Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

'iesday, March 12, 1957 Motion Picture Daily s Television Today National freSelling I OTH Kim Novak and Jeanne 1 Eagels, whom the former por(iys in her newest Columbia picture, Heive considerable attention from |:h "Life's" photographers and edi;,Iial researchers in the magazine's Iirch 11 issue. TJje pictorial story flights the peYiod of Jeanne i) gels' career when she was a carni performer. This gave the photogiihers an opportunity to show Kim Ivak in some relaxed moments, a |j?red Astaire and his new picture, tinny Face," co-starring Audrey Jp'burn, received a substantial plug ■ the March 3 issue of "Parade." A |)to in full color of Fred dancing Eh his daughter appeared on the Int cover. Lloyd Shearer wrote an lormative and entertaining personly story of Astaire which appears ■the same issue. I Lizzie," starring Eleanor Parker, Iidvertised on the table of contents me in the March 19 issue of ■>ok." a Berry Lewis was interviewed by ■len Eustis for the March issue of IcCall's." To illustrate the article, I has a photo of Jerry in his newI film, "The Delicate Delinquent." lis is the first picture he has made Ihout the assistance of Dean Mar xian Le May's serial, "Kiowa Ion," which begins in the March I issue of "The Saturday Evening ■it," will be made into a movie. It ■ been purchased by Hecht-Hill■ncaster Productions. o pin 'Love in the Afternoon,' " reIts Ed Miller in "The Hollywood l;ne" department of the March isI of "Seventeen," Audrey Hepburn l:ast as a cello student— the daughI of a private detedtive, Maurice Kevalier. She becomes intrigued by 1: of her father's cases involving an lierican Romeo, played by Gary Baper. "Mr. Coop," as Audrey calls ■l, is an American businessman in ■rope who hires a gypsy band to Bsnade his dates because "he isn't ■ch of a talker." a The Rainmaker" has been selected & "Redbook" as the picture of the rjnth for March. o Ijln England," reports "Life" in the ffrch 11 issue, "an actress playing ij n of Arc came close to ultimate [lism in portraying the role. Young ] n Seberg, chosen by director Otto Bminger, was chained atop the fagtls and soldiers had touched torches t hidden gas jets. Suddenly the gas Kiloded and set the actress's clothes •me. Hurriedly the executioners beat ■fj the fire. Scorched, but not badly i't, Jean moaned, 1 smelled like a S^ed chicken.' " WALTER HAAS Allied, Compo (Continued from page 1) which lie in the path of the national exhibitor organization's reaffiliation with COMPO, are composed of Abram F. Myers, Trueman T. Rembusch and Wilbur Snaper, representing Allied, and Emanuel Frisch, Sam Pinanski and A. Montague, successor to the late William C. Gehring. The COMPO and Allied groups have been discussing the charges made by the exhibitor organization and its general counsel, Myers, about COMPO's management and the activities of its special counsel, Robert W. Coyne, with a view to bringing Allied back as a member. The exhibitor group withdrew its membership in COMPO over 18 months ago. The meeting here last Friday was reported to have been friendly and constructive. Durante Dinner ( Continued from page 1 ) coordinating chairman and the following: Paul Cunningham, Harry Delf, Si Fabian, Frank Folsom, Vinton Freedley, Emil Friedlander, Leopold Friedman, Leonard Goldenson, Abel Green, Moss Haft, Eric Johnston, Elia Kazan, Arthur Krim, Abe Lastfogel, William Morris, Jr., Joe Pasternak, James C. Petrillo, Milton Rackmil, Herman Robbins, Richard Rodgers, Mannie Sacks, Sol Schwartz, Noble Sissle, Spyros P. Skouras, Michael Todd, Joseph R. Vogel, and Richard Walsh. There will be no speeches on the program, and a special entertainment entitled "The Jimmy Durante Story" will be presented by assembled performers. The entire proceeds of the dinner, sponsored by the Jewish Theatrical Guild, and a program journal in honor of Durante will be used to further humanitarian efforts in behalf of the needy of the theatrical profession, with the Motion Picture Relief Fund, Actors Fund, Catholic Actors Guild, Yiddish Theatrical Alliance, Negro Actors Guild, Episcopal Actors Guild, Will Rogers Hospital and the Welfare Funds of the American Guild of Variety Artists and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists participating in the receipts. Uphold Federal Tax (Continued from page 1) said that the Laskys were now without further legal recourse against the government claim, which they estimated now might be as high as $800,000, counting interest on the taxes the government originally claimed due. The case stemmed from a government attempt to collect an extra $450,000 in taxes for 1943. It claimed that money received by the Laskys from United Artists Corp., paid for the Laskys' contract with Warner Brothers for a share in the profits of "Sergeant York," should be taxed as ordinary income, rather than as capital gains. PASSING IN REVIEW.... It was a better than average week, electronically speaking, with at least two dramas of merit, one charming "special" and more bright and amusing comedy than some times can be seen in a month of television Sundays. Coincidentally, both of the noteworthy dramas, Kraft Theatre's "The Duel" Wednesday night and Omnibus' "The Trials of Captain Kidd" Sunday night, were based on fact— to underscore another fact: that in the hurlyburly surrounding television creation and production, drama with its limits already defined is often more trustworthy than fiction of arbitrary direction. 'Duel' Had Dramatic Impact Leslie Stevens' script for "The Duel," however, was a good deal more than an historical recapitulation of the Alexander Hamilton-Aaron Burr affair. It was a fluid drama, intensely subjective, written with wit and style that are unusual in any medium. There were scenes in which there was confusion in time and place, but even this confusion was acceptable within the highly emotional terms in which the drama was stated. E. G. Marshall, Dan O'Herlihy and Elizabeth Montgomery were the lucky performers. Alvin Sapinsley's script for "The Trials of Captain Kidd" was almost as good, though it might have been more brief for better effect. Freely written and freely staged, it presented the facts of a legend and explored the reasons why a pirate who was neither the best nor the worst should have become the most famous. With Victor Jory in the title role, it was great fun. Chevalier Ideal for Part The week's special "special" was Maurice Chevalier's Paris, a delightful once-over-lightly study of a city whose appeal will always defy rational explanation. It was to the credit of this Ted Mills production that something of that very quality was caught on film. Chevalier, the arch-type of one of several million types of Parisians, was a perfect guide, backed by excellent camera work. A good deal of time had to be spent in front of the television screen to find the comic moments, but they were there. Some of the best were provided by Ida Lupino and Howard Duff, as Eve and Mr. Adams Friday night, when they tangled with a little theatre group doing a meaningful play titled "Dinosaur on a Bicycle." The Method has never had such rough going. Sunday Jack Benny's film record of his momentous trip to Venice also was Radio Engineers Meet Gets Underway Monday Some 50,000 engineers and scientists from all over the U. S. and Canada and from over 35 countries abroad will attend the 1957 annual four-day national convention of the Institute of Radio Engineers, which gets under way at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and New York Coliseum here next Monday. The program of the convention will be highlighted by 284 technical papers and 840 engineering exhibits, covering the latest advances in 24 branches of radio, television and electronics. Paget, Hunter Hosts On New NTA Series Debra Paget and Jeffrey Hunter will be host and hostess of "Premiere Performance," which will debut on the NTA film network of 128 TV stations the week of April 1. This represents the first regular appearance of the couple on TV. "Premiere Performance" will offer some 39 20th Century-Fox films never before seen on TV. These include "Lloyds of London," "13 Rue Madeleine," "Shores of Tripoli" and "Leave Her to Heaven." Kick off NBC Project A press conference and cocktail party was held yesterday to kick off NBC's new educational television project and to view the opening telecast. Robert W. Sarnoff, president of NBC; Dr. H. K. Newburn, president of the Educational TV and Radio Center, and the educators who will conduct the five TV courses, were on hand. New 'Secretary' Series A new series of "Private Secretary" depicting past adventures of Ann Sothern as secretary Susie McNamara, will be presented on the CBS Television network beginning April 2. funny, the question being not whether he would fall into the Grand Canal, but rather, how many times. The same evening Martha Raye and Steve Allen detailed in amusing fashion the nightmares that can happen in the course of a live TV drama when all the cues go awry. This was one of the few "inside" jokes which any viewer could appreciate. The week also saw two TV premieres. Tuesday night's Panic ( NBCTV opened with a standard suspense item of average appeal. The same evening WABD launched its Entertainment Press Conference with Buddy Hackett as guest. The format's okay, but without challenging questions and an articulate guest, stark lighting and creepy closeups don't add up to much entertainment.— V.C.