The Exhibitor (1950)

I X H 1 B I T O R January 3, 1951 communist but independent Yugoslavia is examined in this high rating short. The camera ranges over the various phases of life in present-day Yugoslavia and after tracing Tito’s split with the Cominform, concludes that future American support for the dictator must depend upon her army’s military value to the West. EX¬ CELLENT. ONE REEL Color Cartoon CASANOVA CAT. MGM— Cartoons. 7m. Tom, influenced by the fact that his sweet¬ heart has inherited money, makes a play for her, and takes along Jerry as some¬ thing to be shown off. This irritates Jer^, who complicates the situation by having another cat become a competitor for the lady’s charms. The windup finds Jerry riding away with the object of everyone’s affection. FAIR. (W-237). THE FARMER AND THE BELLE. Paramount — Popeye. 7m. Farmer Olive Oyl needs a strong hand around the farm, and Popeye and Bluto start competing. Everything that Bluto does Popeye does better but when Olive decides that Popeye is the man, Bluto abducts her. 'Things look hopeless until a thoughtful hen provides Popeye with invigorating spinach. GOOD. (ElO-3). MICE MEETING YOU. Paramount— Noveltoon. 7m. It takes Herman, the fear¬ less mouse, to set matters right when the cat breaks up a Christmas party of happy mice. He scares the cat out of town, and joins the mice in their Christmas party. GOOD. (PlO-2). ONCE UPON A RHYME. Paramount— Casper. 8m. Casper finds that being a ghost is tough if one doesn’t enjoy fright¬ ening people, and wishes he were in Mother Gooseland. His wish is granted but until he meets Red Riding Hood things are not much better. Only when he has shown that he is a brave as well as a friendly ghost by saving Red Riding Hood is he accepted into the fairy community. GOOD. (BlO-2). Novelty HEART THROBS OF YESTERDAY. Co¬ lumbia — Screen Snapshots. 10m. A bit aged, Mae Murray, once a heart throb herself, provides the commentary as shots of leading men of years gone by are glimpsed: Rudolph Valentino, John Barry¬ more, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., FVancis X. Bushman, Milton Sills, Wallace Reid, Lew Cody, John Gilbert, to mention a few, with Clark Gable, Adolphe Menjou, Ron¬ ald Colman, and others also included. GOOD. (3854). Sports DIVING DYNASTY. RKO— Sportscopes. 8m Ohio State University is the seat of a d3masty of collegiate and world diving champions without parallel, and this mod¬ erately interesting short shows champions Joe Marino and Bruce Harlan as they do their stuff. FAIR. (14303). DOBBIN STEP^ OUT. Paramount — Grantland Rice Sportlight. 10m. Kansas City, scene of the largest horse show in the world — the American Royal, and the surroimding horse farms form the attrac¬ tion. Different breeds of show horses, the five-gaited horse, the Tennessee walking horse, and the famous Hackney ponies are shown. FAIR. (RlO-5). TARGETS ON PARADE. Paramount — Grantland Rice Sportlight. 10m. This demonstrates the many different ways in which it is possible to hit the bull’s eye. Bow and arrow performed by champions Walt and Ken Wilhelm, Alex Kerr’s skeet shooting, and champion Cliff Wyatt’s ex¬ pert casting are some of the main attrac¬ tions. GOOD. (RlO-4). Too late To Qassify Features The Flying Missile Melodrama 93m. (Columbia) Estimate: Interesting programmer has plenty of selling angles. Cast: Glenn Ford, Viveca Lindfors, Henry O’Neill, Carl Benton Reid, Joe Sawyer, John Qualen, Anthony Ross, Harry Shannon, Ross Ford, Zachary A. Charles, Jerry Paris, Kenneth Tobey, Paul Har¬ vey, Grandon Rhodes, James Seay, Bill Donnelly, Richard Quine, Charles Evans. Produced by Jerry Bresler; directed by Henry Levin. Story: During a navy war game, sub¬ marine commander Glenn Ford believes that if submarines were able to launch guided missiles from their decks they would have a better chance to destroy enemy vessels. He puts in a request for special training at a guided missile base for himself and his crew. A deadline has been set, and the lessons aren’t rapid enough for Ford so he and his crew take things in their own hands, and build a mount in a boathouse on the base, un¬ aware that they are under surveillance ordered by Admiral Henry O’Neill. The latter gives him permission to proceed but an accident explodes a missile prema¬ turely, killing one man and wounding Ford. He is hospitalized. When he finds out a man was killed, his legs refuse to function, and he refuses to see anyone. O’Neill finally sends his secretary, Viveca Lindfors, who is in love with Ford to pull him out of' his lethargy, and she suc¬ ceeds. Ford returns to his submarine, and the guided missile plans are proven suc¬ cessful. X-Ray: With the navy angle, the guided missile theme, the Ford name, and an in¬ teresting production, this offers oppor¬ tunities for the merchandising. The pace is fairly well kept, with the performances, interest, etc., generally satisfactory. With the topical situation what it is, what this does will depend on the selling. Tip On Bidding: Fair program price. Ad Lines: “The Navy’s Secret Weapon Open For Public Inspection”; “A Sub¬ marine Is Equipped With A Guided Mis¬ sile For Thrill-Packed Entertainment”; “Action In A Hitherto Secret Weapon Field.” Gambling House (RKO) Estimate: Names will, help interesting melodrama. Cast: Victor Mature, Terry Moore, Wil¬ liam Bendix, Zachary A. Charles, Basil Ruysdael, Donald Randolph, Damian O’Flynn, Cleo Moore, Ann Doran, Eleanor Audley, Gloria Winters, Don Haggerty. Produced by Warren Duff; directed by Ted Tetzlaff. Story: At a floating dice game, gambler Victor Mature is wounded, and, another man killed. Big-time gambler William Bendix, the killer, offers Mature $50,000 to stand trial and claim self-defense. Mature agrees, but also grabs Bendix’s little black book to protect himself. Mature, acquitted, is picked up by federal agents, and drops Bendix’s book in the coat pocket of socialite Terry Moore, passii^ by. Mature, taken before immigration officials, is told that he is going to be deported as an un¬ desirable alien. After Bendix puts up bail. Mature finds Moore, and learns that she works with an organization to help immi¬ grants. Mature tries to collect from Ben¬ dix, but the latter refuses, and has Mature beaten. Mature and Moore fall in love. Mature holds up Bendix’s gambling casino, and walks off with the amount due him, which he sets aside to aid immigrants via Moore’s agency. In court. Mature per¬ suades the judge to give him another chance, and let him stay in America. Ben¬ dix and his men catch up with Mature. Mature convinces Bendix’s men that Ben¬ dix would let them take the blame for his killing and they kill the gang leader. The police pick them up. Mature walks away. X-Ray: This has the names of Mature, Moore, and Bendix, an interesting, well¬ paced story, okeh characterizations, and adequate direction and production, and it should go over with the meller fans. The screen play is by Marvin Borowsky and Allen Rivkin. Tip On Bidding: Fair program price, Ad Lines: “An Undesirable Alien Real¬ izes Almost Too Late What A Wonderful Country America Is”; “Action In 'The Un¬ derworld”; “He Was A Big-Time Gambler Until A Woman And Judge Set Him Straight.” Mystery Hunt The Man Down Melodrama 68m. (RKO) Estimate: Okeh dualler. Cast: Gig Young, Lynn Roberts, Mary Anderson, Willard Parker, Carla Balenda, Gerald Mohr, James Anderson, John Kel¬ logg, Harry Shannon, Cleo Moore,' Christy Palmer, Paul Frees, James Seay. Produced by Lewis J. Rachmil; directed by George Archainbaud. Story: James Anderson foils a hold-up involving night club cashier Lynn Roberts. This also brings about his arrest for a murder of a dozen years before when he escaped before a verdict could be reached. Gig Young is assigned to the case. Ander¬ son tells how he met John Kellogg and wife Mary Anderson; Carla Balenda and escort, Gerald Mohr; Willard Parker and fiancee, Cleo Moore, and Christy Palmer. Palmer’s husband shows up and fights with Amderson, who takes a gun away from him. The latter is found killed, and Ander¬ son is charged with the murder. Young tries to find some of the witnesses. With the aid of his father, retired policeman Harry Shannon, Young digs up enough evidence to force a confession from Moore, and Anderson is a free man. X-Ray: Although this does get involved, ■ interest is maintained, and it should make an okeh addition on the duallers. TTie c^t turns in a competent job, and the direction and production are average. The story was written by De Vallon Scott. Tip On Bidding: Low bracket. Ad Lines: “He Claimed He Was Inno¬ cent, And Only A Girl Believed Him”; “'The Trail Of The Murderer Was 12 Years Old”; “Action, Suspense, And Murder.” It's Hard To Be Good Comedy 87m. (Pentagon) (English-made) Estimate: Pleasing comedy for the art houses. Cast: Jimmy Hanley, Anne Crawford, Raymond Huntley, Geoffrey Keen, Elwyn Brook Jones, David Horne, Joyce Carey, Muriel Aked, Lana Morris, Edward Rigby. A^ociate producer, John W. Gossage; directed by Jeffrey Dell. Story: After saving sergeant Geoffrey Keen, captain Jimmy Hanley finds himself 3004 Servis^cHon 4