Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1961)

^Mcfcu^d ^efoont ■ By IVAN SPEAR 23 Films in the Works for January; Seven Above Same Month in 7960 Those seers who habitually gaze into the crystal ball around this time of year in an effort to come up with some predictions for the new year have, for the last few weeks, been saying that 1961 will be the year of the big pictures — the blockbuster and the roadshow film. It’s certainly no secret, since the schedules of major Hollywood studios show that plans are being completed that will find some 14 roadshow type features playing in various houses throughout the country during the coming year. By far more important to the average exhibitor, who won’t be seeing those big, big films for a long time to come, however, is the fact that the opening stanza of the year offers a handsome prediction for hefty bread and butter product. January promises a total of 23 pictures in the w'orks, seven more than were blueprinted for the preceding month and an important figure, particularly, since a full 18 of them are totally new titles. Only three are repeats from other slates, indicating that filmmakers pretty well cleaned up their production charts before the end of the year, and the remaining two are small features that slipped by unnoticed toward the end of December and are now in progress. A glance at the listing of a year ago finds 16 features were set to go before the cameras in January of 1960, the current listing, thus, showing a gain of approximately 30 per cent in production to start off what could well be an unusually happy new year for theatremen. Continuing optimism along these lines is evidenced by the fact that the 23 films on the dockets are almost evenly spread between the major film companies, indicating activity on all fronts in Hollywood. Twentieth Century-Fox continues to maintain its lead, announcing four of the films, the same number chalked up to indjpcnaent sources, but the remainder are closely divided between the other studios, with Allied Artists particularly showing a spurt of activity by setting three of them. By studios, following are the January features: ALLIED ARTISTS “Twenty Plus Two.” Producer Frank Gruber, filming from his own script of his own novel, has just announced Scott R. Dunlap as executive producer on this feature, which tells of the mysterious disappearance and eventual apprehension of a beautiful young girl who had been missing for 22 years. No cast or director has yet been named. “Operation Eichmann.” Profiting from the international news coverage of the capture of Adolf Eichmann, me notorious German officer who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Jews during World War II, this true story tells of Arwin to Make 8 Films For Columbia Release Columbia Pictures and Martin Melcher have consummated a $26,000,000 deal for Arwin Productions, the independent company owned by Melcher and his wife, Doris Day, to produce eight top-budgeted pictures for Columbia release. Four of the films projected in the deal will be Doris Day starrers, while the remaining four will involve the Arwin company and director David Miller. The deal included the services of Miller as director of these four, as well as one of the Doris Day starring films. Miller, it is recalled, directed Miss Day in “Midnight Lace” for Universal-International, which is currently drawing hefty business at the country’s boxoffices. “Roar Like a Dove,” one of the Day films, will initiate the new deal in the fall of 1961, with Richard Quine directing and Norman Krasna writing the screenplay. The vehicle is a current London stage success. Negotiations have also been reported to merge Arwin’s music subsidiaries — Daywin Music, Artists Music, and Arwin Music — with the Columbia Pictures music subsidiary, Colpix. the strategy used in tracking down the war criminal and finally apprehending him. A Samuel Bischoff and David Diamond production, it will be directed by R. G. Springsteen. “Reckless, Pride of the Marines.” Producer Lester Sanson and director Francis D. Lyon expect this story of a famous Marine horse to be a top family entry. No cast has been set. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL “Journey to the Seventh Planet.” One of two Jules Verne stories on this month’s list, this is a carryover from the December chart. Sidney Pink is producing it and filming will be in Copenhagen. The science-fiction story will be shot in color, with Pink also directing. No cast is set. “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Another of the famed Edgar Allan Poe stories, this 16th Century tale, localing in Spain, is about a man whose wife dies mysteriously. He gets involved in a house where mysterious things happen. Vincqnt Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele and Luana Anders star for producer-director Rpger Corman. COLUMBIA “Notorious Landlady.” A comedy-melo drama, this Kohlmar-Quine production, which Fred Kohlmar produces and Richard Quine directs, is the story of an American diplomat who rents a flat from a woman in London and goes through several strange experiences. Jack Lemmon stars. “Valley of the Dragons.” Just like it .sounds, this ZRB production, which Alfred Zimbalist and Byron Roberts are producing, is a science fiction tale of a trip back to the prehistoric times. Taken from a Jules Verne story, it will be directed by Edward Bernds. INDEPENDENT “St. George and the 7 Curses.” An action picture, Bert Gordon has put this on his immediate slate to produce and direct on a budget that includes $100,000 for special effects alone. Bernard Schoenfeld scripted from Gordon’s own story, a fantasy, and release is expected to be secured through United Artists. No cast has been named. “Samar.” Second production on his newly formed Ponderey Production slate, George Montgomery produces, directs and stars in this story, which takes place in the Philippines. No story line is available. “Sodom and Gomorrah.” After numerous announcements from various producers, it looks like Joseph E. Levine will get this Biblical story of good and evil before the cameras under his Embassy banner. Robert Aldrich directs, with filming to be in Europe. No cast has been named. “Sunday Is a Wicked Day.” Writer-director Bernard Girard and producer Robert Lewis formed Girard-Lewis Productions, with this feature to start it. Lawrence Hanson jr. is associate producer, with Girard megging from his own screenplay. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER “Ada.” A political story modeled after Louisiana’s Governor Huey Long, this tells of the governor of a Southern state ana the woman behind him. Laurence Weingarten produces, with Danny Mann directing a cast headed by Susan Hayward, Dean Martin and Ralph Meeker. “Lady L.” Former French Consul General to Los Angeles, Romain Gary, authored this story, the conquest of a European Don Juan. Julian Blaustein produces, with George Cukor directing. Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida costar. PARAMOUNT “My Geisha.” Long connected with Japanese interests. Shirley MacLaine and her husband, Steve Parker, are producing this film, with Miss MacLaine starring along with Yves Montand, Edward G. Robinson and Robert Cummings. It tells of some war buddies in U. S. -occupied Japan and thenexperiences there romantically. Jack Cardiff directs and filming, in Technirama and color, will be in Japan. TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX “High Heels.” A holdover from last month, this is another of the many films now being made to appeal to young people. Based on a Garson Kanin play, it’s a Jerry Wald production which Robert Parrish directs. Ken Scott stars. “Marines, Let’s Go.” Ken Scott also has the top role in this film, an action drama 12 BOXOFFICE :: January 2, 1961