What's New Pussycat? (United Artists) (1965)

Publicity Still WNP-27 Mat 2C Peter Sellers as a kook psychiatrist and Capucine as one of his patients or victims, in Charles K. Feldman’s hilarious ‘‘What’s New Pussyeat?,”’ Technicolor United Artists release opening siheseteienas, ce at the Theatre. Peter O’Toole, Romy Schneider, Paula Prentiss, Woody Allen and Ursula Andress eceecewees eee 2 are also in the cast. Peter Sellers Mixed Up Prof In ‘What's New Pussycat?” The script calls for a mixed-up Viennese professor who tries to solve a friend’s girl problems only to become involved in them himself—overwhelmingly involved. The story is a hilarious comedy with sly, eyebrowraising overtones, and it’s by TV Funnyman Woody Allen, and who, better than Peter Sellers to play the role? The Peter Sellers of “Dr. Strangelove,” “The Pink Panther,” “The World of Henry Orient” and “A Shot in the Dark.” Which is why Peter Sellers is co-starred with Peter O’Toole (who makes his first comedy appearance in the opus), Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss and guest star Ursula Andress, not to mention Woody himself who also makes his film debut in the picture, in Charles K. Feldman’s witty Technicolor comedy “What's New Pussycat?,” the United Artists release which) Opens <.\.a<s% sm. vee at the ee) Feldman, who prides himself upon finding the right player for the right role with no substitutions allowed, insisted that Sellers was his man for the comedy role. His man, because the film has much of the high polish humor and archness of “Pink Panther” and “Shot in the Dark,” and Sellers was nothing short of brilliant in those pictures. Born of a theatrical family, Sellers joined the fantastically popular “Good Show” which convulsed British radio audiences for seven years before the advent of television. At the same time, he rose to the top on the London variety (vaudeville in the U.S.) stage and began carving out a career for himself as an actor and/or comedian through roles in a number of successful British films. These included “The Ladykillers” with Alec Guinness; “The Mouse That Roared,” which served to introduce him to major American audiences, and “I’m All Right, Jack” in which he played Kite, the shop steward, which gained him world-wide fame. Then, just for the fun of it, he and an old buddy from the Goon days called Spike Mulligan, made an 11-minute short called “The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film.” This became an unqualified international hit which many serious students of the cinema regard as one of the art’s high spots. It took four international festival awards and is still enjoying a wide popularity in the world’s theatres, its second appearances often attracting larger audiences than the first. Among the films which followed were “The Millionairess” with Sophia Loren; “Mr. Topaze” which he also directed; “Only Two Can Play,” “Waltz of the Toreadors” and “Lolita.” The four which established him as an international performer of the first prominence PAGE 8 were “Doctor Strangelove,” “The Pink Panther,” “The World of Henry Orient” and “A Shot in the Dark,” the latter three, like “What’s New Pussycat?,” United Artists releases. Prior to starting “What’s New Pussycat?,” which was directed by Britain’s popular Clive Donner, also a nobody-else-will-do selection by Feldman, Sellers was in New York to make six television plays for the United Nations. The first one of these was “Carol For Another Christmas.” Where the gorgeous Paula Prentiss was Sellers love interest in “World of Henry Orient” and the dazzling Capucine in “Pink Panther,” it’s another type of beauty entirely who kas a hold on him in “What’s New Pussycat?” She’s the 200-pound Edra Gale, a Brunhilde type beauty if that’s the name for it, who has all she can do to keep Sellers from seeking slicker company in the strip-tease avatars of Paris. Still WNP-6 Peter O'Toole a Funnyman In ‘What's New Pussycat?’ It has often been said that the comedian dreams of the great day when he'll move the world with a great and stirring dramatic performance. It has never been said, however, if any of them have ever been successful at it. But as for a recognized dramatic performer of the first order playing comedy, the reverse appears to be the truth. So it is, at least, in the case of handsome Peter O’Toole, who makes his first comedy appearance in Charles K. Feldman’s sex spoof “What’s New Pussycat?,” the United Artists release in Technicolor; Which. opens sess. see at the Theatre. Co-starred with Peter Sellers, Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss, Woody Allen and guest star Ursula Andress in the new comedy, described as sly and perhaps a bit naughty, too, Peter plays the role of a combination Casanova-Lothario type playboy who just can’t get enough feminine company. Co Which is something of a far cry from the role in “Lawrence of Arabia” which lifted O’Toole from a practically unknown British stage player to a movie leading man of the first magniiude. This lustre was increased by his great perform: ance as the carousing Henry II with Richard Burton in “Becket,” and his performance in the title role of the movie treatment of Joseph Conrad’s masterpiece “Lord Jim.” As Michael James, editor of a smart French fashion magazine, in love with a pretty teacher in a language school, but who finds his love life constantly complicated by the beautiful girls who surround him, O’Toole is provided full scope for his undeniable romantic charm and to prove himself a laugh-getter of the first order. He is helped out considerably by the script—which comes from Woody Allen, Esquire’s “hottest comic of the year,” who not only wrote “What’s New Pussycat?” but also appears in it—as an undresser in a Parisian strip-tease palace. While Allen did a lot of writing for television—notably for Sid Caesar—this script is his first attempt at writing for motion pictures. O’Toole’s reputation as one of England’s finest young actors was earned through his work on the British stage. During three and a half years with the Bristol Old Vic Company, he played 73 different roles, from parts in Christmas pantomimes to Jimmy Porter in “Look Back in Anger,” to “Hamlet.” He achieved motion picture status in “The Long and The Short and the Tall,” and his performance in it caused him to be named Actor of the Year for 1959. He also won the Paris Festival Award for this portrayal, and five offers from Hollywood. But, being essentially a stage actor, he turned them down for the chance to star at the Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-on-Avon, where his Shylock was rated by the London critics as the best of his generation. Later, his “Hamlet” was chosen to open the British National Theatre in 1963. How did he like playing comedy in “What’s New Pussycat?” “Just fine. There’s nothing wrong with comedy,” he says, “and it takes a great actor to do it right. If it’s not done right, it’s not comedy,” he believes, “and ‘What’s New Pussycat?’ is a great comedy.” The film was directed by Clive Donner. Miss Prentiss Strip-Teaseuse In ‘What's New Where it was a sedate but screwy little house-wifely sort of part Paula Prentiss played opposite Peter Sellers in the recent comedy hit “The World of Henry Orient,” it’s a different kind of a role entirely that she plays in Charles K. Feldman’s hilarious “What’s New Pussycat?” Technicolor sex spoof OPCMING sais vate sisal ccclere sisteis at the coos esesees Artists release. Paula plays a kook strip-teaser in the new comedy, who, when she’s not busy stripping or chas Mat 2B TV Funnyman Woody Allen who also wrote it, makes his debut 99 as a movie comic in Charles K. Feldman’s ‘‘What’s New Pussycat?, United Artists release in Technicolor opening ........ aren: 3 ae the Theatre. He’s co-starred with Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole, Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss and Ursula Andress. eee e eee eee ese Pussycat?” ing Peter O’Toole, beguiles her time by writing way-out modern poetry. Which is something of a tribute to Paula’s versatility! She shares stellar honors in the Feldman production with Peter O’Toole in his first comedy role; Peter Sellers again; Romy Schneider, Capucine, guest star Ursula Andress and TV Funnyman Woody Allen. The latter also wrote the screenplay. Paula is a top motion picture actress today because she appeared in a stage show given by her school, Northwestern University. There was a talent scout in the audience and he liked what he saw. Liked it so much that she was signed to a term contract by MGM. In very short order she was assigned to stellar roles in “The Honeymoon Machine,” “Bachelor in Paradise,” “The Horizontal Lieutenant” and “Follow the Boys.” Her appearance opposite Rock Hudson in “Man’s Favorite Sport,” led to her first dramatic role in Otto Preminger’s “In Harm’s Way.” While “What’s New Pussycat?” is said to contain a number of pleasant surprises, Paula contributes one of the highlight sequences in the comedy. It’s a strip-tease dance that not only shows off her svelte figure to advantage, but serves to emphasize her ratings as a comedienne which some _ say puts her in the class with Lucille Ball and Shirley MacLaine. In Film Debut Catherine Schaake, a gorgeous German television starlet who appears as one of a number of striptease artists in Charles K. Feldman’s hilarious “What’s New Pussyeat?,” Technicolor United Artists TELCASEMO PENDING “555/.5+ visti eta coaieietele at the Theatre, has been awarded a long-term contract by producer Feldman as a result of her work in the film. Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole, Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss, Woody Allen and Ursula Andress co-star. eeoeceesesece Sull WNP-5 Peter Sellers, as a psychiatrist who should see one himself, listens to Peter O’Toole tell of his amorous conquests in Charles K. Feldman’s hilarious romp “What’s New Pussycat?,” co-starring Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss, TV Funnyman Woody Allen and Ursula Andress, opening as a United Artists release in Mat 2G at the TV's Woody Allen Debuts PECHNICOlOEs. ose ALG ale ... Theatre, As Screen Writer, Film Comic It’s nice work if you can get it and Funnyman Woody Allen’s got it. In fact he made it for himself—the job of undresser for strip teasers in Charles K. Feldman’s hilarious “What’s New Pussycat?,” Technicolor United Artists release OPGHINRER 6 sit 5 ces You see, it was this way: Funnyman Allen, called the hottest funnyman in the business by no less an authority on the subject than Esquire Magazine, had never written for the movies before. For television, yes. For such shows as the Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy show (when he was only 17), the Herb Shriner and Gary Moore shows, for Jack Paar, the Art Carney Specials, Tonight Show and the Sid Caesar Show. In fact he did so well by Sid that he won the coveted Sylvania Award for Best Television Writing. But writing movies was something else again. However, he tried one. Somehow it got into the hands of Producer Feldman. Feldman read it, liked it, and bought it. Not only that, but he offered Allen a part in it. Allen accepted—the role of the undresser—and as such you will see him, in his first appearance in motion pictures, in his first motion picture story. Others in the madcap story about a magazine editor who just couldn’t get enough feminine company, are Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole in his first comedy role; Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss and guest star Ursula Andress in the top stellar roles, and a host of Still WNP-74 ~ gt-the <. Gs eas. Rear: gorgeous European and American lovelies in the supporting cast. One of the strip-teasers requiring the professional services of Allen as undresser is Miss Prentiss. Allen became the great television favorite he is, not so much because of his scripts for others, as a chance to substitute for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. The response to his first appearance was so great that the network offered him his own show. He accepted and became one of TV’s big-name comedians, but he still continued appearing in the supper clubs such as the Blue Angel, Basin Street East and The Hungry i in San Francisco. Local Color Paris’ famous strip-tease palace, The Crazy Horse, served as the locale for some of the strip-tease sequences in Charles K. Feldman’s “What’s New Pussycat?,” a Woody Allen original in Technicolor for United Artists release opening EF, ranistetnere oe at the Theatre. Cast toppers include Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole, Romy Schneider, Capucine, Paula Prentiss, Woody himself, and Ursula Andress. Clive Donner directed. Mat 2F Paula Prentiss is a strip-teaseuse for whom Peter Sellers makes a play in Charles K. Feldman’s ““What’s New Pussycat?,” Technicolor United Artists release which also stars Peter O’Toole, Romy Schneider, Capucine, Woody Allen and Ursula Andress and open ig: <..ftets i phpal Ue... ..:..shetaane enentre,