Dec. 7, 1964 - Martin Ransohoff, the president of Filmways Inc., suspended production today of his new picture, “The Cincinnati Kid,” threw out all film from the first week’s shooting, and signed up a new director, Norman Jewison.
The former director, Sam Peckinpah (pictured), left the assignment in a controversy over the unscheduled filming of a nude scene.
The action came in a series of jolting changes affecting the movie, which deals with the rise of a youthful professional gambler. The cast includes Steve McQueen, Ann‐Margret, Tuesday Weld, and Edward G. Robinson.
In trying to put “The Cincinnati Kid” before the cameras, Ransohoff and MGM have run through nearly every possible difficulty that can arise in contemporary Hollywood.
Spencer Tracy, who had been signed for the film, decided two weeks ago that he did not agree with the way the script was evolving and bowed out. Tracy’s contract, like that of most top Hollywood stars today, gave him final script approval. He was replaced by Robinson.
The script itself, meanwhile, has gone through a number of literary hands that are costly to hire. Paddy Chayefsky worked on it. He was followed by Ring Lardner Jr. Last week, Terry Southern and Charles Eastman were retained to do still another draft of the script, which is based on the novel by Richard Jessup.
The troubles between Ransohoff and Peckinpah the director, also were of a stormy nature.
On Friday night, Peckinpah sent home the featured players and proceeded to shoot a nude scene that he had decided to write into the script. The nude performer was an extra and not Miss Weld or Ann-Margret. Asked by a studio official whether the nude scene was for the “European version,” Peckinpah was said to have replied, “It’s for my own version.”
This morning, Ransohoff declared that Peckinpah would no longer direct the picture, which actually started production early last week. He also disclosed that production would be halted for a week while the new director had a chance to study the script.
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