The Exhibitor (1959)

4638 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Forbes, Wolf Morriss, Edwina Carroll, David Lodge Percy Herbert, Barry Lowe, Alan Keith, Howard Williams, Timothy Bateson, Arthur Lovegrove, Donald Churchill, Nicholas Brady, Barry Steele. Produced by Michael Carreras; directed by Val Guest, Hammer Film Production. . Story: Lost in the Burmese jungle, their radio dead, a British company led by ruth¬ less, courageous Stanley Baker occupies a small Burmese town to rest and care tor the wounded. Among the party is a priest and a war correspondent. They kill the Japanese soldiers in the village and come across an important map detailing enemy attack plans. Baker decides to leave the wounded behind and try to get the information to British head¬ quarters, but this is opposed by the pries and correspondent. A J apanese patrol is sighted and Baker sends a small group to try and break through enemy lines with the in¬ formation. The Japanese recapture the town and attempt to get Baker to tell them what he has discovered of their plans. He refuses and forces the enemy to kill him as the radio blares the story of the war as a fight for the cause of humanity. , X-Ray: This is a powerful war story han¬ dled in almost documentary fashion. It is bit¬ ter and unpleasant, but so is war. The futility of attempting to mix war and humanity is well illustrated. Performances are fine, and direction and production supply plenty of tension. The film will probably be best ap¬ preciated by more discriminating audiences, since the dialogue is more important than the action elements. The British do this kind of thing quite well, but the appeal is likely to be limited. If there is such a thing as a wom¬ an’s picture, then this one is strictly a man s picture. Tip On Bidding: Program rates. Ad Liness “All The Fury ... All The Hell Of Jungle War ... A Story Of Courage ; A Powerful Indictment Of The Inhumanity Of War And A Man’s Greatest Moment.” 20th-FOX Five Cates To Hell (932) Melodrama 98m. 20th-Fox (CinemaScope) Estimate: Off-beat adventure yarn for pro gram. _ Tr Cast: Neville Brand, Benson Fong, Ken Scott, John Morley, Dolores Michaels, Patricia Owens, Nobu McCarthy, Greta Chi, Nancy Kulp, Linda Wong, Irish McCalla, Shirley Knight. Written produced, and di¬ rected by James Clavell. Story: Neville Brand and his guerrillas swoop down on a Red Cross field hospital and kidnap the medical team and nurses, first torturing Sister Irish McCalla. To pro¬ tect Sister Shirley Knight, the nurses dis¬ guise her in a nurse’s uniform. Brand tells doctor Ken Scott he is taking them to his war lord who is ill at his fortress. Nurse Dolores Michaels loves Scott, but realizes the feeling is not returned since he is dedi¬ cated to duty and the family he has left at home. One of the guerrillas tries to attack Knight, but is shot by Brand’s aide, who wants her for himself. Brand makes a play for Michaels. Nurse Patricia Owens tells the others that since they can not escape, they might be better off to give in gracefully. Scott and doctor John Morley realize during an operation on the Chief that he can not live long, but tell Brand the operation is a success. Brand now tells the women they will clean and cook, and live one woman with one soldier. Scott protests, but Brand says since he is now “one of them” he will be allowed to choose his part¬ ner He cooses Knight. The women have plotted escape, pretending to be friendly with the soliders and then killing them off. Brand has been wounded by Michaels, swears vengenance and leads the pursuit. Scott and Morely are killed, but the girls continue their long trek, many being killed along the way. Finally, Brand catches up to Michaels and Knight. Trying to protect Michales, Knight is killed, while Brand falls on his gun and is killed. s| X-Ray: Slightly different in conception and execution, this holds interest pretty well. It contains enough action and drama, and performances, direction, and production are capable. It should do okay as part of the program. Some dialogue and situations make it best suited to adult audiences. Tip On Bidding: Program rates. Ad Line:: “War Was Truley Hell For These Heroic Nurses”; “A Starling Incident In A Mad War Situation.” The Man Who Understood Women (919) Comedy Drama 105m. 20th-Fox (CinemaScope) (DeLuxeColor) Estimate: Off-beat mixture of comedy and drama. Cast: Leslie Caron, Henry Fonda, Cesare Danova, Myron McCormick, Marcel Dalio, Ed¬ win Jerome, Hank Henry, Conrad Nagel. Pro¬ duced and directed by Nunnally Johnson. Story: Hollywood writer-director-pro¬ ducer-star “genius” Henry Fonda is hailed by the critics, but his pictures are a flop at the boxoffices so he is fired by studio head Conrad Nagel. His “yes man,” Myron Mc¬ Cormick, tries to find work for Fonda else¬ where, but the word is out and so is Fonda. Wandering around, Fonda is intrigued by Leslie Caron who is making a screen test. Through his influence, she soon becomes a star. They are married, but on the wedding night Fonda is out making a deal with the studio for both of them. Later, their mar¬ riage never consummated, the first picture Fonda makes starring Caron is a success. She becomes a big star and goes with Fonda and McCormick to France to make a film. Fonda is afraid she will succumb to the call of romance. Caron meets soldier of fortune Cesare Danova. Fonda hires ex-U.S. gangster Hank Henry to guard her, but during a carnival Caron and Danova, now madly in love, leave for a mountain cottage owned by Danova. Caron advises Fonda that she will not return. He is being driven crazy and is unable to explain her absence to the papers, the studio, etc. Blackmailer Marcel Dalio calls on Fonda, tells him that he knows where his wife and Danova are holed up, and threatens to give this information to the press unless Fonda wines and dines him for three days. Henry reports to Fonda while he is in a drunken stupor and he tells him he wants Danova and Caron killed. When he sobers up, Fonda recalls what he has done, rushes to prevent Henry and a pal from carrying out his bidding. However, he falls down the mountain. Henry and his pal wind up shooting each other. Ignorant of the tragedy that has been played out on their account, Caron and Danova pass the scene as Fonda, lying on a ledge, smiles. Danova pre¬ pares to go to the war in Korea and tells Caron that their idyll can not last. Fonda is rescued, and is joined in the hospital by Caron. They now realize that the time for their own courtship is at hand. X-Ray: It’s a little difficult for this viewer to precisely understand what Mr. Johnson is getting at here. The film starts out like a fast-moving express headed for lots of fun, romance, and a possible spoof of film-making. As time passes, however, it slows down, be¬ coming enmeshed in unrequited love, difficult-to-believe situations, an attempt to in¬ dulge in tragic-drama, frustration, etc. A sneak preview audience seemed well-en¬ thused and amused over many portions of the film. The cast is properly puzzling, while Johnson’s writing, direction, and production is of an unusual calibre. Myron McCormick as a Hollywood type yes-man comes off quite well. Offhand, it would seem as though the best spot for this entry would be as part of the show. The screenplay is based on the novel, “The Colors of the Day,” by Romain Gary. September 23, 1959 Tip On Bidding: Better Program rates. Ad Lines: “Romantic Tenderness, Dramatic Suspense And Subtle Comedy”; “A ModernDay Triangle.” UNITED ARTISTS Inside The Mafia United Artists Melodrama 82m. (Premium) Estimate: Actionful gangste. meller for program. Cast: Cameron Mitchell, Elaine Edwards, Robert Strauss, Jim L. Brown, Ted De Corsia, Grant Richards, Richard Karlan, Frank Gerstle, Sid Clute, Louis Jean Heydt, Steve Roberts, Hal Torey, Carl Milletaire, Carol Nugent, Edward Platt, Michael Monroe, Jack Daley, Jim Bannon, Raymond Guth, Anthony Carbone, Jack Kenney, House Peters, Jr., Sheldon Allman, Tony Warde, Donna Dale, John Hart. Produced by Robert E. Kent; directed by Edward L. Cahn. Story: A struggle for control of the Mafia results in the shooting of Ted De Corsia. He is hidden by his aide, Cameron Mitchell, who plans to make De Corsia gang leader by killing Grant Richards when he arrives in the country for an important gangland meeting. Mitchell and Robert Strauss take over the small airport operated by Louis Jean Heydt and his two daughters and hold the family prisoner. Before Richards arrives, Mitchell learns that De Corsia has died. He switches his plans and intends to spare Richards as proof of loyalty and take over a top spot in the Mafia with the leader’s help. Richards agrees and Mitchell accom¬ panies him to the meeting. Strauss is over¬ come at the airport and the family notifies the police. Richards doublecrosses Mitchell, who is killed in a fierce gun battle as police arrive to arrest the survivors. X-Ray: Plenty of gunplay enlivens this satisfactory gangster meller, which can fit into the program in action spots. Perform¬ ances are standard, and production and di¬ rection are satisfactory. It’s pretty much formula stuff, but where folks enjoy gang¬ land yarns, this should please as well. While the story drags at times, the gunfire soon starts again. It’s obviously a low-budget of¬ fering, but well done in most departments. Written by Orville H. Hampton. Tip On Bidding: Program rates. Ad Lines: “The Hush-Hush Story Behind The Black Hand Of Crime”; “Mafia War Tears Gangland Apart.” V UNIVERSAL-INT. Pillow Talk (5927) Comedy 110m U-I (Color) (CinemaScope) Estimate: Delightful entertainment loaded with appeal. Cast: Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Rand¬ all, Thelma Ritter, Marcel Dalio, Lee Patrick, Nick Adams Allen Jenkins, Jay Barney, Mary McCarty, Julia Meade. Produced by Ross Hunter and Martin Melcher; directed by Michael Gordon. Story: Song writer Rock Hudson and in¬ terior decorator Doris Day become enemies without meeting because they are forced to temporarily share a party line. She be¬ comes incensed because she can never use the phone. He is always romancing his many girl friends. Her complaints to the phone company get her nowhere, but he finally agrees to share the phone on a more equit , able basis. It turns out that wealthy Tony Randall, who is backing the show for which Hudson is writing his songs, is in love with Day but can’t get her to marry him. He refuses to identify her further, knowing