Variety (October 1956)

FILM REVIEWS usmeff -Wednesday, October 3, 1956 You Can’t Run Away From It (C’SCOPE—CQLOR—SONGS) Good fun although uneven 1* this remake of “It Happened One Night.” Music values and comedy characterizations help June Allyson-Jack Lemmon costarrer. Columbia release of Dick Powell pro¬ duction? Stars June Allyson.Jack Lem¬ mon; features Charles Bickford, Paul Gilbert, Jim Backus, Stubby Kaye. Allyn Joslyn, Henny Youngman, Jacques Scott, Walter Baldwin. Directed by Pow¬ ell. Screenplay, Clnpde Binyon and Rob¬ ert Riskln. based on short story by Sam¬ uel Hopkins Adams; camera (Technicolor), Charles Lawton Jr.; editor, A1 Clark, 'Bong's, Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Gene de Vaul (composer); music supervised and conducted by Morris Stoloff; choreog¬ raphy. Robert Sidney. Previewed at Loew’s Sheridan Theatre, N.T., Sept. 35, '56. Running time, 95 MINS. EHie Andrews . June Allyson A? 1 A. Andrews''.*.'. *. ’. *.' Ctalrtes bS SSgg Sh ‘ p ' ly .::::::::::: bSKS Fred Totcn .. Stubby Kaye 1st Driver . Henny Youngman Gordon . Allyn Joslyn Ballarind .Jacques Scott No 1 Proprietor.Walter Baldwin Billings • • ..Foulger Hotel Manager .. Bichard Cutttffg* No. 2 Proprietor . Howard McNear No. 2 Proprietor’s Wife . Elvla Allman Maid . •• Louise Beavers Minister .Raymond Greenleaf TV Announcer . Edwin Chandler No. 3 Proprietor . Jack Albertson Elderly Lady . Queenie Smith Captain . William Forrest Red . Frank Sully Joe . Dub Taylor 2nd Driver .'. Steve Benton Norvllle . Bill Walker 1st Detective . Herb Vlgran 2nd Detective . Larry Blake Jug on the Mtrcer-dt Paul “Tern* porarily” tune. On it less bright side is a'nov¬ elty dance number performed by Miss Allyson in a barnyard as shf dons the garb of a scarecrow. Doesn't come off.' Script by Claude Binyon and Robert Riskin (only Riskin had the credit line in the original) tends to run long even though, paradoxi¬ cally, the editing of some scenes appears too sharp. No intelligence available on how much footage was left in the cutting room. Morris Stoloff rates a major nod for supervising and conducting the music, except for the barely audi¬ ble dubbing of the theme. Other technical credits all good. Gene. The Mountain (V’VISION—COLOR) Mostly ineffective entertain¬ ment but with terrificly excit¬ ing mountain - climbing se¬ quences and names of Spencer Tracy; Robert Wagner to help. After more than 20 years “It Happened One Night” is back, but newly titled and in the modem dress of Cinemascope and Techni¬ color and with some musicalization added. As when Clark Gable and Claudette. Colbert performed it under director Frank Capra, it’s still the tale of the rich and head¬ strong young miss who, in seeking to be with her fortune-hunting husband against - her father’s wishes, meets, loves and wiys newspaperman. ^June Allyson is the girl. Jack Lemmon the reporter and “You Can’t Run Away From It” makes for some good fun some of the time. The plot is not much on its .own; comic incidents‘and humor- * ous characterizations must be re¬ lied upon. This is the approach to the, laughs, this development of story asides that score well enough to carry the . load. At. least, well enough to make on the overall an all right, not ^outstanding, diver¬ sion. ... With Dick Powell calling the turns as both producer and di¬ rector, the entry hits some delight¬ ful highpoints of jocularity but there also are some slow spots. It’s the unevenness of pace that keeps the comedy from top-rung. Foundation is laid as Miss Ally- son .skips Pappy’s yacht, boards a Greyhound incognito and heads for the husband she had been forced to leave immediately, after the nuptials. Picture takes a sprightly turn as Stubby Kaye, fat and jolly sailor boy on the bus, engages fellow pas¬ sengers in a spirited amusingly- worded “Howdy, Howdy, Howdy Friends and Neighbors.” This is one of the colorful musical items that dot the comedy, the color de¬ rived from Johnny Mercer’s lyrics. On the other hand, the tune of the title has a fetching quality, as penned by Gene de Paul, but it’s done in the background and Mer¬ cer’s lyrics are indistinguishable. Miss Allyson and Lemmon, who’s riding the same vehicle, are an affable combo in the leads, she looking chic and playing it straight as the rich chick'and he handling comic bits of business with provo¬ cative brazeness. Other “incidental” people in the scripe such as Kaye, who contrib¬ ute sparkle along the route, in¬ clude Paul Gilbert, as a fast jive- talking “buswolf”; Jim Backus, as the jalopy owner who tries to swipe Lemnion’s suitcase; Henny Youngman, in for a bit as a bus driver, and Walter Baldwin and Howard McNear as motel oper¬ ators. Charles Bickword measures up as Miss Allyson’s gruff millionaire father, as do Allyn Joslyn, editor driven to near distraction by Lem¬ mon’s promises of a “big story,” i.e., anent the location of the missing heiress,' and Jacques Scott as Miss Allyson’s short-lived hus¬ band. The hitch-hiking sequence from the original is reprised here, set to a ditty, as are the scenes of the two principals * sharing the same cabin with a blanket, hilled the Wall of Jericho, suspended be¬ tween their beds in the interest of propriety. This motel business is given a nice pickup with Miss Ally- son’s and Lemmon’s counter*-point- Hollywood, Oct. 2. Paramount release of Edward Dmytryk production, directed by Dmytryk. Stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Claire Trevor. Screenplay, Ranald MacDougaU; novel, Henri Troyat; camera (Techni¬ color), Franz F. Planer; editor, Frank Bracht; score, Daniele Amfltheatrof; song, Amfitheatrof and Mack David. . Previewed Sept. 24, '56. Running time, 104 MINS. Zacha’ry Teller.'..Spencer Tracy Chris TeUer..Robert Wagner Marie . Claire Trevor Father Belacchl.William Demarest Simone .Barbara Darrow Bivial .Richard Arlen Hindu Girl..... .Anna Kashfi Solange . E. G. MarshaU Coloz . Richard Garrick Joseph .Harry Townes Servoz . Stacy Harris Andre .■..Yves Brainville Reprisal (COLOR) ‘Adult theme* oater In pro* E ammer vein; average returns secondary markets. Columbia release of Lewis J. Rachmil production; associate producer. Helen Ainsworth. Stars Guy Madison, Felicia Farr, Kathryn Grant; features Michael Pate, Edward Platt, Otto Hulett, Wayne MaUory. Robert Burton, Ralph Moody, Frank de Kova. Directed by George Sherman. Screenplay, David P. Harmon, Raphael Hayes, David Dortort, from Har¬ mon's screen story based on novel by Arthur Gordon; camera, (Technicolor), Henry Freullch; editor, Jerome Thoms; music, Mischa Bakaleinikoff. Tradeshown N. Y. Sept. 20, *56. Running time, 74 MINS, Frank Madden ......Guy Madison Catherine CantreU.FeUcia Fan* Tainl .Kathryn Grant Bert Shipley.Michael Pate Neil Shipley.; :.Edward Platt Sheriff Jim Dixon. Otto Hulett Tom Shipley.Waype Mallory Jeb CantreU.Robert Burton Matara.Ralph Moody Charlie Washackle.Frank de Kova Whitey .Paul McGuire Buck .Don Rhodes Takola .Phillip Breedlove Luther Creel.Malcolm Atterbury Nora Shipley. Eve MeVeagh Kelcnl .Victor Zamudlo Foreman .Pete Kellett Bartender ..Jack Lomas. Judge .Addison Richards Mister Willard.John Zaremba Tremendously thrilling cliff¬ hanging (literally) sequences and good marquee names are the ma¬ jor assets of “The Mountain.” Otherwise, it Is an uneven piece of entertainment, with 4 story, per¬ formance, directorial and technical flaws thfft lessen the iippact. * The 'Established monicker of Spencer Tracy means something at the ticket windows, while Rob*- ert Wagner should pull a share of the younger filmgoers. Thus,.pros¬ pects are perhaps not too gloomy fV) 10 nftAM /If aDC..a. for this production-direction effort by Edward Dmytryk. Other famil¬ iar. names to help include Claire Trevor, William Demarest and Richard Arl'en. Ranald MacDougall’s screen¬ play from the Henri Troyat novel centers virtually all action on Tracy and Wagner, leaving the other cast, members with what amounts to no more than walkons. Story development and the charac¬ ter establishment is not too good; nor is the dialog. The Tracy-Wag- ner characters of brothers of wide¬ ly different ages never exert a strong audience pull, so interest is inclined to wander often except when the terrifying mountain climb is on the screen. Except for his big finale scene, iri which he abortively tries, to lie the dead brother into heroic stat¬ ure, Tracy’s performance is no more than adequate. Wagner is hardly that in his portrayal of the spoiled kid brother, but Draytryk’s direction, uneven throughout, must share some of the blame. The other players are competent in the little they have to do, with Barbara Darrow and Anna Kashfi spotting brief bits of femme interest in minor spots. Plot peg that brings on that har¬ rowing trip up the mountain, al¬ most realistic enough to cause acrophobia, is built around Wag¬ ner’s urge the mountain valley and his too-kindly, simple-minded eld¬ er brother. He tricks his brother into guiding him to an Alpine peak on which a Caleutta-to-Paris plane has crashed so he can rob the dead, They find Miss Kashfi, Hindu girl, the only survivor and Tracy brings her down against the violent oppo¬ sition of Wagner, now mad with lust for the money and jewels he has found on the dead. During the descent, Wagper falls to his death and Tracy tries to tell the villagers the robbery plot was his and the rescue idea that of his brother. Story ends as they express quiet disbelief. On-location scenes in the Alps have been beautiful lensed in VistaVision and Technicolor by Franz F. Planer. The special pho¬ tographic effects by John P. Ful¬ ton and the process photography by Farciot Edouart are both good and bad. Some studio-staged scenes in the mountain-climbing are too obviously faked, while others have, a frightening reality. Editing is not smooth, maybe ac¬ counting for some of the pic’s un¬ evenness. Daniele Amfitheatrof’s score is effective. He also did the title tune with Mack David, o. : i vJBfrotf. An Indian problem , of adjusting himself to the white man’s preju¬ dices in Oklahoma a couple of gen¬ erations ago gets the “adult theme’’ treatment in “Reprisal.” There’s suspense and action iri this Colum¬ bia release but lack of names may restrict its grossing potential. Title’s brevity could also he handicap. For while the tag will obviously fit nicely on a marquee, at the same time it conveys little to prospective patrons as to the nature of the story. Trio of script- ers, David P. Harmon, Raphael Hayes and David Dortort, fashioned the screenplay from Harmon’s story based on a novel by Arthur Gordon. They avoid the cliches of. the . average western In tracing the troubles of partTndian Guy Madi¬ son who poses as a white man: Madison, a quiet type who keeps, to himself, buys a tract of range land to raise prime beef. But bordering on the property is the ranch of three brothers—Michael Pate, Edward Platt and Wayne Mal¬ lory..-Freshly acquitted of lynch¬ ing two Indians for trespassing, they look upon Madison as an in¬ truder. Feud arises between the factions and is resolved only when Madison wipes out the remaining brothers after one was slain ear¬ lier by a vengeful Indian. Strong romantic interest in the footage has Felicia Farr, daughter of land agent Robert Burton; tak¬ ing a fancy to Madison. She’s jeal¬ ous of Kathryn Grant, an Indian gal who falsely swears Madison ’’spent the night with me” to save him from lynching. Windup finds the part-Indlan, disillusioned with the white man’s customs, returning to the fold along with Miss Farr who’s cast her lot with him. Madison does well as the strong silent type, professing to be indif¬ ferent to the white man’s slurs on his race. Miss Farr likewise is im¬ pressive as a courageous frontier femme who knows the Indians are victims of injustice. Miss Grapi is amply sultry and sexy as an Injun maiden with no lack pf suitors. Pate, Platt and Mallory, as the three feudin' brothers, are okay as the menaces. Good support is pro¬ vided by Burton and Otto Hulett, as a sheriff, among others. George Sherman’s direction paces the plot nicely in the Lewis J. Rachmil production. Both the sweeping outdoor vistas and in¬ teriors are ably captured by the Technicolor camera of Henry Freu- lich. Jerome Thoms edited to a tight 74 minutes and the Mischa Bakaleinikoff score adequately hack the films overall mood. Gilb. will have the impact of some of its I historical predecessors. Superbly, If sometimes unevenly, photoed by top lenser Gabriel Fig- eroa, the pictorial values of the wild and turbulent 1900’s are faith¬ fully and Imaginatively captured in Eastmancolor. Major failing is the evident maturity of the two stars, whose faces, and sometimes figures, are unsuited storywise to the hon¬ est hot eye of Figeroa’s color lens. Nevertheless, local audiences seem to accept th{s sort of thing and go for Maria Felix and Pedro Arman¬ dariz. Going back to the period when gangs- of poverty stricken peons worked, in slavery, on the rich haciendas of Mexico, film unfolds tale of love and revolution against background of cactus fields, im¬ mense panoramas and alternating peasant and plush interiors. Basic¬ ally, it is the story 'of a peasant leader’s fight for his principles and his eventual return to his people. Interwoven with this theme is his love for a poor girl; who has be¬ come a demi-mondaine,' and who later joins him and the revolution, only to die unwittingly at his hands. Armandariz performs with his usual force and conviction but Miss Felix walks through her role, holding back fairly well on the theatrics. Others in the cast carry their S es and epaulets in a realistic >p, with the Soler brothers^ Andres and Domingo, outstanding. 1 Latter playing Armandariz’ father, gives a top performance as a griz¬ zled peasant fighter. The former comes across well in the role of a tough regular Army officer. Director Roberto Gavelflon, wfyo also gets partial scripting credit, has played the obvious propaganda for air its worth, grouping and mov¬ ing his characters, at times, some¬ what stiffly. Battles between the peons and regulars arc well staged, particularly the night scenes. A major, assist is given by Raul Lavisr ta’s musical score, which punches hard alongside the dramatic sweep of the photography. Pete. ' I.a Escondidn (The Hidden One) (MEXICAN-COLOR) Mexico City, Sept. 25.. Columbia Picture* release of ALFA Films production. Stars Marla Felix, Pedro Armandariz; features Andres So¬ ler, Arturo Martinez, Domingo Soler, Jorge M. de Hoyos. Directed by Roberto Gaveldon. Screenplay, Jose Revueltas, Roberto Gaveldon and Gunther Gerzo, from original of Miguel N. Lira; camera, Gabriel Figeroa; editor, Jorge • Bustos; music, Raul Lavlsta. At Cine Mexico, Mexico City. Running time, 117 MINS. Gabriela .i.Marla Felix Felipe ...Pedro Armandariz Col. Montero.Carlos Agoste Tata Agustlno.Domingo Soler Garza '....Andres Soler Maximo .Jorge M. de Hoyos Don Cosme.Arturo Martinez With color and wide screen as major'asset, this high budget, top Latin namer takes a backward glance at Mexico’s revolutionary past, but does little to advance its filmic future. A sure fire b.o. tap¬ per in Spanish-language situations, it seems to fall short of the pro¬ duces evident hopes that the pic tower. .Say that this bit is not for sophisticates. Martin Melcher’s production is authentically backgrounded, the settings making it clear that this is a relatively substantial offering, budget-wise. No apparent stint¬ ing, in other words. Perform¬ ances are adequate all around, al¬ though Miss Day has a time of it trying to behave convincingly in landing that big airplane. ‘Midnight on the Cliffs,” piano piece composed and performed (while Jourdan appears. fingering the ivories) by Leonard Pennario, is consistent with the story, being full of fearful and furious sounds but no great shakes aesthetically. Song of the title,, by Leith Stevens and Tom Adair, as vocalled by Miss Day behind the opening titles, sounds like the cleffers were for another “Laura” but didn’t quite riiake it. Gene. The White Squaw Pretty half-breed, but Ugh! Hollywood, Oct. 2. Columbia release of a Wallace Mac- Donald production. Stars David Brian, May Winn, William Bishop; . fcatprss Nancy Hale, WlfUarn Leslie, Myron Healey. Robert C. Ross, Frank de Kova, George Keymas, Roy Roberts. Grant Withers, Wally Vernon. Directed by Ray Nazarro. Screenplay, Les Savage Jr., based on novel., by Lftrable Sutter; cam¬ era, Henry Freulich;' editor, Edwin Bry¬ ant; music,. Mischa Bakaleinikoff. .Pre¬ viewed Sept! 26, '56. Running time, 73 MINS. Sigrod SwansonDavid Brian Eetay-O-Wahnee . May Wynn Bob' Garih . William Bishop Kerry Arnold..... Nancy Hale Thor Swanson..William Leslie Eric Swanson. Myron Healey Knute Swanson.Robert C. Ross Yellow Elk....Frank de Kova Yotah .George Keymas Purvis . Roy Roberts Sheriff .Grant Withers Faro Bill... Wally Vernon Thad Arnold. Paul Birch Swift Arrow..........Neyle Morrow Joe Hide.....Guy Teague •Tulle Some suspense* values but Doris Day-Louls Jourdan co¬ starrer is overplotted Perils’"of Pauline stuff. Fair boxoffice in view. Metro release of Martin Melcher pro¬ duction. Stars Doris Day, Louis Jourdan; features Barry • SuUlvan, Frank Lovejoy. Directed by Andrew JL. Stone. Screen¬ play, Stone; camera, Fred; Jackson Jr.; editor, uncredlted but Virginia Stone has billing as assistant to both the producer and film editor;' music, Leith' Stevens, with title song by Stevens and Tom Adair, and piano eompbsition "Midnight on the Cliffs" composed and performed by Leonard Pennario. Previewed in N. Y. Sept. 27, •p6. Running time, T09MINS. Julie Benton... Doris Day Lyle Benton .1 Louis Jourdan Cliff Henderson.. Barry Sullivan Detective Captain Pringle.. Frank Loyejoy Detective Cole . John-GaUaudet Detective Pope . Harlan Warde Detective Mace.Jack Kruschen Ellis ..*.... Hank Patterson Denlce Martin . Allno Towne Valerie .. Ann Robinson Pilot ... Ed Hinton CO-Pilot .. VJaCk KeUy Doctor. Barney Phillips Field .Man ,. Carleton Young Peggy ....!.:. Pamela Duncan Hysterical Passenger. Mae Marsh Company Official,.Edward Marsh ' Columbia dug deep into the grab-bag for this one, a cliche- filled story of Indian persecution and a femme halfbreed. Film is strictly for the least discriminating oater market. May Wynn Is the white squaw, living on a Sioux reservation in Wyoming, whose people are the victims of early settler David Brian’s wrath. Trying to drive them off what he regards his land, he poisons water thp Indians use for their cattle. Redskins start a gun battle, during which another white, Paul Birch, a friend of the Indians and femme’s real father (although unknown to her), is killed. Appearance of William Bishop, young cattleman'driving a herd of cattle the Indians try to buy, adds further to Brian’s fury \yhen Bishop tries to help half¬ white gal, and windup shows Brian burning to death in a teepee he has set on fire. Miss Wynn is a pretty breed and Bishop a noble young man, Brian the heavy with a Swedish accent. Characters under Ray Nazarro’s direction are stereotyped. Techni¬ cal credits are stock in the Wallace MacDonald production. Whit. Suspense Ingredients are piled up well enough but “Julie” goes overboard both on plot and length. Story of an attractive young lady, Doris Day. who discovers her sec¬ ond husband. Louis Jourdan, is a murderer and aims to kill her, is paced at a good clio under An¬ drew L. Stone’s ' direction. But too much story Is crowded in; plausibility runs thin and some portions of the audience might grow weary. Stone’s story is of the old school—the chase, with heavy melodramatic punctuation marks. It has Miss Day coming upon the realization that Jourdan had killed her first mate and Is insane with I jealously so much so that he’d murder her rather than lose her. I She takes off under the protection of a country club associate, Barry Sullivans, and Jourdan undertakes to track them down. Neither the writing nor the di¬ recting is particularly imaginative, both departments falling back noon standardization. As the San Francisco police, headed by Frank Lovejnv, become convinced that. Miss Day is In danger, as she had Insisted, they move in to guard her but she unintentionally eludes them. She takes the elevator down from the apartment just as thev. take the stairs ud, etc. The climax. rather anti¬ climax. has Miss Day in her for¬ mer job afr'flh-Hnes hostess, with Jourdan bo^dln** the plane un¬ detected. Th° flareup comes as he kills the pUot. .cerinnslv wounds the co-nilot and is killed himself. Miss Dav is called imon tn take over the -foi’r-rnnt^r job ;>ud after a nrnt r '>cted session lands safelv under the direction b£ the control Flight to Hong Kong Routine programmer back- dropped by authentic foreign locales. Hollywood, Oct. 3. United Artists release of a Joseph M. Newman production. Stars Rory Calhoun, Barbara Rush; costars Dolores Donlon; features Soo Yong, Pat Conway, Werner Klemperer, Mel . Welles, Paul Plcernl, Aram Katcher. Directed by Newman. Screenplay, Leo Townsend, Edward G. O'Callaghan; story; O'Callaghan, Gustavo Field, Newman; camera, Ellis W. Carter; music Albert Glasser; editor. Ralph Daw¬ son. Previewed Sept. 25, '56. Running time. II MINS. Tony Dumont..... Rory 'Calhoun Pamela Vincent.Barbara Rush Jean Blake.Dolores Donlon Mama Lin. Soo Yong Nicco . ....*...Pat Conway Bcndesh !.Werner Klemperer Boris .Mel Welles Quisto .Paul Plcernl Lobcro .....Aram Katcher Bob Denham.Rhodes Reason Cappy . Bob Hopkins Lagarto .1...Timothy Carey Commander Larabee.Carleton Young Sargas .Aaron. Saxon Ggntz .... Noel Cravat Pondry .Guy Prescott Andaras .Barry Brook Janvoort ..George Barrows Maxlcr .Booth Coleman Boussard ..Ralph SmUey Carstalrs . Paul Brinegar “Flight to Hong Kong” is given a lift by backdropping its unfold- ment against actual locations in China and other foreign parts, but episodic treatment of a routine story necessarily slows film’s pace. Characters are colorful, however, and with the name of Rory Cal¬ houn to spark its chances feature should stack up okay for the ac¬ tion trade, _ The Joseph M. Newman-Vic Or- satti production twirls around an international crime syndicate, which lends justification Sor the constant hoppiftg about the globe. (Continued on' page 26)‘