Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

MOTION PICTURE HERALD July 24, 1943 whose courage, diluted by wine, returns at the end ; Vladimir Sokoloff as Anselmo, the gentle old one who assists Cooper in the dynamiting and dies for it ; Mikhail Rasumny as Rafael, the amusing gypsy ; Joseph Calleia as El Sordo and many others. Stripped to essentials, this is the story : Cooper's assignment is to destroy a bridge over which the enemy must move his troops, tanks and guns. Tamiroff opposes, believing retreat would be cut off, and finally salvages his bravery of another day to help in the task and lead the band to safety. In the crashing and dramatic climax, Jordan's leg is shattered. Miss Bergman, in love with him, refuses to leave. Eventually, she does, but rides off in violent protest as Jordan shoots down advancing Nationalists in a last, short-lived stand. Thus, he dies a hero to his principles. Political overtones are underplayed, rather than overemphasized. The fundamental of the fight is touched upon in one scene where Cooper explains the civil war is merely forerunner to another war yet to come ; that Spain is being exploited as a military experimental ground by Germany, Italy and Russia in a test of their new weapons of war. Audiences familiar with the novel, of course, know it was a championing of the Loyalists, who are always called Republicans, in their struggle against General Franco, whose name, likewise, is never mentioned. Those unfamiliar with the book face lack of clarity on the causes of the battle although their sympathies are channeled toward the Republicans. In two parts, the first clocks 90 minutes. Painstaking implanting of backgrounds, characterizations and motivations consume a great deal of footage. Dialogue far overshadows movement and slows down the drama. The second in 75 minutes, however, mounts in a steadily rising curve of suspense climaxed by destruction of the bridge. The contrast is immediate and sends the attraction to its finish in hammer strokes. For several years now, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" has been percolating through the nation's press. The book, of course, had a heavy sale. Undoubtedly a large audience is waiting, perhaps already nationwide. This audience and the millions of others who will see the film early or late have a distinguished motion picture coming their way. Showmen have a distinguished one for the money. Previewed at the Paramount studio projection room before an audience of critics. Reviewer's rating: Excellent. — Red Kann. Release date not set. Running time, 165 minutes. PCA No. 7982. General audience classification. Robert Jordan Gary Cooper Maria Ingrid Bergman Pablo Akim Tamiroff Agustin Arturo de Cordova Anselmo Vladimir Sokoloff Rafael Mikhail Rasumny Pilar Katina Paxinou El Sordo Joseph Calleia Eric Feldary, Victor Varconi, Lilo Yarson, Alexander Granach, Leo Bulgakov, Duncan Renaldo, Pedro de Cordoba, Feodor Chaliapin, George Coulouris, Frank Puglia. Bar 20 (UA-Sherman) Dip for Hoppy There's no warrant in art or nature for assumption that every page in a book or picture in a series shall be better than the one before it, so the news of consequence about this item in Harry Sherman's succession of Hopalong Cassidy Westerns is that it dips only slightly below the recent average. At that, it's got in it the things that the customers come to see there, and the fact that they're in it for less than the usual number of good reasons is nothing that the regulars may be expected to kick about in round numbers. The picture has a special point to mention in that it presents for the first time Dustine Farnum, daughter of the late Dustin, whose contribution to the filmic literature of the West is to be remembered by today's adults, if not the Kiddies. On the other hand, it has George Reeves in the third spot, alongside William Boyd and Andy Clyde, a change of personnel which changes in no degree the effectiveness of the trio. This time the script, which required the talents of three writers — Morton Grant, Norman Houston and Michael Wilson, presents the trio with nothing more difficult to cope with than the operation of some plain and fancy holdup artists under command of the outwardly reputable scoundrel played by Victor Jory. They attend to this matter, as will be noted below, in fewer minutes than usual. Lesley Selander's direction is up to his customary point of proficiency, and Lewis J. Rachmil again is down as associate producer. Previewed at studio. Reviewer's Rating : Fair. Release date, not set. Running time, 55 mins. PCA No. 9029. General audience classification. Hopalong Cassidy William Boyd California Andy Clyde George Reeves, Dustine Farnum, Victor Jory, Douglas Fowley, Betty Blythe, Bob Mitchum, Francis McDonald, Earle Hodgins. Spotlight Scandals ( Monogram ) Monogram Marches On The House of Monogram presents now for your consideration, Ladies and Gentlemen of show business, a pair of comedians equipped with all the prerequisites of popularity and commanding attention of everybody in range of their introductory endeavor, inside or outside the trade. They are Frank Fay and Billy Gilbert, each a known equation, both experts in and veterans of the art of comedy, and they are, in the paired aggregate, a total quantity which is several times greater than the sum of its component parts. The pair is, in this first offering, a force for merriment that can be compared with any other pair you are likely to think of off-hand, on the basis of first offerings, and if that pair happens to be the present holders of the Number One Box Office Attraction title for 1942 the foregoing statement stands. The House of Monogram put this introductory Fay-Gilbert film to a severe test on the occasion of its press preview by screening it at the Hollywood Paramount between performances of "Five Graves to Cairo" for a topscale audience that hadn't been told what was coming. In that fast company it proved itself to the satisfaction of the capacity crowd without straining a stitch. Fay and Gilbert play themselves, the former as a stranded actor who hooks up with the latter, as a barber, to do a vaudeville act which turns out a hit. They remain together through a career that includes musical comedy stardom on Broadway, then separate and find themselves, at picture's end, broke again and together again in small time vaudeville. On this framework is hung various other items of entertainment. Bonnie Baker sings several songs, from her repertoire, and the Radio Rogues do their impersonations. Henry King and his orchestra supply their brand of music. So do Butch and Buddy. Eddie Parks entertains virtually en solo for a memorable sequence, and Harry Langdon amuses in a semi-straight performance. Iris Adrian portrays with glitter a jealous showgirl. Lots of others figure in the total. Production by Sam Katzman and Jack Dietz, with Barney Sarecky in association, is well above their par, and direction by William Beaudine reflects the proficiency of long experience. Previewed at the Paramount theatre, Hollywood, to a capacity audience attracted by "Five Graves to Cairo" which manifested by lusty laughter its enjoyment of the Fay-Gilbert brand of comedy. Reviewer's Rating : Good. — William R. Weaver. Release date, October 1. Running lime, 79 min. PCA No. 9354. General audience classification. Billy Gilbert Himself Frank Fay Himself Bonny Baker. Hutch and Buddy, Harry Langdon, Iris Adrian, the Radio Rogues, James Bush, Claudia Dell, Betty Blythe, Henry King and orchestra, Herb Millwe, I-ottie Harrison, Jim Hope, Jack Boyle. Silver Spurs ( Republic ) Roy Rogers Works Out They give Roy Rogers a workout in this number, sending him through all the tricks of the trade of Western production from Bill Hart's time to his own, and the result is a film which displays his versatility at some expense to the coherence of the story. He gets in the usual amount of singing, much more than the usual amount of riding and shooting, plus many passages of fisticuffs and a superabundance of shooting. He proves he can do it. The film opens and gets under way in a modern setting, complete with fast automobiles and nickel-plated cocktail bars, then slides without notice into the age of stagecoaches, buckboards, six-horse teams, mountain hideouts, all the trappings of 1870. This incongruous switch enables the crooks on one side and the virtuous cowhands on the other to fight it out with the old reliable weapons, doubtless much to the delight of the junior fans, much to the disappointment of the grown-ups. The story is about a right-of-way, a matter lost sight of early in the proceedings but brought back into the foreground for the finale. Seven songs are put by, Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers attending to this matter in the usual manner. Production is by Harry Grey, direction by Joseph Kane. Previewed in projection room. Reviewer's Rating: Fair. Release date, July 29. Running time, 68 min. PCA No. 9124. General audience classification. Roy Roy Rogers Frog Smiley Burnette John Carradine, Phyllis Brooks. Jerome Cowan, Joyce Compton, Dick Wessel, Hal Taliafero, Forrest Taylor, Charles Wilson, Byron Foulger, Bob Nolan, Sons of the Pioneers. SHORT SUBJECTS HAPPY TIMES AND JOLLY MOMENTS (WB) Broadway Brevities (8112) In this two-reel subject, the film audience is taken on a tour of the Hollywood of old. Former stars are shown on studio lots when the industry was in its infancy. There are shots of Mack Sennett, Harry Langdon, Ben Turpin, Ford Sterling, "Fatty" Arbuckle and others. In the hair-raising finale, the Keystone Cops are featured in one of the notorious chases which early screen patrons will recall. Release date, July 10, 1943 20 minutes THE UNITED STATES SERVICE BANDS (WB) Melody Master Bands (8510) All the service bands are combined to lend a patriotic theme to this one-reel subject. Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force bands render a group of 11 songs among which are included the Navy's "Anchors Aweigh" and "Don't Give Up the Ship" ; Army's "Over There" and "The Caissons Go Rolling Along" and renditions honoring the Air Force and Marine Corps, also. A military back-drop is used as an appropriate setting. Release date, not set 10 minutes THE UNINVITED PEST (MGM) Cartoon (W450) It is bear versus squirrel in this animal subject. The bear, perturbed at the annoyance Mr. Squirrel gives him while hunting for nuts, endeavors to erase him from the scene. Each time the bear attempts his hibernation, the squirrel returns to pester him. There are wild chases through the wooded forest before peace is restored to the animal kingdom. The persecuted squirrel, of course, emerges victorious. Release date, July 17, 1943 8 mimites 1 442 Product Digest Section