Ivana Lowell and Harvey Weinstein

Improbably enough, a third post about a book that hardly anyone has read.

Since I finished reading the book, "revelations" about the conduct of film mogul Harvey Weinstein have become public. The initial full account was in the New York Times and, as is usual, other victims of harassment have begun to come forward. The general opinion is that everybody in the film biz knew about this, but no-one said anything. Except, it turns out, Ivana Lowell in a book, published in 2010, that hardly anyone has read.

She worked for Weinstein in the 1990s (the dates aren't spelled out, but it was after the success of Sex, Lies and Videotape) publishing tie-in books for his films. She describes two incidents of fairly blatant harassment.

First she says that in the office

He would call me into his office under some pretext [...] his office door would be slammed shut and he would playfully chase me around his desk. [...] I was always too fast for him, and I don't think he would have done anything even if he had ever caught me, but it made for an interesting work experience.

Later, she was relaxing in her flat late one evening with her friend Francesca*. Harvey knocked at her door (she presumed he had bribed the doorman to get into the building).

The living room was small, made smaller by the sofa bed. There was nowhere for him to go. He seemed large, and out of place, and didn't seem to know what to do with himself. The only place for him to go was the bedroom, so he went and sat on the bed. Francesca and I both awkwardly edged away.
He lay down on the bed. 'I am so fucking exhausted,' he groaned. 'Which of you girls is going to give me a back massage?'
The scene was comical; Harvey lying spread-eagle, dwarfing the bed like Gulliver pinned down by midgets and Francesca and I laughing nervously, still edging away as far as possible.

She says she and Francesca talked him out of it. He just "for the next hour or so proceeded to complain about this 'schmuck' and that 'fucking moron' [in the movie business]" and eventually left.

Ivana makes light of the incidents but, as in the Francis Bacon anecdote I think true feelings burst through. The phrase "laughing nervously, still edging away as far possible" makes it clear that these "interesting work experiences" were truly frightening. And what if Francesca hadn't happened to be with her that evening?

*Apparently this was Francesca Gonshaw, best known as Maria from 'Allo 'Allo, trivia fans.

Reference: Ivana Lowell, Why not say what happened, publ Bloomsbury, 2010, pages 113-116.