The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR June 21, 1950 either captured or killed, and Paget’s death seems to finalize the peace. Stewart grieves. X-Ray: This is a high-rating entry with a fine dramatic presentation and its moments of suspense and action. Off the beaten track of outdoor presentations, it should be appreciated by those seeking a better type of entertainment. The acting is in the superior class, with all turning in a fine job, with perhaps special mention due Chandler. The story is absorbing, holding interest on high from start to finish, and the direction, production, and camerawork are also in the better class. The film is based on the novel, “Blood Brother,” by Elliott Arnold. Tip On Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “The Thrilling Saga Of How Peace Came To Arizona”; “An ActionPacked Thriller Of The Early Days In Arizona”; “An Outdoor Thriller That Is Off The Beaten Track With Its Superior Entertainment Values.” Panic In The Streets Melodrama 95m. Estimate: High-rating meller. Cast: Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, Barbara Bel Geddes, Walter Palance, Zero Mostel, Dan Riss, Alexis Minotis, Guy Thomajian, Tommy Cook, Edward Ken¬ nedy, H. T. Tsiang, George Ehmig, Lewis Charles, Paul Hostetler, Mary Liswood, Stanley J. Reyes, Juan Villasana, Tiger Joe Marsh. Produced by Sol C. Siegel; directed by Elia Kazan. Story: In the New Orleans French Quarter, a poker game is being played by several small time thugs including Walter Palance, Zero Mostel, and Guy Thoma¬ jian against big winner Lewis Charles. Charles complains violently of illness, and leaves. The trio corner him in an alley, Palance shoots him twice, and they dump the body in the Mississippi River. Public Health Service doctor Richard Widmark examines the corpse and advises that the victim had fatal pneumonic plague, pow¬ erful form of bubonic plague. Widmark insists publicity would cause the con¬ taminated people to cause great panic, so is given police cooperation, and works with homicide captain Paul Douglas. With 48 hours in which to work, Widmark tries detecting on his own, and by offering $50 at a seamen’s hall, gains information that Charles was smuggled in on a certain ship. Widmark then succeeds with hard¬ ship in inocculating that ship’s men, learning that Charles loved Armenian food. Further search is unavailing till restaurant owner Alexis Minotis grievedly retracts his statement of ignorance when his wife dies of the plague, and identifies Thomajian. Palance and Mostel decide Thomajian must have taken some smug¬ gled valuables from Charles, and hound the latter though he is stricken. Police re¬ porter Dan Riss is jailed on Douglas’ order when he threatens to break the story. He is freed but before the story breaks, Wid¬ mark and Douglas get Mostel and Palance in a waterfront chase. X-Ray: Masterful craftsmanship has fashioned an immensely gripping highintensity melodrama. Brilliant Elia Kazan direction has juxtaposed action and ex¬ position via dialogue and characterization in an extremely effective manner. Per¬ formances are top level, with Widmark and Douglas fine, Palance scoring, and Mostel registering strongly. A mobile camera abetted by an Alfred Newman musical score heightens the New Orleans setting. The title and stars should weigh heavily marqueewise. Richard Murphy wrote the screen play from an Edna and Edward Anhalt story. Tip On Bidding: Higher bracket. Ad Lines: “Richard Widmark And Paul Douglas Star In An Unforgettable Melo¬ drama . . . ‘Panic In The Streets’ ‘ It Swept Through The Whole Town, And Threatened To Endanger The Entire Couptry”; “Men Who Hated Each Other Com¬ bined Forces To Stem The ‘Panic In The Streets’.” UNITED ARTISTS Outdoor The Iroquois Trail Melodrama n 85^m. (Small) Estimate: Good outdoor entry. Cast: George Montgomery, Brenda Marshall, Glenn Langan, Monte Blue, Sheldon Leonard, Paul Cavanagh, Regin¬ ald Denny, Holmes Herbert, Dan O’Herlihy, Marcel Gourmet, Esther Somers, John Doucette, Don Garner. Produced by Bernard Small; directed by Phil Karlson. Story: The battle between the French and the English over the Iroquois Trail, from Albany to Canada, affects the peace¬ ful life of hunter-trapper George Mont¬ gomery when his younger brother, Don Garner, a dispatch rider for the British, is killed by traitor John Doucette and trusted Indian Sheldon Leonard. Mont¬ gomery learns of Doucette’s deed from the dying lips of Garner, and kills him in revenge but is wanted by the army, for Doucette had hoodwinked the army into believing Garner a traitor. Montgomery and gentle Indian friend Monte Blue trail Leonard, trying to track down the leak in the army. They join as scouts, and are assigned to speed officer Glenn Langan, fiancee Brenda Marshall, and Leonard with an important dispatch. Montgomery and Blue foil a Leonard-led ambush, but de¬ lay the message delivery, and are jailed. Leonard is entrusted with a message while the troops make a last ditch stand. Montgomery denounces Leonard to officer Reginald Denny, the real spy, who is killed by Blue as he is about to kill Montgom¬ ery. Leonard incites the Indians to mas¬ sacre the embattled troops, and captures Marshall in the fightirig. Montgomery and Langan save Marshall, and gain safety when Montgomery kills Leonard in a contest. Montgomery then joins the army as Langan’s guide, and Marshall avows love. X-Ray: The familiar outdoor action story pattern is adhered to in this, which features ample fighting and shooting to satisfy the younger element. That will bg. the selling angle for this lacks a name draw. There are some good Indian action scenes. Richard Schayer wrote the screen play based on the famous James Fenimore Cooper “Leather Stocking Tales.” Tip On Bidding: Fair program price. Ad Lines: “The Indians Had To Fight With The French Or The English Over ‘The Iroquois Trail’ ”; “She Had To Choose Between The Men Who Offered Their Lives For Her Safety, And Hated Eeach Other”; “One Man Betrayed The Army In Battle.” U-International Madness Of The Heart Drama 91m. (English-made) Estimate: Import should have appeal for class and art spots. Cast: Margaret Lockwood, Paul Dupuis, Kathleen Byron, Maxwell Reed, Thora Hird, Maurice Denham, Raymond Lovell, Marie Burke, David Hutcheson, Pamela Stirling, Cathleen Nesbitt, Joy Harring¬ ton. A J. Arthur Rank presentation. Pro¬ duced by Richard Wainwright; directed by Charles Bennett. Story: Margaret Lockwood, becoming blind after falling in love with French nobleman Paul Dupuis, flees to a convent, but is told by the Mother Superior that she cannot escape the outside world so she returns. They are married, and go from England to Dupuis’ home in France. His family and friends seem to receive her warmly, but his father, Raymond Lovell, resents her blindness, and a rival, Kath¬ leen Byron, takes advantage of the blind¬ ness in an attempt to destroy her. Lockwood and Dupuis quarrel, and she goes back to England with her maid, undergoes an operation, and regains her sight. Then she returns to Dupuis. He is absent, and her rival, not knowing she regained her sight, again tries to kill her, but is pre¬ vented by Lovell, who refuses to share in any more Byron conspiracies. He sends a telegram to Dupuis to return to Lockwood, and, in an attempt to intercept this, Byron is killed in an automobile crash. Lockwood and Dupuis are reunited. X-Ray: Based on a novel by Flora Sandstrom, this English-made drama is gripping even though a bit on the heavy side. For houses which can play the im¬ ports this should have appeal. The acting is above standard, and the film holds in¬ terest all the way. Women should par¬ ticularly like it. Tip On Bidding: Low bracket. Ad Lines: “Their Love Transcended All — Even Her Blindness”; “A Tragic Tri¬ angle With A Happy Ending”; “A Dynamic Drama Of True Love.” Peggy (922) Farce 77m. (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: Pleasant program. Cast: Diana Lynn, Charles Coburn, Charlotte Greenwood, Barbara Lawrence, Charles Drake, Rock Hudson, Jerome Cowan, Connie Gilchrist, Griff Barnett, James Todd, Charles Trowbridge, Ellen Corby, Donna Martell, Ann Pearce, James Best, Lucille Barkley. Produced by Ralph Dietrict; directed by Frederick de Cor¬ dova. Story: Former Ohio State professor Charles Coburn comes to Pasadena, Cal., with his two daughters, Diana Lynn and Barbara Lawrence, who enroll at Pasa¬ dena City College. Lynn is secretly mar¬ ried to Rock Hudson, Ohio State grid star, whom Coburn can’t stand. Lynn and Lawrence enter the competition for Rose Bowl queen, and stand a good chance. Later they learn that married girls aren’t eligible so Lynn fakes illness. This leads to a mixup, with Coburn believing Law¬ rence married to Charles Drake, son of Charlotte Greenwood, a neighborly busy¬ body. Finally, it is all straightened out, with Lawrence becoming the Rose Bowl queen, winning Drake, and Lynn keeping her fullback, with Coburn resigned to it all. X-Ray: Winding up with some eye¬ filling views of the Rose Bowl parade and a few grid shots, this, for the most part, is just a pleasant programmer enhanced by Technicolor. The plot doesn’t deviate from the expected, and the players are far better than the material. Coburn, as usual, is aces, and Lynn and Lawrence attractive. More of the Rose Bowl parade plus some more football would probably have helped in the merchandising. The story is by George F. Slavin and George W. George. Tip On Bidding: Fair program price. Ad Lines: “You’ve Never Seen A Gal Like ‘Peggy’ ”; “ ‘Peggy’ Goes To College, And Everybody Goes For ‘Peggy’ ”; “The Year’s Funniest Laff Show . . . With The Rose Bowl Parade In Technicolor.” Servisection 4