Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1951)

2 1 Motion Picture daily Monday, October 1, 1951 Personal Mention Review "The Desert Fox' (20th Century-Fox) DROMINENT among the legends arising out of World War II is the one *■ surrounding Field Marshal Rommel, sometimes known as "The Desert Fox." 20th Century-Fox's production, based on the research and biography of Brigadier Desmond Young, advances an intriguing hypothesis. It reinforces the view that the fabulous general, at first a loyal and devoted soldier to Hitler, grew increasingly opposed to the Fuehrer's mad methods, and finally took part in an abortive plot to assassinate him. The end is an ignominious one for Rommel. Instead of being killed in an enemy strafing, as reported in the newspapers, he was forced to poison himself in order to protect his family from Nazi vengeance. This view of Rommel's life and death has been shaped into a highly dramatic entertainment. Credit is deserved all around for keeping the story moving fluidly and absorbingly. As usual, James Mason gives a smooth performance. He interprets the Field Marshal colorfully and convincingly. One wonders whether a protest might not arise from some quarters considering this picture a whitewash of Rommel and his deeds. A well-coordinated cast is seen in supporting roles. Sir Cedric Hardwicke plays a scholarly doctor who patiently welds together resistance to Hitler ; Jessica Tandy is Rommel's wife, and Luther Adler makes a brief but explosive appearance as the fulminating Hitler. Others in secondary characterizations as Nazi officers are George Macready, Everett Sloane and Leo Carroll. Stirring words uttered by Winston Churchill are heard in the closing frames of the picture, lending credence to its theory. Says Churchill of Rommel : "... he came to hate Hitler and all his works, and took part in the conspiracy to rescue Germany by displacing the maniac and tyrant." Nunnally Johnson produced and wrote the screenplay ; Henry Hathaway directed. Running time, 88 minutes. General audience classification. For October release. Mandel Herbstman 'Movietime' Appearances (Continued from page 1) MARC J. WOLF, International Variety Clubs chief barker, will leave Indianapolis tomorrow for Toronto to attend the organization's annual mid-year conference there. • John Matsoukas, Skouras Theatres Corp. director of advertising, and Mrs. Matsoukas announce the birth of a girl, Niki, in Port Chester's United Hospital. • Edwin W. Aaron, Western sales manager for 20th Century-Fox, has left here for visits to the Atlanta, Kansas City, San Francisco and Los Angeles exchanges. • David Lipton, Universal vice-president in charge of advertising-publicity, returned to Hollywood from New York over the weekend. • F. J. A. McCarthy, Universal Southern and Canadian sales manager, will leave here tomorrow for Miami. • Irene Dunne has been awarded the Lateran Cross for exemplary life and service to the Roman Catholic Church. Buchman Waives No-Quorum Claim Hollywood, Sept. 30. — Sidney Buchman told the press here he has advised the House Un-American Activities sub-committee that he would waive the point raised by his attorney last week that lack of a quorum at the hearing at which he testified removed Buchman's liability to a contempt citation for refusing to answer questions. Rep. Donald L. Jackson, a member of the sub-committee, left the hearing room here while Buchman was testifying, thereby reducing the group to less than a quorum. Anti-'Red' Tour (Continued from page 1) Communism. They also urged the industry in general to take special precautions against inadvertently aiding Communism through trade practices abroad as they affect labor. Loew's Extension Date Now Nov. 15 Washington, Sept. 30.— The Justice Department has agreed to extend until Nov. 15 the deadline for Loew's to file a divorcement plan with the New York Statutory Court. The previous deadline was tomorrow. The extra time is to give the parties a chance to continue consent decree negotiations. Talks will likely resume here this week. light with players and otherwise contribute substantial strength to the personality tours. The breakdown of personalities by exchange territories is as follows : NEW YORK BUFFALO ALBANY AREA: Gordon MacRae, John Carroll, Teresa Wright, William Bendix, Dana Andrews, Vanessa Brown. Ray Milland, Charlton Heston ; writers Leonard Spiegelgass, Karl Tunberg, Allen Rivkin; directors Fred DeCbrdova, Henry Potter. INDIANAPOLIS AREA: Debra Paget, Hoagy Carmichael, Forrest Tucker, Rocky Lane; writer Phil Epstein; director Norman Foster. CINCINNATI AREA (Including Frankfort, Ky.): Keefe Brasselle, Dean Jagger, Edmund O'Brien, Barbara Bates; writers William Lively, Wells Root. ATLANTA AREA: Joan Bennett, James Craig, Kay Brown; producer Walter Wanger; writer Lamar Trotti; director Robert Pirosh. NEW HAVEN AREA: Wendell Corey, Raymond Massey, Frank McHugh, Joyce McKenzie; writer Albert Brodney; director Albert Lcwin. PHILADELPHIA AREA: Claude Rains, Richard Arlen, Wayne Morris, Beverly Tyler, Paula Raymond; writer F. Hugh Herbert; producer Carey Wilson. WASHINGTON, D. C. AREA (Including Richmond, Va.. and Annapolis): Jane Greer, Debbie Reynolds, Randolph Scott and Mrs. Scott, Preston Foster, Myrna Dell, Jane Nigh; writer Virginia Kellogg; director Tohn Ford. CHARLOTTE AREA: Nancy Davis. Craig Hill, Penny Edwards; writer Douglas Morrow; producer Irving Asher. BOSTON AREA: Dorothy Lamour. Jeanne Crain, George Murphy, Billy DeWolfe, James Whitmore; writers Emmet La very, Oliver H. P. Garrett. PORTLAND, ORE., AND SEATTLE AREAS: Victor Jory, Bruce Bennett, Julie Bishop, Joseph Calleia; writers Henry Ephron. Sloan Nibley; director Edward Berns. ST. LOUIS AREA: Faith Domergue, Lew Ayres, Craig Stevens, Monica Lewis; writers Edmund Ilartman, Frank Nugent; producer Sol Seigel. MILWAUKEE AREA: Pat O'Brien, Wil liam Demarest. Viveca Lindfors, Harry Carey, Jr.; writer Richard Breen; director George Marshall. KANSAS CITY AREA: Dennis O'Keefe. Sheila Ryan; Gordon MacRae (from New York for one day) ; writer Adele Buffington; producers George Sidney, Harry Tugend. DENVER AREA: Anne Baxter, Doris D'ay, George O'Brien, Spring Byington, Raymond Walburn, Richard Widmark; writers Nathaniel Curtis, Dorothy Hughes; producer Bryan Foy. OMAHA AREA: Marjorie Main, Regis Toomey, John Derek, Doris Day (from Denver for one day) ; writer John Larkin ; director Roy Rowland. MINNEAPOLIS AREA: Robert Young, Marta Toren, Dorothy Patrick, Ann Doran; writers Irving Fielgund, Don McGuire; producer Robert Bassler. DES MOINES AREA: Donna Reed, Macdonald Carey, Seven Members of Paramount's Golden Circle; writer Alex Gottlieb; director John Sturgis; producer Robert Sisk. DETROIT AREA: Walter Pidgeon, Sally Forrest, Gale Storm; writer Valentine Davies; director Lewis Allen; producer Sam Zimbalist. CLEVELAND AREA: Jeff Chandler, Geraldine Brooks, Roddy McDowall; writers Jesse Lasky, Jr., Harry Ruskin; director Fletcher Markle. JACKSONVILLE AREA: Brian Donlevy, Michael O'Shea, Mala Powers, Dale Robertson, Michael Rennie, Constance Smith; director Alfred Hitchcock. MEMPHIS AREA: Ricardo Montalban, Ward Bond, Julie Adams, Eileen Christy, Smiley Burnette, John Derek (from Omaha for one day) ; producer Anthony Veiller. NEW ORLEANS AREA: William Lundigan, Peggy Dow, Benay Venuta, Fred Clark; writer Borden Chase; director John Farrow. OKLAHOMA CITY AREA: Jean Peters, Tim Holt, Martha Vickers, Charles Starrett, Roscoe Ates; writer M. Coates Webster; director Al Rogell. PITTSBURGH AREA (Including Harrisburg and Charleston, W. Va.): Broderick Crawford. Dan Duryea, Vera-Ellen, Ann Francis, Phil Reed; writer Ernest Pascal; producer Sol Lesser. CHICAGO AREA: Barbara Hale, Bill Wil Air Mail Edition On Wed. This Week The Air Mail Edition of Motion Picture Daily, normally scheduled for tomorrow, will be published on Wednesday instead because of the Jewish holidays today and tomorrow. The Air Mail Edition will again appear on Tuesdays as usual starting next week. Johnston, MP A Board Talk Before His Trip Eric A. Johnston, Motion Picture Association of America president, who has been on loan to the government for service as Economic Stabilization Administrator, met at the MPAA offices here on Friday with members of the Association's board for an informal conference prior to his departure by plane that day for Europe where he will tour on government assignment. Levey Coming with Production Plans Jules Levey will return to the United States today after conferences with Italian and Israeli government officials and film producers on production in those countries aimed at the American market. Rubine Will Assist Douglas Fairbanks Hollywood, Sept. 30. — Irving Rubine has been named assistant to Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., president of the recently-formed Dougfair Productions, bv H. A. MacDonald, vicepresident of the company. Hams, Paul Harvey, Otto Kruger, Jean Hagen; writer Cy Bartlett; producers William Perlberg, George Seaton. DALLAS AREA: Dan Dailey. Keenan Wynn, Chill Wills, John Wayne, Greer Carson, Seven Members of Paramount's Golden Circle; director King Vidor; producer Jesse Lasky, Sr. SALT LAKE CITY AREA: Doris Day (from Denver and Omaha for one day), Lucille Norman, Bob Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter; writer Robert D. Andrews. Truman Will Meet (Movietime' Stars Washington, Sept. 30. — A White House call on President Truman has been arranged for the stars who will come here next week to kick off the local "Movietime U. S. A." campaign. The stars will be given the "keys to the city" at a ceremony at the District of Columbia Building on October 8. The campaign-opening luncheon will follow at the Carlton Hotel, and the White House visit is lined up for three P. M. A busy day will be topped with a reception at the Motion Picture Association headquarters. MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays. Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco. New York." Martin Quigley, President; Red Kar.n, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy. Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Hollywood Bureau, YuccaVine Ruilding, William R. Weaver, Editor. Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street, Urben Farley Advertising Representative. FI 6-3074. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl; Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigoubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald; Better Theatres and Theatre Sales, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald: International Motion Picture Almanac; Fame. Entered as second-class matter, Sept. 21, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y.. under the act of March 3. 1879. Subscription rates per year. $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c