Screenland (Jul-Dec 1948)

are also topnotch. The story of the ups and downs of a romantic and super-sensitive teen-ager is excellently done. And in Technicolor, too. Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' Universal-International THIS is so completely mad it's great fun even though it makes very little sense. It takes place in a really small town which depends on an annual foot race for its sustenance. Circumstances force its mayor (Marjorie Main) and her sidekick (Percy Kilbride) to abduct a vendor of hair tonics (Donald O'Connor) because he can run real fast. Life becomes unbearable for the young man. except for his rare moments with the mayor's niece (Penny Edwards) . It all turns out for the best, of course, and there is much kidding of worn-out movie cliches that's quite hilarious. Lulu Belle Columbia THE old Broadway hit by Charles MacArthur and Edward Sheldon comes to the screen with Dorothy Lamour in the title role. It's the story of a beautiful nightclub singer who works herself up from a small town dive to the better New York spots. She accomplishes this by marrying a rising young lawyer (George Montgomery) and making the most of her great attraction for three other men. All of these come to no good, but not before Dottie has decided that she loves her abandoned and wronged husband after all, and tries a reconciliation. It's gay in spots, dramatic in others, but the story seems corny now and some of the dated dialog undoubtedly will provoke a few snickers. The Gallant Legion Republic THERE'S a better story than usual in this exciting Western of brave Texas rangers and brutal renegades. A girl re porter {Adrian Booth) , who's engaged to the gang's leader (Bruce Cabot) and is the niece of his stooge (Joseph Schildkraut) , manages to stay at the Rangers' headquarters so she can get a true picture of the gang's goings-on which are shocking the nation. She soon falls in love with a handsome rancher (William Elliott) who has joined the Rangers. All performances are good and there isn't a slow moment in the picture. River Lady Universal-International A HANDSOME, he-man lumberjack (veil played by Rod Cameron) becomes involved with the proprietress of a river boat (Yvonne De Carlo) who loves him, but wants to reduce him to her own specifications. Her partner in crime (Dan Duryea) is in love with her and hates Cameron, which leads to all kinds of complications. Starlet Helena Carter gives a refreshing performance as a girl who really knows what she wants and gets it. Rod's pal, Lloyd Gough, is an interesting type also worth watching. Sad Sister Universal-International MADE in England, it's the story of two women betrayed by men, each in her own way. A girl of the tenements (Joan Greenvood) finds herself in a penitentiary because she attempted to kill herself and illegitimate child. When she explains the facts to the ex-socialite warden (Margaret Lochwood) , she hears the latter's interesting story about frustration in upper circles, and the two become friends. At the trial, the warden convinces the jury that the girl is the victim of circumstances, and incidentally straightens out her own life. There are too many flashbacks to give the picture smoothness, and it's sometimes confusing, but pretty Joan Greenwood has an intensity and personality which will probably win her quick recognition here. Hollywood's Mrs. Babe Ruth Talks About The Babe! Continued from page 23 ingly realistic. You could see the memory of the cruel indifference he originally suffered temporarily stunning him once more. No wonder his life became a fight for recognition and has been magnificently highlighted by his passionate friendliness for kids. The Babe never says children. An eternal kid himself, he always says kids. And contends constantly that every one deserves a helping hand. He got his in that Catholic school to which he was delivered. The kind brother of the Xaverian Order who had charge of him there changed the course of the Babe's life. He got his nickname at nineteen when he clicked as a terrific left-handed pitcher in the major leagues. His frisky vitality was far too breathtaking for his given name of George. In his second season, at twenty, he became the top pitcher in the American League. In his twenty-two years as a major league player — which is twice as long as the average man lasts — he never once threw to a wrong base! I think his slip, when he got out of shape after his first flush of success, is such a typically normal reaction. He admits he went on a grand and glorious spree as money flowed in on the heels of adulation. He earned two million dollars altogether, counting his additional income from indorsements, movie appearances and writing. He ate ten meals a day some days. He sported the most dazzling cars. There was no limit to his generosity. He had to learn the meaning of self-control, something every champion knows if he is the real thing. I suspect we all have to retrace our steps some time or another, and that's why the Babe's comeback is such a heartwarming chapter. "They" said he was finished. The "experts" claimed his legs had been too slim to carry him further, anyway. Then the Babe taught them the lesson every champ teaches: the impossible can be. He determined to come back, settled down to do it. Sticking to a strict training schedule, becoming a genuine homebody, he proved he was no quitter. Two years after he was suppos Do You Remember Mama ? The Hanson family of "I Remember Mama" was a family that faced the future with confidence — a confidence all due to Mama. "If anything goes wrong," she'd say, "there's always my Bank Account to pull us through." Things worked out fine for the Hansons. And they never realized that Mama's Bank Account was Mama's own myth. But the average family doesn't have a Mama Hanson to give them that faith with a fable. The average family needs to know that there are real savings, real security protecting them, good times and bad. That's why so many families have begun to save the automatic, worryless way— with U. S. Savings Bonds. Savings Bonds pay back four dollars for every three in just ten years. It's an investment that's safe— it's an investment that grows. And to make it simpler still, your government offers you two fine plans for their purchase: (1) The Payroll Savings Plan at your firm. (2) For those not on a payroll, the Bond-AMonth Plan at your bank. AUTOMATIC SAVING IS SURE SAVINGU.S. SAVINGS BONDS Contributed by this magazine in co-operation with the t Magazine Publishers of America SECURITY as a public service. ^tUi? SCREENLAND 71