The Exhibitor (1954)

ALLIED ARTISTS Target Earth science-f^ction-Drama (5503) 75m. Estimate: Okeh programmer for the duallers. Cast: Richard Denning, Virginia Grey, Kathleen Crowley, Richard Reeves, Rob¬ ert Roark, Mort Marshall, Arthur Space, Steve Pendleton, Whit Bissell, House Peters, Jr. Produced by Herman Cohen; directed by Sherman A. Rose. Story: Kathleen Crowley awakens after a deep sleep induced by a large dose of sleeping pills to find the entire city de¬ serted with only a body or two around. Frantically, she seeks anyone, finally meeting Richard Deeming, who was also incapacitated when the city was evacu¬ ated. They come upon another couple, Virginia Grey and Richard Reeves, still celebrating in a cafe from the night before and the four take refuge in a hotel from mysterious robots patrolling the streets. A psychopathic killer, Rob¬ ert Roak, joins them and dominates them at gun point. Army officers and scientists are seeking a means to destroy the robots without leveling the city with atomic weapons. Roaks plans to escape with Crowley and tries to force the others to decoy the robots away but is forced to shoot Grey and wotmd Reeves, who kills him. They flee to the roof, followed by a robot which kills Reeves, with Den¬ ning and Crowley saved in time by an electronic counter-weapon which rend¬ ers the mechanical men inactive. X-Ray: A different story which is fairly interesting and which starts out highly promising but then goes formula, plus capable characterizations by t^e cast and average direction and production, put this in the average programmer class. There is also some suspense to be formd in the telling. TTxe screen play is by William Raynor. Legion of Decency: “B.” Ad Lines: “Terror Strikes A City As Mechanical Monsters Take Over”; “Mighty Robots In An Attack On Earth”; “Panic And Shock Follow The Path Taken By Robot Attackers.” LIPPERT Deadly Game (5402) (Made in Spain) Melodrama 63m. Estimate: For the lower half. Cast: Lloyd Bridges, Simone Silva, Finlay Currie, Maui’een Swanson, Ferdy Mayne, Peter Dineley, Roger Delgardo, George Woodbridge. Produced by Robert Dunbar; directed by Daniel Birt. Story: Vacationing at a resort hotel in Spain, Lloyd Bridges meets a wartime friend, Peter Dineley, and guests Simone Silva, her boy friend, Ferdy Mayne, Fin¬ lay Currie, and his niece, Maureen Swan¬ son. Dineley receives orders to return to London and is driven there by Bridges who agrees to look after his car. Return¬ ing, he is attacked and beaten. Taking an envelope to London for Dineley, he finds him murdered. Mayne is revealed as part of the plot and tries to kill Bridges but is himself killed. Bridges escapes and ties in Currie and Swanson with the deal. Currie tries to kill Bridges when he discovers that he is part of a smuggling racket, but is himself appre¬ hended by the police at a Spanish fiesta while Swanson is innocent of any com¬ plicity. She and Bridges think about a future together. X-Ray: A fair but sometimes confus¬ ing yam, adequate performances, and The original Pink Section evaluations of features and shorts % Published weekly by Joy Emanuel Publkotfons, Inc Publishing efReet 246*248 North Clarion Street, Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania. New York: 229 West 42nd Street, New York City. West Coast Representative: Paul Manning, 9075 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles 35, California. Jay Emanuel, publisher; P. J. Greenhaigh, general manager; H. M. Miller, editor; Max Cades, business manager; George Nonamaker, Mel Konecoff, Al Erlick, associate editors. SECTION TWO VOL. 53 • No. 1 1 JANUARY 12, 1955 average direction and production, plus Bridges, who may mean something to audiences here, and native Spanish dances, costumes, and settings are to be found here. It will fill in in the lower half. The screen play is by Robert Dunbar and Daniel Birt, based on the novel, “Third Party Risk,” by Nicholas Bentley. Ad Lines: “Look . . . But Don’t Touch”; “He Had A Way With Gals . . . It Was Murder”; “Manhunt And Murder Amid A Gay Fiesta.” PARAMOUNT The Bridges At Drama Toko-Ri (5405) (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: Well-made, interesting entry. Cast: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Frederic March, Mickey Rooney, Robert Strauss, Charles McGraw, Keiko Awaji, Earl Holliman, Richard Shannon, Willis B. Bouchey, Nadene Ashdown, Cheryl Lynn Callaway. Produced by William Perlberg and George Seaton; directed by Mark Robson. Story: Lieutenant William Holden, navy pilot, returns from a mission but is forced to abandon his plane before he can reach the aircraft carrier. He is rescued by helicopter pilot Mickey Rooney and his assistant, ^rl Holliman. Admiral Fred¬ eric March is concerned over the safety of Holden, who reminds him of his two sons whom he lost during the war. When the ship reaches Japan, Holden finds his wife, Grace Kelly, and two yovmgsters waiting for him. TTieir first evening to¬ gether is interrupted by a call to rescue Rooney who has been jailed for brawling. March meets Kelly and explains what the future may hold and how she can best carry on should something happen to Holden. The holiday over, duty takes him and Commander Charles McGraw on a reconnaisance mission over the important bridges of Toko-Ri which they come through safely. The next day the bridges are bombed, but at the secondary target, Holden’s ship is hit. Rooney lands in a CORRECTION In the Dec. 29, 1954, issxie of THE SERVISECTION both Black Tiiesday” and "Romeo And Jullef’ appeared under the Allied Artists banner. They are, of course. United Artists releases. helicopter and Communist fire kills Holli¬ man and destroys the ship. By this time it’s too dark to attempt further rescue, and Rooney and Holden hold as long as pos-. sible but are eventually killed. March receives the intelligence reports which tell the story. X-Ray: There are a number of scenes to be found here that are touching, others that are filled with action and suspense, and still others that are highly dramatic, all of which when coupled with highly capable performances and penerating di¬ rection by Mark Robson results in a superior film worthy of better boxoffice retiums. Perhaps there will be some who will claim that the unhappy ending is too realistic or that some of the theorizing is distracting or that the story is slim, while still others will state that movies have grown up and become more adult because of the realism injected at the end, and that the feature has gained in stature be¬ cause it has followed the best selling book by James A. Michener faithfully. What¬ ever the stand, the end result is better entertainment. The screen play is by Valentine Davies. Tip On Bidding: Higher rates. Ad Lines: “Tomorrow The Deadliest Mission . . . Tonight The Greatest Love”; “A Thrilling Best-Seller Brought To The Screen Faithfully Makes For Wonderful Entertainment”; “A Top Cast In A Top Book . . . It’s Unforgettable Entertain¬ ment.” IM THIS ISSUE THE SECOND QUARTERLY SUPPLEMENT TO THE CHECK -LIST OF FEATURE MOTION PICTURES IN T-V CHANNELS 119 ADDITIONS SAVE IT IN YOUR FILE OF REVIEWS! 3897