By LOUIS B. HOBSON -- Calgary Sun
HOLLYWOOD -- Nobody appreciates their dirty laundry being aired in public.
That's precisely what happened to the cast and crew of the new action thriller Shaft.
While the movie was filming in New York last year, stories emerged about an ongoing feud between director John Singleton and the film's star, Samuel L. Jackson.
According to the reports, Jackson and Singleton fought openly, with Jackson often refusing to take Singleton's direction.
New York's gossip columnists reported that Singleton was bedding many of the female extras, further infuriating Jackson.
Star and director apparently developed such animosity that Singleton shot an opening sequence for the film with a body double instead of having to deal further with Jackson.
It wasn't exactly a love-fest when Jackson and Singleton met with journalists in Los Angeles this past weekend, but they were civil as they addressed the rumours.
It would have been futile for either to have tried to deny that friction had existed.
Christian Bale, who plays the film's villain, recalled "there was definitely tension. Some days considerably more than others.
"I had far less at stake than either Sam or John, so I'd just sit back and observe. It got rather entertaining at times."
Jackson says his objection to some of Singleton's direction was based on seniority.
"John is like many young directors I've worked with recently. They've done five or eight films. I've made close to 70. I know better than they do what works for Sam Jackson.
"They always try to con me by asking me to do a scene my way and then do another their way. I refuse, because in the editing room they'll inevitably use their take," says Jackson. "I'm the one who's up there on the screen, so I'll only do it my way because I'm the one who ends up taking the blame for their silly choices."
Jackson denies he was a bully with either Singleton or any of the crew members.
"I'm always the good guy because I'm diplomatic about my refusal to do things. I call in my agent and lawyers and let them be the bad guys."
Singleton observes that "Sam is opinionated, but I respect that. It was our producer Scott Rudin who was the big problem.
"With Scott, it always boiled down to issues of control.
"As an independent filmmaker, I'm used to doing things my way. As one of the most influential and powerful producers in Hollywood, Scott is used to having things done his way.
"That meant incredible growing pains for me."
Singleton says the most contentious issue was dialogue.
Rudin brought in Richard Price to rework Singleton's original screenplay. Price had written such dramas as Clockers, Mad Dog and Glory, The Color of Money, Ransom and Sea of Love.
"I'm a kid from the ghetto. I know how the African American characters in Shaft should speak," says Singleton.
"I know much better than Richard what is hip, but he wouldn't listen to Sam or me. On such issues, Sam and I were in solidarity against Richard and Scott."
Jackson agrees with Singleton on this point.
"Richard Price tried to put certain words in my mouth. I told John point-blank that I refused to say that white man's lines. I'd do it my way and poor John would have Scott Rudin breathing in his ear demanding that he make me say the lines they'd paid so much money for."
Singleton bristles at the mention of his purported womanizing.
"We have a scene in a club that demanded sexy extras.
"One day, we had 100 of the hottest women in New York lined up outside my trailer so I could pick the ones I wanted for the scene.
"I spent a moment with each one shaking hands and talking just so they wouldn't feel they wasted their time coming down to audition," recalls Singleton. "I admit I laughed and joked about being surrounded by beautiful women with some of the crew and that's how the rumours got started.
"I'm single, so it really wouldn't have been anyone's business if I had slept with all of them, but I simply wouldn't have had the energy because of everything else that was going on with Shaft."
It is true that Singleton shot the opening credit scene with a body double.
"It wasn't because Sam and I refused to be on the same set ever again as was reported.
"Sam was in Toronto shooting a new movie (Caveman Valentine). There was no easy way to get him off that set just to shoot a title sequence."