Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1945)

34 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW April 28, 1945 Hitchhike to Happiness Republic Drama with Music 72 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: Good entertaining program offering with enough catchy songs and good old-fashioned gags to satisfy the average moviegoers. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Should serve well as a second feature. Cast: Al Pearce, Dale Evans, Brad Taylor, William Frawley, Jerome Cowan, Willy Trenk, Arlene Harris, Joyce Compton, Maude Eburne, Irving Bacon, Lynn and Jeanne Romer. Credits: Produced by Donald H. Brown. Screenplay by Jack Townley. Based on original story by Manny Seff and Jerry Horwin. Photography, Jack Marta. Directed by Joseph Santley. Plot: The story of a young girl who made good and then came back to help a goodnatured waiter who helped her, and a young song-writer who didn't know who she was. The girl agrees to play the lead, the waiter's play is accepted and the song-writer's songs elevated to fame. Comment: Although the story follows the oft-repeated pattern of past films, it is spiced with enough gags and good song numbers to entertain the average moviegoer. For those who enjoy seeing and hearing her, just having Dale Evans there is enough entertainment to make up for any other lack in the picture. But there is also Al Pearce, who has a following of his own and who entertains in his own way, and there are several songs that are catchy enough to be remembered and carried away by most audiences. Both Sentimental and For You and Me seem headed for popular acclaim. Jerome Cowan, William Frawley, Brad Taylor and Arlene Harris are others in the cast who attract with their portrayals. Direction by Joseph Santley is good, investing the film with timing and feeling. Cisco iCid Returns Those Endearing Young Charms RKO Radio Comedy 80 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) This is fun for entertainment-hungry patrons who enjoy an evening of sophisticated fun, with laughter and tears intermingled, but mostly laughter. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: With the right selling, plus the name draw, this is headed for a profitable run. Cast: Robert Young, Laraine Day, Ann Harding, Marc Cramer, Anne JeiTreys, Glenn Vernon, Norma Varden, Lawrence Tierney, Vera Marshe, Bill Williams. Credits: Directed by Lewis Allen. Screenplay by Jerome Chodorov. From the play by Edward Chodorov. Photography, Ted Tetzlafif. Produced by Bert Granet. Executive Producer, Sid Rogell. Plot: This is the story of a modern wolf, an attractive, cynical Air Corps Lieutenant, who attempts to steal a girl away from a former GI buddy. How he is finally tamed by the girl when he finds himself in love with her. Comment: A romantic comedy that will attract feminine audiences everywhere, as signified by remarks overheard at the preview showing. Here is swell entertainment, a bit on the sophisticated side, but not so much so as to set it exclusively for class audiences. There are laughs for the masses from the upper 'teen-age groups to the old contingent ; in fact, so manj' laughs, that some of the very clever dialog is lost. Though the story hasn't much substance, the skillful direction of Lewis Allen puts such flavor into the many situations of romantic intrigue and touching sentiment that average audiences will find themselves exceptionally well entertained. Acting honors should be evenly divided between Laraine Day and Robert Young. Legion of Decency Ratings (For Week Ending April 28) SUITABLE FOR GENERAL PATRONAGE Rockin' in the Rockies Scarlet Clue SUITABLE FOR ADULTS ONLY Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe China Sky China's Little Devils Those Endearing Young Charms This is one of the best things Miss Day has done, and Young registers solidly in perhaps the first "wolf" role ever assigned him. Another outstanding feature about this picture is the introduction of Bill Williams, a newcomer whose star should be in the ascendency after this performance. The teen-agers will go for him in a big way; and he's worthy of this attention, for lie gives a warm, appealing portrayal. Ann Harding, as the mother, and Glenn Vernon as a lonesome sailor add very worthy portrayals to the production as a whole. Bert Granet produced. With the right selling, plus the name drawer, this is headed for a profitable run. Western 64 mins. The IMissing Corpse PRC Comedy 62 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) This comedy about a missing body should entertain the average audience. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: A satisfactory filler for the neighborhoods and subsequentrun houses. Cast: J. Edward Bromberg, Eric Sinclair, Frank Jenks, Isabel Randolph, Paul Guilfoyle, John Shay, Lorell Sheldon, Ben Weldon, Charles Coleman, Michael Branden, Eddy Waller, Elayne Adams, Mary Arden, Charles Jordan, Anne O'Neal, Jean Ransome, Ken Terrell, Isabel Withers. .Credits: Produced by Martin Mooney. Screenplay by Raymond L. Schrock. From a story by Harry O. Hoyt. Photography, James Brown. Directed by Albert Herman. Plot: A well-known newspaper publisher threatens another because of his unfair tactics. Shortly after, he leaves on a vacation, with his chauffeur. When they arrive at their destination, he is shocked to find the other man's dead body in the car's trunk compartment. From then on, it's a question of disposing of the body in order not to become involved in the murder. By the time his family find him the entire matter is straightened out and the culprit caught. Comment: This film should make a satisfactory filler for the neighborhoods and subsequent-run houses. It uses the formula of "body-body-who's-got-the-body" to create laughs and tense situations, for there is no mystery involved. One knows from the start who did the killing. In the leading role, J. Edward Bromberg does a capable job, while Frank Jenks practically steals the picture as his chauffeur and stooge, getting most of the laughs with his mugging. Isabel Randolph, as Bromberg's wife, plays the type of role that she does so well and which theatregoers liave become familiar with because of previous films and radio. Direction is 'by Albert Herman; production supervision by Martin Mooney. Monogram AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) The Cisco Kid returns for some more adventures in a picture not quite as dashing as his previous offerings. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: First of the new Cisco Kid series will do okay in the western spot for which it was intended. Cast: Duncan Renaldo, Martin Garralaga, Cecilia Callejo, Roger Pryor, Anthony Warde, Fritz Leiber, Vicky Lane, Jan Wiley, Sharon Smith, Cy Kendall, Eva Puig, Emmett Lynn. Credits: Produced by Philip .M. Krasne. Original screenplay by Betty Burnbridge. Photography, Harry Neumann. Directed by John P. McCarthy. Plot: The Cisco Kid is blamed for the killing of a young girl whom he has hidden from her supposed mother and maid. He eludes the sheriff and his posse, solves the murder, and gets back all the wealth belonging to the youngster, which was the cause of all the excitement. Comment: For those who enjoyed the Cisco Kid pictures, this first of the new series will be something of a disappointment for by slowing up the pace, it takes away the color and dash of this adventurous hero. The story makes him appear less of a rootin'-tootin' sort of a guy than heretofore, for it gives him too much dialog. Youngsters who follow this type of movie will probably want him to get moving instead of doing so much talking. Duncan Renaldo is just as good as ever as the Cisco Kid and Martin Garralaga plays his amusing henchman. The villains are played by Roger Pryor, Anthony Warde and Cy Kendall, and Cecilia Callejo does satisfactorily with the role of a native girl. John P, McCarthy handled the direction. Wonder IMan (Color) RKO Radio Comedy 97 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) It's magnificently crazy — and it's uproariously funny. All audiences will howl at Danny Kaye. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Should do exceptionally well in all situations. Hardly anyone has forgotten the excellence of "Up in Arms." Cast : Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen, Donald Woods, S. Z. Sakall, Allen Jenkins, Ed Brophy, Steve Cochran, Otto Kruger, Richard Lane, Natalie Schafer, Huntz Hall, Virginia Gilmore, Ed GaPgan, Alice Mock, Gisela Werbiseck and the Goldwyn Girls. Credits: Produced by Samuel Goldwyn. Directed by Bruce Humberstone. Screenplay by Don Hartman, .Melville Sh»velson and Philip Rapp. Adaptation by Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran from an original story by Arthur Sheekman. Photl^fp»phy by Victor Milner and William Snyder. Special photographic effects by John Fulton. Technicolor director, Natalie Kalmus. .Associate, Mitchel Kovaleski. Dances, John Wray. Musical Direction, Louis Forbes. Plot: Danny Kaye, a screwy night club entertainer is killed by gangsters to prevent him from testifying at the trial of a notorious thug. His spirit enters the body of his identical twin (also Danny Kaye) who is a studious, bookish young man. Danny the night club entertainer is engaged to VeraEllen and Danny the book-worm is interested in Virginia Mayo, librarian. All sorts of complications ensue before the combined body and spirit testify and convict the killer. Danny the bookworm eventually marries Virginia Mayo and Danny the spirit impishly appears on their honeymoon. Comment: Perhaps the plot is screwy — perhaps it just couldn't happen — but nobody