Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

Friday, January 8, 1954 Motion Picture Daily 5 Review "Saadia" (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) ALBERT LEWIN, the producer-writer-director who was responsible for the handsome production "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman," took his cameras and crew to North Africa for "Saadia." And he has come up with an exotic tale filled with romance and superstition. Like its predecessor, which was made in Spain, "Saadia" is a rare, beautiful film which catches the spirit of its locale in a series of arresting scenes in color by Technicolor. However, its narrative is an uneven mixture of melodrama and poetic romance, hardly off-beat enough for the "art" theatres or simple enough for the action fans who like their desert dramas cut on more predictable lines. Starring are Cornel Wilde, reigning prince in a small Moroccan state ; Mel Ferrer, a French doctor, and Rita Gam, in the title role, that of a strange Arab girl, wild and full of elemental passions whose life has been dominated by the local sorceress. This witch, a vengeful outcast in the Arab community, has convinced the girl she has the "evil eye" and that she brings disaster tu all who love her. It isn't till Ferrer comes along that the girl questions her fate. He takes her to his clinic and in the process of rehabilitating her, falls in love with her, as does his best friend, Wilde. When a plague falls on the community, Saadia is convinced she is responsible. In a particularly exciting episode, she rides alone into the mountain country and single-handedly retrieves plague serum which is held for ransom by bandits. Thereafter, the love triangle dominates the action, and is happily resolved when the witch's spell finally is broken and Saadia is married by the prince. Director Lewin seems to have the edge on author Lewin, who adapted the screen play from a novel by Francis D'Autheville. The story is full of hints of mysteries never fully revealed or finally resolved. Nevertheless, it is played with honesty by the stars, especially Miss Gam, who succeeds in looking delectable even under quantities of Arabian shirts, blouses and pantaloons. The supporting players also give quality to their roles. Standout feature of the film, however, is the photography of Christopher Chalis and the color by Technicolor. In between its sporadic bursts of action, "Saadia" is a meandering idyll, touched with more beauty than excitement. Others in the cast are Michel Simon, Cyril Cusack, Wanda Rotha, Marcel Poncin, Anthony Marlowe, Helene Vallier, Mahioub Ben Brahim, Jacques Dufilho, Bernard Farrel, Richard Johnson, Peter Copley, Marne Maitland, Edward Leslie, Harold Kasket, Peter Bull and Abdallah Mennebhi. Running time, 82 minutes. General audience classification. For February release. In the THEATRE Equipment World . . . • • with RAY GALLO SELENIUM RECTIFIERS with a capacity range of 70 to 135 amperes have been added to the line of the Strong Electric Corp., Toledo. Unit construction permits easy removal for inspection of any of the various parts, with the transformer, switch and fan forming the top assembly and the rectifier elements a separate unit in the base. The rectifiers are built in single-lamp units and in three sizes adjustable from 70 to 90 amperes, 90 to 110 amperes and 110 to 135 amperes. • "Adjust-a-Curve" is the name of a new wide-screen frame of steel marketed by First American Products, Inc., Kansas City. As the name indicates, the frame is adjustable, with four bars each at the bottom and top permitting selection of the desired curvature setting, which can be changed as desired after installation. Rear support members can be anchored in a choice of positions to provide tilt to any angle. The company also reports that it will design frames for special requirements to individual order. • The Ampe.v Corp., Rcdzvood City, Calif., has just issued a 12-page, illustrated booklet describing its stereophonic sound equipment "packages." Trade-named the "Ampe.v Multi-Directional Sound," the equipment is furnished in three basic system packages and zvith five different power ratings for various sizes of theatres. • Newly designed waste receptacles made in a variety of models to meet different needs have been announced by the Atlas Products Co., Chicago, and are being distributed by Norpat Sales, Inc., New York. Available in green and white colors, the units are made of heavy gauge steel with allwelded construction. They have rounded corners for additional strength and rust-resistant, chromeplated feet. The individual doors operate simultaneously, and the cover swings back on a chain for easy removal of the contents. • H. R. Mitchell & Co., Hartselle, Ala., reports it recently made a number of installations of its adjustable "Bowline" screen frame for wide-screen projection. The theatres include the following: the McCombs, Mt. Clemens, Mich.; Haven, Brookhaven, Miss.; Oriental, Indianapolis; Loew's New Rochelle, New Rochelle, N. Y.; Tooga, Summerville, Ga.; Coranado, Rockford, 111.; Polk, Columbia, Tenn., and the San Benito at San Benito, Tex. 'Scope in FPC Houses TORONTO, Jan. 7.— Two more Ontario theatres of Famous Players Canadian now are equipped for CinemaScope. The Capital at St. Catherines, and the Tivoli in Hamilton, both are showing "The Robe." Arthur Heads S. Cal. Exhibitors Board LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7.— Harry C. Arthur, Jr., has assumed the board chairmanship of the Southern California Theatre Owners Association, succeeding Gus A. Metzger, chairman since the organization's formation in 1944. As his first action, Arthur, who is president of Fanchon & Marco, Inc., issued a long statement criticizing the trend toward increased admission prices, saying in part, "Our Association will campaign for status-quo prices throughout the country during the year. Not only will we fight against 'special engagement' and socalled 'roadshow' admission prices ; we will do everything in our power to keep theatre prices, at most, at their present levels, or possibly to cause them to be lowered." Parkway Anti-trust Case Is Settled A settlement before trial was reached here this week in the $450,000 anti-trust case filed by the Parkway Theatre Co., operating the Parkway Theatre in Spring Valley, N. Y. The defendants were RKO Radio, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers and Universal and the Spring Valley Theatre Corp. The plaintiff charged that it had opened the theatre in June, 1946, and was forced to close it in August of the same year because of inability to get product on any run. The theatre now is a synagogue. Terms of the settlement were not revealed. SIMPP Concerned Over French Pact The Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers is "gravely concerned" over the implications in the so-called subsidy provisions of the proposed French film pact which has been worked out by the Motion Picture Export Association, Ellis Arnall, SIAIPP president, said here. Under its provisions, U. S. companies would set aside $400,000 annually which go to French producers for the promotion of their own pictures. Arnall said that the foreign market generally and the French pact in particular were discussed here at a luncheon-meeting of the sales managers committee of the SIMPP. Attending the meeting were James Mulvey, Manny Reiner, Leo Samuels, Ned Clark, Roy Disney, Irving Lesser, Edward Peskay, Seymour Poe and George Schaefer. Arnall later conferred on foreign problems with Ralph Hetzel, vicepresident of the Motion Picture Association of America, and Griffith Johnson, vice-president of the MPEA. Industry Leaders at Boy Scout Rally Led by Charles Boasberg, Spyros S. Skouras and Arthur Klein, general co-chairmen of the amusements division, 40 company and group chairmen and campaign workers for the Greater New York Boy Scouts finance drive joined more than 1,000 others at the traditional Dawn Patrol breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel here Wednesday. The event was the "kick-off" for the drive for $857,300. Nat Holt, Paramount End Releasing Pact After Three Years HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 7.— Nat Holt, whose company has produced nine pictures during the past three years for Paramount release, has consummated an amicable agreement with the studio whereby the last two pictures under the agreement will not be produced for distribution by Paramount. He leaves the studio in the near future. Holt said he felt that he would like to develop production plans along other lines and that "it will give me a greater opportunity to study more carefully the present trends in our business." Company Lauds His Record Paramount is said to have "reluctantly agreed to the cancellation inasmuch as Holt's record as a producer for the company has been consistently good." According to the studio, his pictures have been a definite asset to the program and all have made money. Final papers of the settlement were handled by Holt's partner, William B. Jaffe, in New York. 'Caesar^Tops^ Poll Of Women's Group M-G-M's "Julius Caesar" topped the best 10 Hollywood pictures list for 1953, while James Mason for his performance in the same picture won the best acting honor in the poll of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Leslie Caron for her performance in "Lili" was named as the best actress. The poll, conducted among members of the editorial committee of the Federation, which represents a membership of over 11,000,000, found "The Little World of Don Camillo" as the best foreign picture of the year. The other nine pictures, in order of their selections, follow : "From Here to Eternity," "The Robe," "Lili," "How to Marry A Millionaire," "Stalag 17," "Gilbert and Sullivan," "The Little Fugitive," "The Beggar's Opera," and "Crash of Silence." "The Living Desert" won special mention in the documentary class. Fred Zinnemann was listed as best director for "From Here to Eternity," Mandy Miller won honors as the best child actress, while Richie Andrusco topped the list as the best child actor, and Frank Sinatra and Gabrielle Dorziat won plaudits for best supporting roles. To Stress Legislation At NJ. Allied Meet A full agenda with emphasis on legislation will face the annual membership meeting of Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey at the Stacy Trent Hotel in Trenton on Jan. 18. Members are being asked by president Wilbur Snaper to invite their respective legislators to the luncheon which will be held in connection with the allday meeting. The question of Bingo will be a highlight of the legislative discussions. Other topics on the program are product shortages, extended runs, scarcity of releases, "squeeze" on prices, CinemaScope and new media equipment. Representatives to national Allied's board meeting will be ' given their instructions by the New Jersey unit at the Jan. 18 session.