Released 51 years ago, the power of fascination of the film “Clockwork Orange” signed by Kubrick, remains intact. This dive into an ultra-violent universe has also tensed the star actor of the film “Singing in the rain”, Gene Kelly…
Exactly 52 years ago, on April 21, 1971, Stanley Kubrick threw in the face of the spectators a grenade unpinned with staggering and paralyzing violence: A Clockwork Orange. The story of Alex and his band, followers of sex, ultra violence and Beethoven in a still futuristic and terribly anxiety-provoking universe, petrified the public.
The film was banned in several countries. In Spain still under the yoke of the dictator Franco. As in Italy too, from 1971 to 2000; that is to say the time spent in purgatory. In Great Britain, the film was exploited for two years, before being withdrawn from the poster at the express request of Kubrick, and came out in the country only in the wake of the death of the filmmaker.
Warner Bros.
“The film was a big hit there, but it also had a lot of problems” told us in 2011 Jan Harlan, brother-in-law of the filmmaker. “A lot of people discovered their baser morals and instincts with this movie. They attacked Stanley a lot, and at one point he got fed up. He then asked Warner to pull the movie from distribution, which the studio did”.
Years later, the filmmaker only gave permission for his film to be released on VHS in an English version with Swedish subtitles; intended for this market. Collectors and veterans may remember that this famous VHS was on sale in the import department of the Virgin Megastore on the Champs-Elysées…
The cold anger of Gene Kelly
Under the features of Alex, Malcolm McDowell found thanks to the film the role of his life; even if the person concerned has not been unworthy in the rest of his career. In 2013, he spoke in front of an audience a nice anecdote about the film. More particularly the cold anger of the great actor of Singing in the rain, Gene Kelly.
The reason ? His diverted use of the mythical song Singing in the Rain during a traumatic scene in the film. In the midst of an ultra-violent session at a couple’s house accompanied by his Droogs, Alex begins to repeat the film’s flagship song, while dancing.
Warner Bros.
Particularly meticulous, Stanley Kubrick left very little room for improvisation. This scene was therefore well planned. Except that after having shot it seven times, the director was still not satisfied with the result. He then suggested to Malcolm McDowell to do what he wanted. So he started to improvise. Hilarious behind his camera, Kubrick rushed to buy the rights to the famous song so he could use it in the film.
Below, the famous sequence…
In 2013, McDowell said he had been invited to a party by an executive from Warner. “He said, ‘You won’t believe it, but Gene Kelly is here tonight!’ I said, ‘That’s great! I would love to meet him. He had his back to me; the guy from Warner tapped him on the shoulder, Gene turned around, and the guy said, “Gene, I’d like to introduce Malcolm McDowell to you.”
He looked at me and glared, then he left without saying a word. How could I blame Gene Kelly? I took this wonderful moment that he created, and I completely fucked it up.” If McDowell was not apparently more embarrassed than that by this sequence, the executive of Warner was mortified.
It wasn’t until 40 years later that Malcolm McDowell really learned why Gene Kelly was furious. “As I was telling the story, there’s this woman who comes up to me, and says, ‘I’m the widow of Gene Kelly. Malcolm wasn’t mad at you. He was really mad at Stanley Kubrick because he didn’t pay him.” And I said, “God, so many of us haven’t been paid!”