Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

4 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, January 20, 1955 Review "A Life in the Balance" ( Pan or a mic — 20th Cen tury-Fox) /^.OOD performances plus an exciting, suspenseful story, expertly filmed against authentic Mexico City backgrounds, adds up to a better-thanaverage programmer for exhibitors of this standard screen size film. The cast, mainly Mexicans, headed by Ricardo Montalban, speak English with tonetic accents favorable to the sincerity of their roles. The Georges Simenon story, skillfully scripted by Robert Presnell, Jr., and Leo Townsend, deals with a 10-year-old boy's brave experience with a fanatical killer. Paralleling the "sleeper" possibilities enjoyed by "The Window" a few years back, similar grosses may be achieved if special exploitation campaigns will be utilized to augment the inevitable word-ofmouth advertising that will be accorded the late Leonard Goldstein's production. Harry Horner's direction is aimed at earthy realism and earns the desired effect through the talented response of performers like Montalban, playing a struggling, frustrated musician and father of the ingratiating moppet, Jose Perez. Anne Bancroft is warm and friendly for the love-at-first-sight answer to Montalban's problem as a widower. Lee Marvin is outstanding as a murderer, offering an offbeat portrayal that will arouse a sense of pity for his complex sufferings. With a captivating musical score by Paul Lavista to heighten the mood and character of the story, the situations are adequately developed for effect of plot. They cover a fruitless campaign by two of Montalban's "friendly" neighbors to take over the custody of his motherless boy on the basis that he is incapable of supporting the youngster. During a night of fireworks, celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Mexico, the boy sees Lee Marvin, responsible for a number of killings in the neighborhood, sneak out of an apartment, the same apartment from which his father had left moments before, after a row with a former girl friend to collect an old debt so he could buy him a guitar. The child decides to follow Marvin when the girl is suddenly discovered murdered and his father is being accused of the crime. Montalban is picked up for questioning by the police, following a romantic interlude with Miss Bancroft, whom he met in a pawnshop where she disposed of her last piece of jewelry while he bought his boy the guitar. In the meanwhile, the boy is having difficulty trying to attract help in nabbing the murderer, and resorts to sling-shooting marbles at police call boxes when the killer decides to take him in hand. While being questioned, Montalban recognizes one of the marbles, turned in as evidence of the ones being found in all of the smashed call boxes, as belonging to his boy, and the chase is on to track down the real killer. Marvin is finally cornered and killed amid Mexico City's huge new university buildings, after the boy suffers an all night experience at the mercy of the killer. Running time, 74 minutes. General classification. For February release. SAMUEL D. BERNS Martin {Continued from page 1) New York, N. Y.; Mitchell Wolfson, Miami. National Legislation: A. Julian Brylawski, Washington. State and Local Legislation: Robert E. Bryant, Rock Hill, S. C. Film Reviewing: H. F. Kincey, Charlotte. Labor Relations: Duncan R. Kennedy, Chicago; Philip F. Harling, New York; Abe Blumenfeld, San Francisco. Drive-in Theatres: Jack Braunagel, Little Rock, Ark.; Ray Edmondson, Atlanta, Georgia. Arbitration: Alfred Starr, Nashville; R. B. Wilby, Atlanta. Building and Safety Codes: Henry Anderson, New York. Concessions: Bert Nathan, Brooklyn; B. S. Conviser, Boston. Theatre Equipment and Accessories: Joseph J. Zaro, Nashville; Lucian E. Pope, Kansas City; Edwin Gage, Oakhurst, N. J. Public Relations: Jack Keiler, Paducah, Ky.; Emil Bernstecker, Atlanta. Insurance: Gene Lutes, Frankfort, Ky. ; Arthur H. Lockwood, Boston; Ernest G. Stellings, Charlotte. Legal Advisory Council: Herman M. Levy, New Haven. NT Finishes (Continued from page 1) his company had made any new overtures to the Department of Justice for approval to engage in the financing of production, replied in the negative. Rhoden went on to say that no such moves in that direction are contemplated at this time, adding that NT had received no bids for financing from independent producers since the deal with Edmund Grainger fell through. Rhoden, questioned whether NT executives plan to meet again with Wall Street representatives as they did last September, said that "we might do that later in the year." In response to another question, Rhoden said that the first project in NT's research program had been completed. It is based on 20,000 interviews on two pictures, Rhoden added, explaining that the interviews were framed in order to find out the most effective advertising medium. Results of the project will be published on the Coast shortly, he went on. Rhoden said he plans to return to the Coast tomorrow. Tivoli Trust Trial Postponed to May DALLAS, Jan. 19. — The Tivoli Theatre anti-trust suit against production-distribution companies which was scheduled for hearing in Federal District court here tomorrow, has been put over to the May term of court by order of Judge William H. Atwell. Int'l Unit (Continued from page 1) Theatre Owners of America on the proj ect. Starr, following a two-month European trip, recommended to the TOA convention last October that a worldwide exhibition framework be formed by which mutual industry problems and needs could be discussed. Mindful that an international alliance of exhibitors is an eventuality, he called for further exploration of the proposal at that time. Harris to Operate (Continued from page 1) cial, and Bill Zeilor, who is manager of the J. P. Harris Downtown Theatre, just a block away from the Penn, will supervise the physical management of the Penn with John McGreevey, another Harris top official, handling the bookings. Frank Arena, who managed the Penn on a lend-lease deal from Loew's, returned to Cleveland and Loew's, yesterday. Bill Elder, former Penn manager, is now managing the Warfield in San Francisco. Set 'Intruder' Bow "The Intruder," a melodrama set in postwar London, will have its American premiere at the Plaza Theatre here next Tuesday, it was announced by Associated Artists Productions, the releasing company. Expect 600 (Continued from page 1) Kelly of motion pictures ; Jackie Gleason of television ; Elmer Davis of radio; Marv Martin of the legitimate theatre ; Mitchell Miller of the recording industry ; Arthur Schwartz of the music world and a special award for 1954 is being made to Patti McCormack for her outstanding performance in "The Bad Seed." Newspaner-Ad Study Ordered by McGee DENVER, Jan. 19.— Pat McGee, general manager of Cooper Foundation Theatres, has engaged Sindlinger & Co., analysts, to make a detailed survey to measure the value of newspaper entertainment page advertising and its effect on the boxoffice. The results of this survey will be made available to exhibitors generally. Among the au°stions posed by McGee, for the exhibitor, are: C[ Can he operate successfully on the lower newspaper budget over a long period? Cf Has he actually lost business by cutting his newspaper advertising budget — although the boxoffice doesn't show it? Cf Should he further reduce — keep — or increase his newspaper budget? CI How can he increase the qualitv and effectiveness of his advertising? Cf Should he use other media as a replacement or as a substitution? Anti-Toll TV (Continued from page 1) will be opened in case the matters become a legislative future." To finance the committee's work, Myers said that the group is calling upon exhibitors to remit to Phil Harling, committee treasurer, 1585 Broadway, New York, an amount equal to the sum which they contributed to COMPO in the form of dues last year. The COMPO dues scales, which Myers announced, are : Four-wall theatres: Up to 500 seats, $7.50 per year; up to 750 seats, $11.25 per year; up to 1,000 seats, $18.75 per year; up to 2,500 seats, $37.50 per year, and over 2,500 seats, $75.00 per year. Drive-in theatres: Up to 300 cars, $7.50 per year; up to 500 cars, $11.25 per year; up to 600 cars, $18.75 per year, and over 600 cars, $37.50 per year. Inasmuch as the propaganda of the proponents of toll-TV already have reached a high peak, Myers stated, a need for counteraction is urgent. The Allied States counsel added that the more minute details of the program approved at the meeting will be presented to all exhibitors by direct mail or through the regional exhibitor organizations. "Representatives of the several exhibitor groups attending the meeting pledged the best efforts of their associations in urging support of the committee and its program," Myers said. Five Associations Represented Attending the Sheraton-Astor caucus on toll-TV were: Allied States— M5rers, Trueman Rembusch, Wilbur Snaper, Julius Gordon; Theatre Owners of America — Herman Levy, Ralph McClanahan, Phillip Harling, Alfred Starr; Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatre Association — D. John Phillips, Sol Strausberg ; Independent Theatre Owners Association — William Namenson ; Southern California Theatre Owners Association — James Arthur. Myers also stated that Starr, Rembusch and Harling had been appointed by the committee as trustees to care for the fund. Toll-TV Will Create U. S. Monopoly, Say Group Heads Alfred Starr, chairman of the Theatre Owners of America executive committee, and Trueman Rembusch, former president of Allied States Association, co-chairman ®f the joint exhibitor committee fighting subscription television, issued the following statement following yesterday's committee meeting here. "The inherent fallacies in the arguments being made by the toll-TV sponsors must be exposed. And the theatre owners must affirmatively and logically present their position. They must refuse to be put on the defensive in this matter. The public must be informed that toll-TV is economically unsound, that it will deprive them of free television and that it will create a government sponsored monopoly." NARTB Head (Continued from page 1) as possible" the advent of toll television. He also charged that Fellows had written the FCC without the knowledge or consent of NARTB members but did not identify his expression as personal. YOU CAN ALWAYS DEPEND ON FOR THE BEST SPECIAL TRAILERS