Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

FEATURE REVIEWS Story Synopsis; Exploits; Adlines for Newspapers and Programs THE STORY: "The Quare Fellow" (Astor) Patrick McGoohon starts his duty as -warder in a Dublin prison with fixed ideas on capital punishment. The senior warder, Walter Macken, after a lifetime in prison, now realizes that hanging a man doesn't always solve things. I Roy; Of two condemned prisoners in prison, one commits suicide after being reprieved and McGoohon accidentally meets the wife of the other man, Sylvia Syms, and drifts into an affair with her. Sylvia, after all hope for her husband's reprieve fades, tells Patrick that her husband had killed his brother because he had found him in her bed, this evidence having been withheld at the murder trial. On McGoohan's advice, Sylvia goes to the prison governor and confesses her story. But there is no reprieve and, as he watches the prison machinery being checked and the hooded figure being prayed for, McGoohon knows he will join Macken in his feelings against capital punishment. EXPLOITIPS: Brendan Behan, the rebellious, unpredictable Irishman who has often made news headlines, is the best selling name because of the long Broadway run of his "The Hostage," its current off-Broadway run, and his autobiographical book "Borstal Boy." Bookshops will cooperate. CATCHLINES: The Latest Work by Brendan Behan, Author of the Famed Play, "The Hostage" . . . Filmed Entirely in Ireland. THE STORY: "Maxime" (Interworld) When Charles Boyer approaches Michele Morgan, she is initially pleasant. He mentions the name of Felix Morten, a mutual friend known for his wolfish outlook on life, and the relationship begins to cool. With charm and worldly experience, however, Boyer manages to bring Mile. Morgan's thoughts to pleasant levels. Marten continues to press Boyer to serve as intermediary, however. Mile. Morgan, wishing to surprise Boyer at home, discovers his abject poverty and what was passion now becomes comipass'ion. She finally realizes he is an aging gentleman, still charming, but unable to give her the brilliant life she has always known. In the meantime, under Boyer's tutelage. Marten has become a ,tunv sober, serious and pleasant young man. He pairs off with Mile. Morgan, leaving Boyer to seek romance elsewhere. EXPLOITIPS: Get columnists, et al, to dwell nostalgically on the Charles Boyer of several decades ago, os well os his current Broadway show, "Lord Pengo." Fashion tieups with the better-class outlets ore possible. Conduct on essay contest in the newspapers, geared to the theme, "What city would you best classify os the world's most romantic?" awarding guest passes for best-rated entries. CATCHLINES: It Bubbles Like a Champagne Fizz . . . It's As Frenchy As a Poodle! THE STORY: "A Girl Named Tamiko" (Para) Laurence Harvey, a half-breed living in Tokyo, has difficulty obtaining a visa to go to America and seeks aid from ^ Martha Hyer, a beautiful business girl. Against her will, — M Martha finds herself attracted to Harvey and they drift into an affair to the dismay of Miyoshi Umeki, a friendly prostitute who really loves him. Later, Harvey meets and becomes enamored of France Nuyen, a cultured Japanese newspxxperwoman. Realizing she has lost Harvey, Miyoshi goes to live with Michael Wilding, a Britisher who eventually marries her. But Martha maintains her sexual hold on Harvey by promising to arrange to take him to America. At the last minute, Harvey realizes that Japan and Miss Nuyen are in his blood and he leaves Martha waiting at the airport. EXPLOITIPS: Laurence Harvey, currently starred in "The Manchurian Candidate," is the top selling name but France Nuyen, recently in "Satan Never Sleeps," and Miyoshi Umeki, the little Japanese actress who scored in "Sayonara" and "Flower Drum Song," also hove marquee value os has Martha Hyer, featured in many Hollywood films, who has never looked more sexy or glamorous. Make tieups with travel agencies. CATCHLINES: There Aren't Any Rules in Japan That Can't Be Broken — Particularly About Love . . . He Was Half Oriental But He Used the Women of Two Continents Without Shame or Guilt. THE STORY: "Tower of London" (UA) When Edward IV (Justice Watson) is about to expire in England, he names brother Clarence (Richard McCauly) Protector of the Realm to guard his young sons until they are old enough to take the throne. Insanely jealous Richard (Vincent Price) covets this position, however, and determines to take it by any means; he kills McCouly, attributing the deed to the queen's family. Price is now named Protector and plots with -wife Anne (Joan Camden) to do away -with all standing between him and the throne. Suspicion of Price is voiced by some court members. Price and henchman Michael Pate murder the princes in the Tower of London, ptv Nightmares bring visions of doom to Price; he accidentally 2.: kills Joan. A rival army now takes the field, meting out justice to Price in a manner predicted by the nightmares. EXPLOITIPS: Send on appropriately bannered black sedan through downtown traffic. Get medieval armor from a cooperative museum or collector for lobby display, in return providing suitable, upbeat stories (for museum or collector) to ne-wspopers. Offer tickets for lengthiest lists of horror films starring Price. CATCHLINES: The Bloody Trail to Infamy! ... A Madman Bent on Destruction and Doom! . . . Vincent Price, Master Horror Actor — ^Screaming, Snarling, Sneering to Murder . . . and Doom! 'THE STORY: "Lovers on a Tight Rope" (Interworld) Paris businessman Francois Perier hires a private detective to learn the identity of the rival for his wife's affections. 'The unknown man, Gerard Buhr, is an unscrupulous garage man who'd like to acquire the personal fortune of the wife, Annie Girardot. Buhr thinks of poisoning Perier, but before this happens Perier mistakes partner Georges Descrieres, vrho is Buhr's brother, as the love rival. Annie fills a thermos jug -with coffee that has been treated -with poison, and, at the last minute, Descrieres takes a trip to Lyon that had been planned by Perier. Concience-stricken in the morning, Annie dashes after her husband, learning that Perier's partner had substituted for him on the business trek and, moreover, had been fatally stricken. At the interment, Perier shows up, ready to avenge his friend's death and his o-wn honor. He learns that Buhr had tampered with the car used by Descrieres, who succumbed to auto accident injuries. The sleeping pills weren't used. There is a reunion, bittersweet though it may be, between Perier and Annie. EXPLOITIPS: Tie up with cooperative libraries and public book stores for displays of taut suspense novels. Conduct a contest via a newspaper columnist or T'/ commentator. ()-WID CATCHLINES: A Scream in the Black Night! . . . Murder on Her Lips, Love in Her Eyes! THE STORY: "Nude Odyssey" (Davis-Royal) Enrico Maria Salerno, a middle-aged Italian who is disillusioned with his married life in Rome, travels to Polynesia with a photographer and plans to film a travelogue in Tahiti. On arrival, he first tries to find the missing husband of an American fellow-passenger and, failing in this, he has an affair with Elisabeth Logue, a friendly native. After several months of love-making and carousing and drinking with the natives and the shiftless whites on Tahiti, he tries to resume pointing on the beach and makes friends with a homeless native boy. A white priest who teaches the natives Christianity, finally convinces him that he should return to Rome and face his responsibilities in his old world. EXPLOITIPS: The chief selling angles are the beautiful Tahitian scenery and backgrounds and the scantily clad native girls. Use ample stills or blowups of these islanders in your lobby displays. Arrange tieups with travel agencies or airlines going to the South Seas. CATCHLINES: An Escape From the Old World's Troubles to Lovely, Lazy and Longorous Tahiti ... A Romantic Adventure Actually Filmed in Tahiti Among Its Waving Palms . . . Dancing, Carousing and Love-Making in Carefree Tahiti. BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: Dec. 3, 1962