Variety (December 1960)

PICTURES 17 Wednesday, December 7, 1960 New York Sound Track Maurice Evans (now in the Broadway musical, "Tenderloin”) revealed on “What's My Line” over CBS, that the recent televised production of “Macbeth” will be released in a motion picture “abroad,” and that "We very much hope Mr. Hall, of the Hallmark card company, will release it gs a film, in the United States.” Americo Aboaf, Universal teepee and foreign general manager, currently in Europe with prexy Milton Rackmil to conduct a series of sales meetings and attend tonight’s (Wed.) “Spartacus” preem in London, will be continuing the busy travel sked well into the new year. On his return from Europe, Aboaf will go to Latin America for sales conferences, after which he’ll be heading for the Far East. Exec spends about four out of every 12 months on these person-to-person selling trips ... Ed Kingsley, Kingsley International, will be distributing ,the current Paris hit, “La Verite” (The Truth), this side under the title of “The Naked Truth.” The Brigitte Bardot-starr^r, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, has already been selected by the French industry as its nominee for the 1961 foreign language Oscar. Kingsley also has acquired the British “League of Gentlemen.” American Express credit cards, among the broadest in what they cover, are also perhaps the strictest as to credit requirements. Certain individuals in show business who have been turned down have received refund checks for the $6 membership fee clearly printed “refund of membership.” -There have been protests to Amexco that this labelling advertised a credit rejection and as such might be construed as skirting commercial libel. E. R. Hamilton of the company doesn’t concede any merit to thp latter allegation, but rejectees who make an issue of the labelling get an unlabelled money order. Liza Loughlin, who telecast with Jackie Gleason and “The $64,000 Challenge,” goes to Rome for the April 1 rolling of the United Artists film. “The Naked Empress,” with Richard Basehart and Albert Salmi. Skip Weshner Jr., son of producers’ representative David (Skip) Weshner, has joined WNCN (FM) and will continue his “Accent on Sound” show. He was formerly with WBAI (FM) and WABC . . . Louis Lober, United Artists foreign operations v.p„ back at his • homeoffice desk after a four-week visit to the company's offices in Europe and the Middle East . . . English character actress Joyce Carey signed by executive producers George Glass and Walter Seltzer for the Penne- baker-Baroda production “The Naked Edge,” now shooting at the ABPC Studios in Lo°ndon. Sheldon Roskin, who just completed a 16-week stint as the unit pub¬ licist on “The Misfits” in Reno and Hollywood, has joined the Solters. O’Rourke & Sabinson praisery and will head up the firm's film depart¬ ment . . . After winding up the filming of “The Connection” in N. Y., producer Lewis Allen left for Mexico City to scout locations for his next indie production, “The Stone Faces,” based on an original screen¬ play by Hdgh Wheeler, author of the play, “Big Fish, Little Fish,” which Allen is currently producing for Broadway . . . The large num¬ ber of roadshow pix in 70m during the past year and in the offing is having a salutory effect on the physical condition of theatres in the U. S. and Canada, according to Universal execs F. J. A. McCarthy and Jeff Livingston, who have inspected theatres in key cities in connection with “Spartacus” bookings . . . Universal is accepting special New Year’s dates for the Tony Curtis starrer, “The Great Imposter.” Embassy. Pictures prez Joseph E. Levine at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, for minor surgery. . Maurice Silverstein, v.p. of Metro International, off to London, Paris, and Rome on business dealing with overseas productions . . . Producer Arthur Freed in from the Coast . . Robert Rothenberg has left the Columbia publicity department to work under Arthur Canton in the Blowitz & Maskel N. Y. office . . . Jack Diamond. Universal’s studio publicity director, here from the Coast for homeoffice talks . . . Noel Coward in from Switzerland to bally Universal’s “The Grass Is Green¬ er,” for which he wrote the music. Sophia Loren has been given ladies-in-waiting in the Sam Bronston production of “El Cid,” now rolling in Spain. They’re Maruchl Fresno* who’s Spanish, and Pearl Sheffy, who’s Canadian. Newsman Jess Steam touches on homos in show' biz in “The 6th Man.” soon-due Doubledav book dealing with the third sex. Title de¬ rives from an alleged N. Y. Police Dept, statistic that every sixth man (in Manhattan! is supposed to have some manifestation of deviation. Not generally known that Arthur Miller did some “unofficial” script¬ ing on “Let’s Make Love.” which starred Marilyn Monroe and Yves Montand, during its filming, some of it frankly designed to “beef up” his then wife’s role. Montgomery Clift stars in “The Hunter,” Robert Blees-Arthur Landau re-make of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Short, Happy Life of Francis Maeomber” . . . C. S. Forester to write screen treatment based on Sir Winston Churchill’s tomes purchased by Paramount . . . John.McIntire Into Hal Wallis' “Summer and Smoke” . . . Roscoe Ates cast for Jerry Lewis’ “Ladies’ Man” ... scripter Wendell Mayes acquired rights to Ross MacDonald’s suspense novel, “The Ferguson Affair,” for packaging as an indie . , . George Stevens Jr. registered “The Scarlet Letter,” the Nathaniel Hawthorne classic, with MPAA . : . Michael Garrison assigned Robert Carson to develop an original comedy script for producer’s Metro slate. Columbia Pictures bought “Maid in U. S. A.,” story by Robert Kanfman ard Peter Barry based on idea by Sidney Harmon, arid assigned, writers to script . . . Stanley Kramer cast Burt Lancaster in “Judgment at Nuremberg,” joining Spencer Tracy and Maximilian Schell in star lineup as German chief justice . . . NunnaUy Johnson purchased “Strangers in Gallah.” novel by Michael Barrett, for probable 20th-Fox release . . . Steve Cochran has top role in “The Deadly Companions,” Maureen O’Hara starrer which Charles Fitz¬ simmons will produce under aegis of Pathe-Alpha . . . Jerry Wald pulled Carol Lynley out of her projected star role in his “High Heels” . for 20th-Fox to switch her to a top role in his “Return to Peyton Place” . . . Ron Gorton joins Ernie Kovacs and Stephen Longstreet on final screenplay for “Panic Button.” Bowmont production to be co-produced by Gorton and Kovacs. Cy Harvey, Janus Films, and his family will be spending Christmas holidays on Martinique and St. Lucia in the West Indies. Janus’ latest Ingmar Bergman release, “The Virgin Spring.” now settled down for a run at the N. Y. Beckman, will be opening in key arties across the country New Year’s Day . . . Fred Schneir, Show Corp. of America, has been named chairman of IFIDA’s public relations committee . . . Munio Podhorzer, Casino Films head and U. S. rep for Franco-London Films, this week on selling trip through key cities in the midwest . . . Richard Attenborough, coproducer and costar of “The Angry Silence,” which Valiant- will release here, as well as of Kingsley’s “League of Gentlemen," in New York from London to meet the press and industry execs . . . Morris Ergas, producer of Continental Distributing’s “General Della Rovere,” also in town on business. Bob Conn, who was 20th-Fox’s branch head in Chicago until promoted Into general sales manager GVnn Norris’ national sales cabinet, was honored at a dinner in Chicago Friday i2) night by local industry friends . . . r.Iargia Dean, actress-producer, who just finished pmc-ucirg “The Long Rope” for 20th, has taken a top featured role in the company’s (Continued on page 22) Hollywood personalities are keeping close tabs on the libel ac¬ tion instituted by Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher against several fan magazines. If the couple suc¬ ceeds in the action, which asks a total of $7,750,000 from eight mag¬ azines, it’s expected that other Hol¬ lywood stars, who have complained about similar alleged misrepresen¬ tations on the part of the fan books, will seek similar recourse. The Taylor-Fisher complaints were served and filed last week in N.Y. Supreme Court by Louis Nizer, of the law firm of Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon, Named as defendants were Bell Publishing Co., Modem Screen; Of¬ ficial Magazine Corp., Screen Stars; Interstate Publishing Corp., Movie World; Countrywide Publi¬ cations, Movie TV Secrets; Sterling Group, Movie Mirror; Ideal Pub¬ lishing Corp., Movie Stars-TV Close-Ups; Fawcett Publications, Motion Picture Magazine; Besscal Publications, TV Film Stars. The complaint charges the “lurid display” of so-called teaser headlines which convey to the pub¬ lic that the articles in the mag¬ azines “would reveal scandalous conduct on the part of the plain¬ tiffs, thereby exciting the prurient curiosity of the public and inciting it to purchase the magazine— whereas the articles themselves in no way substantiated the headlines and often belied them.” The com¬ plaint describes the practice as “sensational, yellow journalism in subversion of every standard of honest and responsible reporting.” It is further stated that the “false charges of shameful and degrading conduct on the part of plaintiffs” affected the couple’s children in that the youngsters were “exposed to the scorn and ridicule of their playmates.” Because of the na¬ ture of the charges and in the in¬ terest of protecting their children. Miss Taylor and Fisher are re¬ questing punitive as well as com¬ pensatory damages. Some of the headlines on which the actions are based are as fol¬ lows: “Eddie Named Father of Liz’ Child!” (Liza Todd), “Will Liz’ Children Be Taken Away From Her?,” “Is Liz Breaking Her Mar¬ riage Vows?.” “Steven Boyd Has Split Up Eddie and Liz!,” “Liz-Ed- die-Debbie: Are They Planning to Live Together?,” “Eddie Flees Deb¬ bie,” “We Dare to Print the Facts. Trouble Between Liz and Eddie,” “Liz Taylor’s Hidden Love Life.” The complaint states that in pub¬ lishing these alleged libels “. . . the defendants acted malaciously, ir¬ responsibly and wickedly for the crass commercial purpose of stimu¬ lating circulation of motion pic¬ ture fan magazines in flagrant dis¬ regard of. the truth and of je- sulting Injury and distress inflicted on the plaintiffs and their chil¬ dren.” In a statement Issued by Miss Taylor and Fisher revealing the retention of Nizer to institute the suit, the couple said they ap¬ pealed to several magazines last summer to put an end to the false stories after they began affecting | the children’s lives “as well as our own.” * They claim the appeals ‘ had no effect. ! “We respect the press' right to j cover our activties,” the statement | said, “but some fan magazines ; a.re not interested in reporting the j as much as in distorting. In most ! of the articles about us. the only thing that was correct was the spelling of our names.” The couple added they would not have taken the steps “if there were any other wav to protect ourselves and our children from being so li- belou.sly exploited.” ‘Hur’ $557,570 in Japan Tokyo, Dec. 6. “Ben-Hur” (M-G> topped the 200-million-yen ($557,570) mark at this city’s Theatre Tokyo on the j 224th day of its run. j A total of 594,980 paid admis¬ sions u ere recorded during this | period. ‘Some Details Still to Be Worked Oat/ Lippert-20th Presumably Re-Signing -:--f Hollywood, Dec. 6. Ontario for Sunday Toronto, Dec. 6. In most municipal elections yes¬ terday (Mon.) in Ontario province where the question of Sunday films pended it was overwhelmingly fa¬ vored. Toronto itself was two to one for breaking the old Bluenose Law. 'Cornwall, as an instance, was five to one. Larger centers also voted in Sun¬ day plays and concerts. Kitchener, an Ontario commu¬ nity heavily Germanic and Lu¬ theran, seems to haw been the ex¬ ception, sticking with the ban ban against Sunday screenings. Foreman Renews At Col, Accents Talent Buildup Carl Foreman, indie producer based in London and aligned with Columbia, would have it known that there are two rocks upon which the indie ship could- crash: for one, ■ there’s the product that the indie wants to make and, second, there’s the matter of the distributor, in his case Columbia, “giving me what I need.” There’s no going astray with Columbia, said Foreman in New j York this week. He stresses that j this company, which antes up his financing, goes along with what he wants to produce and a followup I also makes available the necessary facilities. Foreman and Mike Frankovich, head of Col’s European production, talked the matter out with a re¬ porter in New York this week. Both underlined that Col deals strictly in cooperation so far as the indies working abroad are con¬ cerned. This financier-distrib, it was underlined, has working pro¬ duction organizations in England, France, Italy and global points and all are in a position to make deci¬ sions in behalf of the indie. Foreman, having just completed “Guns of Navorone” at a cost of over $5,000,000 (no decisions yet on roadshow or whatever policy) had three points to stress. 1. The producer-writer is to bow as a' director with his next, this being “Human Kind,” a collection of 24 short stories and character sketches by Alexander Baron, to be made in London, France, Italy and possibly America. 2. His deal with Col has been ex¬ tended to include about six fea¬ tures in exclusive association with this company, 3. And most important of all, in the apparent opinion of both Foreman and Frankovich, a large part of the Foreman-Col-get-to- gether is to focus on the develop¬ ment on the development of new talent. •Writers, like playwrights, direc¬ tors and British-Continental play¬ ers are to be groomed for indie work under the Foreman-Col scheme and it’s conceivable, said Frankovich, that they will become interchangeable with talent work¬ ing with other Col producers. PRIVATE SETTLEMENT Philadelphia, Dec. 6. Suit recently brought by 20th- Fox against Sanford Gottlieb, trad¬ ing as Tri-State Theatre Service, in-Municipal Court here, was set¬ tled out of court for an undisclosed amount. 20th brought the action to re¬ cover $538 from Gottlieb for un¬ paid film rentals due from the closed Grand Theatre, Bristol, Pa., contending that the film buying service obligated itself for pictures it bought by signing exhibition contracts for the Grand. Robert Lippert acknowledges he has not signed contract with 20th- Fox on three of his most- recently canned features for 20th’release, nor inked paper for “The Big Top,” now shooting in Munich. Producer says he agreed on new contract “in principle” last summer, but some details remain to be worked out.» | He hopes pact, calling for 16 j films, will be signed this week I while Skouras is on coast. Trio I sans formal deal include “It Hap¬ pened In Athens.” “The Long Rope,” “Sniper’s Ridge.” Despite lack of signed contract. Lippert continues preparation of “At The End of Sante Fe Trail,” “Battle of Bloody Beach.” One film which Lippert blue¬ printed and started, was taken away from him by 20th, “The Canadians,” starring Robert Ryan, This, shot on Royal Northwest Mounted Police locale in Canada, has emerged on Eady Fund entry, under 20th-Fox Films Ltd., will be dubbed and scored in-London. A* British crews, many English or Canadian thesps were used, quali¬ fying for Eady classification not ! difficult. Lippert believes he will get an¬ other project- added to his slate to fill in for being “bumped” of? “Canadians.” Latter understood have been brought in for around $600,000, with Ryan drawing $125,- 000 of that sum. British Theatres Clout Tollvision London, Dec. 6. The Cinematograph Exhibitors* i Assn., equivalent of Theatre Own¬ ers of America, is submitting its memorandum on tollvision to the Pilkington Committee this week and expressing an unqualified “anti” viewpoint. This represents a subtle switch on the attitude hith¬ erto expected to be put forward to this Government-appointed probe, which is charged with ex¬ amining the whole future of radio and tv in Britain: time was, when the memo could well have em¬ phasized the 100^. “no” towards feevee but additionally carried sug¬ gestions for exhibitor participation should tollvision nevertheless be eventually- sanctioned. Present thinking on the part of the'exhibs is to confine present comments to a forceful argument against the whole notion of allow¬ ing pay-see. But. should the Pil¬ kington Committee eventually re¬ port in favor of toll and should Government action subsequently give the greenlight to same, the CEA would then realistically move quickly to try to insure that it somehow secured maximum protec¬ tion or grabbed a stake. This decision thus to voice un¬ qualified opposition to feevee was taken at last week’s meeting of CEA general council, when a lengthy report from president Al- jfred Davis, drawn up following his recent six-week tour of Canada and the U.S., was studied. Report con¬ sisted of a detailed analysis of the operation of Telemeter and Zenith : Phonevision, of TOA’s attitude, and of personal conclusions. Elaborating on these personal conclusions at a trade press con¬ ference Friday (2>. Davis reckoned that if the RKO Zenith Phonevi- sion operation gets under exneri- mental way in Hartford next June, as anticipated, this will prove I whether tollvee is economically possible or not. The CEA topper ithinks Etobicoke Telemeter lest ! has so far not proved anything one | way or the other, being launched primarily to “learn lessons." In Davis’s eyes, it’s the programming that is going to represent the real problem to toll tv, not question* ' such as installation costs or service I charges.