Writing
The first draft of the script was done by Edward Anhalt. However, when John Frankenheimer became attached as director, he got John Hopkins to do rewrites. The director was unhappy with these then arranged for George Axelrod to rework most of the screenplay. [2] Frankenheimer called the film "a conspiracy movie" about "a man's search for his father". [2] The director added, "I love Ludlum. I'm a great fan of Ludlum. I buy Ludlum's books. I mean, I pay bookstore prices for Ludlum". [8]
"The script I worked from was relatively humorless," says Axelrod. "When John and I suggested adding much more humor, the producers said they didn't want a Walter Matthau romp. But John told them he could take the script of Some Like It Hot and turn it into a social documentary on the effects of gang warfare on the music business in Chicago during Prohibition and how that affected women's liberation - and that they needn't worry about him being too funny." [2] Axelrod admitted he did not read the novel because he didn't have time. [2] He later called it a "terrible picture" which he worked on because he "needed the money". [9]
Planning was complicated with Ely Landau had a stroke so his wife had to take over the bulk of producing with Mort Abrahams. Frankenheimer said, TThey were no help and were in the wrong profession. It was actually the completion bond company — Gertrude Soames, the film financer, and David Korda, who worked for them — who came to our rescue." [10]
Casting
James Caan was attached to the project when John Frankenheimer joined the film. The director recalled, "We had a long meeting, and Caan was talking about a movie that I didn't really see in the material. He said he was doing the movie because it was a love story. But a love story it's not; it's a thriller. Yes, he falls in love but it's not much of a love story. I didn't understand Caan that day and I'm sure he didn't understand me. But you tend to tell yourself that those meetings go better than they actually do, because you want the thing to succeed." [11]
Renee Soutendijk was meant to have a role in the film, but it was removed shortly before filming and she was told she was not required for filming. "In my opinion, it was central to the story, but ... such things have happened before," she said. "It's the American way of dealing with people. In the U.S. you become aware of just being a product. You're either money to them or you're not." [12]
Shortly after filming began, Caan walked off the set due to disagreements with the producers. [13] [14] Frankenheimer said that Caan was unhappy the script was not finished and did not turn up for the first day of filming. [15] The director added, "It was a tricky situation because it wasn't clear whether Caan had just walked off the movie or had walked off the movie for cause, complaining that there hadn't been a finished script. If it went to arbitration and we lost, there'd be no money left to hire another non-English person." [16]
Caan was replaced by Michael Caine. Director John Frankenheimer later said "I will be forever grateful to James Caan. Forever. Because he gave me the best gift that's ever happened to me in my career, which is Michael Caine." [17]
Caine wrote in his memoirs that he accepted the job because Frankenheimer had directed one of his favourite films The Manchurian Candidate and "The book was by a great thriller writer, Robert Ludlum, so it sounded like a winner. Wrong again." [18]
Caine made the film only a few days after finishing Water. He added, "It all happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time for a wardrobe fitting and wore my own clothes in the movie. Even more to the point, I didn’t have time to read the script properly, and only too late did I realize that I couldn’t understand the plot, so God help the poor audience who would eventually see it. However, my fee came in handy for my plans for the new house." [19]
"As far as I'm concerned, he is probably the best actor I've ever worked with," added Frankenheimer. "Certainly the best actor I've ever worked with who gets the girl." [8]
Filming
Filming started in Berlin on 2 July 1984. After Caan left the film, filming resumed on 11 July. Scenes were also shot in Munich, Lindau and London. [20] Filming took over ten weeks. Caine called the shoot "really fun... it’s amazing how much fun you can have making a bad movie — part of the charm of this business." [21]
Frankenhimer said “Otto Plaschkes was indispensable as our line producer. The two producers were neutralized, which is the best way you can describe it because it was chaos before." He said the shoot "was a very pleasant experience. I loved London." He wound up staying in London for a year and a half after the film. [10]
