Fate Is the Hunter (20th Century Fox) (1964)

Glenn Ford, Nancy Kwan and Rod Taylor “Fate Is The Hunter,” New Mystery Drama The baffling circumstances surrounding a tragic air crash are the subjects of “Fate Is the Hunter,”’ Twentieth Century-Fox release in CinemaScope which opens...... at the a0, & Erle @ Theatre. The script by Harold Medford is based on Ernest K. Gann’s book of the same name, a saga of the airways by the same man who wrote ““The High and the Mighty” and “Island in the Sky.” Glenn Ford stars as Sam McBane, the man ordered to investigate the causes of a jet* airplane disaster in which the only survivor was an airline stewardess, played by Suzanne Pleshette. The dead pilot, played by Rod Taylor, is accused of pilot error, and McBane must vindicate him and the airline. McBane has a personal interest in the matter, since he and the pilot were old friends who served together in Burma during World War II. But McBane’s initial investigations turn up no facts. He can find no logical cause for the accident. McBane knows that the pilot always believed in Fate, insisting that he would die when his time came, and not before. In a number of flashbacks, he is shown escaping death time and time again during the war. Even the beneficiary in his will, played by Nancy Kwan, feels that Fate is the reason for the crash, She thinks that it was the pilot’s day to die, and that any investigation is a waste of time. McBane is inclined to agree with her, but he must pursue the investigation if only to clear his friend’s name. Eventually he does uncover the true circumstances behind the crash, vindicating his friend and Fate too. Co-starred with the above are Wally Cox, Nehemiah Persoff and Mark Stevens. Jane Russell also appears in a cameo role as an actress who entertains the troops in World War II. “Fate Is the Hunter” was produced by Aaron Rosenberg and directed by Ralph Nelson, of “Tilies of the Field” fame. Photography was by Academy Award winning cinematographer Milton Krasner. Bad Guy Gets Break In‘Fate ls the Hunter’ Arthur Batanides has probably been beaten up more often than any other living actor. Indeed, his record of lost fights and brawls on TV and in films would make even the most canvasbacked prizefighter wince. But at long last, in 20th Century-Fox’s “Pate Is she Hunter,” opening BPS ees at ......., Batanides has a part in which no one lays a glove on him. That’s not to say that he’s a “ood guy,” of course. The young Greek-American actor takes the part of a man who is suspected of sabotaging an airliner in the suspense drama. But at least nobody pummels him. “T’ve been beaten almost 300 times on TV alone,” Batanides laments. “I’ve played every nationality, dialect and disguise one could think of. But until producer Aaron Rosenberg spotted me, I’d never been offered anything but a “heavy” role in which, somehow, I always wound up either unconscious or dead. “Actually, though, lots of big stars got their starts in similar parts. Charles Bickford, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable played ‘bad guys’ long before they were given more likeable roles. I keep hoping that this is going to be my big break. “This change from lead pipes, brass knuckles, whips, pistol— whippings and ordinary fists may even lead to—who knows— leading parts and the leading lady. After all, I don’t assault either Nancy Kwan or Suzanne Pleshette in ‘Fate is the Hunter!’ The villain’s life is not the life for me.” MINUTES BEFORE DISASTER, airline stewardess Suzanne Pleshette, pilot Rod Taylor, and the crew of a great jet airliner brace themselves for a crash in this scene from the 20th Century-Fox CinemaScope drama, “Fate Is the Hunter” which opens Theatre. Glenn Ford is also starred. the Rare Collection of Old Airplanes Makes Fate ls the Hunter Authentic It’s lucky for producer Aaron Rosenberg and director Ralph Nelson that Southern California boasts almost as many old plane buffs as it does old automobile fans. It made their India-Burma air and landing scenes for 20th Century-Fox’s “Fate Is_ the Hunter” completely authentic. Since most of the collectors keep their old planes at nearby Pacoima Airport, and because Nelson, who flew in that area during World War II, found the hills surrounding the airport similar to the hills in the BurmaIndia area, the scenes with Glenn Ford, Rod Taylor, Jane Russell and Wally Cox were filmed there. Nelson used the finest collection of World War II fighting aircraft extant, according to retired Major of the U. S. Air Force Ernie Dryer, technical expert on “Fate Is the Hunter” which opens ...... at Major Dryer had made many flights over the Burma Hump during 1942-44 in helping get supplies to Chenault’s Flying Tigers. Authentic period planes of the type actually used in the IndiaBurma theatre, and in the “Fate Is the Hunter” sequence, include English Mosquitoes, AT-6’s, B 25’s, B-26’s, Fairchild 24’s and a Scout plane actually flown in the sequence by old airplane enthusiast Gil Maxwell. The Fairchild 24 was part of the 14th Air Force, which served Chenault and later absorbed his Flying Tigers. The star plane of the sequence is the C-54, which 20th CenturyFox borrowed from its San Diego owner, who specified that his name not be mentioned. This huge plane was flown into the small 1400-foot landing field at Pacoima Airport—quite a feat since the C-54 is the equivalent of a DC-4. This particular C-54 borrowed from its owner for “Fate Is the Hunter” was the actual private plane of General Douglas MacArthur during World War II. The owner purchased the plane for that very reason—believing it to be a valuable memento of the distinguished military leader. As director Nelson pointed out: “No World War II pilot or airplane buff will be able to find a ‘boner’ in our Burma-India sequence, plane-wise. Each of the planes are authentic and of the type used during that period.” VICTIMS OF FATE—Nancy Kwan and Glenn Ford ponder the causes of an air disaster in which their friend, Rod Taylor, was killed in this scene from the 20th Century-Fox drama in CinemaScope, “Fate Is the Hunter” which opens Suzanne Pleshette is also co-starred. at the Theatre. MAT 2C eoerece es AL ULIT «eres eves Movie Plane Crash Gets Real Results The exciting plane crash sequence of Producer Aaron Rosenberg’s “Fate Is the Hunter,” which opens ...... DiGi Oe lake Theatre, caused even more excitement than the script called for. While Ralph Nelson was directing the scene, which involved Glenn Ford arriving at the scene of the crash of Rod Taylor’s plane, with Suzanne Pleshette as a survivor, burning parts of the plane, the five fire engines, three ambulances, t.v. and newsreel trucks and newspaper cars, police motorcycles, all with sirens sounding as they arrived, nearly drowned out the sound of overhead planes diving to get a closer view of the crash. The stars and featured players and several hundred extras playing curious onlookers did notice one plane that dived particularly low over the scene, but the noise of the sirens was strong enough so that Director Nelson was unaware of the overhead buzzing until a few minutes later. A studio policeman came over to inform Nelson, Ford and Miss Pleshette that the planes had reported a real plane crash complete with fires, ambulances, fire engines, ete., to Los Angeles International Airport officials, who were busy reassuring each pilot who radioed in the news that it was just a movie crash. All real-life pilots report any signs of real plane crashes, unless a big orange cross — sign that it’s an old crash—is placed over the crash scene. So 20th Century-Fox, which is producing with Rosenberg’s Arcola Productions, placed an orange cross over the smashed plane on the back lot, when the four days of night shooting were completed on the scene. ROD TAYLOR stars as a flamboyant airline pilot who believes in the power of fate in the new drama from 20th Century-Fox, “Fate Is the Hunter” in CinemaScope and opening ......... at they.casne Theatre. MAT 1D “Fate Is the Hunter” Die a ies Glenn Ford, Nancy Kwan, Rod Taylor and Suzanne Pleshette are the stars of “Fate Is the Hunter,” an Aaron Rosenberg production for Twentieth Century-Fox release which opens... at the Theatre. Included in the cast are Wally Cox, Nehemiah Pershoff, Mark Stevens and Jane Russell in a cameo role. “Fate Is the Hunter” is the story of an investigation into an air disaster. For no apparent reason a jet plane crashed killing all passengers and crew except for a stewardess. As the investigator attempts to solve the mystery, he begins to feel that the tragedy was just an act of Fate. Later, he learns he was mistaken. “Fate Is the Hunter” was directed by Ralph Nelson from a script by Harold Medford. It is based on the book of the same name by Ernest K. Gann, author of “The High and the Mighty.” eecereee PRE-FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS—Glenn Ford, the pilot of giant jet airliner briefs stewardess Suzanne Pleshette on her duties in this scene from the 20th Century-Fox CinemaScope drama, “Fate Is the Hunter” which opens ...... atsth@es 22.2. Theatre. MAT 2A Stardom and Marriage Finally Arrive For Australian Charmer, Rod Taylor Australian-born Rod Taylor, whose latest film is “Fate Is the Hunter,” wavered between art and acting while a student at Sydney Technical and Fine Arts College. His parents hoped he would become an artist, and he might have had not fate interceded in the awe-inspiring form of Laurence Olivier. Sir Laurence and the Old Vic Company visited Australia, and when Rod saw a performance of “Richard III,” all his professional doubts were dispelled. He had to become an actor. He gained acting experience and stature in Australian theatre and films, and in 1955 received his first American film assignment—the role of a Welsh soldier in “The Virgin Queen.” Although other movie roles followed, (among them “Giant,” “The Catered Affair,” “Raintree County” and “Separate Tables,’’) it was not till he appeared in a dramatic television series, ““Hong Kong,” that*people really began to take notice of the magnetic young actor. The show ran for a season but was not renewed. Ironically, although the series did not succeed, its star did. Countless fan letters poured into the network and. the sponsor petitioning that “Hong Kong” be continued. Although the series was not resumed, Rod Taylor’s career gained immeasurably from this wide exposure. He was no longer just another actor but screen personality, known to millions of people. Taylor acknowledges a debt of gratitude to TV. “You have to give people a chance to get to know you, or feel as though they do, through your characterization,” he says. “That means being completely open and revealing your particular personality traits. You can’t be phony about it because audiences quickly see through any sham. When you’re the main character in a continuing series, people begin to accept you, almost as though you were a friend. You enter their living rooms and they develop a hatred (and start throwing things at the screen) but I guess I was lucky.” Following a swashbuckling epic about Sir Francis Drake, “Seven Seas to Calais.” (“I wasn’t about to be another Errol Flynn!”), Ron won the coveted starring role in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Since then he’s been riding high. “My favorite role to date is the Australian tycoon in~ ‘The V.I.P.’s,’ he remarks smilingly. “T suppose it’s partly out of chauvinism. It’s the first time a native born Australian has played an Australian character in an American film, That’s quite a startling achievement, isn’t vibra In “Fate Is the Hunter,” a modern aviation drama from 20th Century-Fox, he portrays a daring pilot. There are several new products on his agenda and countless offers he’s forced to turn down. “T love acting but often it takes me to distant climes for weeks at a time. Not that I don’t like traveling. But Mary (referring to Mary Hilem, his wife) can’t always come along and misses me; why I don’t know, since I’m such an awful nuisance around the house. The trouble with her is that she’s not only perfectly beautiful but practically perfect, which is quite exasperating for a guy so lacking in virtues.” Whatever virtues he may think he lacks, charm and humor are certainly to be excluded from the list, according to Mary. A nonprofessional, she has one show business facet in common with her husband—they’re both expert flute players. “And that’s much more than many married couples have altogether,” Taylor whimsically states. JANE RUSSELL comes out of retirement to play her first movie role in five years in “Fate Is the Hunter,” 20th Century-Fox release in CinemaScope opening at the Theatre. She plays herself as she entertained troops during World War II and sings her version of “No Love, No Nothin” before an audience that includes Glenn Ford and Rod Taylor. MAT 1F oe + e.0 « (bU DAE «so 0 «6. oe: