Greek Gift

Greek-born Spyros Skouras, boss of 20th Century-Fox, is cast in the Homeric mold.

When the Roman Catholic Legion of Decency recently demanded that he change the title and almost everything else about Forever Amber, Cinemogul Skouras took a strategic fit of Achillean sulks, and changed nothing. The old publicity campaigner guessed, correctly, that Legion disapproval would whet public pruriency and boost attendance as nothing in the juiceless film itself could.

During November, which suffered some dismal box-office dumps,* Amber grossed a sensational $1,600,000.

With his first-run business assured, Cinemagnate Skouras has yielded a few points to the Legion; now, he hopes, Amber will meet less resistance in neighborhood theaters, where the Legion's disapproval might take greater effect. "Certain . . . eliminations" have been made and there is a moral-pointing prologue: "This is the tragic story of Amber St. Clare. Slave to ambition, stranger to virtue. Fated to find the wealth and power she ruthlessly gained wither to ashes in the fires lit by passion and fed by defiance of the eternal command. The wages of sin is death."

An epilogue has also been added in which Cornel Wild echoes some earlier lines: "In heaven's name, Amber, haven't we caused enough unhappiness? May God have mercy on us both for our sins."

The additions, Skouras asserted blandly, will not impair the film's "dramatic power and beauty."

* Other box-office leaders, according to Variety: Body and Soul (United Artists); Unconquered (Paramount); The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Goldwyn; RKO Radio).

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