8 Part IV-Tues., May 7, 1974 . loi angcleS Zimti JOYCE HABER 'Marathon Man' Next Movie-Movie? KM ..: rr til! ft4 Robert Evans "The book reads like the movie-movie of all time," says Robert Evans. Bob was talking to me not as Para-mount's executive VP for worldwide production, but in his dual capacity as movie producer ot movie-movie producer. The novel in question is William Goldman's "The Marathon Man." "Marathon" is the Book-of-the-Month Club's October selection. It will be the second Evans production in his five-picture deal with Paramount. (The first, is "Chinatown" starring' Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, which had a sneak preview in Santa Barbara and Palo Alto over the weekend.) Coproducer with Evans on "Marathon" is Sidney. Beckerman, who acquired the Goldman property as the acquired "Cabaret," "Jeremiah Johnson" and "Portnoy's Complaint." Beckerman produced Frank Perry's "Last Summer" and will do the film of Broadway's Tony-winning "The River Niger." A Whopping Precedent Author Goldman broke a record and set a whopping precedent by selling his original screenplay, "Butch Cas-sidy and the Sundance Kid" to Fox for $400,000. "In the New Hollywood, Sidney really had courage to put his own money where his mouth is," says Evans. Producers Evans and Beckerman will be paying Goldman roughly $500,000 for the film rights and for a scenario by Goldman himself. "I regard it as a cheap investment," says Evans, "because you don't often find books that translate into film. This is the best thing I've read since 'The Godfather.' It could go all, all the way if we don't foul it up in the making." "Marathon" is a contemporary suspense-thriller that has its roots in World War II. It deals with the 'effects of fascism on people's lives today. As such, it seems to be right in the present and up- coming trend toward films on World War II There was the recent triumph, critically and in the ratings, of ABC's two-parter "Q.B. VII." There are. two films on Mussolini still unreleased here, one starring Rod Stei-ger. And British director John Schlesinger tells me he turned down two movies on Hitler and one on Mussolini. Why? "It's my Jewish guilt, I suppose," smiled Schlesinger, who just finished shooting Nathanael West's mo-vie-about-movie-makers, "Day of the Locust" "I can't see how one can make a movie on Hitler without making Hitler a hero. But I do believe that people are desperate for head-of-state heroes today." Touche, John. Film Trend: Joint Ventures Another current trend is for studios to combine their forces and money on big productions. Fox and Warner's have done' that on "The Towering Inferno" with Irwin Allen producing and an all-star cast. Now MGM and Columbia will film "The Wind and the Lion," say Columbia Pictures production chief Peter Guber and Metro production chief Daniel Mel nick. (As studios venture jointly, the announcements-by credit gets longer!) "Lion" is an original screenplay by John Milius (the fun film and box office smash "Dillinger"). Milius also will direct, with Herb Jaffe (former production chief at UA) producing. The major cast is still to be set, except for Sean Connery. Connery plays the last of the Barbary pirates, "sweeping down from the mountains to kidnap a beautiful American woman and her children. The action takes place under Teddy Roosevelt's administration in 1904. When the dollar was up, production costs were TODAY: Last two performances at 2 and 8 P.M. -Chicago Sun Times "A hallmark to superior cinemar-MiamiHeraid down and movies were being made by one studio . . . Speaking of Danny Melnick, his date for the world premiere of "That's Entertainment" will be Edie Goetz. Edie's the daughter of the late bedazzling Louis B. Mayer. ''Entertainment" is the dazzling compilation of scenes from MGM's great musicals. The premiere, at Beverly Hills's Beverly Cinema on May 17, will be followed by a grand reunion ball at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. One of the MGM stars who'll be reunited is Lassie. And Lassie alone-will have a "special" entree prepared by chef Raymond Dreyfus. It's been dubbed "Steak Tartare a La Jack Haley Jr." in honor of "Entertainment's" producer-writer-director. Everyplace like MGM and MCA is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. A third celebrant, over the weekend, was the San Fernando Valley's Lakeside Golf Club. Its membership roster includes Bob Hope, Glen Campbell, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., George Gobel, Forrest Tucker, Dick Whittinghill, Mac Davis. The entire club, inside and out, was decorated in the 1920s style. The party, I'm told, "out-Gatsbyed Gatsby." Member-entertainers include Ruby Keeler, who danced; Gordon MacRae and Frances Wayne, who sang; Buddy Rogers, who played six instruments (six!), and composer-conductor Neal Hefti, who took the baton before a 17-man orchestra. American Airlines' William Hippie, who's one non-show business member, tells me that Howard Hughes, once a regular golfer at Lakeside, still pays his dues. Dues-payer Hughes, of course, never shows up. 1 Lakeside was founded in 1924. Its early members included Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Oliver Hardy, W. C. Fields, Errol Flynn and Johnny Weissmuller. Bing Crosby is a three-time club champion. Now that's an interesting Hollywood history. Open 7:15 pm Snows Start at Dusk Children Under 12 free! jLJ y y ONLY DRIVE-IN SHOWING NOW! A KSEH OF 2 ACADEMY AWARDS BEST SCREENPLAY BEST SOUND SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT .:"c"Jcst no t.sses ccimo! BOSECMKS DRIVMnV
