Present US president in a scene from ‘Ghosts Can’t Do It’ which won him a Golden Raspberry Award in 1991 for worst acting
American President Donald Trump acted in a Hollywood film made in Sri Lanka in 1989, well known local makeup artist Sunil Costa told Colombo-based Sinhala-language Sarasaviya film weekly recently.
The movie, Ghosts Can’t Do It, a romantic comedy fantasy, was written and directed by John Derek, starring the film maker’s fourth wife, Bo Derek, and Anthony Quinn, in the lead roles.
John Derek, born Derek Delevan Harris, a popular actor in the early part of his film career, also shot Tarzan the Ape Man in Sri Lanka, starring Bo, Richard Harris and John Philip Law.
In Ghosts Can’t Do It, Trump acted as himself, the New York Real Estate mogul, going to Sri Lanka to discuss a business transaction with Bo. The film also starred Don Murray and film, stage and TV actress Julie Newmar.
Trump won the worst supporting actor at the 11th Golden Raspberry Award in 1991 for his role while Derek and his wife were adjudged worst director and worst actress. Trump never showed up to collect his Razzie.
The film received terrible reviews, and if there was a selling point, it could only have been the stark naked Bo frolicking on Galle’s scenic sandy beaches. She also does a poor imitation of Ursula Andress (Derek’s third wife) whose iconic image of emerging from the sea in a two-piece white bikini in Dr No made her an instant sex symbol.
Jointly produced by Bo and Sri Lankan filmmaker Chandran Rutnam, the movie was shot in the port city of Galle, deep south of the island.
Late Sri Lankan actor Henry Jayasena has been mentioned in the IMDb credits. The other Sri Lankans in the technical crew included art director Errol Kelley, makeup artists Lucky Mathangaweera and Shesha Palihakkara, Elmo Haliday (second assistant director), D.B. Warnasiri (first assistant director), Athula Sultanagoda, costume/wardrobe supervisor and Ainsley de Silva (locations manager – Sri Lanka).
Sunil Costa, who worked at the makeup department, remembers Trump as a handsome, lanky six-footer.
Gods Can’t Do It is the last film made by director Derek. He was recognized as a talented newcomer and The New York Times called the handsome rookie “plainly an idol for the girls” as he began his acting career with Since You Went Away in 1944. In 1965 he took up direction, starting from Nightmare in the Sun.
John Derek passed away in 1998. He was married to three glamorous actresses, sex siren Ursula Andress (1957-1966), Linda Evans of Dynasty fame (1968-1974), and tied the knot with Bo Derek, 30 years his junior, in 1976. His first wife was Pati Behrs (1948-1955), a Russian American prima ballerina and actress. © newstrails.com
