The Exhibitor (1966)

5398 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR May 11, 1966 deniable merit of the film lies in thoughtful direction and some good performances, most by relatively unknown players. Eddie Albert contributes a skillful cameo, particularly in a well played scene in which he learns of his daughter’s death. Oliver Reed, beatnik leader, is also effective in a role the motivation for which is difficult to determine. Only the force of his personality makes his character interest¬ ing. Lovely Catherine Woodville is also an actress of more than passing interest. These youngsters will be heard from again. Adults may wonder what these youngsters are rebelling against. Some teenagers may identify in vary¬ ing degrees with the characters, for the beatnik is an international phenomenon. The rather seamy and steamy plot makes this more suit¬ able for adults than youngsters, but its appeal is probably going to be just the opposite. It will fill out the program in general situations and might attract a little attention among art film devotees. A low budget offering on an unpleasant subject, it does have the power to disturb. Ad Lines: “What Really Happened To Melina That Night At The Wild Party? So Shocking It Could Only Be Told In Whis¬ pers”; “They Were Banned By Society . . . But They Liked It That Way.” AMERICAN INT. The Girl Getters AIP (English-made) Drama 93M. Estimate: Well-made tale of resort ro¬ mances. Cast: Oliver Reed, Jane Merrow, Barbara Ferris, Julia Foster, Ann Lynn, Guy Dolman, Andrew Ray, John Porter Davison, Clive Co¬ lin Bowler. Produced by Kenneth Shipman; directed by Michael Winner. Story: Summer in an Oceanside resort town in England brings not only the warm sun, but also masses of vacationers, among whom are girls and boys in search of fun and each other. Oliver Reed, candid cameraman who snaps vacationers as part of his living, is leader of a group of boys in search of some girls who like to play. His photography job makes it easy to locate them, after which a system they have worked out takes over, and the fun begins. Reed has been doing quite well over the sea¬ sons, and the others have had their fun, with some even getting married to the girls they meet. Reed is impressed with model Jane Mer¬ row, who has arrived with her wealthy father to spend a brief holiday. He falls in love with her, and she has some fun with him. As the season draws to a close, he decides to give up the beach existence and go to London to be reunited with Merrow. The latter informs him that she won’t be going to London for several months as she first has to go to Rome to do some modeling. A crushed Reed tries to shake off the news and join the celebration on the beach marking the season’s end. His heart isn’t in it. X-Ray: The beach resorts are where the boys and girls are, and it’s only natural that romances, entanglements, etc., will follow. Many of the young people have their flings, and this tale of their deeds and misdeeds has its dramatic moments, romantic interludes, and even a few bits of comedy, action, etc. The cast accounts for itself rather well, and direc¬ tion and production are good. The entry can go in either the art spots or many regulation houses, where mature teeners and their elders congregate. There is a certain naturalness to be found here that audiences will find intrigu¬ ing and enchanting. The screenplay is by Peter Draper. , Ad Lines : “Anything Gan Happen On The Beach In The Summertime — And Does”; “A Girl A Day Keeps Boredom Away.” The Great Spy Chase Comedy Melodrama 87M. AIP (Filmed abroad) (Dubbed in English) Estimate: Cute spoof of spies in action. Cast: Lino Ventura, Bernard Bleir, Francis Blanche, Mireille Dare, Charles Millot, Andre Weber, Jess Hahn, Jacques Balutin, Robert Dalban, Michele Marceau. Executive producer, Alain Poire; produced and directed by George Lautner. . Story: When a scientist dies in Paris, four secret agents from France, Switzerland, Ger¬ many, and Russia show up at the funeral to pay their respects and also have a go at getting a collection of patents from the widow, Mireille Dare. There is also an American on the scene now and again offering fantastic amounts of money for the rights. She invites the foursome, who pose as relation, friend, priest and doctor to her dead husband, to spend some time with her. During the visit, they try to eliminate each other while killing off hordes of orientals, who invade the house in search of the secrets. The Frenchman, Lino Ventura, gets the inside track by appealing to her romantic urges, even inti¬ mating a marriage in the future though he is already wed. Ventura and Dare steal away to Madrid where the papers are in a bank, and for a time, he has difficulty holding onto them. He finally does win out, and one assumes that he will become a bigamist with Dare — all in the line of duty. X-Ray: Wild and funny is this action-filled import that serves as a broad spoof on the cur¬ rent crop of spy entries. Audiences should get a charge out of the fast-moving proceedings. Performances are fun, and direction and pro¬ duction are capable. Audiences seeking a rapidpaced hell-raiser on the comic side should go for this entry, which should make up well as part of the show. The script is by Michel Audiard and Albert Simonin. Ad Lines: “The Wildest And Funniest Spy Thriller Ever”; “A Fun-Filled Espionage Comedy Treat.” CONTINENTAL Contest Girl Drama 99M. Continental (CinemaScope) (Color) (English-made) Estimate: Interesting import. Cast: Ian Hendry, Janette Scott, Ronald Fraser, Edmund Purdom, Jean Claudio, Kay Walsh, Norman Bird, Janina Faye, Tommy Trinder, David Weston, Francis Matthews, Linda Christian, and bathing beauty queens from various countries. Produced and directed by Val Guest; executive producer, Earl St. John. Story: Janette Scott, good-looking, young typist on holiday at a British seaside resort, agrees to help newspaperman Ian Hendry and photographer Ronald Fraser with a story on the resort’s facilities. Hendry encourages her to enter a small beauty contest. Though she loses, she listens to his pitch that she has possi¬ bilities and eventually agrees to give the beauty contest racket another fling. Under his guid¬ ance, she leaves home and does meet with suc¬ cess at some of the contests. He also finds that he is falling in love with her as her character I changes to one of being willing to do anything ' to win. Along the way, she meets film star . Edmund Purdom and promoter Jean Claudio, ‘ who help her, but she doesn’t quite win the big international contest. As time passes, Hendry goes back to his job on the paper. Scott is asked to pick the winner of a new contest, where she finds her sister an entrant with hair dyed and all the other bits of the trade. She panics and . runs away, coming face to face , with Hendry. i X-Ray: What happens to an ordinary girl with looks when she becomes enmeshed in the fight for money and glory in the beauty con¬ test circle makes for interesting viewing in both art and some regular spots. Some of the revela¬ tions and the scenic settings add to the entry’s effectiveness, and it could do okay as part of the show. The title will provide some show¬ men with the opportunity to hold their own bathing beauty contest. Performances are efficient, and direction and production are good. The screenplay is by Robert Muller and Val Guest. Ad Lines: “A Shocking Expose of Beauty Contests”; “She Was Willing To Do Anything To Win.” Gulliver^s Travels Beyond The Moon Continental (Color) ( J apanese-made ) (English dialogue) Cartoon 85M. Estimate: Good for kiddies and family trade. Credits: Produced by Hiroshi Okawa; di¬ rected by Yoshio Kuroda; screenplay by Shinichi Sekizawa; animation director, Hideo Furusawa; original songs and music by Milton and Anne Delugg. Story: Ricky, an orphan, sneaks into movie theatres, intrigued by the on-screen adventures. One in which he becomes absorbed is the ad¬ ventures of Gulliver. Thrown out, he makes the acquaintance of a toy soldier in a trash can, who tries to cheer the lad up, and of a homeless little dog. All three go to a darkened amuse¬ ment park. In order to escape the guards, they take a trip on a rocket which lands them deep in the forest. There they discover Dr. Gulliver, who has been working on a space ship to go to a distant planet. Ricky persuades him to make the trip although Gulliver is reluctant because of his age. The four of them and Gulliver’s pet crow take off, and after some hardships, they are forced to land on a star. They are sur¬ rounded by robots and rescued by a princess, who invites them to dine with her father, the king. Other mechanical monsters attack and carry off the princess and the dog. Ricky, Gul¬ liver, the soldier, and the crow attack the in¬ vading robots with water, which disintegrates' them. The princess and dog are rescued, and ) beneath her shell is a real girl. She explains ; that they were forced to use protective devicesbecause of the robots. Now with the forces of( evil destroyed, they can emerge and live a more ; normal existence. Back on earth, Ricky starts' off a new day with his friends, ready for any-^ thing that comes along. ^ X-Ray: Youngsters and family audiences j will best appreciate this adventure cartoon that * offers quite a bit of action, intrigue, and bits of J comedy. It could have been tightened a bit to| make it more effective, perhaps by eliminating! some of the musical bits and pieces. Still, itj accomplishes its purpose quite well. The ani-J