Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1959)

4 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, January 7, 1& * Motion Picture Daily Feature Reviews The Two-Headed Spy Columbia Hollywood, Jan. 6 Expert direction by Andre De Toth, and excellent performances by Jack Hawkins and Gia Scala put this into the well-above-average class of British imports for general American audience appeal. It is apparent that executive producer Hal E. Chester has the pulse on the kind of British productions that will please Americans, having a good box office record on films he made in Hollywood. De Toth's direction is loaded with suspense using the screenplay by James O'Donnell, which was based on a story by J. Alvin Kugelmass. Hawkins, dominating every scene with strength, delivers an intriguing performance as a Nazi general, capable of carrying on a masquerade of loyalty to the fuehrer, while pipe-lining information to the British on the location of supply depots under his control. Despite several close calls with the gestapo, brought about by his suspicious aide, impressively portrayed by Erik Schumann, Hawkins is able to convince Hitler himself that a gestapo head, Alexander Knox, and several of his closest military advisers are traitors and should be "eliminated." His final recommendation to Hitler appears to have put an end to the Nazi regime as the Allies make their way to the Berlin gates. Miss Scala is quite suitable to her role of the beautiful girl friend of Hawkins, who proves herself to be an equally important spy for the Allies, singing songs over the radio that can be decoded. Her meeting with Hawkins to carry on the spy missions, when Felix Aylmer, Hawkins accomplice is tortured to death by the Nazis, blossoms into a romance that has a tragic ending as she is shot by Hawkins' aide when she tries to escape to the Allied lines. Hawkins outwits his Nazi pursuers and finds himself back in England, after having served as a spy in Germany for 25 years. A fine musical background by Gerard Schurmann, and two songs, "Ich Liebe Dich," and "The Only One," by Peter Hart, sung by Miss Scala, add to the production values of the film, which was produced by Bill Kirby. Running time, 93 minutes. General classification. Release, in January. Samuel D. Berns Senior Prom Romm — Columbia Hartford, Conn., Jan. 6 Jill Corey and more than a handful of names and faces accepted and accoladed by the burgeoning teen-age record-buying-and-listening market are featured in this modern-day tune paced Harry Romm production released under the Columbia banner. The Hal Hackady screenplay is suitable framework for a whopping total of 20 songs and while the logical-events-must-move-logicallv school will contend certain phases could easily have been eliminated, the overall effect is one of relaxing entertainment, produced, directed and enacted primarily to appeal to the in-between years that spell out high school, dating, et al. David Lowell Rich has guided his youthful charges with directorial touches that stress movement and the happy feeling. Campus co-ed Miss Corey and Tom Laughlin (latter's a moneyed undergraduate) seem romantically inclined for 95 per cent of the footage, but when the fadeout approaches, the girl sees stars in her eyes, clinches with Paul Hampton, a right enough chap, you understand, but not given to Dun and Brads treet ratings. Romance has conquered all and there's idyllic atmosphere anew on campus. Moving resolutely in and out of camera range during the hour and 22 minutes of running time are Louis Prima, Keely Smith, CBS-TV's Ed Sullivan, Mitch Miller, Connie Boswell, Bob Crosby, Tony Arden and his orchestra, Jose Melis and Les Elgart, to cite some of the more recognizable countenances. Running time, 82 minutes. General classification. Release, in January. A. M. W. Good Day for a Hanging Columbia Fred MacMurray stars in this competent little western drama whi tells of the trials that befall a small town marshal when he folio his conscience against the will of his fellow townsmen. Maggie Ha) co-stars in the Morningside production, directed by Nathan Juran ai produced by Charles H. Schneer. It is photographed in effective Colui bia Color. MacMurray, a widower, is seen as a local freight line operator w. is drafted into becoming marshal after the previous marshal, Emil Mey< has been killed leading a posse in pursuit of three bank robbers. In th battle MacMurray has wounded one of the robbers, young Robe Vaughn, a local boy who has gone bad, whom MacMurray had seen fi tG the shot which killed Meyer. MacMurray takes Vaughn back to jjjj where he has to ward off a lynch mob who would like to string up t young bandit, which is just the beginning of the marshal's vexi^ problems. MacMurray 's daughter, Joan Blackman, has been in love with Vaugl for some time and believes him to be innocent. Little by little, the rt of the townsfolk come to agree with her after a sharp city-type lawy arrives to defend the boy. At the trial, the boy is finally convicted murder, but only on the testimony of MacMurray. This, of course, lea to some hard feelings at home. Even MacMurray 's fiancee, seamstrc Maggie Hayes, comes to believe that his badge has gone to his he; rather than his heart. Eventually, of course, the marshal's integrity proven when Vaughn stages a bloody jail break despite the knowledi'iv that his sentence to death for the crime has been commuted by t| governor. Daniel B. Ullman and Maurice Zimm wrote the screenplay whi : Juran directed cleanly and simply with a minimum of extraneous actio The Columbia Color photography is good. Running time, 85 minutes. General classification. Release, in Januar Vincent Cani Meet in Dallas Today On ACE Organization Special to THE DAILY DALLAS, Jan. 6. Some 200 exhibitors in this area have been called to a meeting here today to mobilize grass roots organization for the American Congress of Exhibitors by Robert J. O'Donnell, alternate on the national ACE executive committee. The meeting is open to all exhibitors, regardless of affiliation. It will be held at the Variety Club headquarters. Samuels Quit Cleveland House Leased CLEVELAND, Jan. 6. Great Films, Inc., operator of art houses in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia, have leased the 700-seat Mayfield Theatre here from Jack Silverthorne, manager of the Hippodrome, and Jack Lewis, manager of Keith's 105th, who recently leased and modernized the Mayfield, the new policy of which will he the presentation of revivals of famous pictures produced here and abroad. UA Films Nominated United Artists' "The Defiant Ones" and "Kings Go Forth" have been nominated for the 1959 Brotherhood Media Awards presented by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. (Continued from page 1) which time Ludwig was in chart's of the B-V home office. A veteran of 34 years in the indi ' try, Samuels joined the Walt Disn organization in 1938, and held a nut' to ber of executive and sales posts, f eluding foreign sales manager ai world-wide sales upervisor. He play< a key role in the organization of Buei Vista in 1952 and was elected pre: dent and general sales manager th' year. Had Been with United Artists Prior to joining the Disney organiz^ tion, he was affiliated for 13 years wiJ|tai United Artists, where he was liaise" m; between stockholders and the boaiij of directors, assistant to the preside and assistant secretary of the compan! Rogers, Grofe with AA Charles "Buddy" Rogers and Fert^ Grofe, Jr., have signed a contract wii Allied Artists for distribution of tv productions, both of which will I tiru filmed in the Philippines under tl R-G Productions banner. The pictur Mr will be made in association wit Philippine producer, Amado Arnet Je Grofe leaves here Saturday for Mani to discuss final production plans wiihim.