Mirage (Universal Pictures) (1965)

Diane Baker's Ist ‘Mirage™ Scenes Lighted By World's Most Expensive Electrician (Current) When Diane Baker sets a milestone for herself in her career as a motion picture actress, she doesn’t fool around. The exquisite brunette celebrated the signing of an exclusive, long-term contract with Universal studios by grabbing the sought-after spot as Gregory Peck’s leading lady in MSMaraee.7 NOW. AL ENG 222 ws Theatre. And she also had Gregory Peck as her movie-set electrician for her first scene in the supense thriller. Diane is first seen in “Mirage’”’ as a shadowy figure on an office building stairs. Gregory Peck hears her call and unveils her for himself and the movie audience by bathing her pretty face in the beam of a flashlight. Cinematographer Joseph McDonald decreed that the only light for the scene would be the flashlight. “T’ve got the world’s most famous electrician,’ Diane revealed proudly, ‘“‘and I’ll bet he’s the only film electrician who makes over a million dollars a year.” Miss Baker—some have labeled her a brunette Grace Kelly, a title she vehemently disowns—is that rarity, a native of Hollywood, born within the shadows of studio walls. Her mother, Dorothy Harrington, was an actress who appeared in several Marx Brothers comedies. Her father, Clyde Baker, a businessman, is now Diane’s partner in real estate and apartment house investments. Although she never nurtured a career in films, her classic beauty forced her toward one. Following West Coast success as a teen-aged model, Diane entered the annual Miss Rheingold beauty contest and went to New York as one of the six finalists, living with a childhood friend, Mary Helen Douglas, daughter of Helen Gahagan and actor Melvyn Douglas. “I didn’t realize it fully at the time,’”’ Diane admitted, “but that was when I first was bitten by the acting bug.” While at the University of Southern California as a political science major, she began studying dramatics, too, and eventually wound up in New York again, earning a living as a Powers model while studying acting with Sanford Meisner protege Charles Conrad. She was “discovered” and brought to Hollywood to play the sister in “The Diary of Anne Frank’”’ which brought a long-term 20th Century-Fox contract. A bachelor girl, Diane plays the field romantically. Her favorite escorts are divided between New York and Hollywood. “But I’m concentrating on only one man right now,” she revealed. “That man is Gregory Peck— rather, it’s ‘David Stillwell,’ the character he plays in ‘Mirage.’ If I can make him believe I’m something special, that’s the important thing. I took a big chance, a large risk to improve my stature in films, and now that it’s beginning to pay off, I don’t want to spoil anything.” Old Peck Movie Poses Problem In New Film (Current) A Universal movie location company filming around Manhattan settings had to do some emergency work to prevent film star Gregory Peck from doing a dual role not suggested by the script. The emergency measure took place while Peck was aboard an IRT subway train moving beneath Lexington Avenue between 125th Street and Bowling Green, doing an important scene for the Universal suspense drama, ‘‘MiraS eo aNOwat these. Theatre. Just before director Edward Dmytryk ordered the cameras to roll, a member of the Jocation troupe pointed to an advertisement framed above the windows of the subway car. Propmaster Tony Lombardo went to work immediately, tearing out the sign and replacing it with a fictional substitute. The sign read: “Watch ‘Million Dollar Movies’ on Channel 9—This Week: ‘Moby Dick,’ starring Gregory Peck.” MIRAGE” {1-8} Diane Baker celebrated the signing of a term contract with Universal by being awarded the feminine lead opposite Gregory Peck in the new suspense thriller, ‘“‘Mirage.” Directed by Edward Dymtryk and produced by Harry Keller, much of the film was made in actual New York City locales. (Still No. 1958-106) Forgets Amnesia (Current) Gregory Peck, who portrays an amnesia victim in Universal’s suspense film “Mirage,” now at the Theatre, was asked by an interviewer how he prepared himself for such an unusual role. “For one thing,’ Peck said, “T read a book on amnesia.” “And what was the name of the book?” the asked. “Gee, I forget,’ was Peck’s reply. interviewer Anne Seymour Plays Familiar Movie Role (Current) Longer ago than either wishes to admit, actress Anne Seymour made her stage debut in Boston, portraying the wife of Walter Abel. Eventually, when she finally reached New York and Broadway, Miss Seymour was in a play, “At the Bottom,” in the role of Walter Abel’s wife. Not long thereafter, she made her TV debut in a play that was presented on the top-listed ‘‘Robert Montgomery Presents” drama series. In the show, her husband was Walter Abel. And now, Anne Seymour has a featured role in the Gregory Peck Diane Baker suspense film, “‘MirAMC aL SUNG. ee ae Theatre. In the movie, Miss Seymour portrays Walter Abel’s widow. “Thank goodness,” the actress confessed, “I’ve broken the string at last.” Whole New York Subway Train Used For Filming Thrilling “Mirage” Scenes (Advance) Film star Gregory Peck took his first subway ride in 20 years recently. He climbed aboard the IRT express subway and commuted back and forth between 125th Street and Bowling Green for three hours. Mr. Peck’s manner of subwayriding differed from the average commuter, however. He was the center of attention on a subway that carried transit officials, a movie crew and almost 100 movie extras as fellow-passengers. Peck was there for a scene in Universal’s ‘“Mirage,”’ a modern-day suspense thriller set against Manhattan backgrounds and _ starring Peck with Diane Baker and Walter Matthau, which comes ............ COLUCNG Sac: eee Theatre. Edward Dmytryk directed for producer Harry Keller. “T didn’t even have to pay the fifteen cents,’ Peck revealed, with a grin. “A chauffered limousine took me to the subway entrance at 56th and Lexington, and when I was through with my _ underground ride, he was still there to drive me back to the Waldorf Towers. Quite a change from 20 years ago.” In those days, Peck was a guide at Radio City, earning enough to Gregory Peck argues with Leif Erickson (back to camera) and pay his room and board while he studied acting on a scholarship at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Dramatics. “Mirage,” written for the screen by Peter Stone, tells the exciting story of a man who has been stricken with amnesia and his struggle to escape several potential killers while he tries to regain his memory and learn why he’s a target. To film the story, Universal gathered a cast composed of actors and actresses who have lived or worked in New York, including besides the aforementioned star trio, such performers as George Kennedy, Kevin McCarthy and House Jameson. Much of it was photographed at such Manhattan locations as Central Park, the zoo, Wall Street, the Battery and street backgrounds from Mott Street to 125th Street, with the interior scenes on Universal City Studios sound stages. Walter Abel over the result of his scientific accomplishment in the thrilling suspense melodrama, Universal’s ‘Mirage.’ Diane Baker and Walter Matthau also co-star. (Still No. 1958-78) Page 3 The exciting, thrill-packed action of Universal’s ““Mirage”’ doesn’t allow too much time for romance. Gregory Peck and Diane Baker make the most of the moments they are together in the suspense adventure melodrama which also co-stars Walter Matthau. (Still No. 1958-38) Gregory Peck’s “Mirage” Role Requires Appearance In Almost Every Scene (Advance) In “Mirage,” a thriller based on the efforts of an amnesia victim to restore his own memory in order to save his life, Gregory Peck had one of the most demanding roles of his long and active career. The suspense melodrama comes.......... Ret ete Rs es ea A eat a to: theo oc. Once again back with Universal studios, where his performance for “To Kill A Mockingbird’ won for him an Academy Award Oscar, Peck embarked on a filming schedule that took him on a vigorous two-week New York City location prior to many weeks of interior scenes in Hollywood. During the entire shooting schedule Peck did not have a single full day off. Of the 388 scenes in the script by Peter Stone, Greg is the center of attention in 315 of them and a contributing factor (from an off-camera position) in almost all the others which involve co-stars Diane Baker, Walter Matthau and Leif Erickson, as well as George Kennedy, Kevin McCarthy, Robert H. Harris, Walter Abel and others. “ ‘Mirage’ is a classic screen example of a tour-de-force,” producer Harry Keller pointed out, ‘‘and Peck actually played two roles to accomplish it. In the present tense of the story, Greg struggled to survive mysterious assaults and, at the same time, fought to regain a memory dimmed by amnesia. In a series of ‘past tense’ sequences, Peck also played the man’s past as amnesia is gradually conquered.” How did Peck feel about the exhausting demands of such a role? “T never weigh an assignment in terms of the number of script pages or amount of camera attention,’’ Peck avowed. “‘T like to consider myself a working actor. My constant aim is to work as much —or, on occasions, as little —as the availability of interesting assignments can stimulate.” Ship Autumn Leaves For Matching Scenes (Current) A Hollywood movie location troupe helped clean up Central Park in New York — but their motives were not entirely unselfish. Director Edward Dmytryk, who guided Gregory Peck, Walter Matthau and Diane Baker through scenes in Central Park for the Universal suspense drama, UMirave?” now: at: thet. 23.2032 Theatre, stepped aside briefly while a crew of propmen raked up a pile of autumn colored leaves, put them in a cardboard carton, and sealed it for shipment. The leaves were sent to Universal’s Hollywood studio where they were duplicated synthetically. A month later they were used to match on a Hollywood sound stage floor the exact scatterings of autumn leaves that appeared in the Central Park location scene photographed in New York. ieaice esau sen eauenateet Theatre. Manhattan Streets Used For ‘Mirage™ Location Shooting (Advance) Even New York, the greatest of all American cities, isn’t safe from the idiosyncracies of a Hollywood motion picture company in search of realism. Universal’s “Mirage,” a _ suspense thriller starring Gregory Peck, Diane Baker and Walter Matthau;;Coming 22. to the Peery Meee Theatre, went to New York City for three weeks of location scenes on Manhattan streets. Prior to the start of location filming, producer Harry Keller and director Edward Dmytryk roamed New York to choose the settings described in the Peter Stone screenplay. And here’s the result: (1) Seenes involving a Fifth Avenue bus were filmed on 68th Street; (2) Gregory Peck’s apartment house, described as being located at 56th Street and Lexington Avenue, was “played” by an apartment house at 144 Hast 53rd; (3) The actual building at 56th and Lexington was used to represent a Madison Avenue bookstore; (4) An alley that is supposed to back up against Peck’s apartment building on 53rd is represented by an alley selected in the area of East 31st, several miles away. “T don’t think these alterations will upset New Yorkers too much,” says Harry Keller, a native-born Californian. “After all, in scenes involving the Central Park Zoo, Battery Park and the Statue of Liberty,.we used the real McCoys.” Confusing? Well, ‘That's Showbiz” (Current) For the ‘‘that’s showbiz’ files: During a location stint in New York City to capture scenes for Universal's ‘Mirage,’ starring Gregory Peck, Diane Baker and Walter Matthau, director Edward Dmytryk selected the 52-story No. 2 Broadway Building, in the heart of the Lower Manhattan financial district, as one of his settings. The suspense thriller is NOW: sab “Che = ie ee Theatre. For his scenes, he shot only the main floor. Back in Hollywood later, Dmytryk moved his “Mirage” troupe on to Universal’s Stage 33,'a onestory building, to photograph Peck’s walk down 27 flights of stairs after a power failure plunges the skyscraper into darkness,