Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

FEATURE REVIEWS Story Synopsis; Exploits; Adlines for Newspapers and Programs THE STORY: “Girls at Sea" (Seven Arts) H.M.S. Scotia Captain Guy Rolfe, painfully shy, not only shuns friendship with his officers but keeps well away from romantic attachments. Commander Alan White, however, is comn, a gay blade, appreciating feminine ways and wiles. When 'iere v the ship pays a visit to the French Riviera, the officers, to celebrate Marine Capt. Richard Coleman's engagement to Mary Steele, host a big party, the guests include Mary's American girl-friend, Anne Kimbell, and Nadine Tallier, who has trailed Marine Ronald Shiner back to the ship after proposing to her. The girls are forced to stay aboard overnight when it’s learned that the last shore boat is unseaworthy. Admiral Michael Hordern comes aboard, planning to use Rolfe's ship as headquarters temporarily, and discovers the girls, Anne blurting out that she has married Rolfe, and Mary telling him a similar story. After a whirlwind round of misunderstandings and complications, everything works out — for everyone that is, except Shiner. He succeeded in palming Nadine off on to the impressionable White, but now he sees a boat approaching, with another of his amorous entanglements aboard. This time, she's accompanied by two toughlooking chaps — and a minister. EXPLOITIP5: Get some models in nautical garb to walk through downtown traffic points and shopping centers distributing paper. CATCHLINES: As Merry a Cruise As the Sea Has Ever Knownl THE STORY: "Victim" (Pathe-America) Peter McEnery, a young construction worker, is arrested for stealing a large sum of money from his firm. He refuses to gooc, (eii the police how the money was spent but, after the boy /*” weal hangs himself, it is revealed he was friendly with Dirk v Bogarde, an eminent lawyer and was paying blackmail to protect him. Feeling responsible for McEnery's death, Bogarde tracks down the blackmailers by contacting several others who are being blackmailed, including a hair-dresser, a bookseller and a prominent actor. At first, they refuse to help Bogarde but, after another death takes place, they rally around to bring to justice those who prey on their kind, homosexuals, through blackmail. Bogarde's wife, Sylvia Syms, who knew about her husband's tendencies, tells him that if the case is brought to court it will involve him and ruin his career. He cleverly corners the man and woman responsible for the blackmail and, despite his personal involvement, brings them to justice. EXPLOITIPS: Caution should be taken to not stress the homosexual angle of the film except by inference. But adjectives like "Shocking," "Provocative," etc., can be used. CATCHLINES: A Striking Film Which Exposes the Secret Thoughts and Fears of a Certain Section of Society ... A Story of Suspense — Human and Absorbing . . . The Authors of "Sapphire" Bring You Another Fascinating Crime Story. THE STORY: "The Bashful Elephant" (AA) Teenage orphan Molly Mack escapes from Hungary, across the border into Austria in search of a "father" and "mother." She is aided by Jeffrey, the border dog. In Austria, police promise to help her, but when she learns they're planning to place her in an orphanage, separating her from her dog, she escapes, joins circus performer Helmut Schmid, and his elephant, Valle. His performer-girl friend Kai Fischer, loves Molly and starts an aggressive campaign to get Schmid to marry her, so the two can adopt Molly. However, when authorities learn that Molly is an orphan, they attempt to take her into custody, but are defied by the animals. Police threaten to shoot the animals in case of more defiance, so /fe L Molly slips away to give herself up. The animals follow her. Lost in the town, Molly and her pals take refuge in a church. Falling down a stairs, Molly is knocked unconscious. The elephant carres her back to the circus. Schmid and Kai greet them, prepare to marry and adopt Molly. EXPLOITIPS: Tie in with local children's museums and the like for appropriate lobby and street displays. Conduct an essay contest in newspapers, offering guest tickets and merchant-promoted prizes for best answer to question, "If you had your choice, what circus animal would you like for your pet?" CATCHLINES: A Little Girl's Love for Her Own Circus Animals! ... A Poignant Tale Out of the Cold War! THE STORY: "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" (MGM) War seems remote when rich Argentinian Lee J. Cobb assembles his family for a reunion dinner. But death takes the patriarch and the family disperses to Germany and France. World War II begins and Paris is occupied. Part of the family is in the Nazi command, part remains neutral. One of the grandsons, Glenn Ford, poses as a Left Bank artist while secretly working with French Intelligence for the Underground. The Nazis regard him as a harmless playboy, hence he is able to perform invaluable services for France. Following a shattered romance, Ford undertakes to locate and visit Nazi intelligence headquarters. He is successful in rin. his mission, but is killed in the low bombing that follows ost 'o when he signals that his car marks the location of the enemy f ” headquarters. EXPLOITIPS: Bookstores and libraries should cooperate since the film is based on the Vicente Blasco Ibanez novel. A special paperback edition has been issued by the Dell Publishing Co. on the new film version. The Paris, Versailles and the French countryside backgrounds suggest tieups with French and veterans organizations. There are some strong cast names to promote. Use cutouts of the Four Horsemen. CATCHLINES: Across the Skies Rode the Four Horsemen — War, Conquest, Pestilence and Death! ... A Galaxy of Top Stars Brings One of the All-Time Great Dramas to the Screen. THE STORY: “7th Commandment" (Crown) Jonathan Kidd and girl friend Lynn Statten are in a highway accident. Kidd thinks he has killed the other driver. The shock leaves him with amnesia. Kidd is picked up by Frank Arvidson, traveling evangelist, who builds him into a world-famed evangelist, using the name of Tad Morgan. When Lynn and her lover, John Harmon, learn that Morgan is really Kidd, they decide to blackmail him. Lynn uses her wiles to force Kidd into a drunken stupor, marries him in a phony ceremony. Near madness by his predicament, Kidd tries to murder Lynn by throwing her over a bridge. Returning to her apartment, she finds Harmon, wearing Kidd's bathrobe, and thinking it's Kidd, kills him. Rushing to Kidd's home obsessed with the idea of retribution Lynn is strangled to death by an enraged Kidd He finds in her purse a newspaper clipping exonerating him in the highway accident. He goes to his temple a broken man — kneels and begs God to point the way out of the dilemma. He has a heart attack. EXPLOITIPS: Play up Lynn Statten's beauty and figure — her likeness should adorn lobby and exterior art. Tie in stills of several recent pictures on preachers and evangelists for window displays. "Be* CATCHLINES: YOU Be the Judge . Did They Violate the Seventh Commandment? . . . The Tragic Story of an Illicit Lovel THE STORY: "The Prisoner of the Iron Mask" (AIP) In 18th Century Italy, a duke is being slowly poisoned by his treacherous adviser, Count Astolfo, while his beautiful daughter, Wandisa Guida, thinks her father is dying of old age. The duke's son is returning from France with documentary proof of the count's treachery when he is set upon by assassins, but manages to hide the document in a wayside shrine. Taken to a castle dungeon, the son refuses to surrender the document and he is imprisoned in the iron mask. The oppressed people rally about the duke, but the treacherous count reveals to Wandisa that her brother is a prisoner and he will not be freed unless she marries him. On the day of the wedding, the duke's son is freed by his followers and the iron mask is finally removed. He then manages to retrieve the documentary proof of the count's treachery from the wayside shrine. After a duel with the count, the latter is put into the iron mask and sent to the frontier, where the French are awaiting him. EXPLOITIPS: The main selling angle is the famous Alexander Dumas novel, filmed once before by Douglas Fairbanks. Arrange for o' x bookstore tieups for window displays of the Alexander % Ev Dumas novel and other Dumas works. A ballyhoo man ® wearing a mask will attract attention. CATCHLINES: A Fate Worse Than Death — Never Before or Since a Torture Device As Cruel . . . His Fate Was a Living Death. BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: Feb. 19, 1962