Canadian Film Weekly (May 8, 1970)

Page 4 ITS MY BAG By Ed Hocura PARAMOUNT: THE 1970 LOOK: Having recovered from the devastating reviews inflicted on The Adventurers by critics everywhere, Paramount Pictures face the future with renewed hope. The coming weeks will see them release an unprecedented lineup of star-studded features, and exhibitors should be heartened to know that there is something for all tastes. What surprises me about the Paramount lineup is that few newspapers have seen fit to make use of the publicity package mailed to them in recent weeks Unless it was because none of the stories in the package made mention of the fact that Paramount was on the brink of extinction, which would have made interesting reading for newspaper subscribers. But the fact that Paramount is far from being on the brink of extinction is the kind of news that every entertainment page in the country should prominently display. Especially with ready-for-release pictures like The Out-ofTowners, with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis; A Hall Of Mirrors, with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward; Norwood, with Glenn Campbell and Kim Darby; Little Fauss and Big Halsy, with Robert Redford and Michael J. Pollard; On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, with Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand; Darling Lili, with Julie Andrews and Rock Hudson, and Catch 22, with Alan Arkin, Richard Benjamin, Jon Voight, Paula Prentiss, Tony Perkins and Orson Welles. What is interesting to note about the Paramount 1970 Look is that no one can say that the lineup. of pictures is aimed at a specific age group. I, for one, am tired of hearing that the majority of moviegoers today are made up of people in the 18-25 age group. And after reading the news releases in the publicity package, I found nothing that indicated that each picture was made with only one particular age group in mind. I defy anyone to look through the package and tell me anything to the contrary. As an aging -moviegoer of 46, I would venture to say that I could see all of the above films with my 24-year-old son and we wouldn’t get into an argument as to which films have more appeal to his age group than they would for mine. Paramount Pictures has had more than its share of adverse publicity in recent months (especially in an article in Life magazine) but this didn’t keep them from going ahead with their production plans for 1970 and beyond. John Wayne gave Paramount a tremendous boost when he won the best actor award for True Grit. They fully expect to see some of their 1970 releases in the running for Academy Awards next spring. -NAMES THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT: National General Pictures reaped some good press coverage from the Toronto visit of Corinna An apology is due to Frank Young, left, who was not identified when the above photo appeared in the: Apr. 24 edition of Canadian Film Weekly. Young is assistant secretary and comptroller of MGM Pictures of Canada Ltd., and was one of the many filth industry executives who attended a recent MGM luncheon for distributors in Toronto. Shown with Young are N. A. Taylor and Bill Madden, general sales manager for MGM in the U.S. CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY May 8, 1970 Corinna Tsopei, Greek-born beauty, who co-stars with Richard Harris in A Man Called Horse, visited Toronto to talk to the press about the film. Tsopei and Clyde Dollar. The former co-stars with Richard Harris in A Man Called Horse; the latter is a Sioux Indian historian who served as technical advisor on the film. Miss Tsopei, who was born in Greece, was chosen Miss Universe of 1964 and focused her sights on a screen career. She worked at a time at 20th Century-Fox, but became discouraged when the only role she got was a bit part in Caprice with Doris Day and Richard Harris. According to a studio publicity release, Miss Tsopei gave up a promising modelling career (at $3,000 a week) to become a trainee in a talent school at which she earned a paltry $350 a week. She was at the talent school for just over a year when she auditioned for the role of the Indian maiden who marries Richard Harris in A Man Called Horse. If she did nothing else, Corinna Tsopei brightened a dull week for the press with her one-day visit to Toronto. It remains to be seen if her role in A Man Called Horse will lead to other movies, or if she resigns herself to being Mrs. Steven Zax, the wife of a Hollywood plastic surgeon . . . There are theatre managers in Hamilton who couldn’t care less that the movie critic of the Spectator reviews their attractions only when he feels like it. their feelings. Zabriskie Point, Jennie, The Brain, Scream and Scream Again and Fraulein Doktor, Spectator readers were led to believe that all were not worth bothering with. But as a subscriber to his paper, I felt that Brown was negligent in his duties as a movie critic . . . Harry J. Allen, Jr., of radio station CHIC in Brampton, writes that “the motion picture business really receives a shot in the arm” because his station carries Hollywood reports from Jimmie Fiddler 10 times a day. Allen feels that the Fiddler reports are “up to date and is the kind of program that should appeal to the motion picture distributing companies.” . . . Wednesday, June 3, will be Gordon Sinclair Day in Toronto, and the veteran broadcaster will be honored by the city for his years in the broadcasting field. The motion picture industry would be remiss if they didn’t take part in the tribute to Sinclair considering that his Show Business With Sinclair shows on radio station CFRB almost always have nice things to say about the movies. Incidentally, Sinclair will also celebrate his 70th birthday on the day he will be honored . . . Good luck to Gary Topp, who for the past few months has been a big help to me in covering the movie scene. I know that you'll join me in wishing him well in his new position with Film Canada. But I don’t share ~ Since Stewart Brown took it upon himself to ignore eons |