Boxoffice-August.13.1979

BOXOFFICE/AUGUST 13, 1979
hollywood
film projects
HAPPY BIRIHDAY. GEMINI, a com
edy based on ihe cureem Broadway hn. is be
ing filmed in Toronto lor release by Unned
Artists. Heading the cast are Rita Moreno.
Madeline Kahn. Robert Viharo. Sarah
Holcomb. Alan Rosenberg and David Grant
Rupert Hil/ig and Alan King will produce
Maurice Silverstein and Durham Produc
lions have set an October starting date for
SHAH. Silverstein International will handle
the worldwide sales.
Lonmar Films has obtained screen rights to
GOD PROTECT ME FROM \n
TR11NDS, which will develop as a feature
film to be produced by Terence F Deane Pro
duction is tentatively scheduled for spring
1 980.
Joseph E
Levine Presents. Inc. will go into
production next on Paul Galhco's VERNA:
L'SO GIRL. Pre production will start in
September.
SUM VII will be produced by Richard A.
Roth for 20th Century-Fox. Marc Norman
will write the screenplay.
BURGERS, a comedy thriller set against
the fast foods industry, will be produced by
Lynmar Productions, with G. M. Cahill
writing the screenplay.
Joe Wizan and John Strachan have signed
with Columbia for the production on THE
JUGGLER AND THE JUDGE, a romantic
comedy. The script is being tailored for
Richard Gere.
PARLOR GAMES, based on Robert
Marasco's suspense novel, will be produced for
Universal by Thurman Foster Co. Walon
Green is writing the script for the
psychological thriller about a secret love
triangle. David Foster and Lawrence Turman
will produce
Orion Pictures plans to begin shooting in
October I980 on SHARKEY'S MACHINE.
Burt Reynolds will star. Plot concerns an
Atlanta police defective trying to solve the attempted
murder of a call girl who is linked to a
Senator involved in a presidential campaign.
Hank Moonjean will be the producer.
Warner Bros, has concluded a deal with
George Englund to produce ATLANTIC CI-
TY. The picture will be adapted from Paul
Erdman's forthcoming novel of the same
name Principal photography is scheduled to
begin in late 1 980.
report ^i j
I h e Dimension Pictures rel ea se
SCREAMS OF A \M\IIR MGIII will
open simultaneous!) in 80 theatres in the
Charlotte, N.C.. area and 50 theatres in Mm
neapolis and St. Paul on Aug. 10. The film will
have more than 500 prints playing national!)
in August
LASER LADY, a science fiction comedy
set in the 2 1st century, will be produced by Si
Litvinoff and Harry N Blum, aiming at a
Christmas 1 980 release.
SEARCH FOR THE LOCH NESS
MONSTER will be made by Stephen W.
Sharmat's International Creative Finance
Group and producer Peter Simons. Richard
Chapman and Derek Tennant have written
the screenplay, based on Dennis Meredith's
book "Search at Loch Ness." Principal
photography is scheduled to begin early next
year in Tasmania. Australia, and second unit
shooting is planned at Loch Ness. Scotland
Kent Osborne's Starla Productions and Jeb
Productions began filming July 23 on THE
REBEL on locations at Hanford. Calif.
Osborne will direct from his own screenplay:
King Johnson is the producer.
Principal photographv has begun on
AIRPLANE!, a Howard W. Koch production
for Paramount Pictures. A spoof on disaster
movies, the film was written for the screen by
Jerry and David Zucker and Jim Abrahams,
who also serve as executive directors. Jon
Davison is the producer: Abrahams N.
Zuckers is directing.
Principal photography on John Cassavettes"
ONE SUMMER NIGHT began July
23 in
New York City. Written, produced and
directed by Cassavettes for Columbia Pictures
release, the film stars Gene Rowlands and
marks the film debut of seven year-old Juan
Adames. Also featured prominently in the cast
are Buck Henry. Julie Carmen and Lupe Garnica.
RUNNING SCARED, a chase film
backgrounded in the I96l Bay of Pigs invasion
attempt, began shooting Aug I as a
Derek Powers production with Paul Glickler
producing and directing and also writing the
script with David O'Dell and Vicki Polon.
John Saxon. Bradford Dillman and Pat Hmgle
have been signed to star. Filming is set for
eight weeks on locations in Miami and the
Florida Everglades.
Styron's new novel, will
SOPHIE'S CHOICE, based on William
be made into a motion
picture by Marble Arch Productions,
with president Martin Starger as executive
producer. Alan J. Pakula will direct and will
Norman Lloyd has been signed lo play a
special tactical weapons man in Universal^
III! Rl II RN 01 MAXWI I I SMART.
Madolyn Smith will play John Travolta's
wife and Dehra Winger will portray the
wealthier of Travolta's Icvas love interests in
Paramount s IRBW (OttBOY.
began shooting July 2 in Houston
Anthony Hopkins has signed lor the role of
Dr Frederick Treves in Paramount's THE
II EPHANT MAN, set to begin principal
photography Oci 15. David Lynch is directing
from the original screenplay by Christopher
DeVors and Eric Bergren.
Paul Lynde and Scott Baio will star in
Rastars SKATETOWN. U.S.A., which
began shooting July 16 in Los Angeles lor Col
umbia Pictures Also featured are Ron Palillo.
Maureen McCormick. Greg Bradford. Patrick
Swayze. David Lansberg. Billy Barty. Denny
Johnston. Bill Kirschenbauer. Harlene
Winslon and Joe E Ross
Sally Kellerman has signed for a starring
role- in Time Life Productions' LOVING
COUPLES, which began shooting July 30 on
Southern California locations.
Jim Bray, the amateur roller skating champ,
has been signed to star as the male lead with
Linda Blaire in Compass International's
ROLLER BOOGIE, an Irwin Yablans pro
duction of a Skaiekey picture.
Beverly D'Angelo has signed for the female
lead in HIGHPOINT, a romantic suspense
story that began filming July 30 in Toronto.
Rich Harris and Christopher Plummer are
also starring in the film.
Jack Kruschen has signed for PIRATES
OF SANTA MARIA, to be produced by Sea
Pines Productions on locations in the Caribbean.
New York stage actress Pamela Payton-
Wright has signed for a major role in Warner
Bros GOING IN STYLE.
Michael Monartv has a featured role in
THE BURNING BOOK, a Silverscreen Internationa]
production set to begin shooting in
the fall in Montreal and Europe. Paul Almond
will direct the drama set in England in the
1520s. Roy Krost will produce and Robert
Uecky is executive producer.
Diane Lane will co-siar in the Rasiar pro
duction of TO ELVIS WITH LOVE.
Deborah Raffin stars in this true siory of a
young girl's special relationship with Elvis
Presley. Filming is sei to begin in Oct 16 in
Banff. Alberta. Canada.
Rene Auberjonois has been cast in the role
of a stuffy political reporter in WHERE THE
Bl HALO ROAM. Universal corned)
ing produced and directed by
Art Linson.
Rue McClanahan has joined the casi of
I II \ Is LIFE, being directed by Jerry Lewis
in
Florida
Ma/urki has a cameo role in Melvin
Simon Produ S \M M \RI \\ T, and
will gel double exposure In way of a film clip
from a 1444 RKO picture 'Murder My
Sweet." in which Ma/urki played a role as
Moose Malloy. opixisite Dick Powell as Philip
Marlowe.
II si s, [he unique new film produced by
The Genesis Project, will be distributed by
Warner Bros throughout most of the world, it
was announced by Terry Semel. Warner's ex
ecutive vice president and chief operating ol
ficcr. and John Heyman. president of the
Genesis Project The motion picture, the lirsi
totally authentic story of Jesus to be brought
to ihe motion picture screen, was hlmed en
tirely on location in the Holy Land.
assignments
Broadway playwright David Mamet has
been signed to write Ihe screenplay for
Lonmar's THE POSTMAN ALWAYS
RINGS rWICE Bob Rafelson will direct
I red Carlin Productions has signed
Cartoon A World, headed by Michael Allard
and Jack Foster, to do the animation for BAR
NAB\.
James Barry will write the score lor TO
ELVIS WITH LOVE for Rastar Films.
Joe Ren/em will compose and conduct the
musical score for FATSO.
Michael Marguhes will be director of
photography on Tony Bill's MY
BODYGUARD, Melvin Simon production
which began shooting in Chicago Aug. 3.
Rudi Fehr has signed as film editor to super
vise the foreign language version of Francis
Coppola's APOCALYPSE NOW for his
American Zoetrope Co.
Carol Connors has written the lyrics for the
song for THE ONION FIELD, soon to
title
be released by Avco Embassy Pictures.
Don Perry Enterprises will handle the music
production chores for THE FALL OF THE
HOUSE OF USHER.
Alex North has signed to score and conduct
the music of CATTLE ANNIE & LITTLE
BRITCHES, directed by Lamont Johnson
and starring Burl Lancaster. John Savage and
Rod Steiger in the King-Hitzig production.
he
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Composer Fred Karlin is into various stages
of development on three motion picture projects
through his recently formed Fred Karlin
Productions with which he hopes to turn out
music -oriented films. LOCOMOTIVE, the
first feature, will be a musical idea by Karlin
and John Milligan. Next will be I CAN'T
FORGET TOMORROW, and the third will
be THAT MARVELOUS MUSIC
MACHINE, for which Paul Gardner is
writing the screenplay.
Olivia Newton John will star in XANADU,
an original musical fantasy for Universal Pic
lures. The picture will be directed by Robert
Greenwald from a screenplay by Richard
Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel. Gordon
will produce.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's FAME commenc
ed principal photography in July in New York
City under director Alan Parker. Alan Mar
shall and David DeSilva are producing from
an original screenplay by Christopher Gore.
be co-producer with Keith Barish. Filming is
planned for 1 980. Associated Film Distribution
will release the film in the United Stales
and Canada.
casting
Sunn Classic has signed Harvey Soline to a
role in IN SEARCH OF HISTORICAL
JESUS, now shooting.
Denise Echhardt. 12. has been signed to
round out the cast of five juvenile leads in
Universale THE ISLAND, playing a role in
which she is captured by renegades on a
remote Caribbean Island.
Mike Christy has been cast as an Army supply
officer in OH, INCHON!, now shooting
in Korea; Terence Young is directing.
David Niven will co star with Burt
Reynolds and Lesley-Anne Down in Paramount's
ROUGH CUT. Don Siegel is direc
ting and shooting began July 19 in London.
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