The Exhibitor (Nov 1948-Feb 1949)

THE EXHIBITOR November 10, 1948 from start to finish. This is a bang-up production all the way.” The star values will be most potent on its return trip. Tip On Bidding: Reissue price. Ad Lines: “Brought Back for Your Re¬ enjoyment”; “One Of The Screen’s Great All-Time Thrillers With A Stellar Cast”; “Action, Thrills, Stars In One Of The Screen’s Greatest Melodramas.” The Shorts Parade Two Reel Comedy MUMMY’S DUMMIES. Columbia— The Three Stooges. 16m. Set in ancient Egypt, The Stooges emerge as “The Honest Egyptians,” second-hand chariot dealers. Their attempt to hornswaggle the head of the palace guard lands them in the usual hot water, but they land in the king’s favor by extracting a painful tooth, later foiling a court plot to steal some of his taxes. As a reward, they get the princess at the fadeout. FAIR. (1403). Drama PAL’S ADVENTURE. RKO— My Pal. 20m. Ted Donaldson is innocently in¬ volved in a radio store theft, but is given a suspended sentence. While on the road, he sees a crate fall off a truck. The crate contains a dog. Flame, whose slight in¬ jury is soon fixed by Donaldson. His efforts to locate the' owner failing, Don¬ aldson stops at a lunch wagon, where he hears a police broadcast the dog as stolen. Donaldson leaves Flame, but the latter follows him home to the waiting police, but while being taken to the station, he notices the thieves, and overcomes them with Flame’s aid. He receives a reward and a puppy at the end. FAIR. (83202). Color Musical CATALINA INTERLUDE. ParamountMusical Parade Featurette. 18m. Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra are featured in this better-than-average series issue about a girl, curvaceous Virginia Maxey, who runs away from her actress mother, Bernadine Hayes, to find a career. Private detective Richard Webb is hired, and he not only finds her auditioning for Dorsey but falls in love with her. Dorsey notifies Hayes, who congratulates Maxey, who 'then suspects Webb’s business motive .but they’re together* at the end. Meanwhile, there are pleasing renditions of “My Ideal,” “Catalina,” “Perfidia,” “Tangerine,” “Muskat Ramble,” and “Hit The Road To Dreamland.” GOOD. (FF 7-6) . Musical BUDDY RICH AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Universal-International — Name Band Musical. 15m. Versatile Buddy Rich not only leads his orchestra in various per¬ cussion numbers but sings “But No Nickel,” joins dancer Louis DaPron in dancing, and closes the proceedings with his specialty, drumming to “Not So Quiet Please.” Also heard are “One O’Cloek Boogie,” “So Long Joe,” and the MelloLarks in “Let’s Get Away From It All.” GOOD. (3310). Serial CONGO BILL. Columbia serial in 15 chapters. Don McGuire, Cleo Moore, Jack Ingram, Leonard Penn, I. Stanford Jolley, Nelson Leigh, Charles King, Armida, Hugh Prosser, Neyle Morrow, Fred Graham, Rusty Westcott, Anthony Warde, Stephen Carr. Produced by Sam Katzman. Directed by Spencer Bennet and Thomas Carr. Episode One, “The Untamed Beast,” 23m. Stephen Carr and I. Stanford Jolley, brothers, cormanagers of a circus, are ad¬ ministrators of a trust fund for any sur¬ viving heir of the founder of the show, who, with his party, mysteriously dis¬ appeared in Africa 20 years ago. Carr and Jolley will acquire the money if an heir does not appear within the next year. Carr tells Jolley he has contacted Leonard Penn, trader in Africa, and learned of a rumored existence of a white queen in the interior, that he thinks it might be the founder’s daughter, and that he plans an expedition there. Jolley tries to kill Carr by clubbing him, and drag¬ ging him close to the cage of a danger¬ ous gorilla, but Don McGuire, “Congo Bill,” wild animal and jungle specialist, rushes to the rescue only to be appar¬ ently knocked out by two assailants. This is based upon the comic strip of the same name appearing in Action Comics maga¬ zine, created by Whitney Ellsworth. Crammed with action, it should appeal to serial fans, action spots, and the kiddies. The montage shots of wild animals and the circus are particularly good. GOOD. (1120). Topical AMERICA’S NEW AIR POWER. 20th Century-Fox — The March Of Time. Vol. 14, No. 16. 18m. Believing that the main¬ tenance of a strong air force is the best way to maintain the peace, and be pre¬ pared in the eventuality of war, the Air Force has continued its plane develop¬ ments and pilot training, and some of the . phases of both are clearly depicted here. Shown, too, are the charging, take-off, and landing of jet planes; the fueling of a gigantic B-36, the bat-like fighter, and the Parasite, a jet fighter that is carried by a bomber on the understructure; ex¬ perimental piloting positions for rocket planes, and pilots in relaxation. Seen in the footage are Air Force head General Vandenberg and C. O. of the 56th Fighter Group, war ace. Lieutenant Colonel David Shilling. GOOD. WHO’S DELINQUENT? RKO— This Is America. 16m. Juvenile delinquency is the , topic, and the problem is viewed in a typicaUsmall town. After two young boys steal a car, and run down a policeman, the town editor realizes the upsurge of juven¬ ile crime, and assigns his entire staff to dig up the facts. The results are that in following editorials the laxity of the entire town is shown. Once aware of the true picture, the townspeople gather to remedy the situation. EXCELLENT. (83113) . One Reel Color Cartoon DAFFY DILLY. Vitaphone — Merrie Melodies. 7m. Daffy Duck, street hawker of flower squirters, Joe Miller joke books, practical joke devices, etc., tries to get a million offered by a dying tycoon,’ who hasn’t laughed for 30 years, -to the first person who makes him laugh. Daffy has difficulty with the butler getting in, but finally throws the millionaire into hys¬ terics by some unintentional slapstick which finds Daffy the victim. The end has the money-bags tossing custard pies at Daffy, who makes the aside, “Oh well, it’s a living.” This is in Cinecolor. GOOD. (4712). GOOFY AND WILBUR. RKO— Walt Disney Reissue. 8m. Wilbur, the grass¬ hopper, is Goofy’s lure on his fishing trip, and the fast, agile Wilbur outwits many a fish, but finally meets his match, and is swallowed. Goofy comes to the rescue, and makes the fish disgorge Wilbur. He goes back to the wars, and, in making a jump to the shore, is swallowed by a frog, who, in turn, is swallowed by a stork. Goofy pursues the stork up a tree, but the bird flies away after leaving an egg. After much tear shedding, the egg cracks, and Wilbur emerges for a happy reunion. EXCELLENT. (94701). HECTOR’S HECTIC LIFE. Paramount— Noveltoon, 7m. Hector, the Pup, is wearing out his welcome and the nerves of Teena, the maid, by his house-wrecking antics. Finally, she threatens eviction on Christ¬ mas eve so he settles do-wn quietly, en¬ visioning Santa’s gifts when a basket of three puppies resembling himself is left on the doorstep. The pups proceed to de¬ molish the tree, etc., but Hector covers up until finally Teena sees all. She forgets the damages when she sees the pups, so all ends happily. GOOD. (P 8-2) . KIT FOR CAT. Vitaphone — Looney Tune. 7m. An alley rabbit seeks sanctu¬ ary from a blizzard in Elmer’s home, as does a cute little kitten. Elmer warfts to keep one, and tells them he will make up his mind in the morning. The tom cat plots to get rid of the obviously preferred kitten. Elmer’s sleep is disturbed plenty, but morning finds Elmer getting an evic¬ tion notice. GOOD. (4713) . LO, THE POOR BUFFAL. ColumbiaColor Rhapsodies. 6%m. The last of the vanishing buffalos roaming around the plains brings Buffalo Billingsly, a Sena¬ tor Claghornish famous hunter, out of re¬ tirement. Using a jeep instead of a steed, Billingsly hunts down the buffalo, but gets involved with an Indian in the battle. The result is a three-way draw, with the vultures emerging victorious. GOOD. (1502). PLUTO’S FLEDGLING. RKO — Walt Disney Cartoon. 7m. Little Orville is a baby bird whose efforts to fly are futile, and drop him in Pluto’s vicinity. Finally, the kind hearted Pluto stops putting him back in the nest after each effort, but accidentally sails through the air him¬ self, with Orville on his tail, fluttering his wings, and achieving success. GOOD. (94105). RIFF RAFFY DAFFY. Vitaphone— Looney Tune. 7m. Daffy Duck is a bum in the park and Porky Pig is the cop who throws him out. Daffy seeks comfort in a department store window, and Porky chases him all over the store. Windup has Daffy preying upon Porky’s sympathy by asking “You wouldn’t evict a father, would you?” — as three mechanical ducks waddle beside him. This is in Cinecolor. FAIR. (4715) . ROBIN HOODWINKED. Prramount— Popeye Cartoon. 7m. Popeye goes back to the days of archery in Sherwood Forest, and emerges as Robin Hood. Olive turns up as the local root-beer maid, whose hand is sought for by thieving tax-collector Bluto in an archery contest with Popeye. Robin Hood wins, but is slipped a Mickey Finn. He recovers in time to catch up with and k.o. Bluto in the latter’s castle, then returning with Olive, and giving the money back to the people. GOOD. (E 8-1) . SOUP’S ON. RKO— Walt Disney Car¬ toon. 7m. Donald Duck has trouble with his three nephews, who trick him into believing that he has died and become an angel, thereby leaving the way clear for the nephews to eat a big dinner Donald had planned. However, Donald gets wise, and the result is the usual chase. GOOD. 2506 Sarvtoo^on 6