Variety (April 1952)

HLM MOTIEWS «S< Wtdx&Bmn; April ■% 1953 ■MwxM' Marti Errol Elyim iop-linluf to *lv# /lift »ud aonte b.o,"poi*lbnitIei t$ formula action - adventure melodrama. Hollywood, April 1. Warner Bro*. release of David Weis- Bart production. Stars Errol Flynn, Ituth Homan; feature* Raymond Burr, Paul Plccrnl, Richard Webb, Dan Seymour, George Renayent, Robert Cabal, Henry Marco. Directed by Gordon. Douglas. Screenplay, N. Richard Nash; from story by Philip Yordan, Sidney Harmon, Hol- lister Noble; camera, Robert Burks; edi- tor, Robert Swanson; muslo. Max Stein- «r. Previewed March 25, '52. Running time, M MINS, / Mason ,. Errol Flynn Stella .Ruth Roman Benedict Raymond Burr Steve Ranier Paul Picerni Andy Callahan Richard Webb Lt. Zuenon Dan Seymour Ortega George Hcnavent Manuclo Robert Cabal Perol Henry Marco Capt. Van Hoten Nestor Paiva Fortuno Howard Chumnn * ' A deep-sea treasure hunt, with whodunit overtones, has been pre- sented in .formula melodrama style. Picture has the Errol Flynn action name to help it through the general market. However, there’s nothing in it to impress the more discriminating filmgoer, and it’s considerably overlong at 98. minutes. # Footage manages to shake up the required amount* of suspense action under Gordon Douglas’ di- rection, but the whole, effect of the David Weisbart production is • too obviously manufactured to hit any degree of plausibility. It's an outdoor yarn with a feeling of hav- ing been lensed indoors on the sound stages; an impression that doesn’t help the type story offered. N. Richard Nash furnished a very talky, involved script to the story by Philip Yordan, Sidney Harmon and Hollister Noble, itself a complicated affair cluttered with shadowy characters and stock sit- uations. Setting is postwar Manila, where Flynn and Richard Webb, the latter unhappily married .to Ruth Roman,' operate a marine salvage business. Plot gets underway with Flynn called back from a diving job to get involved in a quarrel with Webb. Later, the latter, is found murdered. Flynn is accused but beats the rap and is then ap- proached by Raymond Burr to dive for a $1,000,000 diamond treasure. Flynn, Burr, Miss Roman, Paul Picerni, a slinky private detective, and a couple of other characters take off for the treasure site, Flynn knowing the location be- cause he skippered the PT boat bearing Manila rexugees when it was sunk during the war. Flynn recoups the treasure, div- ing during a typhoon, finds it is a church cross set with precious jewels. Deciding to keep to all for himself, he wrecks the ship, es- capes Burr and flees with Miss Roman through the jungle. Good versus evil gets in its licks when the girl and Flynn’s Filipino boat boy try to persuade him to restore the cross to the Cathedral from which it was taken. After sufficent battling with himself, the hero does just that. Flynn wins the most honors among the „ players, doing the familiar hero character excellently. Miss Roman’s character motiva- tions are vague but she’s easy to look at. Burr, Picerni and others are stock heavies and Webb has almost no footage. Filipino char acters are played by George Rena- vent, Robert Cabal, Henry Marco and Howard Chuman. - Technical credits on the picture, f mrticularly the photography, don’t mpress as being up to the highly expert standards found in the usual major production. Brog. / Encori ^Encore,” a ^British-mad* film scheduled todpentoday (Wed.) at the Normandie The- atre, N. Y., was reviewed from London by Variety in the Is- sue of Nov. 21, 1951. A trilogy, the picture is based on three Somerset Maugham short stories. Nigel Patrick and Roland Culver, Kay Walsh and Roland Squire-, and Glynis Johns are starred in separate episodes. The J. Arthur Rank-Para- mount co-production “should stack up tidy grosses,” wrote Myro, “not 'only, in U. S. art houses, but also at popular the- atres, provlding-the booking is made with discrimination.” Critic accoladed the acting, di- rection and scripting of each piec#. Paramount, of course, Js distributing in the U. S. volved with a group of Yanks op- erating an air freight line in Indo- china*. Herpes are John Archer and Douglas* Dick, who, after* de- fying a gang of Red Chinese guerrillas led by Harold Fong by blowing up their plane loaded with Red supplies, attempt to lead the two girls involved in the plot, Jean Willes and Maura Murphy, through the jungles to safety. Story boils along at a fairly sat- isfactory pace under Wallace A. Grissell’s direction, showing the small group captured, escaping, the jungle birth of Miss Murphy's baby, the death of a small Chinese boy, Hayward Soo Hoo, on the trek and then the patriotic, flags- waving return of United Nations forces to wipe out the guerrillas’ jungle headquarters. It all falls into the easily recognizable pat- tern of most such budget produc- tions. Archer and 'Dick are properly heroic in the male leads. • Neither femme is called upon for much, although Miss Murphy’s preg- nancy adds an unusual touch to the arduous jungle flight. Others in the cast do what is asked of them with fair results. Technical support given the pro- duction is standard. Prints are in sepia, which helps outdoor foot- age. Brog. Battle at Apache Pass (COLOR) *cy irtjbes shapes. tip as authentic Indian-ttyle wrestling I and knife-jousts, ’ photographed j against sweeping dimensions. Some | of the other af fresco scenes are dazzling, all appropriately punctu- ated by the fine musical score ox Hans J. Salter. Lund turns Into * sincere and capable portrayal of the harried commander, but Chandler- will rate most of. the palms for his Co- chise. There is orthodox support by the others, including Miss Cabot, Bruce Cowling, Jay Silver- heels, John Hudson, Regis Toomey, Richard Egan, Jack Elam and Bev- erly Tyler, the latter being dragged in to supply the love interest for Lund/ The technical credits are first- rate, and fine attention has been paid to costume detail. Particu- larly effective isr the gunfire and artillery display in the end-up bat- tle scene. ^ ■ Trau. * Without Warning Case history of sex-killer; okjy for exploitation, otherwise grim supporting pic. Hollywood, March 28. United Artists release of Arthur Gard- ner-Jules Levy production, presented by Sol Lessen Features Adam Williams, Meg Randall. Directed by Arnold Laven. Story and screenplay, BUl Raynor; camera, Jo- seph F. Biroc; editor, Arthur H. Nadel; music, Herschel Burke Gilbert. Pre- viewed March 26, '52. Ruhnlng time, 74 MINS. Carl Martin Adam Williams Jane Meg Randall Pete Edward Binns Don Harlan Warde Fred Saunders John Maxwell Blonde Angela Stevens Charlie Byron Kane Wolf -Charles Tannen Virginia Marllee Phelps Wilson Robert Foulk Carmelite . Connie Vera Psychiatrist ...Robert Shayne Interesting outdoor actioncr okay for double bills. Universal-International release of Leon- ard Goldstein production. Stars John Lund, Jeff Chandler, Susan Cabot. Di- rected by George Sherman. Story and screenplay, Gerald Drayson Adams; camera (Technicolor), Charles Boyle; edi- tor, Ted J. Kent; music, Hans J. Salter. Tradeshown in N. Y. March 28, '52. Run- ning time, 15 MINS. Major Jim Colton John Lund Cochise Jeff Chandler Mary Kearny Beverly Tyler Neil Baylor .Bruce Cowling Nona Susan Cabot Lt. George Bascom ."John Hudson Corp. Hassett Jimmy Best P r - Carter ...Regis Toomey SRt. Bernard .Richard Egan Lt. Harley Hugh O'Brian Joe Bent Palmer Lee Lem Bent William Regnolds Geronimo Jay Sllverwheels Little Elk Tommy Cook Mescal Jack '... . . Jack Elam Culver Richard Garland Johnny Ward Jack Ingraham Pvt. Bolin John Baer Ross Paul Smith The Maui m the White Suit “The Man in the - Whit* Suit,” British import trade- showfi in New York last wee]k was reviewed from London by Variety in the issue of Aug. 22,1951 .Myro opined that the Ealing Studios and Alec-Guin- ness have “clicked again.” Reviewer rated the film as a “new. comedy winner”, which “may make an impression in the U, S. market.” Story re- • yolv^s around a research work- er'(Guinness), who invents a fabric iriipervious *ta wear. Textile industry tries to sup- press it but is foiled. Alexan- der Mackendrick’s direction w^s praised as was the casts’s performances. Universal-Inter- national is distributing in the U. S. A Yank in Indo-CIiina Formula war-action melo- drama for program houses. Hollywood, March 28. Columbia release of Sam Katzmnn pro- duction. Stars John Archer, Douglas Dick; features Jean Willes, Maura Mur- phy, Hayward Soo Hoo, Don Harvey, Harold Fong, Rory Mallinson, Leonard Penn. Directed by Wallace A. Grissell. Screenplay, Samuel Newman; camera, William Whitley; editor, Aaron Stell. Previewed March 27, '52. Running time, 47 MINS. ^Mulvaney John Archer Clint MarshaU Douglas Dick Cleo Jean Willes Ellen Philips Maura Mxn*ohy Jake . Hayward Soo IIo > Swede Philips Don Ha'^ey Captain Sung Harold Foir Professor Johnson Rory Malli ir- Colonel Snblon Leonard Penn Major Lao Kay Kamt: ng Kingston Pierre Wrtkln General Wang Peter Chnng This Columbia release is de- veloped along formula lines to fill supporting spots in the program situations. It’s a war-action melo- drama that manufactures a num- ber of synthetic thrills in a rou- tine. not particularly belicveable plot, me 1 uding considerable real combat footage to fill out the 67 minutes. With more imagination in its theme “The Battle of Apache Pass” could have been turned into a creditable outdoors epic. As it stands, it’s a worthwhile compan- ion for dualers, with good draw on the John Lund and Jeff Chand- ler names. Film is an interesting exposition of the U. S. Army in New Mexico territory at the start of the Civil War, concerning two factions of the Apaches. There is a sort of peace pact between the troops at Fort Buchanan, commanded by honor- able Major Jim Colton (Lund), and Cochise (Chandler), chief of the Chiricahua tribe, a forthright, peace-loving family ‘ man. The status quo is upset via the entry upon the scene of . an ambitious In- dian Affairs advisor who is sent to the territory by the Government and who is in cahoots with Gero- nimo, wild leader of- the Mogpllon Apaches. Treachery, murders and irresponsible military orders turn the erstwhile peaceful area into a battleground, but tranquility is re- stored when the advisor is killed and Geronimo is made an outcast after losing a climactic hand-to- hand fight with Cochise. “Apache Pass” rates a large “A” for^ its handling of Indian char- acter and customs. The redmen emerge as human beings instead of in the caricaturistic rigging to which they are usually fated. For instance, Cochise is held up as a splendid model of kindness and tenderness, and the romantic scenes with his pregnant wife, Nona (Susan Cabot), are high ooints In the unfolding without be* The independently-made “With- out Warning” gives United Artists a feature that can be ballyhooed to okay grosses in gome exploitation houses. Outside this type of book- ing it is a rather grim supporting feature about sex-killers that can’t be recommended for family trade play dates but it will serve fairly satisfactorily for lowercasing in other dual bill spots. Production was a very modestly- budgeted venture by Arthur Gard- ner, Jules Levy and Arnold Laven. After filming, Sol Lesser acquired an interest and arranged the UA distribution, giving film a chance at returns it might not have had otherwise. First-venture ingenuity supplies production touches that belie the budget, with Los Angeles street scenes, Hollywood Freeway backgrounds and local law enforce- ment cooperation. helping greatly. A cast of virtual unknowns goes through the good paces to he found in Bill Raynor’s screenplay under Laven’s directorial guidance. Some of the action resorts to the obvious on occasion but still remains ac- ceptable enough to get by. There’s a case-history feel to the plot, dealing with a killer who likes to plunge his gardener’s shears into comely blondes because his wife, herself a blonde, had left him for another man. When the second blonde victim 1 meets her end in a cheap motel, police begin to suspect they are dealing with a paranoiac, but have no . idea of motive or the murder weapon. Pattern is established when Adam Williams picks up his third victim, Angela Stevens, in a bar, kills her under'a freeway bridge and manages to elude two patrol- men. Hard-working cops Edward Binns and Harlan Warde stake out blonde policewomen in bars around town. Trap fails, however, and the killer is finally gunned down just before he can claim Meg Randall as a victim when methodical police work finally identifies Williams as the man sought. Underplaying" makes the work of Williams, Miss Randall, Binns, Warde and others come off satisfac- torily, and Joseph F. Biroc has used his cameras effectively. Edit- ing is tight and music score good. Brog. for lowercase bookings in the gen- eral dual-bill houses. Plot falls apart at the climax,- but regula- tion thriller tricks, tersely played, carry the story along sufficiently for release aims. Two Los Angeles detectives, Charles McGraw and Hon Beddoe, are sent to Chicago to escort the widow of a racketeer to the Coast for testimony before the grand jury. Beddoe is killed and Mc- Graw starts back with Marie Wind- sor, closely pursued by gangsters who want to .obtain a payoff list and keep the widow from testify- ing. Chase makes for some ex- citement aboard the train as Mc- Graw keeps outwitting the crooks. Richard Fleischer’s direction re- alizes on meller aims up to the point it is revealed, after Miss Windsor is killed by the gangsters, that *she was a policewoman act- ing as decoy to test the honesty of McGraw, while Jacqueline White,’ traveling with her young son and his nursemaid, was the widow being sought. Switch Is completely implausible as screened and lessens whatever okay effect the melodramatics had had up to this point. Trouping is competent, with McGraw showing up excellently in his tight-lipped, terse cop por- trayal. Miss Windsor impresses the most among the femmes. Gangster types of David Clarke, Peter Virgo and. others are stock. Budget production of the Earl Felton script* based on a story by Martin Goldsmith and Jack Leon- ard, was put together under the supervision of Stanley Rubin. Train effects come off nicely, and George E. Dickant’s photography is keyed to the melodramatics. Brog. Hold That One So-so entry in Bowery Boys series. hut flow on the eomedy portion® Martel U Plett** linsfiag ifS patent, and other technical credits •re okay, aW with Jerry Thoma? production values. Gild, Stage to Blue River Routine western in Whip Wil- son series. Monogram *«1**«« of Vincent M. Fen- nelly production. Star* Whip Wilson; fen! tures Fuzzy Knight, Directed By Lew?* Collin*. Screenplay, Joseph F. p 0 i an( £ camera, Ernest Miller; editor,. Sam Fields! musical .director,- Raoul Kraushaar M New York Theatre, N, Y., week of March 25, '52.. Running time. 54 mi Ns •. IVwy Knight a cu * L66 Roberts Joyce .Phyllis Coates *,*••• v John Hart Reardon .Lane Bradford Preston ...Pierce Lyden Yarrow Terry Frost Westbrook Stanford Jolley Perkin* «....Willifim Fawcett Martin .... Stanley Price Clark .*. Steve Clark “Stage -to Blue River,” latest Whip Wilson starrer for Mono- gram release, adds Up to a N routine western for the- action market. Sfory is trite, acting is so-so but there, are enough fisticuffs and hard riding to satisfy the average oater devotee. Screenplayed by Joseph F. Po- land, yarn is a variation of the old formula, where the villain poses as a law-abiding citizen. In this version sheriff Pierce Lyden is the outlaws’ chief.. He’s the “mysteri- ous” boss who plots to take over Phyllis Coates’ stageline. Fortun- ately for her,*'Wilson, a U.S. mar- shal, comes to her aid with the help of Fuzzy Knight and Lee Rob- erts. Wilson is his usual sterling self, whether he’s leadiffg with a hard right or cracking his blacksncke whip. Knight and Roberts are suf- ficiently stalwart in routing the badrnen, while AtiSs Coates lends a bit of pulchritude. Other players contrib standard support. Ernest Miller's camerawork is okay in this Vincent. M. Fennelly production. . Mantling and back- grounds are in keeping with its modest budget.. Gilb. Faithful City (ISRAELI—IN ENGLISH) Dramatic story of rehabilita- tion of war-orphaned children. English-language film from Is- rael has b.o. potential. The Narrow Margin Cops-and-robbers melodrama for programmer dates. Some excitement but implausible. mi. A G j l aaa tuv umviuuig JLIUUUI UC 7 a ^ zl } ian pi'oduoi-'on.! ing excessively sentimental.* The sc lptecl by Samuel Newman, is in-1 hand-to-hand battling for suprem- Hollywood, Apnl 1. RKO release of Stanley Rubin produc tlon. Stars Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor, Jacqueline White; features Gor- don Gebert, Queenle Leonard, David Clarke, Peter Virgo, Don Beddoe, Paul Maxey, Harry Harvey. Directed by Richard Fleischer. Screenplay, Earl Fel- ton; story, Martin Goldsmith, Jack Leonard; camera, George E. Diskant; editor, Robert .Swlnk. Previewed March 24, '52. Running time, 71 MINS. Walter Brown .‘ Charles McGraw Mrs. . Neil Marie Windsor Ann Sinclair Jacqueline White Tommy Sinclair Gordon Gebert Mrs. Troll Queenle Leonard Kemp David Clarke Denscl Peter Virgo Gus .Forbes Don Beddoe Jennings Paul Maxey Train conductor Harry Harvey Monogram release of Jerry Thomas production. Stars Leo Gorcey, Huntz HaU; features Gil Stratton, Jr., David Gorcey, Bernard Gorcey. Directed by Wil- liam Beaudine. Screenplay, Charles Mar- lon, Tim Ryan; additional dialog, Bert Lawrence; camera, Marcel Le Picard. At New York Theatre, N. Y., Week of March £ 5 , <'52. Running time, 47 MINS. Slip Leo Gorcey Sach . Huntz Him Whitey Gil Stratton, Jr. Chuck David Gorcey Butch Bennie Bartlett Louie Bernard Gorcey Dean Taylor Holmes Billingsley Francis Pierlot Stanhope Pierre Watkin Biff ....John Bromfield Harold Bob Nichols Katie Moona Knox Penny Gloria Winters Candy Calin Veda Ann Borg Big Dave A1 Eben RKO release • of Moledeth (M. Yona Friedman) presentation. Features Jamie Smith, Did! Ramati, Dina Peskln, Ben Josef, John Slater, Rachel Markus. Di- rected by Josef Leytes. Camera, G. Gibbs; editor, J. D. Guthridge; music, Eduard* Ben Michael. Previewed in New York, March • 14,' '52. Running time, 84 MINS. Sam .Jamie Smith Davidel Ben Josef Ezra John Slater Sarah Rachel Markus Anna Dina Peskin Tamar Dldi Ramati Max Israel Hanln Joan Juda Levi Willy Amnon Lifshltz Slapstick and unhibited comedy, which have marked Monogram’s Bowery Boys series since its incep- tion, again get a workover in “Hold That Line.” Humor is of the ob- vious type. However, this entry will qualify as supporting fare for the duals where exhibs are seeking something with a light touch to balance off heavy drama. At the behest of two alumni, the Bowery Boys (Leo, Gorcey, Huntz Hall et al.) enroll as students in an Ivy League college. Old grads are testing a theory that they can transform uncouth boys into shin- ing examples of culture. Their registration results in a flock bf awkward incidents, most of which arenit too rib-tickling. For a finale, scripters Charles Marion and. Tim Ryan have the lads out- fox the gambling element.in a foot- ball game. In fact, the football sequences get such a buildup in the latter half of the film that it would seem that release of the pic- ture would have been more timely in the fall than in the early spring. Title, too, has more of an autumn aroma than a spring connotation. Monogram has a good series in the Bowery Boys. However, each entry is only as good as its mate- rial, and future releases will have to come up with fresher situations and funmaking' if they’re to retain their following. Leo Gorcey, Hal and their cohorts do the best they can for fair results. Direction of William Beaudine A standard amount of cops-and- robb£pi melodramatics are stirred up most of tiie time in “The Nar-. row Margin” to make it passable \ was adequate on the action scenes The attempt to rehabilitate a group of orphans from war-rav- aged Europe at a children’s cen- ter in Israel is dramatically and feelingly portrayed in this Eng- isD-language import. Because of the pic’s locale, it will have great appeal for the Jewish market, but the film also can be sold to other groups, since the theme is uni- versal. Pic has no religious as- pects, but concentrates on the tre- mendous task and responsibility of a group of adults to accustom the children to a mode of normal liv- ing which they have never experi- enced. Job of adjusting these fright- ened, emotionally-disturbed young- sters is further complicated by an- other war—the Arab-Israel con- flict. Kids, whose childhood con- sisted of concentration camps, bombings, war and occupation by various armies, arrive in Israel as the height of the Arab-Israel bit- terness prior to the outbreak of the war. . First and most difficult job of those charged with the care of the kids is to remove the feeling of fear and distrust of all grownups, a problem that causes a serious difference of opinion among the “counselors.” There’s Ezra, a Viennese refugee who has experienced the horrors of concentration camps. He will not permit sternness or threats, and insists on letting the young- sters do whatever they please. This technique is at variance with the views of Sam, an American whose only former contact with children was as a counselor at an upper New York State camp. Sam believes a degree pf discipline is necessary in order to avoid com- plete chaos. Tamar, a femme helper-teacher, sides with Ezra. Kids, whose ages are from about nine to 14, are a conglomer- ate group, stemming from differ- ent war-tom countries and differ- ent ‘backgrounds., The only* 1 thing they have in common is their relig- (Continued on pa^ge 22)