Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

the dance business to revive. When it does, the pair go on to new heights. The story, an original screenplay by Elick Moll and Valentine Davies, is plain but solid enough to sustain a variety of musical numbers in which Dailey, working with and in front of his band, handles a group of 1929 song hits in a manner to make most of today's radio crooners ashamed of themselves. Nothing tremendous about it, but just plain good. Fred Kohlmar produced and Lloyd Bacon directed with fine appreciation of the values in hand. Previewed at the Academy Awards theatre, Los Angeles, where a lay press audience manifested pleased satisfaction. Rezieiver's Rating : Good. — William R. Weaver. Release date, not set. Running time, 92 min. PCA No. 12S86. General audience classification. Peggy Mayhew Jeanne Crain Chuck Arnold Dan Dailey Oscar Oscar Levant Barbara Lawrence, Selena Royle, Percy Kilbride, Herbert Anderson To the Ends of the Earth Columbia — Documentary Type Melodrama "Based on actual incidents from the files of the United States Treasury Department," to quote the screened preface, this Sidney Buchman production of a story and script by Jay Richard Kennedy, who is down also as associate producer, is a combining of documentary and melodrama for the purpose of setting forth the function and procedures of the Narcotics Division under Commissioner Harry J, Anslinger, who is seen as himself at the opening and close and in midcourse of the picture. The star of the melodramatic story in the foreground is Dick Powell, giving it the type of slam-bang performance he gave as the private detective in the memorable "Murder, My Sweet." Signe Hasso, in an unroma'ntic assignment opposite him, is the other name for marquee display. The film, it will be remembered, is the one which figured in the revising of the Production Code so that the illegal drug traffic could be dealt with on the screen, but the kind of exploitation a reckless showman might see fit to base on this circumstance would not be borne out by the extraordinarily complicated cops-and-robber tale the film delivers. Billing based on the Dick Powell style of indefatigable crime detection appears likeliest to attract the patronage likeliest to enjoy the offering. In its opening and closing stretches, as well as more or less steadily throughout when Powell is narrating as well as acting, the picture is severely documentary in character. In these instances it imparts the information that the Treasury Department is more active and far reaching in its operations against smugglers of opium — the only drug specifically mentioned — than is generally known, and the recent signing of the United Nations covenant on the subject is repeatedly stressed. The story in the foreground is perhaps the most thoroughly complicated skein of events ever contrived within the running time of one picture. In it Powell portrays Michael Barrows, the operative in charge of Commissioner Anslinger's San Francisco office, who observes the jettisoning of a hundred chained Chinese from a Japanese steamer outside the 12-mile limit — this is 1935 — and flies to Shanghai to investigate the steamer's occupation and sponsorship. This is but the beginning of a chain of violent adventures in line of duty which take him to Egypt, to Havana, with culprits committing suicide as fast as he catches up with them, and finally back to New York Harbor, where it turns out, even more surprisingly than the fantastic surprises which have gone before, that a 20-year-old Chinese girl, whom everybody's been regarding as a child, is really the master mind behind the international ring of opium smugglers which has had the U. S., England, France and Cuba completely baffled. The melodrama is in the complex tradition of the currently popular radio detective program (Pat Novak, Sam Spade, Fat Man, etc.), inclusive of the knockouts, the multiple murders, and the mysterious blonde, and it adds to these staples of ear entertainment the spectacle of en slaved Chinese broken by forced labor and drowned en masse by way of concealing evidence. Without the prefatory assurance that the story is "based on actual incidents" in the file of a Federal bureau, it would be a hard story to believe. With that assurance, it's even harder to credit. Whether the total effect ot it will be to convince the public that the Treasury Department is doing a termendous job in the field of narcotics, or that it's not so hot if a Chinese gal sympathetically inclined toward the Japanese high command can give it the tussle this one does, probably is for time and exhibition to decide. Robert Stevenson directed. Previewed at studio. Reviewer's Rating: Good.—W. R. W. Release date, February, 1948. Running time, 107 min. PCA No. 12390. General audience classification. Michael Barrows Dick Powell Ann Grant Signe Hasso Commissioner Harry J. Anslinger Himself Maylia, Ludwig Donath, Vladimir SokolofT, Edgar Barrier, John Hoyt, Marcel Journet, Luis Van Rooten, Fritz Lieber. Vernon Steele, P'eter Virgo, Lou Krugman, Eddie Lee, Ivan Triesault Albuquerque Paramount— Color Western Shot in good Cinecolor that makes the most of the rugged and beautiful New Mexico scenery, this Pine-Thomas Clarion Production has most of a Western's prerequisites and, despite its occasionally slow pace, should do well. For the marquee the Randolph Scott-George "Gabby" Hayes combination is strong. Barbara Britton proves herself a handy girl with a gun and Lon Chaney turns in a good performance as a lumbering strong man with a minimum of brains. Ray Enright directed with accent on dramatic action. Gene Lewis and Clarence Upson Young wrote the screenplay. The story is better than the average Western yarn. It gives Scott a chance to engage in some hard riding, to use his fists on Lon Chaney with telling effect, to drive an ore-laden wagon down a winding mountain road with the brakes out of commission and, finally, to let his gun speak in the name of justice, doing away with most of the villains. Hayes is excellent and good for laughs. In "Albuquerque" his refreshing antics prove to be one of the picture's mainstays. Scott .comes to town ready to work for his uncle, George Cleveland, the despotic and hardhearted czar of Albuquerque, who operates an ore freight line. When he realizes his uncle's attitude, Scott goes to .work for a rival outfit headed by Russell Hayden and Catherine Craig. Hayes joins the partnership and from then on they spend their time dodging the traps prepared for them by the embittered uncle. Meanwhile, Miss Britton, an agent hired by Cleveland, has gone over to Scott's side. She warns them of a final trap, but Hayes and Scott choose to fight it out, providing the picture's actionfilled climax. Seen at a New York projection room. Reviewer's Rating : Good.— Fred Hift. Release date, February 20th, 1948. Running time, 90 min. PCA No. 12428. General audience classification. Cole Armin Randolph Scott Letty Tyler Barbara Britton Juke George "Gabby" Hayes Russell Hayden, Catherine Craig, Lon Chaney, George Cleveland, Karolvn Grimes, Russell Simpson, Bernard Nedell Angels Alley Monogram — The Bowery Boys Exhibitors accustomed to cooperating with local authorities and organizations in community interest have here a treatment of the juvenile delinquency theme which rates calling to their special attention. A picture in producer Jan Grip po's Bowery Boy series, it lacks nothing which the followers of those pictures demand in the way of action and slick lingo, but makes the noteworthy point that the juvenile citizenry itself can cope with juvenile delinquency more directly and expeditiously than anybody else when the will to do so is present. This time the Bowery Boys, without letdown from their accustomed pitch of rough and read}?deportment, come smack up against the delinquency problem when a cousin of one of them, released on parole, joins with a crook engaged principally in stealing automobiles. The boys do what they can to dissuade him, and quite a number of actionful complications follow, but they are not successful until they turn their attions to the racketeer himself. Finally, they rig; matters so that he is placed in the position of having stolen the cars belonging to the district attorney and other officers of the law, and when the vehicles are found at his headquarters he is taken into custody and the menace of his influence eliminated. Directed by William Beaudine, from an original script by Edmond Seward, Tim Ryan and! Gerald Schnitzer, the picture is tops for the series. Previewed at the Marcal theatre, Hollywood, where it zvas well received. Revie-wer' s Rating : Good.—W. R. W. Release date, not set. Running time, 67 min. PCA No. 12786. General audience classification. Slip Leo Gorcey Sach Huntz Hall Billy Benedict, David Gorcey, Gabriel Dell, Frankie Darro, Nestor Paiva, Geneva Gray, Rosemary La Planche, John Eldredge, Mary Gordon, Richard Paxton The Main Street Kid Republic — Comedy Al Pearce, radio and film comedian, is the leading performer in this light, diverting comedy. He portrays the owner of a small town printshop who has an urge to learn how to read minds. Chief supporting players are Janet Martin, as his daughter, Alan Mowbray, the mindreading expert, and Arlene Harris, the wife. Highlights of the film are humorous incidents and slapstick comedy arising when Pearce takes a phonograph course in mental telepathy. Pearse's daughter is in love with a wealthy young man who is infatuated with an ex-show girl, played by Adele Mara. She intends to marry the rich boy and get some of his money. The scheme is unveiled by Pearce, when by accident he has the power of mind reading. In the happy conclusion the small town girl gets her man. Sidney Picker was the associate producer and R. G. Springsteen directed from Jerry Sackheim's screenplay. Seen at the home office projection room. Reviewer's Rating: Fair. — M. R. Y. Release date, January 1, 1948. Running time, 64 min. PCA No. 12743. General audience classification. Otis Al Pearce Jill Janet Martin Martine Alan Mowbray Adele Mara, Arlene Harris, Emil Rameau, Byron S. Barr, Douglas Evans. Roy Barcroft. Phil Arnold, Sarah Edwards, Earle Hodgins, Dick Elliott Stage to Mesa City Eagle Lion — La Rue Western The film follows the usual Western pattern with fast riding, stagecoach holdups and various sorts of outdoor action for entertainment. "Lash" LaRue, as a U. S. Marshal, is the hero. With Al "Fuzzy" St. John as his deputy, the marshal captures a gang of crooks. "Lash" arrives on the scene after the stagecoach has been held up and the owner killed. He and "Fuzzy" help Brad Slaven and Jennifer Holt, the son and daughter of the stagecoach owner, operate the stage. The villains want to gain control because the government is about ot award a contract to carry the mail on that route. The rightful owners of the stage line get the mail contract through the assistance of (Continued on opposite page) 4030 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 24, 1948