Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1960)

"The Lost World" Exciting and amusing adventure. Loaded with eyepopping effects for kids and grown-ups. Color, C'Scope. Producer-director-scripter Irwin Allen has fashioned a thrilling adventure-fantasy spectacle based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's imaginative tale concerning a group of modern-day explorers who travel to the wilds of the Amazon jungle and discover a lost continent still in its dinosaur age. A FUN picture from beginning to end, this CinemaScope-DeLuxe Color release by 20th Century-Fox is so loaded with exploitation goodies that it's bound to become one of the summer's hottest boxoffice attractions. It figures to bring in bigger returns than Fox's smash winter grosser, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." From a standpoint of pure entertainment — and that's exactly what "The Lost World" is — it contains all the ingredients essential to lure moviegoers into the theatres and to amuse them: adventure, suspense, romance and some truly outstanding special effects. While certain aspects of the Allen-Charles Bennett script are not up to the film's colorful and imaginative production values, youngsters are sure to marvel at the weird world that exists atop an isolated plateau and gasp in fearful delight at the assortment of prehistoric monsters from 150,000,000 B.C. Adults who accompany them will also find the off-beat doings highly diverting. Even the sophisticates will enjoy the tonguein cheek happenings. 20th's promotion department is launching this release with a saturation TV campaign guaranteed to reach millions during the Democratic and Republican conventions. The L. B. AbbottJames B. Gordon-Emil Kosa, Jr. special effects team and photographer Winton Hoch have done a superb job making all this as breath-taking and danger-filled as possible. Especially outstanding is a magnificent battle between two Dinosaurs. Veteran actor Claude Rains walks off with honors as the eccentric zoology professor. His flaming red beard, ever-present umbrella and sardonic comments to the incompetents he has been saddled with give the picture a lot of its charm and appeal. Another humorous portrayal is delivered by Richard Haydn, a fellow scientist long critical of Rains. Michael Rennie makes a good playboy and big game hunter responsible for the death of another group of explorers three years before, and Fernando Lamas is cast as a handsome helicopter pilot whose brother died as a result of Rennie's carelessness. One of the romantic angles is supplied by Jill St. John, daughter of the American newspaper executive who finances the trip, and David Hedison, a reporter. 20th Century-Fo*. 98 minutes. Michael Rennie. Jill St. John, David Hedison, Claude Rains, Fernando Lamas, Richard Haydn. Produced and Directed by Irwin Allen. "Song Without End" '8«4iH€44 R*tt*f O O plus Handsome musical biography of Franz Liszt. Fine for music lovers, but doubtful attraction for general market. Producer William Goetz has tastefully put together a visually attractive film dramatization of the tormented life of the Nineteenth Century pianist genius Franz Liszt, but "Song Without End" will require the utmost effort of Columbia's aggressive promotion staff. The EastmanCoIor CinemaScope production dazzles the eye with its sumptuous sets, breath-taking costumes and on-location lensing of Europe's numerous concert halls, theatres, palaces and cathedrals, and it is further enriched by the thrilling music of Liszt, Chopin, Wagner and Bach. It boasts an outstanding performance by Dirk Bogarde and for j mer Parisian fashion model Capucine lends beauty and new | face value to the promotion angles, while talented Genevieve: Page turns in an effective portrayal as his possessive mistress and mother of his two children. The question is: How well will! the general public receive this musical biography. Discriminat ing audiences and classical music lovers will find it a must, bui "Song Without End" does not appear to be the dish foi younger moviegoers. Where it fails to satisfy is in Oscar Millard's of times ponderous and inconclusive screenplay. Liszt is presented as a flamboyant personality, a man with gypsy tastes [ and priesthood aspirations, a genius at interpreting the works of others, but burning with the desire to compose great works? of his own. The transformation at the end from interpreter tc composer and his decision to give up wine, women and his' wanton ways to enter a monastery lacks proper motivation and just doesn't come off. And there are disturbing contrasts in( many of the performances. Bogarde is superb as the egotistical, impudent genius, and the matching of his keyboard fingerwork with the playing of pianist Jorge Bolet is almost flawless. Miss! Page is excellent as his irreligious mistress, as is Martita Hunt as a Grand Duchess. Capucine, on the other hand, is mortj physically appealing than verbally compelling. Under the dual direction of the late Charles Vidor and George Cukor, the filrri fluctuates between moments of high dramatic impact and over long recital sequences. Bogarde and Capucine meet and fall ir love and he realizes he has at last found a woman who can inspire him. She is confident she can get a divorce from hei cold, arrogant husband. The divorce is agreed to after financial concessions on Capucine's part, but on the eve of the wedding the Vatican refuses its consent. She refuses to live as his mis tress and Bogarde finally turns to the church for consolation Columbia. 141 minutes. Dirk Bogarde, Capucine, Genevieve Page. Produced b< William Goeti. Directed by Charles Vidor. "Murder, Inc." 3u4i*€44 IZ+tiH* O O PLUS Honest/ hard-hitting story of murder-for-hire syndicat. of the ?930's. Will gross hondsomely in action houses Producer-director Burt Balaban deserves an E for effort foi attempting an honest, non-heroizing account of the infamou murder-by-contract crime syndicate that operated out of Brook lyn's Brownsville section with such terrifying efficiency durinj the 1930's. Under his and co-director Stuart Rosenberg's guid ance a number of exciting moments and several unusual per formances are created in this 20th-Fox release. Crime and actioi fans should turn out in large numbers for this one. TV sta Peter Falk is outstanding. His chilling portrayal of the maniacal cold-blooded killer-for-hire Abe Reles, who mysteriously "fell' from a hotel window before he could testify against the organ ization, is one patrons will remember. The Irve Tunick-Mel Ban screenplay based on the Burton Turkus-Sid Feder book allow] its stars Stuart Whitman and May Britt to give only a sketchy accounting as a young married couple who become unwillinj accomplices of the mob, and comedian Henry Morgan por trays Brooklyn D.A. Turkus in a rather stolid manner. More; Amsterdam has a bit part as a nightclub-owner victim and Saral Vaughan sings a couple of songs. The story traces the body-by body rise of Murder, Inc., until Morgan takes over and start cracking down. Whitman finally sends the leaders to the chai after Miss Britt is murdered. 20th Century-Fox. 103 -minutes. Stuart Whitman, May Britt, Henry Morgan. Pre duced by Burt Balaban. Directed by Burt Balaban and Stuart Rosenberg. Pag. 14 Film BULLETIN July II, 1940