The Hungarian-born director Michael Curtiz was famed for his demanding nature. Chief among his pet peeves was the company's insistence on breaking for lunch. "What do you need lunch for?" he would exclaim. "A glass of milk's enough. Breakfast, that's it, when you get up. No lunch. Work! Work!"

One day Curtiz found himself shooting a scene on a dock at Malibu beach, featuring some 350 extras awaiting the arrival of a motor launch. Just after 11:00 a.m., Curtiz reached for his loud-speaker and ordered: "Send for the launch!" Thus prompted, the extras, misunderstanding his accent, left the director on the dock and promptly broke for lunch.