Variety (September 1950)

FILM REVIEWS Pft&IETY Wednesday, September 6, 1950 The Sleeping City Universal-International release o£ Leon- ard Goldstein production* Stars Richard Conte, Coleeh Gray; features Richard Taber, John Alexander, Peggy Dow, Alex Nicol. Directed by George Sherman, Story and screenplay, Jo Eislnger; cam- era, William Miller; editor, Frank Gross; music, Frank Skinner. Previewed at Park Ave. theatre, N. Y„ Aug. 30, *50, Run- ning time, tS MINS, Fred Rowan,.............. Richard Conte Ann Sebastian............. Coleeh Gray Pop Ware ...... Richard Taber Inspector Gordon . ... i. .John Alexander Kathy' Hall . a, .....Peggy Dow Dr. Steve Anderson...Alex Nicol the plane down in Naples. Both go sightseeing for a couple of hours. They return to the airport just in time to see their plane roar- ing away overhead. Mote sightsee- ing together to Pompeii and Capri. When they return to Naples for new plane reservations, 7 they dis- cover that the ship they were to have taken had crashed and that they are reported dead. They de- cide that since the world no longer believes they exist, they will start a new life together. One day his nr i tt n- ,! wife, Jessica Tandy, and son, Rob-- Maik Hellinger s The Naked ert Arthur, arrive in Italy. She is City” apparently formed an indeli- willing to let the divorce go ble impression a couple of years I through, but Cotten and .Miss ago as a murder melbdrama reeled' Fontaine realize that, m spite of against the New York skyline, and for good reason. The pattern was certainly successful enough to war- rant being followed up, and “The Sleeping City” is along those lines. It hasn’t the depth in story and performance value of “Naked City,’* but it maintains strong interest to got by at the boxoftice. It has been given a good production. / The Leonard Goldstein produc- tion, storied in the corridors of N. Y.’s Bellevue hospital—and ac- tually filmed at Bellevue—has re- cruited a New York stage cast, in the main* . to back up the stars, Richard Conte and Coleen Gray, in telling a yarn of intrigue and mur- der; Only' as Conte points up in a foreword, none of these actually happened at Bellevue. (The fore- word, incidentally, was U-I’s balm for Mayor O’Dwyer’s gripe that the city-operated hosp was pictured in an unfavorable light). “Sleeping City” tells of two deaths in which the hospital is in- volved. Both victims are internes. Bot h, because-of meagre wages that all internes receive, are forced to steal narcotics from the hospital stocks and sell them to pay off gambling debts. Both haye become linked with an unknown book- maker. One of the internes 'is shot to death, and the other forced to suicide. Conte plays a member of the police confidential squad who is planted in the hospital as an in- terne to uncover the mystery, and Miss Gray is the nurse snared in the illegal drug traffic. Conte gives his usually plausible performance, underplaying in con- trast to a number of the Broadway- recruited players with their tend- ency to overact. Miss Gray looks attractive as the nurse, though her characterization doesn’t call for much thesping ability. John Alex- ander, vet legiter, punches a little too hard as the police inspector, while Peggy Dow, being given a buildup by Universal, is little more than a waikOn. The part of the el- derl5 r elevator operator, the key to the racketeering, as played by Richard Taber, is also somewhat overacted. The over-emphasized performances could have been curbed by the direction. Alex Nicol, a new face to pictures, plays the interne Who suicides, and indi- cates high promise. He gives a per- formance of marked dramatic in- tensity, yet he never overplays. Otherwise, the picture is full of unbilled background types. Photography is low-key, in keep- ing with the “sleeping city” aura that the direction successfully em- phasized. Kahn. September Affair Venice, Aug. 25. Paramount release of Hal Wallis pro- duction.’ Stars Joan Fontaine, Joe Got- ten, Francois# Rosay; features Jessica Tandy, Jimmy Lydon, Robert Arthur. Di- rected by William Dieterle. Screenplay, Robert Thoeren from story by Fritz Rotter; camera, Charles B. Lang; score, Victor Young; concert scene conducted lay Wolfgang Frankel. World premiere at Venice Festival, Aug. -35, *S0. Running time, tl MNS. Manina Stuart. .Joan Fontaine David Lawrence...Joseph Cotten Maria Salvatini Franchise Rosay Catherine Lawrence....... Jessica Tandy David Lawrence, Jr...... .Robert Arthur Johnny Wilson.. .Jimmy Lydon G raz/.i... i............ Fortunio Bonanova Bianca,................... .Grazia Narciso Rosita.........,.. . . .Anna Demetrio Vittorio Portinl.... Lou Steele Mr. Pcppino............ .Frank Yaconelll their love, they cannot run away from responsibilities, or cut the past away. They return to New York ; to pick up where they left off—and with beautiful memories of romance in Italy in September. The story does not call upon its characters for any great dramatic acting. Miss Fontaine gives a light touch to her role without be- coming flirtatious. Cotten is al- ways believable as the engineer who finds that running away from work and wife is not the answer to his restlessness and unhap- piness. Francoise Rosay is a happy choice in liei* role, giving it a Con- tinental flavor much needed in the story line, Jimmy Lydon, as the American soldier, is excellent, and Miss Tandy and Arthur, as the wife and son, give good performances. The minor roles are. weak, and scenes could have been strength- ened by the selection of stronger • personalities for characters and bit players. The lensing of the backgrounds in Europe is handled with except tionally good taste. The musical sequences are also tasteful, and it is gratifying to see Miss Fontaine playing the Rachmaninoff Concerto with an intelligent look on her face instead of a dreamy and tearful half smile. Direction never gets out of William Dieterle’s capable hands. ' Tubbs. Indian Territory / (SONGS) • Columbia release of Armand Schaefer production. Stars Gene Autry.. Directed by-John English. Screenplay, Norman .S. Hall;- : editor, James Sweeney; camera (sepia), William Bradford. Yradeshown N; Y., Aug. 30, '50. Running time, 70 MINS. Gene Autry... Himself Shadrach Jones . Pat Buttram Melody Colton .. . Gail Davis Lt. Randolph Mason... Kirby • Grant Apache KidJames Griffith Curt Raidler. .Philip Van Zandt Jim Colton.. ..... . .........,. Pat Collins Major Farrell............ .. Roy Gordon Soma .... . .Charles Stevens Captain Wallace.......... Robert Carson Miniature Reviews “The Sleeping City” (U-I) Richard Conte-Coleen Gray in interesting hospital murder mystery. “September Affair” (Par), Slick Joan Fontaine-Joseph Cotten starrer; good bio.. “Indian Territory” (Col) (Songs). Good Gene Autry oatuner. “Rookie Fireman” (Col) has enough action to guarantee OK reception as a supporter. “Timber Fury” (EL). Weak logging yarn. “Train to Tombstone” (Lip- pert). Oater which doesn’t come off. “Shadow of Eagle” (British) (B-L). Satisfactory b.o. looms for . this swashbuckler. carries odd assortment of char- acters. Plot has something to do with a stickup man’s plans to rob baggage car of $250,000 worth of gold train is transporting to Tomb- stone, but this isn’t clear in its planned execution. There are ^a couple of Indian attacks on train and same Injun repeatedly falling off his pony, which are just plain funny in their ridiculousness. Don Barry, who wrote original, moves through all this With his six- guns a-blazin’, shooting out the car windows at Indians who are in an- other direction entirely. William Berke handled both pro- duction and direction chores. Whit.. men, to guarantee it okay recep- tion as a supporter. Characters in Harry Field’s story, screenplayed by Jerry Sack- heim, are all stereotyped and as such do quite a bit to lessen im- pact film could have contained. A documentary narrative serves to explain the trials and tribula- tions of becoming a fireman, set- tling on Bill; Williams as an ex- ample. Williams, a. tough seaman who prizes his independence and takes a job with the fire depart- ment only because of a dock strike, gets mixed up with a strict fire chief, a waitress, and other incidental standard characters un- til he winds up with the chief as r his friend, the waitress about to become his wife, and the fire de- partment as his profession. Film has received fine mantling from Milton Feldman, who’s made good use of the stock shots and above-average cast for a low-budg- eter of this type. Players, especially Williams and Barton MacLane as the fire chief, do well considering their roles. Direction of Seymour Friedman could have avoided some of the cliche sequences, but otherwise is okay. Remaining technical credits are stock. Neal. Timber Fury (SONGS) Hollywood, Sept. 1. Eagle Lion release 'of Jack Schwarz production. Stars David Bruce, Laura Lee, Zoro the Wonder Dog; features Sam Flint, George Slocum, Niela Dl Bruno. Produced and directed by Bernard B. Ray. Screenplay, Michael Hansen; cam- era, Elmer Dyer; musical director, Ralph Stanley. Reviewed Sept. 1, '50. Running time, 41 MINS. Jim .. David Bruce Laura Lee Sliutlowof tlie Eagle (BRITISH) London* Aug. 24. British Lion-Independent Films Dislrib utors release of Valiant. Filnis-Anthony ; Hnvelock-Allati production. ■ Stars Rich- ' ard Greene* Valentina Cortesa; features. Greta Gynt, Byinie Barnes. Directed by Sidney ; Salkow. Screenplay. Doreen Montgomery, Hagar Wilde; camera. Ed- win Hillier, Cecil Cooney; editor, Peter Graham Scott. At London Pavilion. Run- ning time, 92 MINS. Count Alexei Orloff..... Richard Greene Princess TarakanoVa ..Valentina Cortesa. Empress of Russia........ .Binnie Barnes Countess Loredana, .V., Greta Gynt General Korsakov .... ..Charles Goldner Prince Radziwill Walter Rilla Captain Sergei Nikolsky.... Hugh French Vasska ....................Dennis Vance > “Affair” is a clever combination ©f culture and commercialism put together in a manner which makes for good b.o. The exteriors* filmed in Romej Florence, Naples and Capri, are used to the highest advantage. Those who have seen these mem- orable sights abroad will view them with nostalgia; for those who haven’t, the pic will be educational and interesting. A sentimental story takes away any idea of the picture becoming a travelog, even though Italian tourism is given great encouragement throughout the well photographed scenes. Romance plot is plausible. It accents that most humans wish for far away places and a new life with- out ever hearing again from their past lives, and the strings attached thereto. -This story hinges on just that Joan Fontaine, pianist, and Joseph Cotten, an engineer, are on the same plane bound for New York from Rome; she to fulfill a concert engagement, he to return to his work, his marriage on the brink of divorce, and a son he sel- dom sees. Engine trouble forces ‘ Indian Territory” is an above- Nicu m Bruno par oatuner in the Gene Autry Henry Wilson . -Sam Flint cycle. Pic has an unusually good sheriff ..................... .Lee Phelps production framework, with an] [paui^HoffmaS impressively sized cast and a fast, j Chung. .Spencer^ chan action yarn that’s slightly more oro complex than the ordinary run of modest-budgeted westerners. Couple of tunes, including “Chat- tanoogie Shoe Shine Boy,” inter- vene occasionally but not enough to slow the pace. * Yam is set immediately after the Civil War, with Autry playing an ex-Confederate officer now in the Indian service. Assigned to paci- fying some braves in a western territory, Autry masquerades as a rancher in order to track down the culprits. After several Indian raids he nails the white man who has been, stirring lip the Indians. Minor romantic interest is furnished by Gail Davis, as daughter of a rancher, and Kirby Grant, as Au- try’s sidekick. Autry plays with his usual Com- petency, handling the songs ac- ceptably even though the numbers are a little out of tune with the time of the picture. Miss Davis registers okay as the heroine, while James Griffith, as leader of the In- dian raiders, and Philip Van Zandt, as the foreign-bom intriguer, are solid as the heavies. Pat Buttram; as Autry’s scout, provides usual brand of western comedy. Camera work, in sepia, is good with several fine scenic shots add- ing values to the production. Herin. Rook to Fireman Hollywood, Sept. 2. Columbia release of Milton Feldman production. Stars Bill Williams, Barton MacLane, Marjorie' Reynolds, Gloria Henry, Richard Quine, John Ridgely. Di- rected by Seymour Friedman. Screen- play, Jerry Sackheim; story, Harry Field; camera. Vincent Farrar; editor, Aaron Stell; music,. Mischa Bakaleinikoff. Pre- viewed Sept. 1, ’50. Running time, 43 MINS. Jo# Blake; . Bill Williams Capt. Jess Henshaw.... Barton MacLane Margie Williams.... ...Marjorie Reynolds Peggy Walters............. Gloria Henry Johnny Truitt............ Richard Quine Harry Williams John Ridgely Al Greco Richard Benedict Capt. Mack Connors....... , Cliff Clark Harris..,..... .>........... Barry’ Brooks Floyd.....,..,......’.,. George; Eldredge Potts ................, /(Gaylord Pendleton ! Charlie.......... ,.i.. ; i ... .Frank Sully J Hanover...•.,.. », .Ted *Jordan “Timber Fury” is a routine logging meller with little to offer in way of novelty. Blowing up of a logjam is highlight scene, but this is brief and balance of ac- tion is pretty static. Suitable for small situations only. Based on James Oliver Curwood story, “Retribution,” narrative deals with attempts of a logging superintendant' to prevent deliv- ery of a timber shipment so owner’s rival can get the order. Conflict enters scene when owner brings in a young engineer to solve problem of getting logs down the river in time. Timberman is mur- dered and his death blamed on en- gineer by super, who actually com- mitted crime. For juve pleasure, there’s Zoro, a white Greenland husky who plays pivoted part in plot, a beau- tiful animal but never called upon to perform any unusual stunts. David Bruce, as the engineer, hasn’t much chaiice with part, al- though he’s in a fight with George Slocum, the heavy, which gets by. In pair’s second fight, action is handled by thinly-disguised dou- bles. Slocum is old type heavy, down to a leer. Laura Lee is femme lead, Sam Flint murdered timberman. Niela Di Bruno war- bles couple of songs, “Blue, in Love Again” and “My Baby and Me,” unimpressively. Whit. Whatever liberties may been taken with history, Indepen- dent : Film Distributors’ first pic- ture provides plenty of thrills Of the. swashbuckling > school. Just as westerns claim an audience, so this may prove satisfying fare for lovers of pseudo-period heroics. Set in the turbulent days of Catherine of Russia, story concerns the mission of Count Orlof, or- dered by his Empress to proceed to Venice and - abduct the lovely Princess Elisabeth, who is a pre- tender to her throne. The couple meet incognito during carnival and fall in love. On discovering her identity, the Count switches sides but both are captured and impris- oned on arrival in Russia. Cath- erine decides to execute her rival after torture has failed to make her renounce her claim to the throne. When Orloff offers his life in exchange for the girl’s, the jealous Empress decides they shall both die. A skillfully planned es- cape enables the lover to rescue his lady, carry her to safety over the Swedish border and leave a trail of speared bodies behind. Richard Greene is duly gallant and foolhardy as the romantic Count and Valentina Cortesa makes a charming lady in distress, though her change from dark to blonde hair detracts from her nat- ural beauty. , Binnie Barries plays a statuesque Empress and Charles Goldner gives one of his rich char- acterizations as a scheming gen- eral. Greta Gynt and Walter Rilla make an impressively sinister pair of conspirators. . Minor roles are exuberantly handled to bring re- alism to an improbable story.v Camera work by Erwin Hillier and Cecil Cooney is on an excep- tionally high level. Clem. of acting. Cervi is somewhat stiff as the eager suitor. Luigi Almiran- ti has some highly comic bits as the caretaker. Lensing is good and music score is imaginative. Bril. Das Kind star Rouau (Child of Danube) (AUSTRIAN) (COLOR—MUSICAL) Vienna, Aug; 17. Staifilm release of Nova-Wien Filin Rosen hue gel production. Stars Marika Koekk. Directed by Georg Jacoby. Cam- era, Hans Koenig. At Apollo, Vienna. Running time, 90 MINS. Marika... . ...... *.....,,. . . .Marika Roekk Georg....... ,»Fi*cd LiCwclir* Christof ..v.........,, •*.. • *. • • .Josef Egger Fi 3ii ■ Kovas ... Anme . Rosar. Editor.,.»i.,, •,,,,,...«. iKarl ■ Skraup Edith...,..;...........Hclly Servl Marika Roekk’s presence in “Child of the Danube” will help this pic at the boxoffice. The pic, however, lacks many ingredients needed for popular musical enter- tainment. It is too crammed with songs and dance numbers which slow down the slight plot. Marika uses her physical attrac- tions to the utmost. Her voice is hot what it used to be but she still appeals. As child of a Danube boatsman, she is discovered by a reporter. She backs her own legit company, and then marries him. Fred Liewehr, as- her partner, has a chance to exercise his mediocre vocal chords, and fails to impress. Karl Skraup as the newspaper- man, plus Josef Egger as an old sailor contribute the few laughs in the film. There is a well. done lesser role for Helly Servi as the cutie who unsuccessfully attempts to capture the scribe’s heart. Maas. Ail Re voir Monsieur 1 fjirocit (Goodbye, Mister Crock) (FRENCH) Paris, Aug. 8. Disclna release of Le Trident produc- tion. Stars Crock, Suzy Prim. Henry Cas- sidy. Directed by Pierre Billon. Screen- play, N. A. Constantin!, Christfn-Falarzc; camera,' Nicolas Toporkoff; editor, Michei Serein. At Rex, Paris. Running time, 102 MINS. Grock ...... . Himself Countess Siizy Print Henry. Cassidy..,..,............ .Himself The Aunt.............;, Helena Mansoh Durand................ Charles Lemontier Adrien.......,................ Ted llemy My Columbia’s “Rookie Fireman” includes enough action ingredients Train to Tonibgtfoue Hollywood, Aug. 31. Lippert release of Donald Barry-Willlitm Berke production. Stars Don Barry; fea- tures Robert LoWery, Wally Vernon, Tom Neal. Directed by William Berke. Screen- play, Victor West, OrVille Hampton, from drtginal by Don Barry; camera, Ernest Miller; music, Albert Glasser; editor, Carl Pierson. Previewed In Hollywood, Aug. 31, *50. Running time, 91 MINS. Len Howard.....,.,....; Don Barry Staley................... ; Robert Lowery Gulliver. .Wally Vernon Dr. Willoughby.. .Tom Neal Belle .■.. ...i... •.,.Judith ^^11 en Abbie...................... Minna Phillips DorisBarbara Stanley Marie......,...,,.. Nan Leslie Brown .. ................. . Claude Stroud Conductor. •«• •, •........»*.. .Ed Cassidy nr Train to Tombstone” is a poor excuse for a western, it simply in its somewhat interest-holding‘ doesn’t jell, theme, twirled around city fire-1 Action on a train to Tombstone Widow and I (ITALIAN) Distinguished Films' release of Fauno production. Stars Vittorio De Sica. Isa Miranda, Gino Cervi. Directed by Carlo L. Braga glia. Written by Aldo de Bene- detti; camera, Arturo GaUea; music, Nino Rota; English titles, William Mishkin. At Little Cine Met, N. Y., Aug. 29,- *50. Running time, tl MINS, Adriano Lari Vittorio De Sica Maria Lari Isa Miranda Guglielmi Gino Cervi Madame Guglielmi ...... ..... Dina Galli Caretaker .Luigi Almlranli. An often-amusing comedy, but one which stretches out a single humorous situation into an 81- minute vehicle, “My Widow and I” should nevertheless do fairly well in Italian-language theatres. Its chances in general arty loca- tions are not as good, although it has the draw-value of Isa Miranda and Vittorio De Sica (director of “Bicycle Thief” and “Shoeshine”). Farce concentrates its humor around the ramifications of a hus- band (De Sica) who is believed dead and decides to pose as his brother in order to cash in on a big insurance policy. The fortune, howeveiy loses its appeal when his boss (Gino Cervi),. an old friend of his wife (Miss Miranda), makes a big pitch to woo the ‘'widow” and tries to enlist De Sica’s help. The gag wears a little thin, al- though there are some witty lines as the husband has to listen to the boss point up his shortcom- ings. Pic gets over some sophisti- cated, satiric notes via De Sica’s being legally dead and unable to compete against his former em- ployer’s fabulous wealth and .ardent attentions to his spouse. Ironic touch is that in the end he loses his wife to the consoling tycoon and takes a job as grave- digger in the cemetary where he is “buried.” Both De Sica and Miss Miranda reveal excellent thesping talents, although the overly-talky script doesn’t require much in the way This film pays homage to Grock, the famous international clown, who plays himself in the picture. Unfortunately the pic docs not avail itself of the opportunities of its colorful background. Instead, it is an oversweet outline of Grock’s life with the war over- shadowing the important aspects of his career.* This misplaced em- phasis creates a static film. On the Grock 6 name and its show back- ground, pic might do for dualers. Story is told in flashback by Grock. He runs away from home to join, the circus. He plays many instruments and does acrobatics, but the film completely sLuffs off his development as a clown. He is caught in a border incident just be- fore the war. -Then follows much newsreel footage which has: little to do with the film. His love for kids then is pushed to the fore. Standout of the pic is his farewell performance with him doing the piano routine. Here is the first evi- dence of Grock’s fine clowning, and hints what the film might have been with smart scriptirtg. Grock plays himself with ease while fed Remy makes an intense young Grock. There are many characters rung in without moti- vation, The worst offender is Suzy Prim, who overacts an operetta- type countess. Henry Cassidy, of NBC, is brought in to commentate the war passages. Nicolas Toporkoff’s lending is. good. Director Pierre Billon gives the pic a pedestrian pace, the sawdust exhuberance never showing. Mosk. I Fiioritogge (The Outlaws) (ITALIAN) Genoa, Aug. 9. Roma Film release of a Rome produc- tion. Stars' Vittorio. Gasamann. Umberto Spadaro, Ermftnno Randi, Maria Gra/.ia Fraftcia. Directed by Aldo Vergaho. Screenplay, Vergano. Mangidbe, Callcgari. Marinuccl, Mercaiiti, Caramazza, Fugllese,. Trieste; camera, Marco Scarpelll; editor, Dolores Tamburini. At Parco, Genoa. Running time, 90 MINS. Turrl .. ... Vittorio Gassmann Don Cicclo- .Umberto Spadaro Cosimo. ..............., .Ermanno Randi Maruzza... .Marla Grazia Frnneia Rushed into release after the re- cent death of Sicilian bandit chief Giuliano, this pic, based largely on Giuliano’s exploits, is likely to cash in on public interest and publicity connected with the bandit. With- out the topical angle, pic would be a routine entry, and a bit on the dull side because it lacks action. If properly exploited, this one looks like a better than average grosser overseas. It will have much lesser chances in America. Traces of the hurry with which film was rushejd to completion are (Continued on page 20)