Variety (November 1954)

V Wednesday, November 3, 1954 PfiniETY PICTURES II Technicolor has created a new post of director of diversification and research development and has installed Dr. Maurice Nelles in the position. Latter crimes to TC from the Borg-Warrier Corp. where he was director of its central research lab; . . Nelles took over at TC Monday (1). A past research manager of the Allan Hancock Foundation; he served from 1944-45' as deputy director of the War Production Board. Technicolor has a considerable research program going all the lime and has been doing work in color tv ahd visual reproduction tape. Continued from page 8 I;a Orande Speranza captain, giving the. key part strength. Lois Maxwell underplays her role as the nurse. with whom he’s in love for good effect in her best performance to date. Fblco .Lulli lends his amiable personality to lighten the setting, as do corner dians Paolo Panelli and Carlo Delle Plane as two playful gobs. Others contribute sober, restrained, performances. Script structure is somewhat episodic, but director Duilio Coletti ties most strings : tOV gether smoothly. Ferraniacolor lensing by Leonida Barboni is con- sistently good. Music by Nino Rota likewise is solid, Hawk. (anzoni apt Mezzo Seeolo (Half a Century of Songs) (ITALIAN-COLOR) Confusing, poorly edited cav- alcade; limited b.o. in U.:S. Continental Motion Picture Corp. re- lease of Minerva production. Stars Sil- va n h . Pampaninl, Renato Rascel, Maria Fiore. Features Anna . Marla ..Ferrero, Cosetta Greco, Olga ViUi, Carlo Dap- potto. Galeazzo Bentl. Franco Inter- lem*hl, ,Erno Crisa, Lauretta, Maslero. Di- rected by. Domenico Paolella. Screenplay, Paoleila, Carlo Infascelli; camera ■ Fer- rattiacolor),’ Mario Damicellii settings, Mario Cltiari. Tradeshown in. N,. Y„ Oct. 27. *54.. Running time, 95 MINS. The; Mannequin .......Silvana Pampanlni The. Elevator Boy..... .,. ...Renato Rascel The Lady .. .Cosetta Greco' Th6 Window Dresser.. . . Galeazzo Benti MlmL . ...Anna Maria Ferrero The Sceptic : ......... . : .Carlo Dapporto Rosa, the Country Maid., Marla Flore The Painter. .................. Erno .Crisa The Black Bird .............. Olga Villi The Student ..... ... Franco Interlenghl. Siren. Cossack, Native Girl... L. Masiero The Mister .....Marco Vicaro . (In Italian; English Titles) . "Half a Century of Songs” Is Just that—a glorified Italian "Hit Parade" of the past 50 years, with any attempt at skillful storytelling secondary to the music. Film, in Ferraniacolor, comprises . seven episodes designed to- spotlight the songs of seven modern periods in Italian history and to cram as many of the songs into each epi- sode as is physically possible with- out regard to coherency. As such, it’s a confusing and overlong' hodgepodge, ; and looks to Only lim- ited returns in this country. Even the songs, many of them familiar through American adap- tations, become tiresome by the time this 95-minute feature drags Itself out. Film is staged flashily, and the Ferraniacolor Is almost violent in intensity, and this too, becomes tiresome. In its attempt to film a spectacular musical, Min- erva has so overdone things as to make it a rather dull one. To add to the confusion, the editing is poor and one can’t tell where one episode leaves off and the next starts, and in some cases the char- acters do the singing- while’ In others an off-screen voice cuts, in as a sort of narrator. Best of the performances are turned in by Maria Fibre as a country girl-turned-paramour arid by Renato Rascel as an over-im- aginative elevator operator at a Riviera hotel. Silvana Pampaninl. orie of the Italian stars better known to U.S. audiences, is wasted m a tearful , episode of the. ’3ds. Chan. present form. Film as a whole alternates brilliant bits with long stretches of so-so. . Story tells of an English couple* coidy moving close to divorce be- cause of mutual incomprehension, who inherit a house near Naples, Planning to sell it, they' begin suddenly to warm to the’ southern climate and the boisterous humaniV ty about theUi. Fadeout sees them Uniting again after. witnessing a miracle during a local religious procession. Rapid change from grit to gri , especially in Sanders, who plays Miss Bergman’s husband, mars the effect of the warmup process by overspeedihg. Tale is unevenly told, has some unhappy bits of dialog and sometimes shows the roughout form, which for its di- rector, is the. final version. Editing, for example, is charac- teristically abrupt. Whereas, Miss Bergman’s /character, given more footage/ appears much clearer iri delineation, Sanders lacks the needed definition enabling proper audience .participation,’ For in- stance, his interlude with a prosti- tute begins promisingly, but the idea is not followed through. Oilers in cast fill in well. Photography by Enzri Serafin, in- cluding some hidden-camerawork, fits the moods well. Music by Renzo Rossellini helps. Hawjc. Los f orsairos Rii Hols Do Boiiglogho (Pirates of the Bois De Bquglogne) (FRENCH) Paris, Oct. 12; . . Sofradls release of Pecefllms produc- tion. Features Raymond Bussiere>, Chris- tian Duvaleix. Arlfitte Poivre, Vera Nor- man, Jean Ozenne, Denise Grey! Written and directed by Norbert Charbonau. Camera, Pierre Petit; editor, Marinelle Cadix. At Raimu, Paris. Running time, 90 MINS. Hector Raymond Bussieres Cyprian Christian Duvaleix Caroline ........ . Vera Norman Annette. Arlette PcRvre- Mother : Denise Grey Grossac. Jean Qz^nne Journey to Italy (Vlaggio Iri Italia) (ITALIAN) _ Rome, Oct. 195 > Tllanus. release’of. a Roberto Rossellini ■Production. ' (In association with Sveva- Junior Films). Stars Ingrid. Bergman, y*^. r «e Sanders, Directed by Roberto Ros- sellini. Screenplay, Rossellini, Vitaliano “I'ancatl, from a story by. Rpsseillnl and "rancatl; camera. Enzo Serafin; music, «enzo. Rossellini; editor, Jolanda Ben- Previewed in.Rome. Running time; '00 MINS, Katiierine Joyce Ingrid. Bergman Alexander Joyce. ......,. George Sanders Ton.v Burton ......., ..Leslie Daniels Naiaiie.Burtpn ......... Natalie Ray riostltute Anna Proclemer j.In Italian; English Titles) With the aid of the English Qialog version, plus marquee bait in Ingrid Bergman-George San- uors-Roberto Rossellini, this pic could be hypoed to moderate grosses perhaps topping those of previous Bergman Italian-mades. oome re-editing would help the pace corisiderably, With a hasty ending a sure trouble spot, since V. proper . motivation in Its * -* i *. i * • Slapstick and satire have been pushed into some prominence in this pic. However, the few good ideas imbedded in this lack the breath of talent to bring them into solid comedy focus. Hence, it re- mains haphazardly made film which is distracted from by. un- even thesping and timing, poor production dress and a lack of suf- ficient core. As it stands it has riabe possibilities for iocal. show- ings, but it does not have U.S. in- terest because of its low comic Vein. This is a takeoff on the recent Dr. Bombard shipwreck ocean crossing. Pic has a street singer getting his pal and gal mixed up in an attempt to try the same thing and cash in on the publicity. They get. a rich girl embroiled in this and all four have to go when her father uses it as a publicity stunt. Some good moments appear on the raft, but repetitiveness and general low comedies never bring this into ribtickling gear. Mask. Oioynmia D’Areo AI Itogo . (Joan at the Stake) (FRANCO—ITALIAN) (Color) Rome, Get: 19.* ENIG, release of a .PC.A . Production Cinematograflci .Associati-France-London Film co-production.- Stj)rs Ingrid Bergman, Tullio-Carmltiptl; features Glaclnto Prari- relli,. Augusto Romani, Plinio Clabassl, Saturno Melettl, Agnc&e Dubbinl, Pietro de Palrria. Aldo Tenossi: voices of Miriam Pirazzinl, Pina Esca, Marcella Pillo, Gio- vanni . A,colati. Directed by Roberto Rossellini. Story . and dialogue; Paul Claudel; music, Arthur: Honegger; ar- ranged and conducted by Gian Andrea Gavazzehi; orchestra, chorus and ballet of the Sari. Carlo Opera House, Naples; camera (Gevacolor), Gabor Pogahy; editor, Jolanda Benvenutl. Previewed, in Rome. .Running time, 80 MINS. . Pic version of the Claudel- Honcgger operatic, a hit on many European stages in the Bergman- Rossellini staging, is a difficult item to classify, with "prestige” perhaps best summing it up. SqI- emn-paced Work, though some- what livened up by Roberto Rossel- lini’s direction, is nevertheless not fqr the general trade. Very special handling, with much aid from the Ingrid Bergman name, arid more limitedly the Claudel-Honegger tandem/will help it reach its. audi- ence, worldwide even if limited. Best market appears to be France, and a French Version of "Joan” Was shot simultaneously with the English one. Rossellini’s direction, based on his oWn stage production bf the work, is imaginative and different from anything he has done/before. Production gamble by two new pro- ducers,. Giorgio Criscuolo and Franco Francese, was made /pos- sible by using cast, costumes and some of settings of the stage ver- sion, A pre-rehearsed 18-day shoot- ing schedule, permitted the film to be brough in at $100,000 despite the double, version and. the color budget. This total does .not include the Rossellini-Bergman contribs. Words and music . remain identical with the Original, while the visual has been much.changed. Action takes place mainly in a Cloud-banked series of stylized .set- tings, .in and from which Joan (Miss Bergman) and a priest (Tul-. lio Carminati) watch flashbaeked aind present proceedings of life on earth. Action is dominated by the dialog of. these two, interspersed with choruses arid dances, culmi-. hating in the burning, at the. stake, already previewed at start via some striking shots. Both Miss Bergman and Car- minati lend conviction to Claudel's dialogues (Miss Bergfnan’s singing is confined to a nursery-like bit). Within its: strange content, Joan is sornetiriies moving. Gabor Pogany gives the. pic elegant, color (Gevacolor) render- ing, and. many of the sets are strik- ing. Pace is slpw throughout. Editing, as in many of Rossellini’s films, is choppy. Hawk,. Guaclio (Foundling) (ARGENTINE) Buenos Aires., Oct, 19- / Argentina Sono Filrn produotion and release- Features Tita Mcrello, Carlos Cores, Julia Sandoval, Enrique ChabO, Luis Medina Castro, Margarita Corona arid Alejandro Rey. Directed by Lucas Detriare frotn a novel by Concha Espina,. adapted by himself and Sergio.Leonardo. Camera, Alberto Etchebehhere; sets, Goti Munoz; music. -Lucas Demare: editor, Jose Serra. At Ambassador, Bueiios Aires. Running time, 97 MINS. This is gririi. entertainment withr out hardly a single light moment. It has grossed well hero because audiences were buoyed in hopes that Lucas Demare had made an- other “Los Isleros.” He has tried to iriibue the pic. with the same stark realism of the previous suc- cess but fajls because he makes no attempt to explain the characters which only makes, everything im- plausible. It is hard to understand on what grounds the producers felt this had the quality to fie entered at the Venice Film Festival; Not even the photography is outstand- ing. In a remote fishing village, a mari riiarries a stranger after Only brief acquaintance. For a reason which goes unexplained he has tossed overboard a next door sweetheart. A foundling is left on the couple’s doorstep;and tlfe wife senses it is the former sweetheart’s and her husband’s, child, but rears both it and her. own child. As her own boy Is the weaker, to retain the. husband’s, love she has him believe ‘ the Stronger is hers. Tita Merello’s acting draws tears despite , all the implausibilities. It is her personality alone which has kept the pic alive here. Carlos Cores seems more in character as the rough fisherman than in most roles while. Julia Sandoval is deco- rative as the jilted girl. The cam- eras are never effectively handled and.the whole production lacks dis- tinction. Nid. Negative for 'Long John Silver • Needed Elaborate Care:—Shipped In and Out of Orient Packed in Ice — ■ V.. • " —•— .+- Lollops Taste in Tie-Ups Gina Lollobrigida’s back in Italy arid the D, M. Grattan Co, ad agency, which is handling requests for hrir endorsements, last week told a mournful "what-some-people-WON’T-do- for-money” story;, Just to avoid any riiisunder- standings, Violet Grattan let the trade in on a little, secret: Gina doesn't smoke, and she won’t endorse cigarets. AlsOy she won’t model intimate wearing apparel "despite the fact that she has earned her fame for/her luscipus figure.” It appears, however, that Miss Lpllobrigida. has a -good ingirig voice,, and that she’s not, above using it to plug bet- ter-type automobiles via ^film On tv. Seamless White Screen Being Introduced at $1.50 Per Foot by Trans-Lux New and seamless white screen/ called , the "Luxmatte” and said to be an improvement over the silver wide screens, is being put on the market by, Trans-Lux, according to Richard Brandt, T-L Theatres Corp: v.p. Price is $1,50 per foot which compares to $2. in the past. Screen, being used flat for the most part, is the one picked. by Loew’s Theatres fqr its houses. It’s also going Into the Brandt situa- tions, some. Warner Theatres, and various foreign outlets/ Fact that it’s searriless is said to be a distinct advantage for exhibs who have found that the screens with seams have a tendency to split and crack. Also, the seams sooner or later becorrie visible arid disturbing "to audiences. Brandt explained that silver screens had originally been in- stalled for 3-D. The Trans-Lux white surfaces provide a more brilliant image on the .wide screen and allow for truer color repro- duction. Due. to their large light gain, screen curvature, is no longer necessary. UNION CITY, N. 1 , SUIT Mar)ies Theatre Corp., operator of. the Park Theatre, Union. City, N. J., from 1940 through 1950, filed a $L050,000. antitrust suit Monday (I) in N. Y„ Federal Court against the eight majors, Republic Pictures, Skouras Theatres Corp., North Bergen Amusement Corp., Drives; Inc., and the Union Hill Corp. Plaintiff charges that the distrib- utor d e f e n d a nts discriminated against the Park by refusing to fur- nish suitable product, thus pre- venting it from competing with nearby houses run by subsidiaries of Loew’s, Iric., RKO Pictures and Skouras. in Problem of slow rental collections in the foreign market, is still a thorn in the side of the major fili companies. However, progress is being made in. solving It. Execs . in N.Y., while pinpointing, some problei territories. such as Brazil and Italy, say they're, less .hampered by exhib reluctance to shell out. rental coin than they were, iri the. past. Also, the arriount' lost yia bad. debts is said to be surprisingly small in the aggregate, Trouble frequently comes in areas Where there are limitations .on dollar remittances to the U.S. In sUch cquntri , some exhibs tak'e . the attitude that it’d, be better for .the American distribs to let them work with the due rentals since, if they’d bri paid out, they’d only end up in blocked accounts anyway. Collections are also-lagging In areas where the large chains have a virtual monopoly on the market and where there are severe import restrictions on U.S. films. "They take r advantage of us there,”, was one comment. : If comparatively few Hollywood imports are allowed, local exhibs realize that the distribs can’t afford to go in for any punitive measures, such as withholding their pi Until rentals come through more promptly. Companies differ iri their strictness in pressing for rapid rental collections. All agree, however, that while the film biz is a cash business, a certain amount of credit has to be extended. Two years ago, move was made via the Motion Picture Export Assn, to arrive at a common policy on the rental collection problem; Since then; however, action has resolved itself to an Individual approach. One of: the reasons Is that there are those among the major distribs Who don’t fee) certain that united action on questions such as this is permissible under the Webb-Pomerene Act which is the legal umbrella under which the MPEA operates abroad. On the ; surface, the fill irig of an. American film in a foreign loca- tion, appears a comparatively easy, task. However, except for those directly involved in the project, few indUstryites jealize: the tre- mendous mechanical problems that are encountered, even in. such a. basic aspect of picture production as the: shipment of the film. What a producer faces in getting tiie raw film, to the location, site and theii transferring it to the processing plant Is best illustrated in the experience of Joseph Kauf- man who recently completed "Long John Silver" in Australia, Picture will be' the first, release; of the re- cent' y-orgari ized Distributors/Corp: of America. The raw Eastirian. stock is shipped from Rochester, N, Y,, to Los An- geles where it is packed in ic« cakes for shipment via plane to Australia. In Australia, the film is placed in a, deep-freeze where it re- mains until two, days before actual shooting begins; The film is then placed ‘ an ice box to prevent emulsion in case the temperature gets too hot;.’ Following exposure' of the film, it is returned to th deep-freeze. Once a week, the daily rushes, comprising 10,000 to 12,00 feet 61 film,, are prepared for shipment to Techriieolor’s Denham Laboratory in England since "Long John” wai made as a British quota film. Tht footage is packed in ice cakes again and is re-iced en route in Singa- pore and India: Each reel is insured for $10,000. The .film arrives in London, a distance of some 12,000 miles from Australia, in 72 hours At Techni’s Denham lab, black 8c white prints of the daily 'rusher are processed and then, sent back to Australia for cutting. A. ship- ment of the processed b&w film ii received every 10 days. In a labo- ratory in Sydney a duplicate of tin Cut copy is made in case anything Should happen to the original cul film! In addition, a cutting rep.orl is sent to England where a negativi is cut to correspond to the cutting copy. From this neg, the colox CinemaScope prints are made. Techni’s lab in England only makes the prints for the foreign distribution. The "make iriaterials’' are sent to Techni’s Hollywod lal for release prints for the; western hemisphere and alsri for the. inclu- sion of the soundtracks for both, stereophonic and optical sound. . Since "Long John” was shot i 1:85 ratio as well as CinemaScope, the entire shipping, storage, processing; and cuttting jobs art duplicated.. The 1:85 to 1 version, according to Kaufman; will not be released until the C’Scope book- ings have been completed. World Travel i The Down Under shooting has also made a world traveller out of Kaufman. He has been on an al- most commuting schedule, with his points of departure and arrival be- ing Sydney, Los Angeles,. New York, and London. He has taken a two-year lease on a studio in Sydney and plans to make several other theatrical, films as well as vidpix there. Kaufman was in New Yoik last week to confer with DCA execs oi^ domestic .distribution and with 20th-Fox on the foreign release. He left’ for London over the.weekend to confer with direc- tor Byron Haskiri Who had come from. Australia to supervise the final editing of the picture. Final prints are expected to be com- pleted at the end of November. The wqrld, preem. will . be held in Sydney on Dec. i6. It had been hoped to, have the picture ready for Christmas release' in the U. S./ but Kaufman doubted that suffi- cient prints would be available/at that lime. Panavision in Canada Hollywood, Nov. 2. Robert Grrittschalk, head of Pana- vision, reveals that the Company has equipped a total of 212 Cana- dian theatres, with its Super Pana- tar variable anamorphic projection attachment, during the last 30 days At the sqme time Radiant Screen, Of Chicago, global sales representative of the process, re- ported that Sound Equipment, Inc.* of Toronto; will handle sales in Canada.