Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1943)

iYl \/AIR FORCE— Warners: One of the most exciting air pictures ever filmed, with suspense riding with the crew of the Mary Ann, an American bomber, from the moment it lifts into the air through the Jap attack at Pearl Harbor to Wake Island and Manila. John Garfield does an excellent job as the head gunner and Gig Young, Jim Brown, George Tobias and the rest of the cast deserve special mention. (April) \S AMAZING MRS. HOLLWAY, THE— Universal : Deanna Durbin, daughter of a missionary to China, pretends she married Commodore Harry Davenport just before he went down with his torpedoed ship in order to get her eight war orphan companions in the U. S. Soon enough she finds herself in all sorts of difficulties and head over heels in love with Edmond O'Brien, grandson of the late Commodore. (April) ^AMERICAN EMPIRE— Harry Sherman— U. A.: A \\ estern in the grand manner, with Richard Dix and Preston Foster as partners who establish a huge cattle ranch in Texas. Leo Carrillo is the rustler who steals their cattle until the shoot-it-out sequence that is a piperoo. Frances Gifford is Foster's wife. (Mar.) \/ANDY HARDY'S DOUBLE LIFE— M-G-M: Andy has three days left in Carvel before he leaves for college and during that time he gets himself engaged to two girls, gives a rubber check and helps his dad solve a case. Esther Williams is terrific in her swimming scene with Mickey Rooney. Ann Rutherford is back as Polly. (Mar.) APE MAN, THE — Monogram: Another scarey one, with Bela Lugosi as a crackpot scientist who in his experiments turns himself into an ape and then proceeds to trap human beings all over the place. (May) '/'ARABIAN NIGHTS— Wanger-Universal : Beauty in gorgeous color overshadows story and cast in this fanciful, farcical Arabian nights tale about a Caliph of Bagdad whose brother usurps his throne for the love of dancing girl Maria Montez. But the real Caliph, Jon Hall, moves unknown among her friends, winning her love and regaining his throne. (Mar.) ^BEHIND PRISON WALLS— P.R.C.: There's humor, satire and quite an impressive quality to this well-done little gem, with Alan Baxter as the overidealistic son whose testimony sends his industrialist father, Tully Marshall, to prison. Gertrude Michael is the secretary and Edwin Maxwell the meanie. The direction by Steve Sekely is outstanding. (May) BEHIND THE SB ALL— Universal : The Ritz Brothers are back again in this story about a couple of murders in the midst of a summer theater production with the murderers turning out to be spies. Carol Bruce sings and Grace McDonald dances. (Mar.) \/y CABIN IN THE SKY— M-G-M: Ethel Waters and Rochester, in company with an all-Negro cast, bring to the screen a classic of Negro folklore. Lena Home is the temptress trying to lure Rochester from his wife, Miss Waters, and such important entertainers as Rex Ingram, Willie Best, Kenneth Spencer and Louis Armstrong highlight the story. (May) \/\/CHETNlKSl— 20th Century-Fox: A thrilling story right out of the headlines about Jugoslavian guerrillas who refused to be conquered by Hitler. Hiding in the hills, Mihailovitch, Philip Dorn, constantly besieges the Nazi-held town in which his wife "ind children live, until he recaptures it. (April) CHINA GIRl 20th Century-Fox: George Montgomery, an unbelievably brash, reckless American newsreel cameraman in Mandalay, loses his job. gets involved with Japanese agents Lynn Bari and Victor McLaglen, and falls in love with Chinese Gene Tierney. The story is hopelessly incredible, and Miss Tierney has little to do but appear Oriental. (April) / UEI.LA SWINGS IT— RKO-Radio: Scattei i/ood Battles, the homey philosopher played by Guy Kibbee, puts otl a Q.S.O. show to help Gloria Warren win a place in a New York show, and he even guides her from classical to jive music. Leonid Kinskcy plays the music teacher, < Api il ) yyCOMMANDOS STRIKE A I DAWN— Columbia: A powerful war document, with a Commando raid highlighting a gripping storj realistically told. Paul Muni k'vis ( socko performance .is the Norwegian fisherman who first submits to, then actively revolts against, the cruelties ol thi invading Nazis. With him in the struggle are Anna Lee, Lillian Gish, Sir ( Vdi h I l;n dwn kr i Mar.) ^CRYSTAL BALL, THE— Cinema Guild-U.A.: Soothsayer Gladys George helps Paulette Goddard join up with Cecil Kellaway in a shooting gallery. When Paulette sees Ray Milland, who accompanies Virginia Field to the crystal ball gazer, she determines to take him away from her. And does she! William Bendix as Ray's chauffeur is terrific and we foresee a good laugh coming to you. (April ) EYES OF THE UNDERWORLD— Universal: When police chief Richard Dix goes after hot car and tire racketeers they threaten to expose the fact that Dix himself has a prison record, so Wendy Barrie, his secretary, and Don Porter, special investigator, foil the crooks and clear Dix of the charges. Lon Chaney is a standout as Dix's faithful chauffeur. (April) \/\/ FLIGHT FOR FREEDOM— RKO-Radio: A fine piece of storytelling about a woman who yearned to be a great flyer and achieved her purpose. Rosalind Russell is sincere and honest in the role so similar to the life role of Amelia Earhart. Fred MacMurray is the brilliant flyer who wins her heart and then walks out on her. Herbert Marshall is the man who teaches her to fly and who wins her promise of marriage. ( May) y\/FOREVER AND A DAY— RKO-Radio: This is the story of a London house and the generations who lived in it from its beginning in 1804 to an air raid in 1941. The brilliant cast includes Kent Smith, Ruth Warrick, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Merle Oberon, Brian Aherne, Ida Lupino, Herbert Marshall, Ray Milland and many others. Admission paid for this picture will go to the war charity your town specifies. (April) ^FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN — Universal: Lon Chaney, Jr., is the Wolf Man released from his grave by robbers. When he seeks a recipe to eternal death he enters the ruins where the Frankenstein monster is supposed to have died, but the monster comes to life again and then conies horror. Hun, i MasM-y Kft.s mixed up m the proceedings. It's a chiller-diller, all right. (Maj I GREAT IMPERSONATION, THE— Universal : A dual role story again, with Ralph Bellamy an Englishman who looks so much like Bellamy the German that he is able to go to Germany, get secret plans and be sent to England as a German spj All this time the English wife, Evelyn Ankers, becomes only faintly suspicious and it's Kaaren Verne, the German's sweet heart, who nuns the setup. (Mar.) \S\/HANGMEN ALSO DIE!— Am,, Id Pressburger: Suspense rides high throughout this powerful picture of revenge upon the Czechoslovakians for the death of the German hangman, Heydrich. Brian Donlevy is the real murderer who seeks refuge with Walter Brennan and his family, who became embroiled with the Gestapo, while the underground carefully puis the murder on traitorous Gene Lockhart. i M i\ I HENRY ALDRICH GETS GLAMOUR— Para mount: When Henry, played as usual by Jimmy Lydon, wins a magazine contest that takes him to Hollywood where he meets movie star Frances Gifford, he returns home to find himself a sought-after glamour boy. John Litel is Henry's harassed father, Charles Smith is Dizzy, and Gail Russell is the town belle. (April) HI, BUDDY — Universal: When the big fellows march off to war the going gets tough for the Hi Buddy club of East Side kids sponsored by the older boys. But "big brother" Robert Paige makes a hit singing with a girls' orchestra and finally returns to straighten out the club's financial matters. With Marjorie Lord, Harriet Hilliard and Dick Foran. (May) HITLER'S CHILDREN— RKO-Radio: Showing the ruthless Nazi indoctrination of German youth, this takes a German boy, Tim Holt, trained for the Gestapo, and his German-born American sweetheart. {Continued on page 74) SHADOW STAGE Pictures Reviewed in This Issue Page Air Raid Wardens 103 Assignment In Briftany 16 Buckskin Frontier 100 China 102 Corregidor 102 Desert Victory 104 Desperadoes, The 100 Edge Of Darkness 98 Falcon Strikes Bock, The 104 Harrigan's Kid 102 He Hired The Boss 103 Hello, Frisco, Hello 98 He's My Guy 101 High Explosive 103 Hit Parade of 1943 100 Hoppy Serves A Writ 101 I Walked With A Zombie 99 Isle Of Romance 100 It Ain't Hay 99 Ladies' Day 101 Next Of Kin 104 Slightly Dangerous 16 This Land Is Mine 16 Young Mr. Pitt, The 103