Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 32

North County Magazine Thursday, May 5, 1983 Film Oak releases First of four films by RB firm By John Nunes The Times-Advocate Oak Industries makes its movie debut June 3, when Anthony Perkins returns to the screen as the mentally ill Norman Bates in "Psycho II," the sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic. Remember the shower scene? "Psycho II" is the first of four movies that the Rancho Bernardo-based firm is co-producing with Universal Pictures, under a precedent-setting agreement signed last year. All four films are intended to first-play in theaters nationwide. The movie deals with the issue of releasing the criminally insane from institutions. 'That was the basis to trigger a legitimate Bernard Schwartz, executive producer of 'Psycho Il Oak began 50 years ago, in Illinois, as a manufacturer of radio components.

It later produced the first cable television converter boxes, and has intended, for least two years, to become involved in the programming and production end of the movie business. The firm announced, two weeks ago, that it has Meg Tilly shown in yet another shower scene. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, who has recently been released from a mental institution, outside the notorious acquired distribution rights to seven motion pictures. Although Oak has acquired movies for its pay television network, this is the first time the company has distributed films to other entertainment outlets. "To the Devil a Daughter" is considered the showcase film of the seven.

It stars Nastassia Kinski, Richard Widmark and Christopher Lee. "'The others are mainly exploitative, drive-in movies," said Joe DiSalvo, based in New York for Oak's distribution division. Oak's "Psycho II" should do well as the firm's production debut, because it is the sequel to a popular thriller, said Bernard Schwartz, executive producer of the film. "We chose to do a picture with a lot of pre-sell value," he said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. Schwartz, who produced "Coal Miner's Daughter," has been Oak's liaison to Universal for the multi-picture, co-production project.

He, Oak and Universal officials were reluctant to discuss the other -production pictures, but they say there will be several more. Schwartz said shooting on the next film could begin as early as this summer. The multi-picture deal was hammered out during "a few months of negotiations. We had meetings in Los Angeles and flew down for meetings in Rancho Bernardo." But when the deal was announced to the movie industry, such as production people, agents and attorneys, the producer said he "literally had to run seminars to explain what the pay-cable business is..