Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

14 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 29, 1949 The Box'Ofiice Slant Current and Forthcoming Feature Product Reviewed from the Theatreman's Standpoint Republic Western 60 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A Rocky Lane Western with the requisite ingredients. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Quite satisfactory for the horse-opera adherents. Cast: Allan "Rocky" Lane, Eddy Waller, Robert Emmett Keane. Barbara Bestar, Hal Landon, Dick Curtris, Dennis Moore, Ted Adams, Forrest Taylor Marshall Reed, Steve Clark. Credits: Associate Producer, Gordon Kay. Director, R. G. Springsteen. Screenplay, M. Coates Webster. Photography, John MacBurnie. Plot Outlaw raids on shipments to and from atown along the old Navajo Trail prove to be bossed by one of the town's leading citizens. A frame-up puts the wrong man in jail, but fortunately his best friend, Rocky Lane, is competent to put things to rights. Comment: The brains behind the thugs this time is not the banker, the saloon keeper or a rancher, but (horrors!) the newspaper editor. Since the latter is often present in westerns and almost always a sterling character, this amounts to an interesting switch. His success in capitalizing on a skeleton in the closet of Rocky Lane's best friend and Rocky's own close calls with an honest but suspicious sheriff add a bit of suspense to the heroic western routine. There's a sufficiency of riding, shooting and fighting, and Lane is supported as usual by that crusty old comic, Eddy Waller. With these requisite elements, "Navajo Trail Raiders" should prove quite satisfactory for the horse-opera adherents. Challenge to Lassie (Color by Technicolor) MGM Drama 76 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A good family item, top-notch for kids. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Lassie and Technicolor, as good as ever. Cast: Edmund Gwenn, Donald Crisp, Geraldine Brooks, Reginald Owen, Alan Webb. Ross Ford, Henry Stephenson, Alan Napier, Sara AUgood, Edmond Breon, Arthur Shields, Lumsden Hare. Charles Irwin and Lassie. Credits: Producer, Robert Sisk. Director, Richard Thorpe. Screenplay, William Ludwig. Based on Eleanor Atkinson's novel "Greyfriars Bobby." Photography, Charles Schoenbaum. Musical score, Andre Previn. Plot: Jock (Donald Crisp), a kindly sheepherder who has raised a stray collie (Lassie), dies leaving the dog without a license. Only the master may buy such a license and, according to Edinburgh law, this dog cannot possibly have a master now that Jock is dead. Despite the pleas of Jock's friend (Edmund Gwenn) who is caring for Lassie, the court sees no way to avoid her destruction until, after a demonstration of the dog's devotion to Jock, it comes up with an honorary citizenship. Comment: This film soon develops from its scenic but slow start into a perfect vehicle for the beautiful and talented Lassie. After a bit of cavorting with Donald Crisp and the sheep in the hills and a tussle with would-be robbers, the collie begins her duel with the law in Edinburgh. It is Lassie's only wish to sleep by her now dead master's grave, and come the sunset bugle nothing National Reviewing Committees' Audience Classifications FLOODTIDE (Eagle Lion) MATURE — National Board of Review CLASS A-SEC. 2 — National Legion of Decency JOE PALOOKA IN COUNTERPUNCH (Mono.) FAMILY — National Board of Review CLASS A-SEC. 1 — ^National Legion of Decency THE HEIRESS (Para.) MATURE — National Board of Review CLASS A-SEC. 2 — National Legion of Decency will keep her from this rendezvous. What with a churchyard regulation, the license law and an officious policeman, however, she is sorely tried. Running from the police she finds haven between columns of marching highlanders — a good scene, as those stalwarts, with their colorful garments and stirring bagpipes, defy the civilian to break their ranks. This success leads to great difficulty, however, for adopted by the soldiers Lassie must, when the sunset bugle blows, leap over the parapet of the fort 5O0 craggy feet up. Thus Lassie "goes home" again, bruised and weary. At last in court. Lassie has a close thing of it with the red robed jurists, though those upholders of the law must hang on tight when the neighborhood kids come in with the price of a license made up from their own pennies. "Challenge to Lassie" is, of course, a top-notch film for children and a good family item. Apache Chief Lippert Prod'ns Western 60 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) This semi-documentary story of the fight for survival of the Apache tribe against the advance of the white man has an air of historic authority. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Western background and rugged treatment wrill have the usual action-night draw in the neighborhoods and in rural communities. Has good exploitation possibilities. Cast: Alan Curtis, Tom Neal, Carol Thurston, Russell Hayden, Fuzzy Knight. Trevor Bardette, Francis McDonald, Ted Hecht, Allan Wells, Roy Gordon, Billy Wilkerson, Roderic Redwing, Dale Blanchard, Hazel Nilsen, Charles Soldani. Credits: Directed by Frank MaoDonald. Screenplay by George D. Green. Original story by George D. Green and Leonard S. Picker. Photography, Benjamine Kline. Produced by Leonard S. Picker. A Robert L. Lippert Presentation. Plot: An Indian tribal chief and his son are robbing and killing white settlers. Another Indian chief and his son want peace with the white man. Climax comes when the friendly Indian brings in the renegade killer and turns him over to white justice to save the tribe from annihilation. Comment: Photographed with the Garutso lense, the picture gives a sharp, three-dimensional effect that heightens the sense of reality. Sepiatone is well suited to the mood. The musical score and narration are good. Dramatic theme of the picture is the struggle between tribal loyalty and stark survival, and action fans will find plenty of rousing handto-hand fights. Though action is slowed by dialog and several sequences of inept comedy, the fights are realistic. The general audience should respond to the Indian problem. Rim oi the Canyon Columbia Western 70 rains. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Gene Autry followers and other western fans will like this fast-moving action film. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Should do well where westerns are popular. Cast: Gene Autry, Nan Leslie, Thurston Hall, Clem Bevans, Walter Sande. Jock O'Mahoney, Francis McDonald, Alan Hale, Jr., Araelita Ward, John R. McKee and Champion. Credits: Directed by John English. Screenplay by John K. Butler. Photography, William Bradford. Produced by Armand Schaefer. A Gene Autry Production. Plot: Autry, and three robbers his dad sent to prison 20 years before, meet in a deserted community where the men come seeking their hidden money. The man from whom the money was stolen also shows up. Before the picture ends, the robbers go back to prison, Autry wins the gal, and the money goes back to its rightful owner. Comment: From the box-office standpoint, this can be considered a fine entry in the Gene Autry series, and it should do well where westerns are popular. There are action, speed and songs, as well as gun-fights, fastriding and tough brawls to satisfy both adult and juvenile action fans. Autry turns in his usual smooth performance, and puts over several songs capably. Nan LesHe does okay in the feminine lead, with Thurston Hall and Clem Bevans doing well in supporting parts. John English, who has been directing quite a number of Autry films, gives this one plenty of what it takes to put over an Autry western. The Story of Seabiscuit (Color by Technicolor) Warner Bros. Drama 96 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Thrilling racing scenes and a slightly saccharine but appealing love story should keep the average audience happily absorbed. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: The fame of Seabiscuit, so well publicized a few years ago, should give this picture a natural draw. Barry Fitzgerald and Shirley Temple name-draw promises good business in most locations. Cast : Shirley Temple, Barry Fitzgerald, Lon McCaUister, Rosemary DeCamp, Donald MacBride, Pierre Watkin, William Forrest, "Sugarfoot" Anderson, Wm. J. Cartledge. Credits: Directed by David Butler. Written by John Taintor Foote. Photography, Wilfrid M. Cline. Technicolor Color Consultant, Mitchell Kovaelski. Produced by William Jacobs. Music by David Buttolph. Plot: An Irish horse trainer sees possibiHties in a runty yearling. When the owner sells the horse against his advice, the old trainer becomes ill. He goes to California where he persuades his new employer to buy the horse. The little runt becomes the great Seabiscuit. Comment: This picture, should please generally. As a story of racing, it delivers honestly, with a plentiful supply of authentic track scenes, made especially colorful by the Technicolor photography. The racing sequences, one of which is in Sepiatone, are thrilling and realistic. Shirley Temple and Lon McAllister are good as the young lovers. Though slightly saccharine, their story is still (Continued on Papc 16")