Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 11, 1943)

4 | THE PICK OF | | THE PICTURES REVIEWS INFORMATION RATINGS Vol. 8, No. 38 COAST-IO-COAST COVERAGE August 11, 1943 ‘Rhine’ Great. -*Sky’s’ Bubbles Aivarctl Has No Permit (Continued from Page 1) papers. Construction details have been printed and the whole thing trumpeted regularly. But Aivazoff has no permit to build. He is seeking the support of the public in order to get the Department of Munitions and Supply to see it his way. Prince Rupert’s only theatre at this time is the Capitol, a Famous Players house, which seats 708 and operates six days of the week. The town’s population has been swelled by the location there of USA troops. According to Aivazoff, the matter of priority material would present no problem, since in the con~struction a new material would be used eliminating 90 per cent of war essential stuff and reducing labor by 50 per cent. The theatre, would be a personal project and operated independently. Plans of the new theatre provide for a building 125 by 90 feet with side entrance and theatre proper portion of 125 by 60 feet. A large basement section would be used for a 16 aisle bowling alley while there would be five stores on the side frontage. The theatre would have seating capacity for 900 persons and equipment would be completely up-to-date. The stage would be of adequate size to accommodate stock com-~ panies and road shows. A $200,000 YMCA building has been planned for Prince Rupert. $2,000,500 Grossers Hollywood turned out 27 films that grossed $2,000,000 in rentals during the 1942-43 season. That’s more than were turned out in the ten years from 1930 to 1940. Variety made the estimate. WANTED Class B operators no matinees. Male applicants must be of age not subject to military service. Apply to nearest Employment & Selective Service Office. if REFER H. O. 444 “WATCH ON THE RHINE” VITAGRAPH (Running Time: 109 Mins.) It is rarely that a drama reaches the peak of sincerity and passes on complete conviction to the audience. “Watch on the Rhine” does that and it Is mainly due to the faultless playing of every member of the cast. The players have more than incidents to enact; they have an important message to deliver. It is delivered in such fashion as to provide an experience that sweeps the watcher with it from credits to fadeout. Hollywood has provided few worthier dramas than this story of an active anti-Nazi family. And although the major credit belongs to Paul Lukas, around whom the story revolves, Bette Davis and Lucille Watson provide performances of the utmost excellence. “Watch on the Rhine” is an acting picture and the players don’t fail it for a single scene. The net effect of their collective effort is a growing fire of sympathy for the cause they espouse. Most of the film has a direct appeal to average intelligence and an exciting effect on the emotions. Although the film has moments of tense melodrama, it is nothing like the usual anti-Nazi pattern. It does not take the sympathy of the audience for granted. It wins that sympathy by passing on an understanding of what the Underground stands for and becomes a truly splendid drama in the course of it. The studio has not taken for granted that the subject would have appeal, production being ample and direction fine. Paul Lukas is the anti-Nazi fighter who, with his family, has come to America to visit Lucille Watson, mother of Bette Davis, who plays his wife. Lukas has certain business with Underground supporters on this continent. Visiting his mother-inlaw’s house is George Coulouris, a shady Roumanian count, whose wife, Geraldine Fitzgerald, is in love with the son of the family, Donald Woods. Coulouris attempts to blackmail Lukas out of anti-Nazi funds in his possession on the threat of revealing his projected return to Germany, where he is headed to fill in for the leader “THE SKY’S THE LIMIT” RKO (Running Time: 8&9 Mins.) There has been a slowlygrowing plan to direct the attention of the audience away from the fast-moving feet of Fred Astaire and transfer it to his casual charm. The switch from the agile underpinning which first won him fame to the summit of his physical geography has had its effect. Astaire, with his devil-may-care manner, is now 2 fellow with an untheatrical personality who can out-charm anybody in Hollywood, foot for foot of film. And he is by way of becoming a top comedian. In “Sky’s the Limit” he even gives Robert Benchley a beating on the laugh scoreboard. Not that Astaire doesn’t dance here. He does—with Joan Leslie in the team-up scenes and alone in his usual raising fashion. But just enough, The rhythmic hop, skip and jump, though exciting, doesn’t lessen his general easygoing manner. Astaire dominates the film and so it’s all friendly, familiar and comfortable. Which is as it should be to send the customers home happy. “Sky’s the Limit” is good solid musical comedy. It has one beautiful ,ballad number, “Shining Hour,” the frequent renditions of which are stimulating. Miss Leslie gives her best performance to date, revealing progress as an actress and showing much promise as a singing and dancing star. Her work with Astaire is first-rate. The war is introduced, then forgotten. Astaire is a Fiying Tiger hero who tires of all the parades in his honor and skips out. He changes into civilian clothing and chances on Leslie in a night club. It’s a very good show. who has just been apprehended by the Gestapo. The means used to prevent this brings violence into the peaceful household and creates a realization in the minds of these comfortable people of the issues at stake. Others who perform well in minor roles are Beulah Bondi, Kurt Katch, Donald Buka and Eric Roberts, Harvey, Deveau To Sydney Houses Robert Harvey of Toronto and Henry J. Deveau of Halifax have been appointed to manage Sydney, Nova Scotia, houses. Harvey will handle the Vogue and Deveau the Capitol. The announcement was made by D. P. MacDonald, owner and general supervisor of both houses, which are under lease to Famous Players. Harvey was connected with the Tivoli in Toronto, and Tivoli in Hamilton, also the Capitol in Kingston, Ontario and the Capitol in Rouyn, Quebec. He came to Sydney from Hamilton and has been with Famous Players for the past eight years. Deveau, a native of Halifax, started in the business when the | new Capitol opened in Halifax. He was head usher and assistant to the house manager. From there he was transferred to the Garrick Theatre and occupied the post of assistant manager until his newest promotion. CONTRACT SALES OFFICE PHOHE TR.§257 6™* FLOOR Ye Chaat ee