Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1960)

"Miriniqht Lace" Sumh^x IZatiMt GOO Plus Exciting suspense yarn strongly played by fine cast headed by Doris Day, Rex Harrison. Typically handsome U color production. Shapes up as sock attraction for all markets, especially the fern trade. "Midnight Lace" is a slick suspense drama with the strong I marquee allure of Doris Dav and Rex Harrison, plus the kind I >f posh production elements Universal has been pouring into I its boxoffice hits of late. This one shapes up as a sock attraction i for all tvpes of theatres. Produced by Ross Hunter and Martin Melcher, of "Pillow Talk" fame, beautifully mounted in Easti man Color, and overflowing with luxurious sets and an extravagant Irene-designed wardrobe, "Lace" shapes up as the perfect I imp of dramatic tea for the fern trade, and their male com.panions will find it a real tingler. Audiences will be kept guessl 'ing from beginning to end because, even if the mysterious person who is threatening to kill Miss Day is figured out ahead of time, viewers will still be in a quandary as to who else is involved. Miss Day comes off very well in her straight dramatic role (she doesn't sing one note) as the frightened millionairess, i'ind manages to evoke moments of genuine terror. Harrison as the British financier, her disbelieving husband, plays it in his • usual suave and sophisticated manner. Solid support is supplied my suspects John Gavin, a contractor suffering from bad war memories; Mvrna Loy, Miss Day's globe-trotting, fun-loving iunt; Roddv McDowall, the cunning, money-hungry son of Miss Day's housekeeper, and Herbert Marshall, the horse-play'ing treasurer of Harrison's company. Director David Miller has i»iven audiences plenty to gasp about: a voice calling out of a London fog warning Miss Dav that she's soon to die; a falling Uteel girder that almost crushes her to death; threatening phone icalls at all hours; Miss Day being pushed in front of an oncoming bus; and a mysterious stranger lurking about in a black raincoat. The Ivan Goff-Ben Roberts' screenplay, based on Janet Green's hit British play "Matilda Shouted Fire," has Harrison refusing to believe that the threatening calls are anything more than figments of Miss Day's imagination. The police ire equally skeptical. Miss Day even persuades pretty neighbor Natasha Parry to lie to Harrison and say she heard the voice. iHe proves the phone's been out of order all day. The calls continue while McDowall puts the touch on Miss Day for money for his sick mother, Marshall finds himself in debt and discrepancies are discovered in the books of Harrison's business. Only Gavin lends a sympthetic ear. Finally Harrison hears the voice |.ind sets a trap leaving Miss Day alone in their apartment. A double-twist ending reveals the guilty ones and the motive. Universal-International. 108 minutes. Doris Day. Re* Harrison John Gavin, Nyrna Loy. Roddy McDowall. Herbert Marshall. Produced by Ross Hunter and Martin Melcher. Directed by David Miller. "Please Turn Over" 3u4i*e44 IZcXUKf O O O Highly amusing British comedy about young girl who writes novel loaded with sex. For art, class markets. This British import which Columbia is releasing is guaranteed | to tickle the funnybone of anyone with a sense of humor. It's i merry-go-round of fun and — sex, laughter and — sex. and tiilarious complications stemming from — sex. While hinterland I bookings seem doubtful because of its saucy and spicy subject matter, "Please Turn Over" looks like a strong bet for the art house circuit and in class situations. And, if exploited, it could pecome a profitable dualler in the metropolitan general marker. The wild and wacky situations begin when a respectable British suburban family find themselves subjects of a "Peyton Place"type best-seller written by their naive l7-year-old daughter. Pure farce, it's been carried off in a lively, entertaining manner thanks to a cast who convey humor via voice and facial expressions, plenty of high class vaudevillian dialogue penned bv Norman Hudis from Basil Thomas' play "Book of the Month" and a whirlwind-pace job of direction by Gerald Thomas Involved in the frenetic happenings are Ted Rav. the chief accountant father; Jean Kent, his attractive wife: juila Lockwood. their well-meaning authoress daughter: June Jago, Miss Lockwood's spinster aunt who is secretly in love with Leslie Phillips, her shy physician employer; Dilys Lave, Ray s super-efficient secretary, and Lionel Jeffries, who has been teaching Miss Kent how to drive on the sly. What begins as another normal da\ soon explodes into a nightmare. Ray is punched on the nose b\ Miss Lave s irate father, forced to show his books to his boss and stared at wherever he goes. Phillips' usually empn office begins to overflow with panting women. Ray and Miss Kent get hold of the book and the middle portion of the film shows that this is what they read: On her seventeenth birthday. Miss Lockwood discovers Ray has embezzled a fortune from his com pany and run off to London with Miss Lave, and Miss Kent and Jeffries have been lovers for years and she is Jeffries illegitimate daughter. Seeking solace, she goes to Miss Jago only to find her dead drunk in Phillips' office, and the latter about to seduce one of his patients. Her security destroyed. Miss Lockwood departs for London to become a girl of the streets. A happy ending finds Ray proud of his author daughter. Miss Jago engaged to Phillips and Miss Lockwood engaged to angn young playwright Tim Seely. Columbia. 86 minutes. Ted Ray. Jean Kent. Leslie Phillips Produced by Peter Rogers. Directed by Gerald Thomas. "September Storm" %tui*c44 Rati*? O O plus First 3-D film in half dozen years is OK melodrama. Gimmick should hypo boxoffice in general market. This 2()fh Century-Fox release in DeLuxe Color and CincmaScope heralds the return of 3-D (called here Stereovision) to the motion picture screen. With an eye towards a new generation that has never seen 3-D and those who always respond to novelties, producer Edward L. Alperson and 20th believe they have a highly exploitable entry tailor-made for the younger set and the curious. They probably are right. Movie gimmicks have been paying off nicely in the general market over the past few years, and there's every reason to believe "September Storm" also will. The 3-D effect is sharper and clearer than in the earlier depth films of half dozen years ago. W. R. Burnett's script, based on a story by Steve Fisher, tells a familiar yarn about a search for sunken gold in the Mediterranean, and while nothing out of the ordinary occurs during its 99-minute running time, the on-Iocation Mallorca backgrounds and blue-green sea lensing are pleasant to watch, and director Byron Haskin has whipped up a sufficient amount of above and below water excitement. Joanne Dru, an adventurous New York model; Mark Stevens, a boat bum who knows where the treasure is located; Robert Strauss, his heavy-drinking, woman-hungrv strong man, and Asher Dann, a handsome young Spaniard in love with Miss Dru comprise the mone\ -seeking quartet. In order to impress Miss Dru, Dann steals his boss" boat and agrees to carry Stevens and Strauss to the treature. A hurricane and a near-fatal bite bv a poisonous fish on Stevens highlight the journey. When they reach the gold, further complications ensue. Strauss tries to take it all for himself, but Dann saves the dav. Dann's boss catches up with them but agrees to forget the theft for a share in the gold. Back in Mallorca. the authorities confiscate the entire treasure, but Stevens is willing to accept this twist of fate and settle dow n with Miss Dru. 20th Century-Fo«. It minutes. Joanne Dru Mark Stevens. Robert Strauss. Produced by Edward L. Alperson Directed by Byron Haskin Film BULLETIN October 17. I960 Page 19