Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

Tuesday, January 25, 1955 Motion Picture Daily 7 Reviews "They Were So Young" (Lippert) Hollywood, Jan. 24 tfXHIBITORS have a winning chance to cash in on their showmanship *-J with this film which offers strong exploitation opportunities. Its adult theme, which points up methods employed by dealers in white slave traffic, is handled with a forthright approach, yet proves better than average program entertainment for its delicate subject. It can easily serve as a document of precaution, to be absorbed by "eighteens" and over who are susceptible to "bait" in speeding thoughtless ambitions or satisfying frustrations. Scott Brady and Raymond Burr are the only two familiar names of marquee value who participated in the filming of this obvious "dual-language project" abroad. The film also serves to introduce Johanna Matz. Charming with her light German accent, she registers importantly as a young and attractive newcomer to American audiences, in a sympathetic role that should have special appeal to the women. Brady has developed into an engaging personality, and is at home in his heroic assignment as protector of Miss Matz, one of the misled girls ; while Raymond Burr is up to par as a heavy. Kurt Neumann produced and directed the picture, and collaborated on the screenplay with Felix Luetzkendorf. The story, based on an outline by Jacques Companeez, brings South American backgrounds into play, where girls from various European countries are brought under the pretext they will receive splendid incomes as mannequins in a high fashion salon in Rio de Janeiro. Brought to a country estate where they are supposed to live, the girls are advised by the "madame" in charge they are going to put on a fashion show the same night for some important buyers (all men). Raymond Burr, wealthy Brazilian, whose wide variety of interests includes the secret ownership of the illicit fashion front, invites Scott Brady, an American mining engineer employed by him, to the fashion show on his first night's holiday from constructing a mine in the jungle. Brady expresses interest in Johanna Matz, and after a few drinks attempts to get overfriendly. When Miss Matz realizes the ad she answered in Germany turned out to be a ruse, expecting her to entertain the male buyers of other than fashions, she makes several futile attempts to escape. She finally convinces Brady of her plight ; and it becomes an intriguing chase and escape routine from the illicit operators when they discover Burr's shady side. In an action-filled climax, Brady poses as one of the native pleasure seekers and saves Miss Matz after she's kidnaped and consigned to a river boat operation along with other girls who knew too much. Federal agents join in the foray and Burr is exposed. Running time, 80 minutes. Adult classification. Release in January. SAMUEL D. BERNS "Women's Prison" (Columbia) Hollywood, Jan. 2-1 A SHOWMAN exploiting this adult-type prison melodrama has quite a list of names to work with — Ida Lupino, Jan Sterling, Cleo Moore, Audrey Totter, Phyllis Thaxter, Gertrude Michael and Mae Clarke, on the distaff side ; Howard Duff, Warren Stevens, Barry Kelley, Ross Elliott and Don C. Harvey on the other side of the wall which, quite literally, divides the women from the men in the penitentiary which is the scene and subject dealt with. The name of Bryan Foy as producer, like that of Crane Wilbur as co-writer with Jack DeWitt, of the script based on a story by the latter, is in the nature of a guarantee to the followers of penal melodrama that the picture is expertly and suspensefully constructed, for Foy and Wilbur are long-established specialists in this field. The title itself probably will telegraph to filmgoers the necessary information that it's totally adult in design, content and treatment. It figures to make, within the boundaries of those circumstances, a substantial profit. Miss Lupino portrays the cruel head matron of an unnamed penitentiary where Duff is the prison doctor and Kelley, the warden. Principal among several story threads is the one pertaining to Stevens, a 10-to-life prisoner, and Miss Totter, his wife, in for a shorter term, whom he manages to visit in the women's side of the prison without immediate discovery. Later, when the wife is discovered to be pregnant, Miss Lupino, whose job is endangered by this development, beats her into unconsciousness which eventuates in death. While these events have been moving forward, the women prisoners have successfully rioted, taking control of the feminine section of the jail, and the husband, again visiting that side, stalks Miss Lupino to kill her. In a blazing finish the picture shows Miss Lupino to be mentally unbalanced, and Duff states he's going to see that the state board fires the warden. Other similar story threads are interwoven. It's a grim, cruel, plain-spoken and nevertheless impressive melodrama, manifestly not conceived as entertainment for the little folks. Running time 80 minutes. Adult audience classification. Release date not set. W. R. W. Dividends (Continued from page 1) in 1951. The final 1953 figure stood at $23,405,000. Dividends hit a peak of $54,641,000 in 1947, and then dropped steadily through 1953. The 1954 total thus reverses a seven-year trend. The 1954 figure may go still higher when Commerce revises its preliminary figures. In four out of five recent years, the final figures have been well above the preliminary figures, since several companies report late. Commercial officials usually figure that publicly reported cash dividends account for about two-thirds of all dividends, so that the total dividend payments of film companies may have actually been well over $40,000,000 last year. The industry's publicly reported cash payments in December totaled $5,542,000, compared with _ $4,886,000 in December, 1953, according to the department. Officials said the increase was chiefly accounted for by larger payments from Loew's and 20th Century-Fox. Harry McWilliams Joins Magna Corp. The appointment of Harry K. McWilliams as assistant advertising, publicity and exploitation director for Magna Theatre Corp., was announced at the weekend by Nicholas John Matsoukas, national advertising director. McWilliams formerly was exploitation manager of Columbia Pictures for eight years and later became director of advertising and public relations for Screen Gems, Inc. He is leaving his position as sales manager of Air Programs, Inc., to join the advertising staff of Magna which is the worldwide distributor of Rodgers & Hammerstein's production of "Oklahoma !" filmed in Todd-AO. M-G-M's 'Jungle' Set for March 25 M-G-M has advanced the national release of "Blackboard Jungle" to March 25, replacing "The Marauders," originally penciled in for that date, it was announced here yesterday. At the same time, M-G-M announced that "Anchors Aweigh" will be reissued as a Masterpiece Reprint on March 11. This will give the company seven releases from Feb. 4 to the end of April, the other pictures being, "Many Rivers to Cross," "Jupiter's Darling," for February ; "Hit the Deck," added to "Anchors Aweigh" and "Blackboard Jungle" for March ; and "The Glass Slipper" and "Bedevilled" in April. 'Bridges' Grosses High in New England Universal International production of "Six Bridges to Cross" continued to roll up high grosses in the New England territory following last week's world premiere of the film in Boston, the film company reported yesterday. The film grossed $40,000 at the RKO Memorial in Boston, $16,000 at the RKO Albee in Providence, $29,000 at the RKO Palace in New York, $12,000 at the Circle Theatre in Indianapolis, and $5,000 at the Rogers Theatre in Chattanooga. SWG Dinner Feb. 28 HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 24. — The seventh annual Screen Writers Guild awards dinner will be held Feb. 28, the organization's headquarters -here announced. The affair had previously been scheduled for March 7. Memphis Bans 'Tuesday' MEMPHIS, Jan. 24. — "Black Tuesday," United Artists film has been banned from Memphis screens by the City Censor Board. It has opened in the Sunset Drive-in Theatre in West Memphis, Ark. Mass. Bills (Continued from page 1) John B. Hynes of Boston, which would require special licenses for operators of motion picture machines in churches, schools and public institutions upon application of a fee of three dollars. Bill No. 1204, petitioned by Eileen M. Hogan for legislation to prohibit the storage or distribution of nitrate motion picture film for public exhibition. If this bill were passed, it would outlaw any nitrate film entering the Commonwealth. Bill No. 1692, petitioned by Edward Lider, asking to have the age limit lowered for licensed projectionists from £'1 years to 18 years. Bill No. 1701, petitioned by Frank C. Lydon, asking for an amendment to the cinematograph law which would strike out the existing regulations regarding the use of nitrate film, to apply only to cellulose acetate or slowburning film. New Haven Rejects (Continued from page 1) by Martin J. Griffin, president of the St. Francis Holy Name Society of that city. The committee turned down the ordinance proposal because it has been declared unconstitutional by New Haven Corporation Counsel George W. Crawford. A public hearing on the measure, held some months ago, took on sizable importance in the Connecticut film world, with attorney Herman M. Levy, general counsel of TOA, and executive secretary, MPTO of Connecticut, among those appearing to strongly protest the proposal. Legalized-Bingo Bill Prepared in Ohio COLUMBUS, Jan. 24.— A bill to legalize bingo in Ohio, prepared by Rep. Anthony O. Calabresc, Cuyahoga County Democrat, would amend the state constitution to permit the claying of bingo for charitable, religious or fraternal purposes. In order to become law the resolution must be passed by a three-fifths majority of both House and Senate and then must be voted on by the citizens of the state. The bill provides that no part of the gross proceeds could be kept by any person or any organization other than those named. This provision has been written with the intention of keeping professional gamblers out of the picture. Baltimore Premiere For 'Battle Cry' BALTIMORE, Jan. 24.— Warner Bros, has announced that "Battle Cry" will have a full-scale Hollywood-style world premiere here at the Stanley Theatre on the evening of Feb. 1. Baltimore's Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro has volunteered his complete cooperation and the full help of his administration in connection with the extensive premiere plans presently being arranged. The mayor, in a special ceremony at his City Hall office today, honored the Baltimore-born author Leon Uris, who also wrote the screenplay for the multi-million dollar Warner Bros, production.