The Exhibitor (1954)

January 12, 1955 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR can have lome time to work with the men. Although Peck rid«s hit men hard, losses are reduced and efficiency is at a peak. Eventually, the men withdraw their re¬ quests for transfers, and morale picks up. He flies many missions with his men, and eventually reaches the same point that Merrill reached worrying abut his com¬ mand. He cracks up. When the men return, he realizes that his job is done. X-Ray: When first reviewed in The Servisection of January, 1950, it was said: “A well-made yarn about the Air Force, this is calculated to do top bvisiness. In the main, the drama is concentrated in or about the airfield, with one mission shown in detail as to action. Interest is on high, performances are in the quality class, direction and production are tops, and all-around it should be scheduled for welcome reaction from all types of audiences. The film is based on the novel by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay, Jr., who also wrote the screen play.” Tip On Bidding: Reissue price. Ad Lines: “A Thrilling Tale About The Air Force In Action”; “A Popular Novel About The Air Force Transferred To The Screen As Quality Entertainment”; “A Gripping Story Of The Air Force With Favorite Stars.” UNITED ARTISTS Battle Taxi Melodrama 82m. (Tors -Arthur) Estimate: Okeh programmer. Cast: Sterling Hayden, Arthur Franz, Marshall Thompson, Leo Needham, Jay Barney, John Goddard, Robert Sherman, Joel Marston, John Dermis, Dale Hutch¬ inson, Andy Andrews, Vance Skarsted, Michael Colgan, Captain Vincent Mc¬ Govern. Produced by Ivan Tors and Art Arthur; directed by Herbert L. Strock. Story: Lieutenant Arthur Franz, jet pilot assigned to pilot a helicopter in an air rescue imit commanded by Captain Sterling Hayden, doesn’t care for his assignment and is a bit reckless with his helicopter, resulting in frequent admoni¬ tions by Hayden. He is assigned to pick up a wounded infantryman which he does, only to see the rest of the patrol threat¬ ened by a Red tank. He harasses the tank until jets can swoop in to finish the job. Hayden chews him out but vows to make him a proper rescue pilot. Assigned to a base deep in Red territory, Franz picks up a downed pilot and hears another call come in from a pilot downed in the ocean nearby and wmmded. Against or¬ ders and despite the low gas supply, he makes the second rescue and is forced to land near an enemy truck to get gas. Another mission to pick up a downed pilot results in the ’copter being shot down by waiting Red and Franz being wounded, Hayden flies in a doctor while jets keep enemy soldiers from coming too close while the doctor performs an emer¬ gency operation. The rescue is effected, and Franz recovers to become a good heli¬ copter pilot and member of a worthy team. X-Ray: Produced with the cooperation of the Air Force and the Defense De¬ partment, the feature contains official film clips expertly tied in with the balance of the picture which shapes up as a fairly interesting program entry. The story is well-developed and it moves at a satis¬ fying enough pace with performances, di¬ rection, and production about average. The screen play is by Malvin Wald based on a story by Wald and Art Arthur. Ad Lines: “An Exciting Story About Air Rescue Work With Helicopters In Korea;” “The Choppers Had Work To Do Under All Kinds Of Conditions”: “When Standed And Wounded GIi Yellea For A Taxi, Air Rescue Was On Hand To Take Them Home.” OiriDOOR Vera Cruz Melodrama 94m. (Hecht-Lancaster) (Made in Mexico) (Superscope) (2 to 1) (Color by Technicolor) Estimate: Action-packed meller has much to offer. Cast: Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Denise Darcel, Cesar Romero, Sarita Montiel, George Macready, Ernest Borgnine, Morris Ankrum, James McCallion, Jack Lambert, Henry Brandon, Charles Buchinsky, Jack Elam, James Seay, Archie Savage, Charles Horvath, Juan Garcia. Presented by Harold Hecht; pro¬ duced by James Hill; directed by Robert Aldrich. Story: Gary Cooper, adventurer and ex-Confederate officer seeking to make money fighting in the Mexican revolu¬ tion, meets gun-fighter Burt Lancaster and buys a horse from him, only to learn it’s been stolen from an army officer who pursues. They evade the troops after which Cooper knocks Lancaster out and takes his horse. The two join forces and agree to fight for the Emperor Maximilian since he will pay the most and serve imder Cesar Romero in escorting a coach bearing Countess Denise Darcel to a sea¬ port. There is a fortime in gold con¬ cealed in the floor of the coach to pay for troops to come to Mexico from Europe. Darcel, Cooper, and Lancaster have ideas about the gold, ostensibly agreeing to share with the others. The group in tmder attack several times by the forces of rebel leader Morris Ankrum who arranges for Sarita Montiel to secretly keep an eye on the shipment. She and Cooper are attracted to each other. Romero, aware of the intrigue gets the gold and puts Darcel under arrest in Vera Cruz. Cooper and Lancaster join Ankrum ’s forces in attack¬ ing the city for a fee from the gold, with Montiel convincing Cooper he is fighting for the right side. They capture the city and Lancaster tries to make off with the gold, but Cooper stops him. In the re¬ sulting gun duel Lancaster is killed and the gold is turned over to Ankrum and the people. X-Ray: This has action and more action, gunplay, fist fights, roughhousing, pitched battles with hundreds and hundreds of extras, plenty of noise, excitement, thrills, touches of romance and sex, and a plot that moves at a rapid pace. High-powered performances by the cast, particularly Cooper and Lancaster, are also to be foimd in this first release in the Super¬ scope anamorphic process. This is one entry that should provide action fans with plenty of material to keep them happy. Direction and production are good. The entry should give a better account of itself boxofficewise. The screen play is by Ro¬ land Kibbee and James R. Webb, based on a story by Borden Chase. Tip On Bidding: Higher rates. Ad Lines: “They Trusted Each Other Only As Far As Their Gims Could Shoot”; “A Thrilling Action-Packed Adventure Yam In The New Revealing Superscope, With Color By Technicolor”; “They Had A Way With Guns And Women And Millions In Gold.” MISCELLANEOUS Jail Bait Melodrama 70m. (Howco) Estimate: For the lower half. Cast: Lyle Talbot, Dolores Fuller, Steve Reeves, Herbert Rawlinsoi^ Theodora Thurman, Clancy Malone, Timothy Far¬ rell, John Robert Martin, Cotton Watts, and Chick. Produced and directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr. Story: When Clancy Malone Is arrested for carrying a gun, his sister, Dolores Fuller, bails him out and begs him to stay out of trouble for the sake of their father. Dr. Herbert Rawlinson, plastic surgeon. Despite a warning by inspector Lyle Talbot and detective Steve Reeves, he gets another gun and meets Timothy Farrell, hoodlum with whom he was in¬ volved in a hold-up. They hold up a watchman at a theatre, and are forced to kill him and wound a secretary. Malone is terrified and confesses to J^wlinson, who advises a confession to the police. Before he can reach them, Farrell kills him and hides the body in the apart¬ ment of his girl friend, Theodora Thur¬ man. He next forces Rawlinson to oper¬ ate on him and change his identity on threat of killing Malone. Rawlinson dis¬ covers the body of his son but says nothing, going through with the operation. Several weeks later, Rawlinson removes the bandages as the police close a trap, and they find the face of Malone imveiled. Farrell gets his just deserts. X-Ray: A fair story, amateurish per¬ formances, fair direction and production, and an exploitable title are about all that are to be found in this item which can be used as filler for the lower half. The original screen play is by Alex Gordon and Wood. Ad Lines: “Stay Away From Them . . . They’re ‘JaU Bait’”; “Thrills Of The Underworld”; “He Was A Man Of Many Faces.” The Short Parade TWO REEL Color Historical THE BILL OF RIGHTS. Warners— Technicolor Specials. 22m. When first re¬ viewed in The Servisection of August, 1939, it was said: “This sincere historical subject tells how the pleas for the Bill of Rights began; how eventually all the colonies desired to have it be included with the Constitution. While this is well made throughout, it hasn’t the sock of some of the others of the series. GOOD.” (2005). Sports FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS. RKO — Sports Specials. 15'>^ m. This annual re¬ view of the season’s outstanding gridiron contests packs plenty of thrills for those who like football. It is a well edited sub¬ ject with the games covered being Georgia Tech-Tulane; Oklahoma-Texas Christian; Purdue-Notre Dame; Army-Duke; West Virginia-Penn State; Ohio State-Wisconsin; Arkansas Mississippi; SMU Ar¬ kansas; Ohio State-Michigan; HarvardYale; Notre Dame-Southem California; and Army-Navy. GOOD. (53901) , Vista Vision Color Travel VISTAVISION VISITS NORWAY — Paramoimt — VistaVision Special. 17m. The VistaVision Technicolor cameras travel by land, sea, and air to cover Norway and show its peoples in the covmtry at their daily tasks and amid picturesque settings as well as tiie cities with its markets, buildings, parks. Servisection 3 3899