Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

‘Refcont •By SYD CASSYD 0ARL FOREMAN is planning another film to follow “The Victors” and will act in the capacity of writer-producer and possibly director. He has found very little conflict with the multiple roles. Production plans and schedule are not ready . . . Douglas Heyes has been signed to an exclusive long term writer-director contract by Universal. His novel, "The 12th of Never,” which has just been published by Random House, was bought by Universal from galley proofs several months ago and is now on producer Ross Hunter’s future schedule, according to Edward Muhl, vicepresident in charge of production at Universal. w “Flipper and the Pirates” is the name of the sequel to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s story of a boy and a dolphin, with young Luke Halpin repeating in the role of the boy. Art Arthur has been assigned by Ivan Tors, who produced “Flipper,” to handle the screenplay. The pair is scouting locations in the West Indies, Bahamas, or Trinidad for the new version. The television segments of the “Flipper” saga are not expected to reach the airways before the sequel is released . . . Jack L. Warner will produce the story, “The Sparrow,” based on the life of Edith Piaf, who died several weeks ago, and will try to get a bilingual star who can play the role in both English and French. Studio executives will conduct a poll of the French people to find a suitable, perhaps unknown actress for the part of the dynamic little singer with the large voice. Robert L. Lippert has signed Kenny Miller and Jackie DeShannon to a twopicture deal, reported Fred Roos, production executive for Lippert . . . Robert Fellows will film “The Snake,” a Mickey Spillane “Mike Hammer” novel soon to be published by E. F. Dutton. Roy Rowland will direct the Fishbein-DuPont-Fellows picture reportedly set for a $750,000 budget. Others on the schedule are “The Green Woman,” also a Spillane story, and a Marion Hargrove screenplay, “Formosa” . . . Robert Marcucci and Oscar L. Nichols have purchased “A Girl’s Delight” by Jack Bennett and Leslie Kardos, and “The Flying Dud,” by Jack Miller and M. A. Chaney. Marcucci is the president of Chancellor Records, Philadelphia, and has extended his activities to production of motion pictures. Chancellor handles Frankie Avalon . . . “Nervous in the Service” is the final title on the Frank McCarthy film which he originally called, “Yeoman Major.” Ray Allen and Harvey Allen are writing the screenplay, which is based on a single chapter from William J. Lederer’s book, “All the Ship’s at Sea.” The Universal film is planned for production after the first of the year. In the tradition of Mata Hari, World War I female spy, the play “Hannah Sennesh,” about Israeli’s heroine who was captured and tortured to death by the Nazis, when she came down behind their lines while engaged in guerrilla work, has been acquired by Laurence Merrick, producer. Before formalizing his film plans, he will stage the play in Hollywood. It has run for years in Israeli’s Habima Theatre. The American translation is by Meyer Levin ... A coproduction deal between Fulvio Lucisano, Italian International Films president and American International, calls for production in Rome, starting in January, of “The Dunwich Horror.” The thriller, to be filmed in color and widescreen, will be directed by Mario Bava, who had the same job on “Black Sunday.” James Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff signed the papers for the project at AIP offices in Hollywood. W George Edwards and Joe Hoenig start their first film, “Young and Willing,” in January. Gavin Lambert, who wrote the novel, “The Slide Area,” from which the picture will be made, will direct, with production scheduled for Producer’s Studio. James Bridges collaborated with him on the screenplay . . . Continuing the trend of studios’ use of pilot films which didn’t sell, Warner Bros, will issue “The Man From Galveston” as a feature release in January, after it was rejected as one of the episodes in “Temple Houston,” a TV series, because of a change in format . . . Ralph Edwards, who has acted as National Crusade chairman for the American Cancer Society, has turned his attention to a new schedule which will include production of feature films. w Jim Hutton, now costarring with Connie Francis in “Looking for Love” at MGM, has been signed to a new four-picture contract by the studio. A non-exclusive pact, the deal calls for Hutton to appear in the new films over a four-year period . . . Donald Woods, veteran motion picture and stage actor, has been set for the role of an Air Force colonel in MGM’s “Kissin’ Cousins.” Sam Katzman is producing with Gene Nelson directing and Elvis Presley starring. Pamela Austin, Arthur O’Con William Castle Is Signed To Pact With Universal William Castle, one of the leading independent producers and showman disers of suspense films, has been signed by Edward Muhl, vice-president in charge of Universal production, to bring into the Universal-Revue-MCA organization his special “cost-control” films. Castle moves to the valley lot on October 28, with Dona Holloway going along as associate producer and Lin Unkefer engaged as publicity director. The producer has also signed to a multiple-picture deal writer Ray Bloch, whose “Psycho” novel was made into one of Alfred Hitchcock’s top film hits and who scripted Castle’s recently completed “Strait-Jacket,” starring Joan Crawford. nell, Shelley Fabares and Yvonne Craig are costarred . . . Pauline Meyers, prominent Negro character actress, has been set by MGM for an important comedy role in “His and His.” She will portray the secretary to the head of a Madison Avenue firm. Robert Goulet, Nancy Kwan, Robert Morse and Elsa Lanchester also head the cast of the romantic comedy being directed by Henry Levin and produced by Pandro S. Berman. Lena Horne fits the part in “No Strings,” the new Seven Arts production of the stage musical which is being prepared for the screen by Arthur Laurents, who is writing the screenplay, and has been asked to play the role. Her reply and starting dates are to be announced soon . . . Richard Harris, who won kudos for his work in “This Sporting Life,” has been signed by producerdirector Michelangelo Antonioni as star of “The Red Desert.” The film rolls at Cinecitta, Rome, this week . . . Dolores Del Rio comes back into the Hollywood fold once again with her role in “Cheyenne Autumn,” the John Ford-Bernard Smith production for Warner Bros. This is her second appearence since 1947 when she also appeared in a John Ford film, “The Fugitive.” Ford is using 410 Indian and white extras in one scene . . . The wry smile on Shelley Winters’ face in the picture “Wives and Lovers” might take on a realistic meaning when one learns that she has optioned “My Son Never Drew Those Dirty Pictures on the Wall.” The Ralph Hart original story will be written for the screen by him, along with his directing chores. To be filmed abroad in Italy and Britain, students from England and America are the subjects of the film, termed a farcical-comedy. nhi George Cukor has assigned Gene Allen to direct the second unit of “My Fair Lady,” Ascot scene . . . David Miller has been set by Edward Muhl, Universal studio head, to direct Cary Grant’s forthcoming untitled comedy-drama for the studio. The director megged Universal’s release, “Captain Newman, M.D.” Peter Stone, who wrote the screenplay for “Charade,” does same on new film . . . Following the tradition set by Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Bernhardt and Gene S. Taft, associate producers on “Kisses for My President,” play hospital corpsmen in the picture. Curtis Bernhardt and producer-writer Robert Lord are discussing another film to bring Lord into active status on one of his properties . . . James Poe joins producer-director James B. Harris to start work on the novel, “The Bedford Incident,” Richard Widmark will star in the picture. The original was written for the book market by Marc Rascovitch. AIP to Handle Release Of Galatea Product HOLLYWOOD — Franco Fanfani, supervising executive of Galatea Films of Rome, Italy, concluded meetings with James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff of American International, at which arrangements were made for AIP distribution of Galatea product in America. The first joint AIPGalatea deal is for the release of a twin spectacle film package this Christmas comprising “Goliath and the Sins of Babylon” and “Samson and the Slave Queen.” Release plans also were set for “House of Terror” and “Black Sabbath.” 16 BOXOFFICE :: October 28, 1963