Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1945)

I 'NIGHT CLUB GIRL' MUSICAL QUICKIE FOR DUALS Rates • • — as supporting dualler Universal 61 minutes Vivian Austin, Edward Norris, Maxie Rosenbloom, Minna Gombell, Billy Dunn, Judy Clark, Leon Belasco, Andrew Tombes, Clem Bevans, Virginia Brissac, Fred Sanborn, Tom Dugan, Billy Benedict, William B. Davidson, George Davis, The Muleays, Paula Drake, Delta Rhythm Boys. Directed by Eddie Cline. One of Universal's minor musical programmers. This one, with songs aplenty but few genuinely-amusing moments, will get by as a naborhood supporting dualler. At least, the youngsters and the swing fans, who will enjoy Judy Clark's Betty Huttonlike rendition of "I Need Love" and Vivian Austin's singing and tap dancing, will also get some laughs from the fast-paced and utterly nonsensical plot. The actual highspots, which most patrons will appreciate, are the Muleays, playing "Pagan Love Song" on their harmonicas, and the Delta Rhvthm Boys' smooth rendition of the popular tune "One O'clock Jump." Less said about the slapstick comedy moments the better. The youthful leads, Vivian Austin and Billy Dunn, are lacking in name value but such reliables as Maxie Rosenbloom, Minna Gombell and Andrew Tombes are as funny as their makeshift roles permit them to be. The tip-off on the story's plausibility is the fact that it opens in the Missouri town of Windebaggo where the mayor and townsfolk are giving a big send-off to Vivian Austin and Billy Dunn, a brother and sister dance team on their way to Hollywood. When they arrive, they have no luck in getting studio jobs and are down to sleeping in the park when Edward Norris, a column 'OATH OF VENGEANCE' ROUTINE WESTERN QUICKIE J Rates • • — in action h< PRC Pictures 58 minutes Buster Crabbe, Al (Fuzzy) St. John, Mady Lawrence, Jack Ingram, Charles King, Marin Sals, Karl Hackett, Kermit Maynard, Hal Price, Frank Ellis. Directed by Sam Newfield. The cowboy team of Buster Crabbe and Al (Fuzzy) St. John goes into its second season of western films with "Oath of Vengeance," a routine, low-budgeted horse opera. Crabbe makes a handsome, twofisted riding hero and St. John, veteran of custard-pie comedies, plays an amusing old codger who gets laughs by blundering, fall ing down, etc. Both deserve a better plot than this one — dealing with the oft-used theme of a range war between farmers and cattlemen. Such familiar portrayers of bad men as Charles King, Jack Ingram and Kermit Maynard give the tip-off on their villainous sympathies on their first entrance and, while the story has shooting action, suspense is only mild. Although Mady Lawrence's romantic role is a pallid one, Marin Sais contributes a lusty performance as a man-hating old pioneer woman. For the western houses only where Crabbe's popularity will get it by. Al (Fuzzy) St. John, who sells "his ranch to buy a general store, soon finds that a local range war between farmers and cattle ist, gets them a chance to do a guest turn II in Maxie Rosenbloom's night club. Having ' over-eaten on hot dogs. Vivian is too sick I to dance, but Minna Gombell, check room ' supervisor, befriends them and gets them jobs as page boy and souvenir doll peddler. j They get into numerous difficulties with j Rosenbloom, who resents them, but they manage to hang on to their jobs until they receive a wire saying that the Mayor and a delegation from Windebaggo are arriving to see them do their act. While Norris is get i ting Rosenbloom out of the way so the kids ' can dance in the show, Vivian teaches the chef her home-town recipe for soupy hash, which is put on the menu and goes over big with the club customers. After the kids go on and score a hit, a big food manufacturer makes a deal with the Windebaggo delegation to manufacture soupy hash for the | world to enjoy. DENLEY men has tied up all his assets in credit extended to his customers. His pal, Buster Crabbe, arrives and decides to help out by trying to make peace between the warring factions. All the trouble is being caused by Jack Ingram and his gang of cattle rustlers who cover up by throwing suspicion upon the farmers. When one of the cattlemen is killed, Karl Hackett, leader of the farmers, is made to appear guilty. Crabbe rescues Hackett from the infuriated mob and in sists on a fair trial for him. Afraid of this, Ingram tries to get Hackett out of jail and, after a fight with the double-dealing rust lers, Crabbe exposes their activities to the warring factions. LEYENDECKER Check Some FILM BULLETIN Reviews with your boxolfice grosses and you will find an amazing degree of ACCURACY BULLETIN THE INDEPENDENT TRADE JOURNAL 30 FILM BULLETII