Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1951)

'OPERATION X' THE KNIFE SLIPPED! jlates * + generally as dualler Columbia minutes i£dward G. Robinson, Nora Swinburne, tfeff&y Cummins, Richard Greene, Gregory Ratoff. Finlay Currie, Ronald Adam, Walter Rilla, James Robertson Justice, David Hutcheson, Dod Nehan. Peter Ulingr, Ronald Ward, Roberto Villa. 'Directed by Gregory Ratoff There can be little doubt that the reitrent profusion of "Operation" titles will now be halted. "Operation X", Columbia's contribution, is the one in which the knife 'slipped, killing the value of all future mohie "operations". This incredibly phony account of a man's fabulous, insane de[sire to own the whole world fails miserably as entertainment. Depending almost itentirely upon stilted, childiih dialogue to idevelop its farfetched tale. "Oneration X" wastes the talents of a capable cast and makes them look silly. The gigantic, learth-shaking events hinted at in every iturn of the film's tortuous labyrinth of plot are never made quite clear, leaving the audience wondering what all the fuss and bother was about. Director Gregory Ratoff should hide his head in shame Roxoffice prospects are fair, at best, and that solely on the strength of the following enjoyed by Edward G. Robinson. It should be dualled with a comedy or musical. Robinson does as well as can be expected in the unsympathetic role of a powerful international financier with a dream of world conquest, who goes crazy when he learns he is not the father of his spoiled-darling daughter. The change of character affected by daughter Peggy Cummins halfway through the picture is just as fantastic as the screenplay by Robert Thoeren and William Rose. Also unimpressive are Richard Greene, as Peggy's fiance, and Nora Swinburne, as her longsuffering mother. The only appreciable effort is the humorous performance turned in by Gregory Ratoff as Robinson's closest friend. STORY: There are only two things in the world that are important to international financier reward G. Robinson— his lovely, spoiled daughter, whom he adores; and his desire to own the world. He plots to corner the market on the brains of the world, hoping to put over his Operation X, a hazy scheme to mine some sort of mineral that will make him all-powerful. His daughter, Peggy Cummins, becomes engaged to Richard Greene, a journalist, who exposes Robinson and his scheme in a" magazine article. Peggy, thinking Greene used her to get the story, sends him away. Later she realizes she loves Greene and goes after him. planning to marry him immediately. Robinson decides to take her on a cruise, but his wife, Nora Swinburne, opposes this plan. When she tells Robinson that someone else is the father of Peggy, he goes insane, leaving his Operation X to collapse and spending the rest of his days in a padded study, still dreaming of someday owning the world. JACKSON. TWO LOST WORLDS' HAS BALLYHOO ANGLES ,Rates • • + as a dualler where ballyhooed ly through the machinations of her nine Eagle Lion Classics release 61 minutes Laura Elliott, Jim Arness, Bill Kennedy, Gloria Petroff, Tom Hubbard, Jane Harlan, Pierre Watldn, Bon Carson, Guy BellLs, James Guilfoyle, Fred Kohler, Jr., .Tom Monroe, Tim Grahame, Richard Bar,tell, Charleen Hawks, Joey Ray, Herman Canton. Directed by Norman Dawn. I Though this adventure programmer, :made by Sterling Productions, is a minor i league effort and has little marquee j value, it is compounded of some fairly 'exciting elements that will satisfy only the least discriminating adults, but should I send the youngsters into roars of delight. Boris Petroff's imaginative production makes full use of the ingredients, which I include a volcanic eruption, prehistoric ! monsters battling to the death, pirates, hand-to-hand combat, a fire disaster at sea which sinks two ships, peril on a i desert island, romance and jealous hatred, I kangaroos and cuddly lambs. It's corn, but exploitable, and action and ballyhoo I houses should find it a good dualler. I Only the kiddies will fail to notice the 1 flaws in Norman Dawn's production: the I cliche-ridden dialogue, the stagey poses and mawkish mugging. Laura Elliott tries hard to give the picture a little glamour and Jim Arness, as the hero, looks a fine figure of a man. STORY: Jim Arness' clipper ship, sailing from Salem to the East Indies in the 1830's, is attacked by pirates. Wounded, he is set ashore in a small Australian coastal township. The settlers fear the pirates may land and raid their homes, so Arness organizes a militia at the request of the magistrate, Pierre Watkins. The magistrate's daughter, Laura Elliott, is engaged to a sheep-farmer, Bill Kennedy, but falls in love with Arness, large year-old sister, Gloria Petroff. Pirates attack and Laura is carried off to sea with a girlfriend. In an unarmed sloop, the Australians and the Yankee give chase, board the pirate ship, and rescue the girls and Kennedy, who has been shot. As they row away in a small boat both vessels catch fire and sink. The small party of survivors lands on a volcanic island, and is beset by dragon lizards. After many hardships they build a raft, but just as they are about to make a bid for freedom the volcano erupts. In the nick of time Arness* clipper ship, which has been searching for them on its return voyage from the Indies, hoves into view and rescues the party except Kennedy, who conveniently dies of his injuries. YORK. "As a Scientist, I say we must destroy it or it will destroy us!" THE THING from Another World! HOWARD HAWKS' *Pcrft'nQ MOVIE! Ads like this are appearing in 58 National Magazines and 93 Sunday Newspaper Supplements totaling 185,761,000 circulation. FEBRUARY 26, 1951 23