Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 1, 1944)

REVIEWS INFORMATION RATINGS | Vol. 9, No. 9 REVIEWS FROM FILM DAILY, NEW YORK $2.00 Per Annum Cinecolor Competes With Technicolor Cinecolor has perfected a threetint process that aims at the supremacy of Technicolor and is called Monopack. Everything is shot on one film surface instead of the three used in Technicolor, and an ordinary camera will serve. The process starts with 16 mm. Kodachrome camerawork, the result being blown up to 35 mm. size. Tests have shown no noticeable difference in the clarity of the blowup. A film is being shot in Mexico with Monopack. The Cinecolor process is expected to be cheaper and available to all. It means the certain end of black-and-whites after the war.. B.C. Film Bureau Moves Quarters Motion picture studio of the British Columbia Travel Bureau has moved from the basement of the Provincial Police Building on Elliott St., Victoria, to the ground floor of a former residence on Michigan Street. New quarters of five rooms will include a miniature theatre seating twenty persons and 4 studio for titling, still photography and portraiture. The theatre will be used to show reels to visiting officials. "Purple Heart’ For Fast Getaway ‘The Purple Heart,” a story of the trial and execution of the USA flyers who raided Tokyo, is being rushed for release by Fox. Zanuck made the film right after the atrocity but was asked to withhold it. Now he has the gosign and the film is being awaited anxiously. It is said that Ottawa will lift the lid on atrocities also and the film should meet with great interest here. Rousing Opening For "The Lodger’ Twentieth Century-Fox’s “The Lodger,” a horror story on 2@ high-class scale, opened to rousing grosses in Vancouver. The film, based on the story of Jack the Ripper, who terrorized London in the 1890's, is doing big business in all its USA engagements and is expected to do the Same in all Canadian situations. It has Laird Cregar and George Sanders in the leading masculine roles and Merle Oberon in the feminine lead. Miss Oberon dances in the film. ‘The Desert Song’ with Dennis Morgan, Irene Manning Warner 96 Mins. REMAKE OF OPERETTA PANS OUT AS EXCITING ADVENTURE FILM; ACTION DOMINATES MUSICAL CONTENT. “The Desert Song,” which enjoyed the distinction in 1929 of being the first operetta to be made into a sound film, has been remade by Warner Bros. into a2 picture that stresses the action and melodramatics inherent in the story rather than the music. The result is a production more likely to please lovers of adventure and action films than devotees of music. The former are certain to find this version of the film a whale of an attraction; the latter are apt to be quite disappointed. The music is incidental and sung with distinction. Fortunately for the music lover, the score captures much of the melodic richness of the original. The Lawrence Schwab Otto Harbach Oscar Hammerstein 2nd-Sigmund Romberg Frank Mandel operetta has been brought up to date by making the Riffs victims of a Nazi conspiracy. The Riffs are used as slave labor in building a railroad backed by German money. The time is 1939 and the Nazis have sinister motives in pressing the construction of the road. The champion of the Riffs is an American operating as El Khobar. As El Khobar the American harasses the enemies of the Riffs and makes himself a much-sought-after fellow by the authorities, who have been blinded to the true purpose of those behind the building of the railroad. The film was directed at a whirlwind pace by Rohert Florey. The performances for the most part are adequate. Dennis Morgan plays the hero and Irene Manning the singer. It can’t be said that they do full justice to the songs. Bruce Cabot appears as a French officer who generously withdraws as Morgan’s rival. The best of the acting is contributed by the late Lynne Overman and Gene Lockhart. CAST: Dennis Morgan, Irene Manning, Bruce Cabot, Lynne Overman, Gene Lockhart, Faye Emerson, Victor Francen, Curt Boils, Jack LaRue, Marcel Dalio, Nestor Paiva, Gerald Mohr, Felix Basch, Neble Johnson, Wallis Clark, Fritz Leiber, George Renavent, William Edmunds, Duncan Renaldo, Albert DIRECTION, All Right. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine, ‘The Cross of Lorraine’ with Jean Pierre Aumont, Gene Kelly M-G-M 9 Mins, DRAMATIC WAR FILM IS A STRONG OFFERING THAT WILL APPEAL PRINCIPALLY TO MALE AUDIENCES. Here is a film that expresses in dramatic terms faith in France’s ability to rise again. The film leaves one with a feeling of‘exultation as it ends voicing the French people’s defiance of the Nazi conquerors who have robbed them of their cherished freedom. The story is told vividly in a manner that holds the interest throughout the production’s length. It is a tense and exciting narrative of men who refuse to forget their nation’s glorious past, a narrative that moves relentlessly to its conclusion. Much of the footage is stirring stuff. Two facts stand in the way of whole~hearted acceptance of the film. One is lack of comedy relief; the other, the absence of all romance. It may be gathered from this that “The Cross of Lorraine” is not the sort of entertainment to which women will be drawn with ease. The film has to do with French soldiers who are thrown into 2 Nazi prison camp near the French border after being promised their return home following the singing of the FrancoGerman armistice. After submitting to vile treatment by the Nazis, some of the prisoners are released to work in Germany. Once they find themselves in France they escape and proceed to a village where they make plans to fight against the Germans as civilians. When the Germans arrive to conscript some of the villagers for labor in Germany, the former soldiers lead the people in a revolt that cleans out the Nazis. To make the village useless to the conquerors the people destroy it and march off to continue their fight against the Nazis elsewhere. It has strong direction by Tay Garnett. There is but one woman in the cast, Emma, Dunn, and her role ig negligible. Pierre Aumont and Gene Kelly enact the main roles commendably. Among the others are Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Richard Whorf, Joseph Calleia, Peter Lore, Hume Cronyn, Wallace Ford and Tonio Selwart. DIRECTION, Good, PHOTOGRAPHY, Geeod. Folks Ask Action On Quebec Juve Ban Another letter to the editor of the Montreal Star indicates the growing impatience of the people with the restriction on juvenile admittance: “Sir:—Some of our citizens are finally waking up and sending letters to your paper protesting against the unfair movie law for children in this province. Letter writing will not get us anywhere so how about getting down to brass tacks and doing something? I for one am willing to do my share, so lets get together and start some action.—E.P.” Crowell Is Halifax IATSE President A. M. Crowell was elected president of Local Union 680, IATSE, Halifax. Vice-president is S. A. Pring, M. C. Conrad is business agent, W. A. Bezanson is treasurer, and L. F. Crowell is recording secretary. Members of the executive board are O. Oldfield and E. Waters. Regulations Passed Amendments to the regulations under the Ontario Theatres and Cinematograph Act have been passed and become effective today. More Flaming Youth At Mono Studios Following through on the success of “Where Are Your Children?”, Monogram is readying two more pictures about juvenile delinquency, “Youth Gone Wild,” and “Sins of the Parents.” VOCALITE SCREENS Five times more sound permeability. One-third more light. Vocalite Sound Sereen is the result of a series of intensive and costly experiments which have resulted in the production of the finest sound screen made. Flexible plastic coated, flameproof. PERICIN COMPANY LIMITED WCTOSA STREET aoa MUNUEY sTRaeY MOnTERAL