Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1959)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, April 23, ■ National Pre -Selling u /COMPULSION," the new 20th^ Fox film is featured in the April 13 issue of "Life." It is based on the 1924 case of Leopold and Loeb, two brilliant, wealthy, twisted Chicago youths who murdered a 14-year-old boy just because they wanted to commit a perfect crime. Orson Welles plays the part of Clarence Darrow, who was the defense lawyer for the two Chicago youths at their trial. According to "Life," Welles, in re-creating Darrow's great moments of eloquence when defending the youths from capital punishment, said "I am pleading for the future— for the time when we can learn by understanding and faith that all life is worth saving and that mercy is the highest attribute of man." • "Imitation of Life," starring Lana Turner and Susan Kohner received a laudatory review in the April issue of "McCall's." According to the reviewer Lana Turner, Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore play their parts exceptionally well in this new U.I. film, and believes that "few moments in any movie of recent years have been as skillfully and beautifully understated as the scene in which Mahalia Jackson intones a spiritual at the funeral of Susan's mother." • David Niven, who won an "Oscar" for his performance in "Separate Tables" was interviewed by Don Jenkins for the April 11 issue of "T.V. Guide." Niven says, "It's a terrible strain, the six weeks waiting period between Oscar nominations and the actual awards. I had laid down a rule in our house— no one was even to mention it." • A pictorial and text article based on a lesson in romance by Clark Gable during the filming of Paramount's "But Not For Me," appeared in the April 12 issue of "This Week." Carroll Baker and Barry Coe play the romantic leads. Clark demonstrates to them the importance of the art of cinematic affection for each other. • Carolyn Jones, the refreshing nonconformist star of U.A.'s "A Hole in the Head" is profiled in the April 28 issue of "Look." Her unusual thought processes make her an interesting actress. Since her appearance in "Murjorie Morningstar," her career has skyrocketed. She plays opposite Frank Sinatra in "A Hole in the Head," which is being readied for release. • "Green Mansions," the MGM film starring Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins, now playing the Radio City Music Hall, has been selected as the picture of the month for April by "Seventeen." • Warren Hall has written an entertaining article on Curt Jurgens who co-stars with Ingrid Bergman in "The REVIEW: 'Chatterle The Hangman Paramount This is one of the "adult" westerns which will generally satisfy those who demand nothing more from an evening's entertainment than a cast of popular personalities tossed amidst some actionful, plot developments. Robert Taylor, Fess Parker and Tina Louise are starred, and along with Miekev Shaughnessy, who provides a few moments of slapstick comedy, thev will be the Frank Freeman, Jr. production's chief selling point. The veteran Dudley Nichols contributed the screenplay. In it, Taylor is cast as a deputy U.S. marshal who has a reputation for seeing the objects of his manhunts sent to the gallows. In this particular instance, however, he is not so successful, for outlaw Jack Lord has started a new life and earned the friendship of many solid citizens, including sheriff Parker. Miss Louise, a young widow destined to a life as a laundress on a lonely cavalry outpost, almost agrees to identify the outlaw, whom she knew in his wilder days, but has a change of heart when she learns of his reform and expected child. Unwittingly, however, the outlaw is betrayed and imprisoned, though freed shortly thereafter by Shaughnessy, who ties a team of horses to the prison bars. In a sudden change of character, brought on apparently by practically everyone's sympathizing with Lord's plight, Taylor lets the outlaw get away and turns in his badge, ready to start a peaceful life of his own in California. Miss Louise, who has opposed the lawman all along, also has a change of heart and goes away with him, despite promise of love and affection from Parker. Under Michael Curtiz's direction, these events amble along modestly. Of the three leading players, Miss Louise shows to best advantage. Taylor and Parker give competent performances, while Shaughnessv doesn't have much to do. Running time, 86 minutes. General classification. Release, in June. Warren G. Harris Registered Features (Continued from page 1) against 324 in the preceding year. The number of British films of the same length registered was 84 against 105 in 1957-58. Registrations of British second features were 37, as compared with 33, and shorts, 232 against 229. Foreign second feature and short registrations dropped from 99 to 89 and 256 to 178, respectively. Of the foreign feature film registrations, American films totalled 186, followed by France with 35 and Italy with nine. 'Imitation' Big at Roxy "Imitation of Life" will finish its first week at the Roxy Theatre here tonight with a big $90,000, Universal-International, the distributor, predicted yesterday. Due to a typographical error in Tuesday's Motion Picture Daily, the first three days' gross for the Roxy entry was reported at $6,200 whereas it should have been $62,000. Re-Title 'Orpheus' "The Fugitive Kind" has been set as the new title for the film version of Tennessee Williams' play "Orpheus Descending." Production of the United Artists release is slated to start by June 1 in New York City. Inn of The Sixth Happiness" for the April 12 issue of "American Weekly." Walter Haas 'Shane' Re-Issue Big "Shane," which is being re-released by Paramount with new-picture promotional treatment, is doing big business where it has opened in the Southwest, the company reported. Typical of the high grosses recorded for the reissue of the George Stevens production are: Stuart Theatre, Lincoln, Texas, $5,012 for first three days; State, Albuquerque, N. M., $5,191 for five days; Texas Theatre, San Antonio, $5,600 for four daqs; Casa Linda, Texas, and Circle Theatre, Dallas, $16,115 for five clays. Kingston Drive-in Opens ALBANY, April 22. The Sunset Drive-in, at Kingston, recently acquired from the Lamont organization of Albany, was reopened by Walter Reade, Jr., Friday, April 17. Reade had previously relighted the 9-W Drive-in, which he built. Kingston's two conventional theatres, the Community and the Kingston, are also operated by Reade. The late Harry Lamont constructed the Sunset Drive-in. Kempe Joins Hacker Herbert W. Kempe, for the past 25 years with the home office of Warner Brothers most recently as assistant to Jules Lapidus, assistant general sales manager, has accepted an executive post with Samuel Hacker & Co., industry CPA's. ( Continued from page 1 ; plane tonight for Washington. 1 Kingsley International Pictures poration's appeal, from a 4-3 de by the State Court of Appeal year, upholding the Regents' rl to license "Lady Chatterley's P* is scheduled for argument torn" before the high court. It is believed that the tribuna view the French-made film (has D. H. Lawrence's novel) before ing Dr. Brind for the Regents Ephraim London, of New Yor Kingsley. In a 13-page brief filed wit high court, Brind argues "New State can prevent exhibition o tion pictures which depict scei sexual immorality and can p the exhibition of a motion which presents sexual immora a desirable pattern of behavior Three Scenes Deleted : After summarizing the film' story, the brief points out the r picture division ordered the d< of three scenes. On appeal, a Regents' rev committee held the tiiree seq "are immoral under sections 122-A (Education Laws), furthi the whole theme of the picl immoral, in that the theme p adultery as a desirable and accc pattern of behavior." The full affirmed this determination. On appeal the case went to i pellate division, which annulle animously) the finding. The I then obtained permission to bri ■ case to the Court of Appeals. New York Statute Quote The brief— prepared by Brin^i Jehu, Elizabeth M. Eastma George Farrington, of counsel^ out that the N. Y. legislature, ii overwhelmingly approved, am Thomas E. Dewey signed, thi patrick-Brydges bill, which Section 122-A to education la This set forth the term "in ity" and the phrase "of such cl that its exhibition would tend rupt morals" shall "denote a picture film or part thereof, tli inant purpose of which is ei, pornographic, or which portra; of sexual immorality, perverr lewdness, or which expressly pliedly presents such acts as" able, acceptable or proper pati behavior." 'Jane Premiere' (Continued from page 1 it was announced yesterday b Jackter, Columbia vice-presid general sales manager. The church, located in an privileged section of Boston, danger of being shuttered i year ago because of its dete physical condition. While sol ovation has been done, the premiere will help to pay considerable work that still | Jackter reported.