Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1947)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, January 4. 1947 BOX-OFFICE SLANTS ever, and Bogart tries to locate him by means of a college fraternity pin containing Prince's real name. He locates Prince's home town, finds that he had been involved in a murder charge just before he enlisted as a paratrooper; locates Lizabeth Scott, the girl Prince had talked about during the war, and then discovers that Prince has been murdered. Bogart and Miss Scott investigate the murder, think they have discovered the guilty parties. Bogart is almost murdered himself. He falls in love with Miss Scott and just as they are about to leave town, he discovers the real killer. Comment: Bogart is really the tough guy in this picture and performs along the strong, quick-thinking, action-man line that has made him and his films top box-office attractions. Lizabeth Scott, however, doesn't quite come up to the exacting job she is required to do, with her performance never quite ringing true. But, of course, she may have been trying to convey this slight shade of difference in her interpretation of her role, since it turns out that she is not the girl she pretends to be throughout about ninety per cent of the picture. It is Bogart's picture, however, regardless of Miss Scott's performance and in spite of the plethora of cliches contained in the picture's dialogue. The production values are good, the direction keeps the action moving briskly except for the love scenes between the two stars. "Dead Reckoning" probably contains just what the Bogart fans want, with Bogart "taking it" and then at the right time "dishing it out." Casting is excellent with fine performances delivered^ by Morris Carnovsky. Marvin Miller and by Wallace Ford in a small bit. With strong exploitation the picture should do average business. Not for children. The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (Technicolor) 20th-Fox Musical 85 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A charming love story packed with chuckles to entertain everyone abundantly. All types of audiences everywhere should be thoroughly pleased. Even Boston which is unmercifully "ribbed" should be able to take it in its laughing stride. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Betty Grable and Dick Haymes for the marquees, plus Technicolor, plus certain word-of-mouth approval should make this do very v ell indeed. The Gershwin songs will help, too. Many exploitation possibilities. Cast: Betty Grable, Dick Haymes. Anne Revere, Allyn Joslyn, Gene Lockhart, Elizabeth Patterson, Elisabeth Risdon, Arthur Shields, Charles Kemper, Roy Roberts, Stanley Prager, and others. Credits: Written (or the screen and directed by George Seaton. Produced by William Perlberg. From a story by Ernest and Frederica Maas. Music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. Photography, Leon Shamroy. Technicolor director, Natalie Kalmus. Associate, Leonard Doss. Musical direction. Alfred Newman. Plot: Betty Grable, in the year 1874 is the first female "typewriter" to work in Boston and her first job is with Dick Haymes, head of a shipping firm. The first feminine presence in the musty office changes things, much for the better. Betty becomes interested in women's suffrage and at a meeting is forced by Haymes to admit publicly that the relationship between management and labor should be more intimate. They finally become engaged and plan an early marriage until Haymes suggests that she give up the suffrage movement. They part and after a series of new "typewriters" has been engaged and discharged by the unhappy Haymes he goes to the secretarial school to find out why so many unsatisfactory secretaries have been sent to him. The school's general manager turns out to be Betty and they are reconciled. Comment: This is a thoroughly delightful picture from start to finish. It is imbued with such utter charm and packed with so many chuckleful situations as to provide 85 minutes of thorough entertainment even to Boston and Bostonians who are thoroughly "ribbed" in most of the action. The picture is lavishly produced in pleasantly-tinted Technicolor arrd directed with understanding and apparent fun by George Seaton, who also wrote the story for the screen. Betty Grable and Dick Haymes play this as though they enjoyed doing it, particularly in the many songs they are required to deliver singly and as a duo. Too, they handle the tender love scenes with considerable acting ability. The picture belongs to them, but lesser parts are played to perfection by such fine performers as Anne Revere, as Dick's aunt and as one of the leaders of the early suffrage movement in staid Boston; Allyn Joslyn as a frustrated poet who is in thorough accord with Elizabeth Patterson, Arthur Shields and Lillian Bronson as an aggregation of delightful eccentrics who thoroughly despise Boston and who welcome Betty to their midst when she first arrives in the city. The songs are in the Gershwin frothy manner and all are good entertainment. Outstanding among them are But Not in Boston; For You, For Me, Forevermore; Changing My Tune; Waltzing is Better Than Sitting Down; and particularly catchy is Aren't You Kind of Glad We Did? The picture's locale is in the Boston of 1874 at the time the new typing machine was placed on the market by Remington, with the name mentioned in the picture. That's one angle that calls for plenty of exploitation possibilities, as does the secretarial angle itself, suggesting typing contests, etc.; the most efficient secretary; the most popular in a large organization and many, many others. The picture is such delightful entertainment that word about it is bound to spread. Everyone should enjoy it and exhibitors should have a happy time with it at the box-office. Johnny O'clock Columbia Drama 96 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) A strong dose of highly exciting drama with Dick Powell as a rough, tough, calculating gambler. Audiences who like strong red meat in their motion picture entertainment will go for this picture in a big way. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: The marquee names have plenty of drawing power, and the film should do very well as word of its exciting quality gets around. Cast: Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb, Ellen Drew, Nina Foch, Thomas Gomez, John Kellogg, Jim Bannon, Mabel Paige, Phil Brown, Jeff Chandler, Kit Guard. Credits: Screenplay by Robert Rossen from an original story, by Milton Holmes. Produced by Edward " G. Nealis. Associate producer, Milton Holmes. Directed by Robert Rossen. Musical score by George Duning. Musical director, M. W. Stoloff. Photography, Burnett Guffrey. A J. E. M. Production. Plot: Johnny O'Clock (Dick Powell) is the partner of Thomas Gomez in the operation of a lavish gambling house in New York. A crooked cop decides to declare himself "in" and is murdered. The cop's girl also is murdered and suspicion points to Johnny. Evelyn Keyes, the murdered girl's sister, falls in love with Johnny when she comes to New York to investigate her sister's death. In self-defense Johnny kills his partner. Ellen Drew, the partner's wife, who had been on the make for Johnny, tells the police and he is arrested. As he is led away, Johnny knows he will be acquitted and that the girl will wait for him. Comment: This is a lusty, rough, tough melodrama whose entertainment is built upon the excellent characterizations of its cast, rather than on the story itself. It is lavishly produced, directed with a fine, sure hand and builds in excitement from the first to the closing scenes. Motion picture audiences who like strong red meat in their film entertainment will go for this one in a big way. Dick Powell is perfectly cast as the gambling house partner who never gambles. He plays sure things only. Evelyn Keyes as the sister of a girl who was murdered and is suspicious of Powell's part in the murder, but who falls in love with him nevertheless, does some fine emotional work, in a part that could have been entirely unconvincing in the hands of a lesser performer. But it is Lee J. Cobb, as a brilliant New York police inspector, who almost walks away with the picture. He gives a splendid interpretation of an inspector who knows exactly what he is doing every minute, is rough when he has to be, is understanding and sympathetic when the occasion calls for it, and who shows at all times that he has a deep, abiding hatred and contempt for crooks of all kinds. Associate Producer Milton Holmes and Director Robert Rossen, who are credited with the original story and screenplay, respectively, have given their brainchild the best of treatment, and it emerges as excellent entertainment that should give a few thrills to every type of adult audience. "Johnny O'Clock" should do very well indeed, as word of its exciting quality gets around. Assign Laszlo to 'Rio' Ernest Laszlo has been assigned as cinematographer for Paramount's "Road to Rio," fifth of the popular series starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour which went into production the day after Christmas. Laszlo recently completed "Dear Ruth" and was behind the lens for the recently released Alan Ladd starrer, "Two Years Before the Mast." "Voice of Theatre Speakers" JOE HORNSTEIN has iff