Then it’s on to ‘Spartacus’ (1960), Kubrick’s first film in color. The project was originally directed by someone else and produced by Kirk Douglas. After the first week of shooting Douglas was not satisfied and fired the director. He then asked Kubrick to take over and he did. In the room are two costumes that are worn by Douglas in the film. A very nice storyboard catches my attention, it’s like a comic, in full-color! The note next to it says that Kubrick liked a certain artist that made comic books and hired him to do the storyboards for Spartacus. Also on display is a lot of personal correspondence between Kubrick and Douglas. Over the years, during the making of Paths of Glory and Spartacus, the two of them became quite close.
We’ve arrived at the adaptation of Vladimir Nakobov’s controversial book ‘Lolita’ (1962). There’s a letter on the wall, it’s from a church. It’s a lot of text but what it basically said is that the church doesn’t approve of what Kubrick is doing and they threaten to boycott the release of Lolita. In the end this didn’t really happen. Another letter from Sue Lyon in on display, the 15-year-old star of the film. It says that she had given up acting and Hollywood and that she’s now married. “I hope this letter reaches you Stanley.” There’s a picture next to the letter, it’s Lyon with her husband. ‘Dr. Strangelove: or how i learned to stop worrying and love the bomb’ (1964), Kubrick’s only comedy. There’s a scale model of ‘the war room’, the room where most of the film takes place. There are multiple photos of Peter Sellers on set. He was three characters in the film. Kubrick liked to just aim some cameras at Sellers and just let do his thing. Kubrick would pick out the useful parts l ater. ‘We’ll meet again’ by Vera Lynn echoes through the room, the closing scene is playing on the big screen. The next room is one of Kubrick’s biggest films, a film that permanently put science fiction on the map, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968). Kubrick worked with famous sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke to write a screenplay. There’s a poster on the wall: “The ultimate trip.”, which is of course thanks to the gigantic masses of hippies that came to see the film under the influence of drugs. This mainly due to the famous Stargate sequence. There are lots and lots of props here. David’s helmet, the Moonwalker costume and on the ceiling there a model of the Discovery and of the Starchild. As I walk out I notice the HAL 9000 replica that’s mounted on the wall. Awesome! Want to read this article in it’s entirety? Go to: www.sschekman.wordpress.com
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