The Exhibitor (1963)

Jun® 12, 1963 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 5057 and honest policeman Jack Lemmon is as¬ signed the street as his beat, he is amazed by the open breaking of the law and surprised that MacLaine is one of the for-hire girls. When he thinks he has enough evidence, he calls for the paddy-wagon and has the girls and the men clients arrested and brought to the station. Among the clients is inspector Herschel Bemardi, and subsequently, Lemmon is fired from the force on trumped-up charges. He goes back to the bar in civilian clothes and makes friends with MacLaine. When Yarnell tries to mistreat her again, Lemmon manages to knock him out, whereupon MacLaine takes him to her apartment and has him spend the night with her. The next morning, she invites him to stay permanently after getting rid of Yamefl’s things. She also wants to work for him, and Lemmon, in love with her, reluctant¬ ly agrees temporarily. He confesses to Jacobi that he can’t stand her romancing other men, and he wishes he could do something about it. He decides to disguise himself and become her only client by paying her extraordinarily well. He poses as an English lord who visits Paris twice a week. She likes the arrangement as she can now spend more time with Lemmon. The latter, in order to get the money, spends each night in back-breaking jobs in the food market. She mistakes his tiredness as a sign that he is no longer in love with her, and is spending time with another girl, which creates a situation between them. Liking the lord, she asks that he take her back to England with him so that she can get away from Lemmon. The latter decides to dump the lord’s costume in the river. He is followed by Yarnell, who suspects foul play and summons the police. A circumstantial case gets Lemmon a prison term, but Jacobi helps him escape when Mac¬ Laine is found to be pregnant. Lemmon asks her to marry him so their child can be legiti¬ mate, but she informs him that the child isn’t his but the lord’s. He still wants to marry her, and she agrees. Lemmon dresses up as the lord again, which breaks the case wide open, and he is freed. They get married and the baby arrives at the conclusion of the cere¬ mony. Bemardi asks Lemmon to rejoin the force and help him solve the baffling case. Meanwhile, a real British lord resembling the Lemmon characterization is seen passing the scene, but that’s another story. X-Ray: How does one go about evaluating a film about a prostitute, comic and amusing though it may be? Bookers of the film will have to provide their own answers in part since they know their audiences best. First of all, the film is highly entertaining though a bit of snipping with the editing shears in the middle would have improved things even more. Secondly, it is suited only for adult au¬ diences because of the subject matter, the situations, dialogue, costuming, etc. Also, the film is based on a hit play by Alexandre Breffort, which provides a good enough excuse for the material on screen, and many can state that what’s good for the stage is good for the screen. The players are very good in their roles, and the direction and production by Wilder are superior, with the addition of color a welcome item. To sum up, “Irma La Douce” is great fun for adults who like their amusement a bit on the naughty and spicy side but with the proper moral values in sight at the conclusion. Tips On Bidding: Higher rates in many situ¬ ations. Ad Lines: “The Hit Stage Comedy About A Naughty But Nice Girl Is An Even Greater Hit On The Big Screen”; “This Fun Is For Adults Only.” UNIVERSAL A Gathering Of Eagles Universal (Color) Drama 115m. Estimate: The Strategic Air Command in action. Cast: Rock Hudson, Rod Taylor, Mary Peach, Barry Sullivan, Kevin McCarthy, Henry Silva, Leora Dana, Robert Lansing, Richard Anderson, Leif Erickson. Produced by Sy Bartlett; directed by Delbert Mann. Story: A surprise inspetcion of a Strategic Air Command base by Inspector General Kevin McCarthy uncovers some faults, and the command is changed with Col. Rock Hud¬ son going in as commander. Hudson is pleased to learn that an old friend, Rod Taylor, is his next in command. Hudson calls his wife, Mary Peach, in London to join him. Hudson sets about tightening all of the routines and procedures which dosen’t make some of the men or their wives very happy. Hudson is being checked out in a jet bomber when the fuel line breaks while they are refueling in mid-air. The whole crew has to avoid setting off a spark with part of the plane flooded. In checking his men, he notices that Colonel Barry Sullivan drinks too much, and he washes him out of the service, after which Sullivan shoots himself and winds up in the hospital. While Hudson is busy, he asks Taylor to take Peach out to the various func¬ tions which causes quite a bit of talk. Hud¬ son turns his attention to Taylor, and think¬ ing he is too busy winning friends instead of concentrating on efficiency, he asks that he be transferred. Peach begins to crack under the strain, and she is thinking of going away. Hudson goads Sullivan into wanting to re¬ cover and prove him wrong in his action. A sudden surprise inspection alert by McCarthy is in order again while Hudson is off the base, and Taylor handles the situation well until Hudson arrives. The test of men and ma¬ chines is successfully completed, and Hudson and Taylor patch up their differences. Peach too begins to understand Hudson a little bet¬ ter, and the future looks bright indeed. X-Ray: Men and giant-sized airplanes are maneuvered to and fro and each manages a measure of dramatic effect in a yam that is generally interesting and impressive. The Strategic Air Command shares honors with the machines and men in it as well as with their women. Sometimes, duty conflicts with personal feelings, and then the pace picks up. Especially interestiug are the routines of the SAC and some of their maneuvers, as well as the tour through the base and the measures of protection and defense that are detailed. At any rate, the cast performs well; the di¬ rection and production are good; and there are names and armed forces glamour and color and intrigue and suspense to sell. Reac¬ tion should be generally pleasing. The screen¬ play is by Robert Pirosh based on a story by Sy Bartlett. Tips On Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “The Strategic Air Command In Action”; “Men And Machines On An AroundThe Clock Standby As Their Women Wait.” King Kong vs Godzilla Universal (Made in Japan) (Color) Melodrama 90 m. Estimate: Exploitable science fiction entry for program. Cast: King Kong, Godzilla, Michael Keith, James Yagi, Tadao Takashima, Mie Hama, Yu Fujiki. Produced by John Beck; directed by Thomas Montgomery and Inoshiro Honda. Story: When an ice floe starts acting mysterious, a United Nations sub is sent to the Arctic to investigate, and it is destroyed when Godzilla emerges from the frozen depths. He heads for Japan where everything but the atomic bomb is used to destroy it to no avail. Godzilla then sinks into the sea out of sight. Meanwhile, a couple of employees of a Japa¬ nese drug company land on an island to seek a berry that can be used as a non-habit forming narcotic, and they discover King Kong, who is knocked out after drinking the juice of the berries. They take him back towards Japan to use for publicity purposes, but he breaks away near the coast. The two animals engage in battle, but King Kong gives up after a skirmish. They meet again, and this time King Kong emerges victorious, with Godzilla disappearing beneath the waves. The huge gorilla heads back towards his island after saving Japan. X-Ray: The technical effects here deserve an “A” for effort and accomplishment, but the acting and story are a bit on the nonsensical side, or maybe comedy is intended. Anyhow, with the names of the monsters plus the other exploitation potential, this could serve as part of the show where audiences aren’t going to be too fussy. Paul Mason and Bruce Howard are credited with the screenplay. The color and production values are quite good. Ad Lines: “The Greatest Battle Of The Century”; “A Thrill A Minute.” The Thrill Of It All Comedy 108m. Universal (Eastman Color) Estimate: Highly amusing comedy. Cast: Doris Day, James Garner, Arlene Francis, Edward Andrews, Reginald Owen, Zasu Pitts, Elliott Reid, Alice Pearce, Kym Karath, Brian Nash, Lucy Landau. Produced by Ross Hunter and Martin Melcher; directed by Norman Jewison. Story: Arlene Francis, wife of soap tycoon Edward Andrews, gives credit for her preg¬ nancy to the advice of gynocologist-obstetrician James Gamer. The happy pair invite Garner and his wife, Doris Day, to a celebra¬ tion dinner in their home. Day is a thrifty housewife who is impressed with the invita¬ tion and the home, where also lives Reginald Owen, who founded the soap dynasty. He has been unimpressed with the tv commercials, but he is impressed with the down-to-earth comments by Day about the soap and the way it is treated in her home. He orders Andrews and the agency to let Day do the commercials for a fantastic amount of money, which the thrifty Day has difficulty turning down. She is nervous, but her charm and sincerity bring about much favorable comment among tv re¬ viewers and audiences. She is given a long term contract. This doesn’t make Garner too happy as he gets very little chance to see her. They eventually get into a hassle, and Gamer decides to embark on a campaign to bring her back. This consists of putting lipstick on his shirts and staying away from home for unaccountable periods. His scheming visibly affects Day. Comes time for the Francis baby to be born and a traffic jam holds up the limousine containing a nerve-wracked An¬ drews as well as Day. Garner reaches the car in time, and with Day’s help delivers the baby. Day and Garner are reunited, and she wants only to be a doctor’s wife in the future. X-Ray: Take a substantial cast — both as to talent and name value; put it into a light¬ weight, improbable story that tickles the funnybone; dress it up in color, glamour, and cuteness; and you’ve got a contribution that will benefit both boxoffices and audiences. Acting, direction, and production are good, and it should prove a hot-weather treat for the nonsophisticated numbering in the many millions. There is a song to be heard-same as the title. Carl Reiner, who appears briefly in the film, wrote the screenplay based on a story by Larry Gelbart and Reiner, which contains the unbelievable premise that a wife of a gynocologist-obstetrician needs money. Tips On Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “The Laugh Hit Of The Season”; “The Best BluesChaser In Many A Year.” The Traitors Melodrama Universal (English-made) Estimate: Suspense meller for supporting slot.