Parrish (Warner Bros.) (1961)

Restlessness Leads Teen-ager To Bid For Screen Stardom Teenage boredom—the kind any kid feels sometimes during his growing up period—put 16-year-old Sharon Hugueny on the trail to fame and perhaps in the future a fortune. Only a few months ago this bright, brown-eyed girl was just another member of the junior class at Cleveland High School in Reseda, Calif., suburb of Los Angeles. Today she is a budding celebrity, plays the pig-tailed, bicycle-riding charmer who wins Troy Donahue in Warner Bros.’ “Parrish,” opening... at the Theatre, and expertly signed autographs with a_ smiling “thank you” for fans at the film’s Connecticut location. Sharon, trying to keep a clear head in the swirling new world into which she has been catapulted, says: “This all started because I was bored—bored with school work, home routine and even dates, and decided to join an amateur little theatre for kicks. “T went to Welder Daniel who directs the Northridge Theatre Group in my neighborhood, and he gave me a tryout. My only previous acting experience was playing in a_ school production of “Charlie’s Aunt’.” Daniel coached Sharon for a few months, then cast her in “Gigi” at his Hollywood Workshop Theatre. A film agent saw her, brought a Warner Bros. talent scout around the next night, and Sharon’s whole life changed. The studio tested Sharon in a scene from “Blue Denim” and_ her performance won applause from the set crew, a rare accolade. On her 16th birthday, last Feb. 19, she signed a term contract, was cast in “Parrish,” and in a few days taken out of school and enrolled in the studio classroom. A few days there and she was traveling out of California for the first time in her life, flying in a plane for the first time, and posing for her first newspaper picture. With her at the Connecticut location were her mother and a school teacher. “Parrish,” based on Mildred Savage’s novel of the “Tobacco Valley” in Connecticut, will give Sharon the chance to work with Claudette Colbert, Karl Malden, Dean Jagger, Connie Stevens and Diane McBain, besides Donahue. What does it feel like to go from a nobody to a somebody in less than three months? “IT haven’t had time to think about it,” she says simply. Although she admits to an “Alice in Wonderland” feeling, Sharon is outwardly unaffected by the big change in her life. She has poise, self-assurance and confidence, and is not bothered by audiences or the crowds who watched her work in Connecticut. As the character Paige, daughter of Malden, in “Parrish,” the pretty Sharon matures from a 16-year-old to a womanly 19-year-old in the tobacco farm drama, which Delmer Daves produced and directed in Technicolor. Producer-director Delmer Daves whose previous screen effort was “A Summer Place,” the picture that made a star of Donahue, required a lengthy schedule to put “Parrish” on film. The story is backgrounded by the development of tobacco plants from seedlings until stacked in the drying sheds. Famed Port Makes ‘Parrish’ Film Bow Connecticut’s No. 1 tourist attraction—Mystic Seaport—is a setting for scenes between Troy Donahue and*® Claudette Colbert in Warner Bros.’ “Parrish,” opening....... at the Theatre. 66 @ 0-060 8 ee 6 The re-built 19th century whaling village at Mystic attracts 300,000 visitors annually. No motion picture troupe had been permitted to work there before by the Marine Historical Association, non-profit organization operating the historic attraction. “Parrish,” based on Mildred Savage’s best seller, is a drama of Connecticut’s Tobacco Valley, filmed in Technicolor. Newcomer Sharon Hugueny skyrockets to screen stardom in her film debut in Warner’ Bros.’ Technicolor production of ‘‘Parrish,”? opening ......... at the Theatre. The young beauty vies with Connie Stevens and Diane McBain for Troy Donahue’s love in the provocative drama which also stars Claudeite Colbert, Karl Malden and Dean Jagger. Mat 1-D_ Still No. 858-664 Savage Novel Tops Million, On Screen Book sales of Mildred Savage’s “Parrish” have now passed the million mark, according to figures received at Warner Bros. The studio recently completed shooting of a Technicolor motion picture based on the story and opening ........ at the: 280.5 etre Theatre. Longmans recently published the novel in England and editions have been issued in German, French, Dutch, Swedish and Danish. “Parrish” was selected for the Literary Guild Book Club membership and also for Doubleday Dollar Book Club and put out in soft cover by Pocketbooks. Troy Donahue stars in the title role of the motion picture. Also starring are Claudette Colbert, Karl Malden, Dean Jagger, Connie Stevens, Diane McBain and Sharon Hugueny. Delmer Daves produced and directed. 2, 6.16 30 0). Oe it's Love At Last For Oscar Winner Malden In ‘Parrish’ Karl Malden waited a long time for romance to hit him on the screen. “Now, in my later years,” he laughs, “I finally play a love scene in ‘Parrish.’ It has hand holding, kisses, romantic dialogue and_ everything that a man my screen age could hope for. “And it’s with Claudette Colbert, an expert at this kind of acting.” Malden has played villains and nice guys galore since he won stardom and an Academy Award for “A Streetcar Named Desire.” He plays a tough tobacco tycoon in “Parrish,” OMEMIMG RMicverciereis Gtethey.s eae secre: Theatre, but Miss Colbert touches a soft spot in his armor. He proposes to and marries her. “T always wanted to have a try at romance,” admitted the ridge-nosed actor. “I came close to it in ‘Streetcar’ with Vivian Leigh, but Marlon Brando was the leading man in that so I don’t consider my scenes with Vivian made me a romantic figure. “T thought doing love scenes would be hard,” continued Malden. “You know something? They were easy. “When I did play scenes with women in other pictures, I was usually supposed to be revolting to them. In ‘Baby Doll,’ for instance, I chased Carroll Baker through the whole picture, but she never gave me even a kind look. “Tt was the same in ‘The Hanging Tree.’ Maria Schell would rather have held hands with a leper than with me.” Now that Karl has had a chance at being a screen lover, he was dubious about more romance scenes. “T would like to do stories in which I had a love scene or two,” he explained, “but I don’t think it’s in the cards for me. Look at my face. I’m about as far from Barrymore as you can get. “Like any man who has found love late in life, I’ll have to be satisfied with my one chance,” said Malden. In “Parrish” the love affair of Malden and Miss Colbert parallels that of Troy Donahue, Miss Colbert’s son, with various girls in his teen-age bracket. The Technicolor drama, based on Mildred Savage’s novel, is laid in Connecticut’s Tobacco Valley where most of the tobacco for cigar wrappers used in the United States is grown. Parrish’ Cast Blends Veteran Talents, Promising New Faces Speaking in technical terms, the biggest difference between youthful actors like Troy Donahue and experienced ones like Karl Malden is about five camera “takes.” That’s the way Delmar Daves, who directed both these players in “Parrish,” opening .— 4... <=. Warner Bros., sums it up. Daves was thinking about production time and what it costs to present new, young personalities on the screen. In “Parrish,” Donahue portrays the step-son of Malden. The “Parrish” cast is full of new screen faces selected by Daves who believes the time and money spent in working with young actors is paid back at the box office. Besides Donahue, 23, the motion picture has Connie Stevens, 21; Diane McBain, 19; Sharon Hugueny, 16; Hampton Fancher, 21; and David Knapp, 21. All have starring or important roles. “T can ask Karl Malden to play a scene,” explained Daves, “and he can get the most out of it after about two takes. “Troy Donahue lacks Karl’s long years of stage and film training. Troy has confidence and talent, but he still has many tricks to learn that a veteran player uses to advantage. “To get the best out of Troy I go over a scene more often, and shoot it maybe six or seven times. The same is true for the other young players, as compared with Claudette Colbert and Dean Jagger of the ‘Parrish’ cast. Miss Colbert and Dean can wring out a role in an average of two takes. “But we need new faces,” continued Daves. “A big share of our screen audiences are young and they SE (ie ex tte ces Theatre, at Donahue, McBain Film Lovers Despite her father’s efforts to prevent their meeting, Diane McBain as a headstrong debutante and Troy Donahue, one of her father’s field hands, become romantically involved in clandestine nocturnal meetings in the Warner Bros. Technicolor production “Parrish,” opening =. ..). « AWC Grow ot Theatre. Mat 2-B_ Still No. 858-875 Colbert Startles Herself With Decision To Return To Movie Screen In Parrish’ Claudette Colbert really thought she had written finis to her motion picture career and would work only on the stage, of which she is a proud product. Then came the offer to play Troy Donahue’s mother in Warner Bros.’ “Parrish,” opening at the Theatre, and the actress, changing her mind about her screen status, accepted “embarrassingly fast.” Emphasis On Youth Troy Donahue and Connie Stevens find themselves enmeshed in a twisted web of love in this scene from Warner Bros.’ Technicolor production of “Parrish,” openAND cee stairs AL tThes. ni. . Uneatre, also starring Claudette Colbert, Karl Malden, Diane McBain and Sharon Hugueny. Mat 1-E_ Still No. 858-39 Director Surrounds Donahue With New Talent In ‘Parrish’ Troy Donahue, the teenagers new heartbeat, is cast with Claudette Colbert and a group of bright young stars in the Warner Bros.’ drama, “Parrish,” a Technicolor production of Mildred Savage’s novel, laid in Connecticut’ like to see actors with whom they can identify themselves. I believe the ‘Parrish’ cast is nicely balanced between the young and the experienced stars—something for the customers of all ages.” Daves pointed out a danger in using young stars. “Many times a young player becomes a star through his performance in a single picture, such as Donahue did because of ‘A Summer Place.’ The next director who gets him figures that, since he is now a star, he doesn’t need the careful rehearsals anymore. “So many a new player turns in an uneven performance in his next film. V’m glad I had the chance to work with Troy again, after directing him in ‘A Summer Place’.” “Parrish” is based on Mildred Savage’s novel about the people in Connecticut’s Tobacco Valley. It is filmed in Technicolor. s Tobacco Valley, opening..... ab Ee ee acto Theatre. Miss Colbert plays Donahue’s mother in the film, her first Hollywood appearance in five years. She has been starring on Broadway and for two years enacted a lead opposite Charles Boyer in the stage hit, “The Marriage-Go-Round.” The “Parrish” cast is divided into the youth and the mature segments of players, whose romantic and personal problems run in a startlingly parallel pattern in the picture. Karl Malden and Dean Jagger appear among the older group. The young stars, besides Donahue, include singer Connie Stevens of TV’s “Hawaiian Eye” fame, playing the straight dramatic role of a tobacco farm worker who falls in love with Donahue. Two other girls also fall hard for blond, 6-foot-3 Troy, who portrays a tobacco farm worker, also. They are Diane McBain, 19-year-old golden picture,” said Claudette. “You can’t suddenly start playing character roles after you’ve been doing leads for so many years. “Most of the mother parts offered me were too Pollyanish and other older women roles didn’t seem very strong, especially after I had always played leads. But this mother in ‘Parrish’ who finds her own love life, even as her son finds his, was the kind of character I had hoped to find.” Claudette had just finished two years on Broadway as the star of “The Marriage -Go-Round” with Charles Boyer. “T had planned to take a long rest,” she added “Instead, here I am back in action again. I took the part right away.” “Parrish,” in which she marries Karl Malden although her 19-year-old son, portrayed by Donahue, dislikes his new father, is the star’s first Hollywood picture since “Texas Lady” five years ago. It brought her back to her Beverly Hills estate where she had spent only a month, during the summer layoff of “The Marriage-Go-Round,” in two years. “Being home again was wonderful,” exclaimed Claudette. “Although I grew up in New York and love the city I didn’t realize how nice it was to be back in your own house.” Claudette will celebrate her silver wedding anniversary this year. She is married to Dr. Joel Pressman, prominent surgeon on the research medical staff of the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. Pressman made frequent trips to New York during her long Hollywood absence, and they spent several months in Europe. “Tovarich” was the last picture the star made at Warner Bros. The studio has now quartered her in her same old dressing room, Room 0 in Building 4. The persuasion of Delmer Daves, producing and directing “Parrish,” brought Miss Colbert back to the screen. Daves could see no one else in the mother role. The cast of “Parrish,” a Technicolor effort based on Mildred Savage’s novel laid in Connecticut’s Tobacco Valley, includes Dean Jagger, Connie Stevens, Diane McBain, Sharon Hugueny and a host of young newcomers. haired beauty who screen debuted recently in “Ice Palace,” and 16year-old Sharon Hugueny, who makes her motion picture bow in a starring role. Page Nine