Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1961)

22 Features, 40 Short Films At San Francisco Festival SAN FRANCISCO— The fifth San Francisco Film Festival, which opens a 14-day stay Wednesday (1), is clearly the most ambitious to date in scope and quality. Thirty-two countries are represented with 22 feature films and more than 40 short films in the categories of animated, documentary, creative-experimental, fiction and art. Irving M. Levin, Festival director and its originator, has commented, “Many of the films entered are among the most important and controversial of recent years, and, in addition, represent most of the great talents now making films. Yet, we have managed to maintain ample space for a number of first-films by young directors who, the selection committee feels, have excellent promise. With this group of films, and with the personalities we anticipate will be attending, we are certain of the most successful Festival to date.” A CONTROVERSIAL FILM One of the most widely discussed films of recent months is Luis Bunuel’s “Viridiana,” the Spanish entry to be presented on November 5. To make this uncompromising indictment of false charity and vain humility, Bunuel returned to his native country for the first time since 1938, when he moved to Mexico. Bunuel’s harsh but honest picture of a young girl striving to become a nun received official condemnation in Spain, but won first prize at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, and has been called by international critics the renowned director’s greatest work. Bunuel’s classics of the past include “Los Olvidados” 'The Young and the Damned) ; “Land Without Bread,” and “The Andalusian Dog.” Nina Dix>bysheva and a large Russian delegation will accompany that country’s entry, “The Clear Sky,” to San Francisco. This Mosfilm Studios production is of particular interest here because it was directed by Grigory Tchukhray, whose “Ballad of a Soldier” won first prize at the Festival in 1960. Winner of first prize at the Moscow Film Festival, the film concerns a love affair between a famous pilot and a young girl who waits for his return as she is expecting to bear a child. D. Khrabrovitsky was responsible for the scenario and Ergey Poluianov for photography. NEW SATYAJIT RAY ENTRY One of the high points of the Festival will certainly be the showing of India’s “Devi,” directed by the internationally acclaimed Satyajit Ray, on November 8. The director of the “Apu” trilogy in his latest film attacks a superstition that is still rife in many parts of India. “Devi” is the story of a young girl who believes herself to be a goddess and is therefore unable to give herself completely to her marriage. Although the picture was requested by many international film festivals, its showing in San Francisco will be the first outside India. The stars are A new film by India’s noted Satyajit Ray, “Devi,” will be shown at the festival. In a scene from the film arc Sarmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee. Soumitra Chatterjee and Sarmila Tagore, both featured in the previous “World of Apu.” Camera credit goes to Subatra Mitra. According to Levin, “There was no motion picture offered by a major American studio of sufficient quality to be presented.” However, several independent films will be shown. From his own production company, Kent MacKenzie has contributed “The Exiles,” a documentary of three young American Indians living lives of disappointment and desperation in Los Angeles. The picture was deplored, when it was shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival, by the United States State Department. Its critical reception, however, was outstanding. Other American entries are “The Glass Cage” by Antonio Santellan and John and Faith Hubley’s cartoon feature, “Of Stars and Men.” A psychological murder thriller, “The Glass Cage” was shot on a midget-sized budget by 26-year-old Santellan and has been called significant for some of the visual effects accomplished during scenes of high drama. The Hubleys have been internationally acclaimed for years for their work in cartoons. In “Of Stars and Men,” they have treated of space, distance, time and allied scientific concepts in an adaptation of Prof. Harlow Shapley’s book which attempts a visualization of man’s insignificant place in the universe. On November 2, admirers of the work of British director Tony Richardson will view his “Taste of Honey,” the English entry. The director of “Look Back in Anger” and “The Entertainer,” who is also the producer of “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning,” has taken yet a further step toward becoming the country’s top director by this adaptation of Shelagh Delaney’s play. “Taste of Honey” is a Woodfall production with scenario by Miss Delaney and Richardson, photographed by Walter Lassally and with music by John Addison. Rita Tushingham, a newcomer to English films, stars as a young girl who, trapped by the grim factory environment around her, struggles for fulfillment in a brief love affair, a momentary “taste of honey.” The film has never before been seen in a festival. From Argentina comes the latest work of one of the world’s great directors, Leopoldo Torre-Nilsson. According to Levin, Torre-Nilsson himself will accompany his picture to the Festival. The film is “Summer Skin,” a detailed variation on a favorite Torre-Nilsson theme, the tendency of the upper class to distort somewhat true human feeling. UNKNOWN IN U. S. Still relatively unknown in the U. S., Torre-Nilsson is accredited with the classic “La Casa del Angel.” His wife, Beatrice Guido is responsible for the scenario in “Summer Skin,” with photography by Oscar Melli. The Festival opens November 1 with the Czech entry, “The White Dove,” a first film by Frantisek Vlacil inspired by the paintings of Theodore Platek. On November 5, a Shaw Brothers presentation from Taiwan, “The Golden Trumpet,” will be premiered. Italy’s entry boasts Marcello Mastroianni, acclaimed in this country since “La Dolce ’trita,” in “Ghosts of Rome,” which was directed by Antonio Pietrangeli. In this comic departure from Italy’s intensely realistic cinema, fantastic, aristocratic ghosts haunt their descendents’ villa. Costarred are Vittorio Gassman, Sandra Milo, Belinda Lee and Eduardo de Filippo. Jean Gabriel Albicocco, 24-year-old son of the celebrated Quinto Albicocco, directed the French entry, “Girl With the Golden Eyes,” a modern, moody, bizarre study of Lesbianism featuring shock photography and a love triangle starring Marie Laforet, Paul Gers and Francoise Prevost. On November 11, the second Saturday of the Festival, five premieres will be offered : the three American films in the afternoon and entries from Poland and Israel in the evening. The Polish film is director Andrej Wajda’s “Samson,” a grim study of the Warsaw ghetto in World War II. Wajda, maker of “Kanal” and “Lotna,” is one of the leaders among young Polish filmmakers. AN ISRAELI DOCUMENTARY The Israeli film is a documentary, “Description of a Struggle,” which suggests that from now on that country’s fight will lie in the hearts of the people rather than in the physical battle for survival. The title of the picture was adapted from a story by Franz Kafka by French director Chris Marker. An interesting event on November 12 will be the Mexican entry, “Animas ’Ti'Ujano,” which stars Japan’s top male player, Toshiro Mifune. The widely touted Gabriel Figueroa served as photographer in this story of the celebration of an annual festival, “Mayordomia.” Figueroa lensed last year’s Mexican entry, “Micario.” The Festival will close November 14 with the Germany entry, a comedy of European high society, “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney,” which marks Lilli Palmer’s retm-n to German films. Costarred will be Miss Palmer’s husband in real life, Carlos Thompson, an Argentinian. 18 BOXOFFICE :: October 30, 1961