Subject
Update on German play versions of LOLITA
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EDNOTE. Dieter Zimmer is the doyen of German Nabokov studies and editor of
the very handsome, annotated 25- volume Nabokov edition put out by Rowohlt.
This edition contains the only full version of Nabokov's screenplay along
with comparative commentary by the editor. It is, of course, in German
translation.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dieter E. Zimmer" <mail@d-e-zimmer.de>
> I greatly enjoyed Dmitri's explanations concerning the Milan production of
> "Lolita," but I am afraid he erred in one respect. I humbly submit that
the
> canyon scene where Humberts asks directions of a person called "Nabokov"
and
> gets a lecture on the difference between species and specimen was not in
the
> screenplay versions Nabokov handed to Kubrick in 1960. It was the only
scene
> Nabokov added in 1970 when he prepared his screenplay for print. For the
> German edition of the screenplay (which is the only complete one,
> integrating all the material Nabokov to his dismay had had to cut) I
> carefully examined and compared the three surviving typescripts at the
Berg
> Collection. The canyon scene is not in the two 1960 typescripts, neither
in
> the abridged one Nabokov handed to Kubrick when he left Hollywood nor in
the
> long one containing all sorts of unused material written in the months
> before. It is only in the version Jacqueline Callier typed in October,
1970
> for McGraw-Hill. As far as I recall, there is an unpublished letter to
Anne
> Murphy of McGraw-Hill explaining that he wrote something new for the book
> that was not in his old screenplay. This can only refer to the canyon
scene.
>
>
>
> Incidentally, I might spread the news that "Lolita" has recently been
staged
> at two German theaters. One production, directed by Peter Kastenmueller,
> opened at the Schauspielhaus in Hanover on October 9 last year. It uses
the
> expanded screenplay. The other one, directed by Oliver Reese, has been
> showing at the Kammerspiele of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin since March
> 16. It is a one man show, actually a dramatic ninety minute recitation
from
> the novel: Humbert Humbert (played by Ingo Huelsmann), alone on the stage
> with a refrigerator and five chairs, recounting his infatuation. Both
> productions are enjoying a considerable success, and I think I know the
> reason: because they left Nabokov's text intact.
>
>
>
> Dieter E. Zimmer
>
> Berlin, April 15, 2003 -- 6pm
>
> mail@d-e-zimmer.de
>
>
>
>
>
the very handsome, annotated 25- volume Nabokov edition put out by Rowohlt.
This edition contains the only full version of Nabokov's screenplay along
with comparative commentary by the editor. It is, of course, in German
translation.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dieter E. Zimmer" <mail@d-e-zimmer.de>
> I greatly enjoyed Dmitri's explanations concerning the Milan production of
> "Lolita," but I am afraid he erred in one respect. I humbly submit that
the
> canyon scene where Humberts asks directions of a person called "Nabokov"
and
> gets a lecture on the difference between species and specimen was not in
the
> screenplay versions Nabokov handed to Kubrick in 1960. It was the only
scene
> Nabokov added in 1970 when he prepared his screenplay for print. For the
> German edition of the screenplay (which is the only complete one,
> integrating all the material Nabokov to his dismay had had to cut) I
> carefully examined and compared the three surviving typescripts at the
Berg
> Collection. The canyon scene is not in the two 1960 typescripts, neither
in
> the abridged one Nabokov handed to Kubrick when he left Hollywood nor in
the
> long one containing all sorts of unused material written in the months
> before. It is only in the version Jacqueline Callier typed in October,
1970
> for McGraw-Hill. As far as I recall, there is an unpublished letter to
Anne
> Murphy of McGraw-Hill explaining that he wrote something new for the book
> that was not in his old screenplay. This can only refer to the canyon
scene.
>
>
>
> Incidentally, I might spread the news that "Lolita" has recently been
staged
> at two German theaters. One production, directed by Peter Kastenmueller,
> opened at the Schauspielhaus in Hanover on October 9 last year. It uses
the
> expanded screenplay. The other one, directed by Oliver Reese, has been
> showing at the Kammerspiele of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin since March
> 16. It is a one man show, actually a dramatic ninety minute recitation
from
> the novel: Humbert Humbert (played by Ingo Huelsmann), alone on the stage
> with a refrigerator and five chairs, recounting his infatuation. Both
> productions are enjoying a considerable success, and I think I know the
> reason: because they left Nabokov's text intact.
>
>
>
> Dieter E. Zimmer
>
> Berlin, April 15, 2003 -- 6pm
>
> mail@d-e-zimmer.de
>
>
>
>
>