The Exhibitor (1966)

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February 15, 1967 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 5503 And Funny Films Of Our Times”; “Grab A Coffin Just For The Fun Of It And Come On Along For The Ride.” UNITED ARTISTS How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (6703) Musical Comedy (Panavision) (Color By DeLuxe) Estimate: Delightful entertainment. Cast: Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, Anthony Teague, Maureen Arthur, Murray Matheson, Kay Reynolds, Sammy Smith, John Myhers, Jeff De Benning, Ruth 1 Kobart, Carol Worthington, Dan Tobin, Rob¬ ert Q. Lewis, John Holland, Paul Hartman, Justin Smith, George Fenneman, Anne Sey¬ mour, Erin O’Brien Moore, Joey Faye. Pro¬ duced and directed by David Swift. Story: Window cleaner Robert Morse buys and starts reading a book, “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying,” and it shows him the way to make his mark in the world of corporations, executives, etc. He doffs his coveralls and melts into the bustling activi¬ ties of the World Wide Wicket Company, bumping into president Rudy Vallee. He uses the occasion to impress the personnel manager after meeting pretty secretary Michele Lee, who offers to help. He is assigned to the mail room where a nephew of Vallee’s wife, An¬ thony Teague, has been breaking in. He recog¬ nizes in Morse a competitive spirit to be reckoned with. Morse butters up the right people and soon becomes a junior executive. Vallee puts on his girl friend, Maureen Arthur, the answer to a nagging wife, as a secretary, and she creates quite a stir. Lee sets her cap for Morse, who is impressed when he’s not concentrating on how to get ahead. He uses everyone and all angles, including Arthur, be¬ coming personnel head and then vice-president in charge of advertising. There’s a blooper with his video campaign which creates con¬ sternation. Morse is about to be fired when he is introduced to Sammy Smith, chairman of the board, who was also once a window cleaner. Smith starts reorganizing the company and retires to marry Arthur and travel. He makes Morse chairman of the board. Morse and Lee plan to get married. The fadeout shows him washing the windows of the White House, and it’s evident Morse has new plans. X-Ray: How to succeed in exhibition with¬ out really trying? Book this lively, lovely, laugh-filled musical comedy, and everybody benefits, including the public, which is ever aware of a bargain. Presumably, the success of the stage hit on which the film is based will be emulated on the big, colorful screen. The lightweight, fun script holds audience interest throughout. A talent-loaded cast headed by Robert Morse captivates viewers, nobly aided and abetted by capable direction and fine pro¬ duction values. There are a couple of new¬ comers such as Michele Lee, Maureen Arthur, and Anthony Teague, who are pleasantly effi¬ cient and who hold promise as regards the future. Some of the tunes will be familiar to the public such as “The Company Way,” “Brotherhood of Man,” etc. The use of color is a definite asset here. David Swift wrote the screenplay, based on the novel by Shepherd Mead. Ad Lines : “The Fun-Filled Pulitzer PrizeWinning Musical Comedy.” The Persecution And Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat As Performed By The Inmates Of Charenton Under The Direction Of The Marquis De Sade (6705) Drama 115M. United Artists (Color By DeLuxe) (Filmed abroad) Estimate: Off-beat entry for special audi¬ ences. Cast: Clifford Rose, Brenda Kempner, Ruth Baker, Michael Williams, Freddie Jones, Hugh Sullivan, Jonathan Bum, Jeanette Landis, Robert Lloyd, Glenda Jackson, Ian Richardson, Susan Williamson, Patrick Ma¬ gee, John Steiner, Mark Jones, Morgan Shep¬ pard, James Mellor, Ian Hogg, Mark Jones, Henry Woolf, John Hussey, John Harwood, Leon Lissek. Directed by Peter Brook; pro¬ duced by Michael Birgett. Story: In the early 19th century, it was con¬ sidered fashionable for Parisians to attend the¬ atrical performances given by the inmates of Charenton as a sort of mental therapy. Inmate Marquis De Sade (Patrick Magee) was made director of these entertainments. There is con¬ flict between two extremists, Jean-Paul Marat (Ian Richardson) and Magee. The former calls for social reform and violent revolutionary upheaval, and the latter believes in pessimistic individualism and anarchic gratification. Rich¬ ardson is deeply concerned with social prob¬ lems, and Magee is alienated from them. There are discussions pro and con as well as by-play by the mentally affected inmates. At the cli¬ max, Glenda Jackson raises a knife to elimi¬ nate Richardson. The aftermath results in pandemonium in the cage full of prisoners as they madly revolt against guards and visitors, making a shambles of the area. X-Ray : Much has been intimated about the horrors and distasteful sequences contained herein. The play version provided much of the ammunition for the reports of shock that awaited viewers. Perhaps seeing a play with real people screaming and acting the mentally afflicted loudly and in detail adds a dimension that is not so readily apparent in the screen counterpart. Here, audiences are more re¬ moved and not so personally involved. Ergo, the speeches and dissertations from inmates in the crowded cage seem longer than they are, and the situation is not aided by the subject matter, which is concerned with the conditions and personalities of the French Revolution. Frankly, the history may hold little interest for present-day viewers. Oh, there are mo¬ ments of excitement, suspense, and intrigue as well as a go-round at the conclusion that will sweep audiences up in a nauseating grip until the story is no more. Audiences which will best appreciate the entry are those in the art group on the look-out for the different and those in university areas where the skill, intellectual dis¬ cussions, techniques, and personalities will be admired and even revered. There is a wealth of quality in the performances of all concerned as well as in the direction and production, but everyone’s entertainment it will not be. The size of the suitable audiences in the areas men¬ tioned, however, could be considerable. The screenplay is by Peter Weiss, based on his stage play. Incidentally, mention should be made of the technique and the manner of presentation of close-up and detail. This is unusual, effec¬ tive, and worthy of note. The use of color is almost unnoticed as the gamut of hues is nar¬ rowed to greys, blacks, and similar shadings. Ad Lines: “Thrill To The Most Unusual Film Of The Year”; “The Feature That Will Shock Many And Intrigue Others . . . One That Will Be Talked About For Some Time To Come.” WARNER BROS. The Cool Ones Mos,CAL Co“D7 (658) y • Warner Bros. (Technicolor) (Panavision) Estimate: Cute bit of fluff for teens. Cast: Roddy McDowall, Debbie Watson, Gil Peterson, Phil Harris, Robert Coote, Nita Talbot, George Furth, Mrs. Miller, Jim Begg, James Milhollin, Phil Arnold, Melanie Alex¬ ander, and guest specialties by The Bantams, Glen Campbell, The Leaves, and T. J. and The Fourmations. Directed by Gene Nelson; executive producer, William Conrad. Story: Rock-n-roll singer Gil Peterson was a successful sensation until a flop record album sent him to the bottom of the heap. He stops in a cafe owned by Robert Coote, who recog¬ nizes him and persuades him to get up and sing. He is well received by those present, and Coote persuades him to stay on. Meanwhile, young singer Debbie Watson has been trying to get a singing spot on the teen tv show pro¬ duced by Phil Harris. He keeps putting her off. She gets a job on the show as a dancer, and one day when the show is on the air, she starts singing and dancing. The studio audience loves it, but she is fired. Later, the others in the cast persuade her to come along on a wekend in Palm Springs to forget her troubles. She meets Coote and Peterson, and Coote realizes that they have possibilities to make it as a team. Peterson refuses to try the star rat race again, but eventually offers to help Watson. Back at the studios, the mail asking for more of Watson has piled up. Coote decides that the only one to manage them should be his kookie brother, Roddy McDow¬ all, a highly successful talent manager with an unseen psychiatrist as an advisor. He takes them on, planning to present them as a team, singing and dancing together, falling in love, and getting married— all for their public. They do become stars, and Peterson falls in love with her for real. He overhears McDowall discussin the routine planned for them and decides to break things up. Several disagreements occur, but these are patched. The future looks bright for all concerned. X-Ray: Take an attractive group of young¬ sters; give them some modem routines and songs which are appreciated by teens these days; throw in some romance and some comedy bits and pieces; dress it all in color on a lightweight story frame — and you’ve got an entry that should be generally attractive as part of the show. The cast performs in keeping with the demands of the parts, and direction and production are neat. The screenplay is by Joyce Geller, based on her story, with the adaptation by Gene Nelson and Bob Kaufman. Ad Lines : “ ‘The Cool Ones’ Are Way Way Out”; “Take The Road To Funsville With ‘The Cool Ones’.” FOREIGN I Live In Fear Drama 105M. Brandon Films (Japanese-made) (English titles) Estimate: Average import for art spots. Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Eiko Miyoshi, Togo Haruko, Msao Shimizu, Yutaka Sada, Noriko