Strange Bedfellows (Universal Pictures) (1965)

Leopard Outfit Worn By Lollobrigida In Strange Bedfellows’ Controversial (Advance) One of the glamorous costumes featured by Italian film star Gina Lollobrigida in Panama and Frank’s romantic comedy for Universal, “Strange Bedfellows,” coming..............---.....---to LUG eo aed Theatre, is bound to stir up some famous world celebrities. Among those who might view Gina’s styles with alarm are England’s Prince Philip and a feminine Tory member of the House of Commons, America’s Jackie Kennedy, the officers of the National Audubon Society and executives of the Fauna Preservation Society. What may well raise regal eyebrows is an outfit worn by Gina in scenes with co-stars Rock Hudson and Gig Young, and featuring a blouse, hat and purse made of leopard fur. The glamorous Miss Lollobrigida features the costume prominently and, needless to add, complements it delightfully. However, it appears in full opposition to a globe-girdling campaign now afoot to de-emphasize the use of leopard fur in feminine fashions or face the extinction of the lithe African animal within the next few years. “IT am sympathetic with the cause,” the Italian beauty said, “but it began too late. I had already worn my leopard skin outfit in many scenes for ‘Strange Bedfellows’ and it would have been very expensive to re-shoot.”’ Melvin Frank, who produced and directed the film, estimates that an additional $200,000 would have to be spent on “Strange Bedfellows” in order to replace leop ard-clad Gina with a different costume for the Technicolor sequences that had already been photographed. “T am very sorry because leopards are beautiful animals and I don’t want them to disappear,” Gina explained. “But I have been told there are almost a hundred other species of animals and birds who also face extinction. The minute that women find out that leopards are growing scarce, there will be a run on the leopard fur market and they will disappear more quickly than ever. “Instead of publicizing their disappearance, I think some thought should be given to breeding plans that would increase their number.” According to statistics, 50,000 leopard skins are being shipped out of East Africa annually, mostly for the fashion markets of America, England and France. The African hunter gets about $3 for a pelt that brings as much as $300 from the U.S. furriers. The resultant retail prices turn leopard fur into status symbols. That, plus the fact that glamorous movie stars such as Gina are leaders in creating world fashion trends, has livened up leopardhunting considerably. . ie A crowd of supporters surrounds Gina Lollobrigida as she starts her WW Lady Godiva ride to the American embassy in London in sponsorship of a weird cause in Universal’s hilarious romantic comedy in Technicolor, “Strange Bedfellows.” Also starred are Rock Hudson, Gig Young and Edward Judd. (Still No. 1941-81) Ad Mat. No. 208—2 Col. x 10!/)""—29 nan employed by an ns to Rock Hudson mily image” is good, andoned marriage to edy, “Strange Bed(Still No. 1941-14) Gina Lollobrigida which lasted only a short time seven years before is one of the problems Rock Hudson faces in the zany Universal comedy in Technicolor, “Strange Bedfellows.” (Still No. 1941-146) Incendiary Smooching On Bedfellows” Set (Advance) A love scene that sizzled so hot that visitors had to be barred from the sound stage set some sort of a record in Hollywood. Involved in the incendiary smooching were film stars Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigidia, who head the cast of the new Panama-Frank film, “Strange Bedfellows,” which Melvin Frank produced and directed for Universal. The romantic comedy, photographed in Technicolor, comes...... Sia ease ere to thez. =. nea tre: Although film sets have been closed to visitors many times in the past when love scenes were enacted, this one set a record because Rock and Gina were waxing romantic as cinematic man and wife. Even the oldest oldtimers at Universal couldn’t recall when a love scene involving a married couple had threatened a censor’s snippers. “We had an advantage over those other love scenes,”’ producerdirector Frank confessed. ‘In ‘Strange Bedfellows,’ Rock and Gina are married — but they’ve been separated for seven years. Their reunion turns out to be a real swinging affair.” Also co-starred in “Strange Bedfellows” are Gig Young, Edward Judd and Terry Thomas as guest star. Set in London, “Strange Bedfellows” was photographed at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Bedfellows‘ Crew Takes Phone Break’ (Current) Most offices in America take coffee breaks. But a glamourous “office” on a Universal studio sound stage paused daily for a ten-minute telephone break. During the shooting in Technicolor of the Panama and Frank romantic comedy, “Strange Bedfellows,” showing now at the........ JS eee Theatre, all production came to a halt every morning while Gina Lollobrigida engaged in a long-distance conversation with her six-year-old son, Milko, Jr., who attends school in Rome. Producer-director Melvin Frank and co-stars Rock Hudson, Gig Young and British actor Edward Judd sat quietly by while Gina, in highly animated Italian, told little ‘“Milketto” all about Hollywood and checked on his school activities. “He kept wanting me to drop by so he could show me something,’’ Gina revealed. “I couldn’t convince him that my voice on the telephone came from many thousands of miles away.” The Italian film star hopes to bring her son to Hollywood for a brief visit in the future when he has a vacation from school. “It will only be for a few days,” Gina confessed, “but long enough to visit Disneyland.” “Strange Bedfellows” was photographed in Technicolor. Page 5 Handsome Edward Judd, British Import, Co-stars In ‘Strange Bedfellows” (Advance) If Paul Revere and his horse were still around and available for hire, they’d probably get a rush call from Hollywood to ride through the countryside and spread the alarm: “The British are coming!” Never, since DeMille set up shop among the Southern Cali fornia orange groves and cranked a camera on “The Squaw Man” back in the early-silent era of films, have the British become as prominent in Hollywood as they are today. Latest import from London is handsome, virile Edward Judd, who took his first look at Hollywood while co-starring with Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida and Gig Young in the Panama and Frank Technicolor comedy, “Strange Bedfellows,” a Universal picture coming to the..............-. Theatre. Ironically, the MHollywood-filmed story has a London background. Mr. Judd’s arrival added to a stack of British calling cards that include Richard Burton, Peter Sellers, Albert Finney, TerryThomas, Peter O’Toole and Sean Connery, all well-known stars of English productions who have scored importantly in American films, too. In “Strange Bedfellows,” Judd portrays one-third of a provocative love triangle — the fiance of Gina Lollobrigida, who is resisting the amorous efforts of ex-husband Rock Hudson. To create the characterization of a newspaper editor with a flair for promoting minority causes, Judd raised a magnificent, carefully groomed beard, thus effecting a disguise that would fool even his most avid British fans. “The beard was the result of experiment,” Judd confessed. “TI employed variations of it in “The Long Ships’ with most pleasant Appropriate Title (Current) “Strange Bedfellows,” a Universal comedy now at the........ Bae Spray ace bark Theatre, with Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Gig Young and Edward Judd as its stars, certainly lived up to its title during the filming. Producer-director Melvin Frank was filming a scene in which the seductive Gina, gowned in a diaphanous nightgown, was curled up in bed — when all of a sudden a veteran set electrician (the 6-2, 220pound variety) stumbled on a stretch cable, bounced off the camera and landed plop in bed with one of Italy’s most celebrated sex symbols. Show Super-Closeups Of Lollobrigida Eyes (Advance) Gina Lollobrigida’s dark eyes, considered to be the most expressive and beautiful in motion pictures, were given very special treatment in the Panama-Frank comedy, “Strange Bedfellows,” a Universal picture which comes...... Etat Sorat ee ae toqthe 22> -2.2-bheatre; In fact, those dazzling orbs fill the entire screen in some supercloseups devised by producerdirector Melvin Frank and cinematographer Leo Tover. It is estimated that each eye measures nine feet in diameter, in Technicolor, yet, when the unusual sequence is projected in movie theatres. Gina’s eyes dominate a scene in which she and estranged husband Rock Hudson rekindle an old love as they discuss plans for a divorce after a seven-year separation. “It may be the first time that a pair of eyes give so large a sensual glance,” Frank admitted. “Gina can accomplish more sultry charm with her eyes than most actresses can with their entire bodies.” “Strange Bedfellows,’ which marks the second teaming of Gina and Rock, also stars Gig Young and Edward Judd. S TRANS 3 British import Edward Judd raised a carefully-groomed beard for his co-starring role in Universal’s hilarious romantic comedy, “Strange Bedfellows,” photographed in Technicolor. (Still No. 1941-139) results. It’s amazing how women have finally agreed that bearded men are romantic.” In spite of his British heritage, Judd actually was born in Shanghai. His father, a salesman, traveled the Far East as representative of several London firms. Raised in London since he was three, Judd made his acting debut at the age of 16, as master of ceremonies of a teen-agers’ TV show on BBC. Name Lollobrigida’ Is Rarely Mispronounced (Current) One would expect that Gina Lollobrigida’s duodecimally lettered name would get more mispronunciations than an Irish sergeant handling a Polish regimental roll call. Well, tain’t so. The gorgeous Italian film star, who can be seen in Technicolor with Rock Hudson, Gig Young and Edward Judd in the Panama and Frank comedy for Universal, “Strange Bedfellows,” now at the Fee Ra aaa ty a: Theatre, revealed that her last name is rarely mispronounced, no matter where she travels in the world. “But my tiny little first name takes a beating,’ she admitted. “The ‘G’ is both hard and soft, the ‘i’ is both long and short. I must answer to ‘Jeena (correct), Jinna, Jyna, Geena, Ginna and Gyna.’ But Lollobrigida always sounds like Lollobrigida.” Rock Hudson has the happy role of being Gina Lollobrigida’s husband in Universal’s hilarious comedy photographed in Technicolor, “Strange Bedfellows.’ Melvin Frank produced and directed. (Still No. 1941-115)