Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

Monday, March 12, 1951 Motion Picture Daily 3 Motion Picture Daily Feature Reviews "Bird of Paradise" {20th Century-Fox) THE IDYLLIC life of the South Seas islanders, with their primitive customs and curious beliefs is the motif of this picture, which is framed against a Technicolor backdrop of tropical seas and waving palms. Filmed in its entirety in the Hawaiian Islands, it is certain to catch the fancy of all intrigued by the rich beauty of the islands, the liquid vowels of the language and the graceful way of life of the Polynesians untouched_ by white civilization. No anthropologist's treatise, the story, written and directed by Delmer Daves, brings Louis Jourdan, a young Frenchman, into the arms of Debra Paget, daughter of the island's chief, in approved romantic fashion with the complications which arise giving the film a narrative pace and excitement far removed from anything smacking of a travelogue. As 20th Century-Fox's entry into the Easter Parade, "Bird of Paradise" should further benefit at the box-office from an extensive national promotional campaign now under way. Jourdan comes to the island with Jeff Chandler, son of the chief. An idealistic young man, Jourdan falls in love with the simple, generous ways of the natives — and with Miss Paget, Chandler's sister. Despite a tabu that keeps him from speaking to Miss Paget, the evil curse put on him by the island's medicine man and the warning of a dissolute and cynical beachcomber, Jourdan decides to live on the island. Chandler warns him that renunciation of civilization means acceptance of the ways of the natives, including their belief in the gods of the mountains, skies and seas. Jourdan agrees and wins bliss with Miss Paget, but in the end she, acting on the orders of the medicine man, sacrifices herself in a volcano to keep her people safe from molten lava. Jourdan sails back to France, carrying memories with him. More important than the story are the solid entertainment values of the plentitude of songs and dances, the beguiling scenes of young people at work and play, the glimpses of alien and charming native ethics. Performances by the principals have just the right spark of breathless romance. Maurice Schwartz is a brooding, evil medicine man and Prince Lei Lani brings a simple dignity to the role of the chief. Others are Everett Sloane, Jack Elam, Otto Waldis, Alfred Zeisler, Marry Ann Ventura, David K. Bray, Sam Monsarrat, Violet Nathaniel and Solomon Pa. Running time, 100 minutes. General audience classification. March release. Vaughan O'Brien (My True Story" "Cuban Fireball" (Republic) EFFERVESCENT Estelita Rodriguez finds herself in the enviable position of being changed overnight from a morale-boosting singer in a cigar factory to a fabulous heiress. Cause of the change is the surprise inheritance of a fortune. It is on this story foundation that the picture is built, and it rolls along gayly and tunefully, with developments along formula lines. The sudden display of affection for Miss Rodriguez gives her the idea that she may be pursued more for her fortune than for herself. As a result, when she goes to claim her fortune, she disguises herself as her former employer by putting on a fake nose, wig and glasses. The disguise brews a mess of complications which are deepened when the former employer enters the scene. The masquerade seems most tough on Warren Douglas, a young man who has fallen in love with Miss Rodriguez. The 'double-identity act finally leads to a wild story about murder and culminates in an attempt to blackmail Miss Rodriguez. Douglas at this point assumes the role of a hero, clears up the mess and paves the way for romance. Others in the cast are Mimi Aguglia and Leon Belasco. Miss Rodriguez delivers a number of songs in her buoyant manner. A Herbert J. Yates presentation, "Cuban Fireball" was directed by William Beaudine, from the screenplay by Charles E. Roberts and Jack Townley. Sidney Picker was the associate producer. Running time, 78 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, March 5. Mandel Herbstman {Columbia) MARKING Mickey Rooney's debut as a motion picture director, "My True Story" has some commendable qualities. Production-wise, it has emphatic appeal for the women-folk; promotion-wise, there are abundant possibilities in tieups with the well-known magazine bearing a resemblance to the title of the picture. Sufficiently packed with entertainment for favorable registration at many box-offices, "My True Story," produced by Milton Feldman, is strictly melodrama following pattern lines laid out by screen-playwrights Howard J. Green and Brown Holmes, telling the tale of a good girl gone bad, who, of course, redeems herself in the end. The satisfactory overall portrayal by principals and supporting cast convincingly establishes the point of good-over-evil. Featured are Helen Walker and Willard Parker, Miss Walker beingcast in the role of a jewel thief who is paroled from prison and who is compelled by the old mob to take a job as house companion to Elizabeth Risdon, an elderly recluse who owns a quantity of oil of myrrh which she doles out as needed to the makers of a rare perfume and who have offered her fabulous sums to buy her entire stock of the rare ingredient. Elizabeth Risdon gives a good performance as the old lady who has shut herself off from the world. Emory Parnell hides his villainy 'under a deceptive air of friendliness and Wilton Graff is the slick, brutal head of the underworld gang which is determined to steal the myrrh. Willard Parker, a druggist and former O.S.S. operative, is Helen Walker's love interest. Miss Walker is ordered by the gang to locate the myrrh and when she does not succeed there is talk of a double-cross. Desperate at the end the gang kidnaps the perfume manufacturer and then Graff, posing as the latter's representative, enters the Risdon home and threatens violence unless the j myrrh is handed over. ,Hekn is unmasked as a forced member of the mob, i but in the climax she aids in its capture. ' Others in the cast are Aldo DeRe, Ivan Truesault, Ben Welden, Fred Sears, Mary Newton and Ann Tyrrell. Running time, 67 minutes. General audience classification. March release. "Oh! Susanna" (Republic) A S ONE would expect, there is no shortage of action in this film about -fV white men and Indians in combat. Republic has given this outdoor action drama a generous production treatment which includes Trucolor and a cast headed by Rod Cameron, Adrian Booth, Forrest Tucker and Chill Wills. The events follow true to form. The story goes back to 1875 when the Black Hills of Dakota Territory was ceded back to the Sioux Indians by government treaty. Meanwhile, greedy gold rushers were determined 'to ignore the treaty for selfish ends, and it becomes the task of U. S. Cavalry Captain Cameron "to see that the treaty is obeyed and peace between the whites and Indians remains undisturbed. The task is a difficult one since Cameron's superior officer Tucker is an Indian-hater and furthermore there is organized resistance to the soldiers from gold-seeking white men. Real trouble finally breaks when white men are instigated into breaking the treaty and the Indians retaliate. Tucker takes his troops to battle and is eliminated by the Indians. At the stockade where Cameron is in command, a battle rages with the outraged Indians. The latter are the victors but they allow Cameron, his men, and their women and children safe conduct. In the years that follow Cameron is made a colonel and the realization dawns that had his judgment been followed, a lot of battles with the Redmen could have been avoided. Something of a romantic feud for the hand of Miss Booth exists between Cameron and Tucker ; the former wins out, of course. Joseph Kane was associate producer-director and Charles Marquis Warren wrote the screenplay. Running time, 90 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, March 10. M. H. Night Riders of Montana" (Republic) AS USUAL, Allan (Rocky) Lane gives a two-fisted display ashe teaches a band of culprits that old lesson that crime does not pay. "Night Riders of Montana" is a standard Western, meeting all the requirements of its category. When an epidemic of horse-rustling breaks out, RangeV Lane is sent to the scene. The job of ferreting out the mastermind of the skullduggery is a difficult one because he is, on the surface, a respected citizen. Complications develop when the outlaws kill a rancher, and an innocent man, Myron Healey, is accused of the deed. There is considerable excitement, horse-riding and gunplay before matters are straightened out in traditional Western fashion. Lane gives a stalwart account of himself as the agent of justice, while Arthur Space portrays the well-mannered villain. Gordon Kay was associate producer, while Fred C. Brannon directed, from the screenplay by M. Coates W ebster. Running time, 60 minutes. General audience classification. Februa-ry release, f. ." M. H. No Orchids for Miss Blandish (Renown Pictures) WHEN first released in England, this film caused quite a stir among critics who objected to its excessive brutality. Chances are that American audiences will not concur, partly due to the lack of realism in handlingAmerican gangster characters and the ridiculous overplaying. It's difficult to figure out whether this is a serious British attempt to portray "gangsterism in the U.S. or whether it is a subtle take-off on a "B"-grade American thriller. The cast, which on occasions is unable to cover up its British accent, is led by Jack La Rue, a Hollywood villain of old repute. The picture does not miss a bet in exploring all angles of gangster life. There's the mob, the gun moll, splattering machine-guns, the insame killer, the tough newspaper man, and "the pay-off." The trouble is that, in addition to being ridiculous, it's also very badly done. Based on the novel by James Hadley Chase, who specializes in American gangsters but is said never to have visited this country, the film was produced, written and directed by St. John L. Clowes. It is not likely to do more than mildly amuse American audiences. Linda Travers plays the title role, Hugh McDermott is the newspaper man and Walter Grisham is one of La Rue's henchman. Others in the cast are Leslie Bradley, Zoe Gail, Charles Goldner, MacDonald Parks, Percy Marmont, Lilly Molnar, Richard Nelson and Frances Marseden. Running time, 92 minutes. Adult audience classification. February release.