Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1948)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

'GOOD SAM' AMIABLE, LAUGH-LOADED COMEDY Rates ® ® ® generally: less for action RKO 114 minutes Gary Cooper, Ann Sheridan, Ray Collins, Edmund Loi\.'e. Joan Lorriny, Clinton Sundberg, Minerva I'recal. Louise Beavers, Dick Ross, Lora Lee Michel, Bobby Dolan, Jr., Matt Moore. Xctta Packer, Ruth Rowan. Carol Stez ens. Todd Karns. Irving Bacon, William FraivIcy. Harry Hayden. Directed by Leo McCarev. Thank ymi, Mr. McCart-y, for an enjoyable movie that will bring all of the family liurryin<r down to the ticket window ; for introducingsuch an amiable, likeable neighbor as "Good Sam" : for a sense of well-being, a lump in the throat and the relaxation of laughter that is found in this happy pictture. The man who gave us "Going My \Vay" has again fashioned a sentimental fable of wonderful, heart-warming appeal that offers balm to moviegoers surfeited with an overload of violen*. disturbing fare. Grosses will indicate that McCurey still has the secret of building a popular comedy. Returns will be best in family houses: weakest in action spots. houses "Good Sam" is lanky Gar\ Cooper, a fumbling, aw-kward symbol of the American male, vvh;)se only vice is an incorrigible goodness. His extreme Samaritanism brings about a compound of ludicrous marital tribulations, unashamed sentiment, folksy moralizing on the vi-ages of virtue and, most of all, some infectious comedy — the McCarey brand of comedy tliat evokes laughter with recognition of reallife people in every-day situations And his skillful direction of children brings cinickles with a couple of cute moppets. Robert Einmett Dolan is represented by a sparkling musical sc >re and by little Bobby Dolan, Jr. in the cast. There isn't much to the story by Ken Enghind ; for the tnost part, it rolls along with a minimum of action, the diah gue supplying the laughs, until the thumping finale that blares in to the music of a Salvation Army Band. "Sam's" k'Ug suffering wife is .\nn Sherid?.n. displaying" an unexpected flair for comedy and delivering the witty punch-lin-.N whenever the sentiment gets too st'ckv. And "Sam" has a great many friends. g'> e:i -xpert characterizations by Edmund Low:. J.ian Lorring. Ray Collins. Clinton Sundberg. Minerval Urecal an:l William Frawlev. EXPLOITATIOX : Fcatu e Gary Cooper and 'THE VELVET TOUCH' GLOSSY, SUSPENSEFUL THIATRICS Rates • • -j generally pres-ncc nf ins wife. Rosalind Russell, whose popularity has never waned, will do much to iiisurc satisfactory grosses. The women's angle is exploited throughout, with particular appeal in the ultra-modish Travis Banton creations worn by Miss Russell and Claire Trevor. Tlie picture has a "play-within-a-play" motif, including selections from "Hedda Gabler" and features a role that fits Miss Russell like the velvet gloves she wears and gives her a chance to get her teeth into some highly-charged, eniotional scenes, played with restrained poise. Tiie role is not entirely life-like, due to some inconsistancies in the script that was worked up by Lt'o Rosten from an original by William Mercer and Annabel Ross. It does supply some dialogue that sounds very glib and clever and tilt direction by new-comer John Gage maintains an acute pitch of suspense Claire Trevor, a performer of increasing dramatic aliility, scores in a good-sized role and. as usual, has an unhappy time of it. not only losing her man. but being accused of his murder. Leon Ames is convincing as the smoothie who gets killed in the opening scene, to be resurrected for several flashbacks. British actor. Leo (.enn, i properly suave in thi romantic lead and RKO ^~ minutes Rosalind Russell, Leo Genu, Claire Trevor, Sydney Greens! reet. Leon Ames. Frank McHuyh. W alter Knigsford. Dan Tobm. Lex Barker. Xydia U'estman, Theresa Harris. Irving Facon. Esther Hoivard. Harry Hayden, William Erivin, Martha Hycr. Steven Flagg, Louis Mason. James Flavin, Charles McAvoy, Dan Foster. Russell Hicks. James Todd. Joycv Arling, Ida Schumakcr, Philif' Barnes. Besse Wade. Directed by John Gage. With all the high-polished glamour that supposedly pervades the world of the theater and with an ominous murder thrown in for good measure "The \'elvet Touch" is slick, suspenseful and persuasively thrilling. Presented with a luster that may seem superficial, its handsomely mounted melodramatics, nevertheless, are just right to project a sophisticated theatrical flavor. It is "good theatre" that should be fairly strong box-office, and makes a good initial entry under the banner of Independent -Artists as produced by Fred Brisson. The 'EMBRACEABLE YOU' HOKEY CRIME MELLER Rates • • -i as dualler Warner Bros. SO Minutes Dane Clark, Geraldine Brooks, S. Z. Zakall, Wallace Ford, Richard Rober, Lina Romay, T'cuglas Kennedy, Mary Stuart, Philip Van Zandt, Rod Rogers. Directed by Feli.r Jacoves. This is a minor league effort that belongs with Warner's current output of low budget pros rammers. It is passable melodrama that can fit nicely into most double bills and, despite its lack of high-powered names, should serve as a fairly strong top feature in action and naborhood houses, and a good supporting item in other situations. The misleading title suggests a musical, but the song remains as mood music for a commonplace blend of a crime-does-notpay routine, coupled with a sad, sudsy love story for tlie wet handkerchief contingent The tragic situation, which si.unds like something left over from an old Bette Davis script, features Geraldine Brooks with only a few weeks to live suffering from an incurable "aneurism". And the criminal regeneration presents Dane Clark as a young iio >dlum who falls afoul of some big-time racketeers. These two young players work hard at their respective roles and register considerable sincerity, but no great dramatic talent : nor are their efforts aided by the direction of Felix Jacoves. S. Z. Zakall contributes soine of his familiarly "'cute" mugging, while Wallace Ford is good as the taciturn detective. EXPLOITATION : Action houses should sell the gangster business, while family audiences will respond to the "soap opera" angle. Geraldine Brooks, an unemployed chorine, is .\nn Sheridan in this hilarious and wholesoirie family entertainment that recalls the grand qualities of McCarey's "Ck)ing My Way." Catchlines : 'How Good Can a Husband Get? . . Sam Is So Good, It's Painfully Funny !" Gary, the floor manager of a department store, is always a soft touch for a hard luck story. He loans his car to his near-sighted neighbor and gets stuck for a damage suit. He lots his lazy brother-in-law. Dick Ross, freeload in his home and also takes in Joan Lorring. one of the store clerks, when she is despndent with man trouble. But the last straw to Ann Sheridan's patience is when she learns that he has loaned their savings for a new house to a young couple w'ho couldn't afford to have a baby. But the money is repayed when the couple strike it rich. Things look bright n w ; they buy their new house. Ross gets a job and plans to marry Miss Lorring. But with his usual gullibility. Gary is roblx-d of the Ciiristmas charity fund. In despair, he goes on a king-sized bender and actually gives away the shirt off his back Awaiting him at the house-warmin.g is the banker w'ho has decided t 1 make up the deficit. A Salvation Army n-nd brings the staggering hero home for a happy, sentimental conclusion. Abranis. Sydney Greenstreet. although miscast as a rotund police captain, effectively repeats his f£;miliar mannerisms. EXPLOITATIOX: See Exploitation Picture of this issue . Rosalind Russell has achieved lasting footligiits fame as a commedienne under the shrewd guidance of her producer. Leon Ames. But now she wants to try her h:uid at tragic Ibsen drama and. what's more, plans to end her relationship with .-Xmes, for she has fallen in love with urbane architect, Leo Genu. Ames is stubbornly possessi\e and, in an excited argument, she hits him with a statuette, killing him. By chance, no one sees her enter or leave the room and the body is found by Claire Trevor. She is the girl who was desperately in love with .■\mes and evidence makes her the chief suspect. Miss Russell decides to confess to Homicide Captain Greenstreet. but stalls when she learns of the other girl's suicide. She is now completely in the clear, but her (|ualnis of c .nscience increase when (.enn shares her secret. -At her opening performance in "Hedda -ibler", she gives Greenstreet a written confession and surrenders herself as the curtain rings down for an enthusiastic ovation. Abrams. the \ictiin of a hit-and-run accident. The car, chauffeurcd by Dane Clark, was taking gangster Richard Rober away from the scene of a murder. Clark goes to visit the girl in the hospital, explaining that he knew her brother. She feels well enough, but is unaware that the doctors h3ve given up her case as hopeless and she has only a few weeks to live Wallace Ford, a homicide detective, forces Clark to look after the girl. He sells his car, finds her a comfortable apartment and tries to show her a good time. In need of more money, he extorts a sum from Rober. The racketeer triesto rub him out and Ford smuggles the couple out of town to a country cottage. She finally learns the truth of her condition and asks Clark to marry her. The wedding is almost interrupted by Rober's arrival, but a timely bullet fron? tlie detective's pistol settles him for good. York. AUGUST 2, 1948 13