Harrison's Reports (1954)

74 HARRISON’S REPORTS May 8, 1954 TEXT OF THE MGM POLICY STATEMENT The following is the text of the statement issued by Charles M. Reagan, MGM’s general sales manager, in connection with his company’s policy on Cinema' Scope pictures and stereophonic sound: “In response to the demands of many motion piC' ture exhibitors, MGM announces that it will release its CinemaScope pictures to all theatres capable of presenting them on a wide screen and with anamor' phic projection. “Up to this time MGM CinemaScope productions have been available solely to those theatres which had installed stereophonic sound equipment suitable for magnetic sound tracks. “The new policy is designed to service theatres which present the single channel track as well as those equipped for magnetic sound and the new Perspecta sound. “Many theatres have voiced the opinion that mO' tion picture distributing companies should furnish their CinemaScope . productions to the many thou' sands of theatres which are not yet prepared to expand their sound facilities. “MGM has released only two CinemaScope prO' ductions. They are ‘Knights of the Round Table’ and ‘Rose Marie.’ These productions will be made available to all theatres equipped with a screen wide enough to encompass the projection via the anamor' phic lens. “Other MGM pictures announced for Cinema' Scope are ‘The Student Prince,’ ‘Seven Brides,’ ‘Brigadoon,’ ‘Athena,’ ‘Green Fire’ and ‘Jupiter’s Darling.’ “In connection with this announcement it is im' portant for exhibitors to realize that all MGM pic' tures, in whatever dimension, will be released with Perspecta sound tracks permitting exhibitors to em' ploy either stereophonic sound or single channel sound. “Exhibitors would be shortsighted if they did not take full advantage of this opportunity for improved presentation. “The exhibition without stereophonic sound of CinemaScope or other MGM pictures would elimi' nate an effect essential to their full enjoyment. “We cannot urge exhibitors strongly enough to install stereophonic devices. “To ignore the advantages of new sound tech' niques is a disservice to the public and an obstruction to the great future development of motion pictures. We are on the threshhold of tremendous achievement and an improvement in presentation techniques. The failure of exhibitors to cooperate fully in the new advances would be to retard and discourage the great future which has already been revealed and is only in its early stages of development. “It would be sad indeed if exhibitors were induced into a lethargy and not inspired to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities presented by the in' ventions and achievements of great technicians work' ing in the Studios. “Furthermore, we believe that the theatres which are equipped with stereophonic sound devices will have a great box-office advantage over those theatres not so equipped, and that the movie-going public, which has already put its stamp of approval on CinemaScope with stereophonic sound will further demonstrate its acceptance by preferring to attend those theatres properly equipped for the new type of presentation. “An exhibitor who does not wish to see motion pictures presented under the best possible circumstances is not keeping faith with his public and we sincerely hope and strongly recommend that those theatres playing MGM pictures will install stereophonic sound devices if they have not already done so.” “The Yellow Tomahawk” with Rory Calhoun and Peggie Castle (United Artists, May; time, 82 min.) An acceptable Indians-versus-white type of outdoor melodrama, photographed in the Color Corporation of America color process. There is not much originality in either the story or the treatment, which deals with the efforts of an Indian scout to bring a stubborn and vicious Army major to his senses so as to put a halt to the vengeance sought by the Cheyenne Indians. The lack of story originality should mean little to the action fans, however, for the proceedings are quite exciting from start to finish. Rory Calhoun is a stalwart type of hero as the Indian scout and he handles his role competently. Peggie Castle is attractive as the heroine, but the romantic interest between her and Calhoun is unimportant and seems to have been dragged in by the ear. The color photography is good: — Calhoun, a rugged Wyoming scout, keeps a rendezvous with his friend, Lee Van Cleef, an Indian brave, who tells him that war had been declared on newly-encamped soldiers headed by Warner Anderson, a Major, whose recent slaughter of Cheyenne women and children was the cause of the trouble. The Indian advises Calhoun to warn Anderson to leave the territory. En route to the camp, Calhoun meets Peggie, who was visiting her fiance, a soldier, at the camp. When Calhoun warns Anderson of the pending Indian attack, he merely scoffs and orders defenses prepared. Meanwhile Peter Graves, a prospector, stumbles into camp with his mortally wounded partner, who has an arrow in his chest. Sawyer had committed the crime to steal his partner’s gold, but he makes it appear as if they had been attacked by the Indians. Assuming that the Cheyennes had already begun their attack, Anderson dispatches Sawyer to warn the General at Fort Ellis. Peggie, who, had broken with her fiance, decides to accompany Sawyer. Shortly thereafter the Indians break through the camp’s weak defenses and kill every one in sight, but Calhoun and Anderson manage to survive. Meanwhile Sawyer and Peggie, unable to get past the Indians, return to the camp, accompanied by Noah Beery, a genial Mexican adventurer, and Rita Moreno, his adoring Indian girl-friend. Calhoun undertakes to lead the small party to the fort but soon finds himself ambushed by Van Cleef ’s warriors. Van Cleef offers to give the party safe passage if they will turn Anderson over to him, but Calhoun refuses, wanting Anderson to answer for his crimes at a court-martial. This results in a series of bloody skirmishes with all but Sawyer reaching the safety of the fort. It ends with Calhoun preferring charges against Anderson, after which he joins Peggie, with whom he had fallen in love. It was produced by Howard W. Koch, and directed by Leslie Selander, from a screenplay by Richard Alan Simmons. It is a Schenck-Koch production. Harmless for the family.