Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 10, 1970)

Page 4 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY April 10, 1970 looking Alpad Geraldine Page, has been signed by producer-director Don Siegel to make her return to motion pictures as Clint Eastwood’s co-star in Universal’s Beguiled, rolling in Baton Rouge on April 9. The actress, who won Oscar nominations for her dramatic portrayals in her first three films, Hondo, Summer and Smoke and Sweet Bird of Youth, will play the role of headmistress of an exclusive private school for girls in the South during the Civil War. ok * * Barbara Parkins has been signed for the starring feminine role of Roxanne in The Mephisto Waltz, a suspense melodrama based on Fred Mustard Stewart’s best-selling novel. The Mephisto Waltz marks the entry of QM Productions into theatrical motion pictures. For the past ten years the company produced such hit television series as The FBI, The Untouchables, The Fugitive and 12 O’Clock High. Academy Award nominee Bo Widerberg has completed the script and will direct Joe Hill for Sagittarius Productions, Inc. The film, starring Thommy Berggren, will be distributed to theatres by Paramount. Widerberg was the writer and director for Adalen 31, nominated in the best foreign picture category. He also was director for Elvira Madigan in which Berggren played the lead role. The new film is the story of a Swedish youngster who came to the United States at 18, anglicized his name, and was widely acclaimed as the first of a new breed of folk singers. At the age of 31 he was executed for a murder he denied committing. Subsequent, evidence, unearthed after his death, confirmed that he was, in fact, not the killer. ok * a The Killer Heroes, a new adventure film starring Stuart Whitman, Elke Sommer, Curt Jurgens and James Mitchum, has been acquired for distribution in the U.S. and Canada by Continental. The film was shot totally on location in Iran on a multi-million dollar budget. The story concerns six fugitives from the law who save a small isolated village from a marauding bandit army. World-wide distribution rights to The Delta Factor, a new adventure film based on the best selling Mickel Spillane novel and starring Yvette Mimieux and Chris George have been acquired by Continental. The film, which introduces a new Spillane hero, Morgan, a modern day throwback to his pirate ancestor, was directed and produced by Tay Garnett and also stars Diane McBain and Richard Taeger, and features Yvonne DeCarlo. Ba sh Eo Katharine Ross has been signed to star with Jason Robards in Fools, to be distributed world-wide by Cinerama. Based on an original screenplay by Robert Rudelson, it is a love story set in contemporary times. Robards portrays an aging actor, and Miss Ross, a young woman, disillusioned with her marriage, who is searching for a new life. Ex-Torontonians Donald Sutherland and Lou Jacobi have been signed to portray the irreverent Reverend Dupas in Jules Feiffer’s film comedy, Little Murders, under the direction of Alan Arkin. Costar Elliott Gould is producing with Jack Brodsky for 20th CenturyFox. Sutherland and Gould won kudos as the impudent master surgeons of “M*A*S*H,” also for 20th. In Little Murders, Sutherland will unite Elliott Gould and co-star Marcia Rodd in a rather unorthodox matrimony. The film also includes Vincent Gardenia, Elizabeth Wilson and Jon Korkes. Cash prizes for best merchandising Theatre Confections and National Licorice are offering cash prizes for the best merchandising of 15-cent licorice from April 4 to May 2. Resumés and photos detailing promotional efforts for the contest must be received by May 4, and the contest is open to all managers, assistant managers of confection attendants. Ist Prize — $150.00; 2nd Prize — $100.00; 3rd Prize — $75.00; 4th Prize — $50.00; 5 prizes of $25.00 each. Variety Club Women to hold Spring Party On Saturday night, April 18, the Variety Club Women of Tent 28 will be holding their Spring Cocktail Party in the Variety Club Rooms, The Colonnade, 131 Bloor Street West, Toronto. There will be continuous entertainment and numerous prizes. The tickets, which are limited, cost $5 per person and can be purchased at the club. First sales drive of 1970 salutes Columbia's prexy Columbia Pictures’ first sales drive of the 1970s was recently launched as a salute to its new president, Stanley Schneider. Designated the “Torch of Leadership Drive,’ the 13-week event began on March 27 and will end June 25. In making the announcement of the drive, Norman Jackter, vice president in charge of domestic distribution, said, “As we enter a new decade with a new president, it is only fitting that a great motion picture company’s new sales drive should honor its dynamic young leader.” Jackter pointed out that Columbia not only entered 1970 with an unusually strong group of pictures already in release, but also has a sufficient number of pictures completed or in advance stages of production to assure the nation’s theatre-owners of a further supply of films at least equal to that of 1969 and possibly the greatest in Columbia’s history. Columbia was recently honored as Motion Picture Company of the Year by some 2000 American film industry leaders and exhibitors at the Show-A-Rama 13 convention in Kansas City. The exhibitors were saluting Columbia for such boxoffice champions as Funny Girl, Oliver!, Cactus Flower, Easy Rider and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. As the sales drive gets underway, it will receive tremendous impetus from these hits which are still at the peak of their national release. In addition, a number of hopefully strong grossers will go into national release during the course of the 13-week drive. These new films include Marooned, already a big success in early general release after its roadshow launchings; Loving, a smash hit in its world premiere engagement in New York; and The Liberation of L. B. Jones, a controversial drama which just opened in several key cities. Later in the spring will come A Walk in the Spring Rain which reteams double-Academy Award winners Anthony Quinn and Ingrid Bergman; Riverrun, a youthoriented film from underground filmmaker John Korty; The Executioner, a contemporary suspense drama with George Peppard; The Reckoning starring Nicol Williamson, and Getting Straight, a campus drama starring Elliott Gould, and Candice Bergen. Bad reviews didn’t hurt Paramount's Adventurers In spite of the many adverse reviews, Paramount’s The Adventurers has proved in the first five days of its release, to be another one of those “panned by critics — loved by the patrons”. The Adventurers opened simultaneously in 17 situations throughout Canada on March 25th, and all areas reported outstanding grosses. In Toronto alone, where it is playing the multiple Imperial group at Imperial, Yorkdale, Runnymede and the Golden Mile, the grosses exceeded $78,000 for these first five days. Montreal and Vancouver are already matching the figures of The Odd Couple which was reported to be over $30,000 in each theatre. A-I|, Commonwealth United sign huge pact American International Pictures and Commonwealth United recently concluded arrangements for American International Pictures to handle the theatrical U.S. distribution of Commonwealth United films. Astral Films Ltd. will handle Canadian distribution. The theatrical distribution agreement involves 43 films, 27 of which are currently in release, including Viva Max, The Magic Christian, which is in initial release dates. The 16 films which have not yet been released are now completed and ready for release. These 16 films, plus Viva Max and The Magic Christian, represent a total investment of $30,000,000. The Gre v EE ple aml a Syed RNR ES AE tc ih ete =a inn ite eeteeeT dernier mecneniemey arith eae tn cst ct ea ad ani cine a Tf ce aera ag ca Han a ge See nor eth Se Seay ese atk oo Glee eae sade iene aimee ce Nie Saute