Stephen Spielberg rarely speaks of failures – there were almost no in his career. But one work causes the director so sharp aversion that he would rather remove her from his biography.
We are talking about the film “Heavenly Asses Eli and Rowger”, released in 1973. Today, almost no one remembers this project – and that is the reason for that. This is an easy adventurous comedy about a former military pilot who travels through the country with his son. The story, it seems, is innocent. But Spielberg itself called the end result “painful” and “beyond recognition.” He was sure: the 20th Century Fox Studio turned his idea into a “really sick film” and openly stated that such a band must “be burned and forgotten”.
What exactly happened? In the early 1970s, Spielberg was still unknown to everyone, a 25-year-old newcomer who took the first steps in television. “Heavenly Asses” should have become his debut in a big film. He himself came up with a story, he wrote a concept script – and was ready to put a movie. But Fox Management decided he was too young. He was removed from the project, handed it to John Erman, rewrote the script and completely changed the end. In the original version the protagonist died, but the studio insisted on the “more affirming” end.
The result had failed that Spielberg not only refused authorship, but also avoided almost 30 years of collaboration with Fox. Only in 2002 did he cross the studio again – as an influential director and co -founder of Dreamworks.
Despite all this, the “heavenly donkeys” remains the first full ribbon with the length in the cinema with the mention of the name Spielberg in the Credits. This happened 11 months before his official debut “Shugarland Express” (1974). More than half a century has passed, because the then and Spielberg is still on it: it would be better if nobody had ever seen this film.
Source: Popcorn News
Kenneth Weaver is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He focuses on writing about celebrity-related news, keeping his readers up to date with the latest happenings in the entertainment industry. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for writing, Kenneth brings his unique perspective to every article he writes, making him a trusted source for all things celebrity.
