Genghis Khan (Columbia Pictures) (1965)

(Mat 2A; Still No. 26) Omar Sharif as "Genghis Khan"' and lovely young French star Francoise Dorleac as his wife are among the stars of the new Columbia Pictures action spectacular in Panavision and Technicolor. Also starred in “Genghis Khan" are Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Eli Wallach, Telly Savalas, Robert Morley and Yvonne Mitchell. Irving Allen produced the drama of the mighty emperorwarrior, and Henry Levin directed. STEPHEN BOYD For a while there, Stephen Boyd was happily claiming to be “the only Irish Mongolian in captivity, and when I say captivity I mean captivity. So far today, director Henry Levin has had me in and out of a cage about half a dozen times, and we still have a couple of hours of shooting left before we call it a day.” Boyd stars in “Genghis Khan,” the Columbia Pictures release in Panavision and Technicolor at the Theatre. He was filthy dirty, smeared with blood, his leather jerkin ruffed and torn. His hair was coarse and muddied and_ his face scarred, all for his role of Jamuga, leader of a Mongol tribe known as the Merkits, one of the toughest parts he had ever played. He is the bitterest enemy of the mightiest warrioremperor of all time. “This guy Jamuga is really mean,” he said. “He does everything in the book to make you hate him. Mind you, he gets paid off in the end with a sword through his heart and his head chopped off—but in between, he sure plays it up.” Boyd is well-known for his villain roles, almost never finishing up with the girl. “I’ve played opposite Sophia Loren, Briggitte Bardot and Doris Day among others, but they have always managed to avoid me. This time the girl is Francoise Dorleac. There is a rape scene, but that is as far as I get with her. Genghis Khan, her husband, played by Omar Sharif, steals her back from me.” Others starred with Boyd, Francoise Dorleac and Omar Sharif as Genghis Khan are James Mason, Eli Wallach, Telly Savalas, Robert Morley and Yvonne Mitchell. TELLY SAVALAS Telly Savalas, last seen as a surgeon and hospital chief in “The NEW Interns,” joins Stephen Boyd, James Mason and Omar Sharif in “Genghis Khan,” epic story of the world’s mightiest conqueror, at the ... Soleo Theatre in Panavision and Technicolor. Savalas plays the lusty, warand woman-loving barbarian who is Genghis Khan’s battle aide. Long Island-reared and Columbia *University-educated, Savalas has achieved notable success as an actor, though his career goes back only a few years. In that time, he has played in unnumerable TV dramas and almost a dozen films including “Birdman of _ AIlcatraz”’ which brought him an Academy Award nomination, and “The Interns,” one of the top money-making pictures of the year. Prior to turning thespian, Savalas worked for the State Department and was an executive in the news department of a radio-TV network. seer eee JAMES MASON Movie executives are shrewd, movie makeup men are clever, and movie actors can do astonishing things—such as living in two places at once, a feat once thought to be impossible. Producer Irving Allen wanted James Mason to play the role of Kam Ling, Chinese ad viser to Genghis Khan, the mighty warrior-emperer portrayed by Omar Sharif in “Genghis Khan,’ spectacular new Columbia Pictures release at the Theatre in Panavision and Technicolor. But Mason thought he could not accept the role because he would be working in another country during some of the time he would be needed before the cameras for “Genghis Khan.” Finally, it was agreed that a mobile mask be made of Mason’s face in full Chinese character make-up. This mask was flown to the European location of “Genghis Khan” where it was worn by British actor Patrick Holt, who “stood in” for Mason in long shots played against vast mountain backgrounds. It was almost impossible not to believe Holt was Mason at more than a few paces. Thus Mason was actually in two places at once. ELI WALLACH Eli Wallach, appearing in a cameo role as the Shah of Khwarezm in “Genghis Khan,” the Columbia Pictures’ release in Panavision and Technicolor at THe sees Theatre, is a lover of horses. At the location where director Henry Levin was filming the Irving Allen production, Wallach was very careful to select for himself the right type of mount, because he feels the horse has to be just as much an actor as his rider. “T hadn’t been on a horse since ‘How The West Was Won,’” Wallach said, “and I was delighted with the one I chose for ‘Genghis Khan.’ He was always rock-steady, even in close-ups, and he never missed a ‘take.’”’ Wallach pointed out that horses can become very nervous when appearing with other horses in films and, in “Genghis Khan,’ more than 1,500 horses were employed in the spectacular battle sequences as the mightiest warrior-emperor of all time leads his Mongol hordes to victory after victory. winning empire after empire. “IT picked this horse because I liked the look of him,’ Wallach said. ‘“‘We became real buddies and I hated to part with him. I would almost take an oath that horses are intuitive because on the last day of my working with him, when the horse wrangler was ready to ride him away to the stables, he kept nuzzling me—I just couldn’t get myself to look back at him,” OMAR SHARIF Few new film personalities have hit the screen with such impact as has Omar Sharif, the young Egyptian actor who made his English-language film debut in “Lawrence of Arabia,” as the dashing Sheikh Ali, which resulted in his being nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe awards. Sharif is currently starring at the Theatre in the title role of Irving Allen’s.. “Genghis Khan,” a Columbia release in Panavision and Technicolor. An athletic six-footer who weighs exactly what he did when he played soccer for Victoria College in Cairo, Omar Sharif’s story goes back to the days when he was selling lumber for his father, a Cairo importer who imported wood from Austria, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia for the Egyptian building industry. “T never liked it. I was not gifted as a salesman,’ Omar observes calmly in his impeccable, carefully phrased English. But, for five years, he followed dutifully in his father’s footsteps, then he decided to turn actor. He had played Hamlet in a Victoria ..College production and now he sought enrollment at London’s’ Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. While he was waiting to be accepted, he was offered a lead in an Egyptian film, depending on the approval of the feminine lead, Faten Hamama, one of the top screen stars in Egypt. She not only approved him, but two years later married him. Sharif’s first film, “The Blazing Sun,’ was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955, and won a nomination for an award. Four years later, his picture, “Goha,” won him the prize. He made 24 Egyptian films and two French co-productions before being signed for “Lawrence.” While in Madrid for “The Fall of the Roman Empire,” he enjoyed working again with Alec Guinness and Anthony Quayle, who were in “Lawrence of Arabia,’ and in “Genghis Khan” he again worked with James Mason, with whom he played in “The Fall of the Roman Empire.” Sharif’s most recent films include “Behold a Pale Horse” with Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn, and “The Yellow Rolls Royce” with Ingrid Bergman. As Genghis Khan, mightiest warrior-emperor of all time, Sharif tops an_ international star cast which also includes Stephen Boyd, Eli Wallach, Francoise Dorleac, Telly Savalas and Yvonne Mitchell. Irv Cn BT ing Allen produced the spectacular new action film, which was directed by Henry Levin, with screenplay by Clarke Reynolds and Beverly Cross. (Mat ID; Still No. 51) Omar Sharif as "Genghis Khan" and Francoise Dorleac as his wife. The Columbia Pictures release, in Panavision and Technicolor, also stars Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Eli Wallach, Telly Savalas, Robert Morley and Yvonne Mitchell. (Mat 2B; Still No. 142) James Mason, right, and Robert Morley, foreground, study a map of ancient China and its Great Wall while Omar Sharif as "Genghis Khan" looks on; in background, some of the Prince of Conqueror's lieutenants and members of the Chinese court. Also starred in ‘Genghis Khan" are Stephen Boyd, Eli Wallach, Francoise Dorleac, Telly Savalas and Yvonne Mitchell. The Columbia Pictures release is in Panavision and Technicolor. FARM AID During location shooting of “Genghis Khan,” the Columbia Pictures release in Panavision ands MechmMicolor ab Ne) 7.1. va Theatre, director Henry Levin found himself still short some 500 of the 2,000 horses he needed for the _ spectacular battle sequences. Levin placed an assistant director, with a public address amplifier, in a helicopter used for filming, and sent him over some 382 villages and farms, to invite his auditors to join the “Genghis Khan” company—with their horses. The mighty warrior-emperor’s own scavengers, 800 years ago, could not have done the jeb more efficiently. Within an hour, farmers began to appear on horseback or driving carts. Soon the film assembly area was full and wardrobe personnel were actively dressing the new arrivals as either men of Genghis Khan’s army, as Persian fight ing men or as Merkits, the tribe which fought Genghis Khan’s_ efforts to unite all Mongol peoples. “Genghis Khan” stars Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Eli Wallach, Francoise Dorleac, Telly Savalas, Robert Morley, Yvonne Mitchell and Omar Sharif as Genghis Khan. The screenplay was written by Clarke Reynolds and Beverly Cross. ROBERT MORLEY Robert Morley’s father wanted him to be an ambassador. Currently, at the .... Theatre, he is the Emperor of China in Irving Allen’s production of “Genghis Khan,” the Columbia Pictures’ release in Panavision and Technicolor at the Theatre. Other international stars in the spectacular action drama are Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Eli Wallach, Francoise Dorleac, Telly Savalas, Yvonne Mitchell and Omar Sharif as Genghis Khan, the Prince of Conquerors. Based on an original story by Berkely Mather, the screenplay for “Genghis Khan” was written by Clarke Reynolds and Beverly Cross. YVONNE MITCHELL English actress Yvonne Mitchell is one of the international stars of Columbia Pictures’ “Genghis Khan,” with Stephen Boyd, James Mason and Omar Sharif in the title role at the See Theatre. Others in the spectacular new action romance, in Panavision and Technicolor, are Eli Wallach, Francoise Dorleac, and Robert Morley. Miss Mitchell, who has appeared in many motion pictures, received the Berlin’ Festival Award for her work in “Woman In A Dressing Gown,” and she recently co-starred with Peter Finch in “Oscar Wilde.” eevee ADVANCE NOTICE “Genghis Khan,’ with Omar Sharif in the title role, opens Dtatheasy, wee. Theatre in Panavision and _ Technicolor. The Columbia Pictures release also stars such other internationally-famous players as Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Eli Wallach, Francoise Dorleac, Telly Savalas, Robert Morley and Yvonne Mitchell. Clarke Reynolds and Beverly Cross penned the screenplay, based on an original story by Berkely Mather. Irving Allen produced “Genghis Khan” and Henry Levin directed. ONLY THE BEST Film producer Irving Allen loves the spectacular. He has certainly indulged himself in his latest, “Genghis Khan,” the Columbia Pictures release in Panavision and Technicolor. atthe. 7... = Theatre. Everything about the great Mongol conqueror was spectacular, and Allen has seen to it that history has been repeated in this respect. Even the cast is one of the finest in international film-making. Starred are Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Eli Wallach, Francoise Dorleac, Telly Savalas, Robert Morley, Yvonne Mitchell and Omar Sharif as Genghis Khan. The backgrounds of the impressive film were selected for their beauty and_breathtaking grandeur while action scenes, such as _ the _ battles fought by the Mongol conqueror, mightiest warrior-emperor of all time, required thousands of horses and horsemen in clashing, colorful, carefullycontrolled confusion. Not the least of all the spectacular costumes worn by the host of players were those of the Chinese concubines at the court of the Emperor of China. The girls who wore these costumes represented many nations, as did the original concubines at the Chinese court in Pekin 800 years ago, in the time of the great Khan. In his persistent search for the spectacular, Allen had his “concubines” flown in from all over the world. For instance, Esther Anderson is an exotic Jamaican, while Edwina Carroll is a Burmese beauty. Petite and_ distinctive Lucille Soong came from China, while Yvonne Shima hails from Japan. Chieko Huber, Jutta Falke, Elke Kroger, Hanna Mieusel and Ursel Mumoth are from Germany while Yamata Pauli is of East Indian extraction. The other girls, Carmen Dene, Sally Douglas, Dominque Don and Nora Forster, are British. “Genghis Khan” was directed by Henry Levin from _ the screenplay by Clarke Reynolds and Beverly Cross based on an original story by Berkely Mather. Henry Levin directed. Page ll