[ part 2 of 3 ]
She's quite memorable In Hangover Square. How did that project come about? THE LODGER was a great success for Fox, and for me. Laird Cregar was a star now and HANGOVER SQUARE went into production almost immediately, with Bassler producing and Barré adapting the Patrick Hamilton book as a Cregar vehicle set in 1903, as close to the Ripper era as possible. In many ways, HANGOVER SQUARE is a more elaborate retelling of THE LODGER. It wasn't meant to be but, of course, he is an insane killer who goes off whenever he hears acertain piece of music. Laird was ill during the shooting of HANGOVER SQUARE. I remember George Sanders, who was one of his best friends, being concerned about himand this “diet” he was on. Shooting was exhausting to him and the lights didn't help matters,either. Did Cregar have Illusions of becoming a leading man? I suppose so, although his talent was there regardless of the role. He confided to George Sanders that he wanted a “normal” life and had fallen in love with a woman for the first time. Do you think his portrayal of these two characters were responsible In part for arousing feelings of self-contempt? Cregar saw himself 100% in those characters, being a Victorian at heart, and because hebrought so much subtlety and shading that came from deep within. Zanuck disliked homosexuals and Cregar perhaps thought, professionally, That it was a good move to lose the weight and become a leading man. As a star with two major 20th Century-Fox pictures on hand, why risk blackmail or scandal-but this is only my opinion. Laird was a classy fellow and his behaviour was always above reproach. [ back ] [ next page 3 of 3 ]
					Bernard Hermann -who created the soundtracks for many great movies including Hangover Square