Two Weeks in Another Town (1962) – Nostalgia Central

Based on a novel by American author Irwin Shaw, Two Weeks in Another Town is set against the backdrop of the filming of historical spectacles at Italy’s famous Cinecittà Studios in Rome.

Into town flies Jack Andrus (Kirk Douglas), an American film actor whose fame suffered a quick fade-out after a divorce, consequent alcoholism and a three-year spell in a sanatorium.

He now needs to face up to the world outside and has come to Italy at the request of Maurice Kruger (Edward G. Robinson), a director with whom he once made great films.

Kruger is making a historical romance and has offered Andrus a small part which he has accepted in the hope of restoring his self-confidence before the cameras.

Andrus arrives on the set to find the film shaping badly. The leading man, Davie Drew (George Hamilton), refuses to take the melodramatic hotchpotch seriously, and another handicap is the leading lady’s (Rosanna Schiafino) ignorance of English.

The film is behind schedule, and Kruger will lose control of the direction unless he finishes filming within two weeks.

Kruger persuades Andrus to relinquish his small part, become the film’s sound editor, and focus on the vastly complicated task of re-recording the poor dialogue.

Meanwhile, Andrus is pursued by his glamorous, immoral ex-wife Carlotta (Cyd Charisse), whose infidelity led to his downfall, but she cannot sway his genuine affection for a charming Italian girl named Veronica (Dahlia Lavi), who is helping him come to grips with life.

Working on the re-dubbing of Kruger’s film, Andrus realises how bad it is. When a heart attack puts Kruger in hospital, Andrus takes over direction of the film and even does re-takes on particularly bad scenes.

Kruger, spurred on by his ever-nagging wife Clara (Claire Trevor), dismisses Andrus when he learns what he’s doing. Embittered, Andrus succumbs to the advances of his ex-wife. And yet his self-confidence is eventually restored by his experiences during his two weeks in this other town.

This deeply etched and searingly dramatic picture reunites Kirk Douglas with director Vincente Minnelli, who nine years before made a similarly incisive account of filmmaking, The Bad And The Beautiful.

Scenes from this 1952 film are used in Two Weeks in Another Town as one of the great films in which Jack Andrus/Kirk Douglas has appeared.

Kirk Douglas earned $500,000 for his part in the film, and a percentage of the profits – which were not forthcoming as the picture made a loss of $3 million.

As the self-centred director, Edward G. Robinson’s performance equals that of Douglas, and in an unaccustomed non-musical role, Cyd Charisse is the epitome of the sort of creature against whom decent women warn their sons – and husbands.

Contrasting as a wholesome girl, Israeli actress Dahlia Lavi gives a truly delightful performance in her first Hollywood film, and Italian Rossana Schiamno completes a trio of brunette beauty.

Directed in CinemaScope and colour with superb skill and a keen sense of the dramatic, Two Weeks in Another Town offers a fascinating peek behind the scenes of epic movie-making.

Jack Andrus
Kirk Douglas
Maurice Kruger
Edward G. Robinson
Carlotta
Cyd Charisse
Davie Drew
George Hamilton
Veronica
Dahlia Lavi
Clara Kruger
Claire Trevor
Brad Byrd
James Gregory
Barzelli
Rosanna Schiaffino
Janet Bark
Joanna Roos
Lew Jordan
George Macready
Tucino
Mino Doro
Zeno
Stefan Schnabel
Assistant Director
Vito Scotti
Dr Cold Eyes
Tom Palmer
Ravinksi
Erich von Stroheim Jr.
Chanteuse
Leslie Uggams

Director
Vincente Minnelli