The Devil at 4 O'Clock (Columbia Pictures) (1961)

(Mat 24; Still No. R23) Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra are starred in the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kohlmar production, ‘‘The Devil at 4 O’Clock,”’ as a South Pacific Island priest and a convict, respectively. The Columbia picture is in Eastman Color. (General Advance) Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra, two of the screen’s most important actors, are paired for the first time in the Mervyn LeRoyFred Kohlmar production, ‘The Devil at 4 O’Clock,” in Eastman Colorsatithetaasasceiee Theatre. Playing a Pacific island priest and a cynical convict, respectively, the stars reportedly give performances so filled with entertainment fireworks that they almost outshine one of the most explosive of all possible natural phenomenon: an earthquake and volcanic eruption which completely destroys the South Seas island of the film. “The Devil at 4 O’Clock” is set in the South Pacific, on the island of Talua. Here, on the side of a dormant volcano, Tracy has built and is maintaining a jungle hospital: here, as a stopover while en route to an island prison elsewhere in the Pacific, Sinatra arrives with two other convicts. The criminal’s every meeting with the priest strikes fire; they join forces only when the earthquake presages later, more violent, volcanic action. The priest and the convicts parachute to the rescue of the hospital’s staff and child patients. Their party fights its way against time, through raging forest fires, landslides, rivers of mud and other perils created by nature gone berserk. The children and the hospital workers reach the beach in time to board a waiting schooner; they are carried to safety as Talua blows itself up. According to Hollywood report, Tracy and Sinatra are equally superb in their characterizations of priest and criminal, bringing to the screen performances which are made the more meaningful by the way they work together. Among the other colorful characters of “The Devil at 4 O’Clock” are Kerwin Mathews as a priest come to relieve the aging Tracy; Jean Pierre Aumont as a seaplane pilot; Gregoire Aslan, as a criminal; Alexander Scourby as the island’s cruel governor, and Barbara Luna, as a blind hospital worker who brings total enchantment to her love scenes with Sinatra. Written for the screen by Liam O’Brien, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock” is based on Max Catto’s exciting novel. Mervyn LeRoy directed and Fred Kohlmar produced the Columbia release. (Alex the Menace ) Alexander Scourby, who has a long list of menacing screen roles to his credit, continues in the same vein as the cruel governor of a doomed tropical island in the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kohlmar production, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock.” Starring Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock is an Eastman Color drama for Columbia release, at the ...... Theatre Page 8 (Review ) Two of the screen’s greatest stars, Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra, are spectacularly teamed in the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kohlmar production, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock,”’ new Columbia release in Eastman Color at the ......... Theatre. A drama of violent emotional and physical conflict between men and nature, ‘The Devil at 4 O’Clock” presents Tracy as an aging, irascible Pacific island priest and Sinatra as a cynical convict who respects nothing, and nobody. Equalling the fireworks of the stars themselves, is the slumbering voleano which comes to earthshaking life to motivate this absorbing, exciting new film and, in time, to blow itself completely out of existence. The scene is the idyllic little Pacific island of Talua, where Tracy has been devoting his life and his energies to the maintenance of a jungle hospital high on the voleano’s side; Sinatra is temporarily landed on Talua, with two other convicts, during the flight to their permanent prison island. Opposites in every way, he and Tracy clash at their every meeting, only to join forces when a major earthquake presages later, violent volcanic eruption. The priest and the criminals parachute to the rescue of the hospital’s child patients and staff, and lead them down the mountain. The party is threatened by roaring landslides, streams of mud and of molten lava, raging forest fires and, always, by the driving need to reach the beach and the safety of a waiting schooner before the volcano destroys itself and Talua. Tracy is superb as the uncompromising priest who never doubts his own ability to do whatever he sets out to do. As the cynical criminal who discovers reserves of courage and self-sacrifice within himself, Sinatra has one of the most colorful roles of his career. Kerwin Mathews is cast as a young priest who has been sent to the islend to succeed the aging Tracy and Jean Pierre Aumont also is co-starred as a carefree seaplane pilot. Gregoire Aslan plays one of Sinatra’s companions in crime and Alexander Scourby is the cruel governor of the doomed island. As a blind young hospital worker. Barbara Luna lends enchantment to her romantic scenes with Sinatra. (Barbara Luna) Barbara Luna plays the blind young worker in a mountainside hospital who becomes romantically involved with Frank Sinatra, as a convict, in the Mervyn LeRoyFred Kohlmar production “The Devil at 4 O’Clock.” Spencer Tracy playing a priest, is starred with Sinatra in the volcanic new Columbia drama in Eastman Color at thebesarnas Theatre. (Opening Notice) Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra are starred, as priest and criminal, in the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kohlmar production of “The Devil air 41. Clocks. Durer semaine at the; strata. eae Theatre in Eastman Color, the large-scale drama is a story of violent conflict on a Pacific island when a_ sleeping voleano comes to life. Co-starred with Tracy and Sinatra are Kerwin Mathews, Jean Pierre Aumont, Gregoire Aslan, Alexander Scourby and Barbara Luna. Liam O’Brien’s screenplay is based on the novel by Max Catto. Mervyn LeRoy directed and Fred Kohlmar produced the Columbia release. (Frank Sinatra) Frank Sinatra plays a cynical convict in violent conflict with a Pacific island priest, played by costar Spencer Tracy, in the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kohlmar production for Columbia release, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock,” Eastman Color dramasatitheneeriacceite Theatre. Casting of Sinatra in the role gave him the opportunity to fulfill a long-time desire; he has always wanted to make a picture with Spencer Tracy. Since it was at Columbia that singer Sinatra won an Oscar for his performance in “From Here to Eternity” and thereby proved that he himself was a gifted actor, the star also welcomed his own return to the studio in another challenging role. Sinatra came up the hard way to become one of the nation’s top singers. His legendary song stints at New York’s Paramount Theatre had bobbysoxers swooning at the sound of his voice. He then added another facet to his career with his first starring appearance in a movie symbolically titled “Higher and Higher,” later receiving a special Oscar for his performance in “The House I Live In,” a short subject produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Co-starred with Tracy and Sinatra are Kerwin Mathews, Jean Pierre Aumont, Gregoire Aslan, Alexander Scourby and Barbara Luna. Written for the screen by Liam O’Brien, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock” is based on Max Catto’s novel. (Kerwin Mathews) Kerwin Mathews, who recently has been specializing in costume adventures like “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” and “The Three Worlds of Gulliver,” has a change of pace in his current film, the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kohlmar production of “The Devil at 4 O’Clock.”: Kerwin plays a young priest in the new Columbia release starring Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra in Eastman Color at the Case e Cir ALee ee Theatre. (Mat 1B; Still No. R75) Spencer Tracy, starred with Frank Sinatra in the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kohlmar production, ““The Devil at 4 O’Clock,” plays a South Pacific island priest who helps rescue hospital patients from volcanic destruction in the new Columbia picture, in Eastman Color. (Mat 1A; Still No. R4) Frank Sinatra, starred with Spencer Tracy in the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kolmar production, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock,” romances lovely Barbara Luna in the new Columbia picture, in Eastman Color. (Spencer Tracy) Spencer Tracy, one of the motion picture industry’s most distinguished craftsmen, won his second Academy Award for best actor impersonating Father Flanagan in “Boys Town.” Currently, Tracy plays another priest, Father Doonan, in the Mervyn LeRoyFred Kohlmar production, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock.” Tracy is starred with Frank Sinatra in the new Columbia drama, in Eastman Colorszatetherneccree ese: Theatre. Kerwin Mathews, Jean Pierre Aumont, Gregoire Aslan, Alexander Scourby and Barbara Luna are co-starred. In “The Devil at 4 O’Clock,” Tracy is seen as an indefatigable Irish priest who, assisted by three criminals, defies both nature and man to rescue child patients and the staff of a mountainside hospital on a small Pacific island. Sinatra plays the convict whose cynicism brings him into continuing conflict with a aging, irascible priest, even as they work together against time and a volcanic eruption. Tracy made his film debut way back in 1932 in “Up The River,” directed by John Ford. He then went into ‘20,000 Years in Sing Sing,” established himself as a leading Hollywood star and, in 1938, won his first Academy Award for his performance in “Captains Courageous.” Among other of Tracy’s films are “Fury,” “Edison the Man,” “Northwest Passage,” “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “Woman of the Year,” “A Guy Named Joe,” “Father of the Bride” and “Bad Day at Black Rock.” More recently, Tracy has starred in “Inherit the Wind,” “The Last Hurrah” and “The Old Man and the Sea.” (Aumont’s Back) Jean Pierre Aumont returns to the screen in the Mervyn LeRoyFred Kohlmar production for Columbia release, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock,” starring Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra at the........ Theatre in Eastman Color. Aumont plays a carefree South Pacific pilot who becomes involved with Tracy and Sinatra, as island priest and criminal, respectively, in their efforts to rescue from voleanic disaster the staff and child patients of a mountainside hospital. (Gregoire Aslan) Gregoire Aslan, who played the Brobdingnagian king in “The Three Worlds of Gulliver,” has a more serious role in the Mervyn LeRoy-Fred Kohlmar production for Columbia release, “The Devil at 4 O’Clock,” now at the ....... Theatre in Eastman Color. Aslan plays one of the convicts who join Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra in the effort to save the child patients and staff of a mountainside hospital during a volcanic eruption. CAST and CREDITS Father Matthew Doonan .............. Spencer Tracy LAA ent mae mis RMP nie Mend sce Frank Sinatra Father Joseph Perreau _..... Kerwin Mathews Jacques Jean Pierre Aumont Marcel . ..... Gregoire Aslan The Governor Camille Matron ; rt ie Charlie . Dr. Wexler . Aristide Gaston | Clarisse | Corporal Margot ... x eae Fleur Antoine... Louis: sneer: Sonia Napoleon Constable Captain Olsen Fouquette Marianne __. Alexander Scourby ... Barbara Luna _... Cathy Lewis _ Bernie Hamilton _ Martin Brandt Lou Merrill Marcel Dalio _ Tom Middleton _ Ann Duggan _. Louis Mercier _ Michele Montau Nanette Tanaka Tony Maxwell .. Jean Del Val Moki Hana _ Warren Hsieh William Keaulani ... "Lueky" Luck Norman Josef Wright Robin Shimatsu Screenplay by Liam O'Brien; Based on the novel by Max Catto; Directed by Mervyn Le Roy; Assistant Directors, Carter DeHaven, Jr., Floyd Joyer; Music, George Duning; Director of Photography, Joseph Biroc, A.S.C.; Eastman Color by Pathe; Art Director, John Beckman; Film Editor, Charles Nelson, A.C.E.; Set Decorator, Louis Diage; Make-up Supervision, Ben Lane, S. M. A.; Sound Supervisor, Charles J. Rice; Sound, Josh Westmoreland, Orchestration, Arthur Morton; Production Assistant, Milton Feldman; Produced by Fred Kohlmar; A Mervyn Le RoyFred Kohlmar Production. A Columbia Release. STORY (Not for Publication) A seaplane piloted by Jacques stops at the small Pacific island of Talua to unload three crimi nals—Harry, an American; Marcel, a Frenchman, and Charlie, an islander—and a young priest, Father Perreau, who has come to succeed aging, irascible Father Doonan. Father Perreau suffers a broken leg in the earthquake which precedes a volcanic eruption; while the island gov ernor is arranging to evacuate the townspeople, Father Doonan persuades Harry and his fellows to parachute with him from Jacques’ plane, to rescue the patients and staff of the mountain hospital he has spent most of his life to organize and maintain. The party—mostly children—is menaced by landslides, further quakes, forest fires and flowing lava as they make their tortuous way to the beach. Harry falls in love with Camille, a blind young hospital worker, and she with him, to Father Doonan's angry dis may. Marcel dies in a river of mud, and a near-collapsed footbridge almost ends the escape flight. Charlie and Father Doonan trap themselves in order to brace the bridge so the others can clamber to safety. Harry leads the party to safety and then returns to join the doomed pair. The criminals and the priest are together when the island blows itself out of the s ea. PRINTED IN U.S. A,