The Exhibitor (1963)

December 4,. 1963 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 5115 a battlefield, but St John is not repulsed, getting to love him even more. McGiver too would like to see the pair wed. Moorhead puts in an appearance as Lewis almost wrecks the store, and St. John’s identity is discovered, which cools things off as far as Lewis is concerned. He goes back to poodle walking. St. John, McGiver. and Moorhead show up also in the poodle-walking racket, and some¬ how one gets the feeling that all will be well in the romance department. X-Ray: This Lewis entry is a bit on the frantic and frenetic side, and he gets a chance to really demonstrate his own peculiar brand of slapstick comedy because of the area of operations — a whole department store as a playground. The people are pleasant and true to their assignments, and there are some funny scenes and cute bits. The story is a device to string the broad humor sections together, and the direction and production are good. Lewis fans should appreciate this latest entry a shade more than some of his others because it’s a shade better. The orig¬ inal screenplay is by Frank Tashlin and Harry Tugend. Tip on Bidding: Better Jerry Lewis rates. Ad Lines: “Fun For The Whole Family”; “When Jerry Lewis Is Let Loose In A De¬ partment Store, The Result Is Chaos.” 20th-FOX Move Over Darling Comedy 103M. 20th-Fox (CinemaScope) (DeLuxe Color) Estimate: Entertaining comedy. Cast: Doris Day, James Gamer, Polly Ber¬ gen, Thelma Ritter, Fred Clark, Don Knotts, Elliott Reid, Edgar Buchanan, John Astin, Pat Harrington, Jr., Eddie Quillan, Max Showalter, Alvy Moore, Pami Lee, Leslie Far¬ rell, Chuck Connors. Produced by Aaron Rosenberg and Martin Melcher; directed by Michael Gordon. Story: Successful lawyer James Gamer goes before Judge Edgar Buchanan in Cali¬ fornia with financee Polly Bergen to petition court to declare his wife, Doris Day, lost at sea following an airplane crash five years ago, legally dead. He wants the court to mar¬ ry him to Bergen. .This done, they leave on their honeymoon. Meanwhile, at a nearby naval base, a submarine lands with Day rescued from a desert island. She goes home to find her two children, Leslie Farrell and Pami Lee, do not recognize her. They are being cared for by Garner’s mother, Thelma Ritter, who breaks news of Gamer’s court actions and of the honeymoon to be held at the same hotel where he and Day celebrated their nuptials. Day arrives at the hotel ahead of the newlyweds, and launches her campaign to get her husband back. Gamer fakes a back injury to avoid consummating his new mar¬ riage. Day leaves in a huff, because Garner won’t break with Bergen. He realizes he loves Day, however, and follows, still not informing Bergen. At home, he learns that Day was marooned on the island alone with Chuck Connors. All ends happily as Gamer and Day wind up together, with Bergen finding solace in the arms of psychiatrist Elliott Reid. X-Ray: Stuff and nonsense is this funfest of material that is tried and true; but it is arranged in a pleasing package that most viewers will enjoy. It is colorful and lavishly mounted; the pace is brisk enough to hold interest; the people are attractive and ac¬ complished; and direction and production are of superior quality. The sharp viewer will recognize that the screenplay by Hal Kanter and Jack Sher is based on the hit comedy of years ago with Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. To sum up, the film is a well made bit of romantic comedy that will be preferred by people out for amusement. Tip On Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “A Merry Marital Mix-Up”; “Two Wives Is One Wife Too Many.” MISCELLANEOUS Playgirls International Westfield Productions (Eastman Color) (Techniscope) Estimate: Fair nudie novelty. Credits: Produced and directed by Doris Wishman; narrated by Leslie Daniel. Story: Interspersed with scenes taken in nudist camps in Florida are a collection of vaudeville-night club acts photographed around the world in France, Hawaii, Thai¬ land, Japan, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and the United States. The French Can Can and apache dances, and the musical specialty of Louis Prima are standouts. X-Ray: This curious compilation is per¬ haps an exploitable novelty. An attempt to justify the entirely different components is made in the narration, which stresses that “The Good Life” is an international institu¬ tion. The color photography is very good in spots and the idea unreels as a fairly enter¬ taining time waster if this is played with a stronger supporting feature. It is, of course, only suited to the fast buck operations, where the nudist colony shots will get it by. Ad Lines: “A Whirling, Twirling Panorama Of Nature’s Playgirls”; “A Fascinating Ad¬ venture Into The Colorful World Of Nature’s Playgirls.” FOREIGN Naked Autumn Drama 98 M. United Motion Picture Organization (Dyaliscope) (French-made) (English titles) Estimate: Fair import. Cast: Simone Signoret, Reginald Keman, Alexandra Stewart, Serge Rousseau, Marcelle Ranson. Produced by Jean Thuillier, directed by Francois Leterrier. Story: Racing car driver Reginald Keman has given up the sport to live in the country with his wife, Simone Signoret, and for 10 years they have been together yet drifting apart. He has taken to walking the country¬ side while she has gone to drinking and gam¬ bling at a nearby casino. They meet and like the new school teacher in the village, Alex¬ andra Stewart, who, despite objections from her soldier-fiance stationed nearby, becomes friendly with them. Signoret becomes attached to her even though she is aware that Keman is falling in love with her, but she hopes to hold him by keeping both closer to her. Kernan is troubled about his feelings, thinking that he can only cause her unhappiness. When an offer comes from an auto firm for him to drive again, he accepts, and Signoret begins to pack happily until he tells her that she is to remain at home. Stewart then hopes that he will take her, but he announces that he is going alone. X-Ray: Herein is the story of a triangle, but it’s not a very active one. It is pretty up to a point, but then the spectator wishes something would happen. The cast performs well, and direction and production are ade¬ quate, with the bleak French countryside a good setting for the screenplay by Roger Vailland, based on his novel, which may do okay for the art house set. Ad Lines: “The Story of Two Women And The Man They Love”; “A Triangle And Some Unusual Complications.” Pirate And The Slave Girl Melodrama 86M. Crest (Color) (Colorscope) (Italian-made) (Dubbed in English) Estimate: Costume meller has Lex Barker name. Cast: Lex Barker, Chelo Alonso, Massimo Serato, Graziella Granata, Daniele Varga, Lu¬ igi Tosi, Bruno Corelli, Enzo Maggio. Pro¬ duced by Peter Pierott; directed by Frank Ferrara. Story: In the 15th Century, Lex Barker, pirate, takes prisoner Graziella Granata, daughter of the Governor of Rhodes, and adds her to his collection of female slaves destined to be sold at an African slave market. He also obtains documents pertaining to treaty obligations of the Venetian Republic. The Governor entrusts Massimo Serato to retrieve the documents and free his daughter. Serato, who planned to double cross the governor, joins Barker’s crew, but while at sea is found out and flogged. In Africa, Serato is left be¬ hind to die in the desert but is saved by princess Chelo Alonso. Granata tries to flee, but is caught. Serato escapes during an at¬ tack by brigands, and after the battle, Alonso is killed in an attempt to save his life. Barker and Granata, now in love, sail to return to the Venetian Republics. X-Rays This somewhat confused swash¬ buckler presents considerable Oriental pag¬ eantry and costume sword play of yesteryear. It has plenty of action plus Lex ‘Tarzan Barker for name value. Chelo Alonso adds plenty of sex appeal as a Latin beauty. The color and wide screen enhance things, and production and direction are competent. The dubbing job is satisfactory. This should do okay as part of the bill in the program spots. Ad Lines: “He Took By Force What He Could Have Had For Love”; “A Strange Ad¬ venture With A Cargo Of Beauty For The Harems Of The East.” Please, Not Now! Comedy 74M. International Classics (French-made) (Dubbed in English) Estimate: Saucy Bardot comedy in French style. Cast: Brigitte Bardot, Josephine James, Jacques Riberolles, Michael Subor, Mireille Dare, Edith Zetling, Claude Brasseur, Serge Marquand, Jean Tissier, Bernard Fresson, Cluade Berri, Max Montavon. Produced by Jacques Roitfeld; supervised by Roger Vadim. A production of Francos Films, Paris; and Vides Film, Rome. . Story: Uncover girl Brigitte Bardot is jilted by her photographer employer, Jacques Ribe¬ rolles, with whom she has been having an affair for 18 months. His new passion is American heiress Josephine James. Michel Subor, a medical student, catches Bardot on the rebound, and suggests she seek revenge on Riberolles by making him jealous. The best way to accomplish this is by falling in love with Subor. His persistence avails him noth¬ ing however, although he does get pretty intimate. When they learn that Riberolles and James have gone on holiday in the Swiss Alps, they pool their meager resources and follow. Bardot, now in possession of a shotgun, threat¬ ens to kill first Riberolles and then James. Alarmed, Subor warns Riberolles, and Bardot’s plans fail. However, the two girls get together and James turns on Riberolles when Bardot tells her that he is only after her money. At the same time, Riberolles tells Bardot that Subor’s intentions are strictly dishonorable. The end has Bardot and Riberolles together again, and Subor and James paired off. X-Ray: This sophisticated and gay French (Continued on page 5116)