Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1962)

"Follow That Dream" SckUhc^ 'gate*? O O O Betterthan-average Presley vehicle. Should please singer's fans and delight the family trade. Deluxe ColorPanavision production. "Follow That Dream", an amusing romantic comedy about an odd-ball hillbilly-type family who decide to homestead a strip of beach on the Florida coast, gives Elvis Presley a vehicle that is several notches above his norm. This attraction gayly mounted in Deluxe Color and Panavision, and spiced with five pleasant melodies, should provide enjoyable entertainment for the family trade. United Artists colorful promotion campaign should help insure some excellent boxoffice. especially in the hinterlands. As scripted by Charles Lederer, from Richard Powell's novel, "Pioneer, Go Home!", we follow Presley and family outwitting city slickers, gangsters and the welfare board. Gordon Douglas has milked as much comedy as possible out of each and every sequence, although some astute editing would help speed matters up considerably. Presley is good as the handsome, girl-shy, naive son whose "common sense" makes him the winner of every misadventure. Fine support is supplied by Arthur O'Connell, a one-man army against the government; Anne Helm, the baby-sitter permanent member of the family with her eyes set on Elvis; Joanna Moore, a sophisticated welfare worker who also wants to snare Elvis; Jack Kruschen and Simon Oakland, two gangsters who attempt to set up a floating gambling casino on O'Connell's land; and Pam Ogles and Gavin and Robin Koon (twins), three orphans adopted by O'Connell and Presley. The plot finds O'Connell and family refusing to leave the land, establishing a successful fishing village and attracting other homesteaders to move in with them. After successfully thwarting the State at every turn, and driving off the gangsters and their hired killers, O'Connell learns that the State has seized the three children and intends turning them over to the Welfare Department. Presley defends their pioneer actions in court, wins the children back and finally discovers women (like Miss Helm) aren't so bad after all. United Artists. 110 minutes. Elvis Presley, Arthur O'Connell, Anne Helm. Produced by David Weisbart. Directed by Gordon Douglas. "Jessica" Scttutete, &cxtt*$ O O Plus Moderately amusing modern version of Lysistrata theme. Special appeal for fem trade. Exploitable. In TechnicolorPanavision. Producer-director Jean Negulesco took his Technicolor-Panavision cameras to Sicily to film this airy romantic comedy that will find its strongest response with the fem trade. Against some truly lovely scenery, and aided by a bouncy musical score and just the right dash of harmless sex, Angie Dickinson, Maurice Chevalier and French comic Noel-Noel appealingly act out their parts in the tale about "Jessica", an American nurse who becomes a village midwife and completely changes the life of all the inhabitants. Negulesco allows the pace to lag at times, but there's enough here to win nods of approval from general market patrons. And the spicy ingredients provide United Artists with some solid exploitation angles, which they are likely to capitalize fully. The main theme centers around the destructive effect Miss Dickinson has on all the men in the village, and the women's decision to resort to the example set in ancient times by Lysistrata. They go on strike against their husbands — no more babies will be born, and Miss Dickinson will have to leave because of lack of work. Curvacious Miss Dickinson plays her part for all it's worth, while Chevalier looks on in alarm as the local priest, and Noel-Noel views with amusement as a cantankerous old gardener. Colorful support is provided by Gabriele Ferzetti, the snobbish mar1 chese, Sylva Koscina and Agnes Moorehead, two of the most important women in the village, and lovely Danielle de Metz, an unhappy bride whose husband becomes enchanted with Miss Dickinson. Edith Sommers' screenplay, based on a Flora Sandstrom novel, finds Miss Dickinson enraged when she discovers the women are ostracising her. She starts deliberately flirting with all the men. Chevalier persuades Ferzetti, Miss Dickinson's landlord, to give her notice to leave. Miss Dickinson confronts Ferzetti with a slap in the face, then starts packing. While comforting the dying Noel-Noel, Ferzetti appears and asks her to marry him. She agrees and there's promise of many babies once again in the village. United Artists. 112 minutes Angie Dickinson, Maurice Chevalier Noel-Noel. Produced and Directed by Jean Negulesco. "Forever My Love" SuaCkc&a tZaUty O Plus Austrian-made import with operettastyle plot appears doomed in U. S. market. Handsomely produced in color, but offers nothing to draw American audiences. What Paramount hopes to realize in the U. S. market with this dubbed version of a dated Austrian-made costumer is hard to understand. With an operetta-style plot that seems equally ill-suited to the taste of art patrons and general audiences, "Forever My Love" is likely doomed to minimal bookings here. Nor are its chances abetted by the copious 147 minutes running time. The production, written, directed and produced by Ernest Marischka, is in Technicolor and extremely lavish. Visually, it is outstanding, thanks to the fine photography of Bruno Mondi, who has captured some exquisite shots of the Alps, the Riviera and the canals of Venice. The cast is headed by Romy Schneider and Karl Boehm, an attractive pair whose names, unfortunately, are of little marquee value. The story has the nostalgic quality of an old operetta, telling of the romance and marriage of Franz Josef, youthful emperor of Austria, and Bavaria's Princess Elizabeth. As his empress, she wins great favor with the people of Austria and aids him in international affairs. When Hungary threatens to secede, she charms them into holding the ties with Austria. All this is accomplished despite the meddling of the emperor's ambitious mother (Vilma Degischer), rumors of an illicit romance between the young empress and a Hungarian nobleman, and her affliction with tuberculosis. She is sent away to warm Spain, where she recovers under the care of her devoted mother (Magda Schneider, Romy's real mother) and returns to the emperor and their little daughter. Paramount. 147 minutes. Romy Schneider, Karl Boehm, Magda Schneider. Produced and directed by Ernest Marischka. BULLETIN reviews have one aim: to give honest judgment of entertainment merit — and boxoffice value Page 14 Film BULLETIN April 2, 1962