Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1951)

F — FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY A— FUR ADULTS BY Douglas Dick, Audie Murphy , Bill Mauldin and James Dobson in screen version of Stephen Crane’s Civil War novel v'v'V-z (p) The Red Badge of Courage (M-G-M) AUDIE MURPHY proves himself almost as good an actor as he is a soldier in this dramatic picturization of Stephen Crane’s classic of the Civil War. Audie plays a frightened young farm boy who’d rather hear birds singing than cannons roaring. As a grass green recruit in the Union Army, poised for attack along the Rappahannock in Virginia in 1862, he loses his courage in the heat of battle and runs away. Rejoining the remnants of his company that night he pretends he fought bravely and was wounded The shame within him is great, however, and the next day when the Confederates strike he fights like a man. With the exception of The General the film is well cast. Bill Mauldin, of G.I. cartoonist fame, plays The Loud Soldier, Royal Dano plays The Tattered Soldier, John Dierkes The Tall Soldier, and Douglas Dick The Lieutenant. Adapted and directed by John Huston, the picture stresses realism and simplicity. No glamour. No cuteness. Whether it will be box office is something else again. Your Reviewer Says: A war picture that’s different. Program Notes: Some Hollywood folk have objected to “The Red Badge of Courage” as a picture title because of the word “red.” Stephen Crane wrote this Civil W ar classic over fifty years ago. It has no communist implication. The title means a wound suffered in battle . . . This picture was shot at Keystone, director John Huston’s huge ranch near Calabasas, California, and at Chico, California, some 200 miles north of San Francisco. More than 700 extras were used in the battle scenes. It was an uncomfortable location for several weeks, as millions of wasps, residents of the Sacramento River, moved in. “The South must have sent them,” said Audie . . . Audie, as everyone knows, was the most decorated soldier of World War 11. This is Audie’ s best screen SAHA HAMILTON $75,000 is a laughing matter to the audience — but a problem to Frank Sinatra, Groucho Marx and Jane Russell ** (F) It’s Only Money (RKO) THE news concerning this picture has to do with Frank Sinatra who plays a straight role and a bang-up job he does. More news has to do with Groucho Marx. He’s almost as funny, too, in this more or less straight role of a cafe waiter. Jane Russell, the bank clerk Frankie loves, seems a mite overwhelming next to her lean and less upholstered boy friend. But who pays attention to such minor details? Answer — just everybody with two bulging eyes, that’s all. The mix-up begins when Frankie, a meek bank teller, comes to the rescue of a stranger about to be beaten by two hoodlums. The stranger turns out to be a bookie who rewards Sinatra with $5,000 which he then pyramids into $75,000 on fixed races. Frankie is accused of stealing the money from the bank which that day shows an enormous shortage. Frightened, Frankie turns over the money to Groucho who instantly gives up waiting on tables to behave like a millionaire. The plot thickens when Jane is accused of stealing the money by Don McGuire, the boss’s son. Your Reviewer Says: Relaxing and amusing. Program Notes: With Groucho around, more fun went on behind the camera than in front. In more than one scene Groucho broke up Frankie — who had to take time out to recover. For the first time in his career he wears a real mustache in place of a paintedon job . . . Frankie was handed a cable from Gene Kelly in Paris which read: “Dear Frank. Love this place. They think Sinatra is a breakfast food.” Cables flew thick and fast between Frank and Ava Gardner who was then in Spain making a picture. Great excitement prevailed when Jane’s husband , Bob Waterfield, rode his Christmas gift from his wife right onto the set — a high powered motorcycle . . . Incidentally, Groucho smoked 168 cigars during the shooting. RKO wasn’t exactly counting but, after all, they did go on the expense account as “props.” Best Performances See Page 99. For Brief Reviews of Current Pictures See Page 77