Variety (May 1961)

Vednesday, May 8, 1961. the officer who takes over. when 6 FELM REVIEWS The Guns Of Navarone (BRITISH-COLOR) Star-studded, spectacular war meller. Hefty investment involved, and rousing b.o. looms for this exciting piece of entertainment. London, Ayril 27. ‘ L Columbia release of Open Road (Carl}of the rare but wry humor in the ! Foreman-Cecil F. Ford) prec vetion., Siars film as well as rising well to a‘ Gregory Peck, David Niven. Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quayle. James Darren; features Irene Paps, Gia Seala, James Robertson Juctic . Richard Niurris. Directed by J. Lee Thompson. Screenpley by Cart Forem:n frcm Ablstair MacLean’s novel; camera, Oswald Mor-, ris; editor, Alan Osbisten: musi¢, Dimitri physical and mental endurance test ° which had everybody on edge right up to a few hours before the preview when a Technicolor print was finally delivered. But last Thursday ‘27) it got away to good notices and a glamour charity rreem in front of the Queen ind Prince Philip. Foreman and Columbia may now relax, for “Guns” looks likely to make sweet b.o. music everywhere and handsomely repay even the hefty investment of; $6,000,000. “Guns” is the sort of spectacuJar drama that can ignore any tv competition and, even with its flaws, should have patrons firmly riveted throughout its lengthy nartrative. With a bunch of weighty. siars, terrific special effects, several socko situations plus good: cszmerawork and other technical okays, Foreman and director J.. Lee Thompson have sired a winner. Story, adapted by Foreman from Alastair MacLean’s pop novel, is set in 1943. The Axis has virtually over-run Greece and its islands, ex: cept for Crete and the tiny island of Kheros, both a few miles from Turkey. Germany is trying to force Turkey into the war on its side and plans to storm Kheros. The only chance for the wornout garrison of 2,000 men is evacwation by sea, through a channel between Kheros and another island. , But this channel is impregnably guarded by a couple of huge, radarcontrolled guns on Navarone. A small bunch of saboteurs is detailed to spike these guns. How they carry out this suicidal job against time and fantastic odds. makes for tingling melodrama. __. While the film sticks to the: physical hazards, the tension rarely Jets up. But the complications arising from the conflicting personal relationships between the members of the party only develop in spasms. Sometimes. between the slabs of excitement, Foreman's well-written screenplay has the east bickering rather tentatively about the ethics of war, 'eadership and personal responsibility. But only occasionally does this become @ near-trap. Usually. just in time. director Fhompson gets his cast moving again towards the high ad-' venture and excitement that tags’ the pic as major lezgue. But for. this, it would have been a differ-! ent and perhars not such a reward| ing motion picture. The film has Jined up a fine arTay of talent, though, frankly, the thesps have to take second place: to the situations and the great climax. The saboteur gang consists of Anthony Quayle. Gregory Peck, David Niven, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quinn and -[ames Darren. They al! turn in worthwhile jobs. Of. this sextet, Baker, playing .a dour, war-sick expert with a knife, and Darren, as a baby-faced killer, fet rather Jess opportunity for impact than the athers. Yet both do’ ew § ’ Council of the Court . Miss i Quayle becomes a casualty. Quinn is a dominating figure as a Greek officer who is conducting all-out } vendetta against the enemy and a half-hearted personal one against. Peck. And Niven, cast as a satirical corporal with a genius for handling high explosives, scores with most couple of dramatic moments. Two women have been written into the film who were not in the novel, a couple of Greek partisans played very well by Irene Papas and Gia There are some implausibilities ; in ‘‘Navarone” thow, for instance, could the little knot. of saboteurs from a fishing boat have blown up a German E-boat at close range but the overall reactign is that such points are unlikely to occur to audiences while the film is credits, patrons will be beguiled duced piece of entertainmert-plus. Rich. Der. Letzte Zeuge ' (The Last Witness) (GERMAN) Berlin. April 25. Europa release of Kurt Ulrich produc: | tion. Stars Martin Held, Hanns Lothar and Ellen Schwiers; features Juergen Gosiar, Directed by Wolfgang Staudte. Screenplay, R. A. Stemmle and Thomas Keck: camera, Ekkehard Kyrath; music, Werne Eisbrenner. At Zoo Palast, ning time, 102 MINS. Werner Ramell ........... Martin Held. Dr. Fox, lawyer ........ Hanns Lothar Ingrid Bernhardy ...... Ellen Schwiers Dr. Heinz Stephan ...... Juergen Goslar Gerda Rameil .. ....... Adelheid Seeck . Ebeling .........-. Lore Hartling Police Inspector Siegfried Wischnewski Wolfgang Staudte, director of | such pix as “Murderers Are Among Us” and “Roses For the Prosecutor,” has with this film an. other better-grade German vehicle. to his credit. It, however, is not his best effort. “Witness” is a court room drama with a new slant. The’ injustice of justice. Staudte attempts to show how. _ people can innocently get into the treadmill of a judicial system which he thinks needs reforming. Unfortunately, his well-meant effort is not too convincing. Nearly’ ‘all the reps of justice ‘the police ‘inspector, judge, prosecutor, even the council of the surpreme court), ! have a flair of either narrow-mindedness or. unserupulousness in this. : As a consequence, the whole thing doesn’t ring true enough. A solid ‘grosser domestically, treatment of the subject matter gives this foreign possibilities. A four-month old baby has been : ‘ strangled.. The police sees in the illegitimate mother ‘Ellen SchWiers) the logical suspect and arrest her. A clever lawyer ‘Hanns Lothar), who believes in her innocence, sets out to discover the murderer on his own hook. Although he has an alibi, the murderer turns out to be the infant’s father, a wealthy married businessMan. | Staudte’s direction is generally swift while his handling of the players is brilliant. . The most praiseworthy performances are turned in by Martin Held and Lothar. Also Miss Schwiers has many fine scenes. The out ‘standing support includes Juergen 'Goslar, as a young medico who ‘innocently becomes a judicial vic-. tim; Lore Hartling, cast .as Lothar’s | assistant; Werner Hinz, Adelheid justice to their sketchy opportu'Seeck and Lucie Mannheim. nilies, Technically, this is flawless. The Adelheid Seeck, Werner Hinz.! first effort. r| 1 Berlin. Run-" fashioned a likely, money picture Fon an idea by Blasetti, Chiarini. Werner, Hinz : Return To Peyton Place _ (C’SCOPE-COLOR) :‘Slick, soap-operatic followup to Jerry Wald’s earlier hit, Carefully tailored for same audience. Should be a money attraction, though not quite ‘the equal of its predecessor. : Holtlywood,. April 26. Twentieth-Fox. release of Jerry Wald production: -Stars .Carol Lynley, Jeff Chandler,. Eleanor_ Parker, Mary_ Astor, Robert Sterling. Luciana Paluzzi, Brett Halsey. Gunnar Hellstrom, Tuesday Weld. Directed by Jose Ferrer. Sereenpiay, based on novel’ by Ronald Alexander, camera (DeLuxe), Grace Metalious; ¢ Charles G. Clarke; editor, .David. Brether Tiomkin. At Odeon, Leicester Square, Scala. Though one becomes a key ton; art directors. Jack’ Martin’ Smith, J.endon. -Running time, 157 MINS. | character in» the story line they . Hans Peters: music. rang | Waxman: Mz wee e eee eee iresory Peck , ' icsound. Bernard Freericks. Warren _ B. Miller” wena cence cecenees “David” Niven don’t add a great deal to the pie Delaplain: assistant director, David Hall. ANCreR .....2e esse eeeee Av-heny Quinn ture but fulfil their chores satisReviewed at _Grauman‘s Chinese, April Brown ......cceeeceeee: Sianley Baker factorily. Such competent actors 26, °61. Running time, 123 MINS. Franklin occ Anihenv Quayle, as Albert Lieven, James Robertson Allison MacKenzie ........ Carol Lyniey Maria. eccece sell ‘rene Papas Justice (who impressively speaks Lewis Jackman ........-. del Chandler ANNA .-. eee eee vex Robert Gia J Sera the prologue), Richard Harris, Roberta Carter .2:....:. . Mary Astor Jensen... ++ James Rotersrd Harris George Mikell and Allan CuthbertMike Rossi .:-:.--+....-; Robert Sterling Cohn ........0ee eee 1 ryan Forbes son also contributes small but eq |... "Brett Halsey Beker ...cccccoeeesAlln Cuthbertson : . Lars 2... ceeds eee Gunpar Hellstrom Wearer .eccccceecee Michzel Trubshawe telling performances. ; Selena Cross ........ Tuesday Weld Grogan ..cceseesceeee => Perev Herhert The cliff sealing voleurs a Dexter veceeses Kenneth MacDonald Sessler 2. ..cccceecceseees ‘eorze Mikell scene when the saboteurs are Peter. White ................ Bob Crane , y G . M. Steele 2... c.cces ee eeee Bil Bradl Mussel -evsreccresssssses gWialter Getell rounded up by the enemy, a wonJenn sma o00LL Tim Durant derfully directed and lensed storm , Nick pparker wees de eeeweees . Casey, Adams . : r. Wadley. ......-..2005_. Pi erber A real heap of coin, labor, sweat, segment and the final aoe tLbiting Lupus Wolf “2222202: 100 Warren Parker i i i; » Nali-D1t2 electman .....2.-00. rihur Peterson patience, tears. faith and enthusiare just a few 0 e ng Selectman a co fArihor Ecierson asm has gone into the making of highlights. Apart from Foreman's Mrs. Humphries ........ ni joan Banks * ¥ “Th zuns ‘ visua a, : u umphries ......-. erson Treacy Carl Foreman’s “The G Of lization of the yarn, Oswald Bud 1H mphri Emersd Tre y Navarone.” This needed some out-'Morris's superb camerawork and Dr Fowlkes. i----7- ,wilten Grea of-this-world cooperation by the Dimitri Tiomkin, _ respectively, “arthur setaseeeceees ‘Hari Rhodes Greek government and, through there must be flaudits for the. Steve, Swanson .-°-:-:.-. Leonard stone the sweet-talking of exec producer superb special effects engineered Frank O’Roark | ...20221.." Reedy Talton Foreman and producer Cecil F. by Bill Warrington and Wally VeeShetocrapher 22222: settee Jack Carr Ford, it got it. It faced the probvers, In fact, it’s a Stint for Nevins. Laveeueeneved” “Max Mellinger Jem of e director-switch in midwhich every technician can take a Mrs. Bingham ... webs ees Collette Lyons stream. Film was a prolonged bow. ’ Interviewers ooo. Carol Veazie. Helen Bennet The same. audience that devoured “Peyton Place’ figures to _embrace this sequel. Since the : without suffering a single scar?i,! original was such a smash hit, | both -as'a book and a motion pic, ture,-and since the sequel has dat‘tained. bestselling proportions, the Showing. From the start of the , film would appear to be presold. | ro ; i} But “presold” is not necessarily : : by an ambitious, splendidly prothe guarantee of success it is sometimes taken to be. It is an aid, not an absolute insurance policy. Fortunately for Jerry Wald's followup. the “presold” nature of the product has been fortified with dramatic restraint, shrewd casting, sound perform ‘tion values that characterized the In accomplishing this, i and yet never veering too far away | from’ proven formula. Wald has ‘for his company and his: studio, { 20th-Fox. although not quite the I spect. BasicaHy, “Return to Peyton Place’’ is a high-class soap opera. Women, ‘its chief. prey. will respond with the most enthusiastic “support... There. will also be strong support from young people, who will identify with its indictment of parental over-possessiveness, and from civic-minded groups, “who will cotton to its plea for tol erance and social reexamination. But the film is by no means universally appealing. It figures to _ Strike the. more intelligent, lite‘rate filmgoer as at least a trifle too. condescending in its preachment, a mite too obvious and prei dictable in its: dramatic construc‘tion, and slightly lethargic in. its drift to foregone conclusions. Ronald Alexander's screenplay ! preserves the nature of the novel, ; alternately building three or four separate but related story veins | into individual crescendos, then j welding the moving parts into a Single grand ‘climax in which everything fall§ neatly into place. The basic stories are: 11) Carol Lynley's,, as the tyro novelist whose. close-to-home fiction produces civic -repercussions afd | Whose romantic relations with her editor-publisher, -Jeff. Chandler, accelerate her maturity; (2} Tues‘day Weld’s, as the emotionallytroubled girl whose past misfortunes are.soothed when Miss Lynley’s book sheds new light into . ; the matter for the hypocritical] cit ‘izens of the backward burg, who | are undergoing.a kind of civic { metamorphosis; and (3) Mary As_ tor’s, as a super-possessive Peyton Place: mother whose attempts to wreck the marriage of her son, -Brett Halsey, are curbed when her wretched nature is bared be‘fore the entire town'‘in a power| ful climactic. sequence. _ Jose :Ferrer’s direction of this {material is deliberate, but re| strained and perceptive. Always ‘in control of his story, he unques-. Quayle leads the expedition with |‘ imaginative lensing by vet camera| tionably makes capital of the best conviction as the man who dreamed ! man Ekkehard Kyrath is especially ! of it and improves the worst of it. it up, a character who revels in: noteworthy. In all, this courtroom Wat's danger kicks. Peck is suit-| drama shapes as one of the better ebly laconic. yet authoritative as! German pix. Hanz.: ‘veterans and promisink. young players.. There ‘are. no towering | ances and the same slick produc: match of the original. in this re-' marquee names, but there are a number of good performances, and. i that is vastly more important to a film that banks so heavily upon its story source for marquee im self as a top. candidate for important leading lady assignments in future films. She -does a | thoroughly capable job, although a shade more animation would have. ij been desirable. Another whose ; talent blossoms and whose career : take a forward spurt via this ve-hicle is Miss Weld. There are ; equally strong starring enactments ;by Chandler, Robert Sterling, * Halsey, _Paluzzi. and Gunnar Hellstrom, ‘and solid support from a large, ‘animated cast. But it ‘is the vet r succeeds remarkably in exciting| ‘ audience compassion for the char| acter. ‘Return to Peyton Place” is an example of Hollywood production | values at their glossiest. Contribluting to this {impeccable .appearlance and tone are Charles G. t Clarke’s De -Luxe camera regard :for both scenic and _ personal ! beauty, David Bretherton’s keen ‘editing touch, Franz. Waxman's ' soaringly romantic score and the | tasteful sets of art directors Jack : Martin Smith and Hans Peters , who, together with Clarke. have conveyed a. picture-postcard. New England in a Hollywood studio and the slopes of Mammoth, California. A song, “The Wonderful. Season of Love” by Paul Francis Webster and Waxman, accom r ‘ panies the main title. It {s not an |: outstanding number, but sweet enough to attain considerable popularity. Rosemary Clooney works ~ Tube, ! it over nicely. Io Amo. Tu Ari . UL Love, You Love) (ITALIAN-FRENCH) (Color-Songs) Rome, April 25. Dino... DeLaurentiis . release of a De Laurentiis-Orsay (Paris) co-production. Features Marny Trio, Fattini, Cairoli, Don Jada’s Japanese Revue. Las Hermanas : Benitez, Obraszov and his Theatre, George Lafave. Moiséev Ballet, Chaz Chase, .Sophisticated Ballet. Veronique. Red Army oir. Directed by Alessandro. Blasetti. 0 mano, Savignano. Camera (Tecbnicolor-.; » Ultrascope). Aldo Tonti: Music arranged ‘by Cdrlo Savina. Editor. Tatiana Morigi. Pic is one of those currently ;porular vignette potpourris, with ‘the difference that the usual: mel‘ange of entertainment, spectacle, sex, humor and music... has here been given an extra fillipor two: a central theme and an. implied. message.. Theme is love in its ‘four seasons, and in all ‘its forms and manifestations, from the pure to the decadent, etc., namely child‘hood, adolescence, middle and old ;age.. And love is witnessed in \Italy, Britain, Russia,. France, ete. Filled. with .crowd-pleasing ingredients, splendidly lensed, this film is a highly saleable item, not {the least for its many exploitable aspects. With an adroit “foreign” commentary and perhaps some .re-. editing to smooth the continuity, it’s also a fine. export bet. Director Blasetti and his partners have caught some insight-ful. glimpses of the various forms their main subject matter assumes in ‘Various age groups, climes, and countries, ‘also that present-day Soviets are sentimentalists too) jand viewed. them satirically ‘or lovingly as the mood. struck them. Interspersed with such documentary annotations on manners and mores are such well-known en-. tertainment starles:as Chaz Chase, Veronique, . Fattini, Obraszov’s. “puppets and many more with | Moisseey Ballet a highlight. Edith Piaf's “Hymn to Love” backdrops an effective mood montage in a movingly sentimental] vein which is unfortunately jarred at the end -by an ‘unfortunate -editing justaxposition with .the Red. Army Choir. to pic’s final message of peace and ' brotherhood which, though an effective curtainer, looks mere like an afterthought as currently presented. Patrons may find that other parts of the pic. jump about too much, also, and a new editing effort might avoid this pitfall, This vehicle has been splendidly outfitted from all technical aspects, i tion arranged by Carlo Savina. Hawk. a The lovely Miss Lynley, | who ripens into mature screen sta|. tus with this role, establishes her-. Eleanor Parker, Luciana| At Corso Cinema, Rome. Running. time, . ‘I This in turn leads. tis adequate, | Master Of The Werld (COLOR) Fairly lavish production based on the Jules Verne fantasy, ‘but sluggishly paced and loosely written. B.o. prospects depend on campaign... — . _ Hollywood, .April 19. '_ American International ‘releaseof ‘James H. Nicholson production. Stars Vincent Price, Charles Bronson, Henry | Hull. Mary -Webster, David Frankham..: ‘ Richard Matheson. based on “Master of , the World” and “Robur, The Conqueror” ‘by Jules Verne: | Gil Warrenton; editor. Anthony Carras; art .director, Daniel Haller; music,. Les Baxter; sound, Glen Glenn: ~ »ssistant director, Robert Agnew: Reviewed | at Academy Awards Theatre, April 19, °61.. : Running time, 104 MINS. Robur ........ ‘seeeeeee-.. Vincent: Price Strock ......0.00veces. Charles Bronson . , : {| Prudent ......c.c..c000e > ’ Henry . Hull | eran Miss Astor who walks off: Dorothy stevereseeveesns) Mary. Webster i . \DDI ~ Philip: .........6.0-.045 Davi renkham , With, the picture. Her approach futi Alistair ......... ..«,-Richard Harrison ‘a taxing, essentially distastetu j Topagé ......... rere _ Vito Scotti role .is so skillful. sa admirably, Turner ....,......0.-+Wally Campo {restrained yet perceptively true’ Comey ccf en Terrell !and lucidly projected, that she, Wilson 2000000 II. Peter Besbas It is obvious that a great deal of care, expense and ingenuity. went. ‘into the making of this. picture, | American: International’s. most am‘bitious project to date. Therefore. 1it is doubly disheartening. that the -. finished product emerges watered!down Jules Verne, diluted by mod-. ‘ern dramatic agents foreign to the ‘nature of the author's original fanttasy. Company. wil have a battle j recouping the considerable outlay ° ‘that. went into the production, : Through. clever -expfoitation of the’ character of the. odd flying craft: jthat is the crux of. the. picture, ,_ there is the possibility that suffici_ rent curiosity will be aroused and |imaginations haunted to stimulate ja respectable turnout, particularly . among younger film-going groups. ‘Richard, Matheson’s sereenpJay represents the. dramati¢ consalidai tion of twa.of Verne's novels, *'Mas‘ter Of. The..World” and: “Robur, !the Ganqueror.” Robur, the | would-be-master, is played by VinHeent Price. He is the. skipper of an impressive aerial craft. the Albatross, with which he-aims to “end. for all time the scourge of warfare’ iby means of its invincible power.” | But, in his blueprint to. subdue and_ (disarm the outside world, he fails Ito reckon with retaliatory sabotage _ ‘from within. He, his’ faithful: ‘crew and his be'oved flying for‘tress ultimately are destroyed by. {four passengers whom he has held ‘captive for discovering: his: craft. fin a crater, or repair pit. 7 Judging by Matheson’s. scenario,. Verne’s remarkable vision. tended to language refinements,:. The dialog has the distracting ring. ‘of mid-20th century idiom and ex‘pression. There also.is a heavy dose of the shopworn romantic tri-. ‘angle. situation, disproportionately ,injurious.to the character of this. 'respected fantasy-fiction: and preposterous to boost. And there is a.certain element of monotony and -Tepetition. about. the long ride in the air, a:suspended lethargy that director William Witney has not -been able to:disturb too frequently... | Technically and: visually, the ‘James H. Nicholson production’ is a fairly astute job, notably the _ work of art director-production de-‘signer Daniel Haller. whose “‘Albatross” is an admirable flying ' machine in its. interior, and Tim ~ ‘Barr, Wah Chang. and’ Gene War‘ren tof Projects Unlimited), whase ‘special effects: make it equally fas-"~ \cinating when regarded from exterior vantage points. Further credit is due cameraman Gil Wars © :renton talthough some of the: Mag i : ~naColor hues are. slightly too arti ' ficial), photographic effects specialist Ray Mercer ‘of Butler-Gloue — lner Inc.), aeriat photog Kay Nor--" ‘ton, composer-conductor Les. Baxter (whose work included & roman| tic title song, with the aid of Jyric‘ist Lenny Addelson) and the bat‘tery of “StereoSonic” sound ex! perts. Pat Dinga’s special props ‘and effects are helpful: _ Some. ‘judicious ‘sniping might have improved matters. Editor is Anthony ;Carras, oot | Acting isn't especially exciting, ,but it. is thoroughly competent. ; Price can handle this kind.of role ; with ease. The other principals— Charles Bronson, Henry Hull, Mary Webster and David Frankham—acquit themselves well, and support Actually the host inspired stroke’ ‘in the “production is its prolog of. fnewsreel clips of early aerial disasters with crude, birdlike, wouldibe flying contraptions. This pass The east is a blend of polished including a rousing musical selec' age basically transcends humor, | but it will inspire audience how!s. | a Tube. Directed by William Witney. Screenplay, ©. camera (Magnacolor),...: exe «,