The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

September 1,'1948 THE EXHIBITOR example of articulate film-making which will have to take a back seat in the gen¬ eral houses. Tip On Biddnig: Worth more for art and specialty houses. Ad Lines: “This Is Guaranteed To Sweep You Right Off Your Feet”; “Direct From The Pages Of John Steinbeck’s Thrilling Novel . . . Don’t Miss This Great Photoplay”; “He Learned That Riches Mean Wealth And Unhappiness.” Good Sam (962) Comedy 114m. (Rainbow) Estimate: High rating comedy. Cast: Gary Cooper, Ann Sheridan, Ray Collins, Edmund Lowe, Joan Lorring, Clinton Sundberg, Minerva Urecal, Louise Beavers, Dick Ross, Lora Lee Michel, Bobby Dolan, Jr., Matt Moore, Netta Packer, Ruth Roman, Carol Stevens, Todd Karnes, Irving Bacon, William Frawley, Harry Hayden. Produced and directed by Leo McCarey. Story: Gary Cooper, general manager of a huge department store, is an ex¬ tremely good Samaritan, and believes in giving whatever he has at his disposal to the needy. His wife, Ann Sheridan, feels he is overplaying his role, and he should think twice before giving away their much needed money. Unknowing to Sheridan, Cooper has loaned a young couple, Carol Stevens and Todd Karnes, a large sum of money in order that they might have their baby, and purchase a gas station. However, when Sheridan sees the house of her dreams, and decides to tap their savings. Cooper is forced to tell her what he did, all of which makes Sheridan extremely unhappy. -The gas station pays off, and Cooper gets his money back with interest. As things begin to look bright again. Cooper is waylaid, and robbed of a large sum of money belonging to the employes’ benefit fund. Meanwhile, Sheri¬ dan has moved into the new house. Cooper goes on a binge, and decides to join The Salvation Army. In the meantime. Coop¬ er’s bank has decided to grant him the necessary loan, Sheridan rescues Cooper from The Salvation Army parade, and they enter their new home happy and confident. X-Ray: With boxoffice stamped all over it, this should account for itself nicely in the nation’s boxoffices, Wlfile it doesn’t approach director Leo McCarey’s peak efforts, it has been constructed with an eye to audience and showmanship values, with the result a show that can’t help be¬ coming a potent grosser. Backed by the star lure, and studded with excellent fea¬ ture performances, the film is played primarily for laughs, the gags sometimes almost Iwrdering on the slapstick but the kind that audiences love. The story, itself, is thin, but only an excuse for a series of episodes well timed for laughs. The show is a trifle lengthy, with the ending slightly out of key with what has gone before, but this won’t make any difference at the boxoffices. Performances, direction, etc., are okeh. Tip on Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “Gary Cooper And Ann Sheridan In The Funniest Picture Of The Year”; “More Laughs Than You Can Shake A Stick At . . . ‘Good Sam’ Is Easily The Funniest Picture In Years”; “If You Want To Laugh Until The Tears Come . . . Don’t Miss ‘Good Sam,’ Starring Gary Cooper And Ann Sheridan.” Melody Time (991) Featuee Cahmon (Disney) (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: Should find plenty of popular appeal. Cast: Roy Rogers, Trigger, Sons Of The Pioneers, Ethel Smith, Bobby Driscoll, and Luana Patten in person: the voices and music of Dennis Day, the Andrews Sisters, Fred Waring, and his Pennsylvanians, Freddy Martin, Frances Langford, Buddy Clark, the Dinning Sisters. Production supervisor, Ben Sharpsteen. Story: This consists of -several different episodes held together by the voice of an m.c., Buddy Clark. Included are: “Once Upon A Wintertime,” a boy’s and girl’s sleighing song, with music and song by Frances Langford; “Little Toot,” the story of a little tugboat that got into trouble, then became a hero, with the song of the same name sung by the Andrews Sisters; “Johnny Appleseed,” with Dennis Day portraying three roles and singing in a picturization of a famous legend; “Trees,” a cartoon interpretation of the poem by Joyce Kilmer; “Bumble Boogie,” with music by Freddie Martin and orchestra; “Blame It On The Samba,” with Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Aracuan, a native bird, with the Dinning Sisters singing the spng of the same name, and Ethel Smith in person at the organ; and “Pecos Bill,” with Roy Rogers and the Sons Of The Pioneers telling the story to Luana Patten and Bobby Driscoll. X-Ray: Following the pattern set in “Make Mine Music,” this < represents en¬ tertainment for all types of audiences, with the highlights the “Johnny Apple seed” and “Pecos Bill” numbers. The show has few slow moments, and there are enough songs to satisfy anyone. While the appeal is more to the juvenile than the adult side, the boxoffice should react well. The songs and music are plentiful: “Melody Time,” “Blue Shadows,” “Pecos Bill,” “Little Toot,” “Blame It On The Samba,” “The Pioneer Song,” “The Lord Is Good To Me,” ‘.iApple Song,” “Once Upon A Wintertime,” “Trees,” and “Bumble Boogie.” Backed by plenty of song plugging, especially over the air lanes, plus selling angles for every member of the family, this offers the usual oppor¬ tunities in the merchandising. Tip On Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “Walt Disney At His Best . . . ‘Melody Time’ ”; “For Every Member Of The Family . . . The Fun-Fest Of The Year . . . ‘Melody Time’ ”; “Get Ready For The Entertainment Hit Of The Year . . . ‘Melody Time’.” Mourning Becomes Eiectra (904) Estimate: Play picturization will need special handling. Cast: Rosalind Russell, Michael Red¬ grave, Raymond Massey, Katina Paxinou, Leo Genn, Kirk Douglas, Nancy Cole¬ man, Henry Hull, Sara Allgood, Thurston Hall, Walter Baldwin, Elizabeth Risdon, Erskine Sanford, Jimmy Conlin, Lee Baker, Tito Vuolo, Emma Dunn, Nora Cecil, Marie Blake, Clem Be vans, Jean Clarendon. Directed and produced by Dudley Nichols in association with The Theatre Guild, Inc. Story: Near the close of the Civil War, while northern union general Raymond Massey is off at the front, his wife, Katina Paxinou, hopes he will be killed, for dur¬ ing the 20 years that they have been mar¬ ried, she has hated him. In his absence, she and Leo Genn, a sea captain and a son of her husband’s brother, who was dismissed by the family for bringing scandal to it, fall in love. Paxinou’s daughter, Rosalind Russell, is under the impression that Genn is in love with her, and when she discovers that it is her mother, she threatens to tell Massey. Massey returns to Paxinou’s hate and Russell’s vehement love, and Paxinou stalls Russell’s telling on her. Paxinou has Genn pick up some poison for her in Bos¬ ton, and when Massey suffers a heart attack after being told of her hatred of him by her, she feeds him the poison and he dies. However, he indicates Paxinou’s guilt to Russell who recovers the box of poison. Michael Redgrave, Russell’s brother, returns from the war wounded. Russell works on him until he, too, is sus¬ picious of their mother, and the pair fol¬ low Paxinou when she goes to Genn’s ship to warn him of Russell’s knowledge. After Paxinou leaves, Redgrave shoots Genn, and they return to the house to inform her of his death. Paxinou, griefstricken, commits suicide. Redgrave becomes mel¬ ancholic, and Russell takes him on a South Sea voyage. He returns with as strong a guilt complex as ever and a strange affection for his sister. The latter finds she is still in love with local boy Kirk Douglas, and wants to marry him, but Redgrave won’t permit it. Although he is in love with Douglas’ sister, Nancy Coleman, Redgrave is afraid to marry her, and Russell also fears his being alone with her for fear he will blurt out their secrets. Redgrave finally commits suicide. Cole¬ man, suspecting some of the evil involved, asks that Russell give up Douglas, and she does, feeling the dead are too strong for her. She retires to the house. X-Ray: Based on the Eugene O’Neill play, this film will need special selling and handling. It is a somber piece of filmcraft that goes into almost playlike detail in its unfolding, with the result that average audiences expecting a fast or ordinary pace will find this too slow, and will fail to classify it as entertainment. It re¬ sembles a play more than a film. The characterizations are overplayed on the whole, with veterans Massey and Henry Hull presenting the most restrained and effective performances in their supporting roles. The names in the cast may be of help in putting the work across, but it should still be stressed that the emphasis should be toward specialized adult audi¬ ences and special playdates. Tip On Bidding: Depends on the indi¬ vidual situation. Ad Lines: “One Of Eugene O’Neill’s Greatest Plays Now Brought To The Screen By A Top Hollywood Cast”; “A Stage Masterpiece Brought To The Screen In All Its Fame And Glory”; “The Year’s Screen Masterpiece.” _ Docu Design For Death (907) mentary ^ ' 48m. Estimate: Thrill-packed documentary. Cast: Produced by Theron Warth and Richard O. Fleischer. Sid Rogell executive producer. Commentary by Theodore S. and Helen Geisel; narrated by Kent Smith and Hans Conreid. Story: This delves into the story behind Japan’s desire for war through the years and Pearl Harbor. The cameras go back to 1200 A.D., when some ambitious feudal families decided to rule Japan, and hired professional soldier-thugs called Samurai. With the aid of these, they soon eliminated the smaller fry, and left the bigger barons to divide the spoils of the country. Secret police kept the people in line. For another three centuries nothing much happened until missionaries and others entered, and let out stories of the fight for freedom be¬ ing waged in other countries. A smallscale revolt resulted, but it was crushed, and the head men then decided to all|»v no more foreigners to enter the country. About 250 years later. Admiral Perry opened Japan forcibly to American trade. The heads decided to allow the people to absorb some of the foreign ways, but got together to control them via the Shinto religion, and made it a state project. It taught the people to believe that they were invincible, and should be the masters of the earth. The people put their emperor up on a pedestal, and gladly went to war Servisection 5 2457