Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-27


tions OF 1856. This is what effect
will have on the size of the aud
in theaters.
OF course this has intereste
demically. Television's big money
is still petty cash compared with
theatrical returns and the ex-
hibitors still are Hollywood's
best friends. At least Hollywood
hopes so.
But theater owners in the
United States are not the British
movie producers best friends
British films are exposed to rel
atively small audiences in this
country, which dosen't have as
cosmopolitan tastes as Washing
ton does in the matter of film
fare. Exhibitors think it does
not. at any rate.
So the British, as you well
know, have whinnied coquet-
tishly instead of rebufing TV
overtures. A Rex Harrison
comedy titled 1.-THE Constant
Husband" already has had its
American premiere on television
rather than in a theater. It did
nothing to answer the big ques-
ton, though, because it has since
seen the light of few if any
movie screens over here.
Sir Laurence Olivier's big, new
movie version of Shakespeare
Richard III" will be something
else, however. This is due for
gala television display over the
NBC network on a three hour
telecast on the afternoon OF
March IL.
On the following Tuesday,
March Is. it will have a gala
Washington premiere for the
1856 Heart Fund at the Play
house, with Sir Laurence him
self on hand. The benefit won t
provide any test of the box Office
draw Of an already televised
motion picture, of course. But
the subsequent regular run may
prove something.
It is this innocent byStander's
guess, though, that this question
will not really be answered until
subscription television gets the
trial it is considered to deserve
by those with no oxen to be
gored. THE Constant Husband, "
after its television airing, was
widely referred to as THE Con-
slant Commercial" In this case
it didn't really matter much. but
with a really engrossing movie
frequent interruption is a dearer
price to pay than is asked at any
box Office.
Olivier's Richard III" large,
in full color and with no COM
mercials. could turn out to be
unfair competition for that 81
inch light bulb in the box in the
living room. The television show
ing could even. as Variety
phrases it. hypo the b. o.
$50
RESERVE FORCE-If any of
you male moviegoers have been
worrying over the supply of
Italian movie stars-don't. The
supply of Italian stars (as diff
ferentiated from italian ac-
tresses. who are named Anna
Magnani) has been fairly ample
We have delighted in Gina Lol-
lobrigida. Sylvana Mangano
Sophia Loren. Elsa Martinelli
and others. And we have only. as
it were. scratched the surface
We need not fear a void in our
lives when these burn out, get
married, or Just go away some.
where. The latest issue of Uni
ITALIA Film has just arrived, flow
ing with reinsurance. This is q
magazine devoted to the pro-
motion of Italian films abroad
and this issue does some fine
promoting.
The Italians have these girls
In depth, like a Notre Dame
football team operating under
free substitution rules. There i:
a whole portrait gallery here OF
girls, the magazine says, "upor
whom the Italian cinema is
counting to maintain its high
prestige in the near future"
There are couple of men, too
but mostly there are girls. There
are girls named Giula Rubini
Franco valeri, Maria Frau
Giovanna Rail-, Marisa Allasio
Blanca Fusari, Lucia Banti, Full.
via Franco and Mara Berni
They look like that is what theil
names would be. too. They are
bounteous. beauteous and OBJ.
viously tempestuous, Elizabeth
Taylor types, Bergman type
and Lollobrigida types. TIL,
future prestige of the italian
cinema is in fine shape.
MONDAY MEMOS-Remem
Der Lost Horizon" the Franz
Capra -directed film version O