Well there are quite a few interviews with Bacall on youtube. It was a British interviewer I believe though it wasn't Parkinson. Unless somebody else can find it I assure you it exists and that's what she said.
I do remember Malone in some early 70s interview with it might have been Rex Reed outraged that a family musical of all things involved itself with white slavery. And I bet Ross Hunter gave her a free ticket to the premiere.
I saw Bacall in Applause at the Palace as a boy. Though extremely stylish with a charisma that reached Neptune she seemed so middle aged. Now I'm considerably older than what she was then. Sobering.
Bacall didn't like it. When an interviewer who was obviously a Sirk fan wanted to discuss it with her she practically rolled her eyes and clearly did not want to discuss it. She seemed ashamed by it. Overwrought soap opera.