20th Century-Fox Dynamo (February 1960)

mo Published In New York, N.Y., U. S. A., By The Distribution Department Of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation For The In- formation And Guidance Of Its Personnel. ROGER FERRI Editor INDEX TO 1960-1 PRODUCT EDITION Subject Page Alaskans, The 72 Bobbikins 59 Can Can 43 Captain’s Table, The 53 Crack In The Mirror 36 Cleopatra 25 Dog Of Flanders, The 29 Dud Avocado 73 Ferry To Hongkong 57 Flames Over India 21 Fool’s Paradise 81 From The Terrace 54 Goodbye Charlie 81 Greatest Story Ever Told, The 26 High Time 63 Idiot, The 79 John Brown’s Body 82 King Must Die, The 26 Let’s Make Love 61 Live Wire, The 73 Lost World, The 78 Marriage-Go-Round, The 78 Masters Of The Congo Jungle 33 Movietone News 84 Murder, Inc. 75 One Foot In Hell 74 O Mistress Mine 77 Operation Amsterdam 28 Return To Peyton Place 67 Seven Thieves 16 Short Subjects, CinemaScope 84 Sink The Bismarck! 19 Solo 72 Sons And Lovers 69 South Of Java Head 85 South Pacific 32 State Fair 83 Story Of Ruth, The 49 Story On Page One, The 17 Terrytoons 84 Third Voice, The 18 Thirty-Nine Steps, The 35 Three Murderesses, The 27 Upstairs And Downstairs 39 Wake Me When It’s Over 40 Wald Productions 67 When Comedy Was King 24 Wild River 65 Wind Cannot Read, The 22 Young Jesse James 56 Zanuck Product 71 OTHER SUBJECTS “Big River, Big Man” 81 “Blue Denim” Sequel 80 Feature (1959) Backlog 86-87 Field Exploitation Personnel 8 1960-61 Program Resume 14 Producers 10-12-13-76 Showmanship Attractions 46 “The Visit” 20 “The Girl In The Red Bikini” (3-D) 26 Yves Montand 62 Periscopic Resui Of Things To Co 11 i 11 e e Today And Tomorrow Producing the 45th Anniversary Year’s “block- busters” are five film-makers who, combined, have won more major industry awards than has any similar number functioning elsewhere. This fact came to your reporter’s mind when the 1960 David Wark Griffith Award of the Directors Guild of America was presented to George Stevens, who currently is making preparations for what he per- sonally considers “the most important motion pic- ture of my career” — “The Greatest Story Ever Told”. In 1953 Stevens was presented the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award. Four other producers have earned that much coveted award. Darryl Zanuck earned it on three occasions: in 1937, 1944 and 1950. David 0. Selznick, who has been “packaging” two screenplays for production by this company (“Tender Is The Night” and “Mary Magdalene”), won it in 1953, Jerry Wald in 1948 and this company’s executive head of production, Buddy Adler, in 1957. • In the award and trophy department for su- perior screen entertainment creations this com- pany’s record is one particularly timely to point up in this anniversary year. Since the Academy started presenting “Oscars” for superior achieve- ments in 19 classifications of picture-making—in 1928—this company has been cited 193 times. The talent development pro- gram, on which Mr. Adler re- ports this company has already spent in excess of three million dollars, continues to pay off, not only in acting talent, but in other departments as well. For instance: John Healy, former Mr. Skouras’ executive studio assistant, after a number of years of unpublicized training, this year makes his bow as a full- fledged feature producer with “12 Hours To Kill”. • Present plans indicate that 1961’s commitment with this company will in all probability see her playing the title role in George Cukor’s production of “Goodbye Charlie”. It is interesting to note that Cukor, who will serve as both producer and director of that comedy, is currently megaphoning “Let’s Make Love”, Marilyn’s 1960 co-starrer. • With his “Wake Me When It’s Over” completed, producer-director Mervyn LeRoy is already giving thought to his 1961 production for this company’s release: a picturization of William (“Bus Stop”) Inge’s “A Loss Of Roses”. Martin Manuelis, who transferred his talents from heading this company’s television production to the creation of theatre motion pictures, is pre- paring his first CinemaScope production, which will not be released until next year. It is tentatively titled “The Tom Dooley Story”, an original. • Richard Zanuck has solved the title problem anent his forthcoming picturization of William Faulkner’s only play, which was presented on the Broadway and London stages as “Requiem Of A Nun”. He went to theatre owners for help. They overwhelming chose “Sanctuary” as a better title, and “Sanctuary” it will be when the picture is domestically released this year. Incidentally, the Faulkner novel, on which play was based, was titled “Sanctuary”. MARY URE Mary Ure, acclaimed by New York newspaper and nationally circulated drama critics, for her portrayal of the unhappy wife in “Look Back In Anger”, has one of the key roles in Jerry Wald’s “Sons And Lovers”. She repeated that excellent performance in the screen version that Warner Brothers is currently releasing in the domestic market. • Blonde Miss Ure has been signed to a term con- tract and next Spring is scheduled to report at the studio for future assignments. She is unquestionably headed for major stardom. Certainly, she has proven herself one of the more capable of the young stage and screen actresses on the international scene. She is the wife of John Osborne, who authored both the stage and film versions of “Look Back In Anger”. • Grace Metalious’ “Return To Peyton Place”, an- other Wald production, is now in the best-seller list. Readership on this sequel is assuming the propor- tions of her first novel, “Peyton Place”. Publishers of the paperback edition of “Return To Peyton Place” are authority for the statement that a mil- lion copies of that book were sold in less than three weeks following its publication. Buddy Adler continues to pile up story material for future Todd-AO production. With Cole Porter’s “Can Can” ready to for its road-show career; “The Greatest Story Ever Told ’ and his own tentatively titled John Brown’s Body’ in preparatory stages, Mr. Adler is looking ahead to the not distant future when this company will make a Todd-AO picturization of one of the all-time great stories, “The Last Days Of Pompeii”, planned for 1962 exhibition. Barry Coe should achieve stardom this year. He has a leading role in three forthcoming, important 1960 productions. He first attracted critical com- mendation for his portrayal of the local mill owner’s luckless son in “Peyton Place”...In “High Time” Fabian, instead of rock ’n’ roll, sings several new ballads, one with Bing Crosby...Another newcomer to watch: 26-year-old Rory Harrity who makes his screen debut in “From The Terrace”. Between acting chores he has been a magazine humor writer. Paperback editions of 10 screenplays scheduled for release this year have either already been placed on sale or will be in circulation within the next couple of months. They include Bantam Books’ “Murder, Inc”, “Wake Me When It’s Over”, “Let’s Make Love”, “The Hell Raisers” and “From The Terrace”; Dell Publi- cations’ “Return To Peyton Place” and “Crack In The Continued on page 70 15