Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1951)

TERESA WRIGHT Co-starring in "SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR" A Paramount Picture “A flawless manicure is the only kind that will pass a close-up screen test. And it takes instruments of La Cross precision quality," says Miss Jacot, “to give such a perfect manicure.” That’s why so many professional manicurists prefer La Cross to any other manicure instruments. And that’s why celebrated stars like Teresa Wright, whose hands get La Cross salon care, choose La Cross instruments for home manicures, too! New! Wonderful, purse-or-pocket Cutl-slz for delicate, accurate cutting. In convenient pastel-hued plastic case, $1.95 plus 5ft Federal Tax on case. La Cross America’s Finest Manicure Instruments Since 1 903 SCHNEFEl BROS. CORP., NEWARK 3, NEW JERSEY ( Continued from page 28) ing one of too many former movies. The stars are top-notch, the songs nostalgic and the production thoughtfully mounted but for all that, it just can’t seem to get up the go to git. Gordon MacRae is a handsome lad with a voice to match and Doris Day cute and vivacious but the material handed the popular stars in this one has cooked too long in Hollywood’s oven to be successfully camouflaged under Technicolor gravy. Gordon plays one of those 1918 college seniors who “free-thinks” and doesn’t believe in marriage. Doris, a tomboy who loves to play baseball, is the girl who unwinds his mental and cardiacal processes. Billy Gray is the inevitable little brother, Leon Ames and Rosemary De Camp play Doris’s parents, Jack Smith her stuffy suitor, Mary Wickes the maid. Your Reviewer Says: Something for every member of the family. Program Notes: Three small children stood on the edge of a built-in bay on a Warner Brothers' sound stage and watched a handsome college lad paddle a beautiful blonde in a canoe. The instant the scene was over they called, “Now, Daddy, now?” So, Gordon MacRae, the college kid, kept his promise and took his three children canoeing . . . Doris Day needed no rehearsing for her role of ball player. Doris played second base on the girls’ team at her Cincinnati grade school and batted over .300 . . . One of the smaller boys used in the snowball-tossing scene got carried away with it all and let Doris have a beauty right in the eye. The make-up man had to paint out the shiner before Doris could face the camera again. kVi/£ (F) The Well (U.A.) A GRIPPING movie, a different movie and an entirely probable one in view of certain events recorded in newspapers. Here’s what happens. A five-year-old negro girl disappears on her way to school and a white man, Henry Morgan, who has befriended the child, is held as her kidnaper. When Morgan’s uncle, Barry Kelly, and a power in the town, attempts to “fix” things, riots between negroes and whites break out all over town. Alarmed at the seriousness of the brawls, Sheriff Richard Rober persuades Mayor Tom Powers to call out the state militia. And then suddenly the panic is averted. The child is discovered in an abandoned well. From then on racial riots cease as both negroes and whites unite to save the child. Gwendolyn Laster is the child. Maidie Norman and Ernest Anderson play her parents. Your Reviewer Says: Suspenseful and something to think about. Program Notes: Actor Henry Morgan has reached a state of complete frustration with fans constantly confusing him with the radio comic of the same name. It was worse when the comedian invaded Hollywood for a movie a few years ago. “So you’re funny man Morgan,” people would say upon being introduced to this Morgan. “Gee, you don’t look funny at all” . . . Gwendolyn Laster was chosen for her ability to run and walk naturally while a camera was moving and turning directly in front. Many of the children tested grew so engrossed in the mechanism moving ahead of them, they forgot to act naturally. (F) Pardon My French (U.A.) THE idea is fair— that of an American school teacher who inherits a French chateau full of squatters — but when that’s said, all’s said. The story stands still for long, interminable moments, or lazily crawls to a conclusion that everyone knew wa coming in the very first reel. Merle Obero; as the teacher is woefully miscast. Pau Henreid plays a musician with five un kempt children. Paul seems to be Chie Squatting Bull himself and of course, even tually saves his untidy friends from evic tion and wins Miss Oberon. Your Reviewer Says: It doesn’t really com off. Program Notes: This was Miss Oberon’ first picture after the tragic loss of he fiance in a plane crash in Europe . . . Th picture was filmed entirely in the south o France with shots of the Cannes Yacht Clw in the distance. The interior scenes wer made within the old Chateau de Castellera . . . Paul Henreid, who was born in Triestt felt right at home in the foreign atmosphert Most of the performers who played squa i ters and extra parts were natives gathers from the surrounding villages. ^34 (A) Mr. Imperium (M-G-M] DESPITE the top names and the Tech nicolor grandeur that sweeps from th Mediterranean shores to Palm Spring gardens, the story itself never jells. Lan; Turner, a proven actress who is seldon given material worthy of her talent, look beautiful and does more than her shar to tote that bale of nonsense. Ezio Pinza the rave hit of Broadway’s “South Pacific, is just another middle-aged actor tryinj to prove himself, so far as this movie i concerned. Certainly his magnificent voic is woefully neglected, the few songs give) him far below his vocal ability. Things perk up a bit with the advent 0 Marjorie Main into the story. Marjori plays a Palm Springs landlady with littl Debbie Reynolds as the prying-spyin niece. Prime Minister Sir Cedric Hard wicke behaves a little like a portfoli without minister and Barry Sullivan i seen so. seldom, who knows how he be haves, if at all. Your Reviewer Says: Beautiful but numb. Program Notes: Throughout the filming c “Mr. Imperium,” whispers and rumor seeped through sound stage walls that ai Was not well between Lana and Ezio bv as usual the rumors remained just tha . Miss Turner worked long, strenuous hour while feeling far from well. It was shortl after the completion of the picture that sh lost her expected baby ... The bigges problem for the location crew was to fcee, clear sections of the much traveled highwa between Pasadena and Palm Springs in orde to catch Lana speeding along at the whet of her car . . . The set became a second hom to Debbie Reynolds, who didn’t want to mis a single thing behind or before the camen There’s no maybe about Debbie when 1 comes to her career. // (F) Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (20th Century-Fox) IT’S a mite disillusioning to discover ou old friend, acid-tongued Lynn Belve dere, has a heart after all. For frankl; we prefer the old boy the other way, know-it-all with a rusty hinge for a hear! But no. Here we have him, still Cliftoi Webb, of course, in a humorous enoug) comedy about an old folks’ home and ho\ he decides to make the lives of the inmate brighter and happier. To accomplish thi: Belvedere pretends to be seventy-sevei years old and enters, along with havoc am pandemonium, the aged folks’ home. Aidei by his manager, Zero Mostel, he does brin, happiness, not only to the old folk but t the young minister in charge, Hugh Mar ( Continued on page 32) i 30