The Exhibitor (1953)

May 6 , 1953 EXHIBITOR does Tony Taylor, another orphan adopted by a local Catholic family and who really started the fire by accident, the children are found, all is forgiven, and everyone is happy. X-Ray: Despite the Technicolor and the star draw, this looms as probably a stronger entry in the smaller towns than in the big cities. Its story, by Mary McSherry, is one of tolerance and under¬ standing, and played at a leisurely pace, but the sweetness and light attitude seems to make it better fitted for the family trade. Performances are adequate as are the direction and production. Two tradi¬ tional airs, “Green Sleeves” and “Frere Jacques”, are heard. Long range selling, through tieups, etc., should be of advan¬ tage in the merchandising. Tip On Bidding: Better than average price. Ad Lines: “What Was The ‘Scandal At Scourie’?”; “The Most Delightful Picture Of The Year”; “Bring The Whole Family To See ‘Scandal At Scourie’.” A Slight Case Of Larceny Co,l’“Y Estimate: For the duallers. Cast: Mickey Rooney, Eddie Bracken, Elaine Stewart, Marilyn Erskine,. Douglas Fowley, Robert Burton, Charles Halton, Henry Slate, Rudy Lee, Mimi Gibson. Produced by Henry Bermam; directed by Don Weis. Story: Following World War II, Mickey Rooney, army pal of Eddie Bracken, who is married to Marilyn Erskine, gets Bracken to mortgage his home so the two can start a gas station. Business is bad until Rooney cuts into a gasoline pipe running from a refinery beneath the station. This gets them more profit, but eventually the law catches up with them after a fire gives away their get-richquick scheme. Since their crime was a minor one, they get away with six months, during which Erskine and Elaine Stewart, Rooney’s girl friend, keep going by oper¬ ating a lunch cart. Out of jail, the boys work for the girls until they pay what they owe the oil company. X-Ray: A minor effort, this is for the duallers. The names may be of some value, but everything is on a modest level, including the laughs. For the most part, this is strictly for the twin bills. The story is by James Poe. Tip On Bidding: Program price. Ad Lines: “Meet A Get Rich Quick Guy”; “ ‘A Slight Case Of Larceny’ . . . But He Had Big Ideas”; “He Was A Fast Guy . . . Until The Law Caught Up With Him.” Young Bess (333) Historical Drama 112m. (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: Well-made historical drama. Cast: Jean Simmons, Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, Charles Laughton, Kay Walsh, Guy Rolfe, Kathleen Byron, Cecil Kellaway, Rex Thompson, Robert Arthur, Leo C. Carroll, Norma Varden, Alan Napier, Noreen Corcoran, Ivan Triesault, Elaine Stewart, Dawn Addams, Doris Lloyd, Lumsden Hare, Lester Matthews. Produced by Sidney Franklin; directed by George Sidney. Story: Jean “Young Bess” Simmons, daughter of Charles “Henry VIII” Laugh¬ ton and Anne Boleyn, is always in and out of favor with her father. As a young woman she comes back to court, where she meets Laughton’s latest wife, Deborah Kerr, and the two women develop a friendship. Simmons’ firmness captures Laughton’s admiration, and, on his death bed, he instructs his lord admiral, Stewart Granger, to look out for her and his little son, Rex Thompson, against power hungry lord protector Guy Rolfe. Thomp¬ son ascends the throne as a figurehead as Rolfe holds the ruling power. Simmons ahcl Kerr retire to a country house, where Granger comes for visits. Simmons falls in love with Granger, but is disconsolate when she discovers that it is Kerr whom he loves. Brokenhearted, she persuades Thompson to order their marriage, which infuriates Rolfe, who feels the union would give Granger more power. Sim¬ mons remains with the couple after their marriage, and her interest in the sea and sailing fascinate Granger. At a court party, Simmons is seen kissing a court aide, and Granger has become jealous. When they discover that they love one another, Kerr begs Simmons to give up the infatuation. Unwilling to hurt Kerr, Simmons decides to return to her coun¬ try house. When Kerr dies, Granger is sent on another naval expedition, and Simmons learns that Rolfe is plotting his death. When Granger returns to England, he and Simmons meet once more, but he is arrested, and sent to the Tower. Sim¬ mons reaches the young king too late to stop the execution, and Granger dies. The king dies, and the reign of Simmons’ step-sister is short. As Queen Elizabeth, Simmons has Rolfe executed, and settles down to a reign. X-Ray: Given the usual high rating MGM production, and embellished with Technicolor, this is a film that should command the best selling attention. It has strong star values, dramatic sequences that should hold any audience, and is well mounted throughout. Simmons, Granger, Kerr, and others contribute fine perform¬ ances. However, this lacks the spectacle usually associated with this type of film, and the trend is more towards words than action, which may slow down its grosses in the action spots and smaller situations, but for the metropolitan spots the merit plus certain critical acclaim will make the difference. The screen play was written by Jan Lustig and Arthur Wimperis, based on the novel by Margaret Irwin. Tip On Bidding: Better price. Ad Lines: “The Young Love Life Of England’s Great Spinster Queen”; “Royal Loves And Hates Before A Majestic Arid Colorful Background”; “The Story Of Fiery and Furious ‘Young Bess’, Who Lost Her Lover In Political Intrigue.” PARAMOUNT Stalag 17 (5224) Comedy Drama llJP/^M. Estimate: Comedy drama of prison war camp is headed for the better grosses. Cast: William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck, Richard Erdman, Peter Graves, Neville Brand, Sig Ruman, Michael Moore, Peter Baldwin, Robinson Stone, Robert Shawley, William Pierson, Gil Stratton, Jr., Jay Lawrence, Erwin Kaiser, Edmund Trzcinski, Harold D. Maresch, Jerry Singer, Ross Bagdasarian, Svetlana McLee, Lyda Vashkulat, Audrey Strauss. Produced and directed by Billy Wilder. Story: In World War II, in Stalag 17, a German prisoner of war camp, the American compound holds 630 airmen, all sergeants. Two of them try to escape, but they are caught and killed, which leads to the belief that one of the men is tipping off the Nazis. Suspicion turns to William Holden because he has set up some fancy rackets in the camp, bribing the German guards to get special privi¬ leges. However, no one can pin the squealing on him. Holden is beaten up by the men, but he still declares his innocence. Finally, Holden is able to figure out that Peter Graves, actually the security chief for the group, is a Nazi who once lived in America, and who had been planted in the compound. At the show¬ down, after American lieutenant Don Taylor, wanted by the camp commander, Otto Preminger, because he instituted some sabotage that destroyed some munition trains, is hidden, Holden arranges matters so that he escapes with Taylor while Graves is shot down by the Nazis by mistake. The spy having been taken care of, life goes on in the camp. X-Ray: With an all-male cast, based on the hit play by Donald Devan and Ed¬ mund Trzcinski, this is a different war film that 6ught to register in the better grosses. While there have been many World War II films, this approaches the conflict from a new angle, and, thanks to Billy Wilder’s excellent direction, it mixes comedy, pathos, and suspense in good portions that ought to result in good wordof-mouth. The long list of male players includes excellent bits throughout, with Holden, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck, Richard Erdman, Graves, and others helping make the film a realistic contribu¬ tion. Naturally, there isn’t any romance, although allusions to women through the Russian female prisoners and in the dialogue are plentiful. Preminger and Sig Ruman are okeh as the Nazi prison chiefs. There are some incidental songs through^ out. The unusual title may have to be sold in an explanatory vein, and while this is slow getting started, once it hits its pace it really moves. Tip On Bidding: Better price. Ad Lines: “ ‘Stalag 17’ . . . Hundreds Of Sergeants . And No Women”; “A Spy In Their Midst . . . And Every One A Suspect”; “More Laughs . . . Suspense . . . And Pathos . . . Than You’ve Ever Seen . . . That’s ‘Stalag 17’.” REPUBLIC Fair Wind To Java (5207) Adventure Drama 92m. (Trucolor) Estimate: Name draw should be a fac¬ tor in the selling. Cast: Fred MacMurray, Vera Ralston, Robert Douglas, Victor McLaglen, John Russell, Buddy Baer, Claude Jarman, Jr., Grant Withers, Howard Petrie, Paul Fix, William Murphy, Sujata, Philip Ahn, Stephen Bekassy. Produced and directed by Joseph Kane. Story: Fred MacMurray, American captain of a sailing ship in the 1880’s in the East Indies, embarks on a search for some diamonds, and learns th^t a Chinese junk captain has a secret cargo for sale that will lead to the hiding place of the diamonds. The cargo is actually Javanese dancing girl Vera Ralston. MacMurray buys her, which makes him liable to a slavery charge, laid with the authorities by trader Robert Douglas, really a pirate chief. Ralston’s presence on MacMurray’s ship loses him the respect of the crew, and, under the leadership of first mate John Russell, they mutiny. MacMurray suppresses the mutiny, but the pirate ship of Douglas approaches, and MacMurray, Ralston, and crew are captured, and im¬ prisoned. When MacMurray’s life is threatened, Ralston’s love for him makes her tell what she knows. Douglas’ pirates head for the diamonds in a temple beside the volcano on another island, Krakatoa, but MacMurray, aided by apprentice Claude Jarman, Jr., and Victor McLaglen, escapes, and frees the loyal members of his crew, and they follow. A chase re¬ sults up the mountain after it is about S«rvto» cHon 3 V' % 3515