Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

•THE SWORDSMAN" SWELL FOR THE KIDDIES! Rates • • + for action houses; less els Columbia 81 minutes T>ariy Parks, Ellen Drew, George Macready, Edgar Buchanan, Ray Collins, Marc Plant, Michael Duane, Holmes Herbert, Nedrick Young, Robert Shayne, William Bevan, Lumsden Hare, Tom Stevenson, Harry Allen. Directed by Joseph H. Lewis. Without blushing. Columbia swiped a little bit from Bill Shakespeare and a whole lot from Roy Rogers, added Technicolor, and delivered this alleged "big" picture. "The Swordsman" ought to be swell movie fare for the kiddies, although even they will wonder why the the actors had to be dressed up in those silly kilts. Well, kiddies, you see, this ewhere story is laid in olde Scotland. Yes, daddy, but I saw those same scenes in the Roy Rogers picture last Saturday. Shh, sonny, not so loud. Larry (Jolson Story) Parks. Ellen Drew and some other familiar players look about as Scotch as Broadway as they pretend to be carrying on a feud between two clans back in the 18th century. There is a lot of riding and fighting, like in any ordinary western, but the obvious plot and the utter lack of authenticity in the supposed Scottish backgrounds are detracting features. Grosses wiW be slightly above average in action houses; average, at best, elsewhere. EXPLOITATION: Feature Larry Parks of "Jolson Story" fame. Play up the feud betv/een two Scottish clans and the lovers who finally teach them the ways of peace. Catchline: "In the Midst of Hate and Strife. They Found Love!" Larry Parks, son of the head of the MacArden clan, returns to his Scottish home after ten years of schooling in England to find his family still in the midst of its century-old feud with the Glowans. He meets Ellen Drew, member of the latter clan and they fall in love. Parks, not revealing his name, attends a sports tournament of the Glowans and wins one of the prizes. However, he is suspected by Ellen's cousin and suitor, George Macready, of being a MacArden. Macready and his brother, Michael Duane, ambush Parks, and when the latter kills Duane, Macready accuses him of having plotted muixier. Parks suspects that Ellen has betrayed him, but she helps him escape and despite Macready's further efforts, the lovers persuade the two clans to live in peace. 'ON THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL' BEST ROY ROGERS TRUCOLOR FILM TO DATE Rates • • • where star has following; g Republic 75 minutes Roy Rogers, Tito Guizar, Jane Frazee, Andy Devine, Estelita Rodriguez, Charles McGravv, Fred Graham, Steve arrell, DMarshall Reed, Wheaton Chambers, Bob Nolan, Sons of the Pioneers, Trigger the horse. Directed by William Witney. Republic's teaming of Roy Rogers and Tito Guizar is a shrewd (and successful) experiment designed to broaden the appeal of both personalities. The presence of the personable, pleasant-voiced Guizar, plus the general exxcellence of this Trucolor horse opera will go a long way toward attracting ood naborhood duailer audiences not normally cowboy fans. This means that "On the Old Spanish Trail" merits playing time in manv better cKss houses which have not used previous Roy Rogers pictures. It will lend strong' boxoffice and entertainment support to an" drama or mystery feature. In addition to its high musical content — five hit numbers, all well rendered — the film has one of the most lousing climaxes seen in some time. Performances, production quality, photography and recording are good throughout. To meet an overdue note and save the tent show of his pal Bob Nolan, young rancher Roy Rogers sets out to win the reward of $10,000 offered for the capture of a masked bandit known as The Gypsy. Suspicion has fallen on wandering minstrel Tito Guizar, madly in love with Helen Frazee. part-owner of the show. After several skirmishes Rogers captures Guizar. turns him over to Constable Andy Devine. Estrelita Rodriguez, jealous of Helen, tells Rogers her sweetheart Guizar is innocent. Believing her story, Rogers permits Guizar to escape in order to trap the real culprit. His ruse works and Charles McGraw, manager of the show, after slightly wounding the fugitive Guizar, holds up the local bank under pretense of holding a mock robbery as part of the show. McGraw and his henchmen effect their getaway but, following a thrilling pursuit, are overtaken and overpowered by Rogers and Guizar. TOPS .L-TIME RECORDS Theatre history in its first 4 days. because lale of a show" (says Herald Tribune) from PARAMOUNT