Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

•By CHRIS DUTRA QURTIS ENTERPRISES, headed by Tony Cm-tis. will film “The Adventm'es of Marco Polo,” with Stan Margulies coproducing in association with Raoul Levy. Reported to be in the multi-million dollar bracket, the epic will roll in Hollyv^ood late in 1963. The featm-e augments Curtis’ schedule, and will follow “How Now, Bow Wow?” for Universal and “Playboy,” for Columbia. The company initiates talks this week to sign a writer and director for the upcoming film . . . Noted playwright and screenwriter Alex Coppel has been signed by producer-director Anatole Litvak and the Mirisch Co. to write the screenplay of “A Shot in the Dark,” based on the stage hit. Sophia Loren stars in the film which will be shot on location in France next spring for United Artists release. Coppel leaves for France later this month where he will meet with Litvak. His latest film credit is John Huston’s currently filming “The List of Adrian Messenger” for Universal. Sam Marx and John Florea have announced they will film Evelyn Waugh’s “A Handful of Dust” as an independent production in the summer of 1963, with David Niven set to star and Judy Garland doing a vignette role. Marx and Florea have just completed the screenplay, and their production marks the first Waugh novel to reach the screen. “A Handful of Dust” will have five starring roles and also other vignette roles in addition to Miss Garland’s . . . Sidney Poitier has arrived in Hollywood from New York and goes before the cameras in his starring role in Ralph Nelson’s ‘“The Lilies of the Field” for United Artists release, now shooting on location in 'Tucson. Filming of exterior scenes began last week in New York for the film version of “The Girl Hunters,” screen adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s latest Mike Hammer detective novel. Spillane makes his screen debut as an actor in the film and portrays the title role of Hammer. Robert Fellows produces and Roy Rowland directs . . . MGM has finalized negotiations for the release of the A. C. Lyles production, “Attong,” a suspense adventure story set in Korea with Rory Calhoun and William Bendix starring. Francis D. Lyon directs from a screenplay by Beime Lay jr. Filming gets under way in the next few weeks on location in Korea. Patti Page has been signed for a nonsinging role in the Mirisch Co. production “A Rage to Live,” based on the John O’Hara novel . . . Jack Kelly has been signed by Carlo Ponti to star with Claudia Cardinale in “The Idol,” to be filmed in Rome next summer. Kelly is currently on Broadway in Sidney Kingsley’s play “Night Life,” but plans to exit after five months, according to contractural obligations . . . George Montgomery has purchased “North of Durango” by Vincent Fotre and “Red Blizzard” by Caly Fisher for production under his independent banner . . . The entire company of David Susskind’s “All the Way Home,” headed by stars Jean Simmons and Robert Preston, have arrived in New York from Knoxville, Tenn., after completing five weeks of location filming. The unit resumes production immediately at the WNEW-TV studios on East 67th street, to complete interior filming. Jimmy Durante has signed a schedule of nightclub engagements up until May, with a special three-week period set aside for promotion activities in connection with holiday openings of MGM’s “Billy Rose’s Jumbo.” The entertainer is currently at Las Vegas’ Desert Inn until November 26 . . . Chancellor Records topper Bob Marcucci will take singer-actor Rod Lairren east in January to tee off a nationwide buildup tour. Lauren was formerly under contract to Hal Wallis and RCA Victor. He is currently before the cameras in Herman Cohen’s “Black Zoo,” shooting at Producer’s Studio for Allied Artists release . . . Director Phil Karlson adds Walter Friedel and Sig Ruman to the cast of “Rampage,” joining stars Robert Mitchum, Elsa Martinelli, Jack Hawkins and Sabu . . . In Madrid, Samuel Bronston has started filming a dramatized documentary titled “The Valley of the Fallen,” which will be written and narrated by Jim Bishop. Andrew Marton is directing with Jack Hildyard handling the Technicolor cinematography and Dimitri Tiomkin supervising the musical score, utilizing a basilica choir of 100 voices. Bronston will distribute the film worldwide, with revenues donated to the basilica. Representatives of 17 countries attended a combination press conference-fete for writer Abby Mann, who is in the Mexican capital completing the script of “Children of Sanchez.” Mann was honored by the Mexican film industry for his Oscar-win FILMING ‘FREUD’ IN MUNICH— John Huston, left, is shown directing Montgomery Clift (lying) in a scene from “Freud,” while shooting on location in Munich. The John Huston production for Universal will open in New York and Los Angeles in December with general release slated for spring. ning writing of Stanley Kramer’s “Judgment at Nuremberg” . . . James Stewart has been set to nai’rate the half-hour television documentary in color telling the story of the San Francisco Theological Seminary which will be put before the cameras on December 3 by Allied Artists Informational Films Division. The film will be produced and directed by Jack L. Copeland from a script by Don Hall. Young Broadway actress Nat Martin has been signed by producer Walter Mirisch to make her motion picture debut in “Toys in the Attic,” under the direction of George Roy Hill. Miss Martin joins stars Dean Martin, Geraldine Page, Yvette Mimieux, Wendy Hiller and Gene Tierney in the film version of Lillian Heilman’s play . . . Reflecting an unusual concentration of musical interest in “The Theme From ‘Two for the Seesaw’” (“Second Chance”), a total of six recordings of the song from the Robert Mitchum-Shirley MacLaine starrer have been made to date on six different record labels. Heading the list of recordings is the Film Soundtrack Album, currently in release from UA Records. Additionally, a Sammy Davis jr. single is about to go into release through Reprise, an A1 Hirt single recording is currently in release through RCA Victor, as is a Columbia Records piano arrangement single by Andre Previn, who composed the “Seesaw” song (lyrics by Dory Langdon), as well as composing and conducting the entire score for the film. Still to be released are two albums which will feature “The Theme From ‘Two for the Seesaw.’ ” George Chakiris’ next album for Capitol release in December will include the song from the film, as will Choreo Records’ forthcoming album, “Bossa Nova Goes to the Movies,” performed by Harry Betts and his Orchestra. Producer Doris Vidor has inked writers Larry Markes and Michael Morris to write the screenplay of “Royal Flush,” her initial production in association with the Mirisch Co. for United Artists. The comedy is based on an original story by Fay and Michael Kanin . . . Ted Apstein has been signed to do the treatment and screenplay of “The Big Island,” an original, with a South Pacific setting, for producer Edmund Grainger which MGM will release . . . Producer-director Otto Preminger has signed Leon Shamroy as director of photography for “The Cardinal,” his next for Columbia Pictures. . . . Producer Herman (Johen has signed Jerome Cowan for a featured role in “Black Zoo,” now shooting for Allied Artists. Stephen Boyd has been set by producer Joe Pasternak to star in MGM’s “The San Franciscans” from the Niven Busch novel, set to roll next spring . . . David Hedison has been cast as one of the Apostles in George Stevens’ “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” The United Artists release is being shot on location in Utah. Miss Terry Higgins, shapely blonde cigaret girl at Jerry Lewis’ Sunset Strip cafe, is doubling as a shapely blonde cigaret girl at Jerry Lewis’ movie set cafe. There being no need for a change, she even wears the same uniform in her screen debut in the Purple Pit cafe sequence of Lewis’ “The Nutty Professor,” now shooting on the Paramount lot. Miss Higgins is 21 and recently arrived in Hollywood from Iowa, “because the winters are too cold!” 10 BOXOFFICE November 26, 1962