The Exhibitor (1950)

crack the case to get higher up Cheshire. X-Ray: This fast-paced series entry presents some gambling tricks as back¬ ground, and finds the “Bowery Boys” in good form. All concerned turn in standard performances, with Bernard Gorcey sup¬ plying comedy as a pseudo-western gam¬ bler who loses heavily. The screen play was written by Charles R. Marion. Ad Lines: “Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, And The Other ‘Bowery Boys’ Get Into A Crooked Gambling Casino, And Emerge ‘Lucky Losers’ “It Took A Fearless News¬ caster To Turn The Spotlight On Crooked Politicians”; “They Didn’t Know Enough To Get Smart When The Heat Was On.” REPUBLIC Rock Island Trail Outdoor Drama (4914) 90m. (Trucolor) Estimate: Good outdoor show. Cast: Forrest Tucker, Adele Mara, Adrian Booth, Bruce Cabot, Chill Wills, Barbara Fuller, Grant Withers, Jeff Corey, Roy Barer oft, Pierre Watkin, Valentine Perkins, Jimmy Hunt, Emory Parnell. Associate producer Paul Malvern; directed by Joseph Kane. Story: Chief construction engineer of the Rock Island railroad, Forrest Tucker, and aide Chill Wills struggle to achieve recognition against the competition of the established stage coach and steam boat lines. Tucker dreams of building a line to the west coast but his initial difficulty is to overcome opposition of river boat head Bruce Cabot, fiance of banker’s daughter Adele Mara. Tucker falls in love with Mara. The rejected Cabot burns down a river span, but lawyer Abe Lincoln, Jeff Corey, proves the point in court, and Tucker wins a suit. Cabot then turns an Indian tribe against a Tucker train carry¬ ing a government payroll, ammunition, and mail but a friendly tribe of Indians headed by chief’s daughter Adrian Booth, a cosmopolitan who unreciprocally loved Tucker and forgave him, staves off the attack. Booth is killed in the defense, and Cabot dies after being captured. The rail¬ road expands, and Tucker can marry Mara. X-Ray: Outdoor fans who like them big and sprawling, and with plenty of action, humor, and romance will appreciate 'this highly saleable Trucolor entry. Tucker makes an affable, brawling, and clever hero with Mara and Booth to choose from; Cabot is the properly hissable villain, and Wills and Withers handle the humor capably. There are Indians, horses, and fights galore with one of the best of the latter being a guffaw-worthy mop duel. James Edward Grant wrote the screen play based on the Frank J. Nevins novel, “A Yankee Dared,” and one song, “Rock Island Trail,” is heard. Ad Lines: “One Man Had The Vision To Start A Railroad Across The Country”; “Action-Packed . . . That’s ‘Rock Island Trail’ ”; “She Was The Kind Of Girl Who Wasn’t Used To Taking Orders.” The Vanishing Westerner western (4972) 60m. Estimate: Good series entry. Cast: Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, Aline Towne, Roy Barcroft, Arthur Space, Rich¬ ard Anderson, William Phipps, Don Hag¬ gerty, Dick Curtis, Rand Brooks, Edmund Cobb, Harold Goodwin. Associate pro¬ ducer Melville Tucker; directed by Philip Ford. Story: Sheriff Arthur Space acts as an employment agency channel for gang EXHIBITOR 7. , „• r ■ May 10 1950 leader Roy Barcroft, and special investi¬ gators Monte Hale and Paul Hurst receive jobs in this manner. The discovery of a wanted-for-murder clipping on Hale is the clincher, and he is then ordered to kill Space but is given a gun with powderless bullets. Hale goes through the motions but a gun is fired through the window, and Barcroft has Hale arrested for murder while undertaker Harold Goodwin re¬ moves the body. Space’s long unseen English brother appears, and demands Hale’s lynching. Deputy sheriff Richard Anderson removes Hale by wagon but Barcroft’s aides take him prisoner. Hurst helps Hale escape, and they dig up Space’s coffin, and find it empty. Hale takes An¬ derson to the sheriff’s office where a large payroll is in the safe whose combination is otherwise known only by Space. There they catch Barcroft, Space, and Goodwin, crooked partners. X-Ray: This good series issue boasts a good story twist in addition to the usual ample amount of hard fighting and riding. Hale, Hurst, and Barcroft turn in standard performances. This was written by Bob Williams. Ad Lines: “Monte Hale Finds Himself Wanted By The Law And The Outlaws In ‘The Vanishing Westerner’ ”; “A Cold Blooded Outlaw Gang Spells Death And Danger For Monte Hale”; “An ActionPacked Western.” 20TH.FQX _ The Gunfighter (015) WeS8S Estimate: High rating. Cast: Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell, Jean Parker, Karl Mal¬ den, Skip Homeier, Anthony Ross, Verna Felton, Ellen Corby, Richard Jaeckel, Alan Hale, Jr., David Clarke, John Pickard, B. G. Norman, Angela Clarke, Cliff Clarke, Jean Inness. Produced by Nunnaly John¬ son; directed by Henry King. Story: Famed western bad man Gregory Peck, older and tired of running, is con¬ stantly annoyed by young punks seeking to draw against him. Peck kills Richard Jaeckel in self-defense, and Jaeckel’s brothers chase Peck, who goes to a nearby town, where Millard Mitchell, formerly an outlaw and Peck’s pal is now marshal. Mitchell wants Peck to get out of town before trouble starts, but Peck asks to see his wife, school teacher Helen Westcott, and young son, B. G. Norman, before he leaves. Skip Homeier, local amateur bad man, wants Peck to draw against him. The whole town is upset over Peck’s presence, and Peck outwits Homeier without gun¬ play but finally, after Peck has seen West¬ cott and has spoken to his son, Homeier kills him. Although the attack was Un¬ warranted, Peck says he drew against Homeier. Mitchell beats up Homeier, and tells him that he will be a marked man, in the same spot Peck was. At the funeral, Westcott proudly asserts that Peck was her husband, a fact which had been kept secret. X-Ray: This is a high grade piece of merchandise, strongest on the direction, acting, and production end than in the shooting, fighting, and riding divisions. Those who like formula westerns will probably crave more action but the film definitely rates as one of the best. Peck turns in an ace performance, while Mit¬ chell and the rest of the cast rate kudos for their work. Those who appreciate a good job will definitely go for this while the action followers may be lured by the title and type of film. This is based on a story by William Bowers and Andre de Toth. Tip On Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “His Guns Blazed A Trail Of Fame Throughout The Southwest”; “Every¬ body Tried To Beat ‘The Gunfighter’, And Wound Up Dead”; “A Different Type Of Western With A Different Type Of Star.” Love That Brute (016) C°^5mY Estimate: Pleasing program. Cast: Paul Douglas, Jean Peters, Kee¬ nan Wynn, Joan Davis, Cesar Romero, Arthur Treacher, Peter Price, Jay C. Flippen, Barry Kelley, Leon Belasco, Ed¬ win Max, Sid Tomack, Phil Tully, Clara Blandick, Jimmie Hawkins, Judith Ann Vroon, Grayce Hampton, Billy Chaney, Dan Riss, Charles Lane, Frank Mitchell, Tiny Timbrell, Sid Marion, Marion Mar¬ shall, Charles Evans, Stan Johnson, Lief Erickson, Mauritz Hugo. Produced by Fred Kohlmar; directed by Alexander Hall. Story: Back in the late 20’s in Chicago, gangleader Paul Douglas is credited with having eliminated many of the henchmen of rival mobster Cesar Romero, but actually he only imprisons them in the basement of his home in order to build up a reputation. Douglas has a yen for wel¬ fare worker Jean Peters, and to bring her into his home as a governess, gets fatherless Peter Price to act as his son. Peters learns of the deception, and leaves after Price is placed in a military school. Meanwhile, Douglas and Romero have arranged a truce. Peters gets a job as a singer at a cafe, but when she learns Douglas still owns it, she quits. At a big party arranged to celebrate the truce be¬ tween Douglas and Romero, Price arrives home after having broken school rules, the imprisoned gangsters escape, and Ro¬ mero learns the truth about Douglas’ rep. He orders his henchmen to kill Douglas, but they allow Douglas to escape. Douglas later comes back to let Peters know he is alive, and arranges things so that Romero is to take the rap for his murder. His problems solved, he goes back with Peters and Price to a small town to live a re¬ spectable life. X-Ray: Made years ago as “Tall, Dark, And Handsome,” this lacks sparkle of the original, but it does have laughs for most audiences. Douglas is okeh as the gang leader, and gets good support from Kee¬ nan Wynn as his right hand man, Romero, Peters, and others. Price, as the tough little youngster, fails to make the impres¬ sion that Stanley Clements did in the original. On the whole, however, this looms as pleasing program fare, even though hardly any of this sort make a dent at the boxolfices. This was written by Karl Tunberg, Darrell Ware, and John Lee Mahin. Among songs heard is: “You Took Advantage Of Me.” Tip On Bidding: Fair program price. Ad Lines: “He Was A Tough Mobster Until They Found His Victims Were Alive”; “A Tough Guy To Everyone Ex¬ cept A Dame”; “You’ll ‘Love That Brute’ When You Find Out He’s Paul Douglas.” U-International Western With Music 83m. (Technicolor) Estimate: Good western. Cast: Wanda Hendrix, Audie Murphy, Burl Ives, Dean Jagger, Richard Rober, Anthony Curtis, Houseley Stevenson, Elliott Reid, Griff Barnett, Elizabeth Ris Sierra (919) 2848 Servisection 4