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Opinions on Current Productions
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^£ATURE REVIEWS
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Swingin' Along p Ratio: Musical Dram.i
T 2.35-1 (C O
20th-Fox (204) 74 Minutes Rol. Mar. 62
If ever a modest-budgeled effort contained a showman'o
fervently anticipated "built-in" promotional factors, this
Tommy Noonon-Pete Marshall costarring stint qualifies with
promise, vigor and pronounced vitality. In addition to these
two acknowledged funsters, the Jack Leewood production,
handsomely filmed in CinemaScope and De Luxe Color,
features three of American music's most acclaimed personalities,
composer-pianist-vocalist Ray Charles, pianistrecording
personality Roger Williams and -teenage singing
idol Bobby Vee, all .spiritedly entering into the framework
of an admittedly conventional screenplay by Jameson
Brewer. The degree of enthusiasm imparted by the principals,
significanlly, transcends the tried-and-true shooting
scrip't format; what happens here is light, lithesome and very
much in the mood and mold of young America's doncemindedness
and the alert showman can provide a whopping
amount of exploila.ion calculated to get the young and the
young in heart audiences very much interested. Both
Noonan and Marshall have been teamed in past 20th-Fox
pre entations, but never before with the decided impact of
jazzdom's greats going hand-in-hand with dramatic values.
Charles Barton has directed with astuteness.
Tommy Noonan, Pete Marshall, Barbara Eden, Connie
Gilchrist, Carol Chnstensen, Ray Charles, Roger Williams.
The Magic Sword
F ^^^i
^-'-^;^*^'"-
United Artists (6214) 80 Minutes Rel. April '62
Here is a tongue-in-cheek fairy tale which rises to heights
of satirical splendor at times and sinks to ordinary contrived
narrative at others. If designed for children, it is somewhat
macabre; if for adults, it could gel sniggers. But all-in-all,
it's a well-mounted, ingeniously created piece of merchandise
that has excellent special effects. It is a fantasy which
combines witchcraft, sorcery, romance and knighthood, all
woven into a tale of adven.ure. a crusade to rescue a beautiful
imprisoned princess from the clutches of a nefarious ^^
I
sorcerer. Basil Rathbone is the sole name of consequence, ij,
although Estelle Winwood is known because of past stage
roles. Anne Heim as the princess and Gary Lockwood as her
rescuing lover make a good team, while Liam Sullivan is
quite adequate as a traitorous knight. Highlights of the picture
ore the effective special visual effects, created by Bert
I. Gordon, who also wrote the story, produced and directed
it. Some of such effects are people reduced to the size of
little dolls, a fire-breathing dragon, mirrors that have television
effects and numerous other gimmicks that keep the
story going at a fast pace. The Eastman Color is good.
Basil Rathbone, Estelle Winwood, Gary Lockwood, Anne
Helm, Liam Sullivan, John Mauldin. Jacques Gallo.
Samar
F Ratio;
1.85-1
Action
Drama
Warner Bros. (164) 89 Minutes Rel. May '62
George Montgomery, star of many action films, becomes
a triple-threat man by producing and directing, in addition to
starring in, this red-blooded action thriller made to order
for moviegoers who like excitement and thrills in their film
fare. With Montgomery and the rugged veteran Gilbert
Roland for marquee value, this con top the bill in almost any
situation. WB is teaming it with a routine programmer,
"House of Women." Entirely photographed in the Philippines,
with Technicolor enhancing the mountainous, rock-covered
backgrounds over which hundreds of Filipino exiles are
forced to climb, with many of them tumbling to their death,
the picture often attains epic proportions. Montgomery even
collaborated with Ferde Grofe jr. on the screenplay, based
on the real-life Spanish Colonial oppression of the Philippines
natives in 1870, and the plot is replete with gunplay, savagery
and nail-biting suspense, with time out for several romantic
scenes. Montgomery gives a convincing two-fisted portrayal
and Roland is outstanding, as always, as the brave, compassionate
leader of the exiles. Ziva Rodann, as a native
and blonde Joan O'Brien contribute well-contrasted per-
girl,
formances. A Winchester-MAM production.
George Montgomery, Gilbert Roland, Ziva Rodann, Nico
Minardos, Joan O'Brien, Mario Barri. Danny Jurado.
Counterieit Traitor F ris" °'o'
Paramount (6113) 140 t^inutes Rel. April 62
To condense Alexander Klein's exciting factual account o:
Erick Erickson's hazardous experiences as an Allies spy,
while posing as a Nazi conlormist, into 140 minutes oi film
was a courageous effort, but William Perlberg and George
Seaton have done it with gratifying results. "Counterfeit
Traitor" is a tense and romantic storv of real life events that
should mean money in the bank for exhibitors. V/illiam
Holden and Lilli Palmer, as the Allies informers, are a good
team and give excellent and convincing performances. The
picture v/as shot on actual locations in Berlin Hamburg,
Copenhagen and Stockholm, giving added authenticity to
the production. Holden and Miss Palmer are the only players
well known to American audiences, but they have been surrounded
with a capable supporting cast, each a native of the
country he or she represents in the re:;pective roles. Fine
color by Technicolor is another plus to this gripping story of
intrigue and espionage which is interspersed v/ith a tragic
romance. The escape sequences in the latter part of the picture
are as gripping as any ever seen in a so-called cloakand-dagger
feature. Produced by Perlberg and directed by
Seaton, the screenplay by Seaton was baced on Klein's book.
A fine musical score was created by Alfred Mewman.
William Holden, Lilli Palmer, Helo Gutschwager, Hugh
Griffith, Erica Beer, Phil Brown, Ejner Federspiel.
Don't Knock the Twist F l^°l ^^Z.
Columbia (622) 87 Minutes Rel. April '62
Although the Twist dance craze is repjortediy waning in
many U.S. cities, it is still popular with the teenagers and is
catching on in Europe and Japan, so this ioUow-up to Sam
Katzman's "Twist Around the Clock" will make a sircng
programmer generally with Chubby Checker, Mr. Twist himself,
for marquee drcrw. Checker has developed into an
ingratiating performer and, of course, he puts over such songs
as "Twistin'," "La Paloma Twist" and the title tune in fine
fashion. Best of the other specialty acts are Vic Dana, who
warbles the plaintive "Little Altar Boy" and the Dovells,
who siam out "Bristol Stomp." Gene Chandler's "Duke of
Earl" is a ridiculous impression. There are 13 songs in all.
The story by James B. Gordon is adequate as a frame for
these specialties and gives the striking Mori Blanchord the
opportunity to shine as a fashion designer whose jealousy
almost wrecks a TV Twist show. Georgine Darcy, who
twists with Stephen Preston, and the rugged Lang Jeffries,
also take part in the film's romantic triangle. Two old-timers,
the fluttery Nydia Westman and Frank Albertson, contribute
good bits. Kotzmon knows the sure-fire formula for a film
aimed at neighborhood houses and the drive-ins. A Four Leaf
production directed by Oscar Rudolph.
Chubby Checker, Gene Chandler, Vic Dana, Linda Scott,
Lang Jeffries, Mari Blanchard, Georgine Darcy.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance F Western
Dram.t
that despite a notable cast and one of our great directors,
John Ford, it adds up to nothing more nor less than a superbly
photographed satire on all the westerns ever made.
If for that reason, and no other, it is not to be misled. An
adult audience in a packed public theatre, where it was first
screened for the press, laughed, groaned and commented so
audibly and derisively that a well-disposed reviewer could
only be embarrassed for its makers. It would appear unnecessary
to remind producers that people see so many we t-
erns of every type on TV nowadays that they know all the
answers. But, if a reminder is needed, this picture will serve
very well. Viewpoint of this reviewer is neither critical nor
categorical but strictly: how many tickets will it sell? This
one should sell a lot of tickets—to people who like to laugh.
The abundance of unnecessary violence will probably cause
PTA and related organizations from coast to coast to scream
with pain. Edmond O'Brien, as a drunken newspaper publisher,
pulls the picture out from under his costors with a
performance of Shakespearean magnitude.
James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin,
Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray.
The reviews on these pages may be filed for future
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