The Group (United Artists) (1966)

Sidney Lumet, New Yorker, Directs ‘Group,’ Tale of N. Y. There are actors who excel at westerns, others who are tops at mysteries and_ still others who can’t be beat at musicals and spectaculars. There are also those who are terrific with the New York scene and tops among these is Sidney Lumet. Which is mainly why he was awarded the coveted directorial stint for Charles K. Feldman’s presentation “The Group,” screen version of Mary McCarthy’s No. 1 best-seller of the same _ title, whichwopetisw.... = at the eee Theatre under United Artists release in Color by DeLuxe. Sidney Buchman, who produced the new Famous Artists Production, also adapted the McCarthy novel for the screen. Lumet is a New Yorker. He was born in N. Y. C. and he knows the place, and while his roster of films lists some of the most remarkable motion pictures ever made, he has yet to direct a picture in Hollywood. And “The Group,” it will be recalled, is a frank and incisive story of New York — specifically the stories of eight sweet and innocent young girl graduates dented by their collisions with the realities of life. Lumet began his career in the entertainment world as a_ child actor with his father, Baruch Lu DEAN OF GOTHAM PHOTOGS LENSES THE GROUP’ Just as Hollywood has its “best” photographers in various categories, so does New York, and the acknowledged “best cinema-photographer of New York” in the business is Boris Kaufman. He’s got an Oscar to prove it. So it was natural that Producer Sidney Buchman and Director Sidney Lumet decided upon Kaufman to photograph United Artists’ forthcoming release “The Group,” screen adaptation of the No. 1 best-seller by Mary McCarthy, which opens ............ atethe: a... Theatre. The Famous Artists Production, which was prepared for the screen and produced by Buchman, is in Color by DeLuxe. Not only is “The Group” a story of eight girls in New York, but the picture itself is said to be the most ambitious movie ever produced in its entirety in New York, so who better than Kaufman? Among Kaufman’s jobs in New York—where he shoots right on location—are “On the Waterfront” which won him the Oscar; “Patterns,” “Baby Doll,” “12 Angry Men,” “Splendor in the Grass,” “Long Days Journey Into Night” (on nearby Long Island) and “All the Way Home.” met, in the Yiddish theatre district on lower Second Ave., in New York. Even today, when the Yiddish theatre is almost dead, Lumet is well known in the area, particularly at Ratner’s, a Jewish dairy restaurant on the ground floor of an old rehearsal hall. While still in his twenties, Lumet made the transition from acting to directing. He worked in television during what is now called its “Golden Era,” the early 1950’s. Dynamic and imaginative as a director he learned his craft well and today is one of the most technically accomplished directors working with film. In addition, many critics have praised his artistic faculties highly. During his television days Lumet directed so many shows that he has lost count of the total number. On the “Danger” series alone there were over 100. Particularly noteworthy among his television shows were his “The Iceman Cometh” for Channel 13 in New York and “12 Angry Men” which he later made into his first film with Henry Fonda starring. In the years since, Lumet has made “That Kind of Woman,” “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” “The Fugitive Kind,” “A View From the Bridge,’ “The Pawnbroker,” ‘“Fail-Safe,” “The Hill” and now “The Group.” ‘Group’ Girls Put Nix On Hair-Trims What’s stronger than a movie producer’s insistance upon authenticity? A woman’s attachment to her hair-do! Writer-Producer Sidney Buch man and Director Sidney Lumet found that out when they were costuming for “The Group,” Charles K. Feldman’s presentation of the No. 1 best-seller by Mary McCarthy, “The Group,” which OPENS! wa ee es. at, thew Sy ets Theatre under United Artists release and in Color by DeLuxe. As the ten million readers of Miss McCarthy’s bombshell will recall, the action of this incisive and frank examination into the private lives of eight women takes place during the years 1933-39 when short hair was the a-go-go. So short hair-dos were ordered for the eight talented newcomers to the screen assembled to play the eight roles. But is was a no-go-ago-go! All eight refused! They all had long hair, in keeping with the current mode, and they refused to cut it. So a compromise was reached. Hollywood’s famed hair stylist Frederic Jones was called in, and he found a way to tighten the girls’ crowning glory so that it looked short and strictly from the 1930’s. Stull TG-42 Mat 2C Hollywood re-enacts a climactic scene from the No. 1 best-seller by Mary McCarthy, “The Group.” Kathleen Widdoes as Miss MeCarthy’s “Helena,” surprises Larry Hagman as “Harald” and Carrie Nye as “Norine” in Charles K. Feldman’s motion picture of the best-seller, which opens under United Artists release and in Color by DeLuxe ................ atthe: h..5 se0sos.Theatre, written for the screen and produced by Sidney Buchman and directed by Sidney Lumet. Shirley Knight Plays ‘Polly’ in Filmed ‘Group’ There’s at least one well-known name among the eight talented young ladies assembled by Producer Sidney Buchman and Director Sidney Lumet to play the eight women whose private lives are so frankly examined in Mary MceCarthy’s No. 1 best-seller “The Group,” film treatment of which opens .......... Sie Doel see Theatre. She’s Shirley Knight and she is the only well-known Hollywoodian among the ladies, all the rest of whom were chosen from a list of most talented and _ promising actresses for the Famous Artists production and United Artists release in Color by DeLuxe. She plays the demanding role of Rolly? Upon her graduation from the University of Wichita, Miss Knight got her chance when she appeared on an NBC-TV Matinee Theatre program. She “clicked” immediately, winning two Academy Award nominations in quick order — for “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” and “Sweet Bird of Youth.” Her most recent triumph was in “Flight From Ashiya” and she has since appeared in several Broadway triumphs. She is also well known on the stock company and Shakespeare Festival circuits. Shirley is married to Producer Gene Persson and they live in New York permanently. She is the mother of a year-old daughter. eeece HO siete soe Still TG-40 Mat 1A Mary-Robin Redd Vintage Cars Roll In New Film of McCarthy Novel Like antique cars? Go see Charles K. Feldman’s “The Group,” United Artists release in Color by DeLuxe, adapted and produced for the screen from Mary McCarthy’s provocative and incisive No. 1 best-seller of the same name by Sidney Buchman which opens ............ Bi NG) aye ee Theatre. As you will recall from the book, “The Group” is a frank tale of eight women from the time of their graduation from college until a day six years later when experiences of various sorts, particularly with men, have made them into mature and world-wise women. The period is 1933-39 and if there’s anything Buchman and Sidney Lumet who directed, insist upon, it’s authenticity. Many of the situations call for automobiles and for these a call went out for authentic classics. So you'll see a real 1940 MG roadster, a 1936 Lafayette sedan, a 1933 Chevrolet convertible, and a double-decker Fifth Avenue bus. About that Chevy convertible— it’s a taxi in the picture and one morning while it was on its way to location it was flagged down and ticketed by a policeman for not having a police department escutcheon permitting it to operate as a taxi! No harm was done, however. It’s use was explained to the guardian of the law. (Use of this art restricted to publicity only. Use in paid advertising is forbidden.) Mat 3A Famed Broadway Caricaturist Al Hirschfeld takes a look at Charles K. Feldman’s presentation of Mary McCarthy’s No. 1 best-seller “The Group” Color by DeLuxe and under United Artists release is Edgar Bergen’s daughter Candice who bows as a fi Hardest Job in Making ‘Group’ Was Casting The Eight Girls When Mary McCarthy’s No. 1 best-seller “The Group” first came out, it caused consternation in some places, amusement in others, anger in many and intense interest on the part of critics. In all, it is estimated that ten million Americans read it. Now the highly provocative, if not daring and certainly frank history of eight girls, from the time of their College graduation to a climactic day six years later when experience, particularly with the men in their lives, had matured them, comes to the screen in the Charles K. Feldman _presentation and United Artists release in Color by DeLuxe “The Group,” opening at the — Theatre. Miss McCarthy’s best-seller was adapted for the screen by screen veteran Sidney Buchman who also produced it, and it was directed by Sidney Lumet. It is a production of Famous Artists Productions and Famartists Productions, S.A., and was shot in its entirety in and around New York City. The big problem in producing the picture, according to Lumet, was to find eight girls, all similarly alike enough at the outset to make them a natural group to form themselves into a tight campus clique. They also had to be young—college graduate young— and it took some time of searching before the two men decided that they had better search elsewhere than in the rosters of Hollywood’s better knowns. So they looked among the lesser knowns and came up with at least seven for the roles. The eighth role was assigned to Shirley Knight who fitted it like the proverbial glove. The seven lesser knowns are Candice Bergen, daughter of Charlie MecCarthy’s alter ego Edgar Bergen; Joan Hackett, whose first picture this is despite a reputation on TV and on the stage; Elizabeth Hartman who, until now was known only to devotees of the little theatre around Cleveland, Authentic New York Since the face of New York City is always changing, it wasn’t easy for Writer-Producer Sidney Buchman to find authentic 1933-39 location shots in the city for Charles K. Feldman’s “The Group,” from Mary McCarthy’s No. 1 bestseller which opens ............ at the ees Theatre. But there are places left and Director Sidney Lumet, who is a native New Yorker and who knows and understands it because the city happens to be his major fascination, knew where they were. So it’s authentic New York—just as Miss McCarthy described it in her novel which had set off several storms, plus, of course, such enduring landmarks as have escaped the wrecking ball, you'll see in “The Group.” and who played a bit in “A Patch of Blue;” Joanna Pettet, a Martha Graham dancer who has scored on the stage and is known to TV audiences; Mary-Robin Redd, also of TV, a former teacher and manager of an art gallery; Jessica Walter who has some movie supporting roles to her credit and holds a Derwent Award as Outstanding Young Actress of the Year, and Kathleen Widdoes, a Fulbright Scholarship holder who did some stage work but has never been in a picture. All eight — that includes Miss Knight—have, what Buchman and Lumet insisted they had to have— a homegeneity to make them logical members of a campus group— and an ability to play act. The men in the lives of the eight are played by James Broderick, James Congdon, Larry Hagman, Hal Holbrook, Richard Mulligan and Robert Emhardt. Stull TG-64 in production and finds it good. Film opens in MEET A at the ................ Theatre. Sidney screenplay and_ pro to the screen but derbied figure lower left Imite in the new film. Famed Polish Star Makes U.S. Debut In ‘The Group’ Once famed as Poland’s greatest actress and later an escapee from behind the Iron Curtain under circumstances worthy of the farthestout spy thriller yet produced, Lidia Prochnicka plays her first American role in €harles K. Feldman’s presentation of “The Group,” written from Mary MceCarthy’s No. 1 best-seller by Sidney Buchman, who also produced it, and Which Opens’ ....0.00 om at the Theatre. Sidney Lumet directed the United Artists release in Color by DeLuxe. Miss Prochnicka plays the highly controversial role of the Baroness D’Etienne in the Famous Artists production, whose unnatural relationship with the “Lakey” of Miss McCarthy’s incisive study of eight women caused a furor in some circles when the book first appeared. “Lakey” is played by Candice Bergen, daughter of Edgar Bergen of Charlie McCarthy fame, and this is her first motion picture appearance. Mat 2B The men in the lives of “The Group,” the eight girls whose careers are traced by Mary McCarthy in her No. 1 best-seller and which opens ........... .... at the ... RS: Theatre as a Charles K. Feldman production and United Artists release in Color by DeLuxe. Top, left: Richard Mulligan as “Dick Brown;” right, James Broderick as “Dr. Ridgeley.” Bottom, left, Larry Hagman as “Harald Peterson;”’ right, James Congdon as “Sloan Crockett.” Written for the screen and produced by Sidney Buchman, “The Group” was directed by Sidney Lumet. PAGE 9