The Last Sunset (Universal Pictures) (1961)

Rock, Kirk Temper Violent Mexico Location Work With Baronial Life In Mansions (Current) The rigors of moviemaking in rugged high-altitude terrain and intense heat of Aguascalientes, Mexico, was tempered with the magnificence of living in the grand manner for “The Last Sunset” co-stars Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas. No film stars on a location ever lived in such splendor as did Rock and Kirk while Brynaprod was filming this Universal release, a powerful action drama of conflict and passion now showMet ab Thess 328 a eee Theater. Hudson resided in a magnificently-appointed three-story mansion near the center of Aguascalientes, a sprawling layout that included five bedrooms with baths, a bar large enough to entertain fifty guests and a staff of four English-speaking servants. Sr. Felipe Camarena, wealthy Mexico industrialist, graciously gave up his city mansion and moved to his country hacienda in order to provide Rock with this elegant home-away-from-home. Kirk Douglas settled down in equal splendor at the hacienda of Sr. Jesus Maria Rodriguez, exgovernor of the state of Aguascalientes and owner of Mexico’s largest and wealthiest vineyards. The hacienda, known as “El Firifo” and situated a few miles south of the city, also has five bedrooms with baths and a staff of help. It also includes a magnificent swimming pool, billiard room, barber shop, steam room, bar and game room. pits Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas in “The Last Sunset,” powerful action drama of conflict and passion filmed by Brynaprod for release by Universal. Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand also star in the color production. (Stull 1899-45 ) Filmers Break Lease On Mexico Movie Set (Advance) Realism struck a new high on a motion picture location in Aguascalientes, Mexico, recently. For climactic scenes in Brynaprod’s action color drama for Universal release, ‘‘The Last Sunset,” starring Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand, a $200,000 western town was erected near the pueblo of San Luis Gonzaga, 40 miles northeast of this central Mexico city. Among the 23 buildings representing Crazy Horse, Texas, were saloons, shops, office buildings, a jail and a hotel. When Director Robert Aldrich finally moved his all-star cast into the movie town, built by Art Director Al Sweeney mostly with adobe instead of the more expensive wood, he was startled to find that three Mexican families had already moved in ahead of him. “Through an interpreter they told me Crazy Horse had nicer accommodations than their home in San Luis Gonzaga,” Aldrich said. Although the ‘‘first families” of Crazy Horse had to vacate the premises of movie scenes in the town, they were invited to move back in as soon as the scenes were completed. “The Last Sunset,” a powerful story of conflict and _ passion, Theater. Page 4 Oxygen Required For High-Altitude Brawl Matching Rock, Kirk (Current) Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas required a tank of oxygen in order to complete one of the big action scenes in “The Last Sunset,’ Brynaprod’s Universal release now showing at the................ Theater. The sequence featured a noholds-barred slugfest between the two top stars on a sound stage at Mexico City’s Churubusco Studios. Because the intense physical violence was being filmed at an altitude of more than 7000 feet, Director Robert Aldrich ordered generous doses of pure oxygen for both Rock and Kirk between each take. While they were being administered oxygen, Dr. Pedro Rivera checked them both for signs of exhaustion, collapse or heart strain. The fight took almost seven hours before it was completed for the color cameras. At the end, both Hudson and Douglas were £o exhausted they had to be assisted into cars and returned to their hotels. Although both were bruised and scratched, neither exhibited any injury of a serious nature. Most serious injury was a burn on Kirk’s arm when he toppled into a burning campfire. “The Last Sunset,” which also stars Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand, is the story of a battle between two men over the loves of two women during a cattle trek from Mexico to the Texas border. Eugene Frenke and Edward Lewis are co-producers. | Role For Ma Nature Severe dust storms that plagued filming of Brynaprod’s Universal release, ‘“‘The Last Sunset,” on location at Aguascalientes, Mexico, turned into a bonanza when Director Robert Aldrich decided to join the dust storms instead of fighting them. As a result, they contributed a spectacular sequence to the powerful action color drama of conflict and passion that opens Theater. By augmenting nature’s blast with Hollywood wind machines, a veritable tornado was stirred up for a scene in which film adversaries Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas first meet. Cinema Shennanigans Turn Lake Fish Blue (Current) Fishing enthusiasts of central Mexico have a new kind of fish story to tell each other these days. The big talk among the Isaac Walton set was a catch of bright blue fish from Lake Presa Abelardo Rodriguez, the first of such species ever seen in Mexico—or the world, for that matter. What the nimrods didn’t know was that a Hollywood movie troupe had manufactured the piscatorial phenomenon. The lake had been chosen as a setting for Brynaprod’s Universal release, “The Last Sunset,’ now at the See aie meee Theater and starring Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand, during Mexico location scenes. Cinematographer Ernest Laszlo felt the lake should look bluer for his color cameras, so special effects experts dyed the waters with special chemicals. The water turned a lovely blue —and so did the fish. SET" (2.D} Rock Hudson and Dorothy Malone zip through a Mexican folk dance in a musical scene for “The Last Sunset,” powerful action drama of conflict and passion also starring Kirk Douglas, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand. The Brynaprod color drama is being released by Universal. (Still 1899-55) Rock Hudson faces Kirk Douglas in the showdown gun battle for “The Last Sunset,” powerful action drama of conflict and passion that also stars Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand. The Brynaprod color production is a release by Universal. Food For Hams ? Regis Toomey, on location at Aguascalientes, Mexico, to appear with Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone and others in location scenes for Brynaprod’s Universal release, “The Last Sunset,’”’ now playINS atabLNe se | pe Theater, took advantage of a day off to visit a local tortilla factory. “It was a great experience,”’ Regis told his fellow-actors later. “I think every actor in the company should take the same tour I did.” “Why?” Dorothy Malone asked him. ‘‘What’s so interesting about watching somebody make tortillas?” “Honey,” cracked Toomey, “every time those women began slapping those tortillas into shape, it sounded exactly like applause.” Kirk's Chapped Lips Make Whistle Scene Painful Experience (Advance) Starring in a rugged outdoor action drama can provide countless physical discomforts — but none so rare as the one that befell Kirk Douglas during location filming in Aguascalientes, Mexico, for Brynaprod’s Universal release, ‘“The Last Sunset,’’ opening Soon ‘ats thew 2 es * Theater. In the powerful action drama of conflict and passion that also stars Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand, Kirk is seen as a gunslinger who is just as quick with the ladies as he is with a derringer. In his romantic pursuit of Dorothy Malone, Kirk charms her with a new Dimitri Tiomkin-Ned Washington tune, “Pretty Little Girl in the Yellow Dress,” both singing and whistling the melody at various intervals in the story. The singing was no problem, but the whistling was plain murder. After two weeks in the broiling hot sun, gusty winds and dust storms of Aguascalientes, Douglas’ lips were cracked, chapped and sore. Even to shape his lips into a whistle was a painful chore. (Still 1899-72) Woops, M Dear! Movie villains Neville Brand and Jack Elam are still wondering how this happened: Arriving in Aguascalientes, Mexico, much later than other members of the cast of Brynaprod’s “The Last Sunset’ to play their roles with co-stars Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten and Carol Lynley, the two screen heavies faced an Aguascalientes housing shortage brought on by the moviemaking visitors. So each day Brand and Elam traveled to the set to pose all kinds of film villainy for the color camera. At night when work was finished, they returned to their quarters—the bridal suite at the Paris Hotel! “The Last Sunset,” a Brynaprod action color drama for Universal release, is now playing at the Theater. Mexico Ranchers Lose Herd as Film Company Unsuspecting Rustler (Current) A Hollywood movie location near Aguascalientes, Mexico, still has some very delicate explaining to do—as soon as they find out to whom they owe the apology. At the start of filming of Brynaprod’s Universal release, ‘‘The Last Sunset,” which is now playqo eas Cher see ee Theater, coproducers Hugene Frenke and Edward Lewis made arrangements to rent a herd of 1000 cattle to appear with Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten and Carol Lynley. After photographing the cattle drive in color, Director Robert Aldrich decided to cut the herd in half for easier handling of the cattle in closer scenes and discovered that it had grown to 1120 head. Evidently the Mexican vaqueros handling the herd had unknowingly been picking up strays each day while moving the cattle around from one location to another over open range land. Crew Constructs Most Durable Cinema Town At Mexican Location (Current) A $200,000 western town built 40 miles northeast of Aguascalientes, Mexico, as the main set for Brynaprod’s Universal release, “The Last Sunset,” starring Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand, is not only one of the largest and most expensive ever erected in Mexico by a Hollywood film company. It is also the most durable set ever built. Although the 4'%-acre set features the familiar board-front architecture of early Texas, behind the wood is a solid foundation and walls fashioned of adobe, the same Mexican construction material that has withstood the elements for hundreds of years. “It was cheaper to build the sets out of adobe,’ Art Director Al Sweeney explained. ‘“‘Labor is inexpensive in Mexico and adobe is everywhere while wood is one of the most costly materials in the country. Unless something happens, our movie town of Crazy Horse, Texas, should still be standing well into the 21st century.” The powerful color action drama of conflict and passion directed by Robert Aldrich with Eugene Frenke and Edward Lewis as coproducers, is now on the screen of the .. Theater. become involved in a most unusual love affair in “The Last Sunset,” powerful action drama of conflict and passion. Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten and Neville Brand also star in the Brynaprod color production released by Universal. (Still 1899-20AD ) ee Rock Hudson and Dorothy Malone are teamed romantically on the screen for the third time in “The Last Sunset,’ powerful action drama of conflict and passion also starring Kirk Douglas, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley and Neville Brand. Universal releases the Brynaprod color film. (Still 1899-19AD ) Heat, Acting Rigors Trim Weight of Stars (Advance) Have a weight problem ? A diet not recommended for those who like comfort trimmed an aggregate of 72 pounds off the all-star cast of Brynaprod’s Universal release, ‘“‘The Lact Sunset,” during rugged location scenes filmed near Aguascalientes, Mexico. In strange contrast, Kirk Douglas put on weight during filming of the outdoor action color film that opens.o3. 4 at the Theater, “It was the tortillas,’ Kirk explained. “I love them so much I ate them like hotcakes three times a day.”