Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1958)

TD TELL YDU THE TRUTH ♦ by W. Robert Maz.zpcco Is it only our imagination, or does the sky seem to be rightening? The upbeat tone among the industry brethren is ) guarded, to be sure, that one can hardly notice it, but it's lere, nonetheless. Certainly, august personages, who a few months back were •anklv admitting to being at the end of their tethers, have erked up considerably, and then some. (Witness the Goldenm-Hyman report, which we'll get to later.) And over in lollywood, the dirges are giving way to something resembling college sing. Buddy Adler has announced a Fox augmentaon from 35 to 42 features during the current year. M-G-M, lat tamed lion, is roaring again and at full lung capacity. Over 1 Europe they'll be producing a multi-mammoth "Ben Hur" — uite a vote of confidence, indeed. Universal gives signs of jstirring itself, and even bereaved, faltering Columbia is lunging ahead with its long-projected Biblical blockbuster, [oseph And His Brethrens ", while Cinerama will produce its rst dramatic entry, something with stars instead of just scenery. To top it all off, the studios are so over-subscribed they can't ear rental for the cocky tolepix producers. Pretty soon there's 3und to be a mass reclamation at some of those Beverly Hills ock shops, not to mention the ones exhibitors patronize. O One of the bright boys refusing to run scared is actorroducer. Kirk Douglas. This leathery Norse god buoyantly oled out information about the exploitation plans for his 4 lillion dollar effort, appropriatey titled "The Vikings", and ot a rise out of even the blase press corps. Speaking over at 'nited Artists, his distributor, Douglas waxed eloquent over a emendous sign that promises to be the apotheosis of Artkrafttrauss and the ad men combined. Costing 5105,000, running a lock long over New York's Astor and Victoria theatres where le epic will have its dual premiere, with a 26l-foot-long, three imensional replica of a Norse galley cruiser, fire-eating dragon nd all, this rouser will also boast 11 sets of animated oars, mulated waves and a 52 foot sail blowing out to the east, )urtesy of a staunch little w ind machine. Nobody can judge what the spectacle inside the theatres will 'e like just yet, but it's a sure bet it will need a hefty punch to )p the spectacle outside. Douglas evidently thinks he has a nockout or why, as he says, spend so damn much money on a gn.'' Regardless, "The Vikings" is bound to set exhibition recedents. The coverage such flamboyant exploitation will arner from newspapers, mags, word-of-mouth via summer )urists (the premiere is set for the middle of June) and the irtoon wags, especially The New Yorker, is bound to set off >eryone's interest. And the kids who'll cry, "Daddy, I want ne of those boats" ! . . . 0 Needless to say, Douglas has few doubts about the future of is metier, but even he must have quickened a pulse or two when the aforementioned report of AB-PT mahatmas, Leonard Goldenson and Edward Hyman, first made the Lindy rounds. It was a real sunny-side-up appraisal, a comforting statistical repast and best of all, generally true. What these energetic executives had to say was a sort of take-heart message to exhibitors. They had been to the CinemaScope factories, taken a stern look around and come away with smiles. No less than 105 pictures had been viewed, some in part, others in whole, and it was obvious that much of what they saw left them pleased as punch. Masterpieces were not guaranteed — though a few were hinted at — but good, solid merchandise seemingly abounds for the months ahead. Never before, said Mr. Hyman emphatically, had he been so Hollywood enheartened. Orderly distribution of quality offerings could come out of the Alice in Wonderland stage. Mr. Goldenson thought salient the number of pictures grossing 5 to 10 million; when in recent memory had there been so many raking in so much.' The public has not given up on movies, good ones, that is, and there were no signs that they would ever do so. Faith-by-looking-at-the-record appeared to be the Goldenson credo. O And one could hardly dispute him, for there had certainly been a spurt of the good old days. People we know who hadn't seen films in years, are now back in the did-you-see? era. Pleasant queries are being passed around about "Sayonara ", "Peyton", "Bridge", "Karamazov", "Witness ". Mothers are taking the tots into town by the dozens to view "Old Yeller" or introduce them to "Snow White". There are even some sophisticates flipping over mass-elegance like Kay Kendall of "Les Girls". Teenagers, too, are expanding their horizons, at least in the suburbs; there's less moonshine about Tab or Elvis and more for stalwart newcomers, Paul Newman, Tony Perkins, Joanne Woodward. As we say, the Cassandra is us makes us cautious about the new turn of events. Is it a fluke, a glittering interlude before the deluge, or is the groundwork for popular reclamation being performed right now ? We won't venture a guess. But one thing is certain, the stream of quality film backlogged for the next three months or so can't be held accountable if business proves a bust. Practically every company we can think of has a deluxe tidbit in the offiing. Just take a gander at the prospectus: From Fox "Long, Hot Summer", "Young Lions", "South Pacific"; M-G-M's "Karamazov ", "Merry Andrew" and "Gigi"; UA's "Run Silent, Run Deep", "God s Little Acre", "Paris Holiday"; Warner's "Marjorie Morningstar" . . . We've undoubtedly forgotten a few others. But the above is startling enough. Almost like a Season's Greetings from Hollywood to the exhibitors. It's not too much to expect the public will be just as generous. Film BULLETIN March 3, 1958 Page 21