Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 13, 1943)

PRC Overboard On ‘Corregidor Producers Releasing Corporation is going all-out in its endeavour to make ‘Corregidor’ its best and biggest picture to date. Early publicity releases caused so much interest that the studio was inspired by every possible point of public appeal, the title holding second interest in the mind of Americans. ‘Wake Island’ was the first great title of the war for them and that has already been used in the exhibitor field. “Corregidor” is mainly the story of American nurses and surgeons under fire. The Red Cross has become so interested in the film that it is putting out a special campaign book to be used by theatres in connection with the USA’s Red Cross Month, which President Roosevelt has designated as March. The picture gets its American release early in February. Though the theme is American, this should make little difference to Canadian audiences, which give enthusiastic applause to newsreel shots of Americans in action in the Pacific area. PRC has shown a steady gain in bookings, the volume of these being in excess of 100 per cent over the same period of the previous year. This is true of Canada as well as other countries. Advertising budgets have been increased with regularity and the company is not afraid to pour money into promotion when it is warranted, ‘Corregidor’ having drawn a budget of 25 per cent above any other PRC picture yet. "Morocco’ Big In Toronto Paramount’s “Road to Morocco” |, broke house records at the Im-}|: perial, Toronto, for the first two]. days of its run, 30,000 people |: pushing in to catch the Crosby-|: Hope-Lamour antics. It’s doing the same right across the country. Balaban Leads USA Red Cross Drive Barney Balaban, president of Paramount, has been appointed national chairman of the USA’s Red Cross collection drive for the War Activities Committee, which will be carried on from April ist to the 6th. He will appoint a committee to assist him. ' Canadian FILM WEEKLY DR. GILLESPIE’S NEW ASSISTANT (Regal) Lionel Barrymore goes looking for some help to replace Lew Ayres and tries out Keye Luke, Richard Quine and Van Johnson. The boys take on a few test cases and Van Johnson draws the toughest, which provides the main plot. Johnson’s patient is Susan Peters, who pretends to have lost her memory on her honeymoon to avoid revealing her past to her husband. It’s a good addition to series and Alma Kruger, Nat Pendleton, Walter Kingsford, Horace McNally and others make it so. STAND BY ALL NETWORKS (Columbia) John Beal, a radio news broadcaster, runs down an Axis ring that passes on information to submarines, aided by his secretary, Florence Rice. The story derives from that of the woman flyer sentenced a while ago as a Nazi agent and the role is played by Margaret Hayes. Alan Baxter plays a secret broadcaster for the enemy and a good cast gives it considerable excitement. HITLER’S CHILDREN (RKO) The modesty of production and reliance on exact casting has caused this gripping film to take its place among the most powerful anti-Nazi stories turned out to date. What it reveals would be hard to believe of any but Hitler and his crew and the information relating to child training, horrible as it is, is all documented. The film is based on a recently widely-read book on the subject, Gregor Zeimer’s “Education for Death.” Tim Holt, as a young Nazi in love with a German-born antiNazi girl, Bonita Granville, proves to be a great young actor in the right role. Granville, caught in a weave of poisonous education and terror, plays exceedingly well. Kent Smith, Otto Kruger and H. B. Warner serve splendidly. It is a hard and realistic picture of Germany today and the world tomorrow—if Hitler remains undefeated. DER FUEHRER’S FACE (RKO Disney Short) This Walt Disney short of Donald Duck, from which comes the country-sweeping razzberry song of the same name, is lookable, listenable and singable to a far greater extent tham anything he has done since “Snow White.” These qualities, added to the fact that it fits in perfectly with completely popular opinion, gives it audience appeal of a unique nature. Right now popular opinion, because of Allied victories, is a mixture of determination and joy, and anything that fits into that groove is tremendously welcome. Donald Duck finds himself in Naziland via the dream route and is put through a rough course of munition making under the bayonets of the Nazi slavers. Disney has been extremely smart in the production of this short, cleverly avoiding making his Nazis seem like quaint and funny men, and leaving most of the footage to the Duck. Other pictures have presented the Nazis that way unwittingly. WOMEN AT ARMS (RKO Short Series, “This is America’) An usually fine presentation of the place of women in the war, the best of its kind yet because it reaches from the factory to the home and contains plenty of honest sentiment without yielding to the spirit of resolution to have it. It is surprisingly heartwarming and presents a very wide coverage of woman’s place in the present state of things, not only of those in the United States but in England, Russia and China. It has narration by a feminine voice which is right in with the spirit of the film. It’s certain of a fine welcome by men and women alike. ARMY CHAPLAIN (RKO Short Series, “This is America’) The first treatment ofthis great subject, this film made a half-dozen exhibitors who were present at the screening ask for it. The chaplain who shares every danger of the soldier is wellknown in every home and most battlefront mail and articles speak of him frequently and in the highest terms. RKO’s awareness of this has brought forth an inspiring piece of film work. The film shows chaplains of all creeds being trained and follows them from camp to show them under fire. They are fearless, ministering to the wounded and commending the soul of the fallen soldier to God in the rites of his own religion, though the chaplain may be of another. The film will win the quiet praise of all who see it. January 18th, 1943 ‘Random Harvest Gets Big Press MGM, which has a record for high-class exploitation, has come through with another campaign that’s nothing short of amazing. The exploitation department places stories and illustrations by such leading writers as Octavus Roy Cohen, Rex Stout, Ursula Parrott, Katharine Brush, Clarence Buddington Kelland in such magazines as Life, Collier's, Woman’s Home Companion, American, Good Housekeeping, True Story, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Look and whatever your non-movie favorite is. The leading illustrators dressed up the stories in fine coiors and it’s the class campaign of film history. Dewey Bloom, who started off institutional advertising support of “Mrs. Miniver,” is at it again —and quite successfully — for ‘Random MHarvest,’’ which has drawn raves everywhere. Roddick, Cuzner Help NS Aid to Russia Bob Roddick, the hard-working manager of the Capitol, Halifax, Nova Scotia, is not only local chairman of the Motion Picture Committee of the Aid to Russia Fund but is also head of the campaign for the city of Halifax. Few citizens anywhere in Canada have given as much time, imagination and energy to public causes as the popular Bob. Another film man of the Maritimes who has gone all-out for the Aid to Russia Fund is W. H. Cuzner, president of the Allied Exhibitors of Nova Scotia, whose organization has pitched in to help the industry drive and the local effort in each community ‘they represent. ‘Music Hall, NY, Ups Tariff | Saturday and Sunday prices at ‘New York’s vast Radio City Mu‘sic Hall were raised just before ‘Christmas Week. Saturday prices were upped 40c to 55c¢ in the morning, and from 55c to 66c from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday prices were raised from 55c to 66c up to 1 p.m., and from 66c to 77c from 1 ' to 5 p.m.