Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, November 29, 1<| PEOPLE Sperie P. Perakos, general manager of Perakos Theatre Associates, has inaugurated a series of four Tuesday opera film programs at the Elm Theatre, West Hartford, charging three dollars for a series ticket, or one dollar for a single performance. A full hour of concert music precedes the screening. □ Roger H. Lewis, United Artists vicepresident in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation, was guest lecturer yesterday at the New School here yesterday. He spoke on "The Individual in Show Business." □ Mrs. Charles Delgado, booker's clerk at the Minneapolis office of MGM, is resigning to give all her time to her home. □ Sonny Shepherd, vice-president of Wometco Enterprises, Miami, has been elected to the Legion of Honor of the Kiwanis organization. It's an honor accorded him for his 25 years of service to Kiwanis. □ Mary Kelly, assistant manager at the Stanley-Warner State, Manchester, Conn., has been promoted to a similar post at the S-W deluxe Strand, Hartford. □ Robert Tyminski, student assistant manager, Loew's Poli, Springfield, Mass., has resigned to become assistant manager of the Arcade Theatre, of that city. William Finkel, Pioneer Pitt. Showman, Is Dead Special to THE DAILY PITTSBURGH, Nov. 28.-Funeral services were held here last week for William Finkel, pioneer exhibitor, who died Wednesday. He operated the Arcade and Colonial Theatres before retiring several years ago to Saratoga, Fla. He returned to Pittsburgh a few years ago and at the time of his death was assistant to the president of radio station WEDO, McKeesport, Pa. Finkel, a past chief barker of Variety Club, Tent Number One, was a graduate of Carnegie Tech in 1913. His wife, Esther, survives; also two daughters, and a son, Robert S. Finkel, director of the Dinah Shore tv show in Hollywood; and two brothers, A. F. and Morris, the latter also a film exhibitor The Grass Is Greener CONTINUED FROM PAGE I is the kind of picture they will talk about for long and often, and will be urging others to see, the while. If these bare highlights don't add up to long runs and strong box office, then the remainder of the picture's assets, and they are many, do. Grant and Miss Kerr are a happily married couple, parents of two youngsters. Their family manse has been opened to tourists at a half crown each to scan certain public rooms. It should be mentioned at this point that art director Paul Sheriff and set director Vernon Dixon, with Felix Harbord's consultation, have provided sets of such attractiveness and taste that theatre audiences will be as captivated by what they see as any tourist possibly could be. Into this happy family circle from among a sightseeing group, and by way of a door marked Private that gave onto a family room occupied by Miss Kerr, comes Mitchum, an American oil millionaire, divorced and on the hunt for something where the grass is greener. He is greatly smitten, as they say, by the lady of the manse, and the brief encounter not only is enough to arouse Miss Kerr's interest to the point where she arranges a needless visit to her London hairdresser but also leaves her in such a tizzy that Grant immediately recognizes the symptoms as of romantic origin, and begins to plan his counter-campaign to avert divorce and keep his marriage on the same satisfactory romantic basis that it had been before. After several days in London, during which Miss Kerr has surrendered to Mitchum's blandishments, and Grant has been informed of most of the details by Miss Simmons, a pert and amorous friend of the family who ran out to him from London on learning that he was alone in the country manse, Grant phones Mitchum and invites him to spend a weekend at the country estate. He adds that his wife is in London (she is at Mitchum's side when the call is put through) and asks him to drive her out with him. On the return to the country estate, Grant puts his campaign in motion, the highlight of which is a revolver duel in which Grant receives a flesh wound administered by his butler, Moray Watson, after Mitchum has deliberately missed. In the ensuing excitement, Miss Kerr becomes convinced that the Mitchum grass wasn't any greener, after all while Mitchum and Miss Simmons discover each other while on a late night hunt for a doctor for the wounded Grant. Bright and brittle dialogue marks the screenplay by Hugh and Margaret Williams, based on their London stage play of the same title. Donen directed for pointed humor in an atmosphere of sophistication. There is some incidental music by Noel Coward and there is a considerable amount of eye-catching feminine wear, Miss Kerr's by Hardy Amies, and Miss Simmons' by Christian Dior, all guaranteed to add to the enjoyment of the ladies in the audiences. Title frames designed by Maurice Binder are deserving of special mention. Comprised of shots of unusually personable and well adapted infants, dressed and undressed, they not only illustrate credit lines in a tresn, original and highly amusing manner, but also serve to put the audience m the best possible frame of mind for enjoying an enjoyable motion picture. 1 ! All these assets, as you will see, are destined to make busy places of theatre box offices in the months ahead. Running time, 105 minutes. Release, in December. Sherwin Kane U.A. Film Hailed at Acapuko Film Fete Special to THE DAILY ACAPULCO, Mexico, Nov. 28. , Stanley Kramer's "Inherit the Win was enthusiastically received by capacity audience at the Third Wo Review of Film Festivals in Acapul' Mexico, at the weekend. The film one of United Artists' unprecedent; five entries at the event. The presentation of "Inherit t Wind" was preceded by an Americj film industry reception for Mexic government officials and foreign c1 legation honoring Eric Johnston, M! tion Picture Association of Ameri president; Jack Lemmon, star of "T Apartment," which is another of UJ entries, and Jack Kruschen, who aji appears in "The Apartment." Following the screening, festi\i authorities transported the Americ1 contingent and costumed local bea' ties via horse-and-buggy to an ope? air celebration. Robertson to Pen Them For CAIR Benefit Hei Milton Robertson, director of sp cial events for WOR, will write i dramatic presentation for the 19( "Health for Peace" dinner, it was a! nounced by Maxwell Rabb, obairma The dinner will be held Dec. 14 i the Starlight Roof of the Hotel W; dorf-Astoria on behalf of the Chj dren's Asthma Institute for Resean and will honor Louis Nizer, prom nent New York attorney and authc The dramatic presentation will featu Mike Wallace and two other top nar( theatrical personalities, to be nounced later. Youngstein Is Chairman Max E. Youngstein, United Arti; vice-president, is honorary chairm; of the dinner. Youngstein has been leader and founder of the Institu and is a member of its national boa: of trustees. Nizer is being cited both for fj pioneer scientific endeavors on beha of the Institute and his work in su, port of the health for peace ideal. Tl theme of the dinner has been tal« from a statement by Nizer, "If on the peoples of the world will work t gether for health— they will live t gether in peace." British Film Selected Reopen Pitt. Theatre 'Archie9 Starts Dec. 5 For Argentine Festival PITTSBURGH, Nov. 28. The Melrose Theatre in the Carrick section of Pittsburgh, a 1,000-seat house, which had been shuttered for seven years, re-opened last Thursday under the supervision of the Warren Drivein Corp. 'Hiroshima' Moreover 'Exodus9 Pitt. Booking After 27 weeks, a record for any foreign language films at the Fine Arts Theatre here, Zenith Lnternational's "Hiroshima Mon Amour" has moved over to the Art Theatre for an indefinite run. PITTSBURGH, Nov. 28. "Exodus" has been booked into the Warner Theatre here on a roadshow basis. It will follow "Alamo," which begins a continuous run showing at the Warner on Dec. 23. HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.-Cameras will roll Dec. 5 at Republic Studios when Mark VII Productions begins work on a new United Artists comedy, "The Last Time I Saw Archie." Robert Mitchum, Jack Webb, Martha Hyer and France Nuyen will star in the William Bowers screenplay of an Air Force Academy story. Webb will produce and direct the picture, which is being jointly produced by Mark VII, Manzanita Productions, and Talbot Productions. Webb, Bowers and Mitchum are respective principals in each of the producing companies. From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, Nov. 28.-The Woo fall production "Saturday Night ai Sunday Morning," produced by Har Saltzman and Tony Richardson, h been selected by a joint committee members of the British Film Produ ers Association and the Federatic of British Film Makers as the offici British entry at the Mar del Pla festival from Jan. 8-17. Directed by Karel Reisz, the fil stars Albert Finney, Shirley Ar Field, Rachel Roberts and Hylda Ba! er. Distribution is through Bryansk in association with British Lion.