To a man, ornithologists are tall, slender, and bearded so that they can stand motionless for hours, imitating kindly trees, as they watch for birds.

What a Concept. The producers later made an attempt to salvage some of Vidal's vision in the film's post-production. " During the taping of the show there was a legendary on-camera feud between Vidal and Mailer over what Vidal had written about the latter prompting Mailer to say: "I've had to smell your works from time to time.

His most widely regarded social novel was Myra Breckinridge; his best known historical novels included Julian Burr and Lincoln. In addition to this he characterised the United States as a decaying empire from the 1980s onwards. " Ben-Hur won the Academy Award for Best Picture.