Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

John Ford's Best Or Hot, 'Quiet Man' Registers As Hit A host of Irish superlatives was lavished on John Ford's Technicolor production for Republic, "The Quiet Man", when it opened on Broadway at the Capitol. The distinctive Irish quality of the film did not limit it purely to descendants of Erin, however, it was noted, however. Whether it was Ford's best in a distinguished career was a moot question, but the fact that it was considered by the New York newspaper critics in that category was proof enough that here is a truly good picture. Commenting on Ford's avowal that it is the best picture he has ever made, the Post's Archer Winsten registers doubt on that score, but qualifies that it is "his best in a long while". He calls it "beautiful, it has the truth of character and country, it displays the rich and varied texture of a panoramic tapestry, but it deliberately avoids the drama that grabs you by the throat". The picture has a"wonderful lyric, bucolic, purely Irish quality", he adds but "because it does move slowly and because it is a departure from accepted movie practices, it will be regarded by some as too long and too diffuse". The Journal-American's Jim O'Connor is charmed by the film. Coming to town "touted as one of the best pictures of the year" and "lives up to expectations". It's really "something to shout about. It's a grand picture— 'tis that!" Abe Weiler, of the Times, calls it a "rollicking tale ... as darlin' a picture as we've seen this year". It's Ford's "throughly comic and enjoyable accented use" of Irish customs that does the trick, he feels and the performers "give us a fine, gay time". In the World-Telegram & Sun, Alton Cook feels there's plenty of "quaint Irish custom and turn of speech" — maybe too much— and while it will be "a joy to all the Irish . . . less specialized tastes may find their enthusiasm running high but on a considerably more moderate level". Taking issue with this, the Herald Tribune's Paul V. Beckley declaims that while its "full of that quality for one land its people, nevertheless must touch something sensitive in anyone. Nearly everything of wish or delight that the Irish take pleasure in has been put into this picture (if none of the sorrows that made wishes so significant) and it was done with a loving hand and a leftness that has surely its own suggestion of the Blarney Stone". He sums it up as a "subtle blend of beauty and comedy and the wild glee of the Irish when the mood of joy is upon them." WHAT PRICE GLORY' 20TH CENTURY-FOX "Well-watered rewriting . . . Salty vigor of the dialogue and the savage cruelties of war are omitted . . . Cagney and Dailey have lowered their acting standards." — Cook, N. Y. World-Telegram & Sun. "Passage of time has not worked wonders with this World War I drama . . . Despite some heroics and the monumental rivalry of its principals, a swiftly moving but not an "QUOT€S" What the Newspaper Critics Say About New Fill especially distinguished offering." — Weiler, N. Y. Times. "Movie of leers, tears and cheers. It's my private opinion that the general public will like this." — O'Connor, N. J. Journal-American. "Substitution of Technicolor, comedy, romance and musical rowdiness for the solid conviction of that harsh old play from World War I. The total result is deplorable . . . All that's worst in Hollywood's concept of 'entertainment value' is perfectly exemplified here ... An act, a very professional act, an entertainment act with no trace of the blood, guts, dirt and despair that made the old play so memorable." — Winsten, N. Y. Post. MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA' WARNER BROS. "Within the conventions of the religious film, it is human, touching and inspiring . . . No lack of dramatic suspense ... It can touch you even without belief . . . By the same token, it should be uncommonly offensive to those strongly opposed to that kind of teaching." — Winsten, N. Y. Post. "Warner Brothers . . . have treated a sectarian theme respectfully . . . Lessening dramatic impact is felt throughout the middle portions of the film . . . Spiritual document for the faithful and a serious but unspectacular drama for others." — Weiler, N. Y. Times. "Mundane background of the story is dealt with rather perfunctorily but the makers . . . have approached the religious events quietly and thoughtfully . . . (Performances are) sympathetic, credible and admirable." — Beckley, N. Y. Herlad Tribune. "Deeply moving . . . Good picture-in the highest meaning of the word." — O'Connor, N. Y. Journal-American. "Highly decorated and devout picture . . . A year ago a mass pilgrimage visited the shrine built on the site of the miracle. The film is likely to be greeted in the same spirit and the same proportions." — Cook, N. Y. World-Telegram & Sun. THE BIG SKY' RKO RADIO "Ranks with the all-time achievements in this field . . . Expresses completely the rough scramble of life on the frontier . . . Series of masterworks individually and collectively."— Cook, N. Y. World-Telegram & Sun. "Beautiful as the settings are, stalwart as are its good peple bent on giving the Indians a decent break and making big money, loaded as the story is with action, 'The Big Sky' is also rather childish in the way that epics made in American film factories so often are." — Pollock, N. Y. Compass. "Saga as long as the day and as big as ail outdoors . . . Much too long . . . But . . . the flavor of the period, the beauty of an unsullied countryside and, above all, the nature of some of those daring few is enough."-Weiler, N. Y. Times. "Good (Post Movie Meter) . . . Has more dignity, substance and character than an ordinary Western, but it fails to achieve its true goal, frittering away its energies linguistic concerns, petty fights and the i terminable boating." — Winsten, N. Y. Po "Big as the great outdoors and just as i freshing . . . Here is adventure in the op . . . suspense . . . sudden death . . . Virile p ture of vigor and violence. It's sturdy, sti ring stuff." — O'Connor, N. Y. Journ American. "Would have been easy to have "The Sky' into a horse opera . . . but How" Hawks withstood that temptation Certainly there is brawling and Indian fig ing and hard delays . . . but these things kept supordinate to the main theme . . . D considerable justice to the character of country . . . Scienically, it is splendid.' Beckley, N. Y. Herald Tribune. SON OF ALI BABA' UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL "As a film package that substitutes ent tainment for art . . . the Palace's new o ing rates a round zero . . . Of all the fran juvenile oriental hore operas . . . this on the dullest."— H. H. T., N. Y. Times. "Distinctive for running even wilder t most of the others . . . Better save y main attention for the vaudeville on Palace stage." — Cook, N. Y. World-T gram & Sun. "Arabian Nights on Broadway ... In Technicolor, it unfolds a story set in s Oriental splendor as is seldom seen in town . . . Plot too complicated ... If it explained by some genius, the explana apparently baffled all concerned — inclu this innocent onlooker." — O'Connor, N. Journal American. "Comes very close to being No. 1 ch burlesque with more fine flesh under veils than you or I would care to sha stick at . . . Smoke-house dialogue with n of Allah constantly invoked to lift the c of PS 58 declamation off the lines." — A sten, N. Y. Post. SHADOW IN THE SKY' M ETRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER "Hollywood once more is tackling problem of the psychoneurotic service with more vigor than subtlety ... So somber and generally sincere motion pic' What it lacks is authority to deal with a large and immediate problem." — Piho N. Y. Herald Tribune. "Earnest, intelligently made picture must be called minor because it attempt little in its portrait of a post-war psycho —Winsten, N. Y. Post. "Synthetic garnishing has been allowe spoil some appealing sensibilities in modest little drama . . . Performances are so natural that the predominant ficiality of 'Shadow in the Sky' just d stand a chance."— H. H. T, N. Y. Tim "Good material has been hypoed and verted to rather obvious melodramatics With a litle more restraint and contin freshness and originality of approach might have had a rattling good fil N. Y. World Telegram & Sun. 20 FILM BULLE