Box office digest (May-Dec 1946)

BOX OFFICE DIGEST i? Made For Family Audiences "Boys Ranch" (MGM) The Digest’s Box Office Estimate: 125% Producer Robert Sisk Director Roy Rowland The Players: Jackie (Butch) Jenkins, James Craig, Skippy Homeier, Dorothy Patrick, Ray Collins, Darryl Hickman, Sharon McManus, Minor Watson, Geraldine Wall, Arthur Space, Robert Emmet O’Connor, Moroni Olsen, George Cleveland. Photography .Charles Salerno Time 99 minutes There are apparently very few changes that can be rung on the ‘’Boys Town” formula, and it is very possible that the ticketbuyers who respond to titles of the genre neither expect nor want changes. So the thing to do about “Boys Ranch” is to accept it for what it is — and that is a capable job of picture-making that can be confidently sold to the market for which it was made. "Somewhere in the (20TH CENTURY-FOX) The Digest’s Box Office Estimate : 95% Producer ...Anderson Lawler Director Joseph L. Mankiewiez The Players: John Hodiak, Nancy Guild, Lloyd Nolan, Richard Conte, Josephine Hutchinson, Fritz Kortner, Margo Wood, Sheldon Leonard, Lou Nova, John Russell, Housely Stevenson, Charles Arnt, A1 Sparlis, Richard Benedict, John Kellogg, Phil Van Zandt, Whitney Bissell, Forbes Murray, Jell' Corey, Paula Reid, Mary Currier, Sam Flint, Henry Morgan, Charles Marsh, Clancy Cooper, Jack Davis, Louis Mason, Henri de Sota, Harry Tyler. Photography Norbert Brodine Time 110 minutes The subject of amnesia, particularly as inspiration for plots concerning returning war veterans, is likely to greet us more and more frequently in months to come. Let us only hope that producers tackling the theme "Rendezvous 24" (WURTZEL-20TH CENTURY) The Digest’s Box Office Estimate: 85% Producer . ..Sol Wurtzel Director James Tinling The Players: William Gargan, Maria Palmer, Pat O’Moore, Herman Bing, Eilene Janssen, Kurt Katcli, David Leonard, John Bleifer, Henry Rowland, Paul Kruger, Ike Griming, Boyd Irwin, Douglas Fowley, Leyland Hodgson, Jon Gilbreath, Evan Thomas, Leslie Denison, Lorraine Miller, Drew Allen, Kay Connors, Marin Sais, John Banner, Otto Reichow, Arno Frey, Claude Wisberg, Betty Fairfax, Bert Roach, Freida Stoll, Charles Knight, Clifford Moore, Jimmy Aubrey, Arthur Gilmore, John Dehner, Charles Miller, George Carleton, Ferris Taylor, Emmett Vogan, Bernard Berg, Hans Tanzler, Based on a factual set-up for needy youth at Amarillo, Texas, “Boys Ranch” is the great outdoor version of its MGM predecessor, “Boystown.” The unique “Butch” Jenkins carries star billing and ably earns it, while capable James Craig is called upon for the adult role that holds proceedings together. Youngsters Skippy Homeier and Darryl Hickman are in the plot more than tiny “Butch” and deliver solidly. A touch of preachiness about juvenile training, and lack of it, seems unavoidable, but producer Bob Sisk and director Roy Rowland have made the most of their interesting character types both young and adult to provide a running flow of audience entertainment. Story of the Amarillo project springs from the inspiration of a retiring baseball player who had befriended two youngsters caught in a jam and decided that the open spaces of Texas might be the medicine needed for their morale. From these original youngsters, Night" follow 20th Century’s steps in scripting, direction, and trouper casting. “Somewhere in the Night” wraps up as consistently suspenseful and interesting melodrama. Producer Anderson Lawler must be given due credit, while on the execution side the influence of Joseph Mankiewiez ranges from screenplay collaboration to the direction. John Hodiak is the victim of amnesia, a Marine waking up in a hospital with no actual knowledge of his identity, and with some very ominous near-clues. The audience meets him right at the hospital bed, and travels along with him step by step in the adventures that unravel the mystery. One of the conflicting clues is a letter from a girl that intimates he may have had a criminal past. Another is the name under which he enlisted, but which has no meaning to him. Still another is the information that there is $5000 deposited to his account at a Angela DeWitt, Ann Harper, Gary Gray, Castle McCall, Frederic Brunn, Arthur Gilmore. Photography Benjamin Kline Time 76 minutes Sol Wurtzel gets to the market first with an atom bomb picture, a right smart piece of program picture-making he has made of the job. The exploitation possible, and the above average production mounting Wurtzel has given his subject, should enable it to cash in for extra money. Wurtzel does not cross wires with any of the super-atom bomb specials which are to come, and which are expected to give us something of factual nature regarding Uncle Homeier and Hickman, the worthy ranch institution grows. Plot develops out of Hickman’s fine response to the opportunity, while Homeier is the recalcitrant, whose stubborn character brings on the melodrama. A river flood, with the lives of the boys endangered, provides the action highlight. In addition to the fine juvenile performances, Craig’s assured work as the ballplayer turned social worker tops a fine list of adult performances, Ray Collins, Minor Watson and George Cleveland being among the wellchosen troupers. Sharon McManus, as Butch’s playmate, is an appealing tyke. Exhibitor’ s Booking Suggestion : Worth special thought for community tie-ups on the youth problem. . . . Previewed April 24th. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: “The plot an all-too familiar repetition of the former films.” VARIETY: “Folks who go for child actors will find better than usual entertainment.” Los Angeles bank. The letter brings him to a Los Angeles hotel and from there he attempts to pick up the pieces. Development shows a paucity of unnecessary scenes, a consistent parade of “situations,” building to the climax. Hodiak makes his Marine a believable, hard-bitten guy. Stage actress Nancy Guild registers in her screen debut. Richard Conte does an outstanding job as the menace, and good writing has given Lloyd Nolan a police officer role above the run-of-the-mill cops characterizations. Josephine Hutchison, makes a brief appearance a standout. Excellent in the lengthy support are Margo Wood and Sheldon Leonard. Exhibitor’s Booking Suggestion : Good audience number. . . . Previewed April 29th. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: “Considerably more exciting and gripping than the average adventure film.” VARIETY: “Tight scripting, alert direction and good acting.” Sam and his atom pet. Instead, the wise producer of “Rendezvous 24” goes to the European front for his story angle, and to the Nazis for his villains. Here he is on safe ground where no one is going to contradict his atom facts, and the imagination of the scripters alone limits his cops and robbers possibilities of story-telling. It seems that the Nazis have a secret atom building laboratory in the Hartz Mountains, and they are so near to success and the eventual wiping out of whole cities that it is a race between the nasty scientists and American and British intelligence. William Gargan is the American, Pat O’Moore the ( Continued on Page 18) Programmer For Exploitation Worth While Meller Item