Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1950)

Tuesday, August 29, 1950 Motion Picture Daily 3 Review "Three Secrets" (Warner Brothers) Hollywood, Aug. 28 AN exhibitor could be fooled about this one if he looked at it in a projection room or with a small group of friends in his own theatre. He could size it up as overlong, overcomplicated and overboard on the heartsand-flowers side, but he would be in error about that. It is a woman's picture in the fullest meaning of the term — a three-handkerchief picture, on the evidence of reaction displayed by an unprepared audience to which it was submitted in a Beverly Hills theatre — and one or another or all of the three stories told in it can be depended upon to moisten any feminine eye in any given crowd. It is adult material, treated in adult fashion, and a logician could argue with some of the points it makes, but the ladies are a cinch to be telling their friends to go see it. It can hardly fail to do thriving business. The picture presents Eleanor Parker, Patricia Neal and Ruth Roman as young women who encounter each other passingly in an adoption agency on a day when each, for her own different set of reasons, is giving her secretly borne boy baby for adoption. Miss Parker has been betrayed by a sailor. Miss Neal has been divorced by a husband unaware of her pregnancy. Miss Roman has been betrayed by a man whom she murdered for doing so, for which act she has served a prison term. The three meet again later at the foot of a mountain on which a five-year-old boy who, by well established circumstantial indication, could be the son of any one of them, has survived an airplane crash and is awaiting rescue. In the long hours while mountainclimbers are reaching the peak and bringing the boy down, the stories of each of the three women are told. When presumptive evidence indicates the boy is really the son of the woman whose killing of his father had been a headline sensation, she and the second woman agree to tell the one married woman among them that the child is hers, and she sets out to adopt him, the crash having killed his foster parents. There is, of course, much of sex and sin in a story of this kind, and it is presented frankly but by no means glamorously. There is also, of course, considerable dependence upon coincidence, but the things that are shown as happening conceivably could happen if, as represented, a Los Angeles newspaper were to burglarize the vault of an adoption agency on the request of its star reporter to obtain legally impounded information. None of these technicalities are likely to bother the distaff side of the average audience, and that is the side this picture is made for. It is a United States Pictures Production, produced by Milton Sperling, directed by Robert Wise and written by Martin Rackin and Gina Kaus. Originally filmed for release in 1948 or 1949, the time-setting has been upset a little by the delay and subsequent historical events, but none of the happily weeping ladies attending the preview seemed to mind. The men in the cast are Frank Lovejoy, Leif Erickson, Ted de Corsica, Edmon Ryan and Larry Keating. Running time, 102 minutes. Adult audience classification. Release date, Oct. 14. William R. Weaver Hopeful That Cuts Wight Be Restored Washington, Aug. 28. — Administration leaders were hopeful that the Senate might restore some of the cuts I nade by the House in the funds asked |«"or expansion of the State DepartInent's overseas information program. On Saturday, the House passed a 'supplemental appropriation bill carfrying only $62.655.850 of the $82,000,'300 asked y^Vld up the Pr°gram> Funds for mH_ activities were slashed [from the $11,017,833 requested to :$10,000,000. The measure now goes 'to the Senate Appropriations Committee for hearings and action. ) The money in the supplemental bill is in addition to $32,700,000 contained fin the original omnibus bill. This 'was also considerably under the 'budget request of $36,645,000. Of the original request, $2,450,000 was earmarked for the film program, and now [there is no information how much | this will be scaled down in view of 'the cut in the over-all total. The funds in both appropriation .'bills are for use in the current fiscal iyear, ending next June 30. Allied Reservations (Continued from page 1) iPenn Hotel will be the site of this : year's metings on October 2-4 with (the national Allied board meeting held on Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The many complaints from smallitown exhibitors on percentage films I and flat rentals that are too high, will I be one of the main topics for open II discussion. Further consideration of ' Allied's meetings held last month in \ Chicago on film prices being "rolled ! back" is also on the agenda. Among sales managers who have ■ confirmed their attendance are Andrew W. Smith, Jr., 20th Oentury ■ Fox and William F. Rogers, MetroGoldwyn-Mayer. | Gene Autry has been invited to per. sonally explain his views on making ' television shorts and has stated that 1 if he is not working he will attend. N. Y. Income Firm (Continued front page 1) about $166,000 for each of its first two weeks and is headed for an estimated $163,000 in the third stanza. This is I said to be the greatest box-office performance in the money-making history of the Music Hall. "Stella," with Milton Berle and his television revue on stage, is plenty strong at the Roxy, where a two-week booking comes to an end on Thursday \ night. The second week's take is fig' ured at close to $90,000. Due at the Roxy on Friday is "The Black Rose," with the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra on stage. v "Tresaure Island" is also one for good money at the Mayfair, where an ' estimated $28,000 is apparent for the j second week. "Petty Girl," with Gene Krupa's orchestra and Connie Haines on stage, are likely to provide the I Capitol with about $41,000 in a fair enough second and final week. Next at the Capitol will be "Summer Stock," due on Thursday. "No Way Out" is doing nicely at the Rivoli, where $28,500, a tidy sum for the house, is indicated for the sec' ond week. "Three Little Words" is } very healthy at Loew's State, where about $30,000 is in view for the third Gribble Appointed to Schlaifer Sales Post The appointment of James E. Gribble as Southern territory sales representative for all N. Peter Rathvon product, has been announced by Jack Schlaifer of Schlaifer Enterprises. Gribble was formerly Eagle Lion branch manager in Dallas. week. The Victoria's "Our Very Own" gross is estimated at $20,000 in a fifth week, representing consistently good business. "The Furies," with the Mills Brothers and Bobby Byrnes' orchestra on stage, should give the Paramount about $53,000 in a good-enough second and final week; "Fancy Pants" will bow in at the Paramount tomorrow. "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye," with Toni Harper, the Lind Brothers and Billy Vine on stage should gross about $30,000 in its fourth and final week at the Strand, which is adequate income ; the highly successful run of "Tomorrow" will be followed by "Tea for Two" on Friday. "The Desert Hawk" is doing moderately well at the Criterion, where about $14,000 is apparent for the first week. "Edge of Doom" looks like about $12,000 in a mild fourth week at the Astor. "The Torch" might gross about $9,000 in a slow second and final week at the Globe. The house will bring in a pair of Warner re-issues, "San Quentin" and "Alcatraz Island" on Friday. Act to Avert Italian Rental Ceiling Blow American industry representatives in Rome are attempting to forestall a governmental decree which would impose a ceiling on American film rentals at an early date, it was stated yesterday in film export quarters here. The Italian government is anxious to establish the ceiling, it is understood, as a irieans of "protecting" the domestic industry. 'Saddle Tramp' Will Launch Three Runs Denver, Aug. 28. — Universal-International's "Saddle Tramp," Technicolor, will have its world premiere at the Tabor, Aladdin and Webber Theatres here tomorrow backed by the personal appearance of a group of Hollywood stars headed by Joel McCrea, co-star of the film with Wanda Hendrix, and including Ann Blyth, Rock Hudson, Carol Varga and Joaquin Garay, and producer Leonard Goldstein. UPMG Honors O'Donnell Hollywood, Aug. 28. — Robert J. O'Donnell was the guest of the Unit Production Managers Guild at the weekend at a luncheon in the Beverly Hills Hotel honoring him for his part in setting up procedure by which Variety Clubs throughout the country cooperate with Hollywood production units when the latter are on location. Key Business Group Urges Tax Increases Washington, Aug. 28. — The Commitee for Economic Development, influential group of leading businessmen, today declared that a "general revision and increase of selective excise taxes" should be an important part of any tax bill considered next year to raise more revenue for America's rearmament effort. Although the CED said that the excise increases should be concentrated on reducing demand for commodities competing with defense production, it did not rule out increases in other excises. The CED's statement was the first call for higher excises to come from any important group. It was issued by the organization's program committee, members of which include CED chairman and Eastman Kodak treasurer Marion B. Folsom, and General Electric Co. chairman Philip D. Reed. Grainger Defends (Continued from page 1) terested in entertainment for the masses at admission prices everybody could afford. As a theatre operator, we do believe, however, that from time to time a certain amount of pioneering and experimentation is necessary so that our theatres will not become stagnant." Grainger pointed to these nonformula films to substantiate his argument: "Lost Weekend," "Pinky," "Gentlemen's Agreement," "Johnny Belinda" and "Lady in the Dark." The original letter by Arthur had complained of the number of pictures dealing with social problems, physical afflictions, etc., and charged that some U. S. producers were copying the style of foreign producers, although American product is by far the most popular throughout the world. Toddy Is Releasing Joe Louis Picture Toddy Pictures has announced the world-wide release of the all coloredcast feature, "The Fight Never Ends," starring Joe Louis, the Mills Brothers and Ruby Dee. The production was produced last year. Toddy will also release 15 new musicals, each 10 minutes, featuring such names as Billy Eckstine, "Dizzie" Gillespie, Henry Woode and Ann Mae Winburne. $35,000,000 Video 'City9 on the Coast Hollywood, Aug. 28. — A television city, to be built on the 13-acre site now occupied b}' Gilmore Stadium, will cost $35,000,000, Columbia Broadcasting System announced here. Howard Meighan, CBS vice-president, said the stadium, the home of the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League, will be razed by next March. Plans call for at least five buildings, including a 13-story administration building. The first television show from the site is scheduled for 1952. H. A. Everett Succumbs H. A. Everett, Magee, Miss., exhibitor, died Aug. 22 of a cerebral hemorrhage, according to word received here. He was in his late thirties. Survivors include the widow.