The Film Daily (1947)

^Wednesday, April 16, 1947 "g^^ REVIEWS Of HEUJ fums DAILY "A Likely Story" with Bill Williams, Barbara Hale KO 89 Mins. WARMTH. HUMOR, BOY GIRL ROMANCE, GAGS AND NEW YORK COLOR if I ED UP TO PROVIDE AMPLE DIVER■ ION FOR GENERAL AUDIENCE. Frequently in the unreeling of this num e V^Smth, humor, boy-girl romance, gags, :| no-«=?rtough New York color is whipped ;l ip to provide ample diversion for the gen ral audience. It would be serious. It does t have the weight to hold to any serious rvel. Instead, it becomes a pleasant enough reatment for the conditioned audience to varm up to once it is brought into the nood. H. C. Potter's direction keeps the story's nany angles and elements constantly di.sppearing and popping up. In this respect here's hardly a dull foct throughout. It twits modern art. The underlying 'I heme has Bill Williams running about New ■i 'ork thinking he's going to die of a bad ■'•'' eart because he heard doctors discussing J1 nother case while he was hospitalized. He ries suicide. This angle is also twitted. .' iss Hale dissuades him. It starts on a train and ends on one. ^iss Hale and her young brother, Lanny lees, hit the big town. She aspires to the ™ rtist's life. The youngster would rather e back in Wisconsin, fishing. En route o the city also are Sam Levene, Williams, -. ion Tobin. First thing you know they are .. II having a time, hectic, comic, romantic, , •hilosophical and soon, in order to send vliss Hale and her brcther home after srt Jfas proven a fiasco, Williams induces Leone to let Nestor Paiva to insure his j Williams') life for $50,000. He in turn ,vill indulge in violent exercise and so die. After putting Williams through lengthy physical effort to induce heart failure, .evene feels he has been duped. Williams s waylaid. Looks like Levene is taking him . or the well-known ride. It all winds up with '3iva keeping Miss Hale's paintings to inluce additional boczing by his patrons — hey are that bad, or good, as the case ;(nay be. It's all in the viewpoint. Love tri— imphs on the train as it is beating its way ip the Hudson River Valley. "It's A Likely Story" can hardly be ; ailed a dull piece. Performances are of li/he standard variety, neatly finished off. .: Bood minor notes in colcr and characteriza ion are also struck. CAST: Bill Williams, ..Kees, Sam Levene, Dan lax Willenz, i 4ary Young. 5| CREDITS: Producer, Richard H. Berger; Di Rector, H. C. Potter; Written by Bess Taffel Barbara Hale, Lanny Tobin, Nestor Paiva, Kulky, Robin Raymond, m uggested by story by Alexander Kenedi; ameraman, Roy Hunt; Music, Leigh Harline; Musical Director, C. Bakaleinikoff; Art Direc ors, Albert S. D'Agostino, Feild Gray; Set . 'ecorators, Darrell Silvera, James Altweis; Film ditor, Harry Marker; Sound, Richard Van Hes en, Terry Kellum. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. & H Directors Meeting Chicago — Bell and Howell directors meet today for election of officers •'or the year'. J. H. Booth, executive 'eepee, returns from a Florida vaca ion at the week-end. '7red Larned Dead j Chicago — Paramount offices reoorts the death of Fred Larned, Dalas manager, in Western automobile ": iccident. 'Banjo' with Sharyn Moffett, Jacqueline White RKO 68 Mins. SIMPLE STRAIGHT-FORWARD TREATMENT OF THE LITTLE GIRL AND HER DOG IS RECOMMENDED FOR THE YOUNGSTER TRADE. The basic plot of "Banjo" is a familiar concoction that manages to ccme off well enough. The story has been done before. Here it is a simple, straightforward treatment of the little girl and her dog. She comes from Georgia to Boston to live with her ycung aunt. The dog is also along. From about that point on it becomes love me love my dog with a good portion of the script devoted to the hound. In this case he's a setter and Miss Moffett lets everyjody within earshot know that he can point and scare up birds. While this finagling is going on the dog is always getting out of its pen, chasing :ats, generally breaking up the place. He must go, it is indicated by Auntie Jacqueline White. Meanwhile "Doctor Bob" — Walter Reed lurks on the premises as suitor with little success for the hand of Miss White and acting vet for the dog. Things come to a pretty pass and the youngster hops a train for Georgia, without permission of course, strictly AWOL. She is soon located. This proves to be an almost harrowing experience for the child. Going h:me, she takes a short cut through the woods and is stalked by a panther. However, "Banjo," the dog, strikes in time, chews up the cat before it can chew up Miss Moffett and all's well. It's a fine bet for juvenile audiences. CAST: Sharyn Moffett, Jacqueline White, Walter Reed, Una O'Connor, Herbert Evans, Louise Beavers, Ernest Whitman, Lanny Rees, Theron Jackson, Howard McNeely. CREDITS: Produced and Written by Lillie Hoyward; Director, Richard 0. Fleischer; Cameraman, George E. Diskant; Art Directors, Albert D'Agostino, Walter E. Keller; Music, Alexander Laszlo; Musical Direction, C. Bakaleinikoff; Set Decorations, Darrell Silvera, Adolph <uri; Film Editor, Les Millbrook; Sound, Earl A. Wolcott. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Hebert Praises "Years" In Congressional Record Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Lavish praise for the Academy Award film "Best Years of Our Lives" was found in the Congressional Record yesterday, in an extension of remarks by Rep. F. Edward Hebert of Louisiana. In view of the recent criticism of the pix industry, Hebert said, "I think it yery fitting that when a film deserves special commendation for good citizenship it should also be made a matter of record in Congress. : "The film deals so honestly and uncompromisingly with the problems we are all facing today, especially those of the returning servicemen, that I think it should be required seeing for every American." Colo. Censor Bill Smothered Denver — No bills affecting theaters are expected to be pressed by the Colorado Legislature, which adjourns Friday. A censor bill, introduced early in the session, has been smothered. THE WORLD'S FAVORITE ENTERTAINERS SAY IT HAPPENED ON 5th AVENUE