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Arab noise.

Terry: ‘Very good! Now let’s try “Yes, we must decide everything for ourselves”.’

Economic note: the Arab extras get 3 dinars per day (£3.50), plus a loaf of bread and a tin of sardines at lunchtime. We are getting about a thousand pounds per filming day, plus accommodation at a first class hotel and a lunch from the Italian caterers which will be a choice of spaghetti, ravioli, steak, veal, omelette, salad and fresh fruit. At the Hotel Méridien, pride of Air France’s new hotels, the Arab who comes to turn my bed back in the evening gets one dinar 500 millimes per day.

Avoid an invitation to a spaghetti party this evening – Signor Memmo, the caterer, is challenging Achmed, our Arab production head, to a spaghetti-making contest. My voice is strained after two days as Pilate and today’s efforts, so I will rest it before the Ex-Leper tomorrow.

Eat in the gloomy Meridien restaurant. But food good, and fall to talking with John about relationships. John has been going to therapy groups for two or three years. Says he finds most of those present are Jewish couples. He seems to be very conscious of the fact that his mother gave him very little affection. He was always close to his father.

However, he has a very good relationship with the head waiter. I found that the reason was that John had given him ten Mogadon, as the man hadn’t slept properly for a month. Now he’s eating out of JC’s hand.

Saturday, September 23rd, Monastir

At the make-up house at seven to prepare for the Ex-Leper. He’s supposed to look golden, tanned, muscular and fit, and I must say, as a result of my recent sun-bathing, plenty of swimming and running through French woods and along Tunisian beaches, I don’t look too bad. Certainly in better shape than for a while, and mentally congratulating myself for having coped with the food over these first two weeks without any recourse to pills, potions or other medicaments. This seems to be an increasingly rare thing on the unit.

On the set, I realise how much of an ivory tower I am in at the Meridien – and such detachment surely does not behove a diarist. I missed, for instance, the scenes after Pilate’s filming. Apparently there were near riots as people struggled to make sure they got their 3 dinars. On Friday morning Terry J’s car was chased by hopeful extras as he left the hotel.

Also I missed (thankfully) the sparks’ excesses at the spaghetti party, when a specially-prepared giant cake was thrown at the wall. They can’t stand any form of lack of excess.

This evening we are invited to a cocktail do by the Tunisian Minister of Tourism. Drive round to the Skanes Palace Hotel at 7.30. Cosier decor than the Meridien, but still in the International Modern Airport style. First thing I see is one of the chippies with a sticker across his forehead and the word ‘English’ on it, looking dangerously provocative, but it all passes off without incident.

Monday, September 25th, Monastir

Up at 7.30. Swim, breakfast in room. See John C leaving. He says, ominously, that although he’s not in today’s scenes, he is going to ‘help out’ behind camera. John Goldstone is worried about TJ’s unshakeable commitment to full-frontals in the Mandy/Brian bedroom scene. Says he’s talked to John about it. So that’s why John’s gone in.

Arrive on set to find a harassed Terry J. He’s not pleased at John’s interference today – words have been changed at the last minute. By the pool at the Sidi M, over lunch, TJ, GC both feel very tensed up by John’s presence ‘behind the camera’. The first sign of any serious split in the Python ranks.

There’s little danger from Eric, who keeps himself very much to himself and will not get into costume unless he’s absolutely certain that he will be seen. The lengths to which he has to go to preserve this elusiveness would seem to me hardly worth the strain.

I actually enjoy a fairly unrewarding afternoon as a revolutionary creeping up smoky passages – and have pleasant chats with Bernard [McKenna] and Andrew and others. We shoot