I . I INTERNATIONAL

Mexico Film Industry Takes Part In 42 Int'l Film Fests To Spark Worldwide Deals

BySAMASKINAZY Mexico City, May 7—The local film industry spent 1,000,000 pesos ($80,-

000) during 1973 participating in 42 international film events where more than 70 features and 20 shorts turned out here were shown, per National Film Bank director Rodolfo Echeverria, who hosted a recent luncheon here for local and foreign press at ChurubuscoStudios

For the current year, he added,

Afda/Efr Wed, May 8,1974

the schedule calls for the nine events already held plus another 40 scheduled throughout the world, including international festivals and film weeks devoted to Mexican cinema.

Promotion Criticized "Our industry's promotion on an

international scale last year," he said, "has been criticized and not properly evaluated." He pointed out that the local industry did obtain seven trophies between spe-cial awards and honorable men-tions. "Some people have the mis-taken conception of the economic function of our film industry and think in terms of immediate sales rather than long-term results "

The problem, Echeverria said, "means deciding whether we in­vest money in a film that could recoup its investment in our regular markets or undertake the necessary investments In order to be competitive with other indus­tries and entertainment like televi-sion or other spectaculars."

'Definite Advantage' The industry exec commented

that "the first alternative could mean eventual loss of the Spanish-speaking market here and in Latin America. If we opt for the second road and become more competi­tive, we have a definite advantage over industries in developing and underdeveloped countries because of our great experience and ad­vanced techniques and modern facilities. We also have a strong infrastructure and the full support of the government."

Coincidentally among the guests were representatives of the Tash­kent International Film Festival with an invitation for Mexico's participation Secretary of the Russian Filmmakers Union, Grigori Marianov, film director Malik Kaiumovich and Lev Kos-tanian of the Novosti News Agency represented the Russians who also started negotiating a copro agree-ment.

B l a k e O n T r a i l ' Whitney Blake has been signed

by producer Anthony Spinner to guestar in "The Deadly Trail" seg­ment of CBS-TV's "Cannon" se­ries.

George McGowan directs the Calvin Clements teleplay for QM Prods

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Mexico Pix Sent To Latin America Though Coin Lost

Mexico City, May 7 — Although they know in advance it's going to be an unprofitable venture because a large percentage of Mexpix sent to Central and South America don't even cover exploitation costs, many producers insist on exhibit­ing their product in this market.

This was Peliculas Mexicanas chief Juan Bandera Molina's reply to sharp criticism of the distrib agency's red ink operation in this territory.

"Westerns like those made by the Almada brothers (violent Pel Mex critics) just don't interest Central and South American au& iences," he said. "They can't compete in production values, attractive casts, the pace or acting with the Italians or the Americans who are masters of the genre."

Per Bandera, the Mexpic indus­try makes the mistake of sending every one of its films to countries like Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, etc. "The other countries' film industries," he commented, "send only product they feel will be of interest to special audiences."

As long as Mex filmmakers insist on having every one of their pix exhibited throughout Central and South America, he concluded, "they're going to face exactly the problem the Almadas talked about—throwing away good money trying to squeeze profits out of an unprofitable market."

A s n e r ' s ' P o l i c e ' W o r k Edward Asner has been signed

by exec producer David Gerber to guestar in the "A Dangerous Age" episode of NBC TV's "Police Story" series

Written by E Arthur Keen, the seg is being produced by Stan Kallis, with Virgil Vogel directing

H u d d l e s t o n G e t s ' D u t y ' David Huddleston has been set

by exec producer John Mantley to guestar in "In Performance Of Duty" episode of CBS TV's "Gun-smoke."

Osmond In 'Page' Cliff Osmond has been cast by

producer Paul Monash for U's "The Front Page," produced by Billy Wilder Jennings Lang is executive producer

Mike Gray & Associates, doc and commercial film production com-pany formerly of Chicago, has opened offices in Hollywood

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Israel Developing Auxiliary Aids To Dubbing, Filming

By JACK PITMAN London, May 7 — Zinkoe Prods.,

multilingual dubbing and postpro-duction facility in Tel Aviv, is per­haps typical of the embryonic satellite industry developing in Israel spurred by the inception of a domestic tv service and the spurt in film production there.

Headed by Pennsylvania-born Harry Zinder, who started the company three years ago, Zinkoe is chiefly into dubbing of Israeli features from Hebrew to English, also ditto on sundry European tv shows such as the Dutch-made puppet series "The Daily Fable." Zinkoe, using a system of audio loops instead of the conventional visual method, recently contracted to dub a series of features for Yugoslavia's Zagreb Film.

Nazi Holocaust Doc The company latterly has also

moved into video production with a documentary on the Nazi holo­caust, financed and distributed by the state-owned Israel Film Serv­ices. Zinkoe is developing addi­tional docus to be self-financed, one of which will deal with the evo­lution of the Arab Bedouin social order.

Zinder, interviewed in London on a biz visit between attendance at the MIP tv market and the Cannes Film Festival, is a Northwestern U. journalism grad who went to Palestine 35 years ago as an ardent Zionist. He spent several years with Time-Life and as an Associat­ed Press correspondent.

He says Zinkoe was the first dubbing facility established in Israel, with an assist from Scottish Television, British independent telestation, which trained Zinkoe's technicians, advised on technical aspects and has a profit participa tion in the dub outfit.

Six Int'l Actors In Manila To Do 'Pacific Connection/ Three With Hollywood Roots

By AARON PINES Manila, May 7—Six international film actors arrived to make a pic

here, met the press and talked on various topics—from streaking and international film trends to bullfighting and samurai swords.

The six, all toplined in "The Pacific Connection," a multimil-lion-peso Nepomuceno production, are Hollywood's Gilbert Roland, John Drew Barrymore, Dean Stockwell and Cole Mallard; Japan's Hiroshi Tanaka, and Argentina's Alejandro Rey

Joe Quirino, a leading Philip­pines journalist, asked all the per­formers what they thought of streaking. "There are better things to do and to talk about than streak­ing," said Roland, a vet Hollywood star from Mexico who has ap­peared in over 100 pix He came to the Philippines 12 years ago to make a film here titled "Samar "

"Streaking is a serious thing, man," said Dean Stockwell. "It is a psychological expression of man's freedom to do as he pleases."

'Frustrated Actors' Barrymore, son of "The Great

Profile," said that streakers are frustrated actors. "Actors," he added, "are the jesters of kings. In their heart of hearts, they do not like violence. They like to return to the simplicity of nature. Streakers are, in a manner of speaking, lovers of nature."

Argentina's Rey, a great favorite of Filipino moviegoers, said: "There's nothing wrong with streaking. I believe there's nothing wrong with the human body and streaking is nothing but baring one's soul through nudity."

Japan's Tanaka, who has been the double of international star Toshiro Mifune in his fight scenes and who's recognized as a samurai swordsman (he brought with him

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London, May 7 — John Marshall, the London producer planning to feature-film the Muhammad Ali life story with the fighter as star, has several candidates in mind to direct the pic, including Sidney Lumet with whom he's currently talking. Lumet is here helming EMI's "Murder On The Orient Ex­press."

The Ali biopic, for which Budd Schulberg is writing the screen­play, is expected to start next December or January on an esti-mated budget of $2,500,000 Provid-ing the bankroll is a London stock-brokerage, Vickers de Costa, one of the largest in Europe. The Ali project is its first venture into fea­ture financing. Marshall says sev­eral major distribs are "inter­ested," but at the moment he's figuring on turning it over to one of them only for the domestic (U.S.­Canada) market.

The film, for which there's no title as yet, would cover All's life from childhood "up to and after " his upcoming September bout with champion George Foreman in the African republic of Zaire Ali will portray himself after the age of 22, and all-location filming would encompass Louisville. Chicago, New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, London and the Mideast.

Though Marshall's ad hoc banner for the project, M. V

Prods , is London-registered, film will not be a British-quota Eady Fund-beneficiary entry.

Hall, Jessel, Albertson Head Israel Benefit Cast

Monty Hall, George Jessel and Jack Albertson will head the performance, and John Francis will emcee at the upcoming fifth annual Salute to Israel June 9. Event is for the benefit of B'nai B'rith Martyr's Forest.

Others in the show at Scottish Rite Temple will be Ricki Lane & Velvel, Gene Arcade, Khan & Kim, Jesse White, and Jerry Rosen and orch.

Tim Matheson will play the male lead in San Diego June 7 when the Old Globe Theatre opens its 25th anniversary season of the National Shakespeare Festival.

12 swords to be used in the film), said: "Streaking is exciting."

Roland, who plays the role of Allan, the father of the principal character in "The Pacific Connec­tion," asked producer Luis Nepo­muceno how he would die in the pic.

"In almost every movie I appear in, I die in the end," he said. "I hope I'll die with dignity in this movie "

Likes Pacific'Script He said he accepted his role in

"Pacific" because he liked the script. "Besides," he added, "the last time I was here I enjoyed the country so much and I'd like to renew acquaintances with friends here, expecially Marcos Roces, owner of the Ideal Theatre."

"The Pacific Connection," which also stars Nancy Kwan and Gloria Seville, is a period-costume pic with a storyline that dates back to 18th Century Philippines. "It has lots of action involving our very own amis and samurai sword-play," said producer Nepomuceno.

The story was written by Nepomuceno. The role of its hero will be played by Rollie Dante. The villain of the story is the governor, a symbol of colonial oppression, played by Rey

There's an assortment of good and bad guys, a mother (Gloria Se­ville) and an island sweetheart (Nancy Kwan).

F i l i p i n o F i l m s O n l y D u r i n g M a n i l a F e s t

Manila, May 7 — The Ninth Manila Film Festival will be held June 22 through July 2.

Mayor Ramon Bagatsing has signed an executive order requir­ing all theatres in the city to exhibit only locally produced motion pic­tures during the period of the film fest.

F i r e m e n O n ' I n f e r n o ' Irwin Allen's production of "The

Towering Inferno" (WB and 20th-Fox) will have two technical ad­visors on the story of the world's tallest skyscraper that catches fire on the eve of its dedication. Peter Lucarelli, Los Angeles Fire Dept , will cover filming at 20th-Fox and the Malibu Ranch and Jack F. Cavallero, San Francisco Fire Dept, will serve in the same capa­city during the July location film­ing in the Bay Area.

Sa id B o o s t s O l i n t o Fouad Said, prez of Cine Artists

International, has promoted Rob­ert Olinto to story editor for the company

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