The Exhibitor (1954)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 29, 1954 fans. The story is interesting and fastmoving, and the cast, direction, and pro¬ duction are good, so that the end result emerges as a film that could show up well as part of the program where audiences like their pictures flaming hot and with little subtlety. The original story and screen play are by Sidney Boehm. Tip On Bidding: Program rates. Ad Lines: “Prison Break And Murder Go Hand-In-Hand As Gangster Edward G. Robinson Makes A Break For Free¬ dom”; “A Rough, Tough Film About Those On The Other Side Of The Law”; “Blood Flows Like Water On ‘Black Tuesday’.” Romeo And Juliet Drama 140m. (Rank) (Filmed in England and Italy) (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: High rating classical drama. Cast: Laurence Harvey, Susan Shentall, Flora Robson, Mervyn Johns, Bill Trav¬ ers, Enzo Fiermonte, Aldo Zollo, Gio¬ vanni Rota, Sebastian Cabot, Lydia Sher¬ wood, Norman Wooland, Guilio Garbinetti, John Gielgud. Directed by Renato Castellani; produced by Sandro Ghenzi with Joseph Janni. Story: Actor John Gielgud opens with a prologue and introduction. The houses of Sebastian “Capulet” Cabot and Guilio “Montague” Garbinetti are feuding with one another until the Prince of Verona threatens drastic punishment if they don’t cease and desist. Laurence “Romeo” Har¬ vey falls in love with Susan “Juliet” Shentall and she with him although she is little more than a child. They meet with the aid of her nurse. Flora Robson, and Friar Mervyn Johns, and the latter agrees to marry them secretly. The feud flares up agam and Harvey flees to Mantua. Shentall’s father orders her to wed another nobleman, and she begs Johns for assistance which he provides in the form of a potion that will simulate death but will permit her to reawaken after internment in the family vault with Johns on hand to assist. Johns arranges to send word to Harvey of his plan, but his messenger is waylaid and delayed and when Harvey learns that Shentall has died, he returns, forces his way into the vault, and kills himself at her side. She awakens, sees him dead, and kills herself before Johns can stop her. The families realize how foolish the feud is. X-Ray: Wonderfully portrayed and beautifully mounted, this classic by Shakespeare is presented in fine fashion that should please all who are familiar with the work and those who are students of Shakespeare. There is much in the way of entertainment here for those who would be introduced to the Bard for there is a story that holds interest throughout. There should also be a large amount of interest on the part of students whose courses include the work. The work was adapted for the screen by Renato Castellani. Maximum aspect ratio: 1.66-1. Tip On Bidding; Better price for class houses. Ad Lines: “Another Great Shakespeare Classic Brought To The Screen In AJl Its Glory And Excellence”; “The Greatest Love Story Of All Time”; “There Never Was A Love Like Theirs.” WARNERS The Silver Chalice Melodrama (408) 137m. (CinemaScope) (WamerColor) Estimate: Highly interesting entry. Cast: Virginia Mayo, Pier Angeli, Jack Palance, Paul Newman, Walter Hampden, Joseph Wiseman, Alexander Scourby, Lome Greene, David J. Stewart, Herbert Rudley, Jacques Aubuchon, E. G. Mar¬ shall, Michael Pate, Natalie Wood, Peter Reyonlds, Mort Marshall, Booth Colman. Produced and directed by Victor SaviUe. Story: In the Greek city of Antioch, wealthy but childless merchant E. G. Marshall adopts the son of a poor friend, who shows talent as an artist even as a youngster. The lad is attracted to a slave girl whom he helps as she makes a bid for freedom. When Marshall dies some years later, his jealous brother Herbert Rudley denies ^e adoption ever took place and sells Paul Newman into slavery, thus becoming head of the house. New¬ mans’ childhood sweetheart, Virginia Mayo, becomes the chief assistant of magician and sorcerer Jack Palance, and she warns Newman of a plot by Rudley to have him killed. He escapes with the aid of Alexander Scourby, one of the twelve apostles, who seeks his sculpting skill in making a silver chalice to hold a cup used by Christ at the Last Supper. In Jerusalem, he works with Pier Angeli, grandaughter of Joseph, keeper of the cup, and she falls in love with him. Pal¬ ance and Mayo show up at the behest of Joseph Wiseman, who would create a revolution against the Romans who occupy the country by getting the people to switch from devotion to Christ to the magic of Palance. Angeli weds Newman to protect funds destined for use by the Apostles but realizes he still cares for Mayo. On the road to Antioch, the cup is stolen by Wiseman but regained by New¬ man after a bloody battle. In Rome he continues to work on the chalice. Palance and Mayo find favor with Jacques “Nero” Aubuchon and Palance fancies himself as a new Messiah, while Newman is com¬ manded to sculpt a head of the Emperor. Palance promises the Emperor that he can perform better miracles than Christ and vows to fly from a huge tower. Newman is fed up with the antics of the court and Palance and impressed by the devotion of the Christians and finishes the chalice. Palance so believes that he can fly that he disdains to use trickery and falls to his death. The Emperor and others are en¬ raged and order Mayo to fly and she goes to her death. During rioting by street mobs, the cup is stolen from Angeli again by Wiseman, who in turn is killed by the enraged crowd. The cup and chalice dis¬ appear. Newman and Angeli, in love, sail away to Antioch. X-Ray: Based on the best-selling novel by Thomas B. Costain, this entry is im¬ pressive in scope and subject matter and though slightly overlong, its story is in¬ teresting and absorbing for the most part, with good and sometimes unusual pro¬ duction values enhancing the production as a whole. Performances are of general high calibre, with newcomer Newman and Palance particularly impressive. Di¬ rection is vibrant and CinemaScope and color help in getting across proper pres¬ entation. Since big-scale historical novels with religious themes have proven suc¬ cessful of late, there is reason to sup¬ pose that this too should prove itself big-time at the boxoffice. The screen play is by Lesser Samuels, who also acted as associate producer. Tip On Bidding: Higher rates. Ad Lines: “Every Breathless Moment Of Thomas B. Costain’s Monumental Novel Becomes A Matchless Scene On The Motion picture Screen”; “This Was The Time Of Redemption And This Was The Day Of Sin”; “The Mighty Struggle To Possess The Sacred Cup Of Silver And The Lovers And The Faith That Tri¬ umphed In Humanity’s Darkest Hour.” Romantic Young At Heart (409) Drama 117 m. (Print by Technicolor) Estimate: Entertaining entry headed for better returns. Cast: Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Gig Young, Ethel Barrymore, Dorothy Malone, Robert Keith, Elizabeth FVaser, Alan Hale, Jr., Lonny Chapman, Frank Ferguson, Marjorie Bennett.. Produced by Henry Blanke; directed by Gordon Douglas. Story: In a small Connecticut town, there dwelt three beautiful sisters with their musical-instructor father, Robert Keith, and their aunt, Ethel Barrymore. One of the sisters, Dorothy Malone, an¬ nounces that she and wealthy real estate man, Alan Hale, Jr., are engaged, which leaves the other two, Doris Day and Elizabeth Fraser to be concerned about their future although Fraser is being courted by plumber Lonny Chapman, who she considers nice but dull. Gig Young, talented and handsome composer, arrives to stay with them, and all of the girls have a silent crush on him although it’s Day he’s interested in. Frank Sinatra, piano player, composer, arranger, etc., arrives on the scene with his fatalistic attitude, convinced that the world is against him. Day is attracted and tries to cheer him up. When her engagement to Young is announced Sinatra leaves town. The wedding is arranged when a wire arrives announcing that Day and Sinatra have been married. They go to New York where things are tough, and a Christmas invitation comes to spend the holidays at home. Sinatra becomes bitter over the attentions accorded to Day by Yoimg while she has neglected telling him he is to be a father. Sinatra decides to end it all by crashing the car he is driving. At the hospital Day pleads with him to live for her sake as well as that of the baby. Easter time there is another reunion with Sinatra, Day, their baby, the others, and everybody is happy. X-Ray: There’s loads of entertainment to be foimd here with proper amoimts of fun, music, romance and drama mixed rightly so that the end result is a film that should be enjoyed by most adult audi¬ ences. The cast does a good job, and the direction and production are smooth and efficient. The use of color dresses it up so that it emerges as a neat package of entertainment. The screen play is by Julius J. Epstein and Lenore Coffee, adapted by Liam O’Brien based on a story by Fannie Hurst. Among the times heard are “Young At Heart,” “There’s A Rising Moon For Every Falling Star,” “Hold Me In Your Arms,” “Ready, Will¬ ing And Able,” “You My Love,” “Just One Of Those Things,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “One For My Baby.” Maximum aspect ratio: 1.85-1. Ad Lines: “Nobody Knew What A Guy Like Barney Would Do Next, And She Didn’t Care, Just So He Did It With Her”; “Doris Day And Frank Sinatra! Together For The First Time! Terrific From The First Moment”; “All Young, All Heart, And All Wonderful.” FOREIGN Companions Of The Night ^^9^ (Arlan) (French-made) (English titles) Estimate: Adequate entry for the art houses. Cast: Francoise Amoul, Raymond Pellegran, Pierre Cressoy, Christian Fourcade, Nicole Maurey, Mai^e Mercadier, Jeanne Marken, Suzy Prim, Noel Roquevert, Andre Valmy. Produced by Metzger and Servisection 3 3891