Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1953)

BRIEF REVIEWS For fuller reviews, see Photoplay for months indicated. For this month’s full reviews, see page 20 A— Adults F— Family BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER— U. A.: Superbly made, taut, adventurous tale of Britain’s pioneer jet flyers. Family conflicts involved become convincing an<l touching through fine performances by Ann To Id, Ralph Richardson, Nigel Patrick, John Justin. ( F) February CINERAMA — Cinerama Productions, Eastman Kodak color: An amazing new movie technique, using three curved screens and special sound. APRIL IN PARIS— Warners. Techn color: Featherweight farce enlivened by the mu s cal talents of Doris Day, as a chorine on a Par.s junket, and Ray Bolger, as a stuff y-to-start-with junior diplomat. Gay songs and dances. (F) February BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. THE— M-G-M: Fasc’nating close-up of Hollywood. Kirk Douglas is a producer who wins the haired of actress Lana Turner, director Barry Sullivan, writer Dick Powell — till the surprise finish. (A) February BLAZING FOREST, THE— Paramount, Technicolor: Neat, breezy melodrama of the redwood country. John Payne’s the tough foreman bossing a logging operation for Agnes Moorehead; comely Susan Morrow provide® romance. (F) January EIGHT IRON MEN— Kramer, Columbia: Realistic story of one day on the Italian front, with good talk, hut more talk than action. Bonar Colleano. OUTST AN D I NG takes you right into the action. No story, but plenty of thrills: a roller-coaster ride, opera at La Scala, an air tour of the U. S. (F) January COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA— Wallis, Paramount: Intimate, grueling drama of a marriage, of youth and the yearning for lost youth. Shirley Booth is magnificent; Burt Lancaster, Terry Moore, Richard Jaeckel score. (A) January LIMELIGHT— U. A.: Intensely personal, slow. VERY GOOD Lee Marvin and Richard Kiley stand onl among the believable G.I.’s. (F) January FACE TO FACE— RKO: Two-episo 'e fi’m. “The Capta n.” with James Mason, is a dreary sea tale. But “The Sheriff of Yellow Sky,’ with Robert Preston, Marjorie Steele, Minor Watson, is a delightful, unusual Western. (F) January FOUR POSTER, THE— Kramer, Columbia: Tragicomic, talky history of a marriage, with only two characters. Lilli Palmer’s brilliant throughout; Rex Harrison, at his best in I ght moments. Cartoon interludes are richly imaginative. (A) February KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL— U. A.: Wellphotographed, tricky thriller about an innocent suspect who solves an armore l-car robbery. With John Payne, Coieeii Gray. (F) February L.AST OF THE COMANCHES— Columbia, Technicolor: Vigorous, tightly constructed Western in but affecting story of a has-been music-hall comic who gives a sad young baUerina new faith in life. Charlie Chaplin’s unique style runs a full range, from tender moments with lovely Claire Bloom to slapstick with Buster Keaton. (F) February PETER PAN— Disney, RKO, Technicolor: Enchanting cartoon feature based on the beloved fantasy of eternal childhood. Peter, Wendy f Tinker Bell, Captain Hook come alive to the tune of many sprightly songs. (F) February which cavalryman Broderick Crawford leads a chance-met group in its stand against desert thirst and hostile Indians. (F) February OUTPOST IN MALAYA— U. A.: Tense, expert topical drama showing the defense of rubber plantations against Malayan raiders. Jack Hawkins plays a British planter; Claudette Colbert, his troubled wife, with him in the siege. (F) February ROAD TO BALI— Paramount, Technicolor: Further adventures of Crosby, Hope and Lamojr a casual, comical improvisation on the South Seas theme, with songs, gags, menacing villains and surprise guest celebs. (F) February STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER— 20th CenturyFox, Technicolor: Amiable, near-plotless musical in four-four time, with Clifton Webb as John Philip Sousa, bandleader-composer, Robert Wagner and Debra Paget as young lovers. (F) January ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD— Warners, SuperCinecoIor: Tavern flunkeys Bud and Lou vie with Charles Laughton for buried treasure. Laughs and music. (F) February ABOVE AND BEYOND— M-G-M: Robert Taylor has some gripping moments as the pilot of the plane that dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima; but scenes of domestic discord with wife Eleanor Parker are out of key. (A) February ANDROCLES AND THE LION— RKO: Wordy, occasionally interesting version of Shaw’s play about early Christians. Maurice Evans makes a GOOD willy Caesar; Alan Young, a gentle Androcles; Jean Simmons, a glowing Christian maiden; Victor Mature, a stalwart Roman. ( A) February MEET ME AT THE FAIR— U-I, Technicolor: Tune-trimmed, nostalgic comedy-drama about a medicine-show man (Dan Dailey) who befriends an orphan (Chet Allen). (F) February MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID— M-G-M, Technicolor: Extravaganza casting Esther Williams appropriately as Annette Kellerman, old-time swim star. With Victor Mature. (F) February MY PAL GUS— 20th Century-Fox: Engaging story of parental love, with Richard Widmark and baby baritone George Winslow as father and son, Joanne ,, Dru as an understanding teacher, Audrey Totter , as Dick’s grasping, estranged wife. (F) January r PLYMOUTH ADVENTURE — M-G-M, Techni ^ color: Halfway successful attempt to humanize the May flower saga. Spencer Tracy is the cynical cap Ytain; among the voyagers are Gene Tierney, Leo ^ Genn, Van Johnson. (F) January f TROPIC ZONE — Paramount, Technicolor: Ronald Reagan saves Rhonda Fleming’s banana plantation in a Central American Western. (F) February i I; P AGAINST ALL FLAGS— U-I, Technicolor: Ramshackle action story set on Madagascar. In offhanded style, Errol Flynn plays a buccaneer who’s really a British Navy officer; Maureen O’Hara is a fiery lady pirate. (F) January BLACK CASTLE, THE— U-I: Not very horrible horror story. Gallant Richard Greene and evil Stcpiien McNally chase each other through a castle haunted by Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff; Paula FAIR Corday plays the helpless heroine. (F) January DESPERATE SEARCH— M-G-M: Mechanically plotted drama about flyers seeking two child survivors of a plane crash. With Howard Keel, Patricia Medina, Jane Greer. (F) February THIEF OF VENICE, THE— 20th Century-Fox: Slight, Italian-made yarn of a Renaissance Robin Hood (Paul Christian), with splendid settings. The late Maria Montez stars. (F) February THUNDER IN THE EAST— Paramount: Shallow thriller of strife in India. Alan Ladd s a greedy American; Deborah Kerr, a British girl; Charles Boyer, a peaceable Indian. (F) February UNDER THE RED SEA— RKO: Record of oceanfloor exploration by Dr. Hans Hass and his expedition, with fascinating shots of coral reefs and marine life — and phony touches that keep it from rivaling “Kon-Tiki.” (F) November 110