The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 373

CALENDAR MOVIES THE MAN WHO PUT PIA'S NAME IN LIGHTS-HER HUSBAND By RODERICK MANN It's happened before and it will happen again. A wealthy man, determined to make the love of his life into a star, bankrolls her debut in motion pictures. Sometimes in works, sometimes it doesn't. One thing is certain. It always provides ammunition for the critics.

This time it's happening in Las Vegas where multimillionaire Merushulam Riklis, head of the Rapid America Corp. which owns, among other things, the Riveria Hotel, is financing the entry into films of his young wife Pia Zadora. Last year she starred in the first of his films "Butterfly," adapted from the novel by James M. Cain Always Rings "Butterfly," which also features Stacy Keach and Orson Welles, was completed a few months ago. Now Riklis is in the middle of his second feature, "Fake Out," starring Zadora, Telly Savalas and Desi Arnaz Jr.

Clearly, then, this is not a case of a one-shot folly by a wealthy man anxious to parade his wife's charms in front of the world. Riklis, an Israeli, is rich enough not to have to listen to criticism. That's one of the nice things about having money. And he is certainly experienced enough to know that, by aiding his wife's ambitions, he is not just putting his head on the block but handing critics the ax as well. Of course he didn't just throw the idea at her one night after dinner.

Although you may never have heard of her, Pia Zadora has been in show business for some time. She made her stage debut at the age of 6 when she appeared with Tal-lulah Bankhead in New York. And, before becoming a cabaret entertainer, she appeared in several shows, on and off Broadway. But there was always a problem. She has always looked years younger than her age.

Even today, Zadora, who says she's 24, could pass for a teen-ager. And so the parts were limited. "I couldn't get grown-up roles," she said. Enter Riklis, small, tough, rich. He met her in New York and was instantly smitten.

Now 57, he had made his first million before Zadora was born. So what? He pursued her and convinced her that she should try her luck as a singer. Her first booking no surprise was at Riklis' 2 Riviera Hotel four years ago. Since then she has played other places with growing success. 2 But then she decided she'd like to act again.

This time in films. Tino Barzie, her manager, came up with a property the previously un-filmed Cain story, "Butterfly." How about it? How about it, indeed. It had a marvelous part for a young girl and a controversial theme of incest; it had potential. Riklis was convinced. So was Barzie, who became executive producer of the film.

"Even so," said Riklis, sitting barefoot in his suite at the Riviera, "we decided that if the film didn't turn out as we hoped, we'd scrap it. We'd never show Three million dollars, most of which he provided, down the drain? Just like that? rison, co-wrote the screenplay of "Butterfly." And Riklis made it clear from the start that he, Cimber, would be in charge. "He invited me to his farm on Long Island," Cimber said. "At first I thought we were entering some kind of park but it was his home. It's huge (about 120 acres).

He told me: 'I know nothing about film making. You're in complete And had he stuck to that? "Absolutely." What does Cimber think of Zadora's chances? "Well, they keep saying she's another Bardot. And certainly she's got a naturally sexy manner which works well on the screen. But it will be up to audiences to make up their own minds. "I think she is good.

And I think it's unfair to criticize Rik for financing her in films. After all, Carlo Ponti did the same thing with Sophia Loren at the start and nobody said anything about that." 4 TTV utterfly," now being trimmed slightly in length, is still awaiting J-'a U.S. distributor. But it has already been sold abroad, country by country. "And they all think Pia is marvelous," boasted Riklis.

"They all say she has star quality." Did it worry him at all the charge that he was just a rich man trying to further his wife's ambitions? "No. Why should it? Anyway there's been comment already about our age difference. We're married and she's got talent. Why shouldn't I want to help her?" Was he paying her a lot? "Are you kidding?" squealed Zadora. "I get less money when I play the Riviera than anyplace else." "Yeah," said Riklis, "I really take advantage of her." Was she getting more for "Fake Out" than she got for "Butterfly?" "About $10,000," said Riklis.

Then he added: "See, this isn't just a hobby for me. I intend to make money out of it." Much of "Fake Out" is being shot in and around the Riviera Hotel. There is one elaborate stunt sequence in which a Fiat car, being chased by police, crashes into the main dining room of the hotel, races through the adjoining casino and winds up in the swimming pool. Said Cimber: "There isn't another casino in Vegas that would have given us permission to do that. It's just as well Rik owns the hotel." Having financed two films starring his wife, would Riklis now sit back and wait to see what happens? "I already know what's going to happen," he said.

"She's going to star in a film to be made in Israel "Eagle in the Sky," from the book by Wilbur Smith. She'll play an Israeli. Michael Klingcr, the producer, thinks she'll be terrific." And would Riklis keep his money in his pockets on this one? "I don't know yet" he said "I may put up some money for it. We'll see." Actress singer Pia Zadora and husband Merushulam Riklis in publicity pose. "Just like that," said Riklis.

Now they used to do that in the old days of Hollywood when stars were under contract to studios. If a film was considered not up to par and could possibly harm the star's career it was quietly put on the shelf. But now? "The reason's simple," said Riklis. "My concern is for Pia. I wanted the film to be good, but my interest was her." Pia Zadora, 5 foot 2, who looks a little like Linda Blair before the devil got at her in "The Exorcist," nodded.

"We made a deal. A few weeks before we were to start shooting I said to everyone: 'You guys must be kidding. You can't give me an important role like this for my first I mean, I'd never made a film before and I'd no idea what was involved. So we agreed that if it didn't come out as we hoped it would never be released." She was, of course, nervous at the beginning but the presence of Stacy Keach helped a lot. "He gave me such con fidence," said Zadora.

Ironically, Keach was not Riklis' first choice for the part of Zadora's father. He wanted Kenny Rogers much to the dismay of the film's director, Matt Cimber. Said Cimber, "I told Rik, 'It's got to be Stacy Keach. He's right for the He just looked at me. 'Stacy he said.

See, he's not really up on the movie world. "A little later on he called me. He'd just been watching 'Doc' on television, the film in which Stacy starred with Faye Dunaway. "Cimber," he said, "you're right. I saw Kitch.

He's good." How had Keach reacted to the news that he would be working with the boss' wife? "I didn't tell him at first," said Cimber. "I just told him we'd found a new girl who was right for the role. Later I said: 'By the way, she's the producer's He did the most marvelous double take. But after meeting Pia he said he felt she could do it." Cimber, whose past credits include "Seven Graves to Rogan" with Rex Har.