The Exhibitor (1953)

ALLIED ARTISTS The Roar Of Action Drama The Crowd (5311) 71m. (Cinecolor) Estimate: Okeh for the duallers. Cast: Howard Duff, Helene Stanley, Dave Willock, Minor Watson, Don Hag¬ gerty, Louise Arthur, Edna Holland, Ray Walker, Paul Bryar, Duke Nallon, Johnny Parsons, Henry Banks, Manuel Ayulo, Harry Shannon. Produced by Richard Heermance; directed by William Beaudine. Story: Howard Duff, a race driver of stock c'ars, tries to get school-teacher Helene Stanley to marry him, but she won’t until he promises to give up his dangerous career. He claims he will quit after he has had one chance at the Indian¬ apolis 500-mile classic, but Minor Watson, a spark plug manufacturer who has been watching Duff’s career, wants him to race his midget in the big time. Duff is recog¬ nized as a topnotch racer, but has an accilent which hospitalizes him, during which time Stanley persuades him to take up selling Watson’s spark plugs. It is soon apparent he will never make a good sales¬ man so that Stanley and Duff’s father, Harry Shannon, borrow money from Watson to build him a new racer without his knowledge. Duff trains for the big Indianapolis race, enters, but finishes ninth, as his old injury to his leg bothers him. Stanley and his father stand around promising him he will win the big race next year. X-Ray: Paced slowly with a routine story, this has excellent shots of the speedways around the country, particu¬ larly of the Indianapolis classic 500-mile race. There is a surprise ending in which the hero does not win the final race. The race drivers, all playing themselves and whose names are in the papers daily, should be of interest to sports fans. This was written by Robert Abel and Charles R. Marion, with screen play by Marion. Ad Lines: “ ‘The Roar Of The Crowd’ Or The Love Of A Woman . . . Which Would He Choose?”; “Top Speed Kings And Spill Kings Leave You Limp With Excite¬ ment”; ‘“He Couldn’t Forget ‘The Roar Of The Crowd’ And Neither Will You.” COLUMBIA The Affairs Of Messalina Historical Drama 108m. (Italian-made) (Dubbed in English) Estimate: Import will find slow going. Cast: Memo Benassi, Maria Felix, Georges Marchal, Jean Chevrier, Jess Tissier, Michel Vitold, Giuseppe Varni, Ger¬ maine Karjean, Delia Scala, Erno Crisa, Camillo Pilotto, Carla Ninchi, Ave Ninchi, Cesare Barbetti, Gina Saltamerenda. Pro¬ duced by Produzione Gallone, Rome, and Filmsonor, Paris; directed by Carmine Gallone. Story: Revolving about the oversexed Maria “Messalina” Felix, fifth wife of Roman emperor Memo “Claudius” Ben¬ assi, this covers some of her affairs in the court and in brothels, with Georges “Caius” Marchal her principal favorite. Be¬ cause of a prediction, Benassi is willing to divorce Felix and let her wed Marchal, but, in a showdown after the Roman games and the wedding of Felix to Mar¬ chal, Benassi marches on Rome to stop a threat to his crown. Marchal is murdered, while Felix dies a suicide. X-Ray: This Italian import may be played in a few situations, Italian and art, but for the run of the mill it isn’t suit Published weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc. Publishing office: 246-248 North Clarion Street, Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania. New York office: 1600 Broadway, New York 19. West Coast Representative: Paul Manning, 9628 Cresta Drive, Los Angeles 35, California. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhalgh, general manager; Herbert M. Miller, editor; Max Cades, business manager; George Nonamaker and Mel Konecoff, associate editors. The original Pink Section evaluation of features, short subjects. SECTION TWO Vol. SO, No. 7 JUNE 17, 1953 able material despite the sex overtones and the usual type of production asso¬ ciated with film of Roman days. The dia¬ logue, dubbed in, is easy to understand for the most part, but the general nature of the whole piece restricts it. The story is by Carmine Gallone. Tip On Bidding: Lowest bracket. Ad Lines: “History’s Most Wicked Woman”; “She Was A Dangerous Dame . . . With A Crown As Her Prize”; “She Wanted Men In The Worst Way . . . And Achieved Her Goal.” The Last Posse Western 73m. Estimate: Better than average outdoor show. Cast: Broderick Crawford, Charles Bickford, John Derek, Wanda Hendrix, Warner Anderson, Henry Hull, Will Wright, Tom Powers, Raymond Greenleaf, James Kirkwood, Eddy Waller, Skip Homeier, James Bell, Guy Wilkerson, Mira McKinney, Helen Wallace, Harry Hayden, Monte Blue. Produced by Harry Joe Brown; directed by Alfred Werker. Story: Because sheriff Broderick Craw¬ ford, who cleaned up the town, has turned into a drunk, he isn’t part of the posse which goes out after James Bell and his sons, Skip Homeier and Guy Wilkerson, who stole money from Charles Bickford, a rancher who had forced the sale of their cattle to him at a low price. The posse, consisting of town business men, Bickford, and his adopted son, John Derek, returns without Bickford but with the injured Crawford, who had followed later. In flashback form, the story is told how Bickford desired to kill Bell and sons in cold blood, but is prevented by Craw¬ ford. Later, however, Bickford kills Bell and Homeier after Wilkerson is shot dur¬ ing the chase. Then Bickford is killed. With Crawford in bad condition, from a bullet wound, the business men decide to keep the money for themselves, with Derek due to get Bickford’s ranch. How¬ ever, when the showdown comes, Derek tells the truth, and the business men back down. Crawford, it is then learned, has been dead while the truth was being told. X-Ray: A western with a different twist, this should hold interest for the outdoor fans. The script is different, the acting good, and the direction tight. While color would have enhanced it, nevertheless it N rates with the better than average out¬ door shows. The story is by Seymour and Connie Lee Bennett. The romance, be¬ tween Derek and Wanda Hendrix, is minor. Tip On Bidding: Fair program price. Ad Lines: “Hero Or Drunk . . . ‘The Last Posse’ Learned The Hard Way”; “Broderick Crawford ... As The Town’s No. 1 Cleanup Guy”; “Men . . . Lured By Lust And A Sheriff Who Wouldn’t Be Bought.” Comedy Let's Do It Again with Music 93m. (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: Highly amusing comedy for the better grosses. Cast: Jane Wyman, Ray Milland, Aldo Ray, Leon Ames, Valerie Bettis, Tom Helmore, Karin Booth, Mary Treen, Rich¬ ard Wessel, Kathryn Givney, Herbert Heyes, Maurice Stein, Frank Remley, Don Rice, Don Gibson. Produced by Oscar Saul; directed by Alexander Hall. Story: Jane Wyman, retired actress, is happily married to songwriter Ray Milland until she discovers that his supposed trips out of town aren’t for real, but that he goes off for days on the town, and is seen in company of dancer Valerie Bettis. When he returns, she tells him that she, too, has been having a fling with bachelor producer Tom Helmore. They have a spat, and a divorce action follows with the final decree to be granted months hence. After a short period, Milland tries to woo her back, but she isn’t having any, instead accepting attentions from Helmore as well as Alaskan millionaire Aldo Ray, who falls in love with her. Milland spends some I THROUGH THESE PAGES ore recorded issue by issue, and year by year, the MOST FACTUALL Y HONEST REVIEWS in the entire Trade Press! PONT TAKE OUR WORD FOR IHtS, CHECK 'EM AGAINST YOUR PLAYOFF? 3537