The Film Daily (1948)

day, April 13, 1948 THE DAILY p jiimism is Keynote ill. K.r Say Visitors (Continued from Page 1) 3ros Films, with his wife. A sh organization, Eros handles ue product. Hyams foresees a orary slump in the reissue mard ^o the ending of the U. S.; * impasse, to last about six hi, out expects business to pick Don after, although not to preheights. He intends to stay t two months and may visit the ;. Hyams will look at product able while in the U. S. I "■■■ i a justry Toppers on Dais I 'binema Lodge Dinner jivic, entei-tainment industry and ,i B'rith leaders will occupy the i in the Hotel Astor tomorrow jt when Cinema Lodge pays trib llto its retiring president, Robert Weitman, and welcomes incom :hief, S. Arthur Glixon. lis list includes Adolph Zukor, lard Goldenson, Jack Cohn, Sam ^tinzler, David Weinstock, Arthur fer, Alfred W. Schwalberg, Ar Israel, Irving Greenfield, Jack Levin, Albert A. Senft, Max leider, Joseph Paradise, Lau e White, Judge Samuel Leibo | Judge Ben Shalleck, Ed Sulli | Barney Ross, James L. Sauter, Adolph Schimel. abbis Bernard Birstein and Ralph prstein will preside. Entertain!t follows the dinner. Ijuston Producing Co. ; Make Pix on Coast i Houston — Glenn McCarthy, 'Ithy oilman, in association with |en actor Robert Paige and writer i|.ty Collins, has formed Glenn larthy Prods here for the pur! of making motion pictures, .itial pic on schedule is an origby Collins, tentatively titled nd of Plenty." Production will ii Hollywood. ie Bill Postponed Washington — Because of the exiion of hearings on the Journal , the Senate Interstate Commerce [.imittee has postponed for a week I hearings on legislation for a form time system for the entire pry. 'son Offices to Batavia juffalo — Dipson circuit has shifted offices from this city to Batavia. DEATHS <ENNETH L. SINK, 58 owner of two the|b in Union City, Ind. cHOMAS McGUINESS, 67, veteran CapTheater stagehand, yesterday; burial to In Joliet, III. LEXANDER M. LANG, 69 British filme actor, on Barbados Island. REVIEWS Of DEW FILMS "Old Los Angeles" with William Elliott, John Carroll, Catherine McLeod Republic 82 Mins. WELL MADE WESTERN FARE SHOULD DO THE TRICK WITH OUTDOOR FANS AND GENERAL PATRONAGE. JOE KANE KNOW HOW DELIVERS A RIGHT JOB. In all departments this western has rh-e hal!mark of know how. Guiding hands concerned with its production and direction have a veteran knowledge of what to set before audiences. In that respect there's nothing absent. It is western entertainment calculated to do the trick doubly — with the outdoor action clientele, and the general audience. Producer-director Joe Kane in "Old Los Angeles'' purveys a sound, workmanlike offering that blends action, romance, comedy, music and a bit of the historical. Story motivation is sensible. Outdoor action and dramatic pace is keenly contrived and displayed. Like in any number of past performances the players concerned know their business well and convincingly play out the proceedings in the script. Also, they do it with case derived from familiarity with requirements. To Los Angeles of 1848 comes William Ell'ott. He's looking for his brother, a gold prospector. Previously John Carroll had killed Brother Henry Brandon on order from Joseph Schildkraut. Latter is making things difficult for the settlers, his ultimate plan to drive them off and hence acquire their land. Catherine McLeod, an undercover government operator, is posing as a singer at Schildkraut's cafe, pretending to have a romantic affection for him. Elliott develops a liking for the girl. Estelita Rodriguez loves Carroll. Andy Devine, sidekick to Elliott, keeps his bulk handily about. Out to avenge his brother's death Elliott in due time sets the stage for the culprits to make a show of hands. Carroll reveals his ambition to become leader of the crooks, take the scepter from Schildkraut. After an attempt to blow up a dam and a raid on a gold mine Carroll makes the mistake of trying to kill Elliott. The final shooting match between the two is a good, tactical and suspenseful sequence that concludes the doings on a high note of drama. CAST: William Elliott, John Carroll, Catherine McLeod, Joseph Schildkraut, Andy Devine, Estelita Rodriguez, Virginia Brissac, Grant Withers, Tito Renaldo, Roy Barcroft, Henry Brandon, Julian Rivero, Earle Hodgins, Augie Gomez. CREDITS: Producer-director, Joe Kane; Screenplay, Gerald Adams, Clements Ripley; Original story, Clements Ripley; Photography, William Bradford; Art. James Sullivan; Musical score, Nathan Scott, Ernest Gold; Musical director, Morton Scott; Editor, Richard L. Van Enger; Sound, Fred Stahl, Howard Wilson; Sets, John McCarthy, Jr., Charles Thompson. DIRECTION, Very Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Okay. Mrs. Mohr Re-elected Detroit — Mrs. Wayne Mohr was reelected president of the Greater Detroit Motion Picture Council for the third consecutive term. Council's chief activity is the organization of local theaters to show Children's Film Library programs at Saturday matinees. Hawkins Funeral Held Funeral services for George A. Hawkins, 45, secretary to Louis Bromfield. were held yesterday afternoon in Patchogue, L. I. 'Close-Up' with Alan Baxter, Virginia Gilmore Eagle Lion-Marathon 72 Mins. SECOND RATE FICTION, DULL SCRIPT AND POOR DIRECTION PUT THIS ONE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL. The second rate fiction that serves as story basis of this production fails to stand up convincingly. Performances do not bolster the defect. The attempt at directing the proceedings does not deviate from the dull, wooden quality of the script which runs along familiar lines. Picture was wholly produced in New York by Frank Satenstein. Most of the players were recruited on the spot. Best places for the number is on lesser halves of dual bills. Fact that it was produced in the East against authentic backgrounds might assist in attracting customers. Plot has to do with a newsreel cameraman who inadvertently photographs a onetime big-shot Nazi. His editor wants to turn this info over to the police and FBI. The man is wanted as a war criminal. The hunted soon makes things pretty warm for his discoverers. He also has a plan to flee the country. Baxter becomes enmeshed in the proceedings via Miss Gilmore who is actually a gunman's moll. Rich ard Kollmar, as the Nazi, after he puts Baxter temporarily out of the way is all set to fly off in a seaplane, taking off from the East River. Baxter manages to free himself. Miss Gilmore has an attack of conscience, calls the police who are at the waterfront to dispose of Kollmar. Proceedings were poorly directed by Jack Donohue. CAST: Alan Baxter, Virginia Gilmore, Richard Kollmar, Loring Smith, Phil Huston, Russell Collins, Wendell Phillips, Joey Faye, Marcia Walter, Michael Eyler, Sid Melton, Jimmy Sheridan, Maurice Manson, Lauren Gilbert, Erin O'Kelly. CREDITS: A Marathon Production; Producer, Frank Satenstein; Director, Jack Donohue; Original screenplay, John Bright, Max Wilk; Adaptation, Martin Rackin, from an original story by James Poe; Photography, William Miller; Editor, Robert Klager; Music, Jerome Moross; Art, Furth Uilman, Sound, Clarence Wall. DIRECTION, Poor. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Public Film Workshop Before N. Y. Council Plans for the establishment of a public workshop for the demonstration of the use of films for discussion purposes will be studied by the New York Film Council at a luncheonmeeting in the Williams Club tomorrow. Also on the agenda are the questions of whether the Council will undertake (1) the writing and distribution of leaflets on the use of films, (2) active aid to the Board of Education in their quest for adequate funds for Visual Education, (3) a city-wide conference on the use of films for public affairs purposes, (4) the repeal of certain city and state laws on licensing and censorship. Monogram Sets May Releases West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Monogram has set five pictures for release in Mav. Steve Broidy, president announced. Titles and dates are: "Sign of the Wolf," 2; "Arizona Sunset," 6; "Frontier Agent," 16; "I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes," 23. and "Climbing the Matterhorn," 30. Injunction Issued in Drive-In Equip. Suit Dayton, O. — A temporary injunction restraining Stuart Sheldon, Herbert Ochs, DeVry Corp., William C. DeVry, Robert Entel and William Dute from doing anything which will tend to hurt the business, good will or property of Dayton Film, Inc. and Autocrat, Inc., has been signed by Federal Judge Robert R. Nevin. Order halts defendants from restraining or attempting to restrain persons or firms from doing business with plaintiffs, or interfering with customers of plaintiffs, or from making statements that the plaintiffs are financially unable to fill orders or to carry out contracts. Action followed the filing of a suit by Dayton and Autocrat which charged defendants with making certain representations, said to be designed to put the plaintiffs out of business. Dayton formerly handled DeVry Drive-In theater equipment, now handled by Sheldon Theater Supply Co. 36 Pix Before Cameras; WB Busiest With Six West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Thirty-six pictures will be in production this week with Warners shooting six, including "June Bride" which is scheduled to go before the cameras Thursday. Universal-Int will have five pictures in work, with "Larceny" and "The Countess of Monte Cristo" starting this week. Four are shooting at 20th CenturyFox, and four at M-G-M, with "Command Decision" slated to start Wednesday, and "Edward, My Son" on Thursday. Three are shooting at Paramount, including "Accused," and three at Monogram, including "Trigger Man." Republic has two shooting. "What Every Young Bride Should Know" is scheduled to start on Thursday, at Selznick's; RKORadio, Allied Artists, Columbia, Enterprise, Sig Neufeld, are each shooting one. Sol M. Wurtzel is shooting "Big Dan" for 20th-Fox release; Benedict Bogeaus and James Nasser, each shooting one for United Artists release. CHARTERED CENTURY THEATERS, INC., Brooklyn, with capital of 200 shares no par value stock, three shares subscribed, to maintain and operate musical halls, theaters, etc. Chartered at Albany by George Blake, Susanne Foley, James S Phair. OAKLAND THEATER CO., 3200 Calvert, Detroit; capital, $50,000, assets, $6,000, by Dave Korman, Dolores Korman and David I. Askenase. CLARK THEATERS, INC., Louisiana, Mo.; 3,000 shares of S10 par stock: to operate theaters; bv A. Armentrout, M. Armentrout and R. Neill, Jr. WEST SIDE THEATERS, INC., New York; capital, 200 no par shares; by Elsie Buc'ibinder, Beatrice E. Wornow, Christine Corbett. AITCH CO., INC., New York; to distrib >t» films; capital 200 no par shares; by William A. Hamlin, Walter Hoffman, William Badg-r.