Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1948)

'ONE TOUCH OF VENUS' BRIGHT. CLEVER FANTASY Rates — in deluxers; ® • Hiihrrxal-I iilt'iiuilioual 81 inimilcs Robcrl Walker, .li-a Cardiwr, Dick llayincs, Hve .lidcii, ()l</(i Sun Juan, 'IDin Coinvay, James l-ldvhi, .Sara .llh/iuxl. Dirt'chil I'V U'lllidin Srih-r. U.I takes aiiotlier jaiint iiitci tin realm of fantasy, again with niixcfi results Tlicre were iinliniitcd pi'ssibiiitics for working up a hilarious film \ersion of (he stage hit, hut while the picture doesn't (|uite make the grade as sock C(jmed\ it is an amusing i)lend of sophistication and c.Tn, wit, wholesome romance and tantalizing sexiness, and down-to-earth chuckles; and it offers a wide margin of comedy to tempt the tastes of varied audiences It should prove a delightful experience for anyone with the slightest bit of imagination and it certainlv answers the demand for a "different" kind of movie. Grosses will be best in metropolitan deluxe situations, and, with pr(jper exploitation, sliould brin'.> in above-par returns in other spots. It will be weakest in action houses . This wacky story is presented as straight fantasy, with a welcome absence of the usual sewhere; weak for acrion houses dream-doctor to explain it away. Resemblance t ) the original Broadway musical is slight, retaining little more than the basic idea and tiiiee of the songs by Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash. Of tiiem, "Speak I,ow" is destined to gi; to the top of the Hit Parade. This num!)er is given an imaginative treatment as a duet by cross-cutting between separate scenes as .\va Gardner sings it to Robert Walker and Dick Haymes croons to Olga San Juan. A few more songs would have given the picture a lift and perha|)s a dance production number might have added to its whimsical mood. Ava (/ardner turns in a sock performance as the wandering \'enus, a very sexy goddess indeed, and she displays a lovely singing voice. Walker is plenty funny as the not sery bright window trimmer, flabbergasted by having a flesh-andhlood goddess on his trail. The duties of llaymes and Miss San Juan are merely routine; i'.ve .Arden shines as a wise-cracking career girl; Tom Conway seems lost away from his "Falcon" sleuthing. This Lester Cowan production weathered a troublesome histor\ and now, with William Seiter as director, it emerges as a smooth and diverting bit of movie fare. EXPLOITATION: Selling job will get residts with a strong build-up for .\va Gardner a , this mythical miss and a Hashy descripti'jn i>f her capers as "Hilarirjus, Sparkling and Tantalizing". Walker is busily engaged in fixing the drapes ar.niiul this rare statue of Venus recently purchased by department store owner Tom Conway. On a sudden impulse he kisses the statue and wham she's Ava Gardner I She steps down from her pedestal and frightens the poor guy by her amorous advances. She messes up his romance with Olga San Juan and inspires Dick Haymes to croon his love songs to Olga. Meanwhile, Conway has hired a detective to fnid the missing statue and Walker and his celestial sweetie lead a merry chaseHe manages to put her to bed in the moflel I'.ome. In the morning Conway finds her there and plans a mighty campaign of conquest. But she turns him down, romps off to the park with Walker. The detective catches up with him and he is jvgged. She goes to Conway, charms him intcj releasing her boy and also promotes Conway's romance with his secretary. Eve Arden. Walker rushes back to meet her, but I'.er time is up and she is cold marble again. His broken heart is mended when a sweet, vi ung thing named Miss Venus Jones strolls hv. VORK^ 'BLANCHE FURY' SOMBRE BRITISH COSTUME MELODRAMA Rates * * in class houses; • • as su Eagle Lion (J Arthur Hank) 93 minutes Valerie Hohsou, Stezvarf Granger, Michael Cough. Walter Fitsgerald, Suaannc Gibhs, Maurice Denham. Sybilla Binder, Ernest Jay, Toumsend IVhiting, J. H. Roberts, Allan Jeaycs. 'Directed by Marc Allegret. 9 It seems that when the British J.AR'S latest gift to the American movie-going public is as typically English as crumpets and tea. The ■"■made in Britain" label will be an inevitable boxoffice handicap and it suffers from an emphasis on values that American audiences cannot fully appreciate. As an adaptation from the Joseph Shearing novel. "Blanche Fury" is a Technicolored costume melodrama dealing with such matters as the traditions and superstitions of the landed gentry, the bar sinister of illegitimacy and the class-conscious barriers of Victorian society. Moreover, it is a sombre, depressing tale peopled entirely with unsympathetic characters. On the other hand, it occasionally gets down to the passionate re pporting dualler generally lationship between a man and a woman, and these sequences should get it some attention from adult .American audiences. It contains several eyebrow-lifting implications that just barely stay within the Code requirements. Largely responsible for the picture's highly colored emotional drama is the performance given by beautiful \ alerie Hobson in the title role. In contrast, Stewart Granger tries to project the forceful brutality of his characterization by some flagrant over-acting. The two principals are aided by a large and capable supporting cast and by the lavish production values. The elaborate settings look very impressive in the florid Technicolor and Marc Allegret's direction carefully treads its Albion pace with only infrequent intervals of excitiup action. EXPLOITATION: Valerie Hobson and Stewart Granger should carry some marquee weight in class houses, having been featured in such pictures as "Great Expectations" and "Caesar and Cleopatra". Herald its strong theme with catchlines : "Driven by a Love Greater than Fear!" and "Consumed bv a Flam ing Hatred!" .\ long flashback tells the story ot Valerie H. bson who gets a position as governess at the estate owned by her relatives, the Furys. Tiiey are captivated by her charm and she plans to perpetuate her financial security by marrying her cousin, the younger Fury. They have adopted the name of Fury that represents tlie traditional owners of the estate. Stewart Granger, their steward, believes himself to be the rightful owner, for he is the illegitimate son (,f the last Fury and he hates these intruders with a vindictive bitterness. Despite her attraction to Granger, she marries her cousin. Their wedding night is interrupted when a band oi Gypsies burn their stables and she spends most of the night with Granger. His bitterness overflows when he is suddenly discharged and, di.-guised as a Gypsy, he murders both the Furys. The Gypsies are arrested for the crime and she keeps mum about it until Granger tries t'l kiil her young ward, heir to the estate. Then she testifies against him in a dramatic court scene. As he is being hung, she gives birth to his son and dies. York. 'SHED NO TEARS' MAYHEM MELLER IS NEAT ACTION PROGRAMMER Rates • • as dualler Ea<jle Lion 70 minutes Wallace Ford. June Vincent, Robert Scott, Johnstone White. Dick Hogan, Frank Albertjon J^irected by Jean Yarbrough. (July a lack of evploitable name power keeps this melodrama from being a first class attraction. Wallace Ford and June Vincent ofifer crimparatively little value for the marquee, but it is a neatly contrived and well executed pro■duction for the mayhem market and will render more than adequate service (jn double bill. Ford and Miss \^incent turn in excellent performances as an ill as.sorted couple ; he is a nondescript appearing, petty crook with big ideas, she is a heartless, mone\-mad beauty. Together they conspire to defraud an insurance company and. i;i a series of devious double-crosses, bring sudden death to one another. "Shed No Tears" has the distinction, too of presenting a most unusual movie private detective ; a very elegant individual, as crooked as he is s^ave. and deftly portrayed by Johnstone White. The screenplay is by Brown Holmes and A'irginia Cook from the Don Martin novel. Jean Yarbrough directed in a capable manner to mold the material into a well-paced, interest-holding continuity. Robert Frost produced for Equity Pictures. Wallace Ford fakes his own death by tossing an unidentifiable corpse frorri the window of a burning hotel room. He hides out in a distant city while he waits for his wife. June Vincent, to collect the 550,000 insurance money. She!ias no intention of joining him. instead plans toshare the loot with her lover. Robert ScottMeanwhile, her stepson, Dick Hogan. suspecting foul play in his father's demise, hires Johnstone White to investigate. White cleverly learns the true circumstances and puts the bite I'-n the supposed widow. Returning suddenly. Ford murders Scott, takes his half of the money and goes back into hiding. This puts her on a spot with the police who suspect her of the crime. The private detective locates Ford and works another blackmail deal. She follows him to Ford's hotel room and shoots her husbandThe police summoned by the son, arrive just as she plunges out of the window to her death. Dav. 14 FILM BULLETIN