Harrison's Reports (1944)

October 28, 1944 HARRISON'S REPORTS 175 clue leads the "Kids" to a cafe operated by Ian Keith, the victim's former partner, where they learn conclusively that he and Thelma White, an entertainer, with whom the dead man had been friendly, were responsible for the murder, and that they were trying to steal from Evelyn a fortune in bonds, which she had entrusted to her dead ex-husband. Meanwhile Dell, the police reporter, together with a police officer, visits the scene of the crime and discovers a button that links the murder with his own editor, not know ing that Hunts Hall, one of the "Kids," had dropped it there after finding it in the newspaper's office. The police clear the editor of suspicion just as word comes that Keith and his henchmen had trapped the "Kids" in the cabaret, where a furious fight was in progress. The police rush to the cabaret, arriving in time to rescue the "Kids" and capture the criminals. Earle Snell wrote the screen play, Sam Katzman and Jack Diets produced it, and William Beaudine directed it. Barney Sarecky was the associate producer. The cast includes Billy Benedict, Bobby Jordan, and others. Unobjectionable morally. "Brazil" with Tito Guizar, Edward Everett Horton and Virginia Bruce (Republic, no release date set; time, 91 mm.) Produced on a lavish scale, this is a delightful combination of romantic farce and music, different from the usual run of stories generally found in musical entertainments. Its Brazilian background is colorful and interesting, the comedy situations good, the dialogue witty, and the music by Ary Barrosa, celebrated LatinAmerican composer, is so tuneful that one finds himself humming the songs at the conclusion of the picture. Tito Guizar, well-known radio singer, plays the male romantic lead. He has a charming personality, an accent that adds to his charm, and a good flair for comedy. In addition, his singing is pleasurable. Edward Everett Horton, as Guizar's American agent, does excellent work, provoking considerable laughter by his fretful antics. The introduction of a new South American dance by Veloz and Yolanda is an outstanding highlight. Towards the finish, Roy Rogers appears as a guest star at a Rio carnival, where he sings one song. His introduction, however, is so obviously commercial that it detracts, rather than adds, from an otherwise enjoyable picture: — Virginia Bruce, an authoress, whose best-seller, "Why Marry a Latin?" had antagonized many Latin Americans, visits Rio de Janeiro to gather material for a new book. She meets Tito Guizar, popular Brazilian composer and singer, who poses as a guide in order to be near her. Learning from Edward Everett Horton, his best friend and agent, about Virginia's disparaging book, Guizar determines to punish her by winning her heart, then leaving her. He appears at a week-end party attended by Virginia, where he masquerades as his own twin brother, winning her love with his romancing, but falling in love himself. Guizar becomes so preoccupied with duping Virginia that he finds it difficult to concentrate on the creation of a new song, for which Richard Lane, an American song publisher, had already advanced Horton money. Lane had been pressing Horton for the song. Lane's arrival in Brazil complicates matters considerably as Horton and Guizar resort to devious tricks in an effort to placate him. Virginia inspires Guizar to write the song, and he invites her to spend the weekend at his wealthy uncle's (Fortunio Bonanova) coffee plantation, where he intended to reveal his true identity to her. Horton, unaware that Guizar had fallen in love with Virginia, informs her of Guizar 's duplicity and of his intention to punish her because of her book. Disillusioned, Virginia leaves the estate and plans to return home. Guizar desperately searches for her, finally locating her at a gay Rio carnival, where he convinces her of his love. Frank Gill, Jr. and Laura Kerr wrote the screen play, Robert North produced it, and Joseph Santley directed it. The cast includes Robert Livingston, Frank Puglia and others. Unobjectionable morally. AN INTELLIGENT WAY TO HANDLE THE BOOKING OF ADVANCED ADMISSION PRICE PICTURES In its handling of advanced admission price pictures, the RKO theatre circuit in New York City is following a policy that should be of interest to every exhibitor, for it not only affects the fewest regular patrons who might object to a higher scale, but it also allows the exhibitor to retain his preferred weekend business. RKO's policy has been tried successfully with both "Song of Bernadette" and "Wilson." These pictures were shown, not during the week-end, but during the first half of the week, when business is normally slow. Notwithstanding, the box-office results were exceptionally good. The circuit's officials attribute this, first to the fact that regular patrons, who normally attended their theatres on week-ends, did not object to paying a higher price scale for a special midweek performance, and secondly, to the fact that the audiences included many persons who do not attend the theatres except for the outstanding pictures. According to a report in Motion Picture Daily, officials of the RKO circuit and of 20th Century-Fox, the distributors of the aforementioned pictures, advance the theory that "this method takes cognizance of the opposition that exists on the part of regular patrons to advanced admission price films. In playing the film on a Monday through Wednesday period . . . all patrons who wish to see the film are enabled to do so without interfering with the attendance of regular patrons who customarily concentrate their attendance at the weekend and would ordinarily be kept away from the house if they did not care for advanced prices on Saturdays and Sundays." The plan followed by the RKO circuit is worthy of study by the exhibitors, for it not only does away with the distributors' demands for preferred playing time on advanced price pictures, but it also allows for the showing of the picture on a basis satisfactory to both the distributor and the exhibitor, without interfering with the exhibitor's normal week-end trade. And no distributor should object to having his "special" shown during the early part of the week for it can rightfully be assumed that any picture entitled to advanced admission prices is strong enough to attract people from their homes no matter what day of the week it is shown.