Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1948)

Four Faces West UA-Enter prise — Bloodless Western Let it be understood that Joel McCrea makes as good an outlaw-cowboy as has ever roamed the screen. Let it be understood further that, supplied with a horse, a girl, a motive and a good measure of common sense he should capture the hearts of all his fans and of all Western addicts, for he cuts a fine figure of a man. There is just one thing missing — the sound of a gun. Exhibitors here have what might be called a "new" kind of Western. This Enterprise production, reminiscent of "Stagecoach" in some of its aspects, rests squarely on its performances, on the impressively photographed landscape and on the absence of violence in any form. Whether this type of Western, with most of its tension and excitement in the story itself and in the oft-repeated shots of horses churning the dust of the New Mexico country will satisfy the fans who like noisy gun duels and fisticuffs, is up to the exhibitor to decide. Certainly, he has here a different kind of "super" western, suspensefully directed, elaborately photographed, well acted and provided with a certain measure of romance and heart appeal. Its exploitation value is not confined only to the marquee, where the names of McCrea, Frances Dee and Charles Bickford stand out attractively, but also in the fact that ' the picture is historically accurate and that many of its figures actually lived. Produced elaborately by Harry Sherman, the film was directed by Alfred E. Green from a screenplay by Graham .Baker and Teddi Sherman and is based on the story "Paso Por Aqui" by Eugene Manlove Rhodes. McCrea holds up a bank while Sheriff Bickford makes a speech outside. From that moment on it is one long pursuit of McCrea by the famous law enforcing officer. McCrea meets Miss Dee, who is a nurse for the railroad. Joseph Calleia, a gambler, recognizes him but becomes his friend. Relentlessly the law closes in on McCrea. Once in his 'flight he is accompanied by Frances. She asks him to give himself up, but he refuses. The hunt continues among the rocks of the desert land. McCrea finds a Mexican family dying of diphtheria. Instead of fleeing, he stays to help them, and here the sheriff catches up with him. Recognizing that here is a man of honor (McCrea already has started to pay off some of the money he took from the bank) he gives him a chance to give himself up. Seen at the United Artists home office in New York. Reviewer's Rating : Good. — Fred HlFT. Release date. May IS, 1948. Runnings time, 90 min. PCA No. 12679. General audience classification. Ross McEwen Joel McCrea Fay Hollister Frances Dee Pat Garrett Charles Bickford Joseph Calleia, William Conrad, Martin Garralaga, Raymond Largay, John Parrish, Dan White. Return of the Bad Men RKO Radio — Super Western Randolph Scott heads the cast in this 90-minute Western which depicts the struggle between outlaws and the law abiding settlers of the Oklahoma Territory. Robert Ryan, a star of "Crossfire," portrays the Sundance Kid, a trigger happy outlaw. Anne Jeffreys is the niece of the leader of the outlaw band, who participates in holdups and shootings. The girl outlaw is shot in a holdup and seeks refuge on Scott's ranch. Scott is engaged to a pretty widow, played by Jacqueline White, whose father, George "Gabby" Hayes, owns the local bank. Scott convinces Anne Jeffreys that she should reform and give herself up to the authorities. She is sent to jail and then paroled to Scott, who was appointed a Marshal. The reformed outlaw works in the Marshal's ofifice and when Robert Ryan comes to kill the Marshal he strangles her. Scott corners tlie dangerous outlaws and he has a fierce hand-tohand exchange with Ryan, in which Scott is the victor. Then Scott and his fiancee marry and plan to spend the rest of their lives in the Oklahoma Territory. Jack J. Gross was the executive producer, with Nat Holt producing and Ray Enright directing. The screenplay was written by Charles O'Neil, Jack Natteford and Luci Ward. Seen at the home office projection room. Reviewer's Rating : Good. — M. R. Y. Release date, July 17, 1948. Running time, 90 min. PCA No. 12512. General audience classification. Vance Randolph Scott Sundance Kid Robert Ryan Cheyenne Anne Jeffreys John Pettit George "Gabby" Hayes Madge Allen Jacqueline White Steve Brodie, Richard Powers, Robert Bray, Lex Barker, Walter Reed, Michael Harvey, Dean White, Robert Armstrong, Tom Tyler, Lew Harvey, Gary Gray, Walter Baldwin, Minna Gombell, Warren Jackson, Robert Clarke, Jason Robards Guns of Hate RKO Radio — Western Adventure When Tim Holt and his side-kick, Richard Martin, are jailed for a murder they did not commit there's sure to be trouble. Produced by Herman Schlom and directed by Leslev Selander, "Guns of Hate" is an action-filled Western enhanced by some excellent outdoor photography of the rugged countryside. Based on a screenplay by Norman Houston and Ed Earl Repp, Tim and "Chito" (Martin) break jail in an attempt to prove their innocence and to recover the map to a hidden gold mine stolen from the murdered man. After the usual fist and gun-fights and some hard riding, they uncover the mine and then expose the true murderers. As usual, there's a hint of romance between the star and Nan Leslie, the niece of the murdered man. Others in supporting roles are Steve Brodie as the leader of the outlaws, and Myrna Dell, a dance-hall hostess and "Chito's" girl friend. George E. Diskant directed the photography. Reviewed at home office projection room. Revieiver's Rating : Fair. — G. H. S. Release date. June 18, 1948. Running time, 62 min. PCA No. 12891. General audience classification. Bob Tim Holt Judy Nan Leslie Chito Richard Martin Steve Brodie, Myrna Dell, Tony Barrett, Jom Nolan, Jason Robards, Robert Bray, Marilyn Mercer Under California Stars Republic — Roy Rogers Western This is hardly up to the standard of Roy Rogers Westerns. But still it measures up nicely when compared with the average run of such films. It is done in Trucolor and occasionally appears unnatural. The story strains at the sentimentality inherent in a youngster's adoration of a film cowboy. Core of the plot concerns 10-year-old Michael Chapin's attempt to rescue Rogers' horse, "Trigger," kidnapped by a gang of predatory horse-traders. Rogers plays himself and the action takes place during one of his vacations from the studio. Jane Frazee is decorative, Andy Devine supplies some slapstick, and George H. Lloyd and Wade Crosby lend an appropriate touch of villainy. Rogers is his usual personable self and joins the Sons of the Pioneers in a few tunes. Edward J. White was associate producer, William Whitney directed, and Sloan Nibley and Paul Gangelin wrote the screenplay from an original by Mr. Gangelin. Reviewed in the Republic projection room in New York. Reviewer's Rating : Fair. Release date. May 1, 1948. Running time, 70 min. PCA No. 12906. General audience classification. Roy Roy Rogers Caroline Maynard Jane Frazee Andy Devine, George H. Lloyd, Wade Crosby, Michael Chapin, House Peters, Jr., Steve Clark, Joseph Garro, Paul Power, John Wald, and Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers Stage Struck Monogram — Exploitation Piece Clearly intended for theatres located in areas where flash fronts and provocative billing bid for drop-in patronage, this melodrama sets forth in elementary manner to point out that dangers ranging up to death by murder lurk in the big city for small town girls who leave home in vain pursuit of footlight careers. The chief players are Kane Richmond, Audrey Long, Conrad Nagel and Ralph Byrd, but the script is so full of planted texts, and the direction so handicapped by dialogue, that the picture never rises above the level of an illustrated lecture on an antique theme. The scene is New York, and the picture opens on the murder by a night club operator of a stage struck small town girl he's first enrolled in his fake (theatrical school and employed thereafter as hostess. Richmond plays his employee, who observes the murder, gets rid of the body, and then takes charge of the business. Nagel plays a plodding detective assigned to the murder case, and Miss Long is seen as the murdered girl's sister, who comes to the city and follows in her sister's footsteps in hope of finding out who did the killing. If there's a sparkle of novelty in the proceedings, it's the use of a tape recorder in pinning the crime on the killer. Jeffrey Bernerd produced and William Nigh directed from a script by George Wallace Sayre and Agnes Christine Johnston based on a story by the former. Previewed at studio. Reviewer's rating : Fair. — William R. Weaver. Release date, June 13, 1948. Running time, 71 min. PCA No. 13085. General audience classification. Nick Mantee Kane Richmond Nancy Howard Audrey Long Conrad Nagel, Ralph Byrd, John Gailaudet, Anthony Ward, Jamela Blake, Charles Trowbridge, Nana Bryant, Selmar Jackson, Evelyn Brent, Wanda McKay, Jacqueline Thomas, Wilbur Mack. Campus Sleuth Monogram — Murder and Music Producer-director Will Jason cut out a stiff chore for himself when he undertook to combine collegiate comedy, dance band entertainment and a murder mystery in a 57-minute stretch of film, and it's not surprising that each of the three elements suffers from the necessary intermittent emphasis on the other two. The murder mystery suffers somewhat greater damage than the other two, but there is quite a lot of motion maintained throughout and this may compensate for lack of cohesion in the opinion of most onlookers. Freddie Stewart does most of the singing, and Bobby Sherwood's orchestra furnishes the band numbers, Sherwood himself venturing the Petrillo wrath to the extent of appearing also as the murderer. Donald MacBride's performance of a police inspector is the solidest thing in the offering. Jason worked with a script by Hal Collins based on a story by the latter and Max Wilson. The picture opens at a college dance, played by Sherwood and boys, and establishes the murder theme by having a visiting photographer choked to death just outside the dance hall. The hoAy, discovered by a student (Warren Mills) disappears promptly, and is variously whisked about for a time by a campus watchman, who is an ex-convict. Emphasis is upon comedy and music most of the way on from this point, but finally there is grilling of the suspect, followed by a melodramatic episode in which it is disclosed that the band leader, who's secretly a jewel fence, did the killing. Maurice Duke was associate producer. Previewed at the studio. Reviewed s Rating : Fair.—W. R. W. Release date, April 18, 1948. Running time, 57 min. PCA No. 12951. General audience classification. Freddie Freddie Stewart Dodie Rogers June Preisser Warren Mills, Noel Neill, Donald MacBride, Monte CoUins, Stan Ross, Bobby Sherwood and his orchestra, Billy Snyder, William Norton Bailey, Charles Campbell 4162 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MAY 15, 1948