Harrison's Reports (1959)

October 24, 1959 HARRISON'S REPORTS 171 "The Warrior and the Slave Girl" (All Italian Cast) (Columbia, J^ovember; 89 minutes) — SUPERCINESCOPE, EASTMAN COLOR— Beyond the obvious exploitation values of gladiator struggles, roaming legions of Roman troops across the wastelands of ancient Armenia and the pageantry of an Asian court, this Italian import has little to recommend it. The plot is a confused affair featuring intrigue and counter-intrigue in the court of the infant King of Armenia and is extremely difficult to follow. The situation isn't helped much by the dubbed-in English which is out of synchronisation more than it is in. From the viewpoint of pure spectacle, the picture is effective, with the photography being a strong point. However, Joe Levine did extremely well for exhibitors with "Hercules," and if Columbia backs up this film with a similar type promotion — the same results will follow. Apparently there is a strong market for this type of film and this one comes along early enough in the trend to cash in on it: — Marcus Numidis, a Roman Tribune is sent to Armenia to quell a gladiator revolt. He raids the camp of the rebels and successfully captures the leader, Asclepilus, and several voluptuous slave girls whom he has designs upon. When he arrives at the capital city of Armenia he is greeted by the againg Roman Governor as well as the infant King and his guardian, Princess Amira. Despite the fact the Romans are conquerors of the country, Amira plays up the new Roman. But he is a man of heart, and when he sees the prisoners in the dungeon, he is repelled and frees all of them, among them a slave girl named Zahar. For her he has other plans, and assigns her the post of nurse to the king, who is sickly. But Amira, jealous of the popularity of the new Roman, orders a gladiator battle in which the rebel Armenian leader is forced to kill a raging lion. At this point the rebels rise up, slay their captors and escape, taking the Roman tribune with them as prisoner. The tribune is released on the proviso he get rid of Amira and restore the King to the throne. But Amira has had the King poisoned and is now the Queen. When the tribune confronts her and demands her removal, he is arrested by her soldiers and dumped into prison. In the meantime, Zahar has prepared a special potion that has put the King into a coma, but saved him from the poison of Amira. When the tribune is rescued from prison by his faithful assistant, he returns to Zahar where they both reveal their love for each other. Eventually the tribune manages to round up his Roman soldiers and mold them into a fighting unit. When he does so he attacks the stronghold of Amira and suceeds in killing her, while at the same time rescuing Zahar from the burning stake. But the battle is not without penalty. The rebel leader, a much beloved man by the Armenians, has been killed in the battle. With his death, the tribune recognises the cause of the rebel leader and enshrines his body in the tomb of kings. CREDITS: Directed by Vittorio Cattafavi. Produced by Virgilio deBlase. General. "The Golden Fish" (Columbia, J^pvember; 19 minutes) A well-deserved prise winner at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, this charming 19-minute short about a boy, his fish and bird and a scavenging, menacing cat has been selected for feature attraction treatment. A Chinese lad in Paris falls in love with a gold fish being exhibited at a carnival stand. But the youngster lacks the money to buy it. The love affair is endangered when a man comes up and spies the fish and also decides that he would want it. But he is unable to win it, and in the process breaks the youngster's bottle of milk. He pays the lad generously and with the extra money the youngster wins the fish. He takes it home and the fish and bird deliver a charming ballet while the lad and his mother are away from the house. But the ballet ends when the fish, in a burst of exuberance, leaps out of the bowl. Drama enters when a mangy neighborhood alley cat enters the apartment and menaces first the bird and then the fish. But just as it appears that the fish is about to be eaten, the cat drops him back into the bowls. The youngster returns to a scene of tranquility, unaware that his menagerie had been threatened. STATEMENT REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF AUGUST 24, 1912, AS AMENDED BY THE ACTS OF MARCH 3, 1933, AND JULY 2, 1946 (Title 39, United States Code, Section 233) SHOWING THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION OF HARRISON'S REPORTS, published weekly at New York, N. Y., for October 1, 1959. 1. The names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are: Publisher Harrison's Reports, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20, N. Y.; Editor, David Martin; Managing Editor, none; Business Manager, none. 2. The owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, its name and address, as well as that of each individual member, must be given.) Harrison's Reports, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20, N. Y.: Allied Theatre Owners of Maryland, 516 N. Howard St., Baltimore 1, Md.; Allied MPTO of Western Pennsylvania, 1705 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh 19, Pa.; Horace Adams, 55 State St., Columbus, Ohio; Benjamin Berger, 317 Plymouth Bldg., Mnneapolis 2, Minn.; Jack Kirsch, 20 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago 4, 111.; Ben Marcus, 127 E. Silver Springs Dr., Milwaukee 11, Wise; Trueman T. Rembusch, 55J/2 East Court St., Franklin, Indiana; Ruben Shor, 1632 Central Parkway, Cincinnati 10, Ohio; Wilbur Snaper, 234 W. 44th St., New York, N. Y. 3. The known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: None. 4. Paragraphs 2 and 3 include, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting; also the statements in the two paragraphs show the affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner. 5. The average number of copies of each issue of this publication sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the 12 months preceding the date shown above was: (This information is required from daily, weekly, semiweekly, and triweekly newspapers only.) 2365 (signed) David Martin Editor Sworn and subscribed before me this 14th day of October, 1959. Kenneth N. Adler, Notary Public, State of New York. (My commission expires March 30, 1960.)