Hollywood Studio Magazine (July 1968)

NEWS FROM WARNER BROTHERS - SEVEN ARTS "TSCHAIKOVSKY" BEFORE THE CAMERAS IN MOSCOW Filming has started in Moscow on “Tschaikovsky,” first American-Soviet coproduction involving a major American studio, it was announced by Kenneth Hyman, executive vice-president in charge of worldwide production for Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, and Dimitri Tiomkin, well known American composer who is serving as executive producer on the pic¬ ture for the studio. Tiomki is on his way back to Moscow today after showing Hyman an English translation of the screenplay and discus¬ sing production arrangements for the elaborate screen effort. “Tschaikovsky” is about the life and music of Peter Ilyich Tschaikovsky, great 19th Century Russian composer. Inokenti Smoktunovsky, star of the internationally praised Russian “Hamlet,” will portray the composer. Igor Talankin, whose posi¬ tion in Soviet cinema is compared to that of Eisenstein, will direct. Musicologists and researchers have been at work for more than a year on the script under the supervision of Yuri Nagibin, leading Soviet author who wrote the script. The picture will be filmed en¬ tirely in the Soviet Union and draw upon Russia’s best artistic resources, including the Boshoi Ballet and the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. It will be in color and 70 mm film. Tiomkin has been working on the pro¬ ject for Warner Bros.-Seven Arts for more than two years; coordinating efforts with Vladimir Surin, general director of Mos- film Studios. The Soviet Ministry of Cinemato¬ graphy, the agency operating the U.S.S.R. film industry, is partnered with W7 in the production. Distribution will be shared. Sovexportfilm will distribute the picture in the socialist countries and Warner Bros.-Seven Arts elsewhere throughout the world. EDWARD CHODOROV SIGNED BY W7 Playwright Edward Chodorov has been contracted by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts to write the script of “The Lynching of Elizabeth Taylor,” a western based on a legendary murderess of this name hanged in 1885 in Nebraska. Chodorov’s script is based on his origi¬ nal story. Jack Cushingham will be the producer. BEATTY AND DUNAWAY WIN FOREIGN AWARDS ROME - Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, stars of “Bonnie and Clyde,” have won “David of Donatello” Awards as the year’s best foreign actor and best foreign actress for their performances in the Warner Bros.-Seven Arts motion pic¬ ture hit. Awards will be presented on August 3 at the conclusion of the 14th Taormina Festival for International Motion Picture Cooperation. “Bonnie and Clyde” was produced by Beatty and directed by Arthur Penn in Technicolor from a screenplay by Robert Benton and David Newman. Estelle Par¬ son, Michael J. Pollar and Gene Hackman co-star. WILLIAM ZIEGLER TO EDIT "THE BIG BOUNCE" William Ziegler has been named film editor for Warner Bros.-Seven Arts’ Greenway Production, “The Big Bounce.” William Dozier produces the film with Alex March directing a cast headed by Ryan O’Neal,Xeigh Taylor-Young, Van' Heflin, Lee Grant, James Daly, Albert Salmi and Cindy Eilbacher. The Panavision-Technicolor film is scheduled to go before the cameras next month. * * * W7 SALES PROMOTION CONTINUES WORLD WIDE NEW YORK - Warner Bros.-Seven Arts sales organizations in Puerto Rico, Israel and Thailand took the top spots in the eighth week of the international section of the company’s First Anniver¬ sary Global Sales Drive. Prizes were awarded to Bernhard Wein- reich, who led Israel to first place in the European divison, Rafael Lopez, who took Puerto Rico to its fifth weekly prize in the Latin American division, and B. Nadkarni, who headed Thailand in gain¬ ing the number-one position in the Far Eastern division. The international section of the sales drive will extend for a full year, from April 1 this year through March 29, 1969. ART CANTON NOW AT W7 FOR "THE HITMAN" Arthur Canton has moved into offices at Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Studio to begin preparation on “The Hit Man,” first picture he will produce under a three- picture deal with W7. “The Hit Man,” to start in Fall, is a crime story based on an original screenplay by Robert J. Flood. Canton has been a leading New York public relations executive in the film industry field. W-B-7 ART TO DO TOM SAWYER Warner Bros.-Seven Arts will film an elaborate musical feature based on Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Saw¬ yer,” to be produced by Joel Freeman for Freeman-DePatie-Freleng Productions, it was announced by Kenneth Hyman, executive vice-president in charge of worldwide production. At the same time, Hyman announced that Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. ! Sherman, the composers of the Academy Award-winning score for “Mary Pop- pins,” will do the music and lyrics for “Tom Sawyer.” The composing team has also written the music for such films as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and the forth¬ coming musical version of “Roman Holi¬ day,” in addition to numerous film for Walt Disney Productions. David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng will serve as executive producers. The musical will mark DePatie-Freleng’s first as¬ sociation with a live action film. The team has been well-known for its en¬ deavors in the animation field. Freeman was executive producer for WB-7A’a recently completed “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” and served as as¬ sociate producer on “Finian’s Rainbow” and “Camelot.” AL ALLEBORN DIES A1 Alleborn (76), a veteran of 44 years with Warner-Bros.-First National film companies prior to his retirement five years ago, died at his Los Angeles home June 15 following a long illness (luke- mia). Alleborn started his film career as a stunt man, later became an assistant director, a unit manager and at one time was assistant to the studio manager. He was a native of Kansas City, Mo. Mr. Alleborn is survived by his wife of 42 years, Elizabeth; a son, Robert A. Alleborn; a grandson, Soctt; a sister, Edna Benoit (for many years in Warner’s cast¬ ing dept.); a sister, Frances Grossmeyer and a niece Susan Benoit. Rosary was held held at St. Mary Mag¬ dalen’s Church, Los Angeles. 32