Ambush Bay (United Artists) (1966)

Drama of Philippines Filmed There for Authenticity (Production Story) So much cinematic significance has been attributed to the peace-time spy, the super secret agent, that audiences may tend to forget how much more hazardous the war spy’s life was. “Am bush Bay,” opening... .. at the eet Theatre, will remind them. Starring Hugh O’Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum, it is a hard-hitting story of a nine man marine patrol whose mission it is to make contact with a spy who has information vital to the safety of the fleet which is to return General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines. The basic elements are true and to further the story’s authenticity, the movie was filmed entirely on location in the Philippines and in Color by De Luxe, to capture the beauty of this part of the Pacific—a beauty the Marines who actually lived this story had little time to appreciate. Shooting started at the fishing barrio of Balete, on Lake Taal, directly across from the supposedly ‘dead’ volcano which erupted, causing great loss of life. Because the prevailing winds blew the volcanic ash in the opposite direction, barrio Balete suffered little damage. Then the crew and cast moved inland to the heavily forested jungle area near Los Banos, a hot mineral bath health resort which became headquarters for the company during the eight weeks of filming in the vicinity. During the Second World War, Los Banos was on the direct roadway for the Japanese capture of Manila and was the scene of one of the greatest massacres during the Japanese occupation. Many of the local residents who were recruited to serve as actors and technical advisors remember well the concentration camp which was built there and from which they and their parents were liberated by American paratroopers. At Pagsanjan Falls, one of the major tourist sites in the province of Laguna, a suspension bridge was constructed across the river. Two hundred feet long and four feet wide, it was considered an engineering marvel and caused a feud between the owner of the land on one side and the barrio populace on the other. The landowner, whose cocoanut and banana _ plantation fronted the bridge, wanted no access to his property, but the barrio people were reluctant to part with the bridge. It was all resolved by the script, however, which called for it to be demolished as a Japanese patrol crosses it! The U.S. Naval Station at Sangley Point was the location site for the final two weeks of shooting. Originally manned as a military bastion by the Spanish in 157], when the conquistadores arrived in Manila, it now serves in support of the U. S. Seventh Fleet. Hal Klein produced “Ambush Bay” for executive producer Aubrey Schenck. The script by Marve Feinberg and Ib Melchior was directed by Ron Winston. Chineseborn American actress Tisa Chang Still AB-4 Tisa Chang makes her film debut as an American spy in Mat 1B “Ambush Bay,” opening in Color by De Luxe ...... at the Theatre. Starring Hugh O’Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum, the exciting war drama is a United Artists release. i ak ORT Re ey oe a makes her film debut as the doubleagent the marines have come to contact in the United Artists release. Greg Amsterdam Knife Wielder In ‘Ambush Bay’ Drama Famed comedian Morey Amsterdam gagged it up: “I’ve had a lot of strange things happen to me, but I never thought I’d live to see the day when my own son_ played straight man!” The occasion for Morey’s pun was his son Greg’s debut as a straight dramatic actor in “Ambush Bay.” Opening in Color by DeLuxe... .at thes ieee es Theatre, through United Artists, the war drama stars Hugh O’Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum, himself the son of a famous father. A graduate of UCLA’s Motion Picture Department of Fine Arts, young Amsterdam plays a knifewielding, jungle fighting marine in “Ambush Bay.” His experience with knives is extensive, since he became proficient in knife handling and throwing at the age of eleven and slashed a hammock rope from across the back yard when he was 12! Asked for a comment on_ this unusual hobby, Greg’s ever gagging father simply shrugged. “It could have been worse. I heard about this guy gave his kid an ax and he went out in the back yard and chopped down a whole cherry tree.” Visitors People often visit a movie set, but when the film is shot on location it isn’t likely that there will be many visitors, especially if the location is a jungle in the Philippines. However, “Ambush Bay” starring Hugh O’Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum, found many Americans looking in on their histrionics daily on the slopes of Mount Makiling. They were young American Peace Corps workers, housed in the dormitories of the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture and Forestry. In Color by De Luxe, “Ambush Bay” opens ..... at ENG) cra Theatre, through United Artists release. Now He Is As Tall As They Are! x Mickey Rooney found something in the Philippines he has never been able to find anywhere else: hundreds of people shorter than he is! In the islands to star with Hugh O’Brian and James Mitchum in “Ambush Bay,” which opens in Color by De Luxe..... at: thes: =. Theatre, through United Artists release, Mickey was ecstatic. The Mick’s size proved a plus in many ways—for of all the members of the film company, most of whom look like giants to the finely boned, slender and short Filipinos, only Rooney operated on their level. This was true in more ways than one, for The Mick, who. has travelled to about every other corner of the globe, has always made friends easily and become the most popular man around. With the Filipinos, however, he established a beach-head sooner and easier and spent more time in Los Banos entertaining his new friends than he did before the cameras. “Ambush Bay” was directed by Ron Winston from a seript by Marve Feinberg and Ib Melchior. Hal Klein produced for SchenckZabel. Jim Mitchum’s Goal -To Have People Say ‘Bob Looks Like Son’ One new star who will never have to worry about being recognized is James Mitchum. The first time you see him you know he’s Robert Mitchum’s son: the same droopy eyes, the same sullen mouth and dimpled chin. At 21, the husky actor is a walking ad for his famous father. But by 22, he says, he’d like people who see his dad, to start saying, “You know, he looks just like his son!” With four starring roles under his belt, Jim looks like he’s on his way to the individuality he seeks. For he has inherited not only his father’s virile good looks, but his talent as well. Jim’s latest film, “Ambush Bay,” opens in Color by Delsuxés...<. . atathenencs . Theatre, through United Artists release. In it, Jim co-stars with Hugh O’Brian and Mickey Rooney. A working actor since the age of ten, Jim was 16 when he determined to definitely follow in his dad’s footsteps. Straight from University High he went to the Hollywood Professional School. He subsequently joined the Barter Theatre in Virginia and during his second year there graduated to the coveted part of Don Juan in Shaw’s “Man and Superman.” Two major studios placed Jim under contract while he was still a teenager and he made his first film appearance in “The Beat Generation.” Soon he began to freelance and after a guest shot on TV’s “Have Gun, Will Travel,” he was signed for supporting roles in “The Last Time I Saw Archie” and “Thunder Road.” He subsequently co-starred in Carl Foreman’s “The Victors,”’ “Ride The Wild Surf” and “The Tramplers.” A talented country and western singer, Jim has already had one song on the Hit Parade, “Tears of Love,” for which he wrote both words and music. TISA CHANG STARS AS SECRET AGENT IN ‘AMBUSH BAY’ In the trend to spoof secret agents, double agents and super spies, the serious role actually played by these undercover operators has been minimized and audiences are apt to take too lightly their importance, especially during war time. And of all the famous female spies, probably only Mata Hari is remembered — although there have always been many women engaged in espionage. “Ambush Bay,” opening in Color by De TXe aoe. ate thetic Theatre, is a savage story of a marine patrol in the Philippines assigned to establish contact with just such a distaff spy—a beautiful Japanese girl who is actually an agent for the U. S. She is portrayed in the film by a China-born American actress named Tisa Chang. Product of two-cultures — Old China and New York—Miss Chang is the daughter of the Republic of Nationalist China’s Ambassador to Togo, Africa and erstwhile Consul General at the United Nations. Tisa’s theatrical experience has been largely in repertory and on television. She has appeared in “Flower Drum Song,” “The World of Suzie Wong” and the National Company of “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.” A professional dancer as well as a dramatic actress, Lisa also plays piano and sings. In addition she is a skilled fencer and horse-woman, sketches almost professionally and is an excellent photographer. In her crowded career she has never been a spy, but says that if she ever learns Karate she might give it a fling. Hugh O’Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum star in the exciting war drama which was directed on location by Ron Winston and released through United Artists. Still AB-5 Mat 2E James Mitchum co-stars with Hugh O’Brian and Mickey Rooney in “Ambush Bay,” opening in Color by De Luxe... . Theatre, through United Artists release. They play marines on a deadly secret mission in the Philippines just before General MacArthur’s invasion, Ron Winston directed the exciting war drama on location in the Pacific. Crack Shot Harry Lauter, who plays a highly trained sniper in “Ambush Bay,” is a veteran of 465 westerns and is a crack shot, a fine horseman and an excellent athlete. He spent years on plantations in Central America and felt right at home when the cast went on location in the humid Philippines for filming of “Ambush Bay.” Hugh O’Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum star in the war drama, opening in Color by De Luxe ..... atnt heures sate Theatre through United Artists release. Unreflective Pilot During filming of “Ambush Bay,’ on location in the Philippines, reflectors were used to capture much needed sunlight on the jungle— covered slopes of the mountains where Hugh O’Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum were portraying a patrol of marines. However, a local airplane pilot, not expecting a film company to be in the dense tropical foliage below, mistook the reflectors for distress signals and made so many passes over the location site he cost the company a morning’s work! “Ambush Bay,” in Color by De Luxe, opens ....at the.... Theatre, through United Artists release. t Fun in the Jungle The well-dressed marine in the Philippines was the one with most of his uniform still intact! For his role in “Ambush Bay,” opening in Color by De Luxe....at the..... Theatre, through United Artists, Hugh O’Brian wore torn combat suits, smeared with dirt and often wet from crawling along the sodden jungle floor. One scene, played in this costume, called for him to crawl through a series of hog pens at the west side of a native village. When director Ron Winston called the final “cut,” Hugh rose to find co-stars Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum howling with glee, slapping their knees and pointing to him hysterically. When he demanded to be let in on the gag, “The Mick” handed him a cable. With tears streaming out of his eyes he gasped, “Baby, you just been named one of the ten best dressed men of the year!” The cable announced the final selections of the Custom Tailors’ Guild of America, which had evidently seen Hugh in a different suit. A Schenck-Zabel production, the film was directed by Ron Winston from a script by Marve Feinberg and Ib Melchior. Hal Klein produced. Still AB-3 Mat 2C Behind the enemy lines, Hugh O’Brian employs guerrilla tactics to lead his patrol on a secret mission in “Ambush Bay,” opening in Color by De Luxe. .. . at the. .. . Theatre, through United Artists release. Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum co-star in the war drama directed on location in the Philippines by Ron Winston. PAGE 9