Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 19, 1957)

Page 4 PQ PIONEERS (Continued from Page 1) named The Pioneer of the Year for the branch. Presentation of the certificate symbolizing the honor was made by Fred Peters, whom Maurice succeeded as president, at the dinner which followed the meeting in the Sheraton Mount Royal Hotel. The Pioneers and their guests, drawn from among leading citizens, enjoyed an address by Walter O’Hearn, film, theatre and book critic of The Montreal Star. The guest of honor was Jean Beliveau, famed star of the Montreal Canadiens. Other officers elected were Honorary president, L. Ernest Ouimet; vice-presidents, Armand Besse and Harold Walker; secretary-treasurer, Arthur Larente; welfare, W. J. O’Loghlin; fund raising, Oscar A. Richards; membership, John Levitt; and publicity, Allan Spencer. Directors elected were Harold Vance, Guy Bachand, Leo Choquette, Mickey Isman, Lloyd Pearson, Mel Lodge, Nick Lazanis, U. S. Allaire, W. H. Mannard, Harold Giles and W. Deveault. Trustees of the Pioneers are Arthur Hirsch, William Leste, B. E. Norrish, J. A. DeSeve and W. J. Singleton. Fire Destroys PQ Theatre Leo Choquette’s 500-seat Bey’s Cinema Theatre in Thetford Mines, Quebec was completely destroyed in a recent fire. There are two other houses in the community. This month reports on ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY (Regina) RESEARCH IN PULPWOOD (Hawkesbury, Ont.) SEA CADET TRAINING (Kingston) ask for Eye Witness #89 Book THIS ALL-CANADIAN NATIONAL FILM BOARD SERIES EVERY MONTH THROUGH COLUMBIA PICTURES CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY GUNFIGHT AT THE 0.K. CORRAL with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Jo Van Fleet. (VistaVision-Technicolor) Paramount 122 Min. If masculinity and Westerns are still in style, Gunfight at the OK Corral should drag ’em in like a high-powered suction machine. Producer Wallis, whose prowess at picking commercial properties is exceeded only by his ability to fill them with top stars, has once again done both. “Gunfight” is a top-drawer Western, tingling with two-fisted action, and rippling with high-powered dialogue. Credit scripter Leon Uris with an exceptional job, for the principals not only dress in an urbane manner, but talk intelligently, as well. A little pruning might have tightened final sequences, but most audiences will probably overlook this fault. Recorded in Technicolor and VistaVision by — cinematographer Charles Lang, Jr., the footage hoasts some unexpected and notabie set-ups. Director Sturges has kept the pace brisk at the action swells towards a two-family gunbattle at the O.K. Corral. An abundance of minor crises keeps the plot crisp as such familiar names as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday prove their worth in keeping lawbreaking to a minimum. Sturges has worked extraordinarily well with his cast, getting strong performances from Rhonda Fleming, Jo Van Fleet, John Ireland, Lyle Bettger, “rank Faylen, Earl Holliman, and of course Lancaster and Douglas. The latter two portray marshall Wyatt Earp and the TB-ridden gambler, Doc Holliday, respectively. CAST: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Jo Van Fleet, John Ireland, Lyle Bettger, Frank Faylen, Earl Holliman, Ted De Corsia, Dennis Hopper, Whit Bissell, George Mathews, John Hudson. CREDITS: Producer, Hal B. Wallis; Director, John Sturges; Screenplay, Leon Uris; Suggested by an article by George Scullin; Photography, Charles Lang Jr. DIRECTION: Excellent. PHOTOGRAPHY: Masterful. SOMETHING OF VALUE with Rock Hudson, Dana Wynter. MGM 113 Mins. The interest and controversy aroused by Robert Ruark’s bestseller of the same name upon which Pandro Berman has based his production, the drawing status of current fan favorites Rock Hudson and Dana Wynter, the topical problem of the Mau-Mau in Africa, and the uniquely beautiful backgrounds shot on location there, foretell another Metro commercial success. Most of the book’s cruelties and orgies have been deleted by scripter Richard Brooks, who has detailed enough tribal custom to convey the primitive nature of the people without dwelling on the morbid sensationalism of their acts. His direction, too, shows a sympathetic approach to the black-vswhite problem with an effective restraint. Photographed by Russel Harlan, the footage is exciting as it takes in panoramic nature views and shots of animal herds, while following the progress of the story. Berman’s production is an impressive one, for he has gathered the talents to make it a forceful, absorbing drama which parallels news stories dealing with Mau-Mau atrocities. There is much that is film, and much that bears remembering, for its underlying plea is one of equality for peoples of all faiths and colors. Hudson and Miss Wynter are attractive and capable in their roles and are given excellent support by Sidney Poitier, Walter Fitzgerald, Robert Beatty, Juano Hernandez, Wendy Hiller and Ken Renard. Authenticity is added by the use of native Africans as extras whose unusual ear lobes, hair-do’s and attire create interest. CAST: Rock Hudson, Dana Wynter, Wendy Hiller, Sidney Poitier, Juano Hernandez, William Marshall, Robert Beatty, Walter Fitzerald, Michael Pate. CREDITS: Producer, Pandro S. Berman; Director, screenplay, Richard Brooks; Based on the book by Robert Ruark; Photography, Russel Harlan. DIRECTION: Deft. PHOTOGRAPHY: Superior. (From The Film Daily, New York) NEW NFB RELEASES INTERESTING Subjects of the latest releases of the National Film Board are proving of special interest because of their diversity and specialized themes. In the four current shorts are one each in the Canada Carries On and Eye Witness series for exhibition in theatres and one each in the Perspective and World in Action productions for showing on TV. The Canada Carries On film is 10 minutes in length and in color and is titled Trooping the Color. It shows the Princess Patricia Light Infantry performing the Colors ceremony in Calgary. Eye Witness No. 89 deals with the Hodges family of astronomers in Regina, wood science as practiced by Canadian International Paper at Hawkesbury, Ontario and a training cruise of the Sea Cadet Corps of Kingston. Titled David — The Profile of a Problem Drinker, the Perspective short deals with the causes and effects of alcoholism, while the World in Action film, titled Storm Clouds Over the Colonies, has as its theme the various complications brought about by economic development in the colonial areas of the British Empire. The World In Action subject to follow, No. 11, is Black and White in South Africa. . June 19, 1957 ERIC JOHNSTON (Continued from Page 1) Said Johnston in his report: ‘‘Canada today is one of the leading powers in world affairs. Her statesmen are held in high regard in all international councils; her raw materials are shipped to the most remote corners of the world; and the Canadian dollar is sound— backed up by a strong domestic economy. This story of Canada’s economic development and _ leading position in world affairs is being told through films produced and released by the U.S. motion picture industry.” Johnston’s other annual report, that for the Motion Picture Export Association of America, provides some indication for his appreciation of Canada. “On the whole, the markets for American motion pictures outside the United States have continued to grow just as was anticipated. Along with the growth has come an increase of difficulties of doing business, which was expected too.” Of the countries outside the United States, Canada is an exception to the part of that statement which refers to the difficulties of doing business. Canada has no changes and tightening restrictions as is the case in Japan, political and economic upheavals as in the Philippines and Indonesia, a film crisis like that of India over drastic tariff actions, theatre price controls as in Central and South America, new tax and quota attacks on American films as in England and France and impositions on them as in Italy and France. Nothing in Canada is designed to limit the earnings of USA films and nothing exists which restricts the remittance of those earnings. Johnston touched on many things in his domestic report — modernization of the Production Code, market research, ‘“‘the cancerous tenacity of motion picture censorship by prior restraint” and a further reduction of the situation “where the public is unable to examine the activities of the censor that are carried on in the dark.” He announced the Golden Jubilee of Motion Pictures, based on the first use of Hollywood for production; reported that the Code Administration had _ serviced 609 scripts, a slight increase, and that 4,997 titles were offered for registration to the Title Registration Bureau, of which 177 were returned because of prior submission and 16 rejected for non-comformity with Code standards. The 244 major companies and producers using the Bureau reported the release of a total of 752 theatrical features. Other active departments were Community Relations, the Children’s Film Library, Educational Services, the Technical Services Department and the Foreign Film Advisory Unit.