Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1953)

BRIEF REVI EWS For fuller reviews, see photoplay for months indicated. For this month’s full reviews, see page 11. A — Adults F — -Family Some 3-D films are also being shown in 2-D versions. Check your theatre to see which is being used. ACTRESS, THE— M-G-M: Delightful, talky tale of a teenager (lean Simmons) with stage yearnings. Spencer Tracy scores as Dad. (F) October AFFAIRS OF DOBIE GILLIS, THE— M-G-M: Shallow farce about two giddy, likable college kids (Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van). Some nice dancing. (F) September ALL AMERICAN, THE — U-I: Tony Curtis looks plenty attractive in a listless story, as a reluctant grid star. Lori Nelson. (F) November ARROWHEAD — Paramount, Technicolor: Harsh, vigorous Western pitting scout Charlton Heston against Apache Jack Palance. (F) September BAND WAGON, THE— M-G-M, Technicolor: Grandest musical in years. Has-been film star Fred Astaire tries a comeback opposite Cyd Charisse in a show staged by wacky genius Jack Buchanan. Nanette Fabrav, Oscar Levant. (F) September BEGGAR'S OPERA, THE — Warners, Technicolor: Picturesque, ironic music-film, with Laurence Olivier as a dashing highwayman. (A) October BIG LEAGUER — M-G-M: Good baseball yarn. Edward G. Robinson trains young hopefuls, including Jeff Richards. Vera-EIlen’s miscast. (F) October BLUEPRINT FOR MURDER, A— 20th: Weak whodunit. Joseph Cotten suspects Jean Peters of a poison plot to gain a fortune. (F) October CADDY, THE — Paramount: Oddly constructed but funny Martin-Lewis farce. Jerry coaches Dean to win at golf, gets snubbed as reward. (F) October CAPTAIN’S PARADISE, THE— Lopert: Unusual farce. Skipper Alec Guinness is wed to both prim Celia Johnson, sexy Yvonne DeCarlo. Paradise ends as the gals rebel. (A) November CINERAMA — Cinerama Productions, color: No story, plenty of excitement. Amazing technique with huge curved screen now showing in New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington. (F) January CRLTEL 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 DANGEROUS CROSSING — 20th: Tense puzzler. Aided by Michael Rennie, Jeanne Crain seeks her groom, who vanished on shipboard. (F) October DESPERATE MOMENT— Rank, U-I: Hackneyed P chase sharpened by real German backgrounds. Dirk Bogar 'e breaks jail to find a killer, gets help from Mai Zetterling. (F) November DEVIL’S CANYON— RKO; Technicolor, 3-D: Routine prison movie with some thrills. Dale Robertson's a good con; Virginia Mayo wastes her love on brutish Steve McNally. (F) November EAST OF SUMATRA— U-I, Technicolor: Gaudy action yarn. Jeff Chandler's a mining engineer; Anthony Quinn, an island chief. (F) November 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 FROM HERE TO ETERNITY— Columbia: Powerful study of GI’s in Hawaii in 1941. Sinatra’s tops, rivaled by Lancaster, Clift. Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed feature in sordid loves. (A) October GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES— 20th. Technicolor: Riotous, laugh-filled musical, with Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe looking lush as show girls on the prowl in Europe. (A) September GOLDEN BLADE, THE— U-I, Technicolor: Affable Persian horse opera. Rock Hudson wields a magic sword to save Bagdad and Piper Laurie from George Macready’s evil plots. (F) November I, THE JURY — U.A., 3-D: Gory, incredible, amusing mystery. Private eye Biff Elliot manhandles mobsters, romances Peggie Castle. (A) October INFERNO — 20th; 3-D, Technicolor: Gripping desert thriller. Rhonda Fleming, Bill Lundigan plot Robert Ryan’s death, in vain. (F) October ISLAND IN THE SKY — Warners: Stirring tale of flyers’ fellowship. John Wayne and his ATC crew are downed in frozen wilds. (F) October JOE LOUIS STORY, THE— U. A.: Simple, unassuming. Coley Wallace plays Joe, except in big fight scenes (newsreel clips). (F) November JULIUS CAESAR — M-G-M: Magnificent, true-toShakespeare film of the dictator’s death and the assassins’ fate. Brilliant acting by James Mason, John Gielgud, Marlon Brando. (F) September LATIN LOVERS — M-G-M, Technicolor: Lush, frivolous triangle — rich Lana Turner, richer John Lund, gay ranchero Montalban. (A) October LITTLE BOY LOST — Paramount: Lovable drama done with unusual grace. Bing Crosby’s fine as an American newsman in France to seek his son — who may be Christian Fourcade. (F) November MAN FROM THE ALAMO, THE— U-I, Technicolor: Actionful Western. Glenn Ford’s called a coward; Julia Adams defends him. (F) September MARTIN LUTHER — de Rochemont: Niall McGinnis movingly portrays the founder of Protestantism in a splendid religious film. (F) November MASTER OF BALLANTRAE, THE— Warners, Technicolor: Passable Errol Flynn swashbuckler of English-Scottisli war, piracy. (F) September MELBA — U.A., Technicolor: Lavish with music, light on plot. Patrice Munsel sings thrillingly, sacrifices her love for her career. (A) September MISSION OVER KOREA— Columbia: Superficial but touching war film. Derek and Hodiak pilot small planes as fighting starts. (F) October 99 RIVER STREET — U. A.: Tough, implausible suspense story. John Payne’s, a cabbie framed for the murder of wife Peggie Castle. (A) November PLUNDER OF THE SUN — Warners: Distinctive mystery in a vivid locale. Glenn Ford, Pat Medina hunt ancient Mexican treasure. (F) October RETURN TO PARADISE— U.A., Technicolor: Wistful South Sea tale of a drifter (Gary Cooper), a native girl (Roberta Haynes) and a bigot (Barry Jones). Lovely location shots. (A) September ROMAN HOLIDAY — Paramount: Entrancing romance of newsman Greg Peck, princess Audrey Hepburn. Eddie Albert adds laughs. (A) October SAILOR OF THE KING — 20th: Jeff Hunter scores in a stirring war story as a seaman attacking a Nazi ship. Michael Rennie and Wendy Hiller team in a romantic prologue. (A) September SECOND CHANCE— RKO; 3-D, Technicolor: Fast-paced, eye-pleasing. Gunman Palance trails Linda Darnell; Mitchum defends her. (F) October SO THIS IS LOVE — Warners, Technicolor: Kathryn Grayson retraces Grace Moore’s career. Mild but satisfyingly song-filled. (F) October SWORD AND THE ROSE, THE— Disney, RKO; Technicolor: Flavorsome, amusing romance of a Tudor princess (Glynis Johns) forced into a royal marriage, then saved by her dashing true love (Richard Todd). (F) September TAKE THE HIGH GROUND— M-G-M, AnscoColor: Familiar comedy-drama of draftees’ training, freshened by good acting: Widmark as a sarge; Russ Tamblyn, others as new GI’s. (F) November THREE GIRLS FROM ROME— I.F.E.: Amiable, rambling close-up of Italian working girls and their loves. Lucia Bose is a real beauty. English dialogue, dubbed in smoothly. (A) November THUNDER BAY— U-I, Technicolor: Standard action story. James Stewart and Dan Duryea seek offshore oil in Louisiana, court Cajun girls Joanne Dru, Marcia Henderson. (F) September WAR OF THE WORLDS, THE— Paramount, Technicolor: A Martian invasion with stunning special effects, negligible human angle. (F) June WAR PAINT— U.A., Pathe Color: Good, grim Western with awesome scenery. Trooper Bob Stack fights Indians, thirst, mutiny. (F) October 108