Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 10, 1943)

THE PICK OF THE PICTURES Vol. 8, No. 46 REVIEWS FROM FILM DAILY, NEW YORK REVIEWS INFORMATION RATINGS November 10, 1943 ‘Claudia’ Ace, ‘Marines’ Good Mono Up Plenty on Last Years Sales (Continued from Page 1) first time in the history of the company 50 per cent of its announced schedule for the entire season of 1943-44 will have been completed and ready for distribution before Nov. 1. With the schedule calling for 28 releases, 14 have been finished or will be completed before the end of the present week. Election of the following officers for the ensuing year was announced: W. Ray Johnston, president; Trem Carr, executive director; Steve Broidy, vice-president in charge of sales; Herman Rifkin, vice-president; Norton V. Ritchey, vice-president in charge of foreign sales; George D. Burrows, vicepresident-treasurer; Sam Wolf, secretary; E. R. Mulchrone, assistant secretary; N. Witting, assistant secretary; J. P. Friedhoff, assistant treasurer, and C. Boyle, assistant treasurer. New board is made up as follows: Johnston, Carr, Broidy, -Rifkin, Arthur Bromberg, Howard Stubins, William Hurlbut, Charles Trampe, and Alton A. Brody. Monogram’s next nine attractions for the season were made known. The group will include: “Where Are Your Children?” with Jackie Cooper, Gale Storm and Patricia Morison; ‘Million Dollar Kid,” featuring the East Side Kids; “Hot Rhythm,” a musical with Tim and Irene; Bela Lugosi and John Carradine in “Return of the Ape Man”; “The Cisco Kid Comes Back,” “Follow the Leader,” featuring the Hast Side Kids; Jack London’s ‘Trail of the Yukon,” “Johnny Doesn't Live Here Any More,” and “Black Beauty.” V'graph Eastern Sales Sessions in Toronto Wolfe Cohen, vice-president, presided at the 1943-44 Eastern Canadian sales conference of Vitagraph, Ltd. held at the King Edward Hotel, Toronto, on Monday, November 8th. At the meeting were J. Plottel, A. E, Piggins, George Altman and Glenn Ireton, all from Toronto; I. Coval and G. Kiely of Montreal; and Lewis McKenzie of St. John, N.B, “CLAUDIA” with Dorothy McGuire, Robert Young 20th-Fox $1 Mins. STAGE HIT MADE INTO SUPERB FILM; HEAVY GROSSES CERTAIN; WOMEN WILL GO GA-GA. “Claudia” has what it takes— and will take plenty at the box office. Charmers like this don’t come along every day. So the dating can be expected to be heavy and lively. The film version of the Rose Franken play is a resounding success however viewed and a brilliant triumph for all associated in its making. Its appeal deep and universal, the picture easily takes its place among the finest accomplishments of the 20th-Fox studios. The transference from stage to celluloid has been engineered with unassailable taste and an earnestness not to be denied. Here indeed is a production with heart and soul, with emotional strength, tenderness and humanity far beyond one’s fondest expectations. Women especially will find it one of the most memorable theatregoing experiences of the year. “Claudia” is a love idyll that tugs powerfully at the heart strings. The story, which transpires on a Connecticut farmstead, concerns a young architect and his child wife, in the first flush of married life. The girl has yet to learn to be a woman. And there is where the husband’s job lies. His attempt to break her of her slavish attachment to her mother and teach her the responsibilities of a wife and a sane, mature and realistic outlook on life inspires a variety of emotions, with a laugh here and a tear there. It takes the discovery that her mother is condemned to die of an incurable malady to speed the transition from child to woman. Thanks to the combined efforts of the cast, Director Edmund Goulding and Morrie Ryskind, who adapted the Franken play for the screen, the characters in “Claudia” are real, breathing entities. Dorothy McGuire bursts like a comet upon the consciousness of the film-going public in the role of Claudia, which she created on the stage. It is one of the most auspicious film debuts ever. CAST: Dorothy McGuire, Robert Young, Ina Claire, Reginald Gardiner, Olga Baclanova, Jean Howard, Frank Tweddell, Elsa Jansen, John Royce, Frank Fenton, Fer dinand Munier, Winifred Harris, Jessie Grayson. DIRECTION, Excellent. MGM TAGE COLOR FILM STRONG IN COMEDY. Superb, PHOTOGRAPHY, | ‘SALUTE TO THE MARINES’ with Wallace Beery 101 Mins. BEERY APPEARS TO GOOD ADVANIN ROBUST, FAST -MOVING This film is not what one might expect from the title, which carries the promise of a wellconsidered, dignified tribute to the Marine Corps. The fact that the film was made with assistance from the Marine Corps and is dedicated to that branch of the service lends substance to that promise. Instead what one gets for the most part is a sentimental comedy about a big oaf of a sergeant major in the Philippines who retires after thirty years’ service only to find he can’t get the Marine Corps out of his system. The above is not by the way of criticism of the entertainment value of the film. It is merely meant to set the record straight. For the truth is that, for all its routine quality, “Salute to the Marines” will draw heavily at the box office. The reasons are not hard to find. For one thing, the film has a generous quantity of simple, direct and easily-assimilated comedy. For another, it has a lusty all-out performance by Wallace Beery in the role of the old-timer. Yet, again, it has action without stint, fine Technicolor photography, a sweet romance between Beery’s daughter (Marilyn Maxwell) and a Marine lieutenant (William Lundigan) and a climax packed with excitement. Beery’s inability to adjust himself to civilian life makes him very much of a trial to his wife (Fay Bainter). The fellow, with no combat service to boast of despite his long years in the Marine Corps, gets a chance to fight when the Japs attack the Philippines after his return to civilian life. He makes himself a hero by rallying the civilians against the invaders and fighting a delaying action until the arrival of reinforcements. The battle sequences are highly realistic and bring the film to a rousing end. Beery gives better account of himself than he has in some time. The film is almost wholly his. Miss Bainter, Miss Maxwell, Lundigan, Reginald Owen, Keye Luke, Ray Collins and Donald Curtis back him up well. CAST: Wallace Beery, Fay Bainter, Reginald Owen, Keye Luke, Ray Collins, | Marilyn Maxwell, William Lundigan. Donald Curtis, Noah Beery, Sr., Dick Curtis, Russell Gleason, Rese Hobart, Classic, Quebec To Cost $30,000 (Continued from Page 1) is Chrysanthe Jobin, Limitee. Awarding of other contracts is still pending. Construction of the new theatre at Montagney, Quebec, which will cost $15,000, was begun on October 18th by Irene Giguere of Ste. Marie, Beauce, for Romeo Couillard. Charles Jean of Quebec City is the architect. Seating capacity will be 525. Policy hasn't been set yet, though Couillard expects to be open every night, with French films being shown at regular intervals. Projectors and sound apparatus were secured from Jean Paul Piuze of Dominion Sound’s Quebec City office. Two shows weekly are being offered now at the Knights of Columbus Hall, which seats 350. Population of the town is 3,927. British to Join ‘Movie Invasion (Continued from Page 1) ganda films. | “Movie Commandos” will follow invading soldiers to set up film centres for local populations. , A special organization has been formed with the help of the Ministry of Information to handle and co-ordinate the operations. The model of North Africa, established by the USA military, is being used for the next great venture. American films arrived three days after the first assault there. British films will share any popularity acquired by the native populations for motion pictures. jas is anticipated that keen competition will develop in the world | film markets when the war is | over. |} American motion pictures have been welcomed warmly and raised | the spirits of the African and | Italian populations. $5,000 in Repairs For | St. Joseph D'Alma, PO The Alma Theatre, St. Joseph D’Alma, Quebec, operated by the | Alma Theatre Company, has un_dertaken general repairs to the (extent of $5,000. House seats 300. i | } ———— se Ss SS