The Magic Weaver (Allied Artists) (1966)

FILM BOASTS NEW MAGIC A new type of motion picture comes to the screen with “The Magic Weaver,” playing special matinee performances this Saturday, and Sunday, at the 220 theatre. Based on a much-loved fairy story, “The Magic Weaver” is the fabulous adventure of a small boy and a brave soldier who enter an evil king’s underwater realm to rescue the child’s imprisoned mother. Using only live actors, the color film combines fantasy and reality so successfully that audiences do not realize the behind-the-scenes wizardry that was necessary to produce it. Lighting experts worked overtime to perfect the special colors of the underwater kingdom. Set designers were busy building the ocean palace, and creating the enchanted forest which the villainous sea-king puts under his spell. The special effects men had to solve one of the picture’s most difficult problems. In one scene, the soldier and child are told they may have the mother back—if they can recognize her. Seven women appear, but they all look exactly alike. “Mother, where are you?” the boy asks, but she is under a spell and cannot answer. The technicians solved the problem by creating—for probably the first time in films—not a double exposure, but a septuple exposure. For Gregory Millar, who plays the sea-king’s chief advisor, Prime Minister Croaker, the greatest difficulty was learning to walk. Croaker, you see, is an upstart; he was born a common frog. Millar spent weeks practising the frog’s hop-and-skip, and was stiff and sore the entire time. Meanwhile, a special green ‘muscular’ makeup was being developed, fitting tight over Millar’s head, which was shaven, even to the eyebrows. “Allin all,” the veteran actor smilingly remarked, “I suppose this was the most demanding role of my career—at least physically.” For audiences, ‘‘The Magic Weaver” has proven to be well worth the effort that went into it. Children . . . and adults too... can sit back and enjoy the final result, a joyful world of fairytale enchantment and magic. An Allied Artists release, “The Magic Weaver” was directed by Alexander Row for Gorky Film Studios. KING’S CAPTIVE MW—Scene 1B... Maria, weaver of beautiful tapestries, who is held captive by the Magical Underwater King in the new Allied Artists release ‘The Magic Weaver,” filmed in Fairyland color. PUBLICITY MW—Scene 1A .. . Ivan the happygo-lucky soldier befriends Vitya, who is in search of his mother, held captive by the Magical Underwater King in this scene from ‘The Magic Weaver,” filmed in Fairyland color and released by Allied Artists. 87 MINUTES FAMILY FUN FILM FARE “The Magic Weaver,” the new Allied Artists release filmed in fairy land color and scheduled to Open at thes... = ODM Grn coe ; relates a favorite and famous folk tale that will appeal to both children and their parents. The live action film tells the story of Maria, a woman with the power to weave astoundingly beautiful tapestries, who has been abducted by a villainous underwater king and her young son who sets off to find her. No fairy tale is complete without children in it, and this one features two talented youngsters in major roles. Tow-headed Vitya Perevatov, already an accomplished veteran of five Russian films, appears as Maria’s son, while Pretty Olga Khadhapurdize makes an impressible debut as the granddaughter of the water king. Brilliant special effects characterize the production of “The Magic Weaver,” ranging from an enchanted forest to a fabulous palace beneath the sea. Director Alexander Row spared no expense to make a picture to rival such Hollywood classics as “The Wizard of Oz,” and more recently, “Mary Poppins.” Those who have seen the picture will attest that he succeeded. In a year devoted to “adult” pictures, “The Magic Weaver” is a delightful fantasy that the whole family can enjoy. Four of Russia’s finest actors star in the production. Marie is played by lovely Ninel Mishkova, while Anatoly Kubatsky is seen as her kidnapper, His Royal Wetness, Whirlpool XIII. Mikhail Kuznetoy, seen here in “Ivan The Terrible,” portrays a soldier who aids the boy in rescuing her. Gregory Millar, known internationally for his brilliant character parts, creates “Croaker,” frog-servant to the evil water king. A CLASSIC FAIRY TALE However simple a frog’s life may seem, being one is no easy matter, as Gregory Millar found out in filming “The Magic Weaver.” The live-action color fantasy, an Allied Artists release, opens ........ at id Yee ae theatre for a special Saturday and Sunday matinee engagement. “The Magic Weaver” is a classic fairy tale brought to the screen, and Millar plays Prime Minister Croaker, advisor to the villainous ruler of an underwater kingdom. Although in many fairy stories a princess kisses a frog to turn him into a handsome prince, the veteran actor found the reverse process nowhere near as simple. He not only had to change his appearance completely, but had to learn to walk and talk all over again. For Millar the hardest thing was learning to hop and skip like a human frog. “I was stiff for weeks until I finally got the hang of it,” he related. Managing to talk in a croak was difficult too, for the picture’s director, Alexander Row, insisted on the utmost realism possible. No half-hearted croaks would do. Talking was made even more arduous by the special green ‘muscular’ makeup Millar wore, which covered his whole head _ tighter than a glove. Nonetheless the veteran Russian actor was delighted to take the part. He has long felt that more pictures should be made which can appeal to people of all ages, and what could be more universal than this classic tale of a small boy’s bravery against the magic powers on an evil king? In the hands of Director Row, the wonder and enchantment of this fantasy world are brought vividly to the screen, with enough magic and excitement to delight anyone. The Wonderful Characters of “THE MAGIC WEAVER” The Prime Minister The Croaker His Royal Wetness Maria, Magic Weaver Whirlpool, XIII MAGICAL KING’S GRANDDAUGHTER MW — Scene IC... Olga, granddaughter of the Magical Underwater King, Whirlpool XIII, is one of the stars of the new Allied Artists release “The Magic Weaver,” filmed in Fairyland color. The wonder and enchantment of a fabulous underwater kingdom are brought to life in Allied Artists’ “The Magic Weaver.” The live-action fantasy, filmed in color, opens: ...... Atrthe ese" theatre for a special Saturday and Sunday Matinee engagement. Based on a much-loved Russian fairy tale, “The Magic Weaver” tells the story of a good-hearted soldier and a small boy who rescue Maria, the child’s mother, from an evil king’s underwater realm. In the hands of director Alexander Row, His Royal Wetness, Whirlpool III becomes an archvillain to end all. After abducting Maria from her home to weave beautiful tapestries for him, he does everything in his immense power to stop her two saviors from reaching her. He turns a forest into a place of rustling terrors, and when that doesn’t stop them poses impossible tasks for them to fulfill. He evens casts a spell A FRIEND IN NEED over Maria so that she will not recognize her own son. However, the two brave heroes surmount all obstacles to triumph in the end. “The Magic Weaver” was filmed in Russia using many of the Soviet Union’s top stars. Unusual because it does not resort to animation to achieve its magical éffects, it is doubly surprising coming from the USSR, which for the last thirty years has been making mostly propaganda films. Much of the credit can be given to Director Row, who convinced the Soviet officials to let him make pictures based on the old legends. According to Row, children today and adults too . .. are in danger of losing touch with these wonderful old stories, merely because most filmmakers find them too difficult to produce. Willing to make a special effort, he has created a new and exciting kind of picture, combining reality and fantasy in a way that few will be able to resist. MW—Scene 2A... Ivan, the happy-go-lucky soldier comforts Vitya, who is in search of his mother Maria, held captive by the Magical Underwater King, Whirlpool XIII in this scene from ‘The Magic Weaver,” filmed in Fairyland color and released by Allied Artists. A JOYFUL STORY For centuries fairy tales have been a source of wonder and delight for children and adults everywhere. Unfortunately, far too few have been made into movies, and of those which have, only a small percentage use real actors instead of animated cartoons. Many American children have never seen a completely live-action fairy tale on the screen. One explanation might be that America, the movie, making capital of the world, hasn’t the generations of folk story tradition that older countries have. Russia, for example, is a land abounding in fantastic legends of evil wizards, fairy princesses and brave heroes with magical powers. Recently, Russian filmmakers have begun turning these marvelous stories into motion pictures, and the Soviet government has allowed one of the best to be released in this country. Filmed in color using only live actors, “THE MAGIC WEAVER” opens for a special Saturday and Sunday matinee engagement ..... atthe seis Theatre. Based on a much-loved old Russian tale, this Allied Artists re lease is as miraculous and joyful a story as any child could wish for. Maria, a woman with an amazing power to weave beautiful tapestries, is abducted by the evil ruler of a fabulous underwater kingdom. Her young son and a brave soldier he meets set out through mountain and forest to rescue her. But His Royal Wetness, Whirlpool III, will not let his beautiful captive go without a struggle. He turns the trees of the forest into terrifying enemies, but the two heroes outwit him and reach his palace beneath the sea, only to face even greater dangers. Of course, in true fairy tale tradition they eventually overcome all obstacles, and all ends happily. Several of Russia’s top. stars were delighted to appear in such an unusual production, particularly since it was directed by Alexander Row, whose reputation has spread far beyond the Iron Curtain. Perhaps the success of “THE MAGIC WEAVER” will spur American actors and directors into making some of our folk stories into movies. After all, Hollywood wouldn’t want the world to think the Russians could beat them at their own game.