Harrison's Reports (1959)

180 HARRISON'S REPORTS November 7, 1959 THE WRECK OF "THE WRECK OF THE MARY DEARE" Elsewhere on these pages there appears a review of what we consider to be a very fine film, "The Wreck of the Mary Deare." Normally, the advent of a topgrade motion picture would be an occasion for rejoicing. But our reaction to the news of the releasing of the film is quite the opposite — we are very much disturbed by the lack of pre-release activity in connec tion with the film. From what we have been able to gather from our conversations with responsible individuals in the trade it appears that the film is going to be released solely on merit — a worthy thought but a suicidal policy in these days when the competition is keen and promotion, exploitation, advertising and publicity are the keys to box office success. The first tangible evidence of a promotion campaign for the film came earlier in the week with the publication in the two New York trade dailies of a manual for exploitation to be used by exhibitors on the local level, containing the inevitable and weary suggestion that a book-movie tie-in be arranged. However, since we are not in a position to comment on the efficiency of the recommendations made in the do-ityourself exploitation kit, we will merely state that we deem this effort to be unworthy of the caliber of the picture and a poor excuse for a strong national campaign. We are not without sympathy for the harried advertising, exploitation, merchandising and various other departments at M-G-M who have been working overtime on the plans and execution of the ambitious "Ben Hur" campaign. And it would be unfair of us were we not to commend them for the fine campaign that has emerged from their effort, but we also recognize the danger sign of M-G-M embarking on a policy similar to the one which was taken by what shall be a charitably unmentioned company when it had a film similar to "Ben Hur" and for many years afterward felt the sting of their disastrous policy which called for the exploitation of one film to the exclusion and detriment of others. Most probably it is too late to correct the tactical error made in the case of "Mary Deare," but a word to the wise (and we are convinced of the M-G-M wisdom) should be sufficient. We also feel quite strongly that exhibitors should not compound the felony and penalize the film or the company but that they should engage in a vigorous campaign for the film since it is worthy of the effort and the rewards are likely to be well worth the effort. THE SHAPE OF THE SIXTIES (Continued from front pigs) The move to suburbia will continue. In these will be the households that will have more than the average to spend. By 1970 two out of every three Americans will live in one of the 200 U.S. metropolitan areas and suburbs. This urban and suburban population will be that of the entire nation in 1950. Another fact which can be related to your business is that more education makes for new differences in spending habits. It implies the exercise of good taste in consumption. Is the movie going habit then destined for a struggle or will its status be consistent with the spending patterns of the next decade? Will your patrons be self-conscious about telling their friends? Or proud to recommend — the strongest art of persuasion. These are important prognostications, and healthy ones too. The only question remaining is whether the movie industry will be able to keep pace with them. PARAMOUNT AND THE NEW FUTURE (Continued from front page) rent and deserved hue and cry about shortage of product, this is o:.e of the happier items to come along in recenr ino'.ths. The nrudu' tion schedule follows: HELLER WITH A GUN (Technicolor) —Directed by George Cukor. Starring Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren. ONE-EYED JACKS (Technicolor) —Directed by Marlon Brando. Starring Marlon Brando and Karl Maiden. VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET— A Hal Wallis production— directed by Norman Taurog. Starring Jerry Lewis. A BREATH OF SCANDAL (Technicolor)— Directed by Michael Curtis. Starring Maurice Chevalier and Sophia Loren. CHANCE MEETING. Starring Michelene Presle, Hardy Kruger. A TOUCH OF LARCENY— An Ivan Foxwell production — Directed by Guy Hamilton. Starring James Mason, Vera Miles, George Sanders. JACK THE RIPPER— A Joe Levine "Special.,, THE BIG NIGHT. Starring Corey Allen and Venetia Stevenson. PRISONER OF THE VOLGA (Technicolor) . Starring John Derek, Elsa Martinelli and Dawn Addams. BAY OF NAPLES (Technicolor) —produced by Jack Rose — Directed by Mel Shavelson. Starring Sophia Loren and Clark Gable. THE RAT RACE (Technicolor) — Produced by William Perlberg and George Seaton. Starring Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis. CINDERFELLA (Technicolor)— Directed by Frank Tashlin. Starring Jerry Lewis. JOVANKA AND THE OTHERS— Produced by Dino DeLaurentiis — Directed by Martin Ritt. Starring Van Heflin, Vera Miles, Silvana Mangano, Barbara Bel Geddes. THE SAVAGE INNOCENTS (Technirama) — Directed by Nicholas Ray. Starring Anthony Quinn, Yoko Tani. PSYCHO— An Alfred Hitchcock production. Starring Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, Anthony Perkins. THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY— PerlbergSeaton production. Starring Fred Astairc, Debbie Reynolds, Tab Hunter, Lilli Palmer. THE BASHFUL BULLFIGHTER — Directed by Norman Taurog. Starring Jerry Lewis. G.I. BLUES (Technicolor)— A Hal Wallis production. Starring Elvis Presley. THE COUNTERFEIT TRAITOR — A PerlbergSeaton Production. Starring William Holden, Lilli Palmer. THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG (Technicolor) — Directed by Jean Negulesco. Starring William Holden. NO BAIL FOR THE JUDGE— Produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Audrey Hepburn. A CHILD IS WAITING— A Panama and Frank Production. Starring Ingrid Bergman.