Variety (September 1961)

FELM REVIEWS Wednesday, September 6, 1961 Victim (BRITISH) Smooth, holding combo of thriller-drama and social rebe, Standout showing by irk Bogarde and all-round east. Adult approach to homo| sexual and blackmail problems man from a geod family, a photographer, a bookseller and a factory ail types occupy this half-world of | darkness. Relph and Dearden have: east | with meticulous detail, so that eyen well handled; carefully ex{the smallest role {i expertly played. ploited, this could be a top 'The writing is t, the. direction talking-point pic. ‘firm and swift and Otto’ Heller's ! camerawork does full justice to the jauthentic London location. Those London, Sept. 1. Rank release of Allied Film Makers’ resentation of a Michael Relph & Basil m production, produced by Relph, directed by Dearden. Stars Dirk Bogarde. via | me featares ents an ’ . h Original screenplay, Janet Green ohn ; provides “a blackmailer's charter.” icCormick; camera, Otto Heller: evtiter. * Bogarde, as the barrister, gives; John Guthridge: music, Philip Green. At Odeon. Leicester-square, London. Run-: what is probably the performance ming time, 166 MINS, tempt for these abnormal men have ; elvifle Farr .....ccese0Dirk Bogarde . aging barber, a hearty tar: sales who have no pity but only con-| Production. “of his career to date—subtle, sensi| Bernstein. r clerk. ‘The pie vividly reveals’ that | ' Summer and Smoke (PANAVISTON—COLOR) | Beautifully acted and _ distinguished screen version of Tennessee Williams play. Venice, Aug. 30. Paramount release. of Hal Wallis ine Page, Lau rence Harvey; features Una Merkel, John MaclIntire, Malcolm Atterbury, Rita their say, but mastly the case is. Moreno, Thomas Gomez, Pamela Tiffin, weighted against the law which | ‘Casey Adams, Earl Holliman. Directed by: Peter Glenville. Screenplay, James Poe; Meade Roberts: based on play by ‘Tennessee Williams;camera color-Panavision), Charles. Lang Jr.; sets, Hal Pereira, | Walter Tyler: music, Elmer Film Festival, Venice. Running time, Ate MINS, Laurence Harvey Geraldine Page Jobn MaciIntir: secccccesae Rita se eee eeoravese Producer. Hal Wallis and direc uished motion picture Pare rr rer Sylvia Syms’ tive and strong. Sylvia Syms, as his Calloway .......sesseeeDennis Price wife, handles a difficult role < his | ot nos Buchanan. a fandrake wc. An eater Copley ‘delicacy atid there is one memor-! Doctor Buchanan Sear Doe ...-sceseeeeee paverman., nery | ale scene when os pi Sonat: Rev. Winemiller eneeneeennanen after she forces him to admit what: Rose Zacharias zoek III ‘Dopatd n Negbitt she doesn't want to hear. This is: Ber ener t pector Harris San socnn Berne j telling, moving stuff. | Roger Doremius ”. Scott Hankin ........ Alan MacNaughtan | Other top performances come: aan ttt 77 ggel peck ee] from newcomer Peter McEnery as | aQwe 0 Marvis Villiers! the youth who sparks off all the) tor Peter Glenville have fashioned CREY so eevee crease Charles 12 Lloyd Pack trouble, Dennis Price, Norman Bird,| a disting jokey 7.20. Dawid Evans : Charles Lloyd Pack;: Nigel Stock| from the latest of Tennessee Wilttersoh .......0.. Noel Howlett! and Anthony Nicholls as assorted | liams' plays to be adapted for the Benham ---.: cr MAE ens |homosexuals and Donald Churchill; screen. By the same token, howSylvie 20... cece ee eee eee Dawn Beret: as McEnery’s friend. Darren Nes-| ever, it will take plenty of adroit ‘bitt makes a distinct impression as { ‘salesmanship to make: “Summer Dirk Bogarde, long among the: the strongarm man of: the black-|.and Smoke”. into a major b.o. leading boxoffice. propositions in; mail ring, John Barrie and John} contender. Critical recognition of British pix, has had a leanish time. ; Cairney are stolidly right as repre-j its quatities should also help. in his Iast three or four films. This; sentatives of the law and Mar ‘Peter Glenville, who ‘guided time he has come up with a winner, ! ;faret Diamond, Dawn Beret, Noel play in Britain, gives this pic yer as long lunchtime queues outside ' Howlett, Hilton Edwards, Alan} sion a solid. delineation, effectively the cinema, despite the heatwave,! Howard, David Evans, Mavis Vil-i guiding his cast, and giving several testify. It needed some courage on! Kers, Frank Pettitt and Alan Mac-i Bogarde’s part to tackle this off-,Naughtan are others who contribute beat role, that of a successful bar-, usful performances. rister with homosexual leanings.! Writing about the theme and plot since he has a firm feminine follow-/ of this film is tricky as it ean ing. Result is that he is in a film‘ easily give a false impressfon that which has an adult theme. It has! the makers are eashing in on a con-'| something pertinent to say about’ froversial idea. This is not true. an urgent social problem but in its The film has been made with obown right is a well-written, well-i vious sincerity and intelligence. It directed thriller-drama that is sus-'! does not shock hut ft does stimutained entertainment. It should late some thought and cutting. mean big b.o. among thoughtful’ music and decor all add to the audiences. However, filmzoers who; merits of the scripting and thesving drop in exvecting any sensationali| to provide stimulating entertainvation of the homosexual problem , ment. Rich. are in for a disappointment. Producer Michael! Relph, director ; Donde. Estas Corazon? | | ‘scenes heightened impact by cut‘ting’ them off. short,. allowing effect.to follow into next sequence. Throughout most of the first half, he has also successfully disengaged film from, its stage format. In Jat-. ter part, which offen bogs down ‘in some talky. stretches and a less .varted approach, one is more conscious of fact that “Summer and Smoke” was originally a-play. The denouement, especially, seems along time coming, and pic suffers as it searches for a solution. Performances are almost uni | formly excellent, though’ few..will deny that Geraldine Page walks off with top honors in a repeat of her 1952 stage role as Alma Wine ni| ‘SiMgicoun & a erkel unforgettable. Moreno be added the faultless portrayal of . Pamela Tiffin }@n American G. I. -who helps the Casey Adams i sergeant, and a. Jounigster ‘just n Posto graduated from officers school— (The Jeb) who undertake a trip on a truck |. ‘(TALIAN) to take a pregnant German woman |. Veni to,a rear-line hospital and deliver. | ycTitanus t release on ace, Sept, 2. a message fo a command post.| Won. Features Alessandra Panseri, Loce: | Various incidents slow the __ trip Ermanne Oy euMeiten and directed | by and first the driver and then the ‘pimk. editor, Carla Colombo, At Film sergeant are lost along the ‘way; pomtival, -1 enice. Running time, 98 MINS, with final portion bridged with aid Antonie Alessandro Panseri . Loredana Dette of a U.S. Army truck and its Yank | a ry ‘This is a little jewel of a picture While “Ballad of a-Soldier” was. made (for $55,000) as his first featold in sweeping epic-poetic. ture “éffort by Ermanpo Olmi. terms, this: pic is more. directly: on. Players are all non-pros but they ‘human level. Yet its impact is| and other facets of pic form so z | nevertheless a strong: one. The| Winning a combo that item should three main characters soon bécome | get plenty of mileage:both in Italy To this trio must] and in foreign. situations. where the qualities and innate charm of it. can be appreciated. Word of mouth is guaranteed. group of last Jeg of trip. Not a Story is extremely simple: a word of dialog or ‘single image Rasil Dearden and writers Janet: Green and John McCormick (the team which preduced “Sapphire.” involving racial prejudice} have; adepted a similar technique with: “Victim.” They've provided a taut, | Kol holding thriller about blackmailers ; latching on to homesexuals (90° ef U.K. blackmail cases involve “queers”) and at the same time: have taken several critical swines | at the present British law which encourages the blackmailing by: making homos criminal outcasts (Where Are You Heart?) mars this stint criticism or propaganda. Not the least of pic’s virtues is the taste with which its young writer-directors have fashioned ra a never overworking an effect, ways maintaining a rapid. pace and keeping a light touch, not an tasy trick in a pic set during the war.; Acting is topnotch in all cases, while other credits are. likewise outstanding, including the: perfect matching .f wartime footage with excellent lensing by pic's A. Kuzmetsov. As usual, the reconstruc tion by: these Russian filmmakers of wartime scenes of devastation is. impressive. Hawk. te Briganio (The Brigand): (ITALIAN) ; Venice, Aug. ¢ 30, erix: ‘production and . relea#:. tunes Adelmo di Fraia, Francesto Se: naro, Serena Vérgano, Mario ferard,. Anna Filippini. Gievanni Basile, Renato Terra. Directed: by Renato Caste}iani. Screenplay, Renate Castellani. from novel RY Giuseppe Berto; camera, . Nannuzzi; music, Nino Ro by an unbilled Soviet thesp) characterizing the joviality and devil-maycarestrength of the U..S. soldier. instinctively drawn to his wartime ally, without a trace of. implied Feami | continuity offshoot which youngster has just finished school and leaves: hig town for the big: ‘city to seek a job. After an exam, at which he meets a young girl to whom he takes -a teenage fancy, they are both admitted. He. serves ‘a period: of. apprenticeship, then finally is seated at a desk of his: own. Piot’ is deceptively. simple, but every frame of pic is rich with. shadings. and. nuances.. Olmi’s keenly. observant camera is of ‘major assistance,.as are his actors. His.two leads, Alessandro’ Panseri and Loredana ‘Detto, are almost incredibly goed in their muted, underplayed roles,: while all others ‘in pie are: equally well chosen and directed: Nor is pic the. usual grim ‘picture of. workaday ‘existence. On the’. contrary, is’ filled. with. humorous ‘passages and tongiie-incheek . observations of the.. daily’ scene. (There’s x particularly funny sequence spoofing mental and ‘physical tests by applicants.) To be. ‘| sure, film. is not shaped in com pletely orthodox way: Olmi’s docu© mentary origin is often revealed.. as he digresses for an apt sideline hote, while towards the film’s middie there’s a. slightly disturbing. loses | track of main characters to glimpse (MEXICAN) Mexico City, Aug. 22. Cotumbia Pictures release of Alfa Films production. Stars Rosita Quintana, Lola Beltram, Amalia Mendoza, Miguel ves Mejia} features German, Robles, Garces. Directed b: Screenplay, Pr once. om original by Isaac Diaz Araiza: camvom Victor Herrera; mosic, Manuel ‘ Esperon. At Mariscala Theatre, Mexico City . Running time. ” MINS. Film is a biopic treatment of the Garnica Asencio Trio, female unit, tro The authors do not condone homosexuality but merely recoznize its presence and make a niea! romantic musit. ; for greater tolerance for those | ‘Amalia Mendoza, billed as “La caught up in it. They make a case} Tariacuri”; Lola Beltran and Rosa for a change in the law which.j Quintana interpet. the ‘roles of the. while still coming down heavilv on} late flapper age trio. While .the the debauching of youth, would| script takes inevitable liberties in recognize the richt of consentins| twisting true happenings, in gen-. | highly popular in the early 30's in Mexico,. which specialized in adults to live their own private! eral this picture gives a rather. lives. This tricky theme has been! good picture of. that era. There handled with commonsense and} are many good sentimental scenes, tact and it is difficult to see how}and the song delivery, especially anvbedy could find offense in it.] by Miss Mendoza, Lola Beltran and Though provoking discussion the] Miguel Aceves Mejia, is excellent. peek at the problem is hardiy| This one, despite its liberties penetrating enough to change the| with truth and tendency to exagviews of anybody who has definite| gerate, is a befter than average opinions on the moral and legai] effort, more-or less giving a sumasnects of the controversy. mary oot the so-called pzolden age arde plays a successful bar-| of Mexican song. it is bound to be rister who is on the verge of be-| a moneymaker in all Latin Americoming a Queen’s Counsel. He is|can areas and Spanish language happily married to a wife who houses in the US.. © Emil, knew: of his’ homo leanings when she married him ‘but has success-} fully helped him to lead a norma ife. He refuses to see a vou with whom he previouslv has had Me Gite Aug. 22. association because he fears po<-| porcutas Nacionsies release of Cinemasible blackmail. Instead the bhov| tografica Jalisco production. Stars fs trying to protert the barrister Aguilar, 01s tres Ariadne from blackmail. The youth com-{ipma Dorantes, Maria Eugenia. Directed mits suicide, Bogarde is cauctht un| by Gilberto Gazcon. Screenplay, Pancho In enouiries by the cops and. from] Cordova, and Gilberto ¢ Eduardo Gazcos: remorse. sets out to break the! camera, Ignacio. Torres; music, Gustavo : blarkmailers even though he knows | Coz Carnes. ir t Mime, 30 MINS. Mexthat if the facts come out it will ruin his marriage and his career.| This is a low budget, spotty Patiently. he tracks down others! quality film for nabe house trade. | who are being blackmailed but|Its boxoffice will depend upon Tres Tristes Tigres (Three Sad Tigres). ico City. R the squeeze. Eventually, Luis | o Gazcoa, from story a F. 35.MIN NS. F miller, the repressed spinster. It’s an outstanding effort which will no. doubt be rememberd when Oscar time comes round. Laurence Harvey, perhaps a bit young to play her opposite. number, John, perhaps a bit too continental as a bayou boy, is nevertheless very good, and gives a solid and believeable rendering of the ne’er-dowell, who. reforms. Una Merkel (again a repeat of her stage role) |. cuts herself a memorable caméo in a relatively smail part ,while Rita Moreno as the dance hall girl, Thomas Gomez as her father, John MacIntire as the boy’s pa, all give their supporting roles an effective reading. Earl Holliman is standout in a brief. one-sequence appearance as the traveling salesman in the finale. An extra nod must |. go also to Pamela Tiffin, who as Nellie adds a prp flair to dazzling youthful ‘beauty to rate plenty of future attention. It’s her first screen role. — » Special plaudits must also go. to camera work (Charles Lang Jr., and art direction (sets by Hal. Pereira and Walter Tyler; cos ltumes. by Edith Head: furnishings by Sam Comer and Arthur Krams) with muted. colors and lace-framed ‘southern backdrops neatly suiting action.. Music by Elmér Bernstein is apt. Other technical credits are outstanding, too. Hawk. cy Myr Vodjaschema Peace’ to Who Enters) a (RUSSIAN) ‘Venice, Aug. 29. osfilm Production. Features V. AvdDemjanenka. S. Hitr L. Directed. by dimir Naumov. § ‘Naumov, Leonid -Kuznetsov;: music, N.. Knretnikov. estival, Venice, “Ruasing Lorin; camera, At Action, ‘humor, pathos combine ‘with other elements in this fine ; Russian film in which for once the Soviet message of peace and international understanding comes: none will admit who is puttine on| draw of singing star Luis Aguilar. {out in simple, human terms. he does| Picture depicts: the adventures of |has-all the ingredients of an inter Pic exvose them (and the exposure. in-|a trio of Romeos avid their lasses. | national hit in the. successful tra cidentally. is the least satisfactory} Contrived situations, which are and convincing part of the fitm)| used. to carry a stury along, are! and the pic ends, rightly. on an!somewhat in bad taste. urhapvy note. The homosexuals in-| But there’s a market for coarse { ‘dition. of “Ballad of .a Soldier” | which it resembles in -certain ! asp ect, Though set Scr ry Al Film Fest the Home livesof boy’s fellow Michele o di Frala | workers. Pic also hags:no musical i 4 backdrop, an effective added note : of realism. ano} --Camera work is standout, to whether ‘in hidden-camera street shots or inclose-ups at home: or: office. Midst the worldwide rash of teenage delinquency pix, ‘‘The. ‘Job” is an all too.rare and_-refreshing change. Hawk. wee ee eedeeeserecres Nimo’s. mother ee tae Francesco Mascar . Angela Sitanni Moscianese Bovone Nino’: grandmother Don Francesco Tom ea: Salvatore. Ar. impressively . mounted: and expertly directed item, this pic is nevertheless overstated and far too in last days of volved are not caricatures but are shown as varying human beines caught up, often against their will. in something that is prohably more mMeienl than criminal. There are a philanthropist peer, an actor, an probably make money by continu| was being ‘routed and. Soviet and where they like | Emil, . story. It’ tells of three men—a driver, a shelishocked and mute the provinces, | their fun rough and raw, | situation comedy and film will|W.W.II, when the German army. ous reruns in third string nabe | Yank troops about to meet on: the | houses. Good returns also loom in | Elbe, pic is not basically a war long for proper general audience. acceptance in its present unw ‘eidly | form. Requires sharp pruning. ef-] fort to highlight action and tone down social criticism facets which weigh it down in its middle portion. okay export fare if pared ‘drasti on siter-director ‘Renato Castel Iani has been given full rein in ma-. king of this item, and it shows ‘in exaggerated Jength. Early portions of pic, roughly about one hour run| ning time, are excellent as they show growing infatuation of a south Italian boy; Nino, ‘for Michele Rende, the local hot-blood and sort of town here. Unjustly accused of | a lecal murder and jailed, he escapes and takes to the ‘hills. ‘From there he directs invasion ‘and seiz- ure of. unused land by local farm ers. He falls in love with Nino’s| sister, who gces to. live with him until she Is accidentally killed. Michele loses his mind, ‘kills a.man and goes to the village to vent his ‘revenge, only to be shot: ‘down in the town square. Ali portions of pic pertaining to growing realization of life and the human condition by the youngster are wel d and_ sensitively rendered. It’s the redundant in-. trusion of the poor peasant vs: rich landowner theme which. mars the ealier tone of pic, often giving it melodramatic, rather than dramatic, overtones. -. Castellani’s guidance: of his. ac-. tors, most of them non-pros of the | ‘area in which pic was shot, is uncanny. The boy, Francesco Semi Fraia, playing the bandit, Giovanni |. Basile, who rortrays an understanding gendarme, Seréna. Vergano, as the bandit’s girl, and. many others. Armando Nannuzzihas: done his usual -sutstanding Jensing job, making the most of foot of film w2s shot on lecation) and low-key lighting. Other credits are topnotch, Hawk. Loree | duction, Stars Fine home market ‘value arid: nario, is a find, as.are Adélmo. di } colorful, scenic backdrop (every. The Square: ef. Vielence (U. S.-Yugesiavia) Venice, Aug. 30. n release of Loven muive Pre’ ve ‘alentina Cortese, Brank Bibi Anderssen, Anita Bjork, Bert Sotlar,: Dragomar. Directed. by | sconce, rhovi . Berkev: Leonardo. Berkovici. Camera, Aleksandar: Eekulovic; Dusea Radic. At. ‘Muse, Venice Film Festival. Running time, 120 MINS. . Doctor Berfmardi ;. Brederick Crawford Dirs. Bérmardi ...... .Valentina Cortese German officer ...... ares Branko Plesa © Mrs. Gambetta ....... os+... Anita Bjork Pregnant wemam ........ : pi Andersson On English). ‘Hard-hitting item made in Yugo-. -slavia by Americans, in addition. to substantial dramatic valués “poasts. ah invaluable original © English-. language soundtarck and a cast of known players: headed by Brode ‘rick Crawford. Despite downbeat story, it. rates definite stateside attention in general situations and ‘the dualer market. Word-of-mouth should also be good. “Square” in title is one in which Germans. have herded 300 hostages _ jin a wartime occupied town.. They jar: to be shot on the spot unless the man who threw bomb killing 30 Germans gives. self: up. Though set in a Yugosiva community, pic was inspired by. wartime. incident in Rome. Pic’s original impact consists in concentrating .on the. men-tal. and physical anguish ‘undergone by the wanted mian, faced with several decisions, notably should he follow -his sense of guilt and give. himself up,. though only possibly saving’ the hostages; or | vould he obey partisan orders and hide, thus avoiding probable tor-. ture and risk of revealing partisan.setup? Various facets of man’s predicament are dramatically explored by: ‘script. written by two Berovicis, . father: and son. Pic story: is also equipped with a. suspense mechanism which maintains audience. doubt -until. the ironic finale _ which seés man shot by partisans as he’s giving himself up, followed. (Continued on. page .18) _