Variety (Apr 1946)

12 REVIEWS WcJnegJay, April 3, 1946 I Ileyotion .'•HoJlywood, March 30. WuiiiM'O ii'lc:i."c. Of H"liorl lliirknor pro- diii'lluii. Siiiin Mil T,uiilni>, I'MUl llenrciil, (lllvln ill- ll;vlll;iiiil, Syilnoy Grtpiistrcet; fiiitiiiTs Xiuif.v I'olonmn, Ailliur Koiincilv. li.niie .\liiy-Wliluy, Yli'tov l-'raiiccii. Dl- lo.icj l)y I'lirlH ISi'inliurJt, Scrcriiiilay. K<>llli WImii; iiitlKliml Btdiy, Tlictnlorc ll-cvrn: iMiiicv.i. . I'lDtPHl lluUor: Hjirelal rrfwtH, JiM'k JInlii™, .Inck t>nklc, Ufx \viiiniy: iiin!.li\ KiUli WoirKiini: Ki)inK<>l<l: «ilU(ir, Uuill I'clii-. 'ri-«iICLiliiin'7i ill WuvnfrB ItpvPily ilv;nri-. Ilvvii'ly IIIUb. ••ill.. Malt* ill. ■•lU. liliiiuliix iHiif. 108 ,MINS. Kintly l^i-niilf- ArOiiir NM.-hiill<. t'llitrloltA IJ.-vnl^ •1 hiirUoniy Anne Jti-oni'^... ■ Itralitv^ll I;iiiiilf,.... FiiiUy "rliori^iit ii:ulisl*nr ir-K' i' • 7A\\ IJronif .^iint lt!';uuvoll.. Sir Jnlu) Ttiitrnlun... Miulanif Ilf^K'-'" IhkIikhi — 'I'lililiy •• .MIh.s *l'fti>i'nL''t IIOEK' I>»-B|iM- iil-lun ,...l<la I.upino ... . .i. .l'(iul .)lenri.lil , .iillvlii do Iliivljlunil . ..SyJnoy Gi^ecn^lrbcf .....vmicy ColoTiian .. Artliui" Kcinicily .. .L>:iiiii> .Mhv Whllty .... . . .Victor Kr.in«n ........ MontiiRu I.ovf ....Klliel Orlrtlc.i Kilinon'l Urcon ...Oilftio Jtyrlll ... .Doris Lloyd .MmiIc I)oH»i>kcr ...;.... .Kily ihilyon ... .Kon-ei^tor lljivvcy .llllly nsvan OeolTrcy.- Slcclc Warners has .stacked- the deck on this one Willi a. very hefty cast. There's con.siderable Uirc tor the femmes in the story of the' Bronte sisters, but picture is not as cbni' plete iin exploitation 61 the charac tors as it could be, It's all \ycll-done make-believe, without ever reaching point of reality: Because of the draw names, such as Ida Lnpino, Paul Henroid, Olivia de HaviHaiid, Syd ney Greonstreet and others, it can be ngurcd to' show a substantial re turn at the b.o, , Production manages to catch i sceminsly authentic, picture of the Yorkshire village background of tht Brontes before they rose to fame as authors of the 1830's. : Individual performances are expert, with a few standouts, in miinins thp rituation.s in the script by Keith Winter, but it fails to stir more, than a modest re. spouse. .S(:ri|>t. taken from an orig' fnal story by Theodore KeeVes, is not siibstauliiil. and dialog switches con- fusingly from the modern to the prose of the period. ' . Plot dcpict.s the Brontes in the \\\- lagc of Haworlii.'Yorkshire, opening In the period just before they found fame.as auihor.s.. Shown are the love triangle between Ida Lupino. as Emily: Olivia dc Hnvilland, as Char- lotte, and Paul Henreid. 'as the curate who aids tlie girls' father in the parish; the brief stay of Emily and Charlotte 'ni Bru.s'-els, and latter's ro- .mance with a schoolteacher. 'Victor Francrn; Charlotte's popular success as writer of "Jane Eyre" and Emily's lesser, biit more solid, fame as au- thoress of ''Wutliering Heights." As nimed there arc a number of story poiiiLs not clearly developed, partic- ularly dealing with Emily's fatal ill- ness i)nd neurotic visions, and the love fancies of Charlotte. Mi.s.scs Lupino and de Havilland are expert as the two older sistor.s, while Nancy Colfiman as the younger Anne Bronte has her moments. HCU' reid'.<! portrayal is excellent. Green street is good as Thackeray, a' role that is nlmast a biti Ai-thur Ken nedy's perrorniancc as the drunken poet-painter brother of the sisters is a standout. Dame May Whitty, Franr cen, Montagu Lfive, the suflcring father; Ethel Griffics and others in the cast lend caoable support. Curtis Bcriihardt's direction of the Robert Buckncr production, never quite overcomes the handic:in of an unreal story in the overall effect, al though pimchine home a number of scenes and performances in tolling style. Bucknor.'s production guidance catches the flavor of the period with- out exercising enough strength on script to .make the characters live, Of high order arc the lensin'i by Ernest Hallcr, the. score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and other tech- nical contributions. Brog. Tli«> Itark €«rner 2fltli-ro.>: i-.'lr.irc nt l^cd Kolilhinr DiftHnl- tion. .-iiHLs l.ii.-lllo l.ull; Olltlon ■Wulib, Wil- llHni l:rnill,\: irutuii's .Vhii-k Stoycna. Kuil KmiiiCl-, I'HlPjy Di.wn.s. J^llccleil liy ll'iiiy ICatliniviiy. .''I'lCfniilay. .Tay UiNider. Jicr nnril t<i li<,»n(|Fl,i; ),ii.S"il loi ntoiy by J IKililili; i'iiiiii>ra. .Iiir .\li'J)ii|iiild: (mIIIov. would have «ldc<l considcr.-ibly. Starting u(Y as aitother slambang pri- vate investigator story, the llr.st few reels arc .set nt a fust pace. Stymied by an overabundance of dialog, how- ever, the tempo gradually subsides and moves .slowly to a .so->i climax that misses because of the:piecedlng draggy quality. Story has Mi.ss Ball as secrettiry to .private detective Stevens. Lattel:'s just'.set up shop after serving time in. San .Quentin on a Iruinped-up nian- .slaughtcr charge instituted by Kurt Ki-eiiger, his former partner. Kreu-; gdr, an unscrupulous lothario, sets out to snari! the wife of Webb, social- ite art collectoi-, for her money,- Knowing the cops think Stevens is out to get Kreuger for revenge,; Webb hires BcikHx, a tough gunman, .to kHl Kreuger and plant the blame on Stevens, then 'gets rid' ot Behdix. After much talk, Stevens ;'.nd Miss Ball track down Webb and the boss marries his secretary. Cast, steered in the iight direction by director Henry Hathaway, does much to keep , the picture running a.s smoothly as it does. Miss Ball is decorative and pleasantly emotional r.s the secretary. Webb's role, that of a socislite It.illerMs .similar to that with which he made his screen debut in last year's "Laura," and he dors equally well with it. Bentlix's work as the unmoral gunmdin. is a far cry from his recent come<ly parts biit it's' outstanding. ; Stevens, evidently being groomed- by 20th-Fox tor star rolr.Sj is credit- able as tlie tough private dick. Krcugcr is sufficieiitly sardonic and handsoiuci and the-beauteous Cathy Do\v)is i.s okay a.s Webb's wife. Eddie Hey wood'and his orch get spot bill- ing in the ca.sl biit arc soeij in only one Hash .sequence. Producer Fred- Kohlmar has lired the picture with good accoutrements. Joe .KlcDonald, with emphasis on trick mirror shots, gets in some top- drawer camera work., and Vrod Ser- sen's'trick camera sequence of Ben- dix hurthng through the .air from a skyscraper window is one for the books.' Sets by Thomqs Little are in keeping with the story, and Cyril Mockvidge's score helps hoighlcn the picture's mood. . Stal. Miniature Reviews "Devotion" iWB), Drama of Bronte Sisters with strong cast names to lui:c customers. "The Dark Corner" (20lh). Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, Wil- liam Bendix in ok mcUcr. "Gay BlaaeB" iRep). Okay action-coiticdy aimed at pleasing in secondary billings, . . "Wanted For M«rder'> i.20th). f British - made). Chiller with limited U. S. appeal. "Nlirhl Editor" (Gol). WilHam Gargan . in unexciting - siduth mellcr. ' "BUck. Market Babies" (Mono)', Thnely theme should ' set tri^$^nc for moderate returns . oil double bills.' - "Behind the Mask" i Mono). ■ Fair cpmedy-mclodrama for sec- ondary .spotting. '■Border Bandits" (Mono). Be- low-par. westerner; .liicks action. "Fear" iMono). "Taut m.eio- drama oii crime and punishment', theme; solid entertainment. '. Wanted for Alnrilrr (BRITISH-MADE) ' London, March 28. I'Oili <Vnlnry-Wx r^^lpani* nt KN',-"'i<lor ■'Min-,\luri-i'l 1 lullnum prvuiiH'llnn. Sia V'.iW 'ovUiKiu." Uiilrle lii-Hy. t>;v.<-*-t''il l*y Ijiw- ^■ciico lliiiiilii^lon." Si-rocnplay ■ by rcit-y JtubhiHun, TcroiK'C dr ilarnoy ri'o-n sliiiy^iy I'^iticrlc l*rc.*:sliiu');i.*r, .UiMliify. .\i-klanii. t'ain- rra. .Mux Urceno. H. I'Vaiiklo. -^r ilotli-Vi.x pi-i)JOi:t)6n nuini. linnnini;-liiiir. |t):{;.MIXH, Vlrlor Colcla-nokc. .Anne FIMdlni^ .Taul: Wllllunis lnHr>o'i:t»r CoiiM'ay-.'. -'crKCant. .SulU'va'n... Mr3. Coir-lirooke ■Mih'vit*.. -. •. .It-uhlilc. .Mi'l.ai'Cn;. lvi>' KUIh. .. .'. 'ofPiiviii .Ma)ipiili).. Wallers .Miss Willis Wuls'iii Wtljli; Tni(U->-lii.wn .N". v.. thni-. Wi MISS. ■ Kallilrrn... <:.<Uicurl -i... ■Wlilin .siiii 1lii:tlri>rd liiiK.;.,.. Tony .iHitlliM-. ■; Mail i;:illu':M'r.. f.t.. l''i-i*nk lui-v'n. MvH. K'in^.'j'I'-.v-....., r,ii<y WllflliiK .Mr. l:i-y..-.tii 3lrM. I:i->f.ii llnllfr. . .... l''t«iH M.)lli-r , 1>an(;lilii- MUk .Mmii .V*'rllljwi>(n:iii Mi>-. .s.-liwai ii'..,..-. NcU'hIiov 1..........., I'Van K'll.'i Jlajur l).in( <'j|.-Ji:rl- ;., MhIiI .*ij||r.« ,,|)k; ];:irk( r. . I 'in, .l."j'lll Sim;;: i-).lKl>. Aliril I, 'iC. lluilllinK '... .I.liclUf. nail (MItlon Wol.l) Wllllaui Kciidix ,-..'..... ...Sliirlv SLcvrn.s Kuvt I\v*;n;ccr . v.l^thy )>a'.i-nn ....... Hrfd );a.ili;y ..,.. .l.'«jlJ£itii»t;o t 'oKlrr ......,, .j\(u1ly T/unioiit ;.. .Korlicfl .Uin-ray ;]lOKh).i .Walki.-r .... ..Iiilin <imd:nviiilliy ... .< 'harlffl^WiiK^iilichii '.VUncn'a l.'i-ri-;i| j:al:'a ....Jlalt .\l-:Jhi::1i .IIO)!-' l amljii I-Ti.sclll VoiliI..:cJr .. . .Vlnrenl «::*arff .h't lcda tiU-H ^.'J'fui'nas M-,ii-Un llavy Kl-I.l :.... .KUcir •'•ii'lur Klnly" IT'ii'lr ..^I'-VO Olfltll, iiny Bla«l«>8 . Hollywood, March 28. ]:. Iiiil.ll.. rrW-aac i)t iM'o.vKe 'lllan- Iivtiiilii:- III.II. Alliiil l.niil*, ji-an l,:ti^ri-.>^. I'M- warti .^-^lilpy;. ft'iiiuri-.H' L'l-ank' Alb^.'rc's.'n Wmc llillis. Ilolii'it .\rn)}ilL-unff, I'r.iU JIai-- Viy. -liny Wa.lk'-r. .limaUla.n llaji\ ItUK-li'll Ulcki--. Ulri'clrd l.y lllalr. S«-ri-'>nplay hy Allitri uilaplcd l.y Mari:'-I Klaul.i-r fi-itm iniii;ti'.:In(r .viin-y liy .lap-l; lluo-linan anil .Mltrvt i;ii.-r; .-anitni, WiMi:ini ):i-a«lfur<l; )iili.vl'.-al. •liri-rrjiin,' .Murtia'i - .Si'olt: cilllor. Tinii- .Mariinilll; Kin'cial oIlri'cLi. Jluwanl and .'rhf-iKUivi' Lvilpcltfl-. ri-r.vipn-fd ii: JTidlyw'iHMl, Mard) *-•»,. '-it;, Kunuhii; ilnie, H'7 .MIS>. Aliily l^iii'll N'u.iu-y Davi.s 'rcil J{riiil;rr l-Vanklc Ddivi ll,... 1 Iclpn Diiwidl...... Mi-Mi;niM '.... .f. M. Snivi ly. .... l:ill I'allK.iin Willi 1 li'.v y.. .. . IlllNliill D.li l<ii- l:ai(<.ndei. Oary J.b.sli-i- . . ..\llan' T.ann li'H'n liitii ... l-:u\v-ai'd A«;ilcy ... L.'i-ank .MlmvlsilM .^nne tiilllN .l:obi-i-t .^i-inKli-iin); I'aMl Il-irvoy l!iiy Walker liiDMthiin I [alp l:il:<SPll nil r.;niinrtt ... I-Mivai'il C.iiti: ,'..-..NL.il|-ii;k i'uuilx .Krli I'm linan .; I)ni.-ip. iji'ay .........IJ-n k l'"arr K'll.iTi'l - I'lll.vPr .. VSlanli'y llnlliiu'ay .. ,.M:lt-liai-a-. I'lvi'l-'^-it ...K'allilr'^ii iran-isun ..Ii'iniv I.ali-il .. .. .'. .r.ill .Shliii! .....;. n.in.ir,-T.dlra'Hi ,,..,' liilni .''Jali-w ;. .. M'lliw l.LslPr rlcd nmn, was but with the socialite when this hap^ns, ho remains silent.. But wlicii an innocent man is about to be found guilty he tracks down the real culprit. There's much to do about tlic spell this femme holds over the cupper and how he brftnks loos.e from her charms, but the niot ncvcfr makes the charm reasonable or. why he suddenly decides. to go pure. - William Gargdh is the hopclo.ss po- lice lieutenant,' Junis Carter, the wealthy fcmmc, manages to look en- ticing although given a thankless role, -Paul £. Biirns makes, the Swedish police officer a worthwhile characterization although minor Jeff DonncU plays the copper'.s wife in make-believe fashion. Support- is weak. But the main diiriculty 'ls with this siory .and direction. lV'e<fr. - Hlaek markets Bal»l«« , Mnnograin rcli^;i?<o hf .l.rffri'y JlTin'itl I'uti- (Uli'Miin. l<Vu(iii'r:( lullph .Mm:);:tii, U^mr ClrlinmnO. Alui'Joile. )IoM»;lI';, <Ji'i>,sc Mi'cUer. Dlrcs.-tcil liy.. WMDuiu llfHiirtim-. Sloiy,' (ioorifc Morris: Hil;u)t:iii;f,iii;f W. S;iyiv; rOlttir, \VlUI;im ' Au.^lln: iMiUMiit. lliiriy XcuMiuni). At liolliiUi), X. T>. .wicl; M:inl).:;4i, MM. UunnlnK lliii^, «l MINr«. l»r. . ; i;iUm:i SLoif;iiit I'Milk' <*onilnnl. ..' -.Ivitinv Itictiiiiniid. K\vlyn Jtarrrt........ ^ .'jVjiiti inK Pniniii i.Nirlirtt.. . .\ ... li* iro.-^-lu'llr AniHuny- Miivro. ;. ■.t ; '^ni->;e .\l'*rl;*-'r Porls CumlDii. , ...InyiiH lu xirtl linrnry IJfwfy |;iil»iii:f»n' :liil;o. AUm I'VtMvr Mr. .^n<Iro\v^i. ^........... ..Sflnu-r .Im-I.-Mi in. MiH, Aiitlvcw.v......'. .\;iMu Ui ywut l lflrn l;olior(.H.; . . Min'l.s .Wrlvin lliunlllnit. AiMi.soit flit>lin>i!H I'mil I'arnill ..» I'ju U' i- »!••!» .Sam.. T 'Try Fiu^X B«rder BandllH Monoei'flm rclcnn q( .Wit n. Du ii„n Vioiluutlon, Stahi Johnny .Mn.'k Mi.m„ Illi-tC'leU l)y lanilicrt lllllyrr, s. inni><uv' J''i-ank II. Youns: ramprn, Wlllinin si.-fcl ner: «dllor. CiiiTor Lewis. At .Npw Viik .N. r.._dmil, lliircli -^t. MU. KuiinhiK Unie ST Mtt>». .\ovmla........ .Snmly. .sirvc Hullldny • .Vila........... .^plkn. ivpiier....,..'. John aiiilllday. 1)00 UuH'Icji.;. 'lOSA. , ,^....... NoKUlcn. I)nu-h......... Cupid...-..,... .Joliniiy Jl.1,'1; limn if -. 1'. .ttiiyiiiiiii.i iraM.'.ii .I!il-y Hill ,i. ..Ilu.ia I) I i:i..'-i,i.i„ ..'......-..Julni .M'li,.,! ........... .Tom gujiini .b'nmk l.n Uiit. '■■ .,..^lpv^ I'liMit- .......l^liailn.t sllfVMii ...... ..I.lll.'lo Vlllft;., ..........r.iid (Warn* ...rat It. iicilK I'l'ii'ili; wmihI- Ui-i'llpPU'^l , ''Gay Blades" will pay ort in the comedy-'actioii. cla.ssificatioh. It's neatly paced, well-pliiyed. v>ith ade quale production backing. Picture s.'ants a oit rnore to the comedy side than it does to the action, and'is occasionally a stinging.satire on Hbl' lywood. ;. George Blair produced amV direct ed yarn of a hockey star .who nearly siiccuiiib.s to Hollywood's stardom lure. Plot motivation jn thv Albert Beich script, based on Marcel Klau ber's' adaptation of a ina'g story by Jack Goodman arid Albert l-;ice, is a talent hunt staged by Je'.ui r;ogers to iind a big hunk of man suitable to title role in a flltn. lagged "The Be^^ hemolh."' Scarth leads her to New Yoi-k and. Allah Lane, ' ice-hbckoy .star. Balance of footage works in some exciting hockey ga.mes, the ■usual )iok..uin as boy and g;i-l resist each other and then come togelhor. There;s a nifty .slapstick thush with twist that has the girl giving up Hoi lywood. to be a hockey ttarV:. wife. . Two leads team nc-itly to get the; best from their, assighmcnts. Miss Rogers is easy on eyes ami pert in eoniody delivery, with Lant> equally expert. Edward Ashley, a.s JTLvs Rog- cr.s' assistant on the talsnf hunt; Frank Alberlson, Anne Gilli^:. Robert Armstrong. Ray Walker, Jonathan Hale and Rus.sull Hick.'i jjhowing up among the other.s. P.-iul Harvey is particularly effective in bro;id ri-io as hci'.d rf MamniQUth Studios, giving it a capital satirical touch.' C"mcra, .sctHng.s, editing pnd othor technical aic's give feootl backing tor rclcaye intentions of this one. A Brog. Idea behind this chiller is that you are unlucky if . your great-grand- father made his living as a profes- sional ! hangman. Anyhow, it's the ilibi offered for Eric Portmaii's doin.^ privately what Queen Vic'toria'.s gov-' crnnient paid his ancestor to do.pub- licly. Despite some-nice .pcrform- iiiccs, this has extremely, thin possi- bilities tor the U. S. market. Film deserves credit for one thing, if nothing else. Tliat is that a Scot- land Yard inspector is civcn a chr.nce to prove coppers aren't all dead from the heck up. Incidentally. Roland Culver, as the sleuth, waiks away with' actmg . honors, witli Stanley HoUoway as his iassistant, a rlo.se sec-, ond. Dulcic Gray, who i.s co-.starred with Porlman, does what she can with a stereotyped role. . As happens too ottini" in B::iti.---h Alms, inept casting results in Mi.ss Gray's having to face- compari.?on with two feihmes.-playing bits, each v.'ith both okav cha.ssis and coiiieli- ncss. One of them, Moira T.ister, as Poitman's sccrctavy, is hot only easy on the eye but alsb displays '.some ability as an actress. She looks to be a future bet for more. important parts. . Marcel Hellman'.s production Is nrst-clcs.s. shots in London's under- ground railway being niore than usually effective. Direction by Law- rence Huntington is adeqtKite de.-:iiitc a .script lacking in originality. Douht- ful if this one will hit the .West End except for-quota requirements. .As a second feature here the' d'-aw of Fortman's name may satisfy ti-" ''is- trlbutors.' Tnlb. Timeliness of -theme and several good- per"ormances by the -tcpturcd players should bring fair returns on double bills. It's an exploitation ijicv ture. • . Story, a new: .switch on rackct.s, ha.s; .a former hbodhim, rciirgado nicdico and shady lawyer, opcratiiv!' a baby farm -where illegitimate -.in'.sining may-be .parked after the unfortunate mothers sign their babes away for adoption. Oil the surface it's legal and philanthropic but giir.mick is that when childless, couples come to adopt the babc.-t they arc bilked for heavy coin, either as a donation or an assist to the unfortunate mothers.. Racket docs big until the u^ual --lii)- up and investigation by the author- ities. 'The hood tries to make the old doc take the rap for everything but the latter polishes him and beats the murder rap. ' . Ralph. Morgan, is splcndi-1 a.s the bibulous M.D. who had been black- ma'iled into fronting.for the racket. Kane Richmond is convincing as tho gangster. George Meeker.' a.s live mouthpiece, and /Marjnrit Ho.shcilc. as the latter's ga'l, al.--o contribute good performances. William Boaii- dinc hits directed ncatlyr maintaining good tempo of suspcns'e thioii"hout. . Edbn. Although "The Diu-k Corner" has all the iiLiii-ulicnts of; sock, haid- flsted. melodrama, an overlong and loosely-wovcii .script, and .1, scarcity of action whwc it'would hilp most. Tnilitate a- bit agalii.st it. frames of Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb and Wil- iHiroi-Hn liam Bendix will bolp generate busi- 'Congress' Stars Inked Hollywood. April 2. RKO inkcd^Loretla 'Voung, Ethel Barrymorc aii'd Joseph Coltcn i:.s co- .slarc in •.•Kiilic For Congre.-'.s," .slated to .stiii't M.ny 1. with H. C. Potter and Dorc Schary produc- TVlghi >:dll«r fi'lnmbia rplpn.sb' nf TpiI niilnm.D.l m-zi. •Iia-iliin, . l.*/.alure.s 'Wllriiiii itaijian. .lanlH l.'ai-li'l', . .Tprr Dunncll. lln-pt u ,! l-v llPio-v (."iv^u. .<>'rpi>ii|)liiy, .i|mi Snillli 'nun' ..i..i-'y liy Sii-<ill J.ILIIrlon. Iiasid un ik.IIh iprHKrain (if xamc iiann liy llal I:inilli'ki .i'::iiir^)-a. V.nViirU fluricy, riillln TKiDiiiia: p.lllci-. ISI.'ha'd I'-aiill. .At r.!iill... .V- C, Maicl) 'tu. l:»nMiiljr UniP, «3 JHI>-S. . Wllliar.i f:-.ri,-.in I.M'K <':'1-H'r Ii a Di iinPlI .. . .i'.,'illrr l:-\vlii 'liailri )i. J;i„wn ...I'aiil I-:. JliiMiM .. 1 lavr.y SIt-:niifin Ki-.-Mk Wili'iix ... Kiiiifrt Si "vrii.s r.iiy H.odon ... .Mi"l»-ii-l V'liaiiin ( . l-l-.iinsf.U' K'-aiin' -; .A iilJloiiy Cal'iiHO . ...i'l.livaid Kfano II -..l.-ifk l)avi:< ; ' I .'01 -l.tlliiii . .I'llal-lis .M.iV.sll Tony (*ii..lii-une... . ,. .i:-ll Ml'l-rill....... ."\.<pll'ni Co-.-lii'itiK'. .fi hniiy.. -. i'.-'anr. SU'ivurr.......... <.i:o Sh-oni.. '. I * till a in J.a ivi-f'ii,-i-..,,,. l»«M!fas l.oiini; Dor <;o;-hl-anr......... .*.. 1-pnJ)iv.iii) .^Tnii-ill..'... n»;« (as. a boy)......... :Vl;;Xl.'. ............. Uul, H'll.i'Co . ....... I'lll'-f lit Vola-e Jliirof." l>'.-lrl.'l .Mli.inpy Mallm .\'p<^ IIP.... Swaii.voii ness, and piclurc should do okay in I'"ii". .,, , ' mo.st: situations, • P-'iliuc will be Schai-y s third pro- BcKcr c.diliii.i'. jo)-), clipping-a'uoiit j thicUoii for HKO on loaiiout from SO miiiiilts off the running time, | David O. Stlxnick, V ''Ni.!<ht Editor" comes clo.sc to be- ing tho ino.st cockeyod policc-sloutli mellcr in inonllis. It's an in'ilance' oC a good idea gone haywire via slip- shod production and faulty direction. Even the initial sequence i-i .-i daily paper's ri(nv.si,-oonv is phoncv. anil most of what follows is li!:Lwi.se a minor dualcr. Esu-ically it starts out (o hp a news editors' recital, of how a hninicidc sciu.id lieutenant went Wl■on^ b'c,c;'us;i of his. affair with a wealth'/ society dame. Said cd is doing all this to snap a reporter out of a drinki'n? spree. The ncw.spapi-r is suppo.'cd to be a New 'Vork d.nily-and .so is the Dolice dcnartmoiit. ^feil|)cr aic even clo.so tn being reasonable f.-icsimilcs. Rocital of the slciilh'.s d!<rclic(ion is siirpri.-.ii):tly dull until hn iici'i- (lontsUV is P,vo-wilnr'.ss (o killiii'.; Pace of this fllfn Is lar too leisurely for the average action fan. Formula story of sheriff vs. Jjbdinen unwiiul.s without any finesse to make up for fatiil dcAcicncics In the flsticutV aiid gunplay departments. Too much cel- lilloid of this short fe.itiire, inore;- over, is. wasted on aimless galloping back and forth across a monotonous .scenic background.. Even kids will deniapd something more sub.stanlial Uian flying hoofs to hop up llioir pul.so rates. ' Johnny Mack Brown, an rstab- li.shed saddlcrsittor by now. pla s the ' role of tho U. S. marshal tracking <lown some priicry characters in an ei!sy if .somewhat quiet manner. Ray-! moiid. lialtonv however, tries haril to inject some vitamins into the pro- duction. Rest of the cast ruiiUibute very little. . ' . Fi'ar' M.inoEi-ain i-pUaiip o( l/liidsl-y l'aiy.oi.i ln'iHliirllnn. Slar WurrPIl .M-llllain; |.;,- (IIM'.S .L'ulur; ![;ookMoll, Alinc tvwynn'r, . !>:- l-'i-lod liy AKl-'cd- /.ClillOr. - Oi-il;ln(i|. t-'-i-i-. ti- play ,hy JCpImIpy ihiiI Ijcnnu i.'ooiioi-; (-anm-, . - JacK-iioii. ltu:ic;- pdllor, ■'.Ac'fl TlPvnnin. .M .S'pw York, N. Y.. dnnl, Maivli i'7.' 'Hi;, liillinlni; I Ink'. «H .MINK, PI. liuiko.. I'ti.lprn. I.ariy i.'i-ain..., r.pn. .*^i'lwi' fpr .' .Morion .Slanky. .M .Mr.i. WIlllaniK.. I'lmi'k......,... Slitvp............ I'alMli i .liilili..-. . 1>.«' , .Ma^k-lan: .Wai-i-Pii Wlni-iu . ; . . .A one t!Av \ nii.P ...i'i,ipi i;<ioi,>,iii ..Jtioii'S I'ai'.lMi'll .. . ..\'i'-i|.,r raiy-i. . . . l''i-ao,'ih r;.''-l'.i Willlain . ..Aloii;-:l S>.'.'i.-l(iaM .OliilPil .Millar 0 . Il'-lilr l lay .... . Ktiio' A.I.-miM .-.'..Iiilia-fiy .Sl:-,iiiie . .i^l>:,i'-l-> I -alw LL . .l-'lljl:l.ix li|l-.S»-r Heliin«l tliv ^lank Hollywood. March 30. ^('■>ifi;;rani iTlPaae'oC Juv Kiiiii-oi;.]! luo- il)lctli>n U.oU j;ro*'k, asHo,'. |i|-.i,(ii<'fr). .SI 1,1 N Khou lllC'hniond and l^aiL-ara II''"'!: t'-.t- lilii'.s iiKOY;:^ Oliandll-r, .loiiPl'li Cri.lian. rii-rro AValkln,-Ooi-iiiliL'H ICi-nl. .loyri- I'omii- liin, .Marjorlu llo.illi'llP. .Iiuir I'lytU', K.ihi'il. .siiayiip. illrei'Icd liy J'hll. Jmh-Ihui. .Si-rccO- play, (IcoiKP I'alU-.lian: ia-l;;iiial ►lory. Ar- lliiir llnprl; ba^ril-on "'rliu Sliiidnw.-' ra.iio i-haraelcr; t'linipi-.n. ■^vnilnni'- .A. .*iii-kn'-i; Pdllor, ■Ai'O llrrnia'il.. rrrvii-wi-il , In lliill.v- wiKal. Mari-h^ '^o. ]:uniuiiK tioii-, 67 MIN.X. Tjatnont - Cran.ston.. Marpo Lane. Slii-t'VVin < 'ardona Av-p.sloii .Icniile i.uin .Mar lll.sliiil >-:dilli ^iPrrlll llL-ad 'j'lnnnas .Marly lii-cani'.... Dixon <:o|iy i;oy .rr lt lUnni .Sn.''an- Jlpad Waltot clli-l DitivaCPi- l;i-(Vor|(,-r . . . Kaiip Ki.'lnniiivl .. .I'.ailial-.i ll.'d . . .lii lu-ni* l.-(l;.'i,il»-i- iM.^'-ptl l':-rll:.il .I'l-'.... Wa'kin PoralllPa l\':l:t .. . ..Ioy»'»' i-'»iiini' M ..\larj<irip J1o:«.1ip1Ii.' ..........liiiip I 'lydrt ....Uo:""i( Siuiynr r.'tii I'ro.'tby I'lihvat-,! ilar'i^an r.lll t'liilMly lani.M i'a-.l«i.|l . .\.ioi-y r.rln'.kiiiaii .. . I >-'\vr.v Koltioson .Mai-ip ll;;r,i|'.ll .. liinli^ f Ml' n ItiKlM) Jatnr.H' .N'al.no "Behind the.Mask" ha^troublc de- ciding whether .to be- comedy j»r melodrama. Otherwise, it will prove acceptable siscondasy prbdiKt. Meller factors are cxc'cllcnt, but conie<Iy, introduced frequently, i.s too - contrived and ohv ipus,' Produc- tion givc.s; adequate backing to pior that tells of h'ow tht "Shadow" bre.iks up a bookie ringi; a black- mailing-racket, puts tile . Iliigt'r on a murderer ai:d gets r-'d of'an iin- per.sonator, all in fi7 minutcs.- . Phil Karlson's direction lau'.u'Iit-s the melodrama Avith a baiig to tet the scene but isn't as adept at com- edy. Kane Hichmoiid,' us tlio "Shiid- ow," is called' up6n to solve liiur- dcr of a columni.st, presumably by the Shadow hiin.self. Trail, to ■'Fear'' is a-solid ll.stfiil of cilUr- taliimcnt that packs'a .wallop A',::y out of its class. Set williin the modest framework of a diialci-. ihls. Illin draws its strength froin a coTn- bination of literate scripling iiiul tight.direction that keep the slory elomchts in high gear from slart lo linish. Underlying idea is lar Irom -iiriginal, the scripters having bc-cn deeply influenced by Dostocv.-;ki.'s novel, "Crime and Punis^mont." But old and simple as the idea i.s. the well -executed drama of a .-^ u i It -1 iidni conscience betraying itself rel;,iii.s more vitality than the mo.st novel :iiid complex twLst'of the usual who- dunit. -'Fear" definitely hit's it nlT and word-of-mouth ^prais,o should give it.a big lift at the b.o. With Warren William in the Ir.nrl, the cast, while not in the heavy- weight division, is made to toe the marfc in highly creditable fashion by director Alfred Zcisler. Peter Cook- son carries the heaviest lojid in Ihe role of the brilliant medical sludt nt driven by poverty to the murdcv. for-iiioney of a usurious riiont'.v- lender. 'Tripped up by Ccar. cru.-:lud by his burden of guilt-reeliiuis. Cnok- son finds his only escape is sur- render to the police. ' William docs a smooth job as the town slcitth who, though iliort on cliics, is long on insinuations that seem to enmesh his victim in a v.cb of .evidence- Warren and Cook.sini play, effectively at cat-^nd-h-iousc to n-iouiit the film's dramatic conflict-on a .straight upward line. Cnmpi-tcnt performances are also put in by Anne Gwynhc. the romantic interest, iiiid Francis Plc'rlot, as the lonn-.sh'ark. A tngged-on sequence at the tinish. revealing the crime and puni.''-hmi'nt to be mel-ely a fitful dream of Ihe ' nied .student, is the one sour iiott nf the production. ■ This rlrviCe of achicvinu a happy ending i-ebouni's as a ruinpi's mechiuiism lhat iin- spring.s audience.tension and: leaves thcni feeling cheated. WB Sets Average Man In Annual Shorts Sci-ics Hollywood, April. 2. Warners will'produce a new .';'cr''.'.s of six one-reel comedy .shorl.s. an- nuallyi to be know;h as the "Joe Mc- Dpak" series, dealing with the hu- liVc-|morous problems of the average ni::ii. ~ " ' will star in Ihe ring, and linally to the ik ws- to be followed by •:So You W'aiU to fe ^": ;^:;L"'r^M:^ 'Bet on « Race- >». "So Vbu Wiuit to be ti Father." I Rather than admit that' hc; a miir- for budget. killer leads him to .a. plion.v night-1 George O'Hanloii' cliib, operated to cjip the cuslomei's: : s'ix films. a juke joint, , which covers up ir First is"So You Want "i^pur lli.ir:''- bo.okic •- ^ ' "■■ ' - ■ - • ■ ■ ' - --^ paper is the brains bcliind a shi.kedow'n riiekct. Richmond is hampen-d in. his inaiihunt by a. jealous swcclic. Bai'- b;(r.r Rccd. Both work hard with the h.-jhl touches, as do Gi.'or.nc Chaiidlei- Hiid Dorothea. Kent, but with only fair suiices.s.'. Scripling ' by Gcorg'i- Callaiian. as filmed, doesn't help much, either. Best of I'lc cfi.st t.s M.ni joric Ho- shcllc' who rinvs true .;.s the 'bookie qeen and victim of R:)b;-rt Shavne,. blackmailing colun)ni,-.-l. Josiph Ci-c-r , ,. i-„ h.-ui,. Pierre Watkin, .fovce Goinp-1. '''"^ ""''C.'"-''' V--"'," 'I"^" 1''?)'* ton. June Clyde and Qth<,rs liy hard ,bumped oft in the final reel.- St<- Camrra, ediling, tic, art .'.■laiuliird i "i"'. »i"<li".!< will be happy, rrtvit-w Xhase' Choice Finale Hollywood. April i. Seymour Nebcny.bi is shootin.!/ f vo endings for his toHlicoming pruduc- , tlon. -The Chase," based on. Uie ■ myslery novel, "The Black I'l^lh nf I Fear.'' - Broy. \ , ;iud:cnccs .wiir decide.