The Exhibitor (1959)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 4639 September 23, 1959 Hudson’s wolfish ways, but Hudson knows by now he is talking about Day. He con¬ trives to meet her, posing as a Texan. They become well acquainted, with Day seeming to fall in love with him. When Randall learns she has fallen in love with a Texan, he hires a private detective to learn about the man and finds it’s Hudson. Randall threatens exposure unless Hudson leaves im¬ mediately for the country to work on the show’s tunes. Hudson agrees, but arranges to have Day go with him. Once there, she discovers his real identity just as Randall walks in. He takes her home and finds that she is really in love with Hudson. When the latter returns to town, he finds he really loves Day, but she refuses to have anything to do with him. Her part-time maid, Thelma Ritter, suggests he hire her firm to decorate his apartment which should throw them to¬ gether once again. She does the job in the worst possible taste, but this reunites them. X-Ray: Funny, witty, and lightweight in plot and story, this entry is well made, and destined to garner wonderful returns at the boxoffice. It’s the kind of film that is calcu¬ lated to make audiences feel good and to send them from the theatre talking about the story, the people in it, and the lavish and fine production values, sets, etc., as well as humming the tunes. Interest is well main¬ tained, performances are joyous, and the di¬ rection is superior. The use of color and CinemaScope are of particular value here, and the whole thing shapes up as top film fare. It also gives one the impression that the people concerned had a ball making the entry. Naturally, the names of Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, and Thelma Ritter are good drawing cards. Tunes heard in¬ clude “Pillow Talk,” “Inspiration,” “Roly Poly,” and “Possess Me.” The screenplay is by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin. Tip On Bidding: Higher rates . Ad Lines: “The Romance of the Century Is The Fun Fest of the Age”; “Fun For All — The Doris Day, Rock Hudson Way.” WARNERS A Summer Place D“A loOM. Warners (Technicolor) Estimate: Well-made tale of human emo¬ tions could gross big. Cast: Richard Egan, Dorothy McGuire, Sandra Dee, Arthur Kennedy, Troy Donahue, Constance Ford, Beulah Bondi, Jack Richard¬ son, Martin Eric. Written produced, and di¬ rected by Delmer Daves. Story: Because the family fortune is non¬ existent, Arthur Kennedy has been forced to convert the family mansion on isolated Pine Island into an inn which he runs with his wife, Dorothy McGuire, and their son, Troy Donahue. When he receives a reserva¬ tion from millionaire Richard Egan, who at one time was employed as a lifeguard on the island who also was McGuire’s suitor, he is tempted to refuse until she reminds him how desperately they need the revenue. Accom¬ panying Egan are his wife, Constance Ford, and their daughter, Sandra Dee. The latter and Donahue fall in love, which Ford re¬ sents. She and Egan have one of their usual differences. Egan and McGuire admit that they made a mistake not getting married when they fell passionately in love 20 years before, and after confessing their unhappi¬ ness with their mates, they have an affair which is discovered by the night watchman who is being paid by Ford. When Dee and Donahue are forced to spend the night on an island because his sailing boat capsized, Ford makes a big fuss. Humiliated, Dee runs away briefly whereupon Ford publicly announces the affair between Egan and McGuire. Ken¬ nedy admits that he too has been aware of McGuire’s love over the years. A divorce follows in each family with Kennedy getting custody of Donahue and Ford keeping Dee and forbidding her to see the boy again. Egan and McGuire get married and invite the youngsters to spend their vacations with them. Dee and Donahue see it as a chance to be together and they accept. Dee later finds she is pregnant. They try to get mar¬ ried, but their youthful appearance prevents this. They try to get Kennedy to give them his blessing but he refuses intending to enter a Naval Hospital, his years of drinking hav¬ ing caught up with him. The youngsters re¬ turn to Egan and McGuire, who greet them with love and understanding and who give their consent. Dee and Donahue return to Pine Island where they’ll live. X-Ray: Films dealing with the conflict of human emotions, the play on illicit sex^ the uncontraollable passions of romance, the growing-up of youngsters plagued by parents with problems, frank and open discussions of the problems at hand in everday language, etc., have been coming through with hand¬ some returns. This well-made entry seems destined to follow the same pattern providing high drama, absorbing situations, people that are competent and believeable, attractive youngsters to draw their counterparts, and settings that are extremely effective. Delmer Daves has put a lot of work into the film, and what emeges is superior entertainment of its type. Another factor in the film’s favor is that women will be captivated by what they see and even get a chance to shed a tear in sympathy or perhaps regret. Word of mouth could prove quite an asset in sell¬ ing. The screenplay is based on the novel by Sloan Wilson. Tips On Bidding: Higher rates. Ad Lines: “They Had To Get Married, But What’s More Important, They Wanted To Get Married”; “A Penetrating Story Of Hu¬ man Emotions And The Changing Ways Of Love.” FOREIGN The Magician Drama 102m. Janus (Swedish-made) (English titles) Estimate: Unusual and interesting import for art and specialty spots. Cast: Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Bibi Andersson, Gertrud Fridh, Lars Ekborg, Toivo Pawlo. Produced by Carl-Henry Cagarp; di¬ rected by Ingmar Bergman. Story: A hundred years ago, a theatrical troupe headed by Max von Sydow travels the Swedish countryside, having been forced to leave Denmark rather hurriedly. Included is hypnotist and magician von Sydow; his wife, Ingrid Thulin; manager and spokesman Ake Fridell; and an old witch-like woman. They are stopped by police commanded by Toivo Pawlo and commanded to give a priv¬ ate performance for himself, local health officer Gunnar Bjornstrand, and a local businessman. Bjornstrand refuses to believe in hypnosis, but von Sydow places the wife of the police chief under hypnosis, and she reveals many startling facts. Von Sydow is apparently killed and Bjornstrand insists on performing an immediate autopsy. He is given a rough time by von Sydow behind locked doors. The body turns out to be that of a dead actor which the coach had picked up enroute to the city. The troupe is rescued by a summons from the royal palace to give a special performance, and they leave under triumphal escort. X-Ray: Unusual in scope, presentation, production, and story is this import that abounds in originality. Interest is maintained on high not only because of the material and the method of presentation, but also because the viewer is never quite sure what will happen next on screen. The technical aspects as well as the vivid photography deserve more than a mere mention for they contribute much towards the type of success that the entry will enjoy among art and specialty spot viewers. The latter should at¬ tend in considerable numbers and be more than satisfied by what they see. Acting, di¬ rection, and production are superior. The screenplay is by Ingmar Bergman. Ad Lines: “An Off-Beat Masterpiece”; “A Picture That Will Not Soon Be Forgotten.” MISCELLANEOUS The Naked Venus Dr™ Howco Estimate: Entry exploits nudity. Cast: Ariane Arden, Don Roberts, Patricia Conelle, Wynn Gregory, Douglas McCairn, Doris Shriver, Allan Singer, Harry Lovejoy. Produced by Gaston Hakim; directed by Ove H. Sehested. Story: When Don Roberts gets out of the Army he winds up in Paris to study painting and also to get away from a domineering mother, Wynn Gregory. He falls in love with Patricia Conelle, a model, and they get mar¬ ried. A painting of his wife in the nude gives him some prominence. When he intro¬ duced his wife to Gregory, she is determined to break up the marriage and hires a de¬ tective to delve into Conelle’s background. They find that she was a nudist. Gregory persuades her son that separation and di( Continued on page 4640) For TheatreTested and Approved THEATRE FORMS AND SYSTEMS write to EXHIBITOR BOOK SHOP! Actual sample sheets of all "Plus Services'' will be sent on written request.