The Birmingham News from Birmingham, Alabama • 125

Section LIVELY ARTS dhr Birmingham News Sunday, December 9, 1962 my father wasa tailor, and I grew up in poor surroundings and circumstances, and I had little education, was a juvenile delinquent, and was sent to a corrective home for boys, and ended up in the United States Navy during World War II and was honorably discharged. Its not true. You mean you were dishonorably discharged?" I asked. No, SAID Mr. Curtis impatiently.

Its all lies. The truth is my real name is Anthony Curtis Skeffing-ton and I am the illegitimate son of a second Duke of Marlborough. See, here on my arm is a tattoo which BY JOE HYAMS, Herald Tribune News Service HOLLYWOOD, Dec, 8 (HTNS) What with all the Holywood stars writing, or having biographies written, it was only natural to expect that Tony Curtis would be heard from sooner or later. It was my pleasure recently to have Mr. Curtis call and ask if 1 could help prepare his story, which, he said, would certainly be a bestseller.

At a meeting arranged at his office in Universal Studios, Mr. Curtis, resplendent as always in stovepipe trousers, blue artists shirt, and Rolls Royce waiting outside, told me he thought it was time he told the truth about himself, "I'm established in movies now. he said, in a statement which would seem accurate enough since he now has two big pictures coming out Forty Pounds of Trouble" and Taras Bulba." ive even got a title for my biography, said Mr. Curtis, lowering his voice confidentally. I call my story It Would Kill An Ordinary Man, because the fact is, Im not an ordinary man.

When I was a kid in England Stop, I shouted. When who was a kid in Eng-and? When I was a kid in England," repeated Mr. Curtis seriously. I'm about to let you in on a secret no ones ever known till now. Everyone thinks my name is Bernard Schwartz and I was born in New York City, and Vivian as Vivian nixes Ethel image BY CYNTHIA LOWRY, AP television-radio writer NEW YORK.

Dec. 8 (P) Vivian Vance likes Vivian Bagley much better than she ever liked Ethel Mertz. I like being a woman with a son." reflected the blonde co-star of "The Lucy Show, busily stirring up an onion-sour cream dip in the kitchen of her Con-necticut home. 1 think its Gregory Peck on Hollywood Incompsten vciors. difficult actors, arc at fault bird, and a good director and producer, Alan Pakula and Robert Mulligan.

They did all the work, they were just as devoted to the picture as I was. This is the first time 1 am BY SIIEII.AII GRAHAM, North American Newspaper Alliance HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 8 Theres a lot of talk these days about difficult actors, said Gregory Peck, but the trouble with Hollywood has been incompetent producers and directors. Im difficult with a bad script or muddle-headed director. good script such as he had And hes an angel with a with To Kill A Mocking proves it.

Well, when I was a child I was kidnapped by gypsies who would never have known of my royal parentage if it had not been for this here tattoo. I was sent from gypsy camp to gypsy camp before a trusted retainer of my father, the Duke, discovered hie playing the fiddle in a Hong Kong tea room. But all thats part of a much longer story. By the time I came to America, I had finally established myself as the rightful heir to the fortune of my father, the Duke. But, when I came here there were too many other English actors established in movies Larry Olivier.

Richard Burton, David Niven, Cary Grant, Rex Harrison. Rock Hudson and I realized it would be impossible for a young English gentleman to get established so 1 took on another mans identity and got started as a young American boy of humble background. All that stuff in my biography is true about the real Bernard Schwartz, but not about me. The real Bernie Schwartz has become established too, so we've decided it's time to tell the truth. That's why Ive called you to help me write the story so we can both assume our real identities.

If youre not Bernard Schwartz, then who is? I asked. Peter Lawford, said Mr. Curtis. Will sexcess spoil Elizabeth Taylor? BY JAMES BACON, AP movie-television writer HOLLYWOOD. Dec.

8 i.4v Will those scandalous Roman headlines hurt the career of Elizabeth Taylor when she returns to movie making in Hollywood? No. says British producer-director J. Lee Thompson, who reports he is paying the actress $1 million plus 10 per cent of the gross to star in a film here next summer. "Its a semi-comedy about a beautiful woman who marries six millionaires, each of whom dies from one circumstance or other shortly after the wedding night. "We now use the title I Love Louisa, but I think it will be changed to What A Way To says Thompson.

United-Artists is backing Thompston to the hilt on the budget. A UA source explains why: "Thompson made 'Guns of Navarone, the years biggest moneymaker. Hes coming up with Taras which we expect to outgross Navarone. He's the first director in years with that DeMille boxoffiee touch. He's got a blank check from us.

Thompson said no one else but Liz was ever considered for the role of the wealthy widow. I think it's cheap at the price." he says. "Worth every penny we pay her." Thompson even will try and get the leading men Liz wants Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Jack Lemmon, Rex Harrison, among others. How about Richard Burton, Miss Taylor's current romantic I "No, absolutely not, says Thompson with finality. 'Night Life' Closes Its home to family for Neville Brand BY REBECCA FRANKLIN News New York correspondent NEW YORK.

Dec. 8 Neville Brand will soon be going back to his California home at Malibu, back to his wife and two little girls, to his 40-foot sailboat and backyard barbecues. He has been starring here in Sidney Kingsleys drama, Night Life, his first time on Broadway. The play I was scared to death. I didn't know a soul here.

I got a room near Madison Square Garden, and later moved to Thompson Street in Greenwich Village. It was that environment that led me to acting Id never even thought of being an actor. I met fellows there who were studying acting, and when I ran out of money they suggested I could get $80 a month under the G. I. Bill by registering for classes at the American Theatre Wing.

"For the first few months I wasn't a bit interested. I skipped classes most of the time, and they were about to throw me out on several occasions, Then, I dont know how it happened, but suddenly I got interested. After that. I couldn't work hard enough. During that time I also worked as a waiter at Dintv Moores and old Jim Moore nearly fired me.

I didn't know a thing about waiting table and served everything wrong. Turn to Page 2, Column 3 Colorful thinking HOLLYWOOD 1,4 Actress Judy Cannon, 23-year-old beau- ty. claims she has a built-in mental radar screen, all in living color. "I dream in color as lots of people do." she says, but I also think in color Even her favorite movie stars she analyzes by color. For instance: John Wayne Earthy Brown with an exciting trim of gold.

Sophia Loren Bright jungle green fire. Catlike with a splash of red. Cary Grant Navy blue find grey with an edging ot black. Doris Day A happy, girly pink and yellow. Brigitte Bardot flesh color with red polka dots tion picture companies about buying books his authors have written.

But, even after all the years in Hollywood, I feel now that home is in Connecticut and Im a visitor out there, said Vivian. So even if it is my house, when Im out there working, I live like a visitor. THE SERIES is beautifully organized and its two stars have much more time off than do performers on most other television series although they work harder on working days. When Lucille Ball was to work on a TV special, there was a 10-day break in production. Vivian flew home.

She also spent more than a week in the East over Thanksgiving, and there will be two weeks off for the Christmas-New Year holidays. Vivian explains the hilarious teamwork between herself and Lucille as a chemical bal-lance." Were a couple of good, honest performers," she said. And we work well together. Thats not being immodest 1 even like to watch us work together as a member of the audience. I've read a lot of scripts and I think I can tell good comedy when I see it.

I think that one of the things that makes our show good is that it is warm, and that basically we like each other. Thats important on television. On the stage, two performers who loathe each other can get away with playing together but television is like an x-ray. The audience gets the feeling we like each other. "Lucille has such a great talent she is a great clown.

And another thing is that there is great economy in the show. We have about 28 minutes to tell the story and we don't waste a second of it. "You can he sure that if theres one unnecessary line, it goes out. If one of us is supposed to gel out of a chair or make a gesture, and they prove useless to getting the story ahead, it goes out, too." SHE SMILED happily. "Of course, when 'I Love Lucy' finished, we never dreamed wfd be back doing this.

Turn to Iage 2, Column 4 more of an expression of me. AP Television-Radio writer Before we started the new show I kept talking with the writers, begging them to keep the part feminine I didn't mean that I didn't want to be funny, but I wanted to get away from those tough, hardbitten, masculine-sounding jokes. And this character gives me a chance to wear some nice clothes, too." AFTER ALL the busy, successful years in Love Lucy, Vivian was not exactly fed up. but she was ready for a change. During the intervening seasons she has been busily and happily free-lancing.

I did anything that would let me be myself anything that would break the Ethel image, she said, it was nice being back on the stage, and it was also nice being called Vivian Vance for a chance. During her Vivian Vance period, she made a number of appearances on Candid Camera things 1 thought were amusing.) And did some appearances on the ad lit) conversation shows, where she proved a witty, urbane guest. One bonus, completely unexpected, came as a result of her appearances on the Alike Douglas show on a Cleveland TV station for a week. The broadcasting chain that owns the station invited her to go to Europe France Germany. Italy, Denmark and, most interesting, Russia next summer to tulk to women of other countries in a series of taped interviews for later broadcast.

Meanwhile, Vivian and her husband of two years, literary agent John Dodds, maintain a highly unusual trans-continental marriage. HOME" is a 125-year-old white colonial house, complete with red barn, stone walls, fields and woods, in a count 17 hamlet an hour's drive from New York City. When The Lucy Show is in production. Vivian lives in a house in Hollywood. Once a month Dodds flies to the West Coast for a 10-day stay, a business trip that includes a reunion with his wife.

As a member of the firm of McIntosh, McKee and Dodds, he visits with his authors, talks to mo Acting in Shakespeare play not for Barbara Murray BY WILLIAM GLOVER NEW YORK. Dec. 8 iff) Among Broadway's many imports from Britain this theater season is Barbara Murray, untypical actress. As the flame-tressed beauty cheerfully puts it: I've never played in Shakespeare and I don't have anv particular desire to do so. Having poked aside the fond legend that every English performer trains from childhood on the R'il'i Mis-.

tv Mu! Will! I i 1 1 1 1 1 i Sonic vESkH all the ic pails which first won her ISEwS I didn't mind the films ready yon a.rcpt till' liUM'V mil because pat ul yum Wffelify VjBKH MISS MURRAY makes her American debut Dec. 13. and the occasion will be another de- pad ure from tradition. Overseas visitors are flHHRHHT normally summoned to take pail in works of 1 1 foreign flavor. This play.

"In the Counting House," is a completely domestic product and 1 Barbara will be surrounded by an all-Yankee Jj "Its a big chance and challenge." she says of the comedy which involves her in passionate romance with Sydney Chaplin. And them won't lie any tinge about the performance to remind spectators that the heroine is English. She speaks without colloquial mannerism. I don't have an aggressive accent." declares I it Miss Murray, "because that is something I don't like. I can put it on.

of course, if I must." 1 The sultry tingle winch grey-eyed Barbara projects caught the attention of ,1 talent scout MISS Ml It RAN' got into show business with Phyllis and Ann 'Mu' Ins; tun were her parent-, and Ann 1- tun nuddlc name She was a rebellious lit "Vh parents were variety performers anil I lulled the rut li lessiiess ol the tile- a dillerenl an any friends." Soon after her debut, her father quit because of rheumatism, and Barbara got busy on her dream of becoming an actress. "At first I was a film extra and was a model for a few months that I hated, posing for magazine illustrations. 1 wanted to get into repertory bttl my agent got me a contract with the Rank movie organization. "For the next six years I stayed in films and got what I wanted. The Rank studios had two acting schools that I could attend and also a stage company which went out on the road between pictures.

They were what I had in mind when I originally signed up." Miss Murray quit in 1953 in favor of marriage. BRITISHER BARBARA MURRAY In scene from The Counting House" "Legit is different it really is. You become a team and get to know each other. Sometimes you may also hate each other but there is communication." A NOVEL SWITCH in Broadway producing is planned by Ridgely Bullock and Milton Katselas. Two full-length dramas by Avraham Inlander, a new playwright, arc to be presented on alternate nights starting Jan 28.

with separate casts. The sponsors claim the tandem arrangement shaves not embarrassed about facing the author (Harper Lee) of the book. "Hollywood, continued the very attractive Mr. Peck, has been full of producers who are old hal and dead above the neck a Jot of frightened old men in the front office who made the wrong decisions. They've been running scared, offering enormous salaries to a favored few, trying to buy box-office insurance.

But if the producers and directors would came up with good complete scripts, they wouldn't have to offer stars a million dollars. It isnt the stars who ask for this kind ol inflated salary, hut the producers who beg them to take it. They have the privilege of saying no when an agent asks too much. I personally would willingly eut my rates if the script and direction was, lor instance. by David Lean or Robert Boult.

Then you don't think its temperamental stars and high salaries that have been hurting Hollywood? 1 asked Peek. "No, he replied earnestly. "It is the executives without a fresh point of view, without sufficient ability to make sure of a good script they are the villains. "As for the high salaries, again its the producers fault, they should take a chance on a lesser known star, pay or $150,000 instead of a million dollars. You cant blame Elizabeth Taylor or Marlon Brando for taking what the traffic will bear.

Its easy copy to talk about idiotic actors. I saw a headline the other day about Mutiny On The Bounty "A Mutiny within a and that Brando had given them a had time. Brando didn't give them a had time they made a foolish decision to go ahead without, a script, and there was Brando fighting all the way to make a good movie. THERE WAS quite a bit of battling when Gregory made "The Big Country" with Willie Wyler. "I was a partner in the picture and co-producer.

But I realized soon after we started that it was going to te a difficult situation and I said to Willie. TH forget about being an executive and you do the directing. I'll stick to the acting. Oh no, I need you. he assured me.

It got worse every day and pretty soon he wasn't speaking to me. He'd tell everyone else how to do the scene, but never a word to me. It Was a terrible situation. The picture has earned $8,500,000. but it cost so much to make that we haven't yet made a profit.

The trouble with some directors. Greg and I agreed, is that they cannot take criticism of any kind. They are so used to everyone saying its great, 'everythings fine' they just cannot take a negative. And if Hollywood wants to improve it will have to get a whole new Hock of directors and producers. Turn To Page 2, Column 5 costs and increases prospects for a longer run.

"Black Nativity," gospel song play that hit big when introduced off-Hroadway last Christmas is interrupting a European tour for a Dec. 23-3U return engagement at Lincoln Center's new Philharmonic Hall. Maurice Chevalier reopens the Zicgfeld Theater (long a television studio) with his one-man show Jan. 29, for a four-week engagement. Arrival of Peter Ustinov in his latest play "photo Finish is set down for Feb 13.

Ruth Donnelly, veteran film comedienne, returns to Broadway after a 34-year absence in "The Riot Act," with Dorothy Stickney, on March 7. WHEN KAY KENDALL, the busiest comedienne in English films, went off to Hollywood in 1958, Miss Murray was summoned as a replacement but turned nearly everything down. "By this time I had two children, so I limited my acting to television and a stage show or two." Now the mother ol three daughters, she plans to have them join her here "If were a success. Does she find this kind of theatrical career an improvement over the show tile that distressed her as a girl? More frankne 86. NEW ROLE SUITS VIVIAN VANCE teaming with Lucille Ball in TV's! The Lucy Show i.