Svengali is a 1983 American television film based on the 1894 novel Trilby by George du Maurier.

He was working for the producer, read the script, felt it was promising but that it needed a rewrite.

Galin told Cucci to write the role for Peter O'Toole and that who wound up being cast.

Shortly after filming, director Anthony Harvey had a near-fatal car crash.

"I hadn't been in hospital but a week," he says, "when CBS started cutting the movie, seriously harming it.