The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

September 1, 1948 THE EXHIBITOR ject, after which it really gets rolling. Shelley Winters, Duryea’s girl friend, who is really in love with Payne, tries to get him to take her along, having had sev¬ eral affairs with him on the side, but he refuses as it is too dangerous. He has every¬ thing rolling smoothly until Winters shows up on the scene, having deserted -Duryea. The deal goes to the point where Caul¬ field is willing to pay for the memorial property alone by writing a check, but Payne tries to discourage her, realizing he is in love with her, and she with him. Duryea forces him to accept, after which Winters and Caulfield have a fight, and, while Caulfield is knocked imconscious, Payne tries to take the gun away from her, and Winters is killed. Duryea shows up, the police arrive and take them all away. X-Ray: An absorbing bit of filmcraft, this should hold audiences from start to finish with its exciting plot, good char¬ acterizations, fine direction, and betterthan-average production. Based on the novel, “The Velvet Fleece,” by Lois Eby and John Fleming, it presents down to earth scenes and dialogue that perhaps will appeal more to adults than the youngsters. The pace is fast, and it should make a good program entry. The names of Payne, Caulfield, and Duryea should also be of help boxoffice-wise. Tip On Bidding: Better-than-average program rating. Ad Lines: “Women Sought His Arms, But He Wanted Only Riches Until The Right Gal Came Along”; “Love Played No Part In His Future Until The Right Girl Came Along . . “An Expose Of How Confidence Men Loved And Worked . . . One That Will Keep You On Edge From Start To Finish.” One Touch Of Venus Comedy WITH Music (670) 81m. Estimate: Names should help picturization of stage hit. Cast: Ava Gardner, Robert Walker, Eve Arden, Dick Haymes, Olga San Juan, Tom Conway, James Flavin, Sara Allgood. Pro¬ duced by Lester Cowan; directed by Wil¬ liam A. Seiter. Story: Robert Walker, window dresser in a department store, is given the job of setting up a celebrated statue of Venus for display, and can’t resist the tempta¬ tion of kissing her, whereupon she comes to life as Ava Gardner. This leads to cemplications since the statue disappears; his girl friend, Olga San Juan, becomes in¬ censed, and the store owner, Tom Conway, thinks he is a criminal. Gardner enjoys being a human, and falls for Walker, who gradually returns the feeling even though most people think he is crazy. Meanwhile, his friend, Dick Haymes, falls for San Juan, and Conway sees Gardner, and be¬ comes attracted. However, eventually, Gardner becomes a statue again, Conway decides to marry his secretary. Eve Arden, and San Juan and Haymes make a team. Walker becomes attracted to a new clerk, who looks strangely like Gardner. X-Ray: Based on the stage hit of the same name, this looms as moderate pro¬ gram. While the people are competent, and Gardner pleasant to look upon in flimsy garments, the story is a lightweight. Song hits from the stage play, “Speak Low,” “That’s Him,” and “Don’t Look Now But My Heart Is Showing,” help enliven the proceedings, and Haymes’ singing is an asset, but for the most part this doesn’t seem to have the stuff that results in solid boxoffice. Gardner, as the goddess, fits the part to perfection, and Walker does as well as the window dresser who falls in love with the statue. How the fantasy idea will register in some localities is open to question. The show is based on the musical play of the same name, with book by S. J. Perelman and Ogden Nash, suggested by the novel, “The Tinted Venus.” Tip On Bidding: Fair program price. Ad Lines: “Venus . . . Come To Life . . . In The Season’s Most Amazing Musical Play”; “He Kissed A Statue . . . And Got Himself A Sweetheart”; “When Venus Falls For A Window Dresser . . . Watch Out.” WARNERS Rope (802) Melodrama 80m. (Transatlantic) (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: Impressive psychological thriller. Cast: James Stewart, John Dali, Farley Granger, Joan Chandler, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Constance Collier, Douglas Dick, Edith Evanson, Dick Hogan. Produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Story: In a luxurious apartment owned by wealthy John Dali and pianist Farley Granger, the two strangle Dick Hogan, and put the body in a chest in the living room. The motive of the crime was for excitement, Dali feeling that Hogan was inferior, and that the crime was justified. Dali and Granger prepare for the party to make their thrill complete. Friends of the victim and even his parents have been invited, and Dali prepares to serve dinner on the chest serving as a temporary coffin for the deceased. Among the gatjiering is James Stewart, a shrewd publisher, who formerly was the headmaster at the prep school attended by Dali and Granger. Other guests include Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Constance Collier, close rela¬ tives of Hogan; Hogan’s girl friend, Joan Chandler, and her former boy friend, Douglas Dick. As the evening wears on. Granger begins to crack under the strain, and Stewart begins to suspect something is wrong. When the party breaks up, Dali and Granger feel they have accomplished their mission. Stewart, however, returns, and begins to probe. After some anxious moments, Stewart discovers the body, and the film fades with Stewart, Granger, and Dali waiting for the police to arrive. X-Ray: A different type of meller, using a change from the usual technique, this Technicolor entry, adapted by Hume Cronyn from a play by Patrick Hamilton, is certain to stir up plenty of interest. That it packs a wallop can’t be denied, but it is the sort of material that will prob¬ ably register strongest in the metropolitan areas. The film lacks any profound move¬ ment, the wealth of dialogue bogging it down at times, but the Alfred Hitchcock directorial technique should hold most audiences. From the merchandising stand¬ point, there are the names, the general nature of the show, and the Hitchcock direction. Tip On Bidding: Better than average program rating. Ad Lines: “Jimmy Stewart In The Greatest Role Of His Career . . . ‘Rope’ . . . Don’t Miss This Thrilling Master¬ piece”; “They Killed Out Of Lust, And Lived For Thrills”; “You Have Never Seen Anything As Compelling And Exciting As ‘Rope’ . . . Don’t Miss It.” Two Guys From Texas (801) Comedy WITH Music 86m. (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: Good comedy has the names and angles. Cast: Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson, Dorothy Malone, Penny Edwards, Forrest Tucker, Fred Clark, Gerald Mohr, John Alvin, Andrew Tombes, Monte Blue, Philharmonica Trio. Produced by Alex Gott¬ lieb; directed by David Butler. Story: Comedy and dance team Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan find them¬ selves stranded in Texas. They find a resort owned by Dorothy Malone, renew acquaintances with singer Penny Edwards, and decide to spend the night at the resort until their car is fixed, "rwo New York thugs, Gerald Mohr and John Alvin, rob the car, however, and prepare to use it in a bank robbery. Meanwhile, Carson has been suffering from a fear of animals, and Morgan arranges to have him psycho¬ analyzed by doctor Fred Clark. Clark finds that Carson has been plagued by an in¬ feriority complex, developed because of Morgan stealing his girls._ His advice is that Carson try to vamp one of Morgan’s girl friends in return. Carson thus sets his eyes on Malone, who has shown a dis¬ tinct liking toward Morgan and his wolf¬ like tactics. In order to make Morgan jealous, Malone carries through with the gag. Mohr and Alvin get away with the bank’s funds, and Carson and Morgan are suspected and thrown into jail. They escape from jail in time to thwart another attempt by the thugs to get away with some of the town’s hard-earned dough. Morgan and Malone are reunited, and, by this time, Carson is cured of his phobia. X-Ray: Suggested by a play by Robert Sloane and Louis Pelletier this contains the angles and names to get the dough. The Morgan-Carson team accounts for loads of laughs, and, coupled with a sprightly musical score, the film is geared to satisfy in all directions. A gay and carefree air prevails throughout most of the footage, and the gags, as unsophisti¬ cated as they may be, hit home. The musical score includes: “Every Day I Love You Just A Little Bit More,” “Hankerin’,” “I Don’t Care If It Rains All Night,” “There’s Music In The Land,” “I Never Met A Texan At The Rodeo,” and “I Wanna Be A Cowboy In The Movies.” Tip ON Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “Jack Carson And Dennis Morgan In Another Great New Laugh Hit . . . ‘Two Guys From Texas’”; “Songs, Music, And Laughs By The Dozen . . . All In That Latest New Laugh Fun-Fest . . . ‘Two Guys From Texas’ ”; “Jack Carson And Dennis Morgan At Their Funniest . . . Don’t Miss ‘Two Guys From Texas’.” FOREIGN August 14 Documentary 68m. (One Day In The USSR) (Artkino) (Russian-made) (Color) Estimate: Suitable entry for Russian patronage. Cast: Photographed by Mikhail Gleeder and Theodore Bunimovich. Directed by Ilya Kopalin and Irena Setkina. Story: “August 14” was an ordinary day in the Soviet Union. The film’s purpose, therefore, is to depict the work progres¬ sing in the various sectors of Russia dur¬ ing an ordinary day. The camera skips little in its tour of the country as it delves into the agricultural processes, manufac¬ turing plants, etc. The film also points out the country’s trend to peacetime goods, whereas, not so long ago, wartime mater¬ ials were being manufactured in large numbers. The Country, nevertheless, con¬ tinues to maintain an army training pro Servisection 9 2461