The Exhibitor (1950)

COLUMBIA Kill The Umpire (235) Com7edmy Estimate: Entertaining comedy. Cast: William Bendix, Una Merkel, Ray Collins, Gloria Henry, Richard Taylor, Connie Marshall, William Frawley, Tom D' Andrea, Luther Crockett, Jeff York, Glenn Thompson, Bob Wilke, Jim Bannon, Alan Hale, Jr. Produced by John Beck; directed by Lloyd Bacon. Story: William Bendix is baseballhappy. To top it off he has an ex-umpire, Ray Collins, for a father-in-law, and his daughter, Gloria Henry, is engaged to a ball-player Richard Taylor. As soon as the season opens in Florida, Bendix can’t hold down a job, always sneaking off to the ball park. His wife, Una Merkel, tells him that she is going to leave him unless he can hold down a job. Collins suggests that Bendix become an umpire after at¬ tending a special school run by William Frawley, and make a living from the game, and Merkel agrees to stay if he will do so. Bendix agrees reluctantly thinking that umpires are the lowest form of animal life, and is secretly determined to flunk out, but he is converted, and graduates high. Bendix is assigned to the Texas league and does a good job until a crucial series comes along, and some gamblers try to bribe him, but don’t succeed. He then calls a player safe who is apparently tagged out although no one but Bendix notices that the catcher drops the ball. The Texans all but tear the ball park down to get at Bendix, but he is whisked away to his hotel, but no one will let him out to attend the next day’s game. By a ruse, he does succeed in getting to the park. Mean¬ while, his daughter gets to the catcher, who was hospitalized, and gets him to the ball park to admit via the loudspeaker that Bendix was right. Bendix is a hero until he calls the next player out. X-Ray: Sneak preview audiences seemed to enjoy themselves hugely at this farce about a baseball enthusiast. It’s loaded with slapstick, humorous situations, and fairly funny dialogue, and about the only ones who won’t go for this are non-base¬ ball loving ultra-sophisticated audiences and maybe umpires. The story moves at a rapid clip, the performances, especially that of Bendix, are good, and the direction and production are suitable to the sub¬ ject. It was written for the screen by Frank Tashlin. Tip On Bidding: Fair program price. Ad Lines: “ ‘Kill The Umpire’ Is A Baseball Riot”; “He Runs For Home After Every Game To Get Away From Loyal Fans”; “He Wants To ‘Kill The Umpire’ Until He Becomes One.” Outcast Of Black Mesa (265) Western With Music 54m. Estimate: Okeh “Durango Kid.” Cast: Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, Martha Hyer, Richard Bailey, Stanley An¬ drews, William Haade, Lane Chandler, William Gould, Bob Wilke, Charles “Chuck” Roberson, Ozzie Waters. Pro¬ duced by Colbert Clark; directed by Ray Nazarro. Story: Told in flashback fashion, Charles “The Durango Kid” Starrett, mine owner partner of William Gould and Lane Chandler, is sentenced to hang for the ambush murder of Gould, actually done by gun hand William Haade under orders of Richard Bailey, phoney doctor actually engaged to Gould’s daughter, Martha Hyer. Bailey intends marrying Hyer to own the mine with Starrett and Chandler Published weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., Publishing office: 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia 7, Penn¬ sylvania. New York office: 1600 Broadway, New York 19. West Coast representative: Paul Manning, 923 Alandele Avenue, Los Angeles 36, California. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhalgh, business manager; Herbert M. Miller, editor; James A. Dalton, advertising manager; George F. Nonamaker, Mel Konecoff, associate editors. SECTION TWO Vol. 44, No. 1 MAY 10, 1950 out of the way. Starrett has pal Smiley Burnette, town photographer, send a pic¬ ture of Haade to the U. S. Marshal along with an inquiry about Bailey. The mar¬ shal replies Haade is a wanted murderer, and a deputy is sent for him. Starrett escapes hanging with Burnette’s aid, proves Bailey’s medical certificate a for¬ gery after capturing Haade, who had killed Chandler, and saves Hyer, while Bailey perishes after a fight in a runaway stagecoach which crashes. X-Ray: Action is the keynote of this series, and this is up to par as Starrett does plenty of riding and shooting. Bur¬ nette supplies the standard humor. Barry Shipman wrote the screen play from a story by Elmer Clifton. Songs heard in¬ clude “Donkey Engine,” “Nobody Tires The Boss,” and “Just Sittin’ Around In Jail.” Ad Lines: “The ‘Durango Kid’ Clears Up The Mystery Of The ‘Outpost Of Black Mesa’ ”; “Charles Starrett And Smiley Burnette Combine Forces To Whip The Outlaws”; “He Came Face To Face With The Hangman’s Noose.” EAGLE LION The Fighting Stallion outdoor Drama (069) 63m. Estimate: Okeh outdoor drama. Cast: Bill Edwards, Doris Merrick, For¬ rest Taylor, Don Harvey, Robert Carson, Rocky Camron, W. M. McCormick, John Carpenter, Maria Hart, Starlight. Pro¬ duced by Jack Schwartz; directed by Robert Tansey. Story: Bill Edwards, released from a navy hospital, learns he faces eventual blindness. Back on his Wyoming ranch, he sees a white stallion, Starlight, which Rocky Camron and W. M. McCormick say is a killer. Edwards disproves this, and trains the stallion to act as his guide in preparation for his future blindness. Ed¬ wards meets Doris Merrick, but knowing he is going blind, decides he cannot marry. Later, a black stallion leaps into the Ed¬ wards corral, and Camron’s pinto stallion fights the trespasser, and is killed. Cam¬ ron blames Starlight for his pinto’s death, and tries to kill it, but is dissuaded by Edwards. Merrick tells Edwards she wants to marry him. Later, the black stallion is seen, and as Edwards races to mount Starlight in pursuit of the stallion, he falls, and is found unconscious. Again, Star¬ light is blamed. A forest fire breaks out, menacing the ranch. Braving the flames, Starlight breaks through, and rescues Ed¬ wards. Out of danger, they are met by the black stallion, and a battle takes place, Starlight winning, and bringing Edwards safely home. Promise is held for saving Edwards’ eyesight. X-Ray: This adequate outdoor adven¬ ture for the duallers should prove most interesting for lovers of horses and chil¬ dren. The acting is adequate, there is plenty of action, and the wild horse stuff shapes up nicely. This is based on a story by George P. Slavin. Ad Lines: “The Screen Explodes With Action”; “Finish Fight — Fighting Fire — Fighting Fury”; “Outlaw Leader Of A Wild Horse Herd.” Forbidden Jungle (070) Melow&“ Estimate: For the lower half. Cast: Don Harvey, Forrest Taylor, Alyce Louis, Robert Cabal, Tamba. Pro¬ duced by Jack Schwarz; directed by Rob¬ ert Tansey. Story: Explorer Don Harvey accepts the assignment to locate a wild jungle boy for a wealthy American who believes that the boy may be his grandson. Harvey comes to the village run by Forrest Taylor and his half-caste daughter, Alyce Louis, at the edge of the forbidden jungle, and Harvey is warned away but pays no heed. He meets the boy, Robert Cabal, when the latter saves his life, and they become friends. Harvey asks him if he would like to return to New York with him. Since he can’t take his animals with him, he pre¬ fers to remain in the jungle. Harvey dis¬ covers that Cabal’s mother was Taylor’s daughter, and that he is his grandson. Since he has become attached to the boy, he leaves to return to his client, and is determined to tell him that no such boy exists. X-Ray: Except for some animal-fight footage, this is a routine entry that should be on the lower half with fair charac¬ terizations, average direction and produc¬ tion, and a somewhat slow pace. There is more talk than action. The original story and screen play are by Frances Kavanaugh. Ad Lines: “Danger Lurked In The Dark And Mysterious ‘Forbidden Jungle’ ”; “A Tiger Battles The Denizens Of The ‘For¬ bidden Jungle’”; “Thrill With A Wild Game Hunter As He Explores The ‘For¬ bidden Jungle’.” It's A Small World (030) Da6fl8“ Estimate: Unusual offering calls for plenty of showmanship. Cast: Paul Dale, Lorraine Miller, Will Geer, Nina Koshetz, Steve Brodie, Anne Sholter, Todd Karns, Margaret Fields,