Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

BOOTS MALONE' ENTERTAINING RACETRACK DRAMA Rates • • + generally, more in action Columbia 103 minutes William Holden, Johnny Stewart, Stanley Clements, Basil Ruysdael, Carl Benton Reid, Ralph Dumke, Ed Begley, Hugh Sanders, Henry Morgan, Ann Lee, Anthony Caruso, Billy Pearson, John W. Frye, Harry Hines, Toni Gerry, Hurley Breen, Whit Bissell, Earl Unkraut, Harry Shannon, John Call. Directed by Willian Dieterle. With il^ interesting picturization of the behind the scenes of race track life, "Boots M alone" is a different type of sport story, a drama with more emphasis on emotional angles and bright comedy than the usual. The script is developed with an eye toward bringing out these values so the result is a strong attraction of its type. The yarn makes a well-written entertaining movie, cleverly plotted, filled with punchy dialogue. houses The production projects the racing world in realistic fashion in both its physical elements and character types. William Dieterle's direction plucks adroitly at heart strings, but smartly doesn't lose sight of the urgency for pace .tnd action. Despite its rather long running time "Boots Malone'' unfolds at a brisk, entertaining pace; the racing sequences pack excitement, and there's plenty of suspense. The title isn't the best for a drama of this type but where the exhibitor exploits the film as the punchy sports piece it is, the boxofnce results should be gratifying, particularly in action houses. William Holden plays the title role with warm sincerity, making "Boots" likeable and understandable despite his rough, tough exterior. Johnny Stewart displays a sensitive acting talent as the juvenile and Stanley Clements is at home in the spot of a jockey wise in the ways of his job. Basil Ruysdael, Carl Benton Reid, Ralph Dumke, Ed Begley and Hugh Sanders are splendid as various FINDERS KEEPERS' WEAK COMEDY EFFORT Rates • • — as supporting dualler Universal-International 75 minutes Tom Ewell, Julia Adams, Evelyn Varden, "Dusty" Henley, Harold Vermilyea, Douglas Fowley, Richard Reeves, Jack Elam, Herbert Anderson. Directed by Frederick de Cordova. "Finders Keepers" belabors a fairly cute comedy situation to the point of tedium and then tosses in the sadly worn adage that honesty is the best policy for a melodramatic finish. Practically all of it misses fire. About the only source of entertainment in this Universal offering are the antics of a 3-year-old baby who serves as a foil for a criminally toughened grandma. The precocious youngster, who carts home thousand dollar bills in his little wagon, and the hardened old lady may provide some with amusement, but the script fails to elaborate on the potential and the comedy lines and situations fall flat. Add to this the melodramatic struggle to keep the boy's father from falling back to his former crooked ways, and the film often falls from the comedy level into a confused and dismal hodge-podge. Frederick de Cordova's direction milks each situation to the limit but his touch is more often heavy handed where lightness should prevail. The Leonard Goldstein production is poorly mounted and fails to add the quality setting that might elevate the story. The film's star is young "Dusty" Henley, a clever youngster who is a cinch to drawcoos of delight from the women. Evelyn Yarden makes a noble attempt in the part of the grandmother, but the weak script gives her little opportunity to capitalize on DESERT OF LOST MEN' ABOVE-PAR ROCKY LANE WESTERN Rates • • + for western houses Republic 54 minutes Rocky Lane, Irving Bacon, Mary Ellen Kay, Roy Barcroft, Ross Elliott, Cliff Clark, Boyd Morgan, Leo Cleary, Kenneth MacDonald, Steve Pendleton, "Black Jack". Directed by Harry Keller. "Desert of Lost Men" is moulded in the same pattern as the rest of the Rocky Lane series and is one of the best in the series. The emphasis on gunplay, indoor fights with plenty of breakable furniture and stagecoach holdups should give western devotees a big time. Lane fans will find their hero showcased to good advantage in a script that he carries all the way. I'roducer-Director Harry Keller caters to the action taste with a sure-fire Western formula for the secondary slot. Lane adds to his stature in a performance that he handles smoothly and confidently. Top support is turned in by Irving Bacon, a veteran of many a cow trail, who, in his role of the sheriff, adds the light touches. Ross Elliott, as a doctor who serves as a decoy to lure the villains, also fills in the romantic lead with a capable performance. Cliff Clark, another veteran of the series, and Roy Barcroft cut op a few touches as the heavies, Good camera work and music add to the film's credit and editing keeps the plot down to essential action. STORY: Rocky Lane, as. a deputy marshal, comes into Bear Creek to trap a of the racing characters. The parts have a Runyon-like flavor to them is well brought out in the playing, making for added interest in the picture. STORY: William Holden is an agent's jockey come upon hard times. Johnny Stewart, a youngster, wanders into his life, reveals that he has quite a bit of money. Holden and his buddies begin to take the kid down the line on the promise of training him to be a jockey. The boys have all pitched in to buy a horse, and Johnny, after displaying natural riding ability, is allowed to ride him. They enter the horse in the big race. A professional gambler to whom Holden is indebted catches up with him and insists that the race be thrown. Meantime Johnny's mother has caught up with the youngster and taken him away. He makes his way back to the track and plans to ride the race. Holden hasn't the heart to make him throw it, successfully risks his life for the kid's victory. ANGEL a nicely drawn character. Tom Ewell, as the father, seems rather confused as to whether he is a sympathetic or comic character. Julia Adams, the mother, is just adequate in an uninspiring part. STORY: The young son of an ex-con finds a chest of money which was planted in a vacant lot by a gang. He loads his wagon with bills and carts it home to his grandmother, a former gang moll, who tries to hide the money from her son, going straight, his wife and his parole officer. The father tries to return the money to the police, but the youngster carts home another load the next day. The gang gets on to his pilfering and kidnaps the boy with the grandmother joining forces with the gang. When the father leads the police in a raid on the thugs, the grandmother plays it for a hero and the boy goes back to filling his wagon with mudpiles. WEBBER gang of outlaws known as the Lost Men. He foils an attempt to rob the funds that are to be used to build a hospital in the town. The money disappears, however, and Lane lets it be known that one of the town's doctors, entrusted with the funds, is wanted for murder under another name. This is a ruse to decoy the outlaws, but it falls through when one of the gang gets wind of it and the doc is captured to sweat out the whereabouts of the cache. Several other ingenious schemes fail until Rocky allows himself to be captured in order to discover the hideout where the doc is being held. Then follows an escape with Rocky shooting it out with the whole gang and eventually knocking oft the leaders in hand-to-hand combat. WEBBER 12 FILM" BULLETIN