The Exhibitor (Nov 1948-Feb 1949)

1 li t COLUMBIA The Gallant Blade (132) Melod^ma (Cinecolor) Estimate: Okeh programmer. Cast: Larry Parks, Marguerite Chap¬ man, Victor Jory, George Macready, Edith King, Michael Duane, Onslow Stevens, Peter Brocco, Tim Huntley, Ross Ford, Paul Campbell, Fred Sears, Nedrick Young, Wilton Graff, Frederic Tozere. Produced by Irving Starr; directed by Henry Levin. Story: In 1649 at the end of the Thirty Years War, the people of France receive the news of peace. General George Macready prepares a farewell speech to his troops when he is ordered to take his troops to the Spanish border by Marshal Victor Jory, who has decided to declare war on Spain. Macready is determined to see Jory and the queen, if necessary, to protest the orders, and he has his aide. Lieutenant Larry Parks, the best swords¬ man in France, accompany him. Enroute, the latter meets Marguerite Chapman, is attracted to her beauty, and later learns that she is a girl friend of Jory. In Paris, Jory is determined on the new war to keep the people’s thoughts off revolution, and he uses Chapman to detain Parks while an assissination attempt is made on Macready. She, however, warns Parks, and he arrives in time to save the. general. Later, Macready is placed under protective arrest but Parks escapes with Macready’s message to his soldiers with the aid of Chapman and the French undergroimd. ■ Once outside the city gates, he thinks he is free. However, Chapman’s aimt, Edith King, betrays his whereabouts. He and his men are ambushed, and he is wounded and left for dead. Chapman is heart¬ broken, but Parks recovers, and arrives at headquarters only to find that Frederic Tozere, Macready’s second in command, is on Jory’s side. Parks and Chapman are reunited, and she convinces him that it wasn’t she that betrayed him. Acting on her information. Parks and the under¬ ground succeed in getting Macready out of jail. Meanwhile, Jory learns of Chap¬ man’s infidelity, and goes to kill her, but Parks arrives in time to kill Jory. X-Ray: With the. necessary quota of action and intrigue, plus color and period settings, this should attract, all types of audiences. It is based on a story by "Ted Thomas and Edward Dein, and contains adequate performances, good production values, and average direction. The color work is good. Tip On Bidding: Fair program price. Ad Lines: “He Used His Sword On The Side Of Justice, And Wound Up A Hero”; “There’s Swashbuckling Adventure And Thrilling Romance In ‘The Gallant Blade’ In Cinecolor”; “She Was Dangerous, But Not To The Man She Loved.” Ladies Of The Chorus Romantic Musical 61m. Estimate: Entertaining dualler. Cast: Adele Jergens, Marilyn Monroe, Randy Brooks, Nana Bryant, Eddie Garr, Steven Geray, Bill Edwards, Marjorie Hoshelle, Dave Barry, Allen Barry, The Bobby True Trio. Produced by Harry A. Romm; directed by Phil Karlson. Story: Burlesque chorus girl Marilyn Monroe becomes a star when Marjorie Hoshelle, featured dancer, walks out after a fight with Monroe’s mother, Adele Jerg¬ ens, also in the chorus. Jergens fights the wolves off Monroe’s trail, but the latter falls in love with Randy Brooks. Jergens recalls her own marriage failure with a man of society, and fears that Brooks’ mother and friends won’t accept a bur (xmii « ■ SERVISECTION ■ Publlthed weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., Publishing office: 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia 7, Penn¬ sylvania. New York office: 1600 Broadway, New York 19. West Coast representative: Paul Manning, 923 Alandele Avenue, Les Angeles 36, California. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhaigh, business manager; Herbert M. Miller, editor; James A. Dalton, advertising manager; George F. Nonamaker, Mel Konecoff, associate editors. SECTION TWO Vol. 41, No. 1 NOVEMBER 10, 1948 lesque queen. Brooks promises to inform his mother of Monroe’s job, and invites them to stay at his mother’s house. Brooks doesn’t keep his promise, but his mother, Nana Bryant, accepts Monroe and Jergens, and arranges an engagement party. The orchestra leader recognizes Monroe, and reveals her burlesque fame, shocking the society guests. Monroe and Jergens retire to their room, but are persuaded to re¬ turn by Bryant and Brooks. Bryant then sings a song she is reminded of by Eddie Garr, an old burlesque partner of Jerg¬ ens and an “imcle,” who accompanies her. She informs the audience she, too, was a professional performer, which is a Ue, but those present then accept Monroe. Bryant then suggests a double wedding, and Jergens and Garr agree. X-Ray: A liberal sprinkling of songs, some comedy, and pretty girls make this entertaining for the lower half despite the thin story line. The screen play is by Harry Sauber and Joseph Carole, and the songs include “Ladies Of The Chorus,” “Crazy For You,” “Every Baby Needs A Da-Da-Daddy,” “Anyone Can See,” “You’re Never Too Old,” and “Ubangi Love Song.” Tip On Bidding: Lowest bracket. Ad Lines: “They Were ‘Ladies Of The Chorus’ — How Society Went For Them”; “For Pretty Girls, Boimcy Tunes, And Lots Of Laughs, Make Sure You’re Down Front For ‘Ladies Of The Chorus’”; “Oh She Was Only A ‘Lady Of The Chorus’ But, Despite His Blue Blood, He Loved Her.” Manhattan Angel GlYzU. Estimate: Pleasant programmer for the duallers. Cast: Gloria Jean, Ross Ford, Patricia White, Thurston Hall, Alice Tyrrell, Benny Baker, Russell Hicks, Fay Baker, Jimmy Lloyd, Toni Harper, Leonard Sues, Ralph Hodges, Dorothy Vaughan, IsabelWithers, Peggy Wynne, Barbara Brier, Ida Moore, Robert Cherry. Produced by Sam Katzman; directed by Arthur Dreifuss. Story; Gloria Jean, copywriter in an ad¬ vertising agency, spends some time as head of a youth center, where juveniles sing, dance and have clean fun. Her ficince, Ross Ford, young attorney, assists her, and everything is fine until they find that the center is sold to a clothing manufacturer for a new plant, and they can’t rent an¬ other for lack of funds. Jean’s advertising agency lands the account of the manu¬ facturer, Thurston Hall. She tries to per¬ suade him to build elsewhere, but he re¬ fuses although he accepts her suggestions for an advertising campaign, which in¬ cludes a contest. Jean persuades a friend to enter the contest, restricted to society entrants only, and she wins, but is found out at the end and all is lost. Later, on Christmas Eve, Jean persuades Hall to come down to the youth center, and he receives a warm reception, which per¬ suades him to let the youth center remain. X-Ray: A fairly-interesting yarn, plus adequate performances and direction as well as some good musical presentations, places this in Sie pleasant program class. Heard are; “It’s A Wonderful, Wonderful Feeling,” “I’ll Take Romance,” “Naughty Aloysius,” and “Candy Store Blues.” It should round out the dqallers nicely. Tip On Bidding: Lowest bracket. Ad Lines: “She Tricked The Boss Into Saying Yes”; “She Needed Some Dough But He Said No— So She Had To Use Both Beauty And Brains”; “She Was An Angel . . . Even In Manhattan.” Racing Luck (118) Drama 66m. Estimate: Okeh dualler. Cast: Gloria Henry, Stanley Clements, David Bruce, Paula Raymond, Harry Cheshire, Dooley Wilson, Jack Ingram, Nelson Leigh, Bill Cartledge, Syd Saylor. Produced by Sam Katzman; directed by William Berke. Story: After the death of their father, who devoted most of his life to horse rac¬ ing, Gloria Henry and her yoimger brother, Stanley Clements, have only each other and a pair of racing steeds in addition to a lot of debts. Charm Boy, Henry’s horse, is a promising racer, but needs the com¬ panionship of Flasher, Clement’s horse, m a race in order to make a showing. Charm Boy wins a race, and Henry enters him in a claiming race. At this point, Clements, tired of having Flasher play second fiddle to the other, decides to break away and try for wins on his own, but Henry talks him into sticking with her. Charm Boy wins the claiming race, and Henry learns that he has been purchased before the race by David Bruce, wealthy racing enthusi¬ ast, for his fiancee, Paula Raymond. Henry tries to buy the horse back. Bruce, realiz¬ ing her feelings about the animal, agrees to try to talk Raymond into giving it back. Henry hugs Bruce out of gratefulness as Raymond appears, and the latter stub¬ bornly refuses to turn the horse back. Bruce loses his romantic feelings about her at that point. Meanwhile, Henry and Clements, most of their money gone, buy into a luncheonette, while Clements, with the aid of Harry Cheshire, starts training Flasher to run the full length of a race to win. Raymond, learning that Charm Boy is no good without Flasher, tries to buy him from Clements, but the latter instead offers her a wager whereby the two horses would be entered in a race.