‘The Legend of Lylah Clare’ Gets Fest Relaunch and Director Robert Aldrich Gets Reputation Rehabbed
variety.comSteven Gaydos Executive VP of Content When Robert Aldrich’s 1968 Hollywood insider yarn, “The Legend of Lylah Clare” screens at the Maine International Film Festival in Waterville, Maine, it will represent much more than a simple revival of a New Hollywood-era roman à clef.
The film’s presentation on July 12 will include a discussion between actor Michael Murphy, who co-stars in the film, and former MGM publicity director Mike Kaplan, who has from the film’s earliest screenings defended both the film’s director, who Kaplan feels was “grossly maligned” by the depiction of him in Ryan Murphy’s limited series “Feud,” and the film, which monumentally tanked both critically and commercially when first released.
Kaplan recalls “I loved the script, and I loved the film. MGM had an unexceptional slate at the time. I was a big fan at the get-go.” But as MGM’s New York City-based publicity chief, Kaplan watched helplessly as others, including MGM’s marketing team, had their own plans for how to launch the film.
Kaplan was not a fan of their approach. “The L.A. publicity team had a big premiere for the film,” recalls Kaplan. “It was Kim Novak sucking her thumb basically.
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