Harrison's Reports (1962)

16 HARRISON'S REPORTS February 3, 1962 Oscar Votes... (Continued from Front Page) is great in the realm of the motion picture would be worth no more than the metal it costs to mould him, " about $100. The forced skulduggery indulged in by the hope' fuls is all done with the strong condemnation of the Academy itself. It makes its appeal every year for a show of more decent ethics, for greater restraint in these ads, but it falls on deaf ears. If anything, the campaigns get more bold, the bids for votes more brazen, the spending more lavish. Some of the elec' tioneering almost reaches the professional depths of scandalous disregard for the basic reasons why the Academy came into being; what its idcalogies; why its top-level degree of respect and dignity. independent* Rule the Roont, Call the Turn The death-blow to the decencies that once prevailed is another outgrowth of the spread of independent operation. At one time studios controlled the pursestrings. They sought votes, to be sure, for their hope' fuls, but they didn't think that advertising Donny brooks had to be launched in the trade press. Today, with so many of the independents having turned out the kind of product that should get a hearing in the voting booths, the generalissimos go into battle without being forced to read the primer of dignified operation. Verily, because most of the independents are caught up in the riptide of their press agents' releases, some pretty hopeless and foolish ads are taken on product and creativity that wouldn't get a wardheeler elected dog-catcher. The ad-mania is so contagious, out in Hollywood, during this interlude between the nominating of five in each category and the final election of one out of the five, that producers, directors and stars of outstanding hits get that feel of insecurity. Like guilding the lily, they too take big spreads and plead for votes as if they failed to come through with an acknowledged winner. Life, these days, out there is cleaved out of the shifting sands of prophetic instability. Not even the recognised talent of Pultizer Prize stature are willing to rest on the job of work they've done on a film even though it is still holding (with great strength) at the box offices of the nation's theatres. Hobgoblins of Insecurity, Instability Insecurity, instability, inconsistency rule embattled Hollywood, right now. This apart from the usual state of economic apprehension. The Oscar-ized state will continue until the latter part of March. Big sums will be spent to soothe a worried self-confidence. Egos will feed fat on the vagueries of self -evaluation. As some of these open (paid-for) bids in the trades come to our attention it seems unbelievable that those who fathered some of the touted productions don't realize the weakness of their claims. Having seen some of these alleged Academy Award hopefuls, it's sending a lot of good advertising money down the drain in our opinion. But, this is Oscar-bidding time. The battle lines have been drawn up, big budgets have been set aside and some of the reading in the two Hollywood trade dailies ought to be amusing if not altogether convincing. Standing by and wondering at the irony of it all, will be the overseers of the revered Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For all of their honest Letter to Merger... (Continued from Front Page) promotion (to say nothing of paid-for advertising) . Weaklings need these crutches badly. But, for a long haul,-10 weeks in your case--you need more than this artificial respiration. The polish will be off the apple after the opening period and that unmeasurable quantity,--public reception and word-by-mouth relay,--will take over. If the picture isn't there, this residue, for free, doesn't show up at the box office. Ilennie Uerger, Fearless Fighter Surely, Bcnnie Berger, we don't intend to tell you how to conduct your business. Nor are these old precepts of operation new to you. But, we feel impelled to put in a pitch for the reliability of the reviews in Harrison's Reports. It's the way we reacted to a "Pocketful of Miracles" so long in advance of its national release.-which was in such variance with our colleagues, that we take this liberty in repeating the line our masthead has carried for 43-years: "A motion picture reviewing service devoted chiefly to the interests of the exhibitor." Supporting that slogan are the reviews themselves. Kindly read them carefully. They can be of great help to an exhibitor, especially in oversold releases like a "Pocketful of Miracles." Keep up the good fight. In the victory of one fearless fighter the other theatre operators are bound to share. "Veridiana" (Continued from Preceding Page) nun is saved. She must abandon her life of sacrifice and prayers. She enters Rabal's bedroom. He is with a maturing house servant with whom he's been having an affair. She wants to leave so that the two can be together, alone. However he invites the alluring, former lady of penitent prayer to sit down. All three begin a game of cards. Written and directed by Luis Bunuel. Adults. Strictly for art houses. Drive-In Openings on Way If winter is here, spring cannot be far away. Thus, as the gladsome season of warmer days, lovelier nights looms on the calendar the operators of closed drive-in theatres are already at work gettng their places ready for business. Once again, the emphasis will be on family trade. The drive-in with all its extra inducements for the kiddies (bless 'em) plays an important communal role for the movie-going family seeking its special kind of entertainment in a picnic-like atmosphere. pleadings and implorings they'll be able to do as much about it this year, as they did last and those before that, --and, that's a big, discouraging nothing. Maybe, the reason for it all is the philosophy out of which Hollywood weaves its pattern of life. You must be bold and brash to force yourself down stage. For that's where the spotlight of success will pick you up. It doesn't matter that in doing so, you may be pushing the more deserving and talented up against failure's backdrop and out of the glaring spotlight of Hollywood recognition and public notice.