The Family Way (Warner Bros.) (1966)

Hayley and John Mills, plus the B Make New Film, ‘THE FAMILY WAY,’ a Family Affair “The Family Way,” the Warner Bros.-Seven Arts presentation in Technicolor of the Boulting Brothers’ new production, is the story of newlyweds whose marriage, in the words of one character in the film, “hasn’t taken une The film opens on abe aes vi gatareTheater. Hayley Mills, now grown up and displaying marvelous new talents, stars in her first married role. Her father, the remarkably versatile John Mills, stars as her father-in-law, adding another characterization to his already giant portrait gallery. Making his motion picture debut as Hayley’s bridegroom is a 23-yeat-old Welshman named Hywel Bennett who was described by one London reviewer as “the sexiest gentleman to arrive on the screen since Mr. Richard Burton was first flexing his compulsive charm with such enriching effect.” The veteran Marjorie Rhodes rounds out the film’s stellar quartet with a scenestealing performance as Hywel’s mother and Mills’ wife. Featured roles are played by Avril Angers, Liz Fraser, Wilfred Pickles, John Comer, Barry Foster and Murray Head. Many other parts are enacted by what the screen credits list as “The People of Bolton,” the town in Northern England where the picture was filmed. Twin brothers John and Roy Boulting produced and directed “The Family Way” from a screenplay by Bill Naughton (author of “Alfie”), adapted from his stage play, “All In Good Time.” Paul McCartney of The Beatles composed the music as his first film score. Roy Boulting explains the basic problem of young Arthur and Jenny Fitton, portrayed respectively by Hywel Bennett and Hayley Mills, like this: “Start with the premise that on every wedding night there are six people in the honeymoon bed—the newlyweds and both sets of parents. Until four of them have been kicked out, the marriage can’t really begin.” Forced to live in the home of the boy’s parents, the newlyweds discover that paper-thin walls, parental intrusion and a long lifetime of maladvice obstruct the consummation of the marriage and nearly wreck the youngsters’ future. “The Family Way” is a bittersweet comedy that explores a subject which has never before reached the screen. The approach is straightforward, but there is a sense of dignity in the production that presents the theme with grace, humor and honesty. No pompous social tract, the film shows characters who work out their own problems so that children and parents alike come to a better understanding of each other. Paul McCartney, of Beatle Fame, Composes His First Film Score For the Bittersweet ‘Family Way’ Adventurous Paul McCartney, one of the world-acclaimed Beatles, emerges as a full-fledged motion picture composer with the musical score, his first, for “The Family Way.” The Technicolor film, released by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, opens OWS cisrcietere at the Theater. Included in McCartney’s vibrant, emotion-piquing score is a hit song, a romantic melody entitled “Love In the Open Air,” that sets the pace for the screen romance between Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett. Until recently, McCartney was involved in a successful songwriting team he had formed with another Beatle, John Lennon. But, for “The Family Way,” he accepted the challenge on his own. Working closely with George Martin, an independent record producer who has supervised every Beatles record in Britain, McCartney utilized a provocative composing method— a sort of musical dictation. He would eee wees hum, or strum the guitar, and Martin would transcribe the notes. Besides Miss Mills and. Bennett, an exciting new Welsh actor, “The Family Way” stars Hayley’s father, John Mills, along with Marjorie Rhodes. Featured roles are played by Avril Angers, Liz Fraser, Wilfred Pickles, John Comer, Barry Foster and Murray Head. Many other parts are taken by what the screen credits list as “The People of Bolton,” the North of England industrial town where the picture was filmed. Twin brothers John and Roy Boulting produced and directed “The Family Way” from a screenplay by Bill Naughton, based on his play, “All In Good Time.” McCartney added the talent of actor to his credits as singer, musician and composer when he appeared in two films, “Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!”, with the other Beatles, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. TEAPOT TEMPEST A top-level breakfast conference between the mother and father of the groom, Marjorie Rhodes and John Mills, attempts to find solutions to the marital problems of their son in “The Family Way.” The Boulting Brothers’ pro duction opens on eet e eee at the Theater. The film stars Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett as the newlyweds. Mat 2B Still No. FW-11 oulting Brothers, HAPPINESS IS... It’s the long, bumpy road to marital happiness that bewilders Hywel Bennett and Hayley Mills in Warner Bros.-Seven Arts’ “The Family Way.” The Technicolor film, directed and produced by Roy and John Boulting, opens on ....... at the Page is tie snd Theater. John Mills and Marjorie Rhodes are cast as the parents of the groom. Featured roles are played by Avril Angers, Liz Fraser, Wilfred Pickles, John Comer, Barry Foster and Murray Head. Many other parts are enacted by what the screen credits list as “The People of Bolton,” the town in Northern England where the picture was filmed. The screenplay for “The Family Way” was written by Bill Naughton and the musical score was composed by Paul McCartney. Mat 3A Still No. FW-94 Writer Naughton Won't Let Success Spoil His Style Success has not spoiled Bill Naughton, the noted British playwright. For the past 17 years, he and his wife, Erna, have lived in a oneroom London apartment, without a radio or TV_ set. Furthermore, Naughton claims he cares not what the neighbors say. What they are saying, of course, is that Naughton is a howling success. Particularly since the first rave reviews broke in England for his latest screen hit, a new Technicolor film, “The Family Way,” starring Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, John Mills and Marjorie Rhodes. Originally, Naughton wrote “The Family Way” as a stage play entitled “All In Good Time.” He later adapted it for the screen with Roy Boulting and Jeffrey Dell. Naughton has also seen another of his works, “Alfie,” become a major hit in England and America on both stage and screen. His most recent play, “Spring and Port Wine,” has just entered its second year on London’s West End. “T came to writing very late,” says Naughton who is 55. “I haven’t time to do hackwork. I wrote to describe the world exactly as I see it. My next work will be based upon the same kinds of perception that created the others. For my part, success is something which your friends imagine is happening to you.” “The Family Way,” a bittersweet story, stars Miss Mills and Bennett as newlyweds whose marriage, in Naughton’s words, “hasn’t taken on.” Twin brothers John and Roy Boulting produced and directed the film which is due to open on ...... at thes. 28or: Theater. Featured in the cast are Avril Angers, Liz Fraser, Wilfred Pickles, John Comer, Barry Foster and Murray Head. Many other parts are enacted by “The People of Bolton,” Naughton’s hometown in the industrial North of England, where “The Family Way” was filmed. Paul McCartney, who rose to fame as one of the celebrated Beatles, has created his first musical score for “The Family Way.” Working closely with George Martin, McCartney styled a peppy arrangement through an offbeat composing method. The Mills Family Is Its Own Show Biz Industry Acting, to the British, is definitely a family affair. Cases in point, are the formidable Michael Redgrave and John Mills clans. The Redgraves — father Michael, mother Rachel Kempson, son Corin, daughters Lynn and Vanessa—are establishing a modern theatrical legend. The Redgrave family appears together in films sometimes, but they usually prefer to go it alone. The John Mills family, however, likes lots of professional, as well as familial, interaction. Indeed, the latest motion picture featuring the omni present Mills talents is aptly titled, “The Family Way.” The new Technicolor comedy stars John Mills and his daughter, Hayley, in a bittersweet comedy about newlyweds. Mills portrays Hayley’s father-in-law. Miss Mills, in her first married role, plays the young bride opposite an exciting Welsh newcomer, Hywel Bennett. Now 21, Miss Mills reaches new maturity as a sensitive actress with her emotionally-charged performance in “The Family Way.” In many of her other 12 films, she appeared with her father or in screenplays written by her mother, Mary Hayley Bell. She made her motion picture debut at 13 in “Tiger Bay” with her father. This father and daughter team has also shown up in “The Chalk Garden” and “The Truth About Spring.” In “Sky West and Crooked,” father directed daughter in a screenplay by mother Mills, who has written more than 30 books, plays and scripts— many of which served as acting vehicles for her husband, Hayley and another daughter, Juliet. Mrs. Mills’ works for the performers in the family have included “Men in Shadow,” “Duet for Two Hands” and “Whistle Down the Wind.” “It’s getting to the point where, whenever Mummy starts something new, daughter Hayley comments, “we don’t ask her ‘what’s the story?’ but ‘anything good in it for us?’” The Mills’ oldest daughter, Juliet, made her first theatrical appearance at three when her father carried her on stage in a drama, “In Which We Serve.” Her major break came at 16 in the London and New York productions of the play, “Five Finger Exercise.” Along with John and Hayley Mills, sensitive portrayals by Marjorie Rhodes, Avril Angers, Liz Fraser, Wilfred Pickles, John Comer, Barry Foster and Murray Head can be seen in “The Family Way.” Many other parts are enacted by what the screen credits list as “The People of Bolton,” the North of England industrial town where the picture was filmed. Twin brothers John and Roy Boulting produced and directed “The Family Way.” Bill Naughton wrote the screenplay from his stage play, “All In Good Time.” Paul McCartney of The Beatles composed the score of the film. “The Family Way” opens ONSA Re at the Theater. Father of the Groom JOHN MILLS is the tough-buttender father of the young new bridegroom in “The Family Way.” The Boulting Brothers’ Technicolor production opens on.....atthe ..... Theater. Mat 1C Still No. FW-61 PAGE 1 =