''I Shot Down the Red Baron, I Think'' is an incomplete film directed and produced by

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film ''PT 109 (film), PT 109'', a ...

who also starred. The screenplay was written by William Kerby. Robertson wrote the original story, which he called "a sociological comedy".

Production

Development

After the success of ''

Charly Charly may refer to: People * Charly (name) Places * Charly-sur-Marne, in the Aisne department * Charly, Cher, in the Cher department * Charly, Rhône, in the Rhône department * Charly-Oradour, in the Moselle department Other * Operation ...

,'' for which he won an

Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...

, Robertson, who was a flying enthusiast, wanted to make a film for which he had written a treatment called ''I Shot Down the Red Baron, I Think''. It was to be a

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Period (punctuation) * Era, a length or span of time *Menstruation, commonly referred to as a "period" Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (o ...

comedy portraying the

Red Baron Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a sec ...

as a homosexual. Robertson was approached by a man in Ireland who had several World War I planes in excellent condition. Cinerama agreed to finance filming of aerial footage at a cost of $150,000. The deal was negotiated by Robertson's then-agent

David Begelman David Begelman (August 26, 1921 – August 7, 1995) was an American film producer, film executive and talent agent who was involved in a studio embezzlement scandal in the 1970s. Life and career Begelman was born to a Jewish family in New Yor ...

. As Robertson understood it, if Cinerama liked the footage they would finance the rest of the film; if they did not Robertson would have the option of reimbursing them the money.

Initial Shooting

Robertson began filming in Ireland in mid 1969, shooting the aerial footage. Cinerama financed 13 days of filming. Robertson estimated this was twenty percent of the film. He then edited the footage and sought financing to complete the rest of the movie.THEIR BLUE HEAVEN Warga, Wayne. Los Angeles Times 22 Feb 1970: o18. In July 1970 it was reported AIP had signed a deal with Robertson who was working on the script with William Kerby. Principal photography was to be continued in Spain.

Financial Issues

Cinerama ran into financial trouble and elected not to proceed with the movie. They demanded Robertson repay them but he argued he only had an option to do this. Robertson’s own agent,

, lied when he sided with Cinerama in the dispute. Because of Begelman’s deception, Robertson was ordered to pay Cinerama the full amount; Unable to trust Begelman, Robertson fired him. Begelman would later forge Robertson's signature on a check, causing a scandal in Hollywood. The film, which would have been Robertson's directorial debut and first produced film, was never finished although as late as 1975 Robertson was still hopeful of making it;

Dina Merrill Dina Merrill (born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton; December 29, 1923 – May 22, 2017) was an American actress. She had more than a hundred film and television credits from the late 1950s until 2000s. She married three times. Early life Merrill was ...

, his wife, mentioned it was her next project in January 1976. Robertson later made other flying-themed movies such as '' Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies'' and '' The Pilot''.Veeck's wife to pick home: house or flat Daly, Maggie. Chicago Tribune 28 Oct 1975: a5.

References

Notes

*{{cite book, title=Indecent exposure : a true story of Hollywood and Wall Street, last=McClintick, first= David, year=1983 , publisher=New York 1970s unfinished films 1970s English-language films