Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1961)

‘TSMtytwad ^efeont By IVAN SPEAR Husband-Wife Team to Film 'Hiding Place' for UA A new husband-wife theatrical team will debut with Gottfried Reinhardt’set to produce "The Hiding Place,” Robert Shaw’s tome, from a script by Sylvia Reinhardt. The film, to be made in association with the Mirisch Co. for United Artists release, is slated to go before the cameras January 1 in Europe, with Reinhardt also directing. Meanwhile, Reinhardt, who was here recently with his completed Gloria FilmsMirisch Co.-UA feature, “Town Without Pity,” starring Kirk Douglas, disclosed that attempts are being made to secure a Production Code Seal without cutting the film. Censorship problems are currently being fought by “Pity,” which to date has failed to receive Code approval due to its subject matter — the rape of a teenage German girl by four American soldiers. Producers Plan to Make Western-Horror Duo It was only a matter of time until some enterprising packagers came up with a combination western-horror production deal, and Hal Roach jr., Carroll Case and Carl Hittleman are the trio who have done it. Under Showcase Enterprises banner, two pictures titled “Billy the Kid vs. Dracula” and “Jesse James Meets Frankenstein,” are blueprinted for June starts on the Roach lot, with Roach jr. and Case as executive producers and Hittleman producing from his own original scripts. According to Roach, budgets for the pair will be approximately $500,000 each and a deal for a major release is near completion. As to whether the films will be treated as comedy or satire, no comment is forthcoming from the producers. 'A Time for Diamonds' Set As First for Kell-Cole Kell-Cole Productions, independent producing company topped by Nat King Cole and Ike Jones, reveals that its first theatrical film will be “A Time for Diamonds,” an original screenplay by Millard Kaufman who will direct. Jones will produce the story of the South African diamond mines as a joint production venture of Kell-Cole and Kaufman’s independent outfit. Kaufman in currently preparing “Reprieve,” which he wrote and will direct for Allied Artists release. New Independent Will Lens No Man Is an Island' Monego Films, an independent feature film company, has been formed by Richard Goldstone and John Monks jr. Goldstone has bowed out of 20th-Fox where he produced the TV series, “Adventures in Paradise,” in order to partner with Monks in theatrical screen ventures. Initial production for Monego will be “No Man Is an Island,” toplining Jeffrey Hunter. Slated to roll in Manila next fall, it is a biographical picture of U. S. Navy radioman George Tweed, the only American to survive on Guam during 34 months of Japanese occupation during World War II. Total of Eight Story Buys Announced for the Week Story buys numbered eight for the week, with George Stevens jr.’s purchase from Frank Sinatra’s Essex Productions of “The Execution of Private Slovik” a buy of top interest inasmuch as the William Bradford Huie biography will serve as young Stevens’ debut as a full-fledged producerdirector next year. He has signed James Lee Barrett to script ... A new comedy project has been added to the production schedule of the Mirisch Co., which announced that film rights have been acquired to “Garden of Cucumbers,” a novel by Poyntz Tyler, to be lensed in 1962 for UA release . . . Irving Lerner has bought “My Brother Mike” by Boris Gates which he will produce and direct in the fall as an Irving Production . . . Tom McGowan has purchased Robert Graves’ novel, “The Golden Ass of Apuleius,” and plans to film it on location in Portugal. Samuel W. Taylor penned the screenplay which McGowan will produce and direct for his independent company, Scholastic Arts Productions . . . Actress Diana Dors and her husband, comedian Richard Dawson, have bought “The Inheritance,” a play by Clive Exton, which they’ll film in England. Dawson will produce and Miss Dors will star in the story . . . Film rights to “The Confederates,” a Civil War yarn, have been acquired by Roger Corman for Filmgroup production in color and Cinemascope . . . Johnny Cash purchased rights to the “Jimmie Rodgers Story” from Rodgers’ TALK OVER FILM PLANS— Talking over plans for the shooting of “Pioneer, Go Home!”, the first Elvis Presley picture for the Mirisch Co. and United Artists release, are left to right: Harold J. Mirisch, president of the independent filmmaking organization; Col. Tom Parker, Presley’s manager; Elvis Presley; David Weisbart, who will produce the film, and Marvin Mirisch, vice-president of the company. Production will start July 5. widow and will film it as an independent production for his Johnny Cash Productions this fall. Rodgers, who died in 1932, was considered the “patron saint” of country music . . . Independent producers Bernard Girard and Robert Lewis have bought screen rights to the late Christopher LaFarge’s tome, “The Sudden Guest” for filming in 1962. John Cassavetes Signs Pact With Marathon Studios Former actor John Cassavetes, who parlayed a $40,000 film called “Shadows” into a producing-directing deal with Paramount for the recently completed “Too Late Blues,” comes up with another winner in the form of a new seven-year non-exclusive contract with the Marathon studio calling for two pictures annually. As his first feature under the new pact, producer-director Cassavetes will helm “The Iron Men,” a Martin Poll production starring Sidney Poitier which will be lensed in Italy sometime in September. The Frank Fenton screenplay centers on the 99th Pursuit Squadron in Italy during World War II which was an all-Negro outfit except for white ground officers. Sidney Harmon, Robert Ryan To Coproduce in Pakistan With his partner Sidney Harmon, actor Robert Ryan has entered into the first coproduction deal with Pakistan, to shoot “Sahib” entirely in that country. Ryan and Harmon’s Carolwood Productions and Jalal Productions will jointly finance the movie which Ryan will star in as an opportunist American regenerated through his friendship with a Pakistani boy. Harmon will produce, Hugo Fregonese will direct, and Gilbert Wright is writing the script from an original yarn by himself, Jalal Din and Lois Roth. Danny Kaye, Sophia Loren Set For 'Five Pieces of Maria' Danny Kaye and Sophia Loren have been signed by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank as costars in “Five Pieces of Maria,” to be produced in Rome and on the Rivieria next April. An original screen comedy by the producer-directing-writer team, “Five Pieces” will be the second of their two productions slated for UA release. Kaye will play a starving operatic student hired by a syndicate to be the Pygmalion to their sexy, illiterate Italian Eliza, portrayed by Miss Loren. Another Nuremberg Feature Ready for the Market Stanley Kramer’s currently filming UA release, “Judgment at Nuremberg” will have some competition from independent producer Cyrus Harold, who recently lensed “Verdict at Nuremberg” in Germany under his C-R Enterprises, Ltd. Harold’s film stars Richard Bennett, Lee Bonnell and Mitra Mitrovich and reportedly contains background footage at Nuremberg, locale of the picture. The producer is now in Hollywood completing editing at Consolidated Film Industries. 16 BOXOFFICE :: May 29, 1961