Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1946)

38 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 19, 1946 Lightning Raiders PRC Western 59 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A good Buster Crabbe western. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: On a par with the standard set by the predecessors in this series. Cast: Buster Crabbe, Al "Fuzzy" St. John, Mady Laurence, Henry Hall, Steve Darrell, I. Stanford JoIIey, Karl Hackett, Roy Brent, Marin Sais, Al Ferguson. Credits: Producer, Sigmund Neufeld. Director, Sam Newfield. Original screenplay, Elmer Clifton. Photography, Jack Greenhalgh. Plot: Billy Carson and his sidekick, "Fuzzy," have quite a time tracking down the operators of a stolen-mail racket, but finally succeed. Two people are murdered before Billy gets evidence on the leading citizen of the community, who has been stealing mail to blackmail certain people and force others into turning over their belongings to him. Comment: Like most of PRC's Buster Crabbe westerns this one was made last year. This offering is a good action-packed outdoor opus that will meet with the approval of the Crabbe fans. Story is slightly off the beaten track of formula westerns, in that instead of the usual gold or silver robberies of stagecoaches, letters are the loot. Because of this, the picture is surprisingly entertaining, for there's a considerable amount of suspense besides the chases, fighting and slaying that make westerns what they are. Bringing Up Father Monogram Comedy 68 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A screen visual of the famous cartoon strip of the same name, with perfect casting of Joe Yule in the role of Jiggs and Renie Riano as Maggie. Good entertainment for the masses. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Should do well at the box-office because of the wide popularity of the comic strip. Cast: Joe Yule, Renie Riano, George McManus, Tim Ryan, June Harrison, Wallace Chadwell, Tom Kennedy, Laura Treadwell, William Frambes, Pat Goldin, Jack Norton, Ferris Taylor, Tom Dugan, Joe Devlin, Fred Kelsey, Charles Wilson, Herbert Evans, Dick Ryan, Mike Pat Donovan, Bob Carleton, George Hickman. Credits: Directed by Eddie Cline. Photography, L. W. O'Connell. Screenplay by Jerry Warner. Original Story by Barney Gerard and Eddie Cline. Produced by Barney Gerard. Plot: In her efforts to get into society Maggie becomes involved in a scheme to shut down Dinty Moore's. She talks Jiggs into helping her, never realizing that they are both doing harm to old pals. When the injunction comes through and Jiggs realizes what he had done, he manages to right the wrong and Maggie helps him do so. Comment: Perfect casting and the fundamental gags that have made the comic strip "Bringing Up Father" so popular with so many people makes this picture a very good offering for the masses. They will enjoy the visual picture Joe Yule makes of Jiggs and Renie Riano's Maggie will be found a perfect delineation of that funny-paper character. And they'll get plenty of entertainment from the familiar material used such as the friends Jiggs meets and carries on with af Dinty's and the trouble Maggie gets into because of her social ambitions. Tim Ryan, Jack Norton, Joe Devlin, Dick Ryan and others are easily recognizable as Jiggs barroom buddies. Only addition is a character portrayed by Pat Goldin, who does an outstanding job as the silent figure who wanders in and out of many of the proceedings. Another effective gag is having George McManus, creator of the cartoon strip, appear throughout the film without any introduction until the finale. Two songs are used, both of which will garner many laughs. Credit for the production and direction, and also for the original story, go to Barney Gerard and Eddie Cline, respectively. RKO Radio Drama 85 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) For an outstanding, suspenseful mystery drama with all the essential elements neatly blended, the average theatregoer will find this one comparable to the best they've seen. They will be thoroughly entertained, and the armchair detectives will find themselves challenged by the solution. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: This is outstanding fare for class, neighborhood and subsubsequent-run houses. Has the name draw of George Raft and Lynn Bari for situations where they have a following. Cast: George Raft, Lynn Bari, Virginia Huston, Joseph Pevney, Myrna Dell, Edward Ashley, Walter Sande, Mabel Paige, Bernard Hoffman, Mack Gray, Queenie Smith. Credits: Produced by Joan Harrison. Directed by Edwin L. Marin. Screenplay by Jonathan Latimer. Photography, Harry J. Wild. Plot: In spite of the police verdict that a songwriter committed suicide, a detective goes out on his own to prove a murder case. Among the dead man's effects is a history of his philandering, which causes the detective to seek out each of the girls in his past. As he eliminates them, he gets closer to the solution and ends up by finding an unsuspected person as the murderer. Comment: For a good, suspenseful mystery drama that has all the essential elements neatly blended, an exhibitor would have to look far to find one that would please his patrons better than this one. In relative excellence, "Nocturne" is comparable to any of the proven box-office successes, from the exceptionally good story down to the last production detail. Audiences will find themselves completely absorbed by the proceedings, with armchair detectives thoroughly challenged by the solution. For class, neighborhood and subsequent-run houses this picture should prove a particularly outstanding offering. Though everybody connected with its making deserves the highest praise, the film shows the guiding hand of Joan Harrison, the producer, whose early training under Alfred Hitchcock is evident throughout. George Raft gives a smooth performance as the detective and Lynn Bari is e.xcellent as the suspect. Among the supporting players, fine portrayals are turned in by Virginia Huston, Joseph Pevney and Myrna Dell, and Edward L. Marin gets credit for the skillful direction. Trigger Fingers Monogram Western 58 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A fair western that is better than the preceding Brown releases in the current series. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Should do nicely at the ticket window, with Johnny Mack Brown a hardy perennial, plus names of Raym^ond Hatton and Jennifer Holt. Cast: Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, Jennifer Holt, Riley Hill, Steve Clark, Eddie Parker, Pierce Lyden, Ted Adams, Cactus Mack, Ed Cassidy. Credits: Supervisor, Charles J. Bigelow. Director, Lambert Hillyer. Original screenplay, Frank H. Young, Photography, Harry Neumann. Plot: Johnny Mack Brown comes over from Texas to see his old pal, Raymond Hatton, and is just in time to help Hatton save the day. Before the shooting is over. Brown, known as "Hurricane" and the deadliest shot in the West, saves Hatton's son from hanging. Hatton, a blacksmith, sells his ranch to a supposed desert "rat," who is actually an escaped convict looking for gold left on Hatton's premises The escaped convict is finally arrested after several murders, and Brown rides away again. Comment: This effort is the best of the current Brown series, with a neatly woven script by Frank H. Young largely responsible, plus a veteran cast. Jennifer Holt is a better-than-average heroine; Steve Clark a sharp wolf in sheep's clothing as the escaped convict, and Riley Hill a convincing wellmeaning, but wide-eyed youth. Brown, as usual, is a manly, splendid-appearing western star; and Hatton does the best job he's done in some time as the honest blacksmith. The picture has its share of action, and while it slows up perceptibly in parts, it has enough dash and pace to satisfy the average fan. The Chase United Artists Drama 85 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) A strange, tense, exciting melodrama with strong entertainment value for adult audiences. Not for young children. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Cast names are strong enough for initial draw and the film should build to good business on the strength of positive word-of-mouth. It's the kind of picture audiences are certain to talk about. Cast: Robert Cummings, Michele Morgan, Peter Lorre, Steve Cochran, Lloyd Corrigan, Jack Holt, Don Wilson, Alexis Minotis, Nina Koshetz, Yolanda Lacca, James Westerfield, Shirley O'Hara. Credits: Produced by Seymour Nebenzal. Directed by Arthur Ripley. Screnplay by Philip Yordan, based on the novel "The Black Path of Fear" by Cornell Woolrich. Associate producer, Eugene Frenke, Photography, Franz Planer. Musical score, Michel Michelet. Plot: Hungry and broke, ex-navy man Robert Cummings finds a wallet in a Miami street. He returns the wallet to Steve Cochran, is hired as chauffeur and learns that Cochran and his body-guard, Peter Lorre, are considerably less than the wealthy men about town they appear to be. Cochran is ruthless in his dealings with anyone who opposes him, exhibiting streaks of psycopathic cruelty. Michele Morgan, Cochrane's wife, is disillusioned and wants to be free but is terrified lest Cochrane learn of her