. .
All right reserved (c) Anthony Eric Gillon Dawson
The Rome daily American, a now
defunct English language news paper splashed all the goings-on
across its front page. Rome become in those days, a sort of
second Hollywood, with Hollywood producers and directors,
startled by the sudden success of Italian Post-war pictures,
planning in almost daily to take a look round and see what was
going on. They all followed the swarms of actors sensing that
this was a new field for the their operations. The Excelsior
hotel in Via Vittorio Veneto was the scene of most of the action.
The Paparazzi hung round the lobby and the streets outside, ready
to give a chase when any celebrity appeared.
Mike Frankovich was in residence there with his
wife Binnie Barnes. He appeared every morning at around
midday with a big green Havana clenched between his teeth
and Binnie at his side. It seemed he hadn't a care in the world.
It was rumored that he was broke and owed the hotel thirty-four
million Lire, but then rumors abounded about almost
everyone. Mike was soon to become president of Columbia pictures.
Broke, he? ...........
