1958-01-18 — Page 2

*

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1958.

KING'S PRINCESS Anthony Fuller's Column

-A

SHOWING

1 81GGEST Pictory About the

MIGGEST THING SINCE SWING'.

GORET HIMO

ye of Rach '16 Walla Cars

FRANKIE LYMON And the Teenagers.

CHUCK BERRY LA VERN BAKERTM BROOK BENTON

TO-DAY

ALAN FREED

ROCKY ORAZIANO TEDDY RANDAZIO

LOIS O'BRIEN LIONEL HAMPTON

and His Band

CLYDE MEPHATTER

KING'S

air-conditioned

1010.BY THE KING OF ROCH ROEL MANLALAN

LITTLE RICHARD

FERLIN HUSKY

THE MOONGLOWS

SHAYE. COGAN

AESAR LIVING A UMESTICA

Hayvan by piąt! IN LANGARTEJU

SPECIAL MATINEES

TO.MORROW

At 11.00 am. Walt Disney-RKO Radio

Variety Programme of

TECHNICOLOR CARTOONS

Admission: $1,00, $1.50

At 12.10 p.m. Columbla presonts

Glenn FORD

Ernest

Rod

• BORGNINE STEIGER in "JUBAL.”

A CinemaScope and Technicolor Film Admission: $1.00, $1.50

PRINCESS

SPECIAL MATINEES

TO-MORROW

At 11.00 a.m. 20th Century-Fox

Varioty Programme of

"Terrytoons" Technicolor Cartoons

Admission: $1.00, $1.50

At 12.05 p.m. LIGHT & SHADE present

A Gripping Thriller with Humour, Rich Music and Fascinating Dances

Madhubala Bharat Bhushan Pradeep Kumar in "GATEWAY OF INDIÁ” with Johnny Walker Chandra Shekhar (WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Directed by Om Prakash.

Lyric: Rajinder Krishan

At Regular Prices

Music: Madan Mohan Please Book Early

THIS week, I am going

17to make this a stay- at-home column. I want to discuss our local film business with regard to exhibitors, distributors. and as far as I can, our local producers.

First of all, have a look at the money in Dld you know it's No, I a millionaire business?

mot talking about Hongkong dollars, nor even United States dollars. I am talking about n milion pounds sterling!

I am not including the takinga The theatre, on second-run figures I give are conned to the ten cinemas that pair off, one un the Island and the other on the Mainland. I am not even in- cluding the Astor and the Lee, Leenuse they did not open up until the year was almost out,

although they put a nice bit in the killy just as the old your said good-bye.

Robert Taylor with Dorothy Malone in "Tip On A Dead Jock."

different things really. But as in which to present a circus pic- we are looking at publle cholec which means how many paid to

see a film, I will now give you the top ten tiims of the year box-office point of

Well, between them, the top Ich elnemas operating last year took seventeen and a quarter from the million dollars among them. Or view. If it looks better thiy R.K. $17,250,000,

way.

Your favourite theatre was the Queen's. The Queen's has been cinema every your favourite year since 1951 with the excep tion of the year 1853 when the Roxy beat them to it. That wak the year that saw the introduc- tion of CinemaScope, and if the Roxy and you remember,

Moon

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Trapeze.

War and Peace.

Affair to Remember, Teahouse of the August

(5) Glant.

(8)

(7)

The Alm

On the Waterfront. Gunfight at the O.K Corral.

was "The Robe," and the curved screen put an upward curve in the profits graph,

(8)

Between Heaven Hell.

and

kind

(0)

Island in the Sun.

d Broadway were the tirat cinemas to have it.

Mr Jimmy Wu was cnough to give me these sigures, nud he has given me permission to say that the Qucen's took over $2,000,000 in the till during The Queen's

1957. Look at it.

(10) Anasinais.

The money angle? The top flm Trapeze" took almost $350,000,

is only a small theatre compart. the tenth Glm "Anastasia" tively speaking. O taking the mere $153,000. average price of a ticket, almost a million people passed into the cinema during 1957,

NEXT CHANGE AT KING'S & PRINCESS live with renewed youth through

HEAD ANDET HOLSTER

RANDOLPH SCOTT

TECHNICOLORTM A COLUMBIA FCTURE

ABOVE THE OTHER?):

THE TALL

RICHARD BOONE MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN ARTHUR HUNNICUTT

SP by BUTT KENNEDY • Amed aro à Mary the ELONGAS LEGRINO) - Srodne ak by IGAREY JOE BİZMİN

BUCOVOIE FEICHER • JL SOUTT-BAKAN PRODUCTION

Lee

Tol. 72436

Astor

Tel. 67777

★ SHOWING TO-DAY ★

4 SHOWS AT 2.30, 5.30, 7.30 & 9.30 P.M.

AGPIPE

PATRICK MCGOOHAN

KATAVISION

LEE

THE RANK ORGANISATION PRESENTS

"STANLEY BAKER HERBERT LOM PEGGY CUMMINS

HELL DRIVERS

Screenplay by John Kruse and C. Rakor Fudflata

THEATRE

MORNING SHOW TOMORROW AT 12.00 NOON LAUREL and HARDY in

"A HAUNTING WE WILL GO” Also TECHNICOLOR CARTOONS At Reduced Prices 50 Ct., 70 Ch. & $1.00

MORNING SHOW TOMORROW

ASTOR THEATRE AT 11.00 A.M.

“PETER PAN” Technicofor

Walt Disney's

AT '12.30 PM.

Color-by

Jean SIMMONS◆ Guy MADISON is “HILDA CRANE" Color by Technicolor

At Reduced Prices 70 Ct., $1.00 6 $1.50

While on the subject of the Queen's I might as well mention that the old Queen's we know In a will soon be no more.

two it will be pulled week or down, and on its site will arise, phoenix-like, a new Queen's to

yet another cycle.

The next cinema, which in- cidentally, almost touched the two million dollar target was the Roxy, and close behind camo the Houver. So the three _top cinemas from The box-office gross were on the Island. That 15 to be expected as all the affluent people live in Hongkong while we poor people exist on the Mainland.

On top our side, that is, in Kowleon, come the Princess, and nother week or so would have put them in the two million Grackel. At the bottom of the Brat run cinemas is the Star, but don't let that deceive you. The Star is only a small theatre, even so it grossed over a million and a quarter dollars, I also shared the glory with the Metra pole of making top box- offic for the year with the year's top film.

WHA

HAT aim would you choose asic flm of the year? What film would you say took the most money? Two entirely

ASA

a

Now if you are going to enter the cinema business, you can learn lessons from, these figures. I am speaking now treun a pure- ly Anancial point of view be cause, to put it quite frankly, As far as real cinema is con- cerned, I do not agree with these at all. But suppose ligures someone left me a cinema, this do. I

should choose a film in colour, it would rely on netion and wide open spaces, (or a huge back- ground as in "Trapeze.") and its plot

is what I should try

pleated.

Lure.

Now us the publicity side of affairs, I ran into many snags. and it was quito a time before could convince all the exhibi- Lore and distributors that like Caesar's wife, was above sus- picion. My entry into this world was under a cloak of dark sus picion. and my motives were considered most dubious. For instance, take a hot Monday morning last summer.

Hangdong.

Bearing that mind. I will take the plunge.

in

First of all, we must remember that n mode focally, wories on a very small budget. The aren for distribution has shrunk to Hongkong, Tafpel, and a few small arena down the const.

I should hazard that the great fault with the Chinese aim is that is too often a photographed * play with all the traditional mime, which, in my opinion makes bad cinema,

When it comes to breaking away from convention, there is A fmy too much improvisation. years ago at the old studios, I saw a drama in which an Alsa- tian dog featured in the rescue of some people trapped in the Lilisiuc The camera showed that this dog had scraped away a few tons of rock with its hind icgo. Recently I saw a alm vhere the director bad dubbed into a classic film showing iwa companions Journeying along a road, the old song, "Together. To my Western eyes and ents il Here were two was ludicrous. Breiling along, while the band Gentlemen from ancient China layed, "We stroll the road to- gether...

On

the

"

tha

other hand, Chinese technician is second to none. Even locally the number- che camera-man is as good, it not belter, than the average mon from Hollywood or Pinewood. The set builders who have to moke and scrape are superb what they can do with a pot of palet and a bit of almost beyond plywood is

If our local film people are going to do anything at all, they aust venturo Into the interna- tonal market. They can do it. in humve It would

pay them someone about to advise, and so avoid the more ridiculous in- cidents that occur as they crosa the Oriental-Occidental line.

Myself: "Good moning, la artista, ond the manager in?”

Ofice boy: "Why?" Myself: "Oh, I just wanted to see him about a film,”

And so on

·Meanwhile I anw one whom I took to be the manager grab his hat and make off down back staircase,

However, things are working well at the moment, and except for the office boy who, I feel, unagines 1 have come to steal his press-books and steal the portraits of the stars in Nathan Road, all is going well.

Now I do not pretend to be an authority on

films. On Chinese the other hard I am not sitting tow down typing this after a minutes thought about the sub- Also knowledge of Chinn ject. is not limited to a few years in

Another thing we will have to watch is the outside unit arriv→ ing with a few dollars to ex- ploit the free scenery and the cheap facilities obtainablo hero for din making. I do not wish upon this at the to enlarge moment, but the labourer is worthy of his hire," is I believe, beth good scripture and sound economics.

NEW FILMS AT A GLANCE

SHOWING

KING'S & PRINCESS: "Mister KOXY & BROADWAY: "Enemy The finest war film Below." Alan Freed, Rock and Roll." should not be too con-

Rocky Graciano, Teddy Yet, showing a submarine and Randazzo, Lois O'Brien, and destroyer as the hunter and the tuated. Robert Mitchum Lionel Hampton and his Band,

and Curt Jurgons. in a free for all,

Nevertheless, Hongkong's laste lu picture is changing somewhat. This is due to the fact, I should say, in the almost unbelievable QUEEN'S & ALHAMBRA: "The HOOVER & LIBERTY: "Tlp on standard that is being obtained in the English language. It is Etrange to think that school teachers are indirectly helping cinema box-office, what is happening. there is growing a vast public who can follow the complicated plots, and can grasp the Idiomatic play with words which charac-

Crimson Pirate." Burt Lan- caster in a Technicolour frolle on land and sea. LEE & ASTOR: "Hell_Drivers," but that is

A VisiaVision production of Gradually

hell and terror on the British highways. Stanley Baker, Perry Cummins, Herbert Lom, and Patrick McGoohan.

rise some of the "best": "films. The top four Aims of 1057 show that we have not yet

KING'S & reached

that position, but it is coming

Mr Dover Chow was good enough to give me the following

dala

concerning United Artists I played 20 days "Trapeze.

5 to running from February

Burt Lancaster March 6, 1957. and Tony Curtis led the cast. It was made by Sir Curol Heed. The technicolour treatment was of course quite the leal form

CONDITIONED

STAR THEATRE · METROPOLE

2nd Triumphant Wook Now Showing The 10th Day! AT 2.30, 5.30, 7.30 &∙9.30 P.M.

TECHNIRAMA

| THI SADA DF:1}} |MĖLAINE BROTHERŠI-

LUNIVERSAL-BYTURNATIONAL PINTE

JAMES STEWART AUDIE MURPHY

NIGHT PASSAGE

TECHNICOLOR.

DAN DURYEA-DIANNE FOSTER ELAINE STEWART BRANDON deWILDE FUPPER

TO-MORROW MORNING SHOW '--

STAR: At 11.00 am.". M-G-M TECHNICOLOR CARTOONS

METROPOLE: At 11,00 am.. FOX TECHNICOLOR CARTOONS

- At Raduced Prices STAR: A: 12.30 p.m. M-G-M presents "CREEN FIRE"

In CinemaScope 1 Color Starring: Stewart Granger

Grace Kelly

| METROPOLE:'At 12.30 p.m. 20th Century-Fox presents “SUPERMAN FLIES AGAIN' Starring George' Rosyas

· At Reduced · Priose

A plot to Dead Jockey.” ontwil the international police, starring Robert Taylor And Dorothy Malone. BTAR & METROPOLE: "Night Passage." The saga of the Melaine Brothers, starring James Blewart and Audio Murphy.

COMING

PRINCESS: "The Tasi T." Randolph Scott In an action-packed Technicolour Western, along with Richard

and Boone

Maureen O'Sullivan,

QUEEN'S & ALHAMBRA: "The True Glory." An on the spot record from D-Day to V-E Dar, showing that the true Aloty lies wh the man who did the job.

LEE & ASTOR: "Bombers B-52."

A

full-scale American Air Force drama. Kari Meldon, Efrem Zimballst, and Natalie Wood.

ROXY & BROADWAY: "Lucky Jim," The film that got the Edinburgh Film Festival off to a hilarious start. Taken from the Klossley Amis novel of a red-brick university, with Ian Carmichael as Jim. HOOVER & LIBERTY: "Monkey On My Back," The story of US Harney Ross, boxer, Marine, and dope-addies, with Cameron Mitchell as Barney Ross.

STAR & METROPOLE: United Artists present Richard WIO. mark, Richard Todd, Anton Waltrook, John Gietend, and Jean Seberg. In George Bet- nard Shaw's "Saint Jos11,"

ROXY & BROADWAY

SHOWING TO-DAY

AT 2.30, 5.30, 7.30 & 9.30 P.M.

THE MEN. THE CHASE... THE DUEL

THAT TORE THE OCEAN APART!

ROBERY MITCHUM

JURGENS

THE ENEMY. BELOW

CINEMASZOPG

ROXY D BROADWAY:" 5 Shows To-morrow,

* Extra Performance of "THE ENEMY BELOW": ROXY: AF 12.00 Noon || BROADWAY: At 12.80 p.m.

A BROADWAY: To-morrow Special Moming: Show At 11.00a.m. Walt Disney's TECHNICOLOR CARTOONS

A

QUEEN'S

5 SHOWS TO-MORROW

EXTRA PERFORMANCE OF "THE CRIMSON PIRATE” AT 11:30 AM.

QUEEN'S & ALHAMBRA

OPENING TO-DAY

THRILLING ADVENTURES ON LAND & SEA!

TILL EAT THE SMONE FINER LANCASTER

BURI

Crims

imson Pirate

ALHAMBRA

• SUNDAY MORNING. SHOW •

66

AT 11.00 A.M.

JACK PALANCE in

"ATTACK'

A United Artists' Reloase

- AT REDUCED PRICES

HOOVER LIBERTY

CAUSEWAY BAY” TELJESYS

KOWLOON VEL. 40148, BOSSS

NOW PLAYING

Mystery plane? A fateftil carga!

A nerve-tingling drama!

2.30, 5.30, 7.30.

D 9.30 P.M.

ROBERT TAYLOR DOROTHY MALONE

TIP ON A DEAD JOCKEY

GIA SCALA IN CINEMASCOPE

SPECIAL SUNDAY MATINEE

HOOVER at 12.00 noon Bud Abbott Lou Costello in "DANCE WITH ME HENRY"

: REDUCED ADMISSION LIBERTY at 12.30 p.m.) Humphrey Bogart

Dan Duryea In

"S A HAR A"

CAPITOL RITZ

3 SHOWS DAILY

A 1.30, 5,00 & 8.30 p.m. || At 2.00, 5,30 & 9.00 p.m.

ZARANGUNT PRLSENTE

*UDREY WEDDUIRM

HENRY

WORLD'S GREATEST HOVEL

NOW ON THE SCREEN!

“SUPERS!” une e karate file "BRILLIANT!”~~» FOR MANAG

FONDA War and Peace

MEE

BERE CU TIL JUDET

WESTAVASION

DIHO TAIRIKUS KING YOUR OTO KOK, NEMADON

PRICES OF ADMISSION F.S.$1.00₫ B.B.$1,70 & LOGE $2.40

CAPITOL To-Morrow Special Show

"ANIMAL WORLD""

RITZ Te-Morrow Special Show

(TA) 1200`Noon

"SANTIAGO"

ORIENTAL MAJESTIC

ARTI

GUNOITEINER KI

*** SHOWING SIMULTANEOUSLY-TO-DAY'nin

4 SHOWS DAILY AT 2.30–5,30-7:30 6 9.30 P.M.

THE BEST ROMANTIC COMEDY OF THE SEASON!

1

A FOUR DAY LEAVE...

WITH FOUR MONTHS' PÀY

with two of the most beautiful womka in the

29 CARY GRANT

JAYNE MANSFIELD "SUZY PARKER:

KORN

“QUENTIN: DURW

RA CEU