The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1943)

June 30, 1943 THE EXHIBITOR talent from the numerous war plants located throughout England, where she is trying to get a break, and enrolls in one of the aircraft factories along with Elsa Lanchester. Her fellow workers hold her in high esteem as an American who is willing to do her bit, but actually she be¬ comes tired and irritated over the long hours and hard work. Richard Fraser, RAF Supervisor at the plant and slight acquaintance of the girl from London, has fallen in love with her, and begins to court her after, hours. She finally gets her chance to leave the factory for Lon¬ don when she wins the factory talent contest. Before she leaves, however, her fellow-workers make h er last few days miserable, for they have found out her real reason for coming to the plant. Fraser also finds out, and does not see her any more although they had both confessed their love for each other the day before. Later on she takes the blame for an acci¬ dent that was Fraser’s fault, and to save him she takes the consequences, and hands in her resignation. After she leaves, she is cleared of any blame in the accident, and Fraser goes to London to look for her. He finds her, and she promises to give up her stage aspirations, go back to the factory, and marry Fraser when the war is over. X-Ray: With a different background, pleasantly paced, aided by songs, this will fit nicely into the duallers. Gertrude Niesen sings “Who Are the British”; Joyce handles “Love Is a Comey Thing,” while the other two numbers are “From There On” and “Thumbs Up.” Ad Lines: “A Topical Tale Of Victory Workers . . . Spiced By Romance . . . and Hit Tunes”; “As a Singer She Was a Flop . . . But, Oh! How She Could Love”; “She Had a Flight Leader Up In the Air.” UNITED ARTISTS Colt Comrades ml (Sherman) Estimate: Good Hopalong entry. Cast: William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jay Kirby, George Reeves, Gayle Lord, Earl Hodgins, Victor Jory, Douglas Fowley, Herb Rawlinson. Directed by Leslie Selander. Produced by Harry Sherman. Story: Receiving $5,000 for the capture of a robber, William Bbyd, Andy Clyde, and Jay Kirby decide to settle down on a ranch in the valley where water rights are controlled by Victor Jory. They be¬ come partners with Gayle Lord and George Reeves, brother and sister, who own a ranch upon which Jory holds a mortgage. Boyd gets into a fight with Jory’s men because they shut off the water supply to their ranch due to an unpaid water bill. Later, Clyde buys an oil derrick from Earl Hodgins, and forces the confidence man to start drilling on the ranch. Instead of oil, the drilh hits an underground river of water. With a water supply assured, Boyd palls a meeting of the honest ranchers in the valley to form their own cattlemen’s association, and to thus get away from the crooked influence of Jory. In retaliation, Jory has Boyd framed as a cattle rustler. Hodgins, re¬ formed, tells Boyd that Jory stole some contracts from the U. S. mail that be¬ longed to the ranchers. Boyd beats up Jory searches his office, finds the stolen contracts and proves his own innocence. X-Ray: This will please western fans. It stands high in the series, with a fair story and beautiful scenic photography as well as good performances. Action, comedy, and slight romance are to be found here. Ad Lines: “Hopalong Cassidy Rides The Range Again”; “Hopalong Cassidy And His Two Pals Save A Whole Valley From Falling Into Unscrupulous Hands”; “Rip¬ roaring Action Follows Hopalong Cassidy Into Another Adventure Tinged With Comedy And Romance.” UNIVERSAL Two Tickets To London Estimate: For the duallers. Cast: Michele Morgan, Alan Curtis, C. Aubrey Smith, Dooley Wilson, Barry Fitzgerald, Tarquin Olivier, Mary Gordon, Robert Warwick, Matthew Boulton, Oscar O’Shea, Doris Lloyd, Holmes Herbert, Stanley Logan, Lester Matthews, ShirleyCollier, Harold DeBecker, John Burton, Mary Forbes, Colin Kenny. Directed by Edwin L. Marin. Story: Alan Curtis, prisoner accused of signalling a U-boat which sank three ships in a convoy from the ship on which he was first mate, is being taken to London on a train to stand trial. The train is machine gunned and bombed. Curtis’s guard is killed. He manages to slide the handcuff off the guard, comes upon the unconscious form of Michele Morgan, and, carrying her body as a shield, man¬ ages to escape. They spend the night in a hut, and he convinces her that he is inno¬ cent of the charges. They set out towards London, evade the police dragnet, and are helped by 'Dooley Wilson, cafe accordion player. They finally reach London, and Curtis takes Morgan home to her small son, whose father was killed when he was born. Presence of the police forces him in and the youngster thinks that hq, is his father. Curtis goes through with the deception. Morgan receives a wire that her brother had been killed on the same ship on which Curtis was first mate. She belives Curtis a murderer, and drives him out. Shortly thereafter, the police trace him to her house, and she tells C. Aubrey Smith, under pressure, where she thinks he is staying. He is arrested, and brought to trial. By means of a re-enactment of what happened, Curtis manages to clear himself, and pins the crime on a spy, the steward. He signs up for another cruise without seeing Morgan. Through the help of Smith, all ends well. X-Ray: This meller moves at an inter¬ esting pace witli a few moments of sus¬ pense. Title is attractive, and exploitable. Presence of Dooley Wilson, of “Casa¬ blanca” fame, should provide an extra draw. Musical numbers heard include “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “Lead Kindly Light,” “Knock’d On the Old Kent Road” and “You Are My Sunshine.” The show will fit neatly into the duallers. Ad Lines: “ ‘Two Tickets To London’ — A Suspenseful Thriller Witji Michele Mor¬ gan and Dooley Wilson (Of ‘Casablanca’ Fame) And An All-Star Cast”; “Thrills . . . Chills . . . Suspense . . . Mystery And Romance Are All To Be Found When Buying ‘Two Tickets To London’ ”; “Doo¬ ley ‘Casablanca’ Wilson Sings In This Suspense Filled Thriller — ‘Two Tickets To London’.” FOREIGN Wings Over Africa Melodrama 59m. (English-made) (Classic Pictures) Estimate: For the lower half. Cast: Joan Gardner, James Carew, James Har court, Ian Colin. A PremierStafford Production. Stor-y: James Harcourt and his partner, prospectors in Africa, come upon a skele¬ ton which has been picked clean by vul¬ tures. Examining the body, they find a packet addressed to James Carew, who proves to be a typical “city clerk” in Lon¬ don and brother of the dead man. Har¬ court, delivering the packet to Carew, persuades the former to go back to Africa with him when it is learned that the dead man had left Carew a deed to a diamond mine. To speed their trip they interest Joan Gardner and Ian Colin, who operate a barnstorming plane service. Upon their arrival back in Africa, they are met by a group of tough settlers whom Harcourt’s former partner has joined. The latter ac¬ cuses Harcourt of double crossing him, and demands to be cut in on the diamond find when he and his uncouth pals learn that is the reason for Harcourt’s return. • The race for the diamonds is on -when Colin is found murdered in his bunk. His death is followed by an attack upon one of the prospectors. Suspicion has been focused upon one and then another mem¬ ber of the party with even the native blacks under suspicion. Next, the dia¬ monds are discovered missing. At this point, Gardner exposes Carew as the killer. His lust for the baubles had turned him from a meek, harmless clerk into a murdering maniac. Carew tries to escape in one of the planes, crashes, and dies. Gardner and Harcourt, who have fallen in love, are now heirs to the diamonds. X-Ray: This is a dualler for the lower half. The action is portrayed against the background of the African jungle with many wild animal shots included. There are no out and out thrills with the animals taking part, however. Cast is unknown here, the dialogue is very English and at times hardly understandable, and there are long stretches of no talk at all. The direction is hardly inspired. Photographj'^ is clear. Ad Lines: “Adventure, Death, and Ro¬ mance In The Jungle”; “Murder In Dia¬ monds Played Out Against A Thrilling Panorama Of The African Jungles”; “In¬ trigue, Treachery, and Adventure In Dia¬ monds In Africa.” Highlight Shorts TWO REEL America Speaks Inflation — Meti’o Dramatic Invasion — 20th Century-Foxr— MOT The Invasion of Europe — UA Merchant Seaman — RKO Show Business at War — 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox — MOT OWI— WAC Wings Up — Metro ONE REEL America Speaks North African Album — ^RKO Musical All American Band — Vitaphone OWI— WAC Doctors at War — ^Universal A Message From Malta \ S«rv1wBct1on 3