Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

■By SYD CASSYD QONTINUIN G his quest for fine quality productions from Broadway Jack L. Warner has signed up to purchase “Poor Richard." a new stage comedy by Jean Kerr, author of “Mary. Mary.” The latter, although in the film theatres, is currently in its third year on Broadway. The preproduction deal is an insurance situation used to keep prices down for purchase of prize properties before they open in the theatre. In this case, the play goes into rehearsal this month for an out-of-town tryout, and then heads for New York’s big money. Roger L. Stevens, the stage tycoon in the play-producing field, is producing "Poor Richard.” Warner now has “My Fair Lady,” “Never Too Late” and “Camelot,” all from live theatre . . . Now at the half-way mark, “My Fair Lady” is expected to be completed by December 15, marking four months of shooting. The company recently passed its 500th camera setup. In “backstage” parlance, changing camera positions for new setups is where the money goes. Television gets around it with zoom lenses . . . “Hotel Madrid” is being lensed in Spain with Bob Conrad a Warners loanout, following his success in “Palm Springs Weekend.” Charles K. Feldman has paid a reported $500,000 for the film rights to “The Group,” a novel by Mary McCarthy. The story covers after-college history of female campus leaders . . . Mickey Spillane’s “The Green Woman,” has been bought by Fishbein-duPont-Fellows production company, it was announced here by Sam Fishbein, president of the new production firm. The same firm acquired the mystery penner’s “The Snake,” with production on each scheduled for after the first of the year. The firm has its own distribution setup, as well . . . Mark Robson’s Red Lion company added to its production program Oakley Hall’s novel, published by Viking, “The Downhill Racers,” described as a skiing story of youthful adventure and love complications along the championship slalom trails. Additionally, the firm holds rights to Jean Larteguy’s “The Praetorians,” a sequel to “Centurions,” a Columbia release. The latter film is in the screenplay stage, with Nelson Gidding’s first draft due in two weeks. “The Downhill Racers,” to be shot a year from now, is not committed to any distribution company. George Sidney will move to Desilu as headquarters for his next picture, completing use of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer offices. Mel Ferrer will investigate “Sex and the Single Girl,” in his starring role, for which he has been signed by William T. Orr at Warners . . . George Montgomery will produce, direct and play the star role in “From Hell to Borneo,” and “GirlIllasy,” on a fast schedule where he will go on ten-week run to finish both of them in a low-budget plan. A December starting date overseas is charted . . . Ross Martin and A1 Avalon have formed Roma Productions for the filming of two motion picture properties, “Cacaphony,” an original by Avalon, and “Come to Me Only,” by Robert Wheling and Jack Littlefield. Martin stars in both pictures to be shot next summer. Avalon will produce and direct in conjunction with Wilbo Productions, which has started on “The Wild Party.” The latter is being produced by Jack Warner jr. DjDki “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” one of the world’s most controversial novels by D. H. Lawrence, will be brought to the screen by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Robert H. O’Brien, the company’s president, announced. Lawrence P. Bachmann will produce. Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank jr. have been engaged to write the screenplay. This husband and wife team wrote “Hud,” starring Paul Newman. “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” is expected to go into production at MGM British Studios in the spring of 1964. Regie du Film and Orsay Films coproduced a feature based on the same story, which was released in 1959, in French language. Danielle Darrieux, the French star, and the British Leo Genn headed the cast. Tom McDermott, president of Four Star Television, now in feature production and currently shooting “The Out-of-Towners,” has added “The Hour of Maximum Danger,” James Barlow’s novel of international espionage, now being scripted by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts. Douglas Morrow’s “Born to Glory,” an original screenplay, dramatizing the story of the thoroughbred racehorse, “Carry Back,” is scheduled now for mid-1964 production with two major stars being sought for top roles. Serge Bourguignon, Oscar winner, for his French “Sundays and Cybelle,” is doing Four Star’s “Cassandra at the AWARD TO DIRECTOR — Handsome Glenn Ford is shown above presenting director Delbert Mann with the Interstate Theatres Circuit’s annual “Top Money-Making Director” Award for his direction of “Lover Come Back” and “That Touch of Mink,” which together in the past 18 months have grossed $21 million. Ford is currently starring for Mann in “The Out-of-Towners.” Wedding,” a Natalie Wood vehicle at 20thFox, with Martin Manulis production helming. Burt Lancaster has been signed for the top role in “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold,” which will be produced and directed by Martin Ritt. The star will portray the spy, mentioned by Ritt, in the Boxoffice interview several months ago, who is sent behind the Iron Curtain to test the trustworthiness of a supposedly friendly contact, only to find that he himself has apparently been deserted by his own superiors. Guy Trosper will write the script, which is based on the novel, now being serialized in Show Magazine, by John Carre. Jack Karp, vice-president of Paramount, announced the production lineup . . . Carroll Baker has been signed by Paramount to play the title role in “Sylvia.” She will play the role of a beautiful mystery woman first popularized in the novel by the same name which was written by E. V. Cunningham, a pseudonym of Howard Fast, published by Doubleday & Co. Producer Martin Poll’s Marpol Productions, Inc., will make the film for Paramount release. Kay Stevens gets the nod for the comic role in Robert Cohn’s “The New Interns.” This is a repeat as the zany nurse in the original “Interns,” where she played Didi Loomis . . . “Renegade Posse” will have Ruta Lee to star with Audie Murphy and Darren McGavin in the Gordon Kay & Associates production for Universal release. R. G. Springsteen will shoot it in color at St. George, Utah . . . “Tippi” Hedren and Sean Connery will be teamed in Alfred Hitchcock’s forthcoming, “Marnie,” a psychological drama, with shooting in color, slated at the lot for November 18. The screenplay for the Winston Graham novel is being written by Jay Presson Allen . . . Marking the first time in her career that she has worked on an MGM picture, Joanne Woodward will star with Stuart Whitman and Edward Mulhare as the psychotic wife of a murder victim in the mystery adapted by Sally Benson from the London play by Monty Doyle . . . Maurice Chavalier will handle a role in Ross Hunter’s “The Richest Girl in Town.” Sandra Dee, Robert Goulet and Andy Williams costar in the Universal film rolling in December . . . Another Bolger, Ray Bolger’s nephew, a medical student is playing in the Warner Bros. “The Out-of Towners.” Henry Levin will produce and direct “A River Ran Out of Eden,” based on an English novel by James Vance Marshall. The film is scheduled for next summer with a northern locale. His last films were “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,” “Come Fly With Me,” and he is currently in production at MGM, on “His and His,” a comedy of the Bahamas . . . Sobey Martin starts production of “Josyanne” in Paris, with Claude Dauphin and Vittorio De Sica as costars for J. Arthur Rank release. Liam Sulliman wrote the title song to the picture . . . Alexander Singer will direct Cliff Robertson in Marguerite Roberts’ screenplay, “Love Has Many Faces” . . . Gene Nelson may film a deal with Sam Katzman for his desert production of “The Prospector,” based on William Friml’s score. 18 BOXOFFICE :: November 11, 1963