Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1953)

2 Motion Picture daily Wednesday, June 24, 1953 'Melba ' (Continued from page 1) almost immediately. In the French capital, John Justin, a young Englishman, falls in love with her and helps her to become a pupil of the great Madame Marchesi, played by Martita Hunt, who is persuaded to come out of retirement to teach Nellie the vocal art. From the time she makes her professional debut in "La Boheme" under the stage name of Nellie Melba until she reaches the pinnacle of success, with offers for an American tour from Oscar Hammerstein, played by Robert Morley, she is mildly torn between two admirers, Justin and Alec Clunes, who plays the role of Cesar Carlton, the owner of one of London's most famous hotels. But in the windup, she marries her childhood sweetheart from Australia, Charles Armstrong, played by John McCallum. Among the operas from which Miss Munsel sings superbly are "Lucia di Lammermoor," "Lohengrin," "Manon Lescaut," "Les Huguenots," "Pagliacci," "La Traviata" and "Romeo and Juliet." Miss Munsel proves herself to be a fine actress as well as a fine singer. She has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera Company for the past 10 years. "Melba" was produced by S. P. Eagle from a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz. In a sense, the whole story is a flashback, opening and closing on the same note. At the height of her career, which is the opening sequence, Melba has been commanded to sing before Queen Victoria, played by Sybil Thorndike, at Windsor Castle. Her first song is an Australian folk tune which she used to sing when she herded cattle on her father's land. And then time races back to pick up the highlights of her life, returning in the fadeout sequences to Queen Victoria and Windsor Castle. Others in the cast are Violetta Elvin, Joseph Tomelty, Beatrice Varley, Marcel Poncin, Theodore Bokel and the orchestra and chorus of the Covent Garden Opera and of the Sadler's Wells Ballet. Running time, 113 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, not set. Al Steen "Arena" (M-G-M Three-Dimension ) (Metro-Goldivyn-Mayer) THE accent of M-G-M's first three-dimensional film is on story content, with 3-D utilized for a more vivid pictorialization of rodeo life. The film, photographed in Ansco color, meets the highest professional standards and should do very well at the box-office, considering the public's lively interest in new screen techniques. Offered in the presentation is the inside life of a rodeo, the dare-devil riders, their wives and sweethearts. Heartbreak and success swing alternatively in the story, which is natural for wide audience appeal. Although the plot runs, in the main, along formula lines, there are many high points of suspense and thrills. The few "gimmicks" in the film, such as a near crash between a truck and a car, play a very minor role, and do not distract the patron from the story. Producer Arthur M. Loew, Jr. has assembled a competent cast, headed by Gig Young, Jean Hagen, Polly Bergen, Henry Morgan and Barbara Lawrence. The story finds Gig Young, a leading rider in the rodeo, involved in a marital conflict with his wife, Polly Bergen, who wants him to quit the rodeo while he still has his limbs intact. Her opponent is an attractive adventurer, Barbara Lawrence, who teams up with Gig during his separation from his wife. The dire example of a has-been and what it does to his family is offered by Henry Morgan, who is killed during a performance. Interwoven in this human situation is the exciting life of the rodeo, the bronco-busting, the mad-bull riding, the fights, glories, defeats and injuries. The suspense in a number of situations is so built up that the patron will find himself on top of a spirited horse, or running away from the charge of a mad bull. The story winds up with the principals reunited, following the death of Morgan. Mention should be made that while the film was photographed in Ansco color, the prints were made by Technicolor. Others in the cast include Robert Horton, Lee Aaker, Lee Van Cleef, Marilee Phelps and Jim Hay ward. Richard Fleischer directed, from a screenplay by Harold Jack Bloom, based on a story by Loew. Running time, 72 minutes. General audience classification. For June release. Murray Horowitz M-G-M 3-Dimensional Process M-G-M's three-dimensional process, as unveiled in "Arena," is very effective. Seen at a home office projection room, there were four intermissions during the unreeling, but with larger reels and added projectors these intermissions are not necessary. Throughout the film, the lighting was more than adequate, adding to the impressive 3-D quality of the film. M. H. Personal Mention JAMES A. MULVEY, president of Samuel Goldwyn Productions, will leave here July 3 to spend the summer in Eire. Robert Benjamin and Max Youngstein of United Artists are scheduled to leave here for London next week. They will join Arnold Picker there at the company's international sales meeting. • Graeme Fraser, vice-president and general sales manager of Crawley Films, Ltd., Ottawa, has been elected national president of the Federation of Canadian Advertising and Sales Clubs. • Edward L. Hyman, vice-president of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, accompanied by Al Sicignano and Bernard Levy, have left here for upstate New York. • Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president of Technicolor, has accepted an invitation to serve on the board of directors of the Stanford Research Institute. Joseph Ruttemberg, M-G-M cameraman, arrived in New York yesterday from England, and will leave today by plane for San Francisco. Miklos Roszas, M-G-M composer, will arrive in New York tomorrow from Hollywood, and on Friday will sail for England. Barney Balaban, Paramount Pictures president, returned to New York from Europe yesterday on the S.S. Quern Mary. Harold Wiesenthal, president of Arlan Pictures, will leave New York today by plane for San Francisco. • F. J. A. McCarthy, U-I Southern and Canadian sales manager, will leave New York today for Cincinnati. • Jonas Rosenfield, director of public relations for I.F.E., will return to New York from Rome on Saturday. • Jules Lapidus, Warner's Eastern and Canadian division sales manager, is in Buffalo from New York. • Card Walker, Walt Disney studio publicity director, will arrive in New York today from Hollywood. • George Cukor, director, will arrive in New York today from Hollywood. Children Admitted Free Boys and girls under 12 years of age, and accompanied by an adult, will be admitted free of charge to the Criterion Theatre to view "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.," Columbia-Kramer production. The arrangement becomes effective today and will continue for eight days through Thursday, July 2. SMPTE Regional Meet Meeting of the Atlantic Coast Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, will be held here tomorrow evening at the Engineering Societies Building. Davis Acquires 'Sinners' Arthur Davis has acquired American distribution rights to "Sinners of Paris," new French film. After the addition of English dialogue, release will be through Arlan Pictures. MPAA Will Consider N.Y. Film Project The project of the New York Department of Commerce whereby it will seek to get Hollywood producers to allot five per cent of their yearly programs to production in New York will be considered by the Motion Picture Association of America. A spokesman for Eric Johnston, MPAA president, told Frank Connaughton, first deputy commissioner of the Department of Commerce, here yesterday that Johnston probably would assign someone from the MPAA to confer with Connaughton on the matter while Johnston is on his current European tour. Will Meet Connaughton Johnston was unable to meet with the city official yesterday, due to the pressure of business prior to Johnston's departure for Europe. It was indicated that if a conference were not held before Johnston returned that the MPAA president would meet with Connaughton after he returns from abroad. 'Fathoms' Bookings Now Total 1,560 The 1,422 territorial saturation bookings previously listed for Warner's "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" have been augmented by 138 additional, bringing the total to 1,560, exclusive of the New York Metropolitan area, where the picture will open at the Paramount theatre today. Showings in outlying key towns will follow on July 8. It will open in New York subsequent run theatres on July 17. The picture is backed by a Coastto-Coast radio and TV campaign, as well as an extensive, nationwide advertising and publicity drive. Hecht Lancaster to Make Two for U.A. A two-picture production-distribution agreement has been concluded between the independent Harold HechtBurt Lancaster production company and United Artists, it was announced here yesterday by Arthur B. Krim, U. A. president. Lancaster will star in both films, which his company will make in color by Technicolor. The first, "Bronco Apache," will go before the cameras in September. The second film has not yet been selected. 'Blonde' Is Shown to 500 Members of Press "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" was the screen attraction last night at the first mass preview of a 20th CenturyFox production. The showing, held at the New York Roxy Theatre, was attended by more than 500 newspaper and trade paper editors and reporters, nationally-syndicated columnists, television and radio personalities and magazine writers. The production will open at the Broadway film showcase late next month. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays, Sundavs and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York " Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. I. Sullivan, Vice-President and Tieasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-President; Leo J. Brady. Secretary Tames P Cunningham, News" Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, William R Weaver, Editor, Hollywood 7-2145; Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street. Urben Farley, AdvertisingRepresentative, FI 6-3074; Bruce Trinz, Editorial Representative, 11 North Clark .Street,' FR 2-2843. Washington, J A. Otten, National Press Club. Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London WI; Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor '^cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald; Better Theatres and Theatre Sales, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture and Television Almanac; Fame. Entered as second-class matter, Sept. 21, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.