Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 2, 1944)

sm se ft Ss —_— ‘-_ee— 24 tin! THE PICK OF THE PICTURES Vol. 9, No. 5 Indies to Stage Peace Gabfest (Continued from Page 1) Indies has invited the general managers to a good-will luncheon at which some attempt will be made to create a basis for friendlier association in the future. Col. John A. Cooper, chairman of the board of directors of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, will speak for the general managers and Henry Falk will undertake the same chore for the Indies. The Indies of the ITAO have in the past described themselves as “ultra-Independents.” This was to distinguish them from those Indies who belonged to allembracing exhibitors associations and others who had pool deals with circuits. Since Ben Freedman became president they have shown a willingness to discuss joint action with other exhibitors. A while back committees from the ITOA and the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario talked unity but nothing came of it. The ITOA was willing to join the latter organization if allowed to act as a separate wing, a proposition that did not appeal to the MPTAO. Unity of exhibitors in the Dominion has grown in appeal and in fact. There are exhibitors who belong to both Independent and all-embracing associations and in several instances new exhibitor bodies have been created by men who belonged solely to Indie groups until then. The good-will luncheon, initiated by the Indies, may have a good effect on unity. FOR SALE Five hanging banners for under marquee—very attractive. Complete false front, 83 feet wide. One set of stage curtains. Two sets of corner photo frames, each holding eight photos. Quantity of two-inch brass hand-rail tubing and fittings. RIO THEATRE $878 Yonge St. Toronto REVIEWS FROM FILM DAILY, NEW YORE Calling Dr. Death with Lon Chaney, Patricia Morison Universal 63 Mins. TREAT IN STORE FOR THOSE WHO LIKE PSYCHOLOGICAL FILMS; PIC BOASTS UNUSUALLY WELL TOLD STORY. “Calling Dr. Death” is an absorbing psychological melodrama produced in fine style. Tense, simply told and never wavering in its interest, the production is a first-rate booking for those who go in for this type of entertainment. An agreeable surprise awaits those who see the film, in which a difficult subject has been handled extremely well. For this excursion into the subconscious Edward Dein has devised a compact screenplay possessing many excellent touches. His chief characters are a neurologist and his nurse. The doctor is cursed with an unfaithful wife, who is found dead one fine day. Having suffered a lapse of memory ut the time the murder occurred, he is assailed by the fear that he committed the crime. Meanwhile, the woman’s lover is arrested for the murder. When the doctor becomes convinced that neither he nor the lover is the killer, he sets out to find the answer to the riddle in order to save the other man from death in the chair. How he discovers through hypnotism that his nurse ix the guilty one comprises the most gripping portion of the film. It seems the murder was the outcome of a blackmail plot of which the doctor was not aware. Under the swell direction of Reginald LeBorg, Lon Chaney has come through with a surprisingly fine performance. Patricia Morison is effective as the murderess. Other effective performances are contributed by J. Carrol Naish as a police inspector and David Bruce as the other man. The wife is played by Ramsay Ames. Virgil Miller’s photography plays an important part in establishing and maintaining the mood. CAST: Lon Chaney, Ramsay Ames, Patricia Morison, J. Carrol Naish, David Bruce, Fay Helm, Peggy Morton, Isabel Jewell. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Hold Midnight Revel B & F Managers Association held a midnight supper and dance at the Chudleigh House, Toronto, last week, Highlight was a drum solo played by Sam Bloom, managing director, who gave the piano the go-by on this occasion to whack the tight skin. Destination Tokyo with Cary Grant, John Garfield Warner 135 Mins. kuUT THIS DOWN AS MASIEKPinte UF ACLiuN, EAC PeomENS AWD SUSPENSE; ACTIixG, CAMEKA WUxK ‘Urs. “Destination Tokyo” is a companion-plece to those two superJative Warner Bros. productions of the past year—‘aAir Force’ and “Action in the North Atlantic.” There can be no finer praise of the new film than that. ‘Yhe latest addition to the roster of war films is in the best Warner tradition. It possesses all the qualities that made “Air Force” and “Action in the North Atlantic” such potent entertainment. There is no mistaking the destination of “Destination Tokyo.” It’s the proverbial pot of gold. Big and solid, the production uses the screen medium with startling effect. It employs impressive sweep and every facet of dramatic art in recounting the mission of an American submarine and in detailing the life of the crew under the most arduous conditions imaginable. The Warners have spared nothing to make the story of the submarine captain and his men something to remember. ae Few films from the Warner studios have carried a stronger impact. The production has been packed with human incident to give it a heart wallop as well as @ patriotic fervor. So well have the human elements been handled that the audience cannot help but feel that it is living with the men in the submarine and sharing their emotions and their thoughts. Engrossing and interesting is the saga of the Copperfin, which has orders to penetrate Tokyo Harbor and send ashore a landing party to obtain vital dope in preparation for a bombing of the Japanese capital. How the mission is discharged in the face of tremendous odds after a harrowing trip across the Pacific makes for some rousing footage. The film has been superbly cast down to its smallest role. Cary Grant and John Garfield are tops as sub captain and tough crew member, respectively. Alan Hale, John Ridgely, Dane Clark. Warner Anderson, William Prince, Robert Hutton and Tom Tully are some whose work is aces. CAST: Carv Grent, John Garfield, Alen Hale, John Rideecly, Dane Clark, Warner Anderson, William Prince. Rebert H-tton, Peter Whitney. Faye Emerson, Werren Douglas. John Foravthe. DIRECTION, Aces. PHOTOGRAPHY, Aces. REVIEWS INFORMATION RATINGS February 2, 1944 Film Men Talk Soviet Amity (Continued from Page 1) committee were absent. With Dr. Malcolm Ross, execu~ tive director of the Council, in the chair, those present gave most of their time to discussing the possible wider appeal ef Soviet films with English dialogue, the first of which, “No Greater Love,” had been screened earlier for the members. It was decided that the film would be given several test runs in situations where the patronage was mainly English-speaking. It was agreed that it would take some time to decide the effect of Soviet English-dialogue films and the best way of offering them to the public, which has become accustomed to regarding Soviet films as documentaries because so many of that pattern have been shown. Opinion was expressed that Hollywood films on Russian themes such as Samuel Goldwyn’s “North Star” and MGM’s “Song of Russia’ might do more towards enlightening the public about Soviet life than even imported features. Star value would play a great part in creating larger audiences for them. It was emphasized by Dr. Ross that the Council], headed by Sir Ellsworth Fiavelle, was completely non-political. Morris Stein was appointed to act with Dr. Ross for the committee. Max Chic acted as secretary. Present also were J. J. Fitzgibbons, Famous Players; N. A. Taylor, Twentieth Century Theatres; Alf W. Perry, EmpireUniversal; Jack Karr, Toronto Daily Star; and Hye Bossin, Canadian Film Weekly. RKO Sians Deal With Internat'l Pictures RKO will have distribution of the new International Pictures, Inc. product. William Goetz and Leo Spitz fermed the company recently. International's first production schedule is full of big stuff. The company starts production immediately on “Casanove Brown,” with Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright. Second film will be a Technicolor musical called “Belle of the Yukon,” to be followed by “Once Off Guard,” with Ed. G. Robinson. Another Technicolor musical on the schedule, “It’s a Pleasure,” will star Sonja Henie.