Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

FEATURE REVIEWS Story Synopsis; Exploits; Adlines for Newspapers and Programs THE STORY; "Days of Wine and Roses" (WB) In a San Francisco bar, public relations man Joe Cloy (Jack Lemmon) is seen making telephone calls for a list of "girls" to attend a party aboard the yacht of a client. At the party ^ Joe mistakes Kirsten Amesen (Lee Remick) for one of the ( Your party girls — she is actually the secretary. Joe finally per ' suades her to accept a dinner dote, following up with frequent dates and culminating in marriage. They visit her father, Charles Bickford, and after learning of their marriage, he is shocked and disappointed. They leave hurriedly with Kirsten noting, "I need a good stiff drink” (up to now she has not drunk). The passage of time finds them both drinking excessively and Joe losing one job after another. They try to stop drinking, but cannot. Recognizing the hopelessness, Joe joins Alcoholics Anonymous, but Kirsten refuses. A separation comes with Joe now back on the wagon, thanks to AA, but Kirsten still claims she cannot stop drinking. Joe refuses to let her come back until she is willing to help herself by taking the cure. EXPLOITIPS: Make tieins with local AA groups. Display literature in lobby to create early audience interest. CATCHLINES: Jack Lemmon's Most Outstanding Role of His Career . . . The Sober Truth About a Marriage Triangle — A HUSBAND, WIFE AND LIQUOR] THE STORY: "To Kill a Mockingbird" (U-I) In an Alabama town in the 1930s, lawyer Gregory Peck, widowed father of Phillip Alford and Mary Badham, is assigned to defend Brock Peters, a young Negro accused of ^ V to raping a white farm girl. At school, his children get into V? fights because their classmates ridicule Peck's efforts and it is Mary who manages to influence the townspeople against lynching Peters. At the trial. Peck is able to prove Peters' innocence, but the all-white jury returns a verdict of guilty. The form girl's father (James Anderson) swears vengeance on Peck, even after Peters is killed while attempting to escape. As Phillip and Mary ore returning from a school ploy, they are attacked in the woods and a mysterious benefactor saves them by killing the bigoted Anderson. 'Their savior turns out to be a mentally disturbed neighbor, of whom the children had always been afraid. EXPLOITIPS: The fame of Harper Lee's novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize after being on the best-seller list for two years, is a terrific selling point and want-to-see feature for patrons. Arrange for window displays of the novel in bookshops. CATCHLINES: Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novel, Recognized As an American Folk Classic — Now in a Brilliant Picturization . . . Gregory Peck in His Greatest Role — of Academy Award Calibre. THE STORY: "Kill or Cure" (MGM) Terry-Thomas, private detective, receives a telephone call from a wealthy widow to investigate the mysterious happenings at a health-cure hotel. On arrived, he finds the widow murdered. Terry-Thomas is forced to pose as a guest and drink carrot juice and take exercises and massages while tracking down the murderer. Lionel Jeffries, police inspector, arrives on the case, but Terry-Thomas gets more help from Eric Sykes, a health instructor. The suspects include the dead woman's nephew, the resort's director (Dennis Price) and the nurse with whom he has been having on affair. Finally, Moira Redmond, who had feigned being poisoned, falls into Terry-Thomas' trap, is revealed as the killer, who had hoped to marry the nephew and get the dead woman's Tree 1 money. The will is read and the widow has left all her **“’ money to her pet dog. EXPLOITIPS: Play up Terry-Thomas, the British comic of " Make Mine Mink" and a dozen other British comedies, who has been building a U.S. following. He was recently in Hollywood for "Bachelor Flat" and the current "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm." CATCHLINES: Murder at a Health Resort — With the Detective Forced to Pose as a Patient . . . Terry-Thomas Bungles Into a Murder With Doctors and Patients as the Prime Suspects. THE STORY: “Joseph and His Brethren" (Colorama) Jacob, the patriarch of Israel, has two favorites among his 12 sons, Joseph (Geoffrey Horne) to whom he entrusts the selling of his flocks of sheep, and the youngest, Benjamin. This arouses the ire of the other sons, who beat up Joseph and sell him to a slave-trader bound for Egypt. Joseph is bought by the middle-aged Potiphor (Robert Morley), whose young wife (Belinda Lee) tries to seduce and then accuses him of attacking her. Joseph is sentenced to death, but he is saved when he interprets a dream for the Pharaoh — that seven years of prosperity will be followed by seven years of famine. The Pharaoh names Joseph his Viceroy. His 1, "z.i prophecy comes true and Egypt is saved from famine by ! . . N' the storing up of grain. In Israel, Jacob and his other sons ^ are near starvation and come to Egypt to buy food. Not recognizing Joseph as the Viceroy, the brothers come before him and, after a joyful reunion with Jacob, he forgives them. EXPLOITIPS: To attract the devotees of Biblical lore, ploy up the title, the costumes and the pageantry, and use photos of Geoffrey Horne and Finlay Currie as Joseph and his venerable father, Jacob. CATCHLINES: The Famed Biblical Tale of the Dreamer and His Jealous Brothers . . . Sold to the Egyptians for 30 Pieces of Silver, Joseph Becomes a Viceroy and Ruled All the Land. THE STORY: "Juke Box Racket" (Brenner) Peter Clune, questioned by a Senate sub-committee about his racketeering connections with the juke box industry, takes the fifth amendment and is excused. In a small New Jersey town, youngsters Steve Karmen, Arlene Corwin, Beverly Nazarow, Seymour Cassel and Dalene Young, hosts Arlene's visiting cousin, Lou Anne Lee, at the local hangout, a pizzeria owned by affable William DeProto and Emy Boselli, Clune, passing through, orders syndicate man Roy Singer to install a juke box. Singer uses his wiles on aspiring singer Arlene to get DePrato to use the syndicate's proffered juke box. Disgruntled, Clune decides to bring strongarm boys into the small town and show DePrato the meaning of big-league racketeering. While the gang is pushing DePrato around, Karmen and the others go for help. EXPLOITIPS: Get local singing teenagers to stage improvised shows between screen performances, inviting the community-minded columnists and the like to provide stories to this effect. The tunes can be exploited through record stores, "teenage hop" gatherings and the like. /WiDi CATCHLINES: \SPE Payola! . . . The "Story" the Headlines Didn't Telll The "***" Cry in the Night — Pay or Don't Playl . . . Mobsters on the Rampjagel THE STORY: "Run Across the River" (Citation) In New York's placid Greenvrich Village, Joan Calistri is pleasantly shrprised by the unexpected return of engineer brother, Curtis Conway, from overseas. Conway is abducted by three mugs carrying guns, and William Lazarus, a young artist, follows the men to on abandoned warehouse, where he overhears questions concerning film ostensibly brought back from South Africa by Conway. The film reveals the location of rich uranium deposits. The mugs murder Conway. With the assistance of the police, Lazarus determines that Gordon Peters, who partners with the initially sinister George Cathery in a flourishing business, is the secret leader of the killers. The much-sought film is turned over to Cathery, Peters is trotted off to prison, and Joan clinches with Lozoruis. EXPLOITIPS: Set up teaser ads in newspapers, with such copy as "Wont to Know What Happens to 'ITiose Who've Run. Too Much, Too Far . . . See . . ." Remind drama critics that Joan Calistri appeared in the Broadway version of "Middle of (fu?E V CATCHLINES: A Real Cool Blonde Out-Beats Beatniks, Bullies and Bullets! ... A Desperate Mission! A Desperate Girl! . . . Running for Her Life! Blazing Furyl BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: Dec. 17, 1962