Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

'African Queen' Earns Salvo Of Kudos From N. Y. Critics Except for one dissenting voice, the New York critics emitted crys of "a rattling good adventure film," "picture making at its very best" and other plaudits when "The African Queen" tied up at the Capitol Theatre. It was their consensus that this film will be one of the top adventure hits of the year. In the X. Y. Times. Bosley Crowther commented. "Mr. Huston merits credit for putting this fantastic tale on a level of sly, polite kidding and generally keeping it there, while going about the happy business of engineering excitement and visual thrills." This critic compared it to the "Beachcomber" because not since that picture "have the incongruities of social station and manners been so pointedly and humorously portrayed." Otis L. Guernsey, in the Herald-Tribune, noted that. "Huston disposed to make a cinema plaything . . . has made an excellent one ..." although Guernsey felt that the picture was "slightly marred by a spurious ending which comes along too late to do any real harm." "A rattling good adventure film," said Alton Cook in the World-Telegram & Sun. "Size of the crowds that greeted the start of 'The African Queen' at the Capitol made it obvious that this is to be one of the popular hits of the year." The Journal-American's Rose Pelswick found this "delightful entertainment — romantic, adventurous, colorful, amusing, and chiefly, adult." In her opinion "Bogart is better than he's ever been on the screen, and Miss Hepburn's eloquent, finely shaded, performance is nothing short of superb." The film left the X. Y. Post's Archer Winsten cold. He felt that the "picture's early brilliancy steadily fades to the burntout tattered aspect of a Tarzan adventure." RETURN OF THE TEXAN' 20th CENTURY-FOX "Adventure which ought to appeal to a great many city families . . . Film is fine promotion for Texas." — Pihodna, X. Y. Herald-Tribune. "Part farmyard and part ranch-house romance . . . told with considerable consistency of humor and rural charm, thanks to a neat script, good direction and pleasant performances all around." — Crowther, X. Y. Times. "Western without any cowboys, Indians or rustlers . . . Sharp departure from the Western mold . . . The picture has enlisted good talents . . . They simply must have struck an off day, which can happen to the best of us."— Cook, X. Y. Telegram & Sun. "Indeed we're for 'Return of the Texan' . . Unpretentious and ingratiating . . . Superior Western fare." — Thirer, N. Y. Post. "An outdoor film far removed from the conventional Western, it's a warm, absorbing study of family life. Sensitively written, acted and handled." — Pelswick, X. Y. JournalAmerican. 26 •QUOT€S" ROOM FOR ONE MORE1 WARXER BROS. "Film about a young mother who was determined to be the kindest person in the whole world. There is a grimness about her determination that is contagious and is likely to send you out of the Warner Theatre in an equally grim mood after a session with this." — Cook, X. Y. Telegram & Sun. "Gently whimsical comedy." — Pelswick, X". Y. Journal-American. "Must be what they call "schmaltz" if they don't call it something much worse. It is practically solid sugar and sentiment on one hand and on the other we meet two of the most embittered kids this side of Alcatraz. Will doubtless please many, but those among us who are not pleased will be not pleased in spades, doubled." — Winsten, X. Y. Post. "Generally appealing . . . has genuine gaiety and domestic charm . . . but the climax becomes a maudlin set-to with the Boy Scout Oath and the American flag." — Crowther, X. Y. Times. RETREAT, HELL!" WARXER BROTHERS "Immensely affecting war drama, a stirring salute to the U. S. Marines in Korea . . . Staged with realism and vigor, the picture offers sharp combat reporting and believable, human characterizations." — Pelswick. X. Y. Journal-American. "Movies about the Korean war are still in the stage where lots of furious action and headlong heroics are the only objective . . . 'Retreat. Hell!" is about the best we have had on the subject so far." — Cook, X. Y. Telegram & Sun. "Staged with considerable verisimilitude, verve and combat action . . . It's not what you would call a bad picture, but it's strictly for the wish-fancy juveniles of all ages." — Winsten, X. Y. Post. "Heroic and sentimental war melodrama . The Marine Corps could ask for no stronger dramatic praise of its ability, bravery, group loyalty and accomplishments . . . The fact remains that the movie ... is more a decoration than an expeirence." — Guernsey, X. Y. Herald-Tribune. "Pitched and played in the idiom and the spirit of the hot heroic style . . . The pieces fit right into the grooves of conventional war-film dramatics that have been standard since World War I." — Crowther, X. Y. Times. ON DANGEROUS GROUND' RKO "Story is a shallow, uneven affair . . . For all the sincere and shrewd direction and the striking outdoor photography, this RKO melodrama fails to traverse its chosen ground." — Crowther, X. Y. Times. "Curious mixture of clever film work and What the Newspaper Critics Sag About New Fil static generalities, of pointed action aj sordid overtones . . . Sometimes comman the attention although it has nothing M vital to say." — Guernsey, X. Y. HeraTribune. "Story is familiar one . . . but you will 1 often see it launched so well . . . Off almost an hour of vigorous excitement though it does bog down so badly in its fij preoccupation." — Cook, X. Y. Telegram Sun. "Incoherent pictures like this do deve a sort of inner strength for awhile. Butthe thing doesn't quite come off, then you got to say that the target was missed.' Winsten, X. Y. Post. 'LIGHT TOUCH' METRO-GOLDWYX-MAYER "Smooth, little comedy with no mes Xot an ounce of deep thought is require sit back and enjoy it . . . Sort of Rafi affair . . . reminiscent of the typical gen man-crook thriller . . . rides on its oJ merits so pleasantly that it is gay, cli definitely diverting." — Thirer, X. Y. Post. "Since they had the good taste to adh to their title. Brooks . . . and his cast doing a service to the viewer . . . For melodrama . . . blithely relates the story a seemingly unregenerate art thief v mends his ways because of his artist-wi unselfish love, without resorting to too cliches . . . May not be art, but it is en' taining." — X. Y. Times. "One of those brittle comedy melodrai about crooks which Metro-Goldwyn-Ma has for a year found so enchanting . . . I| to depend on charm for its entertainm value." — Creelman, X. Y. Telegram and Sj. "Angled for amusement rather than i pense, with crime used merely as a conv< ent hook on which to hang the love story An occasional chuckle and a few small s< ings of romance." — Guernsey. X. Y. He: i Tribune. "NAVAJO BOY' LIPPERT PRODUCTIOXS "Feature-length dramatization, which I servedly could be termed a fine documnetJT . . . from its simple but poetic narratiorj» its panoramic vistas of the ruggest Soi west ... an unusual . . . convincing \oo\ the Red Man." — Weiler, X. Y. Times. "Good (Movie Meter Rating) . . . ap ing little semi-documentary drama . . , an affirmative for its natural beauty of ground." — Thirer, X. Y. Post. "Visually exciting film . . . not encum with a plot . . . The exposition of Xa customs and beliefs should appeal to | audiences as well as to anthropologis Pihodna, X. Y. Herald-Tribune. "Wistful and touching film with an a folk-story quality . . . Primitive and un ... it is a tender and fascinating experie — Cook, X. Y. Telegram & Sun. FILM BULLETf