Back Street (Universal Pictures) (1961)

Back Street Role Boosts Vera Miles’ Screen Status, Says Producer Ross Hunter (Advance) When he started filming “Back Street” at Universal-International Studios producer Ross Hunter stated that he was going to give Vera Miles, one of the film’s co-stars, a new acting “image.” Hunter maintained that Miss Miles, while under contract elsewhere, was formerly used to mark time behind Grace Kelly. et ~ . CAPTIVATING Vera Miles _ costars with Susan Hayward and John Gavin in Universal-International’s classic ““Back Street.” (Still No. 1908-9-AD ) John Gavin Known As Reluctant Star (Current) When John Gavin finished his stretch in the Navy he definitely did not want to be in motion pictures. To date, however, he has enacted eleven starring roles opposite such screen celebrities as Dorothy Malone, Lana Turner, Sophia Loren, Janet Leigh, Doris Day, Sandra Dee, and currently stars with Academy Award winner Susan Hayward and Vera Miles in Universal-International’s “Back Street.” The Ross Hunter production based on Fannie Hurst’s sensational novel is now FeV Be C10 2 ce Seni CREE ren mA ee Theatre. “Vera was never given a chance to display her fine dramatic abilities,’ claims Hunter. ‘She was used as a foil for Bob Hope, played a fifty-one-year-old woman in “The F.B.I. Story’ and had her head shaved for ‘Five Branded Womens? Proving his point, in ‘Back SECC E25 UCr x sess et ee ee at the Bit os Acree nt pr ee rere Theatre, producer Hunter has given Vera a strong dramatic role as a chronic drinker and one-third of the film’s love triangle. He also surrounds the actress with the glamour of eleven Jean Louis wardrobe ensembles. Susan Hayward, Vera’s co-star in “Back Street,’ remarked midway through the filming of the classic Fannie Hurst story: “Vera has the type role that allows her to steal the movie from the other players.” A flattering comment from an actress who has been nominated five times for Academy Award honors and won an “Oscar” in 1959 for her performance in “TI Want To Live.” Vera’s reaction ? “Susan has paid me my finest compliment. “Now I know how she felt when she won her ‘Oscar’.” John Gavin has the other top starring role in “Back Street” which is based on Fannie Hurst’s timeless novel. Director was David Miller and other co-starring parts are played by Charles Drake, Virginia Grey and Reginald Gardiner. Screenplay by Eleanore Griffin and William Ludwig places special emphasis on the romantic rivalry between Miss Miles and Miss Hayward in their relationships to John Gavin appearing as Miss Miles’ husband. SHAMELESS loyalty of Susan Hayward to John Gavin, the man she can never marry, is dramatic time-bomb of Universal-International’s “Back Street” in which the two co-star with Vera Miles. (Still No. 1908-47) STAR STYLIST, Jean Louis, displays some of the fashion designs created for Susan Hayward and Vera Miles in Universal-International’s “Back Street” in which the two co-star with John Gavin. Page 4 (Still No. 1908-30-AD ) DEVOTION of Susan Hayward and John Gavin as love-mates in “Back Street” a theme of new Universal-International sensation. (Still No. 1908-70) Director Miller fs Strong Believer In Theatre Techniques (Current) It’s no trade secret in Hollywood that director David Miller uses theatrical stage techniques instead of movie-making routines to achieve extra dramatic depth on the screen. ‘Back Street,” a special example of Miller’s “Broadway treatment,” is now on VIC Wea tLe een ea nsw taeet ee OP a= te Theatre. The Universal International picture, produced by Ross Hunter, co-stars Susan Hayward, John Gavin and Vera Miles. Story is based on Fannie Hurst’s favorite novel. Miller, with an imposing record of screen hits to his credit, approaches each new movie script and a fresh cast almost like a Belasco. Most film directors move around in a script to satisfy the demands of a camera crew who generally shoot all sequences with similar background on the same day without regard to their chronological order of occurrence in the plot. Miller, on the other hand, maintains continuity of mood by sticking to the sequence in story line. In addition, he puts his cast through two weeks of rehearsal so that they understand the screenplay as a complete unit and know their relationships with other players instead of putting together a story like odd segments of a jig-saw puzzle. “Midnight Lace,” also a Ross Hunter U-I production directed by Miller, was a brilliant specimen of the director’s craftsmanship. Charles Drake, Virginia Grey and Reginald Gardiner are other co-stars in ‘Back Street” which was scenarized by Eleanore Griffin and William Ludwig. Featured players include Tammy Marihugh, Robert Eyer, Alex Gerry, Natalie Schafer, Doreen McLean and Karen Norris. Picture was filmed in Eastman Color by cinematographer Stanley Cortez. Glamour, Big Film Asset, Producer Tells Press Group (Current) Women, who make up the majority of movie audiences, “want to see stars who look like stars,” producer Ross Hunter told 70 of the nation’s leading newspaper fashion editors assembled at Universal-International studio during the making of “Back Street” which is now at the............ BG Ss Rees Theatre. “Real life gets pretty grim for the average housewife,’ Hunter declared. ‘Her glamour comes to her second hand, but she needs it badly. When she sees a beautiful screen star dressed in exquisite gowns and jewels, her own life takes on color. The fashion editors, in Hollywood to attend the annual National Press Week of the California Apparel Creators, were guests at Universal, where they watched a scene being filmed for “Back Street” and saw some of the fashions created by Jean Louis for Susan Hayward and Vera Miles to wear in the picture. Their hosts included director David Miller and John Gavin, who co-stars with Miss Hayward and Miss Miles in the new film based on Fannie Hurst’s epic novel. Fabulous Fashion Display In Back Street’ Picture Will Delight Femme Film Patrons (Advance) A breath-taking collection of new fashion creations is displayed by Susan Hayward and Vera Miles who co-star with John Gavin in the Ross Hunter screen production of “Back Street.” The Universal-International picture, based on Fannie Hurst’s drama of unlawful romance, opens. :.-.-_-2...-1-3. atthe 22 Soo eS theatre. Already acclaimed for the opulence of his recent screen attractions, ‘Imitation of Life’ and ‘‘Pillow Talk,’’ producer Ross Hunter endowed “Back Street” with even greater feminine appeal by photographing fashion sequences as staged in New York, Rome and Paris. To insure an exciting array of costumes that would be beautiful and at the same time blend in with the character portrayals of his stars, Susan Hayward and Vera Miles, Mr. Hunter called upon the internationally famous designer, Jean Louis. Expensive and unusual fabrics and furs from all over the world were selected by Louis for the “Back Street’? costumes. Furs included the most costly known— Russian Crown Sable, Black Diamond Mink with the pelts worked in horizontal fashion, Brazilian Jaguar and Brown African Otter. Fabulous jewels, a beautiful jade necklace and another of turquoise and diamonds, were supplied by David Webb of New York to complement each individual gown. So important was the wardrobe and jewelry to the production of “Back Street” that a special detail of studio police was delegated to guard the collection throughout production of the picture. David Miller directed “Back Street” from the screenplay by Eleanore Griffin and William Ludwig. Charles Drake, Virginia Grey and Reginald Gardiner have other co-starring roles. Exquisite Eastman Color photography was directed by Stanley Cortez. Fashion Models Add New Verve To Movie (Current) Four of the nation’s most glamorous fashion models make their film bows in Universal International’s “Back Street” currently at thes ees ae te ‘Rheatre: The girls, Melissa Weston, Joanne Betay, Gertrude Felder and Vivianne Porte, appear as mannequins in a huge fashion show staged by Susan Hayward, who portrays a famous designer in the Ross Hunter production. Prior to the release of the picture, based on Fannie Hurst’s novel, Harper’s Bazaar launched an extensive promotional and editorial campaign to publicize the chic mannequins and producer Hunter went to New York to participate in the selection of the girls to appear in ‘‘Back Street” starring Miss Hayward, John Gavin and Vera Miles. David Miller directed. Charles Drake, Virginia Grey and Reginald Gardiner have co-starring roles. APPEALING role of ‘‘other woman” in “Back Street”? wins new plaudits for Susan Hayward in the Universal-International film. ( Still No. 1908-31) Fannie Hurst Wins Rare Kudo For New Back Street’ Film (Advance) Fannie Hurst, one of America’s top-ranking novelists, is being cited for an unusual literary feat. The author’s story, “Back Street,” already filmed twice, has again been made as a motion picture to become the first major work of its kind to reach the screen in three separate productions. Most recent version, starring Susan Hayward, John Gavin and Vera Miles, comes ea eee Ne tothe: = Theatre: “Back Street,” an all-time bestseller in the world’s fiction market, first attracted moviegoers as one of the early talking picture hits. An outstanding success in its day, the picture starred Irene Dunne and John Boles. The late John Stahl directed. The same success was repeated a decade later by Margaret Sullavan and Charles Boyer in an up-dated version scripted and produced by Bruce Manning with Robert Stevenson directing. Current and third adaptation now establishing new attendance records and made by the same studio, Universal-International, was produced by Ross Hunter with David Miller directing from an entirely modernized screenplay by Eleanore Griffin and William Ludwig. Timeless theme of “Back Street” together with Miss Hurst’s soul-probing account of a young woman struggling against social taboos are credited for the story’s remarkable endurance and popularity during the past quarter century. R) Melissa Weston, Joanne Betay, Gertrude Felder, Vivianne Porte, adds dazzling note to Universal-International’s “Back Street” costarring the popular Susan Hayward, John Gavin, Vera Miles. (Stull No. 1908-25-AD)