Medford mail tribune., August 03, 1958, Image 37

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It is a sip of the times
when a studio risks starring
two film newcomers in its
most expensive production.
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by Pr J. Oppcnhaimer
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On location in Germany, Lilo Pulver and John Gavin, two relative unknowns, run through
scene from "A Time to Love and a Time to Die" under watchful eye of director Douglas Sirk.
I he time to play it safe in Hollywood is a thing of
the past. At least that seems to be the view
point of Universal-International executives
who cast John Gavin and Lilo Pulver, two un
knowns, in the lead roles of "A Time to Love and a
Time to Die," the most expensive production in the
company's history.
The $5,000,000 World War II epic of a German
soldier and his girl is based on the novel by Erich
Maria Remarque, author of the last generation's
World War I shocker, "All Quiet on the Western
Front," also made into a successful film.
Of the two, Lilo Pulver Is no novice to films,
though she has never been seen by an American
audience. She's an attractive Swiss of 28, with a
freshness which should make her a favorite with
U.S. movie-goers. As for acting well, she convinc
ingly played a 50-year-old mother in her first role.
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She was all of 16 years old at the time!
Unlike many of her Hollywood contemporaries,
Lilo is extremely well-read and more than once
embarrassed her co-workers with her fluency in
English, French, Italian, and German.
Lilo thinks nothing of this ability because most
Swiss natives speak several languages. She also
has inherited Swiss precision and methodicalness,
and can't understand why anyone should be late.
Once, when she wasn't sure how long it would take
her to get to a party in Beverly Hills, she left her
home an hour early, then circled the host's house
for 30 minutes before ringing the doorbell at the
precise moment she was expected. The hostess was
still in the bathtub, unfortunately, and the host
hadn't even come home from the studio!
Lilo is unmarried and has one main ambition: to
own a chalet on Lake Geneva.
fell
While the studio was at least assured one pro
fessional performance, John Gavin's brief appear
ances in three minor films posed a bigger problem
particularly since he didn't show the enthusiasm
for acting found in most newcomers.
For John, acting is primarily a means of earning
a lot of money. His lack of dedication, however, is
overshadowed by his businesslike approach to
movies. The explanation for this can be found in
John's background.
. A native of Los Angeles, he's the son of a wealthy
industrialist He attended some of the state's best
and most expensive private schools and served in
Naval Intelligence as an ensign and lieutenant, j.g.
If he'd followed his early ambitions, he would have
become a diplomat But as far as Gavin was con
cerned, there wasn't enough money in it He is
married to the former Cicely Evans, daughter of a
prominent Los Angeles physician.
John never considered acting as a profession
until an agent saw him in a Los Angeles restaurant
and offered to arrange a screen test for him. John
laughed off the idea but mentioned it to a family
friend, film producer Bryan Foy, at a party a few
days after his discharge from the Navy. Foy
recognized his potentialities and got in touch with
agent Henry Willson, who arranged a test at U-I.
John won a seven-year contract at a salary no
young diplomat ever made.
Gavin's coolness toward his profession is especial
ly noticeable where publicity is concerned. He con
siders it "a necessary evil." As he puts it, "If you
have a garden and you want to make things grow,
you have to use a certain amount of fertilizer."
John's personality sharp, self-assured, conserva
tive, and a little stiff shows through in his acting.
But he has other qualities to make up for it,
particularly his looks. Next to Rock Hudson, he's
probably the handsomest actor in Hollywood. And
some think he's even better-looking than Rock!
No wonder his studio bosses are confident that
one day he'll be the movies' biggest box-office
attraction. In fact they're convinced that "A Time
to Love and a Time to Die" is the first big step in
that direction.
Family Weekly, Augutt 3, 1951 9
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