The Secret Invasion (United Artists) (1964)

Publicity Still DP-23 Mat 2D Screen hard-guy Henry Silva plays the toughest role of his film career—as a convict offered his freedom in return for a dangerous mission into Nazi territory—in the Corman Company DeLuxe Color-Panavision presentation “The Secret Invasion,’ United Artists release opening abithe: sos. 3 Theatre. Taut ‘Secret Invasion’ Drama Filmed Where It Happened (General Production Story) The historic city of Dubrovnik in Yugoslavia, crowned by the beetling fortress which has frowned down upon — and repulsed — the great navies of the world since the dawn of history, is the locale for the Corman Company presentation “The Secret Invasion,” tense and suspenseful narration of a handful of convicted criminals who save Yugoslavia for the Allied cause in World War II. The United Artists release opens oo Pee eee RN es a Theatre, in DeLuxe Color and Panavision. And Dubrovnik, now one of the most popular resort and tourist attractions on the blue Adriatic, was chosen for the filming of this action because R. Wright Campbell’s tight script called for Dubrovnik, and if there’s anybody in Hollywood who insists upon the real thing instead of studio sets, it’s Producer Gene Corman. Dubrovnik was also the easiest place in the world for Producer Corman to find authentic partisans who actually fought the Nazis and remember these fights well. Corman was able to round up 300 of these “authentics” for some of the climactic action in the picture, and most of them still had their old uniforms and arms. Besides, Dubrovnik’s famous war museum liad a lot of captured Nazi uniforms and prisoner-of-war garb in its storerooms and was quite willing to lend them to Corman because they’re quite proud of the way they handled the Nazi invader in Dubrovnik. And besides, too, many of the picturesque fishing vessels bobbing in Dubrovnik’s picture-book harbor were actual veterans of the sea skirmishes which played such an important part in the city’s war history—and in the picture. The place also happens to be breath-takingly beautiful and the production called for DeLuxe Color and Panavision. So the real thing —all the way—was decided upon by the producer who insists so strongly upon the real thing. “The Secret Invasion” narrates how five convicted criminals, all with long terms stretching ahead of them and one under sentence of death, are offered their freedom in return for a risky invasion of Dubrovnik for the purpose of solidifying partisan resistance against the occupying Nazis. If they fail, there would be the inevitable Nazi firing squad. For the five criminals, Producer Corman recruited some of the strongest and most convincing types on the Hollywood roster. Henry Silva, famed as a TV and movie guy, was chosen as the murderer who would be called upon to murder again in the _perforMickey Rooney was selected for the role of the convicted dynamiter whose mance of the mission. PAGE 8 talents could come in handy, and Raf Vallone is a Lebanese criminal “mastermind” well-equipped to conceive, engineer and execute the dangerous invasion. Edd Byrnes, TV’s famous “Kookie,” is a forger whose skill could be called upon often, and William Campbell is a master impersonator. Then, by way of adornment, Producer Corman selected the charming Mia Massini, a lovely Italian actress who makes her American debut in “The Secret Invasion,” and she alone, say those who have already seen her, is quite worth the price of admission. The role of the army major under whose orders the dangerous mission is to be performed, is portrayed by Stewart Granger. Since the script also called for some action in Cairo, Egypt, to Cairo, Egypt went camera crews, director and cast for some scenes, and then all the way to Lebanon for a couple of shots of that country’s notorious fortress-prison El Raamle. The real thing, you see, is an obsession with Producer Corman. Having assembled story, locale, sets, and players, and with the stamp of authenticity on all of it, it remained for Producer Corman to find a director capable of using Still DP-29 Secret Invasion,” opening through United Artists release. “Secret Invasion’ Director Proves Old Hollywood Adage There’s an old saying in Hollywood that you’d better be nice to messenger boys because you never can tell. And one of the best examples in the world for the advice is the case of Roger Corman, director of the Corman Company’s DeLuxe ColorPanavision presentation “The Secret Invasion,” which opens —.. Qhatlie sew sces. sarees, Theatre, for United Artists release. Roger began his career in motion pictures as a messenger boy on the 20th Century-Fox Hollywood lot, and today, while he’s not the kind of a guy who does such things, he could make it tough for guys who weren't nice to him. Roger was already a graduate engineer when he took the messenger job. He took it because he figured it would lead to big things, and it did—to a_ thirty-dollar-aweek job as a story “analyst.” Came the war, and Roger joined the Navy, after which he went to Oxford to study literature. He then became a literary representative and, in 1953, wrote a story of his own. It was “Highway all this excellent material for a standout motion picture. He didn’t have to look far. His brother Roger had done some pretty good jobs of direction in suspense in several previous Corman productions. Gene Corman knew he could be trusted to deliver a first-class job. Which is why the name Roger Corman is among the credits of “The Secret Invasion” as director. Supporting players are also important to a picture, and that is why the names Helmo Kindermann, Peter Coe, Nan Morris and Enzo Fiermonte grace the aforesaid credits. Fiermonte, incidentally, is the same Fiermonte who gave up a prize ring championship some years ago to marry the society bud Madeleine Astor of the famous Astor clan. A crack horseman and auto racer, Fiermonte has been appearing in motion picture supporting roles of late and doing very nicely at it. The musical background for “The Secret Invasion” is by Hugo Friedhofer. Beauty Spot Picture-postcard Dubrovnik, ancient Yugoslavian fortress city and present tourist and _ vacationist mecca, is the background for the Corman Company presentation “The Secret Invasion,” in DeLuxe Sepa at ¢theeues est Theatres Based on a daring and audacious raid on a Nazi stronghold during World War II by a band of convicts, the United Artists release boasts of Stewart Granger, Raf Vallone, Mickey Rooney, Edd Byrnes and Henry Silva in its cast, and serves to introduce the gorgeous Italian actress Mia Massini to American audiences. Mat 2C It’s tense, stark drama Mickey Rooney plays for a change in the Corman Company DeLuxe Color-Panavision presentation “The 12 Doan at the... Theatre, Dragnet,” and it was produced by Allied Artists. Emboldened by cash in hand, he went into the business of picturemaking on his own, and he’s been there ever since, “The Secret Invasion,” headed by Stewart Granger, Raf Vallone, Mickey Rooney, Edd Byrnes, Henry Silva and Mia Massini being his sixtieth and latest offering. He is closely associated in production with his brother Gene who acted as producer of the tense drama which centers around the liberation of Yugoslavia from Nazi domination by a band of criminals in a strange bargain. The Corman brothers have achieved a fame in the movie business by their insistence upon authenticity which places every one of their releases in a high production bracket. Examples of this are their horror films starring Vincent Price, and their four tense dramaticals based on Edgar Allan Poe stories. Still in his thirties, Roger has a bit of advice for young people seeking careers in movies or any other place. Never be afraid to take a lowly job, he says, even if you're a college graduate with an imposing degree. There may not be a lot of money in it at first, he points out, but the best place to begin is at the beginning — as a messenger boy, for example. Bar’s Loss Is Film’s Gain In Raf Vallone Handsome Raf Vallone, who impressed so widely in the AcademyAward-Winning “Two Women” and as Melina Mercouri’s husband in “Phaedra,” studied to become a lawyer. But it’s on the other side of the law in which he does a thoroughly convincing job in the Corman Company’s DeLuxe ColorPanavision presentation “The Secret Invasion,” opening — ats the sae ee Theatre. Raf plays the role in this United Artists release of a criminal ‘“‘mastermind” capable of conceiving a crime on the grand scale, and seeing it through. Although convicted, he is offered his freedom in return for an audacious attempt against the Nazis in occupied Yugoslavia during World War II. In this he is assisted by four other convicted criminals played by Henry Silva, Mickey Rooney, Edd Byrnes and William Campbell. Raf’s father was a lawyer, and upon the son’s graduation as a lawyer at the University of Turin — which also awarded him a doctorate in philosophy, he entered his father’s office. But he didn’t like it. He thought he’d like newspaper reporting better, and got a job on the newspaper “La Strada,” to find out. During an interview with the great Producer-Director Dino Laurentiis, he apparently did a fine job of impressing, because before he left he was offered a role in that master’s great “Bitter Rice.” There followed some three dozen pictures before he appeared in the internationally famous “El Cid,” and he was suddenly a star of the first magnitude. Married and the father of three (Mrs. Vallone is a sister of famed racing driver Achille Varzi) Vallone makes his home in Sperlungo, Italy, where he delights in fishing and sailing. 89th Film Credit Former Middleweight Contender Enzo Fiermonte, who gave up a ring career to wed an Astor heiress, achieves his 89th screen credit in the Corman Company presentation “The Secret Invasion,” opening 2S ees gaia ae Theatre in DeLuxe Color and Panavision. He shares honors with Stewart Granger, Raf Vallone, Mickey Rooney, Edd Byrnes and Henry Silva in the United Artists release. Still DP-13 Mat 2B Henry Silva as the killer Durrell, and screen newcomer Mia Massini, in a tense scene from the Corman Company DeLuxe ColorPanavision United Artists release “The Secret Invasion,” opening UN eter as at the ___________ Theatre. Puckish Mickey a Toughie In Tense ‘Secret Invasion’ To a lot of people — particularly those who remember him as a child star — Mickey Rooney may look like an elderly elf. But to Motion Picture Producer Gene Corman he looks like a convicted dynamite artist and safe cracker. At least like the convicted dynamiter-safe cracker Corman needed for the Corman Company’s DeLuxe Color-Panavision World War II thriller “The Secret Invasion,” Which opens 2ci2 2 at the Ean saat Ee Theatre under United Artists release. As the dynamiter, whose talents are necessary for the successful completion of a daring raid upon the Nazi-held fortress at Dubrovynik, Mickey plays one of five such criminal artists—each with a different talent, all necessary for the success of the raid, All were promised freedom from their long prison terms in return for their parts in the risky business. At any. rate, Mickey has gone a long way since he entered show business—at the age of one—as a vaudeville actor. He got into the act because his parents, Joe Yule and Nell Carter, a well-known vaudeville team of the day, couldn’t find a baby sitter willing to travel. He made his motion picture debut at five as a midget, and a year later was the star in a series of short film comedies based on the character “Mickey McGuire,” one of the famous “Toonerville Folks” created by the late Fontaine Fox of trolley renown. This established Mickey as the elf par excellence of motion pictures and won him the role of Puck in the celebrated motion picture treatment of Shake Two TV Players In ‘Seeret Invasion’ TV’s “Kook”—Edd Byrnes, that is,—aided and abetted by that medium’s tough guy Henry Silva, are a pair of toughees in the Corman Company presentation in DeLuxe Color and Panavision “The Secret Invasion,” opening — at the 2 SOLAS tie eames Theatre. They are two of five—the others played by Mickey Rooney, Raf Vallone and William Campbell— convicted criminals who are offered their freedom in return for a highly risky secret invasion of Yugoslavia in World War II. Stewart Granger and lovely Mia Massini are also in the United Artists release which is from an original story by R. Wright Campbell and directed by Roger Corman. Original Uniforms Many of the original Nazi uniforms and prisoner-of-war garb were used for the Corman drama of underground war in Jugoslavia, “The Secret Invasion,” a United Artists release in Panavision and Color by DeLuxe, which will open Uae Sa mt te Sea Theatre. The original uniforms were discovered in the store room of a museum in Dubrovnik and the people were proud to have them used in the film as a symbol of the way they handled the Nazi invaders. speare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” This film masterpiece, produced in 1935, is still being widely shown throughout the world. In all, and including “The Secret Invasion,” Mickey has appeared in almost a hundred motion pictures, most of them in the “great” class. The “Andy Hardy” series endeared him greatly to the motion-picturegoing public. But among the roles which established him as an outstanding actor, are “Ah! Wilderness,” “Captains Courageous,” “Boys Town,” “Huckleberry Finn” (a major triumph for him); “The Human Comedy,” “National Velvet” (in which he played opposite a new child-find called Elizabeth Taylor) ; “The Bridge at Toko-Ri,” “The Bold and the Brave” and “Operation Mad Ball.” History repeats itself somewhat for Mickey in “The Secret Invasion,” for that picture also serves as the introductory vehicle for a feminine player from whom great things are expected. She’s the gorgeous Mia Massini who is wellknown in Europe but has thus far never been seen in an American production. Others in the cast are Raf Vallone, Edd Byrnes and Henry Silva as Mickey’s “partners” in crime, and Stewart Granger as the army man who conceived—and has to see through—the daring venture. The picture was directed from an R. Wright Campbell original by Roger Corman, well known as an expert in building suspense, and “The Secret Invasion” is billed as a triumph of suspense. In addition to his busy movie career, Mickey has been active in television. He scored a personal triumph in the title role in the Playhouse 90 production “The Comedian,” and followed with a brilliant characterization of George M. Cohan in the color spectacular “Mr. Broadway,” among other triumphs. Mickey has been married four times and has six children — the last arriving while he was playing the dynamiter in “The Secret Invasion.” Still DP-6 Internationally famous Mia Mat 1A Massini makes her debut in American films in the Corman Company’s Color by DeLuxePanavision presentation for United Artists release ‘‘The Secret Invasion,” opening ______ Recahal Se atthe_____________ Theatre.