Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1959)

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"The Doctor's Dilemma" %CUiKC4* &«U*t O O O Rating is for class houses only. The famous Shaw play is all talk, but clever. Will need special non-art selling. Art and select class house patrons will welcome Anatole de Grunwald's British-made Eastman color production of "The Doctor's Dilemma," which M-G-M is releasing. Based on the Bernard Shaw play and smoothly directed by Anthony Asquith, Grunwald's own screen treatment, along with Asquith's staging, keep the essentially talky stagepiece from bogging down, despite its dependence upon dialogue. A fine cast, headed by Leslie Caron, as the wife of a talented but irresponsible "scoundrel", and British star Dirk Bogarde as the husband, handle the Shavian lines with confidence and authority. They are delightfully supported by Alistair Sim, Robert Morley, Felix Aymler, and Michael Gwynn as a quartet of respected but ineffectual medical men. Their dilemma is this: should they recommend that their colleague, John Robinson, who has discovered a cure for consumption, give the one remaining place in his clinic to the undeniably talented but personally detestable artist, Louis Dubedat (Bogarde), as the painter's beautiful wife urges, or shall it go to one of their own sick fellow doctors, talented Gwynn? Talented scoundrel Bogarde is permitted to die, but only after shocking the doctors into their decision by mouthing some of Shaw's strongest feelings against the medical profession as a whole and middle class morality in general. Fern trade will be treated to some brilliant Cecil Beaton costumes, handsomely displayed by Miss Caron. Not for rural or action houses, "Dilemma" will need heavy selling in less cosmopolitan spots. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 98 minutes. Leslie Caron, Dick Bogarde. Produced by Anatole de Grunwald. Directed by Anthony Asquith. "The Last Mile" Seuuteu O Q PLUS Rating is for action houses. Tough prison saga with thunderous climax. Rooney and veteran cast excell. Mickey Rooney, supported by a cast of veteran and polished Broadway actors, should give this United Artists release a real lift with histrionic efforts of great power. Business prospects are good for the action houses. The screenplay by Milton Subotsky and Seton I. Miller moves a bit slowly in the opening moments, but finally explodes with a violence that will delight the hearts of those fans who like their action free-wheeling and frenetic. The direction by Howard W. Koch is taut and imparts dramatic impact to the brutality of a prison system that forces condemned men to witness the grisly preparations other prisoners must undergo before being sent to electrocution. The action erupts when Rooney strangles the death house guard and takes four other prison officials as hostages, among them the warden's brother-in-law and the prison chaplain. Rooney threatens to kill all of them one-by-one unless he is given an escape car and four hours of grace. The warden refuses to accede to the demand and Rooney carries out his threat until only the prison chaplain is left. When he is about to play his last trump, one of the other prisoners "gets religion" and delays the assassination long enough for the warden to fire a grenade fusillade against the prison block. Rooney is further diverted by the request of a wounded prisoner, Clifford David, to be killed before the electric chair does. Rooney complies, walks into the floodlit prison court yard to his death. United Artists. 81 minutes. Mickey Rooney. Produced by Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky. Directed by Howard W. Koch. "No Name on the Bullet" Audie Murphy as gunslinger who uses psychology to get his victims. C'Scope and Color plus-factors. Audie Murphy as the hired killer, John Gant, affords sagebrush fans an opportunity to meet a new breed of professional gunman in this Universal-International offering in Cinemascope and Color. Murphy portrays a gunman who spouts philosophy by the pound and makes effective use of the many techniques of practical psychology. And therein lies the fault with "No :| Name on the Bullet" — it emphasizes talk at the expense of action. Despite this, Jack Arnold has taken pains with his direction and has wrung some good suspense out of Gene L. Coon's screenplay. Murphy, the grim-visaged killer who terrorizes a town without firing a shot, and Charles Drake, the town doctor who befriends the killer out of a love for all . humanity, turn in creditable performances. They are given i considerable help by Joan Evans as Drake's bride-to-be and < Edgar Stehli as her father. Murphy's modus operandi as a hired killer is to play something of a waiting game, never nam \ ing his intended victim until the fateful moment, only firing when attacked. The town banker commits suicide and his 1 two remaining partners slug it out in a gun duel. The town ; folk, led by Drake, find themselves unable to dislodge the strong-willed Murphy. Eventually, Murphy seeks out his vie I tim, Stehli, who has sworn that he will let Murphy kill him without resistance, thereby enabling the sheriff to hang a murder rap on the assassin. But Murphy provokes Stehli to attack him, and watches as the Judge falls over dead, victim of a heart attack. Drake goes after Murphy, and, in the ensuing fight, cripples Murphy's right arm, putting an end to his business. Universal-International. 77 minutes. Audie Murphy. Produced by Howard Christie and Jack Arnold. Directed by Jack Arnold. "Gideon of Scotland Yard" 'Stuinedd IZatiKQ Q Q Light-hearted romp depicting day in life of famed British Inspector. John Ford directed for humor. Typically British, this Columbia release reflects the artful, pixie-like imprimateur of veteran director John Ford. "Gideon of Scotland Yard" is an ambling, light-hearted account of one day in the business and personal life of the Chief Inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard. Ford's delightful sense of humor rescues the film from the ordinary, but at the same time makes it a questionable item i in terms of business potential. There is a strong likelihood that the dry humor will be lost on many audiences, who simply regard it as an over-long portrayal of a criminal investigation department that conducts its operations in a minor key. Its best prospects lie in better class houses. Jack Hawkins turns in another one of his characteristically strong performances. During ordinary household banter, Hawkins is in the process of fighting his eldest daughter for the rights to the bathroom and then, over a hurried breakfast, quelling his younger children and faithfully promising his wife to attend to some shopping chores and be home on time for dinner and his older daughter's first public concert. Upon his arrival at the office, he is met by police activity that includes a sex murder, a departmental dismissal of a detective found guilty of accepting bribes. He is finally finished early in the morning. Columbia. A John Ford Production. 91 minutes. Jack Hawkins, Dianne Foster. Produced by Michael Killanin. Directed by John Ford. Page 10 Film BULLETIN January 19, 1959