 According a 2005 interview with Edward Albee (qv), the original  writer of the play which the film is based, producer  Ernest Lehman (qv) hired himself to write the screenplay for  $250,000. Also, Albee says that when director  Mike Nichols (I) (qv) and stars Richard Burton (I) (qv) and  Elizabeth Taylor (I) (qv) read the script, the hated it so much  that, unknown to Lehman, they changed all of the dialog back to  Albees play save two lines: "Hey, lets go to the roadhouse!" and  "Hey, lets come back from the roadhouse!" Albee said, "Two lines  for $250,000, $125,000 a piece. Thats pretty good."