, ▁where ▁Small ▁could ▁use ▁blocked ▁li ra . ▁Small ▁borrow ed ▁Gregory ▁R ato ff , ▁Frank ▁Lat imore ▁ ▁and ▁Nancy ▁Gu ild ▁from ▁Tw enti eth ▁Century - F ox ▁and ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁S cal era ▁stud ios ▁in ▁Rome ▁from ▁early ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁to ▁late ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁ ▁Charles ▁Ben nett , ▁who ▁wrote ▁the ▁script , ▁said ▁Jose ▁Fer rer ▁was ▁supposed ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁lead ▁but ▁he ▁demanded ▁a ▁three ▁picture ▁contract ▁from ▁Small ▁who ▁refused . ▁Ben nett ▁later ▁said ▁R ato ff ▁and ▁W elles ▁re w rote ▁the ▁film , ▁but ▁he ▁adm ired ▁W elles ' ▁performance . ▁ ▁Or son ▁W elles ▁said ▁Small ▁(" no ▁mean ▁master ▁of ▁suggestion , ▁by ▁the ▁way ") ▁approached ▁him ▁" very ▁clever ly ▁with ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁C agli ost ro . ▁He ▁waited ▁' til ▁I ▁had ▁r ere ad ▁the ▁Dum as ▁nov els ▁and ▁become ▁so ▁' h yp not ised ' ▁by ▁the ▁sc ound rel ▁that ▁I ▁felt ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁play ▁him . ▁Then ▁Small ▁announced ▁cas ually , ▁' G reg ory ▁R ato ff ▁is ▁going ▁to ▁direct '. ▁That ▁cin ched ▁it . ▁Gregory ▁is ▁a ▁great ▁friend , ▁and ▁more ▁fun ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁than ▁anybody ▁I ▁know ." ▁ ▁United ▁Art ists ▁were ▁so ▁enthus i astic ▁about ▁the ▁film ▁they ▁agreed ▁to ▁dist ribute ▁the ▁film ▁for ▁ 2 5 % ▁of