The Exhibitor (Nov 1944-May 1945)

April 4, 1945 THE EXHIBITOR Too Late To Classify Features The Scarlet Clue Mystery 64m. (Monogram) Estimate: Good series entry. Cast: Sidney Toler, Benson Fong, Mantan Moreland, Helen Devereaux, Robert Ho¬ mans, Virginia Brissac, I. Stanford Jolley, R. Kilpatrick, Jack Norton, Charles Sherlock, Janet Shaw, Milt Kibbee. Produced by James S. Burkett; directed by Phil Rosen. Story: Police chief Robert Homans wit¬ nesses the murder of a suspect in a plot to steal a secret radar plan, and Sidney Toler, (Charlie Chan) is called in on the case. Toler, with the aid of Benson Fong, his son, and Mantan Moreland, Negro assistant, trace the murder car to radio actress Helen Dever¬ eaux. Janet Shaw, another actress, is killed by a mysterious gas when she tries to black¬ mail the station manager. I. Stanford Jolley, with evidence that he was at the scene of the first murder. The espionage ring is ruled by someone unknown even to his constitu¬ ents. Later, when suspicion falls on Jolley, the unknown leader lures him to his death by springing a door in the elevator. Next to be murdered is actor Jack Norton, and Toler, discovers thaj a capsule of gas concealed in the microphones, coupled with the smoke of a cigarette, ended both Norton’s and Shaw’s lives. The murderer turns out to be Virginia Brissac, the sponsor, and her life is ended in her own elevator death trap. X-Ray: One of the better Chan thrillers, this keeps interest at a high level. It. will make a good addition to the twin bills. Ad Lines: “Quiet Everybody . . . We’re On The Air . . . Glet Ready For . . . Mur¬ der”; “Super Sleuth Charlie Chan Finds Himself Up To His Neck In Murders When He Tries To Unravel The Case Of ‘The Scarlet Clue’”; ‘Want To Give Up Smok¬ ing? You Will When You See How Three Die From Poisoned Cigarettes In Charlie Chan’s Best Thriller, ‘The Scarlet Clue’.” The Phantom Mystery Of 42nd Street ‘ 58m (PRC) Estimate: Interesting programmer. Cast: Dave O’Brien, Kay Aldridge, Alan Mowbray, Frank Jenks, Edythe Elliott, Jack Mulhall, Vera Marshe, Stanley Price, John Crawford, Cyril Delevanti, Paul Power. Pro¬ duced by Martin Mooney and Albert Her v man; directed by Albert Herman. Story: When Kay Aldridge, daughter of actor Alan Mowbray, makes her debut, critic Dave O’Brien is on hand. During inter¬ mission, O’Brien and his taxi driving friend, Frank Jenks, witness the murder of Mow¬ bray’s brother, and O’Brien decides to in¬ vestigate just to prove to his editor that he is an expert newspaperman. The next night, another murder is committed. The victim is a watchman who knew Mowbray many years ago. Later, O’Brien sees Aldridge at various times, and she notices that he is beginning to take an interest in her. Coming across an old program, O’Brien is convinced that the murders are tied up with an old Mowbray company of 25 years ago. He calls on Edythe Elliott, former wife of Mowbray, and mother of Aldridge, and learns that be¬ fore marrying Mowbray she had been the wife of another man. When he disappeared she had a choice between Mowbray and his brother, and chose the former. Later a car¬ penter at the theatre is killed, and then O’Brien devises a scheme to trap the killer. He arranges for Mowbray to give a per¬ formance of “Julius Caesar,” certain that the murderer wiU apply for the part of Brutus so that he may kill the leading man. During the performance, a knife flies through the air, but is stopped by a bullet proof vest that Mowbray is wearing. A chase follows. In the final sequence the murderer is re¬ vealed as Stanley Price, stage manager, formerly the husband of Elliott. X-Ray: Although this is a routine mystery show, with everyone under suspicion but the producer, interest is maintained through¬ out, and it will fit into the duallers. O’Brien is a convincing leading man, and Jenks’ mugging wiU be appreciated by aR. Ad Lines: “Who Is The Ghoul Who Haunts The Gay White Way In Search Of Blood?”; “Lights . . . Camera . . . Mur¬ der”; “A Modern Brutus Sets Out To Kill Caesar In ‘The Phantom Of 42nd Street.’” The Corn Is Green (Warners) Drama 114m. Estimate: Artistic masterpiece has superb characterizations. Cast: Bette Davis, Nigel Bruce, Rhys Wil¬ liams, Rosalind Ivan, Mildred Dunnock, Ar¬ thur Shields, Gwenyth Hughes, Thomas Louden, Billy Roy, Brandon Hurst, Tony Ellis, Elliot Dare, Leslie Vincent, Robert Cherry, Ralph Cathey, Jock Watt, Gene Tloss, Robert. Regent, Jack Owen, and intro¬ ducing John Dali and Joan Lorring. Pro¬ duced by Herman Shumlin ; directed by Irving Rapper. Story: Bette Davis, English schoolmistress, comes to a small mining village in Wales, and brings housekeeper Rosalind Ivan and Ivan’s brat-like daughter, Joan Lorring. Ap¬ palled by the ignorance of the people who send their children to work in the mines, Davis determines to launch an educational program. Her efforts to set up a school in an abandoned mine are sabotaged by the local squire, Nigel Bruce, who fears the eventual economic disadvantage that would result to him in future. Davis is ready to acknowledge defeat until she accidentaRy discovers among her initial pupils a gifted young miner, John Dali. She turns her own home into a schoolroom, and engages a clerk, Rhys Williams, and an idle gentle¬ woman, Mildred Dunnock, as associate teachers. In two years, Dali has progressed rapidly, and is almost ready to apply for a scholarship to Oxford when he rebels against Davis’ constant and impersonal driv¬ ing, gets drunk, and has an affair with Lor¬ ring. As he returns to the fold, and pre¬ pares to take the college entrance examina¬ tion, Lorring announces to Davis that she is about to have a baby by Dali. Fearing for Dali’s chances, Davis bribes Lorring to go away to have her child. Bruce, meanwhile, through Davis’ flattery, has become inter¬ ested in the educational venture, and lends it support. Dali places first in the scholar¬ ship competition, and is about to leave, when he learns of the birth of his illegitimate son. He decides that he must abandon his educa¬ tion, and marry, until Davis explains to him that his education is an important factor not only for himself, but for the community as a whole, and that Lorring is only inter¬ ested in getting the child off of her hands. When Davis adopts him, the matter is cleared up. As DaU leaves for school, Davis is already making plans for the education of his son. X-Ray: Brilliantly enacted, this high rat¬ ing film based on the stage play, will find favor with the higher types of audiences. The Davis name will, of course, prove a big factor at the boxoffice, as will the past suc¬ cess of the play. The cast gives an excellent account of itself, with Davis a standout. The story moves at an absorbing pace, the direc¬ tion is fine, and the film, as a whole, shapes up as another artistic screen gem. It is the kind of picture that lends itself to selling to all types of audiences. Ad Lines: “Bette Davis In Another Screen Triumph”; “Bette Davis Turns Reformer And Men And Boys Avoid Her Path”; “Shall Love Win Over The Power Of Learn¬ ing . . . Don’t Miss Bette Davis In The Heart-Touching Drama ‘The Corn Is Green’.” Shorts SCREEN SNAPSHOTS No. 7. Columbia. 9m. This is a tribute to two great American personalities, Tom Mix and Will Rogers. Their early careers are traced, their associa¬ tions and friends are pictured, as are many scenes from their films. Shown also is the Rogers ranch in California being dedicated by the governor of the state and others. EXCELLENT. (6587). ROUGH AND TUMBLE. Columbia — Sport Reel. 9m. Grunts and groans are the featured attraction here as the cameras catch four wrestlers in the ring at once going through their highly comical routine. Bill Stern does the narration. GOOD. (6806). PISTOL PACKIN’ NITWITS. Columbia— All-Star Comedy. 17% m. El Brendel and Harry Langdon, two phoney soap peddlers, arrive in a wild and wooley western town only to have the tables turned on them when they try to sell their soap, and they are forced to go to work in a saloon owned by a beautous blonde. When a villain asks the proprietress to marry him, she refuses, and he threatens to foreclose unless she can come through with the necessary cash. While her lover rides off to seek the cash, Brendel and Langdon stall the villain, until the lover returns to throw the would-be-saloon owner off the premises. FAIR. (6433). RAIDING THE RAIDERS. 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox — Terrytoons. 7m. When the stork drops his bundle at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit, Doctor Owl is right at hand. A villainous vulture and his pals decide that the bunny would make a tasty dish. How¬ ever, Mighty Mouse steps in, and saves the day. FAIR. (5512). WATCHTOWER OVER TOMORROW. WAC. Distributed through area WAC dis¬ tributor chairmen. 15m. This was produced by the entire industry for the State Depart¬ ment and OWI as an answer to “why can’t the world get together for peace and secur¬ ity.” It explains the Dumbarton Oaks plan, which will keynote important discussions at the conference of United Nations in April at San Francisco. Secretary of State Edward R. Stettinius delivers an introductory speech as a prologue, followed by a realistic visu¬ alization of the possible workings of the proposed security organization. Appearing in short are Grant Mitchell, Lionel Stander, Miles Manter, Jonathan Hale, George Zucco, etc. Narration is by John Nesbit and direc¬ tion by John Cromwell, while it was pro¬ duced by Jerry Bressler. Story idea and treatment by Ben Hecht rates as excellent, and acting and production are also tops. However, the message is not always deliv¬ ered as simply as it might have been. GOOD. MUTUAL AID. National Film Board of Canada. 3m. Via the cartoon medium, this explains lend-lease, and strongly advocates cooperation among the members of the Unit¬ ed Nations. It is available non-theatrically on 16mm only. FAIR. BACK TO BATTLE. National Film Board of Canada. 20m. Dealing with the field of physical medicine, this takes one on a trip of an average rehabilitation center, detailing the various means of maintaining muscular health. Arts and crafts, dancing, exercise, and other media are used to restore health. After a short period of six weeks, restored to fitness, these men are returned to battle. This is available non-theatricaUy on 16mm only. GOOD. Servisection 5 1693