The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

Cast: Lucille Bremer, Richard Carlson, Douglas Fowley, Ralf Harolde, Tom Brown Henry, Herbert Heyes, Gwen Don¬ ovan. Produced by Eugene Ling; directed by Oscar Boetticher. Story: Intrepid newspaperwoman Lucille Bremer, on the trail of an important news story involving the disappearance of a crooked judge, enlists the aid of private investigator Richard Carlson, promising half of the $10,000 reward. Bremer has traced the judge’s girl friend, Gwen Don¬ ovan, to a private sanitarium. Carlson poses as the maniac-depressive hiasband of Bremer, who has him committed there. Carlson then discovers the institution is run like a prison, and brutal guard, Doug¬ las Fowley, abuses the inmates. Bremer visits him, and leaves him a picture of the judge, whom he suspects to be held in the locked ward. Carlson supplies a pypmaniac with matches, and, in the ensuing fire, recognizes the judge. The latter’s suspicions are aroused, and his shelter er, the institution head, Tom Brown Henry, discovers the photograph. Carlson is then locked in a ward cell, and Bremer is told he had been badly hurt. Bremer finally forces her way into the asylum, and eventually, through her aid, Carlson is freed, and the police arrive. X-Ray: This will fit into the duallers. The name values are better than usually found in this type of show, and there is plenty of suspense for the thriller fol¬ lowers, but the net result will still be the same. For the action followers, this will serve its purpose. The screen play is by Malvin Wald and Eugene Ling. Ad Lines: “Mystery And Murder Lurk ‘Behind Locked Doors’ “Exposing Mal¬ practices At A Mental Institution”; “$10,000 Lay In An Insane Asylum ‘Behind Locked Doors’.” Blanche Fury Drama 931/2M. (Color by Technicolor) (British-made) Estimate: Adult import will need sell¬ ing. Cast: Valerie Hobson, Stewart Granger, Michael Gough, Walter Fitzgerald, Suzanne Gibbs, Maurice Denham, Sybilla Binder, Ernest Jay, Townsend Whitling, J. H. Roberts, Allan Jeayes, Edward Lexy, Arthur Wontner, Amy Veness, etc. Pro¬ duced by Anthony HavelockAllen; di¬ rected by Marc Allegret. Story: As Valerie Hobson lies desper¬ ately ill, her past flashes before her, and she recalls that due to a lack of funds, she was forced into working as a com¬ panion for demanding old ladies until a letter came summoning her to the house of her uncle, Walter Fitzgerald, where his son, Michael Gough, a widower, is in need of a governess for his small daugh¬ ter, Suzanne Gibbs. She misses her wel¬ coming committee, and arrives alone to meet Stewart Granger, whom she mis¬ takes for Gough, but it turns out that he is the steward of the estate and the illegi¬ timate son of the original owner of the estate. To him the estate means every¬ thing, and he hopes someday to make it his through some obscure inheritance papers. Her arrival causes some changes, with Gough falling in love with her. She agrees to marry him although she doesn’t love him. On the night of the wedding, some gypsies, with whom the landowners had been having trouble, set fire to Fitz¬ gerald’s barn. It is then that she finds that she loves Granger. The gypsies swear vengeance on Fitzgerald and Gough after two of their band are sentenced to jail. Granger kills Gough and his father, and everyone blames the gypsies except Hobson, who knows it was Granger. Real¬ izing that the estate will next go to Gibbs, and that he intends killing her, Hobson’s love turns to hate, and she informs on THE EXHIBITOR him, with the result that he is sentenced to hang. Gibbs dies through an accident, and Hobson dies soon after giving birth to Granger’s son, who will inherit the estate lawfully. X-Ray: Dealing in all sorts of adult and unpleasant problems and characters, this entry may satisfy adults who go out of their way to see imported films. There is no denying that the Technicolor is beautiful and an asset, as are the per¬ formances. However, the story lags and bogs down in the final analysis. It has also been done before in a more com¬ pact manner. The film is adapted from the novel by Joseph Shearing. Ad Lines: “He Loved An Estate That Wasn’t His As Well As A Woman That Didn’t Belong To Him”; “There’s Romance And Adventure In The Footsteps Of Beau¬ tiful ‘Blanche Fury’ ”; “His Love Was So Great That He Was Willing To Kill For It.” In This Corner (903) Drama 61m. Estimate: Good fight film for the dual¬ lers. Cast: Scott Brady, Anabel Shaw, Jimmy Millican, Mary Meade, Charles D. Brown, Robert Bice. Produced by David I. Steph¬ enson; directed by Charles E. Riesner. Story: Scott Brady develops a phobia against killing a man with his fists after an accident in the navy, although absolved of blame by a court martial. At the hos¬ pital, he is cured by learning how to box, and wins the navy light-heavyweight championship. Upon his discharge, he de¬ cides to continue fighting despite the objections of his girl Anabel Shaw. A mutual friend, Charles D. Brown, be¬ comes his trainer, and his ability im¬ presses a big-time manager, Jimmy Milli¬ can. Brady becomes the new sensation although some of his fights are fixed without his knowledge. When he becomes a favorite, his manager asks him to “take a dive” which he refuses, as he wants to fight the champ. He becomes his own manager, and one day in training knocks out an old sparring partner. Millican arranges for him to believe he has killed the man, and the old phobia sets in again. He fights the champ with one hand, and is thrashed. Desiring to help out the sparring partner’s family, he consents to fight the return match, but doesn’t train. His girl attempts to locate the “dead man’s” family, and learns of the hoax on the night of the fight. Together with the trainer, she manages to bring the old fighter to the ringside while Brady is being beaten. Brady sees all, and recovers the use of his right hand to win the champion¬ ship and the girl. X-Ray: Here is a fight film that should appeal to the masses, and will fit on the lower half. The acting of the players is adequate and the film has some pace. The original screenplay is by Burk Symon and Fred Niblo, Jr. Ad Lines: “This Fighter Killed A Man With His Fists . . . Can He Win The Championship?”; “She Was The Nice Girl . . . But He Wanted To Be Champ”; “Fight¬ ing Was His Profession . . . But He Was Too Honest.” MONOGRAM Kidnapped (4725) abveniure Estimate: Has exploitation possibilities. Cast: Roddy McDowell, Sue England, Dan O’Herlihy, Roland Winters, Jeff Corey, Houseley Stevenson, Eskine San¬ ford, Alex Frazer, Winefriede McDowall, September 15, 1948 Bobby Anderson, Janet Murdoch, Olaf Hytten, Erville Alderson. Produced by Linsley Parsons; directed by William Beaudine. Story: In 1751, Roddy McDowell, re¬ cently orphaned young Scot, comes to Edinburgh to claim his inheritance. His uncle, Houseley Stevenson, has him kid¬ napped, and placed aboard captain Roland Winters’ brig with the understanding he is to be eventually sold in the Carolines as a slave. Off the Scottish coast, the brig runs down a small boat with two men in it. One drowns. The survivor, Dan O’Her¬ lihy, has defied the English king’s disarm¬ ing act, and is brought aboard, where his gold-filled money bag tempts Winters and his crew to kill him. Warned by Mc¬ Dowell, O’Herlihy fights them off, and, with McDowell, makes his escape, and swims ashore. McDowell becomes a suspect in the slaying of the king’s tax collector-, and is chased to the Highlands, where he meets the daughter of the innkeeper. Sue Eng¬ land, who helps him. Later, reimited with O’Herlihy, the trio return to Edinburgh, and, through a trick, force Stevenson to show his evil intentions and into a battle with Winters in which both are killed. McDowell and England are married, and O’Herlihy sails on to further adventures. X-Ray: From the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, this utilizes well the full ex¬ tent of its obviously low budget, and is bolstered here and there by commend¬ able performances. The marquee lustre is a bit dim, but a strong exploitation job based on the book, and aimed at kid patronage should help in neighborhood and rural situations, more than in metro¬ politan areas. Ad Lines: “Colorful Adventure By That Master Story Teller, Robert Louis Steven¬ son”; “Thrill Again To Famous Romance Of Old”; “Roddy McDowell In A Thrilling Picturization Of The Robert Louis Stev¬ enson Classic.” i . Jt The SherifF Of Medicine Bow (4754) Western ' 541^m. Estimate: Mild western. Cast: Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, Max Terhune, Evelyn Finley, Bill Kennedy, Frank LaRue, George Lewis, Peter Perkins, Carol Henry, Bob Wood¬ ward. Produced by Barney A. Sarecky; directed by Lambert Hillyer. Story: Raymond Hatton, ex-bank rob¬ ber, returns to Medicine Bow after being paroled on recommendation of Johnny Mack Brown, the town sheriff, and finds 7 that a party headed by Bill Kennedy, bank ' head, is anxious to force his daughter, X,. Evelyn Finley, into selling the ranch. The i; anxiety on the part of Kennedy is caused r, by a vein of gold. One of Hatton’s men k discovers the treasure but when Hatton and Brown get it assayed by assayer Frank LaRue, they are told it is worth¬ less. Brown has his suspicions, and has the gold checked. Kennedy frames Hatton, and the latter is arrested for robbing the bank. Brown gets his check on the gold, and finds it is the genuine article. With Hatton behind the bars, Kennedy tries to force Finley to sell the ranch on the premise that he will see that her father goes through. Hatton escapes, and, with Brown, the two foil Kennedy’s plans, and rescue Finley. The gang is rounded up. X-Ray: Based on an original story by J. Benton Cheney, this falls short of the usual Brown entry in that it lacks the necessary quota of action and fisticuffs to arouse interest in the rabid outdoor fan. Excepting for a rousing climax, the yarn unfolds at a mild pace, and hits more than a few snags along the way. Ad Lines: “Johnny Mack Brown In A Rip Roaring Action Packed Thriller”; “This Will Have You On The Edge Of 2470 Servisection 2