I'd Rather Be Rich (Universal Pictures) (1964)

Singing Star Robert Goulet Does Not Sing In Body Of Movie, Id Rather Be Rich” (Advance) It often takes performers many years to accomplish what Robert Goulet, former Broadway musical star, has accom plished in his first two movies. The personable Mr. Goulet, who became a top Broadway favorite with his performance as the romantic Sir Lancelot in the Lerner-Loewe musical ‘‘Camelot,”’ comes to the screen as a successfully all-but-converted-tonon-vocal leading man of largely non-vocal films. This is most apparent about Robert, a dark-haired, blue-eyed and handsome young man, in his co-starring role with Sandra Dee, Andy Williams and Maurice Chevalier in Universal’s “I’d Rather Be Rich.” The Ross Hunter produetion in=color,* cCOmeSs=-=..=----_..Ont er Ss cee. Theatre. Throughout the body of the picture, a modern romantic comedy, Robert is 99-44/100 percent non-vocal in his wooing of Sandra Dee over the strenuous opposition of Andy Williams, another top singer who does sing several numbers. Bob and Andy sing the title song over the picture’s main title — before the action of the story starts — and Bob does warble one brief chorus of “Almost There,” in mimicry of Andy, who had sung it earlier in HIS courtship of Miss Dee. Other than these brief vocal outbursts, Bob plays his role straight (non-vocal); and certainly at no loss of potency as a.romantic performer, despite his unquestioned, if now relatively unused, vocal talents. In Bob’s first (and only previous) film role, it was much the same. He sang the title song of “Honeymoon Hotel,’ in which he woos Nancy Kwan, over the films main title — and not otherwise. There is paradox to this quick conversion of Bob Goulet to be a “straight” performer — and reason, too. The paradox is that it was his acknowledged vocal attainments, on Breadway stage, in sophisticated night clubs, on television and, most particularly, on records, which to a large degree brought Bob, inevitably, to pictures. And the reason is that, with rare but notable exception, musical films are not now in vogue as they once were — which means that a musical performer must have the capacity to carry himself without singing, if he is to get ahead in pictures. (The notable exception, of recent memory, was “West Side Story.” And another might be “Bye, Bye Birdie.” But despite these brilliant exceptions, the film musical is not now as popular as it formerly was.) And so it is that Robert Goulet has in his first pictures—as a top star of each — made it to straight acting. What he has disearded in that rich and magnificent baritone—if he has, for now — is more than made up by an easy talent for acting, and an unusual degree of personal magnetism which comes across as much in screen performances as in live ones. It is interesting in this connection that both Bob and his family were aware early in his life that he had been blessed with a fine singing voice. Born in Lawrence, Mass., he was brought up in Edmonton, Alberta. And when he would bashfully hesitate to sing at church and family functions, his father would admonish him sternly: “God gave you a beautiful voice — use it!” So while still a schoolboy in Canada, Bob expanded on his singing experience, appearing with orchestras and becoming a local disc jockey. He eventually landed the co-starring role in Canada’s top television variety program, “Showtime.” After his Broadway smash in “Camelot,” he appeared and sang on any number of top television shows, in the U.S. and England. And in 1962, he did the male lead — voice only — in the animated feature, “Gay Purr-ee,” with Judy Garland. Bob made an auspicious Manhattan supperclub debut at the exclusive Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel, and it became one In his second motion picture role, Robert Goulet, noted song stylist, is the co-star of Universal’s new romantic comedy in color, “I’d Rather Be Rich,” a Ross Hunter production. (Still No. 1938-87) of the most successful engagements in the history of the establishment. After which he was greeted with equal fervor on his in-person debut at the Las Vegas Flamingo. Despite his new success in nonvocal performances, Bob is not dropping vocal ones, too. After his first two feature films, made in quick succession, he reverted to CBS as the star of a television special, in which he was to sing. He planned to continue his engagements at the nation’s leading nightclubs, and to sing at all of them. _ (TD RATHER BE RICH™ (2.6) Dog Gets His Bite (Current) On the legal promise that a dog is entitled to one bite, and that every dog has his day, a sheep dog named Blue Boy may be considered to have attained fulfilment. Blue Boy was a one-day addition to the cast of Universal’s Ross Hunter color production, “Td Rather Be Rich,” now at the ee Theatre. His entire performance consisted of biting (simulated) a piece out of the seat of Andy Williams’ pajama pants. Jewel Heist Scare On ‘Rather Be Rich” Set (Current) Hollywood had a short-lived but very real jewel-heist scare on the movie set at Universal where Sandra Dee wore a $1.6 million fortune in jewels for her role in “Td Rather Be Rich,” a romantic comedy photographed in color, Nowa7atsthes eee ee Theatre. Sandra, dripping with diamonds and emeralds borrowed from Cartier’s, was dancing with Robert Goulet, together with some 75 dress extras in the Ross Hunter production directed by Jack Smight. Suddenly it happened. There was a flash of light arcing upward from Sandra and Bob. Bob’s right hand left Sandra’s bare shoulder to catch whatever it was. The vigilant Herman Vossmeyer, security guard, whose eyes never left Sandra while she was wearing the jewels, reached for his gun—an automatic tucked in his waistband. Aware that the action had got out of hand, director Smight ordered, “Cut!” The people stopped. The music ended. Still covered by Vossmeyer’s firearm, Goulet leaned to pick up a bright object from the carpeted floor. It was his gold tie-tack. He put it back in his tie, and smiled embarrassedly. Convinced that none of Sandra’s borrowed jewels was involved, Vossmeyer put away his gun. Filming of the movie scene was resumed. Sandra Dee introduces Robert Goulet as her fiance to her dying and doting grandfather, Maurice Chevalier, in Universal’s romantic comedy in color, “I’d Rather Be Rich.”’ This creates the fun situations when the real fiance, Andy Williams, finally puts in his ap pearance, and Chevalier begins to recover. (Still No. 1938-16) “ID RATHER BE Ri Hermione Gingold has the rough job Maurice Chevalier in the modern Universal romantic comedy in color, “I’d Rather Be Rich,” a Ross Hunter production. In one hilarious sequence she gets knocked out for the count of nine when Chevalier amazingly recovers his health. (Stull No. 1938.141) Page 4 Andy Williams Instant Movie Star In First Role With Co-Stars Dee, Goulet (Advance) This is the day of Andy Williams, instant movie star. Williams, who was born on Dec. 3 in Wall Lake, Iowa, in the early 1930s, comes to film stardom in his first screen role, as the love rival of Robert Goulet for the hand in marriage of Sandra Dee, in Universal’s Ross Hunter production, “I’d Rather Be Rich,’ which comes is Ply ee Ree | tosthes ea Theatre. But Andy Williams is still no novice to stardom. He already is a top star in four other fields — on television, in the state fair circuit, in nightclubs, and as a recording artist. Success seems to be in a hurry to overtake Andy, even though he professes never to have been in a hurry to achieve success. So it must be that he has what people want. Right now, the news is his indoctrination into the fascinating world of the cinema. It has been in no sense dull. Andy sings a love song and an encore to Sandy at the start of the picture, and then he kisses her. From then on, just one more song. The story is something of a kiss marathon, with Andy and Bob as the contestants, Maurice Chevalier as the referee, and Sandy as the prize for the winner. So along the way, Andy kisses Sandy nine times. All the kisses are fervent; he is out to prove something. Activity of this kind might be considered as hazardous enough for a young man making his film debut as a star, but it turned out that this was not the half of it. Andy somehow survived three real hazards to life and limb in the course of the filming. The first of them was perhaps the most spectacular, and could ‘ easily have resulted in tragedy, both for Andy and Sandy. They were barbecueing a chicken during a love tryst in the woods. As a practical joke (in the story), ._ the bird had been stuffed with a rocket, instead of the usual stage dressing. And was programmed to soar into the wild blue yonder when the flame was applied. Instead, it blew up on the launching pad, with a roar and blast of exploding gunpowder that might have finished off Andy and Sandy then and there, had not fortune smiled on them. On another day, came the playing of a scene when Andy was to climb a vine leading, supposedly, to Sandy’s bedroom window — and thereby to by-pass the roadblock Bob had set for him in the upstairs hallway. Director Jack Smight had employed the customary stunt double to do the hazardous climb. But, it being Andy’s first. picture, he decided to do the climb himself. He did it twice, for various camera angles, and skinned both knees in the process — once almost falling. (The fact that it was nurse Hermoine Gingold’s room — not Sandy’s, as Andy supposed — was an added disappointment.) Came the day in the filming when Andy’s and Bob’s jealously climaxed with a bout of fisticuffs on the lawn of the mansion where Sandy resides with her doting grandfather, Maurice Chevalier. The two young men were supposed to spar realistically, but not hurt each other. And they did through rehearsals. Then came the take before the camera. Andy’s foot slipped on the wet turf, and he lost his balance and fell into a haymaker swung at him by Bob. Filming had to be briefly suspended while a nurse and a doctor patched up the deep laceration on Andy’s forehead. By now, Andy was beginning to accommodate himself to the perils of movie-acting. It is different in recording, at which he is the number one male recording star. His most recent Christmas album sold 300,000 copies with no hazard at all. His “Days of Wine and Roses” was number one for months. His ‘Moon River” led the list for 60 weeks. — VD URATHER BE RICH” (1-0) Making his motion picture debut, song stylist Andy Williams is costar of Universal’s romantic comedy in color, “I’d Rather Be Rich,” a Ross Hunter production. (Still No. 1938-90) Hurting Feet Sign Of Love In Rich” Film (Advance) Being in love is when your feet hurt. It is on this somewhat unlikely premise that Sandra Dee, with an assist from Maurice Chevalier, finds which of two young men she really loves, in Universal’s Ross Hunter production in color, “I’d Rather Be Rich,” coming ............ eae LO ENG 25 oe eae, Robert Goulet and Andy Williams submit themselves involuntarily to Sandra’s aching-foot test, and one of them measures up; that one ends up with Sandra, and the other leaves the field of combat. This calls for a performance from all three, but particularly from Sandra. “In all my life,” she says, “I have never yet had an aching foot.” ‘Td Rather Be Rich” Scene Shows Movie (Current) When Sandra Dee jets from Boston to Los Angeles for a scene in Universal’s Ross Hunter production “I’d Rather Be Rich,” she rides the mock-up of an airliner, manifests enjoyment of an off-scene movie presumably being shown in flight. Photographed in color, “I’d Rather Be Rich,” is showing at the ................ Theatre. Which is the off-scene movie that is shown? As one of his most profound decisions on a new assignment, director Jack Smight made the selection. It is no accident that he chose “The Chalk Garden’ a_ Ross Hunter production recently released by Universal. PUD RATHER BE RICH (LEY Sandra Dee arranges for Robert Goulet to masquerade as_ her fiance in Universal’s new romantic comedy in color, “I’d Rather Be Rich,” a Ross Hunter production. (Still No. 1938-139)