Boxoffice-October.02.1978

. . Medusa
. . "Labrynth,"
. . . "Rodeo
. . . Lorraine
. . John
. . Principal
. . Group
. . Nino
. .
. .
. . . Roger
M ^y^oituu/ood r\eport m
f
MGM's 'Nice Guys Finish Last'
Comedy to Feature John Ritter
MGM plans to begin production early
next year on "'Who Says Nice Guys Finish
Last?"', a comedy to star John Ritter of
TV's 'Three's Company." Stephen Friedman
will produce from an original screenplay
by A. J. Carrothers .
a
thriller produced by Alexander Mnouchkine.
began shooting September in Mon-
5
treal with Angle Dickinson and Lino Venturi
starring. Claude Pinoteau is directing
from a script by Jean-Claude Carriere. Also
in the cast are Chris Wiggins and Mollis
McLaren, both Canadian actors . . . Monte
Hellman plans "Going Down." with a
screenplay by Jerry Harvey, as his next
feature, with Fabio Testi starring.
Farrah Fawcett-Majors Is Star
Of Hemdale-Bond's 'Sunburn'
Hemdale and Bond Films began shooting
September 1 1 on "Sunburn." a comedyadventure
starring Farrah Fawcett-Majors.
Charles Grodin. Art Carney and Joan Col-
lins. Richard Sarafian is directing on location
in Acapulco . "Quadraphenia" began
shooting September 21. despite the
death of Keith Moon, drummer for the
Who. the stars of the film. Bill Curbishley
and Roy Baird are producers and Franc
Group I plans
Roddam will direct . . .
shooting to begin early next year on "The
Actresses." dealing with four girls from
different parts of the world who come to
Hollywood seeking film careers. Richard
Adamson will produce and will write the
screenplay with Frank Ray Perelli . . .
Blake Edwards has signed with Orion Pictures
to write, produce and direct "The
Ferret." a suspense comedy about a clumsy,
bumbling son of the master of international
intrigue. Production is planned for next begin in South Carolina Wednesday (11)
summer .
Gary has been signed to play
has begun shooting on "Clonus" in Southern
a co-starring role in "One Night Stand."
California locations with Peter Graves starring George Burns and Brooke Shields.
Gary is cast in the role of Burns' over-protective
Parka Productions has signed a deal with
daughter. "Shirl." who calls in the
Robert Hargrove for his original dramatic cops when her elderly father becomes interested
screenplay "No Longer a Child's Game." a
in the problems of a 14-year-old run-
away orphan girl. Jerome Zeitman and Irving
story dealing with the lives of two college
students.
"Kramer vs.
Fein are producers . . .
January Filming Start Planned Kramer." a Stanley Jaffe production for
For Universal's 'Last Couple'
Columbia Pictures release, marks the film
debut of Jobeth Williams. She plays the
The Cates Brothers Co. will make "The
Last Married Couple in America" for Universal
Pictures with George Segal and Nat-
role of Phyllis Bernard, an intelligent young
lawyer who gives Dustin Hoffman counsel
and loving frienship during a time of crisis.
alie Wood starring. Gilbert Cates will direct
the comedy scripted by John Herman Shaner
and Al Ramrus. Production will begin in
January on this comedy about a couple
whose marriage is repeatedly jolted when
their happily married friends break up in
a series of bangs . Productions
of Rome will begin shooting in mid-October
in Rome on "Volcano Island." with Joseph
Cotton starring as a scientist in the
adventure-romance feature to be directed
by Sergio Martino . photography
began September 18 in San Francisco
on Warner Bros.' "Time After Time," starring
Malcolm McDowell. David Warner
and Mary Stcenburgen. Nicholas Meyer is
directing his own screenplay, with Herb
Jaffe producing . Frank Yablans will
return to Paramount Studios, where he once
was president, to produce "North Dallas
Forty," with Nick Nolte starring as a professional
football player in a story dealing
with eight days of his life. Ted Kotcheff
will direct the script to be adapted from
the novel by Peter Gent . 1 will
produce "The Treasure," a multimilliondollar
adventure story about a hunt for a
lost treasure in Central America, as a production
of Harmony Productions of Canada.
Filming will be on location in Jamaica
and Canada, beginning in November .
Parka Productions plans to lens next summer
in Boston on "State Street." a contemporary
drama to be written by Theodore
Todis. with Parveneh Hargrove producing
Road." the story of the true
life exploits of rodeo star Veral McGinnis.
has been acquired by producers Neal Dubrofsky
and Dennis Hackin . Mastorakis
has optioned "Odyssey of the
Meek." an original screenplay by Fred
Perry . Conboy Productions has
acquired rights to Belva Palin's historical
novel, "Evergreen."
Michael O'Keefe to Co-Star
In Orion's 'Great Santini'
Producer Charles A. Pratt has set Michael
O'Keefe for a co-starring role in "The Great
Santini" for Bing Crosby Productions and
Orion Pictures. Robert Duvall and Blythe
Danner have starring roles in the feature
based on Pat Conroy's novel. Filming will
"Kramer vs. Kramer" began filming September
6 on locations in New York .
Charles Bronson has been singed for a
reported $1,000,000 fee to star in "Caboblanco,"
set by producers Lance Hool and
Paul Joseph to begin shooting in South
America in November. J. Lee Thompson
will direct from a script by James Hunter
... Bo Hopkins will star in Hickmar Productions'
"The Fifth Floor," shooting on
locations in Los Angeles . , . Paul Gleason,
Al Gacia, Michael Rougas and Lew Horn
have roles in Orion Pictures' "The Great
Santini" . . . Ray Sharkey has signed for
a role in Orion's "Heart Beat" . . . New
York actress Cindy Pickett has been signed
by Roger Vadim to star in "Night Games,"
to be produced by Rogert Lewis and set
begin shooting this month . . . William Daniels
and John Hillerman have joined the cast
of "'Sunburn." a Hemdale Leisure/Bond
Films co-production shooting in Mexico
Robert Hitzig and Alan King will produce
"The Wolfen" for Orion Pictures .
Loraine Gary has signed for a co-starring
role in Columbia's "One Night Stand." wit!
William Russ and Ben Frank announced as!
additions to the cast . . . Charles Gray has
a role as a backwoods sheriff in Paramount's
"Prophecy" . . . Actor and stunt-,
man Bob Minor has a co-starring role in tl]
Mi-Ka Productions' "Gold of the Amazone
Women," now shooting in Port of Spain,!
Trinidad.
Ron Goodwin Signs to Compose
Musical Score for 'Spaceman'
Ron Goodwin has signed to compose the
film score for Walt Disney Productions'
"The Spaceman and King Arthur" j
Maus has been named art director
on Blake Edwards' "10," which will
Barth Jule
begin shooting Monday (2) . . .
Sussman has signed to rewrite the scrip|
for Roger Vadim's "Night Games"
Jack Nitzche has been signed by produc
Marjoe Gortner to write the musical scon
for the Melvin Simon production "Whe
You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?" . . . Nes-I
tor Almendros is cinematographer on Co-j
lumbia's "Kramer vs. Kramer" , . . Johnny!
Mandell will compose the score for First]
Artists' "Agatha."
Orion Buys Screen Rights
To New Robin Cook Novel
BURBANK—Eric Pleskow, president ol
Orion Pictures Co., announced Septembe:
18 that Orion has concluded a majo:
literary arrangement with ICM agents
Bookman and Erica Spellman for the fil
rights to Robin Cook's new untitled novel
be published next April by G. P. Putna:
to
& Sons.
Cook's novel, a contemporary thrill'
set against an Egyptian background, fol
lows his recent best seller "Coma," whicl
was translated into a highly successful'
motion picture. The film will be an Orion
Pictures release through Warner Bros.
Duff Gets Feature Role
In 'Kramer vs. Kramer'
NEW YORK—Howard Duff has been
signed for a featured role in "Kramer vs.
Kramer," a Stanley Jaffe production for
Columbia Pictures release, starring Dustin
Hoffman. Meryl Streep and Gail Strickland.
Robert Benton will direct from his own
screenplay, as adapted from the Avery Corman
novel. Duff will play the role of John
Shaunessy, a high-powered lawyer who
represents Hoffman in a court battle to regain
custody of the latter's son.
16
BOXOFFICE :: October 1978