Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 2, 1957)

October 2, 1957 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Page 3 Review PAWNEE with George Montgomery, Bill Williams, Lola Albright, Rank-Republic (Trucolor) 80 Mins. ADVENTURE AND ROMANCE AS MONTGOMERY, REARED AS_ INDIAN CHIEF’S SON, RETURNS TO HIS PEOPLE. ABOVE-AVERAGE PHOTOGRAPHY BOOSTS SALES POTENTIAL. Reared as an Indian chief’s son, Montgomery must make a decision as to his future allegiance; with Indians or with whites. This conflict forms the core of the George Waggner-Louis Vittes-Endre Bohem screenplay. Set in the Pawnee Territory, in the late 1800’s, the footage was filmed in trucolor by Hal McAlpin and features many memorable long shots that raise its sales potential. Producers Jack J. Gross and Philip N. Krasne have brought in a picture with wide appeal. Though its production values and performances are not Grade A, it should make its mark among average Westerns by virtue of its photography and its subject. Direcior Waggner has kept his action at a steady pace, guaranteeing a sustained rate of interest. Miss Albright and Montgomery first meet when he rescues her and her uncle from an attack by Horvath, hot-bicoded son of the Pawnee chief. Raised by the chief as his own, Montgomery is betrothed to an Indian maiden, Miss Austin, but his encounter with Miss Albright leads him to his first doubts of his allegiance to the Indian tribe. Montgomery agrees to guide a wagon train and, after an attack by hostile Indians and other incidents, in which he is tortured, Horvath and Miss Austin are killed and Williams, to whom Miss Albright is engaged, bows out, Montgomery and Miss Albright are left free to marry. CAST: George Montgomery, Bill Williams, Lola Albright, Francis J. McDonald, Robert E, Griffin. CREDITS: Producers, Jack J. Gross, Philip N. Krasne; Directors, George Waggner; Screenplay, George Waggner, Louis Vittes, Endre Bohem; Associate producer, Sol Dolgin; Photography, Hal McAlpin. DIRECTION: Good. PHOTOGRAPHY: Deft. (From The Film Daily, NY) Contracted By Warner Bros. Susan Oliver, who makes her motion picture debut in the title role of the forthcoming The GreenEyed Blonde, has been signed to a multiple-picture contract by Warner Bros. "Cry Baby Killer' First of the four films to be produced by Roger Corman for Allied Artists release in 1958 will be The Cry Baby Killer, an original by Leo Gordon. The film, on which Corman will be executive producer and David Kramarsky and David March co-producers, will roll on October 14. News Yotes CBC 1956-57 COST WAS $37,173,029 The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation received $49,289,000, 75 per cent of it from the government, during its 1956-57 fiscal year, and showed a deficit of $1,561,211, its annual report shows. It got $37,173,029 in government grants, including a special one of $12,000,000. and $11,179,940 from commercial broadcasting. A. Davidson Dunton, CBC chairman, warned that its TV service, the cost of which jumped from $25,274,260 in 1955-56 to $35,175,007 last year, might have to be curtailed if guarantees of funds aren’t forthcoming. There are 2,490,000 Canadian homes — 62 per cent — with TV sets, placing 86 per cent of the people within range of TV, and the 15 per cent excise tax on sets, which goes to the CBC, came to $18,923,029 compared with $22,799,955 a year ago. The report took note of the statement of the Royal Commission on Broadcasting that the government would have to provide about $470,000,000 over the next six years to finance CBC operations and expansion. Radio costs were $13,705,514, about $400,000 higher and excise tax on sets brought the CBC $6,636,840. FREMANTLE REPS NBC IN CANADA Fremantle of Canada Limited will represent NBC Television Films, division of California National Productions Incorporated, throughout Canada effective October 1. A joint announcement was made by H. Weller Keever, vice-president in charge of sales for NBC Television Films, and Paul Talbot, president of Fremantle Overseas Radio & Television Incorporated, parent company of the Canadian organization. Along with all NBC television film programs currently susdeble:i in Canada, Fremantle also will distribute CNP’s latest series, Boots & Saddle—The Story of the 5th Cavalry. Ralph Ellis is manager of Fremantle of Canada Limited, Toronto. THEATRE TELECAST DID ABOUT 60% Canadian boxoffice for the theatre television presentation of the Basilio-Robinson middleweight championship fight varied but the results were regarded as satisfactory. In Toronto, where the MooreMarciano fight was a sellout at $6 in one theatre, the fight was offered in both Loew houses and did about half the capacity. The 2,743-seat Uptown asked $6 for general admission and $10 for its expanded loge section, while the 2,096-seat Yonge Street got $6 straight. Loge business in the Uptown was far greater proportionately than for the rest of the house. Loew’s also offered the fight in London, Ontario, while Odeon offered it in Hamilton at $4 and $5. Fans from those cities didn’t have to come to Toronto this time. Odeon also offered the fight in Montreal (a sellout at $5), Ottawa (about 80 per cent of capacity at $4 and $5) and Vancouver, where TelePrompter was the carrier instead of Theatre Network Television, as was the case with the rest. The Canadian patronage was at about the same figure as that of the USA, 60 per cent of capacity, and the reception was satisfactory. E. C. Forsyth of Odeon, who witnessed the telecast in Hamilton, said that the initial experience of the circuit was a necessary one and worked out well. WHAT'S WRONG WITH SCREEN PLUGS? Noting recent complaints of exhibitors about advertising plugs cropping up in movies, Harold Whitehead, film critic of The Montreal Gazette, had this to say in his column, On the Screen: In view of the fact that most movie stories are about humans living on this earth, and, indeed on this continent, this seems a frivolous complaint. No one has ever complained about the types of cars film stars drive on the screen, yet they are plainly recognizable as the products of Detroit. Similarly, anyone who has passed the infant class in aircraft identification is able to pick out the makes of airplanes used in a given picture even if the name of the airline is covered with paint a foot thick. Actually the situation is unreal. Why not use brand products on the screen? The British understand these things better than we do. Their film producers think nothing at all of having their characters listen openly to the BBC, fly brazenly by BOAC or BEA, unblushingly down tots poured from bottles whose labels are easily read from the back of the theatre, and puff like steam engines on familiar makes of cigarets and cigars. Actually these should not be regarded as “‘plugs’’ but as realistic touches to make it easier for the audience to become absorbed in a picture, a very important thing at the boxoffice, Review THE PAJAMA GAME with Doris Day, John Raitt, Carol Haney and Eddie Foy, Jr. Warner Bros. (WarnerColor) 101 Mins. MUSICAL-COMEDY SPOOF ON LABOR AND MANAGEMENT, FILM HAS A PIXILATING PENCHANT FOR POKING THE FUNNYBONE. GREAT COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS. The natural toss and tumble between labor and management has been tuned to a hilarious tempo in The Pajama Game. The film catches the best elusive qualities of the hit Broadway play and then some. George Abbott and Stanley Donen who produced and directed, here have one of the season’s merriest offerings for the paying customers. Let your imagination fancy Doris Day as the hard-fisted head of a grievance committee at a pajama factory out in Dubuque. John Raitt (who starred in the play along with Carol Haney, Eddie Foy, Jr., and others now in the film) takes over as superintendent of the shop and soon locks horns with Miss Day over a seven and a half cents raise sought by the pajama girls and boys. The conflict over bargaining is but a minor note to the emotional conflict that ensues when Miss Day and Raitt fall in love. Abbott and George Bissell have polished off a screenplay that skips lightfootedly along, turning up production numbers that regale the ear and delight the eye. Song hits sung by Miss Day, Raitt and others will send the patrons out happy. Supporting the sturdy leads are Foy, a time study man with twinkling toes and merry antics; Miss Haney, winsome secretary to the factory boss, Ralph Dunn; the latter a pompous stereotype with a balloon of an ego. Others in the cast are Barbara Nichols, Reta Shaw and Thelma Pelish, all factory girls. The music and lyrics provided by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross rate a plaudit, as does Harry Stradling for his delightful photography. The associate-producer trio are Frederick Brisson, Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince. CAST: Doris Day, John Raitt, Carol Haney, Eddie Foy, Jr., Reta Shaw, Barbara Nichols, Thelma Pelish, Jack Strow. CREDITS: Produced and directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen; Associate producers: Frederick Brisson, Robert E. Griffith, Harold S$. Prince; Screenplay by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, based on the play The Pajama Game; Book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, from Richard Bissell’s novel, 72 Cents; Director of photography, Harry Stradling. DIRECTION: Polished. PHOTOGRAPHY: Excellent. (From The Film Daily, NY) WB's 'Westbound' Virginia Mayo has been assigned to star with Randolph Scott and Karen Steele in Westbound, the Warner Bros. adventure drama which Henry Blanke will produce and Budd Boetticher direct. Andy Duggan has also been signed to play the principal heavy role.