Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

:S3 & SKlJ SHOWMEN'S REVIEWS ADVANCE SYNOPSES SHORT SUBJECTS COMPANY CHART THE RELEASE CHART This deparfment deals with new product from the point of view of the exhibitor who is to purvey it to his own public. The Stranger RKO Radio International — Death in the Clock-Tower Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young and Orson Welles are the names showmen can stress in this suspense drama. Welles, in fact, does the best acting of his career in the role of the Nazi mastermind who, having destroyed every clue to his identity, comes to America and marries the daughter of a Supreme Court Justice. Robinson, always excellent, surpasses himself as the agent sent by the Government in TU^^ \A/nllc Cnme:^ pursuit of the Nazi. Miss Young scores in " VVUIl^ V-UIMC what is probably the most difficult character T ,--,L Ij— — n/-\\A/r» ization of all: that of a young wife torn be ' UmDimg UOWll tween her love for her husband, and her Co/Mm6m— Melodrama mountmg fear and distrust oi hmi. in the . . , , , ■ • . -n-u xj^..r. v.^4-;^^,.:^u^c. An interesting and suspenseful melodrama, supporting cast, Billy House distingu shes ^^^^^^^ j ^^^^l,^ production more than fills himself in the role of a small-town store requirements of its category. Lee Bowkeeper, man and Marguerite Chapman are cast in the Anthony Veiller's screenplay, based on a story leading roles, the former appearing to advantage by Victor Trivas, takes place in the quiet little as a columnist turned detective, and Miss Chaptown of Harper, where Welles is employed as rnan beguiling in her portrayal of a young an instructor at a boys' boarding-school. The heiress in search of a mission masterpiece by distinguishing feature of the town is its church Leonardo da Vinci, once owned by her grandtower, containing a 17th century clock, silent father. for many years Other people are as anxious as Miss Chapman It isthis clock which serves, in large part, ^ hands on the priceless painting Among to bring the Nazi to his doom, for, having al ^hem are Edgar Buchanan George Macready tered his identity as far as humanly possible, he ^I^J Edward Bromberg, all cast as characters rannni renrpss his interest in clocks nor his de Without qualms or conscience Macready is par cannot repress ms interest m clocks, nor nis ae ti^ularly outstanding, though the use of the sire to repair this particular timepiece. It is . , J' A;.a,,f^p onen to mw^ the clock, too, which kills him, in as gruesome ™ ^the fcofe &f taste^" " " '° a death scene as has ever been filmed. _ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^1 j On the day set for the wedding of the Nazi to -^^ ^^^^^^^ melodramas, and I ghoul the Justices daughter a stranger comes to -^^ grave-robbery make up the body of Wil own, a Nazi released by American officials in ^^-^ ^ p^^^.^^,^ screenplay, based on the novel he hope that he will lead them to \Velles The by Jo Eisinger. At the conclusion of 82 excit latter sensing his danger murders the stranger ■ -^.^ tl^^ painting, and the and buries his body in the woods. 1^ ^^^^ ^^le girl Thereafter the suspense mounts to almost un Lolhar Mendes directed with zest and vigor, bearable heights as Robinson closes in on ^^^^ Reviexi^er's Rating : Good. Welles, and as Miss Young discovers, unwill g ingly and with increasing horror, the kind of r. i j » t t> ■ . • o-, • „ 1 , • , r^i u Release date, June /, 1946. Running tmie, 82 mm. man she has married. Climax comes when No. 11454. General audience classificatic^. Welles is trapped in the church-tower, his es Archer Lee Bowman cape barred by his wife, the Government agent, Patricia Marguerite Chapman and the aroused citizens of Harper. He leaps Edgar Buchanan George Macready, Lee Patrick jMia r „ .1 . I i u • 1 J J than Hale, J. tdwaid Bromberg, Ehsabeth Risdon, trom the tower, only to be impaled on a sword unes Mander. which is in the hand of one of the clock's ornamental figures. I ^ II Welles' direction is strongly reminiscent of LyOH t vjQmDlG Hitchcock's : eerie, spine-chilling, macabre. Russell Metty's photography, which is superb, XA/itn StmnnPr^ enhances the mood of mounting liorror. S. P. Willi OIlVJII^CIo Eagle's careful craftsmanship and attention to MonOffVam — Chicanery with Cards detail are everywhere evident through the entire ^, ^. , , , , tt i length of the production. ^^ne Richmond and Bernadene Hayes do a c i ^1 r> ^ w . TT n J smooth job of interpreting the peculiar attitude Seen at the Pontages theatre. Hollywood, ^ ^^^^ by those who live by their wits. where he audience urns audibly impressed. Re^ ^ ^ ^^^ ^^ card-sharps-sophisticated viewers Rating: E.vccllent.-Tu.xLiA Bell. ,^i„dlers who move in the best circles-both M fi«l ^Ta u^"""^- Kunnmg time, 85 min. PCA completely believable. So sympathetic is No. 11289. Adult audience classification. tt > ^ \ • ^ i. ^.i. \ Zi. j Wilson Edward G. Robinson Miss Hayes portrayal,_ in fact, that the ending, Mary Loretta Young which sees her Still plying her profession, is sat Prof. Charles Rankin Orson Welles isfactory from an audience viewpoint, though Phihp Merivale, Richard Long, Byron Keith, Billy . . rnnral standards House. Konstantin Shayne, Martha Wentworth, Isabel "^i, "7 lu' ^ , w r O'Madigan. Before this denouement, however, a lot of MOTION PICTURE HERALD. MAY 25, 1946 things happen. Richmond takes over a swanky gambling club in a middle-sized city, and proceeds to rook the citizens, among them a prominent banker, whose son is assistant to the district attorney. The son is engaged to a local heiress, but she jilts him for the more attractive gambler. Smart as he is in other respects, the latter has never learned that "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," and is surprised and resentful when his former partner turns stoolpigeon. A timely murder, committed by the gambler whom Richmond has ousted, solves matters for all concerned, and after a brief sojourn in the local jail. Miss Hayes takes to the Atlantic liner run, where gambling is legal and pigeons are plump. * Jeffrey Bernerd, an expert at this sort of thing, has given the picture polished production values. William Beaudine, who directed, never allows the action to lag. The picture should be welcomed by all audiences save those who can't tell a straight from a flush. Harvey Gates and Caryl Colman wrote the screenplay. Seen at the studio. Reviewer's Rating : Good. -T. B. Release date, not set. Running time, 68 min. PCA No. 11595. General audience classification. Mike Sarno Kane Richmond Fay Benton Bernadene Hayes Peter Cookson, Gloria Warren, Charles Trowbridge, Frank Dae, Addison Richards, Phil Van Zandt. Renegades Columbia — Super-Western Tricked out in Technicolor and embellished with some novel twists, this is the story of a way of life long since vanished from the western prairies, but one which still provides vicarious thrills for almost every type of audience. Evelyn Keyes, Willard Parker and Larry Parks are the principals in the screenplay by Melvin Levy and Francis Edwards Faragoh, •based on a story by Harold Shumate. Miss Keyes, portraying the daughter of a prosperous insurance man, a leading citizen of the town of Prairie Dog, is engaged to be married to the local doctor, played by Willard Parker. Before this happy event, however, she meets Larry Parks, whose role is that of a renegade member of the notorious Dembrow gang. _ Turning against his family, particularly against his evil old father, played with relish by Edgar Buchanan, young Parks tries to go straight. But the suspicions of his neighbors hound him and he -is tried for a crime he did not commit. His family rescues him from the courtroom at pistol point, and the disillusioned young man decides to throw in his lot with his kinfolk, taking the girl with him as his bride. Months of fleeing from the law, and the approaching birth of her child, impel her to send for the doctor, who has never ceased to love her. But her troubles are not yet at an end. Her husband kidnaps the child in order to force her to rejoin him. In a tense gun-battle the doctor is forced to kill the outlaw. Thereafter he restores the child to its mother, and the end 3005