Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

.esearch is pursued on the seventh floor. Here and elsewhere four murders, spaced in the picture at points where they'll do the most good, take place, the killer-in-chief finally being dispatched by a device of her own improvising. At intervals in the course of proceedings Mantan Moreland and Ben Carter take over for stretches of unfinished conversation of the kind with which they've been making people laugh both on the screen and over the air, and at other intervals Jack Norton entertains with his characteristic humor. Death is always the principal preoccupation, however. Production, a neat job, is by James S. Burkett, and Phil Rosen directed with complete effectiveness from a script by George Callahan. Previewed at studio. Reviewer's Rating: Average.—VI. R. W. Release date, May 11, 1945. Running time, 65 min. PCA No. 10732. General audience classification. Charlie Chan Sidney Toler Mantan Moreland, Ben Carter, Benson Fong, Virginia Brissac, Robert Homans, Jack Norton, Janet Shaw, Helen Devereaux, Victoria Faust. The Missing Corpse PRC— Murder for Fun Starting out like a melodrama, this Martin Mooney production directed by Albert Herman straightens out into comedy after a while and continues thereafter on that basis, with the hiding of the body engaging the principal players in succession. J. Edward Bromberg and Frank Jenks are the mainstays. Raymond L. Schrock's screenplay, from a Harry O. Hoyt story, casts Mr. Bromberg as a newspaper publisher neglected by his family but surrounded by them in various degrees of solicitude when they suspect him of having killed a rival publisher. The action takes place principally in a mountain lodge where the body of the slain man is hidden and discovered in a succession of places before the murderer is apprehended. Karl Hajos' music score is a help throughout, pointing up the places where laughs are indicated. Preivewed at the studio. Reviewer's Rating : Average. — W. R. W. Release date, June 1, 1945. Running time, 62 min. PCA No. 10780. General audience classification. Henry Kruger J. Edward Bromberg Frank Jenks, Eric Sinclair, Isabel Randolph, Paul Guilfoyle, John Shay, Lorell Sheldon, Ben Welden, Charles Coleman, Michael Branden. Eve Knew Her Apples Columbia — Comedy with Songs An hour of pleasing if fragile entertainment is provided in Wallace MacDonald's latest production. Ann Miller sings pleasantly, and Will Jason's directorial touch is deft. E. Edwin Moran wrote the screenplay, basing it on a story by Rian James. It's about a radio star who decides to take a vacation, and on her travels meets a young newspaperman who, through a misapprehension, mistakes her for an escaped murderess. Although she falls in love with him, and makes her state of mind quite clear, the young man, understandably, will have none of her. When he does discover her identity, the misunderstanding between the pair has reached such proportions as to require the good offices of the star's manager to clear the path of true love. Among the songs Miss Miller sings are "I'll Remember April," "Not an Hour Passes" and "I've Got the Blues for Somebody." Seen at the Chinese theatre, Hollywood, xvhere the audience seemed satisfied. Reviewer's Rating ; Average. — Thalia Bell. Release date, April 12, 1945. Running time, 64 min. PCA No. 10415. General audience classification. Eve Porter .*. Ann Miller Ward Williams WUliam Wright Robert Williams, Ray Walker, Charles D. Brown, John Eldredge, Eddie Bruce. The Ladies in the Green Hats David Brill — Light Comedy "Ces Dames aux Chapeaux Verts" or "The Ladies in the Green Hats" are four old maids living in Southern France. In this pre-war film with French dialogue, accompanied by English titles, we find humorous incidents which provide 2426 SHORT SUBJECTS reviews and synopses (Running times are those quoted by the distributors.) FLICKER FLASHBACKS, NO. 6 (RKO) 54,206 A nice little drama called by alternate titles "Professional Jealousy" or "Gay Life Backstage" leads off the package of old favorites. Some popular stars of the times — John Bunny, Flora Finch, Lloyd Hamilton, Louise Fazenda, Harold Lloyd, Ben Turpin, Buster Keaton, Marie Dressier and Polly Moran — appear in the next sequence. The story of a hobo who does his good deed completes the reel with Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish and Harry Carey in the principal roles. Release date, April 13, 1945 8 minutes SCREEN SNAPSHOTS, NO. 8 (Col.) 6858 The services of Hollywood people to back up the war at home are the subject of this latest visit to the screen capital. There's a Red Cross drive at the Selznick studio, a Joan Davis party for service men, a Los Angeles newspaper benefit and broadcasts and recordings for the men overseas. Release date, March 29, 1945 9'/2 minutes AFRICAN DIARY (RKO) Disney Cartoon (54,110) The wilds of Africa and the glamour of big game hunting finally ensnare Goofy who goes on a safari. The jungle animals have no terror for him until he runs into a rhinocerous who has no respect for his weapons. Goofy tries for a short time to be master of the situation but finally decides to take his leave of Africa. Release date, April 20, 1945 7 minutes DONALD'S CRIME (RKO) Disney Cartoon Donald has a date but no money. Staring him in the face is his nephews' piggy bank and he reluctantly succumbs. Daisy and Donald have a night of jitterbugging on the borrowed pennies, but Donald's conscience won't let him alone. He takes a job as a dishwasher to make up the money and steals back into the youngster's room to return the coins. Of course, the nephews wake up just then to insist that he was trying to steal from their piggy bank. Release date, not set 7 minutes entertaining, light comedy. These women, with their out-moded taste in dress and their Victorian ideas of behavior cause their niece, a former art student in Paris, many tiring moments. The four ladies, charming though reserved to the point of absurdity, are portrayed by experienced actresses. Their niece, Arlette, played by Micheline Cheirel, capably handles her part. There is romance and comedy blended in this film. Arlette is in love with the landlord's son and the youngest of the aunts is in love with a former suitor. The idiosyncrasies of the aunts supply the comedy. Maurice Cloche directed and wrote the scenario, based on the novel by Germaine Arcemont. The result is a light, droll comedy that art theatre patrons may find sufficiently amusing to be entertaining. The acting is good, but the story is loosely woven and tends to drag. Seen at the 55th Street Playhouse, New York, where a matinee audience ivas mildly amused. Reviewer's Rating : Fair. — M. R. Y. Release date, Aoril 4, 1945. Running time, 93 min. General audience classification. Telcide Davernis Marguerite Moreno Marie I>evernis Alice Tissot Arlette Micheline Cheirel Gabrielle Fontan, Marcelle Barrv, Pierre Larquay, Mady Berry, Gerard Landry, Nunes Fils, Georgre Mauloy. POST-WAR INVENTIONS (20th-Fox) Terry Toon (5513) Gandy Goose and his sergeant exchange dreams again. This time it's a wonderful and amazing picture of the world after the war, complete with automatic gadgets of all types, television and family airplane travel. Naturally all is not so soft for the two G.l.'s, or between them for that matter. Release date, March 23, 1945 6y2 minutes COMMUNITY SING, NO. 7 (Col.) 6657 Led by the recent hit "I'll Walk Alone," this brace of tunes for audience singing includes "Come with Me, My Honey," "Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes" and two ballads "Good Night, Sweetheart" and "It Could Happen to You." Dick Liebert is at the organ. Release date, March 15, 1945 10 minutes WATER BABIES (WB) Sports Parade (1507) The instructor in the watery arts is only 13 and the pupils are somewhat younger. At Cypress Gardens, Fla., the camera picks up this demonstration of form in water skiing, aquaplaning and tobagganning on the sea's surface. Pictures are in Technicolor. Release date, May 19, 1945 10 minutes STEPPIN" PRETTY (20th-Fox) Sports Reviews (5302) This reel gives some of the more technical aspects of horses for competitive sport. Besides the familiar scenes of trotting, steeplechase and turf racing, there is interesting information about equipment and riders. Release date, January 5, 1945 9 minutes SIKHS OF PATALA (20th-Fox) Movietone Adventures (5260) Another group of scenes from the expedition with Cinecolor camera into India, these stress the pageantry of the wealthy. The luxurious living of Sikhs and rajahs pass in review. Release date, 'May 4, 1945 9 minutes RIPPLING ROMANCE (Col.) Color Rhapsodies (6502) The beautiful and haughty-looking swans quite live up to their reputations in this comedy subject. The lady swan is too enamoured of herself to pay much attention to her male admirer. But th; old ddage about pride coming before a fall is once again proved true, and the lady is finally ouite grateful for the gentleman's attentions. Release date, May 18, 1945 7 minutes GUAM— SALVAGED ISLAND (RKO) This Is America (53,106) While treating briefly the fight of American task forces to recapture the island of Guam, the Jatest issue of 'This Is America" is largely concerned with the rehabilitation of the island in the wake of war. Following the Army, the Civil Affairs section takes over to restore adequate living facilities — food, clothing, shelter and medical care. On Guam many civilians had been left homeless wanderers, taking what food they could from the battle-scarred land, and largely without the means or energy to save themselves. Patrols scoured the area, bringing them out of hiding places while other branches of the service helped to erect homes and set up a working democracy under civilian authority. Frederic Ullman, Jr.. has prepared an interesting presentation, in collaboration with the editors of This Week Magazine, and Marine Corps cameramen deserve praise for the photography. Release date, April 13, 1945 17 minutes PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, APRIL 28, 1945