Show Quo Vadis' Vadis Director Recalls Nerve-Busting Nerve Film Trials By G Gene pe Handsaker HOLL HOLLYWOOD There HOLLYWOOD There are moments moments mo mo- ments now when director Mervyn LeRoy has a preoccupied d ajr air He admits hes he's tired of talking about Quo Vadis He thinks his nerves will peed a couple of years to calm down down and and that directing it probably has shortened his life by a year The liThe picture should win an Academy award for for no no sleep Mervyn asserted At lunch the theother theother theother other day this dark dark complex complex complex- Toned witted quick-witted veteran of 25 years' years directing described ed the headaches encountered on tb the bigg biggest st film of his career The story of early Christians starring Robert Taylor and Deborah Deborah Debo Debo- Deborah rah Kerr was filmed entirely in its locale Rome It cost LeRoy said ne nearly M G M is springing this its big three hour long bid for academy honors soon Troubles Mervyn 1 said included in in- included strikes heat rain animals and directing as many as extras d daily for a week The people were were assembled in a stu stu- built dio-built replica of the Circus Maximus 1 a stadium where Christians are briefly shown burning Its It's where lions Hons assembled assembled assem assem- bled from European carnivals circuses circuses circuses cir cir- cir cir- and zoos zoos a devour other victims victims vic vic- tims Urns 30 or 40 dummies with meat built in to make them appetizing o A banquet hall too big for a sound stage was built in the open Rain h held ld up sh shooting Later in inthe inthe inthe the 9 month 9 month shooting period Rome had its hottest summer in 30 years We Ve had six hospital tents 30 nurses 30 nurses and two doctors Mervyn recalled An ClAn average of people a day were passing out For ups close-ups LeRoy would get his camera rolling blot the perspiration n off ff Bob Taylors Taylor's or Deborah's face and then jump aside Communist labor leaders called 10 or 12 strikes one for two hours ho rs to protest American Americ n arms for Korea But the Italian people LeRoy said were just wonderful to us There were technical dif dif dif- s. s Power Po lines being set setup setup setup up up differ differently from Hollywood hookups caused c cameras mera to run b backward for or the first three days Producer Sam sweated out th the troubles with LeRoy LeORoy who lost 22 pounds The director took sleeping pills nightly nerve pills daily and vitamin shots every three days |