Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1963)

ask for M S E K R N your feet do! What’s afoot for Spring fun? See MR. SNEEKERS for the gayest, most colorful answers ! So lively feeling, so lovely looking, so very “what’s cooking?” ... you’ll want to pick a pair to match every getup (and go!) in your closet. Retail from $2.99. At all better stores or write : Mr. Sneekers, Div. of Mitsubishi Internat’l Corp. 47 West 34 St., New York 1, N. Y. ''Trademark Continued from page 12 would want to duel him; Cary would vow he'd never speak to him again. This last would hurt. I like to talk with Grant, whenever our paths meet: on sets, in a barber shop, at the Academy Awards. Believe me, I wouldn’t do to Cary Grant what he has done to himself. And he isn’t the only one, I could start with Vic Damone and run down the list — or up the list — to Kirk Douglas. Give an actor a chance to be an author and he certainly needs protection from himself. And now I come to Subject Two: screen credits. I don’t know about you, but they’re too much for me. I liked the days when Leo The Lion roared and M-G-M presented a movie. Now the Lion roars and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents a Seven Arts Production which presents a Harris-Kubrick Production titled “Lolita.” I’m confused. And I got it straight from the Lion, so is he! Yet this is simple compared to other credits. As I recall, “Lover Come Back” had an executive producer credit — Robert Arthur — • followed by two other producers — Stanley Shapiro and Martin Melcher. Yet officially on the screen it was labeled “A 7 Pictures Corporation— Nob Hill Productions, Inc.” It was also an “Arwin Picture, Inc.” And to top it all, it was a “Universal-International” release. I was tired before the movie started. The credits dragged. But worst of all is the fancy title situation, started by the talented Saul Bass. It was okay when it was a novelty, hut now Bass and his imitators are trying to outdo each other. On the wall-to-wall screen, it's murder — they break out anywhere on the acreage. The titles now are as important as the movie itself, there are as many title conferences as there are story conferences. Imagine, if you can without too much stretch of the imagination, a title conference between Director Joseph Mankiewicz and artist Saul Bass concerning “Cleopatra.” It would go something like this: Bass: You mean you finished the movie? Mankiewicz: Not really. But everyone thinks so, please don’t wise them up. Bass: Me? All I’m interested in is titles. Mankiewicz: You’ve had a chance to absorb what we’re trying to create. How does it strike you? Bass: Does it have to be a snake? Is history positive it was a snake? Positively positivil Mankiewicz: Who cares about historian u Darryl wants a snake. Bass: But a cat would be nice. I did vel well with a cat for “Walk On The Wild Side j J Mankiewicz: Yeah, but nobody used a cl when they made “Cat On A Hot Tin Rooilj Also, the cat bit's been done. Bass: So what? I did the arm bit for “Mil With The Golden Arm," and I did the arm 1 ia again for “Exodus.” I’m very big with arnl And cats, too. Mankiewicz: Maybe so. but not for this on I The cat would be very confusing on account I Liz did “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” and it mig I mislead the audience. They’d be staring il and down the Nile, waiting to spot Big Daddl I wouldn’t risk $25,000,000 on cats or arm! I Bass: Okay, then, about snakes. Can it ljll maybe a cobra? Mankiewicz: What’s wrong with an asp? 1 Bass: I got nothing against asps. I do cobnl better. They’re bigger and more colorful. 1 Mankiewicz: I don’t like it. It’s too . . I well, it’s too snake-bitey. Maybe a barge? Bass: Say, I like barges. Okay, this barg has a very colorful canopy and we work eac name into it. The barge appears at the to of the screen and drops down through the bo tom. Then another barge appears upper rigl and descends at an angle to lower left. Mankiewicz: Why not straight across th screen? Like a barge sails. Bass: Wouldn’t work. If a boat appears an it sails like people expect it to sail, there no surprise. Besides in “The Vikings” boat 1 sailed across the screen. I have a reputatio to consider. Mankiewicz: I think I’ve got it. The girl i Queen of Egypt and most people, when the think of Egypt, think of pyramids. Bass: So let’s do pyramids. Mankiewicz: I take back my idea. 1 wouldn't work. Put names on each tier of pyramid and Darryl would be sued out of hi socks. A pyramid is smaller at the top where star wants to be, and some lesser star wouf get the big lower tier of the pyramid and tha would upset the contract clauses. Bass: Yeah. Besides, pyramids don’t move Arms move, cats move. But not pyramids. Mankiewicz: You'll have to come up witl something else. Bass: What have you got against arms? Fo instance, her arm with a gold bracelet shaper like a snake. Or his arm with a hammerer bronze wristband. Mankiewicz: It has to be her arm, if we us< arms. I'm sure it’s in her contract. Everything else is. Bass: I sure like arms. I'll have half a dozer arms jumping all over the large screen. Yoi won't be able to follow them. I might ever throw in a few snakes. And maybe one cat Mankiewicz: Not cats. But maybe a fev sand dunes. If you can make them look dif ferent than the sand dunes in “Lawrence ol, Arabia.” Bass: Fine. When do you want them? Mankiewicz: You’ll have to work fast. I d like them in time for the release of the picture. It would be great to have the credits in front of the picture. Bass: You’ll have your credits jumping all over the screen before the picture starts. Mankiewicz: I’ve got to hand it to you. Bass: Hey! How about hands . . . ? Hey fellows, Bass and your followers, quit with those tricky, jumpy titles. It's worse than watching a tennis match! The End 14