Demonstrates the fact that Philadelphia was, to some extent, on the cinematic cutting-edge during the 1960’s.  Of course, the bulk of the movies advertised in the Inquirer seem to be the standard big-budget Hollywood fare, but there were also theaters, like the Bryn Mawr, that were up-to-speed on world cinema movements.  The fact that this article was included in the “Amusements and the Arts” section is proof that there was interested in this type of film in Philadelphia.  By A. Migdail

An early review of David and Lisa, made in Philadelphia, from the New York Times (the film was released in New York before its wide release.)  Crowther seems to praise the acting in the film while being wary of the direction.  The article seems to be missing a piece at the end.  By A. Migdail

David and Lisa is a film that was made in Philadelphia in 1962 for $20,000 (see also: Philadelphia Inquirer-“Prize Film Uses Philadelphia Locale) and was nominated for 2 Academy Awards.  This is a review of the film from The Nation magazine, suggesting that the film confusingly “straddle[s] fiction and documentation.”  By A. Migdail

A review from January 5 issue of The New Republic Magazine.  Evidence of David and Lisa’s national critical acclaim as the best of the “low-budget independent production[s].”  By A. Migdail

This is a list of the Philadelphia Inquirer’s top ten movies of 1963.  It includes David and Lisa, shot in Philadelphia, in the “heart-interest” category, placing it alongside such classics as Lilies of the Field, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Escape, Long Day’s Journey into Night and Fellini’s 8 ½.  By A. Migdail

It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was the first movie to play at the Boyd Theater after the removal of the three-lens Cinerama system and its replacement by the single-lens 70mm Cinerama system.  This change is mentioned at the end of the article under the heading “New Technique.”  By A. Migdail

This review of “Fun in Acapulco” starring Elvis is a perfect reminder that it wasn’t all—or even mostly—art-house movies that played in Philadelphia in 1963 (notice, however, the advertisement for Fellini’s 8 ½ in the lower right-hand corner of the review.)  It is also a clue as to the character of the Randolph theater, as opposed to, for instance, the Boyd (which was playing exclusively “Cinerama”-type blockbusters at the time) or the Bryn Mawr Theater, which tended to show artsier, foreign films.  By A. Migdail

This is an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer briefly reviewing the films playing at each of the major Philadelphia theaters during the Christmas season, from “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” at the Boyd to “Kings of the Sun” at the Goldman.  It is interesting to note that, in 1963, theaters made a somewhat long-term commitment to an individual movie (whereas today, most theaters play more than one film) so that the theaters in the article are often listed before the film that is playing.  By A. Migdail

See also:
Stein, Herb and Louella Parsons.  Best of Hollywood. Philadelphia Inquirer, 12 Jan. 1963: 6
Parsons, Louella and Joe Hyams. Best of Hollywood. Philaelphia Inquirer, 8 Jan. 1963: 10

The “best of hollywood” column was a staple in the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1963, usually running a few times each week.  Herb Stein and Louella Parsons were two of the more regular contributors, though there were others, including Joe Hyams.  These three columns are fairly typical: Gossip ranging from on-set news to off-set disputes to Marlon Brando attending his first movie premiere (not in Philadelphia, sadly.)  These columns represent a fair portion of the film news that Philadelphia newspaper readers (at least, readers of the Inquirer) received in 1963—actual film reviews were more rare.  By A. Migdail

An article from the Philadelphia Inquirer listing the winners of the 1963 Academy Awards.  David and Lisa was nominated for two Oscars (for best director and best adapted screenplay) but lost in the director category to David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia and in the adapted screenplay category to To Kill A Mockingbird.  By A. Migdail

Both an extremely positive review and an article detailing the various obstacles to production for David and Lisa, the “small-budget triumph.”  One of the more interesting revelations in the article is that $100,000 of the $200,000 budget came from a Philadelphian industrial-movie producer who wanted the script changed to be more “sexual.”  By A. Migdail