Variety (June 1959)

FK2JH HE VIEWS Den't Giv5 l : p The Ship Mild Jerry Lewis comedy. Sporadically amusing. Fair b.o« Hollywood, May 29. Paramount release of Hal Wallis pro¬ duction. Stars Jerry Lewis. Directed by Norman Tauroj?. Screenplay, Herbert Baker, Edmund Beloin end Henry Garson; based on a story, by Ellis Kadison;'■cam¬ era. Haskell Bogas; music, Walter Scharf; ■ editor. Warren Low. Previewed at the ; Piowocd Theatre, May 25, <59, Running j time, 89 MiNS. 1 John Paul Steepler ..• Jerry Lewis ! Ensign Benson .. Dina Merrill 1 Prudence. . -. Diana Spencer Stan Wychinski_Mickey Shaughnessy Admiral Bludde Robert Middleton Congressman Mandevjlle Gale Gordon Mrs. Trabert . ... Mabel Albertson Lieut. Comdr. Farber. Claude Akins. Jerry Lewis tries hard to get up a full head of comedy steam in ‘‘Don’t Give Up the Ship,” but the laughs are scanty and its boxoffice prospects mi?d. The Hgl Wallis ip.ro- duetion for Paramount has j ; too few situations to exploit for liumor, and must work those it has yery thin to get what fun there is out of the service farce. j; Lewis has jettisoned, some df! the more frantic aspects of his tech¬ nique for this film, and that gives it qualities that make it. more pleasant than it might otherwise nave been. He is a more likable, more human actor who gets laughs this time without the audience feel¬ ing the strain of the effort. The screenplay by ' Herbert Baker, Edmund Beloin and Henry Garson is based on an intrinsically humorous story by Ellis Kadison. At the end of World. War II,.Liewis commanded a destroyer escort. iThe Navy has no record he ever turned if in. Like other service property, unless he can prove he delivered the ship to the proper authorities, he must pay for it. The film traces, through flashbacks, the career of the ship and of Lewis., : There are some funny scenes, such as an embarkation of thei DE from Pearl Harbor with Lewis in command for the first time, issuing orders as he surreptitiously rdads them from a book. But a honey¬ moon gag, with Lewis xorn from his bride on their wedding night to face a naval inquiry, is overdone and the jokes pertaining to it flat and single-meaning. There simply isn’t enough material in “Don’t Give Up the Ship” to sustain the length, or enough good lines to enliven individual scenes. ;i Norman Taurog, who directed, has attempted to juice- things up by incorporation of sight gags, some purely photographic . tricks, [I and this helps. An underwater sequence starts promisingly whgn Lewis, equipped with aqualung "and other subaqueous paraphernalia, dives into the water -and keens going straight down until h’s head gets stuck in the muddy bottom! / But these promises do not pay off or are extended beyond their value. Dina Merrill makes an exceed¬ ingly attractive Navy ensign ' who gets entangled with Lewis, [and; Diana Spencer does the best she can with a simpering role as Lewis’ I wife, “unkissed.” as the saying j'. goes, although the script makes I clear, this is not what’s meant. j Mickey Shaughnessy is haphazardly ; amusing as . a dense Navy Cliief, j and Robert Middleton is capable j as a bemused admiral. Gale Gor- ' don, Mabel Albertson and Claude s Akins do well by what theyjhave to work with. Haskell Boggs’ camera work is competent, and Walter Scharf’s music is an asset.. Michael.Moore ■ gets credit as second unit director and Lamar Boren did the under¬ water photography. Po ice. I studio sets and location he has effectively caprtured the . moody atmosphere of a drab, rain-soaked provincial town. He has encou¬ raged Oswald Morris’s camera to move brilliantly and has used sound excitingly. Richardson’s bow ; into, film direction is a technical j triumph, but somewhere along the line he has lost the heart and the throb that-made the play an ad¬ venture. The film simultaneously impresses and depresses. ; With an “X” certificate, which means that nobody under 16 may see it in Britain, there are still enougli adults who will want to see it partly because of its. pre¬ sold publicity. Nigel Kneaie’s screenplay is a creditable job; with human if occasionally violent dia¬ log, He brings in the market-plaee, jazz-club and seedy apartment at¬ mosphere only hinted at in the play. But obviously somewhere along the line, the film has lost its way. Jimmy Porter, the central character, is an angry young man but there are few indications of why he is angry ot for what he is striving. I He emerges as a selfish, incred¬ ibly rude, almost psychopathic who hardly eyer sparks off . a mood that engenders pity or understanding! In the play, Porter (Richard Bur¬ ton) was a rebel—-but a mixed-up weakling of a rebel. Ih the film, as played by Burton, he is an arro¬ gant young man who thinks} the world owes him something but ; can¬ not make up his. mind what it is-^ and certainly doesn’t t deserve the handout, As a reminder, “Anger” con¬ cerns an ex-college student who runs a confectionery push-cart ih a market, plays trumpet and goes out of his way to humiliate his wife and friends. His wife leaves him and he has an affair With her best friend. The girl leaves him and be snuggles up again with his wife after she has lost their baby. This thin thenie is merely, a peg for Osborne to vent his spleen about a number of conventions which have served the world fairly well for a number of years. Burton glowers sullenly, vio¬ lently and well as Jimmy Porter ! and it is not his fault that the role’ gives him little opportunity for variety. Mary Ure (repeating her London & Broadway stage role) as the downtrodden, degraded young wife is first-class. Claire . .Bloom plays the “other woman” “with a ; neat variation of bite and come- hitherness. Gary Raymond makes an instant impact as the cosy, kindly friend of the unhappy couple. Donald Pleasenee as a mean, mealy-mouthed market official, and S. P. Kapoor, as ah Indian trader, both score. The distinguished actress, Edith Evans, appears as. a Cockney woman and has one or ■ two excellent moments. Chris Barber’s music helps the film no end, especially in the arresting under-title sequences. Trumpeter Pat Halcox does a fine job in dubbing Burton’s horn •‘Se¬ quences. j “Look Back In Anger” is Jan oddly aggravating film. It has some splendid touches but falls down often in important matters. But there is considerable evidence iof adult brains getting together on an | adult theme: It is just a pity that; the theme is too much “Johnny- j One-Note.” Rich. m&iErri Here fome the Jets (C’SCOPE) Well-made programmer. - Ac- . , tion meller will give strength to double-bills. . Hollywood, May 29. . Twentielh-Fo’x release of Associated Producers, Inc., production. Stars Steye Brodie,'Lyn Thomas,: Mark Dana, John . Doucette; costars Jean -Carson. Produced by Richard Einfcld. Directed. by Gene Fowler. Jr.. Screenplay, Louis Vittes; Cam¬ era, Karl Struss;. music, Paul. Dunlap; editor, Harry Gerstad.-Previewed at Jack Wrathet’s screening room. May 28, ’59. j Running time; 72 MINS. Logan .... Steve Brodie Joyce ............. Lyn Thomas Wallack ;;;Mark Dana RaiidaU John Doucette Jean .... .. Jean Carson Burton »•..'-Carleton Young Henley _-... Joseph Turkel B-Girl . Gloria Moreland Blonde i ....Vikki Dougan Bartender: ....I. Stanford Jolley Wednesday, June 3, 1959 Took Back io Augw A good job technically and actor-wise. But this adult film is very downbeat thohgh pre¬ sold on play's transatlantic success; stars and author pro¬ vide marquee value.. i London. May 26. ' Associated-British-Pathe release 'of a : WoodfaU (Gordon L. T. Scott) production. :• (Warner Bros, release in U.S.i. : Stars I Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Mary: Ure; features Edith Evans, Gary Rayinond.. Directed by Tony Richardson. Screenplay, ! Nigel Kneale, from John Osborne’s play; j editor, Richard Best; camera. Oswald ! Morris; music, supervised by John Addi-j soft. At Empire, London. Running i time,-J 115 MINS* j:’ j Jimmy Porter . . Richard Burton 1 Helena Charles. Claire Bloom Alison Porter . Mary Ure - Mrs. Tanner ... Edith Evans ' -Cliff Lewis . .. Gary Raymond ( olortel Redfem ... Glen Byam Shaw Mrs. Redforn ..... Phyllis Nielson-Terry Hur?t .- ..Donald Pleasenee Miss Drury .,..,.. Jane Eccles Kapoor ....... S. P. Kapoor Doctor .. George Devine Actor .v.Walter ! Hudd Girl A.S.M. —... .. Anne Dickins Sally .Bernice Swanson Tony Richardson, who staged the play, “Look Back In Anger,” lyhich nelped to hoist John Osborne into the bigtime, has now tackled the same subject as his first directorial, chore. By adroit juxtaposition of Parqne De Madrid (Retiro Part) (ITALIAN—SPANISH—COLOR) Madrid, May 2.6. Selecciones Capitolio release of a P. C. Brio production. With Luisa Della Noce, Fernando Rey, Jose Luis Ozores, Vicky • Lagos, Tony Leblanc,, Juanjo Menendez, Maria Martin, Walter Chiari, Mary Sant- pere, Marisa de Leza and Gustavo Rojo. Directed by Cahen Salaberry. Written by Lucas,. Gallardo, Del Castillo and Sal¬ vador. At Callao, Madrid. Running time, 100 MINS. • . Movement in this sketch-filled panorama of a day in Madrid’s Retiro Park is almost limited to fades. “Parque” is strongly remi¬ niscent of and pointedly inferior to Italy’s “Villa Barghese,” as it weaves coarse comedy and park bench soap opera behind a trail of sun-drenched types who read, lines ! befitting the brittle-dialog. Brightest sketch pairs affable Walter Chiari as a fortune-hunter with popular Catalan comedienne Mary Santpere. But it’s no ihdre than a vaude act. In the main, a talent-studded cast including Fer¬ nando Rey, Ozores, Tony Leblanc; . Marisa de Leza and Gustavo Rojo are bench-bound in static talk. The Agfacolor looked |ood. Werb.. W.B.T.V., Commercial & Indus¬ trial Films Inc., a Delaware corpo¬ ration, recently filed a certificate of surrender of authority to con¬ duct business. in New York State, R W. Perkins of Manhattan was the attorney. “Here Come the Jets”, is a budget film designed'for second place on a double bill. The Richard Einfeld production for 20th-Fox is, none¬ theless, a compact and interesting melodrama with a topical back¬ ground, testing of jet airliners. While it is not designed to be a prime attraction; it will be a satis¬ faction to the customers. : Steve Brodie plays an alcoholic Korean War: hero in Louis Vittes’ screenplay. He is hauled out of the drunk tank: and put to work as a test pilot by John Doucette, driv¬ ing genius of an aircraft plant, who believes he can be rehabilitated. Brodie has . some setbacks but he overcomes. them in time to be in on testing of the big new jetliner that is Doucette’s star creation. Vittes’ story is clean and his dialog is generally lean and sharp. Fowler. has. taken excellent! advan¬ tage of technical aspects of jet construction and testing to have suspense and, excitement arise nat¬ urally out of situation. One scene, in a “flight simulator,” where Brodie cracks up (mentally) as he is unable to handle, a plane in theo¬ retical flight, is; a good example of. this. The scene is as gripping as if it were an actual plane in trou¬ ble. Fowler makes! good use of Karl Struss’s camera wbrk, and Harry Gerstad’s editing. Transitional shots. have unusual value, and double-exposures . and establishing shots, help tell the story without superfluous wordage: Kay/ Norton did the good aerial, photography, which is also adroitly utilized. Brodie gives a performance of depth, without lettng his character get out of hand. Doucette is inter¬ esting as . a . pleasantly humorous rugged, individualist,, and Jean Car- son contributes an ingratiating comedy-rftmantic character. Lyn Thomas. • Mark Dana, Carleton Young and Joseph Turkel are also good in important roles.; Paul Dunlap's musical score is inventive, and. sound by Steve Bass is good. '*. ‘ Poxce. The IS-Man (WIDESCREEN—COLOR) Good story well made. Pic Is exploitable. . Hollywood, June 2. Coitimbia release of a Toho. production. Produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. Directed , by .Inoshifo Honda. Screenplay, Takeshi Kjmura, from original: story.. by Hideo Kaijo; special effects, . Eiji Tsuburaya; camera /Eastmancolor),. Ha jime Koizumi; sound, Choshichito Mikrmi’-and. Masanobu Migami. Previewed:-at Columbia, May 28, •’59. Running time, 79 MINS.' Actors: Yumi Shirakawa, Kenji Sahara. Akihiko. Hirata.; Eitaro Ozawa, Koreya Senda, Bitzuru Sato,. “The H-M.an” is a filmy green monster v created from a slimy liquid that dissolves human beings as it oozes through Tokyo like jellied consomme. The Japanese Toho Production is well made and seemingly more thoughtful than the company’s two. other U.S. sum¬ mer releases (Metros “The Mys- terians" and Warner Bros.’ “Gigan- tis”) and Columbia will be able to exploit good bookings with the widescreen, color :production. The . story is; reminiscent of last year’s Paramount release, “The Blob,’’ and . while recdllective! sci¬ ence-fiction addicts may pooh-pooh the idOa of an Oriental copy, they should be pleased indeed with, the quality Of the replica. It abounds in fewer Special effects than either “Mysterians” dr “Gigantis,” but Its one effect-wiamely, the disintegra¬ tion of the human-body—is skill¬ fully and terrifyingly adept. “H-Man” ois as. timely a Stron¬ tium 90 in describing how hydro¬ gen bomb tests have reduced living things to a' gelitanpiis mass which, in turn, can dissolve any other liv¬ ing tissue ; it touches. The liquid lives, and,. to stay alive, seeks a repast mostly' composed of the herpes, heroines and heavies of this picture. Once the authorities be¬ lieve those, who have seen the nuclear monster, it is a compara¬ tively simple matter, to do away with it .via! a manmade holocaust, Yumi Shirakawa. as a delightful 'looking nightclub entertainer, is .. 11 excellent, as are Kenji Sahara, as ' . _ . . the chief detective, add Akihiko Flllli FYNlirff flCCII Hirata, as a scientist. The Takeshi l iiui fcAjllMl M99lla Kimiira screenplay (from an origi- - ! r«nHhn^ from page 3 — ■.. nal story by Hideo Kaijo) is effec- , . ; _ - •, , tive, and Inoshiro Honda’s direction most Promising. Eventually, how- takes full advantage of the story, ever ’ as commercial (as against the special effect (directed by Eiji government-controlled) tv spreads Tsuburaya) and the terror - gen- 1 abroad, a considerable/market for erated by both. Tomoyuki Tanaka theatrical pictures also may de- produced, with the technically velop. If this has not happened excellent production aided by so far it is because of the real and Hajime Koizumi’s cinematography, imposed restrictions that exist on Takeo Kita’s art direction, Masuru foreign tv, particularly in Britain. Sato’s music; and the sound by However, the: U. S. distribs are ; Choshichiro. Mikami and Masanobu aware that, in the years to borne, . Migami. . : .....^ . • overseas tv’s programming needs eultm-ally, it is unfortunate the expaad . At that: Ume. they’ll ‘ have not only ty series, but already SSh J. i’hitVn. mSrduhbed/theatrical::^pix to offer. 4 m^i: a n fHm would bring them into open artors fUm Wi * h Ja Rdph 8Se Wth the local industries, actors. - : which have been working out tight Teenagers* From Outer offilms to 0r tv. COntrplUnS th * fl °* Spa**e Seeking to avoid the U. S. ex- ~—r-. ample, where thousands of films Unusual sci-fi. programmer to flowed to tv and badly hurt the be paired, in most situations, theatre business, Britain, Ger- with“Gigantis.” many and now also Sweden have j' ■ - • formed special outfits to acquire --- Solw andthusicontrol thesale of.pUto such as this one, looks mote like an A^orioon r;i ’ t Latter W’ouid bring tnem. into open artors fUm Wi * h da poh eSe conflict with ; the local industries, acmrs. • . • which have been, working out tight | Teenagers Froin Outer • the — Space/ / . Seeking to avoid the .U. S. ex- ~—r-. ample, where thousands of films Unusual sci-fi programmer to flowed to tv and badly hurt the be paired, in most situations, theatre business, Britain, Ger- with ^Gigantis,” many and now also Sweden have j' ■ - • formed, special outfits to acquire _ Hollywood; June .2. a nd thus control the sale Of .pix to Warner Bros, release of a: Tom Graeff . ^ production. Stars David Love,..Dawn An- -tv. Whether the Americans WOUld derson, Harvey B. Dunn. Bryan Grant, buck the displeasure of local ex- : Tom Lockyear, King Moody, Helen Sage,- a • .._. • Frederic Welch. Written, produced and hlDS and. sell anyway is Open to.- dU-ected by Tom. Graeff. Previewed at question. For the moment, With S a Mn5s’ ." ay ’ 0! ° e ’ the gbvertiments still sd closely Derek ...... David Love tied to tv service, if appears that Betty Morgan .*v....... Dawn Anderson nothing will be done to seriously Uranepa Morsao^......■ H,™* B. Dy.. build up tV as competiUon to thi Joe Rogers ... Tom Lpckyear theatres, which contributes heavily Captain .v..........-... King. Moody ' Miss Morse . ..... .. Helen Sage Via taxes. Dr. Brandt Frederic Welch Whether, the MPEA tV COmmit- “Teenagers From Outer Space” Whether, the MPEA tv commit-. tee would eventually be open to membership by non-MPEA out- i was written, produced and directed .fits seeking to be repped abroad by Tom^Qraeff. He also photo-. o n( j to get information is up in graphed the film edited It, super^ air. The Association ik heiiig nt e^emeJy elosemouthed: about:the iff ’.Jil WhoJe business, as indeed the Mo- its l^ddin^ roles stiq rele3seQ*. it piAfurA a« cn _♦ •_ : v. ■ through Warner Bros. The science- America haa fiction melodrama, an off-beat 2^ f * 'committee dualer for WB packaging with f 10 -; ; as . a dark_ secret,, refusing “Gigantis,” is oddly appealing. to state even which committees Perhaps due! in part to a lower than low budget, the film often is inescapably inept. Lighting is poor, rf e P 5^?th C rirt ted *® a a KT top ieve i interiors are pallid, the monster to deal, w ith present problems, and is pathetically makeshift. The film if an effort to obtain more is impudently grandiose in its tone statisncal information. With the and is more likely to elecit shrieks exception of the MPAA committee of amusement than horror. on exhibitor relations, these units But the film also is carefully as yet functioning, thought out, concocted of exploit- ™ » — able elements, yet different from its many predecessors. Whiles HirAllll Cliiltlre Graeff may not have made a good UIFCUII vIwvlIS picture, he has made an interesting .■^ f : a' one that every now and again — Continued from page ? ==3 smacks of brilliance. Several: scenes in part, is maintaining with film —-e.g., a sequence of youngsters production and exhibition, peering wide-eyed at their first It’s cited, that investor interest spaceman—are composed of an in Walt Disney Productions had artistry that marks Graeff as a been going up and up on the basis filmmaker to be heard from. of: anticipation of big money for The story is of outer-space be- “Sleeping Beauty.” Some cau- ings who have scoured the uni- tioii set in at exactly the same verse for a place to graze their time that “Beauty” became estab- IK ^ ^ ahalfF d Th n e 30y spa“S™ m ?and th on g^Dog^cfrmbl to tht'V* ^ gra °T the automative society which raised ParamoUnt is another example, him. He decides to convert and, in Par stock fell $1.75 per share Iasi the end, is killed while saving week, after a long continqing up- Earth from the possibility of being grade, apparently due to the fact overrun by the herds of mari-eat- that “Ten Commandments” has ing creatures. ••!':'■ hot been followed with anything The cast carries out its assign- else looking like blue-chips bio. . ment efficiently when allowed to In mostly all cases Wall Street be unpretentious. David Love is is playing the film trade day and epeciafly affable as the good space- date. The stock trading indicates men, and Bryan Grant and King the lips and downs of each com- Moody are appropriately nasty as pany’s welfare on a near-to day the bad ones. Dawh Anderson is to day basis, it’s not like the old fine as. the. yound ioye- interegt ; and days when the downtowners would Harvey B. Dunn, as Grandpa, is wa it that six months before tak- sympathetically good Soma Tprge- i ng their position son, seen only briefly m a swim- •; f ming pool sequence, should have stayed around a bit longer before -I j W being turned, as were so many, Into . ||3||A||A GAIIfifirit a bare skeleton via Graeff’s focus- ing disintegration ray gun. Ron. continued from - • Canada Censors ing disintegration ray gun. non. === continued from page J ssa ^hacked theatre owners or opera- . tors who believed the lack of fam- ‘SouUt PaClllfi’ ® nts rtainment—nan the part of OUIIIII I wwlllU producers—was hurting an lndus- - ■ ■ continued from page 3 ^ on which this type of enter- . .. . . tainment was built. feelings about Rossano Brazzi. The fiscal year ending March Though, in the end, Rrazzi’s name 31, 1959, showed 567 full-length was removed from the Italian ads, films submitted for the Board’s at- the boxoffice didn't improve. Amer- tention, this a 20-year low. The ican musicals generally afei. t sue- percentage of foreign films_not cessful in much of Europe. “South in the English, language—shows ari Pacific” is the first picture in the increase of 35% over the 12-month Todd-AO process to play in Britain, period, this indicating the extent Prior top grosser there was “Gone to which Ontario has been affected With the^Wind” with $3,400,000 in. by . the immigration wave, .said original release and re-release. Silverthorne. In the U.S., Magna and 20th-Fox . His annual report showed an are using a triple - exposure tech- even 300 Holly wood-released films nique. “South Pacific” is being re- as compared with 366 last year; * slotted as a roadshow attraction the United Kingdom, 79 vs. 68; (two-a-day. and raised admissions) Canada and Australia, none; and in many of the places w li e r e it France down to four this year as played originally. After that, compared to 12 last 12mionth. towards the late summer, it’s to be Other film imports included West made available via regular runs, Germany, Italy, Greece, Japan and in the printdown version. Russia, these all up.