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MI" am, Mov BY MARSHALL SWANSON Gamecock Contributing Editor Forty two years ago, a young Frenchman named Henri Charriere was convicted . in a Parisian court of -murdering a pimp, despite pleas of innocence. He was sentenced to life im prisonment and shipped off to the French penal colonies of French Guiana. During his imprisonment he escaped and was recaptured %everal times. On his third attempt A young Frenc succeeded on hih prosperous 04 0 ie Depicts at freedom he succeeded in staying out of prison 'and settled in Caracas, Venezuela, eventually becoming , a prosperous citizen. Years later, when he was 62, Charriere was inspired to write a book about his adventures after reading the works of Albertine Sarrazine, a convicted felon and prostitute. The result was "Papillon," (pronounced poppee-yoxi) written in longhand in 13 notebooks and sent sight-unseen to a French publisher who immediately f ii iman was convicte third escape attei citizen in Caracas, Prisone rel ased the book. Te,reaction was stunning. book was an overnight succi selling some five million copie, the United States, 17 mill4on woi wide. Now, predictably, the book I been made into a movie. The film's producer's, Rot Dorfman and Franklin Schaff are apparently sparing no effor make sure that the movie vers rivals the book's popularity. Besides lining up Steve McQu and Dustin Hoffman in the starr d of murder. He npt and became a Venezuela. r's Escape, roles, the film also has Schaffner [be as director ("Patton") writer s, Dalton Trumbo ("Johnny Got His Sin Gun") and production designers 'ld- Anthony Masters and art director Jack Maxsted, who spent almost ias two years researching and building the set for the movie, filmed on ert location in Spain and Jamaica. ner Jerry Goldsmith, five time to Academy Award nominee, com ion posed the music. The film's budget was $17 I,en million-. ing Oscar winning Schaffner, whose other credits include "Nicholas and Alexandra" and "Planet of the Apes," has filled the movie with 1 plenty of action and suspense, according to preliminary reports. McQueen plays Charriere, W nicknamed "Papillon" because of ma tattooed butterfly on his chest which symbolizes his desire to Iremain tree. * Hoffman is cast as a fellow prisoner, a convicted coun !2terfeiter. S The two meet on a prison ship bound for the penal colony and soon become friends when * McQueen learns that Hoffman is helpless amidst ruthless prisoners .that he (McQueen) can provide protection against. L The book was so incredible that Swhen it was published in 1970 several critics publicly doubted it's veracity.. 'Theycontended that the account, which Charriere swore was true, was so harrowing that no man -could have survived it. Thepublisher chose to believe hariere, due for the most part'on I the detailed and intricate , description that he provided of the ~.penal colonies. The production crews built an 4exact replica of the stockade that C'harriere was imprisoned in, so authentic that the author shud dered when he saw it. The film brings~ with it some irony. C'harriere. who a uthbored the Shook. Ollahnenin,(l n, th Life Scenes from 'Papilion' depict the ruggedness the producers attempted, and succeeded in achieving. At the top of the page we find Steve McQueen on a stormy serf during one of his escapes. Lower left we find him in a r'ugged stance that is much in his deliveries in all his films. Above , Dustin Hoffman finds another off-beat character to portray reminiscient of 'Midnight Cowboy.' production of the movie and who frequently visited the set, died in August of this year before seeing the film version of his life. "Papillon " is scheduled for a Christmns relase.