Variety (November 1963)

TY i I a re een Ayr on rents nia ines ieon ce. eink aie mentee ai , 5 i, ath nA Nt ane ne We Ny Lat te: ee : . a eae , op anise Bp na, : . ‘ . on . . . can cae" TREE . i nen, Sis * Rcerpe> 22 We ane pee: at hen Xe nn at Sia Pink pacers Tag ss ear ai onl papa ars Diptera an ing Perea nara per at aeieaihk nak SC haeae alae at Peiagnniontanenai Se eee eh ack ene ie Bl 5 aa! 1 Wednesday, November 27, 1968 seit Ah Mere 2 Y some of . Stone with David Miller to direct . No B. O. Estimates This Week| Assassination ‘of President Kennedy’ at. noontime “Yast Friday © (22) crippled theatre attendance all over the United States... Cashiers-remained nearly idle for the next. hours, with few tickets: sold. Later in the afternoon managements closed houses altogether 2 for the balance of Friday. Saturday and Sunday were definitely under the pall-of a universal gloom and the boxoffice reflected this. Monday, of course, was the day of. the funeral. All of the foregoing will help explain the decision of Vanarr 7 to omit’ for this one week only, the usual boxoffice estimates from the 25-odd cities of the domestic (U.S.-Canada): market. In brief, President. Kennedy’s death so drastically slashed normal business . intake that the gross totals reported by firstrun could not reflect . the true worth of individual. films, currently in firstrun. This is especially true of Broadway firstrun: grosses because there,. the theatres were closed Friday night starting at 4:30 to. 5: pan. .and again all-day Monday (till 5:30 p.m.) in observance. of the President’s funeral. Usual patrons stayed away in droves Saturday. (23), making this one ofthe dullest Saturdays in. years, particularly on Broadway. New York Sound Track New Yorkers impressed with Jack Warner's appearance as he hosted a “21” press conference, It’s. said he’s 71, but this WB prez evidently has a deal with the calendar because he looks much ‘younger .. . ' “Under the Yum. Yum Tree” mostly slammed by the local criti¢s; ‘only: Besley Crowther in the Times had a.kind word... What used: ‘to. be titled “The Rape,” and then was. changed to“The Outrage,” ealled “Judgment in the Sun.” Otte Preminger in San Francisco for the successful screening. ‘of. .“The Cardinal,” was asked by an interviewer if he were a Catholic. |. “Pm a Jew. But I’m not a senator, and I made | “Advise and Consent.’ I’m. not a dope fiend,:and I directed ‘The Man | With the Golden Arm? And I’m not.a virgin, but I produced : ‘The | “No,” he answered. Moon Is Biue.’” A Star In His Own Home Dept.: Jimmy Stewart reports that his late father never particularly liked him as-an actor, especially in westerns. (“He said whenever I got on a horse I looked as if I were about to kiss it’). His mother, says Stewart, always saw “every performance of every film I made” when it arrived at his hometown in Indiana. : “However, she was: never quite sure what the story. was about . because she was always too busy looking at me.” Seven Arts national publicity director Dick Brooks off to. Mexico ‘and: Vallarta location where “Night of The Iguana” winds at the end. nis week . . . New Yorkers who have accepted: invitations..to the eufrent festival-of-festivals at Acapulco. include Shelley Winters, Mr. d Mrs. George Roy Hill and Prof. Robert Gessner.. / Max Youngstein, at a 10 a.m. 20th-Fox press conference for his “Man fin The Middle’: “You. can always tell. about: a film company from the {time of day it holds its press conferences” . first film, the..1933. Australian version of “Mutiny on The Bounty,” will shown -by the Essex Film Club (Nutley, N. J.) Dec. 14-15 as part of its program on The Australian Film John Tracy, who plays the title role in the Off-Broadway “Telemachus Clay,” flew to Hollywood late Sunday (24) night for a Harold Hecht. screen test.. He ‘was due ; back last (Tues.) night. Attorney Ephraim London, Time “Magazine torrespondent N éil MacNeil and Congressman John V. Lindsay will discuss MacNeil’s book,. “Forge of Demogracy;”” at the N.Y.U. School of Law Dec. 5... King "Hussein of Jordan hag just finished his first motion picture: a ‘short. travelog which will be shown. at the Jordan’ Pavilion at the upcoming N. Y. World’s Fair . at Noon,” a coproduction of Embassy prez Joseph E. Levine and ‘Italo producer : Carlo Ponti... . Milton Berle goes to London’Dec. 1 to: par ticipate in the debut there of “It’s a Mad, Mad,; Mad, Mad World” the . Paramount’s exec contingent, including Barney following evening . Balaban, George Weltner, Charles Boasberg, Leonard Kaufman, Martin ‘Davis and others, returned. from Madrid and meetings with: Samuel}. Bronston over the weekend. Elke Sommer is the third leading lady to. be signed to appear opposite Peter Sellers in Blake Edwards’ “Shot in the Dark’-for Mirisch-UA.. She has succeeded Romy Schneider who had recently succeeded Sophia Loren-who had withdrawn due to illness. Miss Schneider. was forced: to exit because of her current assignment, Columbia’s “Good Neighbor has run over schedule and she can’t make ‘it to London in. time Sam,’ 99 to start her roll.’ Joe -Levine last week received a personally-inscribed: ‘photo | “of: Attorney. General. Robert F. Kennedy,. who. had’ been the. guest of honor at. the Embassy prez’s TOA keynote -banquet. some weeks ago. Levine, incidentally, and. wife Rosalie were: among. 20 guests” at a. recent private: Kennedy party attended by the late: President ..°. UA will world preem Frank Perry’s “Ladybug, Ladybug” ° at the | Lido Theatre Dec. 12, with its Gotham. bow set for Dec. 23 at Cinema Il. _Elick Moll will script “The Greatest Job in the: World”’ for Melville ; ‘Shavelson and Paramount. Cary Grant has signed Leslie Caron to be his ‘costar in ‘his. still untitled upcoming Universal comedy-drama being scripted by . Peter World” cast include Margaret MacGrath, Kathrine Ellison. and Clown Max . “A Yank in Viet-Nam” is the. new. title for. Allied Artists’s “The Year of the ‘Tiger’ . promote the latter’s “Fun in Acapulco.” _ Robert Weston, Embassy Pictures. ad-pub v. D. back from. his first European operations o.o.. over the weekend, having been preceded ‘by’ --Sam Fuller planning a-series ’ of six comedy -pix to topline. Constance. Towers and. Patsy Kelley, the boss Joe Levine earlier in the week . first tentatively title “If a Lady Answers.” He’s currently. .completing che I Naked Kiss” for Allied. Artists. with the: two: ladies’ prominantly | “eas . John Forsythe set to topline with. Ann-Margret in: “Universal's. “Kitten With a Whip.” Peter Sellers spotlighted ina five-page. “dialog” with. Carol ‘Burnett in the December issue of Redbook . “Little Theatre” ... Universal has acquired William McGivern’s “Seven Against Tomorrow” and has signed. him to adapt it. for ‘the screen. Elliott Kastner will produce, -giving him three pix to: make -for the . UA. Records out this week with the soundtrack LP to “Tom: studio . Jones,” spotlighting John Addison’s score.: Arthur B. Krim, United Artists prez, elected to the board. of. trustees of the New School for Social Research, N. Y... |-new lows .in' key cities across the | | country, “Many: . ‘cinemas :. closed: .| shortly: after. news: of. ‘the: chief:|. | executive’s © death owas across the country, and remained shuttered ‘Friday night. Though ‘| nearly all theatres opened the fol-. | lowing ‘day (Sat.), patronage was 4 | ‘a very weak day” .at the b.o. Sun+ | day was. similar as regarded at-| 1 tendanee. Then. the: nation's film stands :were -closed down. again |’. _¥ | funeral. Most theatres, ‘including Broadway's: principal .. “ones; ~ »Teopened around 5:30 p.m.. ‘Canadians were in. shock, | has" undergone another nomenclature: switch. | The Metro picture _ is now | ‘dows.. No. marquees glowed. Satur| ‘day business was “unbelievably”. ‘| with the: morbid fascination ° of N.Y. Musie Hall, playing “Wheeler. | Trade slipped to less than $60,000 -for the three-and-a-half: day period |: : through Sunday (24) night ‘in the | second .weeK. of: this. engagement. 000 the first four. days of opening stanza at the Hall, Attempting: to -estimate..what the ‘six-day. second: .-The late Errol Flynn’s ‘stanza would. reach. obviously be-' -with estimates ranging from $91,000. to $80,000, depending largely -on .-how trade. rebounded: after : (Continued on } page: 10)’ -buyers. in. evidence. -one . _Yum.-Tree.’’. . latest addition to. the “Circus Paramount ‘has developed a. special promotion campaign designed. especially for” Elvis: Presley’ 5 fans to |” 7 in ‘Paris _ ‘and Rome’ as. well as dickering. distribution ‘abroad of: GDA pix:. :°; Eugene Tunick, ‘UA -eastern: and. Canadian” ‘division manager, “pattern after the holiday’ ‘period .. . N. Y. Variety ‘Club Barkerettes| will hold a membership. luncheon Dec. 3 at the Helena Rubinstein (Sic): . George Macready and | Anne Seymiéur into “Where Love. Has ‘Gone.’ ” ‘Graham Stark, Vanda} . Godsell, Martin Benson and Moira Redmond signed: for “Shot. i in. the TOON SHES use Regis ay i YANKEE SHOCK). By MIKE WEAR. Slaying of President John. F. : Kennedy in Dallas last Friday (22) | Flamingo’s: plunged firstrun: film business to. ‘ANOTHER MIAMI: PIC ‘Barly In 1966 oe Miami, ‘Nov. "96. Flamingo ‘Productions, local film company whose first. pic,.:the ex flashed so slim that most houses reported |.the first of the year. Film is a mur in the Miami. area Monday::.during and -.after the oa g crews, has a tentative ‘sked calling for the production. of four to six Apathy towards all forms of en-| tertainment. was reflected: at firstbudgets... are: run: cinemas: in ‘Toronto .. where | $100,000. on -each pic, though all ‘too.. Strorigest pictures . slipped sharply. at es may. have suffered. the } France Finally Sees . — Universal’s ‘All Quiet’: most. From twilight onward ‘Times |. Square: was’ blacked out. No cashjers sat behind their glass win|. sliggish. There was -no. competing |. video and radio. wos ade -being released. . “in. a du Perhaps typical of the way busi-. ness melted: away was. the huge. Dealers” with the usual: stageshow. Paris preem. This compared with close to $100, aman: ‘soldier, . launched Lew ‘Ayers as a-star:: comes unapologetic: guésswork, |. more. ‘countries. oe Dark” noe A's are currently circulating «.. President Kennedy pracessional ‘in “Washington on Sunday: ¢ (24). ‘Ob| ‘viously had the public in no mood for entertainment, Kenyon Hopkins, just~ appointed’ ‘creative director . of | musi¢’ ‘for CBS-TV, signed to do the musical ‘score for’ “Lilith”. legiter, ‘A’ Gift’ of Time,” for -benefit of the. Actors: Fund . of Gerald Goldsmith’s. theme for “The Prize’” on ‘the market |; ... Andrew. and Virginia Stone stayed in: ‘town just long enough to host ‘MGM. execs at a screening of. their latest, “Never Put. Tt in Writing.’ ” Then | they. continued. on. their. London-to-L.A; trek. =. | ‘Ivan Tors. wound up: the underwater: sequences | ‘for hig. sequal to}. “Flipper” near ‘Nassau. Producer doesn’t have.a-title yet for the new . Arthur Klar’s National Publishers. has-the. rights to the souvenir’ . Columbia -will play.-the. suburbs concurrent with firstrun with. “Under the Yum . The local Disney. office reports “20, 000 Leagues. Under the Sea” grossed $230,000. in a weéek’s‘run at°27.RKO houses. Paired. | at the bottom with the reissue in some locations was: “Lafayette,” French production which: didn’t ‘live up to. advance. billing as “epic.” “Landau Co. has ‘acquired Yank: exhibition and tv rights. to: pone a= ony Bill in Gotham: plugging Allied Artists’: ‘Soldier ‘in Ltn “Rain” ... °°.) V. Cunningham’s |: : -Georgé Maharis, now]. ‘readying “Satan. Bug” ‘for Mirisch-UA, up. "for: “That Funny. Feeling’... ‘book on: Samuel Bronston’s “Fall of the Roman Empire.’” Servant; ’ Harold Pinter screenplay directed by ‘Joseph Losey:. Sydney Boehm. will :write a-screenplay.: based on °K,. “Sylvia” -for Martin. Poll. and Paramount , and “The “Art of Love’: at: Universal. which may also. finance. a third ; PEM A. for ‘the.actor’s own GEOMI production: company. _ Ripps, Cinema Distributors ‘of America: prez, product. hunting helming™ Sales meetings in. Detroit and Cincinnati. . UW's: “Charade” | . booked in.212 exchange ..aréas. for: Xmas » presentation, : ‘spreading its' | . John Downing,-Embassy exchange. operations manager, ‘back in. Gotham. after: meetings with‘ field: personnel in the.company’s southern district ; . Par’s. “Love With the Proper ‘Stranger,”. which plays an Oscar. qualifer. in. Hollywood. at. Christmas, | also set to ‘debut in’ New York D 2 it the L 5 ' r ec. a be e ew’ 5. tate and Murray “tree. credits. ‘inglude .. Armstrong. Theatre, ‘Phileo ‘Playhouse and the Loretta Young: Show..In 1961 he-. “went to the coast to. write for the Os Hill Theatres. . “Millie . Goes’ To. Budapest-Who Ts: “Millier”” “is.. tiow‘called. “The: Golden Head”: (UA) and virtually ‘completed... Connie. Soloyanis, special publicist. on: the job, plans’ a’ Gotham return’ after previously forsaking. ‘New. ‘York to reside in. Athens with his. Greek bride and her: family Nicolas Reisini; Cinerama topper, :is intérested: in. ‘working with Dino: de Laurentiis on “The Bible” but only ‘if it’s ’"keptdown -to. under ‘three hours. and much. better nearer. two.””: : This. is what the Cinerama_ topper. confided to..a friend which is;.of course, quite a switch from. De ‘Laurentiis’ original palaver. about. making it. as. 12-hour: film.” : Evelyn. Muldau, secretary. to ‘Charlie’ Boasberg, Paramount | distrib uting head, discharged from Flatbush General Hosp, following 3 burgery.' ploitation-angied : **Passion:. Holf-. day”. is now. in release, expects: ‘to: be ready to release its second ‘pic, “The Deadly: Circle,” shartly after ‘der:-mystery .and like. “Holiday,’”’: ‘was shot in. color and on locations Flamingo,:. which’ shoots. its ‘pix 7 with all-union, all-Miami casts and filming As: done. in. Eastman ‘colar. | “ After 33-Year Refusal After: a delay of 33. years; “AN ‘Quiet on The. Western Front,” is -inFrench ‘version . in France. The: Universal ‘pic, . ‘regarded by “many ‘as_a. film classic, ‘was launched Armistice Day in an. eight-theatre, Holdback ‘of . the pie in France was: due to the sensitivity on the|part: of Freneh authorities to the Eric: Reniarque story,. which. telis: the story’ of: World War. One through the. eyes. of a young Ger_ the role ~. which -eRyom: “Russia With ‘Love*. enjoying: lotsa’. ‘tausical. support. in London ‘where six disks, including: the film’s soundtrack: LP,, . Vie Lundin set for Paramount's “Robinson: ‘Crusoe on Mars” sci-fi pic. based on the: Daniel: ‘Dafoe classic but: this | time about. an astronaut shif wreck don: ars. . Indie producer-director Wilson Ashley’s ‘first feature, |. P. € M “The Seducers,”” opens at the World in Chicago tomorrow (Thurs.). | Leonard. Lightstone, Embassy Pictures exec v.p., planed _.to. Paris yesterday (Tues.) to set up the preems there and.in Belgium for “Ghost. Many. neighborhood . theatres didn’t -meet' ‘expenses. over: the past: assassination. weekend. Broadway had.pedestrian traffic but few ticket. ‘Television’ s and. radio’s: coverage . of -the’ late | : BETTE DAVIS AS . Glenn Ford | 7 due in from Hollywood Dec. 20-to' do .a. one-night appearance ein, the F 7 roy | ° Donahue .willappear in the Macy ‘parade tomorrow ¢Thurs.) . « » Bob. Ferguson : ‘back: from biz ‘meetings around Europe. ... Four recordings. upon the “book, ‘| Crossville; : Tenn.,. _entitled:: Pockets, en, ists Vs Pathe v. ‘Charging breach. ‘of an agree-“|ment..which, it. is claimed, called | for “the ‘distribution of the. film. -sDeadiyCircle’ Due: “Wild. Harvest, *. ‘Hollywood _Art{ists ‘Productions Inc. ‘hag. filed: suit. [in N. ¥; Supreme Court: against | ‘Pathe. American. Distributor -Co,: and Pathe-Alpha Finance Co, Ace © tion’ seeks.‘an order declaring a. loan :. agreement. with. Pathe Fi‘nance . ‘Damages of. $150,000 and an ac satisfied ~ and. -¢ancelled. counting are sought in the action: which. also brings in the name: of Astor Pictures, now in Chapter IX bankruptcy. According to the complaint, Holiywood. Artists and defendants {not including Astor)’ entered into an | feature ‘during:.1964. According to: agreement in’ May, 1960, whereby exec producer Herbert. D. ‘Meyers, |. beingkept below they agreed to pay. one-third of ‘the: production cost. of “Harvest.” . The. agreement, it is. claimed; .-.: ‘called for defendants to distribute the picture: and contained the pro-. ; vision that Pathe not sell or assign: any rights. until. twa: ‘years. after. . [initial distribution. . The suit further. alleges that de | fendants, in’ violation, assigned. Tights: in Sept.,-1961, and. says that . in “June, 1963, plaintiff ‘learned through trade ‘sources that Astor. ‘was distributing the film, although Pathe: had never advised Holly-. ‘wood Artists of the assignment. The :suit..also states that plaintitfs. have made repeated demands for’ money it claimed is owed it. under the pact. in question but that. none has been received. | “It is further’ claimed thai, under oe terms .of the agreement, the time is rapidly’ approaching when Pathe can sell tv rights to. the property. Hollywood Artists claims that,. should: Pathe be permitted to as. ‘Tsign such rights; plaintiff. would be’ According to U statisticians, the | film -has been released twice in 20 countries, three -times in_15_ ‘other |;, countries, and..fourtimes. ‘in 1 severely’ prejudiced. . Following’ the. filing of. “the ca ‘charges, N. Y. Supreme -Court Jus-— ‘tice Joseph A. Brust granted an. injunction | against. .Pathe-Ameri can, ruling* that litigants. are en titled to. an. -@arly trial. He severed. . Astor from the action ruling,-“‘no: ~~: fraud : or illegality is. shown or claimed: -here:. Itappears that the | Negative is in .the possession. of + Pathe not _Astor. -and to permit | Pathe tosell or. assign: it. “would Prejudice » ‘the: _plaintitt. ae _ MARY TODD LINCOLN: Bette ‘Davis will appear in a. film production ‘based on the: life: : ‘of. Mary ‘Todd Lincoln,.as yet un-... . titled, according: to Josh Baldwin’ and: Maurice Weiss, ..who. are io. be coproducers urder the banner of: Carlton Productions. — Film ‘is to. be "Ioosely -based” .. ris.. This. was’ published. in 1942 by © Farrar. & ‘Rinehart. Screenplay is.° -by Eugene: Barber and locationing in. Springfield, : ‘TIL, is penciled in for late: ‘summer: of 1964. ‘Pant Crabtree Retires: Knoxville, ‘Nov:. 26: Paul. ‘Crabtree, film: director and Broadway. actor; -has: ‘moved to to” make ‘his home.. He ‘is’ writing. a book :to be “Lint: From, Three’ Crabtree: recently’ finished the. picture: “The Owls Are Laughing” ‘for: Nova. Productions. quence ‘were shot. in the: Florida. Everglades. The se« Also. a ‘radio-video ‘actor, “Crab new Loretta Young Show, and ‘pre ‘pared. 18° half-hour. scripts and comedies. . While in“ Hollywood healso-wrote “My. Three Sons” and “Death | Valley Days.” On Broadway : Crabtree. directed several. plays .and played ‘the: ‘role. of Will: Parker in “Oklahoma.” “Mr... Lincoln's ©. Wife,” by. Polly: Ann Colver ‘Har-"”