Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford’s memorable sex scene in their classic 1973 romantic drama “The Way We Were” was filmed over the course of two days.
However, according to Robert Hofler — author of the new bombshell book “The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen” —there was no need for one measly scene to take 48 hours to shoot.
Streisand, 80, allegedly prolonged filming so she could do “take after take with Redford atop her,” Hofler told Fox News.
The writer added that the Sydney Pollack-directed flick was already going over budget and over schedule and “there’s no reason a scene like that should take two days.”
Producer Ray Stark was unhappy with outcome of the scene taking so long to film, Hofler claimed. The scene featured Redford, 86, lying on a bed and then simply “moves on top, kisses her on the neck and falls asleep.”
Hofler believed that the “Funny Girl” Oscar winner wanted to keep on shooting because she “had a mad crush on Redford.”
In the book, Hofler alleged that she was “infatuated” and “mesmerized” with the Academy Award-winning “Ordinary People” director.
“It was very obvious to everyone that she had a crush on him,” he told Fox News. “But by the time Redford worked with Streisand, he was a happily married man with four kids.”
The Post has reached out to reps for Streisand and Redford for comment about the new book’s revelations.
The “Barefoot in the Park” star was married to activist Lola Van Wagenen from 1958 until 1985 and they shared four kids together.
Hofler went on: “He was never one of those people you heard about, even in the grapevine, having affairs. He kept things extremely professional. And he didn’t even want to meet with Barbra in the first place.”
“But when it came to that love scene, Barbra asked for take after take,” he noted. “Robert finally gave a look to [director] Sydney Pollack — one that said, ‘I’ve had enough.’”
Elsewhere in the novel, Hofler claimed that Redford forced himself to wear two pairs of underwear to “protect himself” from the singer during their love scenes.
During one of their intimate scenes, Redford also allegedly refused to say the line, “It will be better this time,” because he worried that viewers would think he wasn’t good in the bedroom in the real world.
“Redford was never bad in bed,” and so his character could never be either, Hofler wrote.
The author also said Redford was reluctant to work with the “Yentl” actress and filmmaker, as he felt she wasn’t a “serious actress.”
“Her reputation is as a very controlling person. She will direct herself. It’ll never work,” the “All the President’s Men” actor reportedly said at the time.
He also didn’t want her to sing any tunes in the film, allegedly noting: “She’s not going to sing, is she? I don’t want her to sing in the middle of the movie.”
Streisand — who eventually scored an Academy Award nod for Best Actress in the film — did indeed end up crooning the film’s iconic, Oscar-winning theme song, “The Way We Were,” written by composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricists Marilyn and Alan Bergman.
However, Redford did not receive Academy recognition for the film.
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