Daily News from New York, New York • 598

UNIMES NEWS NEW YORK'S PICTURE NEWSPAPER DRAMA -MOVIES -TV RADIO-YOUCANDO IT TRAVEL-RESORTS Copr. 19tU News Syndicate Co. Inn. New York" 17, N.Y., Sunday, May 23, 1961 svGnnir ami mm SESCTDOIXr A FTER Fred Astaire By KATE CAMERON made a irreat hit with his TV snectacular sone and ez dance programs, it seemed for a while that he might desert the movies altogether. But evidently he couldn't resist the pressure that producers Bill Perlberg; and George Seaton put on him to star in their comedy, "The Pleasure of IIi3 Company." It is a pleasure, therefore, to announce that Astaire will soon be seen on the Music Hall screen in the new Paramount Technicolor production of Samuel Taylor's stage comedy.

It replaces "Parrish" next Thursday. Although the singing-dancing star will play a straight role in the new film, he has proved that he can handle comedy with finesse and subtlety and should receive a hearty welcome even without his famous dancing shoes. His last appearance on the screen was in a dramatic role in "On the Beach," in which he played a cynical, despairing scientist who preferred to take his life quickly and violently rather than face a slow disintegration through fallout of a hydrogen bomb. Halted by Strike The filming of "The Pleasure of His Company," which started in January, 1960, was halted in March (last year) by the actors' strike. With the weeks slipping by in idleness, the producers decided to get "Counterfeit Traitor," next on their schedule, un der way in Europe.

This decision was prompted bv contracts with William Holden and Iilli Palmer that called for a starting date of June, 1900. With the agreement of cast and production team, filming on "The Pleasure of His Company" was resumed last November. ork had to be stopped on "Counterfeit Traitor" because Holden had another commitment that wouldn't wait. Completion of the Paramount film was delayed when the producers ran into trouble in Germany and Denmark last summer. Perlberg was in Xew York for two days last week before flying to Germany to aid in winding up the last week of shooting on this picture.

Debbie Plays Daughter At one time, the producers were afraid they might have to abandon" "Counterfeit Traitor" entirely. But with the resumption of work on the Taylor play, film ing went like a breeze and they wound up the comedy in time to pick up the pieces on the Holden melodrama. In "The Pleasure of His Com- This Week's Openings TONIGHT Carnegie Hall Cinema "White Nights," Schell. MONDAY Fifth Ave. Cinema "Ashes and Diamonds," Cybulski.

TUESDAY Brooklyn Albee "20,000 Eyes," Nelson. THURSDAY Music Hall "The of His Company," Fleasure Astaire- Reynolds. FRIDAY Casino "Das Schlos3 Tirol," Bohm. SATURDAY Cameo "Mumu," Kochetkon pany," Astaire plays the role created by Cyril Ritchard on the stage, and Lilli Palmer enacts the part played by Cornelia Otis Skinner. Debbie Reynolds plays the daughter, a role that brought fame and a successful screen ca reer to Dolores Hart, while Tab Hunter will be seen in the part created by George Peppard.

Gary Merrill, Charles Ruggles and Harold Fong round out the cast. with Ruggles the only member of the original company to reenact the part he played on the stage. Successful Teamwork Perlberg and Seaton share production responsibilities, but it is Perlberg who fulfills the job of producer by taking care of the financial and technical details and other bits of business connected with the making of a picture. Seaton concentrates on the direction of the company. These two have had an amicable partnership for the past 20 years.

Occasionally, they share the production details and hire a director, but Seaton has piloted the performers in a majority of their films, and has also acted as script writer. During the past two decades, the partners have distinguished themselves as a top-flight team because of the excellence of their combined work on "Song of Ber-nadette," "Diamond Horseshoe." "Rhubarb," "Bridges at Toko-ri," "Little Boy Lost" and "The Proud and the Profane," among others. Tab Hunter (below, left) Fred Attaire and Debbie Reynold have leading role in "The Pleasure of Hi Company." The screen versio of Samuel Taylor's stag com edjr open Thursday at Radi City Mmi Hall. Seaton wrote the scripts for "Miracle on 31th St." and "The Country Girl," for which he won an Oscar. In a recent speech before a gathering of American cinema editors, Perlberg stressed the fact that although Hollywood gives lip service to its need of new blood, it keeps its doors closed to the graduates of UCLA and other universities who spend four years majoring in cinema arts and then go into a year of graduate work and can't even get an in terview at a studio.

These same students, he said, see representatives of General Electric, General Motors and General Dyamics who "come on the campus and recruit students in electronics, engineering and other fields, guar anteeing them jobs and a decent beginning salary." He called attention to the fact that metropolitan newspapers and national magazines invite the top students ol the various schools of journalism to apply to them for jobs, and he ended his speech 1:1 4 Jt.4faMiMl on a bitter rently, our care less. closed." industry couldn't the doors remain IT IS nothing new for Kirk Douglas to take up arms in a Western opus, but except for his early days on the screen in small parts, Rock Hudson has been employed in modern dramas and comedies. Douglas and Hudson will be seen together shortly in "The Last Sunset" on the Palace and Trans-Lux 85th St. The atre screens. Their picture will follow Richard Widmark's "The Secret Ways," now occupying the screen in both houses.

Douglas and Hudson made the picture for Universal-International, under the Brynaprod banner, in which Kirk is a partner. Kugene Frenke and Kdward Lewis shared the production responsibilities, while Robert Al-drich directed the player. 'Filmed in Mexico The supporting- cast Is on arresting one. It has Dorothy lone, lscar winner for her work in 'Written on the Wind In the! feminine lead, and Carol Lynley plays her daughter. Joseph Cot-ten, Neville Brand, Regis Toomey and Rad Fulton have the chief supporting male roles.

The photographed in Eastman color, was made on lo cation in Mexico, with the excep lion or one sequence which was added in Hollywood. It took three months of actual shootinir time to complete filming south of the border, although the preliminary work consumed nine months be fore the cameras started to roll. Ernest Gold composed a musi cal score for the film and the one song in the picture, "Pretty Lit tie Girl In the Yellow Dress." was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin to lyrics by Ped Washington. Dalton Trombu adapted Howard Riflrbv' novel, "Sundown at Crazy Horse," to the screen. IIIIILE Russia an! the U.S have been aiming rocket and men at the stars, movie uro- Kenneth More It the astronaut in English film ipoof of earth ling' attempt to reach moon, The comedy, "Man in the Moon," open June 12 at the.

S2d St. Trim-Ui Theatre. ing; their men to moon ly way of (fie screen. "Man in the Mootl" will be brought to the Tl uns-Lti 1 Jui' J2 by I Ji.sirmui nig ii'). It is said to be a spoof of finntla efforts to explore outer apace and engage in a highly ('onipeU live race to the inpon, New Dearden Film Produced by Micheal Ri'lph and directed by Hasil Dcardi-n from a screen play by Helph and Bryan Forbes, the picture stars Ken ncth More and Shirley Ann Field.

Miss Field is now appearing on the Uarotiet Theatre screen in "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning." It was Dearden who directed "Saphire" so expertly into one of the best whodunits presented on the screen In year. Although the film i described as a comedy, it i said to be absolutely authentic in detail about Hpacetravel, How' art director Don Ashton acquired the fcriovr ledge for his design of a space rocket station it tiow considered ton nrret aitionsr spacemen in 1 4 4 .7 vi a i-. Si 5 I I 2 V' hh- '114 jh 'Uiji, I rV V'i If iK Zm Dorothy Malone i concerned about young Carol Lynley'a obviou admiration of Kirk Dougla la thi icen from Th Lat Sun.et," seat feature at the Palace and Tram-Lna 8StK St. ducer in Uritaia have been send.