MARLON BRANDO - BRANDO ARCHITECT OPENS UP ABOUT STAR'S ODD PLANS

BRANDO ARCHITECT OPENS UP ABOUT STAR'S ODD PLANS

Eccentric movie legend MARLON BRANDO wanted an aquarium stocked with six-foot sharks and moray eels, according to the craftsman who helped the actor design the Polynesian retreat that was never realised.
Maverick architect Harry Gesner has revealed all about the late star's lagoon home in Tetiaroa in the new issue of Architecture Design magazine.
And he admits Brando had some odd requests.
He explains, "Brando wanted to have-foot sharks and moral eels swimming through the tank."
Gesner, who was also hired to help Brando re-model his Beverly Hills home, was impressed with the actor's conservation and environmental ideas: "Brando was very into ecology. We talked a long time about how to incorporate elements like indigenous materials, solar voltaic cells, windmills and so on."
But the architect admits working with the movie great was often difficult because he was always coming up with new ideas - and was easily distracted: "In the middle of a discussion, a beautiful Asian model would walk in, and Marlon would disappear for half an hour."
Gesner eventually quit after Brando hired him to start another retreat project in Wyoming.
He recalls, "He would have kept me on a string forever doing plans that went nowhere."