Hollywood Nite-Life (1946)

'DINNER' SPARKED WTH HUMAN TOUCH NEAT KNUCKLE-BRUISING IN 'NEVADA' Great Direction Of 'Just One Big Family Idea Does Wonders With Performers “SUNDAY DINNER FOR A SOLDIER” FEATURE po+h Century-Fox) War Serv¬ ice Comedy-Drama, produced q7 by Walter Morosco and di/O rected by Lloyd Bacon. Screen¬ play by Wanda Tuchock and Melvin Levy from a story by Martha Cheavens. Previewed in studio pro¬ jection. Time, 87-MIN. Cast; Anne Baxter, John Hodiak, Charles Winninger, Anne Revere, Connie Marshall, Chill Wills, Robert Bailey, Bobby Driscoll, Jane Darwell, Billy Cummings, Marietta Canty, Barbara Sears and Chester Conklin. ★★★ VIVIDLY SHOWN here is the importance of direction. And how it can make a simple, almost plotless, story into a great and grand piece of human understanding. It is director Lloyd Bacon’s picture — no matter how you view it — and this is said without detracting one whit from the swell performances turned in by Anne Re¬ vere, Anne Baxter, Charles Winninger and John Hodiak. The title doubtless falls short of carrying sufficient weight at the boxoffice. It certainly is no definite pointer to the excellence of entertain¬ ment awaiting this picture’s audience. But it is mighty fitting, to say the least. The yarn, what there is of it, is entirely about Anne Baxter and her brood (grandfather Charles Winnin¬ ger and her younger sister and broth¬ ers — Connie Marshall, Billy Cummings and Bobby Driscoll) getting ready to play host to “a soldier’’ who is coming (they hope) to a Sunday dinner. But their trials and tribulations, directly traceable to their poverty and augmented materially by the irrespon¬ sibility of “Crandfeathers” Winninger, make up for what the story may lack in plot tricks. And, behind the deft direction that makes the most of hu¬ man frailties through fine character delineations, there is a theme that is all-powerful — and right down to the level of the masses. It has to do with that never disproven fact — real welth is in the hap¬ piness you create around you. You see, Anne and her charges lived on a river boathouse, at the end of the busline from the nearest village. The kids helped a lot, but “grandfeathers” let his generosity run away with him whenever his pension arrived. When the expected soldier-for-dinner occa¬ sion arises, they need a chicken. The life of the pet hen who lays their only eggs is threatened. But Anne hocks a bracelet to get the desired fowl, only to find that Billy had earned another, that Anne Revere had donated still another, and that the pet hen had disappeared and there was a fourth in the icebox! Surfeited with chicken, they are al¬ ready for the soldier, who turns out to be John Hodiak, a stray waistgunner from a bomber who just hap¬ pened to be strolling the beach in lonesomeness. Although sought by a very likeable and wealthy lad of the community, Anne finds the answer to real hap¬ piness as she dances in the arms of Hodiak in an abandoned hotel project which had never been really built — • Mono Readies Rest Of '45^s Yarns All of Monogram’s scripts for the 1944-45 program are either finished of in preparation. Last to be completed are “Land Of the Sky Blue Water,” “jungle Fear,” “Di¬ vorce,” “Sunbonnet Sue” “Pitch Dark” a Charlie Chan and two Cisco Kid features. Paramount Sets Ladd In Costly Tost-War^ Alan Ladd will star in an untitled original by Frank Partos, for Para¬ mount. Yarn is said to be most expensive original purchased by the studio in many years. Story deals with a soldier who comes back blinded and falls in love with a girl of easy virtue. Theme delineates their mutual regeneration. Lou Gray Grabs Rep. Big Budget Pictures Lou Gray has been relieved of pro¬ duction duties on Republic’s “Red Ryder” series, and assigned to high budget pictures. First on his new schedule will be “The Fabulous Texan.” Bug Springsteen has been given Cray’s “Ryder” chores. Para Drops Tlame^ Because Of Big Cost C. B. DeMille has dropped plans for producing “The Flame” for Para¬ mount. Reason given is that costs would be prohibitive. but where Anne danced in her land of make-believe. The Hodiak-Baxter romance is fast and thrilling, but human every inch of the way. Yes, there is plenty of spark in the story, the simple plot, the theme and the romance — with excel¬ lent direction governing the smooth ignition system. It is this same direction that brings about some elegant performances. Charles Winninger — always the thor¬ ough artist — turns in the finest job of his grand career. Anne Revere finally gets a comedy-sympathetic role and she again proves she is the mis¬ tress of any part entrusted to her. Hers is an especially fine character¬ ization. Hodiak and Baxter make the ideal team for this or any other story. John appears far more at ease with Anne than with any other screen leading lady. Anne seems equally at ease in his arms. The kids are all glovefitting in heavy parts. Connie Marshall is the perfection of quaintness, Billy Cum¬ mings the ideal American lad, and Bobby Driscoll the ideal tor that wildly enthusiastic type of youngster round¬ ing five. Robert Bailey, Chill Wills and jane Darwell all have quite brief parts but each makes their individual bit a standout. Because of its exceptional warmth and its milk of human kindness . . . SPOT THIS AS SURE-FIRE FOR ENTERTAINMENT THAT WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED. Fine Fighting And Okay Acting Compensate Weak Dialog And Loose Tempo “NEVADA ’ PROGRAM (RKO) Western drama, pro¬ duced by Herman Schlom and m directed by Edward Killy. /O Screenplay by Norman Hous¬ ton, from the Zane Grey novel. Previewed at studio projection. Time: 62-MIN. Cast: Robert Mitchum, Anne Jeffreys, Nancy Gates, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Richard Martin, Craig Reynolds, Harry Woods, Ed¬ mund Glover, Alan Ward, Harry McKim, Larry Wheat, Jack Overman, Emmett Lynn, Wheaton Chamvers, Philip Morris. FINE PRODUCTION and betterthan-average cast puts this expertly photographed western well above the action program standard. Had the script been compacted into a tighter pattern and the dialogue strengthened, the “good program” is now rates might easily have been replaced with a much higher bracket. Most effective element is the se¬ ries of plausibly plotted, short, vicious fistfights staged between Bob Mit¬ chum and the meanies. Mitchum is a natural as the stern-mouthed, silent six-gun toter. Although his diction is a bit too perfect to really represent the early raw-boned rangehand — he sits easily in the saddle, looks the part and packs a believably paralyzing punch in both big fists. Effective also is Harry j. Wild’s camera which catches the dramatic power of the western back-country to carry the raw frontier mood. Although the plot follows a typical western formula with skull-duggers after honest miners’ claims, there are several refreshing deviations. One is the new and logical excuse for the old runaway coach sequence. Another is the running gag in which Mitchum’s pardners, Guin Williams and Richard Martin, always rebelliously deride Bob’s plans for getting them out of trouble — but invariably follow his dangerous suggestions. Most of their difficulties stem from winning $7,000 in bank notes at craps . . . Hard working miner Larry Wheat is dry-gulched by varmints Craig Reynolds and stooge Harry Woods to keep him from finding that his claim is worth a fortune and his own $7,000 bank-roll is taken. When Bob is picked up with his gambling winnings, the fun and fighting begins. .-..Finale finds the Comstock miners rich and happy with a silver strike, sweet Nancy Cates in tacit possession of the muscular Mr. Mitchum, retri¬ bution for the rascals, and Anne Jef¬ freys dying with a Chamber of Com¬ merce eulogy of Nevada on her lovely lips. The cast is uniformly competent, ditto direction and production. This first of a new Zane Grey se¬ ries is . . . AN OKAY SECONDARY FOR MOST HOUSES. 20th Remakes ^Knights' Twentieth-Fox has added “Two Arabian Knights” to its next year’s production schedule. Pic, which was first done in 1927, will be shot in Technicolor on a huge budget as a musical. ROCKIN’ IN THE ROCKIES (Col) Western comedy musical concerning a college lad who inherits a ranch and leaves it in charge of a guy with gold¬ hunting fever who mixes ranch, cattle, grub-stakers, girls and gold . . . The boy gets one of the girls and a buyer gets the ranch. Sounds a bit nutty but should have nice possibilities. HER HIGHNESS AND THE BELLBOY (MCM) Whimsical comedy romance in which the princess of a mythical kingdom comes to New York in search of a newsman she met when they were kids. She hires a bellhop who gets fired from her hotel for walking with her ... he helps her locate her news¬ boy friend . . . She gets the n.b.f. and the bellhop finds love in a crippled girl to whom he has often read fairy tales . . . Depends on direction and dialogue. FOLLOW YOUR HEART (RKO) Light comedy musical wherein a well known war correspondent sticks his neck out by chaperoning a gang of kids re¬ turning to the good old USA after being interned in Occupied France. Romance and juvenile rascality keep him hopping. Cute idea. UTAH (Rep) Musical western dealing with a gal who wants to sell a ranch she has inherited but never seen, in order to finance a musical comedy. The young ranch foreman saves her from being fleeced by a conniving cat¬ tle broker. Regular Roy Rogers rou¬ tine. WHY GIRLS LEAVE HOME (Rep) Mystery drama about a gal with an unhappy home-background who falls for a nightclub manager. He gives her a singing job. Shortly afterward she is found half downed in the sea and suffering from amnesia. A young reporter solves the sudden salt bath, salvages her memory and marries her. Nothing new here. COL. EFFINGHAM’S RAID (20thFox) Comedy drama depicting the vicissitudes of a retired colonel who returns to his home town as the boys are shoving off to war ... He finds the town held by corrupt politicians and tears into ’em. A timely premise with emphasis on an important theme. I’LL TELL THE WORLD (Univ) Com¬ edy concerning a fast-talking lad who gets a radio program on “advice to the lovelorn” with a psychology galstudent as his copy writing partner. Since she also sings, he tries to get her a songster audition . . . which backfires and sends her off pout¬ ing . . . but phoney laryngitis and his quick tongue bring her back to him and their program. Cute camera gags may give this more than appears here. Santley Seeks New Deal Having finished “Earl Carroll’s Van¬ ities” for Republic, director Joseph Santley is negotiating for a new con¬ tract. "Fashion^ is Now ^Murder^ Monogram’s “Fashion Model” has been retitled ‘The Model Murder.” HOLLYWOOD REVIEW December 11, 1944 Page 3