Christiane Kubrick's Website
I would like to thank everyone
who has been kind enough to send me and my family their condolences, thoughts
and reminiscences about Stanley.
On this website I intend to take the opportunity to confirm the truths about Stanley and correct the inaccuracies, at least the gross ones, though it is only fair to tell you that this is not a chatline.
I would like to give you a short account of myself.
I am Christiane Kubrick.
My maiden name was Christiane Susanne Harlan and my stage name was Susanne
Christian.
I've since given up acting and for the last 40 years have worked as a painter.
In 1958 I married Stanley.
We were married for 41 years.
As and when the time comes that I feel I must say more, I will.
"We wish it to be known that the publication of Frederic Raphael's book "Eyes Wide Open" is not and never has been endorsed in any way by Stanley Kubrick's family, those close to him or Warner Bros.
Mr. Raphael was engaged to write a screenplay, which he did in collaboration with Stanley who trusted him and (according to Mr. Raphael) confided in him. In violation of that trust and in breach of what would be regarded by many as a normal professional duty of confidence, Mr. Raphael announced the publication of his memoirs within days of Stanley's death. Mr. Raphael through his literary agent conveyed the false impression to at least one (and perhaps more) prospective publishers that his book was both authorised and welcomed by Stanley's family and friends. The timing of the publication of the book was clearly intended to take advantage of the publicity build up immediately prior to the opening of the Film "Eyes Wide Shut".
We believe that Mr. Raphael, whilst professing praise and a degree of affection for his subject, has in fact denigrated Stanley and unjustly caused pain to those who knew him well.
Whilst Mr Raphael knew and confirmed in his book that Stanley valued his privacy, he showed, by publishing his book, ostensibly in the interests of art, that he in fact has no respect for that privacy; Mr Raphael says in his book
"although I should never trade on it - we were now close friends." Whether or not they were "close friends", is one matter but, it will be for others to decided whether he has in fact traded on his relationship with Stanley.
Finally, insofar as this family is concerned, Mr. Raphael's analysis of Stanley's personality bears no relation to the man we knew and loved so well.
In making this public statement we know that we risk further publicising Mr. Raphael's book, but we feel we could not allow our silence to be understood as confirmation of his opinions and claims.
This site is written and maintained by Christiane Kubrick,
with assistance from Nick Frewin.
08.09.1999