Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1945)

What The Newspaper Critics Say HIGHLIGHTS FROM REVIEWS OF NEW PICTURES BY FOREMOST CRITICS THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY' CRITICS DIFFER ON ITS MERITS M-G-M "...Oscar Wilde would probably have split his portly sides laughing at the mawkish pomposity of the film which has been made from his elegant little novel . . . Elaborately mystical treatment which Metro has given the tale is matched in egregious absurdity by the visual affectation of the film. . .Makes little or no intelligible sense." CROWTHER, N. Y. TIMES. "...Absorbing picture version. . .Emerges full of the flavor of Oscar Wilde... By no means merely a nostalgic festival intended strictly for the literati in the audience .. .Talky, slow moving picture but the talk is brilliant, full of rich — though diabolical — laughter .. .Morbid theme... Has imposed possible limitations on its popularity but its least enthusiastic audience will come away impressed with its monumental achievement in intelligent picture making." COOK, N. Y. WORLD TELEGRAM. "...The gullible and the imaginative can join hands for an extrasensory perception or two... As long as the picture allows George Sanders to toss off Oscar Wilde's wit with brittle aplomb, the period piece maintains its naughty Victorian zest... For the rest, it's a bit creaky in the joints, gruesome if you take it seriously, and tiresome if you don't." WINSTEN, N. Y. POST. "...Oscar Wilde's epigrammatic fantasy has been brought to the screen with genuine distinction. . .Preserves the racy literacy eloquence of the original, although some of the late nineteenthcentury aphorisms may baffle contemporary audiences. . .Acting does wonders in making 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' well worth seeing... Has stressed pomp and circumstance on occasion to the detriment of the action." BARNES, N. Y. HERALD TRIBUNE. "...Will cause a great deal of discussion, pro and con .. .Classic, pagan beauty of the setting. . .Will rave over George Sanders' subtly sophisticated characterization. . .Wilde's precious epigrams and paradoxes flow in a constant stream of talk .. .Angela Lansbury the cinema find of the year." CAMERON, N. Y. NEWS. "HOTEL BERLIN' MELODRAMA IN BEST WARNER STYLE — COOK WARNER "...Tense, headlong melodrama, strictly in the best style of the Warner Brothers crew... Keep excitement high with a minimum of the rapid action such a picture usually requires. . .As a propaganda vehicle it is tremendously effective. More important, it is such vigorous entertainment, its audience will be unlimited." COOK. N. Y. WORLD TELEGRAM. ".. .Far more exciting than it is profound. . .Has all the vigor and suspense that one expects from a studio which has specialized in these qualities. The acting is taut... Good cops-and-robbers film, with somewhat silly overtones." BARNES, N. Y. HERALD TRIBUNE. "...As might be expected with these people — and with Miss Baum's ability to spin a plot — considerable melodrama develops . . .Sleek and suspenseful show. . .Again we have got a picture in which 'good Germans' are distinguished from 'bad' — a dramatically convenient distinction which is politically questionable.1 CROWTHER, N. Y. TIMES. "...Absorbingly thrilling melodrama. . Peter Godfrey has given it taut and incisive direction. . .Follows the Baum novel pretty faithfully." CAMERON, N. Y. NEWS. 'BRING ON THE GIRLS' ENTERTAINING TECHNICOLOR MUSICAL COMEDY PARAMOUNT "...Lavish film faroe speckled with musical numbers and dolled up in Technicolor. . .Strictly a formula film adroitly tailored for light entertainment. . .Sad-eyed clowning of Eddie Bracken is the piece's most important ingredient." GUERNSEY, N. Y. HERALD TRIBUNE. "...Bracken handicapped by a meandering, catch-as-catch-can script... Has some bright musical numbers and an assortment of feminine pulchritude in various stages of peek-a-boo attire — all garnered with Technicolor. . .Lively show in spots but it takes more than a few scattered turns to make a well-rounded entertainment." T.M.P., N. Y. TIMES. ".. .Tuneful, sufficiently amusing Technicolor musical comedy, easy to take — easy to forget. . .Should be popular with the younger set and, as carefree screen entertainment, ideal for the boys in service. . .Comedy is amiable if not brilliant." HALE, N. Y. DAILY NEWS. ". . .Paramount has a way of tossing off amusing musical comedies without half trying. The record has been so good maybe they didn't do more than half try on 'Bring On the Girls'... Not bad for some of the theatres along Broadway, but way below what Paramount patrons have gotten accustomed to." COOK, N. Y. WORLD TELEGRAM. "...One of the cheerier, lustier filmusicals — prettily dressed up in Technicolor; replete with song, dance and specialty numbers abounding with cinema sailors — for the most part on liberty romantically and amusingly involving feminine companions thereby... Script is plum full of gags, directed with swift humor, THIRER, N. Y. POST. TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT' STORY GETS IN WAY OF LAVISH MUSICAL COLUMBIA "...London blitz forms an incongruous background for a gaudy girly-girly show. .. Offers dubious delights as an entertainment... Pretentiously topheavy. script is dull and confused, while the incidental numbers are more often pretty and cute than they are smart... With its lack of comic substance and its rather dismal attempt to tie into the war, it is soporific rather than scintillating." BARNES, N. Y. HERALD TRIBUNE. "...Lavishly staged. . .Makes so little of the blitz it is hard to understand why it took a subject so jolting to our sensibilities... Song and dance numbers fill the most important footage ... Generally pleasant." COOK, N. Y. WORLD-TELEGRAM. "...Slick and beautiful production in Technicolor .. .Good screen entertainment. . .Doesn't really pretend to tell a dramatic story of the war... Forgot to add some comedy lines or bits of funny business to the other ingredients so the light and frolicsome interludes are too few and far between the dull spots of the story. CAMERON, N. Y. NEWS. "...Very pleasant and sentimentally romantic musical. . .Story never drops to maudlin bathos. . .Permits an appropriate succession of music and dance interludes. . .Whole picture is in a smooth and sophisticated style." CROWTHER, N. Y. TIMES. ". . .Lush and lovely in color and movement, peopled with pleasing folks, punctuated with exciting dance composition and tuneful music, but sappy in a grand, backstage style in story. . .Goings-or get in the way too much. They interrupt and curtail some of the most satisfying onstage doings one could ask for in a film mus: cal." McMANUS, PM. "...Lavishes color, music, the dance, beauty and romance... As s story, is too perfectly calculated to have much penetration... Whiles away a warmly pleasant time." WINSTEN, N. Y. POST 'MURDER MY SWEET' DICK POWELL GETS PLAUDITS IN 'TAUT' MYSTERY RKO-RADIO "...Tough-going mystery novel has kept its rugged realism... Taut and fascinating. . .Powell perfectly convincing as a Humphrey Bogart type. . .Dialogue underlines the viciousness with a touch of wry humor... With this list of fine performances, a solid Chandler background and Dmytryks direction to whet the lethal edges, 'Murder My Sweet' is top-notch thriller fare." GUERNSEY, N. Y. HERALD TRIBUNE. "...Belongs on the list of excellent mystery pictures. . .Harsh, rough and tumble humor of its dialogue. . .Powell transformed into something incredible to anyone who has ever seen him before... Not one of your neatly-trimmed mysteries. . .Swell and exciting fun." COOK, N. Y. WORLD-TELEGRAM. "...Superior piece of tough melodrama. . .Sure cure for low blood pressure. . .Powell has definitely stepped out of the song-and-dance, pretty-boy league with this performance .. .Pulse-quickening enter tainment." T.M.P., N. Y. TIMES. "...New thriller at the Palace — ■ and a wallopy one it is too.. With really amazing success, Powell sacrifices glamour-boyishness for the near-ugly tough demeanor demanded by the new role. He is a hard-as-nails detective in this invigorating dish of murder movie." THIRER, N. Y. POST. "... Spine-tingling ... Contains all the elements of a suspensefuj melodrama. . .Your attention will not stray from the screen foil one moment. . .Powell surprises by the slickness and assurance o| his performance. . .Supporting cast is excellent." CAMERON, N| Y. NEWS. "...Dandy mystery-thriller, full of punch, fine acting and cleve: | direction. . .Powell is nothing short of terrific. . .First-class dia logue and a smart flavor of sophistication." ROB REEL, CHIC AGO HERALD-AMERICAN. 24 FILM BULLBTIN