So I picked up a copy of Maureen O'Hara's autobiography 'Tis Herself' this week .... some interesting stuff in it.

[ificandream]

I basically bought it to read what she had to say about two of my favorite films: "The Parent Trap" and "Miracle on 34th Street." (Don't worry, I'll look at the rest of the book, too.)

Here's a couple of things that stood out:

The Parent Trap: She says she and Brian Keith were given the roles as parents because Disney wanted stars against the roles played by Hayley Mills, then a newcomer. "My minimum price for a movie was $75,000, and Disney was only offering me one third of that. " She said she loved the part, but wouldn't do it for that price. "Tell Mr. Disney thank you, but if he wants O'Hara, it's $75,000 or nothing." Disney gave in. But later, when the early promotional ads were released, "Walt Disney Presents Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills star in 'The Parent Trap' " with O'Hara and Keith billed under Mills, O'Hara protested again. "My contract stated that no other actress could have her name before mine in the credits - period." The Screen Actors Guild said they would stand behind her, but Disney sent her a message through SAG: "Sue me and I'll destroy you." She dropped the suit. But she never worked for Disney again. A few years later, she met with Disney to pitch a family movie she wanted to do. His reps called later and said Disney thought the idea was "rubbish". Shortly after, she says it was announced in the trades that Disney had bought the movie rights to "Mary Poppins," exactly as O'Hara says she had pitched it.

Miracle on 34th Street: She says they had to shoot the parade sequences during the actual parade and that they only could be done once. She was jealous that John Payne and Natalie Wood were in a warm place because it was so cold. During the final scene, where Natalie says, "Stop. That's it", a woman across the street from the house offered to let the crew come in to keep their cameras from freezing in the cold. She said by the time they were halfway through the shoot, they all believed Edmund Gwenn was Santa Claus.

She also reveals an interesting story about Marilyn Monroe. It seems that husband Joe DiMaggio kept mentioning O'Hara. "Apparently, Joe was a fan of mine and always teased Marilyn about how attracted to me he was. She was sick and tired of hearing her husband talk about me and I don't blame her. She asked me if I would mind being wrapped in a big box with a ribbon tied in a bow around it, to be her gift to Joe on his birthday. ... She was going to say, "Now Joe, after I give you this, I don't ever want to hear about Maureen O'Hara again." ... "I thought it would be great fun, but sadly, they separated just before it could be done."

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. Thanks!