Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1953)

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" Stutter Rate*? OOOO Tops for all situations. Big grosses even for action and small town houses normally cool to musicals. MonroeRussell draw, sock musical numbers, eye-popping visual appeal, hot word-of-mouth make it a can't-miss attraction. 20th-Fox's heavy pre-selling will have 'em waiting for this one. The exhibitor can take it from there. Big items to sell are the two stars — stroke-of-genius casting — and the smash musical numbers that will rock audiences right out of their seats. Nothing else matters very much. Sol Siegel production lavish. Sumptuous sets on luxury liner and in Paris, nitty costumes and superb photography make it a Technicolor dream. Monroe and Russell, dressed or nearly so, are long, low whistle stuff, show ultra sex appeal and verve visually and musically. Each of the five tune sequences is worth price of admission alone. Russell's hot courtroom dance will leave them gasping. Top songs : "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", "Bye, Bye Baby", "Anyone Here for Love." Good sprinkling of laughs, sharp dialogue round out pure mass entertainment package. Yes, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", and the public will love 'em ! Barn 20th Century-Fox. 90 Minutes. Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan, George Winslow, Marcel Dalio, Taylor Holmes. Producer, Sol C. Siegel. Director, Howard Hawks. "The Charge At Feather River" (3D) ScttlKCte IRoUk? O O O This rating will be bettered in action houses. Grosses will approach but not reach the whoppers registered by "House of Wax". Solid story, excellent 3D effects, WarnerColor make it suitable even for class market. Best of 3D westerns thus far. I 'roves outdoor action film fine for depth dimension. Plenty of action, good suspense, strong story holds interest throughout. Well done from technical standpoint, and plenty of the "come-at-you" gimmick. Scenery and clashes between whites and redskins takes full advantage of depth. "Audience attack" effects fall in as integral part of story. Natural scripting follows trip ot motley band of castoffs into hostile Indian country to rescue pair of girls held captive in Cherokee village. Their tortuous return, hampered by relentless redskin pursuit and treachery of one of the girls gone native keeps eyes glued to the screen. Warners prosbook sells out-of-the-screen action, "by the producers of 'House of Wax' " prestige, and "you are there" angles. Buy, borrow or steal that flashy WB display piece for lobby. Phil Warner Bros. 94 Minutes. Guy Madison, Frank Lovejny Helen Westcott, Vera Miles, Dick Wesson, Onslow Stevens, Steve Brodie, Ron Hagerthy, James Brown, Fred Carson. Producer, David Weisbart. Director, Gordon Douglas. "The Band Wagon" GcaiHCM KatcH? GOO Strong for metropolitan markets, except action houses. Sophisticated comedy, satire, ballet will send this soaring to peak grosses in class spots. Topflight musical score, climaxed by smash production number gives it strength generally. Rates lowest for rural situation, but still good. Astaire is the one marquee name. The Howard Dietz-Arthur Schwartz songs — a good dozen — and Fred Astaire's adroit stepping form the bright, bouncy core of this smart M-G-M Technicolor tunefilm. Lilt, humor and nostalgia ma-k the score, with such oldtime, all-time favorites as "Dancing in the Dark", "I Love Louisa", "A Shine on Your Shoes". "Louisiana Hayride" and "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan" making this a real musical treat for all sectors of movie audiences. Lavish Aithur Freed production comes to sensational finish with a song-anddance take-off on the Mickey Spillane private eye type of sex and murder theme. Called "Girl Hunt", this gives the film a roaring climax that will send them out talking it up. Betty Comden-Adolph Green screenplay portrays Astaire as has-been hoofer, who tries to change his style for modern version of "Faust", but ends up with his converting Orson W'ellsian producer (Jack Buchanan) to pop presentation. Script has some humorous switches on usual backstage musical plot. Cyd Charisse is decorative, dances like she has a tight girdle on. Nanette Fabray is a zestful song stylist. Exhibitors strongest selling points: The songs and "Girl Hunt" number. Barn Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 112 Minutes. Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan, James Mitchell, Robert Gist. Producer, Arthur Freed. Director, Vincente Minnelli. "The Maze" (3D) SututeM 1R<ztut$ Q O O A natural for the action market. Plenty of angles for shock selling. Can be sold in all but top class houses. 3D scare effects may be too much for those with weak stomachs, but horror fans will lap it up. Terror that comes out at you is the big bertha in selling this 3D shocker. Barring admission during last 10 minutes good gimmick. Natural combination of horror and 3D in suspense shocker. Uses depth medium to good effect. W ill scare the daylights out of audience when monstrous toadman jumps into their laps after suspense buildup. Suspense builds after slow start as American goes to ancestral Scottish castle, changes into man .if mystery and worried friends try to find out why. Climax has two girls uncovering secret after wending w ay thr< ugh box hedge maze — a 200-year-old monstrosity shaped like a giant toad. Its death plunge w ill have audiences shrieking. Little marquee value, but good performances from cast headed by Richard Carlson, Phil Allied Artists. 80 Minutes. Richard Carlson, Veronica Hurst, Katherine Emery, Michael Pate, John Dodsworth, Hillary Brooke, Stanley Fraser, Lillian Bond. Producer, Richard Heermance. Director, William Cameron Meniies. FILM BULLETIN July 13, 1953 Page 7