 Producer Dino De Laurentiis was not committed to the film to such an  extent that he tried to cut the living expenses of the large Russian  crew while shooting on location in Italy. He also demanded that a  very small number of takes should be shot to reduce lab bills. This  resulted in a crew going on strike. He also vetoed casting of  Italian big names stars such as Alberto Sordi Marcello Mastroianni,  Claudia Cardinal and Sophia Loren. This decision backfired when the  finished film was presented to Paramount for a possible distribution  deal. Paramount bosses told De Laurentiis that the film could have  been a great international success if well