The Film Daily (1946)

|(day, February 4, 1946 ■.Cf^USBI »r film DRILV REVIEWS OF REUI PICTURES ^ 'She Wouldn't Say Yes" with Rosalind Russell, Lee Bowman sinbia 87 Mins. <.ST OF ABLE PLAYERS AND ADROIT UCllON COMBINE TO PROVIDE FAST t mCOMEDY. c«^wman's efforts to get Rosalind ail! to say "yes" to his proposal of mara provide the material for this comedy. h Virginia Van Upp-John Jacoby-Sarett cas screenplay is based on a Laslo Jcg-William Thiele story, basically not »:iew. his direction, Alexander Hall has given fc. footage a swiftness of pace that helps oamouflage some of the story's weak ;s, iss Russell plays a woman psychiatrist lermined to keep love out of her life beae she has seen the havoc it can someiis cause, into her consciousness, comes Jcman, a soldier, who goes to work trying viange her attitude. He has the assistance rflharles Winninger, her father, in ac:c?lishing his mission. The story is full jfompiications devised to promote laughe iss Russell gets her best support from Jiman, Winninger, Percy Kilbride, Harry Oijnport and Adele Jergens, playing a ilde who adds to Bowman's headaches. iST: Rosalind Russell, Lee Bowman, Adele ens, Charles Winninger, Harry Davenport, a Haden, Percy Kilbride, Lewis Russell, Mary fn, Mabel Paige, George Cleveland, Charles \i, Almira Sessions. ;EDITS: Producer, Virginia Van Upp; Asiit to Producer, Norman Deming; Director, inder Hall; Screenplay, Virginia Van Upp, lacoby, Sarett Tobias; Based on story by a Corog, William Thiele; Cameraman, Joseph iV.er; Fiim Editor, Viola Lawrence; Art Dire-irs, Stephen Coosson, Van Nest Polglase; ; Decorator, Wilbur Menefee; Sound, Jack rich; Musical Score, Marlin Skiles; Musical tor, M. W. Stoloff. RECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Sensation Hunters" i with Robert Lowery, Doris Merrick Monogram 62 Mins. DRAMA ON THE SENSATION SIDE HAS V/EAK STORY AS A DRAV/BACK; DORIS MERRICK IMPRESSES. "Sensation Hunters" is on the sensation side, but suffers from a weak story, and one that some moviegoers are likely to find distasteful. On the credit side, there's Doris Merrick, a lass with beauty, charm and appeal and who, given a better vehicle, should click solidly. The meager plot concerns Doris Merrick's desire to seek refuge from her unhappy home life by quitting her job in a factory and joining the chorus in a roadside cafe, (which also furnishes living quarters). Doris is in love with a shady character, Robert Lowery, whose pastime throughout the film is mulcting money from her or Constance Worth, owner of the cafe, to help wiggle out of financial scrapes. Eddie Quiilan, another factory worker, who makes good as a band leader wants to marry Doris and have her sing with the band, but she still carries a spark for Lowery despite his mistreatment. The abrupt end titles appear when Doris discovers Lowery wants money from her to run away with her girl friend, another factory worker, and pistol shots are heard behind closed doors, signifing the end for both Lowery and herself. CAST: Robert Lowery, Doris Merrick, Eddie Quiilan, Constance Worth, Isabell Jewell, Wanda McKay, Nestor Paiva, Byron Foulger, Vince Barnett, Minerva Urecal, The Rubenettes. CREDITS: Producer, Joseph Kaufman; Director, Christy Cabanne; Associate Producer, Clarence Bricker; Cameraman, Ira Morgan; Assistant Director, Ben Kadish; Film Editor, Martin Kohn; Settings, Dave Milton; Sound, Thomas Lambert; Songs, Jack Kenny, Lewis Bellin; Screenplay, Dennis Cooper; Original story, John Faxon. DIRECTION, Stymied. IPHOTOCRAPHY, Gloomy. 6 3 of U. S. Population Ses 'BeUs' in 8 Weeks n its first eight weeks of release, "le Bells of St.lMary's" played to nre than eight per cent of the till population of the United States, b ed on figures received at the RKO Elio home office. Robert Mochrie, gieral sales manager, selected 10 e;agements at random where the pture has played three weeks or nre to a high percentage of the til population in each area. The ' ' number of paid admissions in 10 engagements over the three.■;k period, he said, amounted to 125,064 with a gross revenue of J 10,503, which, he claimed, was a rord never before equalled. Cishiers' Local Talks iCO Circuit Contract viotion Picture Theater Cashiers, I;al B-52, lATSE, has started nepiations with the RKO circuit for ;i first contract. Wage increases ai a shorter week are among the tinands sought by the union which V 1 seek contracts with other cire ts after the RKO huddles are compted. Phillips, Harris Named Loew Division Managers Creation of two new division managers, promotion of two assistant managers and a number of managerial shifts were announced by Joseph R. Vogel, in charge of all Loew's houses. William Phillips, manager of Loew's State, Newark, will head a division including Newark, Jersey City, North Bergen and Loew's State, Criterion, Sheridan, Commodore and Ave. B here. Jack Harris, manager of the Victoria in Harlem will supervise that house, the 116th Street, Burland, Bedford, Brevoort and Boston Road. Bernie Feinberg, assistant, Loew's Paradise, has been appointed manager of the Boston Road, while Louis Kramer, assistant, Pitkin, will take over at the Ave. B, replacing Stanley Marks, resigned. Toddy's Unit Show Ready Toddy Pictures Co. has a combination of two features ready for immediate release it was announced Friday. Both films, "The Beast of Borneo," and "Voodo Devil Drums," will be released as a unit show through Toddy Picture exchanges. "Terror By Night" i with Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce Universal 60 Mins. SHERLOCK HOLMES ADMIRERS ARL OFFERED ANOTHER SUSPENSEFUL MELODRAMA ALL TO THEIR LIKING. Confinement of the action to a train en route from London to Edinburgh, gives the latest of the Sherlock Holmes melodramas a compactness that is all to the good. Taking its place among the best of the series, 'Terror by Night" enhances its suspense by limiting its locale and acquires a good measure of conviction. It certainly doesn't tax the credulity to the extent that so many of its predecessors in the series have. The picture profits from the restraint exercised in devising its melodramatics. Commanding the interest more than well at all times. "Terror by Night" finds Holmes guarding a priceless gem being conveyed to the home of its owner in Scotland. When the person to whose care the stone has been entrusted is bumped off, the sleuth is confronted with another vexing mystery, which he goes about solving with that efficiency and show of reason characteristic of the man. There is a generous array of suspects, a fact that makes the going so much more interesting and entertaining. Roy William Neill, functioning under Executive Producer Howard Benedict, has produced the film capably and directed it deftly from a Frank Gruber script stemming from a yarn by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Basil Rathbone once more is Holmes to the fingertips. Nigel Bruce is amusing as ever as the bumbling Dr. Watson. The villain is smoothly played by Alan Mowbray. The others in the supporting cast are more than adequate. CAST: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray, Dennis Hoey, Renee Godfrey, Mary Forbes, Billy Bevan, Frederic Worlock, Leyland Hodgson, Geoffrey Steele, Boyd Davis, Janet Murdoch, Skelton Knaggs, Gerald Hamer. CREDITS: Executive Producer, Howard Benedict; Producer, Roy William Neill; Director, Roy William Neill; Screenplay, Frank Gruber; Baseo on story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Cameraman, Maury Gertsman; Film Editor, Saul A. Goodkind; Musical Director, Mark Levant; Art Director, John B. Goodman; Sound Director, Bernard B. Brown; Set Decorators, Russell A. Gausman, Carl Lawrence. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Six P.M." with Marina Ladynina, Eugene Samoilov Xrtkino 65 Mini. MUSICAL RUSSIAN IMPORT WITH WAR ROMANCE THEME; INVITES MOSCOW TOURIST TRADE. As a musical successor to 'They Met In Moscow," employing the same director, star, composer, and lyricist, "Six P. M." will find limited audiences because of its war scngs and timeliness. However, from a production standpoint, the photography and music are noteworthy. Most tuneful number, despite crude recording, is the "Song of the Artillery Men." in this one, as in its predecessor, Moscow is extolled in song with an abundance of landmarks exploited throughout. Several exciting war sequences are included to show the women's part in the war, building fortifications and shooting down planes. The story is based on the promise made by two sweethearts of the S:viet Union to meet after the war at "six p.m." on the bridge in Moscow near the Kremlin. One is a heroic lieutenant, Samoilov, and the other Ladynina, a school teacher who fights for her country. CAST: Marina Ladynina, Eugene Samoilov, Ivan Lubeznov, Anastasja Lysak, Elena Savitskaya. CREDITS: Producer, Mosfilm Studios; Director, Ivan Piriev; Scenario, Victor Gusev; Music, Valentin Pavlov; English titles, Charles Clement. DIRECTION, Interesting. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Tub Thumpers Citation Recipients Announced Ascap Sues Four Minn. Theaters on Copyrights Minneapolis — In suits filed in Federal District court here, four Minnesota theater owners were charged with infringement of copyrights owned by Ascap. The suits, however, were filed in the name of four New York music publishing houses, M. Witmark and Sons, Mills Music, Inc., Santly-Joy, Inc., and Harms, Inc. Defendants are Berger Amusement Corp., ovsTier of Grand theater, Minneapolis; Hastings Theater Corp., owner of Riviera theater, Hastings; Grand Theater Corp., owner of State theater, St. Peter, and Mrs. Jessie L. Jensen, owner of Avalon theater, White Bear Lake. Cox, "U" Exec. Producer West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Serial Supervisor Morgan B. Cox has been upped by Universal to the status of executive producer. Boston — Tub Thumpers No, 1 of the Tub Thumpers of America, Inc., is holding its first annual birthday dinner on Feb. 21 in the Salle Moderne of the Hotel Statler. At the dinner Tub Thumper citations for men who have proved outstanding in their vocations throughout the country will be presented. James Bryant Conant, president of Harvard, will receive the citation for his research in science; Brig. Gen. Elliott C. Cutler, war surgery; Ben Ames Williams, authorship; Charles Francis Adams, humanitarian; F. Winchester Denio, war loan work; Meryll Frost, sports; Patrolman Francis J. Connerney, bravery in duty; Charles Luckman, representing Bob Hope, radio; Joseph P. Spang, Jr.,. civic leadership; and Comm. Joseph T. O'Callahan, Navy chaplain. Bill Cunningham will be emcee and Governor Tobin and Mayor Curley are expected to be present as well as a Hollywood contingent. A radio hook-up is being set. NYU Theater Management Course Registration On New York University has opened registration for its second semester in motion picture theater management, with classes scheduled to start Thursday. The curriculum will be made up chiefly of courses on advertising and exploitation and program preparation.