Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1954)

PIN POINT REVIEWS Crisp, Business-wise Analysis of the New Films "Knights of the Round Table" Su^Ote^ l^cUuu^ Q Q O O Superlative anraction for all types of houses. Star and production values, spectccu'ar battle scenes, dramatic qualities will elicit strong word-of-mouth. Coupled with Metro ballyhoo, fame of King Arthur legend, and CinemaScope, to which it lends itself beautifully, this can't miss. Metro's initial CinemaScope production is a triumph for both Leo and the anamorj^hic system — and a boxoffice winner for exhibitors. Technically, it is best of the C'Scopers so far, catching pomp and panoply of the period, and all the traditions of the legend against breathtaking backgrounds that fit in perfectly with period. Producer I'andro Herman and director Richard Thorpe, crammed a wealth of excitement into the film. [Performances are topnotch. Robert Taylor dominates as .*>ir Lancelot, with fulsome support from Ava (lardner as a regal though voluptous tiuinevere, Mel Ferrer as majestic Arthur who lets friendshij) and love for his ])e()ple triumph over prescribed law. Tale has Arthur proving his right to British throne by withdrawing great sw'ord Rxcalibur, fighting enemies of British unity, finally dying on battlefield to preser\ e hmgland, after he has banished his true right arm. Lancelot, because of the love between the latter and Queen (iuinevere. Barn l.l-G-M. 115 Minutes. Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Mel Ferrer, Anne Crawford, Stanley Baker, Felix Aylmer, Maureen Swanson, Gabriel Woolf, Anthony Forward. Producer Pandro S. Berman. Director Richard Thorpe. "The Boy From Dklahoma" Rating applies to general market. Grosses will be better in family and small town houses, where homely humor should be best received. Meandering pace weakens it for action fans. Best selling angle is performance of Will Rogers, Jr. emulating style of his famed father. W'aruerColor production builds a fair amount of chuckling comedy on situation involving a non-guntoting sheriff who cuts down his adversaries with bits of country ])hilosophy and an unerring lasso. Rogers, enroute to a i)osition in his uncle's law office, stops off at small cattle town, which is dominated by crooked mayor .\nthony Caruso. Rogers is attracted to tom-boyish Nancy ()lson, daughter of recently-murdered sheriff. Caruso, thinking the newcomer is a weakling because he can't use a gun, ofi'ers him the job of sheriff. Rogers amazes everybody, including ( )lson, by maintaining law and order, out-bluffing Hilly the Kid, and finding the killt'r of former sherifi. I'ressbook features the ad lines, '"Scared of guns — • and afraid of gals. What kind of sheriff are you?" . . . "\\ arm-hearted story of the no-gun sheriff who stopped 'em all — with a grin for ammunition." ^'f^il Warner Bros. 88 minutes. Will Rogers, Jr., Nancy Olson, Lon Chaney, Anthony C;ruso, Wallace Ford. Producer David Weisbart. Director Michael Curtii. "Man Crazy" Programmer for dual bills in action spots and naborhoods. Story and off-beat treatment holds most appeal for teenagers. Sex and juvenile delinquency provide exploitation values for ballyhoo houses. Low-budget drama produced in semi-documentary style. Three teen-age girls rob a small town druggist of fortune he made bootlegging corn whiskey. They flee to Hollywood, rent a luxurious home and go on wild spending sprees. Suspense is generated when druggist learns of their approximate location and begins tracking them down. Mild action and romance stems from individual exploits of girls in which one tries to find thrills, the other two love and happiness. Tragic climax comes when druggist locates girls and learns money is gone. Method of bridging action by oft'-screen narration slows plot developments. Cast of unknowns give routine performances. Pressbook features ad lines, "Brazen? Cheap? Bad? IVomiscuous? . . . Do you write girls like these off with names like that !" "Too young to know when to stop ... a story scrawled across the conscience of a nation in the flaming lipstick of youth." Phil 20th Century-Fox. 79 minutes. Neville Brand, Christine White, Irene Anders, Coleen Miller, John Brown. Producers Sidney Harmon and Philip Yordan. Director Irving Lernar. "Juhilee Trail" 'BCUCKCA4, I^CUCK^^ O O O Rai'inq based on big exploitation campaign by Republic. Cest returns in action spots; wealtcst for discriminating trade. Popularity of novel, cotor, action, characters are exploitables. Word-of-mouth potential on negative side. Republic's most ambitious effort, on its own, seems destined for a good-enough reception where it is given benefit of high powered exploitation. Soap-opera type of story and a rambling script fail to captialize talents of a good cast. Principal characters, for the most part, are unsympathetic : \'era Ralston is a barroom entertainer running from a murder rap; John Russell as Miss Leslie's husband taking her back to his California home where he has an illegitimate child (mother & baby go to their death over a cliff ) : Ray Middleton as a stern, ruthless autocrat; Pat ()'Brien as a sot, a former army doctor trying to forget his shame; Barton MacLane as a drunken holy roller reformer. Only Forrest Tucker and Joan Leslie, as romantic interest, are appealing. Several good action sequences and best Trucolor yet are assets. Miss Ralston, strikingly gowned, handles musical portions with vivacitv. Barn Republic. 103 minutes. Vera Ralston, Joan Leslie. Forrest Tucker, John Russell, Ray Middleton, Pat O'Brien, Buddy Baer, Jim Davis, Barton MacLane, Richard Webb, Martin Garralaga. Producer-director Joseph I. Kane. FILM BULLETIN January 25, 1954 Page 13