The Exhibitor (1966)

PRODUCT PREVIEW • to schedule its releases in an orderly pattern that will allow exhibitors to reap maximum profits consistently throughout the year. The sensational boxoffice success of Columbia’s releases in recent months promises to continue through the new year and well into the future. The tremendous popularity of the com¬ pany’s product, evidenced in early 1966 with the opening of “The Silencers” and continuing right up through the current release of “The Professionals,” should soar to unprecedented heights beginning with the year-end holiday release of Irving Allen’s new Matt Helm adventure, “Murderers’ Row.” This will be followed throughout the next few months with the roadshow release of Fred Zinnemann’s film of “A Man For All Seasons,” from Robert Bolt’s screen adaptation of his own prize-winning play, which had its world premiere on Dec. 12 at the Fine Arts Theatre in New York; and with the road¬ show release of the Burton-Zefhrelli production of “The Tam¬ ing of the Shrew,” which will have its American premiere at the Coronet Theatre in New York on March 8, following its world premiere as the Royal Command Film Performance in London in February. Other high quality product of great promise slated for imminent release includes Sam Spiegel’s “The Night of the Generals,” co-produced and directed by Anatole Litvak, star¬ ring Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif; and Sidney Lumet’s film version of John LeCarre’s “The Deadly Affair.” In addition to these and an equally impressive schedule of film releases for the months to follow, Columbia will continue to work with the most talented production personnel and boxoffice stars available to complete its line-up for the finest in film entertainment for 1967, and to insure a continued flow of top quality releases in the years to come. A chronological breakdown of the up-coming Columbia product from January through April is as follows: January: “The Deadly Affair,” starring James Mason, Maximilian Schell and Simone Signoret; and “Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die,” the Dino de Laurentiis production starring Michael O’Connor, Dorothy Provine and Raf Vallone. February: “A Man For All Seasons,” starring Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern, Robert Shaw, Orson Welles, Susannah York and Paul Scofield as Thomas More; and “The Night of the Generals,” the Panavision and Technicolor production star¬ ring Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet and Philippe Noiret. March: “The Taming of the Shrew,” starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; Carl Reiner’s “Enter Laughing,” starring Jose Ferrer, Shelley Winters and Elaine May; and “Goal!,” the Techniscope-Technicolor screen record of the complete 1966 World Cup Series produced by Octavio Senoret. April: “The Happening!,” produced by Jud Kinberg, with Sam Spiegel as executive producer, and starring Anthony Quinn, Michael Parks, George Maharis, Robert Walker, Martha Hyer and introducing Faye Dunaway; and James Clavell’s “To Sir, With Love,” starring Sidney Poitier, Judy Geeson, Christian Roberts, Suzy Kendall and The “Mindbenders.” Although a release date has not been announced for Charles K. Feldman’s production of the original James Bond adven¬ ture, “Casino Royale,” an announcement will soon be made by the company. The Panavision and Technicolor production contains an all-star international cast headed by Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Joanna Pettet, Orson Welles, Daliah Lavi, and Woody Allen. Following this exciting line-up throughout the remainder of the year will be a blockbuster package of releases including: Steve Broidy’s “New Times,” with hit singers Sonny and Cher in their screen debut; the color comedy “Who’s Minding the Mint?,” with Jim Hutton, Dorothy Provine, Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, Bob Denver, Victor Buono, Jack Gilford and Walter Brennan, produced by Norman Maurer; and “The Long Ride Home,” produced by Harry Joe Brown, and star¬ ring Glenn Ford, George Hamilton, Inger Stevens and Paul Petersen. Also to be released in the summer of 1967 are the Norman Lear-Bud Yorkin production of “Divorce AMERICAN Style,” with Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Jason Robards, Jean Simmons and Van Johnson; Martin Manulis’ “Luv,” starring Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk, Elaine May, Nina Wayne and Eddie Mayehoff; “The Swimmer,” starring Burt Lan¬ caster and produced for Sam Spiegel’s Horizon Pictures by Frank Perry and Roger Lewis; America’s fastest rising singing group in an unusual motion picture about themselves, “Young Americans,” produced and directed by Alex Grasshoff; and Jerry Lewis’ “The Big Mouth.” In addition, 1967 will see the release of: “Band of Gold,” starring Dean Martin, Stella Stevens, Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, oroduced by Stanley Shapiro; “The Tiger Makes Out,” starring Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, produced by George Justin; Herman Cohen’s “Murder Linder the Big Top,” starring Joan Crawford; Walter Shenson’s “30 Is A Dangerous Age, Cynthia,” starring Dudley Moore and Suzy Kendall; “Torture Garden,” produced by Max Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky, starring Jack Palance, Burgess Meredith, Beverly Adams, Peter Cushing and John Standing; and the Richard Burton-Richard McWhorter production of “Dr. Faustius,” starring the Burtons. Paramount By CHARLES BOASBERC As I am sure everyone within the trade is fully aware, Para¬ mount Pictures moved into a new and potentially very excit¬ ing era in 1966. This means a new and exciting look for Paramount Pictures in 1967, with a better-than-ever line-up of product which our exhibitor customers can look forward to in the immediate months ahead and for the years to come. Since I’ve been with Paramount, we’ve had some “big ones” and some undeniably top-notch presentations. But I don’t ever remember a time when the overall schedule looked as promising as ours does right now. In 1967, we will have the continued release of our roadshow presentation of “Is Paris Burning?,” which is going to be one of our all-time top grossers, as well as our late1966 releases, “Funeral in Berlin,” which again presents the fabulous adven¬ tures of Harry “Ipcress File” Palmer in the person of Michael Caine, and “Arrivederci, Baby!,” a terrific farce starring Tony Curtis and Rosanna Schiaffino, the sensational Italian beauty. For 1967, Otto Preminger has filmed “Hurry Sundown,” with all the captivating elements of that best-seller being transferred right up there on your screens. Furthermore, to enhance the look of his film, Preminger took his cast and crew all the way to Baton Rouge to get the authentic feel of the south. And his cast makes a lot of boxoffice sense, including Michael “Alfie” Caine, Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Diahann Carroll, Faye Dunaway, Burgess Meredith, and Robert Hooks. ( Continued on page 42) 40 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 28, 1966