The Moon-Spinners (Disney) (1964)

Pola Negri Returns to the Screen in Walt Disney’s ‘The Moon-Spinners’ Pola Negri, whose name is synonymous with the exotic day of the vamp, comes out of a twenty-year retirement to play her first role for Walt Disney in his mystery adventure, “The Moon-Spinners,” joining a singularly outstanding cast which also includes Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach, Irene Papas, Joan Greenwood and a great new name in English films, Peter McEnery. Still trim, brunette and comely, Miss Negri remains one of the best-remembered names in show business. A product of the long-gone silent days, she steps into the limelight once more to play the part of Madame Habib, a wealthy and eccentric jewel fancier who travels to Crete in her yacht to do business with a murderous | thief, played by Wallach. “T read the script that Walt Disney sent me, couldn’t put it down, and knew I had to play the role,” she explains. “I had business dealings in Los Angeles, anyway, so I made arrangements to lunch with Walt, his co-producer, Bill Anderson, director James Neilson, and scenarist Michael Dyne. I liked them, and they liked me. My only suggestion was to change the character’s pet Siamese cat into a Cheetah, and Walt loved the idea.” Independently wealthy, and very much the sophisticated lady, Miss Negri hasn’t been seen on the screen because, “Until now, no one has offered me the right part.” She has been living an active social life in San Antonio, Texas. Pola was born in Lipno, Poland, December 30. She became an established film star in Europe before coming to America. In fact, it was her superior performances in two Ernst Lubitsch directed pictures “Carmen,” and “Passion,” the latter the story of Madame DuBarry with Emil Jannings, which brought her to the attention of Hollywood producers. Like most of the great stars, “Mat MS-1C_ POLA NEGRI her style was unique; she was a glamor girl and a fine actress, but one with a temperamental, emotional, earthy approach. She was also uninhibited, romantic and volatile — both on and off the screen. Although classified by most Americans as a silent star, Pola made a number of outstanding talking pictures both in the United States and Europe. The best of them were “Street of Abandoned Children” in England, “Fanaticisme,” a French film, and “A Woman Commands” for RKO. Pola’s first starring role was in “Love and Passion,” which she wrote, directed and produced herself with a second-hand movie camera in her own Warsaw apartment. The picture so interested Max Reinhardt that he brought her to Germany in 1917. The great producer made the sultry brunette a star almost overnight. When “Passion” broke box-office records in 1922, Pola crossed the Atlantic, and was met at the boat by Adolph Zukor, then head of Paramount Studios. Zukor had with him a police escort, bands, flowers and photographers. A dinner for 300, and $5,200 worth of liquor followed the dockside reception. In Hollywood, Pola’s fame grew with “Forbidden Paradise,” in STASSINO PLAYS HEAVY AGAIN IN WALT DISNEY’S “MOON-SPINNERS’ Paul Stassino, an intense actor of Greek parentage who has been playing villain roles since age 8, does it again in Walt Disney’s suspense mystery, “The Moon-Spinners.” Paul’s debut was as the wolf in a grade school production of “Little Red Riding Hood,” and he has played the heavy ever since. As Lambis, a murderous accomplice to a jewel robbery in the Disney cliffhanger, he co-stars with Hayley Mills, Pola Negri, Eli Wallach, Irene Papas, Joan Greenwood and Peter McEnery. The picture was filmed on the historic island of Crete, not far from Paul’s birthplace, Cyprus. Stassino was brought up in Cyprus, Athens and Alexandria, then moved to London with his parents at the age of 16. He won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic SOE ROOD OOS Ss bey Disney Productions 3: Mat MS-1D HAPPY HOLIDAY — at least it started that way for Hayley Mills in Walt Disney's “The Moon-Spinners,”’ but she soon is engulfed in suspense, mystery and danger, along with Peter McEnery, Eli Wallach and Pola Negri. The Technicolor feature is released by Buena Vista. Arts, graduated, then started his own repertory company at Truro, in Cornwall, England. After two years of appearing in, and producing plays there, he returned to London as stage manager, then assistant director of the Arts Theatre Club. Paul worked as a program assistant for BBC for three years before landing a lead in a television special, “Without Love.” His electrifying performance established him as an actor of considerable promise, and TV parts followed with machine gun rapidity. He appeared in most of the top British TV shows, and had featured roles in motion pictures like “The Stranglers of Bombay,” “Moment ‘of Danger,” “Exodus,” “The Ro man Spring of Mrs. Stone,” “Sammy Going South” and “The Long Ships,” before landing the role for Disney. “The Moon-Spinners” is his second picture with Hayley Mills. Paul played a featured role in the popular actress’ first movie, “Tiger Bay.” He is married to former actress Anne Vernon Lee, whom he met at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. They have a son, Julian James, age 4, and live in Putney, a London suburb. which she starred opposite Adolphe Menjou. In six years she played in 21 pictures and received as much as $300,000 for a single role. She amassed a five million dollar fortune, most of which was lost in the 1929 stock market crash. The greeneyed, raven-haired actress became Gloria Swanson’s only real rival for popularity and parts at that time. Pola was a good actress, but she wasn’t an exceptional beauty in an era that also boasted Lillian Gish, Billie Dove and Norma Shearer. Comely might be a better word for her. But what she had was something that was quite rare in the American cinema of the 1920's. She had “It,” to use a popular term of that day. Pola projected passion, but with a kind of world-weary cynicism; she played no dewy-eyed heroines, but sultry, exotic women who had lived. Her appeal to the screengoing public was much the same as that of Anna Magnani in her earthy roles of the 1940’s. She was married two times, in 1919 to Polish Count Eugene Domski, whom she divorced a year later, and in 1927, to Russian Prince Serge Mdivani, who was killed in a Florida polo game in 1936. She had many romances, however, and wrapped them in mystery by carefully concealing her fiances’ names. Rich and renowned men to whom Pola had been rumored to be engaged included Charlie Chaplin, Chicago millionaire Harold F. McCormick, British millionaire Lt. Commander Glen Kidston and Rudolph Valentino, whom she calls “my last and greatest love.” The early thirties were lean years for her, but she made a comeback in 1942 in a comedy role opposite Adolph Menjou in “Hi Diddle Diddle.” She was awarded rave reviews, and has been offered innumberable parts ever since, but refused them all until Walt came along. In color by Technicolor, “The Moon-Spinners” stars Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach, Peter McEnery, Joan Greenwood and Irene Papas, with Miss Negri returning to the screen. Bill Anderson co-produced with Walt Disney, and Hugh Attwooll was associate producer. James Neilson directed the Buena Vista release. Hayley Is Third Mills to Act with Peter McEnery Peter McEnery, the handsome young British find who plays Hayley Mills’ first romance in Walt Disney’s “The Moon-Spinners,”’ may be new to American audiences but not to Hayley’s family. In his brief but brilliant career he appeared with Hayley’s older sister, Juliet, in the English stage version of “Five Finger Exercise,” and with father John in his remarkable picture, “Tunes of Glory.” McEnery, 23, plays his first major screen role opposite Hayley, though, as a young hero who solves one of the greatest jewel thefts in modern history and nearly gets himself — and Hayley — killed in the process. He is, however, by this time well known in England as a versatile legitimate stage thespian, for whom the United Kingdom’s critics foresee a great future. In color by Technicolor, “The Moon-Spinners” stars Hayley Mills, Eli Wallach, McEnery, Joan Greenwood and Irene Papas. Also, Pola Negri returns to the screen. Bill Anderson co-produced. with Walt Disney, and Hugh Attwooll was associate producer. James Neilson directed the Buena Vista release. ‘Mat MS-2E PERILS OF HAYLEY — Adventurous Hayley Mills takes a dizzying trip on the arm of a windmill in Walt Disney's Technicolor suspense-mystery, ‘The Moon-Spinners."’ Looking on is Peter McEnery, who gives Hayley her first real screen kiss in this picture. A Buena Vista Release. International Star Cast Enhances Walt Disney’s ‘The Moon-Spinners’ For his first venture into the realm of mystery and suspense, Walt Disney chose a life-or-death tale with a thousand twists, “The Moon-Spinners,” then personally tackled the job of selecting a cast capable of implementing the dramatic authority of the taut thriller. The result was a closely knit cast, unparalleled in studio history for combined marquee value, professional ability and experience. Heading the list of international stars is one of the world’s most popular young ladies, Hayley Mills, daughter of England’s most famous family of actors, with father John and sister Juliet standing high on the lists of both stage and screen. Hayley, who burst upon the movie scene at age 12 with her unbelievable performance in “Tiger Bay,” soon made “Pollyanna” for Disney, signed a long-term Disney contract, and now, at a beautiful 18, appears in her first romantic role as Nikky Ferris, romantic teen-ager risking her life for love. For the key role of the wicked thief, Stratos, bent on money and murder but shackled by superstition, Disney chose arch villain of Broadway and Hollywood, Eli Wallach. By using his rare facility for creating a totally believable personage, no matter how sinister, Wallach provides the perfect foil for the idealistic Nikky. Playing Sophia, Stratos’ disillusioned sister, Irene Papas comes to the Disney film via the Greek theatre as well as American, English, Greek, and Italian movies. Her classic Greek beauty is familiar around the globe, but it is her impact as a dramatic actress that has won her world-wide acclaim. American audiences best remember her for her roles in “Attilla the Hun” and “The Guns of Navarone,” both opposite Anthony Quinn, and “Electra.” Besides Hayley Mills, two other popular British players take prominent parts. Joan Greenwood, fresh from a sophisticated role as Lady Bellaston in “Tom Jones,” lends her husky voice and boundless talents as Frances Ferris, a musicologist on tour of Crete who inadver Mat MS-2F tantly becomes involved in a mysterious plot to kill her neice. One of England’s leading ladies on stage and screen, Miss Greenwood has already been superb as the educated, impetuous, but emotionally thin British lady, fitting the musicologist character perfectly. The other Britisher is young Peter McEnery, who acted his way into his first major film role via London’s West End and the celebrated Royal Shakespearean Company. Hailed by London critics as a new stage star, 23-year-old McEnery got Disney’s nod as the man to deliver Hayley Mills’ first adult screen kiss. In one of the casting coups of the century, Walt landed the one and only Pola Negri, fabled siren of silent movies, for the role of Madame Habib, a shady millionairess with a passion for rare gems. In 1922, the Polish born beauty hit the American screen with “Forbidden Paradise” and went on to become a symbo] of the Twenties. For twenty years, no one has been able to bring her out of private life, despite some lucrative offers, but Walt sent her a script, convincing her that the part was written solely for her. As regal as ever, Miss Negri’s re-appearance has aroused much curiosity among the more youthful fans and stirred a wave of nostalgia in the hearts of the oldsters. In color by Technicolor, “The Moon-Spinners” stars Miss Mills, Wallach, McEnery, Miss Greenwood and Miss Papas. Also, Miss Negri returns to the screen. Bill Anderson co-produced with Walt Disney, and Hugh Attwooll was associate producer. James Neilson directed the Buena Vista release. ©1964 Walt Disney Productions HOT ICE—The topic of discussion is stolen jewelry in this tense scene from Walt Disney's suspense-mystery, ‘The Moon-Spinners." From left: Hayley Mills, Peter McEnery and Joan Greenwood. Buena Vista releases the Technicolor feature. Page 5