Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

'BEDELIA' SLOW-MOVING BRITISH DRAMA Rates • • + in class houses; fair dualler elsewhere more palatable for American consumption, producer Isadore Goldsmith obviously has been guided by such domestic successes as "Woman in the Window" and "Laura," the last-named also written by Vera Caspary, author of "Bedelia." To give the production authentic atmosphere, Miss Caspary has changed the locale from the United States to England, and to satisfy Production Code requirements, written an alternative ending for American distribution. Eagle-Lion Films 83 minutes Margaret Lockwood, Ian Hunter, Anne Crawford, Barr> K. Barnes, Jill Esmond, Barbara Blair, Ellen Pollock, Louise Hampton, Julien Mitchell, Kynaston Reeves, Beatrice Varley, Olga Lindo. Directed by Lance Comfort. "Bedelia," J. Arthur Rank's latest challenge to American film producers, is well mounted, capably acted and adequately photographed, but, like many British pictures, its pace is pedestrian, its cast rela. tively unknown to U. S. audiences, its heavily-accented English dialect at times difficult to understand. Returns will be slightly above average in class houses, but it will fit only into the supporting slot in other locations. In his effort to make the feature Margaret Lockwood, Ian Hunter and Bar. ry K. Barnes have been seen to advantage in previous British successes brought to this country, and enterprising showmen will not overlook this fact. Miss Lockwood's stunning gowns also lend themselves to fashion tieups. Miss Caspary's many popular novels should make bookstore counter and window displays easily available. The film's main character is a psycho-neurotic killer, her motivation "murder for profit;" catch lines and teaser ads based on these angles might benefit by the current interest in both these topics. The story opens in Monte Carlo where Barry K. Barnes, apparently an English painter on holiday, meets Margaret Lockwood, honeymooning with Ian Hunter, her second husband. Lespite her beauty, she is averse to being photographed by her doting husband and similarly reluctant to let Barnes paint her portrait. He is persistent, however, and at Hunter's invitation later visits them in England. Hunter suffers a severe attack of food poisoning. Barnes, revealing himself as a private detective to Hunter's doctor, tells him Margaret's three previous husbands — she has always insisted she's been married but once before — have died suddenly under suspicious circumstances. When he exposes Margaret to her husband, she tries to poison Barnes. Hunter foils her scheme. Margaret sees the game is up, surrenders herself to the pd'ce. 'BLIND SPOT' STRIVES TO BE A MINOR LEAGUE 'LOST WEEKEND' Rates • • as dualler generally; slightly Columbia 74 minutes Chester Mor'ris, Constance Dowling, Steven Geray, Sid Tomack, James Bell, William Forrest. Directed by Robert Gordon. Hampered by a perfectly obvious denouement and a not-so-successful attempt tc be "arty," the makers of "Blind Spot," producer Ted Richmond and director Robert Gordon, have achieved a spotty murder mystery that starts off like a minor "Lost Weekend" and takes a long time to reach a pace suitable for this type of melodrama. Little ingenuity has gone into script, direction or production — unless you could call utilizing a lavish set from the same company'.= "Johnny O'Clock," ingenious. Occa. more in action spots sional flashes in the dialogue and a couple of camera tricks are buried among the cliches which characterize the rest of the film. It's just a fair dualler, with slightly more promise for the action spots. For the first half-hour or so, Chester Morris, as a writer whose ambition is frustrated by lack of popular appeal and an ironclad contract with his heartless publisher, sops up enough liquor to float a battleship. With the inevitable hangover comes the cops and an accusation of murder of the publisher. Complications hinge around the fact that Morris, during his binge, had derisively concocted a plot for a murder story, blabbed the outline to several characters, and was chief suspect because the victim had met his end just as outlined, i.e., stabbed, with the door bolted from the inside and windows locked. Since the solution is a blank in the writer's memory, he escapes from the law and tries to round up those who heard the story. These include the publisher's secretary, another writer victimized by the deceased and a bartender, who also meets a violent death under similar circumstances. It's all explained at police headquarters and the great "mystery" of the bolted door is the old latch and string gag. Morris, doffing his Boston Blackie characterization, makes a supreme effort to be histrionic, but succeeds only in hamming up his drunk scenes. He is much more in his element as he flees the law while hunting up his suspects. Constance Dowling, of "Lost Weekend" fame, goes blond for this one and manages to achieve a few sexy moments. Steven Geray is sickeningly sweet in a role that calls for more subtlety. Robert Gordon's direction attempts, with not much success, to fly high in the earlier portions, then settles down to routine melo. drama. 'SOUTH OF THE CHISHOLM Rates • • -| for the western houses Columbia 59 minutes Charles Stai«rett, Smiley Bumette, Nancy Sanders. Directed by Derwin Abrahams. Another assembly line Durango Kid western, possibly no worse, certainly no better than its predecessors, this Charles Starrett-Smiley Burnette oater packs the standard quota of gunplay, rustling and TRAIL' DURANGO KID RIDES AGAIN AND AGAIN corn-crooning, a minimum of fist-play and an abundance of riding. In the time-hon. ored tradition, Starrett makes his lightning changes from lone-hand cowboy to jet-clad Durango Kid, dispenser of range justice astride a white charger. Smiley Burnette's comedy is probably just what western fans want for relief from the hectic doings. This should be up to par as a grosser in the spots where Starrett is a favorite. It all begins when Burnette, cure-all sales, man, retrieves the loot from a stage-coach robbery and is saved from hanging by the Durango Kid. The Kid learns that there is a great deal of cattle rustling in the area and decides to clean it up. He gets the ranchers to band together for a cattle-run to Abilene, outwits the rustlers by pretending to be on their side, then shoots it out with the gang as the herd reaches its desti. nation to gamer a whopping price of 15 dollars per head. True to form, he shakes hands with the fair-haired daughter of the slain leader of the honest ranchers and rides off to the horizon, to the strains of Smiley's yodeling. 'BORN TO SPEED' OLD-FASHIONED THRILLER Rates • • — as secondary dualler in action houses PRC 61 minutes Johnny Sands, Terry Austin, Den Castle, Frank Orth, Geraldine Wall, Joe Hayworth. Directed by Edward L. Cahn. This PRC quickie is very light on name and production values, but it has more than a modicum of action that will carry it through as a supporting dualler in minor action houses. The fast-moving story of a youth's inherited love for auto racing and his fight to overcome cowardice would have profited by more capable performances, some of which border on the amateurish. However, devotees of this type of fare, especially the youngsters, should find enough to give them an hour's excitement and enjoyment. Johnny Sands has inherited his love for auto racing from his father, who was killed on the Indianapolis track. His mother, Geraldine Wall, tries to keep him away from the game, but submits to his ambition and sends him to Frank Orth, her husband's old mechanic. Johnny meets Terry Austin, Orth's pretty niece, who is being courted by racing promoter Don Castle. When Johnny outdrives Joe Hayworth, Castle's ace driver, he is given Hayworth's car and billed as The Masked Marvel. However, when Terry switches her affections to Johnny, Castle and he have a fight and, later, Castle arranges to have Johnny's car run off the speedway. He is injured and when he tries a comeback, finds that his nerves are shattered. In the big race, he is again forced off and is ready to quit, but Terry promises him her love if he is not a coward. He goes on to win the race and her hand. FEBRUARY 3. 1947 11