Boxoffice barometer (1963)

The Power Itehind the Scenes PRODUCERS Unsung Heroes Who Make or Break the Pictures ■■Kill 18 WaL 45 of St eu3on 3 Bia 3lL m3 By VELMA WEST SYKES RIBBON says in his “Decline and Fall of Rome”: “All that is human must retrograde if it do not advance.” Thus each year motion pictures must either have advanced or regressed—and those responsible for them the same in a pro- fessional sense. So, in looking over the 1961-62 product, one is impressed by the Top Hit producers, for many of them have made cinema history. Walt Disney, who is ex-edited this past season with a record of six winners, owes his success primarily to his production of family-type pictures. In view of recent censorship pi-oblems which have de- veloped because of more sophisticated product by other producers, it would seem that Disney himself has not only pi-ofited by his policy, but has also helped the industry to answer some of the ci-iticism of cuirent films. There are his and other family pictures available, if only the public will support them. Nor are Disney films all alike—each one is diffei’ent. The Missouri “show-me” boy has show-n the world that films can be wholesome as well as entertaining. Three producers have three winners each: Robert Arthur, Hal B. Wallis and Ross Hunter. Cleveland-born Ross Hunter (Martin Fuss) has come a long way since his school-teaching days, fol- lowed by a period as an actor in Co- lumbia pictures. After returning to the schoolroom for a while he became a stage producer-director, then associate producer for Universal—a producer since 1951. As he showed in “Flower Drum Song,” an artistic picture can also be entertaining for mass audiences. Robert Arthur, whose two sophisti- cated romances with stars Rock Hudson and Doris Day are in the light-hearted tradition of gay entertainment, has a complete change of pace in his “The Spiral Road,” all for Universal. The latter is really a semi-religious film, en- tertaining as well as inspiring, in which Rock Hudson and Burl Ives do a mag- nificent job together. Arthur’s entrance into motion pictures was by way of his typewriter, from which he has advanced to producer and executive producer. Hal Wallis, Chicago-born but starting in motion pictures as manager of a Los Angeles theatre, is Paramount’s top pro- ducer. He has been partnered with Joseph Hazen in their own production company. His list of pictures is impres- sive this year, including two top hits in which Elvis Presley starred. Many credit Wallis and director Nox-man Taurog with improving the early public image of Presley. Besides the Presley films, Wallis did a brooding, psychological drama by Tennessee Williams, starring Lawrence Harvey and Geraldine Page. Thei-e ai-e 15 producei’s of two winners each. Of these, one is the English pro- ducer, Betty Box, whose comedies have won favor with Amei’ican audiences. Roger Coi-man continues his successful horror pi-oductions, Sy Baitlett scores with heavy drama and Jack Cummings with sophisticated comedies, which Stanley Shapii'O and Mai-tin Melcher also produce with delightful touches that make for super-entertainment. Moi-e light-hearted entertainment is supplied by Joseph Pasternak with a circus picture and one about a service- man’s misadventures. John Houseman brings a William Inge moody drama to the screen, plus one of Irwin Shaw’s books—the latter fortunate in having stars Kirk Douglas and Edward G. Robinson. Samuel Bronston’s two spectacles, “El Cid” and “King of Kings” are in the old “colossal” tradition. Mervyn LeRoy has two hits with Rosalind Russell as star— two distinctly different types of pictures which he also directed, one devoted to international understanding, the other a psychological study of a neurotic stage mother. Dino de Laurentiis de- pends less on spectacle than powerful dramatic acting by Anthony Quinn in “Barabbas,” and his “The Best of Enemies” is a gem of satire on war, with David Niven. David Weisbart is another producer whose two top hits stari-ed Elvis Pres- ley, in i-ollicking, family-type films, and English producer George H. Brown scores with slapstick humor in “Double Bunk” and in a whimsical whodunit starring Margaret Rutherford in “Mur- der She Said.” Julian Wintle and Les- lie Parkyn double as producers of a comedy in the best British tradition and of a sardonic romantic drama in which Peter Sellers stai's. Certainly there is wide variety in what these producers gave the public and the public’s response was gratifying at the boxoffice. There are a number who pro- duced only one hit, whose efforts, how- ever, are notable. Fred Coe’s “The Miracle Worker” handled a difficult theme bi’illiantly, while Frank Capi'a’s “Pocketful of Miracles” was a tribute to the writing of Damon Runyon. Morton DaCosta’s “The Music Man” stimulated a trend for musicals that is still going on, and Arthur Freed’s “Light in the Piazza” was a delightful problem picture, though it left the question un- answered in the minds of the audience. Howard Hawks’ “Hatari!” was an ad- venture picture the whole family could enjoy, and Ernest Marischka’s “For- ever My Love,” a costume picture of great chai-m. Sy Weintraub’s “Tarzan Goes to India” took an aged series and gave it new perspective. But, perhaps the most outstanding, artistic success was “West Side Story,” which Robert Wise produced for Mirisch Pictures. Producers credited with 1961-62 hit films are listed below: Six Winners WALT DISNEY: R Almost Angels (BV); Babes in Toyland (BV); Big Red (BV); Bon Voyage (BV); -H- In Search of the Castaways (BV); Moon Pilot (BV). Three Winners ROBERT ARTHUR: Lover Come Back (Univ); The Spiral Road (Univ); That Touch of Mink (Univ). ROSS HUNTER: Back Street (Univ); Flower Drum Song (Univ); 4+ If a Man Answers (Univ). HAL B. WALLIS: Blue Hawaii (Para); R Girls! Girls! Girls! (Para); Sum- mer and Smoke (Para). Two Winners SY BARTLETT: Cape Fear (Univ); The Outsider (Univ). BETTY E. BOX: Doctor in Love (Gov- ernor); No Love for Johnnie (Em- bassy). GEORGE H. BROWN: Double Bunk (Showcorp); Murder She Said (MGM). SAMUEL BRONSTON: El Cid (AA); King of Kings (MGM). ROGER CORMAN: The Premature Burial (AIP); Tales of Terror (AIP). JACK CUMMINGS: Bachelor Flat (20th-Fox); The Second Time Around (20th-Fox). DINO DE LAURENTIIS: R Barabbas (Col); -H- The Best of Enemies (Col). JOHN HOUSEMAN: All Fall Down (MGM); Two Weeks, in Another Town (MGM). LESLIE PARKYN: A Coming-Out Party (Union-Film); Waltz of the To- readors (Cont'l). MARTIN MELCHER: Lover Come Back (Univ); That Touch of Mink (Univ). MERVYN LeROY: R Gypsy (WB); A Majority of One (WB). JOSEPH PASTERNAK: R Billy Rose's Jumbo (MGM); The Horizontal Lieutenant (MGM). STANLEY SHAPIRO: Lover Come Back (Univ); That Touch of Mink (Univ). DAVID WEISBART: Follow That Dream (UA); Kid Galahad (UA). JULIAN WINTLE: A Coming-Out Party (Union-Film); Waltz of the Toreadors (Cont'l). One Winner ROBERT ALDRICH: R What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (WB). 78 BAROMETER Section