Robert Krasker has been credited with helping Terence Stamp get his big break into the film industry via bleach, hair dye, sunburn and Krasker’s usual brilliant lighting, image and motion design.
Terence Stamp is one of the last people now living who knew Robert Krasker in a professional capacity and, having worked with him on two films, Peter Ustinov’s Billy Budd and William Wyler’s The Collector, has some anecdotes about the Australian cinematographer to share.
Meanwhile here is how Dr Falk Schwarz wrote about the hair bleach incident in his book on the great Australian cinematographer, Farbige Schatten – Der Kameramann Robert Krasker:
“We’ll get you as sunburnt as possible, and then we dye your hair to ash-blond and I can make you look like an angel!”
— Robert Krasker to Terence Stamp
1Audio Commentary by Terence Stamp and Steven Soderbergh on Billy Budd DVD, Warner Video 110801.
As I am unable to access that DVD I went in search of other sources and came across an even better description written by Terence Stamp himself:
Robert Krasker was the director of photography, a real Turner of light. He’d lit The Third Man, held as ‘the’ example of black-and-white photography. In this regard I believe he’d suggested to the director that my dark hair should be dyed blonde. I endured four hours of peroxide, yet it was worth it, as I will explain later. His lighting plan was my first hurdle, as I could hardly keep my eyes open once under the intensity of Krasker, sunlight, carbon arcs and reflector boards. He had me face the full intensity of his lighting with closed eyes, only opening them on ‘Action’. He advised me never to wear sunglass as they would weaken my eyes’ resistance to light. I have followed his advice to this day.
‘Action!’
Listening to it as the noose slipped over my head, I slowly faced the mutinous crew.
‘Cut!’
Ustinov smiles to me. He turns to Robert Krasker, who nods. Ustinov looks toward the sound team. OK.
He smiles again to me.
‘I feel we got that, folks.’
It was to be the final shot in the film for me.
I shall go deeper into what happened to me during that take as it was my very first step into a new standpoint that would change the direction of my life.
Such a shock it was to see myself up there on the big screen, looking as I had never looked in life, courtesy of Peter Ustinov and the diminutive giant of light, Robert Krasker. On reflection, my decision to concentrate my energies solely on celluloid was made that night, and whilst I didn’t see life in such terms then, I must have realised the universe was telling me something. The second implosion was my final scene in the film, ending with Herman Melville’s line, ‘God bless Captain Vere.’
The transcendental moment that had happened to me on that single last take on location left not a dry eye in the house. And while it was the last thing I was aware of that evening, my sails became set for new horizons.
It was a really nice surprise when the shoot relocated to England—Kent, as it happened—and I discovered Bob Krasker, the DP who had done so well by me as Billy Budd, was lighting the exteriors, this time in colour.
I couldn’t overlook how well my work was working out, the opportunity I had learning from a great man like [William] Wyler so early in my carer, and how the fundamentals he made clear to me would equip me later when I encountered lesser directors. and even one who didn’t want me at all. …
The Collector was a Wyler classic; Samantha [Eggar] and I won the Best Actress and Best Actor awards respectively at Cannes 1965, and she was nominated for an Academy Award.
Links
- IMDb – Terence Stamp
- Repeater Books – Terence Stamp
- United Agents – Terence Stamp
- Wikipedia – Terence Stamp
The Robert Krasker Project 