Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

SHORTS REVIEWS ' Opinions on ihe Current Short Subjects The Good Bad Egg Col (All-Star Comedy) 17 Mina. Good. In his second two-reeler, Joe De Rita plays in a broad comedy style, with plenty of mugging, which invariably gets laughs from neighborhood audiences. Here he plays an inventor, unhappy over his bachelorhood, who reads a proposal written on an egg from a lonely woman. After he marries her he finds she has a mischievous young son who does his best to wreck all of his inventions. I'll Close My Eyes Col (Community Sing, No. 8) 10 Mins. Entertaining. Average audiences always enjoy joining in the singing of the current popular tunes such as the dreamy ballad, "I'll Close My Eyes,'' the catchy cowboy novelty, "I Tipped My Hat" and the lovely Kurt Weill tune, "September Song," now having a great revival. The Song Spinners, with Don Baker at the organ, also sing as the lyrics are thrown on the screen. My Pal Ringeye Col (Screen Snapshots) 10 Mins. Good. Audiences are taken to an unusual event on the Columbia lot where Smiley Burnette, rotund cowboy star, is giving a birthday party for his equine pal, Ringeye. Many of the familiar players in western pictures are on hand, including Eddie Dean, Texas Jim Lewis, Lee "Lasses" White, Ken Curtis, Chrispin Martin and Harry Von Zell, as well as Jeff Donnell and Gloria Henry to add some pulchritude. Ringeye also shows off some of his horsey tricks. Flicker Flashbacks RKO (No. 7) 9 Mins. Very good. There are a good many laughs in the revival of two old silent reels. "Double Crossed," first sequence, is the heart-tugging tale of a poor but honest bank clerk, who is falsely jailed for robbery. The narrator's commentary is humorous. The villain is exposed, and the bank clerk clears his name. A few old newsreel shots of Sarah Bernhardt and Ruth Law's airplane flight are included. "The Attack on the Fort," Biograph production, is the highlight of the reel. A group of savages (the narrator refers to them as members of the rag-pickers union) attacks the fort. The general keeps well out of the line of fire and sends a soldier for additional troops. When things look blackest the emergency troops arrive. Hired Husband RKO (Leon Errol Comedy) 19 Mins. Amusing. As usual, Errol is the victim of circumstances. This time his wife's domineering aunt is due for a visit. Because the old woman frowns on divorce, Dorothy Grainger, Errol's wife, persuades him to play the butler while her first husband joins the family circle. Confusion mounts as the aunt, believing Miss Grainger is still married to her first husband, locks them in their room. Errol sees red, and exposes the deception. The aunt forgives Errol and his wife, explaining that she never liked the first husband because he is a heavy drinker. Stan Kenton and His Orchestra RKO (Musical Featurette) 20 Mins. Excellent. A light romance and entertaining musical interludes provide solid entertainment. A young sailor and the pretty operator of a two-way juke box fall in love with each other's voices. The young man, Joe Brown jr„ tries to locate the girl. Gale Davis. He pretends to be an electrician and barges into the broadcasting studio where he discovers Miss Davis is as lovely as she sounds. Brown in advertently blows out several fuses and ruins the broadcasting mechanism. Unable to "pipe" the recorded music into the juke boxes, Miss Davis persuades Stan Kenton and his orchestra to play several numbers until the damage is repaired. All turns out satisfactorily, with Brown and Miss Davis in a clinch. Kenton's band plays "Tampico," and other selections. Mighty Mouse in The Dead End Cats 20th-Fox (Terrytoon) 7 Mins. Entertaining. The Superman of the rodents is on the job again, fearlessly protecting the mouse community from a band of marauding cats. The gang leader, a cigar-smoking prototype of Edward G. Robinson, succeeds in getting Mighty Mouse out of the way long enough to continue his flourishing business in black market mouse meat. Our hero escapes the trap set for him and beats the cat gang single handed. Tweetie Pie WB (Merrie Melodies) 7 Mins. Amusing. Tweetie Pie, the mischievous canary with an engaging lisp, makes life miserable for the family cat. The feline does his utmost to liquidate Tweetie, but he gets the worst of the bargain. The little bird sets up a terrific clatter each time the cat approaches his cake. The mistress of the house beats the cat with a broom. The Bridge (Documentary) Czech-Film Co. -Brandon 10 Mins. Fair. A record of the reconstruction problem in Czechoslovakia centered about the rebuilding of a railroad bridge. Narrated in Czech without English subtitles. (Continued from page 3) entertainment. Business slightly above average. Played Wed., Thurs. Weather: Mild. — Carl E. Pehlman, Rio Theatre, Edinburg, 111. Rural and small town patronage. Nora Prentiss (WB) — Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith, Bruce Bennett. Ann Sheridan and Kent Smith turn in very fine performances in this true-to-life drama of a doctor who lives a successful, middle-aged family life until he meets the night club singer. No laughs in this one; it's heavy drama and tense moments all the way through. But it has that quality which is missing in so many dramatic films — the ability to hold the audience's interest from start to finish. Played Sun., Mon. to average business. Weather: Rain and cold. — Carl E. Pehlman, Rio Theatre. Rural and small town patronage. * Rhapsody in Blue (WB) — Robert Alda, More Teen-Age Pictures For High School Trade VACATION DAYS (Mono) — Freddie Stewart, June Preisser, Frankie Darro. A good teen-age picture — all enjoyed it. This is the kind that the high school kids enjoy. They really should turn out more teen-age pictures. Played double bill here on Tuesday, Wednesday. Weather: Hot. — Harold J. Johnson, Elberta Theatre, Palisade, Colo. Rural patronage. ** Alexis Smith, Joan Leslie. This picture has everything but a story, the lack of which is offset by the excellent music. Business was below average, probably due to a late playing date. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Fair and cold. — Carl E. Pehlman, Rio Theatre, Edinburg, 111. Rural and small town patronage. * San Antonio (WB) — Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, S. Z. Sakall. A top feature for any theatre — good color, action all the way. Some said it was the second or third time they had seen it. Played Fri., Sat. Weather: Clear. — C. M. Garrett, Yandell Theatre, El Paso, Tex. Family patronage. * San Antonio (WB) — Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, S. Z. Sakall. They give plenty of action with this picture. Our farmers are very busy with tobacco, so this didn't do much business. Played Tues., Wed., Thurs. Wea'h'jr: Cool.— Harland Rankin, Joy Theatre, Boi lwell, Ont. General patronage. Shadow of a Woman (WB) — Helmut Dantine, Andrea King, William Prince. I don't think this picture would stand very well alone, although it is a very exciting, suspense-filled drama. Played with a reissue, "If I Had My Way" (U-I) to best Fri., Sat. business yet. Weather: Fair.' — Carl E. Pehlman, Rio Theatre, Edinburg, 111. Rural and small town patronage. * Stolen Life, A (WB) — Bette Davis, Glenn Ford, Dane Clark. This picture drew above average business for a midweek run. I was surprised because I didn't expect a picture of this type to do even average business. Glenn Ford is very popular here, which is probably the reason. Another thing which surprised me was the fact that this is a very interesting picture. With the right advertising, it should do well anywhere. Played Wed., Thurs. Weather: Rain. — Carl E. Pehlman, Rio Theatre, Edinburg, 111. Rural and small town patronage. * Time, the Place and the Girl, The (WB) — Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Janis Paige. This is a good musical show in Technicolor which did average business and pleased. Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Good. — E. M. Freiburger, Paramount Theatre, Dewey, Okla. Small town patronage. * * * Time, the Place and the Girl, The (WB) — Dennis Morgan, Joan Leslie, Jack Carson. When you play a feature third run, you can't expect too much. Only average business for this swell musical that pleased. The Morgan and Carson team is tops. Played Sun., Mon. Weather: Perfect. — Ralph Raspa, State Theatre, Rivesville, W. Va. Small town patron ' Dear Ruth' Correction The review of Paramount’s “Dear Ruth,” which appeared in the May 31 issue, should have been labeled F, designation for family suitability. The film is ideal for family audiences and was inadvertently printed A for the adult category. 12 BOXOFFICE BookinGuide June 7, 1947