Hollywood Studio Magazine (November 1972)

INSIDE TRACK...MOVIE & TV STUDIOS PARAMOUNT NEWS - Tom Gray, ex-trade journalist and more recently free lance publicist, has joined Paramount as assistant to Bob Goodfried, VP of studio and West Coast Publicity. Gray replaces Joel Rose who moved to Guttman and Pam Public Relations as head of their motion picture department — Martin Ransohoff, former President of Filmways, will produce motion pictures and develop TV properties exclusively for Paramount, it was announced by Paramount prez Frank Yablans. Ransohoffs last film for Filmways, “Save the Tiger,” starring Jack Lemmon, will be presented by Paramount and Filmways and is said to be Lemmon’s best role since “Days of Wine and Roses.” —“A Separate Peace,” based on the novel by John Knowles, has been selected by Ingenue Magazine as the Film-Of-The-Month for November and also received Scholastic Magazine’s Bell Ringer Award for October. —“Escape to Chihuahua,” a novel by Will Bryant to be published by Random House this fall, will be filmed by Paramount. Action-adventure story is set in the U.S. and Mexico. — “Ash Wednesday,” a Rastar Production, centering on an older wo man who has plastic surgery to make her look young again, will be filmed early next year in France, Italy and Switzerland. Larry Peerce will direct from a screenplay by Jean-Claude Tramont. —Shooting continues in New York on “Badge 373,” based on one of the many experiences of former New York detective, Eddie Egan, with Egan himself co-starring with Robert Duvall and Verna Bloom, and also acting as technical advisor. — “Addie Pray” is now “Paper Moon” and filming in Kansas with Tatum O’Neal, daughter of Ryan, playing Addie Pray, a shrews 11-year-old orphan who becomes the willing confederate of con man Long Boy Pray essayed by Ryan. “Paper Moon” is a Directors Company Presentation produced and directed by Peter Bogdanovich. DISNEY DÖINGS - Barbara Rush has been signed by producer Bill Anderson to star with Gig Young in Disney’s generation gap comedy “A Son-In-Law For Charlie McCready.” By Bea Colgan ♦ Production is taking place in Newport Beach, Sausalito and San Francisco. Also set are Kurt Russell and Kathleen Cody, young thesps who recently completed starring roles in Anderson’s “Charlie and the Angel” for Disney. — Western comedy-drama, “One Little Indian,” has returned from location filming in Kanab, Utah, with cast members James Garner, Vera Miles, Pat Hingle, Clay O’Brien, Andrew Prine and Morgan Woodward. Bernard McEveety is directing from Harry Spalding’s script for producer Winston Hibler. Casting is now complete with the additions of John Doucette, Jay Silverheels, Bruce Glover, Robert Pine, Ken Swofford, Jim Davis, Walter Brooke and Jody Foster. Also cast are Scott Walker, Tony Simcox, Rudy Diaz, Lois Red Elk, Hai Baylor, Paul Sorensen and Read Morgan. — Robert F. Brunner will score “Snowball Express” for producer Ron Miller. This marks Brunner’s 13thfilm scoring assignment for Walt Disney Productions. —Vet actress Helen Hayes will star in “The Love Bug Rides Again,” sequel to the successful “The Love Bug.” Bet this is Miss Hayes’ first time to co-star with a Volkswagon. — Set for re-release is one of Disney’s all-time great cartoon features, “Dumbo,” poignant tale of a baby elephant with oversized ears. What a treat for the younger generation. -Also due for re-release is “The Legend of Lobo,” about a wolf king that drove ranches to one of the greatest animal hunts of all time. AIPIECES - For the 16th consecutive year, AIP will Sponsor the opening luncheon for the ’72 NATO convention at the Hotel Americana in Bai Harbour, Fla., Nov. 18. Attending AIP officials are Samuel Arkoff, Leon Blender, David Melamed, Milton Moritz and Richard Graff. — Lawrence A. Gordon, VP in Charge of U. S. production, has announced a realignment and expansion of the production department. Salvatore Billitteri continues as exec in Charge of post production; Buzz Feitshans has been named exec in Charge of production operations, and Robert Papazian, recently with Film Guarantors, has joined AIP as exec in Charge of production administration. -Veteran publicist, Jake McKinney, former assistant director of Publicity for Screen Gems, has joined the Publicity staff of AIP. Jake started his career as the first black publicist with a national network at CBS-TV and, more recently, has been freelancing. A former official of the Publicists Guild, Jake is also one of the industry’s most avid bowlers. -Not many people know that handsome black Shakespearean actor, William Marshall, star of “Blacula,” is part Cherokee Indian. When Marshall recently accepted an invitation to be guest of honor at the Navajo Tribal Fair in Window Rock, Arizona, he was asked to film a spot for national TV release - a plea to block the passage of bill HR-11128, which would cause the eviction of more than 10,000 Navajo tribesmen from the land they have held for decades. Believing Indians should help other Indians, Marshall accepted. — Jim Brown will again play “Slaughter” in a sequel being prepared to roll in December in Florida. Moe Sachson repeats as producer and Don Williams dittos as associate producer. -Academy Award winner Ben Johnson has been added to the cast of “Dillinger,” starring opposite Warren Oates, who depicts the title role. Also added to the cast is Michelle Phillips, who will play Dillinger’s girl friend. Michelle was a founding member of The Mamas and the Papas singing group. A. D. Flowers and Cliff Wenger will do special effects; Trevor Williams is art director; Elliot Schick has been named production manager; Jules Brenner is the cinematographer and Academy Award nominee Barry DeVorzon will write the music score. SCREEN GEMS is in the process of planning a 60-minute and 90-minute daytime specials on the wives of American presidents to be aired in early 1973. Two specials a year are contemplated with air dates coinciding with important anniversaries in the country’s history. The series will run through 1 976, the country’s Bi-Centennial year. —SG’s Publicity department is now ensconsed in their new quarters above the wardrobe department at TBS (The 35