Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1957)

"The Barretts of Wimpole Street" Scidutet* &ati*$ O O Plus New version of oft-done classic. First-rate production values plus Jennifer Jones for marquee. For class houses. The classic love story of poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, from the modern stage classic by Rudolf Besier, has been re-created in CinemaScope and Metrocolor by M-G-M. Boxofnce prospects are questionable, figuring good for class houses, not so good in the mass market. Filmed once before (in 1934) by M-G-M, "The Barretts" has been standard fare in the theatre for years and was only recently done on TV. Jennifer Jones and John Gielgud, as Elizabeth and her fanatically domineering father, turn in top-drawer performances, but Bill ("Wee Geordie") Travers tends to overplay the Browning role. Virginia McKenna, as younger sister, shines like a new penny. Sam Zimbalist's handsome production, filmed in England, offers some wonderful Victorian settings in the Barrett mansion and London parks. The screenplay by John Dighton concentrates on character, the bittersweet romance, and tender Browning poetry. Direction by Sidney Franklin is subtle. Under Gielgud's stern rule, his three daughters and six sons are forbidden courtship and marriage. Miss Jones, a bedridden invalid, has only letters from poet Robert Browning (whom she has never met) to spark her feeble life. Travers (as Browning) begins making regular visits, and she undergoes an amazing recovery. Doctors pronounce her well enough to travel to Italy, but Gielgud refuses permission. Nevertheless, Travers makes plans to marry Miss Jones, but she hesitates until her father betrays a love for her that is unnatural. The couple run off and marry. M-G-M. 105 minutes. Jennifer Jones, John Gielgud Bill Travers. Produced by Sam Zimbalist. Directed by Sidney Franklin. "Oasis" Adventure-intrigue in Moroccan locale has much fury, meager plot. CinemaScope, color will attract action fans. International smuggling, murder and some striking Eastman color backgrounds of Morocco in CinemaScope are the high points of this dualler being released by 20thFox. The story, revolving around beautiful spies Michele Morgan and Cornell Borchers who lure North African trader Pierre Brasseur, follows a tried and trite formula. The confusing action keeps shifting suspicion until the very last reel. Amateurly produced by Luggi Waldleitner and Gerd Oswald, "Oasis" will have to take the lower billing in action sub-runs. Aside from the plot weaknesses, the English dubbing is distracting. Former pilot Brasseur, owner of an oasis, is suspected of smuggling gold. Morgan and Borchers are hired by gunman Gregoire Asian to spy on him, but Miss Borchers falls for him and plans to join his forces. Miss Morgan, also in love with Brasseur, learns he is to be murdered by smugglers, returns to warn him. Miss Borchers turns against Brasseur and informs the smugglers. The smugglers close in, but Brasseur stampedes their gold-laden camels by flying low in bis plane. Borchers and Asian are trampled to death. 20th Century-Fox. 84 minutes. Michele Morgan, Pierre Brasseur, Cornell Borchers. Produced by Luggi Waldleitner & Gerd Oswald. Directed by Yves Allegret. "The Iron Petticoat" ScuiHCM 7£<tf£K? O O Plus Bob Hope, Katharine Hepburn labor with weak material in spoof of "cold war". Returns will depend on stars' appeal. "The Iron Petticoat" boasts two good boxofnce names, but their material is quite disappointing. Air Force flyer Bob Hope is assigned to convert the ideologies of Russian aviatrix Katharine Hepburn but, naturally, he finds her physical attributes more challenging. That is the "gimmick" of this attempted spoof of communism and the "cold war". Produced in England by Betty Box for M-G-M release, with Vista Vision and Technicolor as additional plus factors, the action moves fast enough, but too often without the expected comic effect. Most of all, it is a Hope "vehicle", the glib comedian being given all the best of the script by Ben Hecht (which he publicly disclaimed). Miss Hepburn babbles Soviet doctrines in a thick slavic accent, but manages to be only mildly amusing. Director Ralph Thomas turns to outlandish slapstick whenever the plot sags. When Miss Hepburn flees to the West, Hope is assigned by Alan Gifford to indoctrinate her with democratic ways. Miss Hepburn, politically adamant, is attracted to Hope, who takes her to London where he want to wed wealthy Miss Noelle Middleton. Russian agents led by James Robertson Justice kidnap Miss Hepburn. Hope, disguised as Russian pilot, boards the Moscow-bound plane and they are met in Moscow with a "new political climate". Hepburn is a hero for converting Hope and they receive a plane as gift, return to the West to marry. M-G-M. 87 minutes. Bob Hope, Katharine Hepburn, James R. Justice. Produced by Betty Box. Directed by Ralph Thomas. "Mister Cory" Sci4iH€44. IZatOu} O O Plus Familiar story about young gambler's rise from slums to riches. Tony Curtis stars. Adequate programmer. Poor boy Tony Curtis makes good as an "honest" gambler and tangles with no-good rich girl, Martha Hyer, in this routine romance-action melodrama. Robert Arthur's production for Universal-International makes good use of CinemaScope and Eastman Color to capture some interesting backgrounds, but the yarn (screenplay by Blake Edwards from story by Leo Rosten) is pretty much "old hat". )i Curtis does a fairly convincing job. Miss Hyer and Kathryn Grant are attractive fern foils, and Charles Bickford is solid as the veteran gambler. "Mister Cory" should serve well as a top dualler, especially in the action houses. Edwards also directed, with most of the cliches intact. Slum-born Curtis works as bus boy at a swank resort to || make contacts with guests. He meets Miss Hyer through |i her sister, Miss Grant, who makes it plain she likes Curtis. I When Miss Hyer discovers Curtis washing dishes she | breaks off the romance. Curtis teams up with veteran :] gambler Bickford and Chicago underworld kingpin Russ \\ Morgan backs them in a gambling club. When Miss Hyer I visits with her fiance, William Reynolds, Curtis wins her i back, but she refuses to marry him. Reynolds learns about the affair, wounds Curtis in a showdown. Curtis leaves on lj vacation with Bickford, promising to return to Miss Grant, \\ Universal-International. 92 minutes. Tony Curtis. Martha Myer Charles Bickford, Kathryn Grant. Produced by Robert Arthur. Directed by Blake Edwards. Page 12 Film BULLETIN January 21, 1957