Boxoffice-August.11.1975

20th-Fox to Release
3 Brut Productions
HOLLYWOOD—Twentieth
Ccniury-Fox
Film Corp. and Brut Productions have
entered into an agreement whereby the
studio initially will release three Brut features,
it was announced jointly by David
Raphel, 20th-Fox's senior vice-president ol
worldwide marketing, and George Barrie,
president of Brut.
Negotiating for the studio was William
Immerman, senior vice-president of administration
and worldwide business affairs.
The first feature to be released this
October will be the contemporary comedy,
"Whiffs," starring Elliot Gould, Eddie Albert,
Harry Guardino, Godfrey Cambridge
and Jennifer O'Neill. Ted Post directed the
Panavision and Technicolor production
from an original screenplay by Malcolm
Marmorstein. George Barrie produced.
The second release will be a featurelength
animated musical entitled "Hugo the
Hippo," featuring the singing voices of
Donny and Marie Osmond and the voices
of Burl Ives, Robert Morley and Paul
Lynde.
The third property in the initial agreement
between the two companies is another
George Barrie production, "I Will, I Will
. . . for Now," starring Elliot Gould, Diane
Keaton, Paul Sorvino, Victoria Principal
and Candy Clark. Norman Panama directed
from a screenplay he co-authored with
Albert E. Lewin.
Raphe! said the studio was delighted to
join forces with an independent producer
of Barrie's stature, adding that he hoped
the three-picture pact would be the beginning
of "a long and fruitful partnership."
Barrie's company produced the highl>successful
film, "A Touch of Class," which
was distributed in many parts of the world
by 20th-Fox. The film received five Academy
Award nominations, resulting in Glenda
Jackson winning the "best actress" Oscar.
Said Barrie, "It is a great pleasure to be
able to release our product through a studio
with the marketing finesse and worldwide
reputation of 20th Century-Fox."
James, Cruikshcmk Form
Production Company
NEW YORK— Hilary James, former
head of the Warner Bros, magazine department
in New York, has formed an independent
film production company. Oak Productions
Corp., in association with H. T.
Cruikshank. The latter is a prominent London
businessman and chairman of the board
of trustees, American School in London.
The company's first scheduled project is
a suspense drama tentatively titled "In Another
Time," now being written by Stephen
Coulter, noted English novelist who lives
Paris.
Before joining Warner Bros., Ms. James
had been associated with a number of major
French-American co-productions in Paris.
Her new company has offices at 331 East
50th St.. New York, and at 71 Park St.,
London.
in
'Against a Crooked Sky' Is Completed
/„ ^y^^^ i^^ Doty-Dayton Productions
Renegade Indian.s capture Richard Boone, center, who plays the role of Russian,
and Stewart Petersen, who plays Sam Sutter, as the latter attempts to rescue
his kidnaped sister in Doty-Dayton Productions' new family feature, "Against a
Crooked Sky." The film, which recently completed shooting on locations near
Moab, Utah, is scheduled for release in December.
HOLL"YWOOD—The scenic countryside
of Moab, Utah, was turned into a Hollywood
film setting as production was com-
direction of Earl Bellamy.
The film marks the return to Hollywood
production for Richard Boone, who achieved
stardom on TV in "Medic," "Have Gun,
Will Travel." "Richard Boone Anthology"
and "Hec Ramsey," while it is the third
starring role for 15-year-oId Stewart Petersen
from Cokeville, Wyo.
"Against a Crooked Sky," based on a
short story by Eleanor Lamb, is the saga of
a frontier boy's daring search for his sister
who has been kidnaped by a band of marauding
Indians.
residents were hired for parts in this independent
production.
Veteran actor Henrv Wilcoxon, who has
made 70 major motion pictures, has his most
challenging role in the film as he "acts"
through the picture using pantomime and
Indian sign language. Many other experienced
actors were cast in the Doty-Dayton
film, among them Clint Ritchie, Shannon
pleted on the newest Doty-Dayton Productions
family film, "Against a Crooked Sky."
A cast of 26 actors including stars Richard
Boone, Stewart Petersen and Henry Wilcoxon
was backed by a 48-member filmmaking frey Land. Gordon Hanson, Vincent St.
Famon, Jewel Blanch, Brenda Venus. Geof-
crew and more than 800 extras under the Cyr, Rich Wheeler and Margaret Willey.
Doty-Dayton Productions, which specializes
in family features, earlier released
its "Where the Red Fern Grows," shot in
the Oklahoma settings of the original book,
and more recently "Seven Alone," shot
along the Oregon Trail settings of the story's
locale.
"Against a Crooked Sky" was adapted
for the screen by Douglas C. Stewart and
Eleanor Lamb. Stewart, a BYU graduate,
has written numerous plays and co-authored
both "Where the Red Fern Grows" and
"Seven Alone" with Mrs. Lamb, who has
In addition to the mountain and wilderness
areas around Moab. Doty-Dayton did
written several short stories, a novel and a
musical screen story. Director Bellamy has
location shooting at Arches National Monument,
Dead TV
Horse Point State Park and
numerous major Hollywood screen and
credits.
Castle Valley, Utah. More than 60 Navajos
from the Blanding, Utah, reservation were "Against a Crooked Sky" is the latest motion
picture to be produced by Lyman Day-
transported to the Moab locale daily to play
roles in the film, while a number of Moab ton, president of Doty-Dayton Productions,
20th-Fox Plans to Appeal
Superior Court Ruling
HOLLYWOOD—Twentieth
Century-Fox
who has received several awards from school
and film groups for his first movie. "Where
the Red Fern Grows."
has announced it will appeal a Los Angeles
Superior Court jury award of $2,000,000
to the estate of Jacqueline Susann and
Sujac Productions, which the writer had
formed with her husband Irving Mansfield.
Miss Susann had sued the film corporation
prior to her death charging that
20th-Fox engaged in "unfair competition"
in its 1970 release of the film "Beyond
the Valley of the Dolls," which was not
based upon Miss Susann's book "Valley
of the Dolls."
The suit charged that use of the title by
20th-Fox "caused public confusion" and
"hurt the sales" of her subsequent bestseller.
"The I ove Machine."
BOXOFFICE August 197.S