Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Mar 27, 1954)

il MARCH 27, 1954 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Keay Presents CERTAINLY enjoyed my recent visit to the Imperial, Toronto, which was packed, much to the enjoyment, also, of Russ McKibbon, manager. Hell and High Water, 20th Century-Fox’s CinemaScope with Stereophonic Sound picture, was the feature. Hell and High Water is an unusual and powerful picture, extraordinarily well directed and acted. The one woman in the cast is a scientist, and is there to provide a love-interest, anyone of several men could have fallen for her, she is a petite, but most attractive mademoiselle. The story, which unfolds on a submarine revealed to me, that there can be provided, in, motion pictures, an interest in a story, more powerful than love, and a moral which reveals that to be paid for doing an important service, does not necessarily make the receiver, a “mercenary heel,” nor the money he receives, “filthy lucre.” RIEFLY, Richard Widmark gets a job to take two scientists to an island in the Arctic, which these scientists have learned is to be used as an atomic base. Victor Frances is one of the scientists and the other scientist, who later on is revealed, in the story, to be his daughter, is played by Bella Darvi. The submarine is pursued by an enemy submarine, and the pursuit, the action of the captain, the scientists, the crew on board the submarine, and the final jamming of the enemy submarine, is thrilling screen material. Although the story appears to be made for men, I can assure you, that it has an appeal for women, although the love-interest between the captain and the girl-scientist is only incidental. I have given you but the briefest outline of a story full of action, and which takes full advantage of the benefits of CinemaScope and Stereophonic Sound, both which create a very realistic atmosphere. Sia cast is a good one, and in addition to those whose names I have mentioned, there is Cameron Mitchell and David Wayne. Preceding the feature, there was presented, Polovetzian Dance, from Prince Igor, 20th Century-Fox Symphony orchestra, and a full chorus, Alfred Newman, conducting, which was delightfully played and sung, also Tournament of Roses, Pasadena Annual Parade, in CinemaScope and Technicolor. It was a tasty and most entertaining show. I note that E-U’s Glenn Miller Story, is currently in its 4th week at Loew’s Uptown, Toronto, and is likely to stay on, for it is the kind of a picture which invites people to go back and see it again. International Cinema has struck another comedy-winner in Hobson’s Choice, with Charles Laughton, John Mills, directed by David Lean. T Loew’s, downtown, M.G.M.’s, CinemaScope musical, Rose Marie, plus Stereophonic Sound, is the current attraction. Book and Lyrics by Otto A. Harback and Oscar Hammerstein Il, music by Rudolph Friml and Herbert Stothart, directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screen play by Ronald Miller and George Froeschel is based on the operetta, Rose Marie and the photography, Eastman Color. Ann Blyth, Howard Keel, Fernando Lamas, Bert Lahr, Marjorie Main, Joan Taylor, Ray Collins, make up a most capable and attractive principals’ cast. One of the shorts is, Poet and Peasant, overture in CinemaScope, Stereophonic Sound. Stereophonic Sound is going to be responsible for giving us some very fine symphonic music on the screen, and if you do not think the general public is interested, you should hear them applaud. T the Odeon, Carlton, Empire-Universal’s, Saskatche wan, starring Alan Ladd, and with Shelley Winters, produced with Canadian backgrounds, and in Technicolor, was held over. Currently playing at Toronto’s Casino, is that much discussed young man, whom thousands love to hear sing, Julius La Rosa, and coming, as the Casino’s next attraction is Joe Louis, in person, “his star-studded Harlem Revue.” The Canadian Film Weekly’s Annual Poll discloses, that the Canadian entries selected Columbia's, From Here To Eternity as the best picture of 1953. HE Star who gave the best performance, as chosen, was Shirley Booth, for her work in Paramount's, Come Back Little Sheba. Come Back Little Sheba was not released in Canada until 1953. The other nine top stars were Audrey Hepburn, Paramount’s Roman Holiday; Alec Guinness, IFD’s The Captain’s Paradise; Frank Sinatra for, From Here To Eternity; William Holden for his performance in Paramount's Stalag 17, and The Moon is Blue; Montgomery Clift, Columbia’s From Here To Eternity; Burt Lancaster for From Here to Eternity and Come Back Little Sheba; Jose Ferrer, U-A’s Moulin Rouge and Mel Ferrer, M.G.M.’s Lili. The Ten Best Pictures, gave Paramount four pictures out of the ten, Come Back Little Sheba, Roman Holiday, Stalag 17, Shane. The other six bests are, Columbia's, From Here To Eternity which headed the list; M.G.M.’s Lili; J. Arthur Rank’s The Cruel Sea; U-A’s Moulin Rouge; 20th Century-Fox’s The Robe and IFD's Breaking The Sound Barrier. Congratulations to the winners. N fulfillment of a promise to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Warner Bros. studio destroyed fifty Oscar statuettes and plaques, replicas of originals, which were used in an Academy sequence in the picture, A Star Is Born, starring Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford. In, A Star Is Born, Judy Garland is presented with an Oscar, at the Cocoanut Grove, where in 1940 Judy actually received an Oscar for her work in The Wizard of Oz. Is it really fourteen years ago, since Judy was such a little girl! HE Film Daily’s 31st Annual 10 Best Pictures Poll, with 311 ballots cast by critics and film commentators, gave top position to Columbia's, From Here To Eternity. Mr. Jack Cohn, executive vice-president of Columbia Pictures, received the No. 1 Scroll from Charles A. Alicoate, Associate Publisher and Chester B. Bahn, editor, who directed the poll. Mr. Alfred W. Schwalberg, Pres. Paramount Film Distributing Corp. received four scrolls for Shane, Roman Holiday, Stalag 17 and Little Boy Lost. Mr. Howard Deitz, Vice-President of Loew’s and M.G.M. director of advertising and publicity received the scroll for Lili. Mr. Charles J. Feldman, Vice-Pres, Universal Pictures and General Sales Manager, received the scroll for J. Arthur Rank’s, The Cruel Sea. R. WILLIAM J. HEINEMAN U-A’s Vice-Pres., in charge of distribution received the Scrolls for Romulus (Continued on Page 11) re oe eee ere ETS a a PAGE THREE