How to Murder Your Wife (United Artists) (1965)

Publicity Jack Lemmon Comedy Tells ‘How to Murder Your Wife (General Production Story) The motion picture camera has shown us how empires are created and crumble; how distant stars are reached and how the abysmal depths of oceans are plumbed. Now it reaches its pinnacle by showing us — how to murder one’s wife! That’s right; how to murder your wife! It’s all a great, big spoof of course, and it’s great fun too, according to those who have already seen it. It’s the new, rollicking, merry Jack Lemmon-Virna Lisi comedy co-starrer “How to Murder Your Wife,” in Technicolor, which opens ogee at the ................ Theatre. The United Artists release also includes in its impressive cast Claire Trevor, Broadway Funnyman Eddie Mayehoff, and England’s gift to the gaiety of nations, Terry-Thomas. It was written and produced by George Axelrod and directed by Richard Quine under the Executive Producership of Gordon Carroll. With its outdoor scenes filmed almost entirely on location in the heart of glittering New York’s nightlife center, “How to Murder Your Wife” brings Jack Lemmon back to movie audiences after a series of film triumphs which have made him the undisputed reigning comedy-romance champ of the world. His role in “How to Murder Your Wife,” that of an enormously wealthy newspaper comic strip artist who wants above all else to remain single, is said to fit him like the proverbial glove. His leading lady, the green-eyed Virna Lisi, who upsets his plans by surprisingly waking up besides him one morning as his lawfullywedded wife, has a wide reputation in Europe but makes her American debut in the present opus. A student in a technical college in her native Ancona, Italy, and without previous dramatic training, she proved a_ natural actress and an instant hit. Often a lucky chance in pictures. Terry-Thomas, of course, needs no introduction to American students and lovers of high comedy. He became a star with Americans for his role in “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” but was previously seen—and impressed widely—in “I’m All Right, Jack” and “The Mouse on the Moon.” Another famed funnyman who is well-known to American audiences of radio, television, the stage and films, is, of course, veteran actor Eddie Mayehoff, who’s Jack Lemmon’s lawyer in “How to Murder Your Wife.” Eddie has been the beloved of movie goers since his appearance in the Martin & Lewis comedies, and his TV show “The Adventures of Fenimore J. Mayehoff,” is down in history as TV’s first (and first successful) variety show. For Richard Quine, who directed “How to Murder Your Wife,” the film is his second association with Axelrod. He has been directing, and has had a hand in making pictures since his “Babes on Broadway,” co-starring Judy Garland Comic Strippers Spoofed in Film Some of our leading newspaper comic strip “secret agents” and their creators come in for a little spoofing in the George Axelrod original “How to Murder Your Wife,” United Artists release in Technicolor opening. ................ at the) ahaa Theatre. Cast as the creator of Bash Brannigan comic strip character, Jack Lemmon plays the wealthy cartoonist who becomes emotionally involved with Virna Lisi through the machinations of his characters. Also in the cast are Claire Trevor, Eddie Mayehoff and Terry-Thomas. Richard Quine directed and Gordon Carroll was executive Producer. PAGE 8 and Mickey Rooney, and his hits include such impressive contenders as “My Sister Eileen,” “Command Decision,’ and “No Sad Songs for Me.” Mayehoff Cast With Lemmon In Axelrod Comedy Radio-screen-film-stage comedian Eddie Mayehoff is said to play one of the funniest roles in his long career as a comic in George Axelrod’s hilarious screenplay “How to Murder Your Wife,” opening ................ atthe: Theatre. The United Artists release, in Technicolor stars Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Claire Trevor and England’s famed comic Terry-Thomas. Eddie’s career as an entertainer goes away back to the time when his father hired him as a_ shirt salesman and both father and son lost their shirts. He tried emceeing at nightclubs and was an immediate hit. He has been one ever since. Eddie is perhaps best remembered for his TV show “The Adventures of Fenimore J. Mayehoff” which was the first comedy variety show ever put on TV. He is also fondly recalled for his roles with Bob Hope, Martin and Lewis, and other famed comedians. It was the Martin and Lewis comedies, by the way, which got him into pictures. He has also been seen widely in Broadway stage productions. In “How to Murder Your Wife” Eddie plays Jack Lemmon’s lawyer, and the latter really needs one after involving himself in a goofy plot which is said to be pure and authentic Jack Lemmon. Claire Trevor, screen great of an earlier era, plays Eddie’s wife in the spoof. “How to Murder Your Wife” was directed by Richard Quine and its executive producer was Gordon Carroll. Neal Hefti, well known to the pop jazz aficionadi, wrote and conducted its music, described as “clef hanging.” Still MI-37 Mat 1B Eddie Mayehoff is Jack Lem mon’s defense lawyer in hilarious “How to Murder Your Wife,” United Artists release in Technicolor opening .......... at the Theatre. Still MI-9 Mat 2A Unchallenged King of Comedy-Romance Jack Lemmon shares stellar honors with Italy’s gorgeous Virna Lisi in George Axelrod’s hilarious spoof ‘‘How to Murder Your Wife,”? United Artists release in Technicolor opening Mt maewe at the ............ Theatre. N.Y. Sidewalk Supers Star In ‘How to Murder Your Wife’ The official billing for United Artists’ hilarious comedy in Tech nicolor “How to Murder Your Wife,” which opens. ............... at Peg ane rne Theatre, lists Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Claire Trevor, Eddie Mayehoff and TerryThomas as its stars. But it says nothing of its “cast of thousands.” It has one, however, and most of them don’t even know it! Written by Author-Producer-Director George Axelrod, the action of the magnificent spoof, takes place in New York, particularly in the night club and off-theatrical zone of the city’s sophisticated fifties, and thither went camera crews, technicians, players, producers, directors and all the rest, to take pictures which would be as authentic as it would be possible to get. It so happens that one hilarious scene has to do with an enormous crane such as the ones used in the city to carry materials to the upper floors of building under construction, and it also happened that one of these behemoths was actually in action right in the zone. Better than that, the contractors were behind schedule and the machine was working nights in the light of several enormous spots and _ searchlights. It was just what Director Richard Quine wanted and needed. So instead of rigging up a make-believe crane on a Hollywood lot, the action was built around the real thing and camera work began. Well, if New York is more fa ‘How to...’ Lensed By Film Topper Harry Stradling, one of Hollywood’s most honored and decorated cinematographers, supervised the filming of George Axelrod’s original screen hilarity “How to Murder Your Wife,” Technicolor United Artists release opening Nase: at the ............ Theatre. Since much of the action was filmed at night in New York’s night club zone, with thousands of onlookers who were incorporated into the action, Stradling’s work on the picture is considered by many a new achievement in night photography. Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi are co-starred in the film which was directed by Richard Quine with Gordon Car roll as executive producer. mous for anything other than its tall buildings, it’s for the incurable addiction of its natives to construction-job-watching. Quine and Executive Producer Gordon Carroll figured that there wouldn’t be many of these addicts around in the late hours of the night, but apparently they forgot that the theatres on Broadway let out at around half past ten. Everything was going fine, when the theatres let out and _ literally thousands of “sidewalk superintendents” poured into the area where the crane scenes for “How to Murder Your Wife” were grinding. So they remained, to cap off an evening’s entertainment at the theatre with some nice extra-mural crane watching. To this crowd was added the nightclub and night owl contingents who were just beginning to stir, and then word got out into the adjacent neighborhoods that they were making moving pictures in the fifties. There were so many watchers that for a while it looked like production would have to stop. But then Director Quine had an idea. Why not include them in the picture? The script was a wild one anyway, the whole crane sequence was strictly off the top, and great crowds of startled onlookers were just what was needed! So the gawkers gawked while the cameras rolled, and “How to Murder Your Wife” can in all truth, boast of a cast of thousands! If that name Verna Lisi, who is co-starred with Jack Lemmon in “How to Murder Your Wife” stopped you, don’t feel that you’re not up on things. Verna is a gorgeous newcomer to American films. Not Really A ‘How To’ Film Despite its title, George Axelrod’s original comedy in Technicolor “How to Murder Your Wife” is not listed as an _ educational film. With Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Claire Trevor, Eddie Mayehoff and Terry-Thomas in the leading roles, the United Artists release is described as strictly for laughs. It opens at the ae Theatre. Richard Quine directed and Gordon Carroll served as its executive producer. Vet Richard Quine Directs ‘How to Murder Your Wife’ Recognized as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and_ solid directors, Richard Quine devoted many years of work and preparation to reach his present stature. That stature is well exemplified in his latest directorial stint, the hilarious “How to Murder Your Wife,” a George Axelrod original co-starring Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Claire Trevor, Eddie Mayehoff and Terry-Thomas, which opens UNG Oe. ont ren Theatre. It is a United Artists release in Technicolor. Quine, his associates in Hollywood will tell you, knows his business. He has been a vaudevillian, a radio actor, a talent scout, dialogue director, screen writer and co-producer. Though born in Detroit, Los Angeles and its nearby film studios have been his milieu since he was six. He made his stage debut there and played prominent parts in radio productions with Jean Hersholt, Eddie Cantor and Joe Penner. But it was the Big Time he was looking for and off to New York he went. There followed the usual pavement pounding until a chance introduction to Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern got him in the cast of “Very Warm for May.” When it closed it was back to radio for a while and _ then George S. Kaufman saw _ him. George liked his looks well enough to risk him a role in “My Sister Eileen.” This proved Quine had more than looks and Hollywood beckoned. He did “Babes On Broadway” and then the screen treatment of “My Sister Eileen,” and he was “in”. During the war he served in the Coast Guard but upon its termination he went back to pictures, this time in the directorial department. He and William Asher wrote “Leather Gloves” and sold it to Columbia who insisted that Quine direct it. He did, and proved himself extraordinarily talented for the job. Since then he has racked up hit after hit in pictures, from the director’s seat. These included “Sunny Side of the Street,” “The Solid Gold Cadillac,” “Operation Madball,” “Bell, Book and Candle,” “Tt Happened to Jane” and “When Strangers Meet.” Then came “The World of Suzie Wong,” “The Notorious Landlady” and “Paris When It Sizzles.” Quine is particularly at home with light comedy and since “How to Murder Your Wife” is light comedy, it was his meat. The film also gives him Jack Lemmon as a star, the third film in which Quine directs him. Playwright George Axelrod Pens First Screen Original Add this to the list of Hollywood oddities: George Axelrod, author of many successful plays and films, rates his first credit for an original screenplay with the hilarious comedy, “How to Murder Your Wife’. His scripts for “Phfft,” “The Seven Year Itch,” “Bus Stop,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “The Manchurian Candidate” and “Paris When it Sizzles” have made him — and the pictures — famous. But he didn’t write the originals. He wrote the screen treatments, and according to the boxoffice yields of each, he did a darned good job of it, too. The United Artists release “How to Murder Your Wife,” in Technicolor and starring Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi, Claire Trevor, Eddie Mayehoff and Terry-Thomas OPeNs .............: atthe tne Theatre. Not that George hasn’t written anything original before. His original novels “Beggar’s Choice” and “Blackmailer” were deserved bestsellers, and his short story “The Happy Tingle” was widely reprinted and became a television play and Broadway knows him well as a skillful and successful playwright. Axelrod, who was born in New York City, got his first job in show business when he was only eighteen as assistant stage manager to the late William A. Brady. Still MI-47 Terry-Thomas as Jack Lemmon’s There followed a brief fling as an actor with the Cape Playhouse, Dennis, Mass., and Theatre-ByThe-Sea at Matunuck, R.I. Two years later he began selling radio scripts for such shows as “Manhattan at Midnight” and “The Canadian Theatre of the Air.” Following three years of World War II service in the Signal Corps, he collaborated on or contributed to more than 400 radio and TV shows with emphasis on comedy. His first Broadway play was “The Seven Year Itch” which ran 1,141 performances. His subsequent Broadway credits include “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?” which he authored and directed; “Visit to a Small Planet” which he co-produced with Clinton Wilder, and “Once More With Feeling” which he authored and directed. Axelrod lives quietly with his family in Beverly Hills when he is not authoring, producing or directing. Mat 2C “oentleman’s gentleman,” Virna Lisi as Jack’s wife and a scene-stealer in George Axelrod’s original comedy “How to Murder Your Wife,” Technicolor United Artists release opening at [thessa..e Theatre.