When you first met McQueen, he had recently completed An Enemy of the People. Have you watched the film?
I’ve never seen An Enemy of the People. I refuse to watch his movies today, because it’s such a heartbreaking, painful experience. All I know is it was an Ibsen play, it was trouble for everybody, and it tanked at the box office.
I know he wanted to do the film, but I don’t know why. He never mentioned that to me, and we never really discussed his film career. Because I was so young when I married Steve, I didn’t want to pry into his business. Now that I’m older, I wish I would have asked a lot more questions
Tom Horn was your first film shoot with Steve. How do you remember that experience?
I’ve never sat down and watched Tom Horn. But I was there, and the film was just the best adventure and my absolute favorite experience. But god, it was cold.
Would Steve often go over the script with you?
I remember sitting in the trailer at night and Steve would throw a script at me. He’d say, “Here, read the other part,” and when he read his part, I’d laugh at him. I’d answer, “Good god, you’re horrible.” Steve often retorted, “Shut up and just read it please!”
Now I understand Steve was memorizing the lines. He wasn’t putting any emotion into it. He was dyslexic, so he didn’t read very well, and he went over and over that script. We laughed and giggled, I teased him, and it was just a good, fun time for us.
What are your memories of being on the set of The Hunter, Steve’s final film?
The Hunter was not as much fun; it was more of a “city” movie. I don’t know where or why the thought came over me, but I had the distinct feeling that this was going to be Steve’s last picture.
Were you guys really in the Chicago ghetto?
Absolutely, and I’d never been exposed to the real slums before that experience. It was interesting. I knew Steve always had my back, so I didn’t have to worry about anything bad. They had us downtown in a nice little hotel, and this is where the goodness of Steve’s heart came out.
Steve realized the crew was staying in a stinky, old, horrible Holiday Inn. So, of course we had to move there and endure those conditions. I completely understood where he was coming from, though. Steve always viewed the crew as part of his family. He worked when they worked, ate when they ate, and slept when they slept.
During the making of The Hunter, Steve’s generosity rose to the forefront.
One time Steve saw some local kids throwing a football stuffed with rags. He dispatched [stuntman] Loren Janes to a sporting goods store. Before you could blink, hundreds of baseballs, footballs, mitts, and bats were left in a large recreational field.
Although he had practically stopped giving autographs a decade before, Steve freely handed out several thousand signed 8 x 10 glossies. When Steve discovered that a local Catholic church was in need, he wrote a check covering all expenses.
Before he handed over the check, he stopped by to see the film’s producer, Mort Engleberg, and said, “Mort, this is what I’m giving to the church. I’d like you to match it.”
