Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

HE PRISONER OF ZENDA' GREAT ADVENTURE, CREAT BOXOFFICE ites • • • + generally letro-Goldwyn-Mayer |l minutes Ijwart Granger, Deborah Kerr, James Mail, Louis Calhern, Jane Greer, Lewis Stone, tibert Douglas, Robert Coote •rected by Richard Thorpe [Metro has delivered the third (1922, 1937) M perhaps the best filming of the intriguk Anthony Hope adventure story. Proved by Pandro S. Herman from a script I John Raldcrston and Noel Langley, this Ichnicolor version has captured all the vrit. color and romance that has made 'risoner of Zenda" one of the great classics i the screen. It boasts a superb cast, prop|v flamboyant direction, good action, all lie Up in a production package that belaks M-G-M's confidence in the commer}l value of the film. It's a high quality j> throughout. The story of a man who t onlv looks like a king, but whom fate choses* to masquerade as king, has again been made into film which should be a topflight boxoffice attraction in all situations. In the opinion of this reviewer, it will be runner-up to the fabulous "Ivanhoe" as a grosser. Director Richard Thorpe has set a lively pace from the opening frame down to a smashing duel-scene climax. Stewart Granger, in the twin role of Rudolf Rassendyll and Kind Rudolf V, handles his assignment with verve and a nice romantic touch. As a princess who must choose between love and duty, Deborah Kerr is both appealing and convincing. James Mason is superb as the swashbuckling villian, dominating most of the scenes in which he appears. ECAUSE OF YOU' TEAR-JERKER HAS STRONC FEM APPEAL Ites • • • — generally I dversal • Minutes ■retta Young, Jeff Chandler, Alex Nicol, ances Dee, Alexander Scourby, Lynne ;.berts, Mae Clark, Gayle Reed, Billy ayne. Frances Karath rected by Joseph Pevney ll'he old, old mother-love theme, trickled it with some soap-opry melodramatics, gets igood going-over in "Because of You", i iue. it's corny, but it is the type of corn |it the ladies like to feast on, so exhibitors find this a strong attraction, especially ^family houses. There are enough elements ^suspense and action to make it good fare I all types of situations. This UniversalI'.ernational offering has been given a topl:ht production by Albert T. Cohen and it •getting a strong exploitation campaign by (J1 that will kick it off to good grosses in first runs. Word-of-mouth should hold it up well enough in the sub-runs. Loretta Young, as the self-sacrificing mother with a past, turns in one of her best performances in years. Jeff Chandler handles the role of the husband with conviction. Gayle Reed, the child, is fine and Alexander Scourby again shows that he deserves more than a supporting role. Joseph Pevney's direction puts emphasis where it belongs — on the emotions. STORY: Blonde, brassy Loretta Young is caught with some dope, planted on her by her lover. Alex Nicol. She studies hard in jail, wins her diploma and while working as a nurse at a veterans' hospital, falls in love with wounded pilot Jeff Chandler. She is afraid to confess her past. After three years of blissful marriage Alex Xicol finds her and PERATION SECRET' CLOAK-AND-DAGGER ACTIONER I -res • • + for action spots; OK dualler 'larner Bros. * minutes t rnel Wilde, Steve Cochran, Phyllis Thax1 , Karl Maiden, Paul, Picerni, Lester MattUs, Dan O'Herlihy, Jay Novello, Wilton 'aff rected by Lewis Seiler 'Operation Secret" is another action-meloima built on the adventures of an Amerii soldier-of-fortune with the French un•ground during World War II, but this niliar theme has been tricked up to bene a better than average cloak-and-dagger n. Produced by Henry Blanke from a eenplay by James Webb and Harold Medd, the picture employs a flash-back tech;ue in a pseudo-documentary style. Inest is held throughout by action that hits "d and often, and entertainment values are ghtened by dubbing in film clips from >tured documentary reels. While some elsewhere of the story aspects are obscure and border on the fantastic, "Operation Secret" is tailored for action houses. Elsewhere it should serve as a fairly good dualler. The cast is an able one, with Cornel Wilde appropriately convincing as an American man-of-the-world who aids the French Maquis during the war. Steve Cochran, Paul Picerni, and Karl Maiden are all up to their derring-do assignments, 'while Phyllis Thaxter supplies the love interest without cluttering up the action. Director Lewis Seiler starts the film in high gear and the momentum is fairly well sustained throughout. STORY: In investigating the murder of Maquis officer Paul Picerni during the war, the Fernch authorities call together former underground members Steve Cochran, Karl Maiden, and Phyllis Thavter for questioning. Fach of them tell their stories, and in flash-back, the events leading up to the murder are shown. Maiden and Cornel STORY: Stewart Granger, an Englishman on vacation in a small European country, is met by the king (also Granger) and the two men are astonished to find they arc exact look-alikes. The king, whose coronation is the following day, takes Granger to his hunting lodge to celebrate the coming festivities. Plotting to sieze the throne, the king's half-brother, Robert Douglas, succeeds in drugging the monarch and the king's supporters plan to substitute Granger in the coronation ceremonies to foil the plot. James Mason, cohort of Douglas, manages to kidnap the real king and Granger is forced to carry on the masquerade. Deborah Kerr, who is a princess engaged to the king, had little liking for the real monarch, but comes to love Granger, though she is unaware he is a fake. After some gripping melodramatics, the king is rescued and the plotters put down. Granger and Kerr reaffirm their love, but part when Kerr choses her duty to her country. I'll 1 1. blackmails her into driving him to the Mexican border on a smuggling job. They are chased bv the police, the car crashes spectacularly and Nicol is killed. Chandler, believing the worst, has the marriage annulled. Loretta gets a job as a magicians' assistant. When, four years later, she sees her child again, she finds her sullen and unhappy. Jeff's sister, Frances Dee, invites her to stay in the house a short while until Jeff returns from a European trip. The child blooms under Loretta's influence, though unaware she is her mother. When Jeff gets back and turns Loreta out of the house, the little girl returns to her former morose condition. The doctor advises that she needs maternal love, just when Jeff decides to marry Lynne Roberts, an old friend, he realizes he loves Loretta after all. and finds her on her parents' farm, where they are re-united. COULTER Wilde first meet Picerni and Cochran during a final patrol skirmish after the fall of France. Maiden and Wilde are forced by the other men into a surrender which they consider dishonorable. Wilde later escapes to England where he joins the American Marine Corps. His first mission is to parachute behind enemy lines and obtain secret information. He completes his assignment, but only escapes the Gestapo through the aid of Phyllis Thaxter. The couple make their way to France, where they are reunited with Picerni, Maiden and Cochran, who is now a Maquis leader. The group learns of a secret German jet plane and they manage to capture films giving specifications on the plane. Cochran shows his true colors and plans to give the films to Russia. In the resulting melee, Cochran kills Picerni. Wilde, though wonded disapears with the films. At the inquiry, Cochran is confronted by Wilde and justice is achieved. XEIL FILM BULLETIN October 20, 1952 Page 7 i