The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

THE EXHIBITOR October 17, 1945 Cast: Rudolph Valentino, Marie Dressier, Coleen Moore, William S. Hart, Mary Pickford, Pola Negri, Lon Chaney, Clara Bow, Charlie Chaplin, Lillian Gish, Tom Mix, etc. Narrated by Milton Cross and Ethel Owen; produced by Max Finn and Joseph Levine. Story: This is a revamping of some oldtime films filled with the top stars of yester¬ year. Featured are such favorites as “The Drunkard,” “East Lynne,” and choice se¬ quences from other films, such as Mary Pickford in “New York Hat.” Also included are several newsreel gems spanning three dec¬ ades, a ‘follies’ portion providing glimpses of the first ‘Miss America’ pageant, oldtime songs, etc. X-Ray: An amusing show, this has ob¬ vious exploitation possibilities. A sound track has been added, and it is cleverly nar¬ rated by Milton Cross and Ethel Owen. Its greatest appeal will be to the old-timers, but it should also hold interest for the younger folk who can look back with amuse¬ ment on the birth pangs of the industry. Ad Lines: “You’ll Wake Up In The Mid¬ dle Of The Night Chuckling At The Fun Of It . . . Strictly For Laughs”; “Thrill Again To 100 Stars Of Yesteryear”; “Come • And Hiss The Villain, And Sing Those Sweet Old Songs Of The Lush Old GasLight Days.” Jeep-Herders West4e6rmn (Planet) (Kodachrome) 16 mm. Estimate: Well-made western should ap¬ peal to the market. Cast: June Carlson, John Day, Pat Mi¬ chaels, Steve Clark, Ashley Cowan, Slim Gaut, Paul Bradley, Dale Van Sickel, Tom Steele, Saul Gorss, Richard Fitch, Fred Ken¬ nedy, Frank McCarroll, Victor Metzetti. Pro¬ duced and directed by Richard Talmadge and Marvey Parry. Story: Just out of the Army, and return¬ ing to his dad’s ranch, Pat Michaels finds the place devoid of cowhands. His dad, Steve Clark, and sister, June Carlson, explain that all the men are working at a nearby wildcat oil field at higher wages, and although they suspect there is oil on their land, attorney Paul Bradley, who partly owns the wildcat project and is trying to cheat Clark out of his property, stalls Clark off. Michaels suspects the dirty work, visits the oil field, has a fight with some of the men, is rescued by Brad¬ ley, and returns to the ranch determined to get help to work the ranch, so he wires his buddies in a near-by convalescent hospital. They arrive in jeeps, with which they round up the herd but, in the meantime, Bradley and his minions arrive to try to work over the folks. John Day, one of the boys, es¬ capes on a horse, sees the jeeps, sends them a message, and, after some thrilling cross¬ country riding, the boys roar into the ranch in time to practice a bit of Army rough stuff, capture the gang, and take them to jail, while the budding romance between Carlson and Day blooms. X-Ray: Made for the 16 mm. market, in Kodachrome, this should have appeal for that field, and the color is a definite asset. While the story is typical, the Army jeep angle is new, and it should appeal to the hinterlands. As the first of a series, this is encouraging. Ad Lines: “And Now The Jeep Has a New Chore . . . Helping the Men On the Range Herd Their Cattle”; “Thrills . . . Spills . . . Brawls . . . Falls ... and Some Grand Com¬ edy and Plenty of Romance On the Range”; “The Year’s Most Thrilling Western.” Sell Victory Bonds In Your Theatre Every Day, Every Week, Every Month. The Shorts Parade Two Reel Comedy DANCE, DUNCE, DANCE. Columbia — All Star Comedy. 1814m. Eddie Foy, Jr., and his small daughter are starving because Foy can’t get a job in Hollywood. As a last re¬ sort, he makes one more try to get in to see a producer, and is mistaken for a mas¬ seur. Foy thinks he is nuts, but decides to play along until he can show his stuff. When that happens, the producer thinks Foy is nuts until he reveals that he is looking for a job, whereupon the producer calls a cop. During the chase, he realizes that Foy is a great actor, and finally catches up, and hires him. GOOD. (7422). THE MAYOR’S HUSBAND. ColumbiaAll Star Comedy. 16m. When Hugh Her¬ bert’s wife runs for mayor on the reform platform, claiming that she will put a gang¬ ster and his terrorizing mob behind bars with the evidence in her possession, the gang leader’s girl friend decides to call on Herbert to try to get the evidence away from him. His wife returns while this is going on. The gangster himself enters the house, and the result is a merry mix-up with the gang leader and his moll on the losing end. FAIR. (7421). A MINER AFFAIR. Columbia— All Star Comedy. 19m. Andy Clyde and Charles Rogers return from a mining trip consider¬ ably poorer than when they left, and find that a young girl and her crippled brother are occupying their shack on the garbage dump while the girl tries to scrape together enough money for an operation so that he can walk like other youngsters. Their meager funds are further depleted when a swindler talks them out of the money by promising them the right to dig for treas¬ ure under an old house. They dig, and wind up in a bank vault. However, all is not lost, for the same crook that swindled them tries to hold up the bank, and he is captured by the two miners, who get the reward. The money, in turn, goes for the operation, which makes the youngster well, and everybody is happy. FAIR. (7432). WHERE THE PEST BEGINS— Colum¬ bia — All-Star Comedy. 17m. Shemp How¬ ard is preparing breakfast for his wife when Tom Kennedy moves in next door. How¬ ard goes out to meet his neighbor, and then tries to help him in a neighborly way. Things aren’t going so well for Kennedy, and they, get steadily worse as Howard’s good intentions direct themselves to an ex¬ plosive bomb that Kennedy invented. Things meet the obvious end. with everything go¬ ing up in smoke. BAD. (7431). Dramatic STAR IN THE NIGHT. Vitaphone— Featurette. 20m. J. Carrol Naish, disillusioned auto court owner, puts a huge electric star above his place, and it is lit on Christmas eve. A forlorn hitchhiker, Donald Woods, arrives, and asks for a few minutes of warmth and a cup of coffee, but Naish is not softened by the time of the year, and refuses. He has trouble with a cranky female tenant, who objects to the singing of carols; with an irate customer, whose shirts came back poorly done by the laundry, and with some tenants over some extra blankets, etc. Finally, a young couple enter, and ask for a cabin so that the pregnant wife can get some rest. Naish tells them none is left. His wife, however, Rosina Galli, makes them at home in the hay strewn barn, and every¬ body pitches in when the baby makes an early arrival changing Naish’s mind about the world in general, with everyone for¬ getting their selfishness. The crowning touch is the arrival of three cowboys at the desert camp with some unexpected baby gifts. Naish sends Woods on his way with his own jacket for warmth. EXCELLENT. (2102). Musical SOLID SENDERS. Universal — Name Band Musicals. 15m. This hodge podge of vaude acts appearing before Jan Garber and his orchestra is fast moving and plenty loud when the band gives out on its own. Julia London, a cute tap dancer, a pair of juvenile xylophonists, a gal trio, and others appear. Songs heard include “The Boy With the Wistful Eyes” and “Swing It Mother Goose.” There is also a drum solo that is the last word in noise. It’s okeh entertainment, but mainly for bobby 60xers. FAIR. (1301). Novelty AMERICAN BEAUTY. 20th CenturyFox — the March of Time. 18m. This series entry shows the many things it takes to make a woman beautiful, including the beauty creations and courses. The camera takes the audience through some of the swankiest salons to show the rituals, rou¬ tines, and exercises the female sex undertake to keep beautiful. The part that cosmetics plays in the life of the average woman, how the Federal Trade Commission protects the public from fraudulent claims in cosmetics, famous and distinguished beauticians, hair dressers, and cosmetologists at work; the part that the search for beauty plays in the lives of wealthy women, and a final blast at scoffing men are all to be found in this issue. This also includes plenty of plugs for the companies manufacturing the various beauty preparations. EXCELLENT. One Reel Color Cartoon HARE TONIC. Vitaphone — Bugs Bunny Special. 7m. Bugs Bunny finds himself in a basket carried by Elmer Fudd, who intends to fricassee the bunny, but the very much alive Bugs has other plans, and proceeds to fake a radio warning about an epidemic of rabbit fever in store for all buyers of rab¬ bits caught recently. From there on, Fudd tries to get rid of Bugs, but he doesn’t want to go and the results are humourous. GOOD. (1725). SUNBONNET BLUE. Warners — Blue Ribbon Cartoon. 7m. At night, after hours, the mice take over a closed hat shop, and have fun until a villainious rat kidnaps the female sweetheart of one of the mice, but she is saved by her sweetheart, and the pair get married. GOOD. (2301). Dramatic THE HOUSE I LIVE IN. RKO— LeroyRoss. 10m. An inspired plea for tolerance, this brings Frank Sinatra in a new role, that of an educator. Sinatra records a song, takes a breather in an adjacent alley, and sees a group of boys beating up another boy. They explain that he is of a different religion. Sinatra takes them to task, and points out that America is made up of many races and religions, and that only Nazis and ‘dopes’ are opposed to a fair chance for everyone. He convinces the kidsj and goes back to record “The House I Live In.” This is de¬ serving of special attention, and rates high. EXGELLENT. The Servisection Is The Only Serv¬ ice Of Its Kind Which Gives A Com¬ plete Coverage of All Features and Shorts Released In The Domestic Mar¬ ket. Read It, And Improve Your Booking. 1812 S«rvis«ction 4