Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1945)

Thereupon the Ranger is faced with a difficult choice : whether to expose the character of the dead man, thereby shattering the illusions of those who loved him, or to allow the sheriff to fill a hero's grave. Associate Producer Louis Gray, Executive Producer William J. O'Sullivan, and Director Spencer Bennet all took pains with their material, and the results are pleasing. Previewed at Hollywood's Hitching Post theatre, where a small audience appeared pleased. Reviewer's Rating: Good. — Thalia Bell. Release date, May 20, 194S. Running time, 56 min. PCA No. 10640. General audience classification. Red Ryder Wild Bill EUiott Little Beaver Bobby Blake The Duchess ...Alice Fleming Roy Barcroft, Tom Chatterton, Jack McClendon, Helen Talbot, Bud Geary, Budd Buster, Nelson McDowell, Larry Olsen. Don Juan Quilligan 20th Century-Fox — Bendix Comedy William Bendix, a most unlikely Don Juan, has a comedy to himself this time and a role that should be a natural for the Brooklyn bruiser with a heart of gold. He's a tugboat captain, plying his trade between Brooklyn and Utica and marrying a girl in each city who bears some resemblance to his sainted mother. Phil Silvers plays first mate, helping him in and out of the inevitable mixups, and Joan Blondell has a few good scenes as his first love, the one who can't cook. The comedy will be familiar to Bendix fans and may seem a bit forced to others, but there's a sprinkling of surprise laughs throughout that should put the audience back into the spirit of the film. Bendix plays Patrick Michael Quilligan, a split personality which divides itself into Pat arid Mike to avoid charges of bigamy and hastens to reassemble itself to avoid charges of murder. It's all because Margie is a very attractive girl, but Lucy can cook. Both have families who engineer a marriage, and then Uncle Sam tries to put one husband in the Army and the other in the Navy. Pat arranges things so that Mike looks like a suicide, but the law insists it's murder. The judge turns out to be an understanding fellow who clears the field for the Navy and Margie. Frank Tuttle's direction and the script by Arthur Kober and Frank Gabrielson, based on a story by Herbert Clyde Lewis, have their slow stretches. William Le Baron produced. Seen in the home office projection room. Reviewer's Rating: Average. — E. A. Cunningham. Release date, June, 1945. Running time, 75 min. PCA No. 10826. General audience classification. Patrick M. Quilligan William Bendix Marjorie Mossrock Joan Blondell Mac Denny Phil Silvers Anne Revere, B. S. Pully, Mary Treen, John Russell, Veda Ann Borg, Thurston Hall, Cara Williams, Richard Gaines, Hobart Cavanaugh, Rene Carson, George Mccready, Helen Freeman. Within These Walls 20th Century-Fox — Father and Son Drama This film divides its attention between two social problems — juvenile delinquency and prison reform — without pressing its message in either case. Instead the story is told in terms of a family, consisting of a forceful father, a wayward son and a gentle daughter, and the emphasis is on personality and melodrama. But it remains a somber picture, with a romantic subplot but no relief in incidental comedy. Thomas Mitchell has the heaviest assignment as a prison warden who is more successful in disciplining the unruly inmates than he is in understanding his son. Young Edward Ryan, however, gives the most impressive performance as the teenaged boy in need of guidance. Mary Anderson and Mark Stevens supply the romance. The action is built rather slowly but reaches its peak in a prison break in which the son dies like a man and the father engages his murderer in a grim gun duel. Stalking him relentlessly up the winding stairs and along the cell tiers, the warden coolly takes aim and fires, and the mutiny is over. But the man has learned a tragic lesson of the need for sympathy along with firmness. Ben Silvey, who produced, and Bruce Humberstone, who directed, have paced their tale slowly, PARAMOUNT SETS TWO REISSUES FOR AUGUST Included in Paramount's 1944-45 product schedule are two reissues, "Northwest Mounted Police" and "This Gun for Hire", announced for release on August 26. The first, a Technicolor feature starring Gary Cooper, Madeleine Carroll and Paulette Goddard, was produced by Cecil B. DeMille in 1940. It celebrates the heroism of the Canadian "Mounties" during the Riel Rebellion in 1885 and presents a spectacle of outdoor action and romantic rivalry. The reviewer in Motion Picture Herald, issue of October 26, 1 940, said in part: "The production combines the opulence of the early DeMille spectacles with action. Photographed against backgrounds as brilliant as their costuming." The supporting cast includes Preston Foster, Robert Preston, Akim Tamiroff and George Bancroft among others. Alan Ladd was billed as a newcomer in "This Gun for Hire", being featured along with comparative veterans like Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar and Tully Marshall. The film was originally issued in 1942. The review in Motion Picture Herald, issue of March 21 of that year, said: "At bottom a study of the type of mankind that kills for hire and without compunction, this melodrama sticks to terms of action in the telling and builds up a suspense equalled by few films in its category. The performance turned in by Alan Ladd, a newcomer, who portrays the salaried assassin, is one to be talked about and remembered." gaining well-rounded performances from the cast but weakening the tension necessary to melodramatic action. The screenplay by Eugene Ling and Wanda Tuchock was adapted from a story by Coles Trapnell and James B. Fisher. Seen in the home office projection room. Reviewer's Rating : Average. — E. A. C. Release date, July, 1945. Running time, 71 min. PCA No. 10829. General audience classification. Michael Howland Thomas Mitchell Anne Howland Mary Anderson Tommie Howland Edward Ryan Mark Stevens, B. S. Pully, Roy Roberts, John Russell, Norman Lloyd, Edward Kelly, Harry Shannon, Rex Williams, Ralph Dunn, Dick Rush, William Halligan, Freddie Graham. Blonde Ransom Universal — Comedy with Music "Blonde Ransom" is a light comedy with musical numbers and the usual romantic interests, which provides moderate entertainment. The songs by Collette Lyons and Pinky Lee are the bright spots of the film. Lyons and Lee also supply the comedy incidents which register somewhat less effectively. Donald Cook and Virginia Grey play the leading parts. Miss Grey is Vicki, a wealthy socialite who accidentally meets Duke, played by Donald Cook, the owner of the "Paradise Gardens," a New York night club. Duke is on the verge of losing his club on a gambling debt to a gang leader, competently played by Jerome Cowan. Lyons and Lee are the principal entertainers in Duke's club. The socialite tries to save the club but her uncle refuses to give her the necessary $63,000. Vicki decides to fake a kidnapping and tries to get $63,000 as a ransom. After a mass arrest, explanations are made and the troupe is released, except Jerome Cowan and his gang of racketeers. The musical numbers are "Musical Wedding," "The Life of the Party," "A Million Dollai! Worth of Dreams" and "Hinky Dinky Pinky/, The "Musical Wedding" finale sung by the entir| cast, is outstanding. If William Beaudine directed from a screenplay b'-1 M. Coates Webster, which was based on an original story by Robert T. Shannon. Seen in the home office projection room-. Re\< viewer's Rating: Average. — M. R. Y. Release date, June 15, 1945. Running time, 68 min. PCJ/| No. 10695. General audience classification. Duke Donald Co Vicki Virginia Grell Pinky Pinky La3 Sheba Collette Lyon , George Barbier, Jerome Cowan, George Meeker, Ian Wolftj Joe Kirk, Charles Delaney, Frank Reicher, Bill Davidsor| Chester Clute, Janina Frostova. Penthouse Rhythm Universal — Comedy with Music A pleasing succession of songs and dancei; course capriciously through Frank Gross' modes;; production, forming its chief charm. The plotj while not adroit or unusual, makes for fair fun with slapstick breaking out almost throughout its I entire length. J When a few aspiring entertainers find it harc'J to get auditions, they decide the best strategy tc'J set the producers after them is to play important and hard to get. Lois Collier, a friend, moves theJ team into the penthouse of her boss, who is being' reconditioned on Maxie Rosenbloom's health farm. The basis of the story is shaped by the complica-J tions of mistaken identity which follow thick and, fast, climaxed by a riotous free-for-all that winds t] up in the police station. Somewhere between the'; music and the madness a romantic angle is nudgedc in between Miss Collier and Kirby Grant, a lawyer with a yen to croon. The rambunctious foursome who finally succeed; in making their big-time debut consists of pretty^ Judy Clark, Louis Da Pron, Jimmy Dodd and Bobby Worth. Among the fairly numerous vocal; numbers are "Society Numbers," "Let's Go II Americana 1" "When I Think of Heaven" and "Up^ 1 Comes Love." Stanley Roberts and Howard Dimsdale did the] screenplay from a story by the former and Min Selvin. Eddie Cline directed in farcical vein. Seen at the home office projection room. Re-'; viewer's Rating: Average. — Mandel Herbstman.;. Release date, June 22, 1945. Running time, 60 min.' PCA No. 10470. General audience classification. Dick Kirby Grant; Linda Lois Colliet ilj Edward Norris, Maxie Rosenbloom, Eric Blore, Minna ||l Gombel, Edward S. Brophy, Judy Clark, Marion Martin, Donald McBride, Henry Armetta, Jimmy Dodd, Bobby ; Wroth, Louis Da Pron, George Lloyd, Paul Hurst, Harry P Barris, Velasco and Lence. One Exciting Night Paramount Pine-Thomas — Mirth and j Murder There's murder and there's mirth in this PineThomas production, George Zucco attending to the former in his accustomed manner, while William Gargan, Ann Savage, Leo Gorcey and Paul Hurst ! share the latter responsibility with most of the others in the cast and with David Lang, who wrote the script. Mr. Gargan and Miss Savage, portraying rival reporters, also take care of the romantic requirement, and a nice pairing of personalities , it is. The picture opens with a murder by Zucco in plain view of the camera, after which the story concerns the purloining and sequestering of the 1 corpus delicti by newspaper reporters and other ' persons who have various reasons for wanting to (1) retain and or (2) relinquish possession of it. The place is New York, the time is any time, and it all happens in one night. Maxwell Shane served Pine and Thomas as associate producer of this item in their string of practical pictures and Mr. Thomas directed in person. The film is about par for the P-T course. Previewed at the studio. Reviewer's Rating : Average.— W. R. W. Release date, July 27, 1945. Running time, 64 min. PCA No. 10746. General audience classification. Pete Willis William Gargan Sue Gallagher Ann Savage Leo Gorcey, Don Beddoe, Paul Hurst, Charles Halton, George Zucco, Robert Barron, George E. Stone. 2486 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, JUNE 9, 1945