My Lunches with Orson: Conversations between Henry Jaglom and Orson Welles

by Henry Jaglom

Once Selznick wanted to have a fight with me. This was at Walter Wanger’s house. After the ladies had left, the gentlemen sat around drinking port. He said how disappointed he was not to have Ronald Colman in Rebecca. Because he had this fellow Olivier. That irritated me. I said, “What’s wrong with Olivier?” He said, “He’s no gentleman.” And I said, “David, what kind of shit is this? What are you talking about, ‘no gentleman?’” “Well, he just isn’t. You can tell that. But with Ronnie you know right away—he’s a gentleman.” And I said, “Why, you pious old fart.” So David stood up, took off his glasses, and assumed the fighting position. We went out into the backyard, and everybody held us back.