The Exhibitor (1966)

February 15, 1967 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 5501 REVIEWS The famous pink paper SAVEABLE SECTION in which Experienced Trade Analysts evaluate coming product Published every second week, as a separately bound and easily saveable *««««" EXHIBITOR, this exclusive 29-year-old service is both numerically more complete and I n f onm a ti eiy c«Kld than any sim lar analysis. Cumulatively numbered by film seasons (September to SeptembmO. It Is recommended that readers consecutively save all REVIEWS section In a p«manent file. The last Issue of each August will always contain a complete annual exhibit to close the season. .. . Combined the eveiy second week, yellow paper SERVISECTION indexes to the part 12 months' product, artemrtta* ev^ ^7w^ pink paper REVIEWS, represent a unique informative service to Please Address afl Inquiries or suggestions about these two eervtee features to the UHen of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR, 117 N. Broad St.. Philadelphia, Penna. 19107. SECTION TWO Vol. 76, No. 26 February 15, 1967 AMERICAN INT. COLUMBIA Comedy 84M. War Italian Style (6619) AIP (Technicolor) (Techniscope) (Filmed in Italy) (Dubbed in English) Estimate: Incredible “comedy” for duallers. Cast: Buster Keaton, Franco and Ciccio, Martha Hyer, and guest star Fred Clark. Di¬ rected by Luigi Scattini; produced by Fulvio Lucisano. Story: Lt. Martha Hyer, aide to German general Buster Keaton, commander of the desert forces, captures two American GIs of Italian descent, Franco and Ciccio, and brings them to headquarters. Keaton and Hyer have a plan to allow the prisoners to accidentally escape with a false set of battle plans cal¬ culated to trap and destroy the American forces. They escape as scheduled but with the real plans, which results in an allied victory in Africa. As the allies plan the invasion of Italy, General Fred Clark is told that the Ger¬ mans have a huge gun which could be detri¬ mental to the landing forces. Franco and Ciccio are sent ahead to check out the weapon. They come upon Keaton and capture him, in¬ tending to take him back with them. They become involved with a show for German officers, lose Keaton, and escape from the other officers who are pursuing therm They disguise themselves as Hitler and an aide, order that they be taken to the site of the secret gun, and then demand that it be destroyed. They are caught and are held with Keaton, who is also under arrest. Before being executed, they are ordered to eat a last dinner with the other officers. A bombing raid breaks this up, killing most of the officers and allowing Franco and Ciccio to escape. They reach their own lines, and on the way back to the prison compound, they decide to let Keaton go. They tell him to get out of his uniform and into civilian clothes, one item of which is a squat, pork-pie hat. X-Ray: Buster Keaton as a German general is able to meander through this mish-mash of attempted humour without saying a word until the very end, when he does utter one word. It can probably serve as filler in the lower half slot of the program, where its flat , attempt at film fun won’t create too much of a stir. The story is thin, and acting, direction., and produc¬ tion are just fair. Color makes it look a bit more attractive. Ad Lines: “The King Of Komedy Has Anzio In His Panzers”; “Laughs— Boffo-Style.” Drama 142M. The Night Of The Generals Columbia (Technicolor) (Panavision) (Filmed abroad) Estimate: Highly absorbing, well-made en¬ try. Cast: Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasance, Joanna. Pettet, Philippe Noiret, John Gregson, Christopher Plummer, Coral Browne, Charles Gray, Nigel Stock, Patrick Allen, Charles Millot, Veronique Vendell, Pierre Mondy, Gordon Jackson, Yves Brainville, Nicole Courcel. Produced by Sam Spiegel; directed by Anatole Litvak. Story: When a particularly brutal murder of a prostitute is discovered in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, suspicion points to one of three Ger¬ man generals because an inhabitant of the house sees the legs of the killer pass with the characteristic general’s red stripe. The three generals are Peter O’Toole, who has come to level part of the city because of the harassing activities of the underground; Donald Pleasance, aide to the third suspect, commanding general Charles Gray. Intelligence Major Omar Sharif, the equivalent of the German police in the area, attempts to question the three but is shuttled off before, he can get any satisfactory answers. To get him out of their hair, Gray has him promoted and transfered to Paris. Two years later, a similar crime is discovered in Paris while all three generals are again present. Sharif cooperates, with police inspector Philippe Noiret, and again, attempts are made to question the generals. This, time, Pleasance is too busy being involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler, while Gray sits on the fence awaiting some sort of outcome before committing himself. Sharif suspects O’Toole. The latter puts on a new orderly, Tom Court¬ enay, who has fallen in love with the spirited daughter of Gray, Joanna Pettet, and .she with him. They don’t get to spend much time together. Under orders to relax a bit while in' Paris, O’Toole has Courtenay show him some of the museums and night life, and then has him pick up a whore, in a bar.. O’Toole kills her and plants evidence pointing to Courtenay, whom he forces to flee. Sharif, re¬ fuses to believe that Courtenay is responsible and forces a showdown with O Toole at about the time that the Hitler assassination plot fails. O’Toole, a Hitler supporter, takes over com¬ mand and kills Sharif when he. appears before him. It’s years later, and Noiret, now with Interpol, has taken up the trail of the mur¬ derer. He locates Courtenay, who has taken a different name, married Pettet, and settled on a farm. He learns the real story of what hap¬ pened in Paris and arrives to arrest O’Toole, who shows up for a reunion with his old regi¬ ment. O’Toole is permitted to take his own life, and the case is marked closed. X-Ray: Here is a fascinating and absorbing adult mystery drama that coincidentally takes place in several European cities during the Nazi occupation. This adds some advantageous window dressing to the tale. The involvements of the military and its problems provide a bit of a different background for a murder mys¬ tery, which aids the overall interest and effec¬ tiveness. There are good performances to carry out the exciting suspense assignments., and there is direction that furthers the intriguing tale as well as very good production values. The film is of the type that most seekers, of mystery, murder, suspense, etc., will enjoy even though there are a few bits that, can be picked on. The quality craftsmanship is aided by the use of color. The screenplay is by Joseph Kessel and Paul Dehn, based on the interna¬ tional best seller by H. H. Kirst. Tip On Bidding: Higher rates. Ad Lines: “A Murder Of A Prostitute Sparks An International Manhunt During The Occupation Of Europe”; “Thrill To The Ex¬ citement Of A Manhunt For A Killer In The Uniform Of A Nazi General.” CONTINENTAL Drama 55M. Dutchman Continental (Filmed in England) Estimate: Unpleasant play for extremely limited playoff. Cast: Shirley Knight, A1 Freeman, Jr., Frank Lieberman, Robert Clavert, Howard Bennett, Sandy McDonald, Denis Peters, Keith James, Devon Hall. Produced by Gene Persson; directed by Anthony Harvey; associate producer, Hy Silverman. Story: Negro A1 Freeman, Jr., is riding the New York subway on his way to a party when he spots mini-skirted Shirley Knight standing on a deserted subway platform. They stare at each other, and she gets aboard his car. They are the only two aboard. She makes advances to him, and he responds reluctantly and then fervently. As they become more passionate in actions and conversation, the car gradually receives more people. The irrational Knight takes off on one of her tantrums regarding sex and Negroes, and Freeman eventually blows his top and begins ranting against whites and ridiculing them. As the others sit by,. Knight and Freeman scuffle, and she stabs him. Pre¬ sumably later, the setting is repeated— lonely subway station, deserted car. Knight boards