Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

the strain, and bends every effort to escape from her surroundings. In this state of mind, she is a ready tool in the hands of pro-Japanese plotters. Her cooperation brings about a Japanese attack in which she herself is killed. The doctor, who has long since tired of his wife, is free to resume his life-work and to nurture a budding romance with his associate. Unusual photography by Nicholas Musuraca and Vernon L. Walker adds much to the effectiveness of the whole. Seen at the studio. Revieiver's Rating: Good. — Thalia Bell. Release date. Block 4. Running time, 78 min. PCA No. 10391. General audience classification. Gray Thompson Randolph Scott Sara Ruth Warrick Louise Ellen Drew Anthony Quinn, Carol Thurston, Richard Leo, "Ducky" Louise, Philip Ahn, Benson Fong, H. T. Tsiang, Chin Kuang Chow. Patrick The Great Universal — Songs and Dances The Donald O'Connor-Peggy Ryan dances and songs make this a sparkling musical comedy. This youthful team are excellent entertainers and by their many talents make a film that will please audiences. There is gay music, good dancing, a bit of romance and comedy. It possesses all the requirements for light, diverting entertainment. Donald O'Connor with skill plays the part of Pat Donahue, Jr., the son of the leading musical comedy star. He gets the leading role in a Broadway production that his father, played by Donald Cook, ■ wanted, thus causing complications. Pat, Jr., admires his father greatly and does not want to hurt him by taking the part. But Pat, Sr., decides to retire for the season when Frances Dee, as an attractive young woman in her late twenties, accepts his marriage proposal. The musical numbers are smoothly worked in. Among the songs are "Song of Love," sung by Donald Cook ; "For the First Time," sung by Donald O'Connor. Peggy Ryan and Donald O'Connor sing "Don't Move," "Ask Madam Zan," "The Cubacha" and "When You Bump Into Someone You Know." Eve Arden, as a saucy secretary ; Thomas Gomez, as a producer, and Andrew Tombes give able support. Frank Ryan directed, and Howard Benedict produced. Seen in the home office projection room. Reviewer's Rating : Average. — M. R. Y. Release date, May 4, 1945. Running time, 89 min. PCA No. 9839. General audience classification. Fat Donahue, Jr Donald O'Connor Judy Watkin Peggy Ryan Lynn Andrews Frances Dee Donald Cook, Eve Arden, Thomas Gomez, Gavin Muir, Andrew Tombes, Irving Bacon. The Phantom Speaks Republic — Psychic Melodrama Paired with the same studio's "The Vampire's Ghost" on a double-horror bill at the Hawaii theatre in Hollywood, which has prospered mightily and long with this type of program, "The Phantom Speaks" gave excellent account of its 68 minutes, carrying its 59-minute companion with ease. (The two, by the way, are unlike enough in subject but like enough in objective to warrant their pairing generally for horror-bill purposes.) Richard Arlen's is ' the name to bill with, although Stanley Ridges contributes the central performance. Mr. Ridges plays a "psychic scientist" who enters a compact with a condemned murderer by terms of which the latter is to return in spirit and communicate with him after death. The killer not only communicates, but takes command of the scientist's will and forces him to commit several murders which the killer didn't get a chance to attend to in life. Arlen plays a reporter who discovers the truth but can't prove it and still doubts it after the scientist, on the eve of his own execution, tells him all about it. The story, an original by John K. Butler, asks only a single stretching of credulity, adhering otherwise to the laws of probability and plausibility. Direction by Jim English makes the most of it. Donald H. Brown was associate producer. Armand Schaefer executive producer. Previewed at the Hawaii theatre, Hollywood, ivhere it gave complete satisfaction. Reviewer's Rating : Good.—W. R. W. Release date, not set. Running time, 68 min. PCA No. 10567. General audience classification. Matt Fraser Richard Arlen Dr. Ren wick Stanley Ridges Lynne Roberts, Tom Powers, Charlotte Wynters, Jonathan Hale, Pierre Watkin, Marian Martin, Garry Owen, Ralf Harolde, Dorreen McCann. The Vampire's Chost Republic — Scare Stuff Alongside Republic's "The Phantom Speaks," with which it was bracketed on a double-horror bill at Hollywood's Hawaii theatre, "The Vampire's Ghost" was rated second best by a predominantly adolescent audience which emitted sounds precluding doubt of their opinion in the matter. An overstraining of plausibility and some dialogue only a writer could handle with conviction appeared principally at fault. The tale is about some people in Africa, white and black, whose lives are upset by the lethal depredations of a vampire whom the audience comes to know real well and not unpleasantly as a fellow who's been around some 400 years and can't die unless he's destroyed by fire. After he's dis. posed of several people by way of obtaining their blood to live on, and fallen in love with a girl he decides to convert into vampiredom so he can keep her with him, he's caught up with and incinerated. It's all a little too much to take. _ Leslie Selander directed the picture for executive producer Armand Schaefer and associate director Rudy Abel from a script by Leigh Brackett and John K. Butler based on a Brackett original. Previewed at the Hawaii theatre, Hollywood, where it got laughed at in some spots where' it shouldn't have. Reviewer's Rating : Fair. — W. R. W. Release date, not set. Running time, 59 min. PCA No. 10530. General audience classification. Webb Fallon John Abbott Peggy Stewart, Grant Withers, Charles Gordon, Adele Mara, Emmett Vogan, Roy Barcroft. Stranger from Santa Fe Monogram — Western Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton, in their familiar roles of "Nevada" and "Sandy," ride through Jess Bowers' screenplay like fire through a field of brush. Nothing deters them : neither the treachery of its villain, the obtuseness of the townspeople, nor a blonde with a sixshooter. The two cowboys arrive at the Bar-X ranch to aid its pretty owner and avenge her murdered father. "Nevada," through the machinations of the villain, is jailed on a charge of highway robbery ; his partner "Sandy" is trussed up in a deserted cabin. The townspeople, believing "Nevada" a murderer, demand a lynching, and at once. Things look pretty black for a time, but the two friends outwit their tormentors, and live to see justice done. Lambert Hillyer directed, and Bobby Ray was the production manager. Between them they have contrived a formula western of sufficient interest and liveliness to entertain the fans. Seen at the Hitching Post theatre, Hollywood, whose patrons appeared satisfied. Reviewer's Rating : Average. — T. B. Release date, June 15, 1945. Running time, 56 min. PCA No. 10714. General audience classification. Nevada Johnny Mack Brown Sandy Raymond Hatton Marcia Beatrice Gray Jo Ann Curtis, Jimmie Martin, Jack Ingram, John Merton, Tom Quinn, Bud Osborne, Hal Price, Steve Clark, Dick Dickinson. Zombies on Broadway RKO Radio — Brown-Carney Comedy Comedians Wally Brown and Alan Carney contribute their characteristic comedy to this enterprise, fashioned to their purpose, but executive producer Sid Rogell and producer Ben Stoloff have supplied showmen, additionally, with the name of Bela Lugosi for the marquee and with the talents of that specialist in horror to entertain his followers. Directed by Gordon Douglas from a screenplay by Lawrence Kimble taken from an 2414 original by Robert Faber and Charles Newman adapted by Robert E. Kent (which seems a great deal of writing talent for one 68-minute picture), the film gives the comic interest precedence over the thriller appeal. The comedians appear as press agents employed by a former gangster to promote a night spot — The Zombie Hut — on Broadway. They have planned to fake a zombie for the floor show without so informing their boss, and when a radio gossiper threatens to expose the boss if he doesn't deliver the genuine article he ships the boys off to a tropical island to get one. There they find Lugosi making zombies out of all comers by means of a serum (which wears off after a while), and he makes one out of Carney. The rest of the story is in kind, and for laughs. Previewed at the Hawaii theatre, Hollywood, which specializes in scare pictures, to an. audience that took it in stride. Reviewer's Rating: Average.—-W. R. W. Release date, Block 4. Running time, 68 min. PCA No. 10698. General audience classification. Jerry Wally B rown Mike Alan Carney Professor Renault Bela Lugosi Anne Jeffreys, Sheldon Leonard, Frank Jenks, Russell Hopton, Joseph Vitale, Ian Wolfe, Darby Jones. Hitchhike to Happiness Republic — Musical Comedy Al Pearce, Dale Evans and Brad Taylor take the top assignments in this musical comedy. The musical score, which is simply presented, is the highlight of the film. "Hitchhike to Happiness," the title song, is a delightful ballad by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent. The screenplay is complicated and at times confused. The story centers about Dale Evans, playing a successful radio star. Taylor, as a young, struggling song writer, falls in love with her but does not know who she is. Besides the main plot there is a sub-plot. Pearce, as a waiter-writer, is the center of this activity. Both themes are combined when the waiter's play is produced successfully with Miss Evans as the star. The story seems weak but the songs are good enough to sustain interest. Gannon and Kent also wrote for this film "For You and Me," "Sentimental" and "My Pushover Heart." Al Pearce is convincing in his portrayal and Miss Evans handles her musical numbers very well. The supporting players, William Frawley, Jerome Cowan and Willy Trenk, add comedy and are responsible for several laughs. Jack Townley wrote the screenplay, based on the original story by Man , ny Seff and Jerry Horwin. Joseph Santley directed. Seen at the Republic theatre, New York, where an afternoon audience was slightly amused by the comedy. Reviewer's Rating : Fair. — M. R. Y. Release date, not set. Running time, 72 min. PCA No. 10501. General audience classification. Kippy Ellis Al Pearce Alice Chase Dale Evans Joe Mitchell Brad Taylor William Frawley, Jerome Cowan, Willy Trenk, Arlene Harris, Joyce Compton, Maude Eburne, Irving Bacon, Lynn and Jeanne Romer. A Place of One's Own Gainsborough-Eagle-Lion — Nostalgia-cum-Eeriness Latest manifestation of the motion picture's nostalgic preoccupation with the gaslit generation of forty or so years ago is seen herein. But it is nostalgia with a difference. For interwoven with the familiar pattern of tight-waisted, longfrocked ladies, side-whiskered gentlemen and the stilted elegant courtesies behind which ordinary human beings of those days were supposed sternly to conceal their heart-throbs, is a tale of compact, continually mounting, eeriness warranted to raise the hair of the most hard-boiled customer. The yarn upon which the picture is based was written by Sir Osbert Sitwell, Bart., one of Britain's aristocratic practitioners in the arts. It tells of a house acquired as A Place of Their Own by a couple of amiable, estimable parvenus who just don't mind that the house has stood empty for forty years, that it's said to be haunted by the wraith of an unhappy girl murdered within its walls. But they become disturbed when the young PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, APRIL 21, 1945