The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1939)

READ EVERY WORD! Xi’tt) Uork jlost posed Secession when that was the I" I most unpopular thing a man could !;l ■ By BOSE PELSWIOK. A bang-up historical drama, the Capitol Theatre’s “Man of Conquest” tells the story of Sam Houston and the fight for Texas independence from Mexico. It’s also the first milliondollar production from the studios of Re¬ public Pictures, whose product has hith¬ erto been on the low budget side and whose initial ambitious venture is a sat¬ isfactory one. Filmed on a large and sweeping scale, the picture is packed with action, offering stirring battle scenes, Indian fights and an interesting recreation of a colorful period in American history. The climax, of course, is the battle of San i Jacinto, an impressively staged sequence in which the Texas soldiers defeat Mex J ico’s troops with the rousing war cry. “Remember the Alamo.” Richard Dix, starred in the title j role, gives a convincing performance anil | is assisted by a large and able cast. Char¬ acterizing him as an adventurer, poli¬ tician and soldier, the film is a biograph¬ ical account of Houston from the days when he trapped am hunted with the Cherokees until the time when he helped bring| about the annexation of Texas bv the Union. His friendship with Andrew | Colorful Career of Sam Houston Faithfully Taken From Biography By ARCHER WINSTEN The lives of most men need con¬ siderable dramatic needling to make them adequate scenarios for movie thrills. Even historical figures in the center of great events require the molding of the fletioneer. But the life of General Sam Houston, liberator of Texas from Mexican r-MOVIE METEK-1 fax* *OQr> RICHARD DIX ChkI a» hero In Texan* fight for freedom Jackson, whom he Joined at New Orleans, his campaign for Gov¬ ernorship of Tennessee, his un¬ happy first marriage and his adoption by the Cherokee tribe are traced in considerable detail during the first part of the film. The second half of the picture concerns itself with Houston's part in the history of Texas. And it’s the second half that contains most of the action, show¬ ing Houston starting off to carve an empire for himself in the Southwest and ready to lead other adventurers in a revolution that would make Texas a «free state. Opposed at first by Stephen Austin, who did not want to fight Mexico’s general, Santa Anna, he swings both Austin and his fol¬ lowers to his side after Santa Anna's massacre of the garrison of the Alamo. And, persuaded by Jackson, now President, of the necessity for Texas becoming part of the Union, he leads his men to victory at San Jacinto Patriotic in theme and vigor¬ ously handled, the picture is good entertainment. In addition to Mr. Dix the cast includes Edward El¬ lis. who contributes a believable portrait of Andrew Jackson; Gail Patrick, who is charming as the young woman who became Hou¬ ston’s second wife, even thougn she’s a bit too glamorously made up for a pioneer girl. C. Henry Gordon, as Santa Anna; Ralph Morgan as David Crockett, and Robert Armstrong, Robert Barrat and George Hayes as a few of the fast-shooting citizens of the day. rule. Governor of Tenn«6see and Texas, United States Senator, inti¬ mate of President Andrew Jackson and adopted son of a Cherokee Indian chief sounds like the pink elephant phase of a Hollywood scenarist When you see “Man of Conquest’’ at the Capitol Theatre your natural assumption is that Republic Pictures, an outfit given to sensational West¬ erns, couldn't control itself. But reference to the authoritative IITe of Sam Houston, "The Raven,” writ¬ ten by Marquis James, reveals an astonishing thing. “Man of Con By EILEEN CREELMAN. Hollywood is continuing to discover America. Its latest bit of flag-waving, “Man of Conquest” at the Capitol Theater, is a more welcome picture than most. This is sound melodrama, a spectacular outdoor piece with a real character to lead its action. “Man of Conquest,” in fact, is one of the best American historical films in a year filled with good Westerns. ■ iROADWAY-N.y.C. This is the story of Sam Houston, who was quite a man. The title, in spite or because of its blatantly dramatic quality, exactly suits Sam Houston. He was just that, a man of conquest, fiercely ambitious, eager to lead, willing to fight. He seems to have been in and out of trouble all his life. Always he had good friends. Usually he had a fight on his hands. “Man of Conquest’’ lells of some of those fights, tells of them in strong dramatic terms, remember¬ ing that motion pictures should move, that audiences enjoy action. Man of Conquest” gives them action, from that first glimpse of young Sam coming home from a jear of hunting with the Indians through his political success, his tragic marriage with Eliza Allen, his flight back to the Indians, and that last wild adventure in Texas. It was Sam Houston who brought Texas into ths Union; and it was ieally Texas who brought Sam Houston into the Union too. His conquest of that State made him realize for the first time that he was really a white man, and an American. All this makes for grand frontier drama, and as stirring a spectacle as the movies have given us for a Perhaps ' Man of Conquest” is an upic. It’s a most worth while pic¬ ture anyway Richard Dix, the hero of “Cimarron.” plays Sam Houston with a vigor and intelli¬ gence that brings the character to life Edward Ellis, the doctor of “A Man to Remember,” is Andrew Jackson, a colorful character and well played. Gail Patrick is the courageous, understanding Mar¬ garet, and Joan Fontaine the first vdfe, who was terrified by her hus1 and and by his life “Man of Conquest” takes in quite a lot of territory, wandering from Tennessee to Arkansas, to Wash¬ ington. and down into Texas, then part of Mexico. The political drarrfa of the book is particularly interest¬ ing in this year of 1939, once more demonstrating that one s viewpoint all depends upon what country is seizing whose land. The American settlers in Mexico were dissatisfied with the Government. With Sam Houston at their head, they re¬ belled and took Texas away from Mexico. “Man of Conquest” looks upon this with approval, and makes the settlers' revenge for the Alamo a rip-roaring battle. If Republic can keep up to the standard of this, its first big picture, there will be a new company to reckon with among the major studios. quest" follows Houston's life wi»h praiseworthy accuracy, omitting or telescoping incidents only because there are limits to time, footage and scenery. When you see Houston drowning his sorrows among the Indians, con¬ suming whisky out of what seems to be a-Vat 69 four-fifths, remember that the real Houston, a hero of Gar¬ gantuan proportions, drowned that sorrow in barrels, not bottles. Nine barrels, to be exact: four of Monongahela whisky, one com, one co¬ gnac. one gin, one rum and one wine. The Cherokees, his adopted brothers, began calling him “Ar-dee-tahskee," which means 'Big Drunk." This period followed his Gover¬ norship of Tennessee, which he had resigned due to the mysterious tragedy of his first marriage. Before that he had been a pioneer, a sol¬ dier of reckless courage and a friend of the Indians. Afterwards he returned to sobriety, fighting a canny military campaign against the Mexicans, becoming the President of Texas, and later its Governor when it entered the Union. When the Civil War came Sam Houston, whose, physical courage had never been in question, rose to heights of moral courage. He op do in Texas. Needless to say, this astonishing life cannot be covered completely m the compass of a feature-length picture. I must confess that the act¬ ing and production values, while a prodigious advance for a small com¬ pany like Republic, are undistin¬ guished compared to epic efforts of major company. Richard Dix is a sincere and straightforward actor but incapable of projecting a brilliant interpre¬ tation of a historical figure. Joan Fontaine as his first wife and Gail Patrick as his second are a couple of good-looking actresses. Robert Barrat and Robert Armstrong as Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie are nothing out of the ordinary. George Hayes, the comic figure of the "Hopalong Cassidy” series, figures as Houston’s companion on his long drunk. That's all right, but there again Hayes is just Hayes. He doesn't help create the illusion of 1830 in the Midwest. Our familiar' villain, C. Henry Gordon, takes over the villain’s role as Santa Ana. Only Victor Jory as William Travis and Edward Ellis as Andrew Jackson give more to their roles than the honest, journeyman minimum The lion’s share of the praise for "Man of Conquest” goes to Sam Houston, the pioneer who lived a ready-made movie scenario just as if it were a man’s life. Ail the pro¬ ducers had to do was try to come reasonably close. They did very well, all things considered. ,ong time Hollywood likes to de¬ scribe this type of film as an epic I DAILYIMIRROK ^ ^ .. Tka nl/xl PrtH _ _ _ _ fjtgbgr •* T* (CapyrlfhL !•*• Dally MJrrar. tnc.) t cur 1 Inncr dedicated to Metro masterpieces, the august film is exciting, it is [he Mo^ of Sam Houston and of Texas. a^biihTcharrD?xU a!dHous1on!ah!i^on end and to provoke whoops heading ?bi7 -tT U_isone of the „ D-xdoe. as \jS«S most elaborate productions to Houston, have come from the side-street cd, or of studios, and it fully justifies the had such daring investment in l’ by match and r . ing the most pretentious epics of his opportunity the big ones. Cimarron.” He hasn t role in many seasons and he appears to have relished his opportunity Gail Patrick, as the hcorine, Edward Ellis, Victor ■ ~ in their his Dr.* itaw SS’rttertWiMiW «bl» 1,1, the bio. wtocl. J ’ -Van V Conque.t” .» vital SrsS 3; srsa ■s.rftft with fighting, uproad, immediate trusively. * 1 .,s ’drama to stand the thusiast.c too ob The fans will be enover it 1 : . THE INDEPENDENT MAJOR COMPANY