Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

'BURY ME DEAD' ENGROSSING MYSTERY PLOT, WEAK IN NAMES Rates • • as dualler generally Eagle-Lion GG minutes Cathy O'Donnell, June Lockhart, Hugli Beaiunont, Mark Daniels, Greg McClur<i, Milton Parsons, Virginia Farmer, Sonia Darrin, Cliff Clark. Directed by Bernard Vorhaus. This well-acted, cleverly-plotted, unpretentious whodunit will keep audiences interested from beginning to end. Unfortunately, its lack of names will result in negligible grosses and confine it to the lower slot on dual bills. Coupled with a comedy, musical or western of equal merit, it will give satisfaction in most situations. Best performances are those of Cathy O'Donnell as a neurotic adole.scent, and Hugh Beaumont a.s a scheming attorney. Based on a radio story by Irene Winston, Karen deWolf and Dwight V. Babcock's screenplay is fastpaced, packed with surprise twists and suspense. Direction by Bernard Vorhaus is satisfactory, as are production quality, photography and recording. EXPLOITATION: In your advance car.;paign use teasers such as: "Who Wants to 'Bury Me Dead'., and Why?" "My Best Friend Stops at Nothing to 'Bury Me Dead' " and "My Dearest Relative Hate.s Me Enough to 'Bury Me Dead'!" Play up the previous performances of Cathy ("Besl Yeais of Our Lives") O'Donnell, Mark ("Winged Victory") Daniels, June ("The yearling") Lockhart. "FOREli&N FILMS June Lockhart, wealthy estranged wife of Mark Daniels, returns home to attend her own funeral. The corpse, burned beyond recognition in a stable fire, is that of Daniels mistress, Sonia Darrin. Among those ihe police suspect of murdering Sonia are June, her neurotic young foster-sister Cathy O'Donnell (in love with Daniels), prizeiig.iter Gie,:,g McClure and Hugh Beaumont, fi'.end and attorney of June and Daniels, Implicated by Cathy's false testimony. Daniels is taken to the police station for questioning. This gives Beaumont, the real culprit, a chance to kill June and make it Ito.. lil:e suicide. Thwarted when Cathy enters, Boauniont prepares to slay botn girls, but is killed by the police who arrive v/ith Daniels at the opportune moment. MY FATHER'S HOUSE' INTERESTING PALESTNE STORY Rates • • • in Jewish naborhood and a World View Films 85 minutes Ronnie Cohen, Irene Broza, Isaac Danziger, Herman Heuser, Joseph Pacovsky, Zalman Leiviush, B. Klatchkin, Miriam Laseson, and the Hazimir Singers of Tel Aviv. Directed by Herbert Kline. Produced in Palestine with an Englishspeaking cast, "My Father's House" may get wider distribution than the average foreign-made feature. Primarily, of course, it is for Jewish audiences and generally it will be limited to art theatres and those in Jewish naborhoods. The story of an 11 year-old lad who conies to Palestine in a vain search for his long-missing family has poignance, while the underlying theme of the Jews' struggle for their homeland is rt houses stirring. The picture (parts are documentary) has been beautifully photographed against the grandeur of the Palestine locale. It contains many interesting scenes of native life in the Holy Land and some fine singing by the Hazamir Singers of Tel Aviv. The cast includes Gentiles and Moslems, as well as Jews, most of them recruited from local theatre groups, and performances are satisfactory for the most part. EXPLOITATION: Obtain the cooperation of local leaders of Zionist organizations, liberal groups and charity executives (profits from the release will go to the Jewish National Fund, mentioned in Life magazine's September 20 issue). Circularize film appreciation groups, teachers and students of economics and geography. Obtain counter and window displays in travel bureaus. Play up the fact this is the first full-length SHOE-SHINE' GRIPPING ITALIAN FILM Rates • • • in art houses and Italian Lopert Films 93 minutes Binaldo Smordoni, Franco Interlenghi, Aniello Mele, Bruno Ortensi, Pacifico Astrologo, Francesco De Nicola, Antonio Carlino, Enrico De Silva. Directed by Vittorio De Sica. Grim and gripping, this poignant account of two boys railroaded into a reform school makes arresting filmfare for Italian naborhood houses and art theatres. Grosses will be comparable to those registered by any other foreign language masterpiece. The cast, unknown to U. S. audiences, consists for the most part of boys, two of whom — Rinaldo Sm.ordoni and Franco Interlenghi — give brilliant performances. Under Vittorio De Sica's direction, the action-packed naborhood spots narrative builds suspensefully to a dynamic crescendo. English titles by Herman G. Weinberg vividly translate the dialogue. Production and film quality are fair. EXPLOITATION: Play this up as a fearless commentary of conditions abroad today as well as a relentless expose of Black Markets and of penal institutions for socalled juvenile delinquents. Stress the brilliant performances by two Italian lads, actually shoe-shine boys in real life. Advertise it as "The Film Every Boy Should See and Every Parent Must See!" Roman shoe-shine boys Rinaldo Smordoni and Franco Interlenghi save their pennies for the day when they can buy for their very own a livery stable horse. Their opportunity comes when the pair, innocent accomplices in a black market deal engi feature ever completely filmed in Palestine. Don't overlook the fact it is based on a novel by well-known writer Meyer Levin, iuthor of the screenplay. Evading British naval patrols a boatload of Jewish refugees land by night in Palestine. Among them are 11-year-cld Ronnie Cohen, desperately searching for his longrnissing family, and pretty Irene Broza, trying to erase memories of years of enforced shame as a victim of the Nazi Feldkorps. Ronnie's determined but futile search for his dead parents eventually affect him psychologically, makes him a psychotic infant unable to walk or talk. The lad's yearning for a parent's love serve to reawaken in Irene something of the human importance war and degradation has all but destroyed. At end, Ronnie and Irene find in each other — and, parenthetically, in Palestine — a fulfillment of their deepest needs. neered by Rinaldo's scapegrace brother, receive the horse's purchase price to keep silent about a robbery they've witnessed. Identified by the victim, the two are arrested and sent to an overcrowded, ill-run reform school. Tricked by the school officials into revealing the real culprits. Franco is regarded as a spy. To get even with him for informing on his brother, Rinaldo hides a file in Franco's mattress, then tips off the guards. Later the two are tried on the robbery charge and Franco, unable to get efficient counsel, receives a severer sentence than Rinaldo. Soon after his return to the reformatory, Rinaldo. and an older boy, escape during a fire. Embittered on hearing the escapees plan to take his beloved horse. Franco aids in their recapture but in a moment of rage accidentally kills Rinaldo. 'THE DEVIL'S ENVOYS' FRENCH MIRACLE PLAY STRICTLY FOR HIGHBROWS Rates • • -f for art spots Superfilm 10.5 minutes Arletty, Jules Berry, Marie Dea, Alain Cuny, I>edoux, Marcel Herrand, Gabriel Gabrio, Pierre I.iabry. Directed by Marcel Came. Produced by the same director, scenarist and star responsible for the noteworthy "Children of Paradise," this current French import abounds in magnificent performances, lavish sets and gorgeous costumes. Unfortunately, despite its beauty, its appeal will bo limited in this country to the high brow patrons of foreign films. Pace is pedestrian; dialogue, judging by the English titles, is heavy-laden with theological dissertations, and plot is devoid of twists or suspense. Exploitation possibilities comprise selling Arletty the star, the colorful locale of medieval France with its gorgeous costumes and magnificent settings; teachers and students of French history, drama and language might be circularized to advantage. According to an old legend, in May 148.'5, Jules Berry (Satan) sends two of his envoy.s, Arletty and Alain Cuny, to corrupl the world. They arrive at the castle of Baron Ledoux during the pre-nuptial festivities for Chevalier Marcel Herrand and the Baron's daughter Marie Dea. In accordance with her pact with Satan, Arletty seduces first Herrand and then Ledoux. eggs on both into a duel wherein the Baron kills his youthful adversary. Meanwhile. Cuny has made ardent love to the virginal Marie. Satan airives, bares Marie's sin to the Baron and his court, persuades his host to imprison and torture Cuny. Marie, emI)owered by her love for Cuny. is able to resist the lecherous advances of Satan, iialked and revengeful, he turns both Marie and Cuny into stone. FILM BULLETIN