Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1963)

EAT U R E REVIEWS Story Synopsis; Exploitips; Adlines for Newspaper and Programs THE STORY: “Jason and the Argonauts” (Col) In ancient Thessaly, Zeus and Hera, the Gods, look down as King Aristo is killed and his infant son, Jason, grows to manhood and goes to claim his kingdom. During his journey, Jason is advised to search for the Golden Aght t Fleece, which has the power to bring peace to Thessaly, 'strom It is ordained that Hera will come to Jason’s aid five times, the first being when his ship is wrecked and a bronze god saves the men, then she tells him how to vanquish a giant figure and how to destroy flying harpies. Later, Jason is caught in an avalanche and a clay figure rises from the waves and holds back the crashing rocks as he rescues Medea, a high priestess, from the sea. Jason finally reaches the Golden Fleece but a sevenheaded Hydra lashes out at him. But Hera once again saves Jason, and he and Medea are reunited. EXPLOITIPS: To attract scholars of ancient Greek legends, as well as most youngsters, play up Jason and his search for the Golden Fleece, a story familiar to many. Use photos or b'owups of handsome Todd Armstrong and lovely Nancy Kovack, the latter well known as a model and from her work in “Diary of a Madman,” current Vincent Price film. CATCHLINES: Wonders and Adventures Never Before Seen on the Screen . . . Jason Vanquishes the Vicious Flying Harpies and the Seven-Headed Hydra to Reach the Coveted Golden Fleece. THE STORY: “The Thrill of It All” (Univ) When Doris Day and her doctor husband, James Garner, are invited to dinner at the home of a patient, Arlene Francis, Doris comments on the qualities of Happy ,ish (t Soap, which happens to be the product of Miss Francis’ .... father-in-law, Reginald Owen. Owen is intrigued by her remarks and puts her on his television show as a pitchwoman for the soap. She zooms in popularity and becomes an $80,000-a-year employe, much to the chagrin of her nusband who finds home life slipping away. To counteract the situation, he pretends to be too busy to be with his wife which has a bad emotional effect on her. But, when Miss Francis is being rushed to the hospital and Garner delivers the baby in the car, Doris and Garner have an emotional reunion and she decides she wants to be just a doctor’s wife and nothing more. EXPLOITIPS: Plug this as a film of the “Pillow Talk” and “That Touch of Mink” vein. For the women, stress the gowns of Jean Louis design. If possible, rent a Rolls Royce, or another expensive car, with a poster revealing that a baby was born in the back seat. CATCHLINES: A Grand Spoof on Television Commercials . . . What a Thrill You’ll Get From “The Thrill of It All” . . . She Achieved a Career but Almost Lost Her Husband . . . Thrill You’ll Get From “The Thrill of It All” . . . She Sold Soap and Almost Washed Up Her Marriage. THE STORY: “Call Me Bwana” (UA) When one of America’s moon capsules, containing vital secrets of the nation’s surface, goes down in an uncharted region of darkest Africa, the government calls on Bob Hope, world famous author -explorer, to regain the capsu’e. Unknown to both the U.S. and Russia, also interested in regaining the capsule, is that Bob is actually a fraud, who has never been near Africa and has cribbed all his material from the diaries of his late uncle. But Bob is forced to go, accompanied by Edie Adams, and Russia also sends an anthropologist, Anita Ekberg, and Lionel Jeffries to forestall Bob on his mission. In Africa, Bob meets Anita, not knowing she is an enemy agent, and together they just manage to stumble on the , (w\ capsu’e, which came down in the midst of a tribe of oming savages. These natives regard the capsule as a divine *" ' symbol and when Anita’s henchmen attempt to steal it, a'l the whites are captured and sentenced to be boiled a’ive. But Bob manages to escape with Anita. EXPLOITIPS: The big selling angles are Bob Hope and Anita Ekberg, who must be exploited for her bosomy charms. Edie Adams, who has recently become a fixture for TV specials, is another selling name, as is Arnold Palmer, the golf c^amoion. who will attract the sports enthusiasts. CATCHLINES: Bob Hope, As the Great Bwana With a Beautiful Bwanee, Anita Ekberg, Sails Off Into Outer Space. THE STORY: “A Gathering of Eagles” (Univ) When a surprise alert test is used by the Strategic Air Command on a California Air Force base and it fails to pass, Rock Hudson is named new wing commander and starts riding his various deputies. Even his old pal. Rod Taylor, the vice -commander starts to feel Hudson’s constant pressure. Hudson sends for his British wife, Mary Peach, and she develops a friendship with Barry Sullivan, the veteran base commander, and is hurt when her husband finds him inefficient and forces him into involuntary retirement. With Hudson tied to his work, Mary is thrown into the company of Taylor and the air base starts to gossip. Still seeking flaws, Hudson even asks that Taylor be replaced and this causes Mary to decide to leave her husrty. . band and return to England. But, while Hudson is absent and another surprise alert is called, Taylor takes over and makes a decision that wins commendation from the SAC inspector general. Hudson and Taylor patch up their differences and Mary realizes why her husband was stern. EXPLOITIPS: Rock Hudson, whose recent pictures, “Lover Come Back,” “Come September,” etc., have all been smash hits, is the big selling angle. CATCHLINES: A Hard Taskmaster for the Strategic Air Command — Who Was Forced to Find Time for Love . . . Rock Hudson, Filmdom’s Top Romantic Star, in a Highly Dramatic and Suspenseful Air Force Tale. THE STORY : “The Garbage Man” (CDA) Toney Naylor is an admitted “little man” of the world; he has a modest horse-and-buggy garbage operation and finds himse-f pitted against the Machine Age (i.e., supe. ative sanitation service, mobile, mechanical to the ’nth degree). His faithful horse, Baby Bailey, conveys the “little man’s” unfortunate status-in-life through poignant observations Naylor dreams of better days 'here the black-and-white moves to color), with fetching damse’s doing his bidding. Naylor’s predecessors look on with mock approval as Naylor finds the girl-of-hisdreams in Venita Beautrice. The “little man” has triumphed against the Machine Age. EXPLOITIPS: CDA has some strikingly effective, local-level promotion available: Match boxes, stencils and the like. Teaser ads are imperative and street ballyhoo can well employ horsedrawn vehicles. CATCHLINES: Qld^' For Average Adults Only! . . . For Those Mature Enough to See the Very Best! . . . They Wouldn’t Dare Make a Motion Picture About That! THE STORY: “The Girl Hunters” (Colorama) Mike Hammer (Mickey Spillane) goes on a seven-year drunken binge following the disappearance of his girl secretary and is picked up in the gutter and beaten senseless by Scott Peters, a police captain who wants him to get some information from a dying seaman. Hammer gets information about espionage and the assassination of a U.S. senator, whose beautiful young widow, Shirley Eaton, offers to help him uncover details of a secret spy ring. Lloyd Nolan, U.S. detective, and Hy Gardner, syndicated news columnist, also assist Hammer, who follows clues that lead to sluggings and other murders. Hammer also suspects that his former girl secretary is probably still alive but, meanwhile, he engages in a mild flirtation with Shirley. Finally, he accuses Shirley of planning her husband’s murder and being involved in the spy ring. Hammer traps the murderer by a clever trick. EXPLOITIPS: The Mike Hammer novels by Mickey Spillane have sold into the millions, three of them, “I the Jury,” "The Big Kill” and “My Gun Is Quick,” having been made into films. Make a tieup with bookshops for window displays of all 12 Spillane novels and stress that the author plays Wn¥’ Mike Hammer in “The Girl Hunters.” CATCHLINES: Mickey Spillane, Famed Author of the Mike Hammer Detective Novels, Plays the Two-Fisted Private Eye in His Latest Film. BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: June 10, 1963