, ▁they ▁were ▁still ▁married ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁death ▁from ▁breast ▁cancer ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 4 8 . ▁ ▁Kaz an ▁could ▁be ▁cont empt uous ▁when ▁describing ▁his ▁relationship ▁with ▁L oden . ▁In ▁his ▁aut obi ography , ▁El ia ▁Kaz an : ▁A ▁Life , ▁he ▁revealed ▁his ▁desire ▁and ▁in ability ▁to ▁control ▁her . ▁Kaz an ▁wrote ▁about ▁L oden ▁" with ▁a ▁mix ▁of ▁affection ▁and ▁patron ization , ▁emphas izing ▁her ▁sexual ity ▁and ▁her ▁back country ▁fe ist iness ." ▁In ▁a ▁" cond esc ending " ▁way , ▁Kaz an ▁bem o an ed ▁that ▁L oden ▁had ▁dep ended ▁on ▁her ▁" sex ual ▁appeal " ▁to ▁get ▁ahead ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁afraid ▁of ▁" los ing ▁her ." ▁But ▁Kaz an ▁was ▁also , ▁in ▁his ▁words , ▁" prote ct ive " ▁of ▁L oden . ▁ ▁Her ▁acting ▁career ▁on ▁film ▁had ▁a ▁trouble d ▁history . ▁Her ▁first ▁major ▁film ▁role ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁the ▁Frank ▁Perry - direct ed ▁The ▁Sw immer ▁st arring ▁B urt ▁Lanc aster , ▁but ▁during ▁post - production ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁dispute ▁about ▁the ▁scene ▁between ▁producer ▁Sam ▁Sp iegel ▁and ▁the ▁film ' s ▁writer - direct or ▁team , ▁the ▁Per rys . ▁According ▁to ▁notes ▁by ▁screen writer ▁Ele an or ▁Perry , ▁Sp iegel ▁began ▁showing ▁the ▁trouble d ▁rough ▁cut ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁around ▁Hollywood , ▁pol ling ▁several ▁of ▁his