Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

SHORT SUBJECTS reviews and synopses MOUSE TROUBLE (MGM) Technicolor Cartoon (W-541) Tom Cat, who has been trying for years, decides he must need a little outside help to catch Jerry Mouse. A book on "How to Catch a Mouse" offers some orthodox methods of attack and capture wliich the cat attempts to put into practice. But Jerry must have read the book, too, for he makes his escape in time Release date, December 23, 1944 7 minutes SHRINES OF YUCATAN (MGM) Fitzpatrick Traveltalk (T-S24) The temples at Yucatan are relics of a civilization which flourished before the white man found his new world. The Mayas were architects and astronomers as their great buildings and pyramids attest, and they had strange gods carved in stone and gaily painted on their monuments. The camera records these in color against the vivid tropical background. Release date, not set 9 minutes BARNEY BEAR'S POLAR PEST (MGM) Technicolor Cartoon (W-542) Barney's young nephew from the North pays him a visit and strains the bonds of kinship. The little one misses his natural surroundings of ice and snow and tries to reproduce them in spite of his uncle's obvious antipathy for polar temperatures. Release date, December 30, 1944 7 minutes DARK SHADOWS (MGM) 2-Reel Special (A-SOl) Paul Burnford combines the current screen interest in psychiatry with the material of MGM's Crime Does Not Pay subjects and produces an unusual story. There is no doubt of the identity of the criminal, but the man himself cannot understand the motive for his actions. A psychiatrist helps him uncover his hidden thoughts and impulses as an explanation. Release date, December 16, 1944 22 minutes CLOCK WATCHER (RKO) Disney Cartoon (54107) Donald Duck is a department-store wrapper during the Christmas rush. He is remarkably deft at times, when not faced with a stubborn jack-inthe-box, but is somewhat deterred by his own laziness and the speed-up system employed in the store. Instructions come at all hours in tones of sweet superiority over a public address system, and the only things that don't react are Donald and the clock. At the end of a hard day it's the loudspeaker that gets it in the neck. Release date, January 26, 1945 8 minutes DOG WATCH (RKO) Disney Cartoon (54,108) Pluto is denied shore leave and must stay on the ship as watch dog. An intruder approaches boldly and refuses to be scared off by the hound's most ferocious grimace. Her mind is on cheese, between thick slices of rye bread. She proceeds to the messroom, throws Pluto a few crumbs and slaps bread and cheese together alternately for a sandwich about three times her size and weight. Pluto gets the brig for it but manages to redeem himself. Release date, not set 7 minutes THE VOLUNTEER (RKO) B.M.I. War Film Made with the cooperation of the British Navy, these two reels combine shots of the Fleet Air Arm in active combat with a simple story of two men who changed places in the transition from peace to war. They were an actor and his dresser before war was declared — a fine actor and a willing but inept dresser. At the end they are a Royal Navy pilot and mechanic, the latter a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal and a thoroughly able seaman. The fictional element forms a loose but warm framework for interesting shots of Naval training and exciting scenes taken aboard the "Indomitable" during an enemy raid in the Mediterranean. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger made the tworeel feature for the British Ministry of Information. Ralph Richardson and Pat McGrath do well in the principal roles. 20 minutes LULU AT THE ZOO (Para.) Little Lulu (DA-l) _ The pert young miss with the red coat and tight black curls takes herself off to the zoo only to discover, while sucking on her lollipop, that feeding the animals is strictly forbidden. Lulu is not one to disobey a rule directly. In fact she goes to some lengths of purposeful and accidental strategy to supply the animals with forbidden sweets. Release date, November 17, 1944 9 minutes YOUR NATIONAL GALLERY (Univ.) Variety Views (9354) One of the newest public buildings in the nation's capital is the National Museum, housing a fine group of paintings and sculptures by old masters and modern artists. This reel offers some shots of the building with its unusual architecture, inside and out, and a selection of the more famous art works. Release date, not set 9 minutes ALIBI BABY (RKO) Edgar Kennedy (53,402) Kennedy's wife needs only Edgar's permission to adopt a baby, but he stands against the project. To soften his heart, she borrows the infant son of a friend for the night, but Edgar calls the police to pick up the foundling. Before they arrive, however, he is won over by the child and hides him. In the morning he announces that they will adopt the boy, and his wife has to confess the trick. But they find a set of twins that suit him perfectly. Release date, January 5, 1945 18 minutes TIGER TROUBLE (RKO) Disney Cartoon (54,106) Goofy has taken up big game hunting, picturing himself as a fearless foe of the Bengal tiger. With an elephant in tow he tracks down the animal only to find himself overcome with fear. The elephant leaves quickly, and the tiger decides to have a little fun. Goof gains back some of his courage and puts up a fight, finally trying to make a get-away on the elephant's back. Both fail on the tiger in the process, leaving their imprint and carrying away a fine set of stripes. Release date, January 5, 1945 7 minutes Reviews and synopses of short sob/ecfs prlnfe( In Product Digest are indexed In the Short Sob /ecfs Chart, Product Digest Section, page 226(i 2261. Running times are those furnished by the dir tribufor. r. JASPER TELL (Para.) George Pal Puppetoon (U4-4) Jasper has an apple for teacher which promptly appropriated by the scarecrow who dis-j tracts the boy with a modern version of the stori of William Tell. Jasper is completely wrapped up. in the tale of the arrow and the apple, the fathet, and the son, played out again with chalets, moun-j, tain yodelers and a bit of the William Tell Overture, j Release date, March 23, 1945 8 minutei. SEEING EL SALVADOR (MGM) \ Fitzpatrick Traveltalks One of the small Central American republics which are usually lumped together as "banana countries," El Slavador has a distinct personality which the camera tries to suggest. Colorful like its tropical neighbors, the small country has mountains and shore, cities and plantations within its narrow limits. It is naturally suited to coffeegrowing and gains much of its revenue from the export of the coffee bean. < Release date, not set 10 minutest FLICKER FLASHBACKS, NO. 3 (RKO) (54,303) j Melodrama of 1906 vintage sets the pace for the|j latest reel telescoping some early silent favorites.; Florence Turner, Francis X. Bushman, Wally Reid, Maurice Costello and Mary Pickford arejl among the stars who appear briefly on the screen. i( Harry Carey and Blanche Sweet take part in ai Biograph Western, circa 1910, called "Broken I Ways." i Release date, December 8, 1944 8 minutes f i PIED PIPER OF BASIN STREET (Univ.) i Swing Symphony (9234) The old Hamlin story goes modern as Jack ^ Teagarden takes over the role of the Pied Piper when the town is overrun with mice. The mayor , makes an urgent appeal to Jack but goes back nn I. his frantic promises. In the style of the old " legend. Jack gives an impression of "Hank i Swoonatra" that brings out the bobby socks : crowd and lures them away. , Release date, January 15, 1945 minutes t! GIRLS PREFERRED (20th-Fox) v Sports Review (5301) ^ Some sports for the distaff side, not taxing but pretty, make up this reel. Canoeing on lake Sab ' ago, Maine is the opener, with a little sailing as , well. Then follow some roping in San Antonio and a roller skating revue in Madison Square Garden, New York. ! Release date, not set 8j4 minutes i i i MIGHTY MOUSE AND THE PIRATE ^ (20th-Fox) ^ Terry Toon (5809) j Mighty Mouse covers a lot of ground from reel to reel. He arrives this time in the guise of ' Tarzan just when a band of cutthroats is making jj off with a beautiful sarong-clad damsel who faint j| ly resembles Dorothy Lamour. Release date, not set 6 minutes ' 2258 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION. JANUARY 6. 1945