20th Century-Fox Dynamo (February 1960)

NEW YOUNG STARS IN "HIGH TIME” Continued on page 6 3 ££ MARILYN MONROE TO SING AND DANCE IN “LET'S MAKE LOVE” Continued from page 61 acterization of himself more in his favor. Unquestionably, this is the most ambitious mo- tion picture undertaken by Jerry Wald. Not only has he provided a custom-made role for fabulous Marilyn Monroe and succeeded in securing the services of Yves Montand, whom critics and show- men rate the “No. 1 new personality to appear on the American stage in 1959”, but he has assembled also a cast of brilliant, supporting stars. Tony Randall, for instance, plays the “billionaire’s” press agent. Additionally, “Let’s Make Love” will present such guest-stars as Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle, Fred Astaire and others of that stature. Moreover, Miss Monroe will sing five songs, three of them new ones: “Let’s Make'Love”, “In- curably Romantic” and “Specialization”, whose music and lyrics have been provided by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, respectively. This Acad- emy Award song hit-writing combination has either as a team or in association with others written an extraordinary number of popular melodies, includ- ing, for instance: “Three Coins In The Fountain”, “I’ll Walk Alone”, “April In Paris” and “Swing- ing On A Star”. Together their more recent works were the numbers sung in “Journey To The Center Of The Earth”, “Holiday For Lovers” and “Say One For Me”. Miss Monroe will also sing Cole Porter’s “My Heart Belongs To Daddy”. Her role calls, too, for her to give imitations of Marlene Dietrich, Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley and Zsa Zsa Gabor. Another stroke of good fortune came when Wald was able to sign veteran film-stage director George Cukor to assume directorial responsibility for the picture. Cukor’s career as a stage director started back in 1920 on Broadway. Eight years later he transferred his directorial allegiance to Hollywood where in the past more than 31 years he has turned out large number of box office successes. Among his more successful motion pictures, that have deservedly brought Cukor the distinction of being, for many years, one of the outstanding di- rectors in this industry, one must list “Wild Is The Wind”, “Bhowani Junction”, “A Star Is Born”, “Adams’ Rib”, “Little Women”, “Born Yesterday”, “Dinner At Eight”, “Philadelphia Story” and the “Royal Family”. The new Marilyn Monroe has become not only one of the “hot” screen stars, but has gained con- siderably in histrionic stature in the eyes of show- men, critics and public. Her most recent personal triumph was in last year’s comedy, “Some Like It Hot”. It was under the expert sponsorship and pro- motional activities of this company that Miss Monroe attained tremendous universal popularity as a film star. Among her personal successes in this company’s attractions must be listed “Bus Stop”, “Seven-Year Itch”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “How To Marry A Millionaire”, and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” She also co- starred with Laurence Olivier in “The Prince And The Show Girl”. Tony Randall made his motion picture debut in this company’s production of his Broadway hit, “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”. More recently he has starred on network television programs. His last screen appearance for this company was also in a Jerry Wald production, “No Down Payment”. ► NINA SHIPMAN (right) is one of the dozen new, young starlets—graduates of the 20th Century- Fox Studio Talent School—who have been cast in principal roles in the Bing Crosby starring vehicle, “High Time.” She plays Bing’s snobbish daughter. A newcomer, Angus Duncan, plays her brother. ► “Fellow classmates and friends: ‘How unfor- tunate that youth should be given to the young.’ Bernard Shaw said that. I wonder if he was right? Is youth given to any of us, or do we take it? Does age overtake us, or do we overtake it? Can the long, cruel, oldest and bitterest of wars—that one which is fought everlastingly be- tween the young and the old—ever be ended? It is never too late to learn? Can old dogs be taught new tricks? I don’t know. “But, because I wanted answers to these ques- tions, and to many others, I came here four years ago. For a while I was an odd duck, but this class was so full of odd ducks that pretty soon it didn’t seem to matter. “Everywhere in these halls and in these hills I found a warmth of friendship and a depth of under- standing I hardly knew existed. “For 1,458 days I worried about this day, and all at once here I am. I have a daughter. When I told her that I had made it, she said to me: ‘It’s a miracle’! “In a way, I suppose it is a miracle. Sometimes miracles happen, but more often they are made of will and imagination, and faith and hope, to say nothing of sweat, or, maybe the valedictorian should say, perspiration. “Having made this miracle, the question naturally arises: was it worth making? Who knows? It’s too early to tell. My son said to me when I began, ‘What are you trying to prove?’ I couldn’t tell him then, but today maybe I can. I was trying to prove, not to him, nor to the world; but, only to myself I was trying to prove that I’m not dead yet. “I was trying to prove that age isn’t a matter of years, but of zest. I was surprised to find out around here how many young fogies there are! “Isn’t every waking day a lifetime, and isn’t every sleeping night a death? Isn’t the human race a youngster after all? “I came here — I admit it—looking for my youth. But, instead I found something better. I found my life! “And, as I was led gently through the exalting world of thought and science and feeling, I learned that man’s struggle to better himself, to better his lot, to better all about him, was and is noble and worthy ... and I learned that, if there is anything which a man cannot achieve by himself, he should not hesitate to join with someone else.” Crosby plays K. C. Moon, an Oklahoman, who has come a long way since he hitch-hiked his way to California at 16, found employment there as a “soda-jerk” and eventually became the owner of a chain of 1,434 road-side soda fountains and sand- wich shoppes. But, in dedicating himself to building the busi- ness, Moon indulged in no relaxation. He felt that, while he was a success at money-making, he knew nothing about the “worthwhile things that money could not buy.” All he could personally show for his success was unhappiness and boredom. A lonely widower, he had nothing in common with a 27-year- old son with an exaggerated air of sophistication and a 24-year-old daughter, a born snob. So, in his mid-50’s, Moon decides and goes to Stanford College to “learn the facts of life”. He shares a room at college dormitory with three stu- dents: 18-year-old Gil Cuneo (Fabian) from Los Angeles, 18-year-old “Pi” Veerasawamy (Richard Beymer) and 19-year-old Robert Bannerman (Barry Coe) of Tampa, Fla. Others with whom he becomes particularly chum- my during his four years at college are Tuesday Weld, Barrie Chase, Kenneth MacKenna and others. Barry Coe has been steadily climbing up the ladder of stardom since his sterling performance in “Peyton Place”. Richard Beymer will be recalled as the young man who became romantically involved with Anne Frank in “The Diary Of Anne Frank”. Tuesday Weld, a beautiful youngster with an elec- trifying personality, is one of the screen’s most promising, new stars. Treated in a light vein, but dramatizing the de- termination of a self-made multi-millionaire who neglected his education for belated enlightment in the autumn of his life, “High Time” spans the range of human emotions. Nicole Maurey, the charming French stage and screen star, plays Helene, the foreign languages teacher with whom Bing falls in love. One of the lovelier actresses to come to these shores from France, Mile. Maurey and Crosby are no strangers. She appeared opposite him three years ago in “Little Boy Lost”, produced by William Perlberg and George Seaton and released by Paramount. Crosby sings several new numbers, singly and with Fabian. Songs, too, are sung by lovely Tues- day Weld as the flirtatious co-ed who tries vainly to make love to a man old enough to be her father. Barrie Chase, along with other students, leads sev- eral numbers and has a far richer, opportunity- packed role than she so brilliantly enacted in “Mardi Gras”. 64