I'd Rather Be Rich (Universal Pictures) (1964)

Sandra Dee Flustered By Andy Williams ‘Kiss In “Rather Be Rich” (Advance) Sandra Dee is flustered—genuinely so—as she plays her first scene for “I’d Rather Be Rich,” the Ross Hunter production in color for Universal, in which Sandy’s co-stars are Robert Goulet, Andy Williams and Maurice Chevalier. “I’d Rather Be Rich”, a modern romantic comedy, Theatre. The blonde star is radiant in white as she sits ringside in a swank Boston night spot, as Andy Williams sings her a love song. “Tt had to be you...” he croons. The words and music fit the situation. The diamond solitare on her ring finger says they are engaged. Warbling into a hand mike on a long cord, Andy ends up bes‘de his beloved as he finishes the song. Then he leans over and impulsively kisses the back of her neck. Sandra acts flustered. She is supposed to be—and she really is. Director Jack Smight calls “Cutie Then Andy turns to his co-star. “Why, Sandy,” he says, ‘‘you’re blushing!’ The kiss hadn’t been THAT fervent, so no wonder he is puzzled. “Yes, I guess I am,” she admits. “It’s just that after three years of going on ‘live’ in scenes like this’’—referring, of course, to her marriage to singer Bobby Darin —‘T’m still not used to it.” However she arrived at the performance, director Smight is pleased. “It was fine for me,’ he says, and turns to the script clerk, ordering: ‘Print it.” Then Smight turns back to Sandra, who is recovering her composure. “I’d like you to look just as flustered when we go in for the close-up. Think you can manage it, Sandy?” “Count on it” she says. “Why, when Andy does that, I couldn’t do otherwise!” Chicken Gives Stars The Bird In Film Scene (Advance) Sandra Dee and Andy Williams narrowly escaped serious injuries when an explosives-stuffed chicken blew up in their faces as they prepared to barbecue the bird. The scene called for the foul to blast off into outer space. It was part of one of their love scenes for Universal’s Ross Hunter production in color, “I’d Rather Bes Rich Comune Stes. to the Four takes of the scene, with Jack Smight directing, went perfectly. Each time, the jet-propelled bird took off on a high trajectory, and landed in the nearby woods. On the fifth take, it happened. Instead of taking off, the bird burst with a roar and flash of gunpowder. Both players, standing at close range, were shaken by the nearmiss. But other than powder burns, there was no injury to either performer. On the next try it worked perfectly. This is the scene which is on the screen when “TI’d Rather Be Rich,” is seen. Dee's Feet Hurt—But It’s Only For Movie (Advance) It is a story point with Sandra Dee in Universal’s Ross Hunter production in color, “I’d Rather Beech. COMMS ssc to these ee eee Theatre, that whenever she feels romantic about Robert Goulet or Andy Williams, her feet hurt. Consequently, her feet hurt quite a lot throughout the picture. So what did the studio do to make her feel comfortable? Just this—they commissioned a Boston bootmaker to make up special comfort lasts of her feet, and to supply all 17 changes of shoes and boots she wore in the film—from diamond-studded evening shoes to capeskin stretch boots. Nearly all the footgear was in extracomfortable sling-back patterns. “My feet have never been so comfortable,” said Sandra gratefully, after finishing the film. “So whenever they ‘hurt’ in the picture—it was acting.” With two men as her fiances in the new romantic comedy in color, Universal’s “I’d Rather Be Rich,” Sandra Dee finds it difficult to choose between Robert Goulet and Andy Williams. Maurice Chevalier, her dying and doting grandfather, suggests an ingenious manner which makes everything come out right. (Still No. 1938-138) Sandra Dee Gets 100th Screen Kiss In Romantic Comedy ‘Rather Be Rich™ (Advance) On the subject of kisses, Miss Sandra Dee, Hollywood’s bona-fide blonde from Bayonne, N.J., has attained her major ity. In and for her endeavors as the lovely heroine of “I'd Rather Be Rich,’”’ a Ross Hunter production for Universal, Sandra exchanged her 99th and 100th screen kisses, respectively, with co-stars Robert Goulet and Andy Williams. The frothy romantic comedy in color comes Soe eee ase 2 LOz NC ee ee ee ace Theatre. It was a nice, round figure for one of the most nicely rounded figures in Hollywood. It represented a culmination of sorts for one of the most kissfilled careers of the movies. It was a sweet triumph for Sandra after seven years of unremitting devotion to duty which began at the same premises when she was a girl of 15, and the year was 1957. She had been brought west at the behest of the same film-maker Hunter, who had the sagacity to see in the then teenage Sandra the potentially bright star she has become, largely under his guidance. The new film is their eighth association as producer and film star. And not at all likely to be their last. As a fair precurser of what was to come, Sandra’s first day at Universal — seven years ago —started with a kiss. As a screen test of her capabilities, she played a love scene with actor John Saxon, five years her senior. But first she had to be coached. Chosen to coach her in acting technique before the camera was Leon Charles, a staff dialogue director and former Broadway actor. “When you kiss,” Charles told Sandra, “be sure and don’t bump noses. Just remember one thing — the girl in a kiss scene always tilts her head down-stage; the boy; up stage.” “What's down-stage?” Sandra asked. He explained that it was a stage term meaning toward the audience — in this case, toward the camera. ‘‘Oh,”’ she said. Charles remembers that she was quite timid about that first professional kiss. And since she was only 15, and Saxon a sophisticated young man of 20, Charles told her to kiss lightly, as a _ girl of 15 might. And she did. But she tells now that her grandmother was horrified on hearing what she had done. “‘Kissing a boy for all the world to see!’’ she said. After that test, Sandra went from role to role, doing what comes natural. Kissing young men at the proper times. But her screen kisses with a succession of handsome leading men have been as nothing’ compared to now. For this new picture, “I’d Rather Be Rich,” hinges in large part on kisses. And this time, the same Leon Charles is her dialogue (not kiss) coach. She knows about kissing. As her doting grandfather, Maurice Chevalier notes that with one young man — it is either Bob Goulet or Andy Williams — Sandra slips off both of her shoes during a kiss, and massages the instep of one stockinged foot against the other. It is Chevalier’s clue to which of the two Sandra really loves; the woman he married did that, too. Armed with this information, grandfather Chevalier helps Sandra determine which of the two young men she really loves. For this handy fact, grandfather receives his own reward. Sandra also kisses him. Maurice Chevalier tries to convince his granddaughter of a method _ to choose between her two lovers in the new Universal romantic -comedy in color, ‘‘’'d Rather Be Rich,” a Ross Hunter production. “How she. selects either Robert Goulet or Andy Williams adds to the fun. 2 (Still No. 1938-14) Page 3 Ross Hunter's New Romantic Comedy, I'd Rather Be Rich,” Stars Dee, Goulet, Williams (Review) It is good to report that Ross Hunter’s new romantic comedy “T’d Rather Be Rich,” which opened yesterday at the.......... Ree oe Theatre, is a delight to watch. It brings the blonde and beautiful Sandra Dee to the screen as heroine of a company of stars that is as impressive as it is likeable. This is a modern romantic comedy that is peopled — in addition to Sandra — by Robert Goulet and Andy Williams, two of the top young song stylists of the day; and by Maurice Chevalier, one of the top young stylists of HIS day. But with only slight exception, it is not a musical, though it has ample music. The strong cast of accomplished mirth-makers also inludes Charlie Ruggles, Hermione Gingold, Gene Raymond, Laurie Main, Dort Clark, Hayden Rorke, Rip Taylor, Allen Jenkins and Milton Frome. In the picture, we find Sandra to be the lovely, sophisticated young lady she has become—and the heiress to great wealth that every girl would like to be. In keeping with the Ross Hunter tradition of opulence, in all his productions, Sandra wears a.fabulous wardrobe of Jean Louis originals, and a breath-taking collection of real gems by Cartier. She lives in a mansion, and drives about in chauffeured limousines. She is, in short, the richest girl in the land — and it becomes her. The comedy is of mixed-up identities, in which Sandra resourcefully palms off stranger Bob Goulet as proxy to her absentee fiance, Andy Williams, to please her supposedly dying (and doting) grandfather, Chevalier. But when grandfather recovers, instead, Sandra finds she has TWO fiances to cope with. And here the fun continues. As an unusual story point, Sandra manifests a trait common to her maternal ancestors (one of whom married grandpa), in that her feet hurt and her toes curl up when she kisses the man she really loves. By this unique, footoperated kiss test does she choose finally between her two beloveds. It is a more infallible method than by any computer that man could devise, and one cannot but conclude that every girl should be so gifted as Sandra is in this. The marvel of it all is that, in view of the vocal attainments of the several male principals — the Messrs. Goulet, Williams and Chevalier, not to mention Gene Raymond, a song star once himself — the picture is not a musical. Only Williams is cast as an entertainer (albeit, a wealthy one). He thrills the audience singing solo a new number, “Almost There,” by Jerry Keller and Gloria Shane, and two standards, “Where Are You?” and “It Had To Be You.” The singing talents of Goulet and Chevalier are not’ totally wasted. They form a trio with Williams to sing the new, catchy title tune by Richard Maltby, Jr., and David Shire, over the opening and closing titles. Along with being the first starring vehicle for Andy Williams, it is only the second for Bob Goulet, and a great showcase for both. On the strength of their fine performances in this, it may be predicted that both have exceptionally bright futures in the screen medium. As for Chevalier, he is remarkably fine as the matchmaking grandparent who declines to die. Every role is perfectly cast, and realistically portrayed. A fine, lively .and inventive screenplay by Oscar Brodney, Norman Krasna and Leo Townsend, make each character a realistic part of the comedy. Director Jack Smight, in his first feature assignment after thorough grounding in TV films, makes the most of every situation. The whole, extravagant production — a mark of producer Ross Hunter’s attention to the minutest detail — is photographed in stunning color by Russell Metty. “T’d Rather Be Rich’”’ adds up to one of the most enjoyable movies of this or many seasons. Sandra Dee shows some of the fabulous collection of $1,600,000 in jewels from Cartier’s which she wears as the star of Universal’s new romantic comedy in color, “Pd Rather Be Rich,” a Ross Hunter production. (Still No. 1938-115) Chevalier and Gingold Reunited In Comedy (Advance) After a quiet interval of six years, Maurice Chevalier gets back his boisterous girl friend, Hermione Gingold—but as nurse instead of inamorata. Producer Ross Hunter reunited the pair in his Universal production, ‘I’d Rather Be Rich,” for the first time since they—Maurice and Hermione—pitched woo in “Gigi.” The romantic comedy in COLO COMGS:...c tO= (hes. ae oe Poe eee aan ee eee Theatre. In the role of frosty Nurse Grimshaw, who tries to cope with the obstreperousness of patient Chevalier, Miss Gingold joins a stellar cast including Sandra Dee, Robert Goulet, Andy Williams, Chevalier, Gene Raymond and Charlie Ruggles. Miss Gingold, the comedienne grand dame of British theatre, returned to Hollywood cameras in a lull between theatre assignments. In addition to her previous engagement with Chevalier in “Gigi,” she has played principal roles in “Around the World in 80 Days,” ‘““The Naked Edge,” ‘Music Man” and (voice only) “Gay Purr-ee.” In one scene of their new film at Universal, the supposedly ‘“dying” Chevalier plays leap-frog with Miss Gingold in his bed chamber. In another, he knocks her out for a count of nine, while shadow-boxing. It’s two men in the triangle of Sandra Dee’s new film in color for Universal, “I’d Rather Be Rich,”’ a Ross Hunter production. Here she is with one. of them, Andy Williams, the noted song stylist. (Still No. 1938-140)