Modern Screen (Jul-Dec 1945)

(Continued from page 21) They start to happen when a plane crashes in Mexico. Among the passengers are a pair of international crooks (I'm so glad someone has revived international crooks, I've missed them since the war!). They are Clyde Ballister (John Warburton) and his wife, Carola (Signe Hasso). During the plane trip they have noticed that one of the passengers, Kingby (Edmund Gwenn), has a briefcase locked to his wrist. Kingby is injured slightly in the crash and they have a chance to investigate the briefcase. It contains four wills, each signed by a different name, and each leaving a million dollars in bonds to Kingby. The first is signed Miles Kempen, Cleveland, Ohio. It will not surprise you to hear that the Ballisters turn up in Cleveland. But Kingby arrives, first, and Miles Kempen dies at once. The police call it an accident. However, Kempen had just told an attorney, Jeff Caign (James Craig) to draw him up a new will, leaving everything to a pretty night club singer. Jeff's curiosity is aroused by the neat timing in Kempen's death, and he finds Kingby has some connection with it and follows him on board a New York train. Also on board are Clyde and Carola, who are determined to reach the next will signer, Professor Budlow, before Kingby. Clyde gets a knife in his back on the train, and Jeff and Carola join forces. Carola wastes no time on regrets for the death of her husband. There's four million dollars tied up in this thing, and she's more interested in money than in a man who was more a partner than a husband. She and Jeff out-maneuver Kingby in New York and collect a million in bonds from Budlow. If they had left it at that, they would have been all right. But they move on to the next will signer, and run right into a trap, which threatens to dispose of them permanently. ... The Craig-Hasso team is effective, and has excellent support from Edmund Gwenn, J ohn Warburton and Mabel Paige. — M-G-M. P. S. James Craig came to the set one morning looking very pleased — they'd celebrated 7,000 birthdays at his place that morning. The new arrivals to his San Fernando Valley ranch were 7,000 day-old turkeys. The turkeys added to his 1,500 laying chickens means there'll be no egg or poultry shortages at his friends' homes for quite a while. . . . Visitors on the set raised horrified eyebrows every time James called Mabel Paige "Mother Rat" — all in fun of course. Miss Paige, who could pose for a Mothers' Day picture any time with her white hair and kindly smile, has a record of film misdeeds long enough to entitle her to a private suite in the state pen. Practically all her screen roles have been innocent sweet old ladies — with a knitting needle in one hand and a gat in the other. . . . Signe Hasso was offered her choice of snazzy streamlined dressing rooms, but turned them all down. Chose in preference the old room that had brought so much luck to her countrywoman and idol, Greta Garbo. . . . Signe, who for five years has wandered through her screen roles in an odd assortment of tattered dresses, worn raincoats, and other such unprepossessing apparel, realized her fondest dream. In this one she has a wardrobe designed especially for her by Irene — who spared no time or effort to create an array of gowns fit for a queen. THE ADVENTURES OF RUSTY Young Ted Donaldson, who was wistful and appealing over a caterpillar in "Once Upon A Time," is equally wistful and appealing over a dog in "The Adventures Of Rusty." Rusty is played by Ace, The Wonder Dog, who is, as far as I know, a newcomer to the screen. Handsome, too. Danny Mitchell (Ted Donaldson) is unhappy. His father, Hugh (Conrad Nagel), is getting married again, and Danny bitterly surveys a future which includes lots of face washings and no more fishing trips. Of course Ann (Margaret Lindsay) is okay as women go, but who wants women? When Rags, Danny's dog, is killed by a truck during the wedding reception, the boy blames his new stepmother, and his antagonism flares into actual hatred. Ann tries every way she can think of to win him over, but Danny is obdurate. The situation worries Ann and his father very much. Danny's main interest these days is a dog named Rusty. Not a nice, friendly dog like Rags, either. Rusty is an exGerman war dog trained by the Nazis, and is as vicious and treacherous as his former masters. However, something about his loneliness appeals to Danny, who is lonely too. Rusty's owner can do nothing with him, and is perfectly willing for Danny to have him. But when the boy tries to pet Rusty, he gets his hand severely bitten. Ann finds out, and naturally refuses to have such a vicious dog in the house. Danny is inconsolable, and at last Ann tells Hugh she thinks they had better let him have the dog. Danny, elated, digs up a German-American dictionary, and by the time he's had Rusty a few days the police dog is obeying his commands. Still, there is no affection or friendliness to it. This worries Danny so much that he solemnly takes Rusty to a psychiatrist he has heard Ann mention. Ann consults the same man about Danny, irresistible lips are To seem beautiful is to be beautiful! So keep your lips irresistible . . . divinely soft and lovely with IRRESISTIBLE RUBY RED LIPSTICK ... a deep, rich, dynamic tone that goes on smoothly and stays on longer thanks to Irresistible's secret whip-text process. Matching rouge and powder. 24 whip-text to stay on LONGER ... S-M-O-O-T-H-E-R ! A TOUCH OF IRRESISTIBLE PERFUME ASSURES GLAMOUR