Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1948)

'APARTMENT FOR PEGGY' HAPPY ENTERTAINMENT AND STRONG BOXOFFICE Rates • • • generally 20th Century-Fox 99 minutes. Jeanne Grain, William Holden, Edmund Gwenn, Gene Lockhart, Griff Bamett, Randy Stuart, Marion Marshall, Pati Behrs, Henri Letondal, Houseley Stevenson, Helen Ford, Almira Sessions. Charles Lane, Ray Walker^ Crystal Reeves, Ronnold Burns, Gene Nelson, Bob Patton, Betty Ann Lynn. Tkerese Lyon, Ann Staunton, Hal Daicson, Frank Scannell, Robert Williams. Paul Prison. Directed by George Seaton. "Apartment for Peggy" has what it takes to set off a flood of happy boxoffice reports from theatres across the country. For it sells the kind of warmly human sentiment that the great mats of moviegoers enjoy. It's an entertaining blend of infectious comedy and heart-tugging emotion, in Technicolor, with a lively appeal to young people, an inspiring message to the old folks— in short, it's an ideal family picture. Even hiah brows, who may turn up their noses at such "hokum," will be taken in by its appeal, while there is sure to be appreciative response from the rank and file, in big towns and small. Since it draws upon everyday, real-life problems— as the housing shortage and "how to have a baby 'MISS TATLOCK'S MILLIONS' Rates • • 4 as dualler; weak for action Paramount 101 minutes. John Lund, Wanda Hendrix, Barry Fitzgerald. Monty Woolley. Robert Stack, Ilka Chase. Dorothy Srickney, Elizabeth Patterson, Leif Erick'ion, Dan Tobin, Hilo Hattie, Richard Rancyd. Directed by Richard Haydn. This screwball comedy isn't going to break any laugh meter records, but it contrives enouijh amusement to provide fair entertainment on dual bills. However, it will be a weak attraction for action and rural houses. The scenario was written by Charles Brackett, but it doesn't rate with his previous comedies ("Emperor Waltz" and "A Foreign Affair"). He cooked up a lot of verbal wit that sometimes sparkles, sometimes sputters, and the wacky humor depends on situations that are not always in good taste. There are bound to be considerable movie-goers who won't ree anything funny in the idea of a girl reluctantly falling in love with a man she believes to he her on a G. I. Student allowance" — it sets its story riaht down in everybody's backyard. Director George Seaton has ably doubled in brass to write the screenplay from the Faith Baldwin story. However, he might have tightened up the picture by condensing some of it and his direction is a bit too unsparing in the use of sentiment. The performances are excellent. Jeanne Grain, that pretty young red-head, puts a firecracker sparkle into the role of the youns: bride who talks in a scatter-brained "leap-frog" fashion and whose dizzy vivacity conceals depths of shining courage. As the struggling G. I. student, William Holden conveys a fine natural sincerity and Edmund Gwenn's performance as the superannuated professor is further evidence of his skill at deft characterizations. These three stellar performers set strong support from a larae and capable cast. The production is handsomely mounted in a Technicolored presentation of a college campus. All told, "Apartment For Peggy" is good news for exhibitors. EXPLOITATION': Call it a "Tender Story of Mingled Tears and Laughter" and use catchlines — "Love In An Attic" and "Stork Over The Campus.'' The name of Faith Baldwin .is authoress should attract feminine patornage. Present the situation in an "Apartment Wanted" ad in FAIR SCREWBALL COMEDY and rural houses brother. And the spectacle of John Lund prancing around pretending to be a drooling idiot is more of the same. Richard Haydn, the nasal-voiced comedian, has taken a crack at directing and his efforts are only fair. He also shows up in a bit role, although unlisted in the credits, .^nd for novelty's sake, Ray Milland appears briefly as himself in a scene on a movie set, where John Lund is supposed to be his stunt double. Most of the characters in this zany tale are a disagreeable, avaricious bunch. Wanda Hendrix is one of the few nice people. She is the pert vouh't actress who socred in "Ride The Pink Horfe" and is here equally charming as "Miss Tatlock." Barry Fitzgerald, as a sly old toper, squeezes a lot of humor out of his role and Mont\ Woolley •^pout-^ his acidulous wit. Ilka Chase, Robert Stack and Dorothy Stickney are among the monev-niad relatives and Hilo Hattie, a Hawaiian hula dancer, also gets into the act. EXPLOITATION: Plav up the three-way romance with Wanda Hendrix, John Lund and Robert Stack. Distribute throwaways of "stage" the local paper. Edmund Gwenn is a retired professor wiiting a book oil philosophy. As soon as he completes it on his "deadline," he calmly plans to commit suicide, for he feels that his life is no longer useful. But then he meets Jeanne Grain. Her husband, William Holden, is a G. I. Bill student and they are living in a borrowed trailer. The stork is on the way and they desperately need a place to live. She charms Gwenn into renting them his attic and transforms its dilapidated mess into neat and cozy quarters. Her bouncy vitality lightens his feeling of futility and he keeps postponing his "deadline." He happily awaits the b'e-sed event and it is a severe blow when the child is born dead. Holden really takes it hard, feeling guilty for not having provided better care and he quits school, goes to Chicago to make big money as a car salesman. Jeanne remains with the old man nnd tries to conceal her bitter disappointment. The professor, now comp'etely discouraged, takes his lethal dose of sleeping pills. JuU then Hok'en returns with renewed determination to complete his studies. It turns out that the p'lls are laxatives, substituted by a shrewd doctor friend and the Dicture ends on a comic note of Gwenn's combined discomfort and happiness. .Abrams. money in million dollar bills. Barry Fitzgerald approaches John Lund, a Hollywood stunt man, with a very peculiar nroposition Barry was the "companion" t^i the idiot heir to the Tatlock fortune, who was burned to death in Hawaii. In order to keep his job, he had hushed up the fact of the boy's death and now he wants Lund, who bears a physical resemblance, to impersonate his charge. Lund convinces the Tatlocks that he is their slobbering relative. They are awaiting the reading of the Tatlock will. It seems that the idiot is the *ole heir to the millions and his sister, Wanda Hendrix, is next in line. Ilka Chase, a mercenary aunt, prods her lady-killing son, Robert Stack, to give Wanda a fast play. He almost has her primed for matrimony, but Lund jealously interferes. Miss Chase finally sees through his d'sI'uise and sends him and Barry off to Hawaii, but doesn't expose them, as that would queer the bequests. Barry finds the real heir, unexpectedly still alive and still wacky. He brings him to the States and Wanda, recognizing her feelings for Lund as being more than sisterly, makes a bee-line for Hawaii. York. 'THE LOVES OF CARMEN, LUSTY. LURID DRAMA IN COLOR Rates • • • generally Columbia 90 minutes. Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, Ron Randall. Victor Jory. Luther .idler, Arnold Moss, Joseph Buloff. Margaret Wycherly, Bernard Nedell, John Baragrey. Philip Van Zandt. Directed by Charles Vidor. The famous Prosper Merimee story, from which Bizet composed his immortal opera, has been fashioned bv Columbia into a lavish horse-opera. .\nd as such, it rates as a strong boxoffice attraction, for it has been given the complete works in a splurge of lurid melodrama and smoldering sex. But few spectators will be really enthralled by this tragic tale, since not one of the characters wins their sympathy. The picture is loaded with popular ingredients and, yet, it has a phony ring that will make discriminating audiences feel like they have been stuck with a counterfeit coin. It", biggest attraction is ravishing, red-haired Rita Hayworth, a renowned exponent of shady ladies, cast in the role of one of the most famous wantons of literature. As Carmen, the sensuous, untamed gypsy, who is true to no man, she «pits, scratches, bites and prances through her tempe-tuous. amorous adventures. It's quite the highest role of her career, and she remains Rita Hayworth, a glamorous actress, in perfect makeUD, only going through the studied motions of being a gypsy. She is far removed from an>reasonable conception of the gypsy Carmen. But when she sings in Spanish and dances a fiery Flamenco, she displays an entrancing talent. Glenn Ford appearing with her for the first time since "Gilda," does a persuasive job as Don Jose, the young dragoon enmeshed in a hof)eless passion. His interpretation, ranging from a shy, awkward restraint, mounts to a reckless, bitter savagery. Another first-rate performance is given by X'ictor Jory, her fierce, gypsy husband ind the deadly knife battle between him and Ford is a superb bit of thrilling action. The other loves of Carmen are Arnold Moss, the unctuous Colonel and John Baragrey, as the dashing toreador. Char'e-i \'idor. a^ director a^d producer, has mounted this picture in lavish Technicolored fc'f'n"? and i'lduces a flashv. surging movement in the best Western tradition. The score by Mario Ca-'telnuovo-Tedesco serves as an unobtrusive, yet exciting musical counterpoint. EXPLOIT.\TION': On a local level, use tie-in advertising with merchandizers of "Carmen" items and provide gypsy costumes for street bulIvhoo. In order not to disappoint opera-lovers, copy should mention that this is not an operatic version. For the love of Rita, Ford kills his commanding officer in a duel and escapes to the hills with her to take up a life of roving banditry. He discovers that she has a husband. \'ictor Tory, the leader of the group. He is disgusted with her treachery, but the price on his head keeps him in hiding. Rita wantonlv incites the two men to fight over her and there is a savage, slashing knife duel that leaves Ford the victor. He becomes a masterful, ruthless bandit chief, but he can't tame this gypsy girl. She leaves for Seville to take up with another conquest, a swaggering toreador. In spite of the danger. Ford follows her and begs her to return. When she refuses, be stabs her, just as he is shot by the police. York. ^1 E P T E M B E R 2 7. 191 11