Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1953)

For fuller reviews, see photoplay for months indicated. For this month’s full reviews, see page 16 A — Adults F — Family ALL I DESIRE — U-I: Slick drama. 1910 period, of a broken marriage, with Barbara Stanwyck as the errant wife returning to Richard Carlson, two grown daughters, a young son. (A) August AMBUSH AT TOMAHAWK GAP— Columbia, Technicolor: Lively, gory Western. Ex-cons John Derek, John Hodiak seek hidden loot (F) July BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, THE— Warners: Spectacular but shakily plotted fantasy of a revived prehistoric monster attacking New York. With Paul Christian. (F) August BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON— Warners. Technicolor: Slow but amiable tune-film of love and family problems after World War I. Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Billy Gray. (F) June CINERAMA — Cinerama Productions, color: No story, plenty of excitement. Amazing technique with huge curved screen now showing in New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago. (F) January COLUMN SOUTH— U-I, Technicolor: Audie Murphy defends the Union cause, tries to avert Indian warfare in the Southwest. Brisk but undistinguished Western. (F) August COUNT THE HOURS — RKO: Acceptable suspense yarn. Held for murder, John Craven’s cleared by wife Teresa Wright, Lawyer Mac Carey. (F) June CRUEL SEA, THE — Rank, U-I: Splendid British version of the best-seller about a convoy escort and her crew. Jack Hawkins excels as the captain. The story includes three typical, touching World War II romances. (F) August CRY OF THE HUNTED— M-G-M: Mild action tale. Barry Sullivan as pursuer. Vittorio Gassman as fugitive are both sympathetic. (F) June DANGEROUS WHEN WET— M-G-M, Technicolor: Light, gay musical. Esther Williams, set to swim the English Channel, is tempted to break training by Fernando Lamas’ courtship. (F) August DESERT RATS, THE — 20th Century-Fox: Crisp, expert war film. Richard Burton defends Tobruk against Rommel (again James Mason). (F) June DESERT SONG, THE — Warners, Technicolor: Gordon MacRae, secret leader of an oppressed desert tribe, duets with Kathryn Grayson in a nice old-fashioned operetta. (F) July FAST COMPANY — M-G-M: Trim, gay race-track comedy, with trainer Howard Keel and horseowner Polly Bergen feuding, romancing. Heiress Nina Forh chases Keel. (F) July 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T., THE— Columbia. Technicolor: Wildly imaginative but clumsily executed musical fantasy. Little Tommy Rettig dreams he’s jailed in a weird castle. (F) July FRANCIS COVERS THE BIG TOWN— U-I: Some laughs, though the talking-mule gag wears thin as Francis helps Donald O’Connor become a racketbusting reporter. (F) August GIRL NEXT DOOR, THE — 20th Century-Fox, Technicolor: Tuneful, likeable love story of artist Dan Dailey, singer June Haver. (F) July GREAT SIOUX UPRISING, THE— U-I, Technicolor: Union vet Jeff Chandler wins Faith Domergue, foils Lyle Bettger’s trouble-making in a routine horse opera. (F) August HOUDINI — Paramount, Technicolor: Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh team engagingly in the colorful, rambling biography of the famed magician and his partner-wife. (F) August I BELIEVE IN YOU — Rank, U-I: Tender, convincing English movie. Probation officers Cecil Parker and Celia Johnson help two young delinquents, who fall in love. (A) July IT HAPPENS EVERY THURSDAY— U-I: Cheery, homespun story starring Loretta Young and attractive John Forsythe as a couple who buy a broken-down small-town newspaper. (F) July JAMAICA RUN — Paramount, Technicolor: Lurid murder mystery. Skipper Ray Milland’6 opposite lovely Arlene Dahl, plantation-owner. (F) July JUGGLER, THE — Kramer, Columbia: Real Israel backgrounds give force to an absorbing though slightly formless drama about a mentally upset DP (Kirk Douglas) who finds peace and love (with Milly Vitale) in the new nation. (F) August LAW AND ORDER — U-I, Technicolor: Ambling Western. Marshal Ronald Reagan comes out of retirement to lick Preston Foster. ( F) June LET’S DO IT AGAIN — Columbia, Technicolor: Exuberant romantic comedy with music. Jane Wyman sparkles as Ray Milland's about-to-be-ex-wife ; Aldo Ray’s a likeable Other Man. (A) August LONE HAND — U-I, Technicolor: Neat, likable open-spaces melodrama. Little Jimmy Hunt thinks Pop Joel McCrea has turned bandit. (F) June MAN ON A TIGHTROPE — 20th Century-Fox: Sly, picturesque, suspenseful tale of a small circus’ escape from Red Czechoslovakia. Top portrayals by Fredric March, Gloria Grahame. (A) June MOON IS BLUE, THE — U.A.: Delicious foolery with saucy lines, deftly delivered by Maggie McNamara, as a belligerently good girl, William Holden, as a baffled bachelor, David Niven, as a gentle philanderer. (A) August NEVER LET ME GO — M-G-M: Slow-starting but adventure-filled at the finish. American newsman Clark Gable smuggles his Soviet bride, Gi Tierney, out of Russia. (F) J PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET— 20th Centu Fox: Rough, rowdy, entertaining crook-spy ya Richard Widmark’s a pickpocket involved w Jean Peters, unwittingly a Red courier. (A) J I PONY EXPRESS — Paramount, Technicolor: Wi Western. Charlton Heston, Forrest Tucker h the first riders carry the mail. (F) J; i REMAINS TO BE SEEN— M-G-M: Slaphappy b lesque murder mystery, co-starring Van Johm and singer-heiress June Allyson. (F) J SALOME — Columbia, Technicolor: Lavish, w ! made, superficial Biblical epic. Rita Haywoi Stewart Granger look handsome: Charles Lau ton, Judith Anderson show their skill. (A) Jt SANGAREE — Paramount; 3-D, Technicolor: t lene Dahl, Fernando Lamas are handsome lov in a blowzy, over-plotted adventure-romance set 18th Century Georgia. (F) Aug i SCARED STIFF — Wallis, Paramount: Uf standard Martin-Lewis farce has the boys battli fake ghosts on Liz Scott’s behalf. (F) Ji SPLIT SECOND — RKO: Tense action story. J caped convict Steve McNally captures Keith Am and Jan Sterling as an A-blast looms. (F) Ji STALAG 17 — Paramount: Wry clowning and bitter hunt for an informer highlight a disjoini study of GI’s in a Nazi prison camp. William B den’s excellent. (F) Aug STORY OF THREE LOVES, THE— M-G-M, Te nicolor: Arty episode film, highlighted by < I strong suspense story with Kirk Douglas and P Angeli as daredevil aerialists. (A) Ji < : . TAKE ME TO TOWN— U-I, Technicolor: Bre. sentimental comedy of the Old West. Ann Sht dan’s a dance-hall queen adopted as a mother ' Sterling Hayden’s three kids. (F) Aug TITANIC — 20th Century-Fox: Taut, skillful dra atization of a real event. Aboard the dooir luxury liner, Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton W( are an estranged couple. Bob Wagner and Audi ' Dalton are young romancers. (A) Jif VANQUISHED, THE — Paramount, Technicoh Unconvincing meller-drama. Confederate vet Jo Payne defeats his town’s ruthless boss. (F) Ji WAR OF THE WORLDS, THE— Paramount, Te nicolor: A Martian invasion with stunning spec \ effects, negligible human angle. (F) Ju YOUNG BESS — M-G-M, Technicolor: Stately mance of Tudor England. Jean Simmons is the ture Elizabeth I, involved in court intrigue a hopeless love for Stewart Granger. (A) Aug: J