Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1947)

yv* i ndicates picture rated "outstanding” when reviewed Indicates picture rated "very good’ when reviewed Indicates picture rated "good” when reviewed AD VENTURE ISLAND— Pine-Thomas-Paramount : The plot’s from Stevenson’s “Ebb Tide” and the acting's by that picturesque young couple Rory Calhoun and Rhonda Fleming; but even all the Cinecolor of the South Seas doesn’t make this more than a good try at a good adventure story. (Oct.) ✓✓ BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER, THE — RKO: The whoops of laughter keep rolling along with Cary Grant handling a comedy that has Shirley Temple a teen-ager pretending to be a model and landing with Cary in Judge Myrna Loy's court. Brace yourself for real mirth. (Aug.) BLACK GOLD — Allied Artists: Anthony Quinn as Charley Eagle is one of the nicest Indians ever; Katherine DeMille, as his wife, has just too much of an Oxford accent to be perfectly convincing, but you may still warm to the affairs — horse races and oil wells — of Charley and his Chinese protege. However, the gold seems too hidden to be worth much attention. (Oct.) y'BLACK NARCISSUS — Rank-Universal: This is a strange movie based on Rumer Godden’s strange book about some nuns up in the Himalayas. Kathleen Bryon may give you some shudders as Evil personified, but Deborah Kerr is too restrained to be outstanding and the whole business, done up in magnificent Technicolor, has a sense of unreality. (Oct.) \/BOB, SON OF BATTLE— 20th Century-Fox: A loved children’s classic gives Lon McCallister and Peggy Ann Garner a chance to try out their Scotch accents. Everybody in the family can go along to watch shepherds’ dogs being worked and Edmund Gwenn as a fine Scot in a film that’s a little too drawn out to deliver any special goods. (Sept.) BRUTE FORCE — Universal: A straight right from Hollywood with a strong brutal plot about a prison break and some just as strong and brutal portrayals by Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn and Charles Bickford. You'll mop your brow when it’s over. (Sept.) y'y'CROSSFIRE — RKO: An A-l movie, dealing with plain facts and plain people — and the touchy subject of intolerance, in an intelligent and courageous manner. Robert Ryan and Robert Mitchuni do an excellent job as two soldiers in the same company, but poles apart in their ideas. Robert Young plays the lawyer who solves the murder. You’ll be involved up to the last minute. (Oct.) CYNTHIA — M G-M: Elizabeth Taylor is Cynthia in a family story that starts off slow but ends up with everyone having a fine time in a pleasant atmosphere. James Lydon is A-l ; Scotty Beckett gets a big laugh rating. .There’s George Murphy and Mary Astor, too, along with veterans S. Z. Sakall, Gene Lockhart and Spring Byington. (Aug.) DARK PASSAGE, THE — Warners: Some plastic surgery features in this, with Humphrey Bogart on the receiving end. Lauren Bacall exchanges weighted glances with convict Bogart who’s on the lam; Agnes Moorehead and Bruce Bennett try hard to keep things in high gear; but it’s still nothing to get steamed up about. (Oct.) y'^SDEAR RUTH — Paramount: A picture to lift your spirits is this comedy about little Mona Freeman who writes letters to soldier William Holden, using sister Joan Caulfield’s name and photograph. Edward Arnold and Billy De Wolfe take part in this Hollywood version of the Broadway hit. (Aug.) DEEP VALLEY — Warners: On-the-dreary-side film about a broken down family with Ida Lupino in between feuding mama Fay Bainter and Henry Hull, and Wayne Morris being unexcitingly good and honest. Convict Dane Clark snaps Ida out of her depression, then comes the posse, then comes the beginning of boredom. Weak at the knees. (Sept.) DESERT FURY — Paramount: Disregard this “Fury” — it’s nothing but a cryptically told tale about a lot of unpleasant people out in the desert. Burt Lancaster is miscast, ^s is Mary Astor; Lizabeth Scott and John Hodiak make an unconvincing romantic team. (Aug.) (Continued on vaqe 128) ■<3wu f, R.CA VICTORS mQSho!" NEW ALBUM BY TEX 8ENEKE « The "20th Century Gabriel" and his band bring you Don't Cry, Baby; After Hours; Cherry; Sweet Georgia Brown; I've Got a Right to Cry; Tippin 1 In; Song of the Wanderer j Tuxedo Junction. Ask for "Tuxedo Junction," P-181, $3.15. NEW ALBUM BV ERSKINE HAWKINS! In his "Prom Date" Album, Tex leads the Miller Orchestra in On Wisconsin, The Eyes of Texas , Rambling Wreck from Georgia Tech, Anchors Aweigh, Victory March of Notre Dame, others. P-183, $3.15. NEW RECORD BY BERYL DAVIS! Beryl's the new English star who's stealing American hearts with her intimate, velvety voice. Let her sing to you . . . If All Came True and One Little Tear Is an Ocean. Record 20-2426, 60?. to Tex Beneke with The Miller Orchestra: Body and Soul (from the Enterprise-United Artists film, "Body and Soul") and Stormy Weather. Record 20-2374, 60?. Perry Como: So Far and A Fellow Needs a Girl. With Russ Case and his Orch. 20-2402, 60?. Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye: Zu-Bi (Everyone's Love Song) and Where is Sam? Record 20-2420, 60?. Tony Martin: Lazy Country Side and Too Good to be True (both from Walt Disney's "Fun and Fancy Free"). With Earl Hagen and his Orchestra and Chorus. Record 20-2396, 60?. Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra: (I'm Gonna Wait) A Little Bit Longer and What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? Record 20-2395, 60?. . . . plus RCA Victor quality! Two "exclusives"—Victor's billion-record skill and RCA's electronic wizardry — make music sound so true to life on RCA Victor Records! What! No phonograph?— You're missing hours of fun! Hear the new Victrola radiophonographs! "Victrola" — T.M.Reg.U.S.Pat.Off. Hear Robert Merrill on the RCA Victor Program. Sundays, 2 p.m., EST, over NBC. Prices are suggested list prices, exclusive of taxes. the stars f*0 mKe We hits AR£on ^ . RCA Victor records p 37