Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 119

COVER STORY Oakland Tribune, Sunday, May 5, 1957 B-3 Mitzi Will Do 'South Pacific 3 By JAMES BACON Hollywood Mitzi Gaynor is a rare breed in Hollywood an actress with humility. This helped her land the pltrm musical role of the year. Tha shapuly dancer singer him: 'This girl is one of the greatest talents in the business. I'm in 'Les Girls' only because Metro was able to get Mitzi. I've always wanted to dance with her." Featured Role Geoffrey Home.

Act Studni student who made his film debut in producer Sam Spiegel's "The Strange One," ha been signed by Spiegel for a top featured role in his Horizon production for Columbia, "The Bridge on the River Kwai," with William Holden, Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins. 1 1 Lisa Gaye will make her adult debut at the Curran. Lisa Gaye and New Play Will Bow Together Tomorrow wilt-play nurse Ne-HrcFor bush, the Mary Martin part, in the movie version of "South Pacific." The role was so coveted that some $250,000 actresses even offered to take the part for $25,000. But while an actress may be humble about price cutting, there are few who show humility about their talents. A top star seldom will, take a screen test for a part.

Their stock answer is: "Why should I test? Look at my film." Here, in Midi's words, is how she landed "South Pacific," "To be honest, I didn't think I had a chance for 'South Pacific but I thought I could play the Japanese girl opposite Mar- Ion Brando in 'Sayonara'." Mitzie, who is Hungarian, has Jlways had a slightly Oriental ook a -out her, and with makeup she becomosthe prettiest Japanese ever. Josh Logan is directing both "Sayonara" and "South Pacific." "I had 'South Pacific' in the back of my mirid but I made an appointment with J6shfor the other picture although he didn't know it. "Jack (her husband, Jack Bean) and I found Josh very happy, and he told us 'We've just signed our Japanese Theit he asked what I wanted to see him about. "I answered: 'I'd love to play Nellie Forbush'." Mitzi confessed that she said it because she didn't know what else to say to hide her disappointment. "Josh stroked his chin and said: 'I don't suppose you would test for it." "Test!" answered Mitzi.

"I'll shave my head for it." Logan told her then that most FORBIDDEN EXPERIMENT AND lU.M P.M. Starts THURSDAY SAMUEL FULLER'S BARRY mmnun mmtim 4 I I Love under hfe HYPN0SIS 123 V. V. Life," and "The Burns and Allen Show." Talented musically both as a pianist and singer, young Lisa will have an opportunity to demonstrate these accomplishments in "Darling, I'm which costars Gene Nelson, Hollywood dancer and singer. All Right, Let's Not Be So Catty Italian actress Anna Magnani-showed up at the Academy Awards with a fur stole that everybody, including one movie designer, thought was chinchilla.

Backstage a reporter asked her if chinchilla was as expensive in Rome as it is here. She replied: "I don't know." Pressing, the reporter asked: "Well, how much would your stole have cost if -you had bought it here instead of Rome?" "This stole?" she answered quizzically. "I gol it very cheap. It's Italian cat, not chinchilla." AssnclatFi fre South African Actor Signed to Contract Sean Kelly, young South African" actor, has been signed to an exclusive long-te-fm contract by Irving Allenand A. R.

Broccoli, Warwickflms executive producers, arfid will be co-starred in Warwick's "High Flight," wliicli goes before the cameras soon in England, and "No Time to Die," on Warwick's schedule for later this year. of the big stars interviewed so far didn't want to test. He added: "Are you sure' you don't want us to look' at your firms?" 'Absolutely ''not," answered Mitzi, "because I've never been Nellie Forbush in any of them." The test was up and, as Mitzi describes it, it couldn't have come at a worse time. "I was just finishing 'The Joker' with Frank Sinatra and was due to start in a few days with Gene Kelly in 'Les It was three days before Christmas and I hadn't done any shopping. I was a basket case." Kelly adds a postscript: "Josh asked me about Mitzi.

He said her test was sensational. Was she the girl for the part? I told HELD OVEiT 5 MORE DAYS new adventure in motion picture (r I Th thrill you waited fori M-Lj-M rr" TECHNICOLOR Added in CinemoScopi "EL T0B0" Thrills "CALYPSO CRUISE" A If r.m. unwis ON IMNTHOIKf HOOKED I' i 18 4 i Oprm m. Onci in a lifetim excitement that lifts you out of your teat THESPIRIT OFST.IOUISN CNcmaScop wpncrcoi.or AND CALIFORNIA BKRKF.LKT Opm 11: 20n Cntury Mirmii A AM IK LADD'WIBB'LOREN fWBOY ON A D0IPHIN In (rid Bergman ris Does rane Things" fTT OPEN wwm- l.W?-oi nr. "tAJrA MORROW iBLANCHARO I MfcJ 9 Lisa Gaye, a 22-year-old actress who has just started to hit her stride in television plays after some not-too-prosperous stints in movies, is about to make her adult debut as a stage actress in San Francisco tomorrow evening when she appears as the feminine lead in a new comedy, "Darling, I'm Yours," at the Curran.

Member of a show-business family where it seems almost every member has a different name for stage purposes, Miss Gaye's first name is really Lezli. Her older sister is ac tress Debra Paget. Her younger brother is named Roiicll Shane. He also acts. The family originally hails' from Denver, Colo.

Mother was also in show business and had theatrical ambitions for her children, as well. Lisa was enrolled in Hollywood's Professional School in 1944. She actually made her debut in the legitimate theater at the age of 12 when she snared a role in Charles Coburn's production of the "Merry Wives of Windsor," which played both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Universal-I a i a 1 signed her on contract in 1953 and since then she has appeared in such movies as "Drums Across the "Yankee Pasha," "The Benny Goodman Story," "Ain't "Rock Around the Clock" and "Shake, Rattle and Rock." Her last film assignment was in "10,000 Bedrooms." vmi i an uuuv lie vuuuis, 4 one of Bob Cummings' gr4 I mends. Miss uaye the Bob Cummings has played leads in "Scienee Theater," "Cavalcade of America," "Passport to Danger," "Jim BowieJ'It's a Great 20 FIRST RUN o.i, A iTf -0N $ciim ti New Show Eery WEDNESDAY and SUNDAY 1 1 II i m.tm III also BAD LANDS OF MONTANA i.