The Michael Douglas movie made under the threat of legal action
Despite epitomising the Hollywood big shot—acting in and producing some of the biggest films of the 1970s and 1980s while also earning a reputation as a ladies’ man—Michael Douglas was once crowned the nicest guy in town. Given that “town” refers to Hollywood, it might seem like being the nicest of a bad bunch isn’t much of an accomplishment. However, Douglas has managed to maintain a beloved status both within and beyond the showbiz world, earning respect and admiration that extends far beyond the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown.
Even still, his copybook has a few fallible blotches. In fact, it was a legal matter that simultaneously threatened and cemented his ‘good’ reputation in 1985. Despite being the son of Kirk Douglas, the leading box-office star of the 1950s, Douglas’ career as an actor got off to a rocky start.
It took four uncredited film roles before his breakthrough came in the form of a PBS Playhouse special The Experiment, followed by his first significant TV role in The Streets of San Francisco. These were followed by his significant producing roles on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which he had inherited from his father, and The China Syndrome.
But, it wasn’t until 1984 that Douglas’ career as a leading man skyrocketed, thanks to the rom-com adventure movie Romancing the Stone. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it was an action-packed romance that studio insiders expected to flop so hard that producers of then-in-production Cocoon fired Zemeckis as director. So, how did this suspected dud end up setting off multiple careers and solidifying Douglas as a Hollywood ‘good guy’?
Put simply, it brought in the bacon and was 20th Century Fox’s only big hit of 1984, eventually grossing over $115million. Zemeckis even credited the film as the reason he was able to make Back to the Future. In fact, it was such a hit that Douglas and leading lady Kathleen Turner were contracted to star in the sequel.
And this is where things go awry. Although both stars only made the sequel The Jewel of the Nile because they were contracted to do so, Douglas had significantly more to gain from the film, given his role as a producer. He even jokingly claimed the only reason for the sequel was “greed” when speaking to Playboy. But upon receiving the script, Turner felt that it had none of the elements Douglas had promised her.
When asked if he had to sue Turner for $25m to agree to star in the movie, Douglas said, “Kathleen was under contract to do a sequel, but we got a late start on the script, and when she saw our first draft, she was very concerned. She had another picture she wanted to do that was filming at the same time. That’s when the brouhaha began.”
Luckily, Mr Nice Guy himself, Michael Douglas, stepped in to work with Kathleen Turner on rewrites, saving her from the lawsuit and ensuring the sequel was made as planned. Whether or not the sequel was worth the effort is a debate for another time, but what’s clear is that Douglas’ reputation would have taken a different turn had he been on the prosecuting team against Turner. His decision to collaborate rather than litigate helped preserve his image as one of Hollywood’s more amiable figures.
Both actors remain friends, with Douglas claiming that “Kathleen is just great, and she’s super professional. Once it was all over, we got together for drinks in New York, cleared the air and never looked back”.
