Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

10 Motion Picture Daily Friday, March 21, 1952 Reviews "Macao" (RKO Radio) A SLICK job of melodrama-making has been turned out in "Macao." The picture brings together such box-office ingredients as intrigue in an Oriental setting, robust romance, mystery and fast action. The cast is also calculated to bring in customers. Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell have the leads, with William Bendix, Thomas Gomez and Gloria Grahame in support. In the course of the proceedings Miss Russell cavorts about in striking form-fitting gowns and also has occasion to deliver several vocal numbers. There is nothing of great distinction in the screenplay by Bernard C. Schoenfeld and Stanley Rubin, but it is designed to please the general film-goer. In the early phases of the film a steamship heading for the island of Macao throws three Americans together. They are Mitchum, an adventurous character running away from trouble back in the States ; Miss Russell, a bufifeted entertainer looking for a job, and Bendix, a hearty American salesman. Once on the island a lot of melodramatic things happen. It seems that the island's skullduggery all stems from Brad Dexter, an underworld czar who runs a nightclub and is desperately wanted for a number of crimes back in the U. S. Dexter receives information that a U. S. detective is due on the island with the assignment of luring him out past the three-mile limit. He suspects Mitchum to be the detective and thinks that Miss Russell is his girl. Actually the detective is Bendix, and in a series of maneuvers he uses Mitchum as a cat's paw to get at Dexter. The result is a string of close calls and beatings for Mitchum. By the time the story runs its course, Bendix is killed, and Mitchum is instrumental in capturing Dexter. His reward is twofold : freedom to return to the U. S. and the hand of Miss Russell. Alex Gottleib produced and Josef von Sternberg directed in crisp, exciting fashion. Running time, 80 minutes. General audience classification. For April release. Mandel Herbstman "The Lion and the Horse*' ( Warner Brothers) AROUSING outdoor drama is built around a man's devotion to a wild horse in "The Lion and the Horse." The film is the first feature to be done in color by Warnercolor and the process appears to be on a high standard of effectiveness. The lion of the title belongs to a rodeo and when the jungle beast escapes it tangles with the stallion in a climactic scene only to come out second best. There may be some question as to the likelihood of a wild stallion vanquishing the king of the jungle, but it makes for some lively footage. Steve Cochran has the lead as a wild horse hunter who pursues and finally captures a wild black stallion leader. He keeps the horse in a hideout that is finally spotted by rivals. As a result Cochran finds himself in a position of having to buy back the horse. Not having sufficient funds he sets out to work for the money. In a series of shady negotiations the horse finally is sold to a rodeo where it becomes a bucking horse. Cochran tries in vain to buy the animal to set it free. He then captures it, and takes refuge at a small ranch run by Harry Antrim and his 9-year-old ward. Sherry Jackson. Cochran trains the animal with fondness, making it highly intelligent and responsive. At this point the villainous rodeo operator arrives on the scene and demands the horse so that he may again exploit it cruelly in his show. In a series of melodramatic events, the horse tramples its malefactor to death and thereby becomes an outlaw. However, by killing the escaped lion the horse regains its freedom from an appreciative marshal. The conventional screenplay was written by Crane Wilbur and directed by Louis King, with Bryan Foy in charge of production. Running time, 83 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, April 19. M. Herbstman 2 More Suits Filed in Chi. Chica(;o. March 20. — Attorney John F. Sullivan filed two anti-trust suits in Federal District Court here today on behalf of Louis Spirrison, one involving the Du Page Theatre, Lombard, 111., asking $700,000 treble damages, the other involving the Villard Theatre, Villa Park, 111., asking $800,000 treble damages. Both suits, for the period 1938 to 1948, name the major film companies, Great States Theatres, Balaban and Katz Theatres and Warner Brothers Theatres as defendants, charging that the Du Page was held back to first week and the Villard to second week of general release by a conspiracy among the defendants. The Du Page case has been assigned to Judge William Campbell, the Villard to Judge Michael L. Igoe. Shreveport Exhibitor Files $495,000 Anti-Trust Suit New Orleans, March 20. — Attorneys for Don George, Shreveport, owner of the Don Theatres, has filed suit in Federal District Court against 1 1 companies claiming damages of $495,000 for alleged discrimination against his .Alexandria Theatre. The complaint alleges that the companies violated the Sherman-Clayton .\nti-Trust Act. Defendants named are Paramount, United Paramount Theatres, Paramount Film Distributing Corp., Paramount Gulf Theatres, RKO Pictures, RKO Radio, Warner Brothers Pictures, Warner Brothers Distributing Corp., United Artists, Columbia Pictures and Columbia of Louisiana. ^Greatest' in 26 More Situations "The Greatest Show on Karth" will open this week in 26 additional situations, bringing to 93 the total number c)f U. S. pre-release engagements of the picture. Seventeen runs have already been completed, while 50 playdates are still running. Midnight Bow for 'Anything/ April 2 ".Anything Can Happen" will have a midnight premiere at the Mayfair Theatre here on April 2, with Jose I*"errer, who stars in the film, as honor guest. Following its initial showing, the film will be shown on a continous 24hour schedule on the subsequent day. Regular Mayfair hours will resume on April 4. Start Trans film Series 'i'ransfilm. Inc., is starting ],rofhiction on a series of 13 short subjects featuring readings from poi)ular literary works, it was announced by \\'alter I-(nvendahl, executive viceIjresident. Featured in the films will l)f' Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Madeline Carrrill, Monty Wixjlly, Burgess Meredith and Walter Hampden. Goldwyn, Jr., Film on TV ".Alliance for Peace," the film produced f(jr SHARK by Lt. Samuel riokhvyn, Jr., will be telecast over the CBS-TV network tonight at 10:30. Mexican Owners Elect Mexico Crrv, March 20. — Antonio de G. Osio, local exhibitor, is the new president of the National Exhibitors Association. He has headed the association several times. Other officers are Adolfo Lagos, vice-president for the federal district (Mexico City) ; Francisco Sumohano, vice-president for the provinces ; Manuel Espinosa Iglesias and Manuel Angel Fernandez, treasurers, and Eduardo Chavez Garcia, secretary. Mavety Estate, $127,608 Toronto, March 20. — Prominent in Canadian film circles until his death in a traffic accident two months ago, Charles F. Mavety left an estate valued at $127,608. He was an exhibitor, alsf) operated the Mavety Film Delivery Service and was secretary of the Canadian Picture Pioneers at the time of his death. Building Code Hearing _ Albany, N. Y., March 20.— A continued session of the public hearing on amendments to the State Building Code as it relates to theatres and other places of public assembly will be held on Monday at the offices of the Board of Standards and Appeals here. 'Les Miserables' Premiere The World Theatre here on Monday will have the American premiere of "Les Miserables," with Gino Cervi, Valentina Cortesa and John Hinrich. This is the English-language version of the film which Riccardo Freda directed in Italy. Drown, Jr., with UA TV Richard G. Drown, Jr., has been named sales representative of LInited Artists Television for the New Orleans territory. $200,000 More To 'Red' Probe Washington, March 20. — Another $200,000 was voted today to the House Un-American Activities Committee for the completion of its 1952 program by the House Administration Committee. The House itself must still approve, but this is routine. Meanwhile, Hy Kraft, former screen writer and one of the authors of the current Broadway hit, "Top Banana," today refused to answer questions of the House Un-American Activities Committee about possible Communist connections prior to 1948. Kraft, named by Martin Berkeley as a one-time Communist Party member, said he was not now a Communist, had not been one in 1949 and 1950, and did not now believe in Communist Party philosophy. But he refused to answer whether he had been a Communist in 1948 and earlier years or to reply to a long list of questions about membership in Communist front organizations. Finally, Rep. Walter (D., Pa.), who was presiding, said he could "see no reason why we should go on, since this witness is not going to assist us," and adjourned the hearing. Order Reinstatement Of Projectionist Washington, March 20. — The National Labor Relations Board has upheld charges that Fox Midwest Amusement Corp., Fox Plains Theatres Corp., Fox Midwest Theatres, Inc., and the lATSE had discriminated against Kenneth Caraway, a projectionist and maintenance man in Fox theatres in Coffeyville, Kans. A three-man board panel upheld the September 1951 findings of board examiner Arthur Lef? that Caraway had been treated unfairly and should be reinstated with full back pay and seniority rights. The case stemmed from a long-standing family dispute between Caraway and his brother, Sid, who was business agent of the lATSE local. Wappaus Also Heads Checking for RKO Herbert Wappaus, who has been in charge of circuit sales operations for RKO Pictures, will also manage the checking department, Robert Mochrie, sales vice-president, announces. Former manager of the checking department, Milton Piatt, was recently promoted to assistant to Nat Levy, Eastern division sales manager. Hollywood Report Delay Washington, March 20. — House Un-American Activities Committee chairman John Wood (D., Ga.) has left town for a week on personal business, and said that no committee meeting to discuss a supplemental Hollywood report would be possible until next week, but he indicated he was quite sure the matter would come upi at a Committee meeting before Congress recesses for Easter. Branton, Shapiro East Hollywood, March 20. — Monogram.Allied Artists vice-president Ralph Branton and studio counsel Barnett Shapiro left here today by ])lane for conferences with company executives in New York.