Now Playing: SEPT. 19, 1962

We have an interesting lineup today, but let's start by recognizing the return of Cleosploitation -- the practice premised on the presumption that if you're dying to see Cleopatra next year and dying for more gossip about Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, you'll kill to see a double-feature of one film from each actor. As I've said before, it must work for somebody, because others keep doing it. But here's our first example (from my sample, at least) in a while, from Wilmington, NC.

This theater is really reaching back. Love is Better than Ever is ten years old, hearkening back to the time when Liz took second billing to Jolson-impersonator Larry Parks. I suppose the exhibitor liked the title.

With that formality out of the way, let's take a swing around the country, starting in Lewiston ME.

Further down in New England, here's New London, CT.

On to Berlin!...Connecticut, that is.

Americans were introduced to Eleonora Rossi Drago back in 1954, when this picture was known as The Barefoot Savage. But now for a detour to Pittsburgh.

The main feature, a British POW comedy is better known in its homeland as Very Important Person. And now let's follow General Sherman down to Charleston, SC.

Deeper South is Florence, AL.

Here's a token trailer for the day, as uploaded to YouTube by braniki1


We're heading back North now, to Youngstown, OH.

Just as I Spit on Your Grave is a French film about U.S. race relations, The 9th Bullet is described as a Brazilian western, albeit actually set in Brazil. 

From there it's West to Salt Lake City -- though it may look South from this evidence.

Finally, we shoot Northwest to Spokane, WA.

But wherever you go to see movies -- wherever you show movies -- there's always the competition. And this show premiering today is practically a movie of the week.

To give you an idea of what we're dealing with here, here's a review I wrote of an early Virginian episode written and directed by Samuel Fuller.