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But Allen is not given to living in the past.
There might be a job down there.
I was very lucky.
Then you key in up a very, very detailed report for the editor.
And you cant ever leave the set.
What was the key to your long working relationship with John Huston?I did 14 films with John.
I knew his methods.
But with John, we never had rows, not about angles or matching.
One thing about John, he loved anybody who could make suggestions.
The crew adored him and would do anything for him.
And you were on a boat going up and down this river.
But I was young so it was a wonderful adventure for me.
Nobody had an entourage.
We were living in very primitive conditions so we got on with it.
What was Hepburn like?She could be quite bossy, but we all got used to it.
No, she said, I dont.
We didnt have Polaroids, so it was my notes against her opinion.
But Kate was really quite caring of us all.
And Humphrey Bogart?He was Johns friend.
Probably healthier.I didnt go down with anything, but a major part of the crew did.
Before that you worked withCarol Reed.
Carol was a workaholic.
He directed the firstandsecond units, every scene with an actor in it.
Then hed be in the editing room every day.
But I got on with him very well.
Huston told me this he knew it wasnt true but I just said, Am I?
Well, am I enjoying it?
You could tell there was tension.
Marilyn could never be wrong, Marilyn could never be guilty.
Ive said many times: on film she comes over wonderfully.
She was on the pills, uppers and downers.
We said at the end ofThe Misfitsif she lived another year well all be surprised.
[Monroe died in 1962, a year and three months after the films release].
There again was a director who had a totally different style to Huston.
The stars like Lee Marvin and all the bigger boys were lovely.
I never used to have to worry about continuity, butJohn Cassavetesand all the young ones were a nightmare.
1 and by the time I got to No.
12, hes opened them all again.
And you never knew what would come out of Cassavetess mouth.
It would always be a slight variation [on the script.]
It must have been tricky being one of the few women in a mostly male environment.
How did you navigate that?John was a wicked practical joker.
And I used to get teased terribly because I was nearly always the youngest.
I didnt know what it was.
Joe opened the present Im surehewas told what it was and it was a very large penis.
John was going, How disgusting of you!
How could you be so vulgar?
And he was in on it, of course?He was the cause of it all.
Every film they used to do something to me and I used to get so angry.
I used to throw the script at him and leave the set.
One day I heard him say to a friend, I dont get it.
She hasnt thrown the script at me this time.
I said, No, Ive discovered its supposedly a sign of affection.
Bloody hell, he said.
Ten years its taken you to find that out?
But I lived through it.
It doesnt happen today.
So it was assumed if you were a woman you had to have a boss.
So I got four or five of my colleagues and we had a meeting with the gentleman from HMRC.
About four months later we hadnt heard anything.
I phoned up and he said, No, weve refused it.
But having met you, Miss Allen, I dont think youre going to accept this.
And I said, No, Im not.
Did that attitude ever translate into your personal experience?
I mean, you’re able to say no to somebody.
Though rape is something different.
And in many cases, especially for actresses … if you didnt comply, you didnt get the part.
I said, Yes, but I dont get the same pay, do I?
Theres no point having regrets because you cant turn the clock back.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
