How do you know all this stuff? I asked.
"Little birds."
She ordered another Bloody Mary. I asked her where she was staying.
"The Whitehall," she said. "I wonder if Richard Burton is staying there, too. He's in town for 'Private Lives.' They keep their guest list very hush-hush, you know. They won't even tell you if you're staying there."
What would happen if Richard Burton did happen to be at the Whitehall? I asked.
"Nothing. He's happily married. I had my chance."
You did?
"When I was making 'Bluebeard' with him in Budapest. That was the one where I was chandeliered to death."
Let me be sure I get this down correctly, I said. You were chandeliered to death?
"Afterwards, Richard asked me to come into his dressing room. I was such a fan of his I was so scared! He was so sweet, romantic, sexy and tender. There were so many women on the picture. There were eight women in the film, and each one worked one week. I shouldn't be telling all of this. Richard is in town and he might read it."
Just tell the parts he'd be interested to read, I said. He's not crazy about giving interviews. Maybe he'll demand a retraction and I can get an interview that way.
"Well, we were drinking vodka. The next thing I knew, I was swept up in his arms and out into his Rolls-Royce, and there we were, going across the river from Pest to Buda. And he put his arm around me and said, Here I am, a poor coal miner's son, sitting in my Rolls with a beautiful blonde. I'm going to spend the night with you."
And what did you say to that? I asked.
"My answer was no."
And what did he say then?
"He said, All right, then, I'll only spend five hours."
And then what?
"We got to my hotel and I didn't even look back, I went right up to my room, alone. And when I got the door closed, I thought to myself, What an idiot!"
He was?
"No. I was."
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