Variety (May 1946)

10 OTLM REVIEWS Wednesday, May 29, 1946 Centennial Summer (MUSICAL-COLOR) . Hollywood, May 28. MUh-Fox release of Ouo PremlnKer pro- Auction, Stnrs Jeanne Cniln,.Cornel Wllilo. Linda Darnell. Wllllnm ICyihc Waller JJi-cnnan, Constance Ilonnctt. Doroil^ Olsh: features Jlnrbara Whltlnp. Ijirry 8tcv<ns. Kathleen Howard, Uuldy swan. Charles Dingle. Directed by I'reinlniier. Kcreenpbiv. Michael Kanln. hns.M nlr novel by Allien U. I.lcll; music, .Icimne Kern: Ivrlcs. Oscar, llaininevsteln II. l.e.i Itobln. 15. Y. ll.irlmrK; einnera iTeclml- culnrl. Hinesl l'iiinii-1". special phnti'- Kl'aphl.' effects. Fr.'.l S'-isen; Mlli~l<:-1 di- rection. Alfred- Xewinan: oivJi.-slntl ar- rnnKetnenls. Maurice- lie Pnckft. Herbert Spinccr, I'oina.l Summer:. \.V::I urronce- inenl.-*. Charles llcnders»»o: .lances. ■ Pn:-o- thv Pirn: cilUor. -Harry Heynohl*. Tro.lc- sh.wn In l.on Angeles. May -'M. "«»- ninK lime. 101 MINS. Julia >!.. Jeanne I'niln I Philippe l.nacallc* ...Cornel Wilde I Edith l.lixla Darnell ; Benjamin Franklin Phelps.. William-Hylli. Jesse llogers Miniature Reviews "Centennial Summer" (Color) (20th), Pleasant musical on Phil- adelphia Centennial of 187.C. Good boxofficc prospects. "Valley of The Zombies" (Rep). Horror stuff that's not too horror-full nor too strong. •'Appointment Wllh Crime" (Anglo-Am.). Fast British inci- ter likely to do well in America. "Don't Gamble With Strang- ers" (Mono). Unsuspcnscful murder meller for- twin bills. . "Meet the Navy" lAnglo-Am). Sock British. musical rated strong enough for big U. S. trade. Z'-nlna l.usenllcs .. .. Harrin Susanna lingers Ittt'hnnl l.ewis, Bsu... l>el.i:nh lUi.ll.y H.kcis Snn.lfcruss P|»<cln!ly ... Trinvl rlilce Mr. Phelps Mrs. I'hiliM ..; Mr. Daman Mrs. Pnrunn President Oram Messenger lloy Senator }t:ii L-n.lcr Drunk Attendant Kelly Nurse .- Governor Governor's Wife .. Master of Ceremonies Cnrpenlcr .Wnller llrennar: .Constaiu'e- la-nnc-tt ..:.': Porolhy isieh .:. lt:l:l>ar:i WhlllnK Larry Stevens . Katlileen Howard ...... Htiddy Swan :.. ilvrlen Pin:;ie Wan I-^IIji tl.ivln G.a.lon ;. I-M.llc Dunn ... l>i|9 Austin II- -'l y St ran-: . .. Fran.-cs Morris . nesinali) Slicfllolil . William FrnmlX's ..... I'aul. l'.verto:t ... James Metcalfe ;. John Fnrrei: Hilly Wayn- ... Hubert- Malcolm l-'dnn Holland ..... Ferris Taylor -.. Winifred Harris ;,. Rodney riell .-,.. Gloney Cooper "Centennial Summer" is pleasant musical filmfare, sparked by a lilt- ing Jerome Kern score. For marquee lure It offers color and a seven-star cast, both factors indicating sturdy, grosses in all situations'. Several of the songs have already moved up. among country's top times, which adds to exploitation value. Produc- tion dress is lavish to point up the period, and direction .adopts a. lei- surely style in welding together the music and story ingredients. It's not a sock film, but easy to,take and will please. • The Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II "All Through the Day" is exploited most often in the score, but work- outs are also given to the Kern-Leo Robin numbers such as "Love in Vain," "The Right Romance" and "Up With the Lark. 1 ' Film's weak- ness is lack of top voices to punch the numbers over, but quality of the clef ring makes them stand out re- gardless. Specialty spot goes to "Cinderella Sue," with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and sung by Avon Long. Script by Michael Kanin was based on Albert E. Idell's hovel of the same title. Background is the Centennial celebration held in Philadelphia during the summer of 1876. Plot spreads itself over sev- eral angles, projecting both elderly and younger romantic complications that beset members of a Philadel phia railroading family. Papa makes a mild play for his wife's sophisti- cated sister, and .the two girls of the family both chase the same man Side issues are papa's desire to in- terest the railroad president in a newfangled clock he has invented, a young doctor's efforts to win the heart of one of the daughters, and the sophisticated aunty's maneuver ^ng to make things add up right for the Rogers family. Producer-director Otto Preminger gets the most from the material and players. Jeanne Crain and Linda Darnell are the sisters seeking to ensnare Cornel Wilde. Both are ex- ponents of femme loveliness, but the color lensing gives Miss Dar nell's lush Charms the best display Miss Crain handles most of the vocaling of the score's numerous tunes, with exception of "Up With the Lark," which is family round- robined several times. William Eythe as the doctor isn't given as much script play as the other younger cast members. Walter Brennan wraps up a- good characterization as the clock-invent- ing father. Dorothy Gish does well by the wife role. . Constance Ben- nett stands out as the sophisticated aunty who charms' the males Charles Dingle gets in some menace as Brerinan's immediate boss.' Others in the cast work well. Color work isn't .up to the usual Technicolor standard, but otherwise lensing does expertly in displaying the many-hued costumes and set tings of the period piece. Brqg, Valley of the Zombies Hcpcullc release of a Doi-rell. & Stuart McGowan production. Stars Ian Keith, Robert Llvlniinton, Adrlnh Booth; features Thomas Jackson, Charles Trowbridge. Di- rected by Philip Ford. Screenplay, the McGownna, from original by Royal K. Cole and Sherman I..- Lowe; camera. Reggie Y.'llllnm P. Thompson. May 14, AO. Running dozen miir„crs.' However.-it's pretty fair Saturday matinee stud". Ian Keith plays a big-city zombie on a lost weekend, for blood. He kills , a doctor who had him com- mitted in the past; his brother, the doctor's assistant, a psychiatrist, a cab driver, a gas station attendant, and others-who never appear on the screen, meanwhile incriminating the doctor, s young partner and the nurse, .who provide love interest. They eventually clear themselves after passing through a number, of stock situations, and the zombie falls off a building. Photography is better than fair, and the inclusion of Ian Keith and a group of experienced supports brings thesping up to a good B level Title is derived from one line, in which the zombie, who looks more 'ke'. a mean college professor, says he got that way in the valley of the zombies; and still carries a shot of the stuff to prove it. ^Scripting fea tures all- the horror-whodunit cliches. Appointment With Crime (BRITISH-MADE) London. May 15. iVnglo-Anicrican Film Corp.. release of •lllflh National Films picture. Features William Hintnell. Robert lleatty, Joyce award. Directed by John Harluvr. 'Screen- lay-hy John Harlow frnin story by Mlchne elghton. .Music 'by Geor h -e Mvlurhrino: mora. James Wilson. Gerald Moss. At rala.ee theatre. Running time. !>l M1NS, "eo .Mnrtln.... ...William Haitneli >em il n Raymond I.nvcll nepeetor Rogers lloiwrt Hentty IregoiT' I-nng Herbert Lorn nrol Dane..: Joyce Howard oel Penn Alan Whoatlty Sergeant Weeks..'. Cvrll .Smith Wlklns Elsie Wagslnffc rlson Governor Ian Fleming Joe Fisher.. .Wally Patch Detective Mason j An McLean Dig Mike.. .....Hairy Mno Inekle Ken Wnrrlngton arry Mlllerton... Frederick Mora explanation to clear things up. En- tertainment value,' fair throughout, is hampered by sloppy production, chief fault of which are periods of protracted silence followed by spurts f conversation, with everyone talk- ng at once. Enough is there; through adherence to n tried for- mula,, to provide twin bill spotting. Story, which makes a trite attempt at a surprise ending, leaves much unclear Sharks hook up as- gam- bling partners and, posing as brother and' sister, fleece a small-town bankiT, take over a gambling Joint, and finally break up over the "other woman," at which point the guy gets knocked off on a "hell hath no fury . . . 'note. -Gal is accused, but exonerated wheii ballistics show an- other gambler did it. Aud will have difficulty rcconcil- _n'g scenes wherein the pair con- tinually meet in the same hotel room, with no intimation, until the very last, that the guy has a room of his own Also, during denoue- ment, police chief tells gal he has enough on her to keep her around for a couple of years. Film then segues into scene of her in the gam- bling room of a ship, for closing shot. , Charles Trowbridge is spotted in a good ; supporting job, while Kane Richmond and Bernadene Hayes do workmanlike reading of slilTly scripted lines. Peter Cookson, with less to do, also okay. Writing and direction, h.s.h. ' Meet the Navy (BRITISH-MADE) (With Songs) London, May 17. Anglo-American Film. Corp. i-clcnso of Hellish National Film. Features members of Royal Canadian Forces.: Directed by. Alfred Travcr.s. Screenplay' by . Lester Cooper, James Seymorc from original story by Lester Cooper, ^lusleitl directors, Eric. \Vlblc. Ronnie Munro. Camera, Krncst Palmer. Moray. Grant. ' At Palftco thea- tre. Running time, 83 >IINS. Johnny Lionel Murton Midge'. .- Margaret Hurst Horace. John Pratt Tommy Huh Gooiller C.P.O. Oliver Hill Oliver Jenny ...Phyllis Hudson Cook .Percy Haynejt Grncle ......'...'.; .'Jcnneltc do Hucck Fisherman Oscar N'nukc Dancers. .Alan Lund, Dillle Mae nichnrds 'Madonna of 7 Moons' Universal sliced 18 minutes, from the running time of "Ma- donna of the Seven Moons" when it imported the British- made. Gainsborough (Rank) film to America. In its ' present 87 minutes, however, the film still looks to have limited boxbfnce prospects in the U. S„ largely because of . its relatively un- known cast. Originally review- ed in Variety from London on Jan. 17 '45, reviewt termed it a "lavishly handled production,'! in which the most interesting thing was its "atmospheric de- tail." VAnir.TY's London report declared, "its • American b.o. seems mild at best." Film carries , the Production Code seal but the PC A author- ities were evidently cognizant of the fact that too easy ma- nipulation of the shears would seriously hamper the picture's story. Tale of an Italian con- vent-bred girl who is raped by a gypsy and subsequently ' de- velops a dual personality leaves little to the imagination.. Film -depicts several scenes, such as the one in which stars Phyllis Calvert and Stewart Granger occupy the same bed at the same time, that American pro- ducers probably wouldn't have even-attempted. issues of "News of the Day." i n . eluded in the series are four' sub- jects Jo be known as "Two-Reel Specials," plus 50 single-reelers. Latter will comprise 12 Fitzpatrick Travel.talks, 16 cartoons, 10 Pete Smith specialties, six John Nesbitt Passing Parades and six others; Before winding up Metro's live- day sales convention here today William F. Rodgers, general sales- mahager, announced the oi pniotion of William Zoellner, Atlanta ex- change manager, to special sties rep Zoellner is slated to. wor»< out of the h.o. -on special; assignments. Suc- cessor to. the Atlanta post is ex- pected to be named by Rodgers be- fore Zoellner assumes his new duties July 1. Here's a honey in any man's lan guage. Basically it's meller in the best Corse Pay ton tradition, but the acting and direction make one over- look this. The top that U. S. films have had to offer in gangster spine- chillers have nothing on this one for slickness and speed. The murder here is planned and carried out to the accompaniment of low-pitched, velvet-smooth speaking tones. De- spite lack of players known in the U. S., it should do well, in America. There's little to choose between the three co-stars, William Hartnell, Robert Beatty and Joyce Howard each of whom triumphs over char- acterization improbabilities which would, hamstring less competent players. Raymond Lovcll has an especially nasty bit, one of the sev- eral characters who wind up full of lead. He is such a sweet-scented, double-crosser one almost regrets his demise. It is Herbert Lorn, the brains of the gang, who dominates every scene in which he' appears. This 27-year-old Czech is due in Holly- wood soon to work for 20th-Fox, and looks like a real screen bet. Credit also is due Louis H. Jack- son for his production. Really con- vincing ar« the sequences in a Palais de Dance and the scene in which Lorn, cloaking his murderous activ- ities as an art dealer, conducts his operations. Incidentally, a palm goes to the genius Vho made his chief assistant a piano-playing pansy. John Harlow, who scripted and di- rected, has done a great job of both From start to finish, there isn't a dull spot. Talb. Don't Gamble With Strangers ' Monogram release of Jeffrey Bernerd production. Stars Kane Richmond, llcfna- dene Hnyen. Peter Cookson; feaiures Gloria Warren, Chnrlea Trowbridge, Frank Dae. Dlrocted by William ne.'iudlnc. Screenplay. Caryl Coleman, Harvey -Gates; . cumern William .Slckner; editor, William Austin; asst. director, Doc Joos. Previewed X. Y. May 3St. 4fl. Running lime. 87 SUNS. To say this is easily the best .musi- cal to come out of a.British studio is to damn it with faint praise. In many respects it seems up to Holly- wood's best standards, Its factual sequences achieve a degree of real- ism rarely found in a song and dance offering. Credit for this picture goes largely to Louis Silvers, musical di- rector of the Lux Radio Theatre, who took care of the melody, and to Larry Ceballos who handled the en- semble numbers. Result is a fast- moving, ear-appealing. and colorful spectacle so slick it's difficult to be- lieve 90% of the cast were raw ama- teurs when they were "directed" to -join the troupe. . Film should click with all. kinds of American audi- ences. ■ Entirely different from the stage show which was a hit at the Hippo- drome here, the screen version shows how the revue was gradually 'built , up and whipped into' shape during its Coast-to-Coast Canadian tour before being shipped overseas* to entertain Allied troops on the Continent. When the show reaches .... . .4 London, black and white gives way to Technicolor to glamorize the arrival of the King and Queen and Princesses at the Command Per- formance. . Of the cast, Oscar Naske, the young New Zealand bass, repeats before the camera the sensational triumph he scored in the stage, ver- sion. If this lad doesn't soar to the heights, prophets here will be a dime a dozen. John Pratt, lugu- brious comic whose one number, "You'll Get Used to It," stopped the stage show, has a dead-pan tech- nique which registers as effectively on the- screen as it did before the footlights. The preview audience burst into spontaneous applause 'at the end of the song, killing a whole minute of the ensuing dialog. Laurels also go to Lionel Murton, Bob Goodier, Bill Oliver and Alan Lund. Last named is an eccentric tap dancer who takes the stage in the Coney Island sequence in a whirlwind routine worthy of Fred Astaire. Margaret Hurst and Phyllis Hud- son are easy on the eye and do their stuff convincingly enough. But this goes for the Wrens in the chorus. With the war over, "Meet the Navy" may nave the disadvantage of being mistakenly put in the' war film category. In point of fact It is as timely as today's paper, and is crammed with entertainment. . Tolb. llA's Int'l Sales Meet United Artists has set an interna- tional sales convention for New York Aug. 12-15. Four-day . meet, first since the war, will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria, with the entire sales contingent from the United States, and. a number of reps from foreign countries present. Distribution chief Grad Sears will be chairman of the affair, with Joe Unger, domestic salcsmanager, ■ and Walter Gould 1 , foreign head, presid- ing over their respective staffs. Among foreign reps certain to attend are Dave Coplan, managing director in Great-Britain, and Georges Ron- vier, .who heads UA's French, opera- tions, New Foreign Films (Unlifcelu for Anglo-U. S. Market) ,.^'1 ■"*■•«•""»■■ ("Man's Return") (ITALIAN) Zeus Film production ■ ana release. Original atory by Mario Tonus- alnl. Stars Anna Magnanl, Glnn Cervl. Features Lulsa roaelll. Felice nomano. Aldo Sllvnnl. Directed by Max Neufcld. Camera. Cluseppe La Torre. Running time, 102 MIN'S. Lannlng; edltor Prevlcwcd X. Y. time, 06 3II.NS. Terry Evans. Susan Drake.... Ormond Murks . B|alr Dr. Maynard .... Fred Maya.. ...-.Robert Livingston ...Adrian Hooth ..: .Ian . Keith Thomas Jackson ...Charles Trowbridge .... Enrre Ho'dgina Hendricks I.croy Mason Tiny ..William Haide Dr. Garland Wilton Graff Inspector Ryan Charles Cane Lacy — Russ. Clark The Driver ....Charles Hamilton Billed as a horror story, this pic- ture, which will never get out of the twin-bill B league, features an un- zombie-like zombie and a fairly hdrrorless story, despite half a. Mike Sarno J-'ay Benton Bob Randall... Ruth Hamilton. Crelntilon ..... John. Randall . Pinky Lutz ... Morelll , John Bandera .. Robert: Elliot .. Hairy Arnold.. Chief Rroilerlck Michael Larson .Kane Richmond .. .Bernadene Hayes Peter Cookson Gloria Warren .Charles Trowbridge Frank. Dae Tony Caruso .....Phil Van Zandt Harold Goodwin .Leonard Muille U......TII1I Kennedy .'. .Addison.. Richards Fen-Is Taflor Mrs. Arnold Mary Field Swedish Mold Kdllh Evansori Tony j, .Steve Dan-ell Pete Bob Tlarron Dealer Havre Dearlng Built around a gambling motif, this modestly budgeted whodunit rolls along on its obvious way until the audience becomes thoroughly confused. Then it ends, sans enough really Is. Anna Magnani and Gino Cervi tackle the problem of the returning soldier in this film. A power plant engineer returns from war to find his factory in ashes, his sister coni sorting with foreign soldiers and his small brother supporting the family by selling cigarettes in the black market. He finds his countrymen howling for vengeance on collabora- tionists, puffed up when they have jobs and helpless or criminal when they don't. His solution is to begin rebuilding without waiting for out- side help. While he tries to put across a worthwhile story, it will mean little in the U. S. market. *• tvuvfini^n i??" ( ", Wo,,, «»'» Games") tl-KK.MII) D.P.F. reloaso of 13.DIC production. Stars Jacriuca Dumesnll, Helen Pcrdrlcre; features Mlla Parely Saturnln Fabre.- Joanne nelhllng. Henri (.remleux, Francois Joux, Pasliuall. Di- rected by Ma.urlco Cloche. Screenplay by Maurice Cloche and Maurice Grlffe from slory by Maurice Cloche. Previewed In Paris. Running lime. OR M1NS. A good comedy Idea but not likely as an American entry. It shows Jacques Dumesnil as a young man leading the gay life with Mila Parely and compelled to marry and settle down*. falling which a rich uncle will cut him out of his will. Some friends arrange to publicize that he is engaged to Helen Pordriere, pre tending that the girl has been sup plied ty an employment agency for the purpose. DumcMill falls for her and Anally discovers who she I 'Yearling' Key || !a=S Continued from page 6 ^s^| and Strickling flew in to join the celebration for Rodgers and will fly back to the Coast tonight (26). Tyree DiUard, liaison between the legal sales departments, who came in from the Coast, headed back for the Coast today (28). George A. Hickey, Coast sales manager, was unable to attend due to some unset- tled affairs in L. A. All delegates leave today following end of meet- ing. As the first order of business at the Metro sales convention here, Rodgers repeated- and emphasized the company's 19-point sales policy, first announced last year at Chi- cago.'Reiterating his statement at that time, Rodgers declared that "everything stems from this pplicy," which covers business relationships between Metro and its exhibitor ac- counts. On Sunday, Rodgers, announced the. forthcoming Metro.' production lineup. Company's 17th block, he said, Comprises four pictures, in- cluding "Boy's Ranch," "Courage of Lassie," "Faithful in My Fashion" and "Three Wise Fools." At the same time, he announced that "The Green Years" and "Easy to Wed," the latter in color, would be sold as specials shortly after the sales, dis- trict and branch managers return to their territories. Selling of the 17th block will not take place until after June 10, date of the last two tradeshowings for the four films. "Years" is/expected to be available by the middle of July and "Boys' Ranch" will be generally released by the first week in Au- gust, to be followed by "Wed" for the second week that month. "Las- sie," "Faithful" and ''Fools" will follow one a week thereafter.. Metro Is slated to release a series of six shorts, totalling 58 reels, Rodgers announced on Sunday. Sub- jects are.lo be. exojuslve of .the 107 I! MPA vs. 1 Outlaw' Continued from page 6 tioning of Hughes' counsel, Charles Polctti, that the court didn't think much of the restraint , of trade as- pects of the case. Judge Bright in- dicated he didn't see how Hughes, could claim the MPA violated the ' anti-trust laws, since Hughes him- self had been a. member and had' agreed to abide by the MPA rules to which he now objected. 'jf think you are trying to ride two horses at once in opposite di- rections," the court ' remarked to Poletli. Former Judge Samuel Rosenman; representing the MPA, admitted the organization had intended to expel Hughes had he not resigned first. As for revocation of the seal, Rosen- man said the MPA must keep in Us own hands the right to deter- mine who shall have the official mark of approval. Rosenman de- clared damage to Hughes would be nil if he'd Just comply with the rulings of the Advertising Code Ad- ministration. The expense to Hushes of "dress- ing up" star Jane Russell in the advertising would be nothing, Rosen- man said, compared to the damage to the film industry if Hughes were permitted to continue his objection- able copy. Rosenman reprised such ads as the skywriters Hughes em- ployed to put circles with dots, in the middle of them under the title of the picture in the ozone oyer California and magazine copy with the line: "How would you like to tussle with Russell?" Rosenman added that Hughes in- sisted on using untruthful advertis- ing in saying that the picture is be- ing shown as originally filmed, sine? both the MPA and local censors had made cuts. 'Outlaw' Banned In Texas Houston, May 28. A year's boycott by. local Catholics; of Locw's State theatre for showing "The Outlaw" has been asked by the Most. Rev. C. E. Byrnes, Bishop of Galveston. According to trie bishop, the film "glorifies crime" and "basely offends in costume and ac- tion." The'*mairi objection, as 'in-other regions, was the type of advertise- ments used by the theatre. FABIAN, OTHERS WIN OVER LIBEL PLAINTIFF A $250,000 libel action against SI Fabian and other directors of the Brooklyn Fox Corp., after a 12-day , trial before N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Schreiber, war tossed out by the jury after it de- liberated for seven hours last week. The action was brought by Carl a. Brisnick, a stockholder in the cor- poration. Brisnick had charged that the di- rectors had sent a letter to the stocK- holders calling him a liar, *-.P role °: slonal troublemaker and stating tna> he wrote poison-pen letters. •