Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1946)

4j Monday, September 9, 1946 Motion Picture Daily 3 IVewsreel Parade Reviews The Thrill of Brazil (Columbia) PLOTWISE, there is nothing new in Columbia's "The Thrill of Brazil," but theatre patrons who like their musicals lavish and filled with eyecatching production numbers will find the film packed with 91 minutes of solid entertainment. Exploitation will probably mean the difference between satisfactory or outstanding grosses, with word-of-mouth reports working on the side of the exhibitor, for, although producer Sidney Bedell has assembled a well-balanced cast, few have been called upon to carry a picture on their own before. The screenplay, by Allen Rivkin, Harry Clork and Devery Freeman, concerns the efforts of Keenan Wynn to convince Evelyn Keyes, his ex-wife, to break off her engagement to Allyn Joslyn and remarry him. Joslyn, as a toothpaste magnate from Pippindale, la., represents Hollywood's version of conservative security, whereas Wynn, a fast-talking theatrical producer represents glamour ; needless to say Miss Keyes chooses the latter. The writers have embellished the old triangle story with crisp dialogue, most of which is expressed by Wynn, who further adds to his stature as a topnotch comedian. Sid Tomak and Felix Bressart, in smaller roles, also contribute much to the laugh department. The musical portion of the picture rests largely on the lovely shoulders of Ann Miller, who sings and dances her way through one intricate number after another. Enric Madriguera and his orchestra, provide the rhythmic background for Miss Miller's efforts, with dance numbers staged by Eugene Loring and Nick Castle adding unusual precision to the general effect. Vocals, by Tito Guizar, and one dance number by Veloz and Yolanda, round out the program. Director S. Sylvan Simon succeeds in maintaining a proper balance between comedy and music. Running time 91 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, Sept. 5. Harold Loeb Strange Journey' (20th Century-Fox) JOURNEY depicted — here — is familiar rather than strange, but the exhibitor and many of his patrons may welcome it back as a reliable old friend : the story of folks who get shipwrecked on a desert island and divide into two warring camps over accomplishing some mission one of them has yet to accomplish. The mission, moreover, in this Sol M. Wurtzel production, has to do with South American uranium deposits and the atom bombs that can be made from them, so the whole thing takes on a world-today significance which grows pretty tense. Nice feature about shipwrecks, of course, is that character tends to assert itself, so the writers and cast are called on to create characters. Here they do, absorbingly. The list includes : Fritz Leiber, aged British professor who carries the uranium map ; Ona Massen, his daughter, who inherits the secret when the old man dies ; Paul Kelly, reformed U. S. racketeer, to whom she entrusts the information ; Kurt Katch, Nazi agent with a passion to reach those deposits first, and Hillary Brooke, the American's legalized "moll," who turns against him for landing her in such an uncouth place but comes through with a convenient machine gun when the Germans start going too thick. Credit for the best performance goes to Gene Stutenroth, a giant sailor, who takes command until he finds fists are not enough and then becomes cutely subservient. The characters and what they do, and even some better-than-average dialogue sprang from the pens of Charles Kenyon and Irving Elman, and James Tinling's direction demonstrates how drama can be packed into quiet scenes as well as those more boisterous. Chances are most customers would be quite willing to go along on this journey. < Running time, 65 minutes. General audience classification. October release. 'Tom Loy ^STIT'ORLD trouble areas continue in lr. \rr the ncwsreel spotlight, with curs-lmt* reels featuring, additionally, Gen. ^Eisenhower's VFW speech and an "hVauto racing tragedy. In a lighter vein, \there are presented an ice show revue, ~\the Harvest Moon Ball and film stars' , activities; complete contents follow: iM'*^%rONE NEWS, No. 3 — Trouble spots^r-? the world: Yugoslavia, Greece, Mediterranean, Palestine. Eisenhower speaks at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Boston jconvention. Sports: auto racing, ice skating. ■ Harvest Moon Ball in New York. l| NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 201— Greek plebiscite: return of king from exile. Drama I in Yugoslavia as Tito returns bodies of |y. S. fliers. UNRRA supplies. U. S. fleet [in Mediterranean. New British round-up in 'Palestine crisis. Harvest Moon dance Ichamps. Death rides in motor classic. Skatling stars in Icecapades. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 4— Ice show J [aids vets. Greek King regains throne. Footjball: Who will stop Array's march? Vetlerans of Foreign Wars' 47th National Ent campment. "World series" of the dance. RKO PATHE NEWS, No. 6— De Gaulle honors heroic island. Eisenhower speaks to VFW. Camps care for Italy's children. La(Guardia interviewed in London. Greek king regains throne. Icecapades benefit. UNIVERSAL NEWSREEL, No. 535 — Thousands killed in India riots. French jiaavy maneuvers. Personalities of the screen: iMaria Montez, Phyllis Calvert, Abbott and Costello. Harvest Moon Ball. Icecapades. Sport king killed in race crash. Infirmary [seeks new building. U -I Host to Carol Reed at Luncheon Universal-International was host to ICarol Reed, British director, at a jluncheon at 21 Club, here, last FriIday. Reed will direct "Portrait in Black" for Skirball-Manning Productions at Universal. In addition to trade and metropolitan press representatives, guests at the luncheon included Charles D. Prutzman, Joseph H. Seidelman, John |j. O'Connor, Sam Machnovitch, Adolph Schimel, Anthony Petti, Monjroe Greenthal, Al Horwits, Lewis Blumberg, Henry Linet, David Levy, Fred Meyers, F. J. A. McCarthy, jjock Lawrence, Jack Skirball, Phil [Laufer and Jerry Dale. Two Gross Records Cited in Chicago Chicago, Sept. 8. — All-time gross records at the Balaban and Katz Chi:ago Theatre and at the RKO Palace vere cited here, at the weekend. The Chicago grossed $94,000 with , Paramount' s "Monsieur Beaucaire" on the screen and the Andrews Sisters bn stage. The Palace took in $44,000 in the initial week of the DisneyRKO Radio "Make Mine Music," combined with Monogram's "Joe ; Palooka, Champ." Screen Art Producing 12 for Screen Guild Hollywood, Sept. 8. — Screen Guild | Productions has signed the newlyI formed Screen Art Pictures Corp. to produce 12 pictures, or more, during ithe next two years, for SGP distribu1 tion. Ed Finney's "Queen of the Amazons" is set as the first film for delivery under the deal. 'Return to Night* Wins MGM Contest Mary Renault's "Return to Night" is the story which has captured top honors in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's $200,000 third annual prize novel contest. The winning book, to be published by William Morrow and Co. in the fall, is a story of contemporary England. Conditions of the contest, which was launched in 1944, calls for a minimum award of $125,000 to the author of the winning book, with the possibility of an additional award up to $50,000 contingent on total sales. An award of $25,000 is also made to the publisher of the book. William Ferrari Elected Hollywood, Sept. 8. — The Society of Motion Picture Art Directors has elected William Ferrari as president. 'Gallant Bess' Will Travel for M-G-M Marking the first tour of its kind since Leo the Lion and M-G-M's trademark traveled over the country, more than 15 years ago, M-G-M will embark on a city-to-city visit for Bess, the equine star of the company's Cinecolor, "Gallant Bess," on Sept. 14 in Lexington, Ky. . With six Mideastern cities lined up for the start of the nationwide tour, the campaign will be under the superyision of Howard Dietz, M-G-M vicepresident and director of exploitation, advertising and publicity, with William R. Ferguson, exploitation head, in charge of arrangements. The other five cities to be visited in the first group set up include Huntington, W. Va., on Sept. 19 ; Charleston, W. Va., Sept. 20 ; Cincinnati, Sept. 21 ; Dayton, Sept. 23, and Columbus, Sept. 24. Sc hi ties Celebrate 25th Anniversary J. Myer Schine Louis W. Schine Gloversville, N. Y., Sept. 8.— The Schine Chain Theatres of J. Myer Schine, president, and Louis W. Schine, secretary-treasurer, ttt$ay started the celebration of its "Silver Jubilee," the observance of which will run through Saturday, Oct. 5. The brothers started together at the old Hippodrome Theatre, here, and today operate 150 theatres in New York, Ohio, Maryland and Kentucky. Osserman Presides at RKO Latin Meet RKO Radio will hold its first South American convention at Buenos Aires Sept. 23-26, at the Hotel Alvear. Jack Osserman, RKO Latin-American supervisor, will be chairman. RKO South American general manager George Kallman will head the Argentinian delegation, while Chile will be represented by manager Enrique Friedlander and chief accountant Joe Rosenfield. From Peru, manager Ricardo Canals will attend with his assistant, Tom McPartland. Traveling from Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian sales manager Eric Steinberg will be present, together with Al O'Camp, RKO's Latin-American field exploitation representative. Rank, Wolff Head Alliance in London London, Sept. 8.— J. Arthur Rank has been elected chairman, and Robert S. Wolff, managing director of Alliance Productions, Ltd., recently formed to produce pictures in England under the joint production-distribution agreement between RKO Radio and the Rank organization. The first Alliance feature, "So Well Remembered," is now in work at Denham Studios. Myron Siegel Will Assist Schwartz Myron Siegel, publicity-advertising director for Century Theatres, here, has been named assistant to Fred J. Schwartz, Century vice-president, it was announced over the weekend, by A. A. Hovell, president. Siegel started with Century 17 years ago as assistant manager at the Fantasy Theatre. ■