Variety (Feb 1948)

Wednesday, February 4, 1948 FILM REVIEWS 13 A Miraelo C«a Happen (SONGS) Ignited ArUstii rtleaee ot B«i>6aict Bo> ffcauD-BurKeM' Marwiltli production. SUhth taulBtte Oo^lai-a, BuriseBa Meredith, litiWH Sli'wavt, Henry Fondii, Dorothy linmonr,' Vii'lor Moore, Hurrst Jamps and ]'>ed Mn^- Wiii'ray; Jooturea WUlliim DcmnreHt, B<lu» ivii() CiiimeUl, Hugh Hurlpert, Chiirlcs 1). Jfjiiiwn, Dorothy I'ord, Cni'l {^^^'itzer, KileiiB •titiisson, 'Betty CiiUlwell, Fruiil; Monin ami baVlit Whorf. DIroctetl hy Khitf Vklor oiia Leslie yenton. Soreenpliiy, Ijiiuioucd SiiiHtagB and I<ou Breslow, I'rom (irlKiniil stiirv liy Arch Oboler; Ofam^a yiewart-UPni'y iWod .raateiial by John 'Hnnii mim'i'n,, JOilwftfl Cronjagcr, Jof-ejih Hiioc, (hiidim Ai'il John' Seltz; editor, Jaws Wniith; miJHio, Heims JBoomhcM; music suporyiston, l>(n-ia CBoflnOW. and SUlt^b Hctidorson! Honsn, Sldt<'U HindCTSOJi and Donald lOihn, liiniilt I^e!f»er{ imriinKeijieDls, Henry IIub- bpU. Sneali-prevtewed at, 'Warner lliealre, N. T., Jart. '48. nunnlnif time, 107 BUNS. (Silver Pewe... Martha PegB*. Al....' KllHha Holilis.. 01wl» iliiniterBi Dorothy Mmour Asiiton Oarttfllrton... victor Moore I'('K%'y ThOrndylcft Klisiio .itniHwn ,,. BursflSH Mered Ith ..'.Paulette Qodilarfl ..'..Fred MacMurray .......lloKli ITerlicft ..James Stew Ija lili,. Ii'lo.vd I.oltt All loditor.;.. CyiUhla. Siiiiniei DuKftn A Itookie. nnmty Shdrltt... ., Henry iToiulii ,'\\'iM loin lJeni0Te.4t ,..., .Dorolhy Ford .Chnrlta D. Brown ....Botty tJiildwell tJavlrt ■«'hort , .Frank Moran Tom JViddeji XII'IIOLV ................ ,v.,' - Another Pepnt^\ Paul Uurst No matte*-;What one might thinlt of "A JOiracle'Can Happen." he'd be clamoring for the big man with the tight white coat if he said this pic couldn't do bijf.' All you have to do is talte a -giMi4^ at the list of names in the pi-oducnoh Credits. The fact that this attempt at. whimsy doesn't al- ways come oil. is incidental; the pay- ing" customers can read pretty well, and those names stand out pretty boldly. . .Itist look at 'emt The pic opens witiv a pair of surefire names like Croddard and Meredith^and in bed, too. Then Stewart, Fonda, and Harry James. Plus lamovir and Victor Moore, in a Hollywood satire, pr how the sarong became famous. Followed by Fred MacMurray and 'William Demarest, All in episodic sequences detailing what an inquiring reporter encounters when he seeks to have answered the question of how a . child influenced the lives of a group of selected adults. Meredith is the reporter, so-called. Actually he's only a clas.sified-ad solicitor for a newspaper. But he's lied to his recent bride; he's told her he's the inquiring reporter. Through a subterfuge, however, lie assunies the mantle ot the paper's actual I.R., a longtime ambition, for just this one question. The film's story com- prises 91 series of episodes telling of the reporter meeting his- assorted public, their narratives being told in flashback. "SJiracle" has some amusing whimsy, namely one involving Dor- othy tiatiJour and Victor Moore, in which: each is shown as a Hollywood extra, .the former later achieving stardom through her inadvertent use of .-a sarong in a test. The "child"' •who influences the change in her career was « moppet star who urged her director to give Miss Lamour a . test. ' . , , James Stewart and Henry Fonda tell of a. "child" influence in their lives-T-only this time it's a big "baby" r-^a twentyish beaut who, their story reveals, upset their applecart years before when they toured as musi- cians with a band. The detail-s here are fairly amusing. Harry James 'Works'into this episode as a judge .of a trumpet contest. Least interesting is the episode in- volving Fred MacMurray and Wil- liam Demarest in their encounter with a' brat during their itinerant travels as con-men. All of this wrapped up by the in- quiring reporter for his paper and, of course, it's all so good that the editor;actually gives him the job per- manently. And the child's influence that is greatest is the one that liis wife tells him will soon be their own. The cast couldn't have been better. Tlie stoiy's execution falters because a scene here and there is inclined to strive too much for its whimsical elTect. But Meredith responds capi- tally to the mood of the character he plays, being given more of a chance to do so than any of the other stars. Of the supporting players; there is Demarest for his usually competent performance along with other fine characterizations by young David Whorfi son of Richard Whorf, as the brat, and Charles D. Brown, the ed- itor.. . . King Vidor and Leslie Fenton shared the direction, and it was no easy job to dovetail the individual sequences into' a single entity. But this they achieved to a considerable degree. The fault lies in the failure of some of the episodes to achieve as ' plausible an acceptance as whimsy could permit under the cir- cumstances. Knhn. Du Ponl*» Comm't Pic Hollywood, Feb. 3. Gommerelal film announced by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Go. has ' been titled "The 'Wark Goes On," an adaptation of the i Scribners. mag story, "DU PonJ, 140 Years." William S. Button wrote the screenplay and will co-produce with William Thiele under executive su"- pervision of Jack Chertok. Film will -fee shot partly in Hollywood and partly in. the east by Apex Pictures. Miniature Reviews "A Miracle Can Happen" (UA- Bogeaus - Meredith). Whimsy with Goddard - Meredith - Stew-, art - Fonda - James - Lamour - MoorerMacMurray. How can it miss'.' "Saiyon" (Par). Sturdy adven- . ture-romance, with names of Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake for marquee, ''If YOU Knew Susie'V (Songs) (RKOh JEddie Cantor-Joan'Davis in pleasant comedy, that should do okay. ''The Sign Ol the Ram" (Col), Leisurely,paced domestic drama for femme trade» "Woman From Tangier" (Col). Adele Jergens in melodramatic whodunit; fine support on twin- ners. "Black Bart" (Color) (U). Ac- tionful western. Will give good' account of itself. .■ "The Idiot" . (French) . (Le- . lav'ge-E.C.D.), Good' adaptation of Dostoievsky classic, for 'oliay art.Jhouse. biz.- "Danrhter of Oarkpe^s" (Par) (British): " Taut psychological murder story. Good British draw; some U.S. appeal. "The ■ Hunted" (Mono). Dull melodrama for secondaries. "Laugh, Pae^liacci'^ (Songs) (Italian). Fine version of the Leoncavallo opera,' with Alida Valli. Beniamino Oigli. Good arthouse draw. "Western Heritage" (RKO). Tim Holt wesstern with ' okay prospects in straight action houses. .,, - ■ ■■■ ■ "Smart Politics" (Sojigs) (Mono). Another of l\Sonogram!s Teenagers'pix. Pleasant support- ing fare. "Passionnelle" ( F r e ri c h ). French-made meller hag enough spice to make it first-rate for foreign-language spots. "BriBUtom Rock" (ABP). Brit- ish-made gangster meller should do mildly in U.S. "Easy Money" (Bank) i (Brit-' ish). Good English grosser on football pools; mild U. S. appeal. "Bohemian' Baptore*' (Art- kino). First big Czech produc- tion since end ot war; 'disapr^ ' pointing; for foreign-language ' houses strictly, *'Les Jfeux Sont Falts" (Pathe). French-inade Jean Paul Sarte film of after-world good U.S. art- house draw. ris Carnovsky, the rich man; Luis Van jRooten, gunman, and Eugene Borden, boat captain. Editing holds picture to 93 min- utes witliout leaving .story holes. Photographic eifects, process shots, costumes and other, production de- tails are excellent. Brog. ului' ,.10S- If \nu Kiunv IKiiKiv (SONGS) HKj:) relt'it.'^e or Kildlo t.'anlor (.hii'I? X\ CliMfis, e.KeeotiVQ prndurer) <-a.nl 1(1 "and ..Aciii VJiivts; I'eaturt't. AUyn lyti, t'liai-lw UinHii! and BoWij- }.>rim'oll, rictpVI liy (iordon - 'Af. ■ Pouslaa <iMi!.xwell llem-y, iiKsit^iiitii, Oireotor). Srreerii>l(i Warren WilKori and Ost-fir- Brodiip.y; '.addi- liouat iliixloff,.Itud X*ear..<on and X,eHte,r A. White; songs, -B:: G, De a,v,l.va.-lufd-.ToHeph Meyer. .Iitniny McHuj^h and liavoW Adani* son, t^eorj^e 'rdihleM and Kaine>;'Xdr}«lt; nniKH eat. at^ore, ICd^ar '?CookIe" l^airehfl^;■ mp^^-' lal ilii-eelw, C. Bakfllemlkfltf; f-ailHsni,' l-'rank Iteiliuan; editor, PhiUp Warlin, I'l-e- .vlewpd at Noiniandle theatre; N. Y., Jan. 'Jli, '-I!*. llii.)iiiini.'thne, 'VU.MI». Snoi I'arUer; ..lOddle Cantor >?uvi|e Parh^rr.;.,.......,..!i>iin Daviw Mike Cai-i-ell..-,. jMr. Whitley.,...' .l(i(j Collins. ^.. titeve Garlaml... >5ero Kantlui...., Marty. AT:il-joi-le I'arUor. Handy. Clinton. . Mr. ..I'ljnton..... (Ivandiiia Count:. ..\lexip.... ('hoK- lileni'l ^\vH, Clinton. 'And Bobby Ddacoll ...... .Allyn .To.xly i.-v:"..C'hiu-l.-.x Dinsfle .,..... .I'hil Brown . .;Shiel(lo]i LeonrVd ...J(ie S:i\vr,-v , , .'DoUf^lliR l-'owley ,.. .AViiraaret Kerry ., t )ielc '11 uinplirey.'i . .Jlo\Yard .li^t'eeinan .......Mabel .-PalKG .'....... .SIR Tluinan vm-A vm ....Isabel Randolph Saigon Hollywood, Feb, 2. Pnramouflt release of P. J. Wolfson pro- ducthin. Starn Alan l,add, Veronica Lake; fealui-e.-) liousclsis Dick. Wally Cassell, bvthor Adler, Morrla CarnoVsky, Mikhail Raaumnyl ■ Directed by Leslie Fenton. Sereenplay, P. T. Woltson, Arthur Slieek- man; ba.*d on story by Jnjlan Zimet; cani- era, John ' I*', Settjs; music- score, Hohert I'lnmictt Dolan: editor, William Sh«i. ■rnuloshown h> Hollywood Feb. 3, '48. Kun- ning- time, as Mim . Mojor I.arry Briggs. Alan Ijadd Hnsiin Clfuver... .Veronica Iiake Capta In iflko Pel ry. .Doijglas Dh* SeiBt. Petf Rocco Y'^l^ CasoeH Lieut. Keen..... Alex Marls.....> Clerk Ktmon Boat Captaii With Eddie Cantor . as both pro- ducer and star, "If You Knew Susio';, sholild do well'enough in the family houses. There's nothing here of real- ly sock value, but the family aura of this comedy, in which Cantor and Joan Davis are co-starred, should help it do business. •There's little here that -Cantor hasn't done in one form or another for many years, whether it?si«.been m radio, musicomedy or pictures. However, tliere's a certain relish and '/.est with which he and Miss Davis go about their 'chores that help minimize its familiarity. ■ The yarn is about a vaudeville husband-Wife team (Cantor and Mis.s Davis) who retire to settle down in their home. town, a burg of .snobbishness aqd.,who's who. But the"ex-vaucfers and their two chil- dren, unable to livtf up to the- sup- po-sed rep -established by^ one pf their Revolutionary forebears'^ aire o^ra- cized. i.There's the discovery, then, that the -government owes .the -fam- ily billions of dollars via: some rather complicated inheritance;' maneuver, but the complications all iron them- selves out rather patly when Cantor disavows his' mdnetai^ heritage be..' liause the money and its attendant publicity .were breaching the fam- ily happiness. And, of course, their social standing is regained., 'Cantor sings the title song, and other standards, plus rolling.his eyes as usual; Miss Daivis mugs as only she-knows how—^so what more can* one - ask? Unless it's sucli usual urbane fOl-de-rol as'the two prin- cipals being, involved with, some thugs in a Keystone Kopg..type of chase, etc. AUyn Josiyui Charles Dingle and little BObhy DriscoU handle lesser roles comp'etcritly. "as do Sheldon Leonard and Joe Saw- yer, as a couple of plug-uglies. Rvhn, ...Luther Adler ...Morris Carnovsky ...Mikhail Basutntly ...LUis Vail Bopteii , .ISugene Borden. Man of Evil ."Man of Evil," which United Artists tradeshowed in N. Y., last week, was feviewed in Varietv on June 7, 1944, from London. It was originaU.y released a.s "Fanny by Gaslight," "'Adapta- tion ot a current bestseller has merit enough," said Varicty. to attract , discriminating fllmgoors in the S. Seldom has a British picture been given such a star- studded cast. "For ivll lis being toned down from the Michael Sadleir frank treatment of the novel, the way the curvaceous femmes do their ',«JUfT in the underground joint -".oardly makes for the best family '■^trade,'* Review went on to praise '«:'jjor.tr93fa3.s by.APhyllis Calvert, •rfeniefe? Mason $-m Wilfrid Law- • • soni: ■ Film now runs 18 minutes Shorter than' when first released, now running 90 minutes. suicide attempt. Gradually, the farnily becomes wised up to her true nature and escapes from her over- loving clutches. Lonely and frus- trated, she finally wheels herself over the clifls. As far as permitted by her lines. Miss Peters registers with a solid ■performance, shading with sulrtlety her transitions from sweetness to poisonous jealousy. As the husband, Knox draws a neat, credible portrait of a good-hearted fellow slightly tjaffled by eVehts around him. Peggy Ann'Garner carries off well a tough assignment as the youngest daughter twisted by' the family atmosphere. Restiof the cast conli'ibute important assists in lesser roles. Production is also marked by ex- cellent settingsi, clear, deop-focussed lensing and a good musical score tliat lends atrnospheric quality. Herm. Alan Ladd fans and other followers of high adventure will like "Saigon. It's strictly pulp-fiction stuff but done With a flare for good characteriza- tions and plenty of action. P. J. Wolfson, in hi.s production and co- scriptin.^ chore with Arthur Sheek- man has paid close attention,to the little details that will catch audience interest. Performers' characters are well- established and they know what to do with them under Leslie Fenton s able direction. Latter keeps the ac- tion high and the interest unflagging in telling the saga of three ex-Army fliers who go adventuring in Saigon With a beautiful blonde. Script, based on a story by Julian Zimet, deals with a flier who has only a few months to live, the result of a crash, His two buddies keep the bad news from him and they all de- cide to take a last fling in the Orient. TriOj expecting to fly a rich man to Saigon, end up, instead, with his blonde secretary carrying a brief- case full of cash. The doomed man falls in love, another cross for his buddies to bear, and they force the femme, on threat of exposure to the police, to play along. There's a load of menacing and mysterious characters, a plane crash, a jungle boatride,. and lushly back- grounded Saigon to point up action and intrigue before finale. Music score aids plotting, and camera work is sharp in depicting settings. Ladd is at home as the ex-Army flier who, with Wally Cassell, tries to ease the last days of Douglas Dick. Cassell adds considerable as a happy- go-lucky air sergeant, selling plenty of chuckles. Dick equals the other two for honors. Miss Lake aptly fits role, Carefully Tli«> Si^n of the Bam Cohwnbla, release of Irvine Cninmlngs, Jr., production. Stars Susan Peters. Alexander Knox, Phyllis Thaxter, Peggy Ann Garner, Ron isandell. Dame May . Whitty, Alleno Roberts: feiitures Ross Ford, Diana Doug- las. . Direoted by John Sturges. Screenplay, Charles Bennett; based on novel by Mar^ garet FerKoson: camera, Burnett (Inffey; editor, Aaron .Stcll; ihusical director, M. W, titoluff. Trndeshown, N. T., Jan. '48. Kunning time. 84 MIISTS. Leah St. Aubyn .Susan Peters AJallin-y St. Anbyn Alexander Knox fvjierldii Binyon Phyllis Thaxler Christine ,si, A iibyn... .Peggy Ann CJai-ner Dr. Simon dowdy .......Ron Randell Clara Braslork.... Dame May Whilly .lane; St. Aubyn..........;..Alle.ne Roberts TjOgan St. Auhyn. Ross Ford Civthor iiie Wooltpn,Diana Douglas ifcnlly .Margaret Trat-y Perowen -Paul Scai-tlon Ttorerend Woolton.......*.,.Gej'al(l llaiiicr Mrs. Woolton .Doris Lloyd Miadtts of Gray (DOCUMENTAKIT) IT. S. Army .Pictorial Service production (Frank J. l^ayner producer). .. Directed.^hy Joseph M. tienabery. Scplpt, John 'B. Davenport and IVtortimer Offner: ■ Camera, tieiald mrschrehl; editor, ISrlc La>vj-ence; technical advisers, Dr. George Goldman, Lt, Ool. M". C. Kes., ami Lt, (.'ol. B'rank Drake. Previewed-at the U, Arin.v Kignal Crops Photogi-aphic ..Genter, Astoria, L,-Jan. 29, '40. Running time. «7 JUKH.. Oast: Sandy camjib^il, Ed Krelsler,' Piiul Lai-.ion. Ilar Vinson, .Tohn .Leighton, Lewis LToward," Toin iNello, Bob Kritelit, Michael Higglns, Berton Tripp, . Bill .Hollandheek, Piiv'ing Mlt<!bel], N'ell McMa-b'os.'Hal Cahk- lln, Bay Bahner, Harry OBtenhessy. experiences to show whjr one breaica ' down under -simple anxieties, while the other doesn't sutler severe neu» roses until he has been subjected t» deadly fire in a lonely shellhole for days. Treatment of the cases—undoubt- edly idealized — by Army psychic , atrisL-f at the front and in various, echelons back to large special hos- pitals in the U. S. is shown. Lay audiences will uiKlOubtcdly be amazed when they sec right before their eyes cures (^fi'octed by ttgrco-^ synthe.iis (uiUfotic drugs), hypno- tism, electro-therapy and simple psychiatry. Despite their medical veracity, undoubtedly some of these miracle cures will find disbe.iievers, ■ A niiijov defect of the film is a grayncss ot its own in choosing its point and sticking. to it. . It's fre-' quently. too divergent from "its 'sh-ddcs o£ .c!ra.v" the.sis and puts too much emphasi.s (certainly from an Army public relations standpoint) in that cures are ed'octed merely to get a man back into the front line again. Greater emphasis rather should be on tlie theme that there is no reason for stigma to be at- tached to mental patients. It could happen to anyone. Application to- day should he to making good civilians out of the sufferers, rather than good combat soldiers, ' . Witli a few excei>tions, acting is excellent throughout, especially by. "patients" Sandy Campbell, Paul Larson, John Leighton, Lewis How- ard and Tom NcUo. Some of the actors are civilian professionals and some enlisted men assigned to the Photographic Center, Direction by Joseph E. Henabory, vet Hollywood and documentary director, is top- notch ail the way for keeping a rapid pace and at the same time get- ting from his players the carefully- shaded emotional responses required. He directed the film on a contract basis. Also a civilian, but a fuUtimo Army employee, is producer Frank J. Payne, who does a firstrate job ol bringing the difficult elements to- g'etlior to acliicve drama, please the Army and stick rigidly to limita- tions imposed by psychiatrist-techni- cal advisers. . . Film was shot at the Armiy hos- pital at Nortjiport, Long Island, and on the stages at Astoria. It is, tech- nically, a thoroughly professional job all the'way. Herlr. Marking Susan Peters' return to the screen since she lost the use of her legs in a hunting accident several years ago, "Sign of the Ram" is a leisurely-paced meller slanted for the femme trade. Obscure title and middling marquee values, however, will limit the distaff b.o. reaction to just-fair levels. Mi.ss Peters showed lots of pluck in accepting a role that, far from stir^ ring any sympathy, turns her into a rnalignant personality whose ultimate come-uppance is the pic's chief inter- est. Inadequate scripting job, how- ever, lacks details for a plot buildup and fails to draw a consistent char- acter in wliich the actress can feel wholly at ease. Monotone direction by John-Sturges doesn't help either in generating a consistent, tempo to grip attention. Opening calmly in an apparently happy English household, yarn sud- denly dips into psycho waters with suggestions that a well-disguised mad woman is ruling the roost. Miss Peters, wife of Alexander Knox and foster-niother to his three grown children, is confined to a wheelchair but through a powerful will exer- cises complete domination over the family. As explained by an amateur astrologist in the pic, she was born under the sign of the Ram, which means trouble. . As a benevolent tyrant, she breaks the blonde siren . valued character studies are turned ... - ... . , ,v in by Luther Adler, a detective; i up a love affair involving one daugh- Milthail Rasumny, hotel clerk; Mor- ' ter and drives the son s fiancee to a Army's, treatment of officers and men who suffered neurppsychiatric breakdowns during World War II, as revealed through faithfully re-creat- ed case histories, is vividly'Shown in "Shades pf Gray." The. film , was rushed to completion shortly before the end of -1947 to become the entry of the Army Pictorial Service - fas, an Academy award - in thie docu- mentary class. It's a "worthy con- tender. - ' 'While the picture is ostensibly ior showini; to profes.sional audiences, both in and out of the Army, and to special • interest -.groups, it's no secret that it was also designed with an eye on possible regular theatrical release. Unfortunately, however, while extremely interesting'and in- formative, the treatment of: the theme is such that it seems-KfirtBy, suitable for general theatrical snow- ing. It no doubt, however, will find large appreciative lay audiences among special groups and perhaps in some limited art theatre exhibition. Picture's possibility for widespread distribution is interesting because of its genesis. It came about as the result of a smashing film on Army psychiatry, "Let There Be Light," made at the end of the war by Hol- lywood writer-director John Huston (then in the Army). It was produced soleis for military professional use, but there was a clamor among -civil- ians who saw it for general release. Actual cases, however, were pic- tured. Inasmuch as the film could be construed by its unwitting actors as a serious invasion of their pri- vacy and might do them tremendous harm if seen in hometowns where they are now living normal lives, Army nixed the idea of public re- lease. As a result, it was decided to use professional players in a re- creation of "Let There Be Light" and several other films made solely for Army personnel," primarily "Combat Psychiatry." As might bo expected, no re-enact- ei film can have the power and sense of human drama inherent in the original. While "Light" was gripping to the point ot being breathtaking, "Gray" is pedantic by unavoidable comparison, although considerable additional meritorious material has been added to It. Title -is pretty much an explana- tion of the film's aim. No one's mental or^ emotional balance, it suc- cinctly demonstrates vfe animation, is 100% perfect. Nervous systems are all just a variation of a shade of gray lietween pure black and pure white. How much shock and upset they'll withstand hinges on a com- bination of the "shade of gray" to start with and the strain under which they are put. . One of the aspects in atiainiiig a "light shade," or good" emotional bal- ance, is the mother's treatment of her offspring in infancy and early childhood to give him a sense of security and self-as.surance. Lives of several boys are traced in the pic- ture from infancy up to their Army Woiman From Tangier' Columbia, releaso of Hlfartla Moonoy pro- duction. Features Adele Jergcns, Stephen- .Dunne, Denis Orceu, ran MacDonald. Di:j. j-«ote4 by Harold Dnitieis. Screenplay, Itwin Kianklyn; - camera, Henry ifreulloh; edltoviiRJchiird .l''anil, Ac Now York, N, Y.. starting Jtiii. IfJ, ''18. Running tima, M liM^lon... ..Adele Jergena Ray Sliiipley ,..>;.,,.Stephen Dunn* Ned- Uanfein.. Mlchasl Duuns Oupt. Yiraves..Dents Green Rache&U;-) IVnn Tlpaault Patqult."- Curt Bbl« Paulitjnreles. .Tan MaisDoitalil li^o-Cltt,.. >......; Donna Demario LeD6ux..<'. .....Anton Koata. Martin^'..;:...,>..,...,,.,..Maurice MarMui "The 'Woman From Tangier," » moderate-budgeter from Columbia^ iproves a lusty melodrama, piayea with all the stops out, It has some implausibilities but not enough to detract as fairly exciting fare. It's a cinch as a dual-bill backer-upper. FjTom.the time a sliip'^: captain, in harbor at Tangier, bumps off hi* purser over 50,000 pounds, the story is a succession of fast-moving events. Yarn has the chief crook parachut- ing from a plane after bumping oiC his pilot, while 3,000 feet in the air. An insurance agent from N. Y., in- terested becaii.se of the theft from a boat insured by his firm, helps the native gendarmes solve the dow». ble slaying and robbery. The woman in the case is a come- ; ly cafe entertainer who goes straight long enough to tip ofl the cops on the hideout for the brains of the gang. Adele Jergens plays this role with certainty. Ian MacDonald is a life-like tough gangster boss,-Denis Green is smooth enough as the crooked British captain, while the supporting cast is headed by Stepheiot TJunne and Robert Taour. "■ Harold Daniels maintains a swift pace, directing to obtain a maximum of suspensefiu -moments. Wear. Black nttrt (COLOR) Hollywood, Jan. 31; TTnlversal release oC Leonard Ooldstein prnduclloii. Stars Yvonne DeCarlo, Dan Duryea, Jeffrey Lynn; features-Percy Kil- bride. Directod hy 0]eoi'goShern)nn,-Sct«en- play, Lui-l IVard, Jack Nfttteford, 'WOllam Bowers; original slory. Lucl Ward,'Natte-. ford; camera (Technfcoior}., Irving, Gh%s;s- berg: music, Leith Steyehs; editor, .Russell Sclioengai-th. J*roviewed in Hollywood, Jan, 27, '4S. Rnnning time, 80 MINS. I.,ola ihfoutcz.,..,,...,..,..TVonne DCCal'Is Clvirles 111 BolesDan Duryea: Lance llordeen.. .Jeffrey Jjynn Jersey Brady.............. .Percy Kllbrid* Sherit): Gordon....... ■.Lloyd Oongli Lorlmer, ■..,...,£^ruut( Lovejoy Clark. , VJohn. Mcintir* it. T.: Hail.i.....V, Don Beddo* MacFarlond.... .Ray Walker Teresa .......,,,...*.*...,. f^Iedad Jluienox Mason iKddy C. Wolter Mrs. Hurmon......Aune O'Neal iiHliatr..............,,Chle£ iViany Treaties Western plot of "Black Bart" haa been given romantic trappings and beautiful color. It adds up to first- rate entertainment) and b.o. returns will be excellent, particularly out- side the ke.y-city firstruns. Film is first for Leonard Goldstein as ■ Universal - International producer, (Continued on page 20)