KfTERNATIONAl.. P^RIETT 'VARIETY'S' LONDON OFF1CB 49 St. Jamei'f S t m t , Piccadilly

Crude Sex and Violence Lose Boxoffice Zing for Argentines

By DOMINGO DI HOBILA

Buenos Aires, May 2. Perhaps reflecting acceptance of

a changing International t rend in audience tastes, most top money­makers in Argentina lately favor <a) romantic appeal or (b) funny escapism. On the contrary, screen depictions of crude sex, violence and negative human deeds have lost commercial ground.

The romantic pic may be of quite different shades, from love stories to sophisticated comedies, from musicals to detective yarns. They may have historical as well as con­temporary settings. They may even have an intellectual approach and a candid realism provided they clearly point to either a victory or a need of spiritualization. And they can be loaded with sex as long as sex is an integral par t of story, both in drama and comedy.

Taking into account only first-run houses, pix that drew 100,000 or more ticket-buyers during last months in Buenos Aires were Fox's "The Sound of Music," 1,050,000; Warners ' "My Fair Lady," 540,000; Disney's "Mary Poppins," 430,000; the French "A Man and a Woman," 400,000; Metro's "Dr. Zhivago," 340,000; UA's "Thunderball ," 235,000.

No Nudes Although "Syskonbadd 1872"

(My Brother, My Love) attained the best mark with 93,000 patrons irl first-run houses, other pix with presumably explosive stuff, such as "491," went almost unnoticed. As for Fox's "Who's Afraid of Vir­ginia Woolf?," it ended with but 80,000 tickets sold in first-run.

In the sex-for-the-sex-sake field It is significant to point that local sextars Isabel Sarli and Libertad Leblanc didn't achieve a single hit lately in large cities, albeit they retain drawing power in the hinter­land and abroad. M o r e o v e r , "Bloody Pleasure" and "Sex's Revenge," two pix starring strip-teaser Gloria Pra t and made pri­marily for foreign markets, were not released here.

It is t rue that tight censorship often prunes sex display on screen, but censors' main concern are nude figures and bare bosoms. Sexual intercourse, when lensed with no full carnal exposure isuch as in "A Man and a Woman" or "Hap­piness") goes through unscissored. Ditto daring low necks and tiny bikinis. In all these instances a "forbidden for minors under 18" is almost automatically voted by the censors.

These developments in big audi­ences' reaction to sex on screen a re not attributed here te any kind of neo-puritanical wave but to a more routine attitude. Where's the novelty? A merely lewd show may be gradually narrowing to immature and/or morbid viewers.

Only For Families Disney output keeps doing very

good biz. Exhibitors have so no­ticed the response to family-type entertainments that some nabes are refusing to book pix "forbid­den" or else "inconvenient" for minors under 18, even if they have proved successful elsewhere. "This policy helps retaining a steady clientele among families," explains Jul io Suarez, manager of the pros­perous Palacio de Lanus. West­erns and spy yarns are popular but rarely climb to big-coin heights; this happens only when they are first-class and/or without restric­tions for minors.

Film biz is keeping a healthy level in Argentina despite W com­petition and soaring cost of living. Some old houses were forced to shut during the first impact of the television era, but at least 75% survived. Most of them have been reequipped and refurbished. And several new ones are being opened. Some are completely a w , as the deluxer Atlas. Others J»re former night-clubs (Idolo, LoiiV) or legit theatres (Buenos Aires, converted into film houses.

Ticket price scales were in­creased from 10 to 30% J»st month, following a devaluation oet the peso (now quoted at 350 to %m AttUar).

UFA Reps at Cannes Cannes, May 2.

UFA International of Munich has a six-feature sales program keyed to Cannes Film Festival exposure, and is sending a delegation here to follow up local screenings with sales chats.

Due here are Liselotte Tyc-Holm and Nils Nilson, together with Herman Hirn and Christl Blum. All but Hirn are in for full stretch, April 27-May 12.

UFA has 22' actioners, all shot in English, in various stages of work. Those getting Cannes screenings at the Vox and Re­gent t h e a t r e s are "Pecos Cleans Up," "Once a Greek," "The Spy Pit," "The Coffin," "A Witch Without a Broom" and "The Christmas Kid."

Films' Prospects In Chile Better

Santiago, May 2. The 327 new films exhibited in

Santiago during 1966 signify a 2 1 % increase over 1965 and imply the first notable halt to the import slump that began in 1962.

Of these, (46.6%) were Ameri­can. U.S. distributors were respon­sible for 6 5 % of the new films playing Chile in the course of the year. This was a 6.4% increase over 1965.

Only seven of Santiago's 92 cinemas maintain scheduled per­formances, which formerly used to be the rule. The rest have gone over to continuous showings but, on Saturday and Sunday, most downtown cinemas schedule four performances a day as this per­mits them to charge higher ad­missions.

The Censorship Board prohibit­ed seven films in 1966. Five of these were either nudies or the "Mondo Cane" type of product; the other two, Argentina's "Hotel Alojami-ento" and Jorn Donner's "To Love." On the other hand, releases like Rossif's "To Die in Madrid," Godard's "Une Femme Mariee" and Agnes Varda's "Le Bonheur" were passed. Only three or four years ago, this would probably not have happened.

MGM's "Doctor Zhivago" was the year's top moneymaker here and "Darling" won the Critic's Circle "best film" award.

During the last quar ter the Chilean press has been vocal about the shortage of quality product. Statistically, independent distribu­tors, with only 20% of the market, were responsible for importing 50% of these. This has led to un­favorable reflections on the U.S. m a j o r s ' disproportionately low share in the artie stakes.

Spanish B.O. Toppers Madrid, May 2.

The following films did top b.o-in Spain in 1966, as calculated in pesetas. One dollar equals 60 pe­setas. Those films classified as "notional" include Spanish, copro-ductions with other countries.

NATIONAL 1. La Ciudad No Es Para Mi,

39,917,341 2. Estambul 65,

26,819,954 3. La Muerte Tenia Un Precio

("For A Few Dollars More"), 19,915,504

4. La Dama de Beirut, 18,692,229

5. Nuevo en Esta Plaza, 15,280,256

6. Mi Cancion Es Para Ti. 15,089,984

7. La Familia y Uno Mas, 14,693,821

8. Lola, Espejo Oscuro, 14,212,632

9. Currito de la Cruz, 13,803,635

10. Agente 07 Con El 2 Delante, 13,078,534

FOREIGN 1. El Padrecito, 63,801,223 2. The Sound of Music,

47,002,673 3. Mary Poppins, 44,767,969 4. Thunderball, 37,920,433 5. My Fair Lady, 37,554,844 6. Circus World 31,492,116 7. The Collector, 30,356,539 8. Our Man Flint, 26,536,539 9. Lady L, 25,810,927 10. Flying Machines 25,300,543

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PAR'S 'OH DAD!' REPS U.S. AT BERLIN FEST

Berlin, May 2. Paramount 's "Oh Dad! Poor

Dad!" will be an American entry at the upcoming 17th Berlin Film Festival (June 23-July 4). There may be more U.S. can contenders but nothing official has been dis­closed as yet.

France's official entry is "Le Vieil Homme et L'enfant" (The Old Man and the Child). Den­mark's contribution is "Stories On B a r b a r a," Palle Kjaerulff-Schmidt's third full-length feature starring Yvonne Ingdal.

Other entries include the Dutch feature, "The Gangster Girl," first full-length effort by Frans Weisz, and the Swedish "Here Have You Your Life," also a first feature di­rected by Jan Troell.

The selection committee com­prise 10 persons headed by Dr. Alfred Bauer, committee's chair­man. The others are five critics plus two reps of the film industry, one local Senate official and a rep of the Federal Ministry For Interior Affairs.

Admish Freeze Ruining Pix Biz:

Chilean Exhibs Santiago, May 2.

The Chilean cost-of-living index rose 17% in 1966, and in January most prices and salaries were ad­justed accordingly. But not films which are still exhibited on last year's low admissions.

This situation was pointed out to the government in a memorandum prepared by the exhibitors' and dis-stributors' associations. They em­phasized that during the last 10 years 19 cinemas closed in Santiago while only five new ones opened leaving 95 houses in all.

It was also noted that 12 distribu­tors had to dissolve in the last seven years because their activities were no longer profitable. At present three new cinemas in Santiago have been unable to find buyers. One of them is being converted into a res­taurant.

The causes for the film biz dol­drums, according to the distrib-ex-hib memorandum, are low scale of admissions and high taxes. Also cited is a heavy increase in the cost of running cinemas, out of all proportion to the space adjust­ments in admissions.

There was no official reply to the memorandum. The next step was a distrib-exhib announcement that they would shut down all cinemas for three days. This made headlines in several papers and brought about conversations with Hernan Lacalle-, ranking government official in the price-setting field.

The results of the talks up to now are as follows: The threat of the three-day shutdown has been withdrawn. On the other hand, the government promises to study costs and authorize new admission prices. However, no specific date has been set for this.

London "Smashing Time," being produced by Carlo- Ponti and Roy Millichlp

for Part isan Films and Paramount release, started shooting last week on London locations. Pic is directed by Desmond Davis with Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave and Michael York . . . BBC's "24 Hours" teleshow featured a 10-minute documentary covering the location work on Joseph E. Levine's "Robbery." The Michael Deeley-Staniey Baker pic moves from Market Harborough to a new location in Huntingdon­shire. Gaverick Losey, son of director Joseph Losey, is handling production manager chores on "Robbery" . . . James Mason skies t o Montreal this week to receive the "Screen Actor of the Century" award at new World Trade Centre on the eve of Expo '67 . . . Martin Gordon to Paris and Rome to set further details on "Wait For Me," to be produced by Peyser-Landau Productions, in conjunction with Ares of France. Pic presents Charles Aznavour and starts shooting June 5 in Nice.

Producer Graham Stewart has acquired the rights of Elizabeth Byrd's novel, "Immortal Queen," based on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. It was originally being negotiated by late David O. Selznick. In association with Peter Donald of Howard and Wyndham, Stewart will produce the film currently which is being scripted by Ray Rigby, and Alexander MacKendrick has been mentioned as probable director. . . . Boulting Brothers film, "The Family Way," will be Bri ta in ' l official entry at the San Sebastian Festival which bows on June 12 . . . J . W. P . Mallalieu, Board of Trade Minister, is currently touring British film studios, to watch technical working and production. Latest visit was to Associated British Pictures ' Elstree studios.

London Independent Producers (Distribution) Ltd. and Monarch Film Corp. have formed LIM Publicity Services, which will beat the drum for the product of both companies. Eric Dallman will he lm the new touter service . . . Al Shute, newly appointed Director of Advertising for Warner-Pathe, planed to New York on Sunday (30) for huddles with Dick Lederer and Joe Hyams, with part icular focus on the "Camelot" campaign . . . Bessie Love will play a fussy Yank tourist in Michael Winner 's "I'll Never Forget What's 'Is N a m e , " . . . Phi l Silvers is to make his first British pic at Pinewood. He arrived on Monday (24) for Peter Rogers' "Follow That Camel" . . . Harry Evans, of the National Theatre Co., is to make his film debut in "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush," with Clive Donner, which United Artists will release. Other thesps booked for the pic are Judy Geeson and Adrienne Posta, both of whom recently played in "To Sir With Love." Michael Bates, Angela Scoular, Sheila White and Vanessa Howard . . . Patrick Williamson, managing director of Columbia, lunched the British and American t rade press at L 'Ecu De France on Wednesday (26) . . . Sir John Gielgud is playing the Head of British Intelligence in the Dirk Bogarde film, "Mister Sebas­tian," with David Greene directing. More than 20 years ago Greene played the Ghost and Player King in "Hamlet," which toured the Middle and Far East. Gielgud played the title role and also directed.

'HOT' PIX MAY WARM GERMAN EXHIBS' B.O.

Frankfurt, April 25, Ten films with "Hot" in the title

—including two U.S. entries—are appearing in German cinemas dur­ing the 1967-68 season, apparently in an attempt to jazz up the titles with sexy or violent implications.

Included are Metro's "Hot Colts in Hard Fists," and Disney's "Hot Colts in Tombstone," plus three from Rank — "Hot Plaster for Spies," "Hot Goods, Cold Feet" and "Hot Cats."

Gloria brings out "Hot Goods for Five Dollars" and "Hot Nights in Cologne," while Inter-Distribu­tors offers just plain "Hot Nights." From Austria comes "Hotter Site—• Tripolis." Team has "Hot Dolls, Cold Killers."

Rome Screen writer-director Giovanni Grimaldi warned Panda Film pro­

ducers as to Leonardo Sciascia's novel "Mafia Vendetta," that he acquired screen rights when Panda option expired. Meanwhile, Panda denied Grimaldi's claim and set director Damiano Damiani to ready "Mafia" for a July camera start . . . Hospitalization of Federico FellinI with pleurisy will now delay filming start of "Absurd Universe" from mid-May to mid-june . . . Another postponement: producer Franco Cristaldi pushed back "Where To Lavinia?" when his star, Claudia Cardinale, left Rome for parts unknown to escape headline-blaring hubbub over revelations of her nine-year-old son and recent secret marriage in the USA to Cristaldi . . . No schedule changes at Dino De Laurentiis where filming continued normally on "Diabolik" despite producer's emergency appendectomy . . . Former Hollywood touter Chuck Painter, now a Rome resident, went on Paramount payroll for "Diabolik" and upcoming "Barbarella" with pub base at De Laurentiis Studios.

German producer-director Mario Reinhardt is surveying location sites in Verona to film a WW II true story of a German soldier, shot by the SS for refusal to kill a priest taken as hostage . . . Milanese film critics are protesting recent rash of advertising blurbs unethically jutaposing words lifted from reviews to convey a favorable judgment for crix vetoes . . . Greek actress Marietta Flemotomos planed in from New York to help package an American-Italian film project (and play the title role), based on Ethlyn Bott's book "In the Web of the P ink Spider" spanning the reign of Queen Maria Carolina of Naples . . . Screen writer Jo Eisinger met with Omnia distrib topper Carol Hellman on latter 's coproduction of "Tough Guys of Las Vegas" with Nat Wachsberger which Spain's Isasi-Isasmendi will direct in Spain and the U.S.A. . . . Producer Sidney Pink assigned his "Madigan's Millions" director Stanley Prager to prepare "Bang Bang Kid" as the producer 's next start in June . . . Mark Damon is cast topper with Pamela Tudor in "Death of Harry Boyd," an oater Yves Boisset is now directing he r e for WB release . . . Two days before Toto, Italy's top screen comic died, first record of his poetry—"To Livella" "Pasquale"—went on sale at diskeries . , . Director Steno says that "Dorellik," fiis musical parody on Italo comic strips, will be free of vulgarity and obscenity— even the nude sequences in the Mega-Interjet production "will be handled in good taste."

Gunther Sachs signed up producer Franco Cancellieri to film his first feature next month. Sachs won main award at the Bilbao Docu­mentary Festival last year for "Giraffes of Saint Tropez" . . . Lola Falana returned to New York after her song-dance appearance on RAI-TV's Sat. nite prime time special, "Sabato Sera," but will be back this month to head up the cast in a western film musical for the Cemo Film banner . . . Ultra Film and director Duccio Tessari set Virna Lisi, Terance Stamp and Adolfo Celi to film "Better A Widow Than . . ." this month from an original screen story by Ennio de Concili . . . Sandra Milo's next lead assignment is in "Fan-tobolus" for director Sergio Spina . . . Anthony Quinn will hold off his producer-director-star commitment for the screen adaptation of Lorea's "Blood Wedding" until next year.

Ugo Tognazzi steps into the Leslie Caron-Nino Manfredi "Head of the Family" in the rofe Toto was to start at time of his demise . . . Lee Van Cleef is on tap for a follow-up Sancro Film western—his fifth oater all 'Italiano in two years—and directing will be Tonino Valeri, ex-assistant director to cowtown maestro hergio Leone . . . When Jil l St. John went overtime in her current role on Florida soundstage, Joe E. Levine and Fair Film producer Mario Cecchi Gori snapped up Martha Hyer for femme lead opposite Vittorio Gassman in "Catch as Catch Can" . . . Rome-based French actor Jean Sorel has his pen poised to sign a four-picture contract with Universal as a result of his recent performance in Luis Bunuel's "Belle De Jou r " . . . Muscle actor Gordon Scott goes on trial for violating regulations requiring all foreigners in Italy to update sojourn permits periodically.

Berlin Peter Brook came to town to at tend local first performance of his

Peter Weiss filmization, "Marat-Sade" at Studio here. Critics here gave excellent if not superlative reviews for this United Artists release. Scribes here wondered aloud why this art-slanted pic wasn't chosen for a festival contender . . . Many local dignitaries at tended local

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