Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

By WILLIAM HEBERT George Roy Hill Announces First Film on UA Deal Producer George Roy Hill has revealed “A Bullet for Charlemagne” as the initial picture he will make independently on his two-picture deal with United Artists. Hill will produce and direct from his own script, with Sidney Poitier starred. Budget on the project has been set at $2,500,000, with lensing slated for next summer. The story, located in Haiti, deals with a true incident involving former Marine Sergeant Herman Henry Hanneken and Charlemagne Peralt, a Haitian hero. Hanneken, who sold the rights to Hill several years ago, is now a retired general. Hill, who makes his motion picture bow as a director next month for MGM on ‘‘Period of Adjustment,” also has been signed to helm “Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” for producer John Houseman at MGM and “Toys in the Attic” for the Mirisch Co. and United Artists. “Period of Adjustment,” starring Jane Fonda and Jim Hutton, was scripted by Isobel Lennart from Tennessee Williams’ play. Dean Martin will topline “Toys,” slated to roll September 16 from a James Poe script of Lillian Heilman’s play. Form Threemen Productions; To Lens First in Dublin Threemen Productions, a motion picture company headquartered in Beverly Hills, has been formed by Milo O. Frank jr., Sheldon Graff and Thom E. Fox, with Frank and Fox serving as producers and creative heads of the organization and Graff representing the business side. According to Frank, the trio will devote its efforts to producing films “too difficult or different to be attempted by conventional movie makers.” First on Threemen’s slate is “O’Houlihan’s Jest,” budgeted at $2,000,000 and adapted by screenwriter Burton Wohl from the novel by Rohan O’Grady. The Irish adventure drama will be shot in Dublin this summer. Next will be the filmization of Leonard Wibberley’s book, “Mrs. Searwood’s Secret Weapon,” to be lensed in England. Arnold and Du Pont to Make Three More Films for AA Newton Arnold and Michael Du Pont, whose initial film under their GlenwoodNeve Productions’ banner, “Hands of a Stranger,” will be released by Allied Artists, have announced three other properties ready for the screen. No release has been set for them yet. First of the trio is a Korean war drama, “Glory, Hell!” written by Arnold, who will direct it with Du Pont in the cast. Du Pont’s original, “The Last Little Boy,” will be next on the schedule with Du Pont directing. The third, another Arnold original, is a comedy, “The Heavenly Set-Up,” with a prizefight background. Arnold will direct this one. “Hands of a Stranger” goes into national release on March 25, starring Paul Luka ther, Joan Harvey, James Stapleton and Irish McCalla. Hope Lange and Robert Jiras Buy 'Walk Egypt' Rights Before departing to star in “The Grand Duke and Mr. Pimm” in France, Hope Lange announced that she and her brotherin-law, Robert Jiras, have purchased the film rights to the novel, “Walk Egypt,” by Vinnie Williams. The film starring Miss Lange will be shot here and on location in the Deep South, setting of the book, late this year or early in 1963, by the independent company to be set up by the actress and Jiras. The property relates the story of a poor Southern girl who learns through tragedy and adversity to accept the love offered her. The feature will be made as an outside commitment for Miss Lange, whose 20thFox contract calls for two more films by the summer of 1963. Bobby Darin Writes Music For Own Starring Film Bobby Darin, who stars with his wife, Sandra Dee, in Universal’s Ross Hunter production, “If a Man Answers,” has completed writing the title song which he will sing in the picture and also has composed a musical love theme for the film. Darin’s song and theme will be used as the basis for the picture’s musical score which Hans J. Salter will compose . . . Aram Katcher has made three cuts in “Right Hand of the Devil,” which he produced, directed and starred in, to make the film eligible for a Production Code seal. Universal-International is currently interested in acquiring distribution rights to the picture now that Code approval may be expected. Norman Maurer to Produce Another 'Stooges' Feature Satisfactory boxoffice reception accorded “The Three Stooges Meet Hercules” was responsible for Columbia Pictures concluding a new deal with producer Norman Maurer and the Stooges. Maurer will produce “The Three Stooges Meet the Martians,” as a Normandy production for Columbia based on his own original story with a screenplay by Elwood Ullman. Filming is slated to start April 10, with an early summer release planned. Sophia Loren, Simone Signoret To Star in The Victors' Carl Foreman has signed Sophia Loren and Simone Signoret for the starring roles in “The Victors,” his first film since “The Guns of Navarone.” Foreman, who has returned to London following Columbia homeoffice meetings, will set three additional femme stars and six male leads for “The Victors,” a Highroad production for Columbia release which marks his debut as a director. He will produce the film from his own adaptation of the novel, “The Human Kind,” by Alexander Baron. AIRLINES PACT SIGNED— Edward Emanuel, seated right, international chief barker of Variety Clubs, is shown signing what is believed to be the largest contract ever made with the Irish Airlines for the participants of the 35th annual Variety Clubs convention to be held in Dublin, May 15-18. Seated at the left is David M. O’Shea, representative of Irish Airlines for North America. Standing, left to right: Eugene Fisher, transportation representative for the convention; Ralph W. Pries, international dough guy and chairman of transportation, and E. J. Greene, district manager of Irish Airlines. Over 800 from the U. S. and Canada, plus the representatives of London and Dublin, are expected to attend the convention. 'Three Bites of the Apple' Set For MGM by Joe Pasternak “Three Bites of the Apple,” a screenplay developed by George Wells from his original story, has been placed on MGM’s schedule to be produced by Joe Pasternak. A modern romantic comedy, the story is set against backgrounds in Italy, France and England. Wells, who won an Oscar for his original screenplay of “Designing Woman,” recently wrote the screen plays of “The Horizontal Lieutenant” and "Where the Boys Are.” 'Tower of London' Starting This Month by Cormans Shooting on “The Tower of London,” originally announced as “A Dream of Kings,” has been slated to start this month at Producers Studio with Roger Corman directing and Gene Corman producing the Admiral Production for UA release. The film will star Vincent Price as Richard in in the original screenplay by Leo Gordon and Amos Powell from a concept by Gene Corman. Michael Pate and Bruce Gordon have been signed for feature roles. MGM Signs Connie Francis For 'Follow the Boys' Singing star Connie Francis has been set by MGM to star in “Follow the Boys,” which will be brought to the screen by Lawrence Bachmann, in charge of production for MGM’s London Studios. The story treats with the sweethearts and wives who follow the U. S. fleet in the Mediterranean, and marks Miss Francis’ first picture since her screen debut in “Where the Boys Are.” 16 BOXOFFICE :: March 19, 1962