KUBRICKS USA Exit explained
Stanley Kubrick, a legendary director, of such classics as Full Metal Jacket, Lolita and The Shining left Hollywood for the UK in 1961 shortly after he’d completed the highly acclaimed movie Spartacus featuring Kirk Douglas.
Why did this successful New Yorker based in Hollywood with an arsenal of film under his belt decide to up sticks and leave for the leafy stillness of the English countryside?
it doesn’t make sense, but, does it…
British incentive & creative licence
The Eady Levy was a tax on box-office receipts in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1957 through to 1985. It was intended to support the British film industry. Introduced in 1950 as a voluntary levy as part of the Eady plan, named after Sir Wilfred Eady, a Treasury official. To qualify as a British film, a minimum of 85% of the film had to be shot in the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth, and only three non-British individual salaries could be excluded from the costs of the film, ensuring the employment of British actors, technicians and film crew. Facilities were much cheaper in the UK, which not only drew Kubrick at the time but other American directors such as Stanley Donan, John Huston and Sidney Lumet.
Lolita - his next movie, Lolita. The story follows a middle-aged college professor who becomes infatuated with a fourteen-year-old girl. Just to note, Lolita is even younger in the book. Even with the age uplifted slightly, this story has a very dark undertone of grooming and sexual exploitation. Kubrick felt limited by the censorship of the time stating “because of all the pressure over the Production Code and the Catholic Legion of Decency at the time, I believe I didn't sufficiently dramatize the erotic aspect of Humbert's relationship with Lolita. If I could do the film over again, I would have stressed the erotic component of their relationship with the same weight Nabokov did” - The film was rated X by the British Board of Film Censors which meant that no one under the age of 16 was able to view it. In America, would this film have been released at all?
Creative integrity - Kubrick micro-managed all elements of his projects. Derek Malcolm, film critic for the Guardian, points out, “He said that he left America because filming in Hollywood would involve their (the studios) exercising some control, and he wanted no one (but him) to have control.” In my opinion is films in the UK are his Better films - 2001: A Space Odyssey” (1965–1968,) “A Clockwork Orange” (1969–1971,) “Barry Lyndon” (1972–1975) and”The Shining” (1976–1980.) with his creative integrity preserved, he could control all aspects of filmmaking.
Crime - it’s often quoted that Kubrick left America for the rising crime, specifically citing how dangerous New York was. With race riots and mafia crime rising in the late 50s, to stabbings and drug crime in the early 60s. Could this have been the tipping point for Kubrick, with a young family with his third wife, pack his bags for the UK. Could it just be down to pure convenience as Peter Sellers who Kubrick was working with couldn’t leave the UK at this time.
1960’s British film explosion - The vibrancy and variety of the films during this period was almost unparalleled for British cinema, and many of them remain classics to this day. The decade was easily the most represented on BFI's 'Top 100 British films', with 26 films included on the list. Did Kubrick want to be part of this booming market with reduced outgoings at British facilities?
Moon Landings - allegedly filmed at Borehamwood, did Kubrick direct the greatest achievement of the US in the 60’s in the UK? Why would he do that? As a perfectionist would he have allowed the flag to flap in the non-existent wind of the moon, or for artificial light to pick up a myriad of shadows that would be impossible on the moon? Did he come to a deal with the US to film this, to escape tax issues, or for a huge payout?. There certainly seems no sense of patriotism on his part and I find it very hard to believe he would do this to “just to beat the Russians” None of this screams Kubrick. But if the moon landing were filmed, then Kubrick was the right man, especially after the success of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Shining clues - however, there are certain pointers in The Shining that Kubrick may have left for fans to form their own opinions about his role in the filmng of the moon landings, Danny’s jumper being the most obvious.
In my opinion, he left to take control of his own films, he left for cheaper facilities and access to high calibre actors such as Peter Sellers and Alfred Vitali. He left to take space from the Hollywood machine he despised.
Kubrick is one of the greatest film directors in history, a private man and an introvert who hated interviews I know he would never have been a guest on the Mighty Dragon. Damn shame, I would have loved to have asked him about Danny’s jumper.
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