Variety (December 1954)

6 FILM REVIEWS Vedaewli;, Dwaber 29, 1954 The Bridge* at Toko-KI (COLOR) Greei Fire (COLOR—SONG—C’SCOPE) Seek war melodrama for strong response in all situa- tions. Hollywood, Dec. 23. Paramount release of a William Perl- berg-George Seaton production. Stars Wil- liam Holden. Grace Kelly. Fredric March. Mickey Rooney; features Robert 6trauss. Charles McC.tw, Keiko Awaji. Directed i by Mark Robson. Screenplay, Valentine Davies; based on novel by Barnes A. Michener; camera. Loyal Griggs; aerial photographv. Charles G. Clarke; editor, Alma Macror*"; music, Lyn Murray. Run- ning time. 1*2 MINS. Lt. Harry Erubacher (USNR) William Holden > Nancy Brubo'-her .... Grace Kelly Rear Admiral George Tarrant • Fredric March Mike Fornev Mickey Rooney Beer B; rrel .... Robert Strauss - Commander Wayne Lee .Charles McGraw Kimiko Keiko Awaji j Nestor Gsm'dre Earl Hollimar Lt. <SG.) Oids Richard Shannon i Capt. Evans Willia B. Bouchey | (Aspect ratio: 1.85-1) James A. Michener’s hard-hit- ting novel of the Korean conflict finds slick Technicolor translation in this topft tjht war spectacle. Rich in human emotions that accent the grim background, film emerges a distinguished piece of picture-mak- making right down the line and should register impressively at the b.o. Class mounting is given their production supervision by William ; Perlberg and George Seaton, which strikes a high level of show- ! manship in the bold overtones of I war. Valentine Davies' brilliant screenplay cleaves faithfully to the original Michener story, even its sadiy realistic ending, and the co- operation extended by the U. S. i Navy in lending all-out support ‘ adds immeasurably to the picture’s j numerous fine qualities. In taking advantage of the Navy’s resources, aboard an air- ; craft carrier off the coast of Korea 1 and through the use of planes and equipment, Mark Robson in ! his taut direction catches the spirit : of the Navy and what it stood for in the Korean War, never los- . ing sight, however, of the person- alized story of a Navy combat flier whose last mission ends tragically, j The matchless lensing, used here, is accorded further meaning through Charles G. Clarke’s exciting aerial photography. Narrative drives toward the climactic bombing by U. S. fliers of the five bridges * at Toko-Ri, * which span a strategic pass in Korea’s interior. These are guarded with a great concentration of Com- munist artillery, as befitting the most vital goal in the Reds’ de- i fense. Fliers are based on a carrier in a task force off Korea in 1952, | and here -the story "of William j Holden, a reserve officer recalled to service, unfolds. A fine fl cr, he is taken under the wing of the admiral, played by Fredric March, who under- stands his gripe of having been forced to leave his wife and chil- tlren to return to the Navy. As one of the leaders in a squadron which destroys Ihe bridges, Holden ! is unable to get his plane back and is killed by Reds when he crashes. South American emerald-min- ing romantic adventure, with Stewart Granger. Grace Kelly, Paul Douglas and okay pros- pects in regular dates. Hollywood, Dec. 28. Mclro release of Armand Deutach pro- duction. Stars Stewart Grancer. Grace Kelly. Paul Douglas: cottars John Ericson. : features Murvyn Vye. Jose Torvay. Di- ; reded by Andrew Marton. Written by Ivan Goff. Ben Roberts; camera (Eastman Color), Paul Voeel; editor. Harold F. Kress; song. Jack Brooks: music. Miktos l?o; -a. Previewed Dec. 15, *54. Running time, tV MINS. Pi n X. Mitchell Othcrine Know land .. Vie Leonard n.ndd Knowland .... T'l Moro Manuel Father Ripero .to«e Officer Perea Onlo'-e# Hernandez , 'otonio tf-berto Juan . Stewart Granger Grace Kelly .... Paul Douglas John Ericson ; Murvyn Vye Jose Torvay .... Robert Tafur .. Joe Dominguez ... Nacho Galindo Chari ita .. Natividad Vacio Rico Alaniz Paul Marion Robert Dominguez A ?ood brand of action escapism is offered in “Green Fire’’ for the entertainment of that substantial portion of regular film patrons who "o for high romance fiction. Its story of emerald mining and ro- mantic adventuring in South America is decorated with the names of Stewart Granger, Grace Krllv and Paul Douglas, as well as bv the Cinemascope lensing and tho Eastman Color tints. It should h<t a profitable boxoffice stride in th* overall release. An array of story, action and visual values that will have maxi- mum appeal to those chimerically- minfied fans who like their pulp fiction well-dressed has been as- sembled by producer Armand Dmitsch. The location filming in Co'onibia insured fresh scenic backgrounds against which to play Ihe screen story by Ivan Goff and Ren Roberts. The script supplies believable dialog aqd reasonably credible situations, of which An- drew Marton’s good direction takes full advantage, and the picture spins off at a fast 99 minutes. The 'adventure end of the plot is served by the efforts of Granger to find emeralds in an old moun- tain mine; in the face of halfheart- ed opposition from his partner, Douglas; the more active interfer- ence of Murvyn Vye, a bandit, and the danger of the mining trade it- self. Romance is served through the presence of Miss Kelly, whose coffee plantation lies at the foot of the mountain on which Granger is mining, and the attraction that springs up between these two. The climactic stride is hit when Granger must choose between his search for w r ealth and the love he has found. The mining operations have changed the course of a river, threatening the plantation with flood and ruin, the rainy season is about to begin, the bandits are at- tacking, and dynamite is ready to blow up the mountain. The wind- up. excitingly staged, has Granger choosing the course of action that ends in Miss Kelly’s arms. Paul Vogel plays his cameras over the location sites and the players advantageously. Technical contributions come off well, as does the Miklos Rozsa score. Jack Brooks did the lyrics to the title tune. Brog. Target Earth Science - fiction programmer with okay Idea, poorly devel- oped. Practically every principal per- formance is a standout. Holden , lends conviction to his character, ' fearful of the outcome of the mis- j sion but doggedly performing his ! duty, and March delivers a sock portrayal of the admiral, who is drawn to Holden because he re- minds him of his two sons lost in war. As Holden’s wife who brings ! their two daughters to Tokyo so they may be near the flier, Grace Kelly is warmly sympathetic. 1 Mickey Rooney, the fourth star, ! enacts a helicopter pilot who saves i fliers forced into the ocean, killed ! when he lands to pick up Holden after his crash. It’s a smash por- trayal. Hollywood, Dec. 22. Allied Artista release of Abtcon Pic- tures (Herman Cohen) production. Stars Richard Denning. Kathleen Crowley, Vir- ginia Grey. Richard Reeves; features Robert Roark. Mort Marshall, Arthur Space. W hit Bissell. Directed by Sherman A. Rose. Screenplay. William Raynor; based on the story. 'The Deadly City” by Paul W. Fairman; camera. Guy Roe; edi- tor. Sherman A. Rose; special effects. Dave Koehler. Previewed Dec. 20, ’54. Running time, 74 MINS. Frank Richard Denning Nora Kathleen Crowley Vicki Virginia Grey •’im Richard Reeves D.-via Robert Roark Glis . Mort Marshall General Arthur Space Scientist Whit Bissell Lieutenant Jim Drake Colonel Steve Pendleton Technician House Peters Jr. In support, Charles McGraw as the flight leader is strongly cast, and Earl Holliman does yeoman service as Rooney’s pal. Robert Strauss also scores as a crewman and Keikti Awaji is a pretty Jap girl, over whose affections Rooney starts a riot in Tokyo and nearly gets Holden into another riot. Technical credits generally are tops. Loyal Griggs • handles first cameras effectively, and Wallace Kelley and Thomas Tutweiler are iu charge of second unit lensing. Alma Macrorie’s editing is fast and tight, art direction by Hal Pereira and Henry- Rumstead colorful and the music score by Lyn Murray meets the requirements of the sub- ject* Whit. The lesser program market will find this belated science-fiction en- try a passable lowercase booking, i What starts Out as a promising sus- pense feature soon turns into an unimaginative potboiler on invad- ers from space so the entertain- ment values are lightweight. Opening has Kathleen Crowley and Richard Denning awakening in separate parts of a city to find it strangely deserted. Their wander- ings bring them together and they find another couple, Virginia Grey and Richard Reeves. The foursome holes up in a hotel, learn that the city was qydered completely evacu- ated when an army of robots, be-t lieved from Venus, invaded it. After the tense kickoff of the-l New York Sound Track I Victor Saville, whose “Silver Chalice” is current at the Paramount did a promenade along Broadway around forenoon on Christmas Day and commented, “$30,000,000 worth of product on the street and the only line is in front of Lindy’s” . . . which reminds of that lovely window sign in the San Francisco delicatessen, “man does not live by bread alone, but salami” . . . Actually, the Broadway cinemas began filling up quite early in the afternoon ot Christmas day , . . After a fortnight in California, Saville is due back irv Manhattan .. . Property men went crazy in Egypt w’hen extras working in Cecil B. DeMille’s “Ten Commandments” hijacked their iostumetfv, . . loss reported over 70% . . . RKO looks to be going on an aquatic Binge. Its Jane Russell feature, “Underwater!” preems in Silver Springs, Fla., Jan. 10. The screening will take place under water, of course. To be released the same month is “Water, Water, Everywhere,” a short subject . . . William F. Rodgers, former Metro distribution v.p. and now operating his own advisory office, is on the mend at United Hospital, Portchester, N.Y. He suffered a mild heart attack last week. A1 Crown, prexy of Moulin Productions, is back from London after a look-see on the progress being made on “Moby Dick.” John gjhnton has moved to the Canary Islands for three weeks additional exterior shooting, after which "Moby” will be completed. Gregory Peck due in the U.S. in January . . . Loew’s prexy Nicholas M. Schenck back from the Coast after attending the funeral of his sister-in-law, Ruth Selwyn Warburton . . . Metro studio story chief Kenneth MacKenna returned to the Coast after two weeks m the east . . . Louis Calhern in from the Coast for a brief visit . . . Howard Keel headed westward after look at the legit musical, “Kismet,” in which he’s set for M-G’s screen version. Harry Hershfield details why Even Statesmen Need Gag Writers * * * e bright byline piece in the 49th Annivertary Number of UfiRlETr OIT NEXT W EEK story, it settles down to talk out most of the action, losing suspense as it moVes along the 74 minutes. Wrapup finds the Army besting the robots with supersonic soundwaves, the only thing capable of cracking their armor. This is done just in time, because Denning and Miss Crowley, having escaped a psycho killer, Robert Roark, are just about to be done in by a robot. Brog. The Americano (COLOR) Western with Brazilian back- ground. Okay grosser for the action situations. RKO release of Robert Stillman pro- duction. Stars Glenn Ford. Frank Love- joy, Cesar Romero. Ursula Thiess. Abbe Lane. Directed by William Castle. Screen- play. Guy Trosper. from an original story by Leslie T. White; camera tTechnicolor), William Synder; editor. Harry Marker; musical score. Hoy Webb; song. "The Americano," composed and conducted by Xavier Cugat. Previewed in N.Y., Dec. 27, '54. Running time, IS MINS. Sam Dent Glenn Ford Bento Hermanny Frank Lovejoy Manoel Cesar Romero Marianna Figuerido Ursula Thiess Teresa Abbe Lane Cristino Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. Captain Gonzales Salvador Baguez Jim Rogers Tom Powers Barney Dent Dsn White Captain of Ship Frank Marlowe Tuba George Navarro Tuba’s Sister Nyra Monsour Despite its Latino label and its Brazilian setting, “The Americano” is an oater in the true American tradition. The shift in country nevertheless gives • the picture added appeal. Combined with the action elements, the new, strange scenery filmed in Technicolor, and the names of Glenn Ford, Frank Lovejoy, Cesar Romero, Ursula Thiess, and Abbe Lane, the Robert Stillman below-the-border produc- tion should chalk up satisfactory returns in theatres that go for this type of product. The Guy Trosper screenplay from an original story by Leslie T. White starts off with an element of suspense and partially indicates a “High Noon” quality during the opening footage. These “High” expectations, however, are dissi- pated as “The Americano” becomes a standard western that might have happened in Texas or Okla- homa. The basic element of con- flict involves a range war with a cattle baron attempting to fight off the inroads of the farmers. While there are production vacil- lations and loose ends in the story, “The Americano” emerges, on the whole, as an okay entry that can click acceptably with proper ex- ploitation. It is helped largely by fine performances by a top-drawer cast. Ford, as a Texas cowboy, ar- rives in Brazil with a shipment of Brahma bulls worth $25,000. He discovers that his buyer, a South American rancher, has been mur- dered. With Cesar Romero, a self- styled “bandit-chaser,” he sets out to deliver the bulls to the rancher’s partner. It involves a trip through 50 miles of treacherous jungle and gives the camera ample oppor- tunity to record the scenic splen- dor. At the ranch, in the midst of fine cattle country, Ford runs into a range war. After a hands-off policy for three-quarters of the picture, he sides with Ursula Thiess and the small landowners. The decision is prompted by a romantic interest in Miss Thiess and an observation of the cruel methods of Frank Lovejoy, the cattle baron. Ford scores as the unafraid American confused by the south- of-the-border goings-on. Romero is fine as the Robin Hood type of bandit who befriends Ford, and Lovejoy is properly deceiving and menacing as the villain. Miss Thiess is okay as the femme rancher and Miss Lane lends the right sexiness to her role. Ro- dolfo Hoyos Jr. makes a frighten- ing henchman who carries out the overt acts of villainy. William Castle’s direction is too leisurely. Sharper pacing and cut- ting would have mad£ this a tauter actioner. Technical aspects ere okay. . Holl Crowther to Foreigners; Don’t Fall for Supposed Popular Tastes of UiA Accenting the promise of artistic achievement in the recent crop of Japanese film imports, Bosley Crowther, film critic of the N. Y. Times, warned the Japanese and other foreign producers Monday (27) not to sacrifice quality in cater- ing to “supposed popular tastes” in the U. S. Crowther was the featured ; speaker at a N. Y. luncheon given* by the Independent Motion Picture Distributors Assn, to hand out its second annual Joseph I. Burstyn award. Honor went to the Japanese “Gate of Hell.” Jun Tsuchrya. Japa- nese consul general in N. Y., ac- cepted the scroll from Crowther. Film critic took off on the tend- ency of foreign producers to slant their pix towards U. S. audiences, i Terming such attempts “a misfor- tune,” Crowther declared it was “the great advantage of foreign pictures that they’re native to the people producing them. They don’t express synthetic attitudes.” He added it was unfortunate that, on occasions, “the desire to make profitable pictures is allowed to intrude on the determination to make fine films.” He expressed the hope that Japan would avoid such pitfalls. Crowther himself bestowed on “Gate of Hell” one of his compara- tively rare raves when the film opened at the Guild Theatre, N. Y. He’s just about the only critic whose power in the foreign pix field is such that importers swear his review can make or break their film. At the same time, the Ameri- can companies—on smarting under a Crowther “pan”—are. frequently heard to grumble that the Times scribe is partial to imports. Speaking of the late Joseph Bur- styn, Crowther warned against “traditionalism” in selecting the award films each year. Pointing out that tradition was desirable but could also become confining if car- ried out too rigidly, he observed that Burstyn himself might have been critical of a tradition. “Let’s remember,” he urged, “that the award can be given to a film which would be just as offensive to him (Burstyn) as it might have been gratifying to him. Let’s carry through with our ow’n judgment.” In accepting the award, Tsuchrya promised there would be other good films from Japan and high- lighted the encouragement given Japanese filmmakers via the Bur- styn award to “Gate.” Crowther was introed at the luncheon by Arthur Mayer, IMPDA prez. Among those at the speaker’s table were James Mulvey, Goldwyn Pro- ductions prexy; Ed Harrison, who is handling “Gate,” and Norman Elson, operator of the Guild The- atre. Bogart Into 'Loft Hand* Hollywood, Dec. 28. A deal is being finalized for Humphrey Bogart to star in “The Left Hand of God” at 20th-Fox. Buddy Adler is producing film, rolling early in 1955. Metro Release For Selznick Projected deal between Metro and David O. Selznick whereby the latter would make indie pix for M-G release “Is still in the talk- ing stage” and no definite arrange- ments on number of pictures or properties involved has been reached, according to an M-G spokesman. Earlier both Selznick and Metro topper Nicholas M. Schenck ac- knowledged that the negotiations were taking place, it’s understood the deal would involve financing and distribution by Loew’s with production away from the Metro studio. The friendly overtures between Metro and Selznick are in contrast to the tizzy several months ago when Selznick charged he had not received the proper cxedit for “Gone With the Wind” on an Ed Sullivan “Toast of the Town” sa- lute to the film company. If the deal with Selznick is final- ized, it will be only the second out- side arrangement for Metro. A longtime holdout in financing and distributing the pix of indie pro- ducers, Metro recently made a deal with Desilu Productions, the Desi Arnaz-Lucille Ball outfit. Newspaper Pub Ad Bureau Issues Brochure Giving Upbuild of CinemaScope Crediting CinemaScope with a prominent role in the “revival” of the film industry, the Bureau of Advertising, American Newspaper Publishers Assn., this week re- leased a brochure detailing the growth of C’Scope from an idea to j a b.o. reality. j Bureau s pitch was that “The Robe,” 20th-Fox’s initial Cinema- Scoper, was launched successfully and became a record grosser pri- marily via a record allocation for newspaper ads, and that 20th had stuck to that hit formula ever since. “We learned our lesson with ‘The Robe’,” the Bureau quoted Charles Einfeld, 20th ad-pub topper, as saying. “It recognizes the fact that the newspaper is the backbone of any movie ad campaign. In big cities and small towns alike, people look to the amusement page of their local paper before they go out to buy a movie ticket. That’s the big reason why we depend so strongly on newspapers.” The brochure, richly decked out with color art from “The Egyptian” and replete with stills from 20th C’Scope attractions, traces the de- velopment of CinemaScope, from the Chretien lens and the trade previews to the sock grosses racked up by “The Robe” and the subse- quent success of other C’Scope releases. “A dejected and worried Holly- wood has almost overnight re- gained much of its old spirit and ‘colossal’ optimism,” the Bureau said in a statement accompanying i the brochure. “The arrival of Cine- ! Negotiations for June Allyson for j maScope has undoubtedly played a I femme lead continue. . i prominent role in this revival.”