Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

FEATURE REVIEWS Story Synopsis; Exploitips; Adlines for Newspaper and Programs THE STORY: "Move Over, Darling” (20th-Fox) Just about the time James Garner goes before a judge to have his long-missing wife, Doris Day, declared legally dead after five years in order that he can marry Polly Bergen. Doris is rescued from a desert island. Landing in San Pedro, Doris is unable to phone her home and she speeds there — only to hear the news about Garner's marriage from his astonished mother, Thelma Ritter. Doris then goes to the honeymoon hotel, just as he arrives there with Polly. Garner still loves his 101 wife and Doris insists he tell Polly before the honeymoon starts. The hotel manager is amazed at Garner’s shuttling between two wives in different bedrooms and the frantic husband is forced to fake a back injury to get away from Polly. Meanwhile, he accidentally learns that Doris had spent the five years with another man on the island — and he finds him to be the Tarzan-like Chuck Connors. After more mixups, Polly walks out on Garner, leaving him free to be reunited with Doris. EXPLOITIPS: Stress the fact that the stars of the smash comedy, “The Thrill of It All,” are reunited in another hilarious picture. Also play up Polly Bergen, recently starred in “The Caretakers.” CATCHLINES: Fun in a Honeymoon Hotel With Two Wives in Different Bedrooms ... A Long-Lost Wife Returns — to Meet Her Husband’s New Bride. THE STORY: “The Glass Cage” (Futuramic) A prowler, sudden death and a routine verdict of justifiable homicide bring together a lonely girl (Arline Sax) and police detective Robert Kelljan. Disturbed by the mysterious disappearance of Arline’s dominating older sister (this is a dual role), Kelljan defies the advice of his superiors and becomes emotionally involved. Helplessly trapped, Arline is savagely raped by crazed beatnik King Moody and ultimately pursued into a macabre and terrifying world of living nightmare. Resolute, resourceful Kelljan dashes handsomely to her rescue. EXPLOITIPS: Get psychiatrists to comment for publication on manifestations of abnormal behavior. Ask veteran drama { . columnists to comment on distinguished career highlights *i<y ’ of John Hoyt and Elisha Cook. CATCHLINES: Most Unusual Motion Picture in a Generation! . . . Innocent, Tender Young Love — Blasted by Soul-Searing Shock! . . . Shattering Emotional Impact! THE STORY: “Lonnie” (Futuramic) Down on his luck, Scott Marlowe puts his sole possession, a Cadillac, up for hire, unknowingly becoming involved in a diamond robbery when Frank Silvera, Spanish revolutionary, takes on his service. Marlowe falls in love with Joan Anderson, part of the Silvera couterie, and finds himself aiding the Silvera forces by getting a boat enabling them to leave the mainland. Other gangsters try to muscle in on the diamond haul that Silvera is planning to use for revolutionary purposes. Turina Hayes, who has always loved Marlowe, is instrumental in helping Marlowe escape these sinister forces; in the climactic moments, Turina fatally shoots Silvera. EXPLOITIPS: Tie up with boating sales concerns for lobby and window displays to stress nautical theme. Teaser ads, run-of-paper, might ponder the question, “Whatever Happened to ‘Lonnie’?” CATCHLINES: Tension Strained to Breaking Point! . . . Blazing Fury of Enraged Youth, Tortured by the Love That Would Never Be His! ... He Wanted to Cross Over the Sunnyside, the Moneyside. But There Was No Room for Bodies u or Buckshot! ( ' THE STORY: “The Prize” (MGM) The Nobel Prize winners assembling in Stockholm to receive their awards from the King of Sweden include Paul Newman, a disillusioned American author who admits he only wants the $50,000; Edward G. Robinson, a scientist refugee from Nazi Germany; Gerard Oury and Micheline Presle, a husband-and-wife team, who are having marital difficulties, and Kevin McCarthy and Sergio Fantoni, rival surgeons. Newman and Elke Som"s 0 mer, the Swedish girl assigned to guide him during his stay, become involved in the plot to kidnap Robinson and prevent him from making patriotic remarks at the award presentation. Newman, who learns that Robinson’s Communist-minded brother is impersonating the scientist, has several attempts made on his life, but he manages to rescue the kidnapped Robinson and bring him to his last-minute appearance at the Nobel Prize ceremony. EXPLOITIPS: Make tieups with bookshops for widow displays of Irving Wallace’s best-selling novel as well as tieups with travel agencies for air trips to Stockholm. CATCHLINES: From the Sizzling Best Seller Comes the Most Exciting Film of the Year . . . Paul Newman, Star of the Controversial “Hud,” in Another Brilliant Portrayal . . . The Powerful Novel of Nobel Prize Winners Makes Pulsating Screen Entertainment. THE STORY : “Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed?” (Para) Dean Martin, who plays the handsome doctor hero of a top -rating TV series, is constantly being pursued by his worshipping fans, most of them women. Every Wednesday Martin plays poker with his pals, Martin Balsam, Louis Nye, Richard Conte and Jack Soo, while the wives of the latter feel neglected and make mysterious phone calls to have private consultations with their TV idol. Martin, who is engaged to Elizabeth Montgomery, manages to fend off the amorous advances of Jill St. John and the other wives. Martin finally goes to a psychiatrist and tells him all, while the latter’s receptionist, Carol Burnett, eavesdrops. Being a close friend of Elizabeth, Carol plots to hasten the wedding to Martin. She arranges a phoney marriage to another man for Elizabeth, followed by a phoney Mexican divorce, before she gets Dean and his fiancee wed. .m EXPLOITIPS: The biggest selling angle is the first screen appearance of Carol Burnett, who sprang to fame on television, recently starred on TV in “Calamity Jane” and is scheduled to star in a Broadway musical, “A Girl to Remember,” early in 1964. Martin and Jill St. John, recently in “Come Blow Your Horn,” are other names. CATCHLINES: Dean Martin Asks the Hottest Question of the Day and Gets a Dozen Female Answers . . . For a Make-Believe Doctor, His Practice Was Perfect. THE STORY: “Tiara Tahiti” (Zenith) Just after World War II in Germany, a British Army captain, James Mason, is convicted of smuggling art treasures into England after John Mills, the colonel in his regiment, informs on him. Mason is dishonorably discharged and, several years later, is living in Tahiti with his native mistress, Rosenda Monteros. Mills, who has become a wealthy hotel developer, goes to Tahiti with plans for a new luxury hotel for tourists. Mills is embarrassed to find Mason there, but they pretend friendship. During a night of heavy drinking, Mason and Mills come to blows and the latter passes out — to be attacked later and nearly killed by Herbert Lorn, a Chinese art dealer who desires Mason’s mistress. Mills is arrested but, when Mason recovers, he is forced to leave Tahiti without his hotel plans realized or his selfesteem. Mason resumes his life of indolence. EXPLOITIPS: In addition to exploiting James Mason as star of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and numerous other Hollywood films, and John Mills as star of “Great Expectations” and the more recent “Tunes of Glory” and “Swiss Family Robinson,” use photos of the beauteous Rosenda Monteros in her scanty native costumes. CATCHLINES: Two Friendly Enemies in Beautiful Tahiti . . . James Mason and John Mills in Their Most Powerful Dramatic 0 Roles. BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: Dec. 9, 1963