Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1961)

Opinions on Current Productions Feature reviews Symbol © denotes color; © CinemoScope; ® Vistavision; © Superscope; ® Naturom a; ® Regalscope; ® Technirama. For story synopsis on each picture, see reverse side. Romanoff and Juliet F ££ Univ.-Int'l (6106) 112 Minutes Rel. June 61 ’^3 The mythical kingdom theme always has been an intri . guing subject, but most of such stories have been more or 1 less on the serious side. Peter Ustinov has taken the idea, J substituted a republic for a kingdom, injected broad satire, made it as up-to-date as tomorrow and has come up with a production of wonderful fun. On top of that, he has borrowed, to some extent, the general tenor of Shakespeare's play of a similar title and made the opposing families Russian and American. But no matter how you slice it, the film is a meaty morsel. Naturally, it has greater scope than the Broadway play version which had a lengthy and profitable run. Aside from Ustinov, who won an Oscar for his portrayal in "Spartacus," the cast members best known to American audiences are Sandra Dee and John Gavin, the love interests and the counterparts of Romeo and Juliet — he the son of the Russian ambassador to Concordia and she the daughter of the American ambassador. And love conquers all, even opposite ideologies. Boxoffice prospects are very, very bright. Ustinov produced and directed, as well as starred in this opus which he also wrote. Peter Ustinov, Sandra Dee, John Gavin, Akim Tamiroff, Alix Talton, John Phillips, Tamara Shayne. The Parent Trap F £5 CT Buena Vista 124 Minutes Rel. July '61 Another brightly colored and delightfully amusing family Be film, the fourth ini a row for Walt Disney, this will prove irofit) equally enjoyable to the youngsters and their parents and has popular ingredients for the teenagers and the old folks — and that takes in every moviegoer. Starring Hcryley Mills, the British girl who scored in Disney's "Pollyanna" and recently won a special Academy Award for "outstanding juvenile performance," the cast includes: Maureen O'Hara, more striking than ever, and the rugged Brian Keith, as a divorced couple reunited through the machinations of their twin daughters; lovable Charlie Ruggles, the clucking Una Merkel, Leo G. Carroll, of TV's "Topper" fame, the aristocratic Cathleen Nesbitt, and Ruth McDevitt, whose prissy camp counselor role is a comedy gem — for strong name value, plus beautiful Joanna Barnes, Technicolor backgrounds and clever opening credits during which Tommy Sands and Annette, teenage favorites, sing the title song. Summer bookings should guarantee smash grosses. Based on a German book, "Das Doppelte Lottchen," the story was transferred to an American background by David Swift, who directed with the accent on comedy and human interest. Young Miss Mills, playing identical twins, is a standout. Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith, Una Merkel, Charlie Ruggles, Cathleen Nesbitt, Leo G. Carroll. Angel Baby A “"j Dr”"* Allied Artists (6105) 98 Minutes Rel. May '61 Probably the fiscal fate of this admirably fabricated Thomas F. Woods' production will depend upon whether or not the public has had its fill of heady, provocative combinations of lust and evangelism. If the kudos-garnering "Elmer Gantry'' has exhausted the market for the amalgam of sex and salvation, "Angel" may encounter stormy going. On the other hand, if the ticket buyers' appetite for sin and rip-roarin' revival meetings has merely been whetted, the feature could be built into a memorable exhibition success. * As a job of picture making it is laudable on virtually every lce') count. Under the careful and perceptive direction of Paul Wendkos, performances are generally sincere and convincing. Toplined is youthful George Hamilton, who has been making rapid advances on the new-faces front. His delineation is excellent as are several others, particularly the one by Salome Jens, a newcomer for whom considerable of an acting career is expected. Better established names in the cast — and those that will add to the film's marquee potency — are Mercedes McCambridge, frighteningly effective as a religious zealot, and Joan Blondell, whose preoccupations vacillate between brimstone and bottle. George Hamilton, Salome Jens, Mercedes McCambridge, Joan Blondell, Henry Jones, Burt Reynolds, Roger Clark. The Minotaur F “S#‘'© S’T” United Artists ( ) 92 Minutes Rel. May '61 The Italian film formula of a handsome muscle-man conquering warriors and monsters against spectacular medieval backgrounds has been continued in this Agliani-MordiniIlliria film which has all the ingredients that have been paying off at U. S. boxoffices since "Hercules" in 1960. Bob Mathias, the Olympic decathlon champion who made "The Bob Mathias Story" in 1954, is the only marquee name but it is the title and action-spectacle values which will attract the youngsters and male patrons, especially in saturation bookings. Inspired by the legend of the Greek mythological beast, half man-half bull, the screenplay by S. Continenza, ,,e. G. P. Callegari and Daniel Mainwaring contains such stock situations as captive maidens sacrificed, dancing slave girls, gladiator combats and, for the climax, the hero's battle with the Minotaur, which resembles nothing but an overgrown ape — quite a letdown after the fearsome descriptions heard during the film. All of this has been photographed in Technicolor and Totalscope and director Silvio Amadio has stressed the action content rather than plausibility. Mathias, although not as impressive muscularly as Steve Reeves, does well enough as Theseus. The English dubbing is adequate. Bob Mathias, Rosanna Schiaffino, Rick Battaglia, Alberto Lupo, Carlo Tamberlani, Nerio Bernardi, Susan Loret. Mad Dog Coll F “°i Action Drama Columbia (534) 86 Minutes Rel. May '61 The latest in the film re-creations of lives of notorious gangsters of the 1920s (“Al Capone," "Legs Diamond" and the current "Portrait of a Mobster" are others) has exploitable values for the action houses but, elsewhere, this Edward Schreiber production will be relegated to the supporting spot on neighborhood duals. The picture was made in New York, much of it on actual locations of the 28-yearold killing, on a modest budget and with unknowns from stage and TV in the leads. The screenplay by Schreiber is packed with “rat-tat-tat" excitement and, in the flashbacks, attempts to put the blame for Coil's ruthless, maniacal behavior on his father's sadistic treatment of the boy. Burt Balaban must be credited with a taut directing job but he was unable to curb John Chandler's tendency to overact and make Coll almost a vicious caricature of a killer. Much better are Jerry Orbach (he recently scored in the singing lead of the Broadway musical hit, "Carnival"), as Coil's cohort who turns informer, and Brooke Hayward, daughter of the late Margaret Sullavan, who play the only sympathetic characters. The "Roaring Twenties" atmosphere, with its ~ — 1 flapper costumes and old-fashioned Yellow Cabs, has been neatly reproduced. John Chandler, Brooke Hayward, Vincent Gardenia, Kay Doubleday, Jerry Orbach, Neil Nephew, Telly Savelas. The Gambler Wore a Gun F Weste n United Artists (6109) 67 Minutes Rel. May '61 James (Jim) Davis, traditionally cast as the newly arrived stranger who resolves murder and romance, in that order, in numerous westerns in recent years, essays an uncomplicated portrayal of a gambler-turned-good fellow in this latest Robert E. Kent-Edward L. Cahn Zenith Productions effort. He has, for lithesome assist, the wholesome beauty of Merry Anders, daughter of a rancher who has been murdered after selling his property to gambler Davis by mail. Arriving on the scene, Davis, the resourceful man of western action, learns that rustlers have been using the ranch for their modus operandi, and, in unison with grim-lipped Marshal Mark Allen, our man ferrets out the killers, and then pauses to reflect long enough to realize that Miss Anders is the right gal for him and marries her. This is generally filler fodder and should be booked as such. Promotionally, the fact that Davis has played this type of hero for many years, should mean something to the wideopen-spaces aficionados, although it must be realized, too, that this isn't part of any intended western series as such. Play up the leading duo and remind the legion of TV west'hiccj ern viewers that here's one adventure containing no midpoint commercial! James Davis, Mark Allen, Addison Richards, Merry Anders, Don Dorrell, Robert Anderson. The reviews on these pages may be filed for future reference in any of the following ways: (1) in any standard three-ring loose-leaf binder; (2) individually, by company, in any standard 3x5 card index file; or (3) in the BOXOFFICE PICTURE GUIDE three-ring, pocket-size binder. The latter, including a year's supply of booking and daily business record sheets, may be obtained from Associated Publications, 825 Van Brunt Blvd., Kansas City 24, Mo., for $1.00, postage paid. 2524 BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: May 15, 1961 2523