Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1948)

p 6 Why didn’t somebody tell me All tissues arent Kleenex ? Not on your life they aren’t! bellowed Uncle Mayhew. Fine thing! — I’m sneezing my head off and my sister brings me plain tissues. If you think all tissues are Kleenex, I wish you had this sniffle-sore nose! It says there’s only one Kleenex! Bess, you alarm me — snapped Cousin Cynthia. Surely you know better than to confuse Kleenex with other tissues. Very unfunny — when I depend on Kleenex so. Listen. My skin knows there’s not a tissue on earth just like angel-soft Kleenex! Buck up. Auntie ! said Teena. Bend an eye at the real McCoy — the one and only Kleenex ! See that box, how different it is? How it gives with the tissues — one at a time? Neat feat! Only Kleenex can do it! What’s more . . . Hold a Kleenex Tissue up to a light. See any lumps or weak spots? ’Course not! You see Kleenex quality smilin’ through — always the same — so you just know Kleenex has super softness. And are those tissues rugged! Now I know. . . There is only one KLEENEX AMERICA'S FAVORITE TISSUE ( Continued from page 4) kVThe Beginning or the End (M-G-M) BRIAN DONLEVY, Robert Walker and Tom Drake may head the list of stars in this, but the atom bomb is the feature performer. M-G-M has evidently joined that coterie who believe Americans should start thinking realistically about what they’re going to do with the powerful weapon they’ve produced. As the film points out, whether it will be used to destroy civilization or promote peace may depend on a future generation; the point facing this generation is a realization of what has been begun. This film is the story of the beginning. The cast is long — it needs to be, for the picture covers both the laboratory and the battlefield and each has its heroes. They are all there — Major Groves (Brian Donlevy); Dr. Oppenheimer (Hume Cronyn) ; Admiral Parsons, Presidents Roosevelt and Truman and Albert Einstein— portrayed by Hollywood competents. Tom Drake is the young scientist, a performance which will win him friends; Robert Walker, the young Army Major co-ordinator. The “beginning” starts in an American laboratory and ends in Hiroshima. Nothing is forgotten — the hardships to coordinate plans, the great and interesting security measures; the building of Oak Ridge; the New Mexico test; and finally the tense flight to Japan of the Enola Gay and what its crew witnessed there. There might v/ell have been a temptation to make this a fantastic horror story; fortunately, it is done in a factual restrained manner with only a few nods to the limelight, mostly in the fictional characterization of the two girls, Beverly Tyler and Audrey Totter. As the wartime Army viewpoint is expressed by soldier Walker to undecided scientist Drake, “Make the bomb and do your wondering later!” The time has now come to wonder — and decide; this film may help you do just that. Your Reviewer Says: A fine “beginning.” ^^Smash-up — the Story of a Woman (Universal-International) FAIR warning — unless you’re prepared for a sturdy dose of realism on the alcoholic question, better leave this to the strong-of-heart. But if you realize alcoholism is a disease; if you’re convinced there’s a good way and bad way to combat it; and if you’re ready to watch its abnormal effect on a normal woman, then take yourself off to watch the “Smash-up.” The woman is Susan Hayward; she’s shy, she takes a drink to bolster her courage. Marriage with Lee Bowman endows her with a lush apartment, a loved child — and plenty of idle time. She’d like to spend this time helping her husband in his radio career but secretary Marsha Hunt is right there ahead of her every minute. Comes the shadow of the bottle and from there on you see what can happen to many American women. Comparisons with “Lost Weekend” will be made; the two films have in common only the general subject. “Weekend” pictured the subjective battle in Milland’s mind; “Smash-up” tells its horror story by a sometimes melodramatic pointing-up of incidents. Susan Hayward does a thoroughly convincing job in a trying role; it is she who carries the weight of the film. Lee Bowman and Eddie Albert rally ’round to make you rally to an absorbing film. Your Reviewer Says: Hard to take but good for you. ( Continued on page 8)