THE V.I.P.S. (1963)

During the filming of Cleopatra (1963), Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton 's SCANDALOUS AFFAIR  generated MORAL OUTRAGE and BAD PUBLICITY for the already troubled production. SPECULATIONS swirled if the two would ever work together again, being so VOLATILE with the public, especially with Taylor's past TRANSGRESSION with Eddie Fisher. 

The negative publicity of Taylor's affairs seemed to FUEL the curiosity of filmgoers, who came out in droves to see CLEOPATRA. Unfortunately, the film was so over budgeted that even decent ticket sales could not redeem it. But one thing was for certain, that The Burtons would become the next SUPER COUPLE. 

THE V.I.P.S would become second out of eleven films, The Burtons would make together. Originally, Taylor was NOT the Director's choice for the Female lead, it was Sophia Loren, but Taylor was NOT going to let that happen. Eventually, the role was given to Taylor, after she kept insisting that she co-star with her soon-to-be husband. After DIVORCING their SPOUSES, Taylor and Burton tied the knot after completing THE V.I.P.S  (1963). Burton became the FIFTH husband to infamous HOMEWRECKER Taylor.

                                     

Besides The Burtons, there is an IMPRESSIVE cast which includes Orson Welles, Margaret Rutherford, Rod Taylor, Louis Jourdan and Maggie Smith who are very important people flying out of the London Airport. Orson Welles plays movie mogul Max Buda fleeting London with his starlet Gloria Gritti ( Elsa Martinelli ) to escape from paying a catastrophic sum of British income tax.

  I felt Welles was WASTED in this film, not given enough material to sink his teeth into or enough screen presence. There's a scene in which we think Max Buda is being questioned for being overweight to board the plane, but it turns out that it was his luggage that was in question. One can't help but wondered if it was inside joke being punked on Welles for excessive weight, he accumulated over the years. Not only does that specific scene suggest so, but the character's last name Buda, makes you think of the obese Asian symbol. Anyways, Welles seems to take it stride, giving a rather flamboyant insipid performance that blends with the scenery

The next very important person is The Duchess of Brighton  (Margaret Rutherford) who is having trouble finding her vaccination paper but states to the clerk that she is not afraid of coming down with a bit of smallpox. Then another dilemma arises when Rutherford is not on the passenger list. Then all is resolved when her title of "Duchess of Brighton"  is revealed to the clerk who was unaware who she was, being that The Duchess is traveling economy class. It also revealed that The Duchess has to take a job at Miami Beach resort, thinking it will be enough money to save her family estate. Rutherford won Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in THE V.I.P.S. I felt that she may be better deserving of the award for her portrayal of Miss Jane Marple in those Christie's murder mysteries.

                                                           

 PLOT SUMMARY (Spoilers Alert !!!!)
Landing down at the airport in a helicopter is our main characters of THE V.I.P.S.  Frances Andros Elizabeth Taylor), a TROPHY WIFE to Tycoon Paul Andros ( Richard Burton).  Paul is seeing his wife off, who is secretly going away with her Playboy lover  (Louis Jourdan).  Unaware of his wife's INFIDELITY, Paul presents his wife with an expensive piece of jewelry, while riding in the limo, through the airfield to the airport. We learn that the two, have been married for 11 years, but really 13 years as we find out later in the movie. Paul seems to be very devoted to his beautiful wife, who seems to be feeling guilty about something.

 As soon as they ARRIVE at the airport terminal, Paul instantly RECOGNIZES an old friend Mark Champselle (Louis Jourdan) who was INCOGNITO at the lunch counter reading a newspaper. It seems that Mark is taking the same flight to New York as Frances. Paul OFFERED to have their seating changed for they can sit together and gossip their heads off. But Frances declines, stating she wants to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

 Paul picks up on Frances's COLD FRONT towards Mark. He uses the opportunity to tell Frances what he thinks of Mark, calling him a fairly ruthless shameless character, a bit of GIGOLO, hopeless GAMBLER, a NUISANCE, then adds he rather likes him.

The LAST of the very important people are the SELF - MADE Australian owner of Magnum Tractors, Les Mangrum (Rod Taylor) and his DEDICATED secretary  Miss Mead ( Maggie Smith), who SECRETLY in LOVE with her EMPLOYER. It is imperative that Mr. Mangrum be New York, the following today to AVOID an aggressive TAKE OVER of his tractor company after his best friend DOUBLE- CROSSED him. 

Despite all the DRAMA going on, there is more emphasis on the LOVE TRIANGLE between BURTON/ TAYLOR/ JOURDAN than anyone else in the film. Well, after all The Burtons are the STARS of this picture, and everyone else is mere BACKGROUND.

 Back at the AIRPORT, Paul has pressing engagement somewhere else but offers his hired hand to stay with his wife, until she makes it safely on board. But Frances INSIST that she can BOARD the plane ALONE. After Paul has been driven off, the two LOVE BIRDS meet up. Frances tells Mark, that she LEFT a LETTER for Paul, in the usual place they leave notes.

The FLIGHT has been DELAYED due to fog, which prompts Frances to call her maid to RETRIEVE the LETTER before her husband comes home. But unfortunately, Paul ANSWERS the phone leaving Frances SPEECHLESS.  Before we know it, Paul is at the airport CONFRONTING his wife and her GIGOLO. Everything is now in the open, Paul has READ the letter that Frances is LEAVING HIM for Mark. But Paul DOESN'T wants a DIVORCE, he WANTS HIS WIFE.

 Saved by the now boarding call, Mark and Frances GET UP to LEAVE. Paul stands in their way, FORBIDDING  his wife in taking the flight. Frances doesn't listen CONTINUING ON with her LOVER through the terminal with her husband in HOT PURSUIT. Mark looks back, seeing that Paul has something his jacket pocket, could it be a GUN. They made it safely ABOARD the plane, only to have to DISEMBARK due to weather conditions. To make matters worse, they have to stay OVERNIGHT at the airport's hotel.

 Suddenly Mark is called away, thinking it has to do with the hotel's accommodations. To Mark's surprise, he is ushered into a room with Paul. Now, that the cat is out of the bag, Paul is desperate to pay off his wife's MAN WHORE with a check. But Mark can't be bought off or scared off with the gun that was in Paul's pocket. Mark CONFESSES that he is  IN LOVE with Frances.

Paul ARRIVES at Frances's hotel room. Reluctantly, Frances WELCOMES her husband in, only to discover that Paul has a GUN. Paul ASSURES  Frances that he hadn't had time to DISPOSE of it. She BELIEVES him and TELLS him that it will do NO GOOD  to RANT and RAVE. But Paul has NO INTENTIONS of doing that, instead, he GRAVELS at her feet. But Frances is not opened that, instead she wants him to LET her GO  PEACEFULLY. Paul asks his wife if Mark was a BETTER LOVER than he is? She replied that she didn't know because SEX hasn't come into it yet. If it's not SEX, then what is it? well. the answer is NEED  & LOVE, at least that answer Frances giving anyways.

Things start to get UGLY at this point, Paul can't believe that wife is DESTROYING their life for a MAN WHORE, she HASN'T SLEPT with. The argument ESCALATES with Paul SMASHING Frances's arm up AGAINST a full-length WALL MIRROR. Frances FORGIVES her husband, chalking it up as his WOUNDED PRIDE. After his wife is tended by a private physician, Paul says goodbye to his wife.

Before reaching the CLIMAX, we need tie - up some loose ends with the no- so VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE of this GLOSSY SOAP OPERA. Max Buda finds out that it would be more BENEFICIAL to him to NO longer lead the life of a BACHELOR. Instead, Max MARRIES his STARLET  to avoid HEFTY British taxes by TRANSFERRING funds in a production company named after her.

Miss Mead comes to her employer's rescue when she askes the DISTRAUGHT Paul Andros for the MONEY to SAVE the tractor company. Still grief-stricken after saying farewell to the LOVE of his life, Paul SIGNS a BLANK check to Miss Mead. Mr. Magnum was so HAPPY receiving the check, that he KISSES his LOYAL secretary. Something tells me if Miss Mead plays her cards right, she will be PUTTING A RING ON IT  very soon. 

As for the Duchess of Brighton, she is able to keep her FAMILY ESTATE after Max Buda agreed to film his next movie there. 

Everyone gets a HAPPY ENDING except for Mark because he's JUST A GIGOLO. After READING a SUICIDE LETTER penned by Paul, Frances DROPS  the GIGOLO like a HOT POTATO. Willingly Frances RETURNS  to the loving arms of her husband because he NEEDS her and she 's no longer just another possession.

                       FILM FACTS

  

Rumor has it that THE V.I.P.S. is based LOOSELY on the TRUE ACCOUNT of Actress Vivien Leigh tried to leave her husband Laurence Olivier for Peter Finch. Oliver confronted Leigh and Finch, who were delayed at the London Airport due to foggy conditions. Olivier convinced his wife to come back home and abandoned her plans of leaving him. The screenplay was written by a close friend of Vivien Leigh. 

All the jewelry worn by Elizabeth Taylor on THE V.I.P.S. came from her own personal collection. The diamond and emerald brooch was from Richard Burton. The diamond Tiara, Taylor wore at the dinner party scene was given to her by her third husband Michael Tod

Director Anthony Asquith wanted Sophia Loren to play the trophy wife Frances Angos in his upcoming film THE V.I.P.S., but Elizabeth Taylor  was so nervous about the appeal that Loren had on Burton that she convinced  the director to hire her instead and said " Let Sophia stay in Rome ."

             IMMORTAL DIALOGUE

Baggage Claim Clerk: Mr. Buda , Aren't you rather OVERWEIGHT !"
Mr. Buda: " OVERWEIGHT? Me? "

 " I have two ENORMOUS pills to STEADY me down and two PEP pills I took this morning. The PEP pills, I'm FLYING already."

Paul: " So what can I do, to SHOW you, how much I LOVE you ?"
Frances: " Only ONE thing, let me go PEACEFULLY to New York."

 Paul: " I'm told he's a very SKILLFUL maker of LOVE. Is he ?"
Frances: I don't know."
Paul: " Is he all that much better than me ?"
Frances: I tell you, I don't know, that ... that hasn't come into it yet."
Paul : " I don't believe you."
Frances: " I didn't think that you would, but it's true."

Paul: " If it isn't SEX, what is it then? "
Frances: "The WORDS you been using... NEED and LOVE."

    THE CAST:  
     Frances Andros - ELIZABETH TAYLOR (Frances Andros), Richard Burton (Paul Andros), Louis Jourdan (Mark Champselle), Rod Taylor (Les Magrum), Orson Welles (Max Buda), Margaret Rutherford (Duchess of Brighton), Elsa Martinelli (Gloria Griffi).
         

                 MY BOTTOM LINE ...
THE V.I.P.S. (1963) is certainly one of the better collaborations from The Burtons. However, it is certainly NOT their best efforts. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966) would be their BEST, everything else PALES in COMPARISON. After that being said THE V.I.P.S. (1966)  has its MERITS as a SLICK glossy soap opera using the GRAND HOTEL  formula.  The problem is THE BURTONS overshadows everyone else in the film including heavyweights like  Maggie Smith, Orson Welles,  and Margaret Rutherford ( who won an Oscar for her role ). Their STORYLINES  seem to FADE into the BACKGROUND, even when THE BURTONS are NOT  on the screen.

I certainly do recommend THE V.I. P.S. (1966) to those who enjoy a LAVISH MELODRAMAS from Vintage Hollywood. Liz and Richard IGNITE the screen as a WEALTHY couple having MARTIAL trouble. No one can DENY the CHEMISTRY that THE BURTONS have and their SUPERB acting ability to play off each other, which definitely TRANSCENDS later in WHO AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF (1966). The problem here is not THE BURTONS, it's with other facet of the love triangle. I don't believe that Louis Jordan was the right choice for the part of Liz's playboy lover. Jourdan comes across rather stiff,   awkward, boring, and gives a cardboard performance which hinders the picture. A better casting choice would have been Rock Hudson. THE V.I.P.S. (1963) is a pleasure to watch, especially Elizabeth Taylor's many wardrobe changes provided by GIVENCHY, Paris. 

               Elizabeth Taylor as Frances Andros in THE V.I.PS. (1966).

Richard Burton (Paul Andros) & Liz Taylor (Frances Andros) in a publicity photo for THE V.I.P.S. (1966).