "Stop the World?" 782 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,000 Yes, I went to see "Stop the World," 783 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:30,640 which was then the sort of greatest play in London 784 00:38:30,720 --> 00:38:33,800 with Robert Wagner who had just broken up with Natalie Wood 785 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:36,040 and I had just broken up with Warren Beatty 786 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:38,880 and Natalie and Warren were seeing each other 787 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:41,880 and Bob Wagner and I were seeing each other. 788 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:43,040 We went to see the play 789 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:46,120 and I was absolutely fascinated with Tony, 790 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:47,520 he was so wonderful. 791 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:50,320 ♪ If I say I love you ♪ 792 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,160 I was trying to remember where I'd seen him before 793 00:38:53,240 --> 00:38:54,760 then it came to me, 794 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,360 he had played the Artful Dodger 795 00:38:57,440 --> 00:38:59,480 in David Lean's "Oliver Twist." 796 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,320 Now here he was in his twenties, 797 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:04,200 satanic and intense looking. 798 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:07,800 We went backstage to meet him. 799 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,360 ♪ Do you mind ♪ 800 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:15,440 "He loves the ladies," my friend Joyce Blair had told me, 801 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,800 "He's just never been able to fall in love!" 802 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:21,720 "A man who has never been in love," I thought, 803 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:25,320 "How sad, how challenging." 804 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:29,440 Three weeks later we were lovers. 805 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:34,200 Tony was brilliant, funny as hell 806 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:36,920 but underneath raged a deep distrust of women 807 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:40,280 but I didn't know that yet. 808 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:42,680 "What can a rich, beautiful film star 809 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:46,400 see in a cockney half- Jewish git like me?" he said, 810 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:48,600 "I'm half Jewish too." I replied, 811 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:51,800 "From Maida Vale via Sunset Boulevard." 812 00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:54,280 I said, "This will be the father of my children, 813 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:55,560 he is so wonderful!" 814 00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:00,400 [upbeat jolly music] 815 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:02,920 After a year and a half we got married 816 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:07,840 and my gorgeous daughter Tara was born in 1963. 817 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:10,200 Motherhood was really exciting 818 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:12,960 and I love every minute of it. 819 00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:17,880 [Man] London, Polish-born director Roman Polanski, 820 00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:20,240 Sharon Tate made for the Playboy club 821 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:22,600 and a star studded reception. 822 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:25,440 Joan Collins and Anthony Newley. 823 00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:27,920 The Tony Newley's got the star set really shaking. 824 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:35,160 It was the 1960s, the time of the English actor. 825 00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:38,360 ♪ Picked her up on a Friday night ♪ 826 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:41,280 ♪ Sha-La-La-La-Lee ♪ 827 00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:47,640 Michael Kane, Albert Finney, Peter Sellers, Terrence Stamp 828 00:40:47,720 --> 00:40:49,720 and now, Anthony Newley, 829 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:52,520 they were all taking America by storm. 830 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:54,080 ♪ I held her close ♪ 831 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:58,400 ♪ And I asked her if she was gonna be my baby ♪ 832 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:01,840 Suddenly, anything and anyone British had enormous appeal. 833 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:07,680 Now Tony's career was taking off big time. 834 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,720 ♪ Oh yeah, oh yeah ♪ 835 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:14,040 ♪ She looked good as she moved so fine ♪ 836 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:16,440 ♪ Sha-La-La-La-Lee ♪ 837 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:17,840 ♪ Yeah ♪ 838 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:20,400 ♪ And all the guys knew she was mine ♪ 839 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:24,400 In 1965, my beautiful son Alexander was born, 840 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:27,200 then we bought a house in LA 841 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:30,120 and we parted furiously with our showbiz friends. 842 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:36,640 Paul Newman, Sammy Davis Jr, Natalie Wood, Julie Andrews 843 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:38,480 and of course my sister, Jackie. 844 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:41,840 And guess what? 845 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:44,400 I decided to retire. 846 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,720 ♪ Wanna know how my story ends ♪ 847 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,320 When I married Tony, I gave it all up, 848 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,960 that was it, goodbye career, hello babies and cooking. 849 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:59,800 As far as America was concerned, I was now totally unknown. 850 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:04,640 Is the male member of this duo English? 851 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:06,440 Yeah. 852 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:09,680 Oh, are you Mr. and Mrs. Tony Newley? 853 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:12,600 [audience applauds] 854 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:14,640 "Oh, that's Anthony Newley's wife, 855 00:42:14,720 --> 00:42:16,240 didn't she used to be an actress?" 856 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:22,600 [Man] Enter the wonderful world of "Doctor Dolittle." 857 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:24,680 Tony began rehearsing for his new role 858 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:28,280 in "Doctor Dolittle," with the pompus Rex Harrison. 859 00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:31,800 Tony was totally wrapped up in his work 860 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:35,640 and although he told me he loved, I was dubious, 861 00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:37,840 he was hardly ever at home. 862 00:42:40,240 --> 00:42:42,440 The beautiful house complete with pool 863 00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:44,440 and two gorgeous children 864 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:47,560 couldn't make up for the emptiness I was beginning to feel, 865 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:50,800 especially when the children started school. 866 00:42:55,720 --> 00:42:59,120 [woman singing in French] 867 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:06,520 Why wasn't I content like most Beverly Hills housewives 868 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:10,600 to be a perfect wife, to lie by the pool and ruin my skin 869 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:13,040 then go to the dermatologist to repair it? 870 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:16,520 To go to the analyst, the hen parties, the gym? 871 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:21,160 Women pulled and tucked but everyone looked the same. 872 00:43:21,240 --> 00:43:24,480 [woman continues singing in French] 873 00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:26,920 Why was I so discontented? 874 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:39,800 And it was then I suppose that I thought 875 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:42,880 "I'm not going to live another 50 or 60 years 876 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:44,960 and not have a career 877 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:47,360 because I can see now my children at nursery school, 878 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,200 they've left me more or less for five or six or seven hours 879 00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:51,520 during the day, 880 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:52,840 what am I going to do with my life? 881 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:55,120 Am I gonna sit here and wash some man's socks? 882 00:43:55,200 --> 00:43:56,440 No, thank you very much. 883 00:43:57,760 --> 00:44:00,840 I wanted to work, lights, camera action, 884 00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:02,920 it was in my blood and I missed it. 885 00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:06,800 So I worked in television. 886 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:09,600 I had been a star, I'd been a pretty big star in America 887 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:13,320 for three or four years, not big like today, but big-ish 888 00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:17,760 and I realised that I like that, 889 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:19,280 I realised that I needed that, 890 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:22,160 to do what was inside me, Joan, 891 00:44:22,240 --> 00:44:25,800 which is to say, I like acting, I want to act. 892 00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:30,600 The new generation of actresses were on the scene, 893 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:34,840 Julie Christie, Ali MacGraw, Faye Dunaway. 894 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:37,600 [Man] That's Bonnie, Faye Dunaway, 895 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:39,760 that's Clyde, Warren Beatty. 896 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:42,440 Warren Beatty was on the crest of superstardom. 897 00:44:42,520 --> 00:44:43,920 [gunshot fires] 898 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:45,800 As well as becoming the most famous stud 899 00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:47,920 in the Western hemisphere. 900 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:49,200 I was raising my children, 901 00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:54,360 I was living in California, which I still do, 902 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:57,080 I was working in episodic television. 903 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:01,840 However, looking back I was in some pretty big shows, 904 00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:04,560 The Man from Uncle," "The Virginia," 905 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:07,520 "Batman" and "Star Trek." 906 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:09,360 Excuse us, miss, 907 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:12,600 we didn't mean to trespass, it's cold outside. 908 00:45:14,240 --> 00:45:16,200 A lie is a very poor way to say hello. 909 00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:17,880 In "Star Trek," 910 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:20,200 I played a saintly mission worker 911 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:23,440 who tries to prove to the world that Hitler was a nice guy, 912 00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:30,280 so Dr. Spock allows her to be run over by a truck. 913 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:33,560 [woman screams] 914 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:35,480 And what do you know? 915 00:45:35,560 --> 00:45:38,960 It became one of the most popular "Star Trek" episodes ever. 916 00:45:41,720 --> 00:45:44,760 At home though, storm clouds were gathering, 917 00:45:46,240 --> 00:45:48,920 Tony and I gazed sombrely at each other 918 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:51,640 across our Wedgewood dinner service, 919 00:45:51,720 --> 00:45:54,280 the content act and the communication 920 00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:56,080 just wasn't there anymore, 921 00:45:56,160 --> 00:45:58,680 we were fast drifting part. 922 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:03,800 "Would you like to dance?" 923 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:06,520 [upbeat music] 924 00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:10,280 Ryan O'Neal sat there looking arrogant and nervous 925 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:11,840 at the same time, 926 00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:14,160 but he was the first man I'd found attractive 927 00:46:14,240 --> 00:46:15,680 for a long time. 928 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:17,120 "Sure!" I said. 929 00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:20,680 I was guesting on a TV show at Universal 930 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:25,280 when he showed up on the set, "What're you doing tomorrow?" 931 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:27,200 "Tomorrow's my birthday," I said, 932 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:29,720 "And Tony's coming back from New York." 933 00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:33,600 "I'll call and wish you a happy birthday then." 934 00:46:33,680 --> 00:46:36,040 Tony didn't make it back for my birthday, 935 00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:38,280 he just sent a bunch of flowers 936 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:40,640 but suddenly I decided what I wanted. 937 00:46:42,240 --> 00:46:45,520 A girl should get what she wants on her birthday, so I did. 938 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:48,520 I believe very strongly 939 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:50,240 in being true to the person that you are with, 940 00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:51,800 I really do believe in that. 941 00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:52,680 [Interviewer] You never cheated? 942 00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:54,440 No, I don't, no, 943 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:59,280 only, yes, in one instance that was with Ryan O'Neal, 944 00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:01,360 if you're gonna cheat on somebody, 945 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:02,000 cheat with Ryan O'Neal. 946 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:02,640 Of course. 947 00:47:02,720 --> 00:47:03,480 Right? 948 00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:08,960 It was 1968, Sammy Davis, Jr., Paul Newman, 949 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:12,960 Tony and I invested in the disco business, 950 00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:14,960 it was called The Factory, 951 00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:19,160 everyone was there, proving what I have always suspected, 952 00:47:19,240 --> 00:47:21,840 that stars would rather be around other stars 953 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:23,080 than anyone else. 954 00:47:24,720 --> 00:47:28,000 One night, Robert Kennedy showed up oozing charm 955 00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:30,760 and sex appeal and he asked me to dance. 956 00:47:33,720 --> 00:47:36,240 "Why don't you come to New York next weekend? 957 00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:37,960 I'd really like to see you again." 958 00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:42,920 Now this was opening a Pandora's box 959 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:45,680 into which even I wasn't prepared to peep. 960 00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:50,000 "Thanks, Bobby, I'd just love to, but I just can't, 961 00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:51,280 maybe a rain check?" 962 00:47:52,720 --> 00:47:55,720 He gave me a long, penetrating look, 963 00:47:55,800 --> 00:47:59,040 "You got it, I'll be waiting." 964 00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:01,720 [dramatic music] 965 00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:07,120 Six months later, I thought sadly about that rain check. 966 00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:08,760 I was in Malta 967 00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:11,200 when I heard about Robert Kennedy's assassination, 968 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:12,520 I was on a film set. 969 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:18,200 Tony was now achieving his life's desire 970 00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:20,840 to write, direct and star 971 00:48:20,920 --> 00:48:23,360 in an erotic avant garde musical-comedy 972 00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:25,520 based entirely on himself. 973 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:27,640 My wife doesn't understand me. 974 00:48:27,720 --> 00:48:30,000 "Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe 975 00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:32,200 and Fine True Happiness?" 976 00:48:32,280 --> 00:48:35,840 was a felinious movie about a successful actor/director, 977 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:37,560 that is to say, Tony, 978 00:48:37,640 --> 00:48:40,800 who's torn between new wild blonde Mercy Humppe 979 00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:46,120 And raven-haired Polyester Poontang, that's me. 980 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:50,080 I had a horrible feeling that Tony 981 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:52,680 was spelling out the death of our marriage. 982 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:53,960 [Interviewer] You were directed by your husband, 983 00:48:54,040 --> 00:48:56,200 Anthony Newley, what was that like? 984 00:48:56,280 --> 00:48:57,720 That was interesting. 985 00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:00,960 [audience laughs] 986 00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:02,600 He didn't have too much time for me, actually, 987 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:04,920 he was very busy with the rest of the female cast. 988 00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:09,400 Oh my God! 989 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:11,600 I never saw that! 990 00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:15,040 I realised he'd been having affairs 991 00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:16,920 from the moment we married 992 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:19,720 and now he was blatantly making a movie 993 00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:21,440 about all the women he'd bedded. 994 00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:24,560 Oh. 995 00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:26,000 I was shattered. 996 00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:28,760 Well I've had enough, I'm taking the children, 997 00:49:28,840 --> 00:49:31,720 I'm taking them back to Europe, anywhere away from you. 998 00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:34,440 And this time, I mean it, I really do mean it! 999 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:40,560 Exit Polyester-Joan sobbing hysterically. 1000 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:44,520 The film was universally panned and when I finally saw it, 1001 00:49:44,600 --> 00:49:47,560 I knew there was no hope for my marriage. 1002 00:49:47,640 --> 00:49:51,080 It's never been my style to stay on a sinking ship, 1003 00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:53,000 I left for London with my children. 1004 00:49:56,560 --> 00:49:59,000 I divorced my second husband 1005 00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:01,320 because I was not gonna spend the rest of my life 1006 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:02,920 being married to man who was unfaithful to me, 1007 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:05,000 it was as simple as that. 1008 00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:08,040 I'm telling him this because it's the absolute truth. 1009 00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:09,320 Whatever I was and then 1010 00:50:09,400 --> 00:50:10,600 here's this man being unfaithful to me, 1011 00:50:10,680 --> 00:50:12,760 am I gonna take this for the rest of my life? 1012 00:50:12,840 --> 00:50:14,720 What's it gonna be like when I'm, you know, 45? 1013 00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:16,120 No. 1014 00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:19,040 [Woman] You say that his problem was, 1015 00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:22,680 he was never gonna commit fully to marriage. 1016 00:50:22,760 --> 00:50:24,680 I mean, you sort of knew that from the beginning, 1017 00:50:24,760 --> 00:50:27,200 so it was gonna, did you not- 1018 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:29,240 I didn't realise, no, no. 1019 00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:35,600 he he'd said he was, he had thought that maybe he couldn't, 1020 00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:37,400 but then once we got married, 1021 00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:42,040 once we had the family, then he was committed. 1022 00:50:42,120 --> 00:50:47,000 And I think that as he became more famous in America, 1023 00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:51,720 and then he became a star, he became a different person. 1024 00:50:54,760 --> 00:50:57,920 He strayed and he strayed big time 1025 00:50:58,000 --> 00:51:00,680 and it all came out in that movie, that fucking movie, 1026 00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:02,800 oh my God, what a disaster! 1027 00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:06,280 [solemn music] 1028 00:51:07,600 --> 00:51:11,000 My marriage to Tony had lasted seven years, 1029 00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:15,840 the split was amicable, painful, hurtful, but amicable. 1030 00:51:19,200 --> 00:51:22,320 ♪ Dizzy ♪ 1031 00:51:22,400 --> 00:51:24,760 ♪ I'm so dizzy ♪ 1032 00:51:24,840 --> 00:51:27,880 This man in the speed boat is Ron Kass. 1033 00:51:34,080 --> 00:51:36,000 He was an attractive, tall American 1034 00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:39,040 with amazing green eyes and an endearing smile. 1035 00:51:43,720 --> 00:51:45,920 And he was the president of Apple Records, 1036 00:51:46,000 --> 00:51:47,600 the Beatles recording company. 1037 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:53,000 Ron knew what he wanted and he usually got it, 1038 00:51:53,080 --> 00:51:54,960 and what he wanted was me. 1039 00:51:56,200 --> 00:51:58,040 We spent time discovering each other 1040 00:51:58,120 --> 00:52:00,520 and the more I discovered, the more I liked. 1041 00:52:01,560 --> 00:52:03,520 ♪ I want you for my sweet pet ♪ 1042 00:52:03,600 --> 00:52:06,360 ♪ But you keep playing hard to get ♪ 1043 00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:08,520 When you first meet a man, 1044 00:52:08,600 --> 00:52:10,960 what is more likely to make him attractive to you? 1045 00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:14,080 His eyes, his voice, or his physique? 1046 00:52:14,160 --> 00:52:15,440 I'll say physique. 1047 00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:16,280 [Show Host] You'll say the physique? 1048 00:52:16,360 --> 00:52:17,920 Yeah. 1049 00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:22,000 Well, I mean, you can have great eyes and a great voice, 1050 00:52:22,080 --> 00:52:24,360 but if you ain't got the bod, you ain't got nothin'. 1051 00:52:24,440 --> 00:52:25,920 [Show Host] Yeah, that's what the Mrs. Said, 1052 00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:27,960 the physique, you got it! 1053 00:52:29,040 --> 00:52:30,320 ♪ You're makin' me dizzy ♪ 1054 00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:32,680 The following, you Ron and I married. 1055 00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:35,720 Now Ron had three children from his first marriage, 1056 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:39,760 so we all moved into a lovely family house in London. 1057 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:44,320 It was exactly what I had wanted, a warm family home 1058 00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:47,480 and soon after that, my darling Katyana was born. 1059 00:52:49,840 --> 00:52:52,320 I was now in my mid thirties, 1060 00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:54,680 ancient by movie star standards 1061 00:52:54,760 --> 00:52:58,040 and I wasn't gonna sit around waiting for the next script, 1062 00:52:58,120 --> 00:53:00,760 that would go to Julie Christie anyway. 1063 00:53:00,840 --> 00:53:04,360 -[gunshot fires] -[dramatic music] 1064 00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:07,920 So, I started to appear in horror films. 1065 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:20,600 Molly? 1066 00:53:22,920 --> 00:53:24,160 These were the good years 1067 00:53:25,920 --> 00:53:27,840 and I even agreed to a role in "The Persuaders" 1068 00:53:27,920 --> 00:53:30,240 with my old friend Roger Moore, 1069 00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:33,280 mainly because it was being filmed on the French Riviera, 1070 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:34,280 which I adore. 1071 00:53:36,560 --> 00:53:39,880 In England, life was perfect. 1072 00:53:39,960 --> 00:53:44,120 Then out of the blue, Ron announced that we had to upsticks 1073 00:53:44,200 --> 00:53:49,000 and move back to California, I knew it was a bad idea. 1074 00:53:49,080 --> 00:53:52,280 Ron was about to head a new film company in LA, 1075 00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:56,240 so with a heavy heart, I said, bye, bye Britain 1076 00:53:56,320 --> 00:54:00,320 and moved back lock, stock and Mercedes to LA again. 1077 00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:08,960 And then, sadly, Ron lost his job. 1078 00:54:11,720 --> 00:54:15,560 I was now the sole breadwinner of this rather large family. 1079 00:54:17,640 --> 00:54:19,880 I was working in television 1080 00:54:19,960 --> 00:54:22,240 and we didn't socialise as much as we used to. 1081 00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:26,360 I told Ron that I really wanted to move by to England, 1082 00:54:26,440 --> 00:54:28,520 LA wasn't good for our kids, 1083 00:54:28,600 --> 00:54:32,200 not to mention it was terrible for my ego, Ron refused. 1084 00:54:35,520 --> 00:54:37,640 We were fighting a lot, usually about money. 1085 00:54:39,080 --> 00:54:40,920 Would you accept it and say a successful, 1086 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:44,000 conventional marriage, that the man should be the boss? 1087 00:54:45,560 --> 00:54:47,880 What'd you call a successful, conventional marriage? 1088 00:54:49,840 --> 00:54:52,880 [dramatic music] 1089 00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:56,760 We managed to get by, I guest starred on several TV shows, 1090 00:54:56,840 --> 00:54:58,920 including "Police Woman." 1091 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:00,240 You mind if I smoke? 1092 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:01,080 Yes, I do. 1093 00:55:02,560 --> 00:55:04,440 Well, it's too bad. 1094 00:55:05,720 --> 00:55:06,960 Police, freeze! 1095 00:55:07,040 --> 00:55:08,520 But that didn't cut it financially, 1096 00:55:08,600 --> 00:55:10,520 not with six kids to support. 1097 00:55:13,480 --> 00:55:15,240 My friend, Samantha Egger, 1098 00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:18,120 with whom I'd worked on "Starsky and Hutch," 1099 00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:21,720 suggested that I apply for unemployment benefit. 1100 00:55:23,480 --> 00:55:26,160 [dramatic music] 1101 00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:32,360 So, one sunny afternoon in 1976, 1102 00:55:32,440 --> 00:55:36,400 I reluctantly drove out to the Department of Unemployment 1103 00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:37,680 in Santa Monica. 1104 00:55:40,640 --> 00:55:43,120 Then I'm saying that I'll kill Samantha for this, 1105 00:55:43,200 --> 00:55:44,680 this was really the wrong thing to do 1106 00:55:44,760 --> 00:55:46,680 and I finally got to the head of the line 1107 00:55:46,760 --> 00:55:49,960 and the woman's looked at my name and says "Joan Collins!" 1108 00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:51,600 [audience laughs] 1109 00:55:51,680 --> 00:55:52,560 And the whole of the room looked around and she goes, 1110 00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:54,680 "What're you doing here?" 1111 00:55:54,760 --> 00:55:57,240 So she said "Fill out this form, Ms. Collins." 1112 00:55:57,320 --> 00:55:59,440 and people coming up saying, "Can I have your autograph?" 1113 00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:02,000 "Fill out this form and come back next week." 1114 00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:03,800 I said, "You mean I don't get the $180 now?" 1115 00:56:03,880 --> 00:56:05,120 She said, "No, next week." 1116 00:56:05,200 --> 00:56:06,440 So I said, "Thank you very much," 1117 00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:07,680 I took the form and I never went back. 1118 00:56:09,000 --> 00:56:11,560 At this point, I hear you probably ask, 1119 00:56:11,640 --> 00:56:13,160 "Why didn't they just sell the house 1120 00:56:13,240 --> 00:56:15,360 and live a simple life?" 1121 00:56:15,440 --> 00:56:19,240 Well, since I hadn't lived a simple life since I was 20, 1122 00:56:19,320 --> 00:56:22,760 I wasn't about to start now and I needed a job 1123 00:56:24,840 --> 00:56:28,520 and what I got was "Empire of The Ants." 1124 00:56:31,160 --> 00:56:33,160 [people screaming] 1125 00:56:33,240 --> 00:56:36,960 This film was not going to win any of us an Oscar. 1126 00:56:37,040 --> 00:56:38,760 in fact, it seemed more of a certainty 1127 00:56:38,840 --> 00:56:40,360 that it would guarantee 1128 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:42,520 that none of us would ever work again, 1129 00:56:44,680 --> 00:56:48,000 I was the so-called star of this epic. 1130 00:56:48,080 --> 00:56:50,120 [people screaming] 1131 00:56:50,200 --> 00:56:52,360 And although we'd been promised stunt doubles, 1132 00:56:52,440 --> 00:56:53,880 they hadn't arrived, 1133 00:56:53,960 --> 00:56:58,480 so four petrified actors capsized into the filthy water. 1134 00:57:01,840 --> 00:57:04,560 Now Florida swamps are infested with crocodiles, 1135 00:57:04,640 --> 00:57:06,840 snakes and all kinds of bugs. 1136 00:57:09,240 --> 00:57:11,600 I tried to keep my head above the loathsome liquid 1137 00:57:11,680 --> 00:57:15,080 as snake like tentacles attached themselves to my legs 1138 00:57:15,160 --> 00:57:19,560 and when I scrambled out, they were bleeding from deep cuts. 1139 00:57:19,640 --> 00:57:22,920 A few days later, the cuts began to fester. 1140 00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:24,760 "Terrific!" I thought, 1141 00:57:24,840 --> 00:57:27,440 not only have I possibly wrecked my career 1142 00:57:27,520 --> 00:57:29,560 by doing this piece of drick, 1143 00:57:29,640 --> 00:57:32,400 but I probably contracted some fatal disease 1144 00:57:32,480 --> 00:57:34,440 and will have to have my legs amputated. 1145 00:57:37,600 --> 00:57:40,680 I looked and felt a wreck and was never so delighted 1146 00:57:40,760 --> 00:57:43,280 as when the last day of shooting arrived 1147 00:57:43,360 --> 00:57:47,680 and it was finally my turn by some forgettable plot twist 1148 00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:51,280 to be asphyxiated by the giant queen ant 1149 00:57:51,360 --> 00:57:53,240 and turned into a zombie. 1150 00:58:00,120 --> 00:58:03,320 And that, I am happy to say, was my last horror film, 1151 00:58:05,400 --> 00:58:06,680 But that also became a cult. 1152 00:58:11,160 --> 00:58:14,240 [gentle upbeat music] 1153 00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:16,920 Hello! 1154 00:58:17,000 --> 00:58:18,760 I promoted "Empire of The Ants" 1155 00:58:18,840 --> 00:58:20,400 at the Canne Film Festival. 1156 00:58:22,160 --> 00:58:25,600 At a lunch, I was seated next with distributor of B films 1157 00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:27,240 in the UK. 1158 00:58:27,320 --> 00:58:29,480 "Would you be interested in making a movie 1159 00:58:29,560 --> 00:58:32,760 from my sister Jackie's best selling novel "The Stud?" 1160 00:58:33,920 --> 00:58:36,440 Okay, so let's rewind. 1161 00:58:36,520 --> 00:58:38,040 My sister, Jackie, 1162 00:58:38,120 --> 00:58:41,920 had just written a wonderful book called "The Stud" 1163 00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:44,800 and there was a character in it called Fontaine Khaled, 1164 00:58:44,880 --> 00:58:46,800 a glamorous socialite, 1165 00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:49,880 however, slightly nymphomaniacal jet setter. 1166 00:58:51,720 --> 00:58:53,360 She originally came to me and said, 1167 00:58:54,400 --> 00:58:55,960 could she have the book 1168 00:58:56,040 --> 00:58:57,160 because she thought it was a wonderful part for her 1169 00:58:57,240 --> 00:58:58,480 and it is a wonderful part for her. 1170 00:58:58,560 --> 00:59:00,640 [Man] Who knows about the lights, please? 1171 00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:02,760 My career was going slowly nowhere, 1172 00:59:02,840 --> 00:59:04,040 I was just doing horror films 1173 00:59:04,120 --> 00:59:06,280 and doing bits in television in America 1174 00:59:06,360 --> 00:59:08,640 and I realised that I had to put myself in a film 1175 00:59:08,720 --> 00:59:10,000 that was very commercial otherwise, 1176 00:59:10,080 --> 00:59:11,600 I would probably never work again. 1177 00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:15,880 So I asked Jackie if she would write the script 1178 00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:19,200 and that I could then start taking it to various producers 1179 00:59:19,280 --> 00:59:21,720 and to various people that I knew to get it financed. 1180 00:59:23,400 --> 00:59:26,520 I had taken it around to every producer I knew, 1181 00:59:26,600 --> 00:59:28,680 but no one was interested. 1182 00:59:28,760 --> 00:59:30,520 And here I was again at Canne, 1183 00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:34,840 offering my, by now, slick opening pitch, 1184 00:59:34,920 --> 00:59:37,600 would this man sitting next to me be interested? 1185 00:59:39,200 --> 00:59:41,760 "As a matter of fact, I would!" said burley George Walker, 1186 00:59:41,840 --> 00:59:44,680 ex-boxer and now low budget film producer. 1187 00:59:44,760 --> 00:59:47,400 "That's just the kind of movie we're interested in!" 1188 00:59:49,240 --> 00:59:51,600 The search for an actor to play the stud 1189 00:59:51,680 --> 00:59:53,160 became as close to the search 1190 00:59:53,240 --> 00:59:56,240 for Scarlett O'Hara as we could make it. 1191 00:59:56,320 --> 00:59:58,760 Adam Faith and George Best were mentioned, 1192 00:59:58,840 --> 01:00:00,720 even Tom Jones was, 1193 01:00:00,800 --> 01:00:03,400 who actually appeared most anxious to play it. 1194 01:00:03,480 --> 01:00:06,880 [women swooning] 1195 01:00:06,960 --> 01:00:11,520 Finally, we chose the darkly brooding, sexy Oliver Tobias. 1196 01:00:11,600 --> 01:00:13,240 Why? 1197 01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:15,360 You'll reek of sex anyway, it's your main attribute. 1198 01:00:15,440 --> 01:00:18,800 And within months, we were in production. 1199 01:00:18,880 --> 01:00:20,880 I was going to star in the film 1200 01:00:20,960 --> 01:00:25,000 with the proviso I do some tasteful nudity. 1201 01:00:25,080 --> 01:00:29,120 Yes, I could do that, this was no longer the dark ages. 1202 01:00:29,200 --> 01:00:31,600 It's a nice coat, is it new? 1203 01:00:32,680 --> 01:00:33,600 This? 1204 01:00:33,680 --> 01:00:35,680 No, I've had it for hours. 1205 01:00:38,120 --> 01:00:39,320 Jesus! 1206 01:00:39,400 --> 01:00:40,640 I realised that if you're gonna make a film 1207 01:00:40,720 --> 01:00:43,040 called "The Stud," you are copping out 1208 01:00:43,120 --> 01:00:45,720 if you are not showing scenes 1209 01:00:45,800 --> 01:00:48,160 in which you see a certain amount of flesh. 1210 01:00:49,120 --> 01:00:49,880 That's right. 1211 01:00:52,520 --> 01:00:55,600 [upbeat jaunty music] 1212 01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:02,880 [Announcer] Tonight, 1213 01:01:02,960 --> 01:01:05,120 Ian Wooldridge talks to film actress, Joan Collins. 1214 01:01:07,000 --> 01:01:08,680 Joan, you know as you sit there, 1215 01:01:08,760 --> 01:01:11,160 being who you are and what you are 1216 01:01:11,240 --> 01:01:14,280 and looking, if I may say so, gorgeous, 1217 01:01:14,360 --> 01:01:17,200 that millions of men would love to jump into bed with you, 1218 01:01:17,280 --> 01:01:19,320 does that give you a feeling of great power? 1219 01:01:21,800 --> 01:01:24,960 [Joan] I bore the brunt of sizzling fury 1220 01:01:25,040 --> 01:01:26,680 as though a woman over 40, 1221 01:01:26,760 --> 01:01:30,040 semi-nude was something truly shocking. 1222 01:01:30,120 --> 01:01:32,840 You appear naked in the film. 1223 01:01:32,920 --> 01:01:34,560 Mm-hmm. 1224 01:01:34,640 --> 01:01:36,280 Some people might think this was, you know, overexposure. 1225 01:01:36,360 --> 01:01:37,840 I think I'm right in saying 1226 01:01:37,920 --> 01:01:39,520 that that is the just about the first British film 1227 01:01:39,600 --> 01:01:43,160 in which you really appeared in a nude love scene. 1228 01:01:43,240 --> 01:01:44,800 Oh, I would say yes. 1229 01:01:44,880 --> 01:01:48,720 You, in fact, are a sex symbol., you accept that? 1230 01:01:48,800 --> 01:01:50,760 Well, I think that's just part of what I am. 1231 01:01:50,840 --> 01:01:52,040 Raquel Welsh always reckons 1232 01:01:52,120 --> 01:01:54,840 that you should show the public just so much 1233 01:01:54,920 --> 01:01:56,760 but if you show a lot, they lose interest. 1234 01:01:56,840 --> 01:01:58,080 I mean, did you have any misgivings?- 1235 01:01:58,160 --> 01:01:59,920 Ah, shes such a great philosopher, Raquel. 1236 01:02:01,360 --> 01:02:02,920 Not so hard, Sandro. 1237 01:02:03,000 --> 01:02:05,760 I didn't think I was committing a crime by revealing my, 1238 01:02:05,840 --> 01:02:08,080 not-to-be-sneezed-at-body. 1239 01:02:08,160 --> 01:02:11,520 You see, I don't think there's anything wrong 1240 01:02:11,600 --> 01:02:15,240 with being beautiful, glamorous, well dressed, 1241 01:02:15,320 --> 01:02:17,400 well groomed or sexually attractive. 1242 01:02:19,040 --> 01:02:21,920 If God was kind enough to give you those things, 1243 01:02:22,000 --> 01:02:24,720 then I think you might as well appreciate them 1244 01:02:24,800 --> 01:02:28,880 and not hide your light under a bushel, as it were. 1245 01:02:28,960 --> 01:02:31,560 Do you think that people now say when they meet you, 1246 01:02:31,640 --> 01:02:33,400 they mentally undress you, say? 1247 01:02:33,480 --> 01:02:34,680 Not if they've already seen it, 1248 01:02:34,760 --> 01:02:36,000 why should they want to do it again? 1249 01:02:36,080 --> 01:02:39,080 This is the peg that you are hung up on 1250 01:02:39,160 --> 01:02:42,600 and I'm not desperately trying to escape it, you see? 1251 01:02:42,680 --> 01:02:44,520 I'm not saying "No, no, I'm not that, 1252 01:02:44,600 --> 01:02:46,160 I will now wear my dowdy skirts 1253 01:02:46,240 --> 01:02:47,960 and I will take off my makeup and scrape back my hair." 1254 01:02:48,040 --> 01:02:50,160 I'm not going to do it because I like the way I am. 1255 01:02:50,240 --> 01:02:54,200 And I discovered that my tag of sultry, sexy bitch 1256 01:02:54,280 --> 01:02:58,000 was one that the public loved and actually believed in. 1257 01:02:58,080 --> 01:02:59,560 Don't drop it, will you, lover. 1258 01:03:01,080 --> 01:03:03,160 Let's begin with Joan Collins, 1259 01:03:03,240 --> 01:03:04,600 I once read that she was considered 1260 01:03:04,680 --> 01:03:06,480 to be the main female object of desire 1261 01:03:06,560 --> 01:03:08,760 in a survey of teenage boys. 1262 01:03:08,840 --> 01:03:10,480 In a poll of English men, 1263 01:03:10,560 --> 01:03:12,240 I was voted the sexiest woman 1264 01:03:12,320 --> 01:03:14,240 in the world that year, hoorah! 1265 01:03:15,600 --> 01:03:18,240 Certainly, the British audiences loved it. 1266 01:03:18,320 --> 01:03:21,640 I mean, I know some people who saw it 36 times, 1267 01:03:21,720 --> 01:03:23,680 I know some people who saw it four and five times, 1268 01:03:23,760 --> 01:03:26,320 and I would say that it would be very successful, 1269 01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:27,440 touch wood. 1270 01:03:27,520 --> 01:03:30,080 And it was. 1271 01:03:30,160 --> 01:03:33,480 [Announcer] Joan Collins, Oliver Tobias, "The Stud." 1272 01:03:36,400 --> 01:03:39,160 [Joan] "The Stud" was a giant success, 1273 01:03:39,240 --> 01:03:41,480 the biggest money in Britain at that time, 1274 01:03:41,560 --> 01:03:43,080 other than the Bond films, 1275 01:03:43,160 --> 01:03:45,600 so now I was a household name again. 1276 01:03:45,680 --> 01:03:48,680 Oh, can't you smell those Italian wines! 1277 01:03:48,760 --> 01:03:50,520 [Both] So fused with herbs and spices 1278 01:03:50,600 --> 01:03:51,520 from four continents. 1279 01:03:51,600 --> 01:03:53,000 Oh, I'm being boring. 1280 01:03:53,080 --> 01:03:54,240 Oh, sorry! 1281 01:03:54,320 --> 01:03:55,880 I made a series of commercials for Cinzano 1282 01:03:55,960 --> 01:03:57,280 with Leonard Rossiter. 1283 01:03:57,360 --> 01:03:58,080 Getting your head down, sweetie? 1284 01:03:58,160 --> 01:03:59,920 Jolly good idea. 1285 01:04:00,000 --> 01:04:01,560 And he was such a brilliant comedian 1286 01:04:01,640 --> 01:04:04,320 that my main problem was to stop shrieking with laughter. 1287 01:04:06,080 --> 01:04:08,480 [Announcer] From the same stable as "The Stud" 1288 01:04:08,560 --> 01:04:11,520 now comes "The Bitch." 1289 01:04:11,600 --> 01:04:14,160 [Joan] "The Bitch," I never liked that title. 1290 01:04:14,240 --> 01:04:16,560 [Announcer] "The Bitch," another million plus investment 1291 01:04:16,640 --> 01:04:19,840 and another limousine ride to a premier with Joan Collins. 1292 01:04:22,600 --> 01:04:25,960 Ms. Collins sweeps in to play her very professional part 1293 01:04:26,040 --> 01:04:29,000 in the razzmatazz which will get the film talked about 1294 01:04:29,080 --> 01:04:32,720 and sold to the public, no matter what the critics say. 1295 01:04:36,080 --> 01:04:38,880 Then I've got a dream deal with British Airways, 1296 01:04:38,960 --> 01:04:43,000 one commercial and free travel for three years! 1297 01:04:43,080 --> 01:04:44,720 There's a sort of Renaissance here, 1298 01:04:44,800 --> 01:04:47,960 I think the seventies were a bad time 1299 01:04:48,040 --> 01:04:50,080 and I think that the eighties are going to be tremendous, 1300 01:04:50,160 --> 01:04:50,960 I hope. 1301 01:04:54,800 --> 01:04:59,640 On August the first 1980, I flew to Paris, 1302 01:05:01,040 --> 01:05:02,280 the following day, the unthinkable happened, 1303 01:05:04,080 --> 01:05:07,320 my daughter, Katy, had been in a terrible accident. 1304 01:05:08,760 --> 01:05:11,840 Even now, it's hard for me to talk about it. 1305 01:05:11,920 --> 01:05:13,920 Well, she was knocked down by a car 1306 01:05:14,000 --> 01:05:16,160 and sustained very serious brain injuries 1307 01:05:16,240 --> 01:05:21,080 and I was told that she was going to die 1308 01:05:21,160 --> 01:05:25,920 and then she was in a coma for a very long time. 1309 01:05:27,280 --> 01:05:28,480 You and your husband got a mobile home 1310 01:05:28,560 --> 01:05:30,000 outside the hospital and spent all this time 1311 01:05:30,080 --> 01:05:32,080 talking with her and being with her. 1312 01:05:32,160 --> 01:05:35,760 Yes, the only way that I was able to really cope 1313 01:05:35,840 --> 01:05:39,760 was by almost pretending that it wasn't happening, 1314 01:05:39,840 --> 01:05:42,360 that it was like, happening to somebody else. 1315 01:05:43,760 --> 01:05:45,840 Eventually she started to make little sounds 1316 01:05:45,920 --> 01:05:49,960 and then she took her first faltering steps. 1317 01:05:51,400 --> 01:05:52,920 She was going to be all right. 1318 01:05:54,800 --> 01:05:56,640 Katy's accident was the worst thing 1319 01:05:56,720 --> 01:05:57,840 that ever happened to me. 1320 01:06:02,160 --> 01:06:05,000 I took Kay on holiday to Marbella, 1321 01:06:05,080 --> 01:06:07,600 she still had a way to go for complete recovery, 1322 01:06:07,680 --> 01:06:10,280 but she was thriving in the sunshine. 1323 01:06:10,360 --> 01:06:13,240 I'd been begging Ron to sell the house in LA, 1324 01:06:13,320 --> 01:06:14,920 we really needed the money. 1325 01:06:16,720 --> 01:06:18,880 Despite the success of "The Stud" and "The Bitch," 1326 01:06:18,960 --> 01:06:21,480 George Walker was refusing to pay my share 1327 01:06:21,560 --> 01:06:23,800 of the video sales, which were huge. 1328 01:06:25,600 --> 01:06:28,880 One day, my brother discovered a tonne of unpaid bills 1329 01:06:28,960 --> 01:06:31,760 in Ron's desk and documents 1330 01:06:31,840 --> 01:06:36,000 that showed that we had a huge mortgage on the house. 1331 01:06:36,080 --> 01:06:40,120 I flew to LA to find out that our car had been impounded. 1332 01:06:40,200 --> 01:06:42,120 People were calling to be paid, 1333 01:06:42,200 --> 01:06:44,560 including our cleaning lady and the gardener, 1334 01:06:44,640 --> 01:06:46,360 it was a nightmare. 1335 01:06:47,280 --> 01:06:49,000 [phone rings] 1336 01:06:49,080 --> 01:06:52,720 And then the phone rang, it was my agent. 1337 01:06:52,800 --> 01:06:55,400 "Joany, have you ever heard of "Dynasty?"" 1338 01:06:55,480 --> 01:06:57,440 "No, never, what's "Dynasty?"" 1339 01:06:57,520 --> 01:07:01,280 "It's a bit like Dallas, they want you, it's a great role, 1340 01:07:01,360 --> 01:07:06,120 her name is Alexis, she's a bitch but brilliantly smart." 1341 01:07:07,480 --> 01:07:11,120 "Okay, I'll think about it." so I did. 1342 01:07:11,200 --> 01:07:13,160 I mean, I'd never heard of the show, 1343 01:07:13,240 --> 01:07:14,760 it hadn't played in England, 1344 01:07:14,840 --> 01:07:18,960 it was about sort of 35 or 45 on the ratings in America, 1345 01:07:19,040 --> 01:07:21,160 it wasn't terribly successful. 1346 01:07:21,240 --> 01:07:23,920 [dramatic music] 1347 01:07:25,600 --> 01:07:28,080 These opening credits are still thrilling. 1348 01:07:30,240 --> 01:07:32,960 I never have actually wanted to do a series particularly 1349 01:07:33,040 --> 01:07:34,680 and they had to sort of twist my arm to do it 1350 01:07:34,760 --> 01:07:36,000 and a lot of the reason why I did it 1351 01:07:36,080 --> 01:07:38,440 was because I felt that being in California 1352 01:07:38,520 --> 01:07:40,360 for six months with Katy, 1353 01:07:40,440 --> 01:07:41,840 rather than being in the English winter, 1354 01:07:41,920 --> 01:07:43,120 would be very beneficial. 1355 01:07:45,080 --> 01:07:48,480 That six months turned into nine years. 1356 01:07:51,680 --> 01:07:54,160 I think that, you know, like any role, 1357 01:07:54,240 --> 01:07:56,320 you're always the second or third choice 1358 01:07:56,400 --> 01:08:00,400 and I think they wanted Elizabeth Taylor or Sophia Loren 1359 01:08:00,480 --> 01:08:02,400 or Raquel Welch, I don't know, 1360 01:08:02,480 --> 01:08:03,680 there was a whole bunch people 1361 01:08:03,760 --> 01:08:05,640 that were mentioned before me, but I got it. 1362 01:08:08,600 --> 01:08:11,320 Season two, episode one, 1363 01:08:11,400 --> 01:08:15,800 my first day of filming, enter Alexis Carrington. 1364 01:08:18,280 --> 01:08:20,640 Would you state your full name please? 1365 01:08:20,720 --> 01:08:22,720 Alexis Morell-Carrington. 1366 01:08:22,800 --> 01:08:23,880 [people murmur] 1367 01:08:23,960 --> 01:08:25,200 And your residence? 1368 01:08:25,280 --> 01:08:28,040 Alexis is the mysterious ex-wife of oil tycoon, 1369 01:08:28,120 --> 01:08:29,160 Blake Carrington, 1370 01:08:29,240 --> 01:08:31,400 who is on trial for the murder 1371 01:08:31,480 --> 01:08:34,520 of his son's homosexual lover, 1372 01:08:34,600 --> 01:08:37,480 Alexis is the surprise witness. 1373 01:08:37,560 --> 01:08:39,920 I was very young when I married Mr. Carrington. 1374 01:08:41,320 --> 01:08:43,400 At first, it was a good marriage in every sense, 1375 01:08:43,480 --> 01:08:45,680 we had an excellent relationship. 1376 01:08:45,760 --> 01:08:48,320 But I knew it was me that was really on trial. 1377 01:08:48,400 --> 01:08:51,040 Okay, here's this actress from England, 1378 01:08:51,120 --> 01:08:52,760 now show us what you can do. 1379 01:08:55,440 --> 01:08:58,560 I'm glad to see that your father had your teeth fixed, 1380 01:08:58,640 --> 01:09:00,440 if not your tongue. 1381 01:09:00,520 --> 01:09:03,360 [dramatic music] 1382 01:09:03,440 --> 01:09:05,000 I had convinced the producers 1383 01:09:05,080 --> 01:09:08,080 to let me play the stylish Alexis as an English woman, 1384 01:09:08,160 --> 01:09:11,680 "Little America won't understand you!" said my agent. 1385 01:09:11,760 --> 01:09:13,360 I be your pardon? 1386 01:09:13,440 --> 01:09:16,880 "Yes, they will!" I argued, "I have perfect good diction!" 1387 01:09:16,960 --> 01:09:19,680 I'd like to please a phone call to Paris, please. 1388 01:09:19,760 --> 01:09:20,840 Yes, the one in France. 1389 01:09:22,520 --> 01:09:26,600 I realised that Alexis could be viewed as somewhat cliched, 1390 01:09:26,680 --> 01:09:28,840 but there was enough humour in her lines 1391 01:09:28,920 --> 01:09:31,880 for me to build an interesting character. 1392 01:09:31,960 --> 01:09:34,560 Nobody takes me to the cleaners and to bed in the same day, 1393 01:09:34,640 --> 01:09:36,680 Mr. Dexter, good night. 1394 01:09:37,720 --> 01:09:39,440 So I go off to go in this series 1395 01:09:39,520 --> 01:09:42,480 and have become, in a period of three months, 1396 01:09:42,560 --> 01:09:44,560 the most hated woman on television. 1397 01:09:44,640 --> 01:09:47,160 Get out of my sight, you miserable has been. 1398 01:09:47,240 --> 01:09:48,760 Of course, if you've seen Joan Collins on that show, 1399 01:09:48,840 --> 01:09:51,360 you know who put the nasty in "Dynasty," right? 1400 01:09:51,440 --> 01:09:52,160 [audience laughs] 1401 01:09:52,240 --> 01:09:53,840 What a dump. 1402 01:09:53,920 --> 01:09:55,600 And all these little kids were waving at me 1403 01:09:55,680 --> 01:09:57,440 from a station waggon and they were waving 1404 01:09:57,520 --> 01:09:59,160 and waving like that, they were about seven or eight 1405 01:09:59,240 --> 01:10:02,240 and so I sort of waved back and I said "Hello!" 1406 01:10:02,320 --> 01:10:04,320 They said "Hello, Alexis, Alexis! 1407 01:10:04,400 --> 01:10:05,760 We hate you!" 1408 01:10:05,840 --> 01:10:07,480 Now listen to me, you little tramp. 1409 01:10:07,560 --> 01:10:10,400 Did you ever say to them, "This is lousy dialogue?" 1410 01:10:10,480 --> 01:10:11,680 Constantly! 1411 01:10:11,760 --> 01:10:13,080 Oh, that's all I was ever saying. 1412 01:10:13,160 --> 01:10:14,960 I said, "How can I say this?" 1413 01:10:15,040 --> 01:10:16,480 And they said, "Well rewrite it," so I did. 1414 01:10:16,560 --> 01:10:19,000 Yes, she's strong, she's assertive and she's a big bitch 1415 01:10:19,080 --> 01:10:20,520 but that's okay. 1416 01:10:20,600 --> 01:10:23,520 "Being bad is good business for Joan Collins." 1417 01:10:24,800 --> 01:10:26,480 Oh, Daddy saying, 1418 01:10:26,560 --> 01:10:29,960 "I'm so proud of my sexy, superbitch daughter." 1419 01:10:30,040 --> 01:10:31,720 He would never have said those words. 1420 01:10:33,360 --> 01:10:34,680 "Rise of the superbitch." 1421 01:10:34,760 --> 01:10:36,960 Oh yes, the superbitch. 1422 01:10:37,040 --> 01:10:39,960 I don't know made this book, it's not my writing. 1423 01:10:40,040 --> 01:10:42,760 I think at one point I had three secretaries. 1424 01:10:44,440 --> 01:10:47,200 A lot of the reason that women admire her is that she says, 1425 01:10:47,280 --> 01:10:49,320 "This is what I'm going to do 1426 01:10:49,400 --> 01:10:50,920 and nothing's going to stop me 1427 01:10:51,000 --> 01:10:52,880 and if a man can do it, I can do it." 1428 01:10:52,960 --> 01:10:54,600 And she thinks like a man 1429 01:10:54,680 --> 01:10:56,480 and so people call her a bitch a lot of the time 1430 01:10:56,560 --> 01:10:58,080 and actually she's just being very business like, 1431 01:10:58,160 --> 01:11:00,120 very assertive, very tough, very strong and saying, 1432 01:11:00,200 --> 01:11:01,720 "I'm gonna do this!" 1433 01:11:01,800 --> 01:11:04,040 How do you get that reputation of being a bitch? 1434 01:11:04,120 --> 01:11:07,840 I was kind of upset at first when I first came to America 1435 01:11:07,920 --> 01:11:09,680 and everybody thought that I was this 1436 01:11:09,760 --> 01:11:11,640 and then I just thought there's nothing I can do, 1437 01:11:11,720 --> 01:11:12,880 take the money and run 1438 01:11:12,960 --> 01:11:13,960 and let them think you're the biggest bitch 1439 01:11:14,040 --> 01:11:15,920 in kingdom come! 1440 01:11:16,000 --> 01:11:19,480 "Dynasty," which had been languishing in the ratings, 1441 01:11:19,560 --> 01:11:21,360 began to climb to the top. 1442 01:11:23,040 --> 01:11:25,840 Oh, this is really a good one. 1443 01:11:25,920 --> 01:11:27,760 John Forsythe, of course, always in the middle, 1444 01:11:27,840 --> 01:11:29,400 in his contract, 1445 01:11:29,480 --> 01:11:31,920 he always had to be in the top or in the middle. 1446 01:11:32,000 --> 01:11:34,200 "At "Dynasty," "Dallas" shoot out, 1447 01:11:34,280 --> 01:11:38,440 panic on "Dallas" as "Dynasty's" ratings soar." 1448 01:11:38,520 --> 01:11:39,360 I like that. 1449 01:11:42,520 --> 01:11:45,560 And that, my darling, is how it should be done. 1450 01:11:45,640 --> 01:11:49,920 And that's Alexis for you, steely but with panache. 1451 01:11:52,160 --> 01:11:53,760 When the producers realised 1452 01:11:53,840 --> 01:11:58,600 that fights between Alexis and her arch enemy, Crystal, 1453 01:11:59,920 --> 01:12:01,440 played by Linda Evans were ratings gold, 1454 01:12:01,520 --> 01:12:04,760 they'd concoct at least two every season. 1455 01:12:04,840 --> 01:12:07,120 You miserable bitch! 1456 01:12:07,200 --> 01:12:08,440 [dramatic music] 1457 01:12:08,520 --> 01:12:10,080 In one, we had to fall into a lily pond 1458 01:12:10,160 --> 01:12:12,640 and fight like demented frogs. 1459 01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:15,120 Linda was supposed to sock me in the jaw, 1460 01:12:15,200 --> 01:12:17,440 but freeze before connecting 1461 01:12:17,520 --> 01:12:22,320 so the stunt double could take over, but she let rip. 1462 01:12:23,640 --> 01:12:25,840 She had a right hook like Mike Tyson. 1463 01:12:25,920 --> 01:12:28,880 "Gee, I'm so sorry!" she said. 1464 01:12:28,960 --> 01:12:30,240 This was my house 1465 01:12:30,320 --> 01:12:32,600 while you were living in a shack somewhere. 1466 01:12:32,680 --> 01:12:34,400 Alexis, if you don't go down those stairs 1467 01:12:34,480 --> 01:12:37,280 and out that door, I'll throw you out myself! 1468 01:12:38,840 --> 01:12:41,600 I wouldn't want you to exert yourself, my dear, 1469 01:12:41,680 --> 01:12:43,000 I'm leaving. 1470 01:12:43,080 --> 01:12:46,800 150 million people tuned in each week 1471 01:12:46,880 --> 01:12:48,680 to watch us slug it out, 1472 01:12:48,760 --> 01:12:51,600 I went from being practically unknown in America 1473 01:12:51,680 --> 01:12:55,720 to becoming one of the most popular actresses in the world. 1474 01:12:55,800 --> 01:12:59,000 ♪ Ooh baby, do you know what that's worth ♪ 1475 01:12:59,080 --> 01:13:02,640 ♪ Ooh heaven is a place on earth ♪ 1476 01:13:02,720 --> 01:13:05,360 When you think of sexy television vixens, 1477 01:13:05,440 --> 01:13:07,920 my first guest immediately comes to mind. 1478 01:13:08,000 --> 01:13:09,240 [TV Host] And Joan Collins joins us this morning 1479 01:13:09,320 --> 01:13:10,960 from Los Angeles, good morning, Joan. 1480 01:13:11,040 --> 01:13:12,600 Well, hi. 1481 01:13:12,680 --> 01:13:14,920 The most talked about lady in the world today. 1482 01:13:15,000 --> 01:13:16,320 We on? 1483 01:13:16,400 --> 01:13:18,320 And certainly one of the most glamorous. 1484 01:13:18,400 --> 01:13:20,120 First off, I love you. 1485 01:13:20,200 --> 01:13:21,760 You're not so bad yourself. 1486 01:13:21,840 --> 01:13:23,960 Joan Collins was once called a poor mans Elizabeth Taylor, 1487 01:13:24,040 --> 01:13:25,280 well no more. 1488 01:13:25,360 --> 01:13:26,960 Thank you boys, I'll see you later. 1489 01:13:27,040 --> 01:13:29,320 One of the most talked about women in the Western world. 1490 01:13:29,400 --> 01:13:30,320 Thank you. 1491 01:13:30,400 --> 01:13:32,160 Would you welcome Joan Collins. 1492 01:13:32,240 --> 01:13:35,160 [audience applauds] 1493 01:13:36,600 --> 01:13:39,920 ♪ I'll wait for you as you come around ♪ 1494 01:13:40,000 --> 01:13:41,440 It took her a while to get there, 1495 01:13:41,520 --> 01:13:43,040 but ever since she became Alexis Carrington, 1496 01:13:43,120 --> 01:13:44,680 Joan Collins has remained 1497 01:13:44,760 --> 01:13:48,440 one of the most commanding presences on television. 1498 01:13:48,520 --> 01:13:51,440 ♪ When you walk into the room ♪ 1499 01:13:51,520 --> 01:13:55,200 Yes, Americans really have been spending $10,000 1500 01:13:55,280 --> 01:13:57,800 for each of these Joan Collins dolls. 1501 01:13:57,880 --> 01:14:00,480 I had the feeling I might be a star again 1502 01:14:00,560 --> 01:14:04,720 when I was asked to take part in "The Night of 100 Stars." 1503 01:14:04,800 --> 01:14:07,760 Backstage, my friend Henry Winkler was filming. 1504 01:14:09,120 --> 01:14:11,080 There was so many faces from my past, 1505 01:14:11,160 --> 01:14:14,440 I hadn't seen Betty Davis since "The Virgin Queen" 1506 01:14:14,520 --> 01:14:16,760 and she was still just as intimidating. 1507 01:14:18,080 --> 01:14:20,800 As we left, Roger Moore patted my cheek, 1508 01:14:20,880 --> 01:14:22,640 "Fame at last, Joany." 1509 01:14:26,000 --> 01:14:28,240 Actress Joan Collins is the latest star to be honoured 1510 01:14:28,320 --> 01:14:31,120 with a star on her own in Hollywood's Walk of Fame. 1511 01:14:31,200 --> 01:14:34,880 In Germany, where it was called "Der Denver-Clan." 1512 01:14:34,960 --> 01:14:38,480 [woman dubbing in German] 1513 01:14:38,560 --> 01:14:41,400 I was known as Der Denver-Beast. 1514 01:14:41,480 --> 01:14:44,440 I'm the voice of Joan Collins in "Denver Clan." 1515 01:14:44,520 --> 01:14:46,120 I'm very proud about it 1516 01:14:46,200 --> 01:14:48,640 because I think she's just marvellous, she's great. 1517 01:14:50,720 --> 01:14:52,680 I was made into a wax work, 1518 01:14:52,760 --> 01:14:55,640 I turned on the Christmas lights in Regent Street. 1519 01:14:59,360 --> 01:15:01,040 I've never seen anything like this. 1520 01:15:01,120 --> 01:15:04,200 And best of all, I won a Golden Globe. 1521 01:15:04,280 --> 01:15:05,440 Joan Collins. 1522 01:15:05,520 --> 01:15:08,040 [audience applauds] 1523 01:15:08,120 --> 01:15:11,160 ♪ Ooh heaven is place on earth ♪ 1524 01:15:11,240 --> 01:15:12,680 This is a special award for me 1525 01:15:12,760 --> 01:15:16,360 because the last time that I won an award 1526 01:15:16,440 --> 01:15:20,760 was for the most promising actress of 1957, 1527 01:15:20,840 --> 01:15:23,560 so it's taken me a bit of time, 1528 01:15:23,640 --> 01:15:26,240 but I'm really happy to have it, thank you. 1529 01:15:26,320 --> 01:15:29,400 It's a big kick, I have to tell you, it's really a kick. 1530 01:15:29,480 --> 01:15:32,040 [upbeat music] 1531 01:15:35,080 --> 01:15:37,720 [Woman] I mean, you were huge, "Dynasty" was huge. 1532 01:15:37,800 --> 01:15:39,040 Well first of all, 1533 01:15:39,120 --> 01:15:40,680 it was the right show for the right time, 1534 01:15:40,760 --> 01:15:44,760 it had beautiful people, beautiful clothes, beautiful sets, 1535 01:15:44,840 --> 01:15:48,000 real flowers, real caviar, 1536 01:15:48,080 --> 01:15:51,480 real anger behind the scenes, from some of us. 1537 01:15:53,680 --> 01:15:55,880 The 1980s was the me decade. 1538 01:15:57,120 --> 01:15:58,520 The markets were trading bonds 1539 01:15:58,600 --> 01:16:00,360 with the bravado of Gordon Gekko 1540 01:16:01,720 --> 01:16:04,160 and the stock market soared, obviously, 1541 01:16:04,240 --> 01:16:06,880 and people were making lot, lot, lot of money 1542 01:16:06,960 --> 01:16:09,960 and investing it and living the good life. 1543 01:16:10,040 --> 01:16:11,880 The 1980s was a great decade, 1544 01:16:11,960 --> 01:16:14,440 I don't care what people say about it, 1545 01:16:14,520 --> 01:16:18,560 I don't care if they say it was all greed and Gordon Gekko. 1546 01:16:20,840 --> 01:16:25,200 I love Gordon Gekko and I miss it. 1547 01:16:27,680 --> 01:16:30,160 Joan knows how to make money and ooh la la, 1548 01:16:30,240 --> 01:16:31,800 she knows how to spend it. 1549 01:16:31,880 --> 01:16:34,320 This house is a house that I bought 1550 01:16:34,400 --> 01:16:37,920 just a year or two after "Dynasty" started. 1551 01:16:38,000 --> 01:16:39,920 Well actress Joan Collins is following the footsteps 1552 01:16:40,000 --> 01:16:41,240 of other top celebrities, 1553 01:16:41,320 --> 01:16:43,760 she has put her name on a new line of perfume. 1554 01:16:43,840 --> 01:16:47,520 Something Scoundrel, my favourite fragrance. 1555 01:16:48,880 --> 01:16:51,520 [Man] The Joan Collins lingerie collection. 1556 01:16:51,600 --> 01:16:53,800 It was one long spending spree 1557 01:16:53,880 --> 01:16:56,760 and "Dynasty" echoed it all on television. 1558 01:16:59,240 --> 01:17:00,640 Mr. President, how are you? 1559 01:17:00,720 --> 01:17:02,240 Very, very good Blake. 1560 01:17:02,320 --> 01:17:04,880 People clammered to be on "Dynasty," even for a walk on. 1561 01:17:05,880 --> 01:17:07,160 Hi, hello. 1562 01:17:07,240 --> 01:17:08,760 Hello Alexis, it's good to see you. 1563 01:17:08,840 --> 01:17:10,960 Good to see you, I haven't seen since Portofino. 1564 01:17:12,600 --> 01:17:16,200 One day, the network received a call from Donald Trump. 1565 01:17:16,280 --> 01:17:19,160 "I'd just love to have a part on "Dynasty." 1566 01:17:19,240 --> 01:17:21,120 "Well, I'm afraid all the roles are cast." 1567 01:17:21,200 --> 01:17:23,000 said the head of talent, 1568 01:17:23,080 --> 01:17:24,680 "But you don't understand, 1569 01:17:24,760 --> 01:17:27,680 I would be great as one of Alexis' lovers." 1570 01:17:29,160 --> 01:17:31,240 The Alexis look became the symbol 1571 01:17:31,320 --> 01:17:33,520 of the powerful eighties woman, 1572 01:17:33,600 --> 01:17:37,560 shoulder pads, couture and lots and lots of bling. 1573 01:17:39,680 --> 01:17:41,640 Do you want to come in and see me do my makeup? 1574 01:17:41,720 --> 01:17:43,480 Is that what you want? 1575 01:17:43,560 --> 01:17:46,160 During "The Stud," I invented a makeup look 1576 01:17:46,240 --> 01:17:48,920 which I stuck to more or less ever since, 1577 01:17:49,000 --> 01:17:52,320 big hair, smokey eyes and bright lipstick. 1578 01:17:52,400 --> 01:17:54,360 So when "Dynasty" came along, 1579 01:17:54,440 --> 01:17:58,160 the Alexis look was already in place, it was mine. 1580 01:17:58,240 --> 01:17:59,680 Right, done. 1581 01:18:01,280 --> 01:18:03,480 By now, my picture had been on the cover 1582 01:18:03,560 --> 01:18:07,600 of practically every magazine, I was on top of the world, 1583 01:18:07,680 --> 01:18:10,480 but I'd been at that rodeo before. 1584 01:18:10,560 --> 01:18:12,680 I knew full well that it wouldn't last. 1585 01:18:14,800 --> 01:18:16,400 Everybody thought that, you know, 1586 01:18:16,480 --> 01:18:18,760 I had the world on a string and that I was playing this, 1587 01:18:18,840 --> 01:18:22,680 you know, tough, hard, calculating woman but in life, 1588 01:18:22,760 --> 01:18:24,840 I was pretty miserable. 1589 01:18:24,920 --> 01:18:28,640 It was hard to keep up the facade of being happy with Ron, 1590 01:18:28,720 --> 01:18:31,440 my closest friends saw the marriage crumbling, 1591 01:18:31,520 --> 01:18:34,720 even if I refused to acknowledge it openly at the time. 1592 01:18:36,320 --> 01:18:38,320 I went to a marriage counsellor at one time 1593 01:18:38,400 --> 01:18:40,360 when I was married to Ron 1594 01:18:40,440 --> 01:18:42,000 because I really didn't want to, 1595 01:18:43,320 --> 01:18:44,800 I didn't wanna have another failure, 1596 01:18:46,160 --> 01:18:49,240 but it just really prolongs the agony. 1597 01:18:49,320 --> 01:18:50,800 We eventually did split up. 1598 01:18:52,560 --> 01:18:54,120 [Interviewer] You've had three marriages, 1599 01:18:54,200 --> 01:18:57,400 you had a sense of what love is in those marriages 1600 01:18:57,480 --> 01:19:01,440 or you haven't achieved what the classic love is. 1601 01:19:01,520 --> 01:19:02,680 What is the classic love? 1602 01:19:02,760 --> 01:19:04,000 [Interviewer] Well, you know- 1603 01:19:04,080 --> 01:19:05,640 Romeo and Juliet? 1604 01:19:05,720 --> 01:19:06,280 [Interviewer] Romeo and Juliet, you know, whatever, 1605 01:19:06,360 --> 01:19:08,000 but no- 1606 01:19:08,080 --> 01:19:09,520 Well, yeah, the classic love that lasts for about a year. 1607 01:19:09,600 --> 01:19:10,720 [Interviewer] Is there- 1608 01:19:10,800 --> 01:19:12,240 That's what they had, if that. 1609 01:19:12,320 --> 01:19:13,720 Do you think Romeo and Juliet 1610 01:19:13,800 --> 01:19:15,880 would've stayed happily married for 10 years? 1611 01:19:17,560 --> 01:19:19,040 Even when she had to do the dishes and raise the children, 1612 01:19:19,120 --> 01:19:22,080 you think that love would've stayed the same? 1613 01:19:22,160 --> 01:19:23,080 Of course not! 1614 01:19:26,960 --> 01:19:31,200 It was 1983 and that same year I posed for Playboy. 1615 01:19:35,320 --> 01:19:36,320 Oh! 1616 01:19:38,160 --> 01:19:38,920 [woman laughs] 1617 01:19:39,000 --> 01:19:39,760 My God! 1618 01:19:44,040 --> 01:19:45,040 These are filth! 1619 01:19:46,920 --> 01:19:48,280 Okay, so Playboy. 1620 01:19:48,360 --> 01:19:49,960 Incidentally, Playboy, 1621 01:19:50,040 --> 01:19:51,840 you wanna see Joan Collins without any clothes on? 1622 01:19:51,920 --> 01:19:52,640 [audience cheers] 1623 01:19:52,720 --> 01:19:54,000 Oh no! 1624 01:19:54,080 --> 01:19:56,000 Well now Joan Collins has created quite a stir 1625 01:19:56,080 --> 01:19:57,640 by appearing in a photo layout 1626 01:19:57,720 --> 01:19:59,360 for the December Playboy magazine, 1627 01:19:59,440 --> 01:20:01,760 the issue already looks to be one of the top sellers 1628 01:20:01,840 --> 01:20:02,640 Playboy has ever had. 1629 01:20:02,720 --> 01:20:03,640 Did you see it? 1630 01:20:03,720 --> 01:20:04,440 [Man] Yes, I have seen it. 1631 01:20:04,520 --> 01:20:05,160 Did you all see it? 1632 01:20:05,240 --> 01:20:06,520 [Man] Yeah. 1633 01:20:06,600 --> 01:20:09,800 It's the only one that I got paid for, 1634 01:20:09,880 --> 01:20:14,200 I had done hundreds of magazine covers by that time 1635 01:20:14,280 --> 01:20:17,000 and since, but it's the one that I got paid for, 1636 01:20:17,080 --> 01:20:18,400 probably the reason I did it. 1637 01:20:20,520 --> 01:20:23,520 One of the reasons that I did the Playboy layout 1638 01:20:23,600 --> 01:20:25,240 was because I'm a feminist and because I wanted to say, 1639 01:20:25,320 --> 01:20:29,560 "Hey, look, you don't have to be 23 to be in Playboy, 1640 01:20:29,640 --> 01:20:32,000 you don't have to be considered only attractive 1641 01:20:32,080 --> 01:20:33,680 if you're very young, 1642 01:20:33,760 --> 01:20:36,360 you can be attractive and you can be sexy if you're older." 1643 01:20:36,440 --> 01:20:38,800 And I want other other women who are older, 1644 01:20:38,880 --> 01:20:40,920 who are terrified of getting older, 1645 01:20:41,000 --> 01:20:43,600 it's sick and frightening 1646 01:20:43,680 --> 01:20:45,640 how terrified women are of getting older. 1647 01:20:45,720 --> 01:20:47,440 I like this picture on the cover, 1648 01:20:47,520 --> 01:20:50,440 I think it's really a very good picture 1649 01:20:50,520 --> 01:20:54,320 and it's glamorous without being raunchy and nasty, 1650 01:20:54,400 --> 01:20:56,600 John Forsythe from "Dynasty," loathed it. 1651 01:20:57,960 --> 01:20:59,760 He stormed into the producer's office 1652 01:20:59,840 --> 01:21:02,440 in a classic Blake Carrington rage 1653 01:21:02,520 --> 01:21:05,280 yelling "She's a disgrace to our fine show!" 1654 01:21:05,360 --> 01:21:07,840 And just what do you think you are doing here? 1655 01:21:08,840 --> 01:21:09,960 "Dynasty." 1656 01:21:10,040 --> 01:21:11,320 [audience applauds] 1657 01:21:11,400 --> 01:21:12,560 [Man] Accepting the award for "Dynasty" 1658 01:21:12,640 --> 01:21:14,160 are Diahann Carroll, Joan Collins- 1659 01:21:14,240 --> 01:21:17,280 Things came to head in 1986 1660 01:21:17,360 --> 01:21:20,440 when "Dynasty" won the People's Choice Awards, 1661 01:21:20,520 --> 01:21:22,080 John was supposed to accept it 1662 01:21:23,480 --> 01:21:25,200 but the presenter made a beeline for me 1663 01:21:25,280 --> 01:21:26,960 and plonked it in my hand. 1664 01:21:27,040 --> 01:21:29,640 Thank you, I know I speak for all of us 1665 01:21:29,720 --> 01:21:31,760 when we say how thrilled we are. 1666 01:21:31,840 --> 01:21:33,480 John was furious and hardly spoke to me 1667 01:21:33,560 --> 01:21:34,960 for the rest of the season. 1668 01:21:35,040 --> 01:21:37,680 And now I'm gonna give it to the big boss. 1669 01:21:37,760 --> 01:21:38,880 You said it. 1670 01:21:42,520 --> 01:21:45,600 When it came to renegotiating my "Dynasty" contract, 1671 01:21:45,680 --> 01:21:47,600 I found out that John Forsythe 1672 01:21:47,680 --> 01:21:52,240 was being paid much more than me, I had to take a stand. 1673 01:21:52,320 --> 01:21:55,440 I realised that I had never thought like a businesswoman, 1674 01:21:55,520 --> 01:21:59,200 I had thought like a ding-a-ling sort of artiste, 1675 01:21:59,280 --> 01:22:01,720 I cannot be bothered with things like money. 1676 01:22:01,800 --> 01:22:03,800 Now, if I had been a male actor 1677 01:22:03,880 --> 01:22:06,720 and had helped pull the ratings up from nowhere 1678 01:22:06,800 --> 01:22:08,680 to number one in the world, 1679 01:22:08,760 --> 01:22:11,000 the networks would've been falling over themselves 1680 01:22:11,080 --> 01:22:14,720 to give me parity without me having to beg. 1681 01:22:14,800 --> 01:22:16,400 The British actress, Joan Collins, 1682 01:22:16,480 --> 01:22:19,320 has been offered an extra 20,000 pounds a week 1683 01:22:19,400 --> 01:22:21,520 to go on playing the arch villain Alexis 1684 01:22:21,600 --> 01:22:23,600 in the television soap opera "Dynasty." 1685 01:22:23,680 --> 01:22:25,240 So don't underestimate me, 1686 01:22:25,320 --> 01:22:27,000 I'm not the same naive little English girl 1687 01:22:27,080 --> 01:22:28,040 fresh out of boarding school 1688 01:22:28,120 --> 01:22:29,720 that you met all those years ago. 1689 01:22:29,800 --> 01:22:31,360 I'm a very respected businesswoman 1690 01:22:31,440 --> 01:22:32,680 and if you don't wanna do business with me, 1691 01:22:32,760 --> 01:22:35,200 there are plenty of other people who will. 1692 01:22:35,280 --> 01:22:37,520 I think I learned a lot from Alexis 1693 01:22:37,600 --> 01:22:40,240 and her sharp business acumen. 1694 01:22:40,320 --> 01:22:41,920 If she accepts, 1695 01:22:42,000 --> 01:22:44,040 it'll take her salary to 1.5 million pounds a year. 1696 01:22:45,200 --> 01:22:46,000 Finally. 1697 01:22:50,200 --> 01:22:52,880 [dramatic music] 1698 01:22:54,560 --> 01:22:56,280 [Peter singing in foreign language] 1699 01:22:56,360 --> 01:22:59,600 Peter Holm was a tall, blonde Scandinavian, 1700 01:23:02,880 --> 01:23:04,640 a sort of male version of Britt Ekland. 1701 01:23:06,840 --> 01:23:07,720 I was, believe it or not, a pop star 1702 01:23:07,800 --> 01:23:09,360 when I was about 20 years. 1703 01:23:09,440 --> 01:23:10,200 [Interviewer] What was the name of the group? 1704 01:23:10,280 --> 01:23:11,120 Me, Peter Holm. 1705 01:23:12,520 --> 01:23:17,360 [Peter singing in foreign language] 1706 01:23:17,440 --> 01:23:19,880 I fell in love with him the first time I saw him sing. 1707 01:23:19,960 --> 01:23:21,240 I did, didn't I? 1708 01:23:21,320 --> 01:23:22,200 He didn't speak actually, you see, 1709 01:23:22,280 --> 01:23:23,960 I said "Does this man speak?" 1710 01:23:24,040 --> 01:23:25,280 And then somebody sort of nudged him 1711 01:23:25,360 --> 01:23:27,440 and said "Get out your guitar, Peter, 1712 01:23:27,520 --> 01:23:29,600 maybe she'll be impressed." 1713 01:23:29,680 --> 01:23:31,320 It worked, it worked instantly. 1714 01:23:34,720 --> 01:23:39,160 [Peter signing in foreign language] 1715 01:23:39,240 --> 01:23:40,120 Big mistake. 1716 01:23:42,160 --> 01:23:43,360 [Man] After three failed marriages, 1717 01:23:43,440 --> 01:23:45,320 she was resigned to remaining single 1718 01:23:45,400 --> 01:23:48,160 until she saw Peter Holm across a crowded restaurant 1719 01:23:48,240 --> 01:23:49,480 at a London lunch. 1720 01:23:49,560 --> 01:23:52,280 Today, Joan believes there is such a thing 1721 01:23:52,360 --> 01:23:54,360 as a marriage made in heaven. 1722 01:23:57,080 --> 01:23:58,560 Joan Collins, 1723 01:23:58,640 --> 01:24:01,200 who's better known nowadays as Alexis in "Dynasty" 1724 01:24:01,280 --> 01:24:04,240 has married for the fourth time at the age of 52. 1725 01:24:04,320 --> 01:24:07,600 It didn't take long for the problems to start. 1726 01:24:07,680 --> 01:24:09,840 It was almost a sort of case history 1727 01:24:09,920 --> 01:24:13,200 of a very powerful, successful woman 1728 01:24:13,280 --> 01:24:16,240 marrying a sort of man who was not powerful 1729 01:24:16,320 --> 01:24:18,880 and not successful and not really doing anything 1730 01:24:18,960 --> 01:24:21,080 and getting taken over. 1731 01:24:21,160 --> 01:24:22,920 He fired my agents and managers, 1732 01:24:23,000 --> 01:24:24,360 "You're famous, sweetie, 1733 01:24:24,440 --> 01:24:27,280 you don't need any of these parasites!" 1734 01:24:27,360 --> 01:24:30,520 but then took 20% of my income. 1735 01:24:30,600 --> 01:24:31,840 "If I'm not here, sweetie, 1736 01:24:31,920 --> 01:24:33,920 you'll just go back to your old ways 1737 01:24:34,000 --> 01:24:36,880 and these parasites will just take and take and take." 1738 01:24:38,600 --> 01:24:41,600 None of my friends liked him, but I stupidly didn't listen. 1739 01:24:41,680 --> 01:24:42,840 She's so sweet. 1740 01:24:42,920 --> 01:24:44,920 I had allowed the Swede 1741 01:24:45,000 --> 01:24:48,240 to totally control my business life. 1742 01:24:48,320 --> 01:24:51,720 His anger was venomous and whenever he had fights, 1743 01:24:51,800 --> 01:24:53,920 he would sneer sarcastically, 1744 01:24:54,000 --> 01:24:57,440 "If only people could see the great Alexis now, 1745 01:24:57,520 --> 01:25:00,560 what a pathetic cry baby." 1746 01:25:00,640 --> 01:25:02,960 [Interviewer] How often have others exploited you? 1747 01:25:04,200 --> 01:25:05,600 Quite a bit. 1748 01:25:05,680 --> 01:25:07,560 It must seem pretty pathetic 1749 01:25:07,640 --> 01:25:10,000 that a successful woman in her prime 1750 01:25:10,080 --> 01:25:12,960 should allow herself to be so bullied. 1751 01:25:13,040 --> 01:25:16,080 The trouble was, I was far too stubborn to admit 1752 01:25:16,160 --> 01:25:19,120 I'd made a terrible, terrible mistake. 1753 01:25:19,200 --> 01:25:21,120 I faced him with it after we'd been married, I said, 1754 01:25:21,200 --> 01:25:23,120 "You're a sociopath and if you continue like this, 1755 01:25:23,200 --> 01:25:24,400 I will divorce you." 1756 01:25:24,480 --> 01:25:26,240 This is after a few months, he said, 1757 01:25:26,320 --> 01:25:29,160 "You will look like the biggest fool in the world." he said, 1758 01:25:29,240 --> 01:25:31,960 "Alexis getting divorced after four months." 1759 01:25:32,040 --> 01:25:34,120 I said "I'm not Alexis, I'm Joan 1760 01:25:34,200 --> 01:25:36,720 and I married you because I thought you were one thing 1761 01:25:36,800 --> 01:25:38,360 and you're another, and if you continue like this, 1762 01:25:38,440 --> 01:25:39,360 I'm gonna divorce." 1763 01:25:41,760 --> 01:25:44,320 TV star Joan Collins and husband, Peter Holm 1764 01:25:44,400 --> 01:25:46,640 will start airing their dirty laundry in public today 1765 01:25:46,720 --> 01:25:48,760 when they're much publicised divorce case begins 1766 01:25:48,840 --> 01:25:50,120 in a Los Angeles courtroom. 1767 01:25:51,920 --> 01:25:54,000 [Man] Peter Holm, Miss Collins' fourth husband, 1768 01:25:54,080 --> 01:25:55,480 insists the British actress should pay him 1769 01:25:55,560 --> 01:25:57,440 50,000 pounds a month. 1770 01:25:57,520 --> 01:25:58,800 [Woman] The trial could generate more heat 1771 01:25:58,880 --> 01:26:00,800 than some "Dynasty" scenes. 1772 01:26:00,880 --> 01:26:02,720 [Man] Earlier this month, Mr. Holm locked himself 1773 01:26:02,800 --> 01:26:05,320 in the Hollywood Hills mansion he shared with the actress 1774 01:26:05,400 --> 01:26:08,280 threatening to shoot anyone who tried to evict him. 1775 01:26:08,360 --> 01:26:10,080 He said, "If you divorce me, I'm going to destroy you, 1776 01:26:10,160 --> 01:26:11,680 I'm gonna take all your money." 1777 01:26:11,760 --> 01:26:13,240 And he threatened all of that and he tried all of that. 1778 01:26:13,320 --> 01:26:14,600 Collins' attorney says 1779 01:26:14,680 --> 01:26:16,200 it's kind of like any other divorce, 1780 01:26:16,280 --> 01:26:18,960 except his client's name happens to be Joan Collins. 1781 01:26:20,840 --> 01:26:25,600 And finally, the judge allowed him only $80,000, only? 1782 01:26:26,120 --> 01:26:27,520 Ha! 1783 01:26:27,600 --> 01:26:29,200 [Woman] Joan, would you ever marry again? 1784 01:26:29,280 --> 01:26:32,040 No, I said, "I don't need a husband, I need a wife." 1785 01:26:34,200 --> 01:26:35,640 And that was divorce number four. 1786 01:26:41,840 --> 01:26:44,200 Joan took the character Alexis and ran with it, 1787 01:26:44,280 --> 01:26:46,840 it made her the most watched woman on television 1788 01:26:46,920 --> 01:26:48,880 in more than 90 countries. 1789 01:26:51,520 --> 01:26:54,040 "Dynasty" had now brought me fame and fortune 1790 01:26:54,120 --> 01:26:56,240 to a staggering degree. 1791 01:26:56,320 --> 01:26:57,760 On my last day on "Dynasty," 1792 01:26:57,840 --> 01:26:59,720 I ordered champagne for the crew 1793 01:26:59,800 --> 01:27:01,760 and a cake, which said 1794 01:27:01,840 --> 01:27:05,600 "It's been the best, I love you all, Joan." 1795 01:27:07,200 --> 01:27:09,960 But I couldn't stop the tears rolling down my cheeks. 1796 01:27:12,360 --> 01:27:14,880 [Joan singing] 1797 01:27:25,880 --> 01:27:27,720 As the nineties dawned, 1798 01:27:27,800 --> 01:27:31,400 outsized bling and big hair were no longer in Vogue 1799 01:27:31,480 --> 01:27:34,560 and my life was branching in a new direction. 1800 01:27:34,640 --> 01:27:36,360 I wouldn't have expected you to be celibate 1801 01:27:36,440 --> 01:27:38,600 after we were divorced anymore than I was. 1802 01:27:38,680 --> 01:27:39,960 What? 1803 01:27:40,040 --> 01:27:41,640 Ever since RADA, I'd wanted to play Amanda 1804 01:27:41,720 --> 01:27:43,480 in Noel Cowards "Private Lives" 1805 01:27:43,560 --> 01:27:46,160 and now I finally had my chance. 1806 01:27:46,240 --> 01:27:48,120 The curtain dropped to rapturous applause 1807 01:27:48,200 --> 01:27:51,320 for Joan Collins' first night on the West End stage, 1808 01:27:51,400 --> 01:27:54,200 the star playing the lead in Noel Coward's "Private Lives," 1809 01:27:54,280 --> 01:27:56,440 received a standing ovation. 1810 01:27:56,520 --> 01:27:59,600 I then co-produced and starred in a series of Coward plays 1811 01:27:59,680 --> 01:28:01,240 for the BBC, 1812 01:28:01,320 --> 01:28:04,160 with a cast which included my ex-husband Anthony Newley. 1813 01:28:04,240 --> 01:28:05,840 I couldn't help it! 1814 01:28:05,920 --> 01:28:07,800 It doesn't matter why you did it or how you did it, 1815 01:28:07,880 --> 01:28:08,680 you did it! 1816 01:28:08,760 --> 01:28:10,360 All right, I did! 1817 01:28:10,440 --> 01:28:13,680 Tony and I drew heavily upon our own marital experiences, 1818 01:28:13,760 --> 01:28:16,520 no method acting needed here, 1819 01:28:16,600 --> 01:28:18,520 but those years were now behind us, 1820 01:28:18,600 --> 01:28:20,600 life's too short to bear grudges. 1821 01:28:23,600 --> 01:28:24,960 Entree! 1822 01:28:25,040 --> 01:28:26,400 [Man] Ah, lovely! 1823 01:28:26,480 --> 01:28:27,760 Oh, look at this. 1824 01:28:29,240 --> 01:28:31,760 Welcome to my house, welcome. 1825 01:28:34,520 --> 01:28:35,440 That's our little pool. 1826 01:28:35,520 --> 01:28:37,520 [Man] Oh, look at that pool! 1827 01:28:37,600 --> 01:28:39,280 Oh, Joan! 1828 01:28:39,360 --> 01:28:40,920 [Joan] It's nice, isn't it? 1829 01:28:41,000 --> 01:28:42,520 Like her sister, Jackie Collins, 1830 01:28:42,600 --> 01:28:45,040 Joan has turned her real life experiences in Hollywood 1831 01:28:45,120 --> 01:28:47,720 into a hot new book called "Prime Time." 1832 01:28:47,800 --> 01:28:48,920 This is the work area. 1833 01:28:50,280 --> 01:28:51,680 This is where I write blockbusters 1834 01:28:53,280 --> 01:28:53,760 with my "Dictionary of English Synonyms and Antonyms." 1835 01:28:58,880 --> 01:28:59,640 I lie here. 1836 01:29:01,160 --> 01:29:05,120 I hop on the telephone, hello mother. 1837 01:29:05,200 --> 01:29:06,760 I said to Katy, who was then 14, 1838 01:29:06,840 --> 01:29:08,320 I said, "Are you going to read "Prime Time?" 1839 01:29:08,400 --> 01:29:10,960 She said, "Mummy, I don't read trash fiction." 1840 01:29:11,040 --> 01:29:12,840 [audience laughs] 1841 01:29:12,920 --> 01:29:14,760 [Man] The only award Jane Collins might get 1842 01:29:14,840 --> 01:29:18,120 for her first novel is for a record number of signings, 1843 01:29:18,200 --> 01:29:19,920 500 in an hour. 1844 01:29:20,000 --> 01:29:24,480 "Prime Time" was a best seller and so was my next book. 1845 01:29:25,880 --> 01:29:27,760 Every time I read this book, and I have to say, 1846 01:29:27,840 --> 01:29:29,480 I've read it a few times, 1847 01:29:29,560 --> 01:29:33,360 I think it's such a good book. 1848 01:29:33,440 --> 01:29:37,600 My agent then got me a staggering $2 million deal 1849 01:29:37,680 --> 01:29:41,320 to write two steamy novels for Random House. 1850 01:29:41,400 --> 01:29:43,960 I delivered two novels in a timely manner 1851 01:29:45,920 --> 01:29:49,160 and then Random House decided to sue me. 1852 01:29:49,240 --> 01:29:51,240 The actress Joan Collins took the stand 1853 01:29:51,320 --> 01:29:53,000 in a real courtroom drama, 1854 01:29:53,080 --> 01:29:55,040 she's defending her literary reputation 1855 01:29:55,120 --> 01:29:57,040 after being sued by her publishers 1856 01:29:57,120 --> 01:29:59,440 for the return of a million dollar advance. 1857 01:29:59,520 --> 01:30:01,760 They say her efforts to write steamy blockbusters 1858 01:30:01,840 --> 01:30:03,440 fell short at the mark. 1859 01:30:03,520 --> 01:30:06,680 [Joan] I was locked into the biggest fight of my life. 1860 01:30:08,080 --> 01:30:10,960 So you tell one story when you're suing them 1861 01:30:11,040 --> 01:30:13,760 and you tell this jury another 1862 01:30:13,840 --> 01:30:15,880 when you're trying to keep from returning the advance, 1863 01:30:15,960 --> 01:30:16,880 yes or no? 1864 01:30:16,960 --> 01:30:18,080 No, I haven't- 1865 01:30:18,160 --> 01:30:19,920 No, no is the answer, next question. 1866 01:30:20,000 --> 01:30:21,440 Don't you have any shame? 1867 01:30:21,520 --> 01:30:23,760 Abstain, please, counsellor! 1868 01:30:23,840 --> 01:30:25,520 [Joan] It was absolutely brutal. 1869 01:30:25,600 --> 01:30:27,240 The actress seemed on the brink of tears 1870 01:30:27,320 --> 01:30:28,680 after that bruising session 1871 01:30:28,760 --> 01:30:31,000 and she turned away from the courtroom camera. 1872 01:30:31,080 --> 01:30:33,840 "Don't let them rattle you." My friend said, 1873 01:30:33,920 --> 01:30:38,520 "Be strong, just be, become Alexis." 1874 01:30:41,280 --> 01:30:44,400 The next day I walked into the courtroom 1875 01:30:44,480 --> 01:30:47,400 and I became Alexis. 1876 01:30:47,480 --> 01:30:50,880 Don't get yourself into a court fight with this woman. 1877 01:30:50,960 --> 01:30:53,440 [Man] Did you sometimes call this "Athena?" 1878 01:30:53,520 --> 01:30:55,120 Sometimes I called it "Hitler's mistress," 1879 01:30:55,200 --> 01:30:58,000 it went through so many different names. 1880 01:30:58,080 --> 01:31:00,760 That is a pretty good Alexis line. 1881 01:31:02,720 --> 01:31:04,040 Oh, Mr. Keller, 1882 01:31:04,120 --> 01:31:05,080 you're not supposed to come close to me 1883 01:31:05,160 --> 01:31:07,160 without asking permission. 1884 01:31:07,240 --> 01:31:11,360 After two weeks, the jury filed in to deliver the verdict. 1885 01:31:11,440 --> 01:31:13,400 [Man] A moment of tension as Joan Collins 1886 01:31:13,480 --> 01:31:14,880 awaits the jury verdict 1887 01:31:14,960 --> 01:31:16,880 on whether she's broken her book contract. 1888 01:31:16,960 --> 01:31:19,160 [Judge] Did defendant Joan Collins fail to deliver 1889 01:31:19,240 --> 01:31:21,000 a complete manuscript, what is the answer? 1890 01:31:21,080 --> 01:31:22,400 [Foreman] No. 1891 01:31:22,480 --> 01:31:23,200 [Judge] Was that unanimous? 1892 01:31:23,280 --> 01:31:24,040 [Foreman] Yes. 1893 01:31:26,560 --> 01:31:30,240 I'd won with a little help from Alexis. 1894 01:31:30,320 --> 01:31:35,080 Justice had been served and oh, how sweet it was. 1895 01:31:35,160 --> 01:31:36,840 The actress Joan Collins is celebrating 1896 01:31:36,920 --> 01:31:38,080 her courtroom victory 1897 01:31:38,160 --> 01:31:40,880 over her American publishers Random House. 1898 01:31:40,960 --> 01:31:43,560 [Man] That the 62-year-old actress thanked the jury, 1899 01:31:43,640 --> 01:31:45,320 asked by one if they could keep 1900 01:31:45,400 --> 01:31:47,600 the copies of her unpublished blockbuster, 1901 01:31:47,680 --> 01:31:48,960 "A Ruling Passion," 1902 01:31:49,040 --> 01:31:50,840 Ms. Collins offered to autograph them. 1903 01:31:50,920 --> 01:31:55,120 11 Men and women who were all college graduates, 1904 01:31:55,200 --> 01:31:57,160 who all, none of them had seen "Dynasty," 1905 01:31:57,240 --> 01:31:59,760 none of them had read my books, so they said! 1906 01:31:59,840 --> 01:32:01,920 [audience laughs] 1907 01:32:02,000 --> 01:32:03,840 And I think Random House are trying to teach a lesson 1908 01:32:03,920 --> 01:32:05,400 to not only me, but to other authors. 1909 01:32:05,480 --> 01:32:06,760 They don't wanna pay this, 1910 01:32:06,840 --> 01:32:08,720 but nobody held a gun to their head 1911 01:32:08,800 --> 01:32:09,560 to give me all that money. 1912 01:32:09,640 --> 01:32:10,640 [Man] We love you! 1913 01:32:10,720 --> 01:32:13,400 [crowd cheering] 1914 01:32:15,040 --> 01:32:17,800 Now, could it be fifth time lucky for Joan Collins? 1915 01:32:17,880 --> 01:32:20,320 The 68-year-old actress tied the knot 1916 01:32:20,400 --> 01:32:22,480 at London's Claridge's hotel today, 1917 01:32:22,560 --> 01:32:23,920 her new and fifth husband, 1918 01:32:24,000 --> 01:32:26,960 Percy Gibson, is 32 years her junior. 1919 01:32:28,680 --> 01:32:30,520 [Reporter] The dress code was, of course, glamorous, 1920 01:32:30,600 --> 01:32:32,960 sadly, a deal with the celebrity magazine, 1921 01:32:33,040 --> 01:32:34,960 precluded a glimpse of the bride. 1922 01:32:35,040 --> 01:32:36,240 [Photographer] Great and again, 1923 01:32:36,320 --> 01:32:38,240 hold for me, that's fabulous, still. 1924 01:32:38,320 --> 01:32:40,160 Absolutely love it, yeah, look at that! 1925 01:32:46,160 --> 01:32:50,680 I first set eyes on Percy Gibson in the year 2000, 1926 01:32:52,080 --> 01:32:53,520 he was managing a theatre production 1927 01:32:53,600 --> 01:32:54,760 that I was going to be in. 1928 01:32:56,840 --> 01:32:59,840 The fact that I was older didn't matter to us, 1929 01:32:59,920 --> 01:33:02,200 it was giddy, it was fantastic 1930 01:33:02,280 --> 01:33:04,960 and Percy and I fell madly in love. 1931 01:33:05,040 --> 01:33:07,560 I, Joan Henrietta Collins. 1932 01:33:07,640 --> 01:33:10,320 Do take thee, Percy Michael Gibson. 1933 01:33:10,400 --> 01:33:13,160 Do take thee, Percy Michael Gibson. 1934 01:33:13,240 --> 01:33:16,040 [Officiant] To be my lawful, wedded husband. 1935 01:33:16,120 --> 01:33:18,360 To be my lawful, wedded husband. 1936 01:33:19,960 --> 01:33:22,000 We been together ever since, 1937 01:33:22,080 --> 01:33:26,320 I finally found my true soulmate and my husband forever. 1938 01:33:26,400 --> 01:33:29,760 [triumphant music] 1939 01:33:29,840 --> 01:33:32,480 [Man] Dame Joan Collins for services to charity. 1940 01:33:34,160 --> 01:33:36,960 In 2015, I received one of the greatest honours of my life, 1941 01:33:37,040 --> 01:33:38,600 a dame hood. 1942 01:33:38,680 --> 01:33:39,880 Dame Joan Collins, 1943 01:33:39,960 --> 01:33:41,760 I can't say it enough, Dame Joan Collins. 1944 01:33:41,840 --> 01:33:44,680 Oh, I love it, thank you. 1945 01:33:44,760 --> 01:33:47,040 I know I've had a lucky life, 1946 01:33:47,120 --> 01:33:50,000 but I think I've also had my fair share of disaster 1947 01:33:50,080 --> 01:33:51,240 and unhappiness. 1948 01:33:53,040 --> 01:33:56,840 And there have been three miserable, horrible divorces. 1949 01:33:56,920 --> 01:33:59,520 [Man] Dame Joan Collins. 1950 01:33:59,600 --> 01:34:02,280 The terrible situation when my daughter almost died, 1951 01:34:03,280 --> 01:34:05,160 bankruptcy, almost, 1952 01:34:06,560 --> 01:34:10,040 not getting any work as an actor, a lot. 1953 01:34:11,400 --> 01:34:12,920 [Man] Dame Joan Collins everyone! 1954 01:34:14,760 --> 01:34:16,040 But who wants reality? 1955 01:34:16,120 --> 01:34:18,400 There's already too much of it in today's world. 1956 01:34:19,760 --> 01:34:21,520 And as they say in show business, 1957 01:34:21,600 --> 01:34:23,640 that's not what the public pay for. 1958 01:34:24,840 --> 01:34:27,840 [triumphant music continues] 1959 01:34:27,920 --> 01:34:29,560 That is a wrap for Joan Collins! 1960 01:34:34,320 --> 01:34:37,440 I think people like the glamour girl called Joan Collins. 1961 01:34:38,400 --> 01:34:39,960 Off we go! 1962 01:34:40,040 --> 01:34:43,720 Even if they understand glamour is just an illusion. 1963 01:34:43,800 --> 01:34:47,520 [triumphant music crescendos] 1964 01:34:54,040 --> 01:34:55,160 Is that it? 1965 01:34:55,240 --> 01:34:56,560 Are we done? 1966 01:34:56,640 --> 01:34:59,680 [upbeat suave music] 1967 01:35:02,600 --> 01:35:04,240 I don't suppose we could open the window for a second 1968 01:35:04,320 --> 01:35:06,200 or put it on some AC? 1969 01:35:06,280 --> 01:35:09,000 'Cause maybe I shouldn't wear a sweater. 1970 01:35:11,480 --> 01:35:13,440 I think maybe I shouldn't wear this sweater, 1971 01:35:13,520 --> 01:35:14,840 does it look okay? 1972 01:35:14,920 --> 01:35:16,120 [Woman] You look great. 1973 01:35:16,200 --> 01:35:17,560 But I'm boiling. 1974 01:35:20,080 --> 01:35:22,120 'Cause I'm gonna take the books 1975 01:35:22,200 --> 01:35:24,200 and when I look at them, I'm gonna put them here, 1976 01:35:24,280 --> 01:35:25,600 is that all right? 1977 01:35:27,240 --> 01:35:28,480 All right, we'll just do that then, 1978 01:35:28,560 --> 01:35:30,000 I think I've done enough of that book, 1979 01:35:30,080 --> 01:35:31,640 I was even boring myself. 1980 01:35:33,880 --> 01:35:37,680 [upbeat suave music continues] 1981 01:35:51,680 --> 01:35:55,440 [upbeat suave music continues] 1982 01:36:12,600 --> 01:36:16,400 [upbeat suave music continues] 1983 01:36:29,920 --> 01:36:33,680 [upbeat suave music continues]