Harrison's Reports (1955)

192 HARRISON'S REPORTS November 26, 1955 No matter how you slice the diplomatic language used by the MMPTA in its statement, it all adds up to rejection of the arbitration draft in its present form. Thus that organization has taken its place along side the Southern California Theatre Owners Association, another participating member of the arbitration conference, which has rejected the draft as unacceptable, and National Allied, which did not participate in the conference but which has rejected the plan as unworthy and detrimental to the interests of the exhibitors, and has resolved to take whatever steps may be necessary and legally feasible to prevent the approval of the plan by the Attorney General or the United States District Court. The only exhibitor organizations that have approved the plan are the Theatre Owners of America and the Independent Theatre Owners Association, of New York. The distributor members of the Motion Picture Association of America, which participated in the arbitration negotiations, have not yet taken any action on the draft. Even if the distributors accept the draft, it is extremely doubtful if the Department of Justice would recommend its approval by the Court in view of the fact that it has been rejected by National Allied, SCTOA and the MMPTA, whose combined membership probably represents more than half the organized exhibitors in the country. And, as it has already been said in these columns, even if the plan should be approved by the Court, it is doubtful if it will prove either meaningful or workable without the participation of the organizations that will not be signatories to the agreement. "Shack Out on 101" with Frank Love joy, Terry Moore and Keenan Wynn (Allied Artists, Dec. 4; time, 80 min.) A good melodrama. The characters are quite talka' tive in the first part of the film, but this is more than compensated for in the last part, which is full of thrilling action and in which the sympathetic characters perform heroic acts, risking their lives to save their friends from being murdered. One is held in pretty tense suspense, not only in these scenes, but also throughout the unfolding of the action. Keenan Wynn does good work as the proprietor of an "eat' ing shack," and so do Terry Moore, as a waitress, and Frank Lovejoy, as an electronics professor. Lee Marvin is properly menacing as the secret head of a spy ring. Although there is no comedy relief , it is compensated for by the fact that the action is light throughout most of the first part. The direction is good and the photography clear: — Keenan Wynn, owner of an eating shack near a well-guarded electronics laboratory on Highway 101, employs Terry, as a waitress, and Marvin, as cook. Frequent customers are Lovejoy, connected with the laboratory, Whit Bissell, a salesman, and Jess Barker and Donald Murphy, truck drivers. Another customer is Len Lesser, a commercial fisherman. Terry and Lovejoy are in love with each other. From time to time Terry hears things that make her suspicious and she begins to feel that the shack is some sort of spy center, involving Lovejoy, Marvin, Barker, Murphy and Lesser. When Terry confronts Marvin with her suspicion of his being a member of the spy ring, he tries to kill her. The timely arrival of Lovejoy, however, saves her life. It is then revealed that Barker and Murphy are FBI agents, on the track of the mysterious head of the spy ring, and that Marvin is the man they were searching for. When this fact comes to light, Marvin threatens to kill them all, but Bissell, who had sneaked into the shack, kills him with a skin diver's harpoon. William F. Broidy produced it, and Edward Dein directed it, from a story and screenplay by himself and Mildred Dein. Adults, though there is very little objectionable material for family audiences. "Lover Boy" with Gerard Philipe, Valerie Hobson and Natasha Parry (20th Century-Fox, October; time, 85 min-) This British-made comedy drama can best be described as a story of the amorous adventures of a young French philanderer in London. It has its amusing moments, but it is definitely not a picture for family patronage and seems best suited for art houses that cater to a sophisticated clientele, as well as such theatres that specialize in sex pictures and resort to sensational advertising methods. The picture, which has all-English dialogue, was shown as "Monsieur Repots" in France, "The Knave of Hearts" in England and "Lovers, Happy Lovers" elsewhere. It opens with Gerard Philipe separating from Valerie Hobson, his wealthy wife, over his attentions to Natasha Parry, her best friend. A complete cad about women, Philipe hoped to make Natasha his next victim. He tricks her into having dinner with him in his apartment, but when he fails to arouse her ardor he tries to arouse her pity. Through flashbacks, he recalls that he was impoverished during his early days in London and, to better himself, he made overtures of love to Margaret Johnson, his boss. Her dreadful cooking, however, ended the romance, and he next turned his attentions to Joan Greenwood, whom he had picked up on a bus. He had induced her to come to his flat and had turned her head with tall stories of a make-believe inheritance, but he gave her up when she insisted upon marriage. He then went to live in the Soho with Germaine Montero, a matronly French woman, who supported him, but he had repaid her kindness by stealing fifty pounds and running off. He used the money to rent a garret, where he taught French lessons privately. In that way he had met Valerie and ended up by marrying her. But even at the wedding, she, Natasha, had won his heart. Philipe's story leaves Natasha unmoved and she laughingly walks out of his apartment. He watches her from the balcony as she enters her car, climbs over the rail and threatens to jump if she doesn't return. When she drives off, he slips accidentally and falls to his death. It was produced by Paul Graetz, and directed by Rene Clement, who collaborated on the screenplay with Hug Mills, basing it on a story by Louis Hemon. Strictly adult fare.