THE CHINA MAIL,
Where Mike Todd NOW
TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1981.
FRANCE IS TALKING WITH THE ALGERIAN REBELS SEEKING THE PEACE ONE MAN HAS STAKED ALL TO FIND
left off, Mr Levine The OTHER big steps in
in...
THE
THE first thing Joe Levine did when he beenme producer of a film called Sodom and Gomorrah was to raise the budget from 1,000,000 to 3,000,- 000 dollars. Joe Levine, he pointed out, could not afford to be associated with a mere million-dollar production.
He also made a statement that
Sodom and
Gomorral, nof
withstanding tir- Ola Testa- ment, would be ideal enter. tainment for all the family
Jue Levine, sun unknown
in England. is a small, bulky Despectacled
regarded lu
ma
who
Americe as the new ballyhoo king ot Abas. the natural successor to Mike
Todd. He is a
who
10 the BLIT*-
evidently subscribeg Lotion that If anything, ereds better than a good ilm. it is a bad nim..
Never has a men's unwaver- faith in the public's bad faste been more triumphantly vindi- enteri. Jig Levino has made fortune he admits to being a Bonalre-out of things like Hercules, Hercules Unelialueti, Ata the Hun.
HIS TRICK
31
Joe Levine's trick was to buy up for next to nothing (because nobody cise
them? wanted foreign-made ples containing forge quantibes of sex, violence, horror and spectacle.
Into
He then dubbed them English and devoted streat dra! more energy, fair and money to promoting them than would appeur to have gone intu making them.
3
#ZIMELIGET
BY 'THOMAS WISEMAN
He has alzo tigned a deal with John Davis of the Bank Organi- gation for whieh purpos, he was In London the other day,
After me in his honour, enlled on Joe Levine at his hotel suite; he nave me a Lou Costello chocolate Rr. pushed some elenies into his mouth and tol me that Sodom and Gomorrah would quite Hkely be the greatest Ar ever made.
"How did get into 12 he ponciored. "Well, we, i was like this. The moment I heard the title knew this would be
great fim.
mord
"I mean, you couldn't have a
commercial
than Soriom and Comorrah, tried Gut the title on some people in America and the response was so terrife 1 got an à plane to Rome and made a new deal.
Hercules Un- 'SURE DID, JOE'
As FAMIL chairul became ths bigned money-maker of 1060 In Britain, and Mr Levine became revered The New Alchemist the man who could turn bonu corn into goli,
t
to
crisis time in
de Gaulle's life
MY oldest friend
BY LORD
LORD WINSTER
is, perhaps, General Sir Edward Spears, a man whose rak question of homosexuality, intelligence is prov- We can't have anything like that) ed by his having misfortune which overwhelms defentists. He must remala
"That's what I'm having made 0 reputation America exists, the form of the
"What I'm worried about is
in the in.
IL react-"In the Immense alone could
challenge
us, France known that, becnus 1berty for the purpose.
talks with the director about
rivillation which is hors Will now. God has got to have "for himself
A SAFE а not die, and that one day free- pretty good reason for destroy fag Sofom and Gomorrals, but soldier, business-dom will live again in ancient
Europe." man and an author.
we still gol to have a film that'll get past the consor
"So what we got to do is And some less distasteful sins-you know, that are more bax-flce- like plam ordinary lust or some thin, you know.
Mr Joc Levine was anxious
to point out that he was also interested in art.
"I'll tell you something that
surprise zin," he said. "I'm going to distribute a im made by Vittoria de Siea who is great dire you'll agree, I'm going to sell it, and I'm going to soil it tasteful.
"Sure, there's rape in it, and has got Sophia Loren, but listen. I tell you, I slon't expect
Q
If further proof of his qualities were required, he has enjoyed the friendship and fidence of Winston Churchill.
MEMBER
con-
FOR PARIS'
He peaks French so perfect-
Reynaud was not the first and be the Inst man to find balm for his incom- petence in magniloquent words,
wirteinly not
HIDE-OUT
the
l
"Clearly," said Spears, "every elfort must be made to help the salary mast prepared to take the only steps likely to rally I have been told that when French
opinion To help de a anggestion was made that he Gaulle was the only way of pur- should
out 0! France sung the mission
the Prime Reynaud said it was impos- Minister hadt entrusted to me." sible, there would be inauper- able JiMculties about
"'baggage."
Dis
This did not seem a very good reason until It was reallred that he was referring to his mistress I suppose it was in character as a French man of honour,
trust him and has an intimate WHITE AND knowledge and politicians,
of French politics
to make a nickel out of that ly as to lead the French to mis- film. Fins like Hercules I don't like myself, but who am I to with 18 million paying customers? Quite clearly, this is the one cardinal sin which Jun Levine would never
tel them I wanted spind at least 3,000,000 dollars the picture, and if they could work in something like the part- technique eun best being of the Rud Sea or Non}'s illustrated by what he did with Art, Ed put in, another couple
chepiy-mane Httle BruİSİL of million. We've already got a commit. Almenlled Jack The Rizer. terrine food scene. Joe Levine liked the title, to
#L
s
a
..
intermapted to ask Mir
he had intra- He bought the Bim for America. Levine w ile then Brew
lavish aged to work a florx scene Into Juncheon at New
York's Sodom Hnd Camorral Waldorf Astoria at which he displayed 1,000,000 dollars In crisp new 1,000 dollar bills.
He announced that this was the money which would be spent on publicising and pro- moting Jack The Ripper.
The cost of the stunt-hiring 24 armed guards, Insurance and interest for two hours on 1,000,000 dollars...was 3,500 dollars. The effect? A million dollars worth of free publielty In the American Press,
Jack The Ripper lost Joc Levine 300.000 dollars but he considers the money wall lost. He was learning his trade.
Now, having run out of this he can buy up cheaply, he has gone into production himselt.
LES GIRLS
Levine looked startled, lie call: FROM Romo I have nows
in
said
ed out to his vice president.
Eddir, how does the foo.] scene uteur Sodom and Gomorrah?"
"Towards the end," Eddie, quick as a dash,
"Towards the end," repeated ir Lovine triumphantly.
"The Lord smole Sodern and Gomorrah,” sald Eddie, fire and water."
"with"
"You sure, Eddie?" "He sure did. Joc, sir." I raid, nut according to the Old Testament, He didn't,
"Listen," said Joe Levine "y book you adapt for the MT71, you got to take liberties with. You go! to be practical. It's A Great
100 scene.
somy
of another film that will clearly interest Mr Joe Levine. Dino de Laurentiis, making Barabbas, has sent out an urgent appeal for Amazonian girls, 50 of whom are needed for his produc-
tion,
far he has been able to secure the services of only four -all from England
"Surely." Mr De Laurentits has Insisted, "there must be more Amazons in England."
For the past two days, 50 dwarfs have been standing by warming up for a spectacular tussle with the girls — but the Amazons seen very shy about
ming forward.
(Lorsion Express Service).
Di
Be and I were in the House
Commons together, where one would have antlelpated a career for him. Oddly enough this never came off although perhaps bernuse he was always busy in the COULISSES. The House as a corporate body did
take to him and he was nicknamed the Member for Paris."
act
Alter
STRAINED
saying
farewell
to
Win
From great affairs to snal Trying to get Churchill on the telephone Spears found the Duke of Windsor on the line asking for warship to be sent to Nice to pick him up with his Duchess.
Spears left the Ambassador trying to And n safe hideoui in which de Gaulle could spend the night and went to see Mandel who, like Reynaud, was with his mistress. He gallantly offered kim two seats In his alreraft but Mandel refused and was Inter
great iman."
Reynaud. Spears went to look undered by Vichy. "He was a for de Gaulle. He found white, overwrought and strained Agonisely for Spears, who saying he had reason to bellove feared he might have been Weygand meant
to have him arrested, de Gaulle was inte for arrested. There was a hurried the 7 am rendezvous. When he conference in which the British appeared he insisted on carrying Ambassador joined.
out a stratagem" which was to drive to the Ministry of War and give orders for various
be made for him enagements
"Nothing could be decided in Spears played on important this sinister ball (of the part in bringing de Gaulle to Premier's residence) where ย England after the mil of France, was impossible to be certain we during the day. ffrought there were not watched or overheard.
rumour that tell from
Reynaud, the French Premiler, 10, power on June
"To any passer-by the eight of Bordeaux. the Ambassador and myself, our heads turned upwards
1040.
In this way he would be no
he was leaving
like ALL WENT
The story of his fall is not a devotees of some invisible Simon very noble one. When all was Stylites # we spoke to the over he went into a drawing- enormously tall de Gaulle, was room where his mistress was bound to attract the attention we sitting with another Judy and were seeking to avoid.** sald to them-"I have prepared really fine telegram for Pre- sident Roosevelt,"
SMOOTHLY
Then they drove to the aero- They get away to a hotel drome full of anxiety about the where de Gaulle emphasised that guard at the entranier but all he must got to England to make went smoothly. an immediate call to Frenchmen-
A pause, and then I really must read you my telegram to for continued resistance. Only "We beheld an extraordinary President Roosevelt,"
he could do it and be heeded. He scene. More flying machines
Beauty sleep-it's just
a myth
DOCTOR'S TEST PROVED IT
London,
Do you pack in beauty sleep? Retire early, or rise late, in order to keep the wrinkles away? It's a
waste of time. Medical research has proved it.
Beauty sleep is a myth. The extra hours in bed have NO EFFECT on how you look.
The man who han renchest
this conclusion Is Dr Firmin Nash, director of the Soulhage are linked with differences West London
masa X-ray ser- the time they spend in bed.
most of us, Something else must be respon thought it possible for sleep to sible for some people keeping
their youthful looks."
WHAT?
vice. He, like
have
an effect on the ageing process, He arranged a test.
THEY GUESSED
As 18 men
and 71 women entered his Fulham unit,
TELL ME DOCTOR
"having a screw, loose in the head." But you can have a scrow put in,
A group of surgeons at Glas- gow have evolved a new tech- nique In which' A screw. is xed into a bone next to the ecistalaing a radioactive pellet,
tuitary gland in the lower
part of the skull. Itemoval of this glacd often helps women suffering from cancer of the breast
Surgery is not easyhenee the screw idea. Radiation from the pellet inaldo literally bomb- bards the gland out of existence, quite painlessly.
Should a label tell? Gramophone medicine
clerk asked each "How nid are able to tell from the "OUT 1000 doctors ra-
grapher,
markably
age.
confusion,
*
It
The portable heart machino
• CHOULD one always be
gularly attend gromo- you?" and "What time do you usually go to bed and get up" label what is in a battle of phono" evenings —— with
Later they were asked to file medicino or box of pills? difference. The records con- past two denks,, where a radio- Some say YES. A detalle tain nows
ad- of rocont Mr Willar Merson, label, would avok! and Dr Nash's secretary, Miss and enable a doctor to treat the vances in medicine and sur- Joyce Strudwick, sal. They patient of a slek collengue with gery, ways to give new drugs, guessed ones from looks.
or revision talks. Their lene difculty.
British scientists have developed this lightweight, guessen turned out 10 ba 10- Others say NO. It might Disco-Or tape
Blectro-cardiograph for diagnosing heart troubles. The machine apoola, necurate usually encourage people to use the
is nine inches long and weight only nina pounds. Buckers, fixed within a year or so of the true medicine prescribed for their preferred are sued by the
trell College of General Preetioners. Over the patient's chest pick up the heart rhythms and convert 105 illness
ony DN
them into patterns of lines on the moving coll of paper. From "But when the results were symptom of any kind, or hoard Tire tard-working family
there, a doctor can find out what he wants to know about the analyze, the team found:
lule, usalem pliks.
doelor can thus keep abreast invisible hears, Short sleepers looked no Now are offcial commitice of with the times. Fruitful discus- older than their years, and "Be- ductors and scientists has ruled: aton bully followe the
I report these facts-gleaned abods" no younger.
If he records, and the tea is catch- fingernails grow as quickly "It is up to the doctor.
This year, the college as their parents'. Only by a medical research worker
for the bottelt of those who the measles will halt them tom- spend one hours studying their spending £1,000
porarily,
Pat Presumably this in lie There does not appear to be kind of thing they have been Truth about nails
looking for. any Bak between white fleeka on the mrface of nails, OF TINGERNAILS grow an crinkly ridges, and the hoofth
of their OWTIET. average tenth of or character
• Some women who spent only wants a pallent to know, let ingen. six hours in bed appeared two alm instruct The
cheralot."
of three years younger than Otherwite, the traditionst label service. they really were.
Tho Tablets. One, twice
• Other
women who apont daily"--will go ont alno hours between the sheets looked two or three year older.
Dr Nash fold me: survey does not bear the
"The
A screw in the head
not recog-
on
theory that variations in the DOCTORS do mok for millimetre achany, Bables Diet doo not affect the
rite at which diferent people
than I have ever seen in one place, packed wing to wing as for as one could see. Since when had they left their armies? How long had they been colleet- ed there like a great herd of fly- ing shoop? So this was the French counterpart to the RAF, at Dunkirk.
"De Gaulle and 1 discussed a Jittle act, lie would behave as If he had come to see me oft, and at the last moment Was to haul him on board,"
There was a period of wali. ing while cord was sans for lash de Gaulle's luggag←--- "among the most unpleasant periods of walling I Have Ex- Berienced. I noted later in the airplane thai de Gaulle must have found the tension; excruciating.
"The possibility of his depar fure being detected was increas
ing.
bbm."
The aerodrome would be
THE HEIGHTS OF GRANDEUR
LIFT
"Of course, Monsieur
Kennedy, you're already used to skyscrapers..."
London Express Exprice.
BRITAIN BUYS 32 'PEEPING
TOM' PLANES FOR ARMY
the natural place to look for BRITAIN has bought 32 pilotless "Peeping Tom" Bples from Americe for use with Army reconnols-
"The cord appeared."I hope sance unit close to the battlofield. that never again will this com-
monplace article be so import- | First deliveries of the robot
ant to me. We had begun to planes - SD
move when I hoisted de Gaulle Drones will be in service with on board. The door slammed. I the British Army had just time to ste the gaping next month. face of the chauffeur."
STRAIGHT
AHEAD
1 Survelliance The whole operation enables elos battlefield reconnaissance in Germany to be carried out without danger to human life, as the is not audio controller may be several
miles behind the tat lines. -(London Exprest Survice),
of the order
Valuo
revealed.
The Drones
camera
carry powerful equipment and ore
remotely controlled from the
ground by radar and radio.
con
TALKING
POINTS
They are powered by a single chuint conventional propeller De Gaulle looked straight which renchies a maximuni before him in bla scat, lin-spred of 184 miles an hour and
10 Drone up portable Passive.
taken the Churchill has written that he, 13,900ft. carried with him; in this smell) airplane, the honour of France" FLOATS DOWN
This dish of meat is too As they flow out from the land
It is launched from a mobile good for anyone but un- they saw the Champlain sinking pad which can be set up from a glers or very honest men. beneath them with 2,000 British 11ght vehicle in minutes. When
--IZAAK WALTON. troops on board.
the reconnaissorICE #ghtin
* ***** * oaked de Claufle If he wont-over, and pictures have been ed anything, he said he would takon
It is impossible. In ilke a cup of coffee.
of energy pontuana, controller operate a parachute condition of soclely not to over a prearranged arca and be sometimes a snob. **Taking a vip he said In the Drone, plus cameras, foots
THACKERAY. velco which indicated that with-down to the ground. out criticism tiẻ must novertho- less proclaim the truth that this was top.
Peter Fairley
****(Landen Express Service).
tho
Our
The film are then processed ú mobils dark-rod and forward artillery crews receive renewal of boyala
Lovers' quarrels are tho
**Ifís miestyrdom had begum," valuable
-London Kapters Services. mimites.
In information.
TÉRENCE. -(London Exprsia: Satuito).
•
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