Canadian Film Weekly (May 8, 1957)

May 8, 1957 Review TOP SECRET AFFAIR (From The Film Daily, NY) with Susan Hayward, Kirk Douglas. Warners 100 Mins. LIGHT, BRIGHT SATIRE BASED ON CHARACTERS FROM BEST-SELLER, MELVILLE GOODWIN, USA. EXCELLENT SCRIPTING, GOOD PERFORMANCES PROVIDE CHOICE COMEDY ENTRY. HAS FINE BOXOFFICE PROSPECTS. A delightful spoofing of the Army, publishing, and Congressional inquiries, Top Secret Affair is based on characters from John P. Marquand’s best-seller, Melville Goodwin, USA. Scripters Roland Kibbee and Allan Scott have done a neat job on the scenario, incorporating a score of amusing situations and a barrel of good, humorous lines. When an irresistible force such as Miss Hayward, who’s inherited a Time-Life-Fortune set-up from her Daddy, meets an immovable object such as Maj Gen. Douglas, outstanding war hero known as “Tronpants,” the sparks are sure to fly. When each feels the other an enemy, a three-alarm fire is the result. With this in mind, director H. C. Potter has built up his footage by overplaying his characters just enough to draw laughs, while maintaining a sense of credibility. Having enough rope to hang themselves, they do, to the obvious delight of the audience. Produced by Martin Rackin, with Milton Sperling as supervising producer, the film was photographed in top style by Stanley Cortez. Producer Rackin has provided sets and costumes in keeping with the picture’s VIP background, and gathered a capable supporting cast to assist Miss Hayward and Douglas. They include Paul Stewart, as Miss Hayward’s smart, trusted, aide-de-camp, and Jim Backus, as Douglas’ companion during his visit to Miss Hayward’s home. The two stars, fan favorites and boxoffice draws, plus their excellent support, should give this picture the impetus it needs to crash the big money regions. A good exploitation campaign should help it tremendously. CAST: Susan Hayward, Kirk Douglas, Paul Stewart, Jim Backus, John Cromwell, Roland Winters. CREDITS: Producer, Supervising producer, Milton Sperling; Director, H. C. Potter; Screenplay, Roland Kibbee, Allan Scott; Based on characters from Melville Goodwin, USA, by John P. Marquand; Photography, Stanley Cortez. DIRECTION: Deft. PHOTOGRAPHY: Very good. Martin Rackin; "The Name's Buchanan’ Randolph Scott’s next for Columbia will be The Name’s Buchanan. Cast In MGM's ‘Three Guns’ Julie London has been signed by MGM to star with Robert Taylor and John Cassavetes in Three Guns. CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Short “Jhrows ELECTIONS of the Montreal Film Board of Trade resulted in Sam Kunitzky, UA branch manager, stepping up from vice-president to president, succeeding J. R. Johnson of JARO. Kunitzky’s position as v-p was filled by William Guss of MGM. Harry Cohen of Allied Artists was returned as honorary secretary. LAMAQUE Theatre Enterprises Limited has been issued Letters Patent dated March 25, 1957, under The Corporations Act, 1953, ‘‘To carry on the business of open air or enclosed theatre, music hall, concert hall, circus, hippodrome and motion picture proprietors and agents, scene, proscenium and general painters and decorators, gas and electric light makers and fitters and caterers for public and private entertainment, concerts and amusements of every description.” Authorized capital is $40,000 divided into 40,000 shares with a par value of $1 each and names connected with the incorporation are Joseph Rosenfeld. and Charles Schwartz, barristers; Marguerite McFarland, secretary; and Max Brown, student-at-law; all of Toronto. ELEVEN Canadian theatres are reported to have re-opened due to 20th-Fox’ policy of aiding smalltown and subsequent-run theatres, it was reported recently by Alex Harrison, general sales manager, who stated that some 50 in the USA also resumed business for the same reason. He said that, additionally, a number of sub-run Canadian houses had successfully converted to first run during the same period. WINNER of the ‘‘Miss Spirit of St. Louis’ Award was Jo Ann Annette Borseth of North Central Airlines, who won out over 39 finalists from over 1,000 nominated from all over the world. Presented at the final judging ceremonies at the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York, the award was sponsored by Warner Bros. in connection with the company’s James _ Stewartstarrer, The Spirit of St. Louis, and was co-sponsored by the Airline Stewards and Stewardesses Association. CREATION of two new positions in CBC national English-language radio and TV programming has been announced by Ira Dilworth, Ontario director. Peter McDonald, formerly assistant director of Program Planning and Production, has been appointed director of TV Network Programming and Eugene Hallman, previously assistant supervisor of Talks and Public Affairs, has been named director of Radio Network Programming. Both will headquarter in Toronto. \ MAVOR MOORE and Lorne Greene have formed a company to explore the idea of presenting plays in Canada, the USA and Britain. A touring company of the New Play Society’s revue, Spring Thaw, is in prospect for this country and the itinerary has already been worked out on paper. An international edition, also using nine performers, is planned. for London. Thought is being given to offering Moore’s two musical comedies, Sunshine Town and The Optimist, and the recent NPS play, Turvey, in the British capital. Moore is now in London for discussions with Bernard Braden, a Canadian who is an English resident and a popular player in London. Braden will be. associated with the venture. STATE of Tennessee has provided legislation that sets a fine of $25 and $100 and up to six months in jail for advertising in an untrue, deceptive or misleading manner. It has also included movie film under a statute prohibiting distribution of obscene material. States have tried in various ways to reestablish some measure of power over movies since the United States Supreme Court freed them from censorship. TWO FIRMS of interest to the film industry have been issued Letters Patent under the Companies Act in Montreal.. The first, Canaline Productions Limited, was incorporated on March 18 with an authorized capital of 10,000 shares without nominal or par value and connected with the organization of the company are Donald Finlay Sim of Markham, Ontario, and Patrick Harcourt Vernon of Toronto, barristers-at-law, and Gladys Dorothy Shepherd Turliuk of Toronto, secretary. The second, Dana-Lyn Films Limited, was incorporated on March 21 with an authorized capital of 4,000 five per cent noncumulative redeemable preferred shares of the par value of $10 each and 50,000 common shares without nominal or par value.. Names connected with the incorporation are Peter Desmond Walsh of Mount Royal, advocate; Clifford George Meek, Charles Eric Humphrey and Guy Ambrose Miller, all of Montreal, bookkeepers; and Cecil Bruce Cooke of Brucy, Quebec, secretary. LARGEST block of TV commercials ever produced in Canada, 42, were completed recently by Robert Lawrence (Canada) Limited, Toronto. Made at Meridian Films’ studio on Woodbine Avenue in Toronto, the series has the distinction of having employed Canadian personnel exclusively. The commercials were made for Sterling Drug Manufacturing Company Limited of Windsor, Ontario. “outstanding performances. Page 9? Review MEN IN WAR (From The Film Daily, NY) with Robert Ryon, Aldo Ray, Robert Keith. United Artists 104 Mins. TAUT AND EXCITING WAR DRAMA, WELL MADE AND SPLENDIDLY ACTED. The war-type drama is made into a high-ranking motion picture in this Security Pictures presenta -tion: The film has strong and sus fluid pace and Once the customers are in the theatre they will be held and excited all the way. The vigorous screenplay by Philip Yordan is acted out by an excellent boxoffice cast headed by Robert Ryan, Aldo Ray and Robert Keith. It is a blood-and-guts story without a member of the fair sex in the cast. The scene is Korea, somewhere near the front line. An infantry platoon, headed by Ryan, a lieute tained interest, nant, is scarred by battle, isolated, and surrounded by snipers. The task is to retreat to Hill 465, a spot of safety some 15 miles away. Their trek to this destination marks an explosive tale of human nature under the imminence of sudden death. Danger lurks every step of the way. There are mines, snipers and privations. Into this scene, by way of jeep, rumbles sergeant Ray and Keith, a colonel under hopeless shock. The jeep is drafted into action by the platoon and what eventuates is a clash of personalities between Ryan and battle-shrewd Ray. Against the background and drama of the combat there emerges psychological portraits of the men. Sidney Harmon has produced and Anthony._Mann directed the crisp and absorbing drama, aided immensely -by the music composed and directed by Elmer Bernstein and the cinematography of Ernest Haller. The ending is a strong one and has the element of the unexpected. CAST: Robert Ryan, Aldo Ray, Robert Keith, Philip Pine, Vic Morrow, Nehemich Persoff, James Edwards, CREDITS: Producer, Sidney Harmon; Director, Anthony Mann; Screenplay by Philip Yordan; Based on the novel, Combat, by Van Yan Praag; Cinematographer, Ernest Haller. DIRECTION: Very Good. PHOTOGRAPHY: Very Good. "How To Murder A Rich Uncle’ How to Murder a Rich Uncle is the release title for the Columbia film known as Uncle George and starring Charles Coburn, Nigel Patrick and Wendy Hiller. Paramount's ‘Zero Hour’ Sterling Hayden will star with Dana Andrews in Paramount’s Zero Hour. MGM To Release ‘Journey’ MGM will distribute the newlyformed Yul Brynner-Anatole Litvak company’s first production, The Journey, to be filmed in Europe in 1958,