Tony Mastroianni Review Collection
Caine Mutinies at London Hours
Cleveland Press October 10, 1966
"The girls here in New York are much nicer than in London," said English actor Michael Caine in a phone call from the big city the other day.
"They're more swinging here. And you know, they don't throw you out of the bars at 11 o'clock every night the way they do in London."
All of this was by way of explanation as to why he hadn't left New York last Wednesday after a one-week visit but was staying on until the end of the month. No, he wasn't working -- just having fun.
"The pubs in London are the ones that are for the working people. They close early," he continued, sounding just a little incensed over the English drinking situation.
"The night clubs, now they stay open later but they're for the rich people. The prices are higher and I guess it's partly because they've got waitresses wearing skimpy clothes and such."
CAINE HAS BEEN seen here in "The Ipcress File" and "The Wrong Box," is the star of the forthcoming "Alfie" which opens in November at the Lake and Homestead.
Meanwhile, he has finished a role in "Hurry Sundown" which was shot in Louisiana for Otto Preminger and has finished "Gambit" in Hollywood with Shirley MacLaine.
"I heard a lot of funny stories about Preminger but they're not true. He's great to work for. And this is no press agent talking because I say what I think."
Is there a difference between making movies in Hollywood and in London?
"THERE'S MORE MONEY IN HOLLYWOOD and more young people in London," he opined.
Caine said he has no plans to go back on the stage, pointed out that he spent 10 years on stage and wants to spend at least that much time in the movies before going back.
The 33-year-old Caine is a young man in a hurry, says he likes to stay two or three movies ahead. Another unreleased Caine film is "Funeral in Berlin," a sequel to "Ipcress." In January, he starts work on another sequel in the series, "Billion Dollar Brain." This will be filmed in Helsinki.
"I'M A SHY SORT," he said unconvincingly. "That's why I became an actor, to get over my shyness."
"Alfie" is his biggest movie to date, a film in which he plays a modern Casanova.
"I suppose it's sort of an offbeat movie for me, but part of the character isn't. He's a cockney and so am I.
"Whatever else might be bad about the movie, it certainly isn't the accent," he concluded, sounding nothing at all like a press agent.
Cutline under Caine photo: Michael Caine plays the title role in the forthcoming film, "Alfie," a ribald comedy about a cynical and fickle Englishman who romances more than a dozen women. They include Shelley Winters, Millicent Martin, Julia Foster and Shirley Anne Field. The movie opens Nov.. 16 at the Homestead and Lake.
