Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 21, 1948)

THE PICK OF THE PICTURES Vol. 13, No. 3 Black Gold with Anthony Quinn, Katherine DeMille, Elyse Knox, Ducky Loui= Monogram 90 Mins. SIMPLE HUMAN STORY PHOTOGRAPHED BEAUTIFULLY IN CINECOLOR IS MARKED BY BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE OF QUINN AND ‘AADROIT DIRECTION. ; Here is a thoroughly entertaining picture, which reflects much credit on its producer, director and cast. It is the second offering under the Allied Artists banner and has been photographed in effective Cinecolor. Easily one of the highlights of the film is the performance of Anthony Quinn as a big-hearted, stoical Indian, who can neither read nor write. It is by far the best screen work he has done and ranks among the screen’s finest portrayals. Katherine DeMille does splendid work as Quinn’s wife, who has had good schooling, but is a loyal, obedient helpmeet. Ducky Louie is excellent as a Chinese youngster, who is befriended by Quinn and his wife. Elyse Knox photographs beautifully in Cinecolor. Ducky Louie’s father is murdered by border outlaws and Ducky is adopted by Quinn and his wife. Quinn owns Black Hope, @ racehorse, and Quinn and Raymond Hatton, a veteran trainer, make Ducky a jockey. Oil is thought to be on Quinn’s land, and he uses an advance payment of $3,000 to take Black Hope East to be mated with Thurston Hall’s prize breeder. Black Hope dies, giving birth to a colt. Oil is found on the Quinn property and Tony names the colt Black Gold. Quinn is fatally hurt by a falling timber at his new oil well, but Katherine takes Ducky and Black Gold to the Kentucky Derby. Black Gold is not given serious consideration by racetrack followers, but Ducky rides him to victory to honor the memory of Ducky’s foster father. CAST: Anthony Quinn, Kath-rine DeMille, Elyse Knox, Ducky Louie, Kane Richmond, Mo.oxi Olsen, Raymond Hatton. CREDITS: Producer, Jeffrey Bernerd; Director, Phil Karlson; Author. Caryl Coleman; Screenplay, Agnes Christine Johnston; Cameraman, Harry Neumann, ASC. DIRECTION, Excellent. PHY, High-class. Webb To Write Score Roy Webb will write the score for RKO’s Loretta Young-William Holden-Robert Mitchum starrer, “Tall Dark Stranger.” PHOTOGRA REVIEWS FROM FILM DAILY, NEW YORK Captain Boycott with Stewart Granger, Kathleen Ryan Eagle.Lion 92 Mins. COMPELLING DRAMA OF IRISH AGRARIAN REFORM: SUSTAINS INTEREST: SHOULD FIT IN WHERE UK PIX ARE GENERALLY IN DEMAND. This drama of Irish agrarian reform in 1880 is based on a novel by Philip Rooney but it might also have been taken from any good dictionary. It is an intelligently set forth discourse on the plight of tenant farmers who, when they ,cannot pay rent to the land agent, face eviction, destruction of their homes or reoccupancy by others who can meet the payments and in doing so take over the result of years of labor. With creditable fidelity to the period and showing evidence of careful research into the subject what transpires in this story isa sound dramatic treatment which after the initial problem is laid bare gives light on how the term “boycott” came about. There was such a@ person as Boycott and he did provoke the agricultural follx to such lengths that, on the advice of Parnell, briefly played herein by Robert Donat, they gave him what was then the Coventry treatment, later to be called the boycott. They made his life so uncomfortable by diverting imported farmhands, and in other ways increasing the cost of operating farm properties, that he faced ruin and was forced to call quits. Involved in the narration of this story is a great deal of scenic spectacle captured by the lens. The lengthy cast -does very well by its parts. Stewart Granger manages conviction with ease as a rebellious farmer who joins the conservative segment of resistance. Alastair Sim has a good role as a village priest who prevents the radical element from performing an act of violence which would bode them no good.. It is heavy on dialect and brogue which tends to make for realism. The story is well dotted with movement and dramatic action. CAST: St-wart Granger, Kathleen Ryan, Cecil Parker, Mervyn Jons, Alastair Sim, Niall McGinnis, Noel Percell. CREDITS: An Individual Picture; Produced by Frank Launder, Frank Gilliatt; Director, Frank Launder; Screenplay, Frank Launder, Wolfgang Wilhelm; From the novel by Philip Rooney; Photography, Wilkie Cooper. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. Her Husband’s Affairs with Lucille Ball, Franchot Tone, Edward Everett Horton, Mikhail Rasumny, Gene Lockhart Columbia 83 Mins. TONE AND BALL HAVE FIELD DAY IN WILD AND MERRY FARCE WHICH RATES PLUGGING BY WISE EXHIBITORS. This is one of the wildest, merriest farces to come to the screen in many moons. In addition to its laugh-provoking zany capers, it has a love story, with one or two near-censorable situations. In all, it adds up to an attraction that deserves plugging by wise exhibitors. Franchot Tone and Lucille Ball have a field day in the starring roles, with Edward Everett Horton, Mikhail Rasumny and Gene Lockhart excellent in featured parts. Nana Bryant, Jonathan Hale, Paul Stanton and Mabel Paige are among the other tunmakers, Tone, an eccentric advertising man, who resents his wife, Lucille Ball’s, well-meaning inventions because they take the spotlight from him, advances some hard-earned money to Rasumny, an imventor, who is working on an embalming fluid that he hopes will preserve corpses in a plasticmade glass. As a by-product, Rasumny develops a shaving cream, which he claims will do away with the necessity of razors. Tone “sells” the idea to Lockhart, a big manufacturer, who invites the governor and other dignitaries to try the cream at a lavish public gathering. The cream works like a charm, but when the dignitaries, including the governor’s wife, awaken in the morning, they find themselves heavily bearded. Other complications follow, and Tone is even put on trial on a charge of having murdered Rasumny. The trial comes to an abrupt end when the “murdered” and bewildered Rasumny walks into the courtroom. Tone and Miss Ball are reconciled. CAST: Luc'lle Ball, Franchot Tone, Edward Everett Horton, Mikhail Rasum ny, Gene Lockhart, Nana Bryant, Jonathan Hale. CREDITS: Producer, Raphael Hakim; Director, S. Sylvan Simon; jAuthors, Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer; Scrzenplay, same; Cameraman, Charles Lawton, Jr. DIRECTION, Excellent. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good, "Burlesque" Next Dan Dailey will next star opposite Betty Grable in 20th Century-Fox’ “Burlesque.” REVIEWS INFORMATION RATINGS $2.00 Per Annum Nightmare Alley with Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray, Helen Walker 20th-Fox 111 Mins. DRAMATIC ENTERTAINMENT OF SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT CALIBRE FOR THE ADULT |AUDIENCE SHOULD RAKE IN SOME FINE RECEIPTS. A dramatic entertainment of substantially different calibre is offered up here for the delectation of the adult audience. It leaves an impact and is eye-opening. ~ An unmoral roustabout in a carnival, Tyrone Power learns of Joan Blondell’s and Ian Keith’s sock vaudeville act. They are mentalists and they have a code. Power is conducting a sub rosa affair with Miss Blondell. Keith is addicted to the bottle. This way Power soon gets the code, later seduces Coleen Gray. Strongman Mike Mazurki, Miss Gray’s protector, compels Power to marry the girl. They leave the show and start their own act. Helen Walker, an unscrupulous psychiatrist, has Taylor Holmes ripe for picking. At a Sherman Hotel porformance Power pulls a phoney spiritualism stunt which introduces a long-dead girl into the doings. First thing Power is planning a ghost tabernacle with the money that is pouring in. The big game, however, is to bring “Dorrie” back from limbo for Holmes. They stage an apparition act in Holmes’ garden. Holmes is so impressed he becomes hysterical and highly emotional. Miss Gray is upset by Holmes and reveals it is a fake. There is a scufe between Holmes and Power. Latter makes off to Miss Walker’s where he is given the psychiatric brushoff and left to his own devices. He abandons Miss Gray, holes up, takes to the bottle and then hits the road winding up in a hobo jungle with his last quart. In short order he is begging. One night he blows his top after a bottle session and goes berserk. Miss Gray, who has returned to show business, is on hand. She pacifies him. At the conclusion | there is an indication Power will be regenerated. CAST: Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray, Helen Walker, Taylor Holmes, Mike Mazurki, Ian Keith. CREDITS: Produc:r, George Jessel; Director, Edmund Goulding; Screenplay, Jules Furthman; Based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham; Photography, Lee Garmes. DIRECTION, Fine. PHOTOGRAPHY, Excellent.