Sorungeth Soru: Part three

There should have been ghosts

By Richard Boyle

While Mike Wil- son's commit- ment to Sorungeth Soru may have wavered on occasions, his charm remained constant throughout, needless to say. Peter was just one of many who fell under his spell: "Mike was the most charismatic of characters with pointed features and piercing eyes. He was great company, with boundless energy and a sharp wit. Liz was the second most beautiful Eurasian woman I've known, and she and Mike made a great if somewhat fiery couple."

Chris Greet also remembers the 'early Mike' with admiration: "His life was a constant adventure that went on and on, yet he always found time to be compassionate, sympathetic and funny. He was constantly cocking a snook at the hypocrisy of life and so-called 'social norms', and doing astounding, outstanding things, without, to my knowledge, ever consciously hurting anybody. Except, perhaps, himself.

The filming of Sorungeth Soru produced some hilarious situations, as Arthur Clarke noted in The Treasure of the Great Reef (1974). He wrote that the film "pitted Hitler's illegitimate son against Sinhala secret agent Jamis Banda. It had its good moments but the best was off-screen. One day some innocent German tourists wandering around Galle came face to face with a group of SS officers. They must have wondered what had been happening while they were away from home".

While Arthur Clarke was in England working on 2001, he did what he could to help with the production of Sorungeth Soru. This included procuring some SS costumes. In a letter to Mike Wilson during September 1965 he had asked anxiously, "Did the SS uniforms arrive on time?" Chris Greet has e-mailed me, perhaps tongue-in-touch: "I agreed to play the brillliant Nazi brain-surgeon only because I got the chance to wear exciting and genuine SS uniforms." Chris also wore thick-lensed glasses for his scenes, but couldn't see a thing and kept falling down the stairs during an escape sequence.

It is of significance that Sorungeth Soru was made during a two year period in which was conceived not only the greatest science fiction film ever produced (2001), but also the greatest science film ever produced (Satyajit Ray's "The Alien"). And Mike Wilson and Arthur Clarke were the common factors linking all three film projects - although their roles and contributions varied somewhat. We have seen how neatly the story behind the making of 2001 interweaves with the present narrative. So it is with "The Alien" project.

The history of cinema is punctuated by a number of great 'might-have-beens' - film projects with extraordinary artistic potential that unfortunately were never realised for one reason or another. Probably the best-known of these is Sergei Eisenstein's "Que Viva Mexico!" But there are others just as tantalising. Take, for instance, "The Alien'', which, if it had been made, would have had a profound impact on the genre, as did its contemporary, 2001 - A Space Odyssey.

Indeed The Alien would have thematically and philosophically upstaged more recent films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. It might even have made these blockbusters difficult to produce in their known form, due to plot similarities with 'The Alien' - which is not coincidence but plagiarism according to some, including Ray. In addition Ridley Scott's namesake film and its sequels (with which Ray's project should not be confused) would almost certainly have had to undergo a title change.

The story behind the failure of Ray's remarkable project contains elements that could comprise the plot of a paperback novel concerning a doomed Hollywood film production: machinations over the copyright ownership of the script, the director's mistrust of the producer's motives, contention over the casting, and a demonstration of the ruthless nature of the film industry in general, and Hollywood in particular. Moreover years later the world's most successful film-maker ever creates a science-fiction movie with certain resemblances - and which started out with the same company that was prepared to back the original project.

It was in February 1966, while still involved with the postproduction of his film Nayak, that Satyajit Ray began to develop the story for a film that he was to call "The Alien".

Later that year he met Arthur Clarke on the set of 2001 in England and told him the outline. When Arthur Clarke returned to Ceylon he related the outline to Mike Wilson, who contacted Satyajit Ray in Calcutta and asked whether he could produce the film. Ray expressed interest, so Mike Wilson went to India and sat by while the Maestro wrote the screenplay.

Satyajit Ray considered Peter Sellers (in his Indian persona) to be ideal for the lead role. So Mike Wilson contacted the actor's agent and a meeting was arranged in Paris. Sellers liked the story and told Mike Wilson to keep in touch. After attending to matters pertaining to Sorungeth Soru back in Ceylon, Mike Wilson headed for Hollywood, where he got Marlon Brando interested in the other main role. With Brando and Sellers on board, he was able to convince Columbia of the viability of the project. A contract was signed with the company, and "The Alien" appeared set for take-off.

However, things had already started to go awry. Satyajit Ray was alarmed to find that Mike Wilson had copyrighted the script in both their names. Then the project was shifted to Columbia's London office and Mike Wilson went there for further negotiations. Ray followed, and was appalled to find his producer hosting strange parties for famous rock musicians in his suite at the Hilton. Marlon Brando fell by the wayside and James Coburn loomed briefly on the horizon. Meanwhile Columbia whispered in Ray's ear that Mike Wilson had appropriated his script fee (an accusation always vigorously denied.)

But the damage had been done. Satyajit Ray went back to Calcutta bitterly disappointed and disillusioned by Hollywood mentality and disturbed by Mike Wilson's unconventional ways. Soon afterwards Peter Sellers pulled out of the project. Mike Wilson began the metamorphosis that ended in 1975 with his assumption of Swami-hood. Although Columbia and certain individuals tried to persuade Satyajit Ray to resuscitate the project in the 197Os and early 1980s, nothing transpired. And so "The Alien" joined a small, select band of great film 'might-have-beens'.

Years later, in 1981, when Satyajit Ray wrote of his experiences on the project, in the article, "Ordeals of the Alien," he made a disparaging reference to Mike Wilson "elbowing his way into the film business", and that he had 'written, produced and directed 'Jamis Banda,' blithely translating the Fleming secret service agent in Sri Lanka and rounding up virtually the entire European community of Colombo to play sinister bit roles in the film".

Peter Donaldson left Ceylon before the post-production of Sorungeth Soru commenced, so he has never had the opportunity of seeing the film, apart from some early rushes. (In fact the post-production turned out to be as protracted as the production, and continued through most of 1966, with editor Titus Totawatte putting the finishing touches to the film). Peter went from Ceylon to Cyprus, where he "fell into" British Forces Broadcasting and never returned to acting. He joined the BBC in 1970, starting with Radio 2, the light music service as a presenter, and moved to Radio 4, the speech-oriented service, in 1974. Peter became Chief Announcer at Radio 4 in 1988 and has concentrated on the News and been responsible for recruitment and training, among other things.

During my conversation with him in his charming Sussex cottage, Peter unexpectedly placed before me some 30-odd photographs, taken during the production of Sorungeth Soru, which he had treasured over the years. I was conscious that my hands trembled slightly as I looked through the stills, many of which were taken by Mike Wilson himself. Knowing that such photographs and their negatives quickly deteriorate and disappear in the tropics, I realised their importance.

Besides, they contained images of many old friends, at least three of whom have died since. Here was Gamini Fonseka looking suave, terribly handsome and utterly convincing as Jamis Banda - an Asian version of Sean Connery. Here was Liz, looking seductive and as devastatingly beautiful as ever, and Mike, looking the fit and healthy skin-diver he was in those days. Here in their SS uniforms were Chris Greet and Rodney Jonklaas, appearing quite menacing. Here was a youthful Donald Karunaratne, working behind the camera with Mike. Here could be found the villains with crab-claws, the torture dungeon, and even the canary that met a sad end at the paws of Peter's Persian cat...

I studied the photographs of Mike and Liz more carefully and then laid them down on the table, apprehensive that I might summon up ghosts.

But no, Mike and Liz were still there, frozen in time in the black-and-white surroundings of their celluloid world. It was then that I was reminded of Peter's remark about the New Oriental Hotel, Galle: "Here should have been ghosts, but weren't."

There is a postscript to this story. I have put Peter Donaldson in touch with Chris Greet and they met after a gap of 33 years. Until now Peter was blissfully unaware that his fellow-terrorist from Sorungeth Soru was living in England and enjoying a successful acting career. Peter tells me that Chris remarked on how strange it was that when they first met it was he, Peter, who was the actor and Chris who was the newsreader (at Radio Ceylon). Now their roles have been reversed.

Concluded

More Plus * From abstract to a flower here, a cloud there * Kala Corner

Return to the Plus Contents