Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

SHORTS REVIEWS v Opinions on the Current Short Subjects Famous Hollywood Mothers Col (Screen Snapshots) 10 Mins. Good. Here is a bevy of Hollywood actresses shown with their children. The list is made up of Ginny Simms, Rosalind Russell, Eleanor Powell, Constance Moore, Judy Canova, Rosemary DeCamp, Bebe Daniels, Nancy Coleman, Georgia Carroll Kyser, Brenda Marshall, Gale Storm, Leslie Brooks, Lynn Roberts, Jeff Donnell, Eve Arden, Elyse Knox, and a grandmother, Irene Rich. Goofy Golf Col (Sport Reels) 9 Mins. Good. Nongolfers as well as golfers will get a laugh out of this amusing short. It features Joe Ezar, a trick-shot artist, who impersonates various types of golfers. There is the dub, the slugger, the player with lots of form and no results, and the drunk. In addition, Ezar performs golf miracles that will be the envy of any player who has ever tried a trick shot. The Vigilante Col (Serial) Good. Surefire kid attraction based on the widely distributed Action Comics magazine character. The opening chapter is 30 minutes; the average length of the 14 subsequent chapters will be 23 minutes. The title role is handled by Ralph Byrd who doubles as a government agent and cowboy singing star. He operates against a modern western background. The chief "heavy" is Lyle Talbot, who poses as a respectable ranch owner. Feminine interest is provided by Ramsay Ames, an attractive rodeo rider. Columbia is pushing the serial via a full line of accessories and press book. The Enchanted Square Para (Noveltoon) 10 Mins. Excellent. Appealing Raggedy Ann returns in a charming tale of a poor little blind girl who finally sees the world around her. A heart-tugging song, "You Can See With Your Heart," is sung by Raggedy Ann. Saddened because she cannot see her mother's face, Billie, a blind girl, meets Raggedy Ann, who tells her to use her imagination to bpen her eyes. Both of them imagine a Technicolor world of ice cream, carnivals and beautiful flowers, and Billie sees her mother as a beautiful lady dressed in shimmering clothes. The picture has all the charm of a fairy tale. Jumping Jacks Para (Grantland Rice Sportlight) 10 Mins. Good. Stand-out athletes from the Lone Star state and a remarkable group of teen-age youngsters from Dallas put on a spectacular show doing all variations of flip flops and even double somersaults. Among those shown are Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, golf champions, and Babe Didrickson, the greatest “allaround" woman athlete the world has ever known. Unusual photographic angles and the humorous comment make this an entertaining filler for average patrons as well as sports-lovers. Marine Miracles Para (Popular Science) 10 Mins. Interesting. Magnacolor scenes of scientific research under water are featured in this film. Scientists of the Institutum Divi Thomae are shown on board a floating laboratory in southern waters, where a diver stalks the deep sea creatures. Once the fish are brought on board they are carried to a laboratory where they are carefully studied by scientists. Some experiments have resulted in the development of a healing salve for humans. Other scenes deal with the latest gadgets to make milady beautiful. Swedish Glassmakers Para (Unusual Occupations) 10 Mins. Good. Glassmaking by highly skilled artisans living in the Swedish village of Orrefors on the Baltic sea is only a small portion of this interesting short photographed in Magnacolor. Quaint and artistic wood-carvings fashioned by an old westerner known only as "Andy” and some forerunners of our modern devices, recently disposed of by the U.S. patent office, are also shown and women patrons will enjoy the intimate glimpses of the elaborate hairdos worn by Nipponese women. Donald's Dilemna RKO (Disney Cartoon) 7 Mins. Very good. Walt Disney cleverly satirizes the current craze for psychiatry in this entertaining Donald Duck cartoon. Daisy Duck tells her psychiatrist how she and Donald were in love until a sudden blow on his head makes him believe he is the world's greatest singer. He ignores Daisy completely while autograph hounds besiege him. The psychiatrist tells her another blow will cause his transformation. Daisy does this and Donald's voice changes back to a duck's quack for a happy fadeout. Wild Turkey RKO (Sportscope) 8 Mins. Fair. Wild turkey hunting in the wooded hills along the Potomac River in Maryland is featured in this reel. Two expert game hunters of the Woodmont Rod and Gun Club of Hancock, M.d., are shown stalking the wily woodland birds. It takes a sharp eye and steady trigger finger to bag these birds. The average wild turkey tips the scale at 25 pounds. Gandy Goose in Mexican Baseball 20th-Fox (Terrytoon) 7 Mins. Hilarious. A clever take-off on the AngloMexican baseball games, this reel should keep audiences in a constant state of laughter. Gandy Goose and his feline friend, Sourpuss, take on the Mexican League Bulls. As the band plays "Yankee Doodle," our friends continue scoring home runs until the bulls are snorting with anger. When the band switches to a fast conga beat, Gandy and Sourpuss join the Bulls in a conga line around the baseball diamond. Mighty Mouse and the Hep Cat 20th-Fox (Terrytoon) 7 Mins. Fair. Unable to win by fair means, a cat poses as the Pied Piper and lures the mice away from their happy homes and into a cauldron over a fire. Other cats are sitting around the table ready for a feast when Mighty Mouse appears cfnd rescues the mice. The cats attack him with a steam shovel, but he wins the fight. Mighty Mouse in the Electronic Mousetrap 20th-Fox (Terrytoon) 7 Mins. Fair. A group of evil cats use modern science to develop an electronic mousecatcher which draws the mice into the machine, and packs them into boxes. The machine has a snout like a dragon and a body like an army tank. Mighty Mouse rushes to the rescue and is caught by the machine, but he turns it on its • owners and triumphs in the end. The Talking Magpies in Cat Trouble 20th-Fox (Terrytoon) 7 Mins. Amusing. The talking magpies run into trouble when they attempt to save a young bird from a hungry cat. The baby bird excuses the scrapes he gets into with the comment that he is only "three-and-a-half years old." The cat rigs up several intricate devices to trap the bird and manages to scare off the magpies. When it looks as though the cat has cornered his quarry, the little bird gives him a thorough trouncing. Tanbark Champions 20th-Fox (Movietone Sports Review) 8 Mins. Good. The finest horseflesh in the country is paraded across the arena at the American Royal Horse Show in Kansas City. The thoroughbreds are paced before critical judges, and the winning owner is presented with flower wreaths and cash prizes. Highlight of the reel is a riding exhibition by a threeyear-old girl, who fearlessly mounts a prancing horse. Charlie Barnet & His Orch. U-I (Name Band Musical) 15 Mins. Good. Interesting photograph treatments and Barnet's popular orchestra should be well received. Igor and Tania, expert dance team, perform an exotic rumba. Sentimental ballads are sung by Rita Shore and Della Norell, singing wife of Andy Russell, crooner. Jeanne Blanche does a tap ballet to "I Believe in Miracles." In one sequence Miss Norell' leads the audience in a community sing. The reel closes with Barnet and the orchestra playing "Murder at Peyton Hall." Desi Arnaz & His Orch . U-I (Name Band Musical) 15 Mins. Excellent. With dynamic Desi Arnaz carrying most of the proceedings, this reel turns out to be one of the best in the series. The band leader possesses remarkable singing, dancing and comedy talent. The reel is filmed in a night club setting, with Desi ■ singing "El Cumbanchero" and "I'll Take the Rumba," aided by beautiful Dulcina, formerly vocalist with Xavier Cugat's orchestra. Highlight of the reel is the musical number, "Managua Nicaragua." The scene fades to a classroom, with Arnaz, in cap and gown, giving a musical geography lecture. A rumba by Dulcina and Arnaz is effective. Birth of a Notion WB (Merrie Melodies) 7 Mins. Good. Daffy Duck, who is becoming almost as popular with movie patrons as Donald Duck, has another of his fantastic adventures. Daffy decides to defy his normal instincts by not going south with the normal ducks, since he can be house guest in the warm home of a scientist. But the latter turns out to be Peter Lorre, who has a definite use for Daffy in his experiments. Daffy finally spouts jet-propelled wings and joins his feathered friends. What's on Your Mind (Canada Carries On) Nat'l Film Board of Canada 10 Mins. Very good. Dramatic and factual presentation of the progress being made in the field of psychiatrics in Canada's major hospitals, this should provide interesting film fare. The picture touches on problems of modern living as they affect emotionally unstable individuals. Several amusing sequences deal with "quack" fortune tellers and advisers on matrimonial relationships. Closing scenes emphasize the importance of proper emotional development during childhood to insure mental stability in later life. 14 BOXOFFICE BookinGuide :: May 24, 1947