Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1947)

26 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 18, 1947 :MC»] aim li ' The Lost Moment Universal-International Drama 89 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) Extremely off the beaten track, this picture will puzzle average audiences. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: The star values of Cummings and Hayward may be overbalanced by unfavorable word-of-mouth comment. Cast: Robert Cummings, Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead, Joan Lorring, Eduardo Ciannelli, John Archer, Minerva Urecal, Frank Puglia, William Edmunds. Credits: Producer, Walter Wanger. Director, Martin Gabel. Screenplay, Leonardo Bercovici. Based on novel by Henry James. Photography, Hal Mohr. Plot: An American publisher, determined to find the love letters written by a great poet years ago to a lady still alive in Italy, goes to Venice. Disguised as a writer, he gets into the lady's home as a lodger, but is rebuffed by the old woman's niece. The climax comes when the publisher and the niece fall in love and the niece is freed from her demented attitude that she is the old lady as a young woman. He doesn't get the letters because they are burned in a fire, but he wins the girl. Comment: E.xtremely of¥ the beaten track, "The Lost Moment" will puzzle the average audience. The transitions the spectator must effect in viewing the production are so complicated that he will leave the theatre feeling he has not been sufficiently entertained. As a piece of artistic work, however, the film is excellent: orchestrations by David Tamkin are beautiful and the music by Daniele Amfitheatrof is superb. The acting is also of a high order and technical departments are well above par. However, these attributes do not obviate the likelihood of the picture being unsatisfactory at the average box-office; it has star values in Cummings and Hayward, but the likely mediocre wordof-mouth will probably overbalance that factor. Give an "A" for effort, anyway, to Wanger for his production. While I Live (Reviewed in London) 20th Century-Fox Drama 85 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) Stagily produced with a surfeit of dialog, this courts the unconventional and is notable for introducing Sonia Dresdel, a brilliant dramatic actress, to the screen. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Shunning accepted box-office standards, the story, while reaching a reasonable conclusion, is too fanciful for general audiences. Cast: Tom Walls, Clifford Evans, Carol Raye, Patricia Burke, Sonia Dresdel, John Warwick, Edward Lexy and others. Credits: Based on Robert Bell's play, "This Same Garden." Adapted and directed by John Harlow. Produced by Edward Dryhurst. Plot: When Audrey Fildes, a brilliant composer, falls over a cliff while sleep-walking, her possessive sister, Sonia Dresdel, is deeply grieved. On the 2Sth anniversary of the death, Carole Raye, suffering from lost memori^ comes to the house and takes on the mantle of the dead composer, playing her music and following her hair and dress styles. Sonia is enraptured and does everything to keep the girl. Patricia Burke a relation, tries to break the spell and identify her. Carol's husband traces her but slie does not recognize him. Apparently Carol, a reporter working on a story about the dead woman, had had a row with him and been drawn by some urge to the locality. Her mind is restored through the shock of finding herself sleepwalking on the cliff top from which the other woman fell. She is reunited with her husband and Sonia is left to her loneliness. Comment: Too many British producers are inclined to shun box-office conventions in favor of the unusual. The gamble often comes off, but in this case there is an air of bewilderment about the proceedings. The audience is asked to believe that a girl, suffering from lost memory after a tiff with her husband, takes on the mantle and personality of a composer who died on the day she was born 25 years before. Director John Harlow has tried to instill some movement but the whole is weighed down with a surfeit of none-too-inspiring dialog. The interior sets are excellent, but the studio exteriors reek of the plaster shop. The film is important if for no other reason than it introduces Sonia Dresdel, a West End actress who gives an impressive performance as the possessive sister. Tom Walls is also excellent as the old handvman. Keeper of the Bees Columbia Drama 67 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Extremely wholesome picture with strong appeal for' the entire family. Veteran actor Harry Davenport turns in jewel of a performance. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: As good a supporting picture as one could find. Especially suitable for neighborhood and subsequentrun trade. Cast: Michael Duane, Gloria Henry, Harry Davenport, Jane Darwell, Jo Ann Marlowe, J. Farrell MacDonald, Will Wright. Credits: Prodticer, John Haggott. Director, John Sturges. Screenplay, Lawrence E. Watkin aiid Malcolm Stuart Boylan. Adaptation, Ralph Rose. Jr. Based on the novel by Gene StrattonPorter. Photography, Henry Freulich. Plot: An old bee master befriends an embittered young artist who helps him run the apiary. Under the influence of his new friend, and his fondness for a 12-year-old orphaned girl, the young man's attitude changes and he begins to paint again. When he falls in love with a young girl his ex-wife tries to cause trouble between them but the orphan girl comes to their aid and all ends well. Comment: This extremely wholesome picture will appeal to Mother, Dad and all the kids. Eighty-year-old Harry Davenport, one of the screen's finest character actors, turns in a jewel of a performance. He is ably seconded by a very competent cast, with special mention due another splendid character performer, Jane Darwell, for her role as the villainess of the story. Technical departments are up to par, with the direction of John Sturges worth applause for keeping the 67 minutes running time filled with audience appeal. "Keeper of the B'ees" is as good a supporting feature as one could find and will be particularly suitable for neighborhood and subsequent-run trade. The Gene StrattonPorter name should mean something, too, for her name is familiar to sizable numbers of patrons. King of the Bandits Monogram Melodrama 66 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (FamUy) An enjoyable Cisco Kid offering with plenty of laughs and excitement. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Venerability of Cisco Kid name should make it hold up well in average house, especially action situations. Cast: Gilbert Roland, Chris-Pin Martin, Angele Greene, Anthony Warde, Laura Treadwell, William Bakewell, Rory Mallinson, Pat Goldin, Cathy Carter. Credits: Producer, Jeffrey Bernerd. Director, Christy Cabanne. Original story, Christy Cabanne. Screenplay, Bennett Cohen. Based upon character created by O. Henry. Photogi'aphy, William Sickner. Plot: Cisco has to go after an impersonator who has held up a stagecoach containing a beautiful young lady, her mother and their valuables. B'efore he and his helpers nab the impersonator, the beautiful girl's soldier brother is involved innocently and Cisco has to escape prison. In the end, the villain is apprehended, the soldier restored to his honor and Cisco kisses the girl and rides off again. Comment: This enjoyable Cisco Kid offering has plent} of laughs and excitement. Gilbert Roland is very good in the title role and Chris-Pin Martin is a decidedly gifted comedian. Little Pat Goldin contributes a nice bit, too, as the saddlemaker whose life Cisco saves. The rest of the cast is adequate. Christy Cabanne deserves extra mention for his actionful direction and original story. The venerability of the Cisco Kid name should make this release hold up well in the average house, especially action situations. Exhibitors have a ready-made product for exploitation in this series. The Exile Universal-International Drama 95 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) A rousing lusty tale of romance, thrilling old-time acrobatic swordsmanship and the cavaliers of old England. Great stuff for adventure lovers. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: When word gets around that this is old-time Fairbanks adventuring, the crowds should start coming. Intensive exploitation should result in good business everywhere. Cast: Maria Montez, Paule Croset, Henry Daniell. Nigel Bruce, Robert Coote, Otto Waldis, Eldon Gorst, Milton .'\. 0\ven, Colin Keith-Johnston, Ben H. Wright. Colin Kenny, Peter Shaw, Will S. Stanton, C. S. Ramsey-Hill. Gordon Clark, Lumsden Hare. Lester Matthews. Thomas P. Dillon. William Trenk, Fred Cavens, Alia Dunn, Torben Meyer, Grayce Hampton, Mary Forbes, Charles Stevens. Douglas Fairbanks. Jr. Credits: Written and produced by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Directed by Max Opuls. Director of photography, Frank Planer. Special photography, David S. Horsley. Processed in sep-a. Music, Frank Skinner. Plot: King Charles II of England has been exiled by Oliver Cromwell in the year 1660. He lives in Holland with a few of his followers. Charles meets a Holland farmerette and inn-keeper, and while hiding from Cromwell's men, hires out as a worker on the girl's farm. Cromwell, sends a trusted emissary to murder Charles so that he may not resume his throne. The emissary is killed. Charles reluctantly leaves the girl and returns to England and his people. Comment: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., makes Charles Stuart of England a lusty, likable