Harrison's Reports (1955)

October 29, 1955 HARRISON'S REPORTS 175 with Alex Nicol. Reading their lips, he discovers that they are in love but that Dorothy was still loyal to him because of a deep sense ot obligation. He sees to it that she goes back to Nicol's arms. He then decides to go through with the operation, which turns out successful. It all ends with his debut in Carnegie Hall, and with his realization that he loved Joanne, who had come to hear him play. It was produced by Henry Blanke, and directed by Gordon Douglas, from a screenplay by Irving Wallace. Family. "Naked Sea" (RKO, December; time, 69 min.) A generally fascinating feature-length documentary, deal' ing with tuna fishing. It should get by as a supporting fea-: ture on double bills. Photographed in Pathecolor, it depicts a four-month voyage undertaken by the 14-man crew of a wooden tuna clipper, which heads from San Diego, California, and goes South to Panama, the Galapagos Islands and the deep waters off Peru. The early part of the picture, which deals with the preparations for the voyage and the goodbyes between the crew members and their families, is slow and hardly of much interest. But once the ship )jets out to sea and comes upon schools of tuna fish, the action becomes exciting and thrilling. Using long bamboo fishing poles, the men haul in the fish, weighing from twenty to titty pounds, with incredible speed and rhythm. The action is particularly thrilling in the deep waters off Peru, where they catch individual tunas that weigh as much as three hundred pounds and require three men with three poles on one hook to haul them on board The methods used to haul in nets full of anchovetta, which must be kept alive for bait for the tuna, are also fascinating. It was produced, directed and photographed by Allen H. Miner, and narrated by William Conrad. The narration, however, is too verbose and much too pompous. "The View from Pompey's Head" with Richard Egan, Dana Wynter and Cameron Mitchell (20th Century-Fox, November; time, 97 min.) A finely produced romantic melodrama, based on Hamil* ton Basso s best-selling novel of the same name. Photographed in CinemaScope and DeLuxe color, which adds much to the pictorial beauty and atmosphere of the story's Southern locale, the film offers a complex but intriguing tale of a married New York lawyer who returns to his old Southern hometown to check into a charge of embezzlement against his law firm and in the process becomes romantically involved with his one-time sweetheart, who was unhappily married to a man she considered to be below her social standards. There is an undercurrent of Southern pride and prejudice throughout the proceedings and, despite some talky moments that tend to stow down the action, it grips one's attention from start to finish. The picture serves to introduce Dana Wynter, a beautiful and talented newcomer, who is most impressive as the possessive Southern belle who rekindles her love for the lawyer, played most competently by Richard Egan. Cameron Mitchell, as Miss Wynter s wealthy but surly husband, is very effective. There is much that is dramatically provocative in the affair between Egan and Miss Wynter, for, though they love each other sincerely, they decide that he should not leave his wife and children to remain with her. The direction, production values and color photography are excellent. Briefly, the story has Egan heading for Pompey's Head, his hometown, to investigate a charge by Marjorie Rambeau, wife of Sidney Blackmer, a famous author now blind, that a member of his law firm had embezzled $20,000 from funds due to her husband. En route, his memories go back to the days before he went to New York, and he fondly recalls his friendship with Dana, then a teen-ager and member of the town's leading family. She had been in love with him, though he treated her as a big brother would, and before he left town she was heartbroken because her family, having suffered financial reverses, had to move from Mulberry, their luxurious plantation home. Shortly after he arrives in town, Egan is visited by Dana, who dis< closes that she is married to Mitchell, a man who came from the wrong side of the tracks but who had become wealthy and had restored Mulberry, which was now their home. While in the process of investigating Miss Rambeau's charges, Egan learns that Dana's life with the surly and somewhat uncouth Mitchell was an unhappy one. They spend considerable time together, realize that they are in love, and give vent to their feelings, but both accept the fact that it would be impossible to continue the affair. Meanwhile Egan manages to have a talk with Blackmer and learns from him that the supposedly embezzled money was actually used to support Blackmer's mother, a Negress, a fact that he was afraid to reveal to his wife. Miss Rambeau eavesdropping on their conversation, is shocked by this revelation, but, lest it become known that she is married to a man tinged with Negro blood, she uses a flimsy excuse to sweetly withdraw the embezzlement charge, confident that Fgan would understand. After a touching farewell with Dana, Egan departs for New York and his family. It was produced and directed by Philip Dunne from his own screenplay. Adult fare. A LITTLE FELLOW UNBURDENS HIMSELF (Continued from bac\ page) ner to attend the Presidents banquet." We had our chance to gripe — therefore we should be happy. This was the impression that I had all the way through the convention I had the feeling that we were asked to join in attending to tend support by numbers. Our thanks was a "chance to gripe. (Editor's Hote-.At this point Mr. Smith's 5-page letter goes into an interesting but lengthy discourse in which he expresses the opinion that "there is nothing wrong with distributor-exhibitor relations that the exhibitor is not responsible for-" He points out that every time an exhibitor pays an exorbitant price for a picture he is in effect casting a vote for the continuance of the policy of over-pricing, and suggests that, if enough exhibitors would pass up overpriced pictures, distribution would soon feel it in the pocketbooh and would come to the realization that "that it is more profitable to sell to the many for less than to sell to the few for more." To prove that he practices what he preaches, Mr Smith cites his relations with the different film companies over the past two years and points out that he has passed up their overpriced pictures. He admits that he is fighting a losing battle and that he is going bro\e by passing up the big pictures, but adds that "I would be going just as broke if I had played them." Moreover, he claims that his net is as good, or better, than it would have been if he had played the pictures on the excessive terms demanded.) Can not the distributors see that every time he closes one of us Little Fellows" he is giving the "Big Boys" a buying advantage? ... Mr. Y. Frank Freeman, as a feature attraction on the pro* uCtIjn semlnar at the TOA convention, rather scoffed at the idea of exhibition producing pictures. In my humble opinion he had a right to • EFFG does not scare him in the least If more big pictures went into production after EFFG was formed it was because they (big pictures) were making money — for the producer. Mr. Freeman is one of the most accomplished soft soapers that I have had the privilege to listen to. From my observation, there are only two things that distribution is concerned about One is Government control (I sincerely hope we do not have to come to this) the other and the thing they are most afraid of is the exhibitors really getting together. The distributor says it's impossible It has been done in other parts of the continent and in some isolated sections of the U. S. He is afraid this unity of purpose might spread. He knows that if it does, his lush days are over . . . Mr. Harrison, I do not quite know why I picked you to unload all of this on unless it is because you are not new to the industry and therefore are bound to agree, at least to some extent, with what I have had to say. Then again, perhaps it is because, through your publication, I know you as a man that is not afraid to think, and having reached a conclusion is not timid about asserting an opinion in your columns. I feel you owe no allegiance to production, distribution or the "big boys." I believe that you are ready and willing to champion the cause of the Smiths and the Joneses as well as that of the Martins and the Coys so long as it is for the good of the industry Sincerely yours, (signed) R. B. Smith