Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

22 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, December 31, 1949 The Box'Ofiice Slant Current and Forthcoming Feature Product Reviewed from the Theatreman's Standpoint Montana (Color by Technicolor) Warner Bros. Western Drama 79 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT : (Family) Handsome Errol Flyn nand Alexis Smith, gorgeous in Technicolor, decorate the screen in a not unusual version of the cattlemen versus the sheepmen. It's still entertaining. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: This big Technicolor western drama with the power of the Fl}mn and Alexis Smith names should play to good business in all situations. Cast: Errol Flynn, Ale-xis Smith, S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall, Douglas Kennedy, James Brown, Ian MacDonald, Charles Irwin, Paul E. Bums. Credits: Produced by William Jacobs. Directed by Ray Enright. Photography by Karl Freund. Screenplay by James R. Webb and Borden Chase and Charles O'Neal from a story by Ernest Haycox. Plot: When an Australian sheepman brings sheep to the Montana range, he finds himself in conflict with the big cattle ranchers. In the resulting war he wins his place on the range and marries the girl. Comment: "Montana" is the perennial range war story in a new setting. Decorated in Technicolor with Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith, it's still entertaining. Miss Smith never showed to better advantage, and Flynn handles his part with aplomb. With courage and reason and with force when necessary, he convinces Montana that sheep and cattle can graze the same range after all. The villains are killed during Flynn's forceful periods and Miss Smith, herself a headstrong, sheep-hating cattle raiser, shoots him, changes her mind, succumbs to his courage, and marries him. The tempo of the film is swift; Ray Enright's direction is sure, and the story ties up all loose ends. S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall delivers comedy relief, and Douglas Kennedy, James Brown, Ian MacDonald, and Paul E. Burns all merit mention. The cast as a whole is competent, and William Jacobs gives the picture excellent production values. It adds up to another big western and exciting entertainment. Tombolo (Italian dialog — English titles) Grandi Films Drama 94 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) A very human and appealing story of a father's search for his lost daughter among the homeless Italian outcasts in the forest refuge for black market operators known as Tombolo. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Art and foreignlanguage film houses should find this an acceptable and entertaining offering for their clientele. May go as a dual for Englishspeaking audiences. Cast: Aldo Fabrizi, Adriana Benetti, Nada Fiorelli, John Kitzmiller, Dante Maggie, Franca Marzi, Luigi Pavese, Elio Steiner. Luigi Tosi. Credits: Producer, Mario Borghi. Director, Georgio Ferroni. Story by Piero Tellini and Glauco Pellegrini. Screenplay by Indro Montanelli, Glauco Pellegrini and Giorgio Ferroni. Photography by Piero Portalupi, Plot: A story of black market operators in Italy after the war, of the homeless youths and girls in the forest refuge known as Tombolo, and of the search of an Italian armj' veteran, father for his lost daughter National Reviewing Committees' Audience Classifications TIGHT LITTLE ISLAND (U-I) MATljRE—National Board of Review CLASS A-SEC. 2— National Legion of Decency SOUTH SEA SINNER (U-I) MATURE — National Board of Review CLASS B — National Legion of Decency Objection : Suggestive dialogue, situations and costuming. Low moral tone. UNDER CAPRICORN (WB) MATURE— National Board of Review CLASS A-SEC. 3 — National Legion of Decency who is living with the leader of the black marketeers. Comment: A very human and appealing story wliich, though slow-paced, is mainlyone of action. The English titles make the action intelligible. The cast is headed by Aldo Farbizi, who played the priest in "The Lost City," as the father. His portrayal of the father, lured from the supply depot by the thieves so they can rob it, is thoroughly convincing and holds audience interest and sympathy. Adriana Benetti as the daughter is excellent and the rest of the cast give capable support, particularly Elio Steiner as the black market leader. Traveling Saleswoman Columbia Comedy 75 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Although this comedy strains every resource to entertain, the effort is not crowned with a signal success. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: The Joan Davis radio program, where it is popular, may give this labored comedy an initial start, but subsequent word-of-mouth won't help much. As supporting fare to stronger entertainment it may be accepted. Cast: Joan Davis, Andy Devine, Adele Jergens, Joe Sawyer. Credits: Produced by Tony Owen. Directed by Charles F. Riesner. Photography, George E. Diskant. Story and screenplay by Howard Dimsdale. Plot: In a last attempt to save the family soap factory from disintegration, a young woman and her fiance go west after business. Through cold, gunmen and hostile Indians, the saleswoman pursues her purpose. The picture ends with the Indian tribe boxing soap in the home factory. Comment: The story idea seems to offer possibilities for laughter that are seldom developed. Missing the swift pacing characteristic of good comedy, the picture lumbers ungracefully from scene to scene, giving an impression that its faults lie in a careless job of scripting. However where slapstick of the broadest variety is appreciated, it may be accepted. There is plenty here for kids of every age to laugh at as the picture trying to be all tilings to all men, shows Joan Davis plagued by cattle rustlers, hostile Indians, a bratty kid, close-fisted storekeepers and her own ineptitude as she peddles her soap through the west; but the longpauses between laughs will have to be overlooked. Andy Devine turns in a typical performance, as Joan's finance. The supporting cast does as well as can be expected with its material. Bodyhold Columbia Drama 63 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (FamUy) Patrons will find this drama an actionful, well integrated little yarn with a full quota of suspense. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Fashioned as supporting fare, it should suit generally. Virile enough for the most avid action fans, with an expose angle that lends itself to exploitation. Cast: Willard Parker, Lola Albright, Hillary Brooke, -Mien Jenkins, Roy Roberts, Gordon Jones. Credits: Producer, Rudolph C. Flothow. Director, Seymour Friedman. Photography, Henry Freulich and Phillip Tannura. Screenplay, George Bricker. Plot: A hefty young plumber, an ex-navy wrestling champ, enters the professional sport as one of the stable of the local wrestling czar. He finds the stable is kept in line by brutal -ing punishment for disobedience. His expose cleans up the sport. Comment: "'Btodyhold" is a tightly scripted, well-directed expose of professional wrestling. Its theme contributes the suspense which is maintained to the end of the film. Wrestling Czar Roy Roberts keeps his performers in line by ordering them brutally punished in the ring for the slightest disobedience. His policy results in a broken back for Champion Gordon Jones. When Willard Parker joins the Roberts troupe, he, too, gets out of line, but the hatchet man proves to be not quite man enough to administer the. punishment and Parker wins the match and exposes the racket. Willard Parker turns in a good performance as the hero and Allen Jenkins supplies unobtrusive comedy. Roberts is capable as the suave promoter and Lola Albright and Hillary Brooke are satisfactory as the feminine interest. Professional wrestlers load the mat scenes with action. The picture is good supporting fare and should be more than adequate for its market. These Modern Molhers (Italian dialog — English titles) Grandi Films Comedy 79 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Interest in this picture will be confined largely to those who understand Italian. It is unusually "talky," with its humor and appeal depending on the dialog. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Art and foreignlanguage film theatres may do a fair business if the major portion of their patrons understand Italian. Others are apt to fare badly. There are no cast members with a reputation here to draw patronage. Cast: Carla del Poggio. .\driana Benetti, lone Morino. Aroldo Tieri, Carlo Micheluzzi, Elvira Betrone, Ruby D'Alma. Credits: Directed by Luigi Zampa. Story by the director. Screenplay by Gherado Gherrardi and Cesare Zavattini. Photograhy by Albertu Fusi. Plot: Two girls just out of convent school are in love with two youths who reciprocate, but the course of true love does not run smoothly. One girl goes to live with her frivolous-minded aunt and after a quarrel with her suitor becomes engaged to one of the aunt's men companions. The other girl's