Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

'THE SENATOR WAS INDISCREET' HITS NEW HIGH IN HILARITY Rates • © • or better generally UniversaMnternational 81 minutes William Powell, Ella Raines, Peter lAnd Hayes, Arleen Whelan, Ray Collins, Allen Jenkins, Charles D. Brown, Hans Conreitl, Whit Bissell, Norma Vard<'n, Milton Parsons, Francis Pierlot, Cynthia Corley, Oliver Blake, Chief Thunder Cloud, Chief Yowlachie. Iron Eyes Cody, Boyd Davis, Rodney Bell, Douglas Wood, Edward Clark, Williant Forrest, Tom Du^-an, George K. Mann, Claire Carleton, William I. Vedder, Nir.a Lunn, John R. Wald, Vincent Pelletier. . , Directed by George S. Kaufman. Here is one of the funniest pictures of the year, a none-too-sublle travesty on present-day politicos destined to delight any patron with or without a sense of humor. Producer Nunnally Johnson, associate producer Gene Fowler, Jr., scripter Charles MacArthur and director George S. Kaufman, as well as star William Powell, have aimed a satirical shaft at the Washington scene, as pointed and hilarious as "State of the Union" or "Born Yesterday." Unlike those two stage successes, however, "The Senator Was Indiscreet" is not intended only for sophisticated adult audiences, but contains enough tongue-in-cheek melodrama and belly-laugh situations to render it sure-fire filmfare for mass audiences and juvenile patronage in any situation. A certain moneymaker, it will score best in metropolitan flrstruns and subsequents patronized by cosmopolitan theatre-goers. Powell's performance is infinitely superior to his characterization in "Life With Father," pressed to the limit as he is by such proficient players as Peter Lind Hayes, Ella Raines and Ray Collins, not to mention bit-player Hans Conreid, scene-stealer par excellence. Production quality is superlative; MacArthur's dialogue witty and crackling; photography and recording excellent throughout. EXPLOITATION: Sell the sock comedy. Play up the brilliant performance by William Powell, MacArthur's script, Kaufman's direction. Suggestion for ballot throwaway: "Don't Vote for ANY Candidate, Until You've Seen 'The Senator Was Indiscreet !" Catchline: "It Will Have Congress in an Uproar — of Laughter!" U. S. Senator William Powell has presidential aspirations, and hires press agent Peter Lind Hayes to ballyhoo him into the White House. Hayes' reporter-girlfriend Ella Raines quarrels with him for promoting so pompous a horse's neck as the senator and the two split up. Party chief Ray Collins shares Ella's opinion of Powell and orders him to stop seeking the nomination. But the Senator has a secret weapon — his diary wherein for 35 years he has jotted down all the party's shady deals. With this ace-in-thehole and ballyhooed by Hayes, he tours the nation, becomes top contender for the White House. Then, with victory in sight, the diary mysteriously vanishes. All hell breaks loose as Collins and his subordinates throughout the land, fearing exposure should the diary get published, prepare to flee the country. Hayes suspects Ella has stolen the diary and charges her with its theft. She's innocent but, scenting a sensational scoop, fends off Hayes and on a hunch tracks down Arleen Whalen, the senator's dinner partner the night the diary disappeared. Meanwhile, Collins and the party higher-ups have persuaded Powell to resign his senatorship and accept a berth as football czar, a post paying twirts the presidential salary. El'.a retrieves the diary from Arleen, then loses it to Hayes, who returns it to Powell. Almost imediately, Hayes suffers a pang of conscience, not only at his shabby treatment of Ella, but because he feels he'll be selling out the country if he foists Powell upon it as a president. So he re-steals the diary and effects a reconciliation with Ella. Next day the party leaders Bee the country, Powell winding up in the South Seas. 'MY WiLD IRISH ROSE' SAME OLD BLARNEY — IN TECHNICOLOR Rates © • 1 generally; more in Irish naborhoods Warner Bros. 101 Minutes Dennis Morgan, Arlene Dahl, Andrea King, Alan Hale, George Tobias, George O'Brien, Sara AUgood, Ben Blue, William Frawley, Don McGuire, Charles Irwin, Clifton Young, Paul Stanton, George Cleveland, Oscar O'Shea, Ruby Dandridge, Grady Sutton. William Davidson, Douglas Wood, Cliarles Marsh, Igor Dega, Pierre Andre, The Three DunhiUs, Lou Wills, Jr. Directed by David Butler. Since "My Wild Irish Rose" is first a Technicolor musical, let it be noted primarily that both the color and the musical numbers are just fine. The sure-fire Irish tunes, enhanced by Le Roy Prinz' imaginative treatment and effectively delivered by Dennis Morgan, plus some riotously colorful minstrel numbers, insure a goodly quota of entertainment. But "My Wild Irish Rose" also makes grand pretensions at telling the story of Chauncey Olcott, sweet singer of Irish ballads, and on that count is so corny and trite as to virtually negate the musical credits. The clicheridden tale is just a series of blackouts, some deliberately funny thanks to the antics of Ben Blue and, surprisingly, George O'Brien, as the strong man in a minstrel troupe. Morgan is excellent for the role of Olcott with his ingratiating grin and easyto-listen-to voice. Andrea King makes a dashing Lillian Russell (and the ladies will gasp at some of the gowns modeled by the famous songbird), but newcomer Arlene Dahl, is hardly an inspired choice as the singer's romantic vis-a-vis. The rest of the cast are tin-types. The bevy of Irish ballads, some bolstered by spirited dancing and production numbers, and the minstrel tunes. ■"The Natchez and the Robert E. Lee" and "Miss Lindy Lou", by Ted Koehler and M. K. Jerome, are the entertainment highlights and should carry the film to slightly above average returns generally. In neighborhoods where the clientele is predominantly Irish, grosses will be good. EXPLOITATION. "The Sweetest Songs Ever Sung" should be the keynote of the ballyhoo. The long list of Irish ballads will include someone's favorite. The name of Chauncey Olcott, king of the Irish ballad singers at the turn of the Century is another selling point. Lillian Russell, too, can be sold. A blow-up of Andrea King in one of the lavish gowns she wears will be an excellent lobby eye-catcher. Dennis Morgan, as young Chauncey Olcott, bluffs his way backstage to meet Andrea King (Lillian Russell) and decides to pursue a singing career. He becomes a singing bartender in George Tobias' Acropolis Hooise where he falls in love with Arlene Dahl, fiance of Don McGuire. With the aid of bellhop Ben Blue, he persuades a band of minstrels to stay at the hotel and become a member of the troupe, which includes George O'Brien, strong man of the outfit. In New York, Morgan again meets Lillian Russell and she arranges for him to be her leading man. When rumors appear that Morgan and Russell are to be married, Dahl goes to Lillian's apartment, finds Morgan there and leaves him. Russell's show closes and Morgan is hired by the aging and ailing William Frawley (as 'William Scanlan), America's top singer of Irish songs, as his understudy. Morgan sings backstage while Frawley mouths the words, but finally Fraw-ley's voice gives out completely at a St. Patrick's day performance and the old man turns the crown over to Morgan, who is finally reunited with Dahl. 'DANGEROUS YEARS' HOKE-FILLED JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PROGRAMMER Rates • • as supporting dualler in act Twentieth Century-Fox 62 minutes William Halop, Ann E. Todd, Jerome Cowan, Anabel Shaw, Richard Gaines, Scotty Beckett, Darryl Hickman, Harry Shannon, Dickie Moore, Donald Curtis, Harry Harvey Jr., Gil Stratton Jr., Joseph Vltaie, Marilyn Monroe, Nana Bryant. Dirw.ted by Arthur Pierson. Despite its good intention to preach a moral this low-budget Sol Wurtzel programmer on juvenile delinquency ^ '.oo incredible and full of obvious hokum for most audiences. Coupled with a lively musical or comedy, it will get by in neighborhood and action hou.scs. Its direction and writing Htrongly reminiscent of a radio soap opera, ion spots "Dangerous Years" is played with the tremolo stop all the way out by a proficient and preponderantly-juvenile cast. Billy Halop, (ex-Dead-End kid), Ann E. Todd, Jerome Cowan, Scotty Beckett and Darryl Hickman turn in commendable characterizations. Production quality is fair, photography and recording good. EXPLOITATION: Take advantage of the film's topical theme, juvenile delinquency, by enlisting the cooperation of editors, pastors and child welfare organization heads. Teaser: "If you're in your 'teens, look out— these are the 'Dangerous Years'!" Have your local Inquiring Reporter ask: "What, and why, are the most 'Dangerous Years' ?" Welfare worker Donald Curtis' Boys Club curbs Middletown's juvenile delinquency in check until the arrival of flashy, well-heeled William Halop. Operating from the Gopher Hole, a roadside juke joint, Halop organizes the town's more adventurous youths into warehouse looters. In attempting to dissuade the lads from pilfering a warehouse, Curtis is shot and killed by Halop. Curtis' fiancee Anabel Shaw returns from an extended cruise as her father. District Attorney Richard Gaines, is trying with little chance of success to convict Halop, ably defended by Jerome Cowan. During a court recess Halop is visited in his cell by Nana Bryant, former head of the orphanage wherein he and Anabel had been reared. Nana confesses having switched babies; thus he, not Anabel, is the D.A.'s child. Reluctant to bring further sorrow to Anabel and Gaines, Halop swears Nana to continued secrecy and is committed to life imprisonment. 20 FILM BULLETIN