Marty in Moscow

THE AMERICAN FILM MARTY SHOWN AT UDARNIK, ONE OF THE LARGEST CINEMA THEATERS IN MOSCOW. TEN AMERICAN AND SEVEN SOVIET FILMS WILL BE EXCHANGED .

From the Soviet Press, 1960:

TWO PREMIERES of much more than customary import were held last November 10, (1959) in motion picture theaters half a world apart. Two Washington theaters showed the Soviet prize -winning film The Cranes are Flying, and the huge Udarnik Theater in Moscow showed the American film Marty, a 1955 Academy Award winner. The dual premières inaugurated the Soviet -American film exchange provided for in the general exchange agreement signed in January 1958 .

Visiting Moscow for the occasion was a Hollywood delegation that included Arnold Picker, vice president of United Artists; Delbert Mann, director of Marty; Harold Hecht, its co-producer; and film stars Gary Cooper and Edward G. Robinson. They were welcomed at the Udarnik première by Minister of Culture Nikolai Mikhailov.

The theater was packed with guests from all over Moscow and a good sprinkling of eminent movie people - directors, actors and script writers. Among those who addressed the audience was Mr. Llewellyn E. Thompson, American Ambassador to the Soviet Union.

Greeting the American guests on behalf of the Soviet motion picture industry at a gathering the next day, director Sergei Yutkevich expressed the hope that the visit would be the first of many and that it prefaced a continued exchange of films, ideas and people. He noted that as a member of the jury of the International Film Festival in Cannes, he had voted to award the Grand Prix to Marty .

"Later", he added, "that eminent American motion picture figure Charles Vidor was a member of a jury that awarded an analogous prize to the Soviet film The Cranes are Flying. Here was unquestioned testimony to the fact that we can come close on artistic matters."

Film star Edward G. Robinson expressed the thanks of his delegation for the very cordial reception. He spoke of the values that derive from an exchange of films and the excellent prospects for friendship following on Chairman Khrushchev's talks with President Eisenhower.

SECRETARY OF STATE HERTER WITH SOVIET STARS WHO CAME FOR THE OPENING.

The reviews of Marty by the Moscow press were uniformly favorable and commented on the audience applause. Sovietskaya Kultura wrote: "A brilliant artistic presentation of human psychology. The film has a wonderful cast. The star is unquestionably Ernest Borgnine."

The Literaturnaya Gazeta critic said he was very glad to get acquainted with the very human characters. "I wish the butcher and the Brooklyn teacher the best of luck."

Izvestia commented that Marty treats with understanding and sympathy the life of the plain man. Although the authors did not draw the social conclusions they confined themselves to personal and family relations—the film nevertheless is striking for its portrayal of kindness and humanity.

The Cranes are Flying opened to distinguished Washington audiences that included Secretary of State Christian Herter. Originally the première was scheduled for only one theater, but official requests for attendance were so numerous that dual showings were held simultaneously in two theaters.

Host for the opening was Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. In a brief address he said: "It is more than just one Soviet film which we will see here, and one American film which has been shown in Moscow this very night. It could lead to something more, a new sort of ambassadorship between our two countries, an ambassadorship through which the image of men in one country can be transmitted to the eyes of men in another ."

Four prominent Soviet film stars came to Washington for the film inaugural. Heading the delegation was Nikolai Cherkasov, star of many Soviet motion pictures including the recent wide screen color film Don Quixote. Cherkasov holds the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR, the highest national award an actor can receive. He also serves as an elected deputy to the USSR Supreme Soviet.

THE PRIZE WINNING SOVIET FILM WAS SCHEDULED TO PREMIER AT ONE THEATER BUT REQUESTS TO ATTEND WERE SO NUMEROUS THAT DUAL SHOWINGS WERE HELD

The other members of the delegation were Elena Bistritskaya, star of Quiet Flows the Don; Sergei Bondarchuk who stars in the film Othello; and Vasili Merkuriev who has one of the leading roles in The Cranes are Flying.

After its run in Washington The Cranes are Flying will be shown in theaters throughout the United States. It will be followed by six other films chosen by American distributors for release on U.S. screens. The films are Swan Lake, Othello, Circus Artists, The Idiot, Don Quixote, and Quiet Flows the Don.

Marty is one of ten films purchased by the Soviet Union from American motion picture companies. The others are: The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Man of a Thousand Faces, Oklahoma, Lili, The Great Caruso, Rhapsody, Roman Holiday, Old Man and the Sea, and Beneath the Twelve-Mile Reef.

MINISTER OF CULTURE MIKHAILOV OFFICIALLY OPENS THE MARTY PREMIERE.