LESLIE'S DING DONG WITH STAR MICHAEL CAINE
Leslie Phillips believes Michael Caine was influenced by the Final Cut
By Adam Helliker
PLAYING alongside Sir Michael Caine must be every actor’s dream, surely? Not for Leslie Phillips, the urbane veteran of 120 films, who is still upset by his “ghastly” experience on Caine’s last movie.
Leslie, treasured for his appearances as a fruity-voiced seducer in the Carry On and Doctor films, tells me he feels so traumatised by the way he was treated while making Is There Anyone There? that he can barely bring himself to mention Caine’s name.
He suspects Sir Michael’s influence was behind the decision to “cut to shreds” most of his role as a resident of an old people’s home who has relationships with two ladies. Caine plays a retired magician who makes friends with the son of the retirement home’s owner.
“I feel I have been made a total fool which is not something I want at my time of life; I was humiliated and feel it has been very damaging to me,” laments Leslie, 86, who only realised his eight weeks of filming had been in vain when he watched the film at its London premiere.
“I suspected something when at the start of the premiere myself and all the other actors were invited on stage to join Caine but he did all the talking and never asked us to speak. Then when we watched it we realised everyone’s part had been ruthlessly cut back but no one had bothered to tell us.”
After watching how the film had turned out, others in the cast left the premiere and decided not to go to the party afterwards. But Phillips insisted on confronting the director John Crowley. “I said to him, ‘How could you do that to us?’ He went completely white with fear. That was the last time I saw him. “I feel dreadfully sorry for all the otheractors too. One, Elizabeth Spriggs, died before the film was shown – some might say she was saved the humiliation.”
As for Michael Caine, he proclaimed it was one of the best roles of his career. However Phillips ripostes: “That’s hardly surprising. If anyone asks about Is There Anyone There? the answer is ‘no’ because we were all cut out. It looked like a conspiracy to ensure the film ended up being all about Caine.”
