The Independent Film Journal (1955)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

Rivoli Theatre Has Face Lifted For New System (■ Continued from page 24) measuring 22 inches as against 18 and 19 inches for the replaced chairs. The decision reduced the seating capacity of the theatre from 2,094 to 1,650. The mohair-covered seats are the Bodifonn type made by American Seating Co. New Leedom carpeting and a special “Oklahoma” curtain have been installed. New screen measurements were given as 66 feet x 27, with the curve of the screen measuring 13 feet at the center. No popcorn is sold at the new Rivoli, and only 25 cent candy and ice-cream bonbons are available to the patrons. The theatre is getting a $3.50 top for evening performances, and a $2.75 top for matinees. Balcony and mezzanine prices are $2.25 and $1.75 evenings, and $1.75 and $1.50 for matinees. The Picture: Oklahoma Production The TODD-AO version of “Oklahoma!” was more than a year in preparation and nearly five months in production. Although the story is essentially that of the stage play, the scene has been widened to take fullest advantage of the TODD-AO camera. A considerable portion of the film, including several musical numbers, was photographed on location under the direction of chief cinematographer Robert Surtees, two-time Academy Award winner. The decision to use the great outdoors was dictated by the scope of the newly-developed camera lenses, which have angles of sight from 37 to 128 degrees. The production was not shot in Oklahoma, which was naturally the first choice of the producing company. That fast-growing state was vetoed after extensive surveys which criss-crossed the state revealed there would be little opportunity for the cameras to capture scenic beauty without running into commercial developments in the backgrounds. The scenic requirements were high corn, superb clouds, green valleys, open country and a sky free of airplanes. Only the San Rafael Valley seemed to satisfy these conditions, and so the little town of Nogales, Arizona, 36 miles from the Valley, was chosen. Once the location site was chosen, the producers ordered the construction of a complete farmhouse, and also the planting and cultivation of corn, wheat and a peach orchard. When filming began, “the corn was as high as an elephant’s eye” and the wheat was ready for harvest. Another major location site was the railroad station at Elgin, a tiny whistlestop (population: 17 neople and 24 cameras) about 50 miles from Nogales, where the “Kansas City” dance sequence was filmed. The shooting began on location on July 14 and was completed, 107 production days later, on Dec. 6, 1954. At one time the location company numbered 325 people. Total cost of the production: nearly $7 million. Governor, Notables Inspect 70mm Film At Showing Examining Todd-AO film after the first press showings on the West Coast of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Oklahoma!", are (1 to r) Gov. Raymond Gary of Oklahoma; Shirley Jones, star of the picture; Oscar Hammerstein II; Charlotte Greenwood, who portrays "Aunt Eller"; and Will Rogers, Jr. “Cinderella” Although the cast of “Oklahoma !” features several talented and well-known personalities, most exploitable of them all is undoubtedly blonde, 21-year-old Shirley Jones, who has already been the subject of many national magazine articles. In less than two years, Miss Jones, fresh from the coal-mining town of Smithton, Pa. (population: 800) rose fresh out of high school to land the coveted role of “Laurey” in the film. She is now starring in another Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, “Carousel,” currently in production by 20th-Fox. Others in the cast are Gordon Mac-Rae as “Curly,” Gloria Grahame as “Ado Annie,” Gene Nelson as “Will Parker,” Charlotte Greenwood as “Aunt Eller,” Eddie Albert as “Ali Hakim,” James Whitmore as “Andy Carnes,” Rod Steiger as “Jud,” and Barbara Lawrence as “Gertie Cummings.” Rather than being essentially a showcase for established box office names, “Oklahoma!” has had a long history of making stars of its performers. When the stage presentation opened on March 31, 1943, Bette Garde, playing “Aunt Eller,” was the only “name.” But out of the ranks of “Curlys” and “Laureys,” etc., came Howard Keel, Alfred Drake, John Raitt, Celeste Holm, Shelley Winters, Isabel Bigley and many others. Shirley Jones may find that it is now her turn for stardom. “THE HAT TRICK ! Stereophonic Sound When a major leaguer hits a single, a double, a triple and a homer, his achievement is hailed as the “Hat Trick.” ALTEC is the first service organization in the motion picture industry to perform the “Hat Trick” through its superb technical accomplishments in behalf of Cinerama— CinemaScope— Stereophonic sound— and now— the new screen miracle called Todd-AO. Rest assured ALTEC will continue to be in the forefront of all technical advances in motion picture sound. AITEE 161 Sixth Ave., New York 13, N. Y. 28 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— October 15, 1955