Boxoffice_May.09.1960

. . . Richard
gets
'i^oUtfewMd ^cficnt
Kirk Douglas Is Planning
Another Big-Scale Film
Apparent confidence in the exhibition
values of his $12-miIlion "Spartacus" was
shown by Bryna production topper Kirk
Douglas last week when, with nearly six
months to go before the giant picture is
released, the actor-turned-producing tycoon
announced plans for another film to
be made on a comparable scale that, together
with a third now ready to go before
the cameras, brings to a grand total of
$25,000,000 the production investment for
the independent company.
Exhibitor reaction to "Spartacus," for
which there has been considerable advance
publicity prior to its October roadshow
openings, is labeled by U-I as the reason
for the immediate plunge into this new
costly subject. They think it will prove to
be a blockbuster film.
"Montezuma," the story of the fabled
Incan king, has been set for the company
and for Universal-International release,
with Douglas starring as Cortez and veteran
director John Huston signed to helm.
The grandness of the project is implied
by the preparation plans mapped out, including
a year of pre-production work that
will include the rebuilding of Montezuma's
fabulous city in Mexico, this project to
be done with an eye to becoming a permanent
tourist attraction following the filming.
Eugene Frenke and Edward Lewis, currently
producing the Bryna film, "The Hot
Eye of Heaven," the third picture of the
expansive schedule, will function in similar
capacities on "Montezuma." Negotiations
are now under way to cast the title role
and they are seeking four other major
stars to fill the remaining top roles.
Huston will meet with U-I production
vice-president Edward Muhl and Bryna
officials in May anent the project, but will
not begin actual work on it until after
his mid-June assignment to direct "The
Misfits." He also has commitments with
the studio for the story
of Freud and the
Rudyard Kipling classic, "The Man Who
Would Be King." He will film one of these
before putting the "Montezuma" project
before the cameras. It is scheduled to start
on location in the late summer of 1961.
Joseph Gotten Joins Cast
Of 'Hot Eye of Heaven'
Joseph Gotten, who has toplined theatre
marquees for more than a score of years,
was set last week to join three others of
filmland's top stars in the Bryna Universal-International
production, "The Hot
Eye of Heaven." Kirk Douglas, Rock Hudson
and Dorothy Malone make up the
high-priced, profit-promising quartette . .
At the same studio, Edmond O'Brien was
rounded up to costar with Tony Curtis in
"The Great Impostor" . . . 'Venetia Stevenson
has been signed for the femme starring
role in "Seven Ways Prom Sundown," next
Audie Murphy starrer for U-I . . . Singer
BOXOFFICE May 9, 1960
By
IVAN SPEAR
. . .
Nanette Pabray has been selected to perform
her first dramatic role in MGM's
"Go Naked in the World" . . . Allied Artists
has set Marsha Hunt, Ray Stricklyn.
John Saxon and Dolores Hart to costar
with Jeff Chandler in "The Plunderers"
. . . Lyle Talbot will play a featured comedy
role in "Sunrise at Campobello" at WB
Ney has been set for a featured
role in U-I's "Midnight Lace"
Richard Fleischer has signed Ray Anthony
as male lead in "Willing Is My Love." to
"Pear No
roll in France this year . . .
"
More Mala Powers for femme lead.
Tom Laughlin Plans Film
About McVey Family
Tom Laughlin, the youngster who made
a big industry splash with his experimental
first film, "The Pi-oper Time," and went
on to heralded preparations for commercial
production, has secured the rights to
the dramatic story of the Jackson E. Mc-
Vey family of Houston. Texas, whose lives
have been drastically transformed by an
accident of atomic radiation. The story is
to be made under the banner of his own
company, T. C. Frank Productions, and
has been tentatively titled "Poison in Our
Land." He plans to assemble a star cast
and produce the picture in the fall on a
big budget.
Laughlin recently was signed to a nonexclusive
four-picture pact as writer-producer-director
for Edward Small Productions.
It is not so far known if he will
eventually make this picture under the
Small contract or leave it as an independent
venture.
Aldrich Secures Rights
To 'Cross of Iron'
The Associates & Aldrich Co. could well
be involved shortly in what might be the
first British pictui'e filmed in association
with a German company. The independent
production unit has secured the motion
Strike Effect on Jobs Not
As Severe as Reported
The actors' strike did not hit studio
employment as hard as had been reported
in some circles. A report issued
this week by the research department
of the Security First National Bank
showed a decline in employment of
2,500 persons from mid-February to
mid-March, a flgui'e which is almost
half of some estimates made during
the strike.
In March, there were 22,600 employed
persons in the film industry,
1.3 per cent above the level of the
same month a year ago. The next report,
now that the strike is settled, is
expected to show an even larger number
of persons at work.
picture rights to Lukas Heller's British TV
play. "Cross of Iron." for production by its
British affiliate, Aldrich & Sons, Ltd. Since
the action follows the new English legislation
which provides Eady funds for foreign
corporations, it looms likely that the German
coproduction deal will be made. The
story, involving a British prisoner-of-war
camp that housed German offlcer.s during
World War II, particularly points up this
advantage.
Heller will write the English screenplay
of "Cross," with ex-German subject, Peter
Berg, writing the German version. Robert
Aldrich would produce and direct.
"Cross" makes four upcoming properties
on the Aldrich slate, where it joins "The
Tony Ferrari Story," to star Rossano
Brazzi in Italy this summer; "Too Late the
Hero," an Aldrich screenplay from Robert
Sherman's novel "Don't Die Mad," and
"Now We Know," a screenplay by Halstead
Wells from John O'Hara's short story.
Gene Ruggiero Organizes
Service for Independents
Gene Ruggiero. veteran film editor at
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and an Academy
Award winner for "Around the World in
80 Days." has organized a service for independent
film producers to specialize in
completing a film from sound stage shooting
to answer print stage in editing. Called
Post-Productions, Inc., the new company
should prove to be a boon to those independents
who work on shoestring budgets
that don't allow proper facilities for allaround
film production stages. Dubbing,
scoring and looping will be included in the
firm's services, with special attention available
to convert foreign-language films to
English release versions.
Sales and production liaison will be
under the supervision of Eugene DeRue,
former head of Universal-International
studio's sound effects department.
Lloyd Young Will Produce
'Apostle of Freedom'
Pi-oducer Lloyd Young opened an office
here last week and, as his initial project,
is casting "Apostle of Freedom" under his
Inter-American Pictures banner. The film
will be the second on his slate to be shot
in Puerto Rico, with a mid-June starting
date announced.
D. Ashton Pedrick, vice-president of
Inter-American, will head the local office.
President F^-ank Marrero will arrive
shortly, however, to start the pre-production
casting and other details for the film.
Young recently completed the production
of "Seventy Times Seven" starring sepia
singer Eartha Kitt.
Production of 'Cleopatra'
To Start Early July
Director Rouben Mamoulian, on his return
from a foui'-week location trip to
Europe, last week revealed that the Walter
Wanger production of "Cleopatra" will roll
in early July for 20th Century-Pox.
While in Europe. Mamoulian firmed
about 40 location sites in southern Italy
on the picture. Interiors will be shot in
Rome and London on the Elizabeth Taylor
starrer.
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