Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1950)

'WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS' INTERESTING SUSPENSE MELODRAMA Rates • • • in action spots; slightly less 20th Century-Fox 95 minutes Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill, Bert Freed, Tom Tully, Karl Maiden, Ruth Donnelly, Craig; Stevens, Robert Simon, Harry Von Zell, Don Appell. Directed by Otto Preminger. Good standard fare in the suspense melodrama category with a few unusual twists and a story that sustains interest throughout, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" should satisfy most audiences and more than satisfy the action fans. Filmed for ■ the most part on location in New York, the story takes a rather unusual premise — e. detective with a penchant for mussing up his suspects finally kills one in the process and attempts to pin the death on a known criminal. That the fist-happy minion of the law will eventually be brought to account for the crime is a foregone conclusion — The Johnston Office must be served — but plenty of sus Isewhere penseful moments occupy the screen in the process. There is also a fair share of comedy and a novel twist as the detective deliberately sets out to get himself murdered by the man on whom he has been trying to pin his own felony. Although the Ben Hecht story, except for the twists, is rather trite and telegraphs its punches, snappy dialogue, realistic settings and some good performances help raise this above the ordinary murder meller. Returns will be slightly above average generally, particularly with the Dana Andrews-Gene Tierney names to help, and the attraction in action houses should fare quite well. Poorest returns will ensue in the family spots. STORY: As a detective who has had to overcome the stigma of a criminal father, Dana Andrews develops a vicious streak that keeps him in hot water with his superiors as he earns a reputation for manhandling his suspects. When a man is killed in gangster Gary Merrill's hotel suite, Andrews is assigned to bring in the number one suspect, Craig Stevens, although he feels sure that Merrill is the murderer. Finding Stevens drunk in his apartment, Andrews handles him roughly and, in the ensuing skirmish, knocks Stevens out, unaware that be has a plate in his head from a war wound. Stevens is killed when he hits the iioor and the frightened Andrews disposes of the body in the river, making it appear that the dead man has run away. When the body is located, Tom Tully, father of Gene Tierney, Stevens' estranged wife, is booked for the murder. Attempting to help Tierney clear her father, Andrews falls in love with her, and realizing that Tully will be convicted of the murder unless he can make Merrill pay for Ihe crime, he deliberately sets out to be murdered by Merrill, now in hiding. In the ensuing battle, Andrews is wounded and Merrill apprehended, while Tully is cleared. Although he is now in the clear, Andrews asks his superior to read £ confession he had left in case of his death and goes to stand trial with Tierney premising to stand by him. BARN. 'THREE LITTLE WORDS' DELIGHTFUL ASTAIRE-SKELTON TECHNICOLOR MUSICAL BIOG Rates • • • generally M-G-M 102 minutes Fred Astaire, Red Skelton, Vera-Ellen, Arlene Dahl, Keenan Wynn, Gale Robbins, Gloria de Haven, Phil Regan. Directed by Richard Thorpe. Another Metro musical, in that company's tradition of lavishness, beauty, fun and just plain, outright »ntertainment has been unveiled in "Three Little Words," alleged biography of the songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. How much of this is actually based on truth matters little; the KaimarRuby personalities and careers are too little known by the mass of American moviegoers for comparison. The point is that their grand trues and long friendship form the basis for a thoroughly entertaining movie that will make merry at the boxoffice. The songs, most of which were popular in the twenties, vie for honors with Fred Astaire's masterful | hoofing, both solo and with Vera-Ellen (his best dancing partner yet), and the heartwarming comedy whipped up by the song team's friendly squabbles over their respective hobbies, amateur magic and baseball. Astaire has rarely been better, either terpsichoreally or histrionically, and Red Skelton, in a comparatively subdued portrayal as Ruby, the music-writing half of the team, gets his best screen role to date. Some of his scenes on the baseball diamond (in a running gag that sends him down to work out with the Washington Senators every time he gets serious about a girl) are truly hilarious. Comedy and songs, though abundant, take no precedence over beauty in the film. Vera-Ellen and Arlene Dahl grace the screen with their loveliness, the former making Hermes Pan's dance routines a symphony of charm and Miss Dahl dispensing a few songs completely overshadowed by her screen image, breathtaking in Technicolor, It all adds up to swell entertainment, sure to hit the better grosses in every theatre, except the house that caters to blood-andthunder addicts. STORY: Fred Astaire and Vera-Ellen, a vaudeville song-and-dance team, are broken up when Astaire injures his knee. Already well-known as a lyric writer, Astaire teams up with Red Skelton after an accidental meeting and Vera-Ellen goes off to become successful as a solo dancer. Although the team soon clicks with several numbers, Skelton sees that Astaire is pining for Vera-Ellen and his dance routines and arranges for them to be reunited. Astaire and Vera-Ellen are married and Skelton is delighted when Astaire elects to continue the song-writing team. They become famous for their tunes, go to Hollywood to write for pictures and Skelton falls n love with and marries actress Arlene Dahl. The partners split up after a misunderstanding at an anniversary party for their long career together, but, through the wives' conniving, are brought together for an appearance on Phil Regan's radio program and Astaire surprises Skelton with the words to a tune the latter had played with unsuccessfully for all the years they were together, "Three Little Words." BARN. PANIC IN THE STREETS' TAUT, EXCITING MELODRAMA Rates • • • generally Fox 93 minutes Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, Barbara Bel Geddes, Walter Palance, Zero Mostel, Dan Riss, Alexis Minotis, Guy Thomajan. Directed by Elia Kazan. This suspenseful detective story of the unt for two killers — one human and ne bacteriological — should bring smiles o the faces of those exhibitors who play t. With the potent marquee draw of Richard Widmark and Paul Douglas, plus a tight eventful story which will generally keep audiences teetering on the edges of their seats, "Panic in The streets" figures to roll up fancy grosses in the great majority of theatres, especially in metropolitan areas. The picture moves along at a pace which belies its running time of 93 minutes. It is taut, exciting melodrama, intelligently done in all phases, writing, acting, direction. Widmark turns in a convincing per formance as a doctor on the right side of the law and proves that he need not be tied down to Tommy Udo for the rest of his cinematic life. Douglas again comes through in his role of the skeptical police captain. The rest of the cast, too, are excellent and believable, especially Walter Palance, as a soft-spoken killer with a death-head's face, and Zero Mostel, playing it straight this time as one of the gangsters. Those to whom the Kazan name is magic will not be disenchanted by this latest effort of his. As usual, his direction is shrewd, calculated and provocative throughout. Between the deft direction and the excellent camera work, the film is embellished with some fine touches of realism. STORY: Lewis Charles is killed by Walter Palance in an argument over marked cards. Palance and his stooge Zero Mostel dump the body with the aid of Guy Thomajan, who illegally smuggled Charles into the country. When the police lab examines the body, traces of bubonic plague are discovered. Public Health Service Doctor Widmark obtains the mayor's and police's cooperation in attempting to nab the killer in order to prevent the spread of the contagious disease. Police Captain Paul Douglas is assigned to the case and begins a routine questioning of all suspicious characters. Palance and Mostel, figuring that the heat is on because Charles must have smuggled in some goods, try to force a confession out of Thomajan, but he escapes. Widmark meanwhile has tracked down the ship which brought Charles into the country, the place where he had his last meal, and most of the people, except the killer, to whom Charles might have communicated the disease. The restaurant owner gives Widmark a lead to Thomajan, who by now is deathly sick from the plague. At the same time Palance and Mostel catch up with Thomajan. Douglas arrives on the scene and after a wild chase through docks and warehouses, Palance and Mostel are captured alive and the dread disease is stopped. RUBE. I I' I V 17. 1950 J