The Exhibitor (1960)

January 1 1, 1961 > MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 4781 REVIEWS 73b famous pink paper SA VEABLE SECTION ia whirh Experienced Trade Analysts evaluate coming product Published every second week, as a separately bound and easily saveable section of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR, this exclusive 24 year old service is^ both numerically more complete, and informatively more candid, than any similar trade analysis. Cumulatively numbered by film seasons (September to September), it is recommended that readers' consecutively save all REVIEWS section in a permanent file. The last issue of each August will always contain a complete annual index to close the season. Combined, the every second week yellow paper SERVISECTION indexes to the past 12 months' product, and the alternating every second week pink paper REVIEWS, represent a unique informative service to theatremen. Please address all inquiries or suggestions about these two service features to the Editors of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR, 246-48 N. Clarion St., Philadelphia 7, Penna. JANUARY 11, 1961 COLUMBIA X Comedy 195m. Coltimbia (Print by Technicolor) (Photographic lenses by Panavision) (Special sequences in CinemaScope) Estimate: Highly entertaining. Cast: Cantinflas, Dan Dailey, Shirley Jones, Carlos Montalban, Vicki Trickett, Matt Mat¬ tox, Hank Henry, Suzanne Lloyd, Carlos Rivas, Stephen Bekassy, plus guest appear¬ ances by Maurice Chev^ier, Bing Crosby, Michael Callan, Richard Conte, Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jimmy Durante, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Hedda Hopper, Joey Bishop, Ernie Kovacs, Peter Lawford, Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, Jay North, Kim Novak, Andre Previn, Donna Reed, Debbie Reynolds, Edward G. Robin¬ son, Cesar Romero, Frank Sinatra, Billie Burke, Ann B. Davis, William Demarest, Jack Entratter, Col. E. E. Fogelson, Jane Robinson, Bunny Waters, and Charles Cobum. Directed and produced by George Sid¬ ney; associate producer, Jacques Gehnan. Story: Greer Garson and Edward G. Robin¬ son each seek to purchase a white staUion during a horse auction in Mexico. The stal¬ lion has been raised by ranch foreman Cantinflas. In the latter’s mind, the animal is his son, and he hopes to buy the animal him¬ self with his meager savings. Cantinflas man¬ ages to convince nearly everbody that the animal has many faults except Dan Dailey, a Hollywood director on the skids, who sees through Cantinflas’ tricks and buys the ani¬ mal, hoping to use it to persuade Robinson to invest in a picture. Cantinflas goes to Hollywood hoping to find Dailey and the horse. There he meets a number of celeb¬ rities as well as dancer Shirley Jones, who has a frustrated acting ambition and an al¬ leged hatred of films. They become friends. When Cantinflas finds Dailey, the latter in¬ forms him that the horse has been a dud ever since coming to Hollywood. Cantinflas is sure it’s because he misses his friend and trainer. Sure enough, the animal perks up, and Dailey offers the Mexican a job to stay and care for the horse. Cantinflas visits Jones at the cafe where she works, starts a riot, and gets Jones fired. He persuades her to return with him, and when she and Dailey meet, they get into an immediate hassle. Eventually, they make up and he begins to think that she does belong in one of his pic¬ tures. Dailey heads for Las Vegas to try and raise the necessary cash for his film, and Cantinflas follows. Dailey bets his last funds and goes back to drinking. Cantinflas offers him his money and Dailey agrees, stating that they would be partners in the future. When Dailey passes out, Cantinflas wins a fortune via the various gambling devices and turns it over to Dailey to make the pic¬ ture with Jones. Cantinflas attempts to help and gets in the way. Robinson agrees to put up more money needed by Dailey if he will sell him the horse. The picture is completed and looks like a hit. Robinson wants to buy control, which Dailey agrees to if he will re¬ turn the horse to Cantinflas. Dailey and Jones admit their love for each other and every¬ body is happy. X-Ray: There is no doubt but that much is offered viewers here in the way of enter¬ tainment. It’s loaded with star personalities, amusing and also touching situations, drama, color, music, etc. It is also too long, with some of the star appearances falling into the weak category while others appear very briefly on screen. Cantinflas is very good as the simple lead character, and the others including Dailey, Jones, and Robinson are fine in their roles. The direction and pro¬ duction are superior, and its value could be enhanced via some judicious editing. Whether or not audiences are willing to accept the entry as a hard-ticket one is something that tests and time will tell. The telling advertis¬ ing and promotion campaign is a definite plus factor which should make itself felt at the boxoffice. Incidentally, there are a num¬ ber of skits with star personalities which come off very well, and these should have viewers plugging the film, as should the color photography. The screenplay is by Dorothy Kingsley and Claude Binyon with the screen story by Leonard Spigelgass and Sonya Levien, based on a play by L. Bush-Fekete. Among the music heard is “Hooray For Hollywood,” “Pepe,” “Mimi,” “Faraway Part of Town.” “Thats How It Went, All Right,” “Lovely Day,” “September Song.” Tips On Bidding: Higher rates. Ad Lines: “The Greatest Fun Picture of Them All”; “Fun For The Whole Family.” PARAMOUNT Elephant Walk Drama 103m. (Technicolor) (Partly Made in Ceylon) Estimate:, Reissue deserves plenty of at¬ tention. Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Dana Andrews, Peter Finch, Abraham Sofaer, Abner Biberman, Noel Drayton, Rosalind Ivan, Barry Bernard, Philip Tonge, Edward Ashley, Leo Britt, Mylee Haulani, Charles Heard, Norma Barden, William Bengal Rau, Jack Raine, Madhyma Lanka Mandala Dancers. Produced by Irving Asher; directed by William Dieterle. For complete review please refer to page 3726, April 7, 1954. The Naked Jungle Melodrama 95m. Paramount (Technicolor) Estimate: Tense reissue with many sell¬ ing angles. Cast: Eleanor Parker, Charlton Heston, Abraham Sofaer, William Conrad, Romo Vincent, Douglas Fowley, John Dierkes, Leonard Strong, Norma Calderon, John Mans¬ field, Ronald Alan Numkena, Bemie Del Ray, Jerry S. Groves, Leon Lontoc, John E. Wood, Carlos Rivero. Produced by George Pal; di¬ rected by Byron Haskin. For complete review please refer to page 3703, Feb. 24, 1954. 20th-FOX Flaming Star Melodrama 101m 20th Fox (CinemaScope) (Color By DeLuxe) Estimate: Good action entry has Presley draw. Cast: Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden, Steve Forrest, Delores Del Rio, John Mclntire, Rudolph Acosta, Karl Swenson, Ford Rainey, Richard Jaeckel, Anne Benton, L. Q. Jones, Douglas Dick. Produced by David Weisbart; directed by Don Siegel. Story: Elvis Presley and his half-brother, Steve Forrest, arrive at the home of their parents, John Mclntire and Delores Del Rio, to be greeted by a surprise birthday party for Forrest with other young people having come a long distance to be present. Enroute home, some of the yoimg people are am¬ bushed by an Indian war party headed by Rudolph Acosta. Their parents are killed, and the ranch is burned. The next night, a group of riders show up before Mclntire’s home to demand what side they are on in the con¬ flict between whites and fodians. Insulting references are made to Del Rio’s Indian heritage, and they consider Presley a half breed. Before they leave, the hot words lead to Forrest shooting one of the riders. They leave after shooting Mclntire’s cattle and scattering the herd. The family is knit closer than ever. Acosta arrives at the ranch to ask Presley to join the band of braves he is gathering. He refuses, but he and Del Rio decide to visit the Indian village and try to persuade the others in the tribe from em¬ barking on war. They get nowhere, and Pres¬ ley asks for time to consider his joining Acosta. Escorted home by two braves, they are set upon by a maddened and wounded white, and an Indian is killed while Del Rio is seriously wounded. Presley and Forrest try to go for a doctor, but the white settlement refuses to let them. When they can get away with him, they arrive too late. Presley decides to join Acosta, and the latter promises to spare Mclntire and his ranch. Several newly ar¬ rived braves do not know of the promise, and Mclntire and Forrest are ambushed. For¬ rest is wounded and Presley cares for him and leads other Indians away from him. He gets Forrest back to the settlement where his girl, Barbara Eden, cares for him. When Forrest awakens, he is determined to ride out to Presley, only to find the latter riding to¬ ward him badly wounded and knowing that he is to die. X-Ray: Highly interesting throughout and well-made, this entry presents Presley sans guitar and in a highly dramatic role. He comes off well with a quality performance. There’s sufficient action and drama as well as some suspense, and the result should please most viewers. Of course, the film has the added interest for the younger set because of Presley, and this should mean better than average attendance. The performances are good as are the direction, production, camera¬ work, etc. The use of color and Cinema¬ Scope are added assets. The -script is by Clair