Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

nature, audiences undoubtedly will be emotionally stirred. Edmund H. North's screenplay, based on a play by Edward Sheldon and Margaret Ayer Barnes, seems to have been directed in more footage than would seem to be required for the telling of the story. Reviewed at a trade press screening in the United Artists projection room in New York. Reviewer's Rating : Good— ^George H. Spires. Release date, May 16, 1947. Running time, 85 min. PCA No. 11928. Adult audience classification. Madeleine Damien . Hedy Lamarr Dr. Cousins Dennis O'Keefe Ethel Natalie Schafer Felix Courtland John Loder William Lundigan, Paul Cavanagh, Morris Carnovsky, Douglass Dumbrille, Nicholas Joy, Margaret Hamilton Calcutta Paramount — Adventure Story Take a couple of romantic professions, jewel thieving and flying the "Hump" between Chunking and Calcutta, take a couple of romantic characters like Alan Ladd and William Bendix, and put all this down into a romantic country like India, stir in a couple of gamblers and a sultry woman or .two and you've got Paramount's latest, "Calcutta." Here's the story of American fliers unwittingly aiding Indian jewel theives in smuggling stolen goods across the border and being wrongly suspected of murder by a couple of not very far-seeing English police officials. It all begins when Ladd, Bendix and John Whitney, three inseparable flier-pals, suddenly have their numbers reduced by one : Whitney is found strangled to death. Ladd, being the tight-lipped smart character, makes the most headway in discovering who did the dirty work. Bendix, being the bumbling but loveable character, tags along and is somewhat ignored in this picture. Ladd finds Whitney's girl friend, Gail Russell, and questions her about the murder. She says she doesn't know anything. Ladd believes her and falls in love with her. But the more evidence Ladd collects the more suspect Miss Russell becomes. One day Ladd grabs Miss Russell, gives her a slapping about the head, and Miss Russell confesses. Yes, she says, she was mixed up in the murder. Love is not blind. Ladd turns her over to the police. Though filled with the basic essentials of romance, mystery and aventure, "Calcutta" does not fully capitalize on them, does not get all the suspense out of them. Miscasting is at fault here and the direction is slack. However, the film boasts powerful marquee names which can be capitalized. The feature was produced and written by Seton I. Miller and directed by John Farrow. Seen at the home office projection room. Reviewer's Rating: Fair. — Ray Lanning. Release date, May 30, 1947. Running time, 83 min. PCA No. 11115. Adult audience classification. Neale Gordon Alan Ladd Virginia Moore Gail Russell Pedro Blake William Bendix Marina Taney June Duprez Lowell Gilmore, Edith King, Paul Singh, Gavin Muir, John Whitney, Benson Fong Philo Vance Returns PRC — Murders Galore Produced by Howard Welsch and directed by William Beaudine, "Philo Vance Returns" is another episode in this particular series of crime melodramas which closely follows the format long used to engage the audience's attion by inviting them to participate in tracking down the culprit. With William Wright in the title role the story concerns a wealthy playboy who is murdered. Suspected is any one of his halfdozen ex-wives who may be seeking his estate. It isn't until five other murders are also committed that Philo Vance, the master-detective, has sufficient clues to expose the least suspected member of the cast. In supporting roles are Terry Austin as an ex-wife ; Leon Belasco, who handles the come dy as the detective's assistant, and Clara Blandick, as the murdered man's wealthy grandmother. Robert E. Kent wrote the original screenplay. Reviewed at Lloyd's projection room in New York. Reviewer's Rating: Average. — G. H. S. Release date, April 14, 1947. Running time, 64 min. PCA No. 12256. General audience classification. Philo Vance William Wright Lorena Simms Terry Austin Alexis Leon Belasco Stella Blendon Clara Blandick Ramsey Ames, Damian O'Flynn, Frank Wilcox, Iris Adrian, Ann Staunton, Tim Murdock, Mary Scott SHORT SUBJECTS FORGOTTEN ISLAND (RKO Pathe) This Is America (73,706) "Forgotten Island" is a film analysis of one of America's chief problems — Puerto Rico. About half the size of Massachusetts and almost barren of productive soil, the subject shows that the island's inhabitants are largely dependent upon imports for sustenance. As further proof of the country's plight the film shows the limited production facilities of the island and the large slum areas in which many thousands live. However, the camera takes the audience on a graphic tour to show what is being done to aid the Puerto Rican people, including the building and operation of experimental stations to exploit the island's scanty resources ; importing pure bred cattle and the development of vocational schools. Release date, April 4, 1947 18 minutes GOOFY GROCERIES (WB) Blue Ribbon Cartoon (3307) The various cans and packages on a grocery store shelf come to life : a ferocious inmate of the animal cracker box breaks loose and almost succeeds in totally destroying his neighbors. In Technicolor. Release date April 19, 1947 7 minutes REMEMBER WHEN (WB) Featurette (3106) This re-release is set in the background of an old-time dance and music hall of the Gay Nineties. The Eaton Boys double as singers and waiters. Joe Sodja plays a hot banjo. The Three Wiles dance. The finale is a minstrel show. Release date, April 5, 1947 20 minutes TENNIS WIZARDS (Col.) Sport Reels (8807) Here are the world's professional tennis champions in action : Bobby Riggs and Don Budge. These two skilled players offer the basic elements of the game and then play an exhibition match. Release date, March 20, 1947 9 minutes BIRTH OF A NOTION (WB) Merrie Melodies Cartoon (2716) Daffy Duck decides to ignore his migratory instincts by not going south for the winter with the rest of the ducks. He beds down in the nice warm house of a scientist. But this scientist turns out to be Peter Lorre who has definite use for a duck in his experiments so Daffy sprouts jet-propelled wings and catches up with his feathered friends in the South. In Technicolor. Release date, April 12, 1947 7 minutes FLICKER FLASHBACKS (RKO Radio) No. 6 (74,206) The memory of days long gone is recalled in this latest issue of Flicker Flashbacks, which brings to the screen some of the films that thrilled granddad in the nickleodeon days. One deals with a couple of crooks, chased by the police. The other, "The Violinist," tells the tragi-comic story of a girl who dies while the man she loves plays her favorite tune on the violin. The whole reel is packed 'with laughs. Release date, April 11, 1947 9 minutes BIG HOUSE BLUES (Col.) Color Rhapsody (8503) Flippy, the canary, reads a book on crime and then immediately thinks of his cage as a cell and himself as stir-crazy. He escapes from the cage only to be confronted by his eternal enemy, the cat, now a prison guard. The usual chase results. In color. Release date, March 6, 1947 7 minutes BRIDE AND GLOOM (Col.) All-Star Comedy (8439) Shemp Howard gets into a marital mixut which involves him in spinning around in a love nest with the wrong woman. Shemp's wife-to-be is left waiting at the church as the comedy opens and from then on it is a free-for-all. Release date, March 27, 1947 16 minutes STRAIGHT SHOOTERS (RKO Radio) Walt Disney Cartoon (64,117) Donald Duck, as a barker in a shooting gallery at a carnival, is finding it difficult to attract customers until he lures his three nephews. They manage to break the clay pipes, but are none too happy .about the small boxes of candy Donald gives out as prizes. So he gives them a fake gun, but discovers that his nephews are too smart for him. A merry chase through the carnival grounds, involving adventures in the "Mystic Medium" booth, winds up the lively color cartoon. Release date, April 18, 1947 6 minutes WACKY OUACKY (Col.) Color Phantasy (8703) The old story of the hunter and the duck is given a backhanded twist in this one with the duck, Quacky, chasing the hunter. . Release date, March 20, 1947 6 minutes HARNESS RACING (WB) Sports Parade (3507) This short traces the career of the "standardbred" horse from his first days of training to the big day of the race. Highlight of the film is the Western Harness Racing Association's grand circuit meet at Santa Anita. In Technicolor. Release date, May 3, 1947 10 minutes GEORGE TOWNE AND HIS ORCHESTRA (Col.) Thrills of Music (8957) George Towne and his orchestra combine their musical talents with the vocalizing of Ray Eberle and Lita Terris. The songs include : "Without You," "One Night of Love" and "Managua, Nicaragua." Release date, March 27, 1947 10 minutes VAUDEVILLE REVUE (WB) Melody Master Band (3605) The music, songs and dances of the variety shows of the horse and buggy days are brought back to life in this short. The variety show was the forerunner of vaudeville. Release date, April 12, 1947 10 minutes THE GOOD BAD EGG (Col.) All-Star Comedy (8438) Joe De Rita stars in this one. As an inventor, unhappy about his bachelorhood, he reads a proposal written on an egg by a lonely woman. He marries the woman and then, too late, finds she has a destructive young son who wrecks Joe's invention. Release date, March 20, 1947 17 minutes I'LL CLOSE MY EYES (Col.) Community Sing (8658) The Song Spinners, with Don Baker at the organ, bring this quintet of tunes to the screen : "I'll Close My Eyes," "I Tipped My Hat," "Far Away Island," "Lullaby of Broadway" and "September Song." Release date, April 17, 1947 10 minutes 3598 PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION, APRIL 26, 1947