Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1963)

"The Ugly American" 'ScuiKCd* 'Rati*? GOO Has a message, but also plenty of rousing action. Brando turns in strong performance. Needs heavy promotion to draw mass audience. If "The Ugly American" can overcome the general classification of a "message" picture, it should enjoy boxoffice success. Actually, it is a high-voltage drama of stature, but it requires a strong kind of promotion to win the mass audience. Under the creative reins of 35 year-old producer-director George Englund, this story about an American diplomat thrown into the midst of the cold, and sometimes hot, war in a mythical Southeast Asian country emerges an exciting, important and highly entertaining film. Stewart Stern's intelligent script makes a number of telling points, qualifying it as a "message" picture, but it's also a literate thriller. With Marlon Brando as the marquee lure, the popularity of the William J. LedererEugene Burdick novel as an exploitation element and controversy as a strong word-of-mouth factor, "The Ugly American" figures to prove an above-average grosser in most situations, with enthusiastic response coming from discriminating metropolitan audiences. For others, there's a touch of humor and romance, top-drawer action sequences, handsome Eastman Color lensing in Thailand, plus a sense of involvement with American prestige problems. Brando, in his best delineation since "Waterfront", projects an entirely different image than the characterization written in the novel. As the newly apointed American Ambassador to Sarkhan, a country beset with conflicting political ideologies, he emerges a man endowed with extraordinary tact and diplomacy, while also remaining an identifiable human being. Also impressive are Eiji Okada ("Hiroshima, Mon Amour"), a resistance fighterWorld War II buddy of Brando's, now the single most popular man in Sarkhan; Pat Hingle, a dedicated engineer helping to build Freedom Road; Jocelyn Brando, the latter's wife who has set up a children's clinic at the edge of the jungle, Arthur Hill, deputy head of mission at the U.S. Embassy, and Sandra Church, Brando's wife. Englund's action sequences ring with blood, thunder and suspense — Red agents murdering natives working on the road; a chilling, blood-spilling demonstration when Brando arrives at the airport; an even bloodier revolution set off on the anniversary of Sarkhanese independence. The long-awaited reunion between Brando and Okada ends in bitterness with Brando convinced that the latter is now a Communist (Okada wants Brando to stop the road). Brando visits Sarkhanese Prime Minister Kukrit Pramoj and asks him to shift the route of the road. Pramoj agrees, but only after assurance of American military support should plans go amiss. Red leaders now convince Okada to lead a crusade for freedom, and promise no outside "volunteers." The revolution begins, red forces move down from the north, and Brando must now live up to his military aid promise. He reaches Okada's headquarters and eventually convinces Okada that he's been duped. Okada agrees to set up a coalition government, but his trusted aid (unmasked as a red) fatally shoots him. Before he dies, Okada tells his followers to trust Brando and the Americans. The fade-out (not to be revealed here), however, is not a pat "happy" ending. Universal 120 minutes. Marlon Brando, Eiji Okada, Sandra Church Pat Hinqle Produced and Directed by George Englund. "Landru" SudcUeedd 'Rating Q O Q Murder in the light vein, done with wit and touch of horror. French import should intrigue art, class audiences. Joseph E. Levine's "Landru" is a minor gem — witty, imaginative, diabolical and engrossing. The film is based on the truelife story of the infamous Frenchman — Henri-Desire Landru — who wooed and won some 283 women and disposed of at least 11 of them — in a kitchen range. It's a clever and fascinating film to watch, thanks to director Claude Chabrol ("The Cousins"), who has thrown the accent on predominantly light blue and pastel pink shades (in marked contrast to the horror of Landru's crimes), and played everything off against the horrors of World War I; Francoise Sagan, who has scripted in a delightful tongue-in-cheek manner; and Charles Denner (of the French Theatre Populaire National), who brilliantly portrays Landru. In French, with sub-titles, this Embassy release looms a potent art house moneymaker, and when eventually dubbed, it should score fairly well in the class market. Authenticity and fantasy run throughout. The former the result of location lensing and much of the actual transcript of the trial used in the script; the latter stemming from Chabrol's unorthodox use of color and unusual background music, and highly effective editing. The costumes and sets are definitely top-drawer. Actor Denner apparently has a fine screen future ahead of him. Actually a youthful, good-looking man, he has been amazingly transformed into the short, middle-aged, bald and bearded Frenchman — a man with fantastic amatory prowess, and a great charm and love for things cultural. His poor victims include such international favorites as Michele Morgan, Danielle Darrieux, Hildegarde Neff, Juliette Mayhiel and Mary Marquet. The script finds impoverished petty swindler Denner inserting "lonelyhearts" ads in the newspapers. From the replies, he selects widows and old maids with nest-eggs and no relatives to interfere. He rents a country home outside Paris, and there disposes of at least eleven victims. Only the Armistice spares Miss Neff. During this time, Denner manages to find time for a wife and family he hates, and a mistress he adores. Eventually brought to trial, Denner proves to be both witty and contemptuous at the proceedings. Convicted on circumstantial evidence, he goes to the guillotine stating: "I go to my death with a calm and innocent soul. I can only hope, gentlemen, that the same can be said for yours." Embassy. 114 minutes. Michele Morgan, Danielle Darrieux, Charles Denner. Produced by Carlo Ponti and Georges de Beauregard. Directed by Claude Chabrol. "Showdown" SudlKCdd Rating O Plus Audie Murphy carries routine black-and-white oater. Will get by as supporting dualler in action spots. Audie Murphy is the sole selling factor in this Grade C western about a pair of aimless cowboys who become captives of a sinister killer. Saddled with horse opera cliches and further hampered by a low-budget black-and-white production, this Universal release figures to squeak by as a bottom half dualler in action situations. R. G. Springsteen's direction is uninspired, despite a fair amount of gunplay, while Bronson Howitzer's screenplay emerges a compilation of tired shoot-'em-up happenings. Murphy and Charles Drake, after a bar fight in a Mexican border town, find themselves chained and iron collared to a post (there is no jail) beside killer Harold J. Stone. During the night, they are forced to dig up the post and help Stone and his band escape. In between bullet exchanges, Drake steals negotiable securities, and the remainder of the plot centers upon Stone's sadistic attempts to collect the cash. Kathleen Crowley is the fern, Drake's former girl friend, now a hardened dancehall girl, who ends up with the securities. Skip Homier appears as a sadistic gang member. Drake is eventually killed by Homier and Murphy and Miss Crowlev make a run for it across the open country. One by one. Murphy eliminates the entire gang. After returning the securities, he and Miss Crowley look forward to a new life together. Universal. 79 minutes. Audie Murphy, Kathleen Crowley. Produced by Gordon Kay. Directed by R. G. Springsteen. Film BULLETIN April IS, 1 963 Page 19