Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 28, 1943)

| THE PICK OF | THE PICTURES REVIEWS INFORMATION | RATINGS Vol. 8, No. 18 COAST-TO-COAST COVERAGE April 28, 1948 ‘Darkness’ LA:*Desert a Tops Ubertino Reopens In Brooks, Alta. (Continued from Page 1) and stucco construction with a sloping floor, air conditioned throughout. The wicket is situated in a spacious entrance and the auditorium is airy and welllighted. There is seating accommodation for 310 patrons, almost one hundred more than the former theatre building. Aisles are wide and there is ample room between the rows. The screen is larger and should provide better reproduction of the films. Although Ubertino has endeavored to have the theatre open to the public long before this time, shortages and difficulties of one kind and another have prevented him from doing so. The owner has had a long experience in the show game. He started in business in Alberta in 1919 in the Crowsnest Pass. In 1921 he built a large theatre at Blairmore, later acquiring businesses at Cardston, Lethbridge, and Creston. In 1928 he moved to Bassano, where he still operates the Orpheum, and from there operated at Duchess and other points. He purchased the local business from Williamson and Stephen in 19838, then moved to Brooks in 1987. New stationary projection machines and sound equipment were gradually added in recent years. Ubertino said he always intended to build a new theatre here and believes he now has one of which the town and district can be proud. Supreme Court Judge Attacks Industry Motion pictures were severely criticized by USA Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter in a recent speech at Washington. Chargine that the movies have “enormously enlarged opportunities for arousing passions, confusing judgment and regimenting opinion,” Justice Frankfurter placed the industry in the same category with chain newspapers, cheap magazines and radio. EDGE OF pee VITAGRAPH (Running Time: 126 Min.) Devoted to a common subject these days, it is perhaps fortunate that Warners’ contribution, “Edge of Darkness,” landed so solidly on its feet. It stands well between those underground stories filled with popular devices, which lack originality, and the ones which preach but lack movement. It is a good example of how to treat a famiMar subject so that it has meaning and excitement at the same time. The studio gave it everything from liberal production to boxoffice stars. The result should mean lineups. Back of Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan are such excellent players as Walter Huston, Nancy Coleman, Judith Anderson, Ruth Gordon, John Beal, Monte Blue and Morris Carnovsky. Some make their contribution to the picture strong acting and others add shadow box strength to it. The picture opens with a gripping tableau of dead Nazis and villagers as it meets the eyes of a newly-arrived Nazi troop. But one resident of the town lives and he is demented. The Nazis treat him in their customary fashion. The story then flashes back to explain the opening scene, which has the effect of creating intense curiosity. Flynn is the leader of the Underground in the village, the residents of which are excited by news of British subs leaving supplies of arms in other coastal places. They await their own chance anxiously. Until that day arrives there is a day-todey war of nerves and minor insurrection. The villagers are shown meeting and planning, testing the loyalties of each other and building their hatred. The Nazis are shown reacting nervously to all this with increased terror. Collaborationists, appeasers and fifth columnists are shown in action, as well as resolute Norwegians. A dozen small stories unwind, all connected and leading to final pitched battle. The story revolves around the experiences of a Norwegian family divided between the Nazis and their own country in loyalties. DESERT VICTORY 20th CENTURY FOX (Running Time: 66 Mins.) At last a war documentary film as enthralling and exciting as any of Hollywood’s finest fictional dramas of the current struggle. More than that, it will bring a thrill to all Canadians. Films in which men in British battle dress are shown have been all too few. The African campaign has been the most publicized in Canada. The headline preparation of the past should prove to be a powerful factor in attracting the first audiences and word of mouth should do the rest. “Desert Victory” has much more to it than providing actual scenes of battle. As the troops move on the offensive, charts provide a new game for the patrons. The plan of battle is shown and explained and the positions of both armies at the opening of the battle is shown. The effect of the British attack on German defences from move to move is perhaps the clearest picture of strategy yet offered the general public. The photography is clear and those sequences jarred by explosions only add to the power of the picture. Several cameramen lost their lives while recording the action and others were captured. “Desert Victory” should draw loud applause at each Seana cenm ance. * Victory Loan Miniature JOURNEY FOR MARGARET REGAL Here is an excellent trailer, occupying but a few minutes but loaded all the way with meaning. Little Margaret O’Brien and Robert Montgomery reveal why the Victory Loan is important during a raid on London. Some of the scenes are taken from the feature of the same name. These were tied in with material prepared by Guy Glover of the National Film Board after a discussion with Dewey Bloom. Henry Nathanson passed the idea on to Louis B. Mayer, who approved heartily, and ordered the needed scenes. It is a heart-warming addition to any program. (Aacten Victory Our Job—Hays (Continued from Page 1) ices of information, education and inspiration was essential to the demands of a population deep in the toil and worry of war,” said Hays. “That population,” he continued, “including the millions in uniform, demand not less but more recreation and entertainment. It needed—and needed prodigiously—relaxation from today’s labors and invigoration for what tomorrow might bring. Ninety millions came to the screen every week with that inexorable demand. And as the screen met the demand for entertainment it used this public contact for many other useful purposes—for the sale of War Bonds and Stamps, for the Red Cross, for the collection of scrap and for enlightenment on the purposes and processes of the war effort. At all times the industry clearly recognized that the national welfare has first call on all its facilities.” The newsreels of the industry established a coverage pool comparable to the news services of the press. The five newsreel companies are also contributing material for a composite “United Newsreel,” which is being shown abroad. “Perhaps among all the heroic sacrifices of the conflict,” declared Hays, “none is more outstanding than the courage shown by newsreel cameraman in the areas of combat. Many of these men have sacrificed their lives and died with their cameras in hand.” Screen actors, actresses and other creative people in the industry in arduous tours, have thrown themselves whole-heartedly into the cause of enlisting public support for bond drives and other campaigns, as well as in the work of free entertainment for our soldiers, Curly Posen With Superior Films Curly S. Posen, recently manager of the Broadview, Toronto, is now with Superior Films as a salesman. Posen was formerly in the music end, being conductor of Casino orchestra for several sea {sons, retiring when a leg injury jbedded him for several months.