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Feisty Kate fells Duke
By Dick Kleiner
HOLLYWOOD - (NEA) -
One of this year’s — any year’s
— most intriguing castings is
that in Hal Wallis' film,
“Rooster Cogburn." It co
stars John Wayne and
Katharine Hepburn, which, on
the surface, is something like
putting Anwar Sadat and
Yitzhak Rabin in a remake of
“What Price Glory.”
Wallis admits he ap
proached the project with
galloping trepidation, but he
says it worked out fine.
“The chemistry worked,"
says the 76-year-old producer
“They got along very well.
Neither of them is too easy to
get along with, but somehow
they hit it off. Actually, what
happened was that he did
anything she wanted him to
do.”
The history of “Rooster
Cogburn" is interesting. It is,
as you might expect, Wallis'
story. He had “True Grit,”
the film which introduced
Wayne as Cogburn and won
him his only Academy Award.
Wallis says Duke Wayne
was anxious to do a sequel to
"True Grit,” because he loved
old Rooster and wanted to
play the part again.
"Usually Duke wants a
script finished first,” Wallis
says, “but this time I just had
an outline. The girl’s part had
developed, and it was a good
part, so I called Kate on a long
shot. I said I have something
that might appeal to you.
“I sent her the outline. She
said she wasn’t sure if it was
enough, she couldn’t tell if her
part would measure up or be
just what she called a feeder’
part — feeding lines to Wayne.
But I had a first draft written
and she read that and then she
became very enthusiastic.
“Eventually, I had to go
through the final script with
her, page by page, and she
added ideas as we went along."
There remained the ticklish
business of the two big stars
meeting each other, and
deciding if they wanted to
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TOUGH GUY John Wayne fell captive to Kate Hepburn’s
charm, when the two were teamed up in "Rooster
Cogburn”.
work together. Wallis ac
complished that Major Event
in London. Kate was working
there on the TV special,
“Love Among the Ruins," and
Duke was there shooting
“Branningan." The two had
never met before.
“He was shooting a scene on
Piccadilly Circus,” Wallis
says. "I took Kate over to
meet him. She grabbed his
arm. He turned around, saw
who it was, gave her a big
grin. Then he picked her up
and twirled her around. That
was that. From then on, they
were friends.”
All but two days of “Rooster
Cogburn” was shot in the
wilds of Oregon, mostly along
the Rogue River Wallis says
that, on the set, everyone was
waiting for the fireworks to
begin, for some show of
temperament from these two
highly individual performers.
But there never were any
fireworks.
“It was a difficult
location,” Wallis says. "And
more so for Kate. She had had
an operation on her hip, in
which a pin was inserted in
her hip. I told her that I
wouldn't make her ride, but
she insisted on doing all her
own riding.
“One day, she showed up on
the set with a kayak. She had
gone into a local sporting
goods store and bought it. She
said she wanted to try it. So
she got in her kayak and
paddled down the river. I had
a man following her, of
course. She didn’t need him.
“And she’d go swimming,
too — and the water was ice
cold. Remarkable woman. I
think she’s 64 — but she’s
ageless.”
Wallis says Wayne and Hep
burn would go off in the woods
together, to work on their
scenes. He could hear them,
off in the distance, reading
their lines and discussing
them. Then they’d come back
with things worked out.
A young director, Stuart
Beware Ides I
of December
AKRON, Ohio (UPI) — Beware the
Ides of December, Akron, because
that’s the day John William Zofchak
says he will drop a powerful load of
snow on you.
(Sitting atop a wooded hill north of the
city, Zofchak, 29, broods over his
1 weather control machine: a six-foot-
Ihigh plastic-covered model of the Great
Pyramid of Gizeh.
The pyramid is composed of layers of
steel wool wrapped in aluminum foil. It
also has wires running from its peak to
a pair of billiard cues mounted on
revolving steel pipes.
Tall, dark-bearded Zofchak
maintains that this machine has been
responsible for the area’s unseasonably
mild weather the past few weeks.
I He says he will prove the legitimacy
of his “bioplasmic energy-gathering
accumulator” Monday by allowing two
I feet of snow to fall.
“A lot of people feel I’m crazy,”
Zofchak said, recounting his efforts to
interest government officials, weather
men and a patent lawyer in his device.
- V///'
Millar, was in charge of
"Rooster Cogburn." Wallis
says he likes his work, but
adds, "Wayne and Hepburn
take care of their own direc
tion."
For Hal Wallis, “Rooster
Cogburn” is the latest in a
long line of films. The
problem is —for him as well
as for Hollywood historians —
no one exactly knows how long
that line is.
"I never kept track of the
pictures I did,” he says. “It is
estimated at between 300 and
400. I think 300 is probably
closer. At a recent retrospec
tive at the Museum here, they
showed 77."
It all began for Wallis in the
early 19205, first as a
publicist, then publicity direc
tor, then studio manager at
Warner Bros., then, in 1931, he
started producing his own
films.
He says he still gets a kick
out of making movies,
although he isn't making as
many as he once did.
“I’m beginning to like doing
nothing.” he says. “For a
while, I thought of giving it
all up, but I couldn’t be happy
completely away from the
business.
“Nowadays, I like to have
one project going at all times.
One in production, one in
preparation. But I’m not going
to do them in groups any
more, as I used to do.
“If I like a picture project, I
get totally involved in it. I
love to scout for locations, for
example. But I am slowing
down now.”
Wallis is one of those who
openly admits he preferred
the old days to today’s
Hollywood. He recalls, with
pleasant nostalgia, his days at
Warner Bros., when he was in
charge of that studio’s famous
stock company of actors —
Cagney, Bogart, DeHavilland,
Sheridan, Davis, so many
more.
“We could cast all our films
from that stock company,” he
says. "It was a wonderful
time for me — and for
Hollywood.”
Today, he says, the whole
business is different. But he
still loves it, still enjoys the
creative process of taking an
idea and turning it into a mo
tion picture.
Next?
"Well, at the end of
‘Rooster Cogburn,’” he says,
“the two characters part and
she says, We’ll meet again —
someday.’”
Someday will be soon.
There will be a sequel to
“Rooster cogburn,” Wallis
says. Both of his stars have
OKd the project, and he says
he’ll start filming next April.
I NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN I
Polished Pablum
By Dick Kleiner
DEAR DICK: Why are they taking Beacon Hill off the air?
It is the only program on TV enjoyed by the mature, sur
fisticated audience. I cannot imagine among what groups the
poll giving it a low rating could have been taken. It is a
favorite program of mine and all of my adult friends, both
young, middle-aged and old. E.S., Biloxi, Miss.
I guess most of us had high hopes for Beacon Hill, but the
show was a consistent disappointment to the majority of the
viewers. It degenerated into little more than a gaudy soap
opera. And it was opposite two shows — the established Mar
cus Welby, and the new police hit, Joe Forrester — which
murdered it in the ratings. Also, whether you like it or not, the
ratings seem to be reasonably accurate. I’m afraid you and
your surfisticated friends will have to find something else.
DEAR DICK: Can you tell me more about Jason Miller, who
starred in “A Home of Our Own”? Is he married, how old is he
and where does he live? JACKIE MOSS, Massillon, Ohio
Several people inquired about Miller, who had been primari
ly a writer, and a good one, before he turned actor in “The Ex
orcist.” He used to be married to Jackie Gleason’s daughter,
and they have three children. He’s 33 and currently lives on
the beach, Trancas to be exact, which is not far from Los
Angeles.
DEAR DICK: Is Nancy Walker, who plays Rhoda’s mother
really Valerie Harper’s mother? MAE BELL JACKSON,
Mobile, Ala.
No.
DEAR DICK: On Wednesday, Oct. 8, Donna Mills played a
singer on Cannon. I would like to know who it was that was
singing and also the name of the album. RAY M. HOLTON,
Killeen, Tex.
A girl named Myrna Jay did the singing for Miss Mills in
that episode. She sang Will Jennings’ song, “Sleeping With
Strangers," which is not from any album.
DEAR DICK: About a month ago, I read that the song,
“Pinball Wizard,” by Elton John, was coming out as a single.
But when we called up the radio station to request it, they said
they weren’t playing it any more. And it’s not in the stores.
What’s going on? PAULETTE WARGER, West Sand Lake,
N.Y.
Nothing’s going on. It’s just that the song is old, and nothing
disappears quicker than yesterday’s song hit. John did the
number in the movie, “Tommy,” and the single was pulled out
of the sound track and was released —a long time ago. It’s
just run its course, that’s all.
DEAR DICK: Watching Sheree North in Big Eddie and
other programs, I’ve noticed she constantly shakes her head.
Is this a habit or a medical problem? D.K. NOTTLESON,
Orange, Ca.
I steeled myself and watched Big Eddie but I could not see
any North head-shaking. And I checked with people on the
show and they said she has no medical problems which would
explain what you’ve seen. If she does it, it must be just a
mannerism.
DEAR DICK: I watch Big Valley every day on TV. I know
what became of Lee Majors and Richard Long, but you never
hear anything about Peter Breck. Can you please tell me what
became of him? MRS. DEBORAH JOHANSEN, Homestead,
Fla.
Breck is still acting, trying to find jobs like any other actor
these tough, competitive days. If you watch S.W.A.T., you’ll
see him in a few weeks, because he just did an episode in that
series called “Murder By Fire.”
(NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN i
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Page 11
— Griffin Daily News Thursday, December 11,1975
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Divorce holiday
OKLAHOMA CITY (UPI) - A judge,
admitting he might be technically
wrong but morally right, will accept no
more divorce cases until the day after
Christmas.
District Court Judge Raymond
Naifeh, who took similar action a year
ago, posted a notice to that effect
Wednesday on his courtroom doors,
noting attorneys had told him two
marriages were saved by the
Christmas moratorium in 1974.
“If even just one marriage had been
saved, it would have been justification
for the moratorium,” Naifeh said. “But
two were saved, and who knows, maybe
we will up that score this year.
“God meant for marriage to be
sacred, and this holy season will be a
good time for couples with marital
differences to sit down and talk things
over, rather than jump precipitously
into what can become an often stormy
affair.
“I might be technically wrong in taking
this stand, but I’m convinced I’m
morally right.”