The Exhibitor (Nov 1948-Feb 1949)

THi iXHIBITOR Noveviher 10, 1948 and the winner takes both horses. The night before the race, a fire breaks out in the stables, and Clement is injured but he still rides Flasher the next day to win the race and the bet. Bruce also wins Henry, romantically speaking. X-Ray: Moving at a neat pace, this has its quota of action, romance, and horse racing. The characters are well played, the direction is good, and the production values adequate. Dooley Wilson sings one tune, “Don’t Change Your Mind.” Tip On Bidding: Lowest bracket. Ad Lines: “Racing Was In Her Blood, And Romance Was In The Air”; “She Needed All Her Luck In The Big Race, Which Paid Off In Prizes And Romance”; “A Racing Horse And A Dog Team Up Against A Mountain Lion, And Luck Is On Their Side.” EAGLE-LION Let's Live A Little (907) Estimate: Comedy has the names and Cast: Hedy Lamarr, Robert Cummings, Anna Sten, Robert Shayne, Mary Treen, Harry Antrim, Norma Varden and Curt Bois. Produced by Eugene Frenke and Robert Cummings; directed by Richard WsllSC6e Story:* Robert Cummings, account execu¬ tive in an advertising agency, is assigned the feminine clients, and must get beauty preparations manufacturer Anna Sten to renew her contract. She hopes Cummirigs will marry her for the contract. Eventually Cummings arrives at the point where he can’t stand women any longer and begs to be taken off the account. Agency head Harry Antrim agrees, and assigns him, mstead, to publicizing a new book by Dr. Hedy Lamarr, neuro -psychiatrist. Durmg his first meeting, although he professes a hatred for women, he kisses her, and they are both visibly affected. Later, he returns again, this tuna to be treated for h^ nerves, and an examination by Lamarrs associate, Richard Shayne reveals that he is in perfect physical shape. Lamarr thinks that a rest is in order, and she, Cummings, and Shayne retire to a country lodge to relax. Eventually, the pair fall in love, which irks Shayne. Lamarr refuses to admit that she is in love with Cummings, and pronoimces him cured. Later, how¬ ever, she reveals some startling symptons as to love and nerves, but she still pre¬ fers to think of Cummings as just another patient. This brings Sten and Cummings together, and Sten gets him to promise to marry her. She signs the contract. When Lamarr hears of the marriage, she realizes she really loves Cummings, and eventually the pair get together, as do Sten and Shayne. X-Ray: This starts off at a fast and furious pace with gags and humorous situations galore, but slows down as the film progresses and as the gags become slightly worn, However, Lamarr and Cum¬ mings should prove a draw, and a proper campaign should help. The title should also be easy to sell. Production and di¬ rection values are good. The effort as a whole is light and amusing, and should be easy on the eyes and ears. Ad Lines: “All The Ladies Adored Him But He Was A Woman-Hater”; “He Thought He Hated All Women Until He Saw Hedy Lamarr”; “Hedy Lamarr Was His Doctor, And Everytime He Saw Her, His Pulse Zoomed like A Rocket.” The Servisection Is the Only Service Of Its Kind Giving A Full Coverage, Listing and Reviews Of All F eatures and Shorts Released In the Domestic Market. The Strange Mrs. Crane Estimate: For the lower half. Cast: Marjorie Lord, Robert Shayne, Pierre Watkin, James Seay, Ruthe Brady, Claire Whitney, Mary Gordon, Chester Clute, Dorothy Granger, Charles Williams. Produced by John Sutherland; directed by Sherman Scott. Story: Marjorie Lord, yoimg wife of leading gubernatorial candidate Pierre Watkin, gets the latter to keep a cam¬ paign promise to buy her a mink coat. At the fur shop, assistant manager Robert Shayne whispers a demand to Lord that she visit him that night. At his house, he gets rid of his current love interest, fur shop model Ruthe Brady, in time to greet Lord, who turns out to be his old black¬ mail partner whom he left when the police got too close. They resume their clan¬ destine affair, which goes smoothly imtil Shayne discovers Lord’s personal bank account of $30,000, and demands half as blackmail against revelation of her past to Watkin. She refuses, and threatens his life, but upon receipt of an incriminating note, she stuffs the note in her coat pocket, and goes to his apartment. Brady is just leaving after a violent quarrel with Shayne, but only sees Lord’s back. Lord doesn’t have the money for Shayne, who then phones Watkin, but the enraged Lord kills him. Brady’s fingerprints and a peek¬ ing neighbor’s testimony get her arrested, and Lord serves as jury foreman. With all the circumstantial evidence and Lord swaying the jury, the written verdict is guilty, but Lord leaves it in her coat pocket, and gives the Shayne letter to be read instead. Justice triumphs. X-Ray: This average entry for the duallers has little in the way of sustained sus¬ pense, and the overabundant coincidences plus ordinary direction are too much for the hard-working cast. The screenplay is by A1 Martin. This should find its niche on the lower half. Ad Lines: “Out Of Her Past Rose A Man To Change The Entire Life Of ‘The Strange Mrs. Crane’ ”; “For Suspense, Action, And Drama Be Sure To See ‘The Strange Mrs. Crane’”; “She Was The Most Respected Woman In Town Until She Got A Mink Coat.” FILM CLASSICS Appointment With Murder Melodrama 67m. Estimate: Okeh member of the “Fal¬ con” series. Cast: John Calvert, Catherine Craig, Jack Reitzen, Lyle Talbot, Robert Conte, Fred Brocco, Ben Welden, Carlos Schipa, Ann Demitri, Pat Lane, Eric Wilton, Rob¬ ert Hadell, Michael Mark, Carole Donne, Gene Carrick, Frank Richards, Carl Sklover, Jay Griffith, Jack Chefe, Jack Del Rio, Barbara Broking. Produced and directed by Jack Bernhard. Story: Catherine Craig, art dealer, ac¬ quires a valuable painting through the efforts of her silent, . secret partner Jack Reitzen, who tells her to display it but not sell it vmtil he can pick up the mate to it in Italy. Meanwhile, John Calvert (“The Falcon”), at the instigation of an insurance company, seeks the pair of paint¬ ings, which were stolen from Robert Conte. He runs across artist Peter Brocco, who sells him the painting after admitting that it was a forgery which he painted himself. The next day, the artist is found dead, and an attempt is made to steal the painting from Calvert. During the search, he discovers that the mate is in the pos¬ session of Craig, and follows through by pretending to be a partner with her in the sale of the art work. Not trusting each other, they check the paintings, and tear the claim checks in half so that both have to be present when they are claimed. Cal¬ vert discovers where she hides her stubs, and later appropriates them, leaving others in place. Craig meets Reitzen, and the pair try to collect the paintings with the halves of the stubs, only to find that Calvert was first. Reitzen, at gun point, tries to force Calvert to return the paintings, but the police intervene at the right moment. Later, it is proven that the paintings are genuine, and that Craig had nothing to do with Reitzen’s crooked activities. She sells the originals, and recovers the money for the insurance company, and everyone is happy. X-Ray: Containing the usual cops and robbers by-play, this should prove an okay lower half entry. The “Falcon” name should help through the radio series, and where others have gone well, this should, too. Performances are average, as are the story and direction. Ad Lines: “He Tried To Find Some Stolen Art Work, And Ran Across Mur¬ der”; “He Was Hot On The Trail Of A Painting And A Girl, Both Beautiful And Both Dangerous”; “Adventure And Mys¬ tery Help ‘The Falcon’ Keep An ‘Appoint¬ ment With Murder.” MGM A Night At The Opera (908) (Reissue) Estimate: Reissue for Marx brothers fans. Cast: Groucho, Chico, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Siegfried Rut mann, Walter King, Margaret Dumont, Edward Keane, Robert Emmett O’Connor, Lorraine Bridges. Produced by Irving Thalberg; directed by Sam Wood. Story: Groucho Marx promotes the hero and heroine into opera, with many com¬ plications. There are straight operatic numbers, a swell script, dances, etc., and the Marx zanyisms running riot. X-Ray: When first reviewed in The Exhibitor in 1935, it was said: “Every¬ thing Marx brothers fans want is present, with the result without a doubt a boxoffice cleanup.” Songs heard include: “Alone” and “Cosi Cosa.” As a reissue, the appeal is still primarily to the Marx brothers fans and comedy addicts. The screen play was written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskino. • Tip On Bidding: Reissue price. Ad Lines: “The Merry, Mad Marx Brothers Back In Their All-Time Laugh Screen Hit”; “Brought Back For Your Re¬ enjoyment, The Marx Brothers At Their Best”; “One Of The Funniest Pictures Of All Time, The Marx Brothers In A Riot Of Fun.” San Francisco (907) Melodrama (Reissue) ^ Estimate: Reissue should prove attrac¬ tive. Cast: Clark Gable, Jeanette Mac¬ Donald, Jack Holt, Spencer Tracy, Jessie Ralph, Ted Healy, Margaret Irving, ^hirley Ross, Harold Huber, A1 Shean, Warren Hymer, Edgar Kennedy, Charles Judels, William Ricciardi, Kenneth Harlan, Roger Imhof, Russell Simpson, Bert Roach. Pro¬ duced by John Emerson and Bernard H. Hyman; directed by W. S. Van Dyke. Story: Jeanette MacDonald is the good gal who comes to sing in the Barbary Coast cabarets if her voice can’t earn an opportimity in Jack Holt’s opera house. Holt finds her in hero Clark (table’s dive. Spencer Tracy is Gable’s priest-friend. Rivalry ensues between respectable Holt and bounder Gable, with Gable seeking 2502