In Cold Blood (Columbia Pictures) (1967)

Unknowns Star In the legitimate theatre, when the leading lady breaks a leg, or otherwise puts herself out of action, the understudy goes on and, with a dazzling performance, achieves stardom. The movies have their own version of this tired old show business cliche. It’s the story about a film producer finding a complete unknown for a leading role and thereby catapulting the lucky one to instant screen stardom. On both stage and screen, it sometimes happens. And it recently happened to two—not one, two!—young actors who were selected from hundreds of aspirants by film director-writer Richard Brooks to star in the film version of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood,” the Columbia Pictures release in Panavision at the.... Theatre. They are Robert Blake and Scott Wilson. Virtually unknown Hollywood figures only months ago, today Blake and Wilson even have their own fan clubs. Through the positive power of publicity, via a cover and inside spread in Life Magazine prior to the release of “In Cold Blood,” fan clubs for both actors unexpectedly sprang up across the country. Even more amazing to the young actors than a national magazine working such wonders for their careers was the variety and source of the requests for autographs. “T was asked to autograph everything from doctor’s prescription blanks to musical score sheets,” said Scott. “Most of our letters came from people who were obviously professionals,” said Blake. “I think this is because they are the people who read Truman Capote’s story and found it so compelling. “Instead of requests for gossip and silly personal stuff (we got those, too), most of the letters asked us about our own reactions to playing the ‘In Cold Blood’ roles. It was very gratifying to us to receive intelligent correspondence about something —the Richard Brooks’ film — that we’ve ‘lived with’ so intensively for months.” Wilson made his film bow with a bit role in “In the Heat of the Night.” Blake’s first screen part was in “Town Without Pity.” Both young actors have done some television work. Quincy Jones wrote the music for “In Cold Blood,” which was written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. Private Prison The Kansas State Penitentiary is designed to keep people in, the normal function of such a structure. For the film version of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood,” now at the ...... Theatre in Panavision, the Kansas State Penitentiary was used as the real-life model of a set built for special scenes. But the film set was built with one major difference; it was designed to keep people out. Even the guards posted on the set kept watch over strangers, not “inmates.” Richard Brooks, who wrote the screenplay and directed the film, wanted no interlopers watching the final, crucial sequences being shot in the prison area, on the logical theory that no one but guards watch over prisoners in real life, so why should they watch his actor-“prisoners” perform their roles? The “Absolutely Closed Set?’ sign on the door of stage 29 meant exactly what it said. Actors from adjoining stages, used to dropping in on fellow players, were included in the director’s edict. Also barred were studio executives accustomed to roaming at will around the lot. Members of the “In Cold Blood” company were themselves screened by special guards when they entered the stage. All carried badges signifying their positions with the troupe. Lot workers eventually dubbed the closed stage “Brooks’ Bastille,” and gave up even their gag “attempts” to crash the country’s most exclusive penal institution. Mat 2C; Still No. 99 Robert Blake as Perry Smith is questioned by detective John Forsythe in the Las Vegas, Nev., jail, in this scene from the film version of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood."" The Columbia Pictures release in Panavision was written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. The music was written by Quincy Jones. Actors James Flavin, Robert Blake, O'Loughlin, John Forsythe, Scott Wilson and John Gallaudet line up at an entrance to a State Prison as they prepare to film a location sequence Mat 3A; Still No. 61 Gerald It’s a far cry from the popular, light-hearted television situation situation comedy series, “‘Bachelor Father,” to the harrowing dramatics of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.” Actor John Forsythe made the transition with ease. “In Cold Blood,” written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks, is a Columbia Pictures release at the ....Theatre in Panavision. Forsythe plays a detective in the Kansas Bureau of Investigation who “breaks” a particularly shocking murder case. Forsythe has pursued an acting career since childhood in his native Carney’s Point, N. J. As a professional, he began with a small Shakespearean group in New York called Circle Productions, alternating between acting and hauling scenery in the truck he drove on another job which, at the time, helped pay the rent. Forsythe also worked as a waiter, an assistant stage director on a short-lived play and even filled in for sports announcer Red Barber, the famed “Voice of the Dodgers,” in the days Mat 2B; Still No. 139 Scott Wilson as Richard Hickock in the film version of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," the Columbia Pictures release. The film was written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks in Panavision. John Forsythe when they inhabited Ebbets Field. Sportscasting led Forsythe into radio drama for daytime serials and, eventually, into television. Just before World War II, he got his first Broadway break with Jose Ferrer in “Vicki,” followed by “Yankee Point,” followed by two films, “Destination Tokyo” and “Northern Pursuit.” During the war, Forsythe served in the Air Force and appeared in the service show, “Winged Victory.” Back on Broadway, he succeeded Arthur Kennedy in “All My Sons,” and Henry Fonda in the title role of “Mr. Roberts.” Then came the Broadway role in which Forsythe established himself on his own, in “The Teahouse of the August Moon,” as the amiable Captain Fisby. After two years with “Teahouse,” Forsythe returned to Hollywood. Forsythe appears in the new film as Alvin Dewey, the nationally-known Kansas sleuth whom he closely resembles. The music for “In Cold Blood” was written by Quincy Jones. Look-Alikes Motion pictures always have depended on “look-a-likes,” but it often comes as a shock when an actor impersonating a reallife character bears a startling resemblance to the original. The first meeting between Alvin Dewey, nationally-known Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent, and John Forsythe, the actor who portrays Dewey in the film version of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood,” written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks, was marked by just such a shock of recognition, so closely do the two men resemble each other. A Columbia Pictures release in Panavision, “In Cold Blood,” is now at the Theatre. The detective and the actor met in the Kansas town of Holcomb, where much of “In Cold Blood” was filmed. While his record as an actor of unquestioned ability figured in the decision, Forsythe was selected for his role by Brooks, as were other cast members, because of a close physical resemblance to the reallife character he was to portray. The music of “In Cold Blood” was written by Quincy Jones. oe eee ee ee Advance The screen version of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood,” written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks, opens at the Theatre on Ya hal Cold Blood,’ a Columbia Pictures release, was filmed in Panavision. Quincy Jones wrote the music. Pe ne Sa Jae Ee for the film version of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," the written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks in Panavision. Columbia Pictures release Geo Slow! Although a Hollywood movie crew usually is quick to move in setting up a scene, prison officials at a State penitentiary ordered the entire crew making the film version of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood,” to “slow down to a walk” when they were filming location scenes in the penal institution for the Columbia Pictures release in Panavision. “No one makes quick moves or runs in a prison,” guards told writer-director Richard Brooks and his film company. “Anyone doing that might just find himself looking into a rifle.” The movie makers found they were in no hurry at all to get their prison work done! At Home No matter where a movie troupe locations, the place becomes a little bit of Hollywood in no time at all. This was evident in Garden City, Kansas, when Columbia Pictures moved in a 60-man location crew to film major sequences for Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood,” the Columbia Pictures release at the Theatre. The film was written for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks in Panavision. Within two days the actors and technicians had purchased all of the portable barbecue outfits in the community and broiling their own steaks in motel patios at dinner time. A baseball diamond was improvised in a field, and a game was usually underway during the lunch break. In their jury-rigged photo developing lab in a barn, company photographers gave elemental and advanced lessons in photography while, in a nearby tool shed, utility technicians rigged up a pair of laundromattype washing and drying machines for the crew. Jails Out! Ask any of the movie crew that filmed Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” if crime pays and they’ll tell you forcefully that it doesn’t. The Columbia Pictures company spent three months working on the Theatre film for writer-director Richard Brooks. They filmed sequences in a State penitentiary, a county jail and a city jail. “It was a pretty depressing experience when we filmed in such places,” said a member of the Panavision camera crew. “We were always glad when the last shot had been made and at least WE could leave!” In all events, the “In Cold Blood” troupe had enough of the “real thing” on the lengthy location jaunt to satisfy themselves as to the truth of the old crime doesn’t pay adage. Page 9