The Happiest Millionaire (Disney) (1967)

John Davidson, Exciting New Talent, Makes Screen Debut In ‘The Happiest Millionaire’’ John Davidson, the ruggedly handsome and immensely talented young singer who reached national prominence as star of TV’s “Kraft Summer Music Hall,” makes his motion picture debut in Walt Disney’s “The Happiest Millionaire.” And predictions for Davidson read “more of the same” — more hit songs, more film and television appearances, top stardom. In the original motion picture musical, Davidson portrays Angier Buchanan Duke, heir to the famed Duke © 1967 Walt Disney Productions Mat HAP 1-A (1 col. width — coarse screen) tobacco fortune. John’s leading romantic role opposite Lesley Ann Warren gives him the opportunity to work with such internationally famed stars as Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson, Geraldine Page, Gladys Cooper and Hermione Baddeley. “For me, the excitement of show business is in going from Broadway to night clubs to a TV variety show to motion pictures to recordings.” Says young Davidson, “The challenging, ever-changing pace is providing me with an excellent base of experience upon which to build my career.” Certainly John has the contracts to prove his versatile talents. He has just completed a second Disney musical with Lesley Ann Warren, Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen and Janet Blair entitled, “The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band.” He is currently under a five-year pact with ABC-TV, through whose permission he appeared on NBC-TV during the summer of 1966. In addition, he has a seven-year contract with producer Bob Banner, a five-year deal with Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas to appear a minimum of three weeks annually, and an exclusive recording agreement with Columbia Records. His first Columbia album, recorded on week ends while “The Happiest Millionare” was in production, is aptly titled, “The Time of My Life.” Davidson’s emergence on the theatrical scene began in 1963 when he moved from White Plains, New York, to Manhattan upon graduation from Denison University. Although his B.A. degree was in Theatre Arts, John entered college as a philosophy major, intending to follow his father into a Page 16 career in the Baptist ministry. “IT switched to Theatre Arts after my sophomore year in order to better prepare myself for the seminary. I had heard they wanted men with a well-rounded background, especially in speaking,” recalls Davidson. “It was then that I began appearing in collegiate musical comedy productions and learned to be a singer of legitimate ballads. By the time I graduated, I knew I wanted to try a career in show business.” As much to John’s surprise as anyone’s, his first New York audition, before David Merrick, won him the juvenile lead in the Broadway production of “Foxy,” Bert Lahr’s last musical. One Wednesday afternoon, television producer Bob Banner, acting on an impulse, stopped in to see a matinee performance. Totally impressed, Bob invited Davidson to his office, where the boy sang before twelve members of Banner’s staff. The result was a seven-year contract. During this time, John appeared in numerous night clubs from coast to coast, taking an occasional leading role in a professional stock company. “The Entertainers,” a Banner-produced CBS weekly variety series, was John’s first TV assignment. This led to a leading role in the NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame production of “The Fantasticks,” then top guest appearances with “Dinah Shore,’ “The Garry Moore Show,” ‘Merv Griffin,” “The Jimmy Dean Show,” “The Hollywood Palace” and ‘“‘The Bell Telephone Hour.” It was while doing a salute to Jerome Kern on the “Bell Telephone Hour” that John was seen by song writer Dick Sherman and recommended to Walt Disney for “The Happiest Millionaire.” However, before moving west for the NBC-TV and Disney assignments, John scored an enormous critical success in the New York City Center revival of “Oklahoma!” Davidson, according to one reviewer “‘was the best Curly since Alfred Drake created the role,” and the production set a new box office record for dollars and attendance at the City Center. Upon completion of his role in “The Happiest Millionaire,” John began five months of night club appearances which took him to such cities as Las Vegas, Columbus, Ohio, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The clean-cut, blue-eyed Davidson was born December 13 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. An avid handball and tennis player, snow and water skier, John recently bought a ranch house on two and one-third acres of land in Hidden Hills, California. “It’s a horse community,” says John. “I have two horses and a dog out there.” What little time he has at home, Davidson spends riding, doing odd jobs like painting white picket fences, or barbecuing on the back patio. “I’m not very good with a stove,” he concludes. Mat HAP 2-A (Available in standard 2 col. width and coarse screen) i © 1967 Walt Disney Productions Young Cordy Biddle (Lesley Ann Warren) is introduced to her future mother-in-law (Geraldine Page) by young Angie Duke (John Davidson), in this scene from Walt Disney’s “The Happiest Millionaire.” Filmed in brilliant Technicolor, the film stars Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson and Miss Page, co-stars Gladys Cooper and Hermione Baddeley, and introduces Miss Warren and Davidson. Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, whose work on “Mary Poppins” brought them two Academy Awards, have written eleven new songs for the musical comedy. Bill Anderson Co-Produces Walt Disney’s “The Happiest Millionaire”’ Bill Anderson, who worked closely with Walt Disney to co-produce the musical comedy, ‘““The Happiest Millionaire,” has enjoyed a 25-year career at the Disney Studios. Anderson joined the organization during the early 1940’s when Walt was concentrating on the production of training films for the armed forces. He progressed rapidly from production control to the Ink and Paint Department to oversee its. reorganization and expansion, then became assistant to the studio production manager. In 1951, he was named production manager for the Studio and in 1956, became vice president in charge of Studio Operations. He was elected to the board of directors in 1960, and now holds the title of vice president in charge of production. Work on “The Happiest Millionaire” got under way in earnest during 1964, when Disney was finishing “Mary Poppins.” Naturally Walt’s enthusiasm for the musical comedy as a screen entertainment medium was high, so he asked Anderson and writer A J Carothers to transform “Millionaire,” originally a Broadway comedy, into a musical. Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman joined the production team to write eleven captivating songs, Norman Tokar was assigned to direct, and production began in May, 1966. “The Happiest Millionaire,” stars Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson, and Geraldine Page, and introduces Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson. In Technicolor, it is being released by Buena Vista. Former Pro Boxer Lou Nova Now Acting For Disney Studio Lou Nova, former boxing contender who once challenged champion Joe Louis for the heavyweight title, is the only person in Walt Disney’s musical comedy, “The Happiest Millionaire,” who appeared in the story when it was a play on Broadway. In the film, Lou is a close friend of Philadelphia’s rich eccentric, Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, played by Fred MacMurray. A U.S. and world’s amateur heavyweight champion, Lou also fought 60 professional bouts and made over $450,000, none of which stayed with him. He twice knocked out Max Baer, but stayed with Louis only six rounds before being kayoed. Nova turned entertainer when he left boxing in 1947, and has done ev erything from supper clubs to fashion shows. He has appeared in a number of movies, Broadway shows and television programs, including Ed Sullivan and Kraft Theatre. Victor McLaglen, a former boxer himself, had a hand in getting Lou started. The imposing heavyweight also has a role in Disney’s ‘“‘Blackbeard’s Ghost,” a comedy starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette. In this picture, Lou is a villain and tangles unsuccessfully with an invisible pirate. Filmed in Technicolor, “The Happiest Millionaire’ stars MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson and Geraldine Page, and was directed by Norman Tokar. Buena Vista releases.