Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1951)

A domestic relation : Larry Keating, Gene Tierney, John Lund and Thelma Ritter in a hilarious family comedy Pride of the Marines: Richard Widmark, Reginald Gardiner, Ralph Nagara in factual story of the Leathernecks Sv'v' (p) The Mating Season (Paramount) HERE’S a modern day romantic comedy that plays on both the funny bone and the heartstrings. But most of all it’s a perfect field day for that fine actress Thelma Ritter. When the bank forecloses on her hamburger stand Thelma hitchhikes to Ohio to visit her ambitious young son John Lund. She discovers John is marrying Gene Tierney of the Social Register, whose mother, Miriam Hopkins, is the snob of all time. Thelma persuades John to let her become their cook. Complications follow fast and so do the laughs. The supporting cast includes such wonderful people as Jan Sterling, Cora Witherspoon, Ellen Corby, and Sammy Colt (Ethel Barrymore’s boy). Your Reviewer Says: A rare treat. Program Notes: Thelma Ritter uas born in Brooklyn, and graduated from the Manual Training School there. Between pictures she lives in New York with her family and keeps busy as a beaver on radio programs. She and her husband. Joseph Moran, experienced some pretty lean years, but today Mr. Moran is a vice-president of an advertising agency. They have two children, Joseph Anthony and Monica Ann. Thelma’s proudest possession, she claims, is a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica which she won for stumping the experts on “Information Please” with a Shakespearean question . . . Gene Tierney’s attractive wardrobe teas designed by her husband. Oleg Cassini, and it is a knockout. This is Gene’s twenty-first starring picture, and her favorite . . . This is the last picture in which you’ll be seeing Jan Sterling playing a minor part. Paramount has decided that talented Jan will be one of their biggest stars as soon as “Ace in the Hole” is released. A week before she started this film Jan married Paul Douglas. Jan was born into Netv York society. But ever since she succeeded Judy Holliday as the dumb blonde in stage production of “ Born Yesterday,” she’s been playing tramp roles. WV* (p) Halls of Montezuma (20tli Century-Fox) THAT excellent actor Richard Widmark, in a sympathetic role for a change, is the star of this factual saga of the Marine Corps which is told with grim realism. Dick leads his platoon on a dangerous mission— the capture of an island in the Pacific. Chosen to accompany him on this perilous expedition are Walter (Jack) Palance, Skip Homeier, Reginald Gardiner, Robert Wagner, Karl Malden, Neville Brand, Richard Hylton. Photographed in Technicolor, the battle scenes and amphibious landings are spectacular and impressive. All performances are good with special mention to Walter Palance, Reginald Gardiner and Richard Hylton. Your Reviewer Soys: A good war melodrama. Program Notes: Richard Widmark, who plays a former professor, actually was a college professor before he became an actor. He taught dramatics and speech at Lake Forest U. . . . Speaking of coincidence, Walter Palance, who plays an ex-boxer, teas a prizefighter. Also, he was a star fullback at the U. of North Carolina, became a B-24 bomber pilot during the tear, and understudied Marlon Brando on Broadway . . . Neville Brand, one of the most decorated soldiers of World War II, was a sergeant with the First Ranger Battalion and one of the feusurvivors of the famous Dieppe commando raid . . . Richard Boone, who plays Lt. Col. Gilfillan, is one of Zanuck’s new discoveries. He’s a Los Angeles boy and a veteran of 150 television shows . . . This is Richard Wagner’s first screen role. Fitting that he should be cast as a Marine, as he belongs to the Marine Reserves. During the filming of the picture an officer called to find out why he hadn’t reported to Camp Pendleton for training. Richard was at Camp Pendleton — training in front of cameras. P 22 For Complete Casts of Current Pictures See Page 89. For Best Pictures of the Month and