Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1956)

"Hot Blood" &CC4iKt44 7£<ZtiK$ O O (PIUS) Off-beat story of gypsy life in America is uneven, but has some interesting color. Grossing potential bolstered by Jane Russell-Cornel Wilde. Good exploitation angles. This Howard Welsch-Harry Tatelman production for Columbia release is a rather off-beat story of gypsy life in an American city. While it moves unevenly, it is colorful and occasionally amusing. Entertainment values are heightened by an effective CinemaScope-Technicolor lensing job by Ray June, and some persuasive tunes by Les Baxter and Ross Bagdasarian. It is at best when the gypsy atmosphere, in dance and song, fills the screen, but the main story-line — in which Cornel Wilde is married to Jane Russell against his will but finally comes to love her — is far less successful. Jesse Lasky, Jr.'s script provides some light dialogue, but Nicholas Ray's direction fails to bring much-needed conviction to the serious sequences. Characters are not logically developed for the most part, and are sketchily played by the leads. While Russell-Wilde names will serve as a boxoffice prop, returns figure to be just fair-plus. Where the picture's many exploitation angles are fully worked, grosses should be better. Luther Adler, king of his gypsy neighborhood, arranges a marriage between Russell (daughter of Joseph Calleia) and his own brother, Wilde. Unknown to Adler, the marriage is to be a hoax, with Russell collecting a fee but immediately taking a run-out powder on Wilde. The husband-tobe, thoroughly disinterested in Russell, is willing to go along with the scheme, but Russell, falls in love with Wilde and plays it for keeps. Wilde ignores his new wife, but gradually succumbs to her charms, and is prepared to take over the crown of dying brother Adler. Columbia. IHoward Welsch-Harry Tatelman production). 85 minutes Jane Russell, Cornel Wilde, Luther Adler, Joseph Calleia. Produced by Howard Welsch ana Harry Tatelman. Directed by Nicholas Ray. "The Brain Machine" &*<*4t£44 "Rati*? Q Plus Fair British-made crime meller. Will serve adequately as supporting dual bill fare. Best for action spots. This British melodrama has an interesting idea : detecting and treating psychopathic criminals through the use of a "brain machine" (an electroencephalograph). Unfortunately, however, this RKO release is too static and works up only a modicum of suspense. It does not figure to cause much stir in the U.S. market, but should serve adequately as a supporting dualler in action houses. Story is told in an almost nonchalant manner, and Ken Hughes' direction (he also scripted) is too relaxed for American tastes. Performances by the British cast are all quite good, but they afford absolutely no marquee value here. Plot concerns the detection of criminal Maxwell Reed by psychiatrist Elizabeth Allan through the use of a hospital "brain machine". No one gives credence to her fears until Reed escapes and abducts Allan to prevent her exposing him. The police and Allan's husband — Patrick Barr — eventually find her and apprehend Reed, who has since murdered, bearing out the psychiatrist's theory. RKO. 72 minutes. Patrick Barr. Elizabeth Allan., Maiwell Reed. Produced by Altc Snowdtn. Directed and written by Ken Hughes. "Over-Exposed" Far-fetched program melodrama will be fair dualler. Son sexploitables in title and shapely star. This story of a fashion photographer with a shady pa and an uncertain future stretches the usually permissit touch of implausibility somewhat, but manages to be mil ly diverting. Obviously destined for the lower half of du bills, it can develop fair drawing strength in ballyh houses, if exploited. Thanks to a few spurts of action ai the laughs it provokes, this Columbia offering won't too hard for undiscriminating audiences to take. Lewis Rachmil production is OK, with photography and oth credits routine but acceptable, and Lewis Seiler's dire tion may be similarly rated. Cleo Moore's heroine is • earnest if not overly-tasteful characterization, containi a variety of sexually-suggestive exploitables. Miss Mooi a gal who's had nothing but bad breaks, is befriended elderly photographer Raymond Greenleaf and learns 1 art. In New York she soon rises to the top by associati: with shady but influential characters, although Richa Crenna, who loves her, disapproves. Moore realizes th she has accidentally taken a picture that is important e dence in a crime involving one of her clients. Attempti blackmail she is badly beaten. Crenna saves her, appi hends the criminals, and his proposal of marriage is fina accepted by Moore. Columbia. 80 minutes. Cleo Moore, Richard Crenna. Produced by Lewis J. R< mil. Directed by Lewis Seiler. "Manfish" Sci4iKC44, IRtlttKf Q Plus Tale of treasure-hunting and murder has some interesti under-water photography, but sub-par plot and perfor ances. Fair for action spots, if exploited. With a plot derived from two Edgar Allan Poe stories "The Gold Bug" and "The Telltale Heart"— this mir inde offering deals with a fishing boat in Jamaican wate discovery of treasure, greed, murder. For all the promisi subject matter, it emerges as a sub-par melodrama, in fectively executed in the W. Lee Wilder production principal asset is some good underwater skin-diving pi tography in De Luxe color, but this is hardly enough 1 compensate for the film's other inadequacies. The scripli dull, and there is some unforgiveably bad acting by Vic Jory, as a maniacal "professor", and Lon Chaney, as a m • onic seaman. Wilder directed with a heavy hand and w i a flair for the hackneyed. When John Bromfield, owner: a turtle fishing boat, discover half of a map below wat€> he suspects that Jory is in possession of the other half. suspicion is correct — the map, in code, is the clue to bur treasure. Bromfield and Jory set out with Chaney (Bro field's first mate) and Tessa Prendergast (Jory's wif They find part of the treasure, but Jory kills Bromfi i (who has been making advances toward Prendergast) ai unobserved, drops the body into the sea. Jory is redud to terror when he sees bubbles of air rise to the surfaced the water. He gives himself away and the body is foul United Artists. 7& minutes. John Bromfield, Lon Chaney, Victor Jory. Prodi ■ and directed by W. Lee Wilder. Page 14 Film BULLETIN March S, 1956