Your Cheatin' Heart (MGM) (1964)

NASHVILLE GAVE GEORGE HAMILTON TRUE “FEELING” OF HANK WILLIAMS FOR FILM George Hamilton has achieved not one but two goals he set for himself as a youngster. The first was to become an actor, and while still in his teens he won note as one of the brightest new prospects in Hollywood. Now, five years after his film bow, he has fulfilled another aim—to be a “detective.” It came about with his new starring role as the late famed country singer composer, Hank Williams, in MetroGoldwyn Mayer’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” In the Sam Katzman production, also starring Susan Oliver, Red 3uttons and Arthur O’Connell, Hamilton took on the most challenging assignment of his career: portraying a remarkably gifted man who was also an enigma. “Hank Williams was no ordinary person,” Hamilton asserts. “Everyone saw him differently—his wife, friends, the people he worked with, and audiences. So I had to do some detective work to discover their reactions and track down the sources in order to enact him on the screen with complete honesty.” A perfectionist, the actor made several trips to Nashville, Tennessee, where Williams lived in his “mansion on the hill” and where he made some of his greatest MGM Records, in addition to performing on the “Grand Ole Opry” radio show. “T talked to the people who knew him,” Hamilton said. “I visited his home and went to his favorite places. I steeped myself in the ‘atmosphere’ surrounding Hank Williams to get the real feeling of the man.” His first trip to Nashville was to meet Audrey Williams, the singer’s widow, who later served as technical advisor on “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” Hamilton had wanted to play the role for some time and decided the best way to get it was to convince Mrs. Williams. The latter at first was undecided. “I had an image of George Hamilton looking immaculate in a white dinner jacket, so different from casual, informal Hank. But he knew so much about my husband’s life and had even managed to copy Hank’s mannerisms that I decided after our meeting that he would be ideal for the part. Too, George was born in Memphis, so he knew Hank’s country from the time he was a boy.” On subsequent visits south, Hamilton went to Montgomery, Alabama, near where Williams was born. There he chatted with the singer’s father and teachers and learned about his childhood. “There was so much to this man,” he says. “He had such a great gift he didn’t even bother to write down some of the songs he composed. They came from his heart and that was enough for him.” Among Williams’ more than 200 compositions are “Jimbalaya,” “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Hey, Good Lookin” and George Hamilton portrays the famous late country-western singer and composer, Hank Williams, whose dramatic life story is unfolded in MetroGoldwyn-Mayer’s ** Your Cheatin? Heart.”’? Filmed in Panavision, the picture features ten of Williams’ greatest song hits, sung on the sound track by Hank Williams, Jr., himself a popular recording star. Also starred are Susan Oliver, Red Buttons and Arthur O’ Connell. Your Cheatin’ Heart Still 1827-74 Mat 1-D ’ the film’s title song, “Your Cheatin Heart.” These and six other top Williams tunes are spotlighted in the picture. To further authenticate his portrayal of Williams, the star, with the approbation of Mrs. Williams, wore the singer’s famous sterling silver trimmed boots in the film and played his favorite guitar, In one scene, he wore a camel’s hair overcoat decorated with musical notes from “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” “Hank always insisted on the very best in show suits,” Hamilton points out, “so my wardrobe for the film was something special. Nudie, the westernclothes tailor who was also Hank’s personal suit-maker, trimmed the outfits with cloth-of-gold and semi-precious stones. The pure white ten-gallon hats and handmade, decorated boots completed the picture of show business —country style. I’m pretty certain Hank Williams would have approved.” Susan Oliver pleads with her husband, George Hamilton, not to ruin his career by drinking in this scene from ‘‘ Your Cheatin’ Heart.’ The new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, also starring Red Buttons and Arthur O’Connell, tells the dramatic and moving story of the late country-western singer Hank Williams, one of the most popular composers and entertainers of his time. Filmed in Panavision, it features ten of Williams’ greatest song hits, sung on the sound track by Hank Williams, Jr., himself a popular concert and recording star. Sam Katzman produced. Still 1827-65 Your Cheatin’ Heart Mat 2-E GEORGE HAMILTON ENACTS HANK WILLIAMS IN "YOUR CHEATIN HEART,” MOVING STORY OF POPULAR SINGER'S DRAMATIC LIFE The story of Hank Williams, America’s famous country singer-composer, is unfolded in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart” in a motion picture which touches the heart. It is a compelling drama, alternating between joy and tragedy, and highlighted by many of the ballads, religious songs and popular country music which Williams sung across the country and which made him one of the most beloved entertainers of his day. George Hamilton portrays Williams in the film. Susan Oliver enacts Audrey, the girl he met while he was performing in a traveling medicine show and whom he married soon after. At the time he was so broke, he had to substitute an iron washer for a wedding ring. Red Buttons is seen as Shorty Younger, the trouper who became Hank’s life-long friend and who tried desperately to rehabilitate him when success robbed him of his touch with the common folk and he turned to drink. Arthur O’Connell has the role of Fred Rose, the successful music publisher, who gave Williams his first break. Born into humble circumstances, Hank Williams learned basic countrymusic chords from a Negro street singer and parlayed his otherwise untutored talent into a major success. Before his untimely death in 1953, at the age of 29, he had written more than 500 songs, sold millions of records and was an international favorite. The story of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” faithfully traces the steps of Hank’s eventful life from his beginning as a shoeshine boy, his early success on the popular Louisiana Hayride radio program, his rise to wealth and fame, crowned by his triumph with the Grand Ole Opry, top show in the countrywestern music field. But although his professional success soared, his personal life and marriage collapsed and not even the birth of a son, Hank, Jr., failed to bring him out of his alcoholic rut. Desperately, Hank tries to get hold of himself and make a fresh start, and almost succeeds, But it is his very pop ularity and integrity which proves his undoing in the final moving sequences of the story. “Your Cheatin’ Heart” is enlivened with melodic interludes throughout its unfolding, with a varied group of Williangs’ outstanding hits heard in colorful scenes. They include the title song, together with ‘Cold, Cold Heart,” “Jambalaya,” “Hey, Good Lookin,’ ” “Ramblin’ Man,” ‘Roll Um Pete,” “Long Gone Lonesome Blues,” “Just Waitin,” “I Saw the Eight’ “and “Kawliga.” They are sung on the sound track by Hank Williams, Jr., himself a popular concert and recording star. A Sam Katzman production in Panavision, “Your Cheatin’ Heart” was directed by Gene Nelson, with the story written for the screen by Stanford Whitmore. Aiding in giving the picture complete validity was Mrs. Hank Williams, who acted as technical advisor. Prominent in supporting roles are Shary Marshall, Rex Ingram, Chris Crosby, Rex Holman, Hortense Petra, Roy Engel, Donald Losby and Kevin George Hamilton, portarying the late country-western singer, Hank Williams, gives an impromptu performance from a porch in this scene from ‘** Your Cheatin’ Heart.’? The Metro-GoldwynMayer picture, in Panavision, unfolds the dramatic and moving story of Williams’ brief but colorful life in which he rose to fame as one of the most popular composers and entertainers of his time. Susan Oliver, Red Buttons and Arthur O’ Connell also star in the new film, which features ten of Williams’ song hits. Still 1827-38 Your Cheatin’ Heart Mat 2-B WHAT BLONDE MOVIE STAR EDUCATED IN JAPAN SPEAKS WITH SOUTHERN ACCENT? Ready for a riddle? What pretty, blond actress was born in New York, educated in Tokyo, Japan, lives in Hollywood and speaks with a Southern accent? If you didn’t guess Susan Oliver you can claim a foul, because the accent is just a temporary attribute of the attractive and talented young star. She learned to speak with a_ below-theMason-Dixon-line drawl for her role as Audrey Williams, widow of famed singer-composer Hank Williams, in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” And therein lies a twisted tongue-in-cheek story. “When my father was a State Department employee stationed in Tokyo, I was the only American attending an all-Japanese school,” she says. “Naturally, I had to learn Japanese and somehow the curious, clipped cadence of the language slipped over into my English pronunciation. “People have commented on my speech pattern and it got to be a joke when I was acquiring my southern accent for ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart.’ George Hamilton, who portrays Hank Williams, would ask me if I were sure I didn’t hail from the south of Japan!” Actually, Miss Oliver had the best possible instructress for her southern accent—Audrey Williams, who served as technical advisor for the film story of her late husband’s life. “Tt was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to portray a real person on the screen,’ Miss Oliver comments, “with the benefit of having that very person on the set. Mrs. Williams filled me in on so many biographical details.” Asked how she felt seeing herself portrayed on the screen, the latter replied, “I can’t think of enough compliments to give Susan Oliver. She worked for complete authenticity and it iS apparent in every one of her scenes.” A comparison of the two women shows they both have biond hair, lightblue eyes and a flair for music, These were some of the reasons Producer Sam Katzman and Mrs. Williams wanted Miss Oliver for the part. But most important, of course, was her acting ability. Miss Oliver has scored on_ the Broadway stage, in television and in motion pictures, most recently on the screen with Connie Francis in ‘“Looking For Love.” She has countless enthusiasms, among them self-hypnosis, hypnopedia (learning languages from records while asleep) and music. She plays the guitar, balalaika and piano, and last year made her folksinging debut in Moscow. “T was an American delegate to the Moscow Film Festival,’ she explains, “and when one of Russia’s top pop singers heard me play my guitar and sing, he asked me to perform in a program in Leningrad. I agreed and for entertaining 100,000 Russians I received 124 rubbles and a round-trip fare to Moscow.” Tate. Hank Williams -.....-.....-.... George Hamilton Audrey Williams <.:...2--5--4:..2: Susan Oliver SHO GVOUNDEN —.2 se eae Red Buttons PrOGuROSe ss: se eens ca Arthur O'Connell ANN VOUNQCLr jx -oe ee oe Shary Marshall Ne Gl Oise Se a ae es ee ed Rex Ingram SOUIN ENIAC, ee ee Chris Crosby Charley Bybee 2) <2..-2 2 Rex Holman Wilma, the Cashier .........---..-. Hortense Petra VOeCURGNCH) 3 Se eee Roy Engel Young Hank Williams —._......... Donald Losby OV CRISMING iret ee erences Kevin Tate Produced by Sam Katzman. Directed by Gene Nelson. Written by Stanford Whitmore. Music Supervised and Conducted by Fred Karger. Songs by Hank Williams Recorded by Hank Williams, Jr. Director of Photography: Ellis W. Carter, A.S.C. In Panavision. Art Direction: George W. Davis and Merrill Pye. Set Decoration: Henry Grace, Don Greenwood, Jr. Assistant Director: Eddie Saeta. Production Co ordinator: Robert Stone. Recording Supervisor: Franklin Milton. A Four Leaf Production. Film Editor: Ben Lewis. Music Co-ordinator: Hal Belfer. Technical Advisor: Audrey Williams (Mrs. Hank Williams). Make-Up Supervisor: William Tuttle. Hair Styles by Sydney Guilaroff. Presented by Metro-GoldwynMayer. Susan Oliver portrays Audrey, the girl who married Hank Williams and helped him to achieve nationwide fame as a country-western singer and composer. The dramatic and moving story of Williams’ brief but colorful life is depicted in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s **Your Cheatin’ Heart.’’ George Hamilton portrays Hank, with Red Buttons and Arthur O’ Connellalsoin starring roles. The new picture, in Panavision, features ten of Williams’ songs. Your Cheatin’ Heart Still 1827-53 Mat 1-B