Harrison's Reports (1962)

March 31, 1962 HARRISON'S REPORTS 47 quickie like this and perhaps come out of it with some kind of return. In any event, it's all about sex, a so-called swim in the nude, two powerfully buxom voluptuaries (Meg Miles and Sabrina, the latter the British threat to Jane Mansfield) jailbirds, carnival hustlers. It has all kinds of sleazy characters muddy ing through as seamy a story as ever hit the screens without the benefit, of course, of a Production Code Seal. Briefly, the story takes us from a carnival performer; to night club thrush (and Meg Miles has a good singing voice) ; to absconding with the money her convict husband got for writing a dope expose; to hooking on to a father and his son at the same time. Soon, her husband catches up with her, she wins him over. Meantime, she is dropped by both father and son. She seems deserted by all. But, not for long. There is always some man waiting for this kind of woman. The bosomy Sabrina may have come all the way from England for this one, for it's her movie debut. Maybe better luck the next time out. As for this film release, it sure is a lusty, lascivious exercise in cinematic crudity. Produced by Leonard M. Burton; directed by Jerald Intra tor; screenplay by John T. Chapman. Adults. "War Hunt" with John Saxon, Robert Redford, Charles Aid man (United Artists, April; 81 mins.) FAIR. Here, again, the background is war (Korea, May, 1953). All living logic is reduced to the ageworn philosophy, ""kill or be killed.''1 Heroics play themselves out with a taken-for-granted naturalness that it is in the line of duty. The actions of the men are of patterns befitting these people, as you'd imagine they'd be in real life. That is only when they're not on the firing line,--when they're in those so-called relaxed, restful moments. The new recruit shows his timid approach to this business of "kill, or be killed." The actions of the coward are not his own, but something propelled by the sudden fears that come on him. The strange enigma (like John Saxon) who doesn't have to, but goes out on one-man nightly patrols, must be a mystery to himself. His whole approach to life, as it is lived in a war, is changed because of this "here-to-day-gone-tomorrow" raging holocaust he's drawn into. The talk, tough as war-talk should be, stands up with logic especially when the privates and some of the brass lock horns. At times, the story-structure takes on the mantle of a psychological study of nice people caught in the maws of a war they didn't want, but are willing to see through through the process of destroying as much of the enemy as they possibly can. What started out as a promising, a differentlytold tale of war, lost its way as it trekked through its telling. When the end is reached, and the story is ready for its wrap-up, there are too many loose ends to be able to tighten it up entertainingly. Photography, good. As the battle rages in Korea, ever more replacements are needed. A new group of Americans are told, --"this is a peculiar war." In three weeks a truce is signed. In the meantime, there is fighting and dying to be done. Robert Redford (a replacement) takes a liking to an 8-year-old Korean War orphan who is a sort-of mascot of John Saxon. Redford and Saxon didn't hit it off. On his own, Saxon goes out on successful nightly forays killing Chinese Communists and gathering valuable information. During a bombardment Redford suffers a leg injury. Saxon helps him get back to the American lines. Assigned as typist, Redford tries to get closer to the little boy with some simple, easy-to-understand post-war philosophy. This embitters Saxon all the more, though the boy has grown to like Redford. At last, the ceasefire order arrives which starts the Gl's off on a mild celebration. Saxon, however, disappears in no-man'sland. The little boy is with him. This may jeopardize tfa e truce. The captain (Charles Aidman) goes after Saxon. They find him, but he refuses to return to the American lines. A scuffle follows in which the captain is forced to kill Saxon whom he calls "a mad dog.'' The little Korean boy, living in that strange world of the very young, trudges out of the scene and over the horizon to meet up (in due time) with the reality of maturity. Produced by Terry Sanders; directed by Deni; Sanders, screenplay by Stanford Whitmore. General patronage. Short Thought on Film Reviewing Always, the trade reviewer must get to the basic roots of a film. He has to evaluate, carefully, its worth to the exhibitor. Meaning its box office value based on the picture's appeal to the movie going public. The theatre men look upon the trade paper critic to steer them right, advise them, caution them. The skilled reporter will know what to look for, what to probe and how to find it in a release. Movie Names Dominate Front Page It isn't wise to underestimate the power of a woman (especially if she's a Hollywood star) to break through to the front pages of the metropolitan newspapers no matter what the space demands of other world events in the breaking . . . Last week, within a few days these ladies (quite innocently, of course), almost pushed the globe-girdling Jacqueline Kennedy off the front page: Grace Kelly's decision to come back to Hollywood and make a movie. The next day, the Princess was back on the front page via the hullabaloo M-G-M raised to the effect that if their former star is to do a movie it will have to be for them . . . From Rome came the repeat item (still page one) that the Elizabeth TaylorEddie Fisher marriage is due for a break-up. Then, as if by a carefully timed arrangement, the Janet Leigh-Tony Curtis story (the end of one of Hollywood's happiest marriages). Preceding all this, was the Dinah Shore-George Montgomery split after many years of marital bliss... While we don't go in for chronicling the romances of Hollywood, the way these events took over the front pages of the metropolitan newspapers prove their name-value to the publice, something which some people in the business were doing a little short-selling on. Hollywood names will always make big newsl