Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1963)

"Sunday in New York" SuUkcm IZatUf O O © Lively, youthful romantic-comedy , with clean sex overtones, should have strong appeal for wide audience. Cheerful entry, in color. Where it is backed by a strong promotion campaign, "Sunday in New York" will be a lively boxoffice event. Seven Arts' bright, youthful adaptation of Norman Krasna's Broadway comedy furnishes a steady flow of laughter. Its fresh approach to an old theme — is virginity worth the trouble it causes? — and the casting of Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor, and Cliff Robertson in leads will give this M-G-M release strong appeal among the late teen and college-age sets. Sophisticated Moviegoers, too, will find it to their liking. Krasna's bright, brittle, and occasionally farcical screenplay, while sex-oriented, maintains an upright moral tone and is never in bad taste. Peter Tewkesbury's facile direction and the enthusiasm of the players help to overcome the few lulls in the plot. Everett Freeman's production is bright and cheery (in Metrocolor) and the lilting background score, composed and performed by Peter Nero, contains an exploitable title tune. The story takes place on a single Sunday in New York. Miss Fonda arrives unexpectedly at the bachelor flat of brother Robertson and confesses that she has left Albany and come to the big city to muse over the state of her virginity. Reassured by Robertson's insistence that men marry "nice" girls, she ventures onto a Fifth Avenue bus and promptly impales Taylor on her corsage. One thing leads to another and the couple, caught in a rainstorm, take refuge in Robertson's deserted apartment. When our heroine discovers that her brother has set a double standard for her and for other girls, Miss Fonda sets out to seduce Taylor, a noble chap who, though tempted, respects her innocence. Suddenly, Miss Fonda's muscle-conscious fiance, Robert Culp, barges in and mistakes Taylor, in a bathrobe, for Robertson, and, later, Robertson for a friend. After matters are straightened out to Culp's dismay and disbelief, the still virtuous Miss Fonda and Taylor realize they are in love. In the meantime, Robertson has been maneuevered by boss Jim Backus into proposing marriage to pretty Jo Morrow, so it looks like there will be a double wedding. M-G-M. 105 minutes. Rod Taylor, Jane Fonda, Cliff Robertson. Produced by Everett Freeman. Directed by Peter Tewkesbury. "Kings of the Sun" S«<Unedd ^txtcHQ O O Plus Fast-moving, colorful adventure spectacle for action fans and the young-in-mind. Not for sophisticated audiences. Brynner provides marquee amperage. This United Artists' release is a rousing, fast-moving adventure that is eminently suited for the action fans and family trade. The plot, however, is in those broad, spectacle-oriented terms that do not figure to find favor with class or discriminating audiences. Yul Brynner provides the marquee amperage for this type of action-adventure, and George Chakiris adds an effective bit of fancy swordsplay that will please action devotees. Lewis J. Rachmil's production for the Mirisch Company appears to be painstakingly authentic in its recreation of early Mayan culture — right down to the absence of horses and dogs — and often it is breathtakingly beautiful in Panavision and Deluxe color, but director J. Lee Thompson ("Taras Bulba") concentrates on physical action rather than story telling. This leaves the cast, which includes such able supporting players as Shirley Anne Field, Richard Basehart, Brad Dexter, and Barry Morse, to struggly vainly — and with a variety of acting styles — with the stilted, comic-strip dialogue provided by Elliott Arnold and James R. Webb. After fleeing their Mexican homeland, the Mayans, under youthful and inexperienced king Chakiris, attempt to build a new city on the southwest coast of what one day will become Texas. Chakiris is attacked by Brynner, a warlike chieftain from a nearby Indian camp, but is rescued by kinsmen Dexter and Morse. Brynner, severely wounded, is taken captive and nursed back to health by Miss Field so that he may be used as a sacrifice to the Gods. Just before the axman is to strike the fatal blow, Chakiris spares Brynner's life, whereupon Basehart, the high priest, warns that the gods must be appeased and commits suicide. Brynner's tribe and the Mayans agree to live in peace together, but the two leaders' ever-growing love for Miss Field leads to friction. Before war can break out, however, the Mayans are attacked by barbarians. The Indians join in the fight and Brynner is killed trying to save the Mayan king's life. United Art'sts. 108 minutes. Yul Brynner, George Chakiris, Shirley Anne Field. Produced by Lewis J. Rachmil. Directed by J. Lee Thompson. "The Comedy of Terrors" Sututete &atut$ Q Q Plus Plenty of laughs in this tongue-in-cheek AIP horrorcomedy. Price, Karloff, Lorre, Rathbone all ham it up for fun. Exploitable item. With cutlass in in hand, ageless lothario Peter Lorre challenges master-fiend Vincent Price to a duel to the death for the love of luscious Joyce Jameson. The sheer ludicrousness of it all will give this tongue-in-cheek American International release strong exploitation values in the mass markets. Although there is absolutely no suspense and the gags are antique, the players are so wonderfully miscast that only the dourest of viewers will fail to be amused. Picture a lovable Boris Karloff, a hammy Basil Rathbone, a grim Joe E. Brown, and a seductive Rhubarb (that's a cat, man), and you get the general idea. As usual with these James H. Nicolson-Samuel Z. Arkoff productions, the Pathecolor processing is excellent and the photography and production design by Floyd Crosby and Daniel Haller, respectively, belie a modest budget. Richard Matheson's screenplay and Jacques Tourneur's direction are adequate to allow the players their hammy fun, and Les Baxter's rollicking background score, consisting mostly of player-piano ditties and other such cornball devices, is pure delight. The story has opportunist Price marrying Miss Jameson to gain control of papa Karloff's undertaking business, and creating unhappiness for all by belittling and abusing his spouse, attempting to poison his father-in-law with "medicine," and blackmailing his kindly assistant Lorre. Gradually, love blossoms between wife and assistant and the two decide to run away together, but their escape is prevented by Rathbone, a "dead" customer who refuses to stay dead. Most of the humor arises from the cataleptic corpse's efforts to escape from his casket (nearly frightening gravekeeper Brown to death), and is climaxed bv Karloff's absent-minded eulogy and by a death scene in which Rathbone, having been shot by Price, re-enacts a host of Shakespearean demises. Eventually, Price falls victim to his "medicine", and Lorre and Miss Jameson are free to marry, AIP. 88 minutes. Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, Joe E. Brown, Joyce Jameson. Produced by James H Nicholson and Samuel Z Arkoff. Directed by Jacques Tourneur. faiieu fating* • POOR • • FAIR • • • GOOD • • • • TOPS Film BULLETIN December 23, 1963 Page 11