Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1950)

esday, November 21, 1950 Motion Picture Daily 9 Detroit Theatres9 20,000 Contest tarts Paying Off Detroit, Nov. 20.— At the half-way Jrk of its 10-week span, the Detroit latres' $20,000 "Why I Like the i ivies" contest is beginning to show (finite results. kequ-'__for entry blanks at the 122 ,=t^ theatres are increasing in Reviews Jticip. 3 Tiber. Much of the benefit of the d ttest is expected to be derived from 3 $40,000 advertising campaign lich accompanies it. .j (The contestants must see at least |ht pictures in the 10-week period, fewer questions concerning them jim blanks furnished by the theatres, Lmit their ticket stubs and write in 1 words or less "Why I Like the levies." Prizes range from Chrysler Ittvertibles and mink coats down I ough refrigerators, washers and | ycles. ! Zirculation of the entry blanks, feai ing the illustrated questions f or i:h of 28 outstanding feature releases 1 regarded as one of the prime beneI to theatres of the contest. E. R. liltz, whose Century Theatre is a Irticipant in the contest, describes 1: entry blank as "a beautiful 'menu' I what Detroit theatres are offering jxons this fall. This is something lit no single theatre could put out, hause if it did so it would be adI -rising more of its competitors' pieces than its own," he adds. iEarl Hudson of United Detroit teatres and Lew Wisper of W. and |, Theatres report requests for entry l.nks to be increasing as the conj t gathers momentum. Dave Idzal, chairman of the contest .[nmittee, and Sam Barrett of Operative Theatres of Michigan said •' i effects of newspaper and radio ad-j -tising and of trailers are beginning , gather impetus. "We feel certain it anyone who attends eight movies : 10 weeks is going to learn how ! od movies are now, will develop the >vie habit." Others expressed the view that this intest is an effective answer to | evision and radio giveaways and is i'ective public relations for the city's i ;atres. The Tougher They Come (Columbia) SOME good old-fashioned exploitation angles are offered in "The Tougher They Come," a formula-made action melodrama. Centering around lumber camp activities, it abounds in such scenes as a huge forest fire, a collapsing trestle with a locomotive passing over it, and some hard-swinging fisticuffs. The story in most respects runs a standard course. Preston Foster and Wayne Morris head the cast as two buddies. A mutual girl friend, Kay Buckley, decides to marry the former when she learns that he has inherited a lumber camp. Out to the camp they go and in time Miss Buckley learns how monotonous camp life can be. Eventually however, when a crisis strikes, she proves her loyalty. Along with this theme the story develops the angle of a rival lumber combine seeking to buy Foster's camp at a ridiculously low price. When they cannot buy, they set out to sabotage the camp. It is about this time that Foster persuades his buddy, Morris, to work at the camp. It takes some time for Morris to ferret out the villain at the camp and expose him. There are instigated frictions between Morris and Foster, but it all turns out well, especially for Morris who wins the hand of Gloria Henry, the daughter of the camp chef. Produced by Wallace MacDonald, the film has a sepia tint. Ray Nazarro directed, from the screenplay by George Bricker. Running time, 69 minutes. General audience classification. For December release. M H. "Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard" (Columbia) BASED on the -Phillip H. Lord radio program, "Counterspy," this detective story about an Anglo-American counter-espionage effort to prevent the agents of a hostile power from stealing guided missile secrets betrays its roots by being excessively conversational. What action there is, however, is brisk enough, but it is saved for the climactic scenes wherein U. S. counterspy David Harding (Howard St. John) and Scotland Yard's Simon Langton (Ron Randell) succeed through scientific knowledge and their own fortitude in bringing about the downfall of a ring of spies headed by a psychiatrist. The doctor secures information about the guided missile tests from a secretary connected with the testing reservation by putting her, as a patient, under the influence of a drug that makes her talk. A romance develops between the secretary (Amanda Blake) and the British agent during the course of the plot unfoldment. _ . Performances are quite good, under the direction of Seymour Friedman. Supporting roles are filled by June Vincent, Fred Sears, John Dehner, Lewis Martin and others. The story and screen play are by Harold R. Greene. Wallace MacDonald produced. Running time, 67 minutes. General audience classification. February release. „ T _ Charles L. Franke Designates National 'Monogram Week' Hollywood, Nov. 20. — The week of Feb. 11-17 has been designated "National Monogram Week" by Morey Goldstein, general sales manager. The sales campaign slogan will be a "Monogram subject on every screen in the nation." ,egion Reviews Ten; \[ll in Class 'A' The National Legion of Decency lis reviewed and classified 10 more ms, all falling in Class "A," section j.e or two. ! Under section one, morally unobctionable for general patronage, are |e following: "Cherokee Uprising, onogram ; "North of the Great i ivide," Republic ; "Raiders of Toma I ,wk Creek," Columbia ; "Rustlers on j orseback," Republic. ; Under section two, morally unob;tionable for adults, are : "American aerrillas in the Philippines," 20th jntury-Fox ; "Dallas," Warner ; loliday Rhythm," Lippert Produces ; "Katie Did It," Universal-In rnational ; "Prelude to Fame," U-I ; kmthside 1-100," Allied Artists. ociety Changes Name Ottawa, Nov. 20.— Supplementary tters patent have been issued here r Secretary of State of Canada to le National Film Society of Canla changing the corporate name to anadian Film Institute. J»9 Paper Gallows (Adelphi Films-Eagle Lion Classics) <* DAPER Gallows," made in Britain by Adelphi Films and released here * by Eagle Lion Classics, is a spotty production, ranging from moments of excellent suspense to downright mediocrity. The basic situation— a crime author turned psychopathic killer— has been used before to better effect, but the resultant film should prove satisfactory to audiences who are not too critical of plot values. ,-,.««. , j Produced by Robert Jordan Hill and John Guillermm, and written and directed by the latter, the picture uses angled shots, much camera movement and weird sound effects, etc., in an attempt to make the grade. The story has a pair of brothers, both authors of crime novels,_ one a fine, upstanding gentleman and the other a moody neurotic who ostensibly tries to create a faked version of the crime he will write about, to gain realism. Both are in love with their secretary. When an ex-convict visitor disappears the psychopath is immediately suspected of doing away with him, which he has, although there is no corpse to prove_ it. After a lot of talk which is most unrealistic, and more over-dramatics, in the denouement, the killer tries to murder the secretary. Naturally, her boy friend arrives in the nick of time and the murderer is left for the police to get him. The picture has its moments, especially where the killer is tracking the secretary and trying to tie a noose around her neck. The acting, by Dermot Walsh Rona Anderson and John Bentley is adequate. _ Running time, 68 minutes. General audience classification. November release. Bezel Closes 20 -Film Deal With Favorite Albert Dezel has consummated a distribution deal with Moe Kerman of Favorite Films for the Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit territories pn 20 Zane Grey features formerly distributed by Paramount, Dezel reports. The first dual unit, made up of "Hell Town," starring John Wayne, and "Buffalo Stampede," starring Randolph Scott, has been booked into the RKO Grand, Chicago, and has been sold to Great States. Berkeley Musical Set By Wald and Krasna Wald and Krasna have closed a 'Ileal with Busby Berkeley for a story based on his life and centered around the problems of making a musical for the screen. The picture, to be filmed at RKO Radio's Coast studio in color early next year, will be called Busby Berkeley's "All the Beautiful Girls" and will be directed by the dance director following completion of the musical numbers in RKO Radio's "Two Tickets to Broadway." Spring Expands London MGM Meet To increase the effectiveness of M-G-M's European sales and publicity convention in London starting on Dec. 11 for "King Solomon's Mines," Morton A. Spring, vice-president of Loew's International, has decided that in addition to sales managers, five publicity chiefs of territories in Europe will also attend. Each of the five supervises, under home office direction, will promote campaigns in his own and neighboring countries. The convention' will be presided over by David Lewis, sales manager of Continental Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Managers of 14 M-G-M territories will attend. Also attending will be publicity chiefs Ake Ahlin, of Sweden, who additionally supervises campaigns in Denmark, Finland and Norway; R. Javaloy, of Spain, who will also supervise in Portugal, Spanish Morocco and Tangiers ; Bruno Beneck, of Italy, who will also supervise in Greece and the Near East; Nadia Marculescu, of France, also for Belgium, Switzerland and Holland; and Dr. Kurt Simon, Germany, who will also supervise the campaign in Austria. Poe in London to Launch Expansion London, Nov. 20. — Seymour Poe, of Sol Lesser Productions, Inc., has arrived here from New York on the first leg of a European tour which will take him to Germany, _ France, Austria and Italy in connection with the world-wide day and date release of Sol Lesser's "Tarzan's Peril," an RKO Radio release. In London, Poe will install Jack Osserman, former RKO Latin-American chief and U. S. district manager, as supervisor of Sol Lesser Productions in Great Britain. Also on Poe's agenda are talks with producer James Carreras, with whom Lesser has concluded a reciprocal production arrangement. Lesser will supply stories and American stars for nine pictures to be made in England next year. The widely-expanding Lesser production facilities are also taking root in Nairobi, Kenya, British East Africa, where "Tarzan's Peril," was produced for RKO Radio release. Permanent facilities have been set up in BEA, with plans calling for the production of all future Tarzan films. "Tarzan's Peril" will be released simultaneously in key cities internationally in March. Mamula Joins Ad Firm Nick Mamula, former publicist for the Selznick Releasing Organization here, has joined the publicity department of Campbell-Ewald.