Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1961)

•dmdm ^efeont By ANTHONY GRUNER Continental to Release 'View From the Bridge' NEW YORK — The screen version of Arthur Miller’s stage play, “A View From the Bridge,” now being filmed in New York by Paul Graetz, center, producer, is shown signing a distribution agreement with Walter Reade jr., left, and Irving I. Wormser, of Continental. Sidney Lumet, will be released in the U. S. by Continental Distributing, Inc., according to producer Paul Graetz and Walter Reade jr., chairman of the board, and Irving Wormser, president of Continental. The distribution is said to involve “the largest cash advance in the film company’s history.” The picture, which started location work in Brooklyn earlier in April, will be completed in Europe. Raf Vallone, Italian film star, and Raymond Pellegrin and Jean Sorel, from French films, are playing leading roles while American stage players, Maureen Stapleton, Carol Lawrence and Morris Carnovsky, also have featured roles. Vallone created the leading role in the European stage production. Book Review KINE & TV YEAR BOOK 1961. Published by Kinematograph Weekly, London, 580 pages. A highly valuable book for those in the British film trade, and an excellent source of information for film people in all parts of the world, the Kine & TV Year Book 1961 has a wealth of data on every aspect of the industry in the United Kingdom. And it includes up to the minute material on equipment, as well as pictures, and lists television entertainment and equipment information. A “Who’s What in the Industry” section offers condensed biographies of important persons in the British film trade. Other sections cover trade associations, films tradeshown in 1959-60, film and TV studios, production companies, theatres, circuits, statistics, trade directories and kindred categories. The sections are marked with tabs, allowing for quick references. — A. S. 'Pollycmna' a Hit in Australia LOS ANGELES — According to tallies completed by Loew’s International, distributor of Walt Disney product in Australia, “Pollyanna” set a new world drivein record Down Under and achieved the highest gross for any Disney film ever shown in that country. j^T A LUNCHEON held at the Associated British Elstree studios last week C. J. Latta, managing director of Associated British Picture Corp. announced details of ten new films scheduled for production within the next several months. The estimated budget for these pictures will be in excess of £2,000,000. The initial project will be a comedy entitled “Go to Blazes,” which will star Dave King who has, in the past few years, established himself as a leading TV star in Britain and America. “Go to Blazes” is described as a comedy which deals with a gang of thieves who plan the perfect robbery, in which a fire engine plays an important part. The script has been written by Peter Myers and Ronnie Cass and Michael Truman has been assigned to direct. The same producing and writing team also will be responsible for “The Young Ones,” a musical to be made in color and Cinemascope. Cliff Richard, one of Britain’s young singing stars, backed by his group, “The Shadows,” will star in the new film. Sydney Furie will direct. Latta also announced that comedian Charlie Drake, whose first film under the ABPC contract, “Sands of the Desert,” proved a consistent boxoffice success, is to return to Elstree in the summer for a second picture. The new film, as yet untitled, will take Drake aboard a naval cruiser with a bevy of lovely girls. Gordon Scott will produce and David MacDonald will direct. Later this year, comedian Tony Hancock will be starred in his second Associated British production. The team which made Hancock’s “The Rebel,” one of the biggest Elstree successes to be shown in this country, will produce this new subject. Alan Simpson and Ray Galton will write the script, W. A. Whittaker will produce and the directorial reins will be in the hands of Robert Day. The fifth of the new films will be “Nicola,” a Warner Bros, production, which Karl Tun berg is currently scripting and will produce. “Nicola” is based upon a best-selling novel by Audrey Erskine Lindop. Next on the production schedule is “Tamahine,” which will be an Eastman Color production, in which the Continental star Elke Sommer will play the title role. “Tamahine” will be produced by Bill Whittaker, from the novel by Thelma Nicklaus, and the film will be made partly on location in the South Seas. Another new film, “The Pot Carriers,” is a prison comedy, which is scheduled to enter production late in 1961. The subject is currently being scripted. Eighth of the new films announced by Latta will be “If Chance a Stranger,” produced in Eastman Color. It is based upon the best-selling novel of the same title by Charles Fullerton and is scheduled as one of the biggest international productions ever made by Associated British. It will feature two star names. The production is situated in Japan and a great deal of the filming will take place on the actual locales. The ninth of the new productions will be “The White Witch of Rose Hill” by Geoffrey De Lisser. The film will be produced in Eastman Color and on location in Jamaica. Last in chronological order, is “The Golden Fool” by David Devine. This film will be produced in color and once again extensively photographed against natural locales in South Africa. Latta went on to give details of three productions now being readied for early release. The first of these, “Hand in Hand,” is the first film to be given the award of merit from the American National Audience Board. The second, “A Story of David,” in Eastman Color and widescreen, which stars Jeff Chandler, is the first film ever to be filmed in actual Holy Land locations. The third of the new Associated British films is “Don’t Bother to Knock,” Richard Todd’s first independent production for Associated British, in which Todd is supported by Elke Sommer, Nicole Maurey and June Thorburn. It has been produced in color and Cinemascope. Latta stated that the Associated British policy was based on productions and not predictions. In addition to the ten new pictures, which were to be made under the production control of J. R. Wallis, a number of other major subjects were being considered and further details of these films would be made available at regular intervals during the coming months. * * * Macgregor Scott, managing director of Associated British-Pathe, reported last week that a deal had been signed with Continental Distributing for the release of “The Rebel,” the successful comedy starring comedian Tony Hancock in the U. S. “The Rebel,” now breaking all records on the ABC circuit, is thus another popular British picture to go to the Walter Reade Organization. Plans are to release the film sometime in September, supported by a personal appearance tour of Hancock, extending over several weeks in the U. S. and Canada. * * * The Society of Film and Television Arts last week decided that “The Apartment,” directed by Billy Wilder and released by United Artists, was the best film of the year from any source. It also gave stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine an accolade each for the best performance by a foreign actor and actress respectively. “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning,” released by Lion International, was named the best British film, while Rachel Roberts and Albert Finney were voted the best award for the best performance by a British actor in the Warwick production, “The Trials of Oscar Wilde.” * * * The Bill Luckwell production, “Murder in Eden,” was completed last week at Ardmore studios. This is a murder mystery thriller with a background of art frauds, directed by Max Parnell. Jock MacGregor, London correspondent of the Motion Picture Exhibitor, coproduced with Luckwell. Both Luckwell and MacGregor have selected some new young stars to head the cast of the film, including Ray McAnnally, Catherine Fellar and Yvonne Buckingham. BOXOFFICE :: April 24, 1961 17