Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1963)

"For Love or Money" &ti4iH*M IRetfc*? O O O Amusing, well-paced romantic comedy best suited for metropolitan audiences. Color and good cast. Another sophisticated romp from the Universal fun rooms, this should be a crowd pleaser in the metropolitan and class markets. Kirk Douglas, Mitzi Gaynor, and Gig Young lead a first-rate cast through the papier-mache plot and barely, just barely, miss that extra bit of finesse that made producer Robert Arthur's "That Touch of Mink" and director Michael Gordon's "Pillow Talk" such boxoffice bonanzas. The screenplay is by veteran mirthmakers Larry Markes and Michael Morris. Miss Gaynor and Young display their usual comedy fillip, but Douglas lacks the light touch to make his bachelor-about-town role completely convincing. Thelma Ritter and William Bendix lend some added weight to the marquee list, although their roles are not as rewarding as they might have been. It's all bedecked in Eastman color, with a lusher-than-life-even-amongthe-rich-touch adding to the fairy tale aura. Multi-millionairess Thelma Ritter engages attorney Kirk Douglas to act as matchmaker for her three daughters: brainy Mitzi Gaynor, beatnik Leslie Parrish, and muscle-bound (no kidding) Julie Newmar. The girls have no trouble finding men of their own, but the characters they come up with are a bit too out of this world for Mama. She feels they need opposites to balance their eccentricities. So, based upon reports prepared by her private Pinkerton team headed by Bendix, she selects a playbody for Mitzi, a prison reformer for Leslie, and an internal revenue agent for Julie. Douglas will collect $100,000 if he succeeds in cupid's role. Since he is a bit of a playboy himself, it isn't too difficult for him to arrange the necessary meetings. Matters, he thinks, are made easier by Mama's choice for Mitzi — his best friend, Gig Young. It is this match that creates enough complications to keep the plot spinning until its hilarious climax aboard a yacht owned jointly by Douglas and Young. Mitzi gets Douglas, who was Mama's secret choice all along, and the other girls also find happiness with Mama's selections. Universal. 108 minutes. Kirk Douglas, Mitzi Gaynor, Gig Young. Produced by Robert Arthur. Directed by Michael Gordon. "Gidget Goes to Rome" SutitcM IRa&Hf O O Plus Wholesome, easy-to-take escapist fare has pleasant romance, eye-filling scenes of Eternal city. Cindy Carol is delightful Gidget. Will score with teenage fans. Here is pleasant easy-to-take escapist fare. Backed by Columbia's intensive promotional campaign, it should register well with both teenagers and the family trade, especially in the smaller cities and hinterlands. Even in the more sophisticated metropolitan markets its relaxing romantic quality will please audiences. That sweet-as-cotton-candy lassie, Gidget, is given a wistful, waif-like quality by Cindy Carol. She spreads marshmallow fluff all over the eternal city, and has a nice romance with attractive James Darren. The acidulous humor of Jessie Royce Landis, a literate script, and the imaginative direction of Paul Wendkos all contribute toward making this bright, wholesome family entertainment. The Jerry Bresler production will win approval and, we trust, endorsement from PTA and other educational groups, for the screenplay by Ruth Brooks Flippen and Katherine and Dale Eunson is noteworthy in that it does not portray Gidget and her pals as adolescent "boobs." These kids obviously have studied their school books, and their trip to Rome is enhanced by their knowledge of literature and history. Educational values never get in the way of the entertain ment, however, and teenagers will be charmed by the affair Miss Carol and Darren (who sings two songs), milady will revel in the Fontana fashion show, and armchair travelers will be treated to a stunning Eastman color tour of the city. There is humor aplenty. Miss Landis models a collection of outrageous wigs, while Gidget has a brief, hilarious fling as a high-fashion model. And she indulges in a series of satirical daydreams, one of which is a take-off on Cleopatra's entrance into Rome, and she even gets to attend a "La Dolce Vita" type party that manages to be both clean and funny. The plot is only a peg on which to hang a string of episodic adventures among Rome's scenic beauties. Gidget is 18 now and she makes her first grown-up trip with her usual pals and their boyfriends. Miss Landis, aunt of one of the boys, serves as chaperone for the group, but Gidget's parents (Jeff Donnell and Don Porter) secretly arrange to have an Italian journalist, Cesare Danova, watch over their daughter. Darren becomes enamored of a charming guide (Danielle de Metz) and, to spite him, Gidget makes a play for Danova, whom she compares to Dante's Paoli. At vacation's end, Gidget and Darren are reunited. Columbia. 101 minutes. Cindy Carol, James Darren, Jessie Royce Landis, Cesare Danova, Danielle de Metz. Produced by Jerry Bresler. Directed by Paul Wendkos. "Three Fables of Love" Satinet IRcttucc^ O O Plus French omnibus tells three short stories, one of which is outstanding. Has Leslie Caron, Rossano Brazzi. OK art entry. A galaxy of international stars and a trio of directors fail to make this French omnibus of La Fontaine's fables more than intermittently entertaining, but moderate boxoffice success can be predicted due to the art house popularity of Leslie Caron, Rossano Brazzi, Charles Aznavour, and director Rene Clair. The Madeleine Films-Franco London Films co-production, produced by Gilbert de Goldschmidt, utilizes three short fables with varying results. The first, "The Tortoise and The Hare," pits Monica Vitti and Sylva Koscina in a race for the love of Rossano Brazzi. The adaptation by Suzanne Cecci D'Amico and Alessandro Blasetti, who also directed, is sluggish and so are the performances. Since Miss Vitti here exerts far more sex appeal than her rival, the fable, in which she is the slow starter, loses its impact. The second opus, "The Fox and The Crow," has moments of humor, thanks to the spirited performance of Michel Serrault and Jean Poiret and the tongue-in-cheek direction of Herve Bromberger. Unfortunately, the screenplay, by Bromberger and Frederic Grendel, extends a story that could be told in ten minutes to a rather tedious half hour. The crow, Serrault, is overly protective of his wife, Anna Karina, but fox Poiret plays on the crow's vanity and makes off with the damsel. The final and briefest fable, lasting only 20 minutes, is a minor gem. Director-writer Rene Clair has staged "Two Pigeons" with style and verve and has provided Leslie Caron with a role that enables her to display another facet of her talent. Miss Caron is the epitome of sophistication as an ultra-chic fashion model. She is about to embark on a weekend vacation when she discovers that her door is jammed. She enlists the aid of Charles Aznavour, an unworldly neighbor, who accidentally locks himself inside the apartment. It is a holiday, there are no other neighbors around, and Aznavour accidently breaks the telephone. And so the two spend the weekend together, subsisting on Metrecal cocktails. By the time they are rescued, they have fallen in love, but a double-twist ending holds a few more happy surprises. The film, a Janus release, has adequate English subtitles. Janus. 76 minutes. Leslie Caron, Rossano Braizi, Monica Vitti, Sylva Koscina Charles Aznavour, Jean Poiret, Michel Serrault, Ann Karina. Produced by Gilbert de Goldschmidt. Directed by Alessandro Blasetti, Herve Bromberger, Rene Clair. Film BULLETIN August 5, 1963 Page 15 A