Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

Wednesday, March 21, 1951 Motion Picture Daily 15 Reviews "I Was an American Spy" (Allied Artists) Hollywood, March 20 AN ESPIONAGE drama, "I Was an American Spy" concerns an American woman who rendered invaluable service to her country in Manila during the Japanese occupation. Reader's Digest publication of the factual story appears to be the most reliable angle for exploitation. Produced by David Diamond, the film features Ann Dvorak as the heroine, with Gene ("Steel Helmet") Evans also on hand. The production is documentary only at the beginning when General Mark Clark authenticates Claire Phillips' adventures and achievements, and at the end, when she is presented with a medal by a Presidential decree. Between these points it is handled fiction-fashion, not expertly enough to seem slick, and often ineptly enough to discount its factualistic impact. Possibly its authenticity will make up for shortcomings which would condemn a purely fictional picture to mild acceptances in most situations. Miss Dvorak, a cafe entertainer in Manila, marries a soldier on the day after Pearl Harbor, and when he is killed by Japanese, she returns to her calling as a means of obtaining and transmitting to American Guerrillas in the hills information, supplies and services which the underground employs in its aid to Allied Forces. The picture shows chiefly her narrow escapes from detection, and finally her exposure, arrest and conviction. Rescue forces arrive two years later. Douglas Kennedy, Richard Loo, Philip Ahn, Leon Lontoc and Marya Marco provide the principal support. Lesley Selander directed from a screenplay by Sam Roeca, who may have been handicapped by having too much factual material to work with. Ben Schwald was associate producer. Running time, 85 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, April 15. "Silver City Bonanza" (Republic ) ALL of the necessary ingredients that make up a superior Western are present in "Silver City Bonanza." Associate producer Melville Tucker and director George Blair have made the most of the several situations involving a pretty girl, some cute children, intelligent animals, hardriding cowboys and secret treasure, all written into Bob Williams' script. Songs by Rex Allen and a dance number by Buddy Ebsen and young Alix Ebsen liven up the action still further. Rex Allen and his buddy dancer Buddy Ebsen, are hunting the murderer of Ebsen's blind brother when they come upon a lady in distress, in the person of Mary Ellen Kay. A gang of range hoodlums are trying to drive Miss Kay and her young brother and sister from her ranch. Allen and Ebsen agree to help fight off the bandits, and they soon discover that Miss Kay's enemies not only are the murderers of Ebsen's brother, but they are also seeking a treasure of Spanish silver buried in a lake on Miss Kay's ranch centuries ago. Allen and Ebsen trap the gang and their deep-sea diver as they are about to steal the treasure. With the help of Duke, a photogenic dog, Allen and his sidekick soundly trounce the badmen. Miss Kay gets the treasure, and, possibly, hero Rex Allen. Running time, 67 minutes. General audience classification. March release. Encounters New TV Film Hazard Boston, March 20.— George Cukor, Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon are here shooting exteriors for their forthcoming picture, "Years Ago," which will star Spencer Tracy. Cukor said filming will require a lot of planning and "we will have to bend the cameras a lot to avoid getting television aerials on the rooftops into our backgrounds." The story takes place in 1914. SIMPP (Continued from page 1) necessary for Arnall to spend time on the Coast in view of the abandonment of the New York office. His private law office is in Atlanta. Representatives here of SIMPP members discounted any suggestion that Arnall would not continue actively in SIMPP affairs. At the forthcoming meetings on the Coast the board also will take formal action on the ratification of the new organizational set-up for the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, of which SIMPP is a charter member. During Arnall's absence from NewYork, William B. Levy of the Walt Disney organization and a member of the Society's executive distribution committee, will represent SIMPP in the Italo-x\merican film talks scheduled for March 28-April 5 here. Although the lease on the New York office will expire April 30, little activity will take place there from April 1 until that time. Arnall's secretary at that location will leave April 1. ELC Meeting (Continued from page 1) meeting are: William C. MacMillen, Jr., ELC president ; Bernard G. Krauze, distribution vice-president ; Milton E. Cohen, general sales manager ; David Melamed, treasurer ; Joseph Sugar, assistant to Kranze, and Charles Amory, head of the company's special "art" film sales unit. Kranze will preside. Among managers who will attend are : Edward Heiber, Midwestern division manager ; Harry Goldman, Chicago branch ; Eugene Tunick, Indianapolis branch ; Joseph Imhof, Milwaukee ; Abbott Swartz, Minneapolis ; James Velde, Detroit ; Carl Olson, Des Moines ; Bernard McCarthy, Kansas City ; Fenton Lee, St. Louis. 'Loew Drive' (Continued from page 1) tion will be a competition among various territories for the best national campaign on the film. William F. Rodgers, sales vicepresident of Loew's Inc., has called upon the domestic field forces to coordinate and intensify their sales efforts on behalf of "Teresa." Film Expenditure (Continued from page 1) way, it was said. The interim weighting is based on a sampling in seven cities. One new factor in the new index not included at all in the old one is spending for television, put at 0.9 cents out of each dollar. 20th-Fox Decree (Continued from page 1) turn to the Coast late tonight or tomorrow morning, and will probably return here again next week or early the week after for the final sessions. Winnipeg Board Elects Winnipeg, March 20. — The Winnipeg Film Board has elected the following officers for 1951 : S. Gunn, president ; S. James, vice-president ; F. Davis, secretary, S. Pearlman, fire marshal ; A. G. Levy, deputy. AMP A, 'Tribune' Guests Members of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers, at the invitation of the New York Herald Tribune, will tour the newspaper's plant next Tuesday, following a cocktail party at the Tribune's dining room, Harry K. Mc Williams, AM PA president, announces. Trade Paper Salute April 12 The luncheon salute to film trade paper publishers, originally planned for March 28, has been postponed until April 12. Luncheon chairman Si Seadler's forthcoming trip to the Coast with William Rodgers, M-G-M distribution vice-president, who is scheduled to be the main speaker at the luncheon, caused the change in the date. 'Cyrano' Release (Continued from page 1) Katz, has closed a, deal with Columbia for the release of 16 pictures, has not nor is it expected to affect Schaefer's status with Kramer Productions and Kramer Distributing Corp. Moreover, Myer Beck is expected to continue as Eastern advertising-publicity director and vice-president, respectively, of those two companies, the Columbia deal notwithstanding. New Mexican TV Station Mexico City, March 20.— Installation has been advanced here of what is claimed to be Latin America's largest television station, XEW-TV, to be owned by Emilio Azcarraga, exhibitor and radio station operator. It will have a 500-foot tower and antenna and a five kwt. General Electric transmitter. Allied Bidding Plan (Continued from page 1) ports that he would go to New York shortly to discuss arbitration, he did say that "I don't go up (to New York) on just one special project. If I went up, I would want to discuss every proposition in my basket." Distribution Officials Distribution officials in New York said Monday that Myers had written recently that he would be glad to discuss arbitration in accordance with the authorization given him by Allied's board, and that a meeting with distribution attorneys was expected to be set within the next 10 days. There have been some rumors that Allied fears distributors will try to swap an agreement on changes sought by Allied in the competitive bidding provisions for an agreement by Allied to enter into an arbitration system. Skiatron Airs (Continued from page 1) circuit demonstration at the WOR-TV transmitter in North Bergen, N. J., yesterday morning and then went to Skiatron's laboratory here to view an over-the-air demonstration on WOR-TV. The telecast was alternately "scrambled" and clear, with a decoder at the laboratory able to clear the program by inserting a punched card into the decoder. Meanwhile, the press watched the same telecast at the Hotel Pierre, but as no decoder was used on the receiver the telecast was scrambled at the transmitter. An announcer explained how "SubscriberVision" works and then demonstrated the scrambled image in a sequence of golfing instruction and in a short film. Only the image was scrambled but a Skiatron spokesman said the sound could also be distorted. It was pointed out that the Skiatron's system of pay-as-you-see television does not need the cooperation of the telephone company to clear its signal and that the decoding device, a punched card such as used in office tabulating machines, could be used to collect data as well as fees (for the programs. Skiatron's sopkesman would venture no prediction as to the cost of the decoder, the fees to be charged or the division of profits from any film or stage play telecast. These questions await action by the FCC in first authorizing a test and then authorizing the use of the system on a commercial basis, he said. Sears Drive Plans (Continued from page 1) district managers urged an all-out effort stating, "I am more interested in the success and future of United Artists than I have ever been in my 10 years of association with company." Meanwhile, UA's advertising department under Max Youngstein, vicepresident and national director of advertising-publicity, and Francis Winikus, ad manager, have prepared special promotional material which is already in all UA branches around the country. The drive will extend for nine weeks, winding' up on June 2. Canada will have its own drive with proportionate prizes. H.E. Balaban House Shut Detroit, March 20.— The 3,700seat Downtown Theatre has been closed "temporarily." The Downtown is run by H. E. Balaban of Chicago who also operates the firstrun 1,800-seat Adams Theatre here.