IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1950 No. 1

TELEVISION DEAL FOR 83 FEATURES
POINTS UP NEED
FOR EXHIBITOR PROTECTION

In the issues of June 5 and July 3, 1948, this paper
cautioned the exhibitors to guard against the booking of
pictures, particularly reissues, that either had been or might
be shown on television before they had a chance to show
them in their theatres. It was suggested that an exhibitor,
to protect himself, demand that the distributor include in
the licensing agreement a clause warrantying that the pic
ture had not been shown on television, and tnat it will not
be telecast for a specific period of time until after he shows it.

These words of caution were brought about by the fact
that, at the time, WPIX, the J^ew Tor\ Daily 7<iews tele
vision station, had acquired the nationwide television rights
to twenty-four Alexander Korda features, as well as the
New York area rights to thirty-eight other pictures, many
of which were being offered to the exhibitors as reissues
by independent film distributors who controlled only the
theatrical distribution rights.

This problem has been brought to the fore again by the
recent closing of deals that make available to this com-
petitive medium eighty-one British and two American pic-
tures, many of which have never been shown in the United
States, and some of which are currently in release, either as
reissues or new pictures.

The first of these deals is between the J. Arthur Rank
Organization and the Standard Television Corporation, by
which Standard acquires the television rights to some sev-
enty J. Arthur Rank features, none of which have been
produced later than 1944, half of which have been produced
during the past two years, and approximately twenty of
which have been, or are being, released by Eagle-Lion and
the Prestige Pictures unit of Universal-International. In-
cluded also is one picture, "Fame of the Spur," which is
being distributed now in the United States by Oxford Films.
The titles of the films involved in this transaction are as
follows :

"The Weaker Sex," "Hue and Cry," "Root of All Evil,"
"Silver Fleet," "It Always Rains on Sunday," "Johnny
Frenchmen," "Nicholas Nickelby," "Waterloo Road,"
"Neutral Port," "Man at the Gate," "Ghost Train,"
"Woman in the Hall," "Bees in Paradise," "Calendar,"
"Carnival," "Flemish Farm," "Give us the Moon," "I'll Be
Your Sweetheart," "I Thank You," "The Lamp Still
Burns," "My Heart Goes Crazy," "Loves of Joanna God-
den," "Mark of Cain," "Master of Bankdam," "Men of
Two Worlds," "Millions Like Us," "Miss London, Ltd.,"
"School for Secrets," "Theirs is the Glory," "They Knew
Mr. Knight," "Frozen Limits," "Bandwagon," "The Ar-
senal Stadium Mystery," "Murder in London," "Gasbags,"
"Hi Gang," "Back Room Boys," "Heart of Steel," "King
Arthur Was a Gentleman," "Here Comes the Law," "Time
Flies," "To 1,000 Women," "Uncle Silas," "When the
Bough Breaks," "The Blind Goddess," "My Sister and I,"
"Vice Versa," "We Die at Dawn," "Bush Christmas,"
"A Canterbury Tale," "Don't Take it to Heart," "Easy
Money," "I Know Where I'm Going," "A Place of One's
Own," "The Tawny Pipit," "This Happy Breed," "Dear
Octopus," "They Met in the Dark," "Cottage to Let,"
"Secret Mission," "The Great Mr. Handel," "Beware of
Pity," "On Approval," "Fame is the Spur," "Good Time

Girl," "The Way We Live" and "The Lady Surrenders."

The WPIX deal covers the acquisition from different
sources of nationwide television rights to thirteen top fea-
tures, eleven British and two American, which were origi-
nally released in the United States by five of the major
distributors during the period from 1937 to 1941. These
include: "Pygmalion," "Under the Red Robe." "Thunder
in the City," "Major Barbara," "Sidewalks of London,"
"The Young in Heart," "South Riding," "Dinner at the
Ritz," "Dark Journey," "The Beachcomber," "A Star is
Born," "Jamaica Inn" and "Wings of the Morning."

Under the terms of the Rank-Standard deal, according
to a spokesman for Standard, each picture that is being or
will be made available to theatres will not be shown on
television in a particular area until after a specified time
following completion of all theatre playdates in that area.
Just how much time was not mentioned because of the claim
that it varied with each picture.

There appears to be something hazy about this deal, for,
according to a news report in Showmen's Trade Review, the
list of pictures is subject to revision "since the deal is sub-
ject to contracts that may have been entered into with other
distributors." Showmen's points out that Oxford Films,
which is distributing "Fame is the Spur," claims that it has
the theatre exhibition rights for seven years, and that the
picture cannot be sold to television during that period.
Showmen's states also that the Rank Organization office,
when asked what provisions were made for situations like
this, professed to be ignorant of the details involved in
the deal.

In contrast, the WPIX deal is definite. The thirteen pic-
tures, in the order given above, are to be televised at the
rate of one a week, beginning Friday, January 6, on a pro-
gram to be known as "Premiere Theatre," sponsored by
Doubleday and Company. According to a WPIX spokes-
man, there are no restrictions as to when the pictures may
be televised — they may be shown day-and-date with thca
tres, and even ahead of them. As a matter of fact, they have
already been booked by fifteen other television stations
throughout the country.

Of the pictures included in the WPIX deal, "Pygmalion"
and "Major Barbara" are, to the best knowledge of this
writer, the only two that are being offered to the theatres
at the present time as reissues.

With almost four million television receivers now in use
throughout the country, the television audience has become
so vast that the matter of motion picture telecasts is be-
coming a serious competitive problem. And the competition
is bound to become keener as time goes on, for it is esti-
mated that, in five years, twenty million receivers will be in
operation with a potential audience of seventy-five million.

Obviously, exhibitors can do little to stop motion picture
telecasts, for hundreds of pictures are being offered to the
television stations by either the original producers or those
who have bought the pictures from them outright. These,
fortunately, are mostly old pictures that were produced on
modest budgets and are of little value to the exhibitors
today, although they do, to an extent, serve to undermine
theatre attendance when shown on television.

But the exhibitors, by demanding proper guarantees in
the licensing agreement, can do something to protect them-
selves against the possibility of booking a picture, cither
(Continued on bac\ page)

2

"Montana" with Errol Flynn,
Alexis Smith and S. Z. Sakall

(Warner Bros., no rel. date set; time, 76 min.)

A fair Western melodrama. There is nothing ex-
traordinary about it, but the Technicolor photog'
raphy and the marquee value of the stars1 names are
undeniable box-office assets. The story, which is an-
other variation of the sheepherders-versus-cattlemen
theme, offers little that is novel and is rather slow in
spots because of the romantic by-play, but on the
whole it offers enough action and excitement to satisfy
the not-too-critical Western addicts. Errol Flynn, as
the courageous sheepman who bucks the cattle ranch-
ers, and Alexis Smith, as the headstrong heroine who
opposes him but eventually falls for his charms, meas-
ure up to the demands of their stock characterizations.
S. Z. Sakall supplies a fair quota of comedy as an
itinerant peddler. The action takes place in 1879: —

Flynn, a sheepman seeking new pasturage for his
flocks, comes to Montana in defiance of the cattle
barons, who were determined to keep the territory
free from sheep. To scare him off, the cattlemen raid
his camp and shoot up the sheep. Flynn, masquerad-
ing as a partner of Sakall, goes into town to learn
what he can about the cattlemen. He discovers that
they were headed by Alexis Smith, owner of a large
ranch, and by Douglas Kennedy, her fiance, who, too,
was a large ranch owner. Flynn cultivates Alexis'
friendship, wins her love, and eventually persuades
her to lease some of her own land to him for "farm-
ing,'" keeping the fact that he was a sheepman secret.
But Alexis discovers his identity before he can move
his flocks, and lashes him across the face with her whip
for deceiving her. Unable to move the sheep onto the
land he had leased from Alexis, Flynn enlists the help
of the territory's small ranchers by proving to them
that the big cattlemen planned to crowd them out.
A disastrous clash is set off when Kennedy and his
men start a cattle stampede to block the oncoming
sheep. Kennedy, thrown from his saddle, is trampled
to death by the cattle. Forced to move the sheep
through town, Flynn finds his way blocked by Alexis,
who threatens to shoot him down unless he turns
back. She fires point blank at him when he refuses.
The wound, however, proves superficial, and they
wind up in each other's arms.

It was produced by William Jacobs and directed
by Ray Enright from a screen play by James R.
Webb, Borden Chase and Charles O'Neal, based on
a story by Ernest Haycox. Suitable for the family.

"The Great Rupert" with Jimmy Durante,
Terry Moore and Tom Drake

(Eagte'Lion, no rel. date set; time, 86 min.)
Very good family entertainment. The story, which
has a squirrel showering money down upon an im-
poverished vaudevillian family headed by Jimmy Du-
rante, is completely implausible, but clever handling
has turned it into a charming comedy, rich in human
interest and sentiment, and filled with many hilarious
situations. It should receive considerable word-of-
mouth advertising. Durante makes the most of the
mirth-provoking gags and situations, giving the pro-
ceedings a decided lift by his inimitable brand of
humor. The youngsters in particular should get a
great kick out of the squirrel, a puppet, which George
Pal, the producer, has ingeniously animated. Worked
into the story is a pleasant romance between Terry
Moore and Tom Drake. Considerable laughter is
provoked by Frank Orth, as Durante's bank-hating
landlord : —

Unable to pay his rent, Jimmy Conlin, owner of
Rupert, a trained squirrel, is evicted from his dingy
quarters, a converted garage adjoining the home of
Frank Orth, his stingy landlord. Without funds to
even feed Rupert, Conlin sets the squirrel free in the
park, but the animal makes its way back to the con-
verted garage, where it holes up in the walls between
Orth's home and the garage. Shortly thereafter the
quarters are rented by Jimmy Durante, an unem-
ployed acrobat who did an act with Queenie Smith,
his wife, and Terry Moore, their daughter. Terry
falls in love with Tom Drake, Orth's son. In the
course of events, Orth receives a $1,500 dividend
check from a gold mine he had invested in years pre-
viously, and is informed that a similar amount would
be sent to him each week. Orth, having no faith in
banks, drills a hole in a baseboard in his home and
hides the money in the walls, adjoining the squirrel's
nest. The squirrel tosses the money out into Durante's
quarters, just as his wife prays for financial assistance.
The process is repeated every time Orth gets another
check, and Durante, unaware of the squirrel's exist-
ence, believes that his wife's prayers are being an-
swered. Flush with money and being naturally big-
hearted, Durante helps finance small business people
and before long the whole community thrives. Com-
plications develop when Federal tax agents and the
FBI visit Durante to investigate the source of his
wealth. He tells them the truth, but he is unable to
prove it because, by this time, Orth's dividends had
been stopped. But when the squirrel takes a lighted
cigarette into his hole and starts a fire, the truth comes
out when Orth starts wailing about his money going
up in flames. Fortunately, the investments made by
Durante prove profitable, enabling him to rebuild the
house and to return the money to Orth.

The screen play was written by Laszlo Vadnay,
based on a story by Ted Allen. Irving Pichel di-
rected it.

Fine for the entire family.

"The Blonde Bandit" with Gerald Mohr,
Dorothy Patrick and Robert Rockwell

(Republic, Dec. 22; time, 60 min.)

A fairly good program melodrama, with enough
action, intrigue and excitement to fulfill the require-
ments of a supporting feature. The story has spots of
implausibility, but on the whole it holds one's interest
throughout because of the dilemma faced by the hero-
ine who, framed for a robbery, turns stool pigeon
against a gambling racketeer to win leniency from the
district attorney, only to fall in love with the man
she had agreed to spy on. The closing scenes, where
the heroine foils the attempt of two crooked detectives
to kill the racketeer, are exciting. Although the play-
ers mean little at the box-office, their individual per-
formances are competent: —

Stranded without funds in a big city after nar-
rowly escaping marriage to a bigamist, Dorothy
Patrick sells her diamond ring to Alex Frazer, a jew-
eler. Frazer, seeking to collect insurance money, robs
his own store and frames Dorothy for the crime.
Gerald Mohr, head of a gambling syndicate, to which
Frazer owed a considerable sum, suspects that the
jeweler had framed the girl and puts up a bond for
her release. Robert Rockwell, the district attorney,
who had been trying unsuccessfully to trap Mohr,
promises Dorothy leniency when her case comes up if
she would cultivate Mohr's friendship and obtain
evidence needed to prosecute him. Eager to get out

January 7, 1950

3

of her own predicament, Dorothy agrees. She plays
up to Mohr and eventually learns the details of how
his organisation operated, and learns also that he was
buying protection from Larry J. Blake and Charles
Cane, two crooked detectives. When Mohr proposes
marriage to her, Dorothy comes to the realization that
she was truly in love with him. She goes to Rockwell
and informs him that she intended to tell Mohr the
truth about her spying on him. Meanwhile the two
detectives, learning that Dorothy was working with
Rockwell, obtain incriminating evidence against
Mohr and plan to kill him for "resisting" arrest. But
first they tell him that Dorothy was the double-crosser,
and that he must leave town immediately. Dorothy,
learning of their plot, notifies Rockwell who, aided
by the police, pick up the crooked detectives before
they can kill Mohr. Mohr himself is brought to justice,
but Dorothy, whose own innocence had been proved
by this time, promises to wait for him.

It was produced by Sidney Picker and directed by
Harry Keller from a story and screen play by John
K. Butler. Unobjectionable morally.

"South Sea Sinner" with Shelley Winters,
Macdonald Carey and Helena Carter

(Univ.'lnt l, January; time, 88 min.)

Although this South Sea Island adventure melo'
drama has an involved plot and exaggerated charac-
terizations, it has the ingredients that should put it
over with most audiences, for there is plentiful virile
action, some comedy, several songs, and romantic
interest. It is, however, strictly adult fare, for the
emphasis is on sex and suggestive situations, and its
atmosphere of waterfront dives, with its brawls and
law-breakers, give it a low moral tone. Shelley
Winters, as a hip'swinging cafe singer, a sort of
"Sadie Thompson" character, plays the role to the
hilt and, despite her ribald actions, she manages not
to be offensive because of her likeable personality. The
story lacks conviction, but the acting is good and some
of the photography is noteworthy.

The involved plot has Macdonald Carey, a crew
man on a tramp steamer, landing on the island of
Oraca for medical attention after an emergency op'
eration had been performed on him by Frank Love'
joy, the ship's tough doctor. Luther Adler, oily pro-
prietor of a waterfront cafe, recognizes Carey as a
former employee of a rubber company suspected of
selling out to the Japanese. Both Carey and Lovejoy
become attracted to Shelley, a singer in Adler 's cafe,
but she shows a preference for Carey. Complications
develop when Helena Carter, Carey's former sweet'
heart, arrives on the island with John Ridgeley and
Art Smith, Carey's former employers. It comes out
that both Ridgeley and Smith, pretending to be
Carey's friends, had secretly made deals with the
Japanese but had cleverly thrown suspicion on Carey,
who had thus far been unable to clear himself. Adler,
learning of the frame'up through a henchman, sets
out on a plan to blackmail Ridgeley and Smith. In
the course of the complicated events, Adler becomes
jealous over Shelley's attentions to Carey, and hits
upon a scheme to get him out of the way by framing
him for the murder of Smith, whom he (Adler) kills.
The plan misses fire, and Adler, to divert suspicion
from himself, makes a deal with Shelley to testify at
the inquest that she had been with him when they
heard Smith "shoot himself." In turn for her coopera'
tion, Adler promises to reveal that Ridgeley had
framed Carey on the Japanese deal. In the end, how'
ever, the authorities learn the truth, arresting Adler

for the murder, and Ridgeley for dealing with the
enemy. Meanwhile Shelley discovers that Carey was
still in love with Helena. She gives him up and turns
her attentions to Lovejoy.

It was produced by Michel Kraike and directed by
Bruce Humberstone from a screen play by Joel Ma-
lone and Oscar Brodney, based on a story by Ladislas
Fodor and Laszlo Vadnay. Adult fare.

"When Willie Comes Marching Home"
with Dan Dailey, Corinne Calvet
and Colleen Townsend

(20th Century-Fox, Feb.; time, 82 min.)

A laugh riot! Revolving around the misadventures
of a small-town soldier, it is one of the funniest com-
edies that have been produced in some time, and
should go over in a big way with all types of audi-
ences. Thanks to the well-written script, the expert
direction, and the competent acting, the picture keeps
one laughing throughout, for it abounds with hilari-
ous situations, clever gags, subtle satire and a smatter-
ing of slapstick.

Briefly, the story has Dan Dailey acclaimed as a
hero in his small hometown when he becomes the first
to enlist after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His mis-
adventures begin when he turns out to be an expert
aerial gunner and the Army decides to station him
at an airfield near his home as an instructor, despite
his pleas that he be given combat duty overseas. Kept
at the airfield for more than two years, Dailey soon
finds himself the most unpopular man in town, shun-
ned by his friends and neighbors, who look upon him
as a "gold-bricker." He finally gets his wish for com-
bat duty when he is ordered to replace a sick gunner
on a B- 17 bound for England. From then on he goes
through an incredible series of adventures, beginning
with his landing behind enemy lines in France when
the plane runs out of gas and he is ordered to bail out.
He is rescued by a band of Maquis, who entrust him
with the first films ever taken of German V-2 launch-
ing sites and manage to put him aboard an English
R-boat, which speeds him back to Army Headquar-
ters in London through a hail of bombs and bullets.
After intensive questioning in England, he is shipped
by fast plane to Washington, where he undergoes
another round of questioning, after which he is given
a month's furlough. All this takes place within a
period of three days, and, when he returns home and
relates his experiences, no one believes that he had
been overseas. All become convinced, however, when
he is recalled to Washington to be personally deco-
rated by the President for bravery above and beyond
the call of duty.

A brief synopsis of the story cannot do justice to
the plot's many highly amusing details. Dailey 's des-
perate pleas to be sent overseas, his experiences with
the French underground, his questioning by the
Army brass, and his fright when he finds himself in
a psychopathic ward after being ordered to a hospital
for rest, make for situations that will keep audiences
roaring with laughter. Dailey does outstanding work
as the hapless hero, and is given excellent support by
William Demarest, as his father; Colleen Townsend,
as his sweetheart; and Corinne Calvet, as the attrac-
tive leader of the Maquis.

It was produced by Fred Kohlmar and directed by
John Ford from a screen play by Mary Loos and
Richard Sale, based on a story by Sy Gomberg. The
cast includes James Lydon, Lloyd Corrigan, Evelyn
Warden and others. Fine for the entire family.

4

HARRISON'S REPORTS

January 7, 1950

new or old, that has been or may be televised before they
have had the chance to show it.

The aforementioned Rank-Standard and WPIX deals are
perfect examples of why an exhibitor must take steps to
protect himself, for in both cases the pictures involved are
being handled by theatrical distributors who have no control
over the television rights. "Major Barbara," to mention one
of the pictures, has been making the rounds in New York
City as a reissue and is currently playing in four theatres.
Yet it is scheduled to be televised in the New York area
within several weeks and, if any other theatres in the area
should be playing it at the time, it is reasonable to assume
that their attendance will drop sharply, before as well as
after the telecast, which undoubtedly will be publicized well
in advance.

The film salesman will, of course, assure the exhibitor
that the picture he buys will not be telecast until long after
he plays it, but as this paper has stated repeatedly a sales-
man's assurances, no matter how sincere he may be, will
mean nothing unless they are written into the contract.
It is the only way by which an exhibitor may protect his
interests.

In cases where the distributor has control over both the
theatrical and television rights to a picture, it should be a
simple matter for him to warrant in the license agreement
that it has not and will not be shown on television for a
specified period of time. In cases where a distributor has
a good reissue but has no control over the television rights,
an exhibitor who books the picture will be taking a risk, for
he may find himself playing it at a time when his patrons
had seen it or will see it shortly on television as a free show.

One other precaution should be taken by an exhibitor to
fully protect himself against unfair competition from mo-
tion picture telecasts, and that is to insist that the warranty
include a provision to the effect that the picture has not
been shown on television under any other title, such as
happened eighteen months ago with four Hal Roach
"streamliner" comedies televised by WPIX.

"Hollywood Varieties"

(Lippert-Screen Guild, Jan. 14; time, 60 min.)

Worth booking on a double bill in secondary theatres.
It is a series of vaudeville acts, with well known new and
old entertainers, strung together to make a picture of fea-
ture length. There is no story whatever connected with the
arranging of the approximate twenty acts, which has about
everything one expects to see in a vaudeville show — dancing,
singing, roller skating, trained seals, comedians, acrobats,
trained dogs and a master of ceremonies. Some are inter'
esting, some fair, and some just so-so. But on the whole the
picture should get by with those who are not too fussy.
It stars Robert Alda and the Hoosier Hot Shots, and features
the following entertainers in the different acts:

Shaw and Lee; Glenn Vernon and Eddie Ryan; Peggy
Stewart; De Pina Troupe; Lois Ray; Sandy and his Seals;
Paul Gordon; Shavo Sherman; Charles Cirillo; Cliff Taylor;
Three Rio Brothers; Britt Wood; Twirl, Whirl and a Girl;
The Four Dandies; Hector and his Pals; Johnson Brothers;
Dolores Parker; Sammy Wolfe; Aurora Roche; Russell
Trent; and the Eight Carlyle Dancers.

It was produced by June Carr and Paul Schreibman, and
directed by Paul Landres.

Suitable for the family.

"The Glass Mountain" with
Valentina Cortesa and Michael Denison

(Eagle-Lion, T^ov.; time, 97 min.)
A fairly good British-made romantic drama, best suited
for audiences who enjoy fine classical music, operatic sing-
ing, and magnificent scenic backgrounds. Its story about a
devoted husband, an English composer who is torn between
love for his understanding wife and for a gentle Italian girl
who had saved his life during the war, is tender and has
qualities that should appeal to women in particular. The
acting is competent, with Valentina Cortesa outstanding as
the Italian heroine; she brings to the screen a refreshing
charm not yet caught in the American pictures in which she
has appeared. Much of the action was shot in the Italian
Dolomites : —

Michael Denison, a successful English composer, joins the
Air Force with the outbreak of war and, during operations
over Italy, his plane crashes in the Dolomites. Badly in-
jured, he is rescued by Valentina, a nurse, who leads him to
a partisan's hut in the mountains. A great friendship grows
up between the two during his convalescence, and he learns
from her the legend of the Glass Mountain, a peak high in
the Dolomites, which was supposed to echo the name of
your true love. With the coming of peace, Denison returns
to his wife (Dulcie Gray), and begins writing an opera
inspired by the legend. Away from Valentina, he becomes
restless and is unable to recapture the happiness he had
known with Dulcie before the war. Dulcie, understanding
the situation, suggests that he return to Italy to finish his
opera, fervently hoping that he will return to her. Once in
Italy, Denison renews his romance with Valentina and com-
pletes the opera, which is accepted for production by the
officials of the opera house in Venice. Meanwhile Dulcie,
having received a letter from Denison asking her for a
divorce, tells her troubles to Sebastian Shaw, a Scottish
poet and old friend of Denison's. Shaw goes to Venice,
where he tries to convince Valentina that she was wasting
her time trying to be part of Denison's life. She suspects
that he still loved his wife when she learns that he had
invited her to attend the first night of the opera. En route
to Venice, Dulcie's plane crashes on the Glass Mountain,
but Valentina keeps the news from Denison until after he
finishes conducting the opera. As he rushes out to join the
rescue party and reunite with Dulcie, Valentina realizes that
he is not her true love.

It was produced by Fred Zelnik and Joseph Janni, and
directed by Henry Cass, from a screen play by Mr. Janni,
Mr. Cass and Jack Hunter.

Adult entertainment.

"Blondie's Hero" with Arthur Lake
and Penny Singleton

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 60 min.)

A good addition to the "Blondie" series. There are many
comical situations, and several that offer thrills. The thrill-
ing situations are brought about by the manner in which
Arthur Lake, having enlisted in the Army Reserve Corps,
tries to show his wife how to operate a tank; they have
many narrow escapes, wrecking barracks, colliding with
other Army vehicles, and almost running down people.
Audiences will roar with laughter every time Lake swerves
the tank to avoid damage. The direction is good, and the
photography sharp: —

While out walking with his dog Daisy and her five pups,
Arthur Lake is beaten by a fruit store man because the
dogs had sniffed around his fruit stand. The altercation is
noticed by an Army sergeant, who convinces him that Army
training would enable him to defend himself against such
attacks. Before long, Lake finds himself recruited into the
Army Reserve Corps. William Frawley, a confidence man,
learning that Lake had made the last mortgage payment on
his house, approaches him and assures him that he can sell
the house for four times the amount it cost him. Lake be-
lieves Frawley, but tells him not to say anything to Penny
Singleton, his wife, for he wanted to surprise her. He
instructs Frawley how to get into the house without a key.
While Lake is training on the first week-end at the camp,
Penny, the children and the dogs visit him. Meanwhile
Frawley and his accomplices establish themselves in Lake's
home, pose as the owners, and offer it for sale at a very
low figure. They sell it to a home-hunting couple and make
off with a $2,000 down payment. The new owners are
surprised to learn that they had been taken for suckers
when Lake and his family return. Penny, however, deter-
mines to find the impostors and recover the money for the
innocent buyers. She eventually succeeds through a clever
ruse. Lake, now well trained, beats up the crooks, then
gives the fruit store man a similar treatment, thus evening
up the score.

The story and screen play are by Jack Henley, based upon
the Chic Young comic strip. Ted Richmond produced it,
and Edward Bernds directed it.

Good for the entire family.

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION TWO

t

HARRISON'S REPORTS

Vol. XXXII NEW YORK, N. Y., SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1950 No. 1

(Semi-Annual Index — Second Half of 1949)

Titles of Pictures Reviewed on Page

Abandoned — Univ.-Int'l (79 min.) . ...162

Abandoned Woman — Univ.-Int'l (see "Abandoned") . 162
Abbott y Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff —

Univ.-Int'l (84 min.) 127

Adam and Evalyn — Univ.-Int'l (92 min.) 191

Adam's Rib— MGM (101 min.) 178

Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad, The —

RKO (68 min.) 138

Air Hostess — Columbia (60 min.) 112

Alias the Champ — Republic (60 min.) 174

All the King's Men— Columbia (109 min.) 179

Always Leave Them Laughing —

Warner Bros. (116 min.) 190

Amazing Mr. Beecham, The — Eagle-Lion (85 min.).. 207

Ambush— MGM (89 min.) 211

And Baby Makes Three — Columbia (84 min.) 194

Angels in Disguise — Monogram (63 min.) 151

Anna Lucasta — Columbia (86 min.) Ill

Arctic Fury— RKO (61 min.) 155

Arctic Manhunt — Univ.-Int'l (69 min.) 140

Bagdad— Univ.-Int'l (82 min.) 191

Bandit King of Texas — Republic (60 min.) . .not reviewed
Bandits of El Dorado — Columbia (56 min.) . .not reviewed

Barbary Pirate — Columbia (64 min.) 126

Battleground— MGM (118 min.) 159

Bells of Coronado— Republic (67 min.) . . . .not reviewed

Beyond the Forest — Warner Bros. (96 min.) 171

Big Wheel, The— United Artists (92 min.) 180

Black Book, The— Eagle-Lion

(see "Reign of Terror") 83

Black Magic — United Artists (105 min.) 140

Black Midnight — Monogram (66 min.) 192

Black Shadows — Eagle-Lion (62 min.) 158

Blazing Trail, The — Columbia (56 min.) . . . .not reviewed

Blondie Hits the Jackpot — Columbia (65 min.) 142

Blue Lagoon, The— Univ.-Int'l (101 min.) 122

Bodyhold — Columbia (63 min.) 199

Bomba on Panther Island— Monogram (76 min.) 210

Border Incident— MGM (92 min.) 139

Bride for Sale— RKO (87 min.) 170

Brimstone — Republic (90 min.) 135

Captain China — Paramount (97 min.) 179

Challenge to Lassie — MGM (76 min.) 174

Chicago Deadline — Paramount (87 min.) 143

Chinatown at Midnight — Columbia (66 min.) 192

Christopher Columbus — Univ. Int'l 166

Cinderella — RKO (74 min.) 202

Cowboy the Indians, The —

Columbia (70 min.) not reviewed

Cowboy the Prizefighter —

Eagle-Lion (59 min.) not reviewed

Dancing in the Dark — 20th Century-Fox (92 min.). .178

Dangerous Profession, A — RKO (79 min.) 175

Daybreak — Univ.-Int'l (81 min.) Ill

Deadly is the Female — United Artists (87 min.) 179

Dear Wife — Paramount (88 min.) 183

Deputy Marshal — Screen Guild (73 min.) 166

Devil's Henchmen, The — Columbia (68 min.) 123

D.O.A. — United Artists (83 min.) 211

Doctor & the Girl, The— MGM (96 min.) 146

Down Dakota Way — Republic (67 min.) . . .not reviewed
Down Memory Lane — Eagle-Lion (71 min.) 146

East Side, West Side— MGM (108 min.) 203

Easy Living— RKO (77 min.) 130

Everybody Does It — 20th Century-Fox (98 min.) 142

Fallen Idol, The— Selznick Rel. Org. (94 min.) 163

Father Was a Fullback — 20th Century-Fox ( 84 min.). 134

Feudin' Rhythm — Columbia (65 min.) 187

Fighting Kentuckian, Thc^— Republic (100 min.) 150

Fighting Man of the Plains —

20th Century-Fox (94 min.) 167

Fighting Redhead, The —

Eagle-Lion (60 min.) not reviewed

File on Thelma Jordan — Paramount (100 min.) 178

Flame of Youth — Republic (60 min.) 158

Follow Me Quietly— RKO (59 min.) 110

Forgotten Women — Monogram (65 min.) 110

Francis — Univ.-Int'l (91 min.) 204

Free for All— Univ.-Int'l (83 min.) 178

Frontier Outpost — Columbia (55 min.) not reviewed

Gal Who Took the West, The — Univ.-Int'l (84 min.) . 150

Girl in the Painting, The — Univ.-Int'l (90 min.) 126

Girl's School — Columbia (62 min.) 212

Give Us This Day — Eagle-Lion (120 min.) 202

Golden Stallion, The — Republic (67 min.). . .not reviewed

Grand Canyon — Screen Guild (65 min.) 152

Great Dan Patch, The — United Artists (94 min.) .... 1 18

Great Lover, The — Paramount (80 min.) 151

Great Sinner, The— MGM (110 min.) 107

Guilty of Treason — Eagle-Lion (86 min.) 210

Hasty Heart, The— Warner Bros. (101 min.) 195

Haunted Trails — Monogram (60 min.) not reviewed

Heiress, The — Paramount (115 min.) 146

Hidden Room, The — Eagle-Lion (98 min.) 210

Hold That Baby — Monogram (64 min.) Ill

Holiday Affair— RKO (87 min.) 187

Holiday in Havana — Columbia (73 min.) 163

Horsemen of the Sierras — Columbia (56 min.). not reviewed
House Across the Street — Warner Bros. (69 min.) .... 134

I Married a Communist — RKO (72 min.) 154

Inspector General, The — Warner Bros. (102 min.).. 186

Intruder in the Dust — MGM (87 min.) 167

It's a Great Feeling — Warner Bros. (85 min.) 123

I Was a Male War Bride— 20th Cen.-Fox (105 min.) . . 131

Jiggs ii Maggie in Jackpot Jitters —

Monogram (67 min.) 143

Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch —

Monogram (65 min.) 152

Johnny Holiday — United Artists (92 min.) 198

Johnny Stool Pigeon — Univ.-Int'l (75 min.) 115

Jolson Sings Again — Columbia (96 min.) 130

Kid from Cleveland, The— Republic (89 min.) 147

Kiss for Corliss, A — United Artists (88 min.) 172

Lady Takes a Sailor, The — Warner Bros. (99 min.) . . . 195

Lawless Code — Monogram (58 min.) not reviewed

Lost Boundaries — Fiim Classics (99 min.) 106

Love Happy — United Artists (84 min.) 162

Madame Bovary — MGM (114 min.) 126

Make Mine Laughs— RKO (63 min.) 130

Malaya— MGM (94 min.) 194

Man on the Eiffel Tower, The— RKO (96 min.) 202

Mary Ryan, Detective — Columbia (68 min.) 182

Masked Raiders — RKO (60 min.) not reviewed

Master Minds — Monogram (64 min.) 199

Miss Grant Takes Richmond — Columbia (87 min.).. 154

Mississippi Rhythm — Monogram (68 min.) 118

Mr. Soft Touch— Columbia (92 min.) 123

Mrs. Mike — United Artists (99 min.) 207

My Foolish Heart— RKO (98 min.) 170

My Friend Irma — Paramount (103 min.) 135

Mysterious Desperado — RKO (60 min.) not reviewed

Navajo Trail Raiders — Republic (60 min.) . . .not reviewed
Not Wanted — Film Classics (94 min.) 108

Oh, You Beautiful Doll— 20th Century-Fox (93 min.). 151

On the Town— MGM (98 min.) 198

Once More, My Darling — Univ.-Int'l (94 min.) 122

Once Upon a Dream — Eagle-Lion (87 min.) 110

One Last Fling — Warner Bros. (64 min.) 106

Paid in Full — Paramount (105 min.) 206

Passport to Pinilico — Eagle-Lion (84 min.) 162

Pinky— 20th Century-Fox (102 min.) 159

Pioneer Marshal — Republic (60 min.) not reviewed

V

\\l\gO HARRISON'S REPORTS Index -

- Second Half of 1949, Page B

Pirates of Capri, The — Film Classics (94 min.) 195

Port of New York— Eagle-Lion (79 min.) 190

Post Office Investigator — Republic (60 min.) 147

Powder River Rustlers — Republic (61 min.) . .not reviewed

Prince of Foxes — 20th Century-Fox (107 min.) 139

Prison Warden — Columbia (62 min.) 175

Project X— Film Classics (60 min.) 182

Range Justice — Monogram (57 min.) not reviewed

Range Land — Monogram (56 min.) not reviewed

Ranger of Cherokee Strip —

Republic (60 min.) not reviewed

Reckless Moment, The — Columbia (82 min.) 171

Red Danube, The— MGM (119 min.) 155

Red, Hot and Blue — Paramount (84 min.) 107

Red Light — United Artists (83 min.) 134

Renegades of the Sage — Columbia (56 min.) . not reviewed

Riders in the Sky — Columbia (70 min.) not reviewed

Riders of the Dusk — Monogram (57 min.) . .not reviewed

Riders of the Range — RKO (61 min.) not reviewed

Ringside — Screen Guild (63 nun.) 118

Roaring Westward — Monogram (55 min.) .. not reviewed

Ropi of Sand — Paramount (104 min.) 107

Roseanna McCoy— RKO (89 min.) 134

Rugged O'Riordans, The — Univ.-Int'l (76 min.) 206

Rusty 's Birthday — Columbia (60 min.) 168

Samson i$ Delilah — Paramount (112 min.) 170

San Antone Ambush — Republic (60 min.) . . .not reviewed

Sands of Iwo Jima — Republic (110 min.) 204

Satan's Cradle — United Artists (60 min.). . . .not reviewed

Savage Splendor— RKO (60 min.) 119

Shadows of the West — Monogram (59 min.). not reviewed

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon— RKO (103 min.) 122

Side Street— MGM (81 min.) 206

Six-Gun Mesa — Monogram (57 min.) not reviewed

Slattery's Hurricane — 20th Century-Fox (83 min.) ...127

Song of Surrender — Paramount (93 mm.) 150

South of Death Valley — Columbia (54 min.) .not reviewed

South of Rio — Republic (60 min.) not reviewed

Sons of New Mexico — Columbia (71 min.) .. not reviewed

Spring in Park Lane — Eagle-Lion (91 min.) 155

Square Dance Jubilee —

Lippert-Screen Guild (78 min.) 192

Story of Molly X, The— Univ.-lnt'l (82 min.) 182

Story of Seabiscuit, The — Warner Bros. (93 min.)... 17 5

Strange Bargain— RKO (68 min.) 154

Sword in the Desert — Univ.-Int'l (100 min.) 138

Task Force — Warner Bros. (116 min.) 142

Tell It to the Judge — Columbia (87 min.) 187

Tension— MGM (90 min.) 186

That Forsyte Woman— MGM (112 min.) 171

That Midnight Kiss— MGM (96 min.) 139

There's A Girl in My Heart — Allied Artists (79 min.) . 190

They Live by Night— RKO (95 min.) 176

Thieves' Highway — 20th Century-Fox (94 min.) 143

Thelma Jordan — Paramount

(see "File on Thelma Jordan") 178

Threat, The— RKO (66 min.) 174

Tight Little Island— Univ.-Int'l (81 min.) 198

Tokyo Joe — Columbia (88 min.) 166

Top O' the Morning — Paramount (99 min.) 127

Tough Assignment — Screen Guild (64 min.) 183

Trail of the Yukon — Monogram (67 min.) 126

Trapped — Eagle-Lion (78 min.) 158

Traveling Saleswoman — Columbia (75 min.) 211

Twelve O'Clock High— 20th Century-Fox (132 min.) .207

Under Capricorn — Warner Bros. (117 min.) 147

Undertow — Univ-Int'l (70J/2 min.) 194

Western Renegades — Monogram (56 min.) .. not reviewed

Whirlpool— 20th Century-Fox (97 min.) 191

White Heat— Warner Bros. (114 min.) 138

Without Honor — United Artists (69 min.) 186

Woman Hater — Univ.-Int'l (69l/2 min.) 140

Woman in Hiding — Univ.-Int'l (92 min.) 203

Ye« Sir, That's My Baby— Univ.-Int'l (82 min.) 131

You're My Everything — 20th Century-Fox (94 min.) . . 106

Zamba — Eagle-Lion (71 min.) 167

RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR FEATURES

Allied Artists Features

(1560 Broadway, Hew Vork 19, H- T.)

(Distribution through Monogram)

14 Stampede — Cameron-Storm Aug. 28

16 There's a Girl in My Heart — Knox-Bowman-Jean. .Jan.

Columbia Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Yor^ 19, H T.)

223 The Reckless Moment — Mason-Bennett Nov.

224 Tokyo Joe — Bogart-Knox-Marly Nov.

250 Riders in the Sky — Autry (70 m.) Nov.

211 Rusty's Birthday — Donaldson-Litel Nov. 3

212 Barbary Pirate — Woods-Marshall Nov. 10

261 Renegades of the Sage — Starrett (56 m.) . . . .Nov. 24

252 Feudin' Rhythm — Eddy Arnold Dec.

225 Tell It to the Judge — Russell-Cummings Dec.

229 And Baby Makes Three — Young-Hale Dec.

209 Prison Warden — Baxter-Lee Dec. 8

263 Frontier Outpost — Starrett (55 m.) Dec. 29

227 All the King's Men — Crawford-Dru Jan.

226 The Traveling Saleswoman — Davis-Devine Jan.

Sons of New Mexico — Autry (71 m.) Jan.

214 Mary Ryan, Detective — Hunt-Litel Jan. 5

218 Chinatown at Midnight — Hurd Hatfield Jan. 19

Eagle-Lion Features

(165 West 46th St.. Hew Tor\ 19, H- Y.)

011 The Hidden Room — British cast Oct.

008 Spring in Park Lane — British cast Nov.

012 The Glass Mountain — British cast Nov.

009 Port of New York— Brady-Carter Dec.

956 Cowboy 0/ the Prizefighter — Bannon (59 m.) . . . .Dec.

013 The Gay Lady — British cast Dec.

010 Passport to Pimlico — British cast Dec.

I'll Be Seeing You — reissue Dec.

Hit the Ice — reissue Dec.

The Sundowners — Preston-Wills-Barrymore ....Jan.

Never Fear — Forrest-BrasseUe Jan.

Give Us This Day — Wanamaker-Padovani Jan.

The Third Man — Cotten-Valli- Welles Jan.

014 Sarumba — Dowling-Whalen Jan.

Film Classics Features

(1501 Broadway, Hew Tor\ 18, H- T.)

Project X — Keith Andes Nov. 14

The Pirates of Capri — Hayward-Barnes Dec. 1

Guilty Bystander — Scott-Emerson Jan.

Lippert-Screen Guild Features

(255 Hyde St., San Francisco 2, Calif.)

4903 Square Dance Jubilee — Barry-Hughes Nov. 11

4914 Red Desert — Barry-Neal Dec. 3

4915 Tough Assignment— Barry-Steele-Brodie ...Dec. 17

4916 Hollywood Varieties — Hoosier Hot Shots . . .Jan. 14

4917 Radar Secret Service — Howard-Neal Jan. 28

Everybody's Dancin' — Lane-Jackson Feb. 11

4919 Western Pacific Agent — Taylor-Ryan Feb. 18

4926 Crooked — Ellison-Haydn Feb. 25

4902 Baron of Arizona — Price-Drew Mar. 4

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Features

(1540 Broadway, Hew York 19, H- T.)

6 That Forsyte Woman — Garson-Flynn-Pidgeon. . .Nov.

7 Adam's Pub — Tracy-Hepburn Nov.

8 Tension — Totter-Basehart Nov.

10 Challenge to Lassie — Gwenn-Crisp Dec.

11 On the Town — Kelly-Ellen-Sinatra Dec.

15 Johnny Eager — reissue Dec.

12 Malaya — Tracy-Stewart Jan.

13 Ambush — Taylor-Hodiak-Dahl Jan.

14 East Side- West Side — Stanwyck -Mason Jan.

9 Intruder in the Dust — Brian-Jarman, Jr Feb.

Battleground — Johnson-Hodiak-Murphy Feb.

Blossoms in the Dust — reissue Feb.

Key to the City — Gable-Young Feb.

Conspirator — Robt. Taylor-Eliz. Taylor Mar.

Nancy Goes to Rio — Sothern-Powell Mar.

Black Hand — Gene Kelly Mar.

The Yellow Cab Man — Skelton-Durante Apr.

Side Street — Granger-O'Donnell Apr.

The Outriders — McCrea-Dahl-Sullivan Apr.

Shadow on the Wall — Sothern-Scott

(formerly "Death in a Doll's House") not set

Monogram Features

(630 Hinth Ave., Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)

4844 Riders of the Dusk— Whip Wilson (57 m.) .Nov. 13

4819 Masterminds — Bowery Boys Nov. 27

4866 Lawless Code — Jimmy Wakely (58 m.)....Dec. 4
4807 Bomba on Panther Island — Johnny Sheffield . Dec. 18

4845 Range Land— Whip Wilson (56 m.) Dec. 25

(End of 1948-49 Season)

HARRISON'S REPORTS Index

- Second Half of 1949, Page C

4951
4901
4911
4913

4946
4902
4952
4907
4922
4941
4917
4909

4905

4906
4907
4908
4909
4910
4911
4912
4913
4914
4915
4916
4917

Beginning of 1949-50 Season

Six-Gun Mesa — J. M. Brown (57 m.) Jan. 8

Blue Grass of Kentucky — Williams-Nigh. . . .Jan. 22
Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey — Kirkwood . .Jan. 29
Blonde Dynamite — Bowery Boys

(formerly "Bowery Boys in London") . . . .Feb. 12

Fence Riders— Whip Wilson Feb. 19

Young Daniel Boone — Bruce-Miller Feb. 25

Roaring Trails — J. M. Brown Mar. 5

Killer Shark— Roddy McDowall Mar. 19

Square Dance Katy — Jimmy Davis Mar. 25

Bad Men of Indian Mesa — -Whip Wilson. . .Apr. 9

Henry Does It Again — Walburn Apr. 16

Jiggs 6? Maggie Out West — Yule-Riano . . . .Apr. 23

Paramount Features

(1501 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 18, H- T.)

Chicago Deadline — Ladd-Reed-Havoc Nov. 11

Red, Hot and Blue — Hutton-Mature Nov. 25

Holiday Inn — reissue Dec. 2

The Lady Eve — reissue Dec. 2

The Great Lover — Bob Hope Dec. 28

File on Thelma Jordan — Stanwyck-Corey Jan.

Captain China — Russell-Payne-Russell Feb.

Dear Wife— Caulfield-Holden Feb.

So Proudly We Hail — reissue Mar.

Wake Island — reissue Mar.

Paid in Full — Scott-Cummings-Lynn Mar.

Eagle fe? the Hawk — Payne-Fleming-O'Keefe . . .Apr.
Riding High — Crosby-Gray-Gleason Apr.

Prestige Pictures Features

(445 Par\ Ave., Hew Jor\ 22, H- T.)
(Distribution through Universal-International)
(No national release dates)

Girl in the Painting — Mai Zetterling

Daybreak — Todd-Portman

RKO Features

(1250 Sixth Ave., Hew Jor\ 20, H- T.)

(No national release dates)

067 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon — Wayne-Dru

093 Ichabod Mr. Toad— Disney

005 Make Mine Laughs — Ray Bolger

062 Gunga Din — reissue

063 The Lost Patrol — reissue

008 I Married a Communist — Day-Ryan

011 Arctic Fury — Documentary

009 They Live By Night — O'Donnell-Granger

010 Strange Bargain — Scott-Lynn

012 Masked Raiders— Tim Holt (60 m.)

068 Bride for Sale — Colbert-Brent-Young

014 A Dangerous Profession — Raft-Raines-O'Brien.

013 Holiday Affair — Mitchum-Leigh

015 The Threat— O'Shea-McGraw-Gray

016 Riders of the Range — Tim Holt (61 m.)

052 My Foolish Heart— Hayward-Andrews

Cinderella — Disney

4901
4902
4961
4904
4971
4941

4905

Republic Features

(1790 Broadway, Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)

The Kid from Cleveland — Brent-Bari Sept. 5

The Fighting Kentuckian — Wayne-Ralston . . Oct. 5
Powder River Rustlers — Allan Lane (61m.) .Nov. 25

The Blonde Bandit— Rockwell-Patrick Dec. 22

Pioneer Marshal — Monte Hale (60 m.) Dec. 24

Bells of Coronado — Roy Rogers (67 m.) . . . .Jan. 8

The Savage Horde — Elliott-Booth Jan. 15

Unmasked — Rockwell-Fuller Jan. 30

Sands of Iwo Jima — Payne-Agar not set

Selznick Rel. Org. Features

(400 Madison Ave., Hew Tor\ 17, H- T.)

The Fallen Idol — British cast Nov.

The Third Man— Welles-Valli-Cotten Feb.

Twentieth Century-Fox Features

(444 W. 56th St., Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

926 Everybody Does It — Douglas-Darnell Nov.

927 Oh, You Beautiful Doll — Haver-Stevens Nov.

931 Pinky — Crain-Lundigan Nov.

930 Fighting Man of the Plains — Scott Dec.

929 Prince of Foxes — Power- Welles-Hendrix Dec.

(End oj 1949 Season)

Beginning of 1950 Season

001 Dancing in the Dark — Powell-Drake Jan.

002 Whirlpool — Tierney-Conte-Ferrer Jan.

049 Stormy Weather — reissue Jan.

003 When Willie Comes Marching Home — Dailey ..Feb.

004 Twelve O'Clock High— Gregory Peck Feb.

005 Dakota Lil — Montgomery Windsor Feb.

006 Mother Didn't Tell Me — McGuire-Lundigan. . . .Mar.

007 Three Came Home — Colbert-Knowles Mar.

United Artists Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)

Satan's Cradle — Renaldo-Carillo (60 m.) Oct. 7

The Big Wheel — Rooney-Romay-Mitchell Nov. 5

A Kiss for Corliss — Temple-Niven Nov. 25

Mrs. Mike — Powell-Keyes Dec. 17

Deadly is the Female — Dall-Cummins Jan.

Davy Crockett, Indian Scout — Montgomery-Drew . . .Jan.

Escape If You Can — Henreid-Mcleod not set

D.O.A. — Edmund O'Brien not set

Johnny Holliday — William Bendix not set

Universal-International Features

(445 Par\ Ave.. Hew Yor\ 22, H- T.)

901 Free for All — Cummings-Blyth Nov.

902 Story of Molly X — Havoc-Hart-Russell Nov.

903 Bagdad— O'Hara-Price Nov.

904 Undertow — Brady-Russell -Hart Dec.

906 Woman in Hiding — Lupino-Duff Jan.

907 The Rugged O'Riordans — British cast Jan.

908 South Sea Sinner — Carey Winters Jan.

909 Borderline — MacMurray-Trevor Feb.

910 Francis — Donald O'Connor Feb.

Buccaneer's Girl — DeCarlo-Friend Mar.

The Kid from Texas — Murphy-Storm Mar.

Outside the Wall — MaxweU-Basehart Mar.

Adam and Evelyn — British cast not set

905 Tight Little Island — British cast not set

Warner Bros. Features

(321 W. 44th St., Hew Tor\ 18, H- T.)

907 Story of Sea Biscuit — Temple-Fitzgerald . . . .Nov. 12

908 Always Leave Them Laughing — Berle-Mayo. .Nov. 26

909 A Farewell to Arms — reissue Dec. 10

910 The Hatchet Man — reissue Dec. 10

911 The Lady Takes a Sailor — Wyman-Morgan. .Dec. 24

912 The Inspector-General — Danny Kaye Dec. 31

913 The Hasty Heart — Reagan-Neal-Todd Jan. 14

Backfire — Mayo-MacRae-O'Brien Feb. 11

905 Chain Lightning — Bogart-Parker not set

SHORT SUBJECT RELEASE SCHEDULE
Columbia — One Reel

2803 Hell Drivers— Sports (9Y2 m.) Nov. 24

2604 Hollywood Sweepstakes —

Favorite (reissue) (8m.) Dec. 1

2854 Disc Jockeys USA-

Screen Snapshots (10 m.) Dec. 15

2901 Yukon Canada — Novelty (10 m.) Dec. 22

2804 Racing Headliners — Sports Dec. 22

2552 Candid Microphone No. 2 (11 m.) Dec. 29

2605 Poor Elmer — Favorite (reissue) (8 m.) ....Dec. 29

2502 Punchy De Leon— Jolly Frolics Jan. 12

2750 The Sound Man — Industry short (10 m.). . .Jan. 19

2606 Ye Olde Swap Shoppe —

Favorite (reissue) (8 m.) Jan. 19

2652 Blue Angel — Cavalcade of B'way Jan. 26

2855 The Great Showman — Screen Snapshots . . . .Jan. 26

Columbia — Two Reels

2403 Dunked in the Deep — Stooges (17 m.) Nov. 3

2422 Wha' Happen?— Vera Vague (16'/2 m.) ..Nov. 10

2412 Let Down Your Aerial —

Vernon-Quillan (17 m.) Nov. 17

2423 French Fried Frolic—

Brown-Ryan (16J/2 m.) Dec. 8

2433 Love in Gloom —

Youngman (reissue) (19 m.) Dec. 15

2120 Sir Galahad— Serial (15 episodes) Dec. 22

2404 Punchy Cowpunchcrs — Stooges ( 17 m.) ....Jan. 5

2413 His Baiting Beauty —

Harry Von Zcll (18 m.) Jan. 12

)hlsO HARRISON'S REPORTS Index -- Second Half of 1949, Page D

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One Reel

T-113 In Old Amsterdam— Traveltalk (9 m.) Nov. 12

W'135 Out-Foxed— Cartoon (8 m.) Nov. 15

S-152 How Come?— Pete Smith Nov. 19

W'161 The Lonesome Mouse —

Cartoon (reissue) (8 m.) Nov. 26

S-153 We Can Dream, Can't We?—

Pete Smith (9m.) Dec. 3

W'136 Tennis Chumps — Cartoon (7 m.) Dec. 10

T-114 A Wee Bit of Scotland—

Traveltalk (10 m.) Dec. 17

W'137 Counterfeit Cat — Cartoon (7m.) Dec. 24

S-154 Sports Oddities— Pete Smith (8m.) Dec. 31

W-138 Little Quacker — Cartoon (7 m.) Jan. 7

W'139 Saturday Evening Puss — Cartoon (7 m.)..Jan. 14

S-155 Pest Control— Pete Smith (8 m.) Jan. 14

S'156 Crashing the Movies — Pete Smith (8 m.) . .Jan. 28

X9-2
29-2
R.9-2
X9-3
E9-2
K9-2
P9-3
X9-4
R9-3
E9-3
Z9-3
K9-3
X9-5
R.9-5
P9-4
Z9-4
E9-4
X9-5
P9-5

Paramount — One Reel

The Big Drip — Screen Song (8 m.) Nov. 25

Suddenly It's Spring — Champion (10 m.)..Dec. 2

The Husky Parade— Sportlight (10 m.) Dec. 9

Snow Foolin' — Screen Song (8 m.) Dec. 16

The Fly's Last Flight— Popeye (7 m.) Dec. 23

The Country Doctor — Pacemaker (11 m.) . .Dec. 30
Land of the Lost Jewels — Noveltoon (10 m.) .Jan. 6

Blue Hawaii — Screen Song (7m.) Jan. 13

Farther Down East — Sportlight (10 m.) . — Jan. 20
How Green Is My Spinach — Popeye (7 m.) . .Jan. 27
Breezy Little Bears — Champion (11 m.) ...Feb. 3

The Rhumba Seat — Pacemaker Feb. 10

Detouring Thru Maine — Screen Song Feb. 17

Wild Goose Chase — Sportlight Feb. 24

Quack-a-doodle'do — Noveltoon (7m.) ... .Mar. 3

Cilly Goose — Champion (10 m.) Mar. 10

Gym Jam — Popeye Mar. 17

Shortenin' Bread — Screen Song Mar. 24

Teacher's Pest — Noveltoon Mar. 31

04303
04204

04105
04107
04205

04106
04702

04108
04109
04703

04112

03502

03603

03503

03104
03901

03702
03403
03801

RKO — One Reel

Diamond Showcase — Sportscope ( m.)...Dec. 2
Square Dance Tonight —

Screenliner (9m.) Dec. 2

Slide, Donald, Slide— Disney (7m.) Dec. 9

Toy Tinkers — Disney (7m.) Dec. 16

I'm Going to be a Poppa —

Screenliner (9m.) Dec. 23

Pluto's Heart Throb — Disney (7 m.) Dec. 30

Farmyard Symphony —

Disney (reissue) (7 m.) Dec. 30

Lion Around — Disney (7m.) Jan. 20

Pluto 6? the Gopher — Disney (7 m.) Feb. 10

How to Ride a Horse —

Disney (reissue) (7m.) Feb. 24

The Brave Engineer — Disney Apr. 7

RKO— Two Reels

Two for the Money —

Ed. Kennedy (reissue) (17 m.) Nov. 4

Snug in the Jug —

Clark 6? McCullough (reissue) (20 m.) . .Nov. 18
A Trailer Tragedy —

Ed. Kennedy (reissue) (17 m.) Dec. 2

Kilroy Returns — This Is America (18 m.) . .Dec. 9
Football Headliners of 1949 —

Special (18 m.) Dec. 9

Shocking Affair — Leon Errol (17 m.) Dec. 23

Groan & Grunt — Comedy Special (17 m.) . .Jan. 20
Basketball Headliners of 1950 (17 m.) Apr. 21

Republic — Two Reels

4982 Radar Patrol vs Spy King (12 ep.) Dec. 3

4981 James Brothers of Missouri — Serial (12 ep.) . . . .Jan.

Twentieth Century-Fox — One Reel

9519 Paint Pot Symphony — Terry toon (7m.) Dec.

9256 Jewel of the Baltic — Adventure (8 m.) Dec.

9520 Stop, Look 6? Listen (Mighty Mouse) —

Terrytoon (7 min.) Dec.

9203 Midwest Metropolis — Adventure (11 m.) Dec.

(End of 1949 Season)

Beginning of 1950 Season

5001 Comic Book Land — Terrytoon (7 m.) Jan.

3001 Skiing is Believing — Sports Jan.

5021 Mississippi Swing — Terry, (reissue) (7 m.)...Jan.

7001 Lawrence Welk tj His Champagne Music —

Melody Jan.

5002 The Fox Hunt (Talk. Magpies)— Terry. (7 m.) .Feb.
3002 From Jib to Topsail — Sports Feb.

5022 What Happens at Night — Terry.

(reissue) (7 m.) Feb.

3051 Frolic in Sports — Sports Mar.

5003 Better Late Than Never

(Victor the Volunteer) — Terrytoon (7 m.) . .Mar.

7002 Red Ingle His Gang— Melody Mar.

5004 Mighty Mouse in Anti-Cats — Terry. (7 m.) Mar.

Twentieth Century-Fox — Two Reels

Vol. 15 No. 10— The Fight for Better Schools-
March of Time (20 m.) Oct.

Vol. 1 5 No. 1 1 — MacArthur's Japan —

March of Time (18 m.) Nov.

Vol. 15 No. 12 — A Chance to Live —

March of Time (18 m.) Dec.

United Artists — One Reel

Bolero — Cartune (IVl m.) June

Treasured B.ili.iJ- — Songs of America (10 m.) . . . .July 22
Melodic Spirituals — Songs of America (9 m.) . . . .Aug. 19
Visions and Voices — Songs of America (9 m.)...Sept. 9

Melodic Sketches — Songs of America (9 m.) Oct. 7

Symphonic Shades — Songs of America (8m.) ... .Nov. 4
Melodies Reborn — Songs of America (10 m.) . . . .Dec. 2

Universal — One Reel

5322 Kittens Mittens — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.)..Dec. 5

5342 Breaking the Tape —

Variety Views (9m.) Dec. 12

5382 Songs of the Range —

Sing H Be Happy (10 m.) Dec. 26

5323 Jolly Little Elves — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.).Jan. 2

5324 Under the Spreading Blacksmith's Shop —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Jan. 30

5343 Future Skippers — Variety Views (9 m.)... Jan. 30

5325 Barber of Seville — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.).Feb. 13

5383 Dream Dust— Sing & Be Happy (10 m.) Feb. 20

5326 Mother Goose on the Loose —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Mar. 6

5344 Progress Island — Variety Views (9 m.) Mar. 13

5384 Sing Your Thanks —

Sing & Be Happy (10 m.) Apr. 3

Universal — Two Reels

5302 Lionel Hampton Orch. —

Musical (15 m.) Dec. 7

5352 South of Santa Fe —

Musical Western (29 m.) Dec. 22

5303 Freddie Slack & Orch.— Musical (15 m.)...Jan. 4
5202 The Tiny Terrors Make Trouble— Special . . .Jan. 18

5304 Ethel Smith & the Henry King Orch. —

Musical (15 m.) Feb. 1

5353 The Fargo Phantom-

Musical Western (24 m.) Feb. 9

5354 Gold Strike— Musical Western Mar. 30

Vitaphone — One Reel

6303 The Hep Cat—

B.R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Nov. 12

6502 King of the Rockies— Sports Parade (10 m.) .Nov. 19
6402 So You Want to Be an Actor —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Dec. 3

6503 Happy Holidays— Sports Parade (10 m.)...Dec. 10

6701 Bear Feat — Merrie Melody (7 m.) Dec. 10

6602 A-Speed on the Deep — Novelty (10 m.) . . .Dec. 24

6304 Toy Trouble —

B.R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Dec. 31

6702 A Ham in a Role — Merrie Melody (7 m.). .Dec. 31

6703 Home, Tweet Home — Merrie Melody (7 m.) .Jan. 14
6803 40 Boys and a Song —

Melody Master (reissue) (10 m.) Jan. 14

6504 Let's Go Boating — Sports Parade (10 m.).. Jan. 21

6305 My Favorite Duck —

B.R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Jan. 28

6704 Boobs in the Woods — Merrie Mel. (7 m.). .Jan. 28

Vitaphone — Two Reels

6002 Jungle Terror — Special (20 m.) Nov. 5

6102 Calling All Girls— Featurette (20 m.) Nov. 26

6003 Snow Carnival — Special (20 m.) Dec. 17

6103 The Grass is Always Greener —

Featurette (20 m.) Jan. 7

NEWS WEEKLY
NEW YORK
RELEASE DATES

Warner Pathe News

40 Mon. (E) Jan. 2

41 Wed. (O) . ..Jan.^j

42 Mon. (E) J.oi^ft

43 Wed. (O) ... Ja».^^

44 Mon. (E) Jan. 16

45 Wed. (O) Jan. 18

46 Mon. (E) Jan. 23

47 Wed. (O) ....Jan. 25

48 Mon. (E) Jan. 30

49 Wed. (O) Feb. 1

50 Mon. (El Feb. 6

51 Wed. (O) ....Feb. 8

52 Mon. (E) Feb. 13

53 Wed. (O) ....Feb. 15

54 Mon. (E) Feb. 20

Paramount News

37 Sunday (O) . . .Jan. 1

38 Thurs. (E) Jan. 5

39 Sunday (O) . . .Jan. 8

40 Thurs. (E) ....Jan. 12

41 Sunday (0) . . .Jan. 15

42 Thurs. (E) ... .Jan. 19

43 Sunday (O) . . .Jan. 22

44 Thurs. (E) Jan. 26

45 Sunday (O) . . .Jan. 29

46 Thurs. (E) Feb. 2

47 Sunday (0) . . .Feb. 5

48 Thurs. (E) Feb. 9

49 Sunday (O) . . .Feb. 12

50 Thurs. (E) Feb. 16

51 Sunday (O) ...Feb. 19

Fox Movietone

104 Tues. (E) . . .Dec. 27
(End o/ 1949 Season)
Beginning of
1 950 Season

1 Friday (O) ...Dec.^^

2 Tucs. (E) Jan^B

3 Friday (O) . . Jan/^

4 Tues. (E) Jan. 10

5 Friday (O) . . .Jan. 13

6 Tues. (E) Jan. 17

7 Friday (O) . . .Jan. 20

8 Tues. (E) Jan. 24

9 Friday (O) . . Jan. 27

10 Tues. (E) Jan. 31

11 Friday (O) . . .Feb. 3

12 Tues. (E) Feb. 7

13 Friday (O) . . .Feb. 10

14 Tues. (E) Feb. 14

15 Friday (O) . . .Feb. 17

Universal

313 Tues. (O) . . .Jan. 3

314 Thurs. (E) . . .Jan. 5

315 Tues. (O) ...Jan. 10

316 Thurs. (E) ...Jan. 12

317 Tues. (O) ...Jan. 17

318 Thurs. (E) ...Jan. 19

319 Tues. (O) . . Jan. 24

320 Thurs. (E) . . Jan. 26

321 Tues. (O) . . Jan. 31

322 Thurs. (E) . . .Feb. 2

323 Tues. (O) ...Feb. 7

324 Thurs. (E) . . .Feb. 9

325 Tues. (O) . . .Feb. 14

326 Thurs. (E) . . .Feb. 16

News of the Day

235 Mon. (O) ...Jan. 2

236 Wed. (E) . . Jan. 4

237 Mon. (O) ...Jan. 9

238 Wed. (E) . . Jan. 11

239 Mon. (O) . . - Tan. \L.

240 Wed. (E) ...Tan^B

241 Mon. (O) ...Jan.^^

242 Wed. (E) . . Jan. 25

243 Mon. (O) . . Jan. 30

244 Wed. (E) .. .Feb. 1

245 Mon. (O) . . .Feb. 6

246 Wed. (E) ...Feb. 8

247 Mon. (O) . . .Feb. 13

248 Wed. (E) ...Feb. 15

249 Mon. (O) ...Feb. 20

Entered as second-class matter January 4, ia21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1950 No. 2

A GUIDE TO THEATRE
BUDGET CONTROL

From time to time this paper receives from exhibitors
requests for a breakdown of theatre operating costs to guide
them in setting up a form of budget control that will enable
them to operate their theatres profitably.

Because of the fact that no two theatre operations are
identical, any cost schedule of the different phases of
theatre operation, or a percentage breakdown of the differ'
ent items of expense that must come out of each box'office
dollar, exclusive of admission taxes, cannot be accepted as
a recognized standard. In some instances, for example, the
rent and depreciation may be top-heavy, or salaries may be
unusually high. It follows, therefore, that any theatre cost
schedule devised is at best theoretical.

From information obtained from several experienced
theatremen, this paper, taking a consensus of their opinions,
has formulated the following cost schedule, which is pub'
lished, not as a perfect example of theatre budgeting, but as a
guide to which the exhibitor should adhere as close as possi-
ble to keep the different phases of his operation in balance:

Film Rental including shorts 25%

Advertising 5%

Payroll 21%

Administration 5%

Rent 15%

Heat, Light and Power 4%

Taxes and Insurance 5%

Depreciation 3 %

Other expenses 7%

Profit 10%

A more detailed explanation of what the above items in-
clude is as follows:

Film rental. It is the unanimous opinion of the theatre-
men from whom this information was obtained that film
rental should not exceed twenty-five per cent of the gross
receipts. There are, they agree, some theatres that can
afford to pay forty to fifty per cent for film and still be left
with a handsome profit because of their ability to garner
huge grosses. On the other hand, some theatres cannot exist
at even twenty per cent for film rental. The twenty-five per
cent figure covers the average theatre operation, and the
exhibitor whose film bill runs beyond that figure endangers
his profit possibilities.

Advertising. This item of expense includes newspapers,
theatre fronts, trailers, accessories, billboards, heralds, val-
ances, mailing lists, programs, and any other items charge-
able to publicity and exploitation.

Payroll. This item includes salaries to the manager, as-
sistant manager, ushers, doormen, watchmen, cashiers, port-
ers, maids, and any one else employed at the theatre. If, for
example, you, as the exhibitor, perform the duties of the
manager, you should set yourself down for a commensurate
salary. Wages in these times being rather high, it may be
difficult for an exhibitor to hold this expense to twenty-one
per cent of the gross receipts. But if it goes beyond that
figure economics must be made on other items of expense in
order to meet the condition.

Administration. This item includes general office ex-
penses, traveling, booking and buying costs, telephone and
telegraph, bookkeeping, and all other expenses that are fac-
tors in the operation of an office. The percentage cost of
administration expenses is, however, flexible, depending on
the size of an exhibitor's operation. If, for example, he owns
only one theatre and does his own booking and buying,
his administration expenses can be as low as three per cent,
or less, of the gross receipts. On the other hand, a circuit
operation, which has home office overhead, such as office
rent, film buyers and hookers, secretarial help, stationery,
light, telephone and telegraph, traveling, etc., may require
as much as seven per cent of the gross receipts for adminis-
tration expenses, which would include also officers' salaries

hundreds of

if the yearly gross receipts ran into many
thousands of dollars.

Rent. The rent figure should not exceed fifteen per cent
of the gross receipts. If you own the property, the rent
figure should include interest on the mortgage, if any, all
taxes, realty and otherwise, that are assessed against the
property, and depreciation of the building.

Heat, Light and Power. This includes fuel oil or coal,
and electric power required to operate the theatre such as
booth, lights, marquee, motors and cooling system.

Taxes and Insurance. This item of expense includes social
security and unemployment taxes, theatre license, and dif-
ferent insurances such as public liability, fire, workmen's
compensation, fidelity bonds, burglary, etc.

Depreciation. This item covers all equipment such as
projectors, seats, carpets, marquee, screen, cleaning equip-
ment and including decorations.

Other expenses. This includes miscellaneous repairs;
painting; sound service; film delivery; carbons; light bulbs;
organization dues; equipment maintenance; legal fees; char-
ity contributions; tickets; uniforms; cleaning supplies, etc.

Although ten per cent is shown as a fair profit in the cost
schedule, it may be more than fair in some cases and in-
sufficient in others, as will be shown later on in this article
from comments made by Mr. Leo F. Wollcott, chairman of
the board of Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Iowa-
Nebraska, whose organization has adopted a weekly theatre
expense form to help its members determine their actual
costs of operations so that they may pay for film no more
than they can afford. This expense form, when completed,
makes it a simple matter to arrive at a percentage schedule
of costs. If the exhibitor wants to determine whether or not
he is keeping the different phases of his operation in proper
balance. Its real value, however, lies in the fact that it helps
an exhibitor to know exactly what his overhead costs are
each week, thus enabling him to set a limit on how much
he can pay for film so that he will be left with a profit.

Mr. Wollcott first devised his weekly expense form in
1944, and it was published in this paper in the November
25 issue of that year. He has been good enough to send us
a copy of the latest printing of this form which, though
slightly modified, is basically the same as the original. Be-
cause of the great interest shown in this form when we first
reproduced it, Harrison's Reports is reproducing it again
in the belief that it will be of great benefit to our subscribers,
especially those who operate small theatres:

THEATRE WEEKLY OVERHEAD EXPENSES
Date Exchange City (/

Prepared Area State

Period

Covered Theatre

Average per week

Shorts and News $

Salaries

Social Security and F. O. A. B. .
Newspaper Advertising .
Other Advertising ....

Light and Power

Heating and Cooling ....

Supplies

Film Transportation ....
Telephone and Telegraph .
Repairs. Painting, Etc.

Sound Service

Travel

Contributions

Rent

Insurance

Taxes (excluding income taxes) .

Depreciation

Other Expenses

Total Expenses $

Less Sub-Tenant & Misc. S

Net Expenses $

Cost per Unit (Divide Net Expenses by 10). . $

(Sunday 3 tenths; Saturday 2 tenths; each other day 1 tenth)
(Continued on bac\ page)

6

HARRISON'S REPORTS

"Riding High" with Bing Crosby,
Charles Bickford and Coleen Gray

(Paramount, April; time, 112 min.)
Very good! It is a remake of "Broadway Bill," the horse
racing story, which Frank Capra produced and directed for
Columbia in 1934. This version, also produced and di-
rected by Mr. Capra, is as good and even better than the
original, for the leading role is a "natural" for Bing Crosby,
whose easygoing style and nonchalant glibness give the
picture much of its charm. The story, which is pretty much
the same as the original, is a delightful mixture of comedy,
romance and human interest, with the race sequence at the
finish, where the horse wins by forcing the reins out of the
hands of a crooked jockey who was trying to hold him back,
extremely thrilling. A highly dramatic and pathetic sequence
is at the end of the race, when the roaring crowd comes to a
sudden hush as the horse, after crossing the finish line, drops
dead from over-exertion. The different race track characters
played by Raymond Walburn, William Demarest, James
Gleason, Percy Kilbride and Oliver Hardy are colorful and
comical. Coleen Gray, as the girl who loves Crosby, is
charming. Worked into the proceedings to good effect are
several catchy songs, with one, "Bake a Sunshine Cake,"
destined to become a hit: —

Engaged to Frances Gifford, Crosby, a lover of race
horses, hates the paperbox business he had been forced into
by Charles Bickford, his wealthy prospective father-in-law.
He rebels against Bickford's iron rule and, despite Frances'
protests, forsakes the business to train "Broadway Bill," a
horse he owned, for the Derby. Coleen Gray, Frances"
younger sister, in love with Crosby, applauds his stand and
follows him to the racetrack to give him and Clarence Muse,
his groom, a hand with the horse. Because of his lack of
funds, Crosby finds himself in many difficulties trying to
meet feed bills and the entry fee, but he manages to get by
through the conniving of several track pals, plus the little
financial help given him by Coleen. A leaky roof in the old
stable causes the horse to become seriously ill, but Crosby
seemingly gets him back into shape in time for the race.
The jockey, in league with crooked gamblers, tries to hold
"Broadway Bill" back, but the plucky horse breaks his
grip and comes in the winner. Crosby's joy turns to sorrow
when the horse falls dead. Broken-hearted, he goes away,
but a few months later, with two new horses in tow, he
returns to Bickford's house to claim, not Frances, but Coleen.
Bickford, fed up with his business enterprises and his
fawning family, joins them to live a carefree life.

Robert Riskin wrote the screen play from the story by
Mark Hellinger. The cast includes Margaret Hamilton,
Douglas Dumbrille, Ward Bond, Frankie Darro and others.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Borderline" with Fred MacMurray,
Claire Trevor and Raymond Burr

(Univ.-Int'l, January; time, 88 min.)

Just fair. It is a melodrama centering around a police-
woman and a Federal narcotics agent who, separately as-
signed to track down a dope smuggling ring, believe each
other to be members of the ring. The story idea is good, and
if played as a straight comedy, it might have been highly
entertaining, but it tries to be both serious and comical
and fails to register either way. It does have several exciting
moments and provokes some laughter in spots, but on the
whole it is only mildly interesting, for many of the situa-
tions are far-fetched and one guesses in advance just how
the plot will develop. The direction and acting are no more
than adequate: —

Claire Trevor, a Los Angeles policewoman, is deputized
as a U. S. Narcotics agent to help Raymond Burr, head of
a dope ring, who had a weakness for blondes. She locates
Burr in Mexico, where she poses as a dancer in a cheap cafe
and manages to get into his room to search for evidence.
As Burr makes advances to her, Fred MacMurray bursts in.
Actually a narcotics agent himself, but posing as a member
of a rival gang, MacMurray, at gunpoint, forces Burr to
reveal the whereabouts of his next shipment, and takes

Claire as hostage in the assumption that she is Burr's "moll."
MacMurray brings her to a warehouse, where Roy Roberts,
head of the rival gang, orders them to pose as man and
wife in a scheme to smuggle a large quantity of heroin across
the border into the United States. Claire agrees for a
"price." The auto trip to the border takes a few days, during
which Burr, in hot pursuit, overtakes them several times,
only to be shaken off because of their clever ruses. Mean-
while neither suspects that the other is an agent, and each
secretly gathers evidence to convict the other. A strong
affection grows between them, but they fight it off lest it
interfere with the performance of their duty. Arriving at
the border, each ruefully attempts to have the other arrested,
only to be shocked when they learn that they are both
agents. They maintain the ruse, however, and upon reaching
Los Angeles make arrangements to deliver the dope. This
leads to a bang-up finale, in which the police round up the
smugglers while Claire and MacMurray land in each other's
arms.

It was produced by Milton H. Bren and directed by
William A. Seiter from a story and screen play by Devery
Freeman.

Adult fare.

"The Sundowners" with Robert Preston,
Robert Sterling and Chill Wills

(Eagle-Lion, no rel. date set; time, 83 min.)
A well-made Technicolor Western, expertly directed and
acted, but it is unpleasant, for it pits brother against brother.
Moreover, it seems best suited for the adult fans because of
the brutality and ruthlessness depicted in its story of feud-
ing between rival cattlemen. Additionally, its glorification
of one of the brothers, an unprincipled, vicious killer,
coupled with the fact that he forces his unwanted attentions
on a married woman, at times in front of her husband, a
weakling, makes it unsuitable for children and youths. The
story generates an undercurrent of tension throughout, and
on occasion the action is explosive, but for the most part it
is given more to talk than to movement, making it difficult
for one to follow the plot unless he pays close attention to
the dialogue. The film marks the screen debut of John
Barrymore, Jr., who does well enough as a young cowpoke
who idolizes the daring of his bad eldest brother, played
most effectively by Robert Preston. Chill Wills, as an ami-
able neighboring rancher, turns in his usual good perform-
ance:—

Robert Sterling and Barrymore, his younger brother,
owners of a large Texas ranch, discover their foreman
murdered in the latest of a series of rustling raids by several
small ranchers who were jealous of the brothers' large cattle
herds. Unable to get any action from the sheriff (Don
Haggerty), who was secretly in league with the ranchers,
Sterling agrees to allow Robert Preston, a swaggering gun-
man, to retaliate against the rustlers in his behalf. In a
series of vicious assaults, Preston soon evens the score,
recovering a large portion of the stolen herds and taking a
great share of the loot himself. In the process, he ruthlessly
murders one of the small ranchers, the sheriff, and a local
geologist, whose unhappy wife (Cathy Downs) Preston
openly pursued, even though he knew that she was in love
with Sterling. Meanwhile young Barrymore, admiring Pres-
ton's daring and flattered by his attentions, becomes greatly
attached to him. John Litel, the dead sheriff's father, vows
to kill Preston on sight for the murder of his son. By this
time it comes out that Preston is really a brother of Sterling
and Barrymore. Aware that the valley had become inflamed
over Preston's killings and pillaging, Sterling grows re-
morseful over the chain of events he had started and orders
Preston away from the ranch. Preston departs, but, appar-
ently drawn by his feelings for Cathy, he returns within
several weeks and threatens to shoot down both his brothers
when they give him the choice of leaving or going to jail.
Chill Wills, aware that Preston was not fooling, kills him
in time to save Sterling and Barrymore from harm.

The story and screen play were written and produced by
Alan LeMay, and directed by George Templeton.

Adult fare.

January 14, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

7

"Never Fear" with Sally Forrest
and Keith Brasselle

(Eagle-Lion, January; time,. 81 min.)
A sombre but appealing drama, revolving around a pretty
young dancer who is stricken with polio. Given a semi'
documentary treatment, the sensitively written story deals
with the girl's bitter reaction to her plight, her giving up
her romance with her dance partner after resigning herself
to life as a cripple, and her successful fight to overcome her
affliction when the examples set by other polio victims give
her new courage. Some of the situations are deeply touching.
The direction of Ida Lupino, her first such undertaking, is
understanding, drawing from the unknown but capable cast
sincere and effective portrayals. Of considerable interest are
the scenes depicting the therapeutic measures employed to
combat the disease. A fascinating sequence is the one in
which the patients, in wheelchairs, participate in a square
dance. The backgrounds and setting are appropriate and
realistic: —

Sally Forrest and Keefe Brasselle, very much in love,
bubble with happiness after their successful debut as a
dance team in a swank Los Angeles night'dub. They plan
to marry, but tragedy strikes when Sally collapses — a victim
of polio. Taken to a sanitarium, she becomes resentful and
bitter over her plight. She becomes convinced that she will
never recover and shows little enthusiasm for the corrective
exercises and treatment that could help her. Keefe encour-
ages her and, despite her condition, asks her to marry him,
but she urges him to forget her and continue his dancing
career. He remonstrates with her, but this only leads to
harsh words between them and a parting of the ways. In
his loneliness, Keefe turns his attentions to another girl, but
he cannot forget Sally. Meanwhile Sally becomes friendly
with Hugh O'Brian, another patient who, understanding
her emotional collapse, urges her not to give up the fight to
walk. O'Brian's words of encouragement, coupled with the
fact that she learns that another woman patient is happily
married, even though wed after stricken with polio, gives
Sally new hope and strengthens her resolve to be cured.
She pursues her therapy with determination, and in slow
but sure stages discards her wheel chair and then her braces
as she learns to walk with canes. On the day she is dis-
charged from the hospital to start a new life, her happiness
is complete when she finds Keefe waiting for her.

Ida Lupino and Collier Young wrote the original screen
play. Mr. Young produced it.

Its subect matter is best suited for adults.

"Davy Crockett, Indian Scout" with
George Montgomery and Ellen Drew

(United Artists, January; time, 71 min.)

A good Indians-versus'U. S. Cavalry pioneer melodrama,
suitable for the top half of a double bill wherever action
pictures are favored. The story, which has an Indian princess
and a renegade white spying on the movements of wagon
trains, is not exceptional, but this should not concern the
dyed-in-the-wool action fans, for the proceedings are packed
with excitement from start to finish, where the Indians
launch a vicious attack against a wagon train after trapping
its military escort. The manner in which the hero rescues
the soldiers and turns the tide against the redskins is imagi-
native fancy, but it makes for a smash finale that will keep
the youngsters on the edge of their seats.

The story, which unfolds through a series of flashbacks
during a military court inquiry, has as its principal charac-
ters Ceorge Montgomery, as an Indian scout, a cousin of
the famous Davy Crockett; Philip Reed, as his Indian friend
and assistant; and Ellen Drew, as an Indian princess who
looked like a white woman. With the court investigating
charges that Reed is in realiLy an Indian spy responsible for
the ambush of a wagon train, the following story comes out:
Montgomery had been engaged to guide a west-bound
wagon train, which had come under the protection of the
U. S. Cavalry as it passed through hostile Indian country.
Ellen, posing as a St. Louis schoolteacher, and Paul Guil-
foyle, posing as her deaf mute driver, had joined the wagon
train after barely escaping an Indian attack. An unsuccessful
redskin ambush had convinced Montgomery and Reed that

spies were in their midst, and they had turned out to be
Ellen and Guilfoyle. Montgomery had apprehended Guil-
foyle, but Ellen has escaped to the camp of her father
(Robert Barrat), a warring chief, and had given him in-
formation about the wagon train's proposed route. Reed
had followed her to the camp, and had been captured and
tortured. Having fallen in love with Reed, Ellen had come
to the realization that her father was a ruthless man, and
she had set Reed free, accompanying him back to the wagon
train to warn Montgomery to change his course. Montgom-
ery had taken her advice, but Ellen's father had out-maneuv-
ered him, giving him the impression that both Ellen and
Reed had tricked him. He knew different, however, when
both risked their lives to help him put the Indians to rout.
Impressed by what they had heard, the court acquits Ellen
and Reed. As Montgomery sets out for new adventures,
Ellen and Reed plan to start an Indian school, dedicating
themselves to fostering a better understanding between
Indians and whites.

It is an Edward Small production, directed by Lew
Landers from a screen play by Richard Schayer, based on
a story by Fred Beebe. Grant Wytook and Bernard Small
were associate producers.

Suitable for the family.

"The Nevadan" with Randolph Scott,
Dorothy Malone and Forrest Tucker

(Columbia, February; time, 81 min.)

Although not extraordinary, this Western is a cut above
the average melodrama of this type by reason of its Cine-
color photography and the marquee value of Randolph
Scott. The story is the routine one about a U. S. Marshal
posing as an outlaw to recover stolen gold from a bandit,
with his plans complicated by the fact that other crooks,
too, are after the loot. The action tends to drag in the early
reels, despite several spurts of excitement, but there is a
rousing gun battle and fist fight at the finish, during which
the hero brings the culprits to justice. There is some roman-
tic interest, but it is mild. All in all, the Western fans should
find it satisfying: —

Randolph Scott, a U. S. Marshal, is assigned to recover
$250,000 in gold stolen and hidden by Forrest Tucker, an
outlaw. He joins up with Tucker by convincing him that he,
too, was wanted by the law. Arriving in the town of Twin
Rocks, Scott learns that George Macready, a scheming
rancher and politician, was plotting to get Tucker's map
showing the location of the hidden gold. Dorothy Malone,
Macready's daughter, whom Scott meets and likes, is un-
aware of her father's crooked activities. Macready kills one
of his own henchmen and frames Tucker for the murder.
His plan was to help Tucker escape from jail, get the map,
then do away with him. Scott, sensing Macready's inten-
tions, manages to set Tucker free before Macready and his
henchmen arrive at the jail. Dorothy, now aware that Scott
is a Marshal, supplies him with horses and mules to take
him and Tucker to the gold's hiding place high in the
mountains. Later, when she reveals to her father that Scott
is a Marshal and that she had helped him, Macready slaps
her and sets off in pursuit with two of his henchmen (Frank
Faylen and Jeff Corey), cornering Scott and Tucker as they
remove the gold. Scott then reveals his identity to Tucker
and convinces him that their only hope for survival was to
remain united. The two henchmen arc killed in a furious
exchange of shots, leaving only Macready to be overcome.
He is killed when Dorothy makes an appearance and he
unwittingly exposes himself to remonstrate with her. A
fist fight then takes place between Scott and Tucker, with
Scott emerging the victor. His assignment completed, Scott
turns his attentions to Dorothy.

It was produced by Harry Joe Brown and directed by
Gordon Douglas from a story and screen play by George
W. George and George F. Slavin. The cast includes Charles
Kemper, Tom Powers and others.

Unobjectionable morally.

"The Flying Saucer," a Film Classics release, is a weak
program adventure melodrama with fair exploitation possi-
bilities. Full review next week.

8

HARRISON'S REPORTS

January 14, 1950

So that the exhibitors may better understand how to make
proper use of this form, we repeat what Mr. Wollcott had
to say in 1944:

"When you have gone back through your records far
enough to get a clear and accurate estimate of the various
items and have entered and totaled them all on the form,
divide the total cost by 10. Then charge two-tenths off for
Saturday, three-tenths against Sunday, and one-tenth
against each of the other five days. Add your feature film
rental to the number of tenths due any given picture
change and you have the total cost of the operation, which
deducted from the gross, gives you the net profit, if any. As
an example, we will say that the overhead from the form
totals $300 per week, or $30 per tenth. You pay $40 for a
picture which you run Sunday and Monday. Sunday and
Monday takes up four-tenths or $120, plus $40 for the pic-
ture, which means you have to gross $160 to break even.
Anything over is profit, anything less, of course is loss."

Recently the writer asked Mr. Wollcott if he would care
to add anything to his original remarks for the benefit of
this paper's subscribers, and the following, in part, is his
reply:

"We, too, have many requests for this form, and, I may
add, copies of it are standard equipment which are given our
new members because we firmly believe no exhibitor should
attempt to operate a theatre without knowing his overhead
expenses. This knowledge, a pencil and simple arithmetic
can, in a few weeks, demonstrate conclusively what can and
what cannot be done in any given theatre situation.

"The only suggestions I can offer at this moment, addi-
tional to the self-explaining overhead form are that, where
a theatre has been in operation for some time to make this
possible, the Federal Income Tax figures which are a man-
datory part of the business today can be a help in arriving
at the various items of expense on the form and, likewise,
the form can be a help in determining the proper figures
for income tax purposes.

"And, one more thing — Bank Night, cash nights and
other forms of giveaways should be treated like a second
feature, thus becoming chargeable to that particular day or
date, and not spread over the entire week's operation, unless
used all week."

Commenting on Theatre Cost Schedules, Mr. Wollcott
states that it is a "tough proposition to set up a hard and
fast schedule and make it stick because of the vast differ-
ences in theatres and their grosses, and a thousand and one
factors." After pointing out that he made up a cost schedule
some years back and came up with a figure of twelve per cent
profit, Mr. Wollcott has this to say: "That 12% profit
would probably look very big to the Interboro Circuit which
operates 37 theatres in and around New York and recently
published a breakdown of their box-office dollar, which
came up with what they appeared to feel was a satisfactory
profit of only 6%.

"Perhaps a big operation which has huge grosses can find
satisfaction in a 6% or a 10% remaining profit, the same
as they can make money and pay 40% or 50% for features
— if their grosses are big enough.

"But the vast majority of the smaller theatres in the
country — and that's the vast majority of the country's thea-
tres-— have weekly grosses that range from $150, yes, I
said $150! to $1,000. Thus it is no trick to figure that in
today's 'consumer's index' the little fellow with the $150
gross has got to have at least 3 3 J/3% profit or he better
start digging ditches or clerking in a grocery store. 6% of
$150 equals exactly $9! The guy with the $1,000 gross might
feel reasonably secure at 10% profit, but at that, his film
branch manager beats his 'take-home' results, with no in-
vestment.

"So it would seem that few breakdowns of the box-office
dollar could fit all situations, unless, among those items usu-
ally designated as 'Salaries' or 'Administration' or 'Man-
agement and Booking' it could be found that the exhibitor
is on the payroll and his salary compensates him for his time
and effort, so that he can treat his theatre as an investment,
in which case the 6%, 10% or 12% can probably be con-
sidered a good profit."

Mr. Wollcott closes his letter by stating that his main
purpose in discussing the breakdown of the box-office dollar
is to show how important it is for the average exhibitor,
and his family, if they work in his theatre, to be on the
payroll for substantial salaries.

Basically, an exhibitor is in business to make money, and,

unless he conducts his operation in an orderly, well-organ-
ized and systematic manner, the chances of success are
against him. Business prudence requires the exhibitor to
operate his theatre on a set budget and to analyze his over-
head expenses periodically to make sure that he is keeping
his costs within the budget figures. The exhibitor who spends
blindly and who is without any set budget plan is groping
in the dark and looking for profits that just "ain't" there.

NO TIME TO CUT ADMISSION PRICES

In the January 4 issue of The Exhibitor, Jay Emanuel,
publisher of that trade paper, points out that, during the
pre-holiday slump in theatre attendance, which began much
earlier than usual, exhibitors in many parts of the country
"started to experiment with price cuts, feeling that in part
the answer to a slumping gross was a lesser admission."

"Cutting prices," said Mr. Emanuel, "is no one's monop-
oly. If a theatre slashes its tariff, it is quite simple for the
other houses to follow. The difference now seems to be that
no distributor is in a position to influence exhibitors because
legal conditions make it impossible for a distributor to use
his weight on a theatreman to stick to a certain scale.
It is because of this change that price-cutting becomes seri-
ous at this time. There are many in this industry who feel
that charging a low admission will bring back increased
business to theatres. However, along with other lines of
industry, the motion picture industry is burdened by higher
overhead and bigger costs. It has become virtually impos-
sible for theatre owners to assume this bigger overhead
without passing it on to their customers. Any price cutting
does not bring with it a lesser overhead. . . ."

Harrison's Reports is in full agreement with what Mr.
Emanuel had to say, and would like to add a further word
of caution.

The industry is presently in the midst of an all-out drive
for repeal or reduction of the twenty per cent Federal ad-
mission tax, and it is generally felt that, if the campaign is
prosecuted forcefully, there is a good chance that Congress
will either repeal the tax or cut it down in the near future.
If this should come to pass, it is assumed that most theatres
will reflect the elimination or reduction of the tax by a cor-
responding cut in their admission prices. Consequently, the
exhibitor who lowers prices at this time may find himself
in the position of having to lower them a second time, when
and if the admission tax is either repealed or reduced.

Harrison's Reports suggests that the exhibitors hold in
abeyance any ideas they may have about cutting admission
prices until after Congress acts on the admission tax.

BROTHERHOOD WEEK

Once again the motion picture industry is being called
upon to participate in and help dramatize Brotherhood
Week, which has been set for the week of February 19-26,
under the sponsorship of the National Conference of Chris-
tians and Jews.

This year the industry's campaign will be conducted
under the national chairmanship of Ted R. Gamble and,
as in the previous campaigns, he will have the assistance of
some twenty-seven national vice-chairmen representing all
branches of the industry.

Six objectives have been set for this year's drive, includ-
ing: (1) Ten memberships per theatre in the NCCJ at one
dollar per membership; (2) special brotherhood observances
in theatres; (3) wide promotion of this cause through special
display material; (4) greatest use of special newsreel clips;
(5) Brotherhood "chapters" formed with theatres the focal
point; and (6) "Brotherhood Week" to be made a com-
munity event in the finest sense.

Every theatre in the country will be serviced with a
campaign kit to be distributed by National Screen Service.

The central purpose of the NCCJ, which is a voluntary,
civic organization of religiously motivated people, is to
promote the idea of brotherhood and to make respect for
the individual a part of the normal, natural day-to-day activ-
ities of the American people. It fights bigotry, discrimina-
tion and intolerance as a disease that seriously threatens
the health of the nation, menaces its democratic institutions,
and weighs oppressively upon large sections of the popula-
tion. The organization has done wonderful work for many
years in fostering goodwill among men, and its continuing
efforts to affirm the principles of racial and religious equality
are deserving of the fullest support of every exhibitor.

Entered as second-ciass matter January 4, VJ21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1950 No. 3

ALL-INCLUSIVE DRIVE AGAINST
ADMISSIONS TAX FORMULATED

Meeting in Washington, D. C, on Tuesday of
this week, the Council of Motion Picture Organiza-
tion's Committee on Taxation and Legislation, headed
by Abram F. Myers, formulated plans for a nation'
wide campaign to enlist the aid of the public in the
battle for repeal of the Federal admissions tax.

Included in the strategy mapped out by the Com-
mittee are the use of trailers and lobby posters; the
circulation of petitions to Congressmen, signed by
the public; and the enlistment of support from news-
papers and radio broadcasters to disseminate the
motion picture industry's views on the burdensome
nature of the tax.

The Committee approved also plans for the dis-
tribution of a press book to every exhibitor in the
country, in which will be outlined the techniques
that should be followed to win public support, not
only for the present fight against the tax, but also for
any future campaigns against local or state tax impo-
sitions. The press book should be in the mails within
a week or ten days.

Letters of instruction have already been mailed to
all exchange managers in the different distribution
centers, outlining what procedures they should follow
to help defeat the tax.

Meanwhile, on the legislative front, the Senate on
Wednesday rejected by a vote of 43 to 32 a proposal
to cut excise taxes, including the admission tax. This
defeat, however, is no cause for discouragement, for
the proposal was in the form of an amendment to the
disputed oleo margarine bill, and the rejection was
brought about by an unusual parliamentary situation.
Actually, the proposal to cut excise taxes is favored
by a majority of the Senators, with those who voted
against the amendment to the oleo bill preferring that
a vote on the excise tax cut stand on its own merits.

The COMPO Committee is doing a fine job for the
industry in this tax battle. The admission tax affects
the business of every exhibitor, and it should not be
necessary to urge any of you to get behind the cam-
paign to the fullest extent.

STEVE BROIDY'S PLEA FOR
GREATER EXHIBITOR SUPPORT

Speaking to the trade press in Hollywood last
week, Steve Broidy, president of Monogram and
Allied Artists, asked the reporters to convey to the
exhibitors a plea for greater support for "B" pictures.

Mr. Broidy, who enjoys the confidence of the trade
paper writers because of his straightforwardness,

wants to continue improving his "B" product by
spending more money for it, but he wants the exhibi-
tors to know that neither his company nor any other
company can increase its budget on that type of pic-
ture unless the exhibitors pay to the distributor a
price based, not on class, but on quality.

Most exhibitors, he complained, adjust their rentals
for the supporting features by how much they paid
for the top features, many of which are "anemic'" and
depend on good supporting features for their success.

Monogram has the good will of the exhibitors, and
they will, no doubt, heed Steve Broidy 's plea for
greater support. At the Allied convention in Minne-
apolis last October, Maury Goldstein, Monogram's
general sales manager, was received by the exhibitor
leaders, particularly by Jack Kirsch, the Allied leader
from Chicago, with sympathy and was promised
support.

One way by which the exhibitors can render sub-
stantial aid to Monogram as well as to any other of
the lesser producing-distributing companies is, where
possible, to give extended playing time to their good
pictures, even if it is not required under the contract
terms. In this manner the exhibitor is not hurt, and
the distributor is helped.

The exhibitor, in his dealings with companies like
Monogram, must always bear in mind that the inde-
pendent producer is necessary for the well being of
the business. If this type of producer should become
extinct, the number of pictures available to the exhibi-
tor annually would drop considerably, and film
rentals would shoot skyhigh.

OVERCOMING COMPETITION
FROM TELEVISION

Other than a greater number of meritorious pic-
tures, the one thing that can help an exhibitor to
overcome competition from television is to make his
theatre as comfortable for picture patrons as is the
home for television. This, of course, may require
extensive alterations, with sanification of the air in
the theatre, repainting and decorating, making the
front attractive both by paint and light, and moderni-
zation of rest rooms, points that must not be over-
looked.

One of the most important comfort-giving innova-
tions, however, is the staggering of the seats. Nowa-
days, the arrangements of the seats in the theatre
conforms preponderate^ to the old system whereby
one seat is behind the other seat.

If an exhibitor wants to know what an effort the

(Continued on bac\ page)

10

HARRISON'S REPORTS

January 21, 1950

"Blue Grass of Kentucky" with
Bill Williams, Jane Nigh
and Ralph Morgan

(Monogram, January 22; time, 72 min.)

Excellent! It is one of the best horse racing pictures pro-
duced in some time. To begin with, the action keeps one
interested from start to finish. Then again, there are no
vicious villains to make the picture a wild melodrama; and
because most of the characters are sympathetic, one is
pleased and wishes that the Ralph Morgan clan will fullfil
their desire to win the Kentucky Derby, and that the
heroine will get her man. Ralph Morgan is believable as a
veteran horse trainer, and Robert (Buzz) Henry does fine
work as a jockey. Bill Williams, as the hero, and Jane Nigh,
as the heroine, are pleasant and act their parts well. There
are several exciting horse races, but the final one is the most
thrilling. The photography is in Cinecolor, and with the
exception of some of the long shots it is sharp and clear.
Both Jeffrey Bernerd, the producer, and William Beaudine,
the director, deserve credit for having turned out a fine
entertainment : —

The families of Ralph Morgan and Russell Hicks are
neighboring horse breeders in Kentucky. Jane Nigh, Hicks'
daughter, is in love with Bill Williams, Morgan's eldest
son, but Bill refuses to encourage her because she is the
daughter of a millionaire and he is the son of an impover-
ished father. Although both families are friendly rivals,
Hicks' horses, better thoroughbreds, always win. Morgan
requests that his horse be mated with Macedonian, Hicks'
prize horse, but Hicks' manager refuses. Jane, despairing
that Bill will ever marry her as long as he remains poor,
secretly takes Macedonian to a field to mate with Morgan's
horse. Surprised when the horse foals, Morgan names the
colt Blue Grass of Kentucky. After a period of extensive
training, Blue Grass, with Morgan's younger son (Robert
"Buzz" Henry) as the jockey, wins his first race, but
afterwards fails to win. Morgan continues to train Blue
Grass and enters him in the Kentucky Derby. To the sur-
prise of every one Blue Grass wins the Derby, but Hicks'
manager enters a protest with the stewards on the ground
that Morgan registered Blue Grass falsely as a thorough-
bred. Lest Blue Grass be disqualified, Jane reveals to the
stewards the secret of his parentage. Hicks, unaware that
his manager was going to protest the entry, resorts to a
white lie by informing the stewards that he had encouraged
his daughter to mate Macedonian with Morgan's horse.
Blue Grass is then declared the winner, and Bill, sticking to
an agreement he had made with Jane, consents to marry
her because of Blue Grass' victory.

W. Scott Darling wrote the screen play. The cast includes
Pierre Watkin, Ted Hecht, Stephen S. Harrison and others.

Excellent family entertainment.

"The Gay Lady" with an all-British cast

(Eagle Lion, December; time, 95 min.)

A lavishly produced, British-made backstage comedy-
drama with some music, photographed in Technicolor, but
it is only moderately entertaining and of doubtful value to
the American exhibitors, except, perhaps, in theatres that
specialize in British product. Set in the gas-light days and
tracing the career of a vivacious young singer who becomes a
Gaiety Girl and marries a Duke, the story is a flimsy affair
at best and too long drawn out. It does have its entertaining
moments in the satirical fun poked at the British nobility,
but it is doubtful if the American picture-goers will fully
appreciate this type of humor. All in all, it is not likely to
win word-of-mouth praise from those who will see it: —

Having worked her way up from small-time vaudeville,
Jean Kent accepts an offer to become one of the Gaiety
Girls, most of whom were gold-diggers, constantly pursued
by young members of the nobility. Jean, a perky but re-
spectable girl, has eyes only for Andrew Crawford, a bal-
loonist, whose flying activities kept them apart most of the

time. In due time she becomes impressed by the lavish gifts
showered on her colleagues, and accepts a date with James
Donald, a young duke, who soon falls victim to her unspoilt
charm. He proposes marriage, and Jean, seeing no prospect
of replacing the balloon in Crawford's affections, accepts.
She ingratiates herself with his parents and lives a most
happy life until Donald, to help out a philandering friend,
reluctantly takes a chorus girl to lunch in an exclusive res-
taurant. Meanwhile Jean has a chance meeting with Craw-
ford and invites him to lunch at the same place. Their
meeting results in a violent quarrel between Jean and
Donald later in the day, with each accusing the other of
infidelity. News of their marital differences soon reaches the
ears of the gossip-rnongers, and the resultant remarks cause
even greater misunderstanding between them. Eventually,
however, both realize that they are behaving childishly and
become reunited.

It was produced by Hugh Stewart and directed by Brian
Desmond Hurst from a screen play by C. Denis Freeman,
based on the novel by Caryl Brahms and S. J. Simon. The
cast includes Bill Owen, Lana Morris and others.

Adult entertainment.

"Backfire" with Virginia Mayo,
Edmond O'Brien and Gordon MacRae

(Warner Bros., February 11; time, 91 min.)

A fairly good mystery melodrama. Revolving around the
efforts of a war veteran to find his missing buddy and to
clear him of a murder charge, the story unfolds through a
series of flashbacks and the events are rather complicated,
but it generates considerable suspense and manages to hold
one's interest well. The action is a bit slow at the beginning,
but, once the hero starts his search and follows a series of
clues, it picks up speed and is fraught with numerous melo-
dramatic incidents. The fact that the murderer's identity
is not disclosed until the end helps to keep the spectator on
edge. The production values are good, and the direction
and acting capable: —

While recuperating from an operation in a veteran's
hospital, Gordon MacRae is concerned over the disappear-
ance of Edmond O'Brien, his war buddy, with whom he
planned to buy a ranch. One night, while in a semi-coma,
he is visited by Viveca Lindfors, a mysterious woman, who
informs him that O'Brien had been in a serious accident.
On the following morning, MacRae's nurse, Virginia Mayo,
and his doctor, interpret the strange visit as a dream born
in MacRae's troubled mind since the hospital had no record
of the visitor. Released from the hospital, MacRae is picked
up by the police who question him about O'Brien's where-
abouts and inform him that O'Brien is wanted for the
murder of Richard Rober, a gambler. MacRae, refusing to
believe that his buddy had committed murder, starts an
investigation of his own, accompanied by Virginia, with
whom he had fallen in love. He follows a series of clues,
during which he has interviews with several persons who
had dealings with O'Brien, including Dane Clark, a former
army friend now in the mortuary business, and Frances
Robinson, the dead gambler's widow. The information ob-
tained from them leads MacRae through a maze of melo-
dramatic incidents, including several other murders, until
he learns that O'Brien had acted as bodyguard for a mysteri-
ous gambler known only as "Lew," whose girl-friend, Vi-
veca, had fallen in love with O'Brien, and that "Lew" had
framed O'Brien for Rober's murder to get him out of the
way. After a series of complicated events, MacRae discovers
that "Lew" is none other than Clark, and that O'Brien,
seriously injured, was his prisoner. Aided by the police,
MacRae rescues O'Brien, while Clark, attempting a get-
away, is shot dead.

It was produced by Anthony Veiller and directed by
Vincent Sherman from a screen play by Larry Marcus, Ivan
Goff and Ben Roberts, based on a story by Mr. Marcus.

Adult fare.

January 21, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

11

"Mark of the Gorilla" with
Johnny Weissmuller

(Columbia, February; time, 68 mm.)

Fairly good for children but hardly a picture for adults,
for the action is the same as is seen in almost every jungle
picture — monkeys flitting from tree to tree, birds dispersing
in all directions, and other animals fleeing some danger,
known and unknown. The film libraries are full of such
stock shots, and when one sees one jungle picture one sees
them all. There is nothing to recommend the action, and the
direction is no credit to Bill Berke, a tried and true director.
It is manifest that he had to get the picture out in a hurry
and had to forego conforming to logic. For instance, in the
fight between the native rangers and the crooks, the crooks
are armed only with pistols and the rangers with rifles, yet
the crooks are able to shoot and kill rangers while they
remain unharmed. Even children may find such a lack of
logic too much to swallow: —

Johnny Weissmuller (Jungle Jim), on his way to Preserve
Headquarters to meet Selmer Jackson, the Government game
warden, saves Suzanne Dalbert, a native princess, from
an attack by a gorilla. The animal's scream of pain, like a
human cry, astonishes Johnny. Suzanne, who was trying to
locate a fabulous amount of gold stolen from her tribe,
explains to Johnny that she had become separated from her
traveling caravan. Arriving at Preserve Headquarters with
Suzanne, Johnny is informed by Trudy Marshall, the
warden's niece, that her uncle is seriously ill with jungle
fever, and that Onslow Stevens, supposedly a doctor and
zoologist, is taking care of him. Onslow's reluctance to let
Johnny see Jackson rouses his suspicions. Jackson, before
lapsing into a coma, informs Johnny that, during the war,
the invading Nazis had stolen the gold from Suzanne's
people, and that the Government suspected that the treasure
was buried somewhere on the Preserve. Meanwhile it comes
out that Stevens is the head of a gang of thieves masquerad'
ing as gorillas, that he know the location of the hidden
gold, and that he was posing as a doctor to get Jackson out
of the way. Investigating Jackson's claim, Johnny discovers
that the "gorilla" he had attacked is a human being. He
comes upon the secret entrance to a cave, where the gold
is hidden, but before entering he orders Trudy to summon
the native rangers. Stevens and his henchmen discover
Johnny and overpower him, but Trudy and the rangers
arrive in time to save him and to capture the crooks.

It was produced by Sam Katzman from an original screen
play by Carroll Young, based on the newspaper feature,
"Jungle Jim," appearing in "Puck," the comic weekly.

Children may enjoy it.

"The Flying Saucer" with Mikel Conrad

(Film Classics, January; time, 69 min.)
A weak program adventure melodrama, with fair exploita-

tion possibilities because of the wide publicity given to
mysterious flying saucers that people claim to have seen
hurtling through the air. Revolving around the efforts of
an American playboy to learn the secret of the saucer,
hidden in Alaska, and to prevent Russian agents from ob-
taining it, its espionage-like story is completely far-fetched
and, from the viewpoint of action, pretty feeble except for
some fantastic melodramatics at the finish. Not much can
be said for either the direction or the acting. Most impres-
sive, however, is the striking Alaskan scenery, with the
famed Taku glacier, near Juneau, photographed effectively :-
Mikel Conrad, a playboy, is requested by Russell Hicks,
a Government official, to investigate rumors that the flying
saucer is emanating from somewhere near Juneau, and that
Russian agents, stationed in Alaska, were trying to get
control of the contraption. To defer suspicion, Conrad goes
to his father's Alaskan lodge as a convalescent, accom-
panied by pretty Pat Garrison, a U. S. agent acting as his
nurse. Unknown to them, Hantz Von Teuffen, the lodge
caretaker, was one of the Russian agents. Through Frank
Darien, an old friend who had rented his fishing trawler to
the Russian agents and who had overheard them discuss a
deal with the inventor's crooked assistant, Conrad learns
that the saucer is hidden at a place called Twin Lakes.

The action then develops into a series of altercations be-
tween Conrad and the Russians, ending with the capture of,
not only Conrad and Pat, but also the inventor, who wanted
to sell the saucer to the United States. The Russians take
the three to Twin Lakes through an ice tunnel, planning to
dispose of them. Conrad attempts to escape and a gunshot
sets in motion an avalanche that buries the Russians alive.
The inventor's assistant, unharmed, attempts to escape in
the flying saucer, but a hidden bomb explodes the disc in
mid-air, killing him and keeping the secret safe for the
United States.

In addition to playing the leading role, Mikel Conrad
wrote the original story and produced and directed it.
Children may get a kick out of it.

"Black Hand" with Gene Kelly,
J. Carrol Naish and Teresa Celli

(MGM, March; time, 93 min.)
A strikingly dramatic film, based on the terrorist activ-
ities of the notorious Black Hand society, which flourished
in New York's "Little Italy" in the early 1920's, preying
on frightened immigrants of Italian extraction. Its mixture
of extortion, bombings and killings does not make for a
cheerful entertainment, but, owing to the expert direction
and the fine acting, it grips one's attention from start to
finish. Outstanding performances are contributed by Gene
Kelly, as a young Italian who vows vengeance on the Black
Hand for the murder of his father, and by J. Carrol Naish,
as an Italian-American detective, who sacrifices his life
while aiding Kelly to bring the criminal society to justice.
The action is charged with suspense and excitement through-
out, building up to an explosive climax that will have the
picture-goers holding on to their seats. The story, though
fictional, is in many respects historically accurate. The pro-
duction values are excellent, with the settings and back-
grounds conveying a ring of authenticity to the proceed-
ings:—

As a boy, Gene Kelly returns to Italy with his mother
after his father is killed in an East Side tenement by the
Black Hand for seeking police protection because of their
demands. Some years later, following the death of his
mother, he returns to New York, determined to avenge
himself on those responsible for his father's murder. Teresa
Celli, his childhood sweetheart, and Naish, who had known
him as a boy, urge him to give up his wild scheme of
revenge and induce him to organize the neighborhood in a
movement to resist the criminals' extortions. But the move-
ment falls to pieces when, at the first meeting, the Black
Hand delivers Kelly badly beaten and with a broken leg.
Unknown to every one, Marc Lawrence, Teresa's employer
and a private banker, was the secret head of the Black Hand,
covering his nefarious activities by posing as a respectable
business man. Recovering from his injuries, Kelly, through
Naish, is given a special assignment by the police depart-
ment to gather evidence against any one suspected of being
a Black Hand member. He succeeds in bringing one criminal
to trial and, despite efforts to intimidate witnesses, has the
man deported by proving that he was wanted in Naples
for murder. Kelly then induces Naish to go to Italy to
check police records for information that may lead to the
identity of the other criminals. Naish gathers much in-
criminating evidence, only to be shot by Black Hand mem-
bers in Naples. But before he dies he succeeds in mailing the
evidence to Kelly. Lawrence, informed that the evidence is
in the mails, arranges for his henchmen to kidnap Teresa's
little brother and threatens to kill him unless Kelly gives up
the evidence. Kelly gives in to the demand to save the child
from harm, after which he himself is captured and marked
for death. At the last minute, however, he manages to set
off one of the bombs used by the criminals in their work,
saving himself and killing all but Lawrence, whom he pur-
sues and brings to an end with a well-aimed dagger. He
recovers the evidence, thus assuring an end to the criminals'
activities.

It was produced by William H. Wright and directed by
Richard Thorpe from a screen play by Luther Davis, based
on a story by Leo Townsend. Adult fare.

12

HARRISON'S REPORTS

January 21, 1950

patron exerts to see a picture under such a seating
arrangement, all he has to do is take a seat as a
regular patron; his neck will be ready for a plaster
cast by the time the picture is over.

Staggering the seats means taking one seat out of
every other row of seats and moving the entire row
half-way towards the space thus created so that each
seat in the row behind may be placed between two
front seats. This method cannot help but preserve the
peace of mind of the picture patron and induce him
to attend the theatre more often, secure in the knowl-
edge that he can see a picture without getting a crick
in the neck.

Another method of making the patron more com'
fortable is to widen the space between the rows of
seats so that the incoming patron may not step on
the feet of the seated patron.

Such an innovation will, of course, reduce the
number of seats, but the reduction will be worth the
sacrifice if the exhibitor should have the comfort of
his patrons in mind. Besides, his theatre will then be
more attractive and it will serve as an additional
reason why patrons who visit the theatre only once
each week may be induced to patronize it more
frequently.

Still another aid to a patron's comfort is the lighting
in the theatre. Many theatre managers believe that,
unless the house is pitch-dark, the patrons do not feel
that the projection is good. Such a theory is mistaken :
the theatre may be illuminated enough to enable a
patron to find a seat without the aid of an usher. The
light required will not affect the brightness of the
picture, provided, of course, that the lighting is in-
direct.

Having the theatre lighted enough to enable a
patron to find his seat is absolutely necessary, par-
ticularly in the day-time, and even more so when
the sun is shining. On a sunny day, the pupils of a
person's eyes are dilated, and when he enters a pitch
dark room he cannot see anything. In such a case there
is danger in that he will poke his fingers into a seated
patron's face, and even his eyes, while trying to find
an empty seat by feeling around. An usher with a
flashlight is not always present to help him out.

Television, though still young, is proving itself as a
competitor to the motion picture theatre in many
metropolitan areas, and the competition will become
even more formidable as time goes on, for the public
is gobbling up the television sets as fast as they are
produced. Within a few years there undoubtedly will
be national television networks, and most every city,
town and hamlet in the country will be within the
range of a television station. It follows, therefore,
that, with an audience of many millions of viewers
available, the sponsors of television shows will in-
crease budgets to improve their programs, thus offer-
ing to the people a variety of fine entertainment — all
free of charge — in the comfort of their own homes.
And that is tough competition for any exhibitor.

The exhibitor, to overcome this competition as
best as he can, will have to depend on two factors:
(1) a far greater number of meritorious pictures than
are available to him today; and (2) a theatre that will
enable a patron to see a picture show free from dis-
comforts. Such a combination will help considerably
to draw people out of their homes and away from
their television sets.

Primarily, however, the only way to combat tele-
vision competition is through better pictures. And,
unless the producers wake up to this fact, the sliding
theatre attendance is going to become worse and the
picture industry may find itself on the brink of
disaster.

A DESERVING TRIBUTE

January 15 to 22 is being observed by all the Na-
tional Allied units as PETE WOOD WEEK, in
tribute to the erstwhile Secretary of the Independent
Theatre Owners of Ohio, whose unswerving devotion
to the cause of the independent exhibitor for more
than twenty-five years has made him one of the fore-
most exhibitor leaders in the country.

As part of the observance, each of the Allied units
has issued its organizational bulletin this week on a
special form, on which is printed the following tribute,
penned by Abram F. Myers, National Allied's Gen-
eral Counsel and Chairman of the Board :

'To PETE WOOD, Allied stalwart, mellow
philosopher, brilliant bulletineer, and master of the
mimeograph, this bulletin is affectionately dedicated.

"Like the pamphleteers of Colonial days he has
exerted great influence by the written word and by
precept and example has taught us that criticism can
be constructive, that while the truth may hurt it can-
not be smothered or ignored, and that while satire
may singe its victims it should never sear.

"From him stems the great Allied bulletin service
which is distinguished by the best talent in all the
units and carries to the members accurate informa-
tion on all important developments together with in-
terpretations and comment which reflect the inde-
pendent exhibitors' interest and point of view.

"For the foregoing and many additional reasons
Allied members everywhere are taking time out to
salute PHILIP (PETE) J. WOOD."

Pete Wood richly deserves this tribute, for through-
out the years he has been a good servant to the inde-
pendent exhibitors, working hard and accomplishing
much.

BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER

Republic Pictures, which has made great progress
under the guidance of Herbert J. Yates, can justifiably
look forward to an even brighter future as the result
of the long-term deal concluded last week for the
exclusive services of producer Merian C. Cooper and
director John Ford, a three-time Academy Award
winner.

Argosy Productions, the unit headed by Cooper
and Ford, was organized several years ago and has
thus far produced "Fort Apache," "She Wore a
Yellow Ribbon," "Mighty Joe Young" and "Wagon
Master" for release through RKO, as well as "3 God-
fathers," which was released through MGM.

The advancement of the smaller companies has
always been of special interest to Harrison's Re-
ports, and we are indeed gratified over the sound
and steady progress Republic has made under Mr.
Yates' expert leadership. Incidentally, "The Sands
of Iwo Jima," which is the most expensive picture
ever produced by Republic, is doing a smash business,
breaking records in almost every one of its engage-
ments.

SUPPORT BROTHERHOOD WEEK— FEBRUARY 19 to 26-FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM

Entered as second-oass matter January 4, l'J'Zl, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act o£ March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1950 No 4

AN URGENT CALL TO DUTY

As most of you no doubt know, the President, in his
special tax message to Congress this week, urged that reduc
tions be made in the excise taxes, provided the loss in
revenue is made up by plugging loopholes in the present tax
laws, and by increasing tax levies on corporations, gifts, and
estates.

In taking his conditional stand, the President singled out
for reductions the taxes on transportation, telephone and
telegraph messages, cosmetics, furs, jewelry and leather
goods. He made no mention of the tax on theatre admis-
sions, and the omission is interpreted in some quarters to
mean that he is opposed to a reduction in this tax.

This interpretation, however, is not shared by Mr. Abram
F. Myers, Chairman of COMPO's Committee on Taxation
and Legislation, who said that the examples cited by the
President "are not exclusive, and it is apparent that they
were mentioned because of the moderate amount of revenue
involved and for no other reason."

"We have no quarrel with any other industry seeking tax
relief and will provoke none," added Mr. Myers, "but we
insist that on the basis of merit our claims for the repeal of
the admission tax should be at the top of the list and we
shall present the facts in support of that claim to the people
and to the Congress."

Meanwhile Mr. Myers' Committee, anticipating that re-
peal of the admission tax would not be included in the
President's recommendations, held back the opening shot
of the all-industry drive against the tax until Thursday of
this week, on which day it arranged for the following cam'
paign material to be shipped to the thirty-one exchange
centers for distribution to the theatres through the facilities
of National Screen Service:

Twenty million individual petitions to be signed by movie
patrons and then sent to Congressmen.

35,000 eight-page brochures outlining the basic strategy
of the campaign and containing recommendations on how
it should be conducted on the local level.

3 5,000 four-page listings of the names of members of the
Ways and Means Committee, as well as the correct names
and addresses of all U. S. Congressmen and Senators.

20,000 fifty-foot trailers to be used on the screens of
indoor and outdoor theatres, affording the public for the
first time an opportunity to register its protest against this
unfair "nuisance tax."

20,000 posters for use in theatre lobbies.

40,000 stickers for box-offices, calling the public's atten-
tion to the fact that the tax is a tax on those who can least
afford it.

The campaign strategy includes enlisting the entire per'
sonnel of production, distribution and exhibition to write
or wire Congressmen and Senators, concentrating on the
Ways and Means Committee.

Producing the trailer, petitions, literature, etc., for the
campaign was the most gigantic assignment Herman Rob-
bins, president of National Screen Service, has ever under-
taken—all at no profit to his company. He was drafted by
Mr. Myers on Thursday, January 19, and work started on
the project on the following day.

The campaign material is being made available to exhibi-
tors at nominal prices, with the cost of the trailer, $1 50;
the petitions, $1.00 per thousand; and the one-sheet lobby
posters, 10c each.

The eight-page brochure was drafted by Mr. Myers and is
the result of the Cnmmittcc's deliberations.

Oscar A. Doob, of L"cw's and a Committee member
representing the Metropolitan New York Motion Pictures

Theatre Association, with the assistance of Ernest Emerling,
Loew's advertising director, prepared much of the material
that will be used in the jump-off campaign.

Henderson M. Richey, MGM's exhibitor relations chief,
is aide to the Committee, and all campaign material and
information will emanate from his office.

An outline of the campaign strategy was given on Wed-
nesday of this week by Mr. Myers in an address he made at
20th Century-Fox's Second Annual Showmanship Meeting,
attended by advertising and publicity representatives of
affiliated and independent theatres from all over the coun-
try. Mr. Myers, in enlisting their aid, had this to say, in part:

". . . The several industry groups which for years have
been making snoots at one another have found in the tax
menace a common ground on which they can stand in de-
fense of their common interests. Not only are all factions
united in the common cause, but they are working together
with right good will, and the pledges of support which I
have received from rival organizations have been no less
cordial than those received from the Allied stalwarts.

**. . . This united effort is as sincere as it is inspiring and
it should command the respect and support of everyone.

"Our task is tremendous, involving a two-front war. Our
first job, as I have said, is to secure repeal of the existing
taxes on admissions. Then we — that is, our successors— will
have to remain ever alert to see that such taxes are never
again imposed. We have got to sell the Congress of the
United States, the legislators of the several states and local
authorities everywhere the idea that it is wrong to impose
special taxes on the motion picture business which are not
imposed on all other enterprises.

"We must teach legislators and all other public officials
that they cannot saddle enormous tax burdens on this great
communications industry — for that is what it is — simply be-
cause theatre cashiers can be used as tax collectors without
cost and the boxoffice is regarded as an 'easy touch.'

"I am sure that when you gentlemen write advertising
copy for motion pictures you believe every word you write,
however much the ivory tower critics may sometimes dis-
agree with you. Be that as it may, I now summon you to a
task where your probity will never be assailed. For in the
campaign to protect the motion picture industry against
unfair and burdensome taxation we have a straightforward,
convincing story to tell, every word ol which is gospel.

"This industry in its public relations sometimes has been
vulnerable to counter-attack and, therefore, has grown
timid about asserting its rights. But in the present case we
are on such solid ground that we can wage our campaign
without fear of reprisal from any quarter.

"There is no valid reason why our industry, which affords
wholesome entertainment to the masses at a price within
their means should be made the subject of punitive or regu-
latory taxation. We refuse to be permanently bracketed with
liquor and tobacco for taxing purposes. And we are within
our constitutional rights in petitioning the Congress and
other public bodies lor a redress of our grievances.

"On this tax issue it is time for the industry to stop
bleating like a lamb and to start roaring like a lion — and I
do not mean that gentle old trademark lion.

"... I want to put it to you with all the emphasis at my
command that we arc going to strike from the shoulder for
our fundamental rights and we are not going to apologize
to anyone. . . ."

"I tell you frankly, gentlemen, that unless the industry
makes an all-out effort to secure repeal of the admission tax
at this session of Congress, and succeeds, the industry is
(Continued on next page)

14

HARRISON'S REPORTS

January 28, 1950

AN URGENT CALL TO DUTY

(Continued from front page)

doomed to remain the victim of existing discriminatory taxes
and the target for additional ones.

"For mind you, when we have succeeded in eliminating
the Federal tax, our battle is only half won.

"For the time being numerous governors and mayors are
aiding us in our efforts to terminate the Federal tax, but
we shall travel the same road for only a short distance.

"They are aiding us for the avowed purpose of supplant-
ing the Federal tax with local levies which will be just as
onerous and just as unfair. They are already whetting their
knives for a slice of the boxoffice take. That problem we will
deal with when we reach it. We cannot let it deter us from
making our fight against the Federal tax now.

"For even if the Federal tax is not repealed, we still are
faced with local taxes, not in lieu of, but in addition to,
the Federal tax. And if you think that I am an alarmist,
consider the sorry state of the exhibitors in Mississippi, who
have a state admission tax on top of the Federal levy.

"The campaign on which we are embarking calls for the
mobilization and the utilization of all the industry's person-
nel, with all their diversified talents. Once it swings into
action the industry will turn in a brilliant performance.
But the influences arrayed against us are so potent that we
must gain allies wherever we can. The theatre-going public
has a vital stake in the success of our efforts and the public in
general, already tax conscious, can be made movie-tax con-
scious by pointing out the dangers inherent in discriminatory
taxation.

"First in point of time and importance, therefore, is a
bang-up publicity job.

"The plan devised by your Committee on Taxation calls
for the marshaling of public opinion against all taxes on
theatre admissions.

"That plan contemplates the formation in every exchange
center and, as far as possible, in every community of a
local committee to carry on the publicity campaign outlined
therein. It will be the function of those committees to wait
upon and engage the support of the newspapers and broad-
casters. ... In addition, civic leaders will be asked to interest
themselves in the campaign by writing letters to the Senators
and Congressmen and persuading others to do so. Chambers
of commerce, boards of trade, labor unions, luncheon clubs,
fraternal orders and other groups will be asked to support
the campaign, both by adopting resolutions and by indi-
vidual letter-writing.

"But it is our patrons who have a definite, tangible stake
in the campaign and it is to them that we look for the most
enthusiastic support. The admission tax is a handicap to
and a burden upon the motion picture business. It makes
movie-going expensive and reduces the amount of spending
money in the community, thereby discouraging theatre at-
tendance. But our patrons actually pay the tax and that
fact must be brought home to them in every conceivable way.

"Every theatre will be asked to run a trailer which the
Tax Committee has devised — or else one of its own devising
— pointing out the unfair and burdensome nature of the
tax and asking the audience to help eliminate it. Also thea-
tres will be asked to place desks and writing facilities in
their lobbies so that their patrons can sign petitions in the
form of cards addressed to the Congressman for the district
in which the theatre is located.

"Since there are theatres in every Congressional district,
it is believed that these petitions, signed by millions of
theatre-goers, will impress upon the Congress the deep
dissatisfaction of this great body of citizens — and voters —
with the amusements tax.

"This cooperation and aid from persons outside the in-
dustry will not be forthcoming merely for the asking. The
American people before they sign a petition or write a letter
must have a stake in the subject-matter or be convinced that
the cause to be advanced is just. In the present case we must
disabuse the public's mind of certain false notions which
have evolved from the glamor of the business or been im-
planted by reckless reporting. We have got to remove the
dollar sign from the industry and present the facts as they
are.

"For example, there is a wide-spread impression that the
movie industry is entirely made up of huge, melon-cutting

corporations and that all engaged therein enjoy princely
incomes.

"It is imperative that the public in general and public
officials in particular, be made to understand that the admis-
sion tax is not a tax on Hollywood — that it does not reach
to those fabulous salaries which until recently were blazoned
in the headlines. Those salaries, I have been told, are being
readjusted to conform to changed economic conditions; but
however that may be, the Government lays violent hands on
Hollywood salaries by means of the income tax, just as it
reaches into our meager purses at stated intervals. The ad-
mission tax has nothing whatever to do with those salaries.

"Also it is necessary to disabuse the public's mind of any
lingering impression that the move industry is all 'big busi-
ness.' As the representative ol independent exhibitors I
am well-qualified to speak on this point. That part of the
industry which is immediately affected by the admission
tax — the exhibition branch — consists of thousands of small
business men. Almost two-thirds of the motion picture
theatres in the United States gross an average of less than
$600 a week per theatre — and that is small business in any
man's language.

"Finally, the movies not only are small business, they are
6mall-town business. Close to one-half of the total number
of motion picture seats in the United States are in towns of
25,000 population or less.

"These small business men operate on a narrow margin
of profit and a relatively small falling off in attendance
affects them gravely. The trend already is downward and
this must be halted if those theatres are going to continue to
serve the public.

"But beyond all this is the inherent viciousness of special
taxation — the penalizing of one industry by taxes which
are not imposed on all alike. That sort of taxation is plainly
contrary to the principles upon which our Government was
founded. We are confident that when the American people
realize the true nature of the admission tax it will offend
against their sense of fair play and they will support our
cause whether they be theatre-goers or not.

"The foregoing ideas, arguments and suggestions are
among those set forth in an eight-page folder, copies of
which are now being forwarded to every film exchange,
every circuit head, every exhibitor association and to every
theatre in the United States. In addition, trailer prints,
lobby posters and signs, and petition cards will be forwarded
to the film centers for distribution to the theatres before the
end of this week. The production, printing and distribution
of so vast an amount of material in such a short time has
been made possible through the generosity of Herman
Robbins, of National Screen Service Corporation, who has
virtually sidetracked all other business in order to meet the
Committee's time schedule.

"In behalf of my Committee, I salute Herman Robbins,
his company and its staff.

"Our Tax Committee is composed of men of broad ex-
perience in the operation of theatres, in organization affairs
and in legislative work. I cannot now take the time ade-
quately to pay tribute to my associates on the Committee
and to H. M. Richey, our special aide. The enthusiasm with
which they have carried on, the time and energy they have
devoted to the task, the talents and ability they have dis-
played, and their loyalty to and forbearance with their
chairman have earned my everlasting gratitude. . . ."

Harrison's Reports hopes that Mr. Myers' words will
sink deep into the mind of every person who makes his
living in the motion picture industry.

The industries and businesses most affected by the excise
taxes, even those mentioned by the President in his tax
message, are generally dissatisfied with the relief he pro-
posed. Many are opposed to a mere reduction of these
taxes, claiming that nothing short of their complete elimina-
tion will suffice to stop the loss of business.

There is so much feeling against excise taxes that there is
going to be plenty of stress and trouble in Congress during
the coming months. And the industries and businesses that
make a concerted, all-out effort to prove to Congress that
the excise taxes imposed upon them are unfair and burden-
some will be the ones that will get relief. The meek and the
lazy will get it in the neck.

There is no time to lose! Act today on repeal of the
amusement tax!

January 28, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

15

"Dakota Lil" with George Montgomery,
Marie Windsor and Rod Cameron

(20th Century-Fox, February; time, 88 mm.)

A fairly good Western, photographed by the Cinecolor
process. It is an above-average picture of its type, with
production values that are more lavish than is customary.
Its story about a special government agent's efforts to track
down a gang of thieves and to recover a fortune in un-
signed currency is somewhat involved and illogical, but its
allotment of brawls, chases and gunfights offers enough ex-
citement to satisfy the action fans. At times, however, the
action is marked by violence and brutality, making it too
tense and harrowing for children and squeamish adults.
The direction and acting are good, and the photography
first-rate : —

George Montgomery, a celebrated Indian fighter, is ap-
pointed by the Secret Service as a special agent for the
express purpose of tracking down a gang of outlaws who
had vanished into the mountains after stealing $100,000
in newly-printed but unsigned bank notes, which could be
made passable by an expert forger. Posing as a hardened
outlaw, Montgomery goes to Mexico to enlist the aid of
Marie Windsor, an alluring cafe singer and shrewd forger,
who was wanted by the American authorities. The promise
of easy money for forging the needed signatures on the
unsigned bank notes arouses Marie's interest. She tricks
Montgomery into revealing that Rod Cameron, a Wyoming
gambling house proprietor, was the leader of the outlaws,
then steals his horse and leaves him stranded in the desert
while she gallops off to Wyoming. Arriving there, Marie
uses her allure to get a job as Cameron's featured singer,
but Montgomery shows up within a few days and compels
her to stick to their agreement. He masterminds a scheme
whereby Marie makes known her forging talents to Cameron
and concludes a deal with him to make the stolen money
passable. Cameron takes her to the gang's stronghold in
the mountains to show her the stolen bank notes. While
they return to town to obtain the equipment needed to
handle the forgery, Montgomery, who had followed them,
makes a daring attempt to recover the money. He becomes
involved in a furious battle with the guards, barely escaping
with his life, but, in the complicated events that follow, his
secret service status is discovered. Furious at his deception,
Marie plans to get rid of him, but her love for him proves
too strong; she turns to the side of law and order, helping
him to bring Cameron to justice and to recover the loot.

It was produced by Edward L. Alperson and directed by
Lesley Selander from a screen play by Maurice Geraghty,
based upon a story by Frank Gruber. Jack Jungmeyer, Jr.
was associate producer. The cast includes John Emery,
Wallace Ford and others.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Belle of Old Mexico" with
Estelita Rodriguez and Robert Rockwell

(Republic, January 3; time, 70 mm.)

If it doesn't take much to make your audiences laugh, this
Trucolor slapstick comedy, with some music, should get by
with them as a supporting feature. Discriminating patrons,
however, probably will find little to laugh at, for the story
is thin and illogical, and the comedy, for the most part,
forced. It does have some funny moments here and there,
but, on the whole, what passes for comedy is just plain
silliness. Worked into the proceedings are several catchy
songs, sung pleasantly by Estelita Rodriguez, a Latin-
American newcomer, who speaks and sings with a slight
accent: —

Robert Rockwell, scion of a socially-prominent California
family and youthful president of a college founded by his
grandfather, is constantly reminded by Thurston Hall, head
of the board of trustees, that he must conduct himself with
decorum. Having made a pledge to a dying wartime buddy
to assume guardianship of his little sister, Rockwell makes
plans to take the child into his home and to provide for her
education. He goes to Lower California to fetch her and is
shocked when she turns out to be Estelita Rodriguez, a
beautiful young woman with a mind of her own. When
Dorothy Patrick, Rockwell's fortune-hunting fiancee, dis-
covers that Estelita is in love with him and that he is equally
smitten with her, she plots to break up the romance by
making Estelita appear to be a bad influence on him, thus

annoying the board of trustees. Aware of Dorothy's trick-
ery, Dave Willock and Gordon Jones, Rockwell's pals, ex-
pose Dorothy for what she is and prove to Rockwell that
Estelita's love for him is sincere. Taking courage from Es-
telita's love, Rockwell tells off Hall, fully aware that he was
endangering his job as president. Hall is shocked, but when
Jones, a millionaire, hints that he might be prevailed upon
to make a sizable endowment to the college, Estelita's and
Rockwell's future happiness is assured.

It was produced by Edward J. White and directed by
R. G. Springsteen from a story by Bradford Ropes and
Francis Swann. The cast includes Florence Bates, Fritz Feld,
Carlos Molina and Orchestra and others.

Harmless for children.

"Key to the City" with Clark Gable
and Loretta Young

(MGM, February; time, 99 mm.)
A gay romantic comedy-melodrama, with many hilarious
moments. Movie-goers who will be drawn to the box-office
by the magic of Clark Gable's name will not be disappointed,
for, as a tough, dynamic and uninhibited small-city mayor
who finds romance with a female mayor at a mayors' con-
vention, Gable is cast in the type of role that is sure to please
his fans. Equally good is Loretta Young, as the beautiful
but business-like lady mayor who has no time for romance
until she crosses paths with Gable. The action is fast and
the audience is kept in suspense because of the many compli-
cations Gable and Miss Young find themselves in, including
being jailed twice, as a result of the convention hi-jinks.
Things happen throughout that keep one amused, and many
of the situations will arouse hearty laughter. Frank Morgan,
as Gable's careless fire chief; Lewis Stone, as Miss Young's
uncle; James Gleason, as an embarrassed police lieutenant
who tries to cover up the jams the principals get them-
selves into; and Marilyn Maxwell, as an "atom" dancer,
contribute much to the general hilarity. A melodramatic
angle involving crooked politicians is good for considerable
excitement, with Gable given ample opportunity to use his
fists: —

Attending a mayors' convention in San Francisco, Gable,
a former longshoreman now mayor of a small west coast
city, mistakes Loretta, mayor of a small Maine city, for a
"good-time" girl when she comes to his hotel suite to
attend a committee meeting, which he, as chairman, had
postponed without notifying her. Loretta, claiming that the
postponement was contrary to parliamentary procedure,
demands that the meeting be held that evening. Amused,
Gable agrees and later sends her the address of the meeting
hall, which turns out to be a honky-tonk cabaret. Loretta
enters into the spirit of the gayety so as not to appear
snobbish. A quarrel between two drunks sets off a brawl
in which Loretta and Gable become involved. Both are
arrested along with the other guests, but immediately re-
leased by police lieutenant James Gleason when he learns
their identities. Gleason tries to keep the story from in-
quisitive reporters, but an enterprising photographer suc-
ceeds in snapping a picture of Loretta in the station house,
causing her no end of embarrassment when it is published
on the newspapers' front pages. On the following night
Gable meets Loretta again when both seek a taxicab to take
them to a costume party. Dressed as a child, she refuses to
share a cab with him and complains to a policeman that he is
annoying her. This leads to a second visit to the jail, but
before the evening is over both fall in love and agree to
marry on the following day. A misunderstanding ensues that
same night when Loretta sees Marilyn Maxwell, a bubble
dancer, leaving Gable's suite. Actually, Marilyn had visited
him to return his coat, which he had given her on the night
of the cabaret raid. To add to the complications, Loretta
believes that Gable had run out on her when he is compelled
to rush back to his city that night to foil a crooked political
plot. After many humorous events. Gable eventually con-
vinces Loretta of his love, and in the final sequence, while
Gable administers a sound thrashing to one of the crooked
politicians, Loretta takes on Marilyn, who had joined the
crooks in a dirty scheme to blacken Gable's reputation.

It was produced by Z. Wayne Griffin and directed by
George Sidney from a screen play by Robert Riley Crutcher,
based on a story by Albert Bcich. The cast includes Ray-
mond Walburn, Pamela Britton and others.

Some of the comedy is a bit risque, but it has been
handled delicately. Young children will not understand it.

16

HARRISON'S REPORTS

January 28, 1950

IT'S THAT MAN AGAIN!

It probably will come as no surprise to most exhibitors to
learn that Samuel Goldwyn has let go with another blast at
them, which is something he does annually in an apparent
effort to get publicity.

Speaking at a trade press conference in New York this
week, Goldwyn, whose remarks about exhibitors are be-
ginning to sound like a broken record that keeps repeating
itself, gave out with his usual bleats about exhibitor indif-
ference in the merchandising of pictures; opening the doors
of their theatres without an effort to encourage business
through proper exploitation of the attraction; and all the
other stock complaints for which he is noted.

Claiming that the exhibitors' attitude is "nothing short
of disgraceful," and that they "certainly do not treat pic-
tures with respect," Goldwyn stated that the producers, not
only have to make the pictures, "but we also have to send
out our own publicity and exploitation men and spend most
of the money for advertising."

"This situation," he continued, "has prevailed for some
time now because the producers are suckers. The producer's
prime responsibility is to let the exhibitor know about his
product through trade paper ads. After that, the exhibitor
should carry the ball."

Harrison's Reports has always commented on Gold-
wyn's annual snide remarks about the exhibitors, but since
he has nothing new to say we hesitate to comment at this
time lest we, too, sound like a broken record.

A clue to the reason for Goldwyn's latest tirade may be
found, however, in the following open letter, which Chick
Lewis published in his January 14 issue of Showmen's
Trade Review:

"Mr. Sam Goldwyn
"Hollywood, U.S.A.

"Dear Sam:

"Industry history will probably record, and most certainly
will remember, the outstanding trade advertising campaign
that definitely contributed so much to making 'Best Years of
Our Lives' the phenomenal success it was from every angle.

"Now you have another picture which, according to re-
ports, is fine entertainment — -'My Foolish Heart.'

"For some strange reason there has been so little trade
advertising on this production that it would be no surprise
if it develops that the exhibitor branch of our industry re-
mains only luke-warm towards it.

"What we would like to know is just this: If your ter-
rific trade campaign on 'Best Years' was smart business,
why doesn't the same rule apply to 'Foolish Heart"?

"Surely you wouldn't want any exhibitor to believe that
the lack of trade advertising is an indication that the pic-
ture will not do good business at the box-office. Or that you,
personally, have little confidence in it.

"We are not suggesting that you duplicate as extensive a
campaign on 'Heart' as you did on 'Years,' but why the
complete reversal?"

Goldwyn has not yet answered Chick.

PROGRESSIVENESS
IN MERCHANDISING

In an effort to chart an intelligent course, and to inter-
change ideas on advertising, publicity and exploitation,
more than seventy-five leading advertising and publicity
heads associated with affiliated and independent circuits in
the United States and Canada met January 25-27 with 20th
Century-Fox officials in New York at the company's second
annual showmanship meeting.

The first meeting, which was held last July, proved to be
an outstanding success.

Slated for discussion at the meetings were such topics as
new merchandising methods; an analysis of trailer appeal
in its application to advance selling; the progress of tele-
vision, its effect on thcares, and the use of the medium as
a selling aid for motion pictures; outdoor advertising; the

development of young audiences; specific advertising plans
for forthcoming 20th Century-Fox pictures; and the use of
new techniques in merchandising that have appeared dur-
ing the past year.

The company officials who spoke at the opening session,
including Spyros P. Skouras, Al Lichtman, Andy Smith, Jr.,
and Charles Einfeld, who presided, were optimistic on the
business outlook for 1950, but each stressed the importance
of getting behind the pictures of all companies with every
conceivable idea to attract the vast number of people who
do not attend movies regularly.

Mr. Einfeld, 20th-Fox's vice-president in charge of ad-
vertising and publicity, who conceived the idea of these
merchandising meetings, is to be congratulated for his pro-
gressiveness in bringing together annually the industry's
top advertising and exploitation experts. These men, by
interchanging ideas, discussing mutual problems, and offer-
ing suggestions cannot help but enhance the popularity of
the motion picture to the ultimate benefit of both the ex-
hibitor and the producer-distributor.

Although the days when business was lush are over, the
national income is still very high and, by all accounts, people
have money to spend for entertainment. As Mr. Einfeld
put it to the delegates: "Business in 1950 will be good for
those who make it good. The business will be there for any
one who is able to go out and get it. It is up to us, the
merchandisers, to meet the competition for our share of the
dollar."

BOULDER THEATRE
Boulder City, Nevada

January 23, 1950

Mr. P. S. Harrison
Harrison's Reports
1270 Sixth Avenue
New York 20, N. Y.

Dear Pete:

Your own comments together with the reprints of letters,
which you have received in respect to Chill Wills and the
advisability of encouraging Warner Brothers to consider
him for the all-important role of Will Rogers, in the LIFE
OF WILL ROGERS, was indeed most interesting, and
brings to mind wartime experiences in both Greenland and
Iceland.

While on temporary duty in Greenland, Chill came
through with a troupe of entertainers and, being the natural
and genuine type of person that he is, it didn't take long
to discover that we had a very good mutual friend in one,
Frank Whitbeck. As a result, a most enjoyable acquaintance
was developed. I watched with considerable interest not
only his planned and well-rehearsed performances, but also
the many impromptu and unscheduled appearances made
during the several days we were weathered in. Both in
Greenland and later Iceland where again the troupe had
to remain longer than planned due to weather, Chill was
able to appear time and again before the same groups always
with something new and entertaining. This he accomplished
with a natural ease and without resorting to "smut," which
in my opinion is the keenest test of a comedian. An inter-
esting coincidence is that the men in and around Camp
Knox, Reykjavik, Iceland, coined and used the expression
"Chill, the Will Rogers of the Arctic."

Of course, being from Oklahoma and in my opinion
possessing great acting ability, I naturally have always had
a "hankering" to play the role of Will Rogers, myself. But
since the war, the operation of two theatres has kept me
running like hell just to stand still. As a result, I haven't
had the time or money to develop contacts in and around
Warner Brothers that would place me in the position of
receiving fair consideration. Such being my unfortunate
position, I bow to one, CHILL WILLS. Seriously, I hope
that he is given the role. He is the natural one for it.

My very best wishes to you, Pete.

Sincerely,

(signed) Earl J. Brothers

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1950 No. 5

PUBLIC SUPPORT IN TAX FIGHT
HEARTENING

Reports from different parts of the country indicate
that the industry is doing a bang-up job of winning
public support in the battle for repeal of the Federal
twenty per cent admission tax.

The response of the public has been most hearten'
ing, with many exhibitors reporting that an average
of seven out of ten patrons are signing individual pe'
titions and protest cards to be sent to Congressional
representatives. These petitions and cards are made
available to the movie-goers in the lobbies of the
theatres.

The COMPO tax committee, through National
Screen Service, has distributed twenty million of these
petitions to the nation's theatres, but public response
has been so overwhelming that ten million more peti'
tions have been ordered to meet the demand.

Heartening also is the splendid support that the in'
dustry is receiving from civic leaders, local and state
officials, labor unions, radio broadcasters, newspapers,
magazines and numerous local and national organiza-
tions. But most important is the response of the pub'
lie, for when either a Congressman or a Senator is
deluged with petitions and protest cards from agitated
constituents it is only natural that he will be influenced
and will take a deeper and more active interest in
helping to eliminate the tax. The exhibitors should,
therefore, concentrate their appeal directly to the
movie patrons, who must pay this nuisance tax, and
get them to sign the petitions.

As to the best way to handle the signed petitions
and cards on which the movie-goers are registering
their protests, the COMPO tax committee is recom-
mending the following procedure, according to Oscar
A. Doob, an executive of Loew's and a member of the
Committee:

Whenever each theatre has two or three hundred
signed blanks, they should be wrapped and mailed
parcel post directly to the Congressman representing
the district in which the theatre is located. Petitions
to Congressmen should be sent care of House Office
Building, Washington, D. C. Signed protests to Sena-
tors should be sent care of Senate Office Building,
Washington, D. C.

Repeat this procedure each time a few hundred
petitions accumulate so that there will be a steady
stream of thousands of cards going to every lawmaker.
Keeping these petitions flowing into Washington will
be much more effective than big shipments one at a
time, according to the Committee.

A question that needs to be touched upon, for it is

most important to the basic strategy of the drive, is
that of passing on to the movie patrons any reduction
in the admission tax. A number of the large circuits
and many hundreds of independent exhibitors,
through their organizations, have taken a formal stand
on this matter, pledging to cut back their admission
prices to the extent of the tax reduction. Although
the feeling prevails that all exhibitors would follow
through on such a policy as a matter of course, a defi'
nite pledge to that effect is needed to remove any
doubt that may exist. Besides, such a pledge should
result in many more millions of petitions being signed
by the public.

To be considered also is the fact that members of
the House Ways and Means Committee, at hearings
that probably will be held some time this month, un'
doubtedly will ask industry spokesmen who testify
whether the theatres would be willing to pass on any
tax-saving to the public. It cannot be expected that
this powerful Committee will look with favor on the
abolishment of the tax unless the industry spokesmen
can offer assurances that an overwhelming majority
of the country's exhibitors have agreed to reflect any
tax cut with a corresponding cut in admission prices.

A GOAL THAT MUST BE ATTAINED

Beginning this week, the campaign leading up to
the observance of Brotherhood Week during the week
of February 19-26 gets underway.

In past years the motion picture industry has done
much to make Brotherhood Week an assured success
from an educational and informational point of view.
It has not done too well, however, in the matter of
raising the funds needed to carry on this inspiring
work.

The record shows that the industry has raised no
more than $88,000 in previous Brotherhood drives, a
sum that is far below what we, as an industry, ought
to be able to raise.

One of the industry's objectives in this year's cam-
paign is to have every theatre in the country obtain
a minimum of ten memberships in the National Con-
ference of Christians and Jews, sponsors of Brother-
hood Week, at one dollar per membership. Such a
quota is indeed low, and no exhibitor, no matter how
small his operation, should find it difficult to achieve
and even exceed this quota. Even if a minimum of ten
dollars per theatre is raised, the total amount will set
a new record.

Harrison's Reports again urges every exhibitor to
give his fullest cooperation to this worthy fight against
the forces of bigotry and intolerance.

18

"Nancy Goes to Rio" with Jane Powell,
Ann Sothern, Barry Sullivan

(MGM, March; time, 99 min.)
A pleasing blend of comedy, romance and music, photo-
graphed in Technicolor. There is nothing really novel about
the story, which has a youthful actress-mother and her
'teen-aged daughter vying for the attentions of the same
man, but it should go over pretty well, for it is gay and
lively, and the players enact their roles with zest. Moreover,
the farcical complications as a result of misunderstandings
will keep the audience chuckling throughout. Worked into
the proceedings to good effect are a melange of tuneful song
and dance numbers, featuring Jane Powell and the exub-
erant Carmen Miranda, whose antics and twisting of the
English language add much to the entertainment values.
The costumes and settings, enhanced by the Technicolor
photography, are up to the usual MGM lavish standards: —

Ann Sothern, a famous stage actress, goes to Rio to
study the leading part in a new play. Meanwhile the pro-
ducer of the play, wanting a young girl for the lead, offers
the part to Jane Powell, Ann's daughter and an aspiring
actress. Unaware of her mother's intentions, Jane takes a
boat to Rio to be coached by her. While sitting on the deck
and studying the part, Jane speaks aloud a few lines from
the play, giving Barry Sullivan, an attractive business man,
the impression that she is a deserted wife who is going to
have a baby. Sullivan, feeling sorry for her, tries to be nice,
but she mistakes his kindness for a marriage proposal and
turns him down. Arriving in Rio and discovering that her
mother planned to play the lead, Jane secretly telephones
the producer in the United States and cancels her contract.
She then informs her mother that she had decided to give
up the stage to marry Sullivan. Jane goes to Sullivan's office
and informs him that she had decided to accept his proposal.
Bewildered and still under the impression that Jane is to be
a mother, Sullivan dispatches Carmen Miranda, his busi-
ness partner, to Jane's home to inform her mother that she
is to become a grandmother. Ann, jumping to the conclusion
that Sullivan is the father, arranges a meeting to discuss
marriage. The meeting results in a lot of double-talk with
neither one aware of what is in the other's mind. Eventually,
however, the misunderstanding is cleared up when Ann
discovers that Sullivan had overheard Jane spouting lines
from the play. By this time Ann and Sullivan fall in love,
but Jane still imagines that he is in love with her. After
several more mix-ups, Ann and Sullivan break the news of
their engagement to Jane. The blow falls lightly, however,
when Ann insists that Jane accept the lead in the play. It all
ends happily with Jane's successful debut on Broadway.

It was produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Robert
Z. Leonard from a screen play by Sidney Sheldon, based on
a story by Jane Hall, Frederick Kohner and Ralph Block.
The cast includes Scotty Beckett, Louis Calhern and others.

"Mother Didn't Tell Me" with
Dorothy McGuire and William Lundigan

(20th CenturyFox, March; time, 88 min.)

A humorous domestic comedy-drama, revolving around
the trials and tribulations of the romantic bride of a busy
young doctor. The story, which deals with the difficulties
the heroine encounters in trying to adjust herself to the
demands of her husband's profession, is episodic and offers
nothing really outstanding, but it provides a number of
amusing situations and, despite some dull spots, manages
to keep one entertained. Worked into the story are angles
involving a scheming mother-in-law and "another woman,"
but these miss fire because the motivations are weak. The
dialogue and treatment are on the sophisticated side, and
although everything is handled in good taste the picture is
best suited for mature audiences : —

Attracted to William Lundigan, a young doctor, when
she visits his office as a patient, Dorothy McGuire plays up
to him, wins his love and marries him, despite a warning
from his mother (Jessica Royce Landis) that the life of a
doctor's wife is not an easy one. Actually, Lundigan's
mother wanted him to marry Joyce MacKenzie, a medical
student, who was to become his associate. Although happy,
Dorothy finds it difficult to adjust herself to Lundigan's
unpredictable hours, and on the advice of June Havoc, the

wife of another doctor, she decides to have a baby in the
hope that Lundigan will then be induced to spend more
time at home. Dorothy is blessed with twins, and for the
next two years she finds her family life ideal. Complica-
tions arise, however, when Joyce graduates from medical
school and arrives to take up her work with Lundigan.
Dorothy, resentful, makes no secret about her feelings and
gets into a violent quarrel with Lundigan; she decides to
leave with the children. But before she can do so the mis-
chevious twins swallow some ant paste and have to be rushed
to the hospital. The children are saved, but the anguish
caused by the accident serves to bring Dorothy and Lundi-
gan's mother together on closer terms, with the latter con-
fessing that, through Joyce, she had been trying to break
up the marriage. She begs Dorothy's forgiveness and sees
to it that Joyce resigns as Lundigan's associate. Dorothy
embraces her mother-in-law and then rushes into Lundi-
gan's arms, telling him that she would rather be neglected
as a doctor's wife than live alone.

It was produced by Fred Kohlmar and directed by Claude
Binyon from his own screen play, based on Mary Bard's
book, "The Doctor Wears Three Faces." Adult fare.

"Chain Lightning" with Humphrey Bogart,
Eleanor Parker and Raymond Massey

(Warner Bros., Feb. 25; time, 94 min.)
Revolving around a test pilot and dealing with the de-
velopment of jet propelled planes, this thrilling aviation
melodrama should go over well with most audiences, despite
the formula story. The action is at its best in the sequences
having to do with the testing of the jet planes. These are at
once exciting and informative, staged in a way that imparts
enough technical knowledge to stir the spectator's imagina-
tion. The depiction of the hero making a hazardous flight
from Nome to Washington via the North Pole at an alti-
tude of 80,000 feet and a speed of 1400 miles per hour
grips one because of the realistic way in which it has been
done, and because it gives one the feeling of impending
tragedy. When the story gets on the ground, however, it is
only mildly interesting, for the romantic triangle is devel-
oped along familiar lines and, despite the good acting, is
lacking in emotional appeal. The special effects and the
photography are excellent: —

The story opens in England in 1943 with Bogart, pilot
of a Flying Fortress, showing Richard Whorf, an aircraft
designer, what is wrong with the planes. In love with Elea-
nor Parker, a Red Cross worker, Bogart is separated from
her when he is suddenly recalled to Washington. With the
war over, Bogart runs into a streak of bad luck, failing at
every job as he barnstorms around the country. He even-
tually meets up with an old Air Force buddy who invites
him to a party given by Raymond Massey, a post-war oppor-
tunist making jet planes for the Air Force. At the party he
meets again Eleanor, now Massey's secretary and Whorf's
fiance. Whorf himself was designing the jet plane for Massey.
Although aware that the love between Bogart and Eleanor
had been rekindled, Whorf persuades Massey to hire Bogart
as test pilot. On his first assignment, Bogart and the jet
plane perform brilliantly. Whorf, however, considers the
plane unsafe pending the perfection of a life-saving pod
that could eject the pilot from the cockpit in an emergency
and bring him safely to the ground. Massey, seeking to get
a quick Government order, refuses to go along with any
delay and offers Bogart a fabulous bonus to fly the plane
from Nome to Washington in record time. Whorf begs
Bogart not to make the flight lest it be successful and the
Government order planes that would seen be obsolete.
Bogart ignores the plea and completes the spectacular flight,
but upon landing in Washington he learns that Whorf had
lost his life testing the pod himself. Eleanor, angered, re-
fuses to have anything to do with Bogart. To vindicate him-
self in Eleanor's eyes, and to make amends to the dead
designer, Bogart, contrary to Massey's orders, takes up the
plane with the life-saving pod and puts it through a suc-
cessful test. Eleanor embraces him as he lands.

It was produced by Anthony Veiller and directed by
Stuart Heisler from a screen play by Liam O'Brien and
Vincent Evans, suggested by a story by J. Redmond Prior.

Suitable for the family.

February 4, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

19

"The Tattooed Stranger" with John Miles
and Patricia White

(RKO, no release date set; time, 64 min.)

An interesting program murder mystery melodrama. It
has all the excitement and suspense one generally associates
with pictures of this type and, in addition, in enhanced by a
documentary flavor by reason of the fact that all the action
was shot against actual New York City backgrounds. The
most absorbing part of the story has to do with the depiction
of the crime detection methods employed by the police to
track down the murderer. The players mean little at the
box-office, but their performances are adequate. A love in-
terest is worked into the plot, but it is of minor importance:

Assigned to investigate the murder of a woman found in
a stolen car, police lieutenant Walter Kinsella and detective
John Miles, his youthful aide, have as their only clues to
her identity a marine corps emblem tattooed on her forearm,
and broken arches and purple ink marks on her thumb, in-
dicating that she had been a waitress. Miles, who had found
several blades of grass in the murder car, learns from Patricia
White, a pretty botanist, that the grass is of a similar type
that had been grown in the Bronx. Doggedly pursuing the
different clues, the two detectives, after visits to many
restaurants and tattooing establishments, learns not only
the woman's identity but also the name of a merchant
marine sailor who had been her sweetheart, and who had
supposedly been killed in action. Further investigation dis-
closes that she had been a bigamist, and that she had been
defrauding the Government of the insurance checks of
several dead service men who had married her. The murder
of a tattoo artist who had given the detectives information
leads them to the discovery that the supposedly dead sailor
sweetheart is very much alive, and that he had committed
the murders to collect the insurance checks himself. Through
clever detective work, and with the aid of Patricia, Miles
tracks the killer to a tombstone cutting works in the Bronx,
where he gets his man after an exciting battle.

It was produced by Jay Bonafield and directed by Edward
J. Montagne from an original screen play by Phil Reisman,
Jr.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Outside the Wall" with Richard Basehart,
Marilyn Maxwell and Signe Hasso

(Universal'lnt'l, March; time, 80 min.)

A pretty good crook melodrama. The fact that the story
revolves around a $1,000,000 armored car robbery gives it
a timely angle and good exploitation possibilities because
of the recent $1,500,000 Brink holdup in Boston. Although
the plot is inclined to run wild at times and some of the
situations are incredible, these shortcomings are not serious
enough to lessen the interest of those who enjoy pictures of
this type. The first half, which concerns itself mainly with
the hero's reaction to the outside world after a prison stretch
of fifteen years, is slow but interesting. It picks up speed
and excitement in the second half, where he becomes in-
volved with the armored car robber and a group of mobsters
seeking the whereabouts of the stolen money. The direction
and acting are good, and the actual prison and Philadelphia
backgrounds help to make some of the action realistic :- —

After fifteen years in prison for the accidental killing of
a guard in reform school, Richard Basehart, now thirty, is
released. The hustle and bustle of the outside world be-
wilders him, and to find peace he obtains employment as
a laboratory assistant at a private sanitorium in the country.
Here he meets nurses Dorothy Hart and Marilyn Maxwell.
He is attracted to Marilyn, but she offers him little encour-
agement, frankly admitting that she is interested only in
wealthy sweethearts. When John Hoyt, a former cell-mate
of Basehart's, comes to the sanitorium as a tuberculosis
patient, Basehart recognizes him as the thug the police
were seeking for a $1,000,000 armored car holdup. Hoyt
asks Basehart to deliver "hush money" to Signe Hasso, his
ex-wife, and offers to pay him handsomely for his trouble.
Basehart, with Marilyn on his mind, agrees. Signe, secretly
working with a group of mobsters who wanted the money
stolen by Hoyt, suspects that Basehart had been Hoyt's
unidentified accomplice in the holdup. She arranges with

the gangsters to capture him and give him the third degree
in a mountain hideout. But Basehart escapes and makes his
way to the sanitorium. He is followed by the gangsters, who
bribe Marilyn and kidnap Hoyt from his room. Learning
what had happened, Basehart dismisses Marilyn from his
life and takes Dorothy into his confidence. He finds in
Hoyt's room a baggage check for the loot, gives it to Doro-
thy, and instructs her to deliver it to the police. He then
heads for the mountain hideaway to rescue Hoyt. There,
he is nabbed by the gangsters who has succeeded also in
intercepting Dorothy. Bluffing his way, Basehart, for a cut,
agrees to accompany one of the gangsters to claim the trunk
with the loot. The gangsters prepare to kill him and Doro-
thy when he returns with the money, but the police, notified
beforehand by Basehart, converge on the scene and arrest
the criminals. Cleared by the dying Hoyt of complicity in
the holdup, Basehart embraces Dorothy.

It was produced by Aaron Rosenberg and directed by
Crane Wilbur from his own screen play, based on a story
by Henry Edward Helseth.

Adult fare.

"The Third Man" with Joseph Cotten, Valli,
Orson Welles and Trevor Howard

(Selznic^ ReJ. Org., Feb.; time, 104 min.)

A ^superb thriller! Carol Reed, whose "Odd Man Out"
and "The Fallen Idol" have distinguished him as one of the
foremost motion picture producer-directors, can take a de-
serving bow for the brilliant job he had done on "The Third
Man." It is a superior melodrama in every sense of the word,
one that will be appreciated by all types of audiences. Ex-
hibitors who are apathetic about British-made pictures
needn't worry about this one because of the American stars
who head the cast. As a matter of fact, it should prove to
be one of the biggest box-office pictures of the year because
of the excellent word-of-mouth praise that it is sure to
receive. The writing, direction, acting, lighting, camera
work and background music are excellent.

Set in post-war Vienna, where most of the action was shot
on location, the story follows the bizarre experiences of
Joseph Cotten, an American author, who comes to Vienna
to visit his friend, Orson Welles, only to learn that he had
been killed in a street accident. Cotten's curiosity is
aroused by conflicting stories about how his friend had died,
and he becomes even more upset when informed by Trevor
Howard, head of the British military police, that Welles had
been a worthless fellow, a penicillin racketeer whose activi-
ties had either killed or mentally maimed helpless children.
He refuses to believe that his friend had been corrupt and,
suspecting that he had been murdered, starts an investiga-
tion of his own, despite Howard's warning that he would
get into trouble. He cultivates the friendship of Valli, a
showgirl who had been in love with Welles, and through
her learns that three men had carried Welles to the curb
after he had been struck down. He meets two of the men
but neither seems able or willing to identify the third man.
After a series of events in which his life is endangered,
Cotten discovers that Welles is alive, and that he had per-
mitted another man to be buried under his name. He be-
comes convinced that Welles is no good and, despite Valli's
pleas, agrees to help Howard capture him. Welles, led into
a trap by Cotten, is finally killed after a hectic chase through
the city's massive sewer system.

A brief synopsis cannot do justice to the many fascinating
and exciting twists of the suspenseful story, the finely drawn
characterizations, the subtle humor, and the extremely effec-
tive pictorial drama of the war-torn Vienna backgrounds.
Particularly noteworthy is the background music played by
a single zither, a new innovation that must be heard to be
appreciated, for it interprets the action and sets the mood
for the different scenes. The pursuit of Welles through the
network of sewers is one of the most thrilling chase se-
quences ever filmed. All in all, it is a thoroughly satisfying
motion picture.

Graham Greene wrote the story and the screen play. The
picture is a David O. Selznick and Sir Alexander Korda
presentation.

Morally, there are no objectionable situations, but the
film seems best suited tor mature audiences.

20

HARRISON'S REPORTS

February 4, 1950

"Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey"
with Joe Kirk wood, Leon Errol
and Robert Coogan

(Monogram, Jan. 29; time, 65 min.)

A fine double-bill picture. As a matter of fact, it should
take better with some audiences than any of the past pictures
in the "Palooka" series. The story is mostly silly but mirth'
provoking. The fight between Joe Kirkwood and Robert
Coogan, a man of huge proportions, should provoke the
most laughter. There is much laughter also in the sequences
in which Leon Errol changes from one role to another —
that of the manager of Kirkwood, and as Lord Cecil Poole,
an English fight manager. The direction is good and the
photography clear: —

Joe Kirkwood the heavyweight champion, and Pamela
Blake go to a resort to spend their honeymoon. Their car is
damaged en route and Robert Coogan, a huge dim-witted
mechanic, repairs it but, because he guarantees his work for
thirty days, follows them everywhere to be present in case
the car went out of order again, annoying them no end. They
lose all peace of mind when Leon Errol, Kirkwood's manager,
joins them. Word soon gets around that the champ is at the
resort and, before long, Kirkwood is tricked into accepting
a match for a local benefit performance. When Kirkwood's
opponent is hurt seriously in an altercation, Jerome Cowan,
the injured man's manager, substitutes Coogan. Errol ap-
proves the match, but, realizing that Coogan's giant-like
power is a menace to Kirkwood's professional standing, he
poses as Lord Cecil Poole, an English fight manager, and
assumes the management of Coogan so as to make sure that
Kirkwood will not suffer a defeat. Cowan becomes suspicious
and orders two of his henchmen to kidnap the imposter.
Errol, however, escapes and manages to reach the arena in
time to advise Kirkwood to keep circling around Coogan so
as to make him dizzy. Coogan, feeling hungry as always,
becomes wobbly, falls on his face, and is counted out. Thus
Kirkwood wins the fight and is enabled to enjoy an uninter-
rupted honeymoon with Pamela.

Hal E. Chester produced it and Jean Yarbrough directed
it from a story and screen play by Henry Blankfort.

Fine entertainment for the family circle.

"Hoedown" with Eddy Arnold,
Jock O'Mahoney and Jeff Donnell

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 64 min.)

There is only one word that could describe adequately this
picture, but because I don't use such words, even though
other reputable critics have used them, I leave it to the
imagination of the readers to determine how poor this pro-
gram picture is. Even children will be bored with it. Nobody
loves a dumb hero, and Jock O'Mahoney, who proves him-
self in the end to be the hero, is given a stupid part. For this
reason no one cares what fate befalls him. The story is in-
ane, the direction poor, and the acting worse: —

Jock O'Mahoney, a handsome but none-too-bright movie
actor, is dropped by his studio for loss of popularity while
he is on a personal appearance tour in Smokey Falls, Ten-
nessee. He finds himself broke and without a friend, and to
make matters worse his personal appearance tour had been
financed by his mother, who had mortgaged her home to
raise the necessary money. He meets Jeff Donnell, a young
and pretty reporter, who had been assigned to get the story
of his rise and fall. Both run out of gas on a highway and
ask for help at a farm owned by Eddy Arnold, a famous
folk-song singer, who was preparing a hoedown and holding
amateur tryouts for a hospital benefit. Carolina Cotton,
Eddy's cousin, falls for O'Mahoney, and Eddy, thinking
that the songs he had heard O'Mahoney singing in his pic-

tures were sung by himself, wires Fred Sears, an agent, to
sign O'Mahoney. While driving to the farm, Sears is held up
by three bank robbers sought by the authorities, and is com-
pelled to take them to the farm as his associates. On the day
of the hoedown and the try-outs, it is discovered that
O'Mahoney can't sing. The identity of the bank robbers is
discovered when they try to steal the money collected from
the audience. A wild battle follows, and O'Mahoney, who
was thought by everybody to be spineless, beats up the
crooks. The wide publicity given to this feat causes the fans
to clamour for O'Mahoney's return to the screen. Offers
pour in, and in addition he receives a reward for capturing
the robbers, enabling him to pay off the mortgage on his
mother's home. At the finish he realizes his love for Carolina,
while Jeff finds romance with Eddy.

It was produced by Robert Clark and directed by Ray
Nazarro from a screen play by Barry Shipman. The cast
includes Douglas Fowley, Don Harvey, Charles Sullivan
and others.

Harmless for children.

"The Palomino" with Jerome Courtland,
Beverly Tyler and Joseph Calleia

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 75 min.)

Being a natural color picture, photographed by the Tech-
nicolor process, "The Palomino" should go over fairly well
where wild horse pictures please, even though the color
photography in the scenes themselves is poor. The story is
trite and as such can hardly hold the spectator's interest. It
is predominantly melodramatic, for the villains are vicious,
and plan their villainous acts without any compunction. The
horses look beautiful in color, and in one situation the ac-
tion is somewhat thrilling. Jerome Courtland is a pleasing
actor, and with a good story he ought to gain popularity.
Beverly Tyler is so-so. Joseph Calleia is his usual self, and
Roy Roberts is a good actor and formidable villain :—

Jerome Courtland, just starting out as a cattle buyers'
relations man, runs into Joseph Calleia, a hand at Rancho
Las Granadas, and is advised by him to meet Beverly Tyler,
his beautiful boss, on the ground that she knows all the
ranchers in the valley. Courtland introduces himself to
Beverly and learns that the ranch is unprofitable, for after
the death of her father her priceless palomino stallion, El
Rey, had disappeared, and she could no longer breed prize-
winning palominos. Duke, another good horse, is the only
palomino left to her. Beverly suggests to Courtland that he
meet Roy Roberts, an influential rancher, whom she looked
upon as a friend. In reality, Roberts is a crook and is the one
who had stolen El Rey to breed expensive palominos of his
own. Roberts refuses to sell any cattle to Courtland out of
fear that his crookedness might be discovered by him. During
the loading of a number of colts by Roberts and his hench-
men, one breaks loose and takes off. Courtland ropes the
colt and breaks its neck. Beverly, believing that the dead
colt was her Duke, orders Courtland off the ranch. Roberts,
to confirm her belief, has Duke abducted. Convinced that
Roberts is the man behind the nefarious doings, Courtland
sets out with Calleia to find El Rey and Duke. They discover
the horses and Courtland orders Calleia to ride back and
inform Beverly. But Beverly will not believe him. Roberts
discovers Courtland and a fierce fight ensues. Beverly, at
last convinced, arrives in time to see the end of the fight,
with Courtland victorious. The incident serves to draw
Courtland and Beverly closer together, much to the joy of
Calleia. With El Rey back in the fold, the future of the
ranch is assured.

The picture was produced by Robert Cohn; it was directed
by Ray Nazarro, from a screen play by Tom Kilpatrick.

Harmless for children, because the villains are bested in
the end and virtue triumphs.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act uf March 3, 1879.

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Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1950 No. 6

COURT ORDERS DIVORCEMENT
WITHIN THREE YEARS

The final decree in the Government's twelve-year-old
anti-trust suit against the eight major film companies was
handed down on Wednesday of this week by the New York
Federal Statutory Court. Judges Augustus N. Hand, Henry
W. Goddard and Alfred C. Coxe signed the decree.

Under the terms of the decree, Loew's, 20th Century-Fox
and Warner Brothers, the three remaining theatre-owning
defendants, were ordered to divorce their exhibition opera-
tions from their production-distribution business within a
period of three years. Paramount and RKO have already
consented to divorcement decrees.

Within six months of the entry of the decree, each of
the three theatre-owning defendants must submit to the
Court a plan for the ultimate separation of its distribution
and production business from its exhibition business. After
the filing of such a plan, the Government will have three
months in which to file objections thereto and propose
amended or alternative plans to achieve the same result.

The Government and the three major defendants are
given one year in which to submit respectively plans for
divestiture of theatre interests other than those heretofore
ordered to be divested, "which they believe to be adequate
to satisfy the requirements of the Supreme Court decision
. . . with respect to such divestiture." Both parties are given
six months after the filing of such plans to file objections
and propose amended or alternative plans.

The defendant-distributors and any distributing com-
pany resulting from the divorcement ordered are enjoined
from engaging in the exhibition business, and the defend-
ant-exhibitors and any exhibitor company resulting from
the divorcement are enjoined from engaging in the distribu-
tion business, except that permission may be granted by the
Court upon notice to the Government and upon a showing
that any such engagement shall not unreasonably restrain
competition in the distribution and exhibition of motion
pictures.

Like Paramount and RKO, the three remaining major
defendants are enjoined from selling any theatres to each
other, or to Columbia, Universal and United Artists, the
"Little Three" defendants.

During the three years allowed for divorcement, each of
the theatre-owning defendants will be permitted to exhibit
its own pictures in its own theatres on a non-competitive
basis.

The Court did not provide for a mandatory arbitration
system, but it authorized the defendants to establish a
voluntary arbitration system under the American Arbitra-
tion Association.

For the purpose of securing compliance with the decree,
and for no other purpose, the Court ruled that the Depart-
ment of Justice, upon written request and notice to any of
the defendants, shall have access to all books and records,
and shall be permitted to interview officers and employees.

The decree also enjoins the defendants from continuing
to engage in certain trade practices previously found to be
illegal. Specifically banned are the fixing of minimum ad-
mission prices; the maintenance of a system of clearance;
the granting of unreasonable clearance between theatres not
in substantial competition; performing existing franchises
or granting new ones, except to enable an independent ex-
hibitor to compete with either an affiliated theatre or one
owned by a circuit resulting from the divorcement; making
or performing formula deals or master agreements; and
conditioning the licensing of one picture upon the licensing
of one or more other pictures.

The decree also directs the defendants to offer each of
their pictures theatre by theatre and without discrimination.

The Court handed down a separate decree for the "Little
Three" defendants in which is imposed the same restraints
placed on the major defendants, except that they are not
enjoined, as the Government requested, from acquisition of
theatres in the future.

Because of the fact that the decree was handed down just
prior to our going to press, Harrison's Reports has not
had sufficient time for a studied analysis. In subsequent
issues, however, it will publish opinions from different ex-
hibitor leaders and discuss in detail the different highlights
that are of interest to all independent exhibitors.

SPYROS SKOURAS' VIEWPOINT ON
THEATRE BUDGET CONTROL

20th Century-Fox Film Corporation
44 West 56th Street
New York 19, N. Y.

January 31, 1950

Mr. P. S. Harrison
Harrison's Reports
1270 Sixth Avenue
New York 20, N. Y.
Dear Pete :

I have read and digested your article GUIDE TO
THEATRE BUDGET CONTROL in the January 14 issue,
and I strongly believe that it is unjust and unfair to give
the impression that only 25% of the total theatre budget is
adequate for film rental.

In my opinion, a flat limit of this kind eventually would
destroy the film producing and distributing companies, and
naturally the theatre men would suffer.

You make quite a liberal allowance for other expendi-
tures in the tables you present in your article. I think these
allowances are too liberal because I have checked the items
of Rent, Taxes and Insurance, Heat, Light and Power and
find that they are higher than average.

When I state the opinion that the producing companies
would be damaged greatly by such a limit, I have in mind
the present costs of picture production and the more exact-
ing public demand for good subjects, good stories and real
quality in a screen framework properly conceived, planned
and directed. You have been one of the most severe critics
of any picture not containing these ingredients, but I know
you would be one of the first to deplore any depreciation in
quality of the boxoffice values.

I doubt whether there is any theatre of any type which
can book first class motion pictures, including shorts, for
the small percentage of gross that you stipulate, and there
is no film company engaged in "A" production which can
provide first class motion pictures for this kind of revenue.

As you know, I do not speak merely from the point of
view of the producing and distributing companies, but as
one you will credit with having the best interests of the
whole industry at heart.

Moreover, I have spent more years as an exhibitor than
in my present field, which also includes large responsibili-
ties in connection with the operation of quite a large circuit
of theatres.

Naturally, if my wish were father to my thought, I would
prefer, if it were possible, for this business to operate on a
basis whereby the film companies could afford to rent these
pictures for as low as 25% of the gross including shorts,
and the full program requirements, but unfortunately,
present day costs do not permit this.

(Continued on bac\ page)

22

HARRISON'S REPORTS

February 11, 1950

"Three Came Home" with Claudette
Colbert, Patric Knowles and
Sessue Hayakawa

(20th Century-Fox, no rel. date set; time, 106 win.)

Based on Agnes Newton Keith's widely-read autobio-
graphical book, "Three Came Home" is a stirring factual
drama of the harrowing experiences undergone by herself,
her husband and child, as well as 24 other wives, 45 white
men and 11 children, as prisoners of the Japanese during
the occupation of British North Borneo in the recent con'
flict. It is not, of course, a cheerful entertainment, but it has
been presented so skillfully and with such conviction and
realism that it grips one's attention throughout and keeps
one gulping because of its emotional impact.

Covering the period from 1940 to the end of the war,
the story is a heart-rending depiction of the anxiety, misery
and grief suffered by the white colonists stationed in San-
dakan as they awaited the Japanese occupation after the
attack on Pearl Harbor, and later as they were evacuated to
prison camps, with the men and women and children im'
prisoned separately. One feels keenly the heart-breaking
partings between the men and their loved ones, each fearful
of the fate in store for the other. Particularly realistic are
the scenes of the prison camps in which the women and
children, deathly ill most of the time, live in filth, hunger
and degradation throughout their years of imprisonment.
Several of the Japanese captors are shown as stern but hu-
mane, but a number of them are depicted as fiends, utterly
heartless in their brutal treatment of the women. The bestial
cruelties they subject the women to from time to time are
enough to make one's blood curdle. Most of the action is so
grim that the few light touches of comedy here and there
come as a welcome relief. The closing scenes, where the im-
prisoned husbands and wives are reunited after being
liberated by American and Australian troops, will bring tears
to the eyes of even the most hardened spectator.

Every one in the competent cast performs excellently
under the inspired direction of Jean Nugelesco. Claudette
Colbert, as Mrs. Keith, the American wife of a British
official, endows the role with understanding, sympathy and
courage, turning in one of the finest performances of her
career. Particularly noteworthy is the outstanding work of
Sessue Hayakawa, as a stern but humane Japanese colonel.
All in all, it is a powerful dramatic story, one that will im-
press itself indelibly on all who will see it.

Nunnally Johnson wrote the screen play and produced it.

Best suited for mature audiences because of the grim sub-
ject matter.

"Unmasked" with Raymond Burr,
Barbara Fuller and Robert Rockwell

(Republic. January 30; time, 60 min.)

Just a minor program picture. It is a crime melodrama, one
that would not be missed if it had never been made, for the
contrived story is neither realistic nor convincing, and the
treatment is totally lacking in originality. It has all the ear-
marks of "quickie," and it is doubtful if even the un-
discriminating audiences will take an interest in the pro-
ceedings, for it offers little that is exciting. The direction
and acting are no more than adequate: —

Raymond Burr, publisher of a scandal sheet, tricks gullible
women into investing in his venture. Hillary Brooke, his
latest conquest, who was married to Paul Harvey, once a
top-flight producer, looks forward to divorcing her husband
with expectations of marrying Burr. Harvey quarrels with
Hillary and takes away the jewels he had given to her lest
they find their way into Burr's hands. Burr, learning of
Harvey's action, murders Hillary to destroy evidence of how
much money he owed her, then cleverly pins suspicion for
the crime on Harvey. Fearing that he will be charged with
the murder, the aging producer goes into hiding. He falls
prey to Norman Budd, a small-time crook who was secretly
in the pay of Burr, and gives him the jewels to raise enough
money to secure the services of a good lawyer. Meanwhile
Barbara Fuller, Harvey's daughter by a previous marriage,
starts a search for her father with the aid of detective Robert

Rockwell. Unable to stand the pressure when the police
locate him, Harvey commits suicide. Budd, having possession
of the jewels, offers to sell them to John Eldredge, a gang-
ster, who agrees to buy them if Budd would help in a prison
break planned for Eldredge's younger brother. Burr, learn-
ing of the planned break from Budd, informs the district
attorney so as to appear like a good citizen. Forewarned, the
prison officials kill Eldredge's brother when he attempts to
break out. Eldredge, discovering the source of the leak, kills
Budd and plots to get Burr. He kidnaps Barbara and, using
her as bait, lures Burr to a seashore hideout. There, Eldredge
plans to kill them both, thus avenging his brother's death
and at the same time ridding himself of the only persons who
knew that he had the jewels. But Rockwell, who had been
trailing Barbara, arrives on the scene and, after a bitter fight
in which Eldredge and Burr are killed, rescues Barbara.

It was produced by Stephen Auer and directed by George
Blair from a screen play by Albert DeMond and Norman S.
Hall, based on a story by Manuel Seff and Paul Yawitz.

Adult fare.

"Young Man with a Horn" with
Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall
and Doris Day

(Warner Bros., no rel. date set; time, 112 min.)

Centering around the rise and downfall of an outstanding
trumpet player, "Young Man with a Horn" is a compelling
drama, best suited for adult audiences. Kirk Douglas, whose
first acting chore this is since his role as the prizefighter in
"Champion," comes through with another fine performance
as the jazz musician who lives only for his trumpet playing
until an unfortunate marriage leads him into alcoholism.
Much of the story's strong emotional punch is derived from
his sensitive, pathetic portrayal. An outstanding feature of
the film is the excellent trumpet playing of popular songs
that is heard throughout the proceedings. This music is the
work of Harry James, who is not seen on the screen, but
Douglas' lip movements and fingering of the instrument is
a perfect job of synchronization. Excellent work is turned
in by Doris Day, as a sympathetic singer who gives Douglas
his fir6t break; Juano Hernandez, as a kindly Negro musician
who teaches Douglas how to play the trumpet; and Hoagy
Carmichael, as a piano player who becomes Douglas' pal.
Lauren Bacall, as the sophisticated neurotic Douglas marries,
overacts the part badly: —

As a youngster, Douglas is attracted to the music played
by a colored band headed by Hernandez, who recognizes that
the boy has talent and teaches him to play the trumpet. He
separates from Hernandez at the age of twenty to take a job
with a dance orchestra on the road. He becomes friendly
with Hoagy Carmichael, the pianist, and Doris Day, the
vocalist, who falls in love with him but realizes that his
music was uppermost in his mind. Douglas loses his job
when he insists upon playing the music as he feels it and
not as it is written. After months of playing in cheap saloons,
he goes to New York. There he finds Doris, now a headliner,
who takes him to a small cafe where Hernandez and his
band were playing. Hernandez, aging fast and no longer a
great trumpeter, invites Douglas to play with the band. His
brilliant playing is heard by Jerome Cowan, a famous band
leader, who gives him a contract. Douglas soon becomes a
star attraction, but he religiously goes to the small cafe every
night to play with Hernandez and boost his fading morale.
Doris introduces him to Lauren Bacall, a magnetic but neu-
rotic girl, and before long their meeting develops into a
frantic love affair, ending with their marriage. They live
happily for the first few months until Lauren, tiring of
Douglas, becomes restless. She leaves him after a violent
quarrel. He takes to drink after the breakup, neglects his
friends, and forsakes his music. Penniless and ill, he eventu-
ally lands in an alcoholic ward, where he is found by Hoagy
and Doris. They nurse him back to health and get him to
start life anew with his beloved trumpet.

It was produced by Jerry Wald and directed by Michael
Curtiz from a screen play by Carl Foreman and Edmund H.
North, based on the novel by Dorothy Baker.

Adult fare.

February 11, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

23

"Conspirator" with Robert Taylor
and Elizabeth Taylor

(MGM, March; time, 87 mm.)
Produced by MGM in England, this is a fairly interesting
but tragic melodrama, revolving around a young bride's
horror when she discovers that her husband, a British officer,
is a secret Communist agent .The story is somewhat weak in
that the characterization of the husband lacks proper motiva-
tion. Moreover, the part of the story that deals with his
efforts to "liquidate" his bride because of her discovery is
lacking in sufficient suspense. Elizabeth Taylor, as the bride,
does very well in her first mature role, but Robert Taylor,
as her traitorous husband, is handicapped by a role that lacks
conviction. His suicide at the finish makes for an unhappy
ending: —

Elizabeth, an American girl visiting England, falls madly
in love with Taylor, a Major in the British Army, after
meeting him at an elaborate ball. They marry after a whirl'
wind courtship, but before long Elizabeth's happiness is
marred by Taylor's strange behavior every time he receives
an unsigned postcard bearing a photograph of the Tower of
London. At such times he immediately left home for the
night, explaining that he had to visit a sick friend. Actually,
Taylor was a Communist spy in the pay of the Soviet Gov-
ernment, to which he delivered top military secrets, and the
postcards were a summons to a meeting. One day Elizabeth
accidentally comes across a letter revealing Taylor as a
traitor. Disillusioned and shocked, but still in love with him,
Elizabeth makes him promise to quit the Party immediately.
Instead, Taylor notifies the Party leaders that his wife now
knew his secret, and asks for instructions. They direct that
he kill his wife immediately. He arranges to take her on a
hunting trip, during which he fires his gun at her, but the
shot goes wild. He dismisses the shooting as an accident,
but Elizabeth suspects the truth. Displeased at his failure,
the Party leaders warn Taylor to either "liquidate" Eliza-
beth at once or prepare to lose his own life. He goes home
to carry out the instructions, but Elizabeth escapes from him
and returns later with his regimental colonel. Aware that
she had turned on him, Taylor commits suicide. The colonel
then informs Elizabeth that Army Intelligence had long been
aware of Taylor's activities, and had planted fake informa-
tion for him to transmit to the Russians. He asks, however,
that she keep this information secret along with the true
reason for his suicide, and to let the world believe that he
had killed himself because she had left him.

It was produced by Arthur Hornblow, Jr., and directed
by Victor Saville, from a screen play by Sally Benson, based
on the novel by Humphrey Slater.

Unobjectionable morally.

"The Eagle and the Hawk" with
John Payne, Rhonda Fleming
and Dennis O'Keefe

(Paramount, May; time, 104 min.)

Although photographed in Technicolor, this western-type
melodrama is only mildly diverting. The story, besides being
flimsy, is too long drawn out and is developed in the main by
dialogue instead of by action; for this reason one's interest
lags. Moreover, the characterizations are trite and unbe-
lievable. The picture has its quota of gunplay and fisticuffs,
but in between such action moments the proceedings are
rather dull. It may get by with those who are not too exact-
ing in their demands, but discriminating movie-goers are
likely to be less tolerant of its faults: —

In the development of the story, which takes place during
the Civil War, Dennis O'Keefe, a Yankee spy captured by
the Confederates, is rescued by John Payne, a Texas Ranger,
who delivers him to the Governor of Texas. Both are as-
signed on a mission to investigate an army formed on the
Mexican border by General Thomas Gomez for the purpose
of fostering an attack on Texas in behalf of Juarez, the
Mexican patriot. O'Keefe and Payne were to obtain evidence
to prove to Gomez that the aid he was getting in the way of
money and arms came, not from Juarez, but from the French,
who were plotting to down Juarez and bring in Maxmillian
as emperor. On their way to Corrales, both men encounter

Rhonda Fleming and help her to repair her carriage, which
had lost a wheel. Later they learn that she is the wife of
Fred Clark, who was supplying the money for Gomez's army.
In the events that follow, Payne obtains a job with Clark
and breaks into a "forbidden" building where he discovers
a huge supply of French arms hidden. He is almost caught,
but Rhonda, by this time in love with him, helps him to
escape. Payne heads for Gomez' camp to meet O'Keefe, who
had gone there to talk to the General. Amazed by what they
tell him about Clark, Gomez demands proof. Both men re-
turn to Clark's encampment, and while O'Keefe blows up
the ammunition building Payne goes through Clark's files
and obtains letters proving him to be an agent of the French.
In the ensuing excitement Clark captures Payne, but O'Keefe
comes to his rescue, sacrificing his life in the process. A gun
duel takes place between Gomez and Clark, with both men
dying. Rhonda, now free, heads for Texas with Payne.

It was produced by William H. Pine and William C.
Thomas, and directed by Lewis R. Foster from a screen play
he wrote in collaboration with Geoffrey Homes, based on a
story by Jess Arnold.

There are no objectionable situations.

"Champagne for Caesar" with
Ronald Colman and Celeste Holm

(United Artists, no rel. date set; time, 99 min.)

A mirthful comedy farce. It should go over well with all
types of audiences because of the highly amusing ribbing it
gives to radio and television double-or-nothing quiz shows.
The satirical story is, of course, far-fetched, for no less than
a $40,000,000 prize hinges on the correct answer to a ques-
tion, but those who are willing to stretch the imagination a
bit should find the proceedings pleasantly funny and at times
quite hilarious. Ronald Colman is smooth as the scholarly
gentleman who wants to put an end to quiz shows by win-
ning everything the sponsor owns. In contrast to Colman's
quiet humor, the broad slapstick antics of Vincent Price, as
the frantic soap tycoon and sponsor of the show, are ex-
tremely laugh-provoking, as are the tricks employed by
Celeste Holm, a sort of "Mata Hari," hired by Price to upset
Colman emotionally : —

Colman, whose chief interest in life is the pursuit of
knowledge, lives with Barbara Britton, his sister. While
watching a television quiz show with Art Linkletter, Colman,
disgusted, calls him the forerunner of intellectual destruc-
tion in America. On the following day Colman applies for
a job with a soap company owned by Vincent Price, but he
fails to get the job when their personalities clash. He dis-
covers, however, that Price's soap company sponsored Link-
letter's quiz show, and decides to even matters. He shows up
on the next show as a contestant and, after answering all the
questions correctly, refuses to accept his winnings of $160,
insisting upon returning the following week to try and
double the winnings. Linkletter accepts the proposition at
the urging of the audience. For several weeks Colman keeps
doubling his money and Price is delighted because of the
resultant publicity and the increase in sales, but when the
winnings reach a total of more than $40,000 he becomes
concerned and cancels the program. But the public's refusal
to buy his soap compels him to resume the program. Colman
continues to double his winnings, and when he reaches
$2,000,000 Price becomes frantic. He engages Celeste Holm
to make Colman fall in love with her and then to drop him
abruptly in the hope that the shock will muddle his mind.
But the effort fails, and in due time Colman works himself
up to the $40,000,000 question, which, if answered cor-
rectly, would give him the soap company. The final program
is staged in the Hollywood Bowl, where Colman, after hav-
ing answered the most complex questions, misses when he is
asked what his social security number is. It all ends happily,
however, with Colman and Celeste heading for Las Vagas
to be wed, accompanied by Barbara and Linkletter, who, too,
had fallen in love.

It is a Harry M. Popkin production, produced by George
Moskov and directed by Richard Whorf from a story and
screen play by Hans Jacoby and Fred Brady.

Unobjectionable morally.

24

HARRISON'S REPORTS

February 11, 1950

What alarms me about the item in the article "Film
Rentals including shorts 2?%" is that some gullible exhibi'
tors around the country will jump at conclusions and accept
this as a yardstick based upon thorough investigation.
Whereas, in fact, it is an erroneous assumption.

Had you studied the actual facts before issuing this
statement to see to what an extent production is entitled to
profit, I think the conclusion would have been quite a
different one. Your figures show the exhibitor is entitled to
10% of the gross and it is broken down enough to show
that you have made somewhat liberal allowances, as I have
said, on other expenditures. But no analysis is given as to
the producers' overhead and I think that such a breakdown
would show that 25% does not even pay the cost of his
negative.

To be fair, I would suggest that the best way to correct

the impression you have given is to solicit accurate infor'
mation from a number of exhibitors in various sections of
the country representing theatres of various types and sizes
in a wide variety of communities, and including first and
subsequent runs. In this way your readers would get an
accurate picture and not a misleading one, as in your article
of January 14.
Kindest regards.

Sincerely,

(signed ) Spyros P. Skouras

SPS:GL

EAGLE LION NOW FINANCIALLY
SOUND

In a recent talk with the trade press in Hollywood, William
J. Heineman, Eagle Lion's vice-president in charge of sales,
and William C. MacMillen, Jr., vice-president in charge of
operations, stated that the financial condition of the com-
pany has never been any better.

Eagle Lion is now in a position to make any kind of
satisfactory deal with independent producers for release of
their pictures through its distributing organization, and the
company soon will be able to produce some of its own pic-
tures. To date, thirty-six independently produced pictures
are on the company's 1950 release schedule, ten of which
have been completed.

Mr. Heineman, in enumerating the outstanding pictures
his company will release this year, said that he was con-
fident that the weekly receipts will be far higher than they
have been at any other time in the past.

The prosperity of a producing-distributing company is
beneficial, not only to the company itself but also to every
exhibitor, for it means a larger number of meritorious pic-
tures to select from.

Harrison's Reports is glad that the future of Eagle
Lion seems bright.

A NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS

If you are a subscriber and you happen to receive a cir'
cular soliciting your subscription, please disregard it.

Every effort is made to exclude the names of subscribers
from the list of exhibitors to whom circulars are sent, but
the list is so large that, no matter how carefully the work is
done, the name of a subscriber is sometimes included.

"Cry Murder" with Carole Mathews
and Jack Lord

(Film Classics, January; time, 63 min.)

"Cry Murder" measures up as a mildly interesting pro-
gram murder-mystery melodrama involving blackmail. Its
only claim to distinction is that it was shot on location in
New York City. Otherwise, the poorly constructed plot is
never convincing, and it is given more to talk than to action.
Moreover, the direction is ordinary and so is the acting.
Most of the excitement occurs in the final scenes, where the
villain, trapped by the police, shoots it out with them on the
steps of New York's General Post Office building, but even
this sequence has a ludicrous touch because of the fact that
the background shows several policemen directing traffic,
completely oblivious to all the shooting taking place within
one hundred feet of them: —

Having given up her screen career to marry Eugene
Smith, an aspiring young politician, Carole Mathews finds
herself hounded by Howard Smith, her father-in-law, who
disapproved of his son's marriage. Complications arise when
Jack Lord, a second-rate artist, accidentally obtains love
letters written to Carole by a former suitor and starts to

blackmail her. Her father-in-law becomes suspicious when
Lord starts coming to Carole's home to collect his blackmail
money. His efforts to instill doubt in his son's mind about
Carole's fidelity bear fruit when Eugene overhears her
making an appointment to meet Lord in his studio. Carole
finds Lord drunk and, as she fights off his advances, Hope
Miller, Lord's hot-tempered girl-friend, arrives. She throws
a bottle at Lord, missing him but hitting Carole and knock-
ing her unconscious. Regaining consciousness, Carole, in a
daze, finds Lord murdered and notices some one in a check-
ered pair of trousers hurrying out of the room. Tom Ahearne,
a private detective hired by Carole's father-in-law to trail her,
enters the studio and, after hearing Carole's story, agrees to
help her look for the killer. Meanwhile Eugene, having
followed Carole to the studio, believes that she had com-
mitted the murder. To cover up for her, he "confesses" to
the police and is arrested. In the events that follow, Carole
discovers that the identity of the man with the checkered
trousers is Harry Clark, a bartender, who had learned Lord's
source of blackmail and had killed him to carry on the ex-
tortion himself. She reveals her findings to the police and
helps them to set up an elaborate trap, whereby he meets his
end in a gun duel with the police on the post office steps.
Reunited with Carole, Eugene makes it clear that he will not
permit his father to interfere with their marriage again.

It was produced by Edward Leven and directed by Jack
Glenn from a screen play by James Carhartt and Nicholas
Winter, based on a play by A. B. Shiffrin.

Adult fare.

"Father is a Bachelor" with William Holden
and Coleen Gray

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 84 min.)
A heart-warming comedy-drama, with considerable hu-
man interest. Set against an old-fashioned village back-
ground, and revolving around the conversion of a footloose,
carefree young man into a family man with the responsi-
bility of five orphans on his hands, the story is rather thin,
but its human appeal and brand of comedy should entertain
family audiences in small-town theatres. The more sophisti-
cated big-city audiences, however, will probably find it too
draggy and "sticky." There is considerable pathos in some
of the situations, and William Holden's devotion to the un-
derprivileged children, and his efforts to care for their needs,
are the reasons for the strong human appeal. Parts of the
story are silly; as for instance, Holden's being practically
forced into agreeing to marry a middle-aged spinster in
order to save the children from an orphanage. There is much
comedy and some excitement in the sequence where Holden
thrashes the town's wealthiest man for insulting the chil-
dren : —

Holden, an entertainer in a fake medicine show owned
by Charles Winninger, finds himself stranded in a small
village when Winninger is arrested and sentenced to thirty
days in jail. He decides to fish and rest until Winninger is
released. Returning from a day on the river with a catch of
fish, Holden comes across a family of five children who in-
vite him to share his fish with them in their ramshackle
cabin. Later he learns from 12-year-old Gary Grey, the eldest
of the children, that their parents had died six months pre-
viously in a steamboat accident, a fact they had kept secret
lest they all be sent to an orphanage. Gary pleads with
Holden to pose as their "uncle" to prevent action by the
authorities. Holden balks at the idea, but when Coleen Gray,
a member of the school board, comes to investigate the
cause of the children's absence from school, he comes to
their rescue. This gesture begins his conversion into a fam-
ily man, and he obtains a job to earn enough money to feed
and clothe them. Pride in his new-found family impells
Holden to give Frederic Tozere, the wealthiest man in
town, a sound thrashing for calling the children "river-
bottom trash." Tozere has him arrested for assault and
battery. Coleen, by this time in love with Holden, bails him
out. Clinton Sundberg, Tozere's lawyer, investigates Holden's
background and, upon learning that he is not the children's
uncle, uses the information to blackmail him into agreeing
to marry one of his spinster sisters lest the children be sent
to an orphanage. Meanwhile Winninger, released from jail,
takes matters in hand. Through some sly doings he induces
Holden's intended bride to toss a coin with Coleen for
Holden's hand. Coleen wins, and she looks forward to
becoming the mother of Holden's adopted waifs.

It was produced by S. Sylvan Simon and directed by
Norman Foster and Abby Berlin, from a story by James
Edward Grant, who collaborated on the screen play with
Aleen Leslie.

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1W6.

Harrison's Reports

Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by

United States $15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison's Reports, Inc.,

U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 M y « v Publisher

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35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor.

A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1950 No. 7

20TH CENTURY-FOX CHICAGO
EXHIBITOR MEETING INTELLIGENT
STEP FORWARD

To explore and discuss new methods of showman'
ship for increasing national attendance at the theatres,
and to win new movie-goers, Spyros P. Skouras, presi-
dent of 20th Century-Fox, announced this week that
his company will hold a two-day showmanship and
merchandising meeting at the Drake Hotel in Chi-
cago, on March 8 and 9, to which more than two
hundred leading exhibitors of the United States and
Canada have been invited.

Invitations have been issued to a cross-section of
representative exhibitors of large and small circuits
and large and small independents, including regional
and national trade leaders of Theatre Owners of
America; Allied States Association; Pacific Coast
Conference of Independent Theatre Owners; and
the national trade press.

The company, which is defraying all expenses,
including transportation, is hoping that every ex-
change area in the United States and Canada will be
represented at the meeting, thus making it one of the
largest and most diversified exhibitor gatherings ever
to have been assembled by a film company under one
roof.

Mr. Skouras stated that it is the intention of his
company to present a definite plan at the meeting
"for encouraging and re- vitalizing showmanship
methods throughout the country, based on the prob-
lems and conclusions formed at the company's recent
merchandising meetings which were held with thea-
tre advertising heads."

The overall pattern of the Chicago sessions, said
Mr. Skouras, will be an extension of the program
involved in the company's "Clear Statement of Pol-
icy," announced last May, wherein it took cognizance
of the importance of stimulating public interest in
motion pictures to attract the greatest number of
people to the theatres' box-offices.

The agenda will include discussions on showman-
ship; merits of saturation bookings; and institutional
merchandising for the benefit of the individual ex-
hibitor, as well as the industry as a whole.

Methods for attracting "new-found" a»diences will
be presented, and included in this category will be
practical methods for building a future audience
through children's matinees, student admissions, and
other activities aimed at increasing youth attendance
at the theatres.

Mr. Skouras made it clear that the Chicago con-
clave will not be a sales meeting, and that a discussion

of trade practices will be avoided, if possible. The
purpose of the meeting, he said, is to present to the
exhibitors a practical plan for increasing theatre at-
tendance through showmanship and merchandising
ideas compiled by the company as a result of the
meetings held with the theatre advertising heads, and
to give the exhibitors attending the Chicago sessions
an opportunity to express their own ideas at an open
forum.

In these days of declining box-office receipts, when
the trend on the part of some producer-distributors
as well as exhibitors is to economize and retrench, the
action of 20th Century-Fox in sponsoring an exhibi-
tor showmanship meeting, at great expense to itself,
is indeed heartening and commendable. Competition
for the public's amusement dollar is intense, and the
need for new and practical ideas through which to
sell the theatres and their attractions is greater than
ever.

It is estimated that, of the 150,000,000 people in
the United States, some 100,000,000 are potential
movie-goers, but according to several distribution ex-
ecutives no more than thirteen to fifteen million
people ever get to see a particular picture. That
leaves a vast number of 85,000,000 from which to re-
cruit new and "lost" movie-goers, and to bring them
to the box-office will require constructive planning of
a program aimed at widening public interest in mo-
tion pictures. And that is the objective of the Chicago
meeting.

Spyros Skouras and the other able 20th Century-
Fox executives are to be congratulated, not only for
recognizing that showmanship, properly applied, is
the essence of our business, but also for doing some-
thing positive about it. Both the exhibitors and 20th
Century-Fox, as well as the industry as a whole, can-
not help but benefit from this intelligent step forward.

REMBUSCH ALLIED'S NEW PRESIDENT

Trueman T. Rembusch, head of the Indiana Allied
unit, has been elected president of the national or-
ganization by the Allied board of directors at their
mid-winter meeting in Washington, D. C, held on
February 9 and 10. He succeeds William L. Ains-
worth, of Milwaukee.

Abram F. Myers was again reelected as chairman
of the board and general counsel.

Charles Niles, of die Iowa-Nebraska unit, was
elected treasurer, succeeding Rembusch, and Irving
Dollinger, of New Jersey Allied, was elected secre-
tary, succeeding Niles. Stanley D. Kane, of North
Central Allied, was reelected as recording secretary.
(Continued on bac\ page)

26

HARRISON'S REPORTS

February 18, 1950

"Stromboli" with Ingrid Bergman

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 81 min.)
Whatever success this picture will have at the box'
office will depend mainly on the curiosity that has
been aroused as a result of the wide publicity given to
the scandalous affair between Ingrid Bergman, the
star, and Roberto Rossellini, the director. As enter'
tainment, it does have a few moments of distinction,
but on the whole it is a dull slowpaced piece, badly
edited and mediocre in writing, direction and acting.
It is a vague, episodic character study of a despondent
but not sympathetic woman, hardly of the type that
will appeal to the general run of moviegoers, for it
leaves one emotionally cold. It may, of course, do
fairly well in the early runs because of the current
interest in the Bergman-Rossellini scandal, but un'
favorable word-of-mouth undoubtedly will hurt the
picture's chances in the subsequent'runs. Many local
religious and civic groups throughout the country are
opposing exhibition of the film because of the per'
sonal conduct of Miss Bergman and Rossellini.
Whether or not an exhibitor should bow to this pres-
sure is a matter he must decide for himself.

The story, which is set on the bleak, volcanic island
of Stromboli, depicts Miss Bergman as a disheartened
woman in a displaced persons1 camp outside of Rome.
To get out of the hated camp, she accepts the marriage
proposal of Mario Vitale, a former Italian soldier,
who yearned to return to his home on Stromboli,
where he had earned a living as a simple fisherman
prior to the war, and which he describes to her as a
place of beauty. Arriving on the island, she finds it
to be an ugly, barren wasteland, inhabited by primi'
tive people who led a primitive existence. Having
known a better, more civilized way of life, she makes
no secret of her distaste for the island and its people.
Her attitude provokes the resentment of the other
villagers, who begin to look upon her as a woman of
questionable morals because of her failure to adhere
to time-honored traditions, and because of several
compromising but perfectly innocent incidents. Her
husband, having become the butt of unkind remarks
by the villagers, beats her savagely. Despite her
anguish, however, she grows to love her husband and
in due time finds herself pregnant. But she resolves to
flee from the island after a violent eruption of its
active volcano causes havoc and destitution. She
makes an unsuccessful play for the island's priest in
an effort to get his help. Failing this, she succeeds in
seducing a young lighthouse keeper, who gives her
money and points out a mountain route over which
she can get to another town to obtain passage to the
mainland. The route takes her near the mouth of the
volcano, where she falls unconscious after being over'
come by the smoke and gasses. On awakening and
finding the day bright and clear, she sees beauty in
the island, becomes regenerated and, realizing that her
place is with her husband, returns to him.

It is a choppy, synthetic story, not always under-
standable, and the characterizations are neither sym'
pathetic nor believable. Except for Miss Bergman, all
the other players are Italian, and considerable use is
made of their native tongue. To the picture's credit
is a fine sequence of an actual tuna fishing expedition.
The eruption of the volcano is vividly depicted. The
original screen play was written by Rossellini in col-
laboration with Art Cohn, Renzo Cesana, Sergio
Amidei and G. P. Callegari. Strictly adult fare.

"The Astonished Heart" with Noel Coward
and Celia Johnson

(Univ.-Int'l, February; time, 92 min.)
This British-made domestic triangle drama is en-
tertainment chiefly for high-class audiences. The story,
which revolves around the mental torment of a Lon-
don psychiatrist who is torn between love for his
understanding wife and his passionate desire for a
vivacious blonde, has an unreal, theatrical quality,
but those who enjoy polished performances and smart,
intelligent dialogue may be willing to overlook the
artificiality of the plot. Its reception by the rank and
file is doubtful, for it is all talk and no action, and
makes no concessions to mass appeal : —

Noel Coward, a famous psychiatrist, takes his
professional work very seriously and lives quietly and
affectionately with Celia Johnson, whom he had
married twelve years previously. One day Celia meets
by chance Margaret Leighton, an old school chum,
a vivacious divorcee who believed in having a good
time. She visits Celia's home and, when Coward, an
austere fellow, pays little attention to her, she de-
termines to captivate him. The opportunity presents
itself when Celia is suddenly called out of town and
Coward invites her to the theatre. She makes Coward
fall in love with her and, much to her own surprise,
finds herself sincerely in love with him. Returning
home, Celia finds the affair well under way, but,
realizing that he was torn between his deep affection
for her and his passionate desire for Margaret, she
suggests that he go away with Margaret and to come
back to her only when he feels sure that he has gotten
Margaret out of his system and can settle down prop-
erly. Coward and Margaret accept Celia's noble ges-
ture, but soon after they go away together they do
nothing but quarrel, chiefly because of Coward's in-
sane jealousy. His attitude causes Margaret to tire of
him rapidly. They separate, and Coward returns
home, but he becomes a mental wreck, unable to
concentrate on his work. He makes one last desperate
effort to re-establish his relationship with Margaret
when she returns to London, but she tells him that
her love for him is dead. Frustrated and ashamed to
face Celia, Coward commits suicide by leaping from
the roof of his apartment building.

It was produced by Antony Daraborough, who co-
directed it with Terence Fisher, from a screen play
by Noel Coward.

Adult fare.

"Guilty Bystander" with Faye Emerson,
Zachary Scott and Mary Boland

(Film Classics, January; time, 92 min.)
Patrons who enjoy suspense melodramas should
find this one engrossing, despite the complex story. It
is a well made production, capably directed and acted.
The mood is grim and the action, at times, violent, but
it grips one's attention because of the constant danger
to the hero, a former policeman given to drink, who
is sobered into quick action when his young son is
kidnapped and used as a pawn by a gang of smugglers.
The fact that the identity of the person responsible
for the kidnapping is not revealed until the finish gives
the plot an intriguing touch of mystery. Much of
the action has been filmed against actual New York
backgrounds, giving the proceedings a realistic qual-

February 18, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

27

ity. A highly exciting sequence is a chase through the
subway, during which the hero and one of the vil-
lains barely escape being run down by the roaring
trains. The photography is exceptionally good: — ■

Zachary Scott, an ex'cop and dipsomaniac, is em'
ployed as a house detective in a cheap hotel operated
by Mary Boland. While sleeping off a drunken binge,
Scott is visited by Faye Emerson, his divorced wife,
who informs him that their young son had been kid'
napped. She explains that the child was last seen with
her brother, who, too, had disappeared, while on an
errand for Jed Prouty, a shady doctor. Scott hurriedly
visits Prouty, only to be drugged by him. Later Prouty
is found murdered, and Scott, picked up by the police
in a dazed condition, is charged with the killing.
But Sam Levene, head of the homicide bureau and
an old friend, releases him after Faye provides an
alibi. Assembling numerous clues, Scott deduces that
the murdered doctor was involved in a diamond
smuggling deal, and that he could find his son if he
could learn the identity of a mysterious person known
as "Saint Paul." Miss Boland, a shrewd woman long
intimate with underworld characters, sends Scott to
J. Edward Bromberg, a big-time smuggler, for help.
He receives no cooperation from Bromberg, but while
visiting him he meets Kay Medford, a woman of loose
morals, whom he tricks into revealing the whereabouts
of his brother-in-law, held captive by Bromberg. He
heads for the hiding place, only to be intercepted and
shot down by two of Bromberg's henchmen. He man-
ages to move about despite his injuries and, after a
series of incidents, finds Bromberg murdered. An-
other clue, however, leads him back to Miss Bolands
hotel. There he finds his son and his brother-in-law,
and discovers that "Saint Paul" is none other than
Miss Boland herself, and that she had engineered the
kidnapping of his son to compel Faye's brother to
turn over a package of jewels entrusted in his care by
Prouty. Scott brings about her arrest, rejoins the
police force, and becomes reconciled with Faye.

Joseph Lerner directed the picture and co-produced
it with Rex Carlton, from a screen play by Don Ett-
linger, based on the novel by Wade Miller. Edmund
L. Dorfman was executive producer.

Adult fare.

"The Yellow Cab Man" with Red Skelton,
Gloria DeHaven, Walter Slezak,
Edward Arnold and James Gleason

(MGM, April; time, 85 mm.)
A good slapstick comedy, fast-paced and packed
with situations that should garner a rich harvest of
laughs. As a zany inventor who is swept up in a
series of comic and melodramatic episodes when he
becomes a cab driver, Red Skelton is cast in a part
that gives him ample opportunity to display his com-
edy talents to the fullest, and he does a standout job.
The manner in which he gets himself involved in all
sorts of whacky complications is highly hilarious, and
for the most part his antics will be greeted with howls
of laughter, even though the story makes little sense.
If "The Fuller Brush Man" clicked with your patrons,
this comedy, too, should go over with them in a
big way.

There are so many complications to the nonsensical

but amusing story that it defies synopsis. Briefly,
however, it has Skelton as a sort of "Rube Goldberg"
inventor who is always becoming involved in acci-
dents. He becomes acquainted with Gloria DeHaven,
an insurance adjuster for a taxicab company, who,
after learning that he had invented unbreakable glass
for windshields, arranges for him to demonstrate the
invention to the president of the company. But Ed-
ward Arnold, an ambulance-chasing lawyer, learns
of his invention, too, and he immediately puts into
operation a plan that causes the demonstration to
prove a failure, thus giving him time to try and gain
control of it himself. Shortly thereafter, Skelton, with
the aid of Gloria and of James Gleason, is given a job
as a cab driver with the company. He gets himself into
all sorts of jams with the passengers on his first day.
Meanwhile Arnold, unable to duplicate the sample
of glass he had managed to steal from Skelton, resorts
to another plan: He frames him on a fake accident
charge, hoping that he will settle the suit by revealing
the formula for making the unbreakable glass. Before
long Skelton becomes involved in a series of mad
events as a result of the machinations of Walter Sle-
zak, a fake psychiatrist, and Jay C. Flippen, a thug,
both Arnold's henchmen, and to add to his woes they
frame him for a murder committed by Arnold. He
discovers Arnold's guilt, however, and from then on
the proceedings turn into slapstick in its broadest
form, with bedlam breaking loose as Skelton and
Gloria are pursued through a huge exhibition hall
containing a home furnishings show. It all ends well
when a fleet of taxicabs and their drivers, summoned
by Gleason, converge on the exhibition hall and cap-
ture the villains.

It was produced by Richard Goldstone and di-
rected by Jack Donahue from a story by Devery
Freeman, who collaborated on the screen play with
Albert Beich.

Fine for the entire family.

A TEST OF SHOWMANSHIP

Abram F. Myers, Chairman of COMPO's Com-
mittee on Taxation and Legislation, issued the follow-
ing statement this week, under the above heading:

"The campaign against the federal admission tax
has served to emphasize the importance of showman-
ship in all theatre operations.

"The response has been much greater than the
Committee anticipated but an analysis of the returns
shows a considerable fluctuation in the number of
petitions signed among theatres of comparable size,
location and attendance.

"This indicates clearly that the enthusiasm, effi-
ciency and showmanship of the exhibitor or theatre
manager is an important factor in the results attained.

"Where the tables arc properly placed, the posters
prominently displayed and attendants are on duty at
the proper times, many more petitions are signed than
in the theatres where the effort is made in a perfunc-
tory manner.

"This campaign, like any other exploitation cam-
paign, calls for a genuine showmanlike whirl. There is
a lesson here for the future and it is hoped that it will
serve not only to further intensify the tax campaign,
but will be applied to all theatre activities."

28

HARRISON'S REPORTS

February 18, 1950

The actions taken by the Allied board included
ratification of the organization's participation in the
Council of Motion Picture Organizations; authoriza-
tion of the formation of a committee to gather infor'
mation from all Allied territories on competitive bid'
ding, and to investigate charges that the bidding
system is being used by some distributors in discrim'
inatory ways; authorization for the standing com-
mittee headed by Col. H. A. Cole, of Texas, to meet
with distributor sales managers to protest against vio-
lations of their promises on percentage pictures, and
to propose that flat rental deals be granted to more
theatres than at present; and authorization for a com-
mittee to appear before the Federal Communications
Commission to ask for special theatre television fre-
quencies.

Authorized also was the setting up of a central' 'anti-
trust" library to serve counsel for independent exhibi-
tors— whether members of Allied or not — engaged in
anti-trust litigation against the major companies. This
library, which probably will be set up in Washington,
will contain complete information on all industry
anti-trust cases, and one of its chief uses will be to
keep the lawyers of independent exhibitors informed
of the inconsistent positions taken by major company
lawyers in their defense of anti-trust suits.

Another action taken by the board was the adoption
of a strongly worded resolution condemning RKO
for marketing the picture "Stromboli," and terming
the company's advertising and exploitation campaign
as "sensational and debased, knowingly calculated
and designed to take greedy and reprehensible advan-
tage of shamefully immoral conduct." The resolution
urged exhibitors to "refuse to buy or exhibit this pic-
ture and all pictures produced and released under like
or similar circumstances."

In his annual report to the Allied board, Mr.
Meyers said that the future looks bright for the inde-
pendent exhibitor but warned that he must not sit
back and rely on court decisions and legal documents
to protect himself in his dealings with the distributors.
Constant vigilance and strong organization is needed,
he said, if the exhibitors are to reach the ultimate
goal of a free and open market for films.

With pictures no longer moving in fixed channels,
he continued, "the distributors are beginning to revive
the lost art of salesmanship. The independent exhibi-
tors are receiving more consideration than they have
in many years, and the end is not in sight. We look
forward with confidence to the day when the playing
time on every screen will be at least as important to
the distributor with a picture to sell as that particular
feature is to the exhibitor."

Pittsburgh was selected by the board for the 1950
national convention, to be held on October 2-4.

THE KATZMAN CORPORATION
1422 Lyman Place
Hollywood 27, Calif.

February 3, 1950

Mr. Pete Harrison, Editor
Harrison's Reports
1270 Sixth Avenue
New York 20, N. Y.

Dear Pete Harrison :

The review of our picture, MARK OF THE
GORILLA, which appeared in your paper dated
January 31, has been called to my attention.

It is needless to say that it is not only upsetting to
those of us who worked on the picture to read a review
such as you have written, but it is unfair for exhibi-
tors to judge a picture on the basis of that review.

We are certain you realize every picture that is
made is not intended for Radio City Music Hall, nor
is it a contender for an Academy Award. There are
definite audiences, not only in this country but
throughout the world, who very much appreciate a
film such as we have produced in "Mark of the Go-
rilla." For example, I quote an excerpt of a letter
written by an exhibitor, Mrs. Pat Murphy of the
Queen Theatre in Holliday, Texas, which is currently
printed in the January 28th edition of Boxoffice, as
follows:

"The kids all welcomed Johnny Weissmuller back.
He's still Tarzan to them, with clothes on. This is very
well made, has good animal shots and the clever crow's
antics were well received. Played Fri., Sat. Weather:
Fair — Mrs. Pat Murphy, Queen Theatre, Holliday,
Texas. Oil field patronage." (Editor's T^ote: Mrs.
Murphy's remar\s refer to the picture "Jungle Jim,"
which Harrison's Reports termed "very good eri'
tertainment" in its review published December 25,
1948.)

Apparently it is pictures like these that keep ex-
hibitors like Mrs. Murphy in business.

We must call your particular attention to your
remark, "The film libraries are full of such stock
shots. . . ."

You might be interested to know that the stock
material you saw in the beginning of this picture has
never been seen on a theatre screen before, and there
is a complete story in itself describing how we were
able to secure that particular stock material.

Desiring to give the public jungle footage that they
had never seen before, we made an extensive search to
uncover different and unusual jungle and animal film.
By virtue of reading an old Sunday supplement which
described the explorations of a wealthy building con-
tractor who makes his home in Lubbock, Texas, we
were successful in securing some of his prize collection
footage that he himself photographed in Africa on
a safari that he recently led. The school system of
Texas thought so much of the jungle film that the con-
tractor has given it to them for educational purposes.

So again let me say that such effort as we have
made, while not apparent to you — at least as evi-
denced by your review — might be apparent to keener
observers. Upon closer observation I think you will
find that the crooks, while fewer in number than the
rangers, met their just due as a result of gunfire —
and only two of this group survived.

We have taken the trouble to write this extensively
only because we think it is an injustice to the sub-
scribers of your paper who undoubtedly rely largely
on what they read as to what pictures they book. In
order to maintain some degree of perspective, we
think whomever you delegate to write these reviews
should bear in mind that different pictures are made
for different audiences, and that such sweeping state-
ments of criticism as are included prove very damag-
ing, not only to those whom it concerns, but to the
very integrity of the paper in which it appears.
Very truly yours,
The Katzman Corporation
(signed) Sam Katzman
President

sk:my

■ntered as seconU-e'.ass matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New V rk, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1950 No. 8

THE TAX CAMPAIGN

Appearing before the House Ways and Means
Committee on Tuesday of this week, Abram F. Myers,
chairman of COMPO's tax committee and General
counsel of National Allied, and Gael Sullivan, execu'
tive director of Theatre Owners of America, presented
the industry's arguments for repeal of the 20 per cent
Federal tax on admissions.

In a twenty-two page brief filed with the Commit'
tee, Myers and Sullivan stressed the fact that the mo-
tion picture business is mainly small business, and
that the tax is not a tax on Hollywood. "We make
this distinction," they said, "because over-enthusiastic
reporting has attributed to Hollywood a degree of
glamor and opulence which cannot by any possibility
be applied to the exhibition branch. In investment and
numbers employed, Hollywood represents only a small
segment of the industry."

The brief presented the following seven-point argu-
ment against the tax:

1. The admission tax is an emergency tax and
should not become part of the permanent tax struc-
ture.

2. Motion pictures are a part of the press and
should be accorded equal treatment with books, maga-
zines and newspapers.

3. Moving pictures are an integral part of Ameri-
can life, a necessity, not a luxury.

4. The admission tax as applied to motion picture
theatres is primarily a tax on the lower and middle
income groups — only a small part of it is paid by the
well-to-do.

5. A great majority of the theatre owners, those
who are immediately affected by the tax, are small
business men, not to be confused with the over-publi-
cized "movie magnates."

6. Due to declining attendance at theatres, the ad-
mission tax as applied to theatres is an uncertain reve-
nue source for budget balancing purposes.

7. The admission tax as applied to motion pictures
threatens the existence of the country's greatest peace-
time entertainment medium, which also is an indispen-
sable part of the Government's communications sys-
tem in time of war.

Both in the brief and in their appearance before
the House Committee, Mr. Myers and Mr. Sullivan
have done a fine job in presenting the industry's case,
and they deserve the sincere thanks of every one in the
industry for their tireless efforts, but even their effec-
tive arguments are not nearly enough if the industry
is to win this battle. The most powerful weapon the

industry has in this tax fight is public support, and it
is on this that we must concentrate our efforts mainly.

We must bear in mind that many other businesses
are affected by the excise taxes now in existence, and
that each of them, through competent spokesmen, are
putting up effective arguments as to why it should be
given relief. We must bear in mind also that the coun-
try's collosal spending program does not permit the
complete ehmination of all the excise taxes, and this
means that only certain businesses will be favored
either by elimination or reduction of the tax now im-
posed on their operations.

Only Congressmen and Senators have the power
to impose or eliminate taxes. Frequently, political con-
siderations motivate their decisions, and you may be
sure that in the case of the admissions tax they will
be subjected to considerable pressure from the Ad-
ministration, which has given every indication that it
wants to keep this tax intact. But the one thing that in-
variably will make a Congressman or Senator sit up
and take notice, despite political pressure, is a deluge
of protests from their constituents — the people who
elect them to office. For this reason we must concen-
trate our efforts on winning the public's support.

Unlike most of the other businesses that are seek-
ing relief from the excise taxes, the motion picture
business is in the envious position of coming in direct
contact with the millions of movie-goers who pay the
admissions tax. Consequently, no other business is in
as good a position to influence the public's opinion,
gain their support, and provide them with facilities to
register their protests.

Many exhibitors have done an outstanding job thus
far in getting their patrons to sign the protest cards
provided by COMPO through National Screen Serv-
ice, but according to several reports a great number
of exhibitors have fallen down on the job. For in-
stance, Sidney Samuelson, general manager of Allied
Theatre Owners of Eastern Pennsylvania, charges in
his current organization bulletin that a vast majority
of the exhibitors in his territory "are sitting back,
taking it easy and expecting that 'George' will do it."
It is this laxity on the part of many exhibitors that no
doubt motivated Mr. Myers to issue a statement last
week to the effect that there is a considerable fluctua-
tion in the number of petitions signed among theatres
of comparable size, location and attendance. "This
indicates clearly," he said, "that the enthusiasm, effi-
ciency and showmanship of the exhibitor is an impor-
tant factor in the results attained. Where the tables
are properly placed, the posters prominently displayed
and attendants are on duty at the proper times, many
more petitions are signed than in the theatres where
the effort is made in a perfunctory manner."

(Continued on back, page)

30

HARRISON'S REPORTS

February 25, 1950

"Stage Fright" with Jane Wyman,
Marlene Dietrich and Richard Todd

(Warner Bros., April 15; time, 110 min.)
Produced in England, this latest Alfred Hitchcock
picture is a rambling murder thriller that wavers
constantly between comedy that is delightfully funny
and melodrama that is rarely more than moderately
exciting. The overall result is a spotty entertainment
that is too dragged out to keep ones interest con-
stantly alive. The main trouble with the picture lies
in the improper development of the involved plot,
which is given to wordy situations that slow down
the action considerably, and which is not always
logical. The performances are competent, the char'
acterizations interesting, and there are individual
scenes that reach high points in comedy and suspense,
but on the whole the picture lacks the touch that
makes for sustained fascination : —

The story opens with Richard Todd, in a desperate
plight, enlisting the aid of Jane Wyman, his girl'
friend, a student at a dramatic school. He informs
her that the police suspected him of murdering the
husband of Marlene Dietrich, a musical comedy star,
who had committed the deed herself, but that he had
become involved in an effort to help her cover up
the crime. Jane, in love with Todd and believing him
innocent, offers to hide him out at her father s lodge
and, despite the warnings of her father (Alastair Sim)
not to become involved herself, decides to do a little
investigating to clear Todd of suspicion. She becomes
mixed up in all sorts of complications as a result of a
chance meeting with Michael Wilding, a Scotland
Yard detective assigned to the case. In the events that
follow, she makes a deal with Marlene's maid to take
over her job, and she soon finds herself in a continu-
ous round of predicaments because of her efforts to
keep Marlene from discovering that she knew Todd.
To add to her troubles, she falls in love with Wilding,
who had no idea of her connection with Todd. In
due time, however, her activities become known to
Wilding, and she is shocked no end when he proves
to her that Todd had really committed the murder
himself. Taking advantage of her friendship with
Todd, Wilding employs Jane to trap Todd in an
empty theatre, where he meets accidental death on
the stage after a hectic chase.

It was produced and directed by Mr. Hitchcock
from a screen play by Whitfield Cook, based on a
novel by Selwyn Jepson. Adult fare.

"The Vicious Years" with Tommy Cook,
Gar Moore and Eduard Franz

(Film Classics, March; time, 79 min.)

Powerful entertainment. It is a drama with regen-
eration as the theme— the regeneration of a filthy
young hoodlum of fourteen, a blackmailer. There
are situations that will make one's eyes swell with
tears, such as where the young hoodlum refuses to give
away the murderer, the son of the man who had be-
friended him. Other deeply emotional situations are
those in which Eduard Franz's family, with the ex-
ception of the son, are kind to the young blackmailer
and show a sincere desire to make a man out of him.
Tommy Cook is excellent as the youngster who be-
comes regenerated. His responsiveness to kindness,
and the fine traits he displays in the end, are inspir-
ing. He is convincing at all times, as are all the others
in the little known but competent cast. The direction
is highly skillful. The photography is good: —

Tommy, a homeless and rugged hoodlum in a post-
war Italian city, sees Gar Wood, son of a noble but
impoverished family, murder a man from whom he

had borrowed money. He traces Gar to his home,
reveals his knowledge of the murder, and demands
that he be permitted to live there as his price for
silence. Franz, Gar's father, accepts Tommy so as to
protect his son. He buys Tommy clothes to make him
look respectable. The youngster lives there unwanted
and hated by Gar, but Sybil Merntt, Gar's young
wife, and Marjone Eaton, Franz's gently demented
sister, treat him kindly. Eventually Franz begins to
feel fondness for the boy who, hungry for family
love, drops his hardness and defiance. Police Lieu-
tenant Anthony Ross, unable to understand what
prompted Franz to take a hoodlum into his home,
questions him. Franz gives him a reasonable motive
and informs him that he planned to adopt Tommy
legally. But when Tommy learns that Franz had no
intention of adopting him, he becomes embittered
and accosts Gar's wife, for which act Gar beats him
unmercifully. Deciding to rid himself of Tommy,
Gar sets out on a new approach: He feigns regret
over the beating he had given him, lulls the boy into
a false sense of security, and then proposes that they
celebrate their new-found friendship with a trip to
the seashore, where he will teach Tommy how to
swim. Gar hires a rowboat, and after rowing a dis-
tance from shore, punches a hole in the boat and leaves
Tommy to drown, while he swims ashore. Gar's re-
port that Tommy had drowned accidentally is dis-
pelled when word comes that he had been rescued
by fishermen. Ross, suspecting foul play, questions
Tommy, but the lad, bound by his loyalty to Franz
refuses to say anything. But Franz, realizing that his
son had killed one man and had attempted to murder
another, tells Ross the truth. Tommy, feeling that he
had caused Franz's household much unhappiness de-
cides to go away, but Franz, now deeply attached to
the boy, persuades him to return.

It was produced by Anson Bond and directed by
Robert Florey from a story and screen play by M
Richard Nash. Suitable for the family.

"The Kid from Texas" with Audie Murphy,
Gale Storm and Albert Dekker

(Univ.'Int'l, March; time, 78 min.)

Photographed in Technicolor, this is a fairly good
Western melodrama. Its appeal, however, will be
directed mostly to the avid followers of pictures of
this type, for the story, which is another version of
the exploits of Billy the Kid, the famed young outlaw,
is cut from a stereotyped pattern and offers little that
is novel. But the story's deficiencies probably will be
overlooked by the Western fans, for the action has
more than a fair share of thrills and dangers, with
plentiful hard-riding and fierce gun-fighting. Audie
Murphy, as "Billy," gives a sensitive portrayal. Ethi-
cally, however, the picture is questionable, for it
glamorizes an outlaw and makes him out to be ap-
pealing and sympathetic : —

The story, which takes place in 1880, depicts the
ranch country in New Mexico in a state of turmoil,
with the leading landowners battling for control of
the range. On one side is Dennis Hooey, while the
rival forces are led by Albert Dekker and his partner,
Shepperd Strudwick. When four of Hooey's hench-
men raid the offices of Dekker and Strudwick, both
are saved from harm by Audie Murphy, an 18-year-
old drifter, who disarms the attackers and routs them.
Strudwick takes a liking to Audie and gives him a
job on the ranch, despite Dekker 's misgivings. Dek-
ker's dislike for Audie is increased when Gale Storm,
his youthful wife, is attracted to the lad. When a'
group of Hooey's men raid the ranch and kill Strud-

February 25, 1950

31

wick, Dekker orders the ranch hands, including
Audie, to go after the killers. This sets off a range
war that becomes so serious that Robert Barrat, the
territory's military governor, intervenes. Dekker
shifts the blame for his part in the affair on Audie,
whom he accuses of acting on his own, and to show
his good faith he offers a reward for Audie's capture,
dead or alive. Embittered at Dekker and still deter-
mined to avenge Strudwick's death, Audie spurns
Barrat's plea to surrender and begins a career of out'
lawry in which he is joined by other adventurous
young men. One day, as Audie and his men raid
Dekker 's ranch to replenish their supplies, they are
trapped by the sheriff and his deputies. A bloody siege
begins, during which time Gale learns that her hus-
band was responsible for making Audie an outlaw.
Dekker and all of Audie's men die in the battle, but
Audie himself manages to escape. But his freedom is
shortlived, for in due time he, too, is shot to death by
the sheriff, when he is trapped while risking a meet-
ing with Gale.

It was produced by Paul Short and directed by Kurt
Neumann from a screen play by Robert Hardy An-
drews and Karl Lamb, based on a story by Mr.
Andrews.

Children will probably enjoy it, but it is not a
picture for them.

"Captain Carey, U.S.A." with Alan Ladd
and Wanda Hendrix

(Paramount, April; time, 83 min.)

A fair enough post-war adventure melodrama that
should satisfy the Alan Ladd fans, for he is cast in
the type of role that suits his rugged, tight-lipped
personality. But, like numerous other pictures in
which Ladd has been starred, the success of this one
will depend on his popularity, for the story leaves
much to be desired; it is complicated and confusing.
The good direction, however, has succeeded to a
great extent in covering up the plot's strange con-
fusions and aimless wanderings with an effective melo-
dramatic mood, and for that reason the picture
should pass muster with the uncritical : —

Alan Ladd, an American OSS officer working be-
hind the lines in Italy during the war, makes his
hideout in the cellar of an island palace owned by a
noble family, whose daughter, Wanda Hendrix,
aided him. The hideout is discovered by the Ger-
mans, who shoot and capture him after a bloody
battle. Four years later, after victory, Ladd, now a
civilian, passes an art gallery in New York and
recognizes a painting he had last seen in the hideout.
He deduces that the man who smuggled the painting
out of Italy was the one who had tipped off the Ger-
mans, and he decides to return and track down the
betrayer. Arriving in Italy, he is shocked to find
Wanda still alive and married to Francis Lederer, a
politically ambitious baron. Each believed the other
dead. To add to his chagrin, he finds the villagers,
former friends, now hostile to him, because they held
him responsible for the killing of 27 partisans on the
night he was captured. Efforts are made by several
people to make him return home, but he remains
determined to stay and find the betrayer. Aided by
Wanda, he starts an investigation that brings about
several mysterious murders of people who might have
helped him, as well as a number of attempts on his
own life. Matters become complicated when a false
rumor spreads among the villagers that Wanda her-
self was the betrayer. In his efforts to protect Wanda,
Ladd discovers that Lederer is the culprit. The climax
has both men battling it out to the death in the cellar

of the palace, with Lederer losing his life. His mis-
sion accomplished, Ladd prepares to return to the
United States, but he indicates to Wanda that he
will soon return for her.

It was produced by Richard Maibaum and directed
by Mitchell Leisen from a screen play by Robert
Thoeren, based on a novel by Martha Albrand.

Unobjectionable morally.

"No Man of Her Own"
with Barbara Stanwyck and John Lund

(Paramount, May; time, 98 min.)

Although well acted and directed, this adult melo-
drama is not impressive. The story's combination of
mistaken identity, deception, blackmail and murder
is so far-fetched, and the happenings so obviously
contrived, that one feels as if the author stretched his
imagination to the breaking point to invent the situa-
tions. As a destitute, unmarried mother who, through
a fantastic series of events, is accepted by a kindly
well-to-do couple as their widowed daughter-in-law,
Barbara Stanwyck manages to give some interest and
importance to the involved and over-dramatic plot,
but even her valiant efforts are not enough to over-
come the feeling that there is nothing real about the
proceedings. It is not a pleasant entertainment, but
its "soap opera" flavor may appeal to the women: —

Barbara, discarded by Lyle Bettger, the father of
her unborn child, boards a train for San Francisco.
En route she makes friends with Richard Denning
and his wife, Phyllis Thaxter who, like Barbara, was
seven months pregnant. Both were on their way to
meet his parents (Jane Cowl and Henry O'Neill),
who had never met Phyllis nor seen a picture of her.
Disaster strikes when the train is wrecked and Phyllis
and her husband lose their lives, their bodies mangled
beyond identification. Barbara survives the crash and
regains consciousness in a hospital, where she learns
that a son had been born to her prematurely, and that
she had been registered under Phyllis' name through
a mistake in identity. She decides to continue her new
identity for the welfare of her baby. Released from
the hospital, she journeys to the home of Mss Cowl
and O'Neill, who welcome her as their daughter-in-
law. John Lund, their other son, is delighted to have
her with them, and soon falls in love with her. Bar-
bara's happiness proves only temporary when, after
many months, Bettger makes an appearance and starts
to blackmail her lest he reveal her deception. So as not
to disillusion those who had learned to love her,
Barbara manages to raise the money he demands, but
she balks when he insists that she marry him so that
he might cash in on any inheritance that is left to her.
Desperate, she determines to kill Bettger, but she finds
him murdered by someone else before she can com-
mit the crime. By this time Lund, having learned of
her troubles with Bettger, goes to her aid. He finds
her with the body and helps her to dispose of it lest
the crime be pinned on her. The shock of what hap-
pened brings about the death of Miss Cowl, but be-
fore she dies she leaves a note confessing that she
had murdered Bettger so that Barbara would be in the
clear. Barbara refuses to let Lund make the confession
known to the police. Months later, after Bcttgcr's
body is found, they learn from the police that the
killing had been confessed by Carole Mathews, a
blonde Bettger had discarded. Barbara and Lund de-
cide to keep her past secret, and to start life anew.

It was produced by Richard Maibaum and directed
by Mitchell Leisen from a screen play by Sally Benson
and Catherine Turncy, based on a novel by William
Irish. Adult fare.

32 HARRISON'S REPORTS February 25, 1950

The exhibitors who are not doing their share in this
tax battle will do well to remember Mr. Myers ad-
monition that, unless the industry makes an all-out
effort to secure repeal of the admission tax at this
session of Congress, and succeeds, the industry is
doomed to remain the victim of discriminatory taxes,
and a target for additional ones.

Theatre attendance has been declining steadily, and
if we can rid ourselves of this obnoxious, tax it may
very well prove to be the shot in the arm our business
needs. Now is no time to either shirk or relax in the
battle to repeal the admission tax. If anything, our
efforts must be intensified.

THE BUSINESS DECLINE

In their brief presenting the industry's case to the
House Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Myers and
Mr. Sullivan, to offset the Treasury Department's
estimate that the admission tax would bring in ap-
proximately $395,000,000 in the 1951 fiscal year,
which is about ten million dollars more than is hoped
for in the current fiscal year ending in June, brought
out the fact that there has been an alarming decline in
theatre attendance.

They told the Committee that figures obtained from
different exhibitor organisations throughout the coun-
try indicated the following drop in business:

Theatres in the Eastern Pennsylvania territory show
a decline of from three to fifteen per cent from 1948,
with the drop more marked in the coal mining dis-
tricts. West Virginia exhibitors report a drop of from
35 to 50 per cent for the first week in 1950 as com-
pared to the same period of 1949, attributing the
decline in part to the coal strike. For the same period
business was off in the Kansas-Missouri area by 25
per cent; in Michigan, 10 to 12 per cent; in Philadel-
phia, 4 to 12 per cent; in Colorado, 12J/2 per cent; in
the Gulf States territory, 20 to 25 per cent; in Mary-
land, 26 to 28 per cent; in Tennessee, 25 per cent; in
Minnesota, over 15 per cent; in Illinois, 20 to 30 per
cent, with small-town theatres in Southern Illinois
reporting a decline of 20 per cent from 1949 and 27
per cent from 1948.

New Jersey reported a drop of 1 5 per cent for the
first five weeks of 1950, and the New England area
reported a drop of from 15 to 20 per cent for the
same period.

This business decline, according to Myers and Sul-
livan, is attributable to the increasing competition
from television and other forms of entertainment, as
well as greater selectivity on the part of the public in
their choice of motion pictures.

These figures, to say the least, are alarming. There
is no doubt that television is hurting business consider-
ably now that there are approximately four million
sets in use and about 100 television broadcasting sta-
tions. But if competition from television is tough today
what will it be like by the end of 1954, at which time,
according to predictions, there will be twenty million
sets in use with a total "viewing" audience of about
75,000,000 people — half the population?

The solution to declining box-office receipts is no
mystery. It is, as it has always been, good pictures,
which the producers are not making in sufficient num-
bers. No matter how choosey the public becomes, no
matter how inclined people are to stay at home near
their television sets, a good picture will attract them

to the theatre's box-office. But the mere fact that an
exhibitor has booked a good picture is no guarantee
that he will do good business, for, unless he advertises
and exploits the show properly, it may very well prove
to be a box-office dud, in other words, applied show-
manship is as important as the good picture itself. As
Martin Quigley is credited with saying : "The motion
picture good enough to sell itself has not yet been
made." No amount of showmanship, however, can
make a success of a bad picture.

There has never been a business slump for good
pictures, and until the producers learn to make them
with more consistency than is now evident, theatre
attendance will continue to suffer.

A SOUND ARGUMENT
AGAINST BLIND CHECKING

Among the trade practices criticized at the recent
mid-winter meeting of National Allied s board of di-
rectors was the practice of blind checking, particularly
on flat rental pictures.

An effective argument against this practice appears
in the current issue of 'Theatre Facts," the organisa-
tion bulletin of the Associated Theatre Owners of
Indiana, which had this to say :

"Inasmuch as future flat rentals may be predicated
on these checks they penalize the aggressive exhibitor
who may go out and heavily exploit some particular
picture and pay a premium to the lazy exhibitor who
makes no special effort on the same picture. But worse,
this information is very likely to be completely inac-
curate. We are familiar with more than one instance
where this inaccuracy is proven. The result is that a
good distributor-exhibitor relationship is completely
destroyed by this misinformation."

KEEP SMILING

In the latest of his "newsy" and always informa-
tive organization bulletins, Leo F. Wolcott, chairman
of the board of Allied's Iowa-Nebraska unit, offers
some sound advice to his members regarding the im-
portance of making their theatres more comfortable
and inviting if they are to hold their own against com-
petition from television and other forms of entertain-
ment.

"Don't expect your public to get very enthused
about it," says Mr. Wolcott, "if your theatre is dingy,
uncomfortable and uninviting. Be sure your equip-
ment is in good repair and usable shape. New chairs,
carpets, decorations; a new screen does wonders for a
theatre. Change your lobby around if possible, and
your display frames; make your popcorn machine and
candy counter more attractive. New drapes for the
boxoffice. Next, rear back and take a look at yourself
and your theatre staff — well, maybe there isn't much
you can do about that! A few new clothes, a bit neater
appearance down the line. But that isn't what I really
meant. How do you and your staff treat your public?
With utter boredom and dislike? Let's hope not; but
many do! Get smiles on every face in your staff, in-
cluding your own, even if you have to employ facial
surgery, and keep them there! A smiling face is like a
good mirror — everyone smiles back. Treat your pub-
lic just like you loved them, even to the dirty little
urchins who squirm, and stink, and run all over the
place! If you don't, then don't get sore at them be-
cause they drive out to the nearest -Drive-In."

Entered as ■eoend-c'.ass matter January i, 1921, at the post office at New YofK, New York, under the act ot March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by

United States $15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison's Reports, Inc.,

U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 N v u «>n w v Publisher

Canada 16.50 New York <*°« P. S. HARRISON, Editor

.Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service

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35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor.

A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1950 No. 9

THE MIRACLE OF UNITY

The appointment of Abram F. Myers, National
Allied s general counsel, as chairman of the Council
of Motion Picture Organization's Committee on Tax'
ation and Legislation was a ten-strike for the industry,
for Mr. Myers, having become convinced that all seg'
ments of the industry were sincere in the movement
to protect and safeguard our business and to develop
a sound public relations program, rolled up his sleeves
and proceeded to work for the common good.

The manner in which he and his able committee
members mobilized the industry for the all-out cam-
paign against the federal admission tax serves as a
clear demonstration that maximum coordination and
cooperation of all branches of the industry can be at-
tained when we are united in a common cause.

The harmony with which this campaign has been
and is being conducted was aptly put by Mr. Myers
in the talk he made last January at the 20th Century-
Fox showmanship meeting, at which time he had this
to say, in part :

"The several industry groups which for years have
been making snoots at one another have found in the
tax menace a common ground on which they can
stand in defense of their common interests. Not only
are all factions united in the common cause, but they
are working together with right good will, and the
pledges of support which I have received from rival
organizations have been no less cordial than those re-
ceived from the Allied stalwarts. . . . This united
effort is as sincere as it is inspiring, and it should com-
mand the respect and support of everyone."

Now that the tax campaign has proved that all fac-
tions in the industry can work together in harmony,
why not start another campaign, this time to improve
our internal relations? Ever since the moving picture
became a stable business, buyer and seller have con-
sidered themselves like sworn enemies. To alter that
feeling and bring about more harmonious relations
between the two is not only highly desirable but also
essential, if the industry is to devote its efforts to meet-
ing the competition for a just share of the public's
entertainment dollar.

The producer-distributor must realize that, because
the film he sells is of an unknown value, even when it
it adorned with the most popular stars, the exhibitor
strives to buy it at the most favorable terms possible
in order to make sure that he will be left with a reason-
able profit, and that he will cover also whatever losses
he may have sustained on other pictures for various
reasons, not the least of which is bad weather — there
is nothing unnatural about that.

By the same token, the exhibitor, too, must realize

that the producer-distributor must recoup his costs,
with a safe margin of profit, enough to cover also the
losses he had sustained on other pictures of his that
had fallen down — there is nothing unnatural in that
either.

The exhibitor who, because of circuit buying
power, or a closed situation, or for any other reason,
is not paying a fair film rental commensurate with his
gross receipts, takes unfair advantage of the producer-
distributor and is reaping unjust profits. Conversely,
the distributor who makes special concessions in film
rental to such an exhibitor, and then seeks to equalize
what he should have received by penalizing another
exhibitor with excessive film rental demands, is
equally unfair.

No matter what arguments each side can present,
we cannot get away from the fact that neither one
can exist without the other. Each side has an invest-
ment to protect, and the quicker both realize that they
must deal with the other on a basis offering reasonable
opportunity for profit, the sooner the business will be
on a healthy basis.

Each side should stop calling the other side names.
Negotiations for the buying and selling of product
can be carried on without resorting to words that
bring about bitterness.

As head of COMPO, Ned E. Depinet, president of
RKO, can do a lot to start a movement to bring about
a better understanding of the fundamental relation-
ships between the producer-distributors and the ex-
hibitors.

The industry has become of age and it is time that
its components stopped acting like suspicious children.

THE FORGOTTEN TAXPAYERS

Joe Kennedy, manager of the El Portal Theatre, a
Fox-West Coast house, sent me a clipping of the fol-
lowing editorial, which appeared in the February 18
issue of the North Hollywood Valley Times, under
the heading "Eliminate Admission Tax" :

"Motion pictures have been and will continue to
be one of the most refreshing forms of entertainment
available to American families — if they are not taxed
out of the theatres.

"Relaxation is a necessity- -not a luxury — and the
Federal government must cease collecting a 20 per cent
war time excise tax on admissions.

"Actually, a situation has arisen where those who
pay a major portion of this excise tax have no voice in
government- they are the youngsters of our Nation.

(Continued on bacl{ page)

34

"Buccaneer's Girl" with Yvonne De Carlo,
Philip Friend and Elsa Lanchester

( Universal, March; time, 77 mm.)
Although it is handicapped by a hackneyed plot and by
a script that even the world's best cast could do little with,
this Technicolor romantic adventure melodrama is a fair
enough entertainment for the undiscriminating picture-
goers. It has all the ingredients one expects to find in a
swashbuckler, such as cannon fire, flashing swords, fisticuffs,
piracy on the high seas, scuttled ships and last-minute res-
cues, all of which should satisfy the demands of those who
enjoy this type of action. As a fiery, quick-tempered singer
who falls in love with a gentleman pirate chief, a sort of
Robin Hood character, Yvonne De Carlo isn't called upon
for much in the way of a performance, but she is good to
look at and, like the others in the cast, her acting is adequate
enough, considering the flimsiness of the material: —

Yvonne, a stowaway on a sailing ship raided by pirates, is
captured and held prisoner by Philip Friend, notorious
leader of the buccaneers, known to all as Baptiste. When
Friend goes ashore at New Orleans, Yvonne escapes and
meets up with Elsa Lanchester, operator of a school for
feminine entertainers, who offers to help her develop her
talents. Yvonne is assigned to sing at a seamen's fund benefit
party at a waterfront saloon. There she discovers that the
fund's chief benefactor and host at the function is none other
than Friend, known to all as a socially acceptable gentleman.
He persuades her to keep his secret, explaining that Baptiste,
the real pirate chief, was dead, and that he had assumed his
identity and activities only to avenge himself on Robert
Douglas, a wealthy shipowner, who had ruined his
(Friend's) father by hiring Baptiste to destroy his ships.
He explains also that he turned the proceeds of his loot over
to the seamen's fund. Yvonne gets herself involved with
Andrea King, Friend's haughty fiancee, who jealously creates
a disturbance while she sings. Yvonne gives her a beating
and hides out on Friend's ship to elude arrest. In the events
that follow, Andrea marries Douglas, who by this time had
discovered Friend's pirate activities. Through a ruse, Doug-
las has Friend captured and condemned to hang. Yvonne
takes matters in hand and, while Friend awaits the execu-
tion, she incites his buccaneers into attacking the jail.
Friend, freed, escapes to his ship and, with Yvonne at his
side, sets sail for the open seas.

It was produced by Robert Arthur and directed by Fred-
erick de Cordova, from a screen play by Harold Shumate
and Joeph Hoffman, based on a story by Joe May and Samuel
R. Golding. The cast includes Jay C. Flippen, Henry Daniell
and others.

Suitable for the family.

"Quicksand" with Mickey Rooney,
Jeanne Cagney and Barbara Bates

(United Artists, March 25; time, 79 min.)

A fine production. It has been produced with such skill
that the spectator is made to feel as if present in the unfold-
ing of a real-life drama. Mickey Rooney is an accomplished
trooper; he gives his part realism — one feels as if his acts
are committed by a real person instead of a screen character.
The story shows him breaking the law and in his efforts to
extricate himself he sinks deeper and deeper, as in quick-
sand; he is sucked in, and the more he tries to extricate him-
self by committing other crimes, the deeper he sinks. To this
extent, the picture might prove a lesson to young men who
think that they can get away with a small crime. Jeanne
Cagney, as the callous woman who does not hesitate to let
Mickey suffer the consequences of his crime, which she her-
self had suggested, is realistic. Throughout the story one
feels sympathy for Barbara Bates, who loves Mickey with
such devotion that she is willing to share whatever his for-
tunes might be. Taylor Holmes is good as the understanding
lawyer. The direction is expert: —

Rooney, a mechanic at Art Smith's garage, vows that he
is through with women because Barbara had pressed him for
marriage. But he changes his mind when he meets Jeanne,
the new cashier at a restaurant nearby; he dates her. Short of
money to entertain her, he takes $20 from the garage cash
register with the intention of returning it on the following

day because a friend had promised to repay $20 he had lent
him. The friend fails to pay him, and Mickey, fearing that
the bookkeeper will discover the shortage, buys a watch on
the installment plan and hocks it to replace the $20. The
jeweller, suspicious, traces the transaction and demands full
payment or return of the watch within 24 hours under threat
of informing the district attorney. Desperate, Mickey holds
up a drunkard who had flashed a roll of $50 bills. He squares
himself with the jeweller and then goes looking for Jeanne.
He finds her in Peter Lorre's penny arcade, jut as Lorre is
trying to force his attentions on her, claiming that she owed
him $50. Mickey knocks him down and throws a $50 bill at
him. Lorre rightly suspects that the $50 bill was evidence
of the robbery and, under threat of going to the police,
forces Mickey to steal a new car from the garage he worked
in and to deliver it to him. Smith, Mickey's boss, bluntly
accuses Mickey of stealing the car and threatens to jail him
unless he makes payment of $3,000. In desperation, Mickey
tells Jeanne of his predicament, and she suggests that they
rob Lorre's place after he closes. The robbery nets them
$3,600, which Mickey leaves in Jeanne's custody until the
following day. She crosses Mickey by spending half the loot
for a fur coat. Smith, however, accepts $1,800, then at-
tempts to call the police. Mickey, infuriated, knocks the gun
out of his hand, chokes him, and leaves him for dead. He
bumps into Barbara and persuades her to go with him to
Mexico. Their car stalls en route and Mickey holds up
Taylor Holmes, a lawyer, and forces him to drive to Mexico.
On the way Holmes makes Mickey realize that he is impli-
cating Barbara, an innocent person, and that it would be
best for him to make a getaway by himself. Mickey orders
him to drive to a wharf in San Diego, where he hoped to
board a boat for Mexico. He is recognized by the police, who
wound and capture him after a wild chase. Meanwhile
Holmes learns that Smith is alive. He so informs Mickey
and offers to defend him, telling him that, as a first offender,
he may get him off with a one year sentence. Barbara prom-
ises to wait for him.

It was produced by Mort Briskin and directed by Irving
Pichel from an original screen play by Robert Smith. It is a
Samuel H. Stiefel production. (Mr. Stiefel is a well known
Philadelphia exhibitor.)

An adult picture.

"Blonde Dynamite" with the Bowery Boys
and Adele Jergens

(Monogram, February 12; time, 66 min.)

While "Blonde Dynamite" will in all likelihood satisfy
the followers of this series of pictures, it is the weakest that
has been released for some time. The efforts of the producer
to present something new is praiseworthy, but the action is
slow most of the time, and the offense to logic more pro-
nounced. The comedy situations provoke some laughter, but
not much. The photography is pretty good, as usual: —

Leo Gorcey and his gang induce Bernard Gorcey and his
wife to take a vacation while they operate his malt shop.
While Bernard is away, Leo turns the shop into an escort
bureau, with Billy Benedict, Buddy Gorman and David
Gorcey as professional escorts. Gabriel Dell, a bank mes-
senger and one of their friends, is robbed of $5,000 in bank
funds. Suspecting Adele Jergens as the one who had relieved
him of the money envelope, Dell calls on her and in her
apartment finds Harry Lewis and his two confederates, with
whom Adele was in league. Dell is told that the money
would be returned to him only if he should deliver to them
the combination of the bank's vault. Lewis planned to use
the malt shop to dig a tunnel leading to the bank, to rob it.
The crooks go to the shop and, when they find Huntz Hall
there, they tell him that they are government men, in search
of a uranium deposit. Believing their tale, Hall aids in the
excavation. Meanwhile Dell, aware of their scheme, goes to
the police. Lewis' blue print for a tunnel leading to the bank
misfires when he and his pals bore through to a police station
instead.

Jan Grippo produced it and William Beaudine directed it
from a screen play by Charles Marion.
Harmless for children.

March 4, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

35

"Stars in My Crown" with Joel McCrea,
Ellen Drew and Dean Stockwell

(MGM, no rel. date set; time, 89 ruin.)

A deeply appealing, heartwarming human interest drama,
dealing with the life and work of a fearless parson who
settles down in a small Southern town at the close of the
Civil War. It is the type of picture that family audiences in
particular should enjoy, for the manner in which the parson
brings spiritual guidance to the community, while combat-
ting racial prejudice, greed and mistrust, is unfolded in a
sympathetic and impressive way. Some of the situations are
powerfully dramatic. One such situation is where the parson
shames a hooded mob to thwart the hanging of a dignified,
kindly old Negro. An outbreak of a typhoid epidemic among
the townspeople serves as the basis for other dramatic situa-
tions. Although the action unfolds with a minimum of excite-
ment, there is considerable charm in the story's simplicity
and nice touches of humor and romance. The direction is
expert and the acting uniformly excellent: —

Joel McCrea, a Civil War veteran, comes to the town of
Walesburg with a determination to become its minister, de-
spite the scoffers. Within a few years the villagers build a
church for him, and he marries Ellen Drew. Together they
adopt and raise Dean Stockwell, Ellen's nephew, who idol-
izes McCrea. Although outwardly peaceful, the town has dis-
turbing undercurrents. Juan Hernandez, a kindly old Negro
farmer, is hounded by Ed Begley, greedy owner of the gen-
eral store, because of his refusal to sell his small plot of land,
which Begley wanted for the mica vein running through it.
Begley incites a group of villagers to raid the old man's
farm, destroying his crops and livestock. Community unrest
stems also from the people's lack of confidence in James
Mitchell, a young doctor, who had taken over the practice
of his failing father (Lewis Stone). Shunned, Mitchell finds
consolation in his love for Amanda Blake, the schoolteacher.
When a typhoid epidemic strikes, Mitchell works day and
night to combat it, finally winning the respect and admira-
tion of everyone. In the process, Mitchell, who thought little
of spiritual needs, gains a new appreciation of McCrea,
whose prayers help to save Amanda from the disease. When
word reached McCrea that a gang of hooded riders planned
to lynch Hernandez that night, McCrea hurries to the old
man's farm unarmed, and thwarts the hanging by reading
the Negro's will, in which he leaves all his earthly possessions
to the very men who were preparing to kill him. Ashamed,
the mob slinks away. Young Dean, picking up the will when
it drops from McCrea's hand, discovers that the paper is
blank! McCrea heads for home, happy that calm had been
restored to the community.

It was produced by William H. Wright and directed by
Jacques Tourneur from a screen play by Margaret Fitts,
based on the novel by Joe David Brown.

Excellent for the family.

"Perfect Strangers" with Ginger Rogers
and Dennis Morgan

(Warner Bros., March 25; time, 88 mm.)
An interesting human interest drama, revolving around
two married persons who fall in love while serving as jurors
in a murder trial. Based on the 1939 stage play, "Ladies and
Gentlemen," by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht, it holds
one's attention, not so much because of the story itself, which
is rather thin, but because of the enlightening and enter-
taining way in which it goes behind the scenes of a murder
trial to show the proceedings of a jury and the individual be-
havior of the jurors themselves. Thelma Ritter, as the simple-
minded wife of a truck driver; Margalo Fillmore, as a frus-
trated society matron; Anthony Ross, as a middle-aged
masher; Howard Freeman, as a skinflint "sourpuss"; and all
the others make up a colorful cross-section of the type of
people who serve as jurors. Both Ginger Rogers and Dennis
Morgan are highly effective and sympathetic in the leading
roles. There is considerable drama in their own romance be-
cause of the fact that it parallels the unfortunate love affair
of the defendant on trial for the murder of his wife. The
ending, though it satisfies the production code, may not
please many patrons. It is the type of picture that should
fare better in the big cities than in the small towns, because

of the leisurely pace and of the adult treatment of its theme:
Ginger, a business woman separated from her husband,
and Morgan, a married man and the father of two children,
serve as jurors in the murder trial of a man accused of kill-
ing his wife for another woman. The judge locks up the jury
in hotel rooms during the trial, and as it progresses Ginger
and Morgan fall madly in love. Ginger, however, makes
Morgan promise that he will try to make a go of his own
marriage before he decides to get a divorce. When the trial
is over and the jurors begin their ballotting, nine vote for
acquittal and three for conviction, with the three voting
guilty insisting that the killing could not have been an acci-
dent because of the defendant's love for another woman.
The jurors remain deadlocked until Ginger, by exposing
her own romance with Morgan, convinces the three holdouts
that it is wholly possible for a married man to fall honestly
in love with another woman, and that such a love need not
be the motive for criminal action. The jury votes acquittal.
With the trial over, Ginger and Morgan discuss their situa-
tion soberly and come to the conclusion that, because of the
pitfalls before them, a lasting love between them would not
be possible. They agree to part and return to their respective
spouses.

It was produced by Jerry Wald and directed by Bretaigne
Windust, from a screen play by Edith Sommer.
Adult fare.

"A Woman of Distinction" with
Rosalind Russell and Ray Milland

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 85 min.)

Smart dialogue and slapstick have been blended to good
advantage in this highly amusing romantic comedy. The
story itself is thin, but the well contrived gags and situations
keep one laughing all the way through. As the dean of a
women's college with no place for romance in her life, Rosa-
lind Russell is cast in the type of role that is tailored to her
comedy talents. Even though the part calls for her to be
smeared with mud, sprayed by a garden hose and almost
strangled when her garment gets caught in an electric fan,
she puts over the slapstick in fine tyle. Most of the comedy
stems from the predicaments she find herself in when she be-
comes romantically involved with a British lecturer as a re-
sult of an imaginative press agent's machinations. Ray Mil-
land, as the lecturer, an astronomy professor, adds much to
the fast and funny proceedings: —

Rosalind, entirely engrossed in her career, reveals in a
published interview that she has no room for romance in her
life, and that she preferred to live with her father, Edmund
Gwenn, and her adopted daughter, Mary Jane Saunders.
When Milland arrives in the United States for a lecture tour,
Janis Carter, a press agent handling the tour, learns that he
wanted to visit Rosalind to give her some mementos en-
trusted to him by a dying French soldier she knew in France.
Janis, looking for an angle to sell the stuffy lecture tour, in-
forms the press that Milland and Rosalind are in love. Rosa-
lind, who had never met Milland, is so annoyed by the pub-
licity that she takes the first train to Boston, where he was to
deliver his first lecture, determined to scotch the rumors.
Both meet on the train and are mutually attracted, although
unaware of each other's identity. But she learns who he is
when they arrive in Boston and, in a rage, hits him with her
handbag. Her action is snapped by a news photographer, re-
sulting in more publicity. To add to Rosalind's woes, her
father invites Milland to their home in an effort to foster a
romance between them. This leads to numerous complica-
tions, aggravated further by a rumor that little Mary is Rosa-
lind's own child. The rumor about Mary's parenthood be-
comes so insistent that the faculty demands an investigation.
Furious at the implications as to her character and morals,
Rosalind finds herself in a deeper mess when Milland, be-
lieving the rumor, chivalrously claims that he is Mary's
father. After many other mixups, Rosalind resigns as dean
and surrenders to her love for Milland, after proving that
Mary is an adopted child.

It was produced by Buddy Adler and directed by Edward
Buzzcll from a .screen play by Charles Hoffman, based on a
story by Hugo Butler and lan M. Hunter.

Unobjectionable morally.

36

HARRISON'S REPORTS

March 4, 1950

"The parents actually pay this tax, we know, but
the youngsters have the ability to stretch their weekly
allowances sharply curtailed.

"These young people must pay this tax while being
denied the privileges of signing petitions or voting
against the collection of this unfair tax. However,
they can write letters to those responsible, and infiu'
ence their parents to oppose continuing the excise tax.

"Maybe now is the time for youngsters to prove the
Biblical observation that 'a little child shall lead
them.' "

No doubt Mr. Kennedy has inspired this editorial,
and Harrison's Reports wishes to congratulate him
for the originality of his idea, and for the possible
uses to which it may be put. Although the 'teen-agers
have no voice in government because they are not old
enough to vote, there is nothing to stop them from
making their feelings known to the Congressional
representatives from their districts. The admission
tax looms big to the youngsters, for it takes a consider'
able bite out of their limited allowances, and the ex'
hibitors in each locality should take steps to organise
and induce them to bombard dieir legislators with
protests against the tax. Who is the politician who
will dare refuse to heed the protests of youngsters
who will one day decide whether or not he shall be
returned to office?

Harrison's Reports submits these views to Mr.
Myers' committee on taxation for whatever use they
may be put to.

AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

In a communication to this paper, Mr. Myers
points out that, because so much has been said and
written about "war excise taxes," many members of
our industry carelessly use that expression in writing
to their Congressmen and Senators in connection with
the campaign against the federal admission tax. "They
overlook the fact," Mr. Myers says, "that there was a
10% tax on admissions when the 20% 'wartime rate'
was imposed, and that mere repeal of the 'war excises'
or 'war rates' will leave the industry saddled with the
pre-existing 10% tax."

By careless use of this expression, Mr. Myers adds,
many industryites are in effect asking for only half a
loaf when they should ask for total repeal — which is
what they really mean.

In writing to your Congressional representatives,
you should, therefore, make it a point to ask for "re-
peal of the admission tax," and to keep out of your
letters or telegrams any reference to "war excises" or
"war rates." The distinction is important if we are to
win the fight for total repeal.

"Young Daniel Boone" with David Bruce

(Monogram, February 26; time, 71 win.)

There is considerable merit to this Indian Scout
melodrama, photographed in Cinecolor. There are
some slow moments, but the action is mostly fast,
holding one's attention. David Bruce is very good as
young Daniel Boone, of historic fame. Kristine Miller,
as one of the girls captured by the Indians, is person-
able but she is not given much to do. The situations in
which the lives of the hero and of the members of his

party are placed in danger hold one tense because of
fear that some harm will come to them. Their fights
with the Indians are fairly thrilling. The color photog-
raphy is pleasing, since it is chiefly outdoors: —

The action unfolds in the Colonial days, around
1775, when the troops of John Mylong, a Hessian offi-
cer in the British Army, under Gen. Braddock, had
been massacred by the Indians, but Mylong and Don
Beddoe, a civilian army supplier, were among the few
who had escaped alive. Mylong wants to reach the
headquarters of Stanley Logan, his superior officer,
but Beddoe, having seen his daughters (Kristine Mil-
ler and Mary Treen) taken captive by the Indians,
wants to rescue them. Mylong, however, dissuades
him from the useless sacrifice. When word reaches
Logan about the massacre, he dispatches Damian
O'Flynn, a captain, to inform Gen. Braddock and to
rescue Mylong. He sends along also Bruce, who knew
the woods well. O'Flynn, actually a traitor in the pay
of the French Intelligence, arranges with Indian
friends to capture Mylong along with Beddoe. Both
men are rescued by Bruce, however, who manages also
to free Beddoe's two daughters. Bruce and his party
make their way to an abandoned fort, where they are
soon joined by O'Flynn, still posing as a friend. By
trickery, O'Flynn makes Bruce and the others his
prisoners, and then reveals that he is an agent for the
French. But when all are attacked by Shawnee In-
dians, hostile to both British and French, O'Flynn is
compelled to seek the aid of both Bruce and Mylong
to repel them. After the repulse, Bruce makes O'Flynn
and his Indians captives, but they turn the tables on
him and become the captors once again. Bruce, how-
ever, escapes and, by playing upon the superstitions
of the Indians, succeeds in rescuing his friends. But
O'Flynn attacks him and, during the fight, falls upon
his own knife and dies. Bruce looks forward to his
future in Kentucky, with Kristine as his wife.

The picture has been produced by James S. Burkett
and directed by Reginald LeBorg, from a story by
Clinton Johnston, who wrote the screen play in col-
laboration with Mr. LeBorg.

Unobjectionable morally.

BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCES

The previous box-office performances were published in
the December 3 and 10 issues:

Columbia

"The Reckless Moment": Fair-Poor

"Tokyo Joe" : Good-Fair

"Rusty's Birthday": Poor

"Barbary Pirates": Fair- Poor

"Feudin' Rhythm": Poor

"Tell It to the Judge": Fair

"And Baby Makes Three" : Fair

"Prison Warden" : Fair-Poor

"All the King's Men": Very Good-Good

"Traveling Saleswoman" : Fair

"Mary Ryan, Detective": Fair

"Chinatown at Midnight": Fair-Poor

"Jolson Sings Again" : Good-Fair

"Father is a Bachelor" : Fair

"The Nevadan": Fair

"Mark of the Gorilla": Fair-Poor

"Girls' School": Fair-Poor

Seventeen pictures have been checked with the following
results: Very Good-Good, 1; Good-Fair, 3: Fair, 5; Fair-
Poor, 6; Poor, 2.

Entered as second-class matter January !, 1921, at the post offi«e at New Y rk, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by

United States $15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison's Reports, Inc.,

U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 M v L. «>n M v Publisher

Canada 16.50 Wew rork ^U, «. Y. p s. HARRISON, Editor

Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service

Great Britain 17.50 Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Established July 1, 1919

Australia, New Zealand,

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35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor.

A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1950 lio. 10

THE 20TH CENTURY-FOX
SHOWMANSHIP MEETING

The big news of the week is the unprecedented exhibitor
showmanship meeting sponsored by 20th Century-Fox at
the Drake Hotel in Chicago, on March 8 and 9, for the
purpose of offering a program of aggressive showmanship
to stimulate attendance at the nation's theatres.

The program, embodied in a manual entitled "A Show-
man's Guide to Better Business," was offered on the first day
of the meeting before an assemblage of more than three hun-
dred of the nation's leading exhibitors, sales executives,
industry leaders and trade press representatives, and was
outlined by the company's advertising and publicity staff,
headed by vice-president Charles Einfeld.

The purpose of the Showman's Guide is stated in a fore-
word, which reads as follows:

"At this turn of the mid-century there is a generally
recognized need for a reorientation in showmanship. The
lush period of the war is gone and the time has come to
revitalize and invigorate the showmanship that always has
been and always will be an important factor in the presenta-
tion of the public's greatest form of entertainment; the time
to re-emphasize the fundamental techniques and methods
that were the stock in trade of pioneer exhibitors, and to
adopt them to suit modern methods of merchandising. Holly-
wood is doing its part by delivering better pictures today
than ever before. Let us all join in a concerted effort to in-
form the world of this resurgence of our great industry.

"To that end this Showman's Guide to Better Business
has been prepared by Twentieth Century-Fox as an industry
service. It is designed to rekindle the spark of showmanship
and to stimulate an aggressive attitude in selling motion
pictures to the public. Many of the suggestions herein are
already employed by the successful showman but many more
are not being practiced. This guide is intended as an aid to
showmen and had been prepared in the spirit of helpful-
ness."

The Guide, which is adaptable for every theatre, presents
an array of articles that offer invaluable advice to the ex-
hibitor to help him attract more customers to his theatre.

The lead-off article, written by A. J. Balaban, managing
director of the Roxy Theatre in New York, and entitled
"At Your Service," stresses the importance of making each
theatre patron feel like a personally invited guest through
services and courtesies of a varied character, all designed to
provide the best, not only in entertainment, but also in com-
fort. Included in this informative article is a check list of
personal services that will help retain and build the good
will and patronage of your theatre.

The next article, written by Red Kann, of Quiglcy Pub-
lications, cites the need for exploration and greater enthusi-
asm in trying new methods of merchandising.

The importance of community service activities is the
subject of the next article, which stresses the need for greater
action on the part of the exhibitor in offering the theatre's
facilities for fund-raising efforts and other community ac-
tivities in much the same manner as was done during the
war.

In an interesting article on programming, Morton G.
Thalheimcr, of the Neighborhood Theatre in Richmond,
Va., points up the importance of diversifying the entertain-
ment offered, studying the clientele, and knowing the taste
of your patrons so that the pictures you buy will fit in with
their wishes and desires.

Methods to capture patrons who come to the movies ir-
regularly, and to make regular customers of them are dis-

cussed in an article by Walter Brooks, of the Motion Picture
Herald's Showman's Round Table.

In an article entitled "The Movie Habit," Chester Bahn,
editor of the Film Daily, points up the need of attracting
the youngsters with all the showmanship at our command
to make certain that the children of today will become the
constant movie-goers of tomorrow.

Mr. Bahn's piece is followed by an article that calls atten-
tion to the building of children's matinees, and outlines allied
methods that will help to create community interest in organ-
izing a children's movie program.

Under the heading, "Mr. Showman, Take the Rostrum,"
the guide next offers for the use of the exhibitor or any
member of his staff a prepared sample speech that can be
used in talks before local organizations and civic groups in
the community. The speech, which can be edited easily to
suit the requirements of the group addressed, stresses the
point that the public gets more for its entertainment dollar
at the motion picture theatre than at any other form of en-
tertainment, and it cites facts and figures that will enlighten
the listeners and give them a new appreciation of what the
motion picture means to the community.

How a small theatre can become an entertainment center
for a goodly number of discriminating adults is the subject
of an interesting article by Leo Brecher, veteran New York
exhibitor, who is a pioneer in this type of operation.

Under the general heading of "Come to the Theatre," the
Guide offers some basic answers as well as new ideas on
what can be done to make it easier, more pleasant, and more
inviting to come to the theatre. Included in this piece are
informative notes on time tables, special movie buses, park-
ing facilities, checking arrangements, deportment of the
theatre staff, etc.

"Local Community Showmanship" is the title of an im-
pressive article by Morton Sunshine, editor of the Inde-
pendent Film Journal, who discusses the position of the
exhibitor in his community, and the efforts he can make to
have his civic activities reflect to the benefit of his theatre.

Outside activity designed to stimulate greater interest in
motion pictures is treated in an article by Senn Lawler, di-
rector of advertising for Fox Midwest Theatres.

Chester Friedman, editor of the Boxoffice Showmandiser
section, discusses the importance of going directly to your
patrons' homes to find out what they think of your theatre,
and describes the technique that should be employed in such
a survey.

In a section entitled "Idea Mart," the Guide offers the
exhibitor new ways and methods of attracting patrons and
increasing interest in his theatre. Part of the information
contained in this section includes the "Welcome Wagon"
technique for new members of the community; stimulation
of photography clubs; progress reports for patrons, contain-
ing news of civic activities in which the theatre plays a part,
and including general news about motion pictures; and
inaugurating an "event of the month" in cooperation with
civic, fraternal and religious organizations to build up the
theatre as a community center.

The Guide is completed with a section entitled, "What
is Your Showmanship I.Q?" posing fifty questions that
every exhibitor ought to ask himself to learn if he is doing
all he can to sell his theatre and motion pictures properly.

As further evidence that 20th Century-Fox is sincere in
its desire to enhance the prestige of the theatre in the com-
munity, to stimulate attendance, and to call attention to the
showmanship program's slogan, "Movies Are Better Than
Ever," the company has designed two very tine 600-line
institutional advertisements and has announced that it will
(Continued on last page)

38

HARRISON'S REPORTS

March 11, 1950

"The Outriders" with Joel McCrea,
Barry Sullivan and Arlene Dahl

(MGM, April; time, 93 min.)
An exciting big-scale outdoor melodrama, photographed
in Technicolor. Although made up of familiar ingredients,
it is better than most so-called "glorified" westerns, for the
story is interesting, the direction capable, and the acting
highly competent. The action fans in particular should get
their money's worth, for the story is full of thundering
hoofs, shooting, and battles with Indians. A highly exciting,
well staged sequence is where the wagon train fords a raging
river. One of the opening scenes, where a Union soldier is
stabbed to death in a river, with his blood coming to the
surface of the water, is too gory and gruesome. The outdoor
photography is exceptionally good: —

Joel McCrea, Barry Sullivan and James Whitmore, Con-
federate soldiers, escape from a Union prison stockade in
Missouri only to fall into the hands of a band of guerrillas
headed by Jeff Corey, one of Quantrell's infamous raiders.
Learning that they are Southerners, Corey, under threat of
death, compels them to join his outfit and assigns them on
a mission to Sante Fe, where Ramon Navarro was due to
leave with a wagon train carrying gold bullion for the Fed-
eral Treasury in St. Louis. They were to offer their services
as outriders, then guide the wagon train to a prearranged
spot, where Corey would be waiting to ambush it. McCrea
is told that the gold would go to the depleted coffers of the
Confederacy. In Sante Fe, the three men are rejected by
Navarro, who mistrusts them, but later, when they beat off
an Indian attack on the train, he hires them and places
McCrea in charge. En route McCrea falls in love with
Arlene Dahl, a young widow traveling as a passenger with
her young brother-in-law (Claude Jarman, Jr.). Sullivan,
sly and brooding, resents McCrea's warnings to keep away
from Arlene. McCrea becomes motivated by a determination
that nothing should happen to her. Upon arriving in Mis-
souri, news that the war had ended comes as a relief to him.
Sullivan, however, insists that they continue to the appointed
ambush. McCrea, suspicious, learns that Sullivan and Corey
planned to keep the gold for themselves. He makes Sullivan
his prisoner, but he manages to escape. Before long the
wagon train is attacked by Corey's forces and a pitched gun
battle ensues, but McCrea, by deploying his men carefully,
brings death to the raiders, including Corey and Sullivan.

It was produced by Richard Goldstone and directed by
Roy Rowland from a story and screen play by Irving
Ravetch. Unobjectionable morally.

the desert, but he refuses and ridicules her. Enraged by
Massey s treatment of Ruth, Clark unsuccessfully tries to
kill him and is given a severe beating. Morgan Farley a
former judge turned drunkard, commits suicide when he is
no longer able to stand the humiliation heaped upon him by
Massey, but before he dies he reveals that Massey has mur-
dered his own brother to gain control of the mine, and that
the dead man's son had sworn to return one day to avenge
the murder and reclaim the mine. Clark, recovered from his
beating, plans to escape from the mine with Ruth Aided
by his co-workers, he lures Massey and his foreman into the
mine and traps them by causing a cave-in with a dynamite
charge. Ruth and Clark head across the desert in a horse-
drawn wagon, but they are forced to return when they
discover that the wily Massey had salted the water bags to
foil an attempted escape. Meanwhile Massey frees himself
from the mine and re-establishes his authority. With disci-
pline restored, the long dreaded arrival of Massey's nephew
occurs, and all except Massey die in the vicious battle Ar-
riving at the camp, Clark and Ruth are confronted by
Massey. The two men engage in a battle to the death, with
Clark emerging the victor. Ruth and Clark decide to repay
their debt to society so as to enjoy happiness later.

It was produced by Saul Elkins and directed by Peter
Godfrey from a story by William Sackheim.
Strictly adult fare.

"Barricade" with Dane Clark,
Raymond Massey and Ruth Roman

(Warner Bros., April 1; time, 75 min.)
Although well produced and photographed in Technicolor,
this outdoor melodrama is too unpleasant and brutal for
most picture-goers; its appeal will be directed mainly to men
who do not mind viciousness in the extreme. Women un-
doubtedly will find it too harrowing and depressing because
of the bestiality of several of the characters, particularly the
one portrayed by Raymond Massey, as a brutish type of man
who rules a prison-like mining camp with ruthlessness.
There is no comedy to relieve the tension. There is suspense
and excitement in some of the situations, but on the whole
it is not a good entertainment, for the actions of most of the
characters, even those who are somewhat sympathetic, are
distasteful: —

Because Massey's mining camp on the desert was inacces-
sible, escaped convicts work for him and suffer his ruthless-
ness. Dane Clark, a spirited young man but a fugitive from
justice, reluctantly takes a job in the mine. Involuntary
guests are Ruth Roman, a girl who had escaped from prison,
and Robert Douglas, an idealistic lawyer. Both had been in-
jured in a stagecoach wreck and had been found by Walter
Coy, Massey's foreman. Massey, accustomed to servile obedi-
ence from his men, is annoyed by Clark's arrogant defiance.
He becomes also suspicious of Douglas, who was trying to
discover the secret behind his control of the mine. Ruth
nursed back to health, asks Massey for transportation across

"Shadow on the Wall" with Ann Sothern,
Zachary Scott and Gigi Perreau

(MGM, May; time, 84 min.)
A fairly interesting psychiatric thriller, revolving around
a six-year-old child whose mind is temporarily affected by the
shock of seeing her stepmother murdered. Although the
plot is far-fetched, it holds one's attention to a fair degree
because of the fact that the child's father is wrongly con-
victed for the crime and the child is too overcome by shock
to offer evidence that would clear him. A considerable part
of the footage, in fact, too much, is concerned with psychi-
atric treatments, which eventually help the child to identify
the real culprit. Some suspense is brought about by the fact
that the murderess makes several attempts to kill the child
before she can identify her. The direction and acting are

competent, but it is not a pleasant entertainment:

Zachary Scott, having discovered that his wife, Kristine
Miller, had been carrying on an affair with the fiance of her
sister, Ann Sothern, gets into a violent quarrel with her.
During the argument, Kristine knocks him unconscious, just
as Ann enters the room and shoots her dead. The crime is
witnessed by Gigi Perreau, Scott's little daughter, but the
shock affects her memory. Scott is convicted for the crime
on circumstantial evidence. Gigi, committed to a children's
psychiatric ward, finds a friend in Nancy Davis, a sympa-
thetic psychiatrist, who determines to break through the
child's veil of forgetfulness. Through the treatments she
gives Gigi, Nancy becomes convinced that a third person
was involved in the murder, and patiently tries to make the
youngster reconstruct the crime through the use of a doll's
house matching the room arrangement of her own home.
Ann, secure in the knowledge that her secret is safe, is
plagued by misgivings when she learns of the work being
done by Nancy with Gigi. Feigning interest in the child's
welfare, she visits the hospital frequently and makes two
unsuccessful attempts on the child's life, both of which
appear to be accidents. Unaware of what is going on but
suspicious of Ann, Nancy becomes concerned when she
learns that Gigi had been placed under Ann's guardian-
ship, and that she was to live with her in her Connecticut
home. She accompanies the child there. When Gigi sees
Ann, she starts to scream, for the clothes Ann wears casts
a shadow on the wall in a pattern similar to the shadow
Gigi had seen on the night of the murder. Ann, aware
that her secret had been discovered, hysterically confesses
the crime. It ends with Gigi and Scott reunited.

It was produced by Robert Sisk and directed by Patrick
Jackson from a screen play by William Ludwig, based on the
story, "Death in a Doll's House," by Hannah Lees and
Lawrence P. Bachmann. Adult fare.

March 11, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

39

"Please Believe Me" with Deborah Kerr,
Robert Walker, Mark Stevens
and Peter Lawford

(MGM, May; time, 86 min.)

This romantic comecly-farce has its humorous moments,
but on the whole it is only mildly entertaining. Revolving
around a pretty English girl who comes to the United States
to claim what she mistakenly believes is a fortune, the story
is a rather flimsy affair that misses fire despite the struggles
of the cast to breathe life and laughter into it. Most of the
comedy stems from her romantic entanglements with three
men — one a fortune-hunter, another a wealthy, irrespon-
sible playboy, and the third the playboy's lawyer, who be-
lieves that the heroine has designs on his client. For the most
part, however, the comedy fails to register because it is
forced. Moreover, the picture suffers from situations that
are dragged out to a point where they become tiresome. The
superficial treatment, the meagerness of the writing, and the
lack of ingenuity in the direction keep it from being the
sprightly entertainment it was meant to be: —

Unaware that a 50,000-acre ranch willed to her by an
American friend was worth less than ten cents an acre,
Deborah Kerr boards a boat for the United States believing
she is wealthy. En route, she becomes the objective of Robert
Walker, who was seeking to marry an heiress in order to pay
up a debt to J. Carrol Naish, a gambler. Naish was financing
Walker's quest, and had hired James Whitmore to pose as
his valet and check his expenditures. Walker's campaign hits
a snag when Peter Lawford, a wealthy playboy, makes a
play for Deborah. But Lawford, too, finds himself stymied
when Mark Stevens, his lawyer, tries to protect him from
a possible adventuress and falls in love with Deborah him-
self. Stevens' faith in her is shattered when Whitmore, to
rid Walker of opposition, implies that Deborah and Walker
had hatched a plot to mulct Lawford of his money. Learn-
ing that Stevens mistrusts her, Deborah becomes furious
and deliberately plays up to Lawford when they land in New
York. Meanwhile Walker manages to introduce her to
Naish, who agrees to advance him additional funds. By this
time convinced that Deborah is honest, Stevens becomes
suspicious again when he learns that her ranch was worth-
less. He offers to marry her anyway, but she walks out on
him. Now aware of her own financial position, as well as of
Walker's, Deborah cooks up a scheme whereby she legiti-
mately tricks Lawford into buying a rug from her for many
times its value, but she tears up the check at the last moment
because of her inherent honesty. The climax has all three
men proposing to her, with Stevens emerging the winner.

It was produced by Val Lewton and directed by Norman
Taurog from a story and screen play by Nathaniel Curtis.

Harmless for the family.

"The Great Plane Robbery"
with Tom Conway and Margaret Hamilton

(United Artwts, Mar. 10; time, 61 min.)

A mediocre program melodrama. It will provide a mini-
mum of entertainment for even the most undiscriminating
movie-goers, for the story is synthetic, implausible and
routine throughout. Even the direction and acting are un-
distinguished. Practically all the action takes place aboard
a plane and, except for a fight between the villain and the
pilot, it offers little excitement. As a matter of fact, even
though the picture runs for only one hour it has been
padded considerably to give it that length. There is some
comedy, but it is silly and inept: —

Told by the flashback method, the story opens with a huge
airliner, piloted by Tom Conway, preparing to take off from
New York to Los Angeles. Included among the passengers
are Marcel Journet, a diamond merchant; Steve Brodic and
David Bruce, two slick-looking characters; and Margaret
Hamilton, a typical busybody. The plane goes as far as
Kansas City without incident, but when it departs after a
short stopover the stewardesses find one of the passengers
murdered in the wardrobe compartment. Before they can
report their discovery, however, Bruce and Brodie draw

guns and systematically rob the passengers, taking also
Journet's jewel case. They destroy the plane's radio equip-
ment and then parachute through the plane's escape hatch.
Journet begins a tirade about holding the airline responsible
for his loss, but, when Margaret discloses that the crooks had
taken an empty jewel case from him, he draws a gun and
admits that he had masterminded the whole affair. He reveals
that the passenger found murdered was an insurance de-
tective assigned to protect his jewels, and that he had hired
Bruce and Brodie to stage the fake hold-up. By putting the
plane into a fast bank, Conway throws Journet off balance
and engages him in a desperate fight with the plane out of
control. He finally subdues Journet, brings the plane under
control, and has his co-pilot rig up a makeshift radio to con-
tact the Los Angeles airport. The plane is met by the police,
who take Journet into custody.

It was produced by Sam Baerwitz, who wrote the screen
play in collaboration with Richard G. Hubler, based on a
story by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene. Edward L.
Cahn directed it.

Unobjectionable morally.

"The Reformer and the Redhead"
with June Ally son and Dick Powell

(MGM, May; time, 90 min.)
A pretty good romantic comedy. Revolving around a
crusading young lawyer who beats and exposes a crooked
political machine, the story is basically familiar, but good
comedy situations, bright dialogue, and a charming and
amusing romance make it an entertainment that should be
enjoyed by most audiences. Dick Powell is effective as the
lawyer, and June Allyson is just right as the pert, vivacious
redhead who wins his heart. Considerable laughter is pro-
voked by the encounters Powell has with a tame lion and
other animals who wander about June's home. The sequence
where he meets a vicious lion escaped from the zoo and
thinks the beast to be June's pet will have the audience
howling. David Wayne, as Powell's cynical law partner, and
Marvin Kaplan, as their unhappy law clerk, add much to
the amusing proceedings: —

Returning from a big game expedition to oversee the
coming election for Mayor, Ray Collins, political boss of a
small California city, is persuaded by his aides to back
Powell, a progressive young lawyer who had been brought
up in the city's orphanage. Powell, a little slick himself,
asks for time to consider the candidacy so as not to appear
too eager. Meanwhile Collins sees to it that Cecil Kellaway,
superintendent of the zoo, is discharged for opposing his
donations of mounted hunt trophies; Kellaway disapproved
of killing wild life. Collins' action riles June, his daughter,
who gets into a scrap with Collins' niece and lands in
jail. Released on bail, she takes her case to Powell, who
becomes sympathetic when she accuses Collins of crooked
politics to oust her father. He goes to see Kellaway at his
ranch and, after a trying time with June's pet lion, obtains
a clue about Collins' crooked leadership. He goes out of town
to check on Collins and, during his absence, June enlists the
aid of the orphanage kids and starts a campaign to elect
Powell without Collins' backing. He returns with criminal
evidence against Collins but suppresses it in a secret deal
with Collins for his support. Robert Keith, a newspaperman
friend, learns of the deal and so informs June. Disillusioned,
she returns the engagement ring Powell had given her. Her
attitude makes Powell see the light and, in a courageous
radio address, he denounces Collins after admitting the deal
with him. His conscience clear, Powell drives to the ranch
to meet June. En route, he comes across an escaped lion
whom he mistakenly believes is June's pet. He prods the
snarling beast into his car and then faints dead away when
Kellaway comes on the scene and reveals the truth. While
Kellaway gets the beast into a cage, Powell revives suffi-
ciently to take June in his arms.

It was produced and directed by Norman Panama and
Mclvin Frank from their own screenplay, based on a story
by Robert Carson.

Suitable for the family.

40

HARRISON'S REPORTS

March 11, 1950

pay fifty per cent of the cost of inserting these ads in the
exhibitor's local newspaper. The ads, entitled "Your Pleasure
is Mine" and "I'm the Proudest Man in Town," are designed
as a personal message from the exhibitor to his community.
Copies of these ads are published in the Guide.

Copies of the Showman's Guide to Better Business are
available from your 20th Century-Fox representative. It
contains a wealth of information that no exhibitor can af'
ford to be without.

On Thursday, too late for inclusion in this report, the
meeting was to be devoted to an open forum discussion of
showmanship based on the plan of action proposed by Twen-
tieth Century-Fox, with Mitchell Wolfson, of Wometco
Theatres, as moderator. A report of this open forum will be
made in the next issue.

Limited space does not permit comment on the fine talks
made at the opening session by Al Lichtman, Andy Smith,
Jr., Charles Einfeld and other Fox executives, as well as by
Eric Johnston, MPA president, Bosley Crowther, motion
picture critic of the N.eiu Tor\ Times, Sam Pinanski, head
of TOA, and Trueman Rembusch, National Allied president.
Suffice it to say that all lauded Spyros P. Skouras and his
aides for taking the leadership in doing something positive,
at great expense to their company, to combat the box-office
slump, a view that was enthusiastically shared by all the
exhibitors in attendance.

A highlight of the meeting was the welcoming address
of Mr. Skouras. Constructive and to the point, the speech
made a deep impression on his listeners, and it should be
read by every exhibitor for a better understanding of why
he must exert greater showmanship efforts to restore our
prestige and regain our former patronage. Mr. Skouras'
speech follows :

"I want to welcome all of you, from the bottom of my
heart, and I am indeed very grateful that you have accepted
our invitation to participate in this heart to heart talk. This
meeting is in accordance with the democratic traditions that
has characterized the American private enterprise system.

"Today, this free competitive system of our country stands
out as a beacon to a world whose freedom has been greatly
impaired by the ravages of war and the threat of com-
munism. All enterprise and all economies have been dis-
located with fantastically rising costs.

"I do not want to talk to you about politics, but these
global changes, affecting the freedom of man, have a bear-
ing upon this session. The reason this meeting has been
created is because, as freemen of the greatest democratic
nation of the world, we are affected just like other large
industries in America which have been discussing the future
success of their enterprises and have been retooling in order
that our competitive system may thrive.

"We are here to do what we can to help readjust our own
industry to the changing modern world.

"We have been fortunate in the exhibition field of motion
picture entertainment because long ago we built up a strong
and enviable edifice which has withstood many of the ad-
verse economic developments of the times. As exhibitors,
our showmanship helped to erect this mighty structure which
we were inclined to think was a Gibraltar against any ad-
verse conditions.

"But during the war years, the attendance in our theatres
was raised to abnormal levels because the public had no
other form of entertainment so easily at hand. Pockets were
bulging and people wanted relaxation from the strains of
war; so our theatres were filled and our boxoffices were be-
sieged. Those methods of showmanship, and those techniques
which the exhibitors of the nation used to build up this great
industry were put aside during these lush years. It was felt
that no effort was needed to bring patrons into the theatres.

"Now the boxoffice has returned to normalcy, and we all
know that normalcy is not sufficient in view of the high costs
of this dislocation I have mentioned which have made people
more conscious of the purchasing power of their dollar, and
especially of their entertainment dollar.

"Our business is also faced with a competition by other
forms of recreation, and we again must be on our toes.

"This meeting is dedicated to the sole purpose of helping
to inspire the theatremen of America to show the way to
industrial prosperity in general, and motion picture pros-
perity in particular, by again creating methods and systems
of showmanship.

"Our imagination must be brought into play in order to
set examples for the rest of the nation in the crisis that is
facing all industries, including our own.

"While the effects of this crisis has not yet been felt in
the exhibiting branch, as much as in the other branches of
motion picture entertainment, I feel, and have long felt,
that it was my great obligation and duty to my former
associates, the exhibitors, who have contributed so much to
our industry, to face with them squarely a new challenge
with a dynamic showmanship.

"As men who have generated a vogue that has spread
around the world by building great palaces for the amuse-
ment of the millions — monuments to showmanship — you
demonstrate by your presence here that you recognize the
momentous purposes of this rally.

"I appeal to you today — to you exhibitors who have
changed the ways of life, styles and habits of populations
throughout the world, to begin here and now to create a
renaissance of the showmanship spirit that has produced
such miracles in the past.

"You are the men who can do it. You represent a great
tradition. By creating plans and ideas to capture the modern
mood of entertainment-seekers, you can increase the patron-
age of your theatres and guarantee that our proud industry
will flourish and continue to serve our communities and
nation.

"As hosts of this meeting, 20th Century-Fox has pre-
pared suggestions and ideas which we are going to submit
to you. We are going to ask you to propose your own, and
we hope that our joint effort will represent an achievement
of everlasting benefit to show business.

"Showmanship, and showmanship alone, is the keynote
of these proceedings. We are meeting here in the interests of
every one of you, and our whole industry — not for 20th
Century-Fox alone.

"You are asked to participate as individuals, regardless
of your particular affiliations or your geographical locations.
Our prime and overwhelming purpose is to help create the
habit of movie-going among a vastly larger segment of the
American people.

"Never was there a higher challenge to any group of men
in all the annals of American business. We are asking you
to sit down with us to a job of hard work, because you are
the men who have made showmanship a by-word all over the
world. You are the pioneers who have invented the art of
exploitation, making the motion picture theatre a warm and
inviting institution in every community. You are the pio-
neers who started out with the nickleodeon and with your
vision developed methods which enabled your neighbors to
learn to love and patronize motion pictures on a scale beyond
any entertainment medium in all history.

"You are the men who did not stop until your showman-
ship created audiences spanning the face of the earth; until
a theatre stood at every cross-roads; until governments and
whole peoples looked to the motion picture industry as an
auxiliary to the peace and well being of humanity.

"You are the men who have seen industry after industry,
year after year, borrow and adapt to their own purposes the
very techniques you devised as a means of exploiting their
products. You are the men who have been attacked for using
so-called methods of ballyhoo, but you also have had the
satisfaction of seeing showmanship extend far beyond the
confines of show business and earn the respect of all busi-
ness men.

"By your efforts, the American motion picture industry
today represents a capital investment of two billion, six
hundred and four million dollars. You are the men who have
mortgaged your families and yourselves; you are the men
who endorsed the bonds and sweated out the mortgages;
you are the men who truly made the motion picture one of
the largest industries of the world and one of the necessities
of life.

"For this great contribution we have called this meeting
today simply to muster all the strength of our hearts and
minds to preserve this magnificent institution your labors
and talents have created.

"As a theatreman, I take immense pride in standing be-
fore you to offer you the cooperation of 20th Century-Fox
and to ask for your own toward the re-creation of the strong
and irresistible showmanship that has made us great.

"I am filled with emotion, because I feel, as you do, the
magnificent opportunity that beckons to us here today. This
opportunity calls for the highest courage and boldest imagi-
nation; it calls for hard work.

"In the name of all those whose welfare depends on us,
let us resolve to put every iota of strength and intelligence
into this common cause."

Entered as second-class mailt r January 4, 1U21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 18?3.

Harrison's Reports

Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by

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35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor.

A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1950

No. 11

20TH CENTURY-FOX
POINTS THE WAY!

it ever a film company deserved a pat on the back it is

20th Century-Fox, not only because ot its awareness in rec
ognizing the need tor a return to aggressive showmanship to
stimulate theatre attendance, but also because it is doing
something about the problem by sponsoring a showmanship
drive at tremendous expense to itself. The company has a
right to be proud in the knowledge that it is doing the entire
industry a great service.

The showmanship meeting sponsored by the company in
Chicago on March 8 and 9 was highly successful in every
sense of the word, and great credit is due Spyros P. Skouras,
Al Lichtman, Andy Smith, Jr., Charles Einfeld and all the
other top company executives for the masterly way in which
they handled the meeting. Their sincerity of purpose was
quickly recognized by the more than 350 exhibitors who
attended the conference, and throughout the two-day ses-
sions all were fired with genuine enthusiasm as they listened
to an outline of the showmanship program laid down by the
company and to the flood of ideas and suggestions offered
by the numerous speakers. Every one departed from the
meeting inspired with a determination to roll up his sleeves
and recapture the old order of spirited merchandising by
which to sell the motion picture and the theatres to the
public.

The meeting was so inspirational that prominent circuit
heads, such as Sam Pinanski, president of TOA, Bob
O'Donnell, of Interstate Theatres, Louis Schine, of the
Schine Circuit, Si Fabian, of Fabian Theatres, Leonard
Goldenson, of United Paramount Theatres, Charles Skou-
ras, head of National Theatres, Oscar Doob, of Loew's
Theatres, and a host of others took the rostrum and openly
declared to the assemblage that they were going back to
their offices to make an all-out effort to rekindle the spark of
showmanship in their personnel.

Because of the unbridled enthusiasm shown by all the
exhibitors who attended the Chicago meeting, Mr. Skouras,
at the close of the meeting, announced that his company
will sponsor in every exchange area during the period
March 21-23 similar one-day showmanship conferences, to
which all exhibitors in the area are invited. Division and
branch managers will preside at the regional meetings, with
the agenda following that of the two-day meeting held in
Chicago.

Arrangements have been made for prominent exhibitors,
a local motion picture critic, and TOA and Allied leaders
to address each meeting, which will be attended also by
Home Office representatives and field exploiteers, who will
present the 20th Century-Fox showmanship plan, which
was the basis of discussion at the Chicago conference. The
afternoon sessions of the meetings will be devoted to open
forum discussions.

Thus far regional showmanship meetings have been set
in 29 of the company's exchange centers, on the following
dates :

Dallas, March 23; Pittsburgh, March 23; St. Louis,
March 21; Washington, March 21; New Haven, March 23;
Kansas City, March 22; Charlotte, March 23; Cleveland,
March 21; Des Moines, March 21; Indianapolis, March 21;
Memphis, March 21; Minneapolis, March 23; Philadelphia,

March 21; Milwaukee, March 23; Oklahoma City, March
22; New Orleans, March 23; Omaha, March 23; Detroit,
March 21; Los Angeles, March 21; Denver, March 23;
New York, March 23; Salt Lake City, March 23; Albany,
March 21; Atlanta, March 21; Boston, March 23; Buffalo,
March 21; Cincinnati, March 23; Portland, March 23; and
San Francisco, March 23.

Harrison's Reports cannot urge too strongly that every
exhibitor who can possibly do so should make it his business
to attend the showmanship meeting in his territory. A re-
vival of the old showmanship spirit is needed more than ever
this year because of the serious drop in theatre attendance,
and the 20th Century-Fox showmanship plan offers ideas
and suggestions that can be utilized to advantage by every
theatre, regardless of the size or type, and regardless of
which company's pictures are played. Moreover, the differ-
ent speakers, fresh from the meeting in Chicago, will con-
vey to you opinions on such matters as special television
trailers, proper methods of pre-selling pictures, institutional
advertising, showmanship methods employed in small towns,
and a wealth of other pertinent information. As Charles
Skouras observed in his talk before the Chicago assemblage:
"This is just like going to college; we've had an education
here today."

It should not be necessary to urge any exhibitor to attend
these forthcoming showmanship meetings, for those who fail
to attend will be doing themselves a great disservice.

The 20th Century-Fox slogan, "1950 Business Will Be
Good For Those Who Make It Good," will come true for
those who are willing to roll up their sleeves and go to work.
The money and the customers are there, but, to quote
Charlie Einfeld, "You must go after them!"

ASCAP CONSENT DECREE TOTAL
VICTORY FOR EXHIBITION

In an amended consent decree between the American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
and the Department of Justice, entered in the U. S. District
Court in New York this week, the decision won by the ex-
hibitors over ASCAP in 1948 was not only upheld in its
entirety but made even more complete by the fact that
ASCAP and its members are enjoined from suing any ex-
hibitor for performance rights to music in any motion pic-
ture produced since Judge Vincent L. Liebell handed down
his decision in 1948. Since then, exhibitors have refused to
pay any tax to ASCAP on the ground that such payments
are illegal exactions, but there has been some uncertainty as
to whether or not they were leaving themselves open to a
lawsuit. The new judgment clearly frees the exhibitors from
any liability.

The amended consent decree steins from the anti-trust
suit brought against ASCAP by 164 exhibitor members of
the Independent Theatre Owners' Association, which suit
resulted in the 1948 decision by which ASCAP was judged
to be a monopoly in restraint ot trade and enjoined from
collecting a music tax from theatres for pertormance rights
to music recorded on film.

Mr. Milton C. Weisman. the prominent New York at-
torney who successfully conducted the suit for the ITOA,
had this to say in a statement issued lollowing the entry of
the decree :

(Continued on bac\ page)

42

HARRISON'S REPORTS

March 18, 1950

"The Winslow Boy" with Robert Donat,
Margaret Leighton and Cedric Hardwicke

(Eagle-Lion, no rel. date set; time, 97 min.)
Based on Terence Rattigan's successful play of the
same name, "The Winslow Boy" is a compelling British-
made drama, marked by outstanding performances by Robert
Donat and Cedric Hardwicke who are both known to Amer-
ican picture-goers. But as entertainment it seems more
suited to class audiences than to the masses, for it is like a
photographed stage play— all dialogue and no movement.
Moreover, many movie-goers will have difficulty understand-
ing the thick British accents of some of the players.

The story, which is based on a famous cause celebre of the
late 1800's, revolves around a 14-year-old cadet who is ex-
pelled from the Royal Naval College for theft. His father, a
retired middle-class bank manager, played by Hardwicke,
believes the boy innocent and fights for his honor, first
through the Admiralty and then in the House of Commons,
but the Attorney General refuses to grant him the right of
a civil trial. The struggle seems hopeless until Robert Donat,
a famous lawyer and member of Parliament takes up the
challenge in the boy's behalf. His brilliant speech in Com-
mons results in a Petition of Right being granted, thus en-
abling Hardwicke as a private citizen to sue the Admiralty
and fight the case in the Lord Chief Justice's Court. Bitterly
fought for more than two years, the case attracts nationwide
attention and proves embarrassing to Hardwicke's family,
particularly to his daughter (Margaret Leighton), who is
compelled to break her engagement to a young neighbor.
Hardwicke becomes ill and his savings dwindle because of
the costly litigation, but he refuses to abandon the fight. In
due time Donat wins a brilliant court victory, completely
vindicating the boy. Hardwicke looks upon the vindication
as well worth the sacrifices made by him and his family. It
ends with a hint of romance between Margaret and Donat.

The most absorbing parts of the picture are the debates
in Parliament and the court room trial in which Donat
matches wits with Francis L. Sullivan, the prosecuting at-
torney. But all this will best be appreciated by mature
audiences, who will find it to be an effective dramatic pres-
entation involving the rights and liberties of the common
man.

It was produced by Anatole de Grunwald, who collabo-
rated on the screen play with Terence Rattigan. Anthony
Asquith directed it.

Morally suitable for all.

"Tarnished" with Dorothy Patrick,
Arthur Franz and Barbara Fuller

(Republic, Feb. 28; time, 60 min.)
Fair program entertainment. Its story about an inherently
honest young man who struggles to live down a bad repu-
tation he had earned as a youth is basically familiar, but it
holds one's attention throughout because of the deft direc-
tion and the competent performances. Considerable sym-
pathy is felt for Arthur Franz, as the young man who tries
hard to win the acceptance of the narrow-minded towns-
people, and for Dorothy Patrick, who courageously defies
even her prejudiced father to help him. Their romance is
pleasant and inspiring. There is some excitement in the
closing scenes, where Franz rescues from a blazing warehouse
Jimmy Lydon, who had tried to frame him for a series of
robberies: —

Returning to his home town after an absence of seven
years, Arthur Franz tries to live down the fact that he had
been sent to prison for a youthful escapade. Franz, who had
spent the previous four years with the Marines, refuses to
cash in on his war record and allows the prejudiced towns-
people to believe that he had been in prison all the time.
After being humiliated and rebuffed time and again, Franz
lands a job in Harry Shannon's boat yard with the aid of
Dorothy Patrick, a cannery worker, who sympathized with
him. Franz progresses nicely but arouses the jealousy of
Byron Barr, personnel manager of the cannery, who had an
eye on Dorothy himself. Seeing an opportunity to blame
Franz for robberies he and Jimmy Lydon, Shannon's son,

had been committing, Barr plants Franz's Marine combat
knife at the scene of their latest crime. Franz, accused, denies
the robbery, but his alibi is weak because, on the night of
the crime, he and Dorothy had gone to Vermont in an un-
successful attempt to get married without a waiting period.
Knowing that no one would believe that their trip was an
innocent one, Franz, rather than clear himself at the expense
of Dorothy's reputation, prepares to submit to arrest. Mean-
while Lydon, in the act of robbing a warehouse with Barr,
gets caught in a bear trap set by the owner. Barr, trying to
pry Lydon loose, accidentally starts a fire and runs out on
Lydon to save himself. Franz, risking his own life, rushes
into the burning building and saves Lydon. Cleared by the
truth about the robberies, Franz wins the admiration of the
whole town.

It was produced by Sidney Picker and directed by Harry
Keller from a screen play by John K. Butler, based on a
novel by Eleanor R. Mayo. The cast includes Barbara Fuller,
Don Beddoe and others.

Suitable for the family.

"Singing Guns" with Vaughn Monroe,
Ella Raines and Walter Brennan

(Republic, Feb. 28; time, 91 min.)

Replete with action and enhanced by Trucolor photog-
raphy, this Western should have no trouble keeping the avid
cowboy fans entertained, for it has all the tried and true
ingredients they enjoy. But what sets it aside from most
Westerns is the fact that it stars Vaughn Monroe, the band
leader and crooner, whose wide popularity should have a
telling effect at the box-office. Many people who are not
drawn by Western fare may go out of their way to see
Monroe in this one. And they will not be disappointed, for
he does surprisingly well as an outlaw who becomes regen-
erated, even though the story material is routine. Needless
to say, he sings several songs, including the popular "Mule
Train." Ella Raines, as a cafe owner, Walter Brennan, as
a kindly doctor, and Ward Bond, as the sheriff, are com-
petent in standard characterizations. The one criticism that
should be made is the unnecessary insertion of double-
meaning dialogue: —

Monroe, a notorious outlaw with a price on his head,
shoots and severely wounds Bond, who had been tracking
him for many months. Not a killer, Monroe takes Bond to
Brennan, who persuades him to submit to a blood trans-
fusion that saves Bond's life. Monroe wakes up from a deep,
drugged sleep and discovers that his heavy beard had been
shaved off and his clothes changed, giving him a new ap-
pearance. Brennan explains that he wanted to give him a
new start in life and induces him to assume a new name and
to take over the job as sheriff until Bond recovers. Learning
that a local mining company owned by Jeff Corey was pre-
paring to make a large shipment of gold, Monroe decides to
stick to the job until he can make off with the loot. Monroe
had already stolen considerable gold from the company
because it had jumped his claims. In the course of events
Monroe becomes romantically involved with Ella, Bond's
girl-friend, who recognizes him as the outlaw and so informs
Bond in order to collect the reward. Brennan, confessing
that he had hoped to turn Monroe into an honest man, per-
suades Bond not to arrest him until he has had a chance to
accomplish his aim. By the time Monroe is ready to pull off
the gold robbery, he falls deeply in love with Ella and de-
cides to go straight. But a situation arises that compels
Bond to jail Monroe to save him from a lynch mob headed
by Corey. He allows Ella to help Monroe escape so that she
may learn the location of his hideout and the stolen gold.
Rather than give this information to Bond and bring about
Monroe's arrest, Ella, upon reaching the hideout, knocks
Monroe unconscious and takes the gold to the Governor.
Her action results in a pardon for Monroe, enabling both of
them to look forward to a happy, straightforward life to-
gether.

It was produced by Abe Lyman and directed by R. G.
Springsteen from a screen play by Dorrell and Stuart Mc-
Gowan, based on a novel by Max Brand.

Unobjectionable morally.

March 18, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

43

"Under My Skin" with John Garfield
and Micheline Prelle

(20th Century-Fox, March; time, 86 min.)

An interesting horse-racing melodrama, based on Ernest
Hemingway's short story, "My Old Man." Revolving around
an unscrupulous jockey who is idolized by his young son,
the story, though hardboiled in many respects because of the
crooked racing angle, has moments of tenderness that are
charged with emotional appeal. The picture, in fact, has
many emotional situations, the result of the devotion and
loyalty between father and son. The action takes place in
Italy and France, and the actual Parisian backgrounds give
the film a colorful flavor. The racing sequences and the hero's
involvements with a crooked gambler make for considerable
excitement and suspense. John Garfield is highly competent
as the tough but tender jockey, and Orley Lindgren, as his
son, is exceptionally good. The picture marks the American
debut of Micheline Prelle, a popular and beautiful French
actress, who does very well as the cabaret singer who feels
sympathetic to the motherless youngster and falls in love
with his father: —

Garfield, a veteran jockey barred from American tracks
because of his unscrupulous ways, is forced to flee from
Italy with Orley, his 11-year-old son, after double-crossing
Luther Adler, a gambler, in a fixed race. They go to Paris,
where Garfield had sent his trunks in care of a friend who
owned a cafe. Arriving at the cafe, Garfield is berated by
Micheline Prelle, who turns out to be his friend's widow;
she blames him for her husband's death because he had in-
volved him with racetrack characters. While Garfield goes
to retrieve his trunks, which Micheline had sent away, she
feels sorry for young Orley and takes him to her apartment
for dinner. Within a few days Garfield buys a horse and
starts to train him as a steeplechase racer. Meanwhile a
strong bond grows up between Micheline and the boy, and
before long she finds herself falling in love with Garfield.
Trouble looms when Adler and two of his henchmen arrive
in Paris and give Garfield a limited time to pay up the losses
in Italy. Garfield makes up some of the money on a fixed
race. His son, detecting the fix, loses respect for him. Gar-
field decides to send the youngster back to America, but the
lad, devoted to his father, returns to him. In due time Gar-
field's horse becomes the favorite to win the Grand Prix, and
Adler, threatening to kill Garfield, orders him to throw the
race. Realizing that his son had his heart set on their horse
winning, Garfield rides an honest race and wins. But as the
horse streaks across the finish line another horse crashes into
him, causing Garfield to take a fall that brings about his
death.

Casey Robinson wrote the screen play and produced it.
Jean Negulesco directed it. Unobjectionable morally.

"Tarzan and the Slave Girl" with
Lex Barker, Vanessa Brown
and Denise Darcel

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 74 min.)

This latest of the "Tarzan" pictures should go over well
wherever the series is a favorite. The story, of course, is
completely fantastic, but the undiscriminating adventure-
loving fans who do not mind pictures that are more melo-
dramatic than credible should find the bang-up pace excit-
ing and packed with thrills, for the action is replete with
mayhem, double-dyed villainy and heroic deeds of assorted
kinds. Lex Barker, as Tarzan, adequately fills the demands
of the role. The production is enhanced by a bevy of easy-
to-look-at "slave girls," among whom is Denise Darcel, of
"Battleground" fame: —

When the natives of Tarzan's jungle become terrified by
the mysterious disappearance of the bride of the chief's son,
Tarzan traces the girl and finds that she had been kidnapped
by members of the Lionian tribe, whose numbers had been
depleted by a strange malady. The disease is contracted by
several of the natives and Tarzan saves them by summoning
a doctor who innoculates them with a serum he had de-
veloped. Tarzan determines to rescue the girl, and the doc-
tor decides to go along bo as to treat the epidemic at its
source. With Tarzan gone, the Lionians return and kidnap

Vanessa Brown, his wife, Denise Darcel, the doctor's nurse,
as well as seven other girls, and take them to Hurd Hat-
field, their Prince, who was despondent over the illness of
his little son. Aware that they had been kidnapped to re-
plenish the Lionian population, Vanessa and Denise manage
to escape from the slave quarters and hide themselves in the
tomb of the Prince's father, a recent victim of the deadly
disease. Tarzan and the doctor, arriving in the Lionian city,
inform the Prince that they can save his son with the serum,
but both are thrown into a dungeon when it is discovered
that they had lost the serum en route. Tarzan battles his way
free and escapes to the tomb, where he discovers Vanessa
and Denise. Through brute strength and with the aid of
elephant friends, he breaks out of the tomb after it had been
sealed and gets into a violent battle before he is subdued.
Meanwhile Cheeta, Tarzan's pet chimpanzee, had found the
lost serum, enabling the doctor to save the Prince's son.
Just as Tarzan is about to be thrown to the lions, the Prince
arrives on the scene and frees him together with the girls.

It was produced by Sol Lesser and directed by Lee Sholem
from a screen play by Hans Jacoby and Arnold Belgard.
The cast includes Arthur Shields, Robert Alda, Tony Caruso,,
Robert Warwick and others. Suitable for the family.

"The Big Hangover" with Van Johnson
and Elizabeth Taylor

(MGM, May; time, 82 min.)

Although this is an expensive production, it is only mildly
entertaining. The reason for it is that the story, which re-
volves around an idealistic young lawyer, is weak. There is
some comedy here and there. Part of it is slapstick, and other
parts are provoked by the practical jokes played on Van
Johnson who, because of a strange allergy to liquor, is sent
into headspins by alcohol that is placed in his food. The
most outstanding situation is at the alumni dinner where
Leon Ames, as the city attorney, defending himself against
a charge of dishonesty by Van, accuses capable law students
of refusing to apply for positions as assistant district attor-
neys so as to protect the interests of the citizens. The action
is slow in many spots: —

Upon his graduation from college with high honors, Van
Johnson is taken into a distinguished law firm headed by
Percy Waram. He joins a surprise birthday party given to
Waram in the office and is induced to drink to the boss'
health. He immediately becomes wildly intoxicated and is
saved from disgrace by Elizabeth Taylor, Waram's daughter.
He explains to her that he is allergic to liquor, the result of
a war experience, during which he was almost drowned by
bursting barrels of brandy while in the cellar of a French
monastery hit by a Nazi bomb. Elizabeth, a student of
psychiatry, takes an interest in him. He tries to cure himself
by taking a teaspoonful of brandy every night, but in the
course of the experiment he believes that his dog is talking
to him. When he informs Elizabeth of this experience, she
tells him that his sub-conscious mind had been playing a
trick on him. Johnson visits Elizabeth's home and, after a
talk with him, her parents become impressed with the fact
that he is a young man of high ideals. But his ideals get him
into trouble when he becomes shocked over the fact that the
law firm, which was not averse to using its position for profit,
was evicting a distinguished Chinese doctor from an apart-
ment it owned. At an alumni dinner attended by all the
members of the firm, including Elizabeth, Johnson de-
nounces Leon Ames for failing to protect the interests of
the Chinese doctor, and accuses him of currying favor with
Waram's law firm to obtain a better paying job. All are
shocked by Johnson's outburst, but Ames justifies himself
by explaining that no capable lawyer applies for the job of
his assistant to enable him to combat the brilliant members
of Waram's firm. Convinced that Ames was honest but
handicapped, Johnson resigns from the firm and accepts the
position of assistant to Ames. Elizabeth, proud of Johnson,
determines to marry him.

The story was written, produced and directed by Norman
Krasna. The cast includes Fay Holdcn, Edgar Buchanan,
Selena Roylc, Gene Lockhart and others.

Unobjectionable for family audiences.

44

HARRISON'S REPORTS

March 18, 1950

"We are pleased to announce that by the entry of an
Amended Consent Decree against ASCAP, the vacation of
the judgment against ASCAP in the Alden-Rochelle case,
and the withdrawal of all appeals therefrom by all parties,
all objectives heretofore sought by the Independent Theatre
Owners' Association, the plaintiffs in the Alden-Rochelle
case, and motion picture exhibitors generally throughout
the industry have been achieved. The disposition achieved
under the leadership and the direction of ITOA exhibitors
in this manner and with this most favorable result brings
stability to the industry, quiets any claims that could be made
against any of the exhibitors relative to the performing
rights of music synchronized with motion picture films and
releases the motion picture exhibitors of America- — not only
the plaintiffs — from any payment to or exaction by ASCAP
for public performing rights for ASCAP music integrated
with motion picture films. A more complete victory or a
broader one for the motion picture exhibition industry could
hardly be envisaged or hoped for.

"Before this settlement and disposition was agreed upon
by the Attorney-General, the ITOA, the defendant,
ASCAP and the plaintiffs in the Alden-Rochelle suit a
complete legal and factual survey of the entire ASCAP
set-up and its relation to all users of music was carefully
and painstakingly made with particular attention to safe-
guarding and assuring the rights of motion picture exhib-
itors in relation to the public performance of music synchro-
nized and integrated with films to the end of making certain
that such music may be freely and publicly performed by
them, freely obtained by the producer, cleared at the source
and all without charge to the exhibitor. All of the foregoing
— has been fully, adequately and carefully assured by the
presently consummated arrangements herein referred to.

"The new consent decree has radically and fundamentally
changed the entire ASCAP set-up and compels and assures
the clearance of all ASCAP music — both synchronization
and public performance rights — at the source with the pre
ducers of the films. This was the cornerstone of the exhibi-
tors' quarrel with ASCAP — this splitting of synchronization
rights and public performance rights and separate exactions
for them on the one hand from the producer and on the
other hand from the exhibitor — this is now a thing of the
past. Under the Amended Consent Decree, exhibitors will
get the public performance rights of all ASCAP music in-
tegrated in the film directly from the producer included in
the one right to exhibit the films. Exhibitors will no longer
be required to deal with ASCAP nor with ASCAP members
for the motion picture performance rights of music synchro-
nized on film. Thus all of the protection which the exhibi-
tors in the Alden-Rochelle case ever sought is granted not
alone to them but to all exhibitors under the Consent Decree.

"Furthermore, the new Consent Decree removes a source
of uncertainty which had been troubling the industry, to
wit, the public performance rights to motion pictures which
had been produced between the date of Judge Liebell's de-
cree in our Alden-Rochelle case and the termination of the
pending appeals therefrom.

"Under the Amended Consent Decree this troublesome
and vexatious situation is quieted since neither ASCAP nor
its members may sue any exhibitor for performing the music
in any film which was synchronized in the past or to which
music the performance rights had been granted to the pro-
ducer. Futhermore, the Consent Decree also clears the pro-
ducer from any claims in relation to such music since it pro-
vides that in relation to all past pictures already produced
the producer will obtain the music performance rights to all
such music in pictures which have been produced in the past
upon their obtaining rights with relation to future produced
pictures.

"Furthermore, as to pictures that may hereafter be pro-
duced, no problem to vex the exhibitor can arise because the
Amended Consent Decree provides that whenever a member
of ASCAP grants a producer the synchronization rights of
his music, arrangements must also be made whereby the
producer obtains the performance rights either from such
member or from ASCAP.

"As an additional protection to the industry generally —
really to the producer in whom, of course, the exhibitor is
interested — the producer is now free to deal, if he wishes,
directly with the individual member of ASCAP and is not
restricted to dealing with ASCAP. All restrictions upon the
right of a member to individually grant performing rights to
the producer have been completely removed and a producer
may deal as he sees fit — either with ASCAP or with the
member of ASCAP in relation to public performance rights
to so-called ASCAP music.

"Furthermore, the power of ASCAP to exact any im-
proper or inordinate charges for public performing rights is
removed since the Amended Consent Decree provides that
if a producer is not satisfied with the fee asked by ASCAP
therefor, the producer may have the fee fixed by the Court.

"Finally, no member of ASCAP, nor ASCAP, may at
any time in the future bring any action against any exhibitor
in relation to public performance of music synchronized on
film.

"In conclusion it must be said — with all humility — that
the motion picture exhibitors' quarrel with the ASCAP
set-up, the ASCAP exactions — has been resolved com-
pletely and entirely in favor of the exhibitor who is now
completely freed therefrom."

Although the ITOA has not been alone in this fight
against ASCAP's music monopoly, the organization rates
the thanks of every independent exhibitor for the relentless
way in which it pressed its legal battle against the Society.
And in giving thanks let us not forget Mr. Weisman, whose
capable handling of the case brought about this great victory
for the independent exhibitors.

MYERS SEES ADDED HOPE
FOR TAX REPEAL

The defeat on a strict party vote of the Republican move
for an immediate cut in the excise taxes was to be expected,
according to a bulletin issued this week by Abram F. Myers,
chairman of COMPO's Committee on Taxation and Legis-
lation. The most the industry could have hoped for on such
a move, added Myers, was that the war rate on admissions
would be eliminated.

Myers stated that the Eberharter resolution, adopted by
the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday, goes
far beyond the Republican move, for it provides that the
Committee shall examine the excise taxes to "select for re-
duction or repeal" not only the wartime excises but also
other excise taxes (a) that are regressive; (b) that enter into
business costs; or (c) that have discriminatory competitive
effects.

"Regressive" refers to taxes the burden of which is rela-
tively greater upon those with small incomes than upon
those in the upper brackets. That the tax on movie tickets
is regressive is one of the strongest points made in the joint
statement filed with the Ways and Means Committee by
Mr. Myers and Gael Sullivan. That the ticket tax has a dis-
criminatory competitive effect was also urged on the Com-
mittee in the joint statement.

As for the second category, taxes that enter into business
costs, Myers feels that it may open the way for consideration
of the tax on raw stock.

The adoption of the Eberharter resolution "is definitely
encouraging," said Mr. Myers. "No one now seems to doubt
that some measure of ticket tax relief will be forthcoming.
The remaining area of doubt is as to whether there will be a
mere reduction or outright repeal. All industry members
should now redouble their efforts. It is not enough for them
to urge their Congressmen to support total repeal. They
should petition them to work actively to that end."

A meeting of Mr. Myers' Committee was scheduled for
this Thursday to hear a report of the work done and the
progress made thus far in the tax battle, with particular at-
tention paid to the accomplishments in each territory so that
prompt action can be taken to strengthen any weak spots
that may appear. "The over-all picture is excellent," said
Mr. Myers, "but some territories have done better than
others and the Committee will press for a 100% performance
in all."

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the a«t of March 2, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1950

No. 12

HOW SOME HOLLYWOOD
EXECUTIVES FEEL ABOUT
TELEVISION

Hollywood — Last week I had luncheon with Sid Rogell,
head of RKO production in Hollywood under Howard
Hughes, for the purpose of ascertaining how he and perhaps
other production executives feel about television. He told
me that if any one thinks that television is not competition
to motion pictures he is way wrong. But, he said, no one
need despair as to the future of the industry. Perhaps, he
said, we shall have to work a little harder, and cut down
expenses at the same time, but he feels sure that we are
going to survive.

The first thing that should be done, said Mr. Rogell, is
to take advantage of television by making it work for us
through trailers. An attractive trailer cannot help arousing
the interest of those who see it on a television set, thus
inducing them to attend their nearest theatre to see the
picture. And the exhibitors, he said, must work harder to
attract more people into the theatres. It is up to us, he
assured me, to hold on to the present patronage and to
keep adding to it by proper exploitation.

One other thing we must do, he said, is to stop telling
our friends and others that pictures are bad and that busi'
ness is poor. Mr. Rogell related to me an interesting inci'
dent: "I had dinner," he said, "with one of the foremost
screen writers, who told me that, having no worthwhile
pictures to see the day before, he went to a vaudeville
theatre with his friends. I told him perhaps he did not look
over the advertisements carefully and I picked up that day's
newspaper to see what was playing. I saw many outstanding
pictures advertised and asked him whether he had seen any
of them. When he said that he had not, I asked him to
stop berating motion pictures without any justification since
he himself is making a living out of the business."

Finally, he said, our stars must stop demanding exorbitant
salaries so that they may help us make more pictures with
what they give up. The same goes, he said, for the studio
executives — they must reduce their salaries.

Mr. Rogell told me that he is having manufactured but'
tons with the wording "Booster" to pin on the lapel of a
person's coat. He expects every one of his friends to wear
one, and when any one should ask the wearer of a button
what he is boosting, his answer will be : "Moving pictures,"
adding that they are better than ever.

Mr. Rogell's decision to have booster buttons made and
passed around to his friends is a wise one, and others in
the industry will do well to follow his lead.

The evening of that day I had dinner with William
Beaudine, Sr., the well known director, and I asked him
to express his views on television. He replied: "I wouldn't
have any part of it. They are now trying to use us — they
don't offer any money to speak of, but when they put
television on its feet they will pass us by. It will be at least
five years before they will be in a position to spend money
for good entertainment."

The following day I had luncheon with Harry Thomas,
the independent producer; he had attended a meeting where
Commander Eugene F. MacDonald, president of Zenith
Radio, made a talk to some prominent Hollywood people
in connection with his company's Phonevision. Commander
MacDonald, of course, is intensely interested in the project
and thinks that, when Phonevision gets going, it will sup-
plant picture and radio entertainment. But Mr. Thomas,
like many of the others who were present, feels that the
Commander has oversold himself, and that the picture
business will go on just the same.

Commander MacDonald has made a deal with the tele
phone company in Chicago for testing about one hundred
telephones, fitted with Phonevision, next September. He
does not want new films, he said; one year old subjects
will do.

On Saturday evening, I attended at Long Beach, a St.
Patrick's party, given by Dr. Richard Johnson, an intimate
friend of our late friend, Al Steffes, and met a Dr. Paap,
who expressed the opinion that the moving picture has
nothing to fear from television. If anything, he said, tele
vision will help make more picture patrons.

Such is one layman's theory.

Discussing the matter with Mike Vogel, one of the out-
standing exploitation men in the business, he cited a case
that has come within his own observation: "One of our
neighbors," he said, "has had a television set for more than
one and one-half years. All the children of our neighbor-
hood, including my own two sons, used to congregate there
to watch the television shows. Now not one of them bothers
to go."

Personally, I believe that this fear about the industry
being on the brink of disaster is mostly unjustified, and that
the exhibitors, with a little harder work and with the aid
of better pictures, will pry people away from their tele-
vision sets.

BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCES

The previous box-office performances were published in
the March 11, 1950 issue:

Eagle-Lion

"Port of New York": Fair
"The Sundowners": Fair
"Never Fear": Fair
"Sarumba": Poor

"Salt to the Devil" (formerly "Give Us This Day") : Fair
"Guilty of Treason" : Good-Fair

Six pictures have been checked with the following results :
Good-Fair, 1; Fair, 4; Poor, 1.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

"That Forsyte Woman": Fair
"Adam's Rib": Good
"Tension": Fair-Poor
"Challenge to Lassie": Fair-Poor
"On the Town": Very Good-Good
"Johnny Eager" (reissue) : Fair
"Malaya": Good-Fair
"Ambush": Good-Fair
"Battleground" : Excellent- Very Good
"East Side West Side": Good-Fair
"Blossoms in the Dust" (reissue) : Fair-Poor
"Key to the City": Good-Fair

Twelve pictures have been checked with the following
results: Excellent-Very Good, 1; Very Good-Good, 1; Good,
1; Good-Fair, 4; Fair, 2; Fair-Poor, 3.

Paramount

"Chicago Deadline": Fair
"Red, Hot and Blue" : Fair
"Holiday Inn" (reissue): Fair
"The Lady Eve" (reissue) : Fair
"The Great Lover": Good
"File on Thelraa Jordan": Good-Fair
"Captain China": Fair
"Dear Wife": Good

Eight pictures have been checked with the following
results: Good, 2; Good Fair, 1; Fair, 5.

(Continued on bac\ page)

HARRISON'S REPORTS

March 25, 1950

"Beauty on Parade" with Lola Albright,
Robert Hutton and Ruth Warrick

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 67 min.)

An exceptionally good program picture. It apparently
was produced as a "B" picture, but its excellent quality
must have surprised the studio. This is owed to a fine story
and script, and equally fine direction. It may very well
turn out to be a "sleeper." It has been a long time since
so many beautiful girls appeared in the same picture, and
with such good taste; there is no vulgarity anywhere. The
producer has succeeded in basing his beauty contests upon
a story with a moral and, as a result, the picture should
please, not only the 'teen-agers, but also their elders. The
acting is very good. John Ridgely's efforts to dissuade his
wife's ambitions for their daughter to satisfy her own
frustration wins the audience's sympathy. Ruth Warrick, as
the scheming mother, is excellent, as is Lola Albright, as
the daughter: —

Ruth wins a beauty contest but, instead of trying for
the national finals and the title of Miss U.S.A., she marries
Ridgely and lets Hillary Brooke, the runner-up, remain in
the competition. Married for twenty years and frustrated
because she had abandoned her opportunity to win fame and
fortune, Ruth concentrates her attentions on her daughter,
Lola, and, against her husband's wishes, enters Lola in a
beauty contest. Lola plans to marry Jimmy Lloyd, but her
mother does not agree with her plans and manages to
inveigle her into trying for the national competition.
Through trickery, 6he wins over Lloyd into cooperating in
her scheme. Lola wins the contest and is interviewed by
Robert Hutton, a newsman, who, hardboiled about beauty
contests, advises her to marry and settle down so as to
avoid eventual disillusionment. Ridgely feels keenly his
wife's ambitions for their daughter, and loses his grip.
Hutton, now in love with Lola, and seeing through her
scheming mother, visits Ridgely to pep him up and to
induce him to assert his authority. He finds him trying to
drown his unhappiness by drinking. Meanwhile Lola trans-
fers her interest from Lloyd to Hutton, and tells him how
sorry she feels for not having taken her father's advice to
quit the beauty contest. In the course of events, Lola wins
the national contest, but, instead of accepting the cup pre-
sented to her, she reveals to the audience that her one
ambition was to bring her parents, about to split up, to-
gether again, and that the prize should go to the runner-up
because she (Lola) had disqualified herself by marrying
Hutton the day before. Her parents return home together,
their former harmony re-established.

It was produced by Wallace MacDonald and directed by
Lew Landers from an original story by Arthur E. Orloff,
who collaborated on the screen play with George Bricker.

Suitable for the entire family.

"Our Very Own" with Ann Blyth,
Farley Granger and Joan Evans

(Goldwyn-RKO, no rel. date set; time, 93 min.)

The production, which is up to the usual Samuel Goldwyn
standard, is fine, but the story is only fair. The trouble
with it is that it is depressing instead of inspiring. Not many
picture-goers will enjoy hearing an envious sister reveal to
her elder sister that she is only an adopted child. And the
attitude of Ann Blyth, which is one of self pity, does not
win her one's sympathy, particularly since her foster parents
had been treating her as their own daughter. One resents
the unhappiness she causes them because of the younger
sister's indiscretion. Nor is the attempt of the younger
sister to steal Ann's sweetheart a pleasurable sight. The
tomboy antics of Natalie Wood, the ten-year-old daughter,
get on one's nerves after a while; they are overdone. Jane
Wyatt and Donald Cook look and act like real parents.
The title, although it fits the story, is weak: —

Together with their three daughters (Ann Blyth, Joan
Evans and Natalie Wood), Jane and Cook lead a peaceful
family life. Ann, the eldest daughter, returns from high
school one afternoon and finds Joan Evans, her younger
sister, trying to make an impression on Farley Granger, her

(Ann's) boy-friend. Ann has it out with Joan after she
makes several other obvious passes at Granger, but forgives
her. The following week, while her mother is busy preparing
for Ann's eighteenth birthday party, Joan asks for her birth-
day certificate to enable her to obtain a summer job.
Without giving the matter much thought, Jane tells her to
get it from a strong-box. Joan, while searching for her
certificate, comes across legal papers revealing that Ann had
been adopted as an infant, a secret Jane and Cook had kept
to themselves. During another quarrel between Joan and
Ann over Farley, Joan blurts out the fact that Ann is not
her real sister and should not censure her. No length of
explanations by Jane and Cook can restore Ann's peace of
mind. Upon learning that her real mother, Ann Dvorak, was
still alive, Ann insists upon visiting her. Jane arranges the
meeting, and Ann is driven to Miss Dvorak's home by
Phyllis Kirk, her friend, a rich girl who lacked a happy
home life. The seedy atmosphere of her mother's home, and
the fact that she is a complete stranger to her, bewilders
Ann and makes her heartbreak doubly intense. She becomes
morose and refuses to return home until persuaded to do
so by Phyllis. Cook, who had been waiting for her, receives
her with kindness, but slaps her when she becomes stubborn.
It is not until Phyllis tells Ann what a lucky girl she is to
have loving parents that she comes to the realization of
what Jane and Cook meant to her. For her commencement
address she tells what a wonderful thing it is to be one of
a family. Her foster parents, including the contrite Joan,
embrace Ann after graduation, happy in the knowledge
that she had returned to them with a full heart.

It was produced, by Samuel Goldwyn and directed by
David Miller from a story and screen play by F. Hugh
Herbert. The cast includes Gus Schilling and others.

Unobjectionable for the family.

"The Golden Twenties"

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 68 min.)

Compiled mainly of newsreel shots and of motion picture
clips, this March of Time documentary feature is a highly
interesting pictorial study of the highlights of the so-called
"jazz age," from the close of World War I in 1918 to the
Wall Street crash in 1929. It should make a very good
supporting feature in double-billing houses, for all movie-
goers, whether old or young, will be fascinated by the caval-
cade of events and the many personalities depicted.

With five commentators, including Frederick L. Allen,
Robert Q. Lewis, Allen Prescott, Red Barber and Elmer
Davis, alternating as narrators, the picture is a graphic
presentation of all the nonsense, hilarity, sensationalism and
lawlessness of what was truly a fabulous era. Prohibition
and the subsequent wave of speakeasies, racketeers and
gangterism; the progress of the automobile and the air-
plane; the labor strikes; the Charleston dance craze; the
tremendous ovations and parades accorded to such person-
alities as Queen Marie of Roumania, the Prince of Wales,
Charles Lindbergh and Trudy Ederle; the Scopes monkey
trial, the Sacco-Vanzetti case, and the Hall-Mills murder
trial; the famous stars such as Al Jolson, Lillian Russell,
Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, Pola Negri, John
Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Greta
Garbo and John Gilbert, who added glamor to the stage
and movie houses; the flapper fashions and the boyish bobs;
the outstanding sports events such as the Dempsey-Firpo
and Dempsey-Tunney fights, and the popular sports per-
sonalities such as Babe Ruth, Paavo Nurmi, Roger Hornsby,
Bobby Jones, Helen Wills, Earle Sande, Red Grange, Albie
Booth, Bill Tilden and many others; the Harding and
Coolidge regimes; the Teapot Dome scandal; the Ku Klux
Klan; the Floyd Collins tragedy — all this and much more
has been crammed into this tightly edited film in a way that
grips one's attention from start to finish. It is a picture
well worth showing.

It was produced by Richard De Rochemont, based on
an original study by Frederick L. Allen and Samuel W.
Bryant.

Children should find it educating and amusing.

March 25, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

47

"Federal Agent at Large" with
Dorothy Patrick, Robert Rockwell
and Kent Taylor

(Republic, March 12; time, 60 min.)
A minor but fair enough program crime melodrama.
Revolving around a Treasury agent who poses as a mob'
ster and joins a gang of gold smugglers in Mexico to get a
line on their operations, the story is not particularly novel,
but it should pass muster with those who are not too fussy
about story values. Two fist fights and a gun battle aboard
a ship give the action a fair degree of excitement. Some
of the situations, however, are too far-fetched to be believ
able. The direction and acting meet the demands of the
script: —

Kent Taylor, a Treasury agent, is assigned to track down
a ring that smuggled gold into the United States from
Mexico for shipment to the Orient. Posing as a gangster,
Taylor goes to a Mexican border town, where he wins the
confidence of Dorothy Patrick, owner of a cafe, who guided
the ring's operations for a secret leader. Taylor learns from
her that the gold was being smuggled into the United States
with the aid of an archaeological expedition from a Cali-
fornia university, whose unearthed relics passed the border
without examination under special permit. Robert Rock-
well, head of the expedition, had been blackmailed by the
gang into permitting them to conceal the gold in pottery.
Taylor's job was to see to it that the gold was eventually
put aboard a ship docked in San Pedro. Just before the
gold is shipped, Taylor discovers that Dorothy and Rock-
well are in love, and that they want to let the authorities
know about the smuggling without exposing themselves.
He reveals his identity to them and finds them agreeable
to a scheme whereby they can turn state's evidence. But the
plot is overheard by Roy Barcroft and Denver Pyle, mem-
bers of the gang, who notify their secret leader, Thurston
Hall, who masqueraded as a warm-hearted loan company
owner. Hall changes plans for the shipment of the gold
and murders Taylor. But Taylor, anticipating that he
might lose his life, had made a wire recording outlining the
gang's operations, and had arranged with Frank Puglia, a
friendly gang member, to deliver it to the Customs office in
Los Angeles. The information enables the authorities to
trace the gold to the ship in San Pedro where, after a
furious gun battle, they rescue Dorothy and Rockwell, and
bring Hall and his henchmen to justice.

It was produced by Stephen Auer and directed by George
Blair from an original screen play by Albert DeMond.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Tyrant of the Sea" with Rhys Williams,
Ron Randell and Valentine Perkins

(Columbia, April 6; time, 70 min.)

Although this costume melodrama has no names of box-
office value, it has been produced a little better than the
average Columbia "B" picture and should serve its pur-
pose as the lower half of a double bill program. The action
is mostly slow, and it is apparent that, because of budget
limitations, the director had to resort more to dialogue than
to movement. There is excitement in the battle scenes, which
should thrill the easily-satisfied picture-goers. Ron Randell,
as the brave young lieutenant who sides with the crew
against the ruthless tyranny of his captain, makes the role
believable and sympathetic. The action takes place in
1803:—

With the British Royal Navy the only obstacle to his
dream of world domination, Napoleon starts building up
the French Navy and also assembles invasion barges for an
attack against England. The British plan a daring one-
vessel raid to destroy the French fleet, and Captain Rhys
Williams, a cruel man, is assigned to execute the plan.
Ron Randell, second in command, is engaged to Valentine
Perkins, Williams' daughter. Aboard the Warrior, Williams
sets sail on the dangerous mission, but day after day the
attack is thwarted by clear weather. Rations become short
and the crew begins to grumble, but Williams rules over

the men with sadistic fury. When disease threatens the
crew, Randell and several of the crew members steal ashore
to pilfer fresh provisions from the enemy. Among them is
Maurice Marsac, actually a French spy, who slips away to
the camp of the French general. When the men return from
their sortie, Williams throws them into the brig, but he
releases them when a fog settles and all is made ready for
the attack. Marsac's treachery enables a French warship to
locate the position of the Warrior and to open fire. The
British sink the French ship, but they fail to accomplish
their mission. Instead of heading for home, Williams de-
cides on a second attack to surprise the French. The crew,
however, rebels. Randell pleads with Williams to let him
assume temporary command, but Williams brands him as a
conspirator. All hands forget their differences when a
French warship appears out of the fog. After a fierce battle,
the British capture the French ship and destory the inva-
sion fleet. Williams congratulates Randell and the crew for
their heroism, but informs them that they must stand trial
under Admiralty laws. During the trial, Doris Lloyd, Wil-
liams' wife, sends a note to the defense counsel suggesting
a certain line of interrogation. Williams is put on the stand
and, by answering the questions, furnishes the evidence by
which the Admiralty frees all the men. Valentine then
rushes into Randell's arms.

It was produced by Sam Katzman and directed by Lew
Landers from an original screen play by Robert Libbott
and Frank Burt.

Harmless for the family trade.

"Sarumba" with Michael Whalen,
Doris Dowling and Tommy Wonder

{Eagle-Lion, March; time, 64 min.)

A mediocre program musical that has little to recommend
it. It is an amateurish effort, weak in story, dialogue and
acting, and presented with little imagination. The picture
was photographed in its entirety in Cuba, but this factor
adds little to the entertainment values, for the action is
confined mainly to several cheap night-club settings and
street scenes. Some of the dance routines are interesting,
but even these are not enough to save the picture. The
photography is poor : —

Doris Dowling, a dancer, and her friend, Dolores
Tatum, a singer, lose their jobs in a waterfront cafe in
Havana when they fail to please a group of unappreciative,
drunken sailors. As they leave the club the girls are ap-
proached by Tommy Wonder, one of the sailors, who
apologizes for his buddies and offers to teach Doris some
new dance steps. Their dancing in the street attracts a
crowd and catches the attention of Michael Whalen, a
wealthy Cuban playboy, who throws them some money as
a tip. Doris talks Tommy into forming a dance team with
her, unaware that he will have to jump ship to do so.
They get a booking in a night-club owned by Whalen, who
immediately centers his attentions on Doris. Tommy, in
love with Doris himself, becomes resentful, quarrels with
her, and, in an effort to show up Whalen in a gambling
casino, foolishly gambles away not only his own money but
also money that belonged to Doris and Dolores. Meanwhile
Whalen discovers that the police were looking for Tommy
for having jumped ship, and he plans to get rid of him by
informing the police of his whereabouts. At a Fiesta, Tommy,
who had decided to surrender to the police, gets an idea
for a new dance routine and offers to stay and work it out
with Doris to pay back the money he had lost. During the
weeks of continuous practice, Doris and Tommy come to the
realization that they are deeply in love. Dolores, sympa-
thetic to them, turns her charms on Whalen and persuades
him to use his influence to clear Tommy of the ship-jumping
charge. He goes a step further by giving them a booking in
his plushiest night-club, where their dance routine wins
enthusiastic approval and assures their future success.

It was directed by Marion Gering, who co-produced it
with George P. Quiglcy and Julian Rodman, from an
original screen play by Jay Victor.
Harmless for the family.

48

HARRISON'S REPORTS

March 25, 1950

RKO

"The Outlaw": Very Good-Good

"Gunga Din" (reissue): Fair

"The Lost Patrol" (reissue): Fair

"Arctic Fury": Fair-Poor

"They Live By Night": Fair

"Strange Bargain": Fair

"Bride for Sale": Fair

"A Dangerous Profession" : Fair

"Holiday Affair": Good-Fair

"The Threat" : Fair

"My Foolish Heart" : Good-Fair

"Woman on Pier 13" (formerly "I Married a Commu-
nist") : Fair

"Man on the Eiffel Tower" : Fair
"Stromboli" : Fair-Poor

Fourteen pictures have been checked with the following
results: Very Good-Good, 1; Good-Fair, 2; Fair, 9; Fair-
Poor, 2.

20th Century-Fox

"Come to the Stable" : Very Good

"I Was a Male War Bride": Very Good

"Thieves' Highway": Good-Fair

"Father Was a Fullback": Good

"Everybody Does It": Good-Fair

"Oh You Beautiful Doll": Good

"Pinky": Very Good

"Fighting Man of the Plains": Good-Fair

"Prince of Foxes": Good-Fair

"Dancing in the Dark": Good-Fair

"Whirlpool": Good-Fair

"Stormy Weather" (reissue) : Fair-Poor

"When Willie Comes Marching Home": Good

"Twelve O'Clock High": Very Good-Good

"Dakota Lil": Good-Fair

Fifteen pictures have been checked with the following
results: Very Good, 3; Very Good-Good, 1; Good, 3;
Good-Fair, 7; Fair- Poor, L.

United Artists

"Without Honor": Fair-Poor
"The Big Wheel" : Good-Fair
"A Kiss for Corliss": Fair-Poor
"Mrs. Mike": Good-Fair
"Deadly is the Female" : Fair
"Johnny Holliday": Good-Fair

Six pictures have been checked with the following results :
Good-Fair, 3; Fair, 1; Fair-Poor, 2.

Universal-International

"Free for All" : Fair

"Story of Molly X" : Fair

"Bagdad": Fair

"Undertow": Fair

"Woman in Hiding": Good-Fair

"The Rugged O'Riordan's" : Fair-Poor

"South Sea Sinner": Fair

"Borderline": Fair

"Francis": Very Good-Good

Nine pictures have been checked with the following
results: Very Good-Good, 1; Good-Fair, 1; Fair, 6; Fair-
Poor, 1.

Warner Brothers

"Story of Seabiscuit": Fair

"Always Leave Them Laughing": Good-Fair

"A Farewell to Arms" (reissue) : Fair-Poor

"The Hatchet Man" (reissue) : Fair

"The Lady Takes a Sailor": Fair

"The Inspector-General" : Good-Fair

"The Hasty Heart" : Fair

"Backfire": Fair

"Chain Lightning": Good

Nine pictures have been checked with the following
results: Good, 1; Good-Fair, 2; Fair, 5; Fair-Poor, L.

"Western Pacific Agent" with Kent Taylor,
Mickey Knox and Sheila Ryan

(Lippert-Screen Guild, Mar. 17; time, 6? win.)
A fair program crime melodrama, suitable for houses
where such pictures are popular. The chief character is a
vicious young man, who leads a life of crime rather than
settle down in a small town, as his father had pleaded for
him to do. From the time he commits his first crime to the
end, the action becomes one of a criminal hunted by the

authorities. He is brutal and does not hesitate to shoot even
his own father. A fairly thrilling situation is the one that
shows him climbing up the girders of a drawbridge to
escape the authorities, who eventually shoot him down.
Kent Taylor is pleasant as the railroad agent. Sheila Ryan
is not given much to do. The direction is fairly good, and
the photography clear: —

Mickey Knox, a shiftless young man, returns to his
father, Morris Carnovsky, proprietor of a grocery store in
a small town, to borrow some money from him. Carnovsky
pleads with Mickey to settle down, but he refuses, prefer-
ring to lead the life of a hobo. When Carnovsky refuses to
give him any money, Mickey, on his way out of town,
murders a railroad bridge tender, elevates the bridge, then
holds up and kills Robert Lowery, the railroad paymaster,
and gets away with fifty thousand dollars. Concealing the
money in his rolled mattress, Mickey returns to the hobo
jungles that dotted the railroad's right-of-way. The railroad
assigns Taylor, its ace agent, to the case. Taylor visits Sheila
Ryan, sister of the slain paymaster, and enlists her aid to
track down the criminal. Meanwhile the numbers of the
stolen bills are publicized, rendering them useless to Mickey.
A ten-dollar bill given by Mickey to Sid Melton for his
jack knife furnishes Taylor with the first clue and puts him
on Mickey's trail. Mickey, rich yet broke, returns to his
father's store. Unable to persuade his father to give him
some "cold" money, Mickey knocks him unconscious, rifles
the cash register, and gets away. Carnovsky, found uncon-
scious and revived, pretends not to have noticed who his
assailant was. On a tip from Melton, Taylor and the police
locate a shack in the woods used by Mickey as a hideout. The
shack is surrounded, and Carnovsky pleads with Mickey
to surrender, but Mickey shoots him down in cold blood.
Taylor and the police open fire and kill him.

The story is by Milton Raison, and the screen play by
Fred Myton. It was produced by Sigmund Neufeld, and
directed by Sam Newfield.

Being a crime picture, it is hardly suitable for children.

"Jiggs and Maggie Out West"
with Joe Yule and Renie Riano

(Monogram, April 23; time, 66 min.)

A good program comedy of its kind. The story values are
better than those of the other pictures of the series. The
laughter is fairly abundant, with most of it stemming from
its kidding of the "horse opera," from "Maggie's" ani-
mated conversations with the spirit of her grandfather,
and from ghost gags and wrestling matches. Joe Yule and
Renie Riano, as "Jiggs and Maggie," and Tim Ryan, as
"Dinty Moore," "hoke" up the amusing characterizations
in their usual robust fashion. William Beaudine's direction
is fine, and the photography sharp and clear: —

Urged by the spirit of her grandfather, whose properties
in a ghost mining town she had inherited, Renie, accom-
panied by Yule, her husband, and by June Harrison, their
daughter, heads west. They are met upon their arrival by
Jim Bannon and his gang, who try to scare them off under
a scheme to press Bannon's claims on the mining property.
But they are rescued by Riley Hill, Bannon's half-brother,
who falls in love with June and protects her and her parents
from Bannon's gang. Guided by her grandfather's spirit,
Renie seeks out the location of a lost gold mine. Meanwhile
Yule, lonesome, wires Tim Ryan that he had discovered
gold. Ryan, impressed by Yule's fabulous story, rounds up
his buddies and heads for the mining town, accompanied by
a caravan of gold prospectors. They are met by Yule in
elaborate western garb, and the rumor that gold had been
discovered brings back a boom to the town. Ryan opens a
deserted saloon, installs a stage show, and puts on wrestling
matches, serving corned beef and cabbage as an added attrac-
tion. Renie keeps searching for the mine, but her efforts
are unsuccessful because of interference by Bannon and his
gang. Bannon keeps on referring to a mysterious leader,
who had supposedly instructed him to kidnap Renie. Hill
overhears the plot and goes to Renie's rescue, followed by
Yule and his buddies. After a free-for-all, the principals
are brought before the mysterious leader, who turns out to
be none other than George McManus, creator of the car-
toon "Bringing Up Father." He reveals that the lost gold
mine is pure fiction, and points out that the real gold is in
his ink bottle and his pen, with which he creates his
cartoon characters.

The story, based on McManus' cartoon, was written by
Barney Gerard, the producer, and Eddie Cline.

Good for the entire family.

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE

Entered as secontl-ciast; matter January 4, VJ2L, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrisons Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1950 No. 13

HOW SOME HOLLYWOOD EXECUTIVES
FEEL ABOUT TELEVISION— NO. 2

Hollywood — Because of the confusion and uncertainty
that seems to be prevalent among many exhibitors in regard
to competition from television, I have decided to continue
interviewing the top leaders of the picture industry to get
their views, so that you, the exhibitors, may be guided
accordingly.

Here is a statement by Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th Century
Fox vice-president in charge of production:

"Twentieth Century-Fox is meeting the threat of reduced
theatre attendance in the following manner:

"(1) We are spending $5,000,000 for the construction
of new sound stages and modern studio facilities.

"(2) We are going to produce more "A" pictures than
in any previous year. As a matter of fact we will produce
as many as we can find suitable stories and casts for.

"(3) We are economizing wherever we can in the cost
of individual pictures but not where the reduction could
possibly affect quality and entertainment.

"(4) We are increasing the budget on certain showman-
ship subjects with worldwide appeal, such as THE BLACK
ROSE, NO WAY OUT, RAWHIDE, ALL ABOUT EVE,
ZAPATA, MY BLUE HEAVEN, AMERICAN GUE-
RILLA IN THE PHILIPPINES and LYDIA BAILEY.
These pictures will have larger individual budgets than any
comparative group on last year's production program.

"(5) We are expanding production in foreign locales
in order to bring a greater variety of background to Amer-
ican films. CALL IT TREASON goes into production this
summer in Germany. THE AUSTRALIAN STORY will
be made in Australia this fall in Technicolor. ZAPATA
will be produced entirely in Southern Mexico. THE MUD-
LARK will be produced in England. NO HIGHWAY
will be produced in Newfoundland and England. LYDIA
BAILEY will be produced in Haiti. THE DESERT FOX.
which is the story of Rommel, will be produced in North
Africa. We are now shooting AMERICAN GUERILLA
IN THE PHILIPPINES entirely in the Philippines in
Technicolor.

"You will recall that three years ago when the box office
first took a dive there was great retrenchment in many
sections of the industry in Hollywood. At that time Twen-
tieth Century-Fox continued production full blast and I
believe that the result of our decision to go forward at that
time has been reflected in the product that has emanated
from this studio during the past two years.

"We will economize but we will not retreat or surrender.
The best defense in war and showmanship is an aggressive
offensive.

" 'Going to the theatre' will never permanently lose its
fascination for the public. I have no intentions of under-
estimating either the momentary or perpetual appeal of
Television but at the same time until Television can match
the technical artistry of theatre exhibition and sound quality
the theatre will have no insurmountable problem.

"Hollywood rightfully prides itself on the technical
achievements of the past fifteen years in photography,
sound, art direction and story telling. I have yet seen no
miniature reproduction ol these ingredients that could com-
pare in any sense with theatre presentation.

"Now is the time for all exhibitors to buy new equipment
and to personally hold themselves responsible tor the quality
of theatre projection and sound. Audiences will expect
today by comparison to see and hear the best in projection
and sound. In the final analysis it is my belief that Tele-

vision, no matter what form it eventually takes, will prove
an asset to all branches of the Motion Picture Industry."

In connection with Mr. Zanuck's suggestion about im-
proving your theatre, I refer you to my article, "Overcom-
ing Competition from Television," which was published in
the January 21, 1950 issue of this paper.

The following statement is by Steve Broidy, president of
Monogram and Allied Artists:

"Much as I would like to I cannot agree with the adage
that is being spread about that 'we have nothing to fear but
fear' as far as it pertains to conditions in the industry at
this time. I do not believe in burying our heads in the
sand. There is a definite problem to be overcome, but it is
certainly not beyond the ability of the people in this industry
to accomplish this result. We must be realistic and we
cannot look for a quick cure-all. There is no such easy
answer. It will take work and planning.

"The elimination of double features is not the answer,
anymore than the creation of triple features would be the
answer. The answer lies in giving the public what they want
when they want it.

"We must readjust our perspective. Here in Hollywood
we have had to do it and for the past several years have
been going through this readjustment process. The full im-
pact of this readjustment has finally hit the exhibition field.
Naturally, this is most serious to Hollywood, because exhi-
bition is the cash register for the industry.

"If I were asked what basic recommendation I could
make, I would suggest the following — and these are only a
few highlights in a vastly complicated problem: In my ex-
perience in this industry I feel that the producer, the dis-
tributor and the exhibitor have spent so much time trying to
place the blame on what is wrong on each respective group
that there has been no time left for practical thinking as
to the wants and needs of the consumer — the public.
I might further point out that during my experience in
distribution everybody has been concerned with what a
particular theatre did last year as compared to this year —
last year this month as compared to this year this month —
last month this week, but rarely if ever have I heard any-
body consider next year this month. We can apply a little
more foresight.

"We must all appreciate that we have gone through a
period where a man practically had to be a genius to be
a failure, and it has left its mark on all of us. We have
taken for granted the principle that has made this industry
successful and will continue to make it successful, once we
get back in harness and apply that principle — SHOW-
MANSHIP! Instead of booking pictures on the basis solely
of star value, shows should be booked on the basis of the
entertainment value provided and the public should be
made more aware of that entertainment value. The best
current examples are "Francis,' 'Not Wanted' and 'Lost
Boundaries.'

"This industry has gone through periods such as this
before. I can recall the marked effect that Amos and Andy
had in their hey-day on theatre grosses. Then as now, some
people spelled finis for the motion picture industry. We
went on to heights unsuspected at that period because the
forces of the industry combined to create better pIctUM
and sold them most intelligently to the public. Everybody
worked so hard that there was little tune once they settled
down to do the job. This will apply again, once we all
settle down to do our job. Radio was here to stay. Tele-
vision is here to stay. Let us profit troin the experience of
both of these media in approaching our own problems. The
more entertainment conscious the public becomes, the better
our chance of selling tickets."

50

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 1, 1950

"The Whipped" with Dan Duryea,
Herbert Marshall and Gale Storm

(United Artists, June 2; time, 89 min.)
Although it moves along at a fast clip, has good produc-
tion values, keen direction and competent performances,
this crime melodrama rates no better than fair, mainly be-
cause of a far-fetched complex story that is difficult to
follow. Another fault lies in the fact that the audience is
not in sympathy with the hero, an unprincipled newspaper
reporter, who resorts to double-crossing, blackmail and
other nefarious tactics to make a fast dollar, without regard
to the hurt he may cause an innocent person. Even his
regeneration in the end does not make one feel kindly
towards him. Excessive brutality in some of the scenes,
particularly at the finish where the reporter is beaten vici-
ously by a gangster, adds to the unpleasantness: —

Dan Duryea, a big-city news reporter, is fired when he
breaks a pledge to district attorney Michael O'Shea by
releasing a story that prevents the indictment of Howard
da Silva, head of a crime syndicate. Blacklisted from big-
time newspapers, Duryea gets $5,000 from da Silva and
sets out to buy a half -interest in a suburban newspaper
owned by Gale Storm. She is about to reject him when word
comes that the daughter-in-law of Herbert Marshall, a
newspaper tycoon who lived nearby, had been found mur-
dered, with evidence pointing to Mary Anderson, the dead
woman's maid, as the killer. Sensing a terrific story, Duryea
moves swiftly and becomes a partner before Gale realizes
what it is all about. Meanwhile Gary Moore, Marshall's
neurotic son, privately confesses to his father that he had
killed his wife, and talks him into conducting a news
campaign to prove Mary guilty. Gale, a former schoolmate
of Mary, believes her innocent when she denies the crime.
Duryea thinks she is guilty and turns her over to the district
attorney in the hope of collecting a reward offered by
Marshall. But O'Shea tricks him out of the reward by
having Mary state that she had surrendered voluntarily.
Duryea then promotes a scheme to raise money for Mary's
defense, planning to split the fee with her lawyer, but the
scheme does not pan out. Meanwhile Marshall's son, wor-
ried, makes a deal with da Silva to force Duryea to stop
his campaign in Mary's behalf. Da Silva's threats bring
Duryea to the realization that Moore is the killer, and he
demands $25,000 from his father not to publish the story.
Marshall agrees to pay, and Duryea, being decent for the
first time, telephones O'Shea to come and witness the
pay-off. O'Shea doubts his story and does not show up.
Instead, da Silva's mobsters show up and take Duryea to
a hideout, where Marshall and his son were present. Da Silva
insists that either one of them shoot Duryea because he
knew too much. As Marshall takes the gun, the police,
notified by Gale, arrive and rescue Duryea. With Mary
cleared of the murder charge, Duryea becomes a hero.

It was produced by Hal E. Chester and directed by
Cyril Endfield from a screen play by Henry Blankfort,
based on a story by Craig Rice. Adult fare.

"Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town"
with Mar jorie Main and Percy Kilbride

(Univ.-Int'l, April; time, 79 min.)

The best way to appraise this comedy is to say that its
entertainment values are no better and no worse than the
first "Ma and Pa Kettle" picture. Accordingly, its perform-
ance at the box-office will depend on whether or not the first
picture was enjoyed by your patrons. It undoubtedly will
get its best reception from family audiences in small-town
and neighborhood theatres. This time the story, which is
pretty thin at best, has the "Kettles" taking a trip to
New York and becoming involved with gangsters and the
police as a result of a $100,000 robbery. A few of the
situations provoke hearty laughter; the action is, however,
for the most part, so silly that sophisticated patrons will
be bored instead of amused: —

Ma and Pa Kettle (Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride)
enter a jingle contest and win an all-expenses-paid trip
to New York, but they are unable to go because there is no
one to watch their fifteen children. When Charles McGraw,
a fleeing bank robber hides out on the Kettle's farm, Pa

discovers him and accepts his explanation that he is a poet
seeking isolation. Pa and Ma arrange with McGraw to
watch the children while they go to New York. McGraw
gives them a leather bag, which he says will be picked up
by his "brother." The bag contained the $100,000 loot,
and the "brother" was really a member of McGraw's gang.
Arriving in New York, Pa loses the bag when Paul McVey,
a stranger, inadvertently picks it up with his own luggage.
Pa, discovering the loss, buys another bag. The gangster,
trailing him, steals it. Detectives on the gangster's trail
follow him but release him when they find the bag empty.
Pa buys another bag, only to have it stolen again, leaving
him, the crooks, and the detectives confused. Richard
Long, the Kettle's married son, learns about the bag mystery
and goes to the police and convinces them that Pa can
lead them to the gang when he identifies a photo of Mc-
Graw. The authorities pick up McGraw, who is more than
happy to be "rescued" from the tortures devised by the
young Kettles. Meanwhile McVey discovers the bag and
its contents and, thinking that Pa is a big business tycoon,
invites him and Ma to a fashionable party. The Kettles
are trailed to the party by the crooks, who are in turn
followed by the police. One of the crooks manages to
grab the bag, but Pa, calling the steps of a square
dance, traps him by having the dancing couples form a
ring around him. Their trip over, Ma and Pa return home,
arriving in time to save two policemen who, sent to protect
the children, had been tied and gagged by them.

It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by
Charles Lamont from a story and screen play by Martin
Ragaway and Leonard Stern. Suitable for the family.

"Cheaper by the Dozen" with Clifton Webb,
Jeanne Crain and Myrna Loy

(20th Century-Fox. April, time, 85 min.)
Photographed in Technicolor, this is a delightfully amus-
ing, heart-wanning comedy drama of family life, adapted
from the best-selling novel of the same title, written by
rrank B. Gdbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, and
dealing with episodes in the life of the Gilbreth family It is
a fine entertainment, not only for family audiences, but for
ail types of movie-goers. As the strict but very human father
of twelve children ranging up to the age of seventeen,
Uitton Webb is excellent. He injects into the characteriza-
tion a touch of Mr. Belvedere," but this seems quite fitting
since he portrays a self-assured type of person, a man who
runs his household with a firm hand, yet at all times shows
a tender affection for his wife and a warm regard for each
of his chddren. Myrna Loy, as his placid wife, is charming.

I he story, which takes place in the early 1920's, is made
up of a series of incidents in the life of the family. It depicts
Webb as an industrial engineer and exponent of "motion
study, which he introduces into his own home so that all
concerned will make every movement count. The comedy
which keeps one chuckling throughout and at times reaches
hilarious proportions, is brought about by such incidents
as the whole family piling into a large Pierce Arrow when
they move from Rhode Island to New Jersey; the family
councils called by Webb from time to time to discuss and
settle problems; his herding all the children to classes when
school opens in the fall; the mass tonsillectomy of the
children when several of them come down with the whoop-
ing cough, with Webb himself submitting to the operation
so as to make a study of a doctor's waste motions; the man-
ner in which the children, backed by their mother, trick
Webb into agreeing to purchase a pet dog; the manner in
which Jeanne Cram, his eldest daughter, breaks down his
opposition to bobbed hair, rolled stockings, lipstick, and
the like; his insistence that he go along as chaperone when
a local boy takes Jeanne to a high school dance; and hi*
joining in the fun at the dance, proving himself as capable
a dancer as any of the youngsters.

The one jarring though somewhat dramatic note occurs
towards the finish, where Webb dies of a sudden heart at-
tack and the family determines to carry on the traditions
he had set for them. Although this ending is in keeping with
the book, it tends to take away from the spectator the happy
feeling given to him by the picture up to that point.
20th Century-Fox would do well to make close study of
audience reaction to this depressing ending lest it hurt the
word-of-mouth advertising the picture richly deserves.

It was produced by Lamar Trotti from his own screen
play, and directed by Walter Lang.

Excellent for the entire family.

April 1, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

51

"House by the River" with Louis Hayward,
Jane Wyman and Lee Bowman

(Republic, March 25; time, 88 min.)

This murder mystery melodrama, revolving around a
conceited author who commits a murder and then capitalises
on the publicity for the sale of one of his books, is interest'
ing as a character study, but as entertainment it is gruesome
and unpleasant. The gruesomeness is brought about by the
manner in which the killer and his brother place the mur-
dered girl's body in a sack, weight it, and throw it in the
river, and by the frantic efforts of the killer to recover
the body when it floats to the surface and is caught in a
floodtide. The unpleasantness is caused by the fact that the
story pits brother against brother, with one attempting the
brutal murder of the other. The action is somewhat slow,
but it manages to generate considerable suspense. Since the
audience is aware of the murderer's identity from the be»
ginning, one's interest lies in how he will be made to pay
for his crime. The acting is competent and the production
values very good: —

While his wife, Jane Wyatt, is away from home, Louis
Hayward, an unsuccessful author, tries to make love to
Dorothy Patrick, a servant girl, and strangles her to death
when she becomes hysterical and repulses him. He is found
cowering over the body by Lee Bowman, his crippled
brother, a bookkeeper, who for years had been getting him
out of one scrape after another. Playing on Bowman's
affection for Jane, Hayward persuades him to help dispose
of Dorothy's body in the river, and to keep the crime from
the police. The body is found by the authorities after it
floats to the surface and, at the inquest, both Hayward and
Bowman are cleared, but certain testimony places seeds
of suspicion against Bowman in the minds of the towns-
people. The experience gives Hayward a strange new con-
fidence. He capitalizes on the publicity to increase the sale
on one of his books and, in his perverted conceit, starts
writing another book about Dorothy's murder, camouflag'
ing only the names. Bowman, bitter at the loss of business
and of friends, is unable to bear the burden of guilt any
longer and tells Hayward that he plans to go to the police.
Hayward reacts by striking his brother across the head with
a heavy chain and tossing him in the river for dead. Return-
ing home, Hayward finds his wife reading the manuscript
of his murder story, and from her horrified expression
realizes that she suspected the truth. He moves to kill her
but freezes with fright when Bowman, dripping wet, appears
in the doorway. Mad with fear, Hayward rushes out of the
room and kills himself accidentally in a fall from the stairs.

It was produced by Howard Welsch and directed by
Fritz Lang from a screen play by Mel Dinelli, based on a
novel by A. P. Herbert. Adult fare.

"Wabash Avenue" with Betty Grable,
Victor Mature and Phil Harris

(20th Century-Fox, April; time. 92 min.)

A gay, rowdy Technicolor musical, lavishly produced.
Except for the music, the change of locale to Chicago in
1893, and some minor changes in the plot, the picture is a
remake of "Coney Island," which was produced by 20th
Century-Fox in 1943 and also starred Betty Grable. It is a
highly entertaining picture all the way through, with peppy
action, plentiful comedy, and melodious songs built around
elaborate production numbers, but several of the songs
and dances are not in good taste. As a matter of fact, Miss
Grablc's body contortions in several of the early dance
numbers are suggestive and border on the vulgarity. Most
of the comedy is brought about by the manner in which
Victor Mature and Phil Harris cheat and doublecross each
other. James Barton, as an amiable drunkard, is very good;
he walks away with every scene in which he appears: —

Learning that Phil Harris, his former partner in a carni-
val show, owned a profitable saloon in Chicago, Victor
Mature goes there and demands that he be made a partner
because Harris had swindled him out ol the carnival part-
nership in a crooked poker game. Harris tells him to get
out. Before leaving, Mature angers Betty Grable, star of the
saloon's floor show, by chiding her about her "honky tonk"

clothes. Mature next tries to swindle Harris in a card game
only to be outswindled by him. He takes his revenge by
inciting a group of temperance crusaders to wreck the
saloon. During the wild melee, James Barton, a drunkard, is
knocked unconscious when Harris pushes him and his head
strikes a brass rail. Mature carries Barton out of the saloon,
revives him, and spirits him out of town. Then, with the
aid of a wax dummy that looked like Barton, he stages a
fake funeral and leads Harris to believe that he had killed
Barton. In return for Mature's promise to say nothing to
the police, Harris makes him a partner in his new casino
at the Chicago World's Fair, and permits him to stage the
show. At rehearsals, he takes Betty in hand over her violent
protests and compels her to change her style of singing
and dancing. Mature's guidance makes her the hit of the
Fair and, in spite of herself, she falls in love with him,
much to the chagrin of Harris, who wanted to marry her
himself. On the day that Betty and Mature are to be married,
Harris, through trickery, leads her to believe that Mature
was trying to prevent Oscar Hammerstein from signing her
for a Broadway show, and that he was marrying her to
further his own ambitions. Betty, furious, calls off the
marriage. Meanwhile Barton makes an appearance, and
Harris, aware that he had been duped, throws out Mature
as his partner. Mature goes to New York where he opens
up a cheap music hall on the Bowery in partnership with
Reginald Gardner. Months later, he visits Betty on the
opening night of her show on Broadway. Harris, present in
the dressing room, realizes that Betty still loved Mature.
He brings them together again by confessing his trickery.

It was produced by William Perlberg and directed by
Henry Koster from a screen play by Harry Tugend and
Charles Lederer. Best suited for mature audiences.

"The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
with June Haver and Gordon MacRae

(Warner Bros., April 29; time, 104 min.)

A pleasing Technicolor musical. Like most backstage
musicals of its type, it has a thin, commonplace story;
nevertheless, its mixture of comedy, romance, sentiment,
songs and dances, enhanced by the costumes worn at the
turn of the century, is consistently entertaining. The film's
most distinctive moments are in the musical interludes, with
the spirited singing and dancing of June Haver, who does
her best work in this picture, pleasant to hear and watch.
The expert dancing of Gene Nelson, and the fine baritone
voice of Gordon MacRae, add much to the entertainment
values. An outstanding performance is turned in by James
Barton, as June's stubborn Irish father, who objects to her
going on the stage. The sequence where Barton gets drunk
brooding over the death of his wife and over June's defiance
of his wishes, is highly dramatic. S. Z. Sakall, as a tamily
friend, provokes many a laugh with his comical ways: —

June and her sisters, Marsha Jones and Debbie Reynolds,
live with her father, James Barton, a horsecar driver and
former vaudevillian, who hated everything connected with
the stage ever since the death of his wife, who had been his
dancing partner. June, who yearned for a song-and-dance
career, meets and falls in love with Gordon MacRae (as
Tony Pastor), owner of a theatre, but makes him represent
himself as a college student lest her father forbid that she
see him. Barton eventually learns the truth about MacRae
and orders him never to see his daughter again. This leads
to a quarrel between June and her father, and she leaves
home for a stage career with MacRae. Unknown to Barton,
Debbie was secretly married to a policeman and was about
to have a baby. When he learns that a daughter of his
was to give birth, he assumes it to be June and tries to bring
about MacRae's arrest. He then learns the truth, but he
becomes so bitter that he disowns all three daughters.
Marsha goes to live with Debbie, while June goes on to
make a name for herself as the star of MacRae's revue.
MacRae, deeply in love with June, does not want to marry
her without her father's consent. She misunderstands the
methods he employs to make her reconcile with her lather,
and breaks with him just before the opening of his new
show. On Christmas Eve, the three daughters, acting inde-
pendently, go to visit their father, a lonely but still bitter
man. The joy of having them with him breaks down his
resistance and he takes them all to his heart. He insists that
June return to MacRae for the opening of the show, and
proudly goes to the theatre to watch her reach new heights.

It was produced by William Jacobs and directed by
David Butler from a story by Jack Rose and Melville
Shavclson, who collaborated on the screen play with Peter
Milne. Suitable lor the tamily.

52

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 1, 1950

"Killer Shark" with Roddy McDowall
and Roland Winters

(Monogram, March 19; time, 76 mm.)

A pretty good double-bill melodrama. The story is pleas-
ing, but the action for the most part is mild. There are,
however, several situations that are tense. The scenes, for
example, where Roddy McDowall falls into the shark'
infested waters and his father and a member of the crew
are attacked by a shark as they try to save him, each losing
a leg, are pretty thrilling. Exciting also are the scenes of
the fight between friends of Roddy's father and a gang of
cut-throats who had robbed Roddy of his share from the
sale of shark liver. The scenes of the tuna fishing are inter-
esting. The direction and acting are adequate, and the
photography good: —

Roddy, a college student in Boston, goes to a fishing vil-
lage in Mexico during his vacation to visit Roland Winters,
his father, who owned and operated a shark boat. Winters,
divorced from his wife, had not seen Roddy in twelve years
and welcomes him warmly. He advices Roddy to dress like
a fisherman and not like a college kid, so as to avoid the
sneers of the crew. While shark hunting with his father,
Roddy falls into the water and, in the ensuing rescue, his
father and Edward Norris, a crew member, each lose a
leg, but medical attention saves their lives. Back in port,
Roddy, realizing that his father will lose his boat unless
certain notes were paid, decides to go shark hunting. As-
sisted by Laurette Luez, a Mexican girl, Roddy provisions
his father's boat and recruits a new crew because the old
one had sailed on another boat. The catch is great, but
the crew, a bunch of cutthroats, dope Roddy and, while he
is asleep, sell the catch to another boat. When Roddy
awakens, he is told that the catch had spoiled and that it
had to be thrown overboard. Upon his return empty-handed,
Roddy recounts this story to Nacho Galindo, one of his
father's close friends. Galindo suspects trickery when he
learns that Douglas Fowley, Julio Sebastian and Ralf Har-
olde were members of Roddy's crew. He summons other
friends of Winters, and together they round up the crooks
in a saloon, give them a good beating, and recover Roddy's
share from the sale of the catch. Roddy returns to college,
bid farewell by his proud father and all his loyal friends.

The picture was produced by Lindsley Parsons, and di-
rected by Oscar Boetticher, from a screen play by Charles
Lang.

Good for the family.

"Boy from Indiana" with Lon McCallister
and Lois Butler

(Eagle'Lion, March; time, 66 min.)

A mildly entertaining horse-racing melodrama. The
meandering story and the treatment offer little that is novel,
but where pictures of this type are liked, and where audi-
ences are not too critical, it should serve its purpose as the
lower half of a double bill. Except for one sequence, where
Texas Dandy, the racehorse, is attacked and gored by a
ferocious bull, the action offers a minimum of excitment.
As for the acting, the players do their best with the ordi-
nary material given them, but their efforts are not enough
to overcome the plot's deficiencies: —

George Cleveland, elderly owner of a seemingly run-
down quarter horse, enters him in match races at different
county fairs and, by doping the animal, wins consistently.
Lon McCallister, a wandering boy with ambitions to become
a sports writer, is hired by Cleveland as his jockey, but
kept in the dark about the doping. At the end of the racing
season, Lon accepts a job on Cleveland's rundown ranch
for the winter. There he learns that Billie Burke, a wealthy
horse-breeder who owned the adjoining ranch, wanted to
add Cleveland's ranch to her property, but Cleveland re
fuses to sell. Lon meets and falls in love with Lois Butler,
who had been engaged by Miss Burke to do an oil painting
of Flyaway, her prize horse. Lois discovers that Cleveland's
horse is, not an old no-account animal, but Texas Dandy,
one of the outstanding quarter-horses of Texas. They clip,

comb and curry the horse, bringing out his beauty and fine
lines. Cleveland it angered by their action because it will
interfere with his racetrack operations. But he takes heart
when Lois and Lon prove to him that the horse had great
speed; he arranges with Miss Burke for a match race be-
tween Flyaway and Texas Dandy, the stakes to be Flyaway
against his ranch. Several weeks before the race, Texas
Dandy is gored by a bull. He recovers in time for the race,
but Cleveland, fearing that he is still weak, slips a couple
of pills into the horse just before the start of the race.
Texas Dandy wins, but track officials, who had long had
an eye on Cleveland, withhold their decision until a saliva
test is made. It turns out that the pills Cleveland thought
were stimulants were actually aspirin, thus the victory is
made official. Several months later, Cleveland departs with
Flyaway for a tour of the racetracks, leaving his ranch to
Lois and Lon, now happily married.

It was produced by Frank Melford and directed by John
Rawlins, from a screen play by Otto Englander.

Suitable for the family.

"Four Days Leave" with Cornel Wilde,
Josette Day and Simone Signoret

(Film Classics, March; time, 98 min.)

Revolving around the romantic adventures of an Amer-
ican sailor on a four-day pass in Switzerland, this picture,
though it has a pleasant story, is slow and somewhat tire-
some. Its 98-minute running time is much too long. If it
were to be cut down to about seventy minutes, the action
would be speeded up considerably. The picture was photo-
graphed in its entirety in Switzerland, in winter, and most
of the background scenes are interesting and beautiful.
Worthy of particular mention are the excellent shots of
skiing. Cornel Wilde is exceptionally good in the leading
role. There is considerable comedy, but it is of the mild
kind : —

Joining a group of American soldiers on leave in Switzer-
land, Wilde, a lone sailor, meets and falls in love with
Josette Day, a Swiss-French girl, when he buys a watch in
her uncle's shop. He breaks the watch later in the day,
but since the repair work could not be done before his de-
parture for Zermat, with his pals, to ski, Josette promises to
deliver it to him. When her train is delayed because of a
snow avalanche, Wilde becomes depressed. He is taken in
hand by Simone Signoret, a vivacious flirt, who bolsters his
spirits by making him join her in a public singing and danc-
ing exhibition in the hotel ballroom. Josette, who had
arrived in the meantime, witnesses his fun and refuses to
have anything to do with him. On the following day he
pursues her on skis, explains that Simone meant nothing
to him, and wins her forgiveness. He asks her to marry him
at once, but she rejects the proposal on the ground that
neither knew the other well enough. Wilde then conceives
the idea of a "trial marriage," with honorable intentions.
During the day they experiment with problems ordinarily
faced by married couples and solve them. Her resistance to
a hasty marriage weakens, but she still feels that there is
need for a critical test. Such a test is provided when
Simone, resenting the fact that Wilde has escaped her, de-
cides to break up the romance. Having learned that Wilde's
GI pals have a "tip sheet" in which was typed personal
information about certain women at the resort, particularly
about herself, Simone steals the paper, types in some refer-
ences to Josette, and then hands it to her in a way that
makes Josette believe that she had been a victim of a shabby
trick by Wilde. Josette leaves the mountain resort in a
huff, refusing to listen to Wilde's explanations. But Wilde,
determined not to let her run away, convinces her that his
intentions were honorable and that they were meant for
each other.

It was produced by L. Wechsler and directed by Leopold
Lindtberg, from a screen play by Richard Schweizer, the
director and Curt Siodmak, based on an original story by
Mr. Schweizer.

Unobjectionable for family audiences.

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION TWO

HARRISON'S REPORTS

Vol. XXXII

NEW YORK, N. Y., SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1950

No. 13

(Partial Index No. 2 — Pages 26 to 48 Inclusive)

Titles of Pictures Reviewed on Page

Astonished Heart, The— Univ.-Int'l (92 min.) 26

Barricade — Warner Bros. (75 min.) 38

Beauty on Parade — Columbia (67 min.) .46

Big Hangover, The — MGM (82 min.) 43

Blonde Dynamite — Monogram (66 min.) 34

Buccaneer's Girl — Univ.-Int'l (77 min.) 34

Captain Carey, U.S.A.— Paramount (83 min.) 31

Code of the Silver Sage— Republic (60 m.) . . .not reviewed

Federal Agent at Large — Republic (60 min.) 47

Golden Twenties, The— RKO (68 min.) 46

Great Plane Robbery, The — United Artists 39

Guilty Bystander— Film Classics (92 min.) 26

Gun Crazy— United Artists (see

"Deadly is the Female") 1949 179

Jiggs y Maggie Out West — Monogram (66 min.) 49

Kid from Texas, The— Univ.-Int'l (78 min.) 30

No Man of Her Own — Paramount (98 min.) 31

Our Very Own— RKO (93 min.) 46

Outriders, The— MGM (93 min.) 38

Over the Border — Monogram (58 min.) not reviewed

Perfect Strangers — Warner Bros. (88 min.) 35

Please Believe Me — MGM (86 min.) 39

Quicksand — United Artists (79 min.) 34

Reformer and the Redhead, The— MGM (90 min.) 39

Sarumba — Eagle-Lion (64 min.) 47

Shadow on the Wall — MGM (84 min.) 38

Singing Guns — Republic (91 min.) 42

Stage Fright— Warner Bros. (110 min.) 30

Stars in My Crown — MGM (89 min.) 35

Stromboli— RKO (81 min.) 26

Tarnished — Republic (60 min.) 42

Tarzan and the Slave Girl— RKO (74 min.) 43

Twilight in the Sierras— Republic (67 m.) not reviewed

Tyrant of the Sea — Columbia (70 min.) 47

Under My Skin — 20th Century-Fox (86 min.) 43

Vanishing Westerner— Republic (60 min.) . . .not reviewed

Vicious Years, The — Film Classics (79 min.) 30

Western Pacific Agent — Lippert (65 min.) 48

Winslow Boy, The — Eagle-Lion (97 min.) 42

Woman of Distinction, A — Columbia (85 min.) 35

Yellow Cab Man, The— MGM (85 min.) 27

Young Daniel Boone — Monogram (71 min.) 36

RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR FEATURES

Allied Artists Features

(1560 Broadway. Hew ror\ 19, H- T.)
(Distribution through Monogram)

14 Stampede — Cameron-Storm Aug. 28

16 There's a Girl in My Heart — Knox-Bowman-Jean . .Jan.

Columbia Features

(729 Seventh Ave.. Hew Tor\ 19, H- Y.)
252 Feudin' Rhythm — Eddy Arnold Dec.

225 Tell It to the Judge — Russell-Cummings Dec.

229 And Baby Makes Three — Young-Hale Dec.

209 Prison Warden — Baxter- Lee Dec. 8

263 Frontier Outpost — Starrett (55 m.) Dec. 29

227 All the King's Men — Crawford-Dru Jan.

226 The Traveling Saleswoman — Davis-Devine Jan.

185 Sons of New Mexico — Autry (71 m.) Jan.

214 Mary Ryan, Detective — Hunt-Litel Jan. 5

218 Chinatown at Midnight — Hurd Hatfield Jan. 19

221 Jolson Sings Again — Parks-Hale Feb.

232 Father Is a Bachelor — Holden-Gray Feb.

228 The Nevadan — Scott-Malonc Feb.

231 Mark of the Gorilla — Weissmuller Feb.

267 Trail of the Rustlers— Starrett (55 m.) Feb. 2

213 Girls' School— Reynolds-Ford Feb. 9

248 Mule Train — Gene Autry (70 m.) Feb. 22

230 The Palomino — Courtland-Tyler Mar.

206 Blondie's Hero — Singleton-Lake Mar. 9

216 Bodyhold— Parker- Albright Mar. 21

234 A Woman of Distinction — Russell-Milland Apr.

Cargo to Capetown — Ireland-Crawford Apr.

208 Tyrant of the Sea — Williams-Randell Apr. 6

Outcast of Black Mesa — Charles Starrett ...Apr. 13

Military Academy — 10th Ave. Gang Apr. 20

No Sad Songs for Me — Sullavan-Corey Not set

Eagle-Lion Features

(165 West 46th St., J^eio Yor^ 19, H- Y.)
956 Cowboy & the Prizefighter — Bannon (59 m.) . . . .Dec.

009 Port of New York — Brady-Carter Dec.

010 Passport to Pimlico — British cast Dec.

I'll Be Seeing You — reissue Dec.

013 The Gay Lady — British cast Dec.

014 Sarumba — Dowling-Whalen Jan.

017 Salt to the Devil — Wanamaker-Padovani

(formerly "Give Us This Day") Jan.

020 Never Fear — Forrest-Brasselle Jan.

The Third Man— Cotten-Valli-Welles Jan.

943 Hit the Ice — reissue Feb.

018 The Sundowners — Preston- Wills-Barrymore ....Feb.

021 The Amazing Mr. Beecham — British cast Feb.

022 Guilty of Treason — Bickford-Granville Feb.

019 The Great Rupert — Durante-Moore Mar.

023 The Golden Gloves Story — James Dunn Mar.

Boy from Indiana — McCallister-Butler Mar.

The Fighting Stallion — Edwards-Merrick Mar.

Forbidden Jungle — Harvey-Taylor Mar.

Kind Hearts & Coronets— British cast Apr.

Kill or be Killed — Tierney-Coulouris Apr.

015 The Perfect Woman — British cast Apr.

Film Classics Features

(1501 Broadway. Hew Tork 18, H Y.)

The Pirates of Capri — Hayward-Barnes Dec. 1

Guilty Bystander — Scott-Emerson Jan.

The Flying Saucer — Conrad-Garrison Jan.

Cry Murder — Mathews-Lord Feb.

Four Days Leave — Cornel Wilde Mar.

The Vicious Years — Cook-Moore Mar.

The Wind is My Lover — Linfors-Kent Apr.

Rapture — Langin-Albiin Apr.

Congolaise — Documentary Apr.

Good Time Girl — British cast Apr.

Lippert-Screen Guild Features

(255 Hyde St., San Francisco 2, Calif.)
4903 Square Dance Jubilee — Barry-Hughes Nov. 11

4914 Red Desert— Barry-Neal Dec. 3

4915 Tough Assignment — Barry-Steele-Brodie ...Dec. 17

4916 Hollywood Varieties — Hoosier Hot Shots . . .Jan. 14

4917 Radar Secret Service — Howard-Neal Jan. 28

4902 Baron of Arizona — Price-Drew Mar. 4

4919 Western Pacific Agent — Taylor-Ryan Mar. 17

4927 Hostile Country — Ellison-Hayden Mar. 24

4922 Everybody's Dancin' — Lane-Jackson Mar. 31

4928 Marshal of Eldorado — Ellison-Hayden Apr. 7

4925 Colorado Ranger — Ellison-Hayden Apr. 21

4910 Operation Haylift — Williams-Rutherford . . .Apr. 28

4926 Crooked River — Ellison-Hayden May 5

4929 Fast on the Draw — Ellison-Hayden May 19

4930 West of the Brazos — Ellison-Hayden June 2

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Features

(1540 Broadway. Hew Tor\ 19, H Y.)

6 That Forsyte Woman — Garson-Flynn-Pidgeon . . . Nov.

7 Adam's Rib — Tracy-Hepburn Nov.

8 Tension — Totter-Basehart Nov.

10 Challenge to Lassie — Gwenn-Crisp Dec.

11 On the Town — Kelly-Ellen-Sinatra Dec.

(Continued on next page)

April 1, 1950 HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page B

15 Johnny Eager — reissue Dec.

12 Malaya — Tracy-Stewart Jan.

13 Ambush — Taylor-Hodiak'Dahl Jan.

16 Battleground — Johnson-Hodiak-Murijhy Jar

9 Intruder in the Dust — Brian Jarman, Jr Feb.

14 East Side- West Side — Stanwyck-Mason Feb.

17 Blossoms in the Dust — reissue Feb.

18 Key to the City — Gable-Young Feb.

19 Nancy Goes to Rio — Sothern-Powell Mar.

20 Black Hand— Gene Kelly Mar.

21 Conspirator — Robt. Taylor- Eliz. Taylor Mar.

22 The Yellow Cab Man— Skelton-DeHaven Apr.

23 Side Street — Granger-O'Donnell Apr.

24 The Outriders — McCrea-Dahl-Sullivan Apr.

25 The Reformer & the Redhead — Powell- Allyson. . .May

26 Please Believe Me — Kerr-Walker-Lawford May

27 Shadow on the Wall — Sothern-Scott May

28 The Big Hangover — Johnson-Taylor May

The Happy Years — Stockwell-Hickman June

Father of the Bride — Tracy-Bennett-Taylor June

Skipper Surprised His Wife — Walker-Leslie June

Monogram Features

(630 Hinth Ave., Hew York 19, H- T.)
4807 Bomba on Panther Island — Johnny Sheffield. Dec. 18

4845 Range Land— Whip Wilson (56 m.) Dec. 25

(End of 1948-49 Season)

Beginning of 1949-50 Season

4901 Blue Grass of Kentucky- -Williams-Nigh Jan. 22

4946 Fence Riders — Whip Wilson (57 m.) Jan. 29

4911 Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey — Kirkwood . . . Feb. 5

4913 Blonde Dynamite — Bowery Boys Feb. 12

4925 West of Wyoming— J. M. Brown (57 m.) . . .Feb. 19

4902 Young Daniel Boone — Bruce-Miller Mar. 5

4952 Over the Border — J. M. Brown (58 m.) Mar. 12

4907 Killer Shark— Roddy McDowall Mar. 19

4922 Square Dance Katy — Jimmy Davis Mar. 25

4941 Gun Slingers — Whip Wilson Apr. 9

4926 Mystery at the Burlesque — English cast. . . .Apr. 16

4909 Jiggs H Maggie Out West — Yule-Riano Apr. 23

4951 Six Gun Mesa — J. M. Brown Apr. 30

4917 Father Makes Good — Walburn May 7

4914 Lucky Losers — Bowery Boys May 14

4923 The Noose— British-made May 28

4912 Humphrey Takes a Chance — Kirkwood June 4

Paramount Features

(1501 Broadway, HewYor\ 18, H- Y.)

4905 Chicago Deadline — Ladd-Reed-Havoc Nov. 11

4906 Red, Hot and Blue — Hutton-Mature Nov. 25

4907 Holiday Inn — reissue Dec. 2

4908 The Lady Eve — reissue Dec. 2

4909 The Great Lover — Bob Hope Dec. 28

4910 File on Thelma Jordan — Stanwyck-Corey Jan.

4911 Captain China — Russell-Payne-Russell Feb.

4912 Dear Wife— Caulfield-Holden Feb.

4913 So Proudly We Hail — reissue Mar.

4914 Wake Island — reissue Mar.

4915 Paid in Full — Scott-Cummings-Lynn Mar.

4921 Lives of a Bengal Lancer — reissue Mar.

4920 Beau Geste — reissue Mar.

4917 Riding High — Crosby-Gray-Gleason Apr.

4918 Captain Carey, U.S.A. — Ladd-Hendricks Apr.

4919 No Man of Her Own — Stanwyck-Lund May

4916 Eagle & the Hawk — Payne-Fleming-O'Keefe . . .June

Prestige Pictures Features

(1250 Sixth Ave., Hew Tor\ 20, H- T.)
(Distribution through Universal-International)
(No national release dates)

Girl in the Painting — Mai Zetterling

Daybreak — Todd-Portman

RKO Features

(1250 Sixth Ave., Hew Tor\ 20, H- T.)
(No national release dates)

011 Arctic Fury — Documentary

009 They Live By Night — O'Donnell-Granger

010 Strange Bargain — Scott-Lynn

012 Masked Raiders— Tim Holt (60 m.)

068 Bride for Sale— Colbert-Brent-Young

014 A Dangerous Profession — Raft-Raines-O'Brien

013 Holiday Affair — Mitchum-Leigh

015 The Threat— O'Shea-McGraw-Gray

016 Riders of the Range — Tim Holt (61 m.)

052 My Foolish Heart — Hayward-Andrews

094 Cinderella — Disney

017 Woman on Pier 13 — Day-Ryan

(formerly "I Married a Communist")

069 Man on the Eiffel Tower — Tone-Laughton

u70 Stromboli — Ingrid Bergman

J19 Storm Over Wyoming— Tim Holt (60 m.)

018 The Tattooed Stranger — Miles- White

Tarzan and the Slave Girl — Barker-Darcel

The Capture — Wright- Ayres

Wagonmaster — Johnson-Drew

Republic Features

(1790 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

4904 The Blonde Bandit— Rockwell-Patrick Dec. 22

4971 Pioneer Marshal — Monte Hale (60 m.) Dec. 24

4941 Bells of Coronado — Roy Rogers (67 m.) Jan. 8

4907 Unmasked — Rockwell-Fuller Jan. 30

4962 Gun Man of Abilene — Allan Lane (60 m.) . .Feb. 6

4910 Tarnished — Patrick-Franz Feb. 28

4909 Singing Guns — Monroe-Raines-Brennan Feb. 28

4905 Sands of Iwo Jima — Payne- Agar Mar. 1

4906 Belle of Old Mexico — Patrick-Rockwell Mar. 1

4911 Federal Agent at Large — Patrick-Rockwell. .Mar. 12

4972 The Vanning Westerner— Hale (60 m.). . .Mar. 21

4942 Twilight ..i the Sierras — Rogers (67 m.) Mar. 22

4912 House By the River — Hay ward- Wyatt Mar. 25

Woman from Headquarters —

4963 Code of the Silver Sage — Lane (60 m.) Mar. 25

4913 Harbor of Missing Men — Denning-Towne . .Mar. 26

Huston-Rockwell Apr. 22

Hills of Oklahoma — Rex Allen Apr. 25

Selznick Rel. Org. Features

(400 Madison Ave., Hew 7or\ 17, H- T.)

The Fallen Idol — British cast Nov.

The Third Man— Welles-Valli-Cotten Feb.

Twentieth Century-Fox Features

(444 W. 56th St., Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

926 Everybody Does It — Douglas-Darnell Nov.

927 Oh, You Beautiful Doll — Haver-Stevens Nov.

931 Pinky — Crain-Lundigan Nov.

930 Fighting Man of the Plainss — Scott Dec.

929 Prince of Foxes — Power- Welles-Hendrix Dec.

(End of 1949 Season)

Beginning of 1950 Season

001 Dancing in the Dark — Powell-Drake Jan.

002 Whirlpool — Tierney-Conte-Ferrer Jan.

049 Stormy Weather — reissue Jan.

003 When Willie Comes Marching Home — Dafley ..Feb.

004 Twelve O'Clock High — Gregory Peck Feb.

005 Dakota Lil — Montgomery Windsor Feb.

006 Mother Didn't Tell Me — McGuire-Lundigan Mar.

008 Under My Skin— Garfield -Prelle Mar.

009 Cheaper By the Dozen — Webb-Crain-Loy Apr.

010 Wabash Avenue — Grable-Mature Apr.

007 Three Came Home — Colbert-Knowles Apr

012 The Big Lift— Clift-Douglas May

011 A Ticket to Tomahawk — Baxter-Dailey May

013 Night and the City — Tierney-Widmark June

014 Broken Arrow — Stewart-Paget June

United Artists Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

The Big Wheel — Rooney-Romay-Mitchell Nov. 5

A Kiss for Corliss — Temple-Niven Nov. 25

Mrs. Mike — Powell-Keyes Dec. !7

Davy Crockett, Indian Scout — Montgomery-Drew. .Jan. 7
Gun Crazy — Dall-Cummins (formerly

"Deadly is the Female") Jan. 20

Johnny Holliday — William Bendix Feb. 17

The Girl from San Lorenzo — Renaldo-Carrillo Feb. 24

Love Happy — Marx Bros.-Massey Mar. 3

The Great Plane Robbery — Tom Conway Mar. 10

Quicksand — Rooney-Bates Mar. 24

Champagne for Caesar — Colman-Holm Apr. 7

D.O.A. — Edmund O'Brien Apr. 21

Johnny One-Eye — O'Brien-Morris-Moran May 5

50 Young, So Bad — Henreid-McLeod May 19

The Whipped — Duryea-Storm-O'Shea June 2

Iriquois Trail — Montgomery-Marshall June 16

Universal-International Features

(445 Par\ Ave., Hew Tor\ 22, H- T.)

901 Free for All — Cummings-Blyth Nov.

902 Story of Molly X — Havoc-Hart-Russell Nov

903 Bagdad— O'Hara-Price Nov.

904 Undertow — Brady-Russell-Hart Dec.

906 Woman in Hiding — Lupino-Duff Jan.

Page C

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

April 1, 1950

907 The Rugged O'Riordans — British cast Jan.

908 South Sea Sinner — Carey-Winters Jan.

909 Borderline — MacMurray-Trevor Feb.

910 Francis — Donald O'Connor Feb.

912 Buccaneer's Girl — DeCarlo-Friend Mar.

911 The Kid from Texas — Murphy-Storm Mar.

913 Outside the Wall — Maxwell-Basehart Mar.

914 Ma 6? Pa Kettle Go to Town — Main-Kilbride Apr.

915 One Way Street — Mason-Duryea'Toren Apr.

916 Comanche Territory — O'Hara-Carey May

917 I Was a Shoplifter — Brady-Freeman-King May

Curtain Call at Cactus Creek — O'Connor- Arden. June

Sierra — Murphy-Hendrix June

Spy Ring — Toren-Duff June

Adam and Evelyn — British cast not set

905 Tight Little Island — British cast not set

Warner Bros. Features

(321 W. 44th St.. Hew Tor\ 18, H- T.)

907 Story of Sea Biscuit — Temple-Fitzgerald . . . .Nov. 12

908 Always Leave Them Laughing — Berle-Mayo. .Nov. 26

909 A Farewell to Arms — reissue Dec. 10

910 The Hatchet Man — reissue Dec. 10

911 The Lady Takes a Sailor — Wyman-Morgan. .Dec. 24

912 The Inspector-General — Danny Kaye Dec. 31

913 The Hasty Heart — Reagan-Neal-Todd Jan. 14

915 Backfire — Mayo-MacRae-O'Brien Feb. 11

905 Chain Lightning — Bogart-Parker Feb. 25

916 Young Man With a Horn —

Douglas-Bacall-Day Mar. 1

917 Perfect Strangers — Rogers-Morgan Mar. 25

918 Barricade — Clark-Massey-Roman Apr. 1

919 Stage Fright — Wyman-Dietrich- Wilding ....Apr. 15

920 The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady —

Haver-MacRae Apr. 29

SHORT SUBJECT RELEASE SCHEDULE
Columbia — One Reel

2804 Racing Headliners — Sports (8'/2 m ) Jan- ?

2951 Ina Ray Hutton & Orch. —

Thrills of Music (9 m.) Jan. 5

2502 Punchy De Leon— Jolly Frolics (6'/2 m.)...Jan. 12
2750 The Sound Man — Industry short (10 m.). . .Jan. 19

2606 Ye Olde Swap Shoppe —

Favorite (reissue) (8 m.) Jan. 19

2652 Blue Angel — Cavalcade of B'way (10|/$ m.) . .Jan. 26

2855 The Great Showman —

Screen Snapshots (10 m.) Jan. 26

2607 Kangaroo Kid — Favorite (reissue) (7'/2 m.).Feb. 2

2553 Candid Microphone No. 3 (10J^ m.) Feb. 23

2805 King Archer— Sports (9 m.) Feb. 23

2856 It Was Only Yesterday-

Screen Snapshots (10 m.) Mar. 9

2503 Spellbound Hound — Jolly Frolics (7 m.) Mar. 16

2608 Tom Thumb's Brother-

Favorite (reissue) (7m.) Mar. 23

2806 The Rasslin' Match of the Century —

Sports (9 m.) Mar. 30

2857 Meet the Winners — Screen Snapshots Apr. 6

2554 Candid Microphone No. 4 Apr. 20

2807 College Sports Paradise — Sports Apr. 20

2653 Village Barn— Cavalcade of B' way Apr. 27

Columbia — Two Reels

2433 Love in Gloom —

Youngraan (reissue) (19 m.) Dec. 15

2120 Sir Galahad — Serial (15 episodes) Dec. 22

2404 Punchy Cowpunchers — Stooges (17 m.) ... .Jan. 5

2413 His Baiting Beauty —

Harry Von Zell (18 m.) Jan. 12

2405 Hugs and Mugs — Stooges (16 m.) Feb. 2

2434 Calling All Curtains — Collins & Kennedy

(reissue) (16 m.) Feb. 9

2424 Hold That Monkey— Schilling Lane Feb. 16

2406 Dopey Dicks — Stooges (15J/2 m.) Mar. 2

2414 Dizzy Yardbird — Joe Besser (161/2 m-) Mar. 9

2415 Marinated Mariner — Andy Clyde (16 m.).. .Mar. 30
2140 Cody of the Pony Express — Serial (15 ep.) . .Apr. 6

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One Reel

S-153 We Can Dream, Can't We?—

Pete Smith (9 m.) Dec. 3

W-136 Tennis Chumps — Cartoon (7 m.) Dec. 10

T-114 A Wee Bit of Scotland—

Traveltalk (10 m.) Dec. 17

W-137 Counterfeit Cat — Cartoon (7 m.) Dec. 24

S-154 Sports Oddities— Pete Smith (8 m.) Dec. 31

W-138 Little Quacker — Cartoon (7 m.) Jan. 7

W-139 Saturday Evening Puss — Cartoon (7 m.)..Jan. 14

S-155 Pest Control — Pete Smith (8m.) Jan. 14

T-115 Land of Tradition — Traveltalk (9 m.) . . . . Jan. 21
S-156 Crashing the Movies — Pete Smith (8 m.) . .Jan. 28
W-140 Why Play Leap Frog?— Cartoon (7 m.).. .Feb. 4

W-141 Texas Tom — Cartoon (7 m.) Mar- I

T-116 Colorful Holland — Traveltalk (9 m.) Mar. 4

Z-171 Screen Actors — Industry Short May 13

Paramount — One Reel

P9-3 Land of the Lost Jewels — Noveltoon (10 m.) .Jan. 6

X9-4 Blue Hawaii — Screen Song (7 m.) Jan. 13

R9-3 Farther Down East — Sportlight (10 m.) Jan. 20

E9-3 How Green Is My Spinach — Popeye (7 m.) . .Jan. 27
Z9-3 Breezy Little Bears — Champion (11 m.) ...Feb. 3

K9-3 The Rhumba Seat— Pacemaker Feb. 10

X9-5 Detouring Thru Maine — Screen Song Feb. 17

R9-5 Wild Goose Chase— Sportlight Feb. 24

P9-4 Quack-a-doodle-do — Noveltoon (7m.) Mar. 3

Z9-4 Cilly Goose — Champion (10 m.) Mar. 10

E9-4 Gym Jam — Popeye (7m.) Mar. 17

X9-5 Shortenin' Bread — Screen Song (7 m.) Mar. 24

P9-5 Teacher's Pest — Noveltoon (7 m.) Mar. 31

Z9-5 Three Bears in a Boat — Champion (10 m.) . .Apr. 7

R9-6 Start 'em Young — Sportlight (10 m.) Apr. 14

K9-4 Sing Me Goodbye — Pacemaker Apr. 21

X9-7 Win, Place & Showboat — Screen Song (6m.) .Apr. 28
Z9-6 Yankee Doodle Donkey — Champion (8 m.) . .May 5

E9-5 Beach Peach— Popeye (7m.) May 12

X9-8 Jingle, Jangle, Jungle — Screen Song May 19

P9-6 Tarts & Flowers — Noveltoon (7m.) May 26

R9-7 Down Stream Highway — Sportlight (7 m.). .June 2
P9-7 Ups an' Downs Derby — Noveltoon (7 m.) . . .June 9

E9-6 Jitterbug Jive — Popeye June 23

X9-9 Heap, Hep Injuns — Screen Song June 30

RKO — One Reel

04107 Pluto's Heart Throb — Disney (7m.) Jan. 6

04305 Barnyard Skiing — Sportscope (8 m.) Jan. 13

04108 Lion Around — Disney (7 m.) Jan. 20

04206 Stars of Yesterday — Screenliner (10 m.). . .Jan. 27

04109 Pluto & the Gopher— Disney (7 m.) Feb. 10

04306 Sports' Best — Sportscope (8 m.) Feb. 11

04207 Auditions for August — Screenliner (9 m.) . .Feb. 24
04703 How to Ride a Horse —

Disney (reissue) (7m.) Feb. 24

04110 The Brave Engineer — Disney (8 m.) Mar. 3

04307 New Zealand Rainbow — Sportscooe Mar. 10

04111 Crazy Over Daisy — Disney (6m.) Mar. 24

04112 The Wonder Dog— Disney Apr. 7

RKO — Two Reels

03202 Pal, Canine Detective— My Pal (20 m.). . .Dec. 16

03702 Shocking Affair— Leon Errol (17 m.) Dec. 23

03604 Odor in the Court— Clark 6? McCullough

(reissue) (21 m.) Dec. 30

03105 You Can Make a Million —

This is America (15 m.) Jan. 6

03504 Sunk By the Census; —

Ed. Kennedy (reissue) (18 m.) Jan. 13

03403 Groan Grunt — Comedy Special (17 m.). .Jan. 20

03703 High Dizzy— Leon Errol (16 m.) Feb. 17

03106 Expectant Father — This is America (16m.) .Mar. 3

03404 Put Some Money in the Pot —

Comedy Special (17 m.) Mar. 17

03801 Basketball Headliners of 1950 (17 m.) Apr. 21

Republic — Two Reels

4981 James Brothers of Missouri — Serial (12 ep.) . .Jan. 21

4982 Radar Patrol vs Spy King ( 1 2 ep. ) Apr. 1 5

Twentieth Century-Fox — One Reel

5001 Comic Book Land — Terrytoon (7 m.) Jan.

3001 Skiing is Believing — Sports (9 m.) Jan.

5021 Mississippi Swing — Terry, (reissue) (7 m.)...Jan.

7001 Lawrence Welk 6? His Champagne Music —

Melody (9 m.) Jan.

5002 The Fox Hunt (Talk. Magpies)— Terry. (7 m.).Feb.

3002 From Jib to Topsail — Sports (9 m.) Feb.

5022 What Happens at Night — Terry.

(reissue) (7 m.) Feb.

3051 Frolic in Sports — Sports (9 m.) Mar.

5003 Better Late Than Never

(Victor the Volunteer) — Terrytoon (7 m.). .Mar.

7002 Red Ingle His Gang— Melody (9 m.) Mar.

5004 Mighty Mouse in Anti-Cats — Terry. (7 m.) . . . .Mar.

April 1, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page D

5005 Aesop's Fables, Foiling the Fox — Terry (7 m.) . .Apr.
2051 Pattern of Progress — Adventure Apr.

5006 Dinky in the Beauty Shop — Terry. (7 m.) Apr.

5023 Orphan Duck — Terrytoon (reissue) (7 m.)...May

3003 Diving Maniacs- — Sports (9 m.) May

5007 A Merry Chase (Talk. Magpies) —

Terry. (7 m.) May

3004 Shooting the Rapids — Sports May

5008 Dream Walking — Terrytoon (7m.) May

5024 Just a Little Bull — Terry (reissue) (7 m.) June

8001 Mid'West Metropolis — Specialty (9 m.) June

5009 Law d Order (Mighty Mouse) — Terry. (7 m.).June
3006 Action with Rod Reel — Sport June

Twentieth Century-Fox — Two Reels

Vol. 15 No. 12— A Chance to Live-
March of Time (18 m.) Dec.

(End of 1949 Season)
Beginning of 1950 Season

Vol. 16 No. 1— Mid-Century: Half Way to Where—

March of Time (17 m.) Feb.

United Artists — One Reel

Melodies Reborn — Songs of America (10 m.)....Dec. 2

Cherished Melodies — Songs of America (10 m.)..Dec. 31
Southern Acapella — Songs of America (9 m.) . . . .Jan. 27

Memorable Gems — Songs of America (9 m.) Mar. 17

The Tradition — Songs of America (9m.) Mar. 25

Tunes That Live — Songs of America (9m.) Apr. 14

Glory Filled Spirituals — Songs of America ( 10m.) . .May 12

Universal — One Reel

5323 Jolly Little Elves — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.).Jan. 2

5324 Under the Spreading Blacksmith's Shop —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Jan. 30

5343 Future Skippers — Variety Views (9 m.) . . . . Jan. 30

5325 Barber of Seville — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.).Feb. 13

5383 Dream Dust— Sing 6? Be Happy (10 m.) Feb. 20

5326 Mother Goose on the Loose —

Cartune (reissue) (7m.) Mar. 6

5344 Progress Island — Variety Views (9 m.). . ..Mar. 13

5384 Sing Your Thanks —

Sing y Be Happy (10 m.) Apr. 3

5327 Candyland — Cartune (reissue) (7m.) Apr. 10

5328 The Beach Nut — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.). .May 8

5385 Harmony Hall— Sing & Be Happy (10 m.) . .May 29
5328 Boogie Woogie Man — Cartune

(reissue) (7 m.) June 12

Universal — Two Reels

5303 Freddie Slack & Orch.— Musical (15 m.)...Jan. 4
5202 The Tiny Terrors Make Trouble — Special . . .Jan. 18

5304 Ethel Smith 8f the Henry King Orch. —

Musical (15 m.) Feb. 1

5353 The Fargo Phantom —

Musical Western (24 m.) Feb. 9

5305 Sweet Serenade — Musical (15 m.) Mar. 1

5354 Gold Strike— Musical Western (25 m.) Mar. 30

5306 Skitch Henderson & Orch.— Musical (15m) .Apr. 19

5355 Rustlers' Ransom — Musical Western May 18

5307 King Cole Trio — Musical (15 m.) not set

Vitaphone — One Reel

6703 Home, Tweet Home — Merrie Melody (7m.) .Jan. 14

6803 40 Boys and a Song —

Melody Master (reissue) (10 m.) Jan. 14

6504 Let's Go Boating — Sports Parade (10 m.).. Jan. 21

6305 My Favorite Duck —

B.R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Jan. 28

6704 Boobs in the Woods — Merrie Mel. (7 m.).. Jan. 28

6604 Hands Tell the Story— Novelty (10 m.) Feb. 4

6403 So You Want to Throw a Party —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Feb. 4

6719 Mutiny on the Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.). .Feb. 11

6804 Bob Wills His Texas Playboys —

Melody Master (reissue) (10 m.) Feb. 11

6505 That's Bully— Sports Parade (10 m.) Feb. 18

6705 The Lion's Busy — Merry Melody (7 m.) Feb. 18

6306 The Sheepish Wolf—

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7m.) Mar. 4

6706 The Scarlet Pumpernickel —

Merrie Melody (7 m.) Mar. 4

6605 Sitzmarks the Spot — Novelty (10 m.) Mar. 11

6720 Homeless Hare — Bugs Bunny (7m.) Mar. 11

6506 This Sporting World —

Sports Parade (10 m.) Mar 25

6307 Double Chaser—

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Mar. 25

6805 Hit Parade of Gay Nineties —

Melody Master (reissue) (10 m.) Apr. I

6707 Strife With Father— Merrie Melody (7 m.) . .Apr. 1
6404 So You Think You're Not Guilty-
Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Apr. If

6708 The Hypo-Chondri-Cat—

Merrie Melody (7 m.) Apr. If

6308 Fifth Column Mouse—

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Apr. 22

6721 Big House Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Apr. 22

6507 Alpine Champions — Sports Parade (10 m.) . .May 6

6709 The Leghorn Blows at Midnight —

Merrie Melody (7m.) May 6

6309 Inky 6? the Lion—

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) May 20

6710 Bitter Hare — Merrie Melody (7 m.) May 20

6711 An Egg Scramble — Merrie Melody (7 m.).. .May 27

6806 Leo Reisman 6? Orch. — Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) May 27

6310 Tic, Toe, Tuckered—

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) June 3

6508 Riviera Days — Sports Parade ( 10 m.) June 3

6601 Horse 6*1 Buggy Days — Novelty (10 m.) June 17

6722 What's Up Doc?— Bugs Bunny (7 m.) June 17

6712 All Abir-r-r-d — Merrie Melody (7 m.) June 24

6807 Matty Malneck Orch.— Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) June 24

Vitaphone — Two Reels

6103 The Grass is Always Greener —

Featurette (20 m.) Jan. 7

6104 Vaudeville Days — Featurette (20 m.) Feb. 25

6004 Women of Tomorrow — Special (20 m.)...Mar. 18

6005 Danger is My Business — Special (20 m.)...Apr. 8

6105 Double Fool — Featurette (20 m.) Apr. 29

6006 Pony Express Days — Special (20 m.) May 13

6007 Give Me Liberty— Special (20 m.) June 10

NEWSWEEKLY NEW YORK
RELEASE DATES
Warner Pathe News

Fox Movietone

66 Mon. (E)

67 Wed. (O)

68 Mon. (E)

69 Wed. (O)

70 Mon. (E)

71 Wed.

72 Mon.

73 Wed.

74 Mon.

75 Wed.

76 Mon.

77 Wed.

78 Mon.

79 Wed.

(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)
(O)
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(O)

..Apr. 3
..Apr. 5
. .Apr. 10
. .Apr. 12
. .Apr. 17
. .Apr. 19
. .Apr. 24
. .Apr. 26
. . May 1
. .May 3
. . May 8
. .May 10
. .May 15
. .May 17

Universal News

338 Thurs. (E)

339 Tues. (O) .

340 Thurs. (E)

341 Tues. (O) .

342 Thurs. (E)

343 Tues. (O) .

344 Thurs. (E)

345 Tues. (O) .

346 Thurs. (E)

347 Tues. (O)

348 Thurs. (E)

349 Tues. (O)

350 Thurs. (E)

351 Tues. (O) ,

352 Thurs. (E)

. .Mar. 30
. . Apr. 4
. . Apr. 6
. .Apr. 11
. .Apr. 13
. .Apr. 18
. .Apr. 20
..Apr. 25
. .Apr. 27
..May 2
. . May 4
..May 9
. .May 11
. . May 1 6
. .May 18

27

Friday (O) .

. .Mar. 31

28

Tues. (E) ..

..Apr. 4

29

Friday (O) .

..Apr. 7

30

Tues. (E) ..

. .Apr. 11

31

Friday (O) .

. .Apr. 14

32

Tues. (E) ..

. .Apr. 18

33

Friday (O) .

. .Apr. 21

34

Tues. (E) . .

. .Apr. 25

35

Friday (O) .

. .Apr. 28

36

Tues. (E) ..

. . May 2

37

Friday (O) .

. .May 5

38

Tues. (E) ..

. . May 9

39

Friday (O) .

. .May 12

40

Tues. (E) ..

. .May 16

41

Friday (O) .

. .May 19

News of the Day

(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)

261 Mon.

262 Wed.

263 Mon.

264 Wed.

265 Mon. (O)

266 Wed. (E)

267 Mon.

268 Wed.

269 Mon.

270 Wed.

271 Mon.

272 Wed.

273 Mon.

274 Wed.

(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)
(O)
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. . Apr. 3
..Apr. 5
. .Apr. 10
..Apr. VL
. .Apr. 17
..Apr. 19
. . Apr. 24
. .Apr. 26
. . . May 1
. . . May 3
. . . May 8
. . .May 10
. . .May 15
. . .May 17

Paramount Newt

64 Sat. (E) Apr. 1

65 Wed. (O) ....Apr. 5

66 Sat. (E) Apr. 8

67 Wed. (O) ....Apr. 12

68 Sat. (E) Apr. 15

69 Wed. (O) ....Apr. 18

70 Sat. (E) Apr. 22

71 Wed. (O) ....Apr. 25

72 Sat. (E) Apr. 29

73 Wed. (O) ....May 3

74 Sat. (E) May 6

75 Wed. (O) May 10

76 Sat. (E) May 13

77 Wed. (O) ....May 17

78 Sat. (E) May 20

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1U21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 1950 No. 14

"BINGSDAY" — A GREAT JOB
OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Saturday, April I, will never be forgotten by Front Royal,
a peaceful little Virginia town of some nine thousand in-
habitants, where Bing Crosby's newest Paramount picture,
"Riding High," had its world premiere at the Park Theatre,
a benefit showing climaxing a day of festivities that marked
the dedication of a new Front Royal athletic field on which
is to be built the "Bing Crosby Stadium."

The dedication and premiere were planned by the State
of Virginia and the people of Front Royal in connection
with their official designation of April 1 as "Bingsday,"
in honor of Crosby not only for his work on the screen
and the radio but also for his various humanitarian activities.

From 5 A.M. Saturday morning until well after midnight
a holiday atmosphere pervaded the town as more than
twentyfive thousand people, drawn from the surrounding
rural areas, poured into the community to pay homage to
Crosby, whose appearance in person was the cause of
the excitement.

The celebration started with a massive parade that was
made up of some one hundred and fifty separate units,
featuring high school bands, floats of fraternal, veterans and
commercial organizations, the fire departments of many
towns, and hundreds of school children, each carrying home-
made signs hailing and welcoming Crosby.

The center of attraction, of course, was Bing himself,
who brought up the rear of the parade perched on top of
a fire department jeep.

The terminal point of the parade was the athletic field,
where the townspeople, whose hearts Bing had captured with
his easy-going, casual manner, gave him a standing ovation
so filled with sincerity that it brought a lump to one's
throat. Then they outdid themselves presenting him with
a gigantic key to the city and numerous gifts.

After receiving tributes from local and visiting digni-
taries, Bing rushed to the Park Theatre where, prior to a
special free showing of the picture for children only, he
held the stage alone for a full hour entertaining them with
gags and songs. It was here that Bing showed that he has
a heart as big as they come, for, when he learned that ap-
proximately one hundred children had been unable to
squeeze into the theatre, he insisted that the only other
theatre in town be opened to accommodate them, and then
repeated his entire show for them, omitting nothing.

The next stop for Bing was the Warren County High
School, where he awarded prizes in a cake-baking contest,
thrilling the seventy-five women participants no end as
he sampled each cake and complimented them on their
culinary skill.

The premiere in the evening was a gala affair. Brilliant
searchlights illuminated the sky in the best Hollywood
tradition, and adding to the excitement was the arrival at
the theatre of such notables as Vice President Barkley and

his charming wife, the Governors of Virginia and West
Virginia, Senators Harry F. Byrd and A. Willis Robertson,
Secretary of the Army Gray, and a host of other important
people, who were greeted with sustained ovations by the
huge crowds.

In the theatre, Bing, for the third time that day, put on
his one-man show of songs and quips, which loudspeakers
carried to the throngs outside. Here again Bing showed the
stuff he is made of, for at the end of his stint, when it was
announced that $11,400 had been realized for the youth
fund from the premiere and the day's different events, he
modestly added his own contribution of $3,600 to make it
an even $15,000.

He then rushed to a 'teen-agers' dance at the local high
school, where he put on a show for the youngsters and
danced with several of the girls.

For his final appearance of the night, he went to a square
dance sponsored by the Textile Workers Union, and here
again he put on a complete show.

As any one can judge from a reading of this account,
Bing Crosby's schedule for the day was a back-breaking one,
but he entered into the spirit of the day with genuine en-
thusiasm and sincerity, obviously enjoying every minute
of it. He outdid himself in every respect. When the crowd
shouted, "Sing, Bing!" he grinned back and said: "I'll
sing until you're unconscious." And the crowd loved him
for it. Even the more than fifty hardened representatives of
the press and radio, who covered the proceedings, were
impressed deeply by the way he gave of himself.

"Bingsday" received nation-wide publicity through the
press and radio, and from the angle of showmanship it is a
great send-off for "Riding High." But even more important
is the fact that what took place at Front Royal stands out
as one of the finest examples of good public relations for
the motion picture industry. When a company like Para-
mount sets the world premiere of one of its most important
pictures in a small community many people never heard of,
and when a star of the caliber of Bing Crosby goes to such
a community to participate in the festivities and to help
raise funds for the benefit of the local youngsters, it is a
public relations job of the first order, one that should do
much to take away the bad taste left by the behavior of such
personalities as Ingrid Bergman and Rita Hayworth, and
by the ravings and rantings of Senator Edwin C. Johnston.

Max E. Youngstein, Paramount's publicity chief, Jerry
Pickman, his aide, and all the others on his alert publicity
staff, deserve great credit for their expert handling of
this event.

Above all, however, every one in the motion picture
industry may well be proud of Bing Crosby.

Because of limited space in this wee\'s issue, the third
article giving the views of top industry leaders on television
and its effect on the motion picture business will be pub'
lished in next wee\'s issue.

54

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 8, 1950

"The Lawless" with Macdonald Carey
and Gail Russell

(Paramount, July; time, 83 min.)
"The Lawless" is the finest picture ever turned out by
the Pine-Thomas producing team. Dealing with racial preju-
dice and bigotry in a small California town, where many of
the inhabitants are of Mexican descent, it is a tense melo-
drama that puts the spotlight forcefully on an important
social problem. The direction and acting are of the first
order, with an exceptionally good performance turned in by
Macdonald Carey, as the courageous local newspaper editor,
who defies the town's bigots to take up the defense of a
Mexican- American youth unjustly accused of murder The
action is filled with suspense and tension, particularly in
the chase scenes, and in the sequence where an angered
mob wrecks Careys newspaper plant. Although it offers no
solution to the problem, the story is, from a social stand-
point, of strong significance in that its depiction of bigotry
at its ugliest points up the need for more tolerance towards
one's fellow-man: — t

Carey, a former big-city reporter, had retired to the
comparative easy life of editor and publisher of a small-
town paper in a community in the heart of the northern
California fruit district. He covers a dance sponsored by
the fruit pickers, most of whom were of Mexican descent,
and there meets Gail Russell who, with her father, published
a small Mexican weekly in the city. During the dance, a
group of wealthy boys from the better side of town, headed
by John Sands, pick a fight with Lalo Rios and Maurice
Jara, two youthful Mexican boys who had accidentally
bumped into Sands' car earlier in the day. The police arrive
and in the free-for-all Rios unintentionally strikes a police-
man. He is caught after a chase and, as the police return
with him, their car is wrecked in an accident, killing one
officer. Rios escapes unharmed and hides in a farm barn.
He is discovered by the farmer's young daughter who,
turning to run, strikes her head and is knocked senseless.
When she is found, Rios is blamed for attempting to attack
her. Carey, convinced that the boy is innocent, joins the
wide manhunt on for him and, by finding the youth and
turning him over to the authorities, saves him from a possible
lynching. Carey then takes up the boy's defense editorially,
and in so doing angers the injured girl's father. A mob is
formed and Carey's newspaper plant is wrecked completely.
John Hoyt, Sands' father, realizing that his son is responsible
for Rios' trouble, goes to Carey and offers to finance an-
other paper. Moreover, he bails Rios out of jail and arranges
to get him the best legal help. Carey goes to Gail's small
plant, where the facilities are made available for him to put
out a small daily until his new plant is ready.

It was produced by William H. Pine and William C.
Thomas, and directed by Joseph Losey, from an original
screen play by Geoffrey Homes.

Suitable for the family.

"The Capture" with Teresa Wright
and Lew Ayres

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 91 min.)

Only moderately interesting. Set against an outdoor
Mexican background, it is a moody melodrama with psycho-
logical overtones, revolving around a man's struggle with
his conscience when he is haunted by the feeling that a
payroll robber he had killed had been innocent. Not only
is the story thin and unrealistic, but it lacks dramatic force
and is difficult to follow because of the numerous flashbacks.
Moreover, the pace is slow and, though it generates some
suspense in several of the situations, the action on the
whole has a minimum of excitement. The direction and
the acting are competent, but the material is weak: —

The story opens with Lew Ayres, a wounded American
fugitive, seeking refuge in the home of Victor Jory, a
Mexican priest. Under the priest's sympathetic questioning,
Ayres reveals that, one year previously, as field boss for an
American oil refinery in Mexico, he had mortally wounded
a man suspected of stealing the company's payroll, and the
man had died protesting his innocence. Although cleared at

the inquest, his conscience had bothered him, for he sus-
pected that the man had been telling the truth. He had
sought out Teresa Wright, the dead man's widow, and as-
suming another identity had accepted a job as handyman
on her little ranch. Teresa, having discovered his identity,
had taken her revenge by overworking him, but she had
eventually fallen in love with him and they had married.
The matter of her dead husband's guilt or innocence still
preyed on his conscience, however, and he felt that his
marriage could not be successful until he learned the truth.
He had started an investigation, and numerous clues had
enabled him to pin the guilt on Barry Kelley, a former
employee of the oil company, whom he had killed acci-
dentally in a scuffle. Instead of giving himself up to the
police, he had fled, in much the same manner as Teresa's
dead husband, and he soon found himself the object of a
vast manhunt. As he finishes telling his story to the priest,
Mexican troops arrive and order him to surrender. Teresa,
too, arrives, and her pleadings, backed by the priest, per-
suade Ayres to give himself up. He rides off to prison,
hopeful that his story will convince the Mexican courts.

The story was written and produced by Niven Busch,
and directed by John Sturges.

Although unobjectionable, it seems best suited for mature
minds.

"The Damned Don't Cry" with
Joan Crawford and David Brian

(Warner Bros., May 13; time, 103 min.)
Distasteful is the word for this unpleasant drama about
the unsavory career of a calculating woman. Since there is
nothing appealing about the story, its box-office chances
will depend on the drawing power of Joan Crawford. Some
sympathy is felt for Miss Crawford at the beginning because
of her bleak existence as a drab housewife, but this is
dissipated once she leaves her husband, for she then be-
comes an unprincipled, conniving woman as she progresses
from a dress model of questionable morals to the fashionable
mistress of the suave married leader of a crime syndicate.
None of the other principal characters are sympathetic,
and at times the action is violently brutal. The overall
mood of the film is sordid, unethical and unmoral, and it
leaves a feeling of bad taste: —

Unhappily married to Richard Egan, a field worker,
Joan leaves him when their little son is killed in an accident.
She becomes a model in a wholesale dress establishment,
and quickly learns that there is considerable profit entertain-
ing the buyers after business hours. She becomes friendly
with Kent Smith, a mild-mannered accountant and, through
her connections in a gambling club, obtains a job for him
at a fabulous wage and eventually steers him into becoming
the head accountant for an international crime syndicate
headed by David Brian. She drops Smith and sets her cap
for Brian, who is soon attracted to her. He changes her
name, provides her with a social background and, with the
aid of Selena Royle, a social secretary, sees to it that she
acquires cultural polish. He refuses, however, to leave his
wife, and keeps her as his mistress. When Brian suspects
Steve Cochran, head of his West Coast operations, of rebel-
lion, he sends Joan to the Coast to check on Cochran's
activities. Cochran, unaware of her connection with Brian,
falls in love with her. She in turn is won by his charm
and finds herself unwilling to expose his plot to dispose of
Brian. Meanwhile Brian, learning that Joan is double-
crossing him, comes to California and gives her a severe
beating. Cochran, coming to call on her, is killed by Brian.
Joan flees in fear of her life and hides out in the home of
her parents. Smith, still in love with her, comes to her aid.
Brian arrives shortly thereafter and, in an exchange of
shots, is killed by Smith, whose own life is saved when she
steps in front of him and stops a bullet discharged from
Brian's gun. It ends inconclusively, with the audience left
to decide if Joan will recover from the wound.

It was produced by Jerry Wald and directed by Vincent
Sherman from a screen play by Harold Medford and Jerome
Weidman, based on a story by Gertrude Walker.

Strictly adult fare.

April 8, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

55

"Wagonmaster" with Ben Johnson,
Joanne Dru and Ward Bond

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 86 min.)
From the standpoint of awe-inspiring outdoor scenery
and fine photography, this western, directed by John Ford,
is impressive. As entertainment, however, it is only mildly
interesting, mainly because it lacks sufficient rousing action
and suspense, such as one expects to find in pictures of this
type. There is not much to the story, which concerns itself
with the trek of a Mormon wagon train from Illinois to
Utah, but the characterizations are colorful, and there is
some tension because of the fact that a group of vicious
outlaws attach themselves to the train to evade capture
by a posse. There is some comedy, romance and square
dancing: —

Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr., two young horse
traders, are hired by Ward Bond, a fiery-tempered Mormon
elder, to guide his wagon train across the desert to the
San Juan region. With Johnson as wagonmaster, they start
out across the parched desert and eventually come upon a
stranded medicine show caravan, whose members included
Alan Mowbray, his companion, Ruth Clifford, and Joanne
Dru, a dancer, all obviously drunk because they had run
out of water and drank liquor. Despite the objections of
some of the Mormons, Bond agrees to let them join the
wagon train. Johnson becomes interested in Joanne, while
Carey is attracted to Kathleen O'Malley, a Mormon girl.
Complications arise when five sinister outlaws, fleeing from
a posse, get the drop on the Mormons, take away their
guns, and decide to stay with the wagon train until it is safe
to leave. Later, when the posse catches up with the wagon
train, Bond misleads the Marshal to avert a massacre and
sends the posse away. Next the wagon train encounters a
tribe of suspicious Navajos, and the Mormons make friends
with them at an Indian dance. During the celebration, one
of the outlaws attacks a Navajo girl, and Bond, to appease
the Indians, has the offender whipped savagely while tied to
a wagon wheel. The outlaws resent the whipping, and
later, when the wagon train gets under way, they attempt
to kill Bond. Carey, who had concealed a gun for just such
an emergency, opens fire and kills Charles Kemper, the
outlaw leader. Johnson manages to get his hands on the
dead man's gun and, in a swift battle, helps Carey to slay
the other outlaws. The wagon train then proceeds to its
destination safely, with Johnson and Carey thinking about
wedding bells.

It is an Argosy Pictures production, directed by John
Ford from a screen play by Frank Nugent and Patrick Ford.

Suitable for the family.

"Cargo to Capetown"
with Broderick Crawford, Ellen Drew
and John Ireland

(Columbia, April; time, 80 min.)

A fair enough sea adventure melodrama that does not
rise above the level of program fare. The story itself is loosely
written and is frequently illogical, but since it has plentiful
action and excitement it should please the undiscriminating
movie-goers. Added value is given the picture by the fact
that it stars Broderick Crawford, this year's Academy
Award winner, as well as John Ireland, who had a principal
role in "All the King's Men," winner of the best picture
award. Neither one, however, is given much of a chance by
the ordinary script: —

Ireland, a sea captain without a ship and without promise
of one, is offered a steady job provided he takes a battered
old oil tanker out to sea in the teeth of a hurricane and
get it to Capetown on" schedule. With the aid of Crawford,
a chief engineer and his pal, Ireland shanghais a crew at a
local saloon. He then gets Crawford drunk and shanghais
him also, not only because he needed a chief engineer, but
also because he wanted to stop Crawford from marrying
Ellen Drew, his (Ireland's) former girl-friend, who had
jilted him. Ellen, learning that Crawford had been shang-
haied, manages to get aboard the ship and, at gunpoint.

demands that Crawford be put ashore. Ireland disarms her,
carefully preserving the fingerprints on the gun, and
threatens to jail her if she tells Crawford that he had been
shanghaied. With Ellen on board, Crawford is satisfied with
his lot, and helps Ireland to run the ship and control the
unruly crew. Meanwhile Ellen's love for Ireland is re
awakened by the kindness he shows for an unfortunate cabin
boy. Matters become complicated when one of the crew
informs Crawford that Ellen used to be Ireland's girl.
Crawford, angered, engages Ireland in a bitter fist fight.
He then compels Ireland, as captain, to marry him and
Ellen. Just as the ceremony is over, one of the oil tanks
explodes. The two men forget their differences to fight the
blaze with live steam from the boilers. In the course of
events, Crawford is overcome by the fumes and falls half-
unconscious on the floor of the engine room. Ireland, at
the risk of his own life, drags him to safety. Lying there,
however, Crawford overhears Ellen fretting for Ireland's
safety, and comes to the realization that she and Ireland
were still in love. He agrees to divorce her when they land
in Capetown so that Ireland may marry her.

The story was written and produced by Lionel Houser,
and directed by Earl McEvoy.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Comanche Territory" with
Macdonald Carey and Maureen O'Hara

(Univ.'Int'l, May; time, 76 min.)

Very fine. No exhibitor need have any misgivings about
exploiting it to the limit, for it is the best Indian thriller
released in years. The action is fast and the impressive
Technicolor photography adds realism to it. Of the many
thrilling situations, a novel one is the duel between Mac-
donald Carey, using a knife, and the Indian Chief s son,
using a tomahawk; it should keep many a spectator on the
edge of his seat. The fight in the end, where the Indians
battle against the lawless whites, is likewise thrilling, and is
further enhanced by the sight of Maureen O'Hara driving
at top speed, with the whites in pursuit, a wagon containing
rifles for the Indians. The direction and acting are excellent:

Macdonald Carey, wealthy designer of the Bowie hunting
knife, is sent to the Comanche territory by President Jackson
to renew a treaty with the Indians to allow whites to mine
silver on their land. After several encounters with the
Comanches, headed by Pedro de Cordoba, who claims that
the whites had violated the existing treaty, Carey learns
that the new treaty had been stolen from Will Geer, a
former Congressman and ex-Indian fighter, who had brought
it from Washington. Carey sets out to learn who had robbed
Geer, and in due time discovers that it was Maureen O'Hara,
owner of the local bank and town saloon, who, together with
her brother, Charles Drake, headed a group of white rene-
gades who planned to move in on the territory and grab
the silver by means of a forged treaty. A feud develops
between Maureen and Carey, but both soon find themselves
falling in love. He convinces her that, if the treaty were
renewed, the territory would prosper and the Comanches
would not go on the war path. But when Maureen asks her
brother to deliver the treaty to Carey, he claims falsely to
have torn it up, planning to keep it for his own purposes.
Through Geer, Carey learns that Drake and his cutthroats
were set to launch an attack against the Comanches imme-
diately, and he believes that Maureen had double-crossed
him. He rushes to the Comanche camp, informs the chief of
the impending attack, and lays down the strategy for the
defense. Maureen, shocked that Carey had mistrusted her,
rushes to her brother's camp and denounces him, then steals
a wagon full of rifles, which she drives wildly to the Coman-
ches, enabling them to arm themselves and repel the lawless
element. Carey leaves for Washington to report to the
President, promising Maureen that he will return to her.

It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by
George Sherman from an original story and screen play by
Lewis Mcltzer.

Good for the entire family.

56

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 8, 1950

"Beware of Blondie" with Arthur Lake
and Penny Singleton

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 66 min.)

The followers of the "Bumsteads" are due for a disap-
pointment, for this latest picture of the series is the poorest
produced in several years. The story is banal, and at no
time holds one's interest. This time the plot revolves around
the trouble Arthur Lake gets himself into when he is left
in charge of the office by his boss, who leaves him with
several blank checks, signed. He becomes involved with
Adele Jergens, one of a group of blackmailers, who, posing
as the owner of a well known corporation, plans to fleece
him by pretending that she was ready to sign a construction
contract. Gossipy neighbors jump to the wrong conclusion
when they see Lake with Adele, and lead Penny Singleton,
his wife, to believe that he is a two-timer. Meanwhile Adele
manages to lure Lake to her hotel room, where one of the
blackmailers, pretending to be her infuriated husband,
threatens to go to the newspapers unless he is paid five
thouand dollars. Adele, by promising to reimburse Lake,
induces him to fill out one of his boss' signed checks. On the
following day, Lake learns that he had been swindled. He
tells Penny about his predicament, and she offers to mort-
gage their home to reimburse the boss. But it all turns out
for the best when the boss reveals that, through a mistake,
the checks he had signed were worthless because they had
been drawn on a account he had closed months previously.
The story is padded to the extreme, the action is silly, and
the direction and acting poor.

It was produced by Milton Feldman and directed by
Edward Bernds from a story and screen play by Jack Henley,
based upon the comic strip created by Chic Young.

Harmless for family patronage.

"Messenger of Peace" with John Beal,
Peggy Stewart and Paul Guilfoyle

(Astor Pictures, no rel. date set; time, 87 min.)
Very good! The proof that satisfying pictures do not
require pretentious stories and budgets is furnished by this
picture. Dealing with the simple life of a pastor from his
days as a divinity student until his retirement, it is a deeply
appealing drama of a kindly soul, told in heart-warming,
sympathetic and impressive terms. How he overcomes the
frailties of some of the people who had charged him with
the task of ministering to their spiritual needs is most in-
spiring, and it should make many persons who see the
picture more tolerant towards their fellow-men. The estab-
lishment of a church and congregation in a small backwoods
town; the trials and tribulations of being transferred to
another church; the loyalty of the pastor's wife, who follows
her husband without complaint; the whole-hearted tribute
paid to the pastor by his congregation upon his retirement
— all this and more make for emotion-stirring situations
that touch one's heartstrings. John Beal, as the pastor, and
Peggy Stewart, as his charming, understanding wife, are
very good, as is Paul Guilfoyle, as the town drunkard who
becomes a devout church-goer and regains his self respect.
Properly exploited, the picture, which is sure to have the
backing of religious groups, should do very well as the
box-office: —

Beal, a young pastor, is sent to a backwoods town to
organize a congregation and build a church. He finds that
the lack of spiritual guidance had made the townspeople
uneasy and unfriendly towards one another. His biggest
problems are Paul Guilfoyle, an habitual drunkard, and
William Gould, a God-fearing but intolerant man, who
objected to his daughter's love for a young "moon-shiner,"
a young man who reforms and marries her. With the aid of
Peggy Stewart, who becomes his devoted wife, Beal patiently
guides the people through their different problems and
eventually brings about a better understanding among all
concerned. Years later, he is shifted to a larger community,
one with a church but with few church-goers. He immedi-
ately sets about making friends and serving the community
in every way possible, and before long his efforts are re-
warded by full attendance at the church. Tragedy strikes
when his eldest son is killed in World War I, but he does
not let this stand in the way of his duty. Finally old and
gray, he is retired on a pension and given a warm farewell
by the grateful congregation.

It was produced by Roland Reed and directed by Frank
Strayer from a screen play by Glenn Tryon, based on a story
by Henry Rische.

Excellent for the family.

"A Run for Your Money"
with an all-British cast

(Univ.-lnt'l, no rel. date set; time, 83 min.)

An amusing British-made comedy, revolving around the
misadventures of two young Welsh coal miners, who win a
free trip to London and a cash prize for mining the most
coal in a nationwide competition. The characterizations are
very good, and the situations highly comical, but its appeal

(Continued on bac\ page)
probably will be limited to those who patronize art houses
and other theatres that specialize in British pictures, for
the thick Welsh brogue used by the players is at times
difficult to understand. The acting is competent, but the
players are unknown in this country.

Briefly, the story has two brothers, Donald Houston and
Meredith Edwards, young Welsh miners, heading for Lon-
don to collect their prize from a London newspaper. Alec
Guinness, a meek gardening columnist, is assigned by the
newspaper to meet the brothers and look after them. Guin-
ness misses them at the station, and to make matters even
more complicated the brothers become separated, with
Houston falling into the clutches of Moira Lister, a demure
gold-digger, who helps him to collect the money and then
lays plans to separate him from it. Meanwhile, Edwards
meets up with Hugh Griffith, an old friend with a perpetual
thirst, who had been reduced to singing in the streets for a
living. The action boils down to a continuing chase, with
one brother pursuing the other, the girl being pursued by
the brother she victimizes, and all being chased by Guinness,
still trying to catch up with his charges. All this makes for
many amusing incidents in and out of subways, buses,
saloons and a theatre, until the brothers finally meet on
the return train home, their money recovered from a re-
pentent Moira.

It was produced by Michael Balcon and directed by
Charles Frend, from a screen play by the director, Richard
Hughes and Leslie Norman, based on a story by Clifford
Evans.

Adult fare.

"Rapture" with Glenn Langan
and Elsy Albiin

(Film Classics, April; time, 80 min.)

A heavy and slow entertainment. The acting of all the
principal players is fine, and Elsy Albiin is a beautiful girl
and her part is sympathetic, but the movement is too heavy
for the picture to benefit from these advantages. Some judi-
cious cutting might speed up the action considerably, even
though the theme's heaviness will remain. The picture has
been produced in Italy and the background is all Italian.
The dark photography is in keeping with the somber mood
of the story: —

While returning to Rome from a weekend in the country,
Glenn Langan, a popular young Roman sculptor, is so at-
traced by the beauty of an old castle and its tower that he
returns to investigate it. That night he sees, what appears
to him to be, a statue in the lake come to life and dive into
the water. He rents a bungalow nearby and, from memory,
creates the body of the statue. Eduardo Ciannelli, caretaker
of the castle, assists Langan in his work, and introduces him
to Elsy, daughter of Douglas Dumbrille, owner of the
castle. Fascinated by Elsy's beauty, Langan falls in love
with her, but her father informs him that her mind is not
right. Elsy becomes hopelessly sad when Langan decides to
return to Rome to finish the statue by chiseling the head
with her features. While driving to Rome, Langan stops to
assist Lorraine Miller, a flirtatious woman, whose car had
stalled. They find shelter in a shed during a violent rain-
storm, and that night the two have an affair. Langan's statue.
Rapture, wins first prize in an exhibition. He returns to the
castle, where he is shocked to meet Lorraine, whom Elsy
introduces as her sister. The scheming Lorraine tries to win
Langan for herself, and reveals to her sister what had
happened between them. Moreover, she discloses that she
had been the vision who had inspired the statue. Elsy suffers
a breakdown and destroys the statue. Langan wants to
marry her, but her father refuses on the ground that she is
mentally ill. Elsy, overhearing the conversation, mounts
the castle tower and leaps to her death.

It was produced by David H. Pelham and directed by
Goffredo Alessandrini, from a story by Geza Herczeg, who
collaborated on the screen play with the director and John
C. Shepridge.

Adult fare.

Entered as second-class matter January -1, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1S?9.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 1950 No. 15

LET THE DISTRIBUTORS STOP
PENALIZING THE EXHIBITOR FOR
HIS SHOWMANSHIP WORK

Speaking at the 20th Century-Fox Showmanship meet'
ing in Dallas on March 23, Colonel Harry A. Cole, national
Allied leader from Texas, had this to say, in part:

". . . You all know hundreds and thousands of instances
where exhibitors refused to do any showmanship work
whatsoever, where the result is a very small return to their
individual net profit and a very large return to the profit
of the distribution branch, and where the almost immediate
result is future increased film rentals obviously stemming
from the showman's own investment and work. Many ex'
hibitors (and I know scores of them) have openly stated
that they deliberately kill such results rather than attempt
to get more dollars into the box-office. The profit motive has
been eliminated (or reversed) in their case, and why should
a man invest his time and money to get more dollars into
the industry without retaining for himself a fair share of
such increase?"

What Colonel Cole said at that meeting is only too true,
as the distributors very well know. An exhibitor knows that,
if he puts a picture over in a big way, his film rentals will
go up, not only with the company whose picture he has
exploited, but also with other companies, who learn of the
exhibitor's success through the grapevine method, which
unfortunately prevails in the industry. Accordingly, he
refuses to put extra effort behind the exploitation of a
picture. And yet this attitude can be reversed. The exhibitor
can be induced to put more showmanship behind the meri-
torious pictures he books to boost receipts, without being
penalized afterwards.

How?

Several years ago Mike Vogel, the man whose brains
overflow with original exploitation ideas, submitted to the
general sales manager of a major film company a plan
whereby the sliding scale could be adopted in reverse. That
is, starting from a certain point of gross receipts, and a
certain point of percentage, the exhibitor's percentage of
the take increases as the receipts keep increasing so that
he is offered an incentive to work, instead of assuming the
attitude that Colonel Cole so well described at the Fox
Showmanship meeting in Dallas.

But what did this general sales manager say to Mr.
Vogel? The plan, being radical, would destroy the existing
order, and he could not undertake to submit it to his
company.

The present system of the sliding scale whereby the more
the exhibitor takes in the more he pays is illogical. In any
other business, just imagine what the customer would say
to the manufacturer if he was asked to pay more for the
goods he was about to buy than another customer who
bought one-quarter the quantity!

Perhaps at the time Mr. Vogel submitted this iconoclastic
plan to the distribution head conditions were lush and no
one would want to take the chance of disturbing the pre-
vailing order of things, but conditions are now different;
we have television to contend with, and a new sales system,
one that will induce the exhibitor to roll up his sleeves
and go to work, virtually dragging people into the theatre,
is needed; it is, as a matter of fact, essential.

What company will be farsighted enough to institute
the Vogel plan of a sliding scale in reverse?

AN ABLE DEFENSE SPOILED

Published in the April 1 issue of The Saturday Review
of Literature is an article by Samuel Goldwyn in answer to
the criticism of American motion pictures by Norman
Cousins, vice-president of the Saturday Review corporation.

Mr. Cousins' criticism was occasioned by the type of some
of the American pictures that are sent abroad; he feels that
they discredit America by "distorting American life."

Mr. Goldwyn's defense is able and impressive. Part of
his article reads as follows: ". . . should any one (whether
Governmental or intra-industry) have the right to decide
whether certain of our motion pictures be chosen or re
jected for export to foreign countries on political instead of
on strictly entertainment grounds?

"If on a political basis, 'distortion' can become anything
with which one may disagree. . . .

"It is difficult for me to see how any American can be a
party to a political basis for selection or rejection of motion
pictures for export — or of books — or of magazines — or of
newspapers — or of any other product which stems from a
literary idea. Today we may have one foreign policy, one
propaganda theme; but tomorrow we may have another!
Who is wise enough to decide which is right? Must the
Congressional opposition accept our foreign policy or be
'distorters'? . . ."

Mr. Goldwyn sets forth a number of other sensible argu-
ments against restricting the type of pictures that may be
sent abroad when the decision is made on a political, and
not on an entertainment, basis.

Of course, certain phases of Mr. Goldwyn's arguments
may be controverted, but on the whole his defense, in answer
to criticism made by a person who is not connected with
the motion picture industry and who speaks only as an
amateur, is able and convincing.

But the benefit the motion picture industry derived from
Mr. Goldwyn's article in the Saturday Review of Literature
has been nullified by his article, "Television's Challenge
to the Movies," printed in the Sunday magazine section of
the March 26 issue of the K[ew Yor\ Times. In that article
Mr. Goldwyn discussed the possible effect of television on
the movies.

"America's motion picture industry," he said, "is faced
with a powerful and rapidly growing contender for the
public's leisure-time attention — television. The speed with
which television has captured the public interest confronts
Hollywood with an immediate challenge.

"The extent of that challenge was summed up for me
recently by a New York banker. Discussing the small-loans
department of his bank, which grants loans up to $300
without security, he said: 'Applicants for these loans must
fill out blanks explaining why they want the money and
how they plan to repay it. The majority of present-day
applicants write "television set" as their reason for borrow-
ing. Regarding payment, they state: 'We will save the
money by cutting down on the number of times we go to
the movies each week!'

"Hollywood must face the facts squarely. Television,
which in the beginning was little more than a gimmick used
by tavern keepers to induce patrons to linger over another
drink, is today a lusty hilli>n-di>llai -baby— and growing like
Paul Bunyan. The public has invested almost a billion dol-
lars in at least three and a half million home sets. And more
than 70 per cent of tli.U amount has been spent m the last
(Continued on bac^ page)

HARRISON'S REPORTS

"No Sad Songs for Me"
with Margaret Sullavan, Wendell Corey
and Viveca Lindfors

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 89 min.)
This is an emotion-gripping, deeply moving drama, re-
volving around a young wife and mother who suddenly
learns that she is doomed to die within ten months from
cancer. The theme is tragic, but it emerges as a story of
high courage and selflessness because of the fact that the
heroine, keeping her fate a secret from her husband, intel'
ligently plans for the future happiness of her family as she
bravely awaits her impending doom. Worked into the story
in an adult way is the extra-marital interest of her husband
in another woman, whom she grooms to take her place.
Margaret Sullavan, after a lengthy absence, comes back to
the screen with an exceedingly fine performance as the
doomed woman, a role that in less competent hands might
not have been so credible. Equally good are Wendell Corey,
as the husband, and Viveca Lindfors, as the other woman.
Although it treats of cancer, the film is not as morbid as one
would suspect. It is, however, a picture that will best be
appreciated by adult audiences, particularly women: —

Margaret, happily married to Corey, an engineer, looks
forward to the prospect of having another child. She is
horrified to learn from her doctor (John Mclntire) that she
is not going to have a child, and that, instead, she will die
from cancer within ten months. Pledging the doctor to
secrecy to keep the truth from Corey and her daughter
(Natalie Wood), Margaret determines to make the most of
her remaining days. Meanwhile Corey, though deeply in
love with Margaret, becomes attracted to Viveca Lindfors,
his new assistant. Aware of the affair, Margaret leaves town
to visit her father and mull over the problem. There she
meets and old friend whose wife had died, and who, in his
loneliness, had taken up with an unsuitable woman. Struck
with the thought of what would happen to Corey and her
daughter after her death, Margaret comes to the conclusion
that Viveca would make him a good wife, and that she
would be a sympathetic stepmother to Natalie. She returns
home and learns that Corey had decided to forget Viveca,
who was preparing to leave town. Margaret persuades her
to stay and, in the weeks that follow, makes a genuine
friend of Viveca and grooms her to take her place. Corey
eventually learns about Margaret's ailment. Powerless to
help, he takes her on a second honeymoon to Mexico. She
dies there, and Corey returns home to pick up his life with
Viveca and his daughter.

It was produced by Buddy Adler and directed by Rudolp
Mate from a screen play by Howard Koch, based on a story
by Ruth Southard.

Adult fare.

"I Was a Shoplifter" with Scott Brady,
Mona Freeman and Andrea King

(UnivArit'l, May; time, 74 min.)

A fairly good crime-does-not-pay program melodrama.
The story, which has an undercover agent rounding up a
gang of thieves after becoming one of them, follows a
familiar formula, but it is given a lift by the semi-docu-
mentary treatment, which shows in detail the methods em'
ployed by professional shoplifters and kleptomaniacs who
prey on department stores. The film moves at a brisk pace,
and it generates enough excitement and suspense to satisfy
most action fans. The direction is good, and the players
adequately fill the demands of their roles: —

Mona Freeman, a kleptomaniac and daughter of a judge,
is arrested for shoplifting in a department store, just as
Scott Brady is arrested on a similar charge. Charles Drake,
the store's chief detective, dismisses Mona, a first offender,
after she signs a confession. Brady, however, with a long
record, is sent to police headquarters. There he is revealed
as an undercover agent trying to crack a shoplifting ring.
The gang, he had learned, recruited their members from
among first offenders by threatening them with exposure.
Brady shadows Mona in the hope that the gang will con-
tact her, and his efforts are rewarded when Andrea King

visits her and arranges to meet her at a night-club that
evening. There, Andrea shows her a photostat copy of her
confession and blackmails her into agreeing to work as a
shoplifter. Meanwhile Brady, supposedly out on bail, worms
his way into the gang and, before long, gets a line on their
general operations. He is unable, however, to learn the
identity of the man with access to the confessions. When
Mona is sent to San Diego to carry out a specific robbery,
Brady accompanies her secretly, unaware that he had been
seen by one of the gang. He reveals to her that he is an
undercover agent, and she agrees to act as a decoy to
trap the gang. But Andrea, by this time aware of Brady's
identity, changes her plans, makes Mona her prisoner, and
heads for Mexico with the rest of the gang. Brady and
the police catch up with them and, with the aid of the
Mexican authorities, arrest the gang and rescue Mona.
Returning to Los Angeles, Brady traps Drake, the store
detective, as the gang's "inside man."

It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by
Charles Lamont from a story and screen play by Irving
Glassberg.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Annie Get Your Gun" with Betty Hutton,
Howard Keel, Louis Calhern,
and Edward Arnold

(MGM, no rel. date set; time, 107 min.)
Excellent! It is a smash Technicolor musical, truly the
answer to an exhibitor's prayer. Based on the highly suc-
cessful Rodgers-Hammerstein Broadway musical play of the
same title, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, it holds
one captivated from start to finish with the brilliance of its
color photography, the lavish sets, the huge cast, the color-
ful costumes, the lilting Berlin tunes and, foremost, the truly
wonderful performance given by the dynamic Betty Hutton,
as "Annie Oakley." The vitality and zest with which she
plays the role and sings the songs is sheer delight to watch
and hear. The action moves at a hectic pace from the opening
to the closing shot, and it is laden to the brim with comedy
situations and gags, cowboys, Indians, sharpshooting and
daredevil riding. One comedy production number that will
have audiences howling with glee is where Miss Hutton is
inducted into an Indian tribe headed by J. Carrol Naish,
as "Sitting Bull." Louis Calhern, as "Buffalo Bill," Edward
Arnold, as "Pawnee Bill," and Keenan Wynn, as manager
of the wild west show, contribute much to the entertainment
values. Howard Keel, a handsome newcomer, has a fine
baritone voice, and he does exceptionally as the object of
Miss Hutton's affections. "Annie Get Your Gun" is one of
the greatest musical entertainments ever produced, one an
exhibitor may well be proud to show to his patrons.

The story, which serves as a framework for the songs and
comedy situations, opens in Cincinnati, where Betty, a
backwoods girl with incredible shooting prowess, enters into
a match with Keel, champion sharpshooter of Buffalo Bill's
show, and beats him. She is given a job in the show and in
due time falls head over heels in love with Keel, who soon
falls for her charms. To make Keel proud of her, Betty
secretly rehearses a new act, which she presents at the in-
sistence of Wynn in order to boost attendance. Her per-
formance is so sensational that she is given billing above
Keel. Furious, Keel breaks off his romance with her and
joins Pawnee Bill's rival show. Although heartbroken, Betty
goes on to become a great star. She goes to Europe with the
troupe and gives one command performance after another
for royalty. But the show goes broke for lack of revenue,
and the troupe heads back to New York to effect a merger
with Pawnee Bill. In New York, Betty and Keel become
reconciled, but the reunion is shortlived when both get into
an argument over who is the best sharpshooter in the world.
She challenges him to another match. Sitting Bull, a ro-
manticist at heart, advises Betty to lose the match in order
to win her man. She sees the light and follows his advice.

It was produced by Arthur Freed and directed by George
Sidney from a screen play by Sidney Sheldon, based on the
book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields.

Excellent for the entire family.

April 15, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

59

"The Big Lift" with Montgomery Clift
and Paul Douglas

(20th Century-Fox, May; time, 120 min.)

Very good! Skillfully directed and capably acted, it is an
absorbing postwar drama, presented in a way that is sure to
score with all types oi audiences. It revolves around the
Berlin airlift, during the Russian blockade, and around an
American "GI," played by Montgomery Cli ft, who is almost
tricked into marriage by a beautiful but deceitful German
girl. Filmed entirely in Berlin, its documentarylike depic-
tion of the airlift operations is taut and exciting, and the
photography, which vividly shows the hazards encountered
by the Allied planes in the effort to keep the western sector
of Berlin supplied with coal and food, is superb. Not only
is the well written story interesting, but it offers a fascinat-
ing study of the German people through an assortment of
varied characters and, without preachment or flag-waving,
makes out a strong case for the democratic way of life.
Although it is basically serious, the story is loaded with
humorous touches, some of which will make audiences howl
with delight. A particularly good performance is turned in
by Paul Douglas, as Chit's buddy, a blustering "GI" who
makes no bones about his mistrust of all Germans because
of his experiences in a prison camp. Douglas' romance with
Bruni Lobel, a German girl eager to learn all about democ'
racy, is mostly on the humorous side, but it points up the
fact that all Germans cannot be judged by the actions of a
few. Cornell Borchers, as the girl who tries to hoodwink
Clift, is a fine German actress, and many movie-goers will
look forward to seeing her in future American pictures.

Briefly, the story has Clift meeting Cornell when, in
behalf of the women of Berlin, she presents the crew of
his plane with a reward for their services. He falls in love
with her, and she tells him that her husband had been
killed in Russia, and that her father, a professor, had been
"liquidated" by the Nazis for speaking out against them.
Douglas, unimpressed by Clift's love for Cornell, digs up
evidence proving that both her husband and father had
been ardent Nazis. When Clift confronts her, she admits
that she had lied to make him more sympathetic towards
her. He does not blame her and, to show his faith, asks
her to marry him. He goes through much red tape to get
permission to marry, but, on the day set for their wedding,
a neighbor of Cornell's, who had taken a liking to Clift,
intercepts a letter she had addressed to a man in St. Louis.
He reads the letter and learns that it is to her husband,
still alive, and that she planned to rejoin him after reaching
the United States and divorcing Clift. Given the letter, Clift,
now convinced of her deceit, denounces her and prepares to
return to the United States alone.

It was written and directed by George Seaton, and pro-
duced by William Perlberg.

Unobjectionable for the family.

"A Modern Marriage" with Robert Clarke,
Margaret Field and Reed Hadley

(Monogram, no rel. date set; time, 66 min.)

From the viewpoint of emotional entertainment, "A
Modern Marriage" is a top picture, and even though the
principal players are not known the picture will undoubtedly
prove to be a "sleeper." Exhibitors who will get behind
the picture with a good exploitation campaign should enjoy
profits such as some top pictures bring in to them. The
theme is of interest to many young married couples, whose
marriages are frequently destroyed by interfering mothers-
in-law. Robert Clarke is, not only personally appealing,
but also a good actor. Equally good is Margaret Field. As to
Nana Bryant, she is realistic as the mother who is trying
to keep her daughter to herself rather than see her happily
married. She is subtle. Reed Hadley, as a doctor and marital
relations counsellor, is very competent. Director Paul
Landres, producer David Diamond and associate producer
William F. Broidy should be congratulated for the excel-
lence ot the production: —

Directly after her marriage to Clarke, Margaret flees from
their hotel room, rushes home to her mother (Miss Bryant),
and attempts suicide by swallowing a large number of sleep-

ing pills. Clarke rushes her to a hospital in time to save
her life, but from then on she refuses to see him. Hadley,
a doctor with the Institute of Family Relations, is called
into the case, and he sets out to bring about a readjustment
so as to save the marriage. Through a series of talks with
Clarke, Margaret and her mother, Hadley learns that
Margaret and Clarke had fallen in love shortly after her
college graduation. She had met his parents and they had
given her a warm reception, but her mother had been cool
towards him, and had deliberately though subtley tried to
prevent her from going out with him. She had rebelled
against her mother's tactics and had married Clarke, but on
the wedding night she had rushed home out of fear that
her mother might die of heart trouble. After a psychology
cal diagnosis of the case, Hadley finds that the fault lies with
the mother. She had divorced her husband years previously,
and one night she had awakened in time to prevent him
from taking Margaret away. Since then, she feared that
she would lose her daughter and would remain alone. By
convincing Margaret that her mother's health was perfect,
Hadley induces her to return to Clarke.

Sam Roeca and George Wallace Sayre wrote the screen
play. Suitable for the entire family.

"One Way Street" with James Mason,
Marta Toren and Dan Duryea

(UnivAnt'l, April; time, 79 mm.)

Most movie-goers will find this melodrama only mildly
interesting. The plot is synthetic and the characterizations
unconvincing and somewhat confused. It starts off in excit-
ing fashion, with an embittered doctor in the employ of
gangsters outsmarting the gang by stealing their ill-gotten
money and making off with the gang leader's girl-friend.
But when the action shifts to a rural village in Mexico,
where the fleeing couple take refuge, and where the ailing
villagers' appreciation of the doctor's medical knowledge
give him a new lease on life, the pace becomes slow and the
proceedings tedious. The suspense that is generated in the
early reels is not sustained. It is not a cheerful entertain-
ment, and morally and ethically its values are questionable,
for it tries to win sympathy for a couple whose actions are
illicit. The fatalistic ending, where the doctor is killed
accidentally, is disappointing: —

As Dan Duryea, a gang leader, prepares to divide the
loot of a $200,000 bank robbery with members of his gang,
Marta Toren, his girl-friend, is told to summon James
Mason, the gang's doctor, to treat William Conrad, who
had been wounded. Mason gives Duryea a headache pill as
he bandages Conrad. He then picks up the bag with the
stolen money, calmly informs Duryea that he had given him
a lethal pill, and tells him that, unless he is permitted to
leave unharmed, he will not notify him within the hour of
the antidote. Marta announces that she is going with Mason.
Duryea, helpless, lets them escape, swearing revenge. They
charter a plane to take them to Mexico City, but a faulty
fuel pump causes them to make a forced landing near an
isolated village. While the pilot sets off over the mountain
for a new pump, Marta and Mason are befriended by a local
priest (Basil Ruysdael), who gives them shelter in the vil-
lage. During the week that the pilot is gone they live an
idyllic existence. The priest, explaining that there is no
doctor for miles around, prods Mason into treating the sick
natives. Through this work, Mason, a fatalist, finds a real
purpose in life for the first time, and he agrees to remain
in the village, where he and Marta can live a happy and
secure life. Shortly thereafter they learn that Duryea had
picked up their trail. Mason decides to return to Los Angeles,
give the money back to Duryea and, if he survives, to
return with Marta to the little village. As Mason arrives at
Duryea's apartment, Conrad kills Duryea and then turns
his gun on him. But Mason, quicker on the draw, kills
Conrad. He rushes downstairs to rejoin Marta and head
back for Mexico. As he crosses the street, he is struck down
and killed by a speeding car.

It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by
Hugo Fregonese from a Story and screen play by Lawicnce
Kimble. Adult fare.

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 15, 1950

year. This is merely a beginning. During the next year, con-
servative estimates indicate that set ownership will be
doubled. . . ."

Sam Goldwyn's entire article has the tendency of placing
the motion picture industry on the defensive, insofar as the
public is concerned, and of making the public look upon
picture entertainment as the loser to television — having
surrendered to it.

Goldwyn's article in the Saturday Review of Literature
was, as said, admirably effective. But that article reached a
very small number of people, the intelligentsia, and the
good that it may have done is extremely limited. Had the
Review article appeared in the Times magazine section, and
the Times article in the motion picture industry's mediums,
there would have been a different tale to tell. We could then
hold Mr. Goldwyn as a constructive factor. Unfortunately,
he did not seem to realize the harm he was doing to the
industry by telling the public that the motion picture indus-
try is up against it. The fine work being done by exhibitors
everywhere to instill the public with the feeling that movies
are better than ever is nullified by so thoughtless an article
as Goldwyn's "Television's Challenge to the Movies,"
written for public consumption.

In the Times magazine article Mr. Goldwyn suggests
several remedies, but the best remedy he could suggest is
pictures that offer overwhelming entertainment. In this,
Harrison's Reports agrees with Mr. Goldwyn. Pictures
such as, for example, "Annie Get Your Gun," "Twelve
O'Clock High," "Sands of Iwo Jima," "Riding High,"
"Cinderella" and "All the King's Men" make the public
forget television and draw them to the picture theatres.
When I saw "Annie Get Your Gun" at the MGM studio in
Hollywood, I said to myself: "With pictures such as this
one the motion picture industry has nothing to fear from
television." But what has Mr. Goldwyn done to attract
picture patrons to the theatres? Nothing! Of the last five
pictures he has produced, three — "Enchantment," "Rose
anna McCoy" and "My Foolish Heart" — have been "dogs"
at the box-office. The fourth, "Our Very Own," which is
about to be released, probably will fare no better. And if
"Edge of Doom," the fifth picture, which he has just com-
pleted, is of the caliber of the pictures just mentioned, Sam
Goldwyn had better crawl into his shell and stop writing
articles in the newspapers and magazines, leading people
to believe that he is the only producer who knows how to
make good pictures. Instead of writing articles and seeking
headlines, Goldwyn should buckle down to the business of
making better pictures, the type that will draw people away
from their television sets and send them flocking to the
theatres.

HOW SOME HOLLYWOOD
EXECUTIVES FEEL ABOUT
TELEVISION — No. 3

Hollywood — Henry Ginsburg, Paramount vice-president
in charge of studio productions and operations, has given
me the following statement outlining his views on television
and its effect on the motion picture industry:

"I, personally, do not believe that television, as it exists
today, is contributing to any great extent in harming box-
office receipts. I feel that as television develops it will
prove an important adjunct and will ultimately become a
part of the motion picture industry.

"If we would only come to the realization that we have
reached a stage of normalcy and that proper adjustment to
conditions must be made, then we will be able to overcome
many of the problems confronting us. Many people in other
industries, along with our own, have a happy faculty of
seeking justification for their own shortcomings. I believe
that the solution rests with us. As producers, our returns
will be in ratio to the quality of our product. However, this
cannot be left entirely to the product itself. The selling of
pictures and their exhibition are just as important in the

scheme of things as their production.

"Nothing will be more helpful to all of us than a view-
point which accepts intelligent, constructive and conscien-
tious efforts as a part of that which makes for better business.

"Worry about the encroachment of television upon our
business signifies an individual's fear, lack of courage and
imagination. None of these characteristics have any place
in show business, and that is still our business. If we accept
that fact, which 1 believe our investments and responsibilities
require that we do, we will find ways and means by which
our pictures can be made better, sold better, exhibited better,
and while we are all doing this intelligently we will also
find the ways and means by which television can be mutually
advantageous in the future development of our industry."

ALLIED LEADERS — PLEASE
TAKE NOTICE

I have received the following telegram from Trueman
Rembusch, president of Allied States Association:

"ALLIED GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS
STOP TWENTY FIRST UNIT LAUNCHES WITH
TWIN BOY MEMBERS SEVEN POUNDS TEN AND
SEVEN POUNDS NINE AND THREE QUARTERS
STOP PROVING THAT SHOWMANSHIP PAYS OFF
MOTHER AND BOYS SAY PICTURES ARE BETTER
THAN EVER IN 19J0 ALL FINE. REGARDS."

If every Allied leader should follow the fine example set
by Trueman Rembusch and, if possible, improve on his
accomplishment by fathering either triplets or quadruplets,
the Allied organization will be overwhelmed with members.

Harrison's Reports congratulates Mr. and Mrs. Rem-
busch for the fine American example they have set.

"Everybody's Dancin' " with Spade Cooley

(Lijppert, March 31; time, 65 min.)
This may do for small towns on the lower half of a
double bill. The story is slight, but what might make it
acceptable is the fact that it has some comedy, although
silly, music and variety acts. Additionally, it is helped by
brief guest appearances by Adele Jergens, Roddy McDowall,
James Ellison and Russ Hayden. Entertaining specialty
numbers are offered by Sons of the Pioneers, Chuy Reyes
and his Orchestra, The Flying Taylors, The Great Velardi,
The Medians and, of course, Spade Cooley, whose "West-
ern Varieties" television show is very popular on the west
coast: —

Having operated the Waltzland Ballroom on a Santa
Monica pier ever since her husband (James Millican) died
fifteen years previously, Barbara Woodel prepares to close
it down because of poor business. Richard Lane, a phoney
southern colonel, goes to her and boasts that he will finance
the dance hall, even though he doesn't know where the
next meal will come from. He felt that he could make it into
a paying proposition if he could hire Spade Cooley and his
band. Lane approaches Cooley and, by pretending that he
is a wealthy man and able to televise Cooley's performance,
obtains his promise to appear at the ballroom. Lane then
succeeds in selling the idea to the owner of a television
station. Cooley sees through Lane's schemings, but when
he learns that Lane's motive was to save the dance hall
owned by his old friend, Barbara, he decides to go through
with the deal. After many manipulations, Lane finally
stages the show, but during the performance he is besieged
by creditors demanding payment of their bills. He manages
to lock them in a soundproof room to prevent them from
stopping the show. The performance is a success and, with
the money collected, Lane satisfies the creditors and saves
the dance hall.

It was produced by Bob Nunes and directed by Will
Jason, from an original story by Mr. Nunes and Spade
Cooley, and a screen play by Dorothy Raison.

Harmless for the family trade.

Entered as second-class matter January i, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1S79.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1950 No. 16

HOW SOME INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES
FEEL ABOUT TELEVISION — No. 4

In response to my request for their views on television
and its effect on the motion picture industry, statements
have been sent to me by Spyros P. Skouras, president of
Twentieth Century-Fox, and Trueman T. Rembusch, presi-
dent of Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibi-
tors. As two of the foremost industry leaders, their views
should help considerably to enlighten and guide all exhibi-
tors to whom this all-important subject is a matter of deep
concern.

The following statement is by Mr. Skouras:

"Over the years, I have watched the development of
television. I followed with particular interest the develop-
ment of large-screen television, for in this I saw — and see
today — the means by which this so-called threat will be
converted to the greatest stimulant our industry has had
since the advent of sound.

"As I stated at the Chicago Showmanship meeting, when
theatres are interconnected, theatre television will create
the largest attendance show business has ever known. By
virtue of many theatres playing the same attraction simul-
taneously, the income from this vast patronage will enable
theatres to buy and present the finest talent of our times.
Television in theatres will bring the greatest artists to every
town and village in the United States. The smallest theatre
in Missoula or El Centro will be able, through television, to
exhibit shows thought possible only in a great metropoli-
tan theatrical center and the basic presentation will, of
course, be the feature picture with the televised show as
the added attraction.

"With the granting of channels for the exclusive use of
theatres, there would be four or five interconnected theatre
networks of from 400 to 1000 theatres in the eastern states
serviced by New York, and similar arrangements in Chi-
cago, Denver, Dallas and Los Angeles. The humblest
theatre in the smallest community will be able to deliver
not only great motion pictures, but great live shows hitherto
unavailable to these communities.

"When theatre television gets under way with the grant-
ing of channels, the necessary equipment will, of course, be
produced on a mass basis and be delivered, I am confident,
at a reasonable price and within a theatre's reach as con-
ventional projection equipment is today.

"I believe most earnestly that the way to meet the present
situation is by a powerful fight to secure exclusive channels
for theatre use. Every theatre and every theatre group
must work vigorously toward this end. The movie theatre
is such a natural and logical location for a television presen-
tation that I feel sure the public will welcome such a vari-
ation in our presentation of entertainment and the govern-
ment will deem it of sufficient public interest and benefit
and assign channels for this purpose.

"All exhibitors should be conscious of the importance
of organizing themselves to advocate the allocation of
channels for large-screen theatre use, either directly to the
FCC or through their Congressional representatives. They
must not be complacent about the urgency of securing
channels for motion picture theatre use, nor take it for
granted.

"It is expected, naturally, that even when the channels
are granted, it will take two or more years before equip-
ment is installed in theatres and the whole system is in full
operation. In the interim, the exhibitor must devote him-
self with every human effort possible to the basic elements
of showmanship. He must go out and reach his patrons on
a grass-root level; he must ring doorbells; he must sell his
product as he has never sold it before in order to sustain
himself and his theatre during this crucial period. Through
our showmanship meetings in Chicago and all the other
exchange centers, we have attempted to show the way to
over 8,000 theatre owners and managers who attended these
meetings. If the exhibitors re-dedicate themselves to the
principles of aggressive showmanship they will overcome
the situation as they always have.

"Always keep foremost in mind that motion pictures
have not only reached the highest artistic and technical
development of any entertainment medium, but the people
love them and want them above all else. We, at Twentieth
Century-Fox, are dedicating ourselves to provide the exhibi-
tor with the greatest number and the finest type of pictures
that we are capable of producing and that will keep the
motion picture theatre in the forefront of America's enter'
tainment, where we intend to keep it."

Here is the statement by Mr. Rembusch :

"My impression of the whole television bugaboo is that
the industry is making a great to-do about nothing. Sure it
has made itself felt in some metropolitan areas but country-
wide, no.

"Do you realize that today 20% of the United States does
not have adequate AM broadcast coverage? That due to
the limitations of the radio spectrum now used for television
broadcasting, the development of even 40% coverage of
the United States by TV is an impossibility? That when
the Commission, as it must do, moves the TV art from
V.H.F. to U.H.F. coverage will be further restricted? That
Phonevision is tied to the same coverage as TV and that
Phonevision's development is a pipe dream for any organi-
zation such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign
Wars, Parent-Teacher Clubs, yes, and even school audi-
toriums when equipped with Phonevision could, for the
total price of $1.00, play to an unlimited audience; making
the average admission anywhere from two cents per person
to as low as one-tenth of one cent per person? No producer
is going off the nut selling his pictures at admission prices
of the afore-mentioned size, much less make a profit.

"Allied States Association has been working with the
problem for some time and we know we have the answers
to a great many of the TV jitters. In the meantime, I for
one am not going to play any producer's pictures that is so
traitorous to the motion picture industry as to sell his
productions, new or old, to television or to Phonevision.
I imagine that a great many exhibitors feel as I do.

"I suggest that if any producer wants to produce for
television or Phonevision, he take leave of the motion
picture industry and sample the box-office of TV. I think
if he does that he will come crawling back to the motion
picture industry's box-office. There are some producers that
have already produced pictures for TV use alone. Ask
them if they sold their pictures profitably. I know of one
who was stuck with his productions.

(Continued on next page)

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 22, 1950

"A Ticket to Tomahawk" with Anne Baxter
and Dan Dailey

(20th Century-Fox, May; time, 90 min.)

Here is a highly enjoyable big-scale western in Techni'
color, different enough to satisfy not only the action fans
but also those who ordinarily do not go out of their way
to see pictures of this type. The story has all the standard
ingredients of the usual western plot, but what makes it
different is the clever treatment, which ranges from bur-
lesque to satire without affecting the melodramatic thrills,
of which there are plenty. Dan Dailey, as a traveling sales-
man who becomes involved with villainous stagecoach op-
erators trying to prevent a new railroad from establishing
its franchise, and Anne Baxter, as a sure-shot deputy sheriff
protecting the railroad, get the most out of their amusing
characterizations and keep the audience chuckling through-
out. Walter Brennan, as the train engineer, turns in his
usual good performance. The production values are lavish
and the color photography exceptionally good. The action
takes place in the 1880's: —

Dailey, the only passenger on a Tomahawk and Western
train making its initial run, becomes innocently involved
with two desperadoes hired by Mauritz Hugo, a stage-
coach operator, who was determined to keep the train from
reaching Tomahawk within a stipulated time in order that
its franchise be forfeited. Making his way to the town of
Epitaph to report an unsuccessful attempt to wreck the
train, Dailey is taken for a bad man by Anne Baxter, the
sheriff's granddaughter, who orders him to get out of town
by sundown. Meanwhile the train reached Epitaph, and
Walter Brennan, the engineer, discovers that there is no
track for the next forty miles, to a point several miles from
Tomahawk, the terminal. Deputized by her grandfather as
a U. S. Marshal, Anne organizes a 20-mulcteam wagon
train to haul the engine and other equipment over the track-
less right-of-way. When it is learned that the franchise re-
quired that a paying passenger be carried, Dailey is com-
pelled to go along. Rory Calhoun, secretly in league with
Hugo, attaches himself to the mule train as an outrider.
Calhoun's machinations, coupled with Indian attacks incited
by Hugo, keep the mule train in plenty of hot water, but
Dailey saves the situation when he learns that the Indian
chief is an old friend, with whom he had once appeared
in a wild west show. He wins the cooperation of the Indians,
and they help to bring the railroad engine to its destination,
where it is re-assembled and put on the track leading to
Tomahawk. By this time Anne discovers the truth about
Calhoun. To save himself, Calhoun leaps aboard the steam-
ing engine and takes off. Anne and Dailey give chase, board
the engine and, after a desperate fight, toss Calhoun from
the engine to his death. Meanwhile bullet holes cause the
water to run out of the engine's boiler, and it comes to a
stop just outside of the town line of Tomahawk. With but a
few minutes to make good the franchise, Dailey induces the
mayor to extend the town line to the rear end of the engine.
He also induces Anne to become his bride.

It was produced by Robert Bassler and directed by Rich'
ard Sale, who wrote the original screen play with Mary Loos.

Fine for the family.

"Harbor of Missing Men" with
Richard Denning and Barbra Fuller

(Republic, March 26; time, 60 min.)
This measures up as a pretty good melodrama for the
action trade. Based on a crook-regeneration theme, the
story is rather far-fetched and somewhat wildly melodra-
matic, but it unfolds with sufficient speed, excitement and
intrigue to hold one's attention throughout. There is con-
siderable suspense because of the constant danger to the
hero, falsely suspected of a double-cross by the head of the
smuggling ring. There is human interest in the manner in
which the hero is befriended by a Greek fisherman and his
family. A good part of the action takes place at sea. The
6ponge-fishing sequences are highly interesting. The direc-
tion and acting are good, and the photography sharp and
clear: —

Richard Denning, a fishing boat owner, works a profit-

able diamond smuggling racket between Cuba and Key
West. His activities become known to George Zucco, an
unscrupulous business man, who blackmails him into agree-
ing to deliver to the captain of a foreign ship a boatload of
contraband firearms, for which he was to collect $30,000
in cash and keep $2,000. Barbra Fuller, Zucco's secretary,
and Ray Teal, her brother, manage to get aboard Denning's
boat and hijack the money from him. Denning escapes from
them by jumping into the sea, miles from the mainland, and
he is left by them to drown. They beach his ship, making it
appear as if he had absconded with the money. Meanwhile
Denning is picked up by a sponge-fishing boat owned by
Steven Geray, a Greek fisherman from Tarpon Springs,
who gives him sanctuary in his home. He is trailed to Tarpon
Springs by two of Zucco's henchmen, and barely escapes
being shot to death by them. In due time Denning falls in
love with Aline Towne, Geray's daughter, and he determines
to conclude his nefarious business affairs and settle matters
with Zucco who, because of Barbra's clever manipulations,
still believed that he had stolen the money. He borrows
Geray's boat, sails to Key West and, after getting both
Zucco and Barbra aboard the craft, compels her to admit
that she and her brother, Ray, had hijacked the money.
Ray, hiding aboard the ship, suddenly appears with a gun
in his hand. In the ensuing fight both Ray and Zucco are
killed, while Barbra is subdued by Denning. With Aline
promising to wait for him, Denning prepares to pay his debt
to society.

It was produced by Sidney Picker and directed by R. G.
Springsteen from a screen play by John K. Butler.
Suitable for the family.

"Customs Agent" with William Eythe
and Marjorie Reynolds

(Columbia, May 18; time, 72 min.)
A fair program melodrama. The story is the moss-covered
one about an undercover government agent who becomes a
member of a dope-smuggling ring to unmask the clever
leader. There is little about its presentation that is novel,
and parts of it are a bit too talky, but on the whole it
contains enough melodramatic ingredients to pass muster
with the undiscriminating action fans. The direction is
adequate and, although there is nothing outstanding about
the acting, the players go through their chores in acceptable
fashion. It should serve its purpose as the lower half of a
double bill: —

William Eythe, a U. S. Customs agent, is given the chore
of becoming a member of a gang of American smugglers who
had been flooding the Chinese market with watered strepto-
mycin, and of learning the identity of their secret leader.
He is "dismissed" from the service for "negligence of duty"
and, by going on a deliberate drunken spree, pretends to
go to pot. Before long Howard S. John, one of the gang's
ringleaders, approaches Eythe with a proposition to join the
gang. He accepts after proper hesitation. Griff Barnett, an
American business man in Shanghai who knew Eythe's
father, urges Eythe to give up his connection with St. John,
but Eythe refuses. His first assignment is to transport a load
of narcotics concealed in his luggage back to the United
States. During the trip he meets Marjorie Reynolds, an-
other member of the gang. Aware that both Marjorie and
St. John were putting him through a test, Eythe, with the
cooperation of his Customs colleagues, smuggles the nar-
cotics into the United States and then goes into hiding to
give the gang the impression that he was trying to keep the
profits from the narcotics for himself. This move convinces
the secret leader, who turns out to be none other than Bar-
nett, that Eythe had made a clean break with the law.
He hunts down Eythe and offers him a special smuggling
deal in return for one third of the profits. Eythe accepts
the proposition and immediately informs the Customs Bu-
reau of the plan. The officials are then enabled to close in on
the gang and capture them.

It was produced by Rudolph C. Flothow and directed by
Seymour Friedman from a screen play by Russell S. Hughes
and Malcolm S. Boylan, based on a story by Hal Smith.

Unobjectionable morally.

April 22, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

63

"Operation Haylift" with Bill Williams,
Ann Rutherford and Tom Brown

(Lippert, April 28; time, 73 min.)
This picture should prove a "natural" for small towns,
despite its defects. One of the defects is the fact that it takes
almost onchalf hour before the main action is reached.
Consequently, the action impresses one as being dull. There
was a chance for preparation work in that part of the action,
by planting forebodings as to the coming freeze. There
should also have been shown, before the Operation Haylift
was undertaken, scenes of suffering cattle as well as of
people. The impact on one's emotions, then, would have
been powerful. In view of the fact that the freeze a year
ago this winter, as well as the Government's action in send'
ing planes with hay, medical supplies and food to relieve
the farmers, made the front pages of every newspaper in
the country, the exhibitor who will book the picture has a
chance to do effective exploitation. Bill Berke's direction is
good, considering the limitations of the script. The actual
shots of the Army planes' operations have been blended
skillfully with the new scenes. There is considerable human
interest contributed by Tommy Ivo, a fine little actor.
Raymond Hatton, too, is sympathetic as the old farmer: —

Bill Williams, an Ely, Nevada, rancher, Ann Rutherford,
his wife, and Tommy Ivo, their ten-year-old son, welcome
back Tom Brown, Bill's brother, from service with the air
force. Bill wanted Tom to return to ranching, and planned
to buy additional acreage for them to operate. To make sure
that Tom will remain as his partner, Bill sends for Jane
Nigh, Tom's girl-friend, whom Tom marries. Just before
starting on his honeymoon, Tom meets Richard Travis, an
Air Force buddy, and his old love for the service is re
awakened. He gives up ranching to re-enlist, leaving Bill
angry at being left in the lurch. A terrific blizzard engulfs
the Rocky Mountain area, isolating cattle on the range
away from any feed. As the cattle and sheep begin freez-
ing, Joe Sawyer, head of the livestock association, appeals
to the Government for aid. Within twenty-four hours giant
C-82's (Flying Boxcars) arrive in Ely and load up with
hay, which they drop in the center of the blizzard-bound
herds. Among the pilots is Tom, but Bill, still antagonistic,
refuses to ask for help. Bill's son, noticing his father's
stubbornness, tries to go for aid himself and is injured in
the attempt. Bill brings the boy back home and, now repent-
ent, saddles a horse and goes to the center of activities for
aid. His ranch poses a problem to the aviators because it is
located in difficult terrain, but Tom offers to attempt a flight.
Bill joins him in the effort, and together they drop the hay
within a few feet of the cattle, saving them. Now reunited
with Tom, Bill becomes a staunch friend of the Air Force.

Joe Sawyer produced it and wrote the original screen
play in collaboration with Dean Reisner.

Good for the family.

"Captive Girl" with Johnny Weissmuller
and Buster Crabbe

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 74 min.)

Fair. It is on the same order as the last three pictures of
the "Jungle Jim" series, only that this time much better
care has been given to the selection of the animal stock shots,
and the photography shows considerable improvement.
There are several exciting situations, particularly in the
closing scenes, where hundreds of monkeys and other animals
shriek wildly as they help Weissmuller and his party attack
and eventually exterminate the villains. Weissmuller, who
is keeping his weight down, is as good as he was in the other
pictures. The picture should prove a "natural" for children.

Johnny Weissmuller is requested by Nelson Leigh, a
jungle missionary, and Rick Vallin, young chieftain of the
Village of Bonkonjis, to track down Anita Lhoest, a leopard
woman, who, with a panther for a pet, had been attacking
the tribe's witchmen but was leaving the villagers unmo-
lested. She was particularly bitter against John Dehner, the
chief medicine man. Leigh informs Johnny that, years pre-
viously, a married couple, archaeologists, had disappeared
along with their little daughter during an expedition in
search o( the Laguon ol the Dead. He expresses his suspi-
cion that Dehner had killed the archaeologists, and that
their daughter had escaped and had become the leopard

woman. Searching for Anita, Johnny and Vallin come upon
evidence proving conclusively that Dehner had killed her
parents by throwing them into the Lagoon. Johnny and
Vallin head for the Lagoon, where they discover a gang
of adventurers, headed by Buster Crabbe, diving for a for-
tune in gold that had been thrown into the Lagoon by
Dehner along with the archaeologists. They eventually
catch up with Anita, saving her life when she is caught in
a bog, and convince her that they are her friends. All three
are waylaid and captured by Dehner and his witchmen.
Johnny escapes, but Vallin and Anita are dragged to the
Lagoon to be drowned. Aided by the villagers, Johnny
saves the captives, and in the ensuing fight Vallin kills
Dehner, while Crabbe, in league with the witchmen, dies
at the bottom of the lagoon. With Vallin's village now
free of fear, Johnny makes arrangements to send Anita back
to civilization.

It was produced by Sam Katzman and directed by William
Berke from a screen play by Carroll Young, based on the
newspaper feature, "Jungle Jim."

Harmless for the family trade.

"Sunset Boulevard" with Gloria Swanson,
William Holden and Erich Von Stroheim

(Paramount, August; time, 110 min.)
"Sunset Boulevard" shapes up as a tragic but out-of-the-
ordinary adult drama, revolving around an aging silent
screen queen, her dreams of a comeback, and her affair with
a young but penniless Hollywood screen writer. The action-
minded fans, particularly in small towns, may find the pic-
ture too slow and repetitious, but others should find it
fascinating because of the unusual story treatment, the
Hollywood and studio backgrounds, and the behind-the-
scenes insight on the making of movies. The acting is very
good, but outstanding is the exceedingly fine performance of
Gloria Swanson, who is as glamorous as ever. As the one-
time screen star who lives in luxurious egocentric seclusion,
she makes the most of the histrionic opportunities of her
femme fatale role. The story has several dramatic highlights,
notably at the finish where Miss Swanson, hopelessly insane
after having murdered her young lover, descends a stair-
case while the newsreel cameras grind, believing that she
is once again playing a scene in a great dramatic role.
Another highly dramatic sequence is where she visits Cecil
B. DeMille at the Paramount studios in the mistaken belief
that he wanted to star her in his next picture. DeMille,
learning that one of his aides merely wanted to rent her
expensive foreign car as a prop, withholds the truth from
her. As an actor, Mr. DeMille is most impressive. William
Holden, as the writer who becomes Miss Swanson's kept
darling, and Erich Von Stroheim, as her faithful butler
and former husband who caters to her illusions of grandeur,
are very effective. Because many film-goers, particularly
the older ones, will want to see Miss Swanson's return to
the screen, the picture, which Paramount plans to back up
with an extensive exploitation campaign, may turn out to
be an exceptional box-office grosser.

Told in one long flashback, the story has Holden, a
disillusioned and broke screen writer, meeting Miss Swan-
son when he drives into the garage of her mansion while
fleeing from two finance company men seeking to repossess
his car. Miss Swanson, an egomaniac, mistakes him for the
man she had called to bury her dead pet chimpanzee. When
she learns that he is a writer, she shows him a script of
"Salome," written by herself, and he, with his depleted
finances in mind, suggests that she have a professional writer
whip the story into shape. She hires him on the spot and
insists that he live at her home. She pampers him and buys
him expensive clothes, and before long he Decomes her lover.
A meeting with Cecil B. DeMille leaves her with the mis-
taken notion that he will produce her story with her in the
lead, and she immediately goes on a rigid diet-and-bcauty
treatment schedule to prepare for her return to the screen.
Holden, tiring of her idiosyncracies, slips out nights to meet
Nancy Olson, a reader at the Paramount studio, with whom
he falls in love. Miss Swanson, learning of their meetings,
informs Nancy of his mode of living. This leads to a split
between him and Nancy, and Holden, disgusted, decides to
leave Miss Swanson, despite her pleas that he remain.
Emotionally distraught, she shoots him dead as he leaves
the house. The police arrive and find her hopelessly insane.

It was produced by Charles Brackett and directed by
Billy Wilder I nun a screen play written by D. M. M.irsh-
nian, Jr., in collaboration with Messrs Wilder and Brackett.

Strictly adult fare.

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 22, 1950

"One exhibitor operating in a metropolitan area, that I
talked to, told me that on Tuesday night his business was
stinko because of the Milton Berle show. During the con'
versation he said, 'Funny thing though last Tuesday night
business was good.' I inquired as to what he was playing
and it developed that he had on his screen a good 'Want to
See' picture. Going back over his Tuesday night bookings
and grosses, I found that where he was playing pictures of
low box-office appeal his box-office was low. When he had
a good one, the box-office was good.

"No, Pete, I can't get exercised about TV. I believe that
our industry has a great future. I believe that once the
producers stop making pictures for the country club crowd,
the critics and academy awards, only keeping in mind
what the public wants to see, most of the industry problems
will blow away. If you could have seen the crowds in
Indianapolis flocking to see CINDERELLA and MA AND
PA KETTLE, I know you would agree with my thinking
as to television blues."

MORE ON PENALIZING THE
EXHIBITOR FOR HIS
SHOWMANSHIP WORK

According to a news item in the April 17 issue of
Motion Picture Daily, William K. Jenkins, president of
the Georgia Theatre Company, in Atlanta, is reported as
saying that responsibility for better showmanship does not
rest entirely in the hands of the exhibitors but needs to be
shared equally with them by the distributors.

The distributors, said Mr. Jenkins, must provide the
exhibitor with some incentive for giving his "blood, sweat
and tears" to the cause of higher grosses, and he charged
that, in reality, many distributors seek to penalize the
exhibitor who gets "super-normal' business results.

Mr. Jenkins backed up his charge by citing, as an ex-
ample, an arrangement that had been proposed recently
by one distributor whereby 82J/2 per cent of a $50 increase
in the gross would go to the distributor, leaving the
theatre only $8.75, although it might have spent $10 in
extra advertising to obtain the $50 increase in the gross.

If such an arrangement were agreed to, said Mr. Jenkins,
it certainly would destroy all incentive on the part of the
exhibitor to go after higher grosses.

Mr. Jenkins' complaint that the exhibitor has no incen-
tive to boost the gross on a percentage picture through
more intensive showmanship efforts agrees with what Col-
onel H. A. Cole, the Allied leader from Texas, had to say
at the recent 20th Century-Fox Showmanship meeting in
Dallas, and which was the subject of editorial comment in
these columns last week.

As pointed out in last week's editorial, the present sliding
scale percentage plan is illogical, for under it the exhibitor
finds himself penalized for whatever extra efforts he puts
behind the exploitation of a picture. How, then, can he be
blamed for refusing to put on a vigorous selling campaign?

The current movement to rekindle the spark of show-
manship and to stimulate an aggressive attitude in the ex-
ploitation of pictures to the public is, indeed, not only
commendable but something the industry is badly in need
of. But the distributors, if they are to win the complete and
whole-hearted cooperation of the exhibitor for more and
better showmanship, must provide him with an incentive.
Whether it be a sliding scale plan in reverse, as suggested
by Mike Vogel and outlined in this paper's previous issue,
or a big-scale return to flat rentals on a live-and-let-live
basis, the distributors must come forth with a new sales
system, one that will give the exhibitor an opportunity to
earn a fair share of the extra profits that may result from
his willingness to roll up his sleeves and get more dollars
into the box-office.

Given such an incentive, the exhibitor would get behind
the pictures he books with all the ingenuity at his command,
and in all probability his efforts will result in greater finan-
cial benefits, not only for himself, but the producers and
distributors, too.

ANOTHER BOOST FOR VIDEO
COMPETITION

Weekly Variety reports in its April 19 issue that RKO-
Pathe, which is the subsidiary producing company that
makes short subjects for RKO, has switched to a new tech-
nique in the making of shorts, "with an eye on the tele-
vision market."

According to this report, the company is now turning out
all its shorts with two sound tracks, one being the standard
type that incorporates both musical background and dia-
logue, while the other retains the dialogue but omits the
music.

This new technique, continues the report, will permit
RKO to market its shorts on television, despite the long-
standing ban against use of sound track music on television
imposed by James C. Petrillo, powerful head of the Amer-
ican Federation of Musicians.

Shooting its short subjects with two sound tracks so that
the one without music may be shown on television is
indeed economical, and RKO, as well as other companies
that may adopt this technique, will no doubt find a ready
market, for the television medium is badly in need of decent
film fare.

But, as this paper has pointed out on previous occasions,
the production of the same picture for showing on com-
petitive mediums of entertainment, not only tends to de-
crease its value to the exhibitor, but poses a problem to
him in that the television version may be telecast after he
has licensed the theatre version but before he has had a
chance to exhibit it.

This move by RKO once again points up the need for
an exhibitor to protect himself by demanding that all dis-
tributors with whom he deals include in their license agree-
ments, whether for shorts or for features, a clause warranty-
ing that the film licensed has not and will not be shown on
television for a specific period of time following its ex-
hibition in his theatre. The film salesmen will, of course,
assure the exhibitor that he has nothing to worry about.
Business prudence, however, requires that such assurances
be written into the agreement.

"Mystery at the Burlesque"
with an all-English cast

(Monogram, April 16; time, 59 min.)

Produced in England, this is a fair program murder
mystery melodrama, with music. The action takes place in
a burlesque theatre, in London, and the story has its intol-
erant detective inspector and dull-witted sergeant, just as is
the case in many American pictures of this kind. There is
nothing exciting about the way the inspector goes about
solving the murder. There is considerable leg display, and
the songs may please American picture-goers. The photog-
raphy is fine: —

At the end of an evening performance in a London
burlesque theatre, a man, identified as a traveller for a
makeup firm, is found in the front row dead, shot through
the heart. Jack Livesey, owner of the theatre, holds the
entire cast in the house until the authorities make an in-
vestigation. Garry Marsh, detective inspector, and Jon
Pertwee, sergeant, arrive and begin the investigation. To
obtain a clue to the murderer, the inspector orders the cast
to perform the last part of the show, and the piecing to-
gether of the several clues points to Donald Clive, the
leading man, as the murderer. Clive is about to be arrested
when Diana Decker, the leading lady, explodes all the
police theories by coming up with proof of Clive's inno-
cence. Suddenly a shot is heard and Elliot Makehem, the
property man, is found backstage; he had tried to take his
own life but had not succeeded. He confesses to the murder,
giving as his reason his grudge against the dead man for
the way he had been treating the girls in the theatrical
company. Since the investigation had taken all night and
part of the following day, the company prepares for the
opening number of the show's first performance that day.

It was produced by Daniel M. Angel and directed by
Val Guest from his own screen play.

Harmless for the family trade.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 11)21, at the poet office at New York, New York, under the act of Ma»ch 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 1950 No. 17

A SOUND RECOMMENDATION

At a luncheon meeting held this week with members of the
trade press, William F. Rodgers, MGM's vice-president in
charge of distribution, warned that the industry, as big and
as strong as it is, cannot stand up much longer under the
wave of anti-trust suits brought against the distributors by
the exhibitors. Stating that the industry has just about
reached "Custer's last stand," Rodgers asserted that, unless
a solution is found soon, the industry as a whole is headed
for trouble because, with the producer-distributors diverting
their time and money to defend these trust actions, product
is bound to suffer along with everything else.

Mr. Rodgers voiced the opinion that a solution to this
problem may be found in a new system of arbitration, devel-
oped and backed by the Council of Motion Picture Organi-
zations, and he declared that, at the forthcoming May 8
meeting of COMPO, in Chicago, he will personally press
for the adoption of such an arbitration system, in spite of
the fact that the proposed organizational setup excludes
trade practices.

Bill Rodgers has put the spotlight on a problem that is a
cause of considerable concern, not only among the producer-
distributors, but also among many exhibitors who see in the
substantial money judgments being levied against the pro-
ducer-distributors a definite threat to the very existence of
the industry in its entirety.

In Rodgers' opinion, with which this paper concurs, most
exhibitors would rather submit controversies over clearance
and availability to arbitration than rush to the courts with
a suit for damages. Such litigation is not only time-consum-
ing but usually costly for both sides.

Harrison's Reports sincerely hopes that the delegates
of the component groups that make up COMPO will go to
the Chicago meeting with an open mind on the feasibility
of including trade practices within the organization's func-
tions, and that deep consideration will be given to Rodgers"
recommendation. The industry cannot afford to be torn by
internal dissention, particularly in these trying times, and
with all branches working hand in hand, and with the good
will on the part of every one concerned continued, it is pos-
sible to develop within COMPO a trade practice program
that will solve many of the problems that divide the pro-
ducer-distributors and the exhibitors.

HOW SOME INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES
FEEL ABOUT TELEVISION — No. 5

Continuing the series of articles presenting the view-
points of top industry leaders on television and its effect on
the motion picture industry, I am pleased to publish this
week statements by Samuel Pinanski, president of Theatre
Owners of America, and William J. Heineman, Eagle-Lion's
vice-president in charge of distribution.

Mr. Pinanski's statement follows:

"The famous statement of the late President Roosevelt,
'We have nothing to fear but fear itself,' keeps repeatedly
coming to my mind in any discussion of our industry's
present-day economic situation.

"There are a number of contributory factors to the box-
office ills with which we are currently beset — general eco-
nomic conditions; competition we get from other forms of
amusement competing for the same amusement dollar; and
television. All these are but a few of the factors playing
formidable roles in our declining business.

"I see, however, no problem here that cannot be thor-
oughly defeated by good showmen. I think many of us have
too long been confusing the necessity for thinking with the

poisoning process of worrying, and while we have been
worrying we have been neglecting the traditions of show
business.

"Now I suddenly see a new spirit of showmanship taking
hold. Showmen everywhere are on the march, recapturing
their lost enthusiasm, revitalizing our industry, and making
the motion picture theatres again the focal point of all
community activities.

"Television cannot be blamed for all our ills. It is inter-
esting to note that in many areas where it has not yet pene-
trated, business is off in just the same degree as in others
where a steady video diet is offered.

"Furthermore, television programs of present-day stand-
ing cannot long satisfy the public. The air is saturated with
the variety type show — the very show that we offered in
years gone by in our theatres, and the same show that we
can still offer much more attractively on our screens if the
film companies will produce them for us.

"It is my hope that producers will soon make available
for the exhibitor a variety type show that we can advertise
extensively to compete with the medium of television, and
I feel sure that such entertainment will help us recapture
much of our lost audience.

"From the foregoing you can see that I agree with you
that the fears of the exhibitors are largely unjustified. And
I further agree with you that a combination of honest think-
ing and intelligent showmanship will soon see our industry
emerge from today's lethargy stronger and sounder than
ever."

The following statement is by Mr. Heineman :

"These days it seems to be fashionable to sound pessimistic
— especially on the subject of television. I'm sorry that I
can't go along with the crowd; I can't feel too pessimistic
over this new medium of entertainment or the threat it
supposedly poses to our industry.

"I cannot help feeling that television will never replace
the motion picture theatre. People love a parade, and people
love a crowd. The American public is gregarious; the Amer-
ican boy wants to 'take his girl to the show' on date night;
and I do not believe that television can change this funda-
mental habit of the American people.

"Many exhibitors have grown panicky over the threat of
television to their own box office potential. They forget that
this condition — of threat from some new entertainment
medium — is not new in our business. With the inception of
radio, the same howl was raised by some exhibitors. They
were convinced that radio meant the end of motion pictures
as a major industry. However, time cured these howls. Radio
and motion pictures found that they could both live together,
and that, indeed, each could be of help to the other in build-
ing joint stars and shows.

"I am completely convinced that real entertainment, as
our national psychology dictates it, calls for mass assembly.
I saw the Bob Hope show on television Easter Sunday. It
was a good show and I enjoyed it. However, I honestly be-
lieve that if the same show had been seen in a theatre, I
would have enjoyed it much more and that everyone else
would have, too. Wc know that comedy particularly has to
have an audience to be properly appreciated; wc know that
the enjoyment of each member of the audience communi-
cates itself to the others, so that there is a mutual heighten-
ing of the entertainment value of whatever is being seen.

"Let's look at the field of sports. For a while all the major
sports promotions refused to permit their games or matches
to be televised, for fear of hurting attendance. It took a
long time ior them to come around to being willing to
(Continued on baci{ P"ge)

66

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 29, 1950

"The Gunfighter" with Gregory Peck

(20th Century-Fox, June; time, 84 min.)

A very good, out-of-the-ordinary western melodrama. It
is sure to satisfy, not only the western fans, but also those
who usually shy away from this type of entertainment.
Unlike most typical westerns, this one has a minimum of
fast action, for it is more or less a character study of a
notorious gunman, whose bloody career is referred to by
dialogue. Nevertheless, it holds one taut with suspense from
start to finish because of the fact that ambitious young
hoodlums, eager to make a reputation for themselves, insist
upon challenging his prowess by goading him into a fight.
As the weary, lonely badman who seeks to become a law-
abiding citizen, Gregory Peck turns in another one of his
superior performances, winning considerable sympathy be-
cause of his sincere but unsuccessful efforts to live in quiet
and peace with his wife and son. The direction is excellent,
and the acting of the others in the cast highly competent: —

Feared throughout the Southwest, Peck seeks to forget
his sanguinary past, but he learns to his dismay that a repu-
tation such as his is not easily cast aside, for, having been
stamped as "top gun" in the West, he constantly encounters
young toughs who, seeking to make a reputation for them-
selves, challenge his courage. While on his way to Cayenne
to see his wife (Helen Westcott), from whom he had been
separated more than eight years, Peck, stopping at a saloon,
is baited by such a character. He tries his level best to ignore
the youth but is finally compelled to kill him in self defense.
As a result he finds himself pursued by three of the youth's
brothers, on whom he gains a three-hour lead by the time he
pulls into Cayenne. There, his presence excites the entire
town, and he discovers that the sheriff is Millard Mitchell, a
former member of his gang, who had gone to the side of
law and order. Mitchell advises him to get out of town im-
mediately, but Peck insists that he first deliver to Helen, who
was living in town with their son under an assumed name, a
message that he wanted to see her to effect a reconciliation.
In the few hours that he spends in town trying to arrange
a meeting with Helen, Peck, doing his best to avoid trouble,
wards off an attempt by a local citizen to kill him, and
bluffs Skip Homeier, the town's tough kid, out of goading
him into a fight. He finally meets with his wife and son, and
she agrees to give him a year's time to reform his ways and
adjust himself. By this time the pursuing brothers arrive
in town. As Peck prepares to make a getaway, Homeier,
lurking on the outside, shoots him down. Mitchell arrests
Homeier, but Peck, before he dies, absolves the youth, thus
dooming him to live out the rest of his life by killing
others in order to keep from being killed himself.

It was produced by Nunnally Johnson and directed by
Henry King from a screen play by William Bowers and
William Sellers, based on a story by Andre de Toth and
Mr. Bowers. The cast includes Jean Parker and others.

Unobjectionable morally.

"The Golden Gloves Story"
with James Dunn

(Eagle-Lion, May; time, 76 min.)

Produced on a modest budget, this boxing melodrama is
handicapped by a weak story, and by direction and acting
that leaves much to be desired, but it should get by as a
supporting feature in secondary situations, where audiences
are not too discriminating. Unlike the title indicates, the
story, rather than being a documentary account of the
history of the famous Golden Gloves contests, uses that
tournament as a background for a romantic triangle involv-
ing a referee's pretty daughter and two young boxers, one a
decent well-to-do chap, and the other a brash, tough guy.
There is considerable human interest in the fine relationship
between the girl and her father, well played by James Dunn,
but her falling in love and marrying the tough boxer, des-
pite his deplorable conduct and doubtful ethics, lacks con-
viction. The parts of the story that deal with boxing stress
the principles of fair play and sportsmanship, giving the
film good social and ethical values for youngsters. The fight

sequences are fairly exciting. The picture offers good ex-
ploitation values because of the popularity of the Golden

Gloves: —

Dunn, a widower and amateur boxing enthusiast, officiates
each year as a referee in the Golden Gloves tournament in
Chicago. Kay Westfall, his daughter, is engaged to Kevin
O'Morrison, a wealthy young man who had entered the
contest, but her love cools when she meets Dewey Martin,
an arrogant young boxer, who sweeps her off her feet, des-
pite Dunn's objections to him. Dunn referees a champion-
ship bout between O'Morrison and Martin, and gives the
decision to O'Morrison on a technical knockout when Mar-
tin suffers a bad cut on the forehead. Believing that Dunn
had disqualified him deliberately, Martin takes his revenge
by inducing Kay to run away from home to marry him.
But she returns on the following day after a quarrel with
him. One year later the two young men are again matched
for a championship bout, and Dunn is assigned as the
referee. Concerned lest his feeling against Martin influence
his judgment, Dunn asks to be replaced as referee. O'Mor-
rison wins again, this time by a clean knockout. Realizing
that his behavior had been abominable, Martin goes to Kay's
home to apologize to her, to Dunn and to O'Morrison. Kay
embraces him, and O'Morrison, aware that she still loved
Martin, gracefully steps out of their lives while Dunn gives
his approval to their marriage.

It was produced by Carl Krueger and directed by Felix
Feist, who wrote the screen play with Joe Ansen, based on
a story by D. D. Beauchamp and William F. Sellers.

Suitable for the family.

"Kill the Umpire" with William Bendix,
Una Merkel and Ray Collins

(Columbia, May; time, 78 min.)

A good comedy. Even though the story is thin and the
action wildly slapstick at times, it should go over well with
most audiences because of the many amusing situations.
William Bendix, as a rabid baseball fan who hates umpires,
provokes hilarious laughter by some of his antics. The
complications he gets himself into when, as a result of
domestic difficulties, he becomes a professional umpire him-
self, are highly comical. The subject matter is timely in view
of the opening of the baseball season, and it is worthy of
strong selling methods to get the audiences into the theatre,
for once in there is no doubt that they will be entertained: —

Bendix, a former ball player, is married to Una Merkel,
daughter of Ray Collins, a retired umpire, and Gloria
Henry, their daughter, is engaged to Richard Taylor, a big
league pitcher. Unable to stay away from ball parks, where
he heaps abuse on the umpires, Bendix loses job after job.
Una threatens to leave him, but a break-up is averted when
Collins, concluding that Bendix can't stay away from base-
ball, decides that he might as well make a living from the
game by becoming an umpire. To pacify Una, Bendix agrees
to go to an umpire school operated by William Frawley.
He deliberately tries to flunk out, but he becomes converted
and graduates. He is assigned to the Texas League, where
the fans take their baseball seriously, and in his very first
game declares a visiting team player safe at home although
he had apparently been tagged out three feet from home
plate. Unaware that the catcher had dropped the ball, the
irate fans riot, slugging Bendix and knocking the catcher
unconscious. Bendix declares the game forfeited to the visit-
ing team, and manages to escape to his hotel. There, he
becomes a virtual prisoner as hundreds of enraged baseball
fans seek to tar and feather him. Determined to umpire the
next game, Bendix manages to reach the ball park after a
series of hair-raising encounters with the pursuing mob.
With the crowd ready to tear Bendix limb from limb, the
home team catcher saves the situation by announcing that
Bendix's decision at home plate had been fair. The fans,
reversing themselves, hail Bendix, but not for long, for his
first decision against the home team is greeted with the
cry of "Kill the Umpire!"

It was produced by John Beck and directed by Lloyd
Bacon from an original screen play by Frank Tashlin.

Fine for the entire family.

April 29, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

67

"Sierra" with Wanda Hendrix,
Audie Murphy and Burl Ives

(Univ.-Int'l, June; time, 83 min.)

Despite the fine outdoor Technicolor photography, this
western shapes up as no more than mildly entertaining.
The story is ordinary, the treatment routine, and the action,
with the exception of the closing scenes, not particularly ex-
citing. As a matter of fact, it has many dull moments. The
performances of Audie Murphy, as the son of an outlaw, and
Wanda Hendrix, as a female lawyer, lack conviction, but
they can hardly be blamed in view of the weak story material.
Burl Ives, as a prospector, renders several fairly entertain-
ing songs. The closing scenes, which show a stampede of
wild horses, are highly exciting, but even this does not give
the film a sufficient lift:—

When her horse bolts from her in the mountains, Wanda
stumbles upon the hideaway of Audie Murphy and his
father, Dean Jagger; both had been holed up there for fifteen
years, ever since Jagger had escaped, after being convicted
of a murder on circumstantial evidence. They resent her
intrusion and prepare to escort her back to town, but before
they can leave Jagger suffers a serious injury in a fall from
his horse, requiring medical aid. Audie sets out for town
with Wanda, taking along a string of wild horses with which
to pay the doctor. En route, Wanda is bitten by a rattle
snake, and Audie abandons the horses to rush her to the
doctor in town. The horses are taken in tow by Richard
Rober and his henchmen, who claim them on the ground
that unbranded mavericks belong to the finder. Audie at-
tempting to recover the horses, is captured and jailed for
horse stealing. Wanda defends him at the trial, but, when it
comes out that he is Jagger' s son, he is sentenced to hang.
Burl Ives, a prospector friend, helps Audie to escape. In
the events that follow, Audie joins forces with another fam-
ily of fugitives to help him round up a huge herd of wild
horses he had discovered. Meanwhile the sheriff and several
posses head for the mountains to track down Audie and his
father. Wanda rides to warn him. One posse, headed by
Rober, discovers Audie and his men just as they herd the
wild horses into a narrow canyon. Rober and his men stam-
pede the animals, but Audie and his men turn the herd, and
the reverse stampede badly tramples Rober. Before he dies,
however, he confesses to the murder for which Jagger had
been convicted, and admits that the horse stealing charge
against Audie was false. It all ends with Wanda and Audie
riding off into the sunset.

It was produced by Michel Kraike and directed by Alfred
E. Green from a screen play by Edna Anhalt, based on a
novel by Stuart Hardy.

Harmless for the family.

"Military Academy" with Stanley Clements

(Columbia., April; time, 65 min.)

Poor. The story is not bad, but it has been directed with
little skill. It reminds one of movie-making thirty years ago.
The motivations are weak, and so is the acting — the players
act in a most amateurish way. Towards the end there is
some human interest, but not enough to save the picture.
The picture was shot on the grounds of the Brown Military
Academy, at San Diego, but it does not do credit to either
the school or its faculty. The photography is good: —

John R. Hamilton, a judge, offers to finance the construc-
tion of a chapel wanted by William Johnstone, commandant
of the Crown Military Academy, provided he accepts as
students Stanley Clements, Myron Welton, Gene Collins
and Leon Tyler, four of the toughest hoodlums who had ever
appeared in his court. The judge hoped that they will he
turned into useful citizens. Behaving like roughnecks, the
boys upset the routine at the Academy and refuse to abide
by the rules. James Millican, a kindly faculty member, be-
lieves that patience and good treatment will change the boys,
but James Seay, another faculty member, opposes his efforts;
he sought to discredit Millican so that he himself might
become the commandant upon Johnstone's retirement.

Clement's father, just out of jail, visits his son at the Academy
and recognizes Millican as a former East Side lawbreaker
who had changed his name. He so informs Seay, who com-
pels Millican to submit his resignation under threat of ex-
posure. Millican, to set an example for the four boys, reveals
his past to them and urges them to become useful citizens,
like himself. He then informs them of his resignation. The
boys, feeling an affection for Millican, decide to take action
so as to induce him to stay. They try to steal his resignation
from Johnstone's office, only to be caught. Millican, sum-
moned, guesses what the boys had been up to. He demands
the letter from them and hands it to Johnstone. After read-
ing it, Johnstone informs Millican that he had known of his
past, and that he will be the next commandant just the same.
The boys, delighted, determine to reform for good.

It was produced by Wallace MacDonald, and directed by
D. Ross Lederman, from a story by Howard J. Green.

Harmless for the family.

"The Secret Fury" with Claudette Colbert,
Robert Ryan and Paul Kelly

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 86 min.)
A pretty good psychological mystery thriller. In spite of
the fact that the story is far-fetched and the characters
unrealistic, it generates considerable suspense because of the
mystery and of the melodramatic complications revolving
around the heroine's bewilderment when she is confronted
with indisputable legal proof of her marriage, to a man she
does not know. Worked into the plot are two murders and
the temporary insanity of the heroine, brought about by her
emotional upset. It is not a pleasant entertainment, but it
holds one's interest throughout because of the fact that it
keeps one guessing as to the identity of the person responsible
for the heroine's dilemma. The closing scenes, where the
guilty person attempts to murder the heroine, are highly
exciting. The direction and acting are good, and the photog-
raphy fine: —

Claudette Colbert, a noted pianist, and Robert Ryan, an
architect, are getting married when Willard Parker, a
stranger, stops the ceremony to say that she had married
Dave Balfour a few weeks previously in the nearby town of
Fairview. Claudette is bewildered by the accusation, but
district attorney Paul Kelly, her former suitor, and Philip
Ober, her guardian and her father's former law partner,
establish that there is a record of such a marriage. Indignant,
Claudette, accompanied by Ryan, Ober and Jane Cowl, her
aunt, drives to Fairview to investigate, and becomes com-
pletely puzzled when the justice of the peace who performed
the ceremony, the witnesses, and a hotel maid, all recognize
her. Insisting that she does not know Balfour, Claudette,
aided by Ryan, tracks down the man, a jazz musician, who
greets her as his wife. He takes her into another room for
a private talk, during which he is shot dead. Despite her
protests that some unseen person had fired the shot, Claud-
ette is indicted for the murder. Prosecuted by Kelly and
defended by Ober, she becomes hysterical on the stand.
Ober quickly changes her plea from not guilty to guilty by
reason of insanity, and she is sent to an asylum. Unwilling
to believe the evidence, Ryan starts an investigation of his
own and discovers that Claudctte's name on the marriage
application had been forged, that the justice of the peace
was a fake, and that the hotel maid had been paid to recog-
nize Claudette. The maid is killed by Parker before she can
reveal more. Ryan captures Parker, but he dies accidentally
before Ryan can learn who is behind the fantastic plot.
Meanwhile Claudette escapes from the asylum and discovers
that Ober is her persecutor. He admits that he was seeking
to avenge himself because her father had once committed
him to an insane asylum. He then tries to kill Claudette,
but she is saved by the timely arrival of Ryan, who fights
off Ober just as a huge falling mirror crushes him to death.

It was produced by Jack H. Skirball and directed by Mel
Ferrer from a screen play by Lionel Houser, based on a story
by Jack R. Leonard and James O'Hanlon.

Adult fare.

68

HARRISON'S REPORTS

April 29, 1950

permit television, but when they did, they found to their
great surprise that attendance figures jumped to the highest
totals ever! Instead of hurting the sports world, television
had actually proved helpful through the added publicity it
gave!

"So far as I'm concerned, television is not THE enter-
tainment medium. When the novelty of this new medium
wears off, as it is bound to do in time, television will settle
down to being just another one of the media of entertain-
ment, taking its place with films, legitimate shows, radio
and sports events. I believe that television has its rightful
place in this over-all entertainment picture, and when it
attains this rightful place, we shall find that we have no
more worries about the competition it offers than we have
today about radio. I believe that as each individual medium
of entertainment is strengthened and made more profitable,
each of the others must inevitably become stronger and more
profitable in turn."

RKO NOT PRODUCING SHORTS
FOR TELEVISION MARKET

In last week's issue, under the heading, "Another Boost
for Video Competition," this paper commented upon a story
that appeared in April 19 issue of weekly Variety, which
reported that RKO-Pathe, the subsidiary producing com-
pany making shorts for RKO Radio distribution, has
switched to a new technique in producing shorts, "with an
eye on the television market."

H. J. Michalson, president of RKO-Pathe and short sub-
ject sales manager for RKO Radio, writes to this paper that
the report in Variety was "completely unfounded and un-
true."

"RKO Pathe and RKO Radio are not producing shorts
'with an eye on the television market,' declares Mr. Michal-
son. "Both of these companies are producing and distribut-
ing outstanding short product with an eye single to the
motion picture theatrical field, have always done so and
will continue to do so. I personally believe that RKO has
delivered to the motion picture theatres the finest of short
subject entertainment in great variety and it is my earnest
hope that future deliveries of short subjects to the motion
picture theatres will be as signally successful."

As to Variety's report that the company is now turning
out all its shorts with two sound tracks, one of which omits
the musical background in order to make them marketable
for television, Mr. Michalson adds: "There is a production
practice, not exclusive to RKO alone but rather common in
the industry, that you should be aware of. In the course of
shooting the narrator's voice for the mixed sound track
containing music and sound effects, that voice is separately
recorded on the disc. The purpose of the disc recording is a
protection device against damage in the laboratories during
the course of developing and printing. These discs are regu-
larly destroyed after they have served their insurance pur-
pose. The practice, by the way, antedates the advent of
sound."

Harrison's Reports is indeed glad to correct any errone-
ous impression its subscribers may have about RKO produc-
ing shorts for television as a result of last week's article, and
it wishes to commend the company for the definite stand it
has taken in confining its product to exhibition in motion
picture theatres only. Such a stand recognizes that the sale
of the same subject to a competitive medium like television
serves to undermine the business of the exhibitors who, in
the final analysis, make it possible for the producers to remain
in business.

SAMUEL GOLDWYN PRODUCTIONS, INC.
1270 Sixth Avenue
New York 20, N. Y.

April 24, 1950

Mr. Pete Harrison
Harrison's Reports
New York, New York

Dear Pete:

You've built a fine reputation over many years as an
editor beholden to no one and as one of the industry's
most acute observers. That's why I was surprised to read in
your April 15th issue your heated objection to my recent
article in the New York Times Magazine, "Television's
Challenge to the Movies".

I've always known you to be fair, Pete. That's why I'm
sure you will allow me equal space for my reply. You ob-

jected that the article, "has the tendency of placing the
motion picture industry on the defensive, insofar as the
public is concerned, and of making the public look upon
picture entertainment a6 the loser to television — having
surrendered to it".

The article was in no wise "defensive". I don't think
now, nor did I ever think that Hollywood need be fearful
of television. They need us more than we need them. We
producers have the "know-how" to make great visual en-
tertainment.

You question my having gone to the public on this issue
of Television vs. The Movies. I have gone to the public
because I find the public listens. It's an indirect, but a sure
way of reaching exhibitors. They refuse to heed me other-
wise because they consider me opposition. What they fail
to note is that I am the "Loyal Opposition".

I am pleased that you liked my Saturday Review of Lit-
erature piece defending Hollywood films abroad. I under-
took it as a job of industry public relations. I have received
letters of commendation, which I'd like you to see, from
laymen all over the world, from editors and even many
members of the government and Congress.

Except for your own comments, I nave not received one
letter from anyone else within the industry. Do you still ask
why I don't go to the industry, instead of the public?

The point I tried to make in the New York Times is that
television is a challenge to which we are not closing our
eyes. It is a threat which we can't make disappear simply
by waving a magic wand. Unless we are fully conscious of
what is going on and guide ourselves accordingly, television
can not only be a challenge, but could pass us by.

We must face squarely the fact that the public has in-
vested close to a billion dollars in 3,500,000 video sets in
the past couple of years. If you persist in thinking that it is
a mistake to let the public know we are concerned about
TV, you've overlooked the fact that most of the public
already has an exaggerated view of our situation if they've
read a Hollywood column, heard a commentator or seen a
newspaper or magazine in the past year. The modern-day
public is much too well-informed to be fooled by pretending
we're not concerned. We'd be merely fooling only ourselves.

I've talked for years about another problem, double bills.
I have been resented by exhibitors because they say the
public insists on them. Now look at what has happened
recently. At a recent Chicago "showmanship convention",
a number of exhibitors suggested that the time had come
to stop the double bills. Look at the comparative strength
of business in Texas where Karl Hoblitzelle and Bob
O'Donnell have never permitted duals. Ask New York's
Harry Brandt why he states double features are giving the
public "movie indigestion". Look at the attached resolution
from a powerful New York community group asking my
help in ending double features.

There is no sense in talking directly to the industry. First,
we producers are not an "industry". Entertaining the pub-
lic is primarily an art. The tragedy is that the "industry" is
taking the money and the "art" is slowly starving to death.

It disheartens me when I read even the major companies'
statements for the last year. Metro made an overall profit of
$3,000,000 but lost $1,000,000 on production. 20th-Fox
with the most successful product, earned a meager $3,000,-
000 on $94,000,000 of film rentals (suppose just one big
picture had flopped?). Paramount made how many times
the profit on its theatres that it did on production.

All the gambling in this business is being done by the
producers — and they're not getting enough return to merit
gambles that will keep theatres stocked with fine films. As
the friend and guide of the theatre owners for so long a
time, Pete, it would be tragic if you didn't point out the facts.

Don't let them forget that TV can pay Bob Hope $40,000
for 90 minutes. And an offer of $500,000 has been made for
one single performance of "South Pacific" on television. We
producers must compete with that.

As for your statement, Pete, that I had better start mak-
ing good pictures, I'm sure you didn't quite mean what you
wrote. I started to make good pictures 37 years ago and I've
never stopped. My one aim has always been to make fine
pictures and I think my record speaks for itself.

It's rather discouraging, though, when you talk scorn-
fully about my next two pictures, "Our Very Own" and
"Edge of Doom". They haven't even been trade-shown and
will not be released before August. Is that fair, Pete? Per-
haps you wrote what you did in the heat of temper. I'd
rather think that.

Sincerely,

SAMUEL GOLDWYN

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1950 No. 18

THE TAX FIGHT MUST GO ON!

As most of you no doubt know by this time, the House
Ways and Means Committee, which is studying the prob'
lem of reductions in excise taxes, has voted to cut the Federal
admission tax from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.

Abram F. Myers, chairman of COMPO's Committee on
Taxation and Legislation, issued the following statement
immediately after the action taken by the House Committee:

"While half a loaf is better than none — and there was a
time when it appeared we would not get even a crumb — I
nevertheless am deeply disappointed that the Ways and
Means Committee voted to retain a 10% tax.

"It must be understood that this action is tentative and
that there is still a chance that the exhibitors' friends on
the Ways and Means Committee can bring about a more
favorable action.

"When COMPO is formally organized on May 8 the
authority of the Committee on Taxation and Legislation will
end. It has not yet been decided whether to hold another
meeting before that time.

"This much is certain: Those members of the Tax Com'
mittee who have worked whole-heartedly for repeal will
urge COMPO to carry on the fight until all admission taxes
have been abolished. The motion picture industry — and a
lot of Congressmen — have promised the movie patrons that
they will be relieved of the tax and that promise must be kept.

"I sincerely hope that this temporary reverse will not
plunge the industry into pessimism but will be accepted as
a challenge to do a better job in the Senate than it has in
the House."

According to a report in Motion Picture Daily, there has
developed in some industry quarters a feeling of timidity
that is all for settling for the half-a-loaf offered lest further
pressure antagonize the House Committee and cause it to
withdraw the tax cut it has already proffered.

Harrison's Reports hopes that no exhibitor will fall
in with this line of reasoning, for any relaxation of the
effective tax fight that has thus far been waged may very
well result in our losing even the proposed fifty per cent cut.

The exhibitor must bear in mind that the tax cut voted
by the Ways and Means Committee, even if it is passed by
the House of Representatives, where all tax bills must origi-
nate, is not the final word. The proposal will still require
the approval of the Senate Finance Committee and the
Senate itself. And even if it succeeds in passing both the
House and the Senate, there is still the question of a
Presidential veto, by no means a remote possibility because
of the fact that the President, not only did not recommend
a reduction in the admission tax, but threatened to veto any
bill that did not provide for new taxes in an amount equal
to the revenue lost on excise tax cuts. Thus far, there is
every indication that the revenue lost from the excise tax
cuts approved by the Committee will be much greater than
the revenue that will be gained from any new impositions.

To be remembered also is that other industries, which
either have failed to get a reduction or are dissatisfied with
the cuts granted to them, will wage a strong battle for
better treatment from the Senate Finance Committee, and,
unless the motion picture industry continues to make itself
heard in no uncertain terms, the pressure on both the House
and Senate committees from other sources may very well
result in the admission tax being boosted again.

Mr. Myers is right! The tax repeal fight must not only
be continued but intensified!

HOW SOME INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES
FEEL ABOUT TELEVISION — No. 6

Responding to my request for his views on television and
its effect on the motion picture industry, Mr. Nicholas M.
Schenck, president of Loew's, Incorporated, has sent me
the following statement:

"Upon my return to New York, I find your letter asking
me to express some thoughts on the future of motion pic-
ture exhibition. As you know, Mr. Harrison, I always have
resisted the temptation to assume the role of a prophet.
Sometimes I think we have too many prophets too willing
to express either over-optimism or over-pessimism.

"You tell me that small exhibitors are panic-stricken as
a result of the advent of television. I am sorry to hear that.
I hope that such reports are exaggerations. I see no reason
for panic.

"Some of us have been in this business too long to turn
pale each time a new competitor comes into view. I have
seen this business go through many ups and downs — and
land on its feet. There may be some who find it to their
advantage to write the obituary of the motion picture
business. They are premature by a long, long time.

"Television, like any other competitive factor, is not to
be brushed off or ignored. Deep, serious consideration must
be given to meeting this new competition. There are many
good showmanship minds busy on the problem. They'll
come up with an answer.

"In the meantime, the most disturbing cloud is an appar-
ent tendency to let fear color our thinking. 'Desperation
remedies' growing out of panic-thinking is just what we do
not need now. I read in the trade press too often suggestions
for 'free shows," price-cutting without awaiting Congres-
sional action on the tax repeal, exaggerated give-aways and
other evidences of the fear-complex. In previous periods of
uncertainty, we had similar thinking and it didn't help a
return to prosperity.

"The recent effort to stimulate active showmanship and
build a fighting spirit among exhibitors is a step in the right
direction. With studios bending every effort to turn out
better pictures and exhibitors intensifying their efforts to
sell them to the public, the results are bound to be good.
So far as Loew's theatres are concerned, we are urging our
managers not to talk gloom or disaster but to buckle down
and fight for business.

"I have been interested to note how many of our pioneer,
successful exhibitors now have their grown sons in business
with them. Apparently those veterans have confidence in
the future of the motion picture business and are not letting
any temporary problem change this attitude about the future.

"This is no time for either complacency or panic. It is a
time of challenge. We see no reason why the challenge
cannot be met."

THE CEREBRAL PALSY CAMPAIGN

Throughout the month of May, the United Cerebral
Palsy Associations is conducting a national campaign to
raise $5,000,000 to establish clinics and assemble competent
professional personnel to aid the more than 546,000 Amer-
icans affected by cerebral palsy, of whom more than 200,000
are children.

Cerebral palsy is a condition — not a disease. It is caused
when those parts of the brain that control the muscles fail
to develop properly before birth, or when they are dam-
aged at birth through injury or accident. In later life it can
result as the alterniath of sickness, accident or cerebral hem-
orrhage "stroke."

(Continued on bac\ page)

70

HARRISON'S REPORTS

May 6, 1950

"The Fighting Stallion" with Bill Edwards
and Doris Merrick

{Eagle-Lion, no rel. date set; time, 63 min.)

There is little to recommend in this ordinary outdoor
program melodrama; it will barely make the grade even as
the lower half of a double bill in secondary situations. The
story is feeble, the direction undistinguished, and the acting
awkward. There is some excitement in the several scenes
that show a fight between two stallions and an attack on a
young colt by wild dogs, but on the whole the action is too
slow to hold one's interest. The cliche-ridden dialogue does
not help matters: —

Released from a Navy hospital, Bill Edwards learns that
his blurring sight is a warning of eventual blindness. He
rushes back to the Wyoming ranch of his father (Forrest
Taylor), where he takes a liking to Starlight, a spirited white
stallion, despite warnings that the animal is a killer. Edwards
tames the horse and trains him to take him over dangerous
trails carefully, in preparation for the day when he will have
gone blind. One day he meets on the trail Doris Merrick, a
nurse at a dude ranch nearby, and in due time both fall
madly in love. But Edwards, realizing that he was going
blind, avoids her. Meanwhile a big black stallion roams the
area to steal mares, and in the course of one of his raids kills
a pinto stallion owned by one of the ranch hands. Starlight
leaps to the rescue and routs the black stallion, but the
ranch hand erroneously believes that Starlight had killed
his horse. Several days later, when Edwards trips on a rock,
suffers a concussion and goes blind, his father blames Star-
light and determines to shoot the horse, who had gone in
search of the black stallion. Edwards then tells his father and
Doris the truth about his blindness and about Starlight's role
in his life. Starlight returns home after a victorious battle
with the black stallion, and later proves his worth by guiding
the blind Edwards through a raging fire that threatened the
ranch. It all ends with the news that Doris has obtained the
services of a famous doctor who could restore Edwards' sight.

It was produced by Jack Schwarz and directed by Robert
Tansey from a screen play by Frances Kavanaugh, based on
a story by George P. Slavin.

Harmless for the family circle.

"The Perfect Woman" with Patricia Roc

(Eagle-Lion, no rel. date set; time, 87 min.)

A mildly amusing British-made comedy-farce. It may get
some laughs from those who are easily amused, but for the
most part the story is too silly to be genuinely funny. The
action is lively, but the comedy is so forced that most of it
falls flat. With a bit more subtlety in its presentation, it
could have turned out to be a saucy and amusing bit of
nonsense. As it stands, its appeal to the American picture-
goers will be limited.

Briefly, the plot deals with a scientist who invents a me-
chanically operated robot woman, who obeys a set series of
commands. In order to prove that his invention is indis-
tinguishable from a normal woman, the scientist engages
Nigel Patrick, an impoverished young man-about-town, to
take the robot out for an evening. Patrick, desiring not to be
seen with the robot, instructs Stanley Holloway, his valet, to
rent the bridal suite at a prominent hotel. Patricia Roc, the
inventor's niece, after whom the robot's facial features and
figure had been modelled, learns of the intended outing and
decides to substitute herself for the robot. Unaware of the
substitution, Patrick and Holloway take Patricia to the
bridal suite, where all become involved in a series of mis-
adventures because of the fact that the two men treat Patricia
as the dummy they believe her to be. Complications arise
when they put her to bed and Patrick's rich aunt, believing
that he had eloped, arrives to pay her respects to the bride.
Patrick explains that the figure in bed is a robot, and the
aunt, to convince herself, jabs Patricia with a hat pin, caus-
ing her to sit up and howl. Her deception discovered, Patricia

arranges for the robot to be brought to the hotel and sum-
mons the aunt to examine it. The aunt wields her pin again,
and the robot, her mechanism short-circuited, hurls herself
into a frenzy of uncontrolled activity, wrecking the bridal
suite.

It was produced by George and Alfred Black, and directed
by Bernard Knowles, who wrote the screen play with George
Black, based on the play by Wallace Geoffrey and Basil John
Mitchell.

Unobjectionable morally.

"The Asphalt Jungle"
with Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern
and Jean Hagen

(MGM, June; time, 112 min.)

This is a crackerjack crime melodrama, strictly adult in
theme and in treatment. Expertly written, directed and acted,
it should go over very well with those who enjoy this type
of entertainment, for it is packed with excitement and sus-
pense and grips one's attention from start to finish. Its lack
of strong marquee names no doubt will be compensated for
by the word-of-mouth plugging it is sure to receive. The
tightly-woven story, peopled by a sordid but fascinating
group of crooked characters, unwinds smoothly and logi-
cally, and its many unexpected twists keep one's interest
alive throughout. Each member of the proficient cast plays
his or her role with conviction, but top acting honors go to
Sam Jaffe for his characterization of a middle-aged, notori-
ous jewel thief, who engineers one of the most exciting jewel
robberies ever staged on the screen. In the opinion of this
reviewer, MGM would do well to consider a change in the
title lest its meaning go over the heads of many movie-goers,
who may think that it is just another jungle melodrama: —

A brief synopsis cannot do justice to the interesting story
twists. The principal characters are Sterling Hayden, a
holdup man; Jean Hagen his girl-friend; James Whitmore,
his shady but loyal friend; Marc Lawrence, operator of a
bookie joint under the protection of police lieutenant Barry
Kelley; Sam Jaffe, a notorious jewel thief just out of prison;
and Louis Calhern, a prominent but crooked criminal lawyer.
All are brought together when Jaffe comes to Lawrence with
a scheme to rob a large jewelry store, provided $50,000 could
be raised for expenses. Lawrence talks Calhern into agreeing
to furnish the money, and arranges for Hayden, Whitmore
and Anthony Caruso, an expert safe-cracker, to help Jaffe.
In the development of the plot, it turns out that Calhern
doesn't have the needed cash, but he persuades Lawrence to
put up the money himself. Meanwhile he guarantees to dis-
pose of the jewels through an important fence. Actually,
however, he had entered into a scheme with Brad Dexter, a
shady private detective, to double-cross Jaffe and the others
after the delivery of the Jewels. In the exciting events that
follow, the robbery comes off as planned, but Hayden foils
the double-cross by killing Dexter, although suffering a
bullet wound himself. Calhern is left to dispose of the body
and to arrange a pay-off with the insurance company for the
return of the jewels, while Hayden and Jaffe go into hiding.
Dexter's body is eventually found by the police and a clue
in his jacket pocket leads them to Calhern, who commits sui-
cide. In the meantime, lieutenant Kelley, seeking to make
himself famous, forces a confession from Lawrence. This
leads to the arrest of Whitmore and Jaffe. Hayden, however,
flees to his farm home in Kentucky with Jean by his side,
only to die as soon as he arrives there.

Others who figure importantly in the story are John
Mclntire, as the police commissioner trying to clean up cor-
ruption in his department; Marilyn Monroe, as Calhern's
18-year-old mistress; and Dorothy Tree, as his invalid wife.

It was produced by Arthur Hornblow, Jr., and directed
by John Huston, who wrote the screen play in collaboration
with Ben Maddow, from a novel by W. R. Burnett.

Strictly adult fare.

May 6, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

71

"Caged" with Eleanor Parker,
Agnes Moorehead and Hope Emerson

(Warner Bros., June 10; time, 96 min.)

An interesting but grim prison melodrama. Those who
will see the picture with a critical eye will agree that it is a
fine production so far as direction and acting are concerned,
but it can hardly be called an entertainment, for its depiction
of life in a corrupt'ridden women's prison is too depressing.
Although it is hardly believable that the brutality and in'
humaneness depicted in this picture could possibly exist in
any prison in these days, the story, as handled, is a gripping
account of how a basically good girl, a first offender, becomes
so embittered at the harsh treatment meted out to her that
she leaves the prison hardened and destined for a life of
crime. The whole atmosphere of the picture is one of hope
lessness and morbidity and, though it is strictly adult fare,
its many moments of violence and brutality may be too
strong for sensitive persons: —

Eleanor Parker, a 19-year'old pregnant widow, is sen-
tenced to prison when she becomes involved in a gas station
holdup. After two depressing weeks in the medical isolation
ward, Eleanor is interviewed by Agnes Moorehead, under-
standing superintendent of the prison, and assigned to do
light work in the prison laundry. She is put under the
charge of Hope Emerson, a sadistic matron, who supple-
mented her prison salary with bribes from the inmates for
special favors, with particular attention paid to Betty Garde,
who recruited girls from within the prison for a shoplifting
syndicate. Hope soon vents her wrath on Eleanor when she
learns that she has no friends to supply money for special
privileges. Betty tries to enlist Eleanor for the syndicate,
but she declines out of a desire to lead a lawful life at the
end of her term. The injustices inflicted upon Eleanor by
Hope bring about the premature birth of her baby, and to
add to her misery the law compels her to give the baby up
for adoption. Looking forward to the day of her release,
Eleanor is overjoyed when she is granted a parole hearing,
but, when the board refuses to parole her on the ground
that she has no home or job, she becomes despondent and
hardened at the thought of another six months' imprison-
ment. Finally goaded beyond endurance by Hope's inhu-
manity towards her and the other inmates, Eleanor attacks
her and starts a riot. She is put into solitary confinement and,
unknown to the superintendent, Hope clips her hair almost
to the scalp as a final humiliation. Miss Moorehead, learn-
ing of this, demands that the prison commission dismiss
Hope, but Hope pulls political strings and retains her job.
Meanwhile Lee Patrick, a new prisoner, had taken over the
work handled by Betty for the syndicate, and Betty had
become the object of Hope's intense hatred. Taunted to
desperation, Betty murders Hope by plunging a fork into
her neck. Realizing that she must have employment to get
by the parole board, Eleanor turns to Lee, whose vice syndi-
cate finds a phony job for her. She leaves the prison a hard-
faced, bitter woman, prepared to be launched on a career
of crime.

It was produced by Jerry Wald and directed by John
Cromwell from a story by Virginia Kellog and Bernard C.
Schoenfeld.

Strictly adult fare.

"Forbidden Jungle" with Don Harvey

(Eagle-Lion, no rel. date set; time, 67 min.)
A minor program jungle melodrama, obviously produced
on a modest budget. The plot, which is up to the intelligence
of a ten-year-old child, is too preposterous to be taken seri-
ously. A considerable part of the footage is given over to
familiar library clips of wild animal scenes, including sev-
eral that show vicious fights between the animals. These
animal shots may give the film a modicum of interest for
those who have never seen them, but even these are not
enough to sustain one's attention in the proceedings as a
whole. Most patrons will probably laugh derisively at the
antics of a huge studio-made gorilla, whose attack on a
femal jungle native was obviously included for the benefit

of the grind houses that specialize in the exploitation of
this type of pictures. Most theatres will find the film best
suited for the Saturday matinee trade. The direction and
acting are amateurish: —

Don Harvey, a famed explorer, goes to the African jungle
to track down a wild jungle boy, an assignment he had
accepted from a wealthy American who believes that the boy
is his grandson. He comes to a village deep in the jungle,
where he is met by Forrest Taylor, a retired white trader,
who ruled the natives together with Alyce Louis, his half-
caste daughter. Both try unsuccessfully to dissuade Harvey
from his mission. Alyce races ahead to warn the boy, Robert
Cabal, to stay out of Harvey's way. In the course of events
the boy, on friendly terms with all the wild animals, meets
Harvey on a jungle path and saves his life when a lion leaps
for the kill. Harvey and the boy become fast friends, and
the youngster saves his life once again when a man-eating
tiger escapes from a cage and attacks him. In a not-too-clear
ending, after it is brought out that the boy is actually Tay-
lor's grandson, Harvey departs for home, happy that he did
not have to separate the youngster from his beloved jungle.

It was produced by Jack Schwarz and directed by Robert
Tansey from an original story and screen play by Frances
Kavanaugh.

Harmless for children.

"Colt .45" with Randolph Scott,
Ruth Roman and Zachary Scott

(Warner Bros., May 27; time, 74 min.)
Technicolor photography and the marquee value of the
leading players give this otherwise standard Western melo-
drama a decided lift. It should serve as a top attraction for
houses that cater to the Western fans, and as a strong sup-
porting feature in other spots. The story itself follows a
familiar pattern, and some of the situations are extremely
far-fetched, but it has enough hard-riding pursuits, blazing
gun battles and fistic combats to satisfy those who are more
concerned with movement than with logic. The acting is
generally good, but Zachary Scott, who plays the part of a
diabolical villain, overacts the role badly: —

While trying to sell the new Colt repeating pistols to a
sheriff in a frontier town, Randolph Scott, a gun salesman,
is overpowered by Zachary Scott, a prisoner, who takes the
guns, kills the sheriff, and makes a getaway. Randolph is
jailed in the belief that he aided Zachary and is not released
until four months later. Meanwhile Zachary, fortified with
the new repeating pistols, had become head of a gang of
outlaws, terrorizing the neighboring country with holdups
and killings. Randolph sets out to recover his guns and
stumbles across an attempt by Zachary's gang to hold up a
stagecoach. He jumps to the top of the stage from an over-
hanging rock and disperses the outlaws with his deadly aim,
despite the interference of Ruth Roman, a passenger, who
makes a getaway on a riderless horse when the stage comes
to a halt. When Randolph arrives in town with the stage,
Alan Hale, the sheriff, secretly in Zachary's pay, makes him
a deputy. In the course of events, Randolph learns that Ruth
cooperated with Zachary because Lloyd Bridges, her weak-
ling husband, was one of his henchmen. Randolph manages
to capture two of Zachary's outlaws and, while they are
being tried before a judge, Zachary, aided by Hale, manages
to release them and throw suspicion on Randolph as an out-
law because of the Colt guns he carried. Ruth, fed up with
lawlessness, rides hard into town to tell the truth, only to be
shot down by her husband. Randolph makes a getaway dur-
ing the excitement, taking the wounded Ruth with him.
Both are given protection by a tribe of Indians friendly to
Randolph. In the meantime Zachary takes over the control
of the town, killing the sheriff and Ruth's husband in the
process. Randolph, accompanied by the Indians, steals back
into town and one by one picks off Zachary's henchmen. It
ends with Randolph killing Zachary in a final gun duel, and
with Ruth declaring her love for him.

It was produced by Saul Elkins and directed by Edwin L.
Marin from an original screen play by Thomas Blackburn.

Suitable for the family.

72

HARRISON'S REPORTS

May 6, 1950

There is no known cure for this condition, but medical
advancement in the last three decades has made it possible
to help those affected become assets to society instead of
economic, social and physical liabilities. Today, however,
there are treatment and education facilities for only 2,500
of the more than one-half million Americans affected by
the condition.

The motion picture industry is participating in this worth'
while campaign and, according to a report by Gael Sullivan,
executive director of TOA, and Rotus Harvey, president of
PCCITO, who are the national exhibitor co'chairmen, more
than seven thousand theatres have thus far pledged their
support.

Of the numerous humanitarian projects supported by the
exhibitors in the past, few have been of greater importance
than the current campaign being conducted by the Palsy
Associations, and none more deserving of support.

"Rocketship XM" with Lloyd Bridges,
Osa Massen and John Emery

(Lippert, June 2; time, 78 min.)

This is chiefly an exploitation picture and therein lies its
greatest value. Although the ending is weak since there was
no way out for the author-producer-director than to wind
up the picture in tragedy, the beginning and most of the
action up to the end is interesting and impresses one with
realism. In some stretches, however, the action is slow.
There are some technical errors. For instance, though some
articles are shown as floating in the air as the space ship
approaches the moon and gravity is weakened, the hair of
the crew remains combed slick. The use of magnetism to
make the hair stand on end would have imparted greater
realism. But perhaps the average person will not notice this
defect. The photography is sharp and clear: —

Set to be launched for a trip to the moon, the Rocketship
XM is made ready at the proving grounds in White Sands,
New Mexico. The crew includes Lloyd Bridges, the pilot;
Osa Massen, fuel expert; John Emery, head of the expedi-
tion; Noah Beery, Jr., engineer; and Hugh O'Brian, astrono-
mer and navigator. Morris Ankrim, ground head of the
expedition, stays beside a powerful short-wave radio to
receive messages as soon as the ship is launched. The ship
takes off in a blaze of fiery gases, hurtling upward at a
terrific speed until it escapes the earth's attraction. All
communication with the earth is ended when the ship
reaches outer space. An error in the fuel mixture makes it
impossible for the engineer to slow up the ship's speed as it
approaches the moon, causing all aboard to lose conscious-
ness. When they recover, they find that the ship had
veered from its course and, instead of reaching the moon,
was now approaching Mars. They land safety and begin
exploring the desolate wasteland, which they find had once
been inhabited by a civilization superior to that of the
earth, but had been destroyed by an atomic blast. Suddenly
they are attacked with rocks and they perceive in the dis-
tance human beings who seemed to be the remnants of the
once civilized Mars. The explorers shoot at them with rifles,
but two of them, Emery and Beery, are hit by rocks and
killed. The remaining members manage to reach the Rocket-
ship and start their return to the earth. Shortage of fuel,
however, makes it impossible for the navigator to slow up
the ship, and it crashes into the earth, killing all aboard.
Ankrim and his co-workers on the ground consider the
expedition a success and determine to begin building
Rocketship No. 2.

The story was written, produced and directed by Kurt
Neumann.

Suitable for the family circle.

"Rock Island Trail" with Forrest Tucker,
Adele Mara, Adrian Booth,
Bruce Cabot and Chill Wills

(Republic, no rel. date set; time, 90 min.)
A fine epic of the old west, photographed in Trucolor.
The action is fast all the way through, and there are many
thrilling situations, some of them caused by fights between
Indians and whites, and between the Indians themselves.
The acting of all is good, but that of Adrian Booth, as the
European-educated daughter of an Indian chief, is superb.
Forrest Tucker is a manly hero, and Bruce Cabot a mean
villain. Adele Mara is winsome and inspires one with
sympathy. The scenes where Cabot cuts a blazing steamboat
from its moorings so that it might drift and collide with
the railroad bridge, are thrilling. There is much excitement

and novelty in the fight between Tucker and Cabot, with
long-handled mops as the weapons. There are a number of
other situations that hold one's interest tense. With the
exception of several sequences in the beginning, the color
is good. The photography is sharp: —

Tucker, construction engineer for the Rock Island Rail-
road, dreams of some day pushing the road all the way to
the West Coast from the State of Illinois. But he is opposed
by investors who had no faith in the railroad's future in the
west, and by the stagecoach and steamship companies. Chill
Wills, chief engine operator of the railroad, has faith in
Tucker and stands by him. During a race between one of his
trains and a fast stagecoach, in which the train wins, Tucker
meets Adele Mara, daughter of Grant Withers, a big banker.
They fall in love. Her father, a cautious man in investment
matters, sees great possibilities in Tucker's ambitions and
backs him with sufficient capital to lay track all the way to
the Mississippi, to span the River, and to get plans under-
way to continue the roadbed to Fort Fletcher, Iowa, with
added financial assistance from the Government itself.
Tucker finds himself harrassed at every turn by Bruce Cabot,
a treacherous steamboat tycoon, who felt that Tucker's plans
threatened his interests. Besides, he sought revenge because
Adele, his former fiancee, had dropped him for Tucker.
Cabot, a crackshot, challenges Tucker to a duel. Tucker,
having the choice of weapons, grabs two mops, hands one
to Cabot, and defeats and humiliates him. Cabot, secretly,
sets fire to a steamboat and lets it drift into the river bridge,
wrecking it. Aware that Cabot was guilty but lacking proof,
Tucker enlists the aid of Abraham Lincoln (played by Jeff
Corey), a young lawyer, who takes the case to court and
wins a judgment against Cabot's steamboat company for
the damages incurred. Having failed to block the extending
of the railroad, Cabot schemes with a group of renegade
Sioux Indians to attack a train carrying an army payroll,
mail, guns and ammunition. The attack, however, turns
into a pitched battle between the renegades and a force of
Sioux Indians friendly to the railroad; their help had been
obtained by Adrian Booth, the chief's daughter, whose
unsuccessful efforts to win Tucker's love had not turned
her against him. In the course of the fight, both Adrian and
Cabot are killed. The last obstacle for the completion of the
road to the West Coast having been removed, Tucker and
Adele turn their thoughts to marriage.

It was produced by Paul Malvern, under the supervision
of Herbert Yates, Sr. Joseph Kane directed it from a screen
play by James Edward Grant, based on the novel, "A
Yankee Dared," by Frank J. Nevins.

Suitable for the entire family.

"Faust and the Devil" with an Italian cast

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 87 min.)

Of the pictures that have been produced either here or
abroad, "Faust and the Devil" is tops from every angle —
that of singing, clarity of story, cast, and all the other pro-
duction values. Even though the picture has been produced
in Italian, the few English sub-titles make the story clear
to every non-Italian but English-speaking person. The
voices are excellent, the acting professional, the actors
pleasant to look at, and the dramatic effects of the highest
standard. Although few American theatres book foreign
films, an exception might be made in this case, provided that
no effort is made to sell the picture to the rank-and-file
movie-goers. The selling campaign should be aimed at the
cultured picture-goers, and when these begin to flock in the
others will follow. The photography is a treat to the eye.

The story is founded on Goethe's "Faust," in which
Dr. Faust, an old man, sells his soul to the Devil for youth
and pleasure. The Devil does give Faust youth, and under
his instructions he becomes acquainted with Marguerite,
with whom he falls in love. He seduces her under the urgings
of the Devil. Faust is drawn away from Marguerite by the
Devil, and when she gives birth to a child the people look
down upon her as a wanton. To escape their scorn, she
drowns the child. She is arrested and found guilty of mur-
der, and condemned by the church to be burned at the
stake. By this time Marguerite realizes her error, repents,
and after the burning her soul ascends into Heaven.

Gregor Rabinovich produced it, and Carmine Gallone
directed it, from a screen play by Leopold Marchand, who
based it, as said, on Goethe's opera. The cast includes Italo
Tajo, Nelly Corradi, Onelia Fineschi, Gino Mattera, Ono-
frio Scarfoglio, Terese Dorny, Gilles Queant, Cesare Bar-
betti and others.

Suitable for everybody. The seduction scene is handled
delicately.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1«21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, MAY 13, 1950 No. 19

COMPO NOW OFFICIAL

The Council of Motion Picture Organizations was
launched officially on Monday and Tuesday of this week,
when representatives of the ten charter member groups
that conceived the organization last August met at the
Drake Hotel, in Chicago, to report the ratifications of their
groups, amend and approve the by-laws, and to elect tem-
porary officers until a charter is granted to the organization
by the State of New York in about two weeks.

Following the granting of the charter, COMPO's Execu-
tive Board will hold its first meeting, at which time the
following roster of officers will be nominated for a full term
of one year:

Ned E. Depinet, president, and nine vice-presidents, rep-
resenting the heads of the different constituent groups as
follows: Ellis Arnall, president, Society of Independent
Motion Picture Producers; Harry Brandt, president, Inde-
pendent Theatre Owners Association; Leo Brecher, presi-
dent, Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association;
Roy Brewer, chairman, Motion Picture Industry Council;
Abel Green, chairman, Trade Press Committee; Rotus
Harvey, president, Pacific Coast Conference of Independent
Theatre Owners; Samuel Pinanski, president, Theatre Own-
ers of America; Ronald Reagan, co-chairman of the MPIC
and president of the Screen Actors Guild; and Trueman
Rembusch, president, National Allied.

Robert J. O'Donnell, Variety, International delegate,
was nominated for the post of treasurer, and Francis S.
Harmon, of the Motion Picture Producers Association, was
nominated as secretary.

Since the officers nominated are representative of the
constituent groups and are located geographically in various
sections of the country, it is expected that substantially the
same slate will be elected.

The by-laws provide for a paid, full-time executive vice-
president, who shall be the chief administrative officer of
the organization, but his selection was deferred pending a
study of the qualifications of potential candidates by one of
the five committees the president was authorized to appoint.
This responsibility was delegated to the Committee on
Management and Personnel, which will submit its recom-
mendation to COMPO's Executive's Board, which in turn
must act unanimously thereon.

The other four committees authorized include a Commit-
tee on Organization, which will chart the functional setup of
COMPO; a Committee on Finance, which will study the
problems incident to the control of expenditures, and to
the financing of COMPO through the voluntary contribu-
tions by exhibitors and distributors of one-tenth of one
per cent of film rentals, with September I, 1950 set as the
starting date for such contributions; a Committee on Addi-
tional Members for COMPO, such as supply organizations,
firms handling various concessions, etc.; and a Committee
on Planning and Program, which will chart the activities of
COMPO.

Abram F. Myers, chairman of COMPO's temporary Com-
mittee on Taxation and Legislation, was lauded by all
present for the exceptionally fine job done by himself and
his committee members in the fight for repeal of the Federal
admissions tax. A resolution was adopted unanimously urg-
ing the continuation of an aggressive campaign in both the
House and in the Senate, and promising full support in
carrying out any plans the Committee may decide upon to
bring about complete repeal of the tax. Mr. Myers, follow-

ing this expression of confidence, agreed to continue as
chairman of the committee.

Because of the recent suggestions that trade practices be
included within COMPO's functions, and because National
Allied and TOA made their ratifications conditional, many
industryites looked upon the future of COMPO with mis-
givings, prior to the two-day meeting held this week. But
any feelings of doubt and apprehension any one might have
had were dispelled, according to those present, by the
harmonious atmosphere that prevailed throughout the ses-
sions, and by the demonstration of sincerity on the part of
all concerned to get the movement under way. This was
evidenced by the unanimous adoption of a clause in the
by-laws specifically excluding trade practices from the or-
ganization's functions.

Another cause for apprehension was a report that the
TOA leaders, at several meetings conducted in New York
last week, had complemented their original reservations
with a number of conditions that, if adopted, would have
so impeded the new organization's operations as to make it
powerless. According to one report, Gael Sullivan, TOA's
delegate at the meeting, did not advance these conditions in
the interest of unity.

The harmonious attitude that prevailed at all three meet-
ings thus far held by COMPO's organizers is a clear demon-
stration that the industry's leaders have taken up the move-
ment for a unified public relations program with sincerity
and enthusiasm, and one cannot help feeling that any causes
of friction that may still exist will be removed in due time.

There is no question that, in COMPO, unity has been
achieved. Let's put this unity to work — and fast!

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
444 West 56th Street
New York 19, N. Y.

May 4, 1950

Mr. Peter Harrison
Harrison's Reports
1270 Sixth Avenue
New York, N. Y.

Dear Pete :

Your editorial "Let the Distributors Stop Penalizing the
Exhibitor for His Showmanship Work" naturally interested
me very deeply, because it comes at a time when the greatest
need exists for the exhibitor and producer to try and work
out their problems on a fair and equitable basis so that both
will derive a fair profit and enjoy a healthy growth.

I believe that this is what you want too, and I believe
that you realize that the most acute issue that confronts our
industry today is that of enabling the producer to continue
to furnish films of high quality to the theatres so that both
the exhibitor and distributor can remain in business and
have a chance to prosper. It is the vital concern of the
theatreman to realize that our whole industry faces a crisis
because of the plight of the producing companies.

Therefore, as an old exhibitor, I am dismayed by the
philosophy put forth in your editorial by yourself and
Colonel Cole asking for increased concessions in film rentals.

It is equally dismaying to read the suggestion that some
exhibitors decline to exert showmanship because they will
pay more film rental to the distributor. As an old exhibitor,
I think we should abandon any such antiquated suspicions.
(Continued on back, pige)

74

HARRISON'S REPORTS

May 13, 1950

"Love That Brute" with Paul Douglas,
Jean Peters and Cesar Romero

(20th Century-Fox, June; time, 85 min.)

A good comedy farce. It is a remake of "Tall, Dark and
Handsome," produced by 20th'Fox in 1940, and although
it revolves around Chicago gangsters during the 1928 boot'
legging days, it is not a typical gangster melodrama. It
pokes fun at the racketeer types of the period, and the hero,
though a gang leader, is not vicious. The accent is on com-
edy, and the characterizations are colorful. Paul Douglas, as
the kind-hearted gang leader who bluffs his rivals into
believing that he is a "killer," fits the role like a glove, and
his romantic interest in Jean Peters, a small-town girl, is
both sympathetic and amusing. Much laughter is provoked
by Peter Price, a talented youngster, who poses as Douglas'
son and affects the mannerisms and dialogue of a typical
hoodlum. Keenan Wynn, as Douglas' lieutenant, and Joan
Davis, as the wife of a gangster, add much to the gaiety
by their antics: —

Douglas, a racketeer, becomes interested in Jean Peters,
a welfare worker, but conceals his identity because of the
fact that she was a decent girl. He leads her to believe that
he is a widower, and engages her as a governess for Peter
Price, a fatherless youngster, who poses as his son. Peter,
a tough kid whose father had been a gangster, causes Doug-
las considerable embarrassment. Jean learns of the decep-
tion when Douglas receives a visit from Cesar Romero, a
rival gang leader. Infuriated, she leaves Douglas, but first
makes sure that young Peter is placed in a military school.
Jean obtains a job as a singer in a night-club, but quits when
she learns that Douglas owned it. Later that night, Douglas,
although despondent over his break with Jean, gives a party
at his home to celebrate a truce that had been reached
between Romero and himself not to "bump off" each other's
henchmen. Young Peter arrives on the scene, having run
away from school, and Jean comes to the house to inquire
about him. Keenan Wynn, Douglas' aide, tries to convince
Jean that Douglas is really a gentle person, and to prove it
he takes her down to the basement and shows her that
fourteen of Romero's henchmen, whom Douglas had sup-
posedly killed, were alive and happy but behind bars.
Wynn explains that Douglas could not release the men lest
Romero realize that he is not as tough as he pretended to be.
When the imprisoned gangsters escape and make their
presence known at the party, Romero, no longer afraid of
Douglas, orders two of them to take Douglas for a "ride."
But the henchmen, remembering Douglas' kindness, permit
him to escape. Douglas orders Wynn to plant his ring on
an unrecognizable body in the morgue, so that it would be
identified as his, then arranges matters in a way that results
in Romero being sentenced to life imprisonment for his
"murder." He manages to let Romero know that he is still
alive, and tells him that, although he had committed many
murders, he would have to pay for one he had not com-
mitted. While Romero, claiming that Douglas is alive, is led
to prison screaming with rage, Douglas arranges to marry
Jean and settle down to a respectable life in a small town.

It was produced by Fred Kohlmar and directed by Alex-
ander Hall, from a screen play by Karl Tunberg, Darrell
Ware and John Lee Mahin. The cast includes Arthur
Treacher, Jay C. Flippin, Leon Belasco and others.

Adult fare.

"Congolaise"

(Film Classics, April; time, 68 min.)

This is not a feature picture in the regular sense of the
word, but it has entertainment values that exceed those of
many a highly expensive feature. It is really a travelogue,
snowing the customs and habits of aborigines, who live
along the banks of the Ogowe River, which flows for one-
half of its course, parallel to the Congo River. The record
of this travelogue was made by young scientists, sent by the
French Government in collaboration with the French Mu-
seum, to serve as a lasting record of the primitive tribes
before they become engulfed by the civilization of the
white man. The expedition goes through plateaus, steaming
swamps, grasslands and impenetrable jungles. There are
thrilling shots of hunts by the natives for lions, antelopes,
and elephants, as well as a highly exciting gorilla hunt,
during which a massive 750-lb. gorilla king is killed and
other huge gorillas are driven off the trees, where they had
taken refuge. The lives of the hunters are placed in jeopardy,
and one or two of them are torn by the animals. The natives
were compelled to kill the wild animals to stop the dis-
appearance of children and of many adults, carried away by
them into the jungle. .

The customs and habits of the different tribes, their

religious activities and other doings are highly interesting.

Since no worthwhile animal picture has been shown for
a long time, it is likely that "Congolaise" will appeal to
picture-goers of all types. Several of the scenes that show the
natives cutting up the wild animals immediately after the
kill may prove a bit too strong for those with weak stomachs.

The picture was produced by Jack Rieger, and directed
by Jacques Dupont. Although the story is supposed to have
been written by Peter Ordway, as told to him by Robert
St. John and Ray Morgan, it is insignificant and none was
really necessary, for one's interest lies in the activities of the
ferocious animals and the struggle of the natives for survival
against them. Good for the entire family.

"Woman from Headquarters" with
Virginia Huston and Robert Rockwell

(Republic, May I; time, 60 min.)

A minor program melodrama. As indicated by the title,
the picture deals with the exploits of policewomen in com-
batting crime, but it misses its mark as an action entertain-
ment, for it is given more to talk than to movement.
Moreover, the story is full of inconsistencies, and the melo-
dramatic adventures of the heroine are too far-fetched to be
plausible. Not much can be said for the acting, but the
players are not to blame, for they were up against ordinary
direction, poor dialogue, and a badly written script: —

Virginia Huston, an ex-Army nurse, is dismayed when
Barbra Fuller, her roommate, becomes involved with the
law because of her love for Norman Budd, a petty thief.
Virginia becomes friendly with Frances Charles, a police-
woman who had tried to set Barbra straight, and decides to
join the police force. While Virginia undergoes tests and
an intensive training period, Barbra elopes to Chicago with
Budd. Virginia's exceptional ability as a rookie soon comes
to the attention of her superiors who, engaged in a cam-
paign to clean up vice, assign her to pose as a bar-girl in a
notorious cafe owned by Otto Waldis, a shady character
who managed to steer clear of the law. She wins Waldis'
confidence and in due time catches him in the act of "rolling"
a drunk and places him under arrest with the aid of Robert
Rockwell, a detective assigned to work with her. Having
proved themselves as a team, Virginia and Rockwell, by
this time in love, are assigned to obtain evidence against a
narcotics gang. Learning that Barbra and Budd had been
arrested because of his activities in the drug market, and
that Barbra is about to have a baby, Virginia appeals to
Budd to help the police track down the gang so as to make
it easier for Barbra and himself. He is instrumental in
leading her to the hideout of the gang, and there, with the
assistance of Rockwell and other police officers, she rounds
up the gang members and brings them to justice.

It was produced by Stephen Auer and directed by George
Blair from a story and screen play by Gene Lewis.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Kind Hearts and Coronets"
with an all-English cast

(Eagle-Lion, April; time, 101 min.)

A very fine British-made comedy of murder, revolving
around a homicidal young nobleman who, to inherit a
dukedom, cleverly commits eight "perfect" murders to
eliminate the snobbish family members ahead of him in the
line of succession. It is an extremely clever satire on the
Victorian aristocracy, superbly written, directed and acted,
but as entertainment its appeal in this country will be
limited to the highbrow patrons of arty British films. The
general run of movie-goers will find its sly humor a little
too subtle, and its pace too slow. The competent cast is
unknown to the American picture-goers, but their work is
exceptionally good, particularly that of Alec Guinness, who
plays with great skill no less than eight different roles, each
being one of the ill-fated characters who succumb to the
machinations of their ghoulish but charming relative, played
by Dennis Price: —

Price, son of an English mother and Italian father, now
dead, had been raised to be a nobleman, even though his
mother, daughter of a duke, had been disowned because of
her marriage to the Italian. When his mother's dying wish
to be buried in the family vault is denied by the Duke,
Price, acutely conscious that it was theoretically possible for
him to inherit the dukedom, swears vengeance on the aristo-
cratic family. He decides to murder the eight family members
(all played by Alec Guinness) who were ahead of him in
the line of succession. One by one, through a series of
cleverly conceived "accidents," he manages to kill off the
relatives, deftly diverting suspicion from himself and thus

May 13, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

75

inheriting the dukedom. Meanwhile he had made Charlotte
Greenwood, a former sweetheart now married to John
Penrose, his mistress, and had proposed marriage to Valerie
Hobson, the beautiful widow of one of his victims. Penrose,
facing bankruptcy, comes to Price for aid and commits
suicide when he is refused. Charlotte, seeing her way clear
to become the duchess, demands that Price marry her.
When he declines, she frames him for the murder of her
husband by hiding the suicide note and admitting that she
had been Price's mistress. Sentenced to hang, he spends his
time before the execution writing his autobiography, in
which he outlines all the lurid details of the eight murders
he had committed. On the day before the execution, Char-
lotte relents and "finds" the suicide note that proves his
innocence. Taken to the prison gates to be freed, Price
suddenly realizes that he had left his autobiography behind,
but before he can recover it the prison authorities read his
admissions. He is returned to the cell to await the hangman.

It was produced by Michael Balcon and directed by Rob'
ert Hamer from a screen play by John Dighton and the
director. Adult entertainment.

"The Skipper Surprised His Wife" with
Robert Walker and Joan Leslie

(MGM, no rel. date set; time, 85 min.)

This domestic comedy never quite hits a high note of
hilarity, and there are moments when the proceedings be-
come a bit dull, but despite its shortcomings it should prove
fairly amusing to most movie-goers. Revolving around the
misadventures of a young Navy officer who attempts to
install Navy efficiency methods in the running of a house-
hold, the lightweight story has its share of laugh-provoking
situations, but it falters in that much of the humor is forced
and strained. Women, however, should find Robert Walker's
travails, as he tries to cope with household duties, amusing.
The direction and acting are adequate: —

Robert Walker, a Navy commander, is ordered back to
his home base and assigned to study at the radar school under
Edward Arnold, an admiral. Having been away from home
for more than a year, Walker is greeted joyously by Joan
Leslie, his wife, and their two young sons (Tommy Myers
and Rudy Lee). But their joy is marred when Joan steps
on one of the youngster's roller skates and breaks her ankle.
Walker finds it necessary to take care of the housework
and the children between classes. To have sufficient time
for all his chores, he works out an efficiency system after
much research work among the women in the neighborhood,
and organizes it in accordance with Navy standards. He
finds his system for doing housework so successful that he
starts giving lectures to the women to induce them to use
it in their homes. Meanwhile Spring Byington, the admiral's
wife, and Joan, get together and hatch a plot to get their
husbands to leave the Navy. In due time Walker's efficiency
methods prove too much for Joan, who felt that their abode
was no longer a home; she leaves him after a quarrel.
Leon Ames, the family doctor, steps into the breach and,
after showing Walker that he had lost sight of his obligations
as a father and husband, patches up their differences. By
this time both Walker and Arnold are given an opportunity
to resign from Navy life, but they decide to go to sea
rather than remain home all the time.

It was produced by William H. Wright and directed by
Elliott Nugent from a story and screen play by Dorothy
Kingsley, based on an article by Commander W. J. Lederer,
U.S.N. Suitable for the family.

"The Admiral Was a Lady"
with Edmond O'Brien, Wanda Hendrix
and Rudy Vallee

(United Artists, August; time, 87 min.)

A frothy bit of nonsense. The fairly fast pace, the flip
dialogue, and the lighthearted manner in which the inci-
dental scenes arc worked out are in the picture's favor, but
these, unfortunately, are not enough to lift the picture
above the level of moderately entertaining program fare.
As a matter of fact, there is a question of good taste in the
comic depiction of four healthy veterans existing on un-
employment benefits because of an aversion to work, and
of their efforts to avoid offers of jobs lest they be taken off
the unemployment rolls. All this, of course, is played for
laughs, but, in these days of rising unemployment, persons
who must accept unemployment benefits for their very exist-
ence are too filled with heartbreak and frustration to see
anything humorous in the situation.

The story, which is one of those "screwball" affairs with
numerous complications, opens with the four veterans (Ed-

mond O'Brien, Johnny Sands, Steve Broidy and Richard
Erdman) making the acquaintance of Wanda Hendrix, an
ex-WAVE, when all go to the unemployment offices to
collect their weekly checks. Learning that Wanda was pre-
paring to go back to her home town because her boy-friend,
a man she had met overseas, had failed to arrive and marry
her, the four men offer to entertain her until the time of
her departure that evening. Their fun is disturbed when
they are contaced by the unemployment service to report to
the office of Rudy Vallee, a juke box king, for jobs. O'Brien,
who guided the destinies of the group, goes to Vallee to
talk him out of hiring them. It turns out that Vallee,
through detectives, had been keeping an eye on Wanda's
whereabouts, because her missing boy-friend had taken up
with Hillary Brooke, Vallee's divorced wife. Vallee wanted
his wife back, but the only way for him to accomplish this
was to make Wanda pressure her boy-friend into coming
back to her. Vallee threatens to put O'Brien and his pals
to work unless they keep Wanda from leaving town and see
to it that she breaks up the affair between her boy-friend and
Hillary. From then on, the story goes completely haywire,
with numerous complications brought about by the efforts
of the four veterans to keep Wanda in town. In the end,
Vallee gets his wife, while Wanda winds up in a clinch
with O'Brien instead of with the boy-friend who had
jilted her.

Here and there a situation is genuinely funny, but much
of the comedy is strained. The action in the last few reels
drags because of excessive talk.

It was produced and directed by Albert S. Rogell, from
an original story and screen play by Sidney Salkow and
John O'Dea. Edward Lewis was co-producer.

There are no objectionable sex situations.

"Father of the Bride" with Spencer Tracy,
Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor

(MGM, June; time, 92 min.)

Very good! Crammed with laughs, it is a mirthful, warmly
appealing entertainment that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser,
for most people in the audience will understand and appre-
ciate the subject matter, which deals with the financial and
emotional trials of a father when he marries off his daughter.
The first meeting between the parents of the bride and
groom; the concern of the father over the type of man who
is about to marry his daughter; the important decisions and
minor squabbles incident to the wedding arrangements —
these and other recognizable problems are depicted in a
way that keep the chuckles sympathetic as well as frequent.
Spencer Tracy, as the harassed but well meaning father, is
just perfect in the part, as is Joan Bennett, as his wife.
Elizabeth Taylor is charming and impressive as the bride,
and the fact that she has just become one in real life gives
the picture a timely angle. The direction, production values,
and photography are first rate : —

Tracy, a lawyer of moderate means, lives together with
his wile, Joan, their daughter, Elizabeth, and their sons,
Rusty Tamblyn and Tom Irish. Tracy suddenly realizes that
his daughter had grown up when she casually announces at
dinner one evening that she is going to marry Don Taylor.
Tracy has misgivings about the young man and about his
parents (Billie Burke and Moroni Olson), but he becomes
better acquainted with them in due time and finds them to
be "regular." A family conference results in a decision that
the wedding be small and intimate, much to Tracy's satis-
faction, but he soon begins to fume and sputter as new
items of expense are added day by day. Before long the
original intentions get out of hand and the arrangements
shape up as a big church wedding, with more than five
hundred guests on the invitation list, and half as many
invited to a reception at home. Tracy puts his foot down and
demands that the invitation list be cut drastically, but he
soon gives up when one or the other decides that certain
persons must not be slighted. Numerous problems arise as
the wedding day approaches, the most serious one being a
break between the bride and groom over the honeymoon
site, but all obstacles arc eventually overcome, with Tracy
the one most concerned about everything turning out ac-
cording to plan. Despite the chaotic atmosphere, the wed-
ding ceremony and the reception turn out to be a huge
success. When the last guest departs, Tracy and Joan arc
weary but serenely happy.

It was produced by Pandro S. Berman and directed by
Vinccnte Minnelli from a screen play by Frances Goodrich
and Albert Hackett, based on the novel by Edward Strccter.
The cast includes Leo G. Carroll, Melville Cooper and others.

Fine for the entire family.

76

HARRISON'S REPORTS

May 13, 1950

In proportion to their investment, their risk, and the serv-
ice rendered to the theatres, the producing companies, since
1947, have either lost money or shown a very slight profit.
Twentieth CenturyFox, which is considered a very success-
ful company and a producer of good films year in and
year out, had net earnings from film operations only of
$3,667,000 in 1947, $3,768,000 in 1948, and $3,899,000
in 1949. Based on the best estimates available, the aggregate
theatre profits were around 250 million in 1947, around
200 million in 1948, and around 175 million in 1949. This
is a lopsided condition with danger for all of us, most of all
for the exhibitor.

Every distributor tries to sell pictures on their merits,
bearing in mind their tremendous negative costs. While the
exhibitor, in increasing his gross, pays more film rental, by
the same token the theatre does make more money, and if,
through negligence, grosses go down, the theatreman loses
money. Colonel Cole's defeatist philosophy would not only
eventually force distributors out of business, but the billions
invested in the theatres would be imperiled because these
theatres would be helpless without good films.

In my opinion, the record demonstrates that the sales
plan of Twentieth Century-Fox and other companies is a
fair basis for increasing grosses as well as profits, and the
profit incentive for the exhibitor has in no way been
eliminated.

As a matter of fact, production is the only part of show
business which takes the lion's share of the gamble while
the theatres get the lion's share of receipts and profits.
Now the great problem of the exhibitor is to see that the
producer not only remains in business and has incentive to
earn some small profit, but is also encouraged to produce
the higher quality films demanded by today's more exacting
public tastes.

Our industry has reached great heights because it has been
the producer's job to create pictures and the exhibitor's job
to exploit and sell them to the maximum number of people.
To make added concessions or inducements to the exhibitors
now beyond the present conditions, and in spite of the
unbalanced record, would put the producing companies in
the red and force them to make very ordinary pictures that
would be detrimental to the theatres.

Our record has always been that of serving the exhibitor.
We launched a showmanship program in the hope that the
present doldrums of low grosses would be changed to high
grosses, benefitting producer and exhibitor alike, and in
announcing recently that we would not supply films to
Phonevision, we are following this same policy of allegiance
to the thousands of theatremen who built up this business.

If we followed the advice you and Colonel Cole offer,
I no doubt would win the short range gratitude of some
exhibitors, but I would put my company out of business,
for if the plan were followed by everybody the producer
would indeed be out of business, and that would be catas-
trophic to everyone concerned, — the exhibitor in particular.

Kindest regards.

Sincerely,
(signed) Spyros P. Skouras

"Motor Patrol" with Don Castle,
Jane Nigh and Reed Hadley

(Lippert, June 6; time, 67 min.)

A good program action melodrama. Although produced
on a modest budget, the picture has been given the care
usually accorded to much bigger productions. The direction
is so good that one feels as if seeing a real-life occurrence.
The hit-and-run scene, where the police officer is killed,
is realistic. The methods the police authorities employ to
trap the crooks are believable. The photography is sharp
and clear: —

Called to the scene of a hit-and-run accident in which a
man is killed, the police are unable to obtain a description
of the murderer, but they learn that the dead man had been
employed in a used car lot, where Jane Nigh is secretary to
the owner. Jane makes a guarded telephone call to Charles
Victor, head of a gang that was stealing cars, altering their
appearance, and selling them at a good price. She informs
him that the police were investigating the hit-and-run death.
Meanwhile Reed Hadley, a plain clothes officer, checks a
roadside cafe near where the dead man had been found and
learns from Sid Melton, the proprietor, that the victim had
been in an argument on the night of the murder. While
Hadley investigates, Jane and Victor arrive. Victor departs

hastily in Jane's car, a stolen one, and Bill Henry, a motor-
cycle cop, gives chase, killing himself when Victor swerves
suddenly and causes him to crash into the stopped car. Don
Castle, a rookie cop engaged to Gwen O'Connor, Henry'6
sister, asks to be assigned to the case and gets his wish.
Presenting himself to Victor as the representative of a big
Chicago car-stealing outfit, Castle wins his confidence and
learns much about his operations. But he is exposed as a
police officer when the man he was impersonating shows
up. Castle starts to fight it out with the crooks just as the
police close in on the gang's lair. Victor escapes, but Castle
grabs a motorcycle and goes after him. Victor attempts the
same maneuver that killed Henry, but Castle, alert, swerves
aside while Victor goes to his death when his car plunges
over a cliff.

Barney Sarecky produced it, and Sam Newfield directed
it, from an original story by Maurice Tombragel, and a
screen play by the author in collaboration with Orville
Hampton.

No sex situations are shown.

"The Torch" with Paulette Goddard
and Pedro Armendariz

(Eagle-Lion, June; time, 83 min.)

A mixture of war and love, "The Torch" is a refreshing
picture in many ways because the story is not of the ordinary
run, but on the whole it misses fire. On the credit side, are
the exceptionally fine photography, enhanced by the actual,
colorful Old Mexican backgrounds; the thrilling fast action,
resulting from troop movements of revolutionists; the hu-
man interest touches in the story; and the impressive acting
of most of the players. On the debit side, are the story's
rapidly fluctuating moods, ranging from strong drama to
broad comedy, which are disconcerting to the spectator.
Another handicap is the unrestrained acting of Paulette
Goddard, as a Mexican spitfire who treats the powerful
revolutionary general with roughness and contempt; her
performance, unlike those of the others, lacks conviction.
Pedro Armendariz is believable and impressive as the love-
bitten general, and Gilbert Roland is dignified as the
Catholic priest. Margarita Luna provokes much laughter as
the general's eager aide. The picture was produced in
Mexico: —

When his Mexican revolutionary army takes over the
town of Cholula after driving out the Federal troops,
Armendariz orders his soldiers to round up the town's
wealthy men, so that he might compel them to contribute to
the revolutionary cause. Among these are Julio Villareal,
the town's top aristocrat, father of Paulette; Walter Reed,
an American doctor engaged to Paulette; and Gilbert Ro-
land, the village priest, an old friend of the general. Villa-
real, standing on his dignity, refuses to cooperate with the
general and is imprisoned. The general, encountering Paul-
ette, makes a complimentary remark to a subordinate about
her figure. She overhears the comment and slaps him. Im-
pressed by her beauty and spirit. Armendariz determines to
marry her, in spite of the fact that she is engaged to marry
Reed. To impress her, he releases her father from prison,
then asks permission to call on her, but she refuses. He starts
a campaign of letters, flowers and gifts, but Paulette con-
tinues to look down upon him because of his peasant birth.
She slaps him when he accosts her on the street. Infuriated,
he knocks her to the ground, telling her that, if not for her
noble birth, she would have been no different from the
women camp followers of his army. When an influenza
epidemic strikes the town, Paulette and her father prepare
to leave, but, when she sees the inferior women doing their
best to care for the sick and dying, she decides to offer her
help. She becomes a gallant nurse and, despite her efforts to
save the general's little foster daughter, the child dies.
Armendariz and Paulette are drawn together by their mutual
grief. The epidemic is eventually conquered and, on the
day of Paulette's marriage to Reed, word comes that Fed-
eral troops were approaching the town. Armendariz, un-
willing to subject the town to the ravages of war, orders
his men to retreat. In the middle of the marriage ceremony,
Paulette awakens to the fact that she loves the general. She
abandons Reed at the altar, rushes to overtake Armendariz,
and becomes his camp follower.

It was produced by Bert Granet and directed by Emilio
Fernandez, from an original screen play by Inigo de Martino
Noriega and the director.

Suitable for the family.

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1950 No. 20

DO YOUR PART IN THE TAX FIGHT!

Meeting in New York on Wednesday of this week, the
Tax and Legislation Committee of COMPO, following the
mandate of the organisation at its recent Chicago session,
put into gear the machinery of the national drive for full
repeal of the twenty per cent Federal admissions tax. The
plans set in motion by the committee call for the continua-
tion and intensification of the fight for complete repeal.
"This fight," declared Abram F. Myers, chairman of the
committee, "must go on and on until the last penny of tax
on a motion picture ticket is removed."

In a statement issued to the press at the close of the meet'
ing, the committee revealed that it had launched a coast-to-
coast survey, with the cooperation of the distributors, to
gather up-to-date information on the state of the nation's
theatres. This survey disclosed that, since the Tax Committee
presented the industry's case to the House Ways and Means
Committee two months ago, there has been a further decline
in theatre attendance. This fact, supported by figures on
closed theatres, suspended matinees, limited days of opera-
tion, etc., will be conveyed to the Ways and Means Com-
mittee in a last-ditch effort to prove that the fifty per cent cut
in the tax tentatively voted by it will not give the industry
the relief it must have. It will be pointed out that, while full
repeal would mean a re-birth of business, a mere cut to a
ten per cent admissions tax will bring about very little im-
provement in theatre attendance.

A time-table of action has been set up by the COMPO
Committee, based on the probable actions of Congress.
While continuing its effort — through personal contacts —
to change the stand taken by the Ways and Means Com-
mittee, the COMPO Committee realistically is setting its
sights on the possibility that the House Committee will prob-
ably report out a tax bill with the ten per cent levy remain-
ing on tickets. In that eventuality, the time-table calls for a
determined effort to be made to have the bill amended on
the floor of the House to provide complete repeal. This,
however, is doubtful, since the bill may reach the House
under a rule preventing amendments.

That being the case, the next step on the time-table, as-
suming passage of the bill by the House, will be an attempt
to have the Senate Finance Committee revise the House bill
to include full repeal. There are only thirteen members on
the Senate Finance Committee, and a pin-pointed, personal-
ized effort will be made to convince those Senators that the
industry must have and the public demands full repeal. If
the bill should go through the Senate Finance Committee
without providing for full repeal, efforts will be made to have
it amended when it reaches the Senate floor, a method that
is possible under Senate procedure.

The time-table includes other steps from there on, up to
and including appeals to the President not to veto the bill.

According to the COMPO Committee, information has
reached it indicating that the House Ways and Means Com-
mittee is trying to speed up the writing of its bill, and that
it may be completed within a week or ten days.

The COMPO Committee announced also that, in the
event the Senate Finance Committee holds public hearings,
Chairman Myers and Gael Sullivan, of TOA, will appear
to present new and telling data on how badly the industry
needs the full tax relief.

A series of information and campaign bulletins is being
prepared by the COMPO Committee for the guidance of the
industry as a whole. In some areas, theatres will be requested
to put on patron-protest campaigns, with trailers, cards,
petitions, etc., asking unconvinced Senators to support the
industry's plea. In other areas, where Senators are definitely
committed to full repeal, it will be suggested that lobby
posters as well as film on the screen proclaim that those
Senators are on our side. This procedure proved to be popu-
lar among the Congressmen who pledged themselves to total
repeal and felt that some appreciation should be forth-
coming.

Queried about the industry's chances of winning complete
repeal, Chairman Myers had this to say:

"There is still a chance that we can persuade Congress
to remove the twenty per cent entirely; there is a chance be-
cause justice and right are on our side. We are continuing
to do everything possible to present our case properly. Of
course, the national committee cannot do it alone. Every
person in the industry who knows a Senator should talk or
write to that Senator, setting forth the dire need for this
tax repeal. If the thousands of exhibitors who are suffering
most will tell their Senators their own stories in their own
words, it will be most effective."

Mr. Myers' statement needs no further elucidation; it
speaks for itself.

EXHIBITORS PLAYING PUBLIC
RELATIONS SHORTS TO GET LAST
FOUR SUBJECTS FREE

Exhibitors who are participating in the industry's "Movies
and You" short subjects film project will receive the last
four subjects rental free, according to an announcement by
William L. Ainsworth and Joseph R. Vogel, chairman and
treasurer, respectively, of the all-industry Board of Trustees
administering the public relations undertaking.

Francis S. Harmon, secretary of the Board of Trustees,
states that more than 13,000 theatres have already booked
and payed for the first six films in the series of twelve, and
all arc expected to play the next two rental subjects, namely,
"Screen Actors," which went into release on May 13, and
"Moments in Music," set for release on July IT. Both are
being distributed through Loew's.

Mr. Harmon pointed out that sufficient revenue is ex-
pected from rentals on the first eight subjects to cover the
cost of the entire scries of twelve.

The last four subjects, which will be released at 60-day
intervals starting September 14, will be supplied gratis to
exhibitors who have booked and payed lor the shorts released
previously. The qualifying list of theatres entitled to these
free subjects will be made up from Loew's booking chart on
"Screen Actors" and Moments in Music."

The free subjects arc "The Costume Designer," to be re-
leased by RK.O in September, 1950; "The Screen Writer,"
through 20th Century-Fox, in November, 1950; "The Cinc-
niatographcr," through Paramount, in January, 1951; and
"The Screen Director," through Warner Bros., in March,
1951.

78

HARRISON'S REPORTS

May 20, 1950

"Devil's Doorway" with Robert Taylor,
Louis Calhern and Paula Raymond

(MGM, July; time, 84 min.)

The suffering of the American Indians when the white
settlers started to take over their lands in the West is told
with considerable effect in this outdoor melodrama, but
many movie-goers, particularly the action fans, may find it
too slow and tragic for their taste. Much sympathy is felt
for the hero, an educated Indian, who, although a highly
decorated Civil War veteran, is deprived of his property by
the provisions of the homestead laws, and treated with con'
tempt by greedy, prejudiced whites. Robert Taylor does a
very fine job as the persecuted Indian; he cuts an heroic fig-
ure and makes the character a real and understandable man.
Most of the excitement occurs in the closing reels, where
Taylor and his followers engage in an all-out war against
the white marauders in a determined effort to hold on to
their lands. The picture ends on a tragic note, with Taylor
and the other men of his tribe dying in a final skirmish with
a troop of U. S. Cavalry: —

Taylor, a full-blooded Shoshone Indian, returns home to
Medicine Bow, Wyoming, after distinguished service with
the Union Army at Gettysburg and winning the Congres-
sional Medal of Honor. He soon learns that his war record
meant nothing to the white men in town, for they long re-
sented the fact that he and his father (Fritz Lieber) owned
rich grazing lands, accessible only through a jagged gap in
the mountains. Taylor's success as a cattle-breeder is dimmed
by the death of his father, who succumbs when the local
white doctor delays coming to his aid. He becomes increas-
ingly aware of public sentiment on his next cattle-selling
trip to town, when he is refused service at the saloon and
insulted by Louis Calhern, an Indian-hating lawyer, who
tells him that his land will soon be taken over by sheep-
herders under a new homesteading law. Concerned, Taylor
seeks the advice of Paula Raymond, an attractive new at-
torney in town, who agrees to handle his affairs and stakes
a claim on the land he already owns. When official word
arrives that Taylor, as an Indian, is not a citizen but a ward
of the Government and cannot file a claim, he vows to hold
on to his land regardless of the law. Paula, sympathizing
with him, starts a petition to allow Taylor to keep at least
a part of his land, but Calhern, who had arranged for sheep-
herders to migrate to Wyoming, stops the signing by re-
vealing that Taylor had just shot one of their number. Egged
on by Calhern, the sheepherders set out to take over Taylor's
lands by force. This move gives rise to a bloody battle, with
heavy losses on both sides and with Taylor eventually com-
pelled to retreat with his tribesmen to his cabin, where a
stockade is built hurriedly. Paula, who had summoned the
cavalry, arranges with the sheepherders to hold their fire
while she pleads with Taylor to give in, but he tells her that
an Indian would rather be dead than without his land. The
shooting resumes, and later, when the soldiers arrive and
join the attack, Taylor agrees to surrender on condition that
the women and children are escorted safely back to the
reservation. This done, Taylor surrenders, dressed in his old
cavalry uniform with one sleeve now empty. He salutes the
soldiers and falls dead.

It was produced by Nicholas Nayfack and directed by
Anthony Mann from a story by Guy Trosper.

Suitable for the family.

"Return of the Frontiersman"
with Gordon MacRae and Julie London

(Warner Bros., June 24; time, 74 mm.)
Aside from the fact that it has Technicolor photography,
this is no more than a routine western melodrama of program
grade. Since it does have several exciting fights and chases,
it may prove acceptable to juveniles and the avid, undis-
criminating western addicts. Others, however, will probably
be bored with it, for the script is as commonplace as they
come, and somewhat muddled to boot. The direction and
acting are ordinary, but neither the director nor the players

could do much with a script that is as undistinguished as
this one. The title, incidentally, has little relation to the
story. The photography is fine: —

Gordon MacRae, son of Jack Holt, the sheriff who had
brought law and order to the wild town of Laramie, Wyo-
ming, gets into a saloon brawl with Ed Rand. Holt fines and
sentences them to several days in jail, despite the protest of
Rory Calhoun, the local newspaper editor, who claimed that
MacRae had caught Rand cheating at cards. Shortly after
both are released from jail, Rand is shot dead just as MacRae
passes his cabin on the road. Aware that he will be blamed
for the shooting, MacRae flees, but his father forms a posse
and captures him. Taken back to jail to stand trial, MacRae,
aided by Calhoun who slips him a gun, escapes, but is
wounded in the process. He falls unconscious in a hayloft,
during which time the local bank is robbed by a gang whose
leader wore clothes just like those worn by MacRae, and
whose horse was similar. MacRae, regaining consciousness,
makes his way to the local doctor and, under threat of harm-
ing Julie London, his niece, compels him to take out the
bullet. He then learns for the first time that he was suspected
of the bank robbery. He flees into the hills, taking Julie along
as hostage to make sure that the doctor will not spread the
alarm. He tries to convince her of his innocence, but to no
avail. Later, however, when both witness a stage holdup by
the gang whose leader was dressed like MacRae, Julie be-
lieves him and determines to help him clear himself. With
Julie's aid, MacRae manages to capture the man who was
impersonating him, but the fellow is shot dead by a mysteri-
ous marksman before MacRae can bring him into town. In
the complicated events that follow, MacRae comes across
evidence proving that Calhoun, his supposed friend, was the
man who had engineered the crimes charged against him
This leads to a fight between Calhoun's outlaws and the
forces of law, with MacRae and his father fighting shoulder
to shoulder until the outlaws are subdued. With his name
cleared, MacRae prepares to marry Julie.

It was produced by Saul Elkins and directed by Richard
Bare, from a screen play by Edna Anhalt.

Harmless for the family trade.

"Mystery Street" with Ricardo Montalban,
Sally Forrest and Bruce Bennett

(MGM, July; time, 93 min.)

A pretty good murder melodrama. What makes it more
interesting than the usual crime picture is the way in which
the spectator is taken behind the scenes and shown the dif-
ferent scientific methods employed by Harvard University's
famed Department of Legal Medicine in crime detection
work. In this case human bones and a few strands of hair
are the only clues provided to the Department, yet by re-
constructing the bones to form a skeleton it is able to estab-
lish the approximate date of death, the cause, and eventually
the victim's identity. All this is so absorbing that one feels
as if watching the actual solution of a crime. Aside from the
crime detection techniques, the story offers considerable
excitement and suspense in its depiction of the plight of a
young married man who is jailed for the murder, though
innocent. The manner in which the real culprit is found out
and captured is a bit too patly contrived, but this is a minor
flaw in the generally well written story. Ricardo Montalban
is effective as the detective assigned to the case. A most
colorful characterization is provided by Elsa Lanchester, as
a greedy, blackmailing landlady : —

Briefly, the story revolves around the murder of Jan
Sterling, a B-girl in a cheap Boston cafe, by a married Cape
Cod socialite who had been running around with her. Her
body, hidden on a sandy beach, is not discovered until three
months later, when nothing more than human bones are
found. Montalban, assigned to the case, takes the bones to
Bruce Bennett, head of the Harvard Department of Legal
Medicine, and together they establish her identity and pin
the murder on Marshall Thompson, a young married man
she had picked up on the night of her murder, and whose

May 20, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

79

car she had stolen in order to meet the socialite. Thompson
had lied about the manner in which his car had been stolen
lest his wife Sally Forrest, learn that he had been out with
Jan. In the events that follow, Elsa Lanchester, Jan's land-
lady, learns of her affair with the socialite and attempts to
blackmail him. This leads to her own murder by Edmon
Ryan, the socialite, when he tries to recover the murder gun,
which Elsa had stolen from him. In the end, Montalban
traps Ryan, clearing young Thompson.

It was produced by Frank E. Taylor and directed by John
Sturges from a screen play by Sydney and Richard Brooks,
based on a story by Leonard Spigelglass.

Adult fare.

"In a Lonely Place" with Humphrey Bogart
and Gloria Grahame

(Columbia, July; time, 94 min.)

Although it is a first-rate production from the viewpoint
of direction, acting, photography and settings, the appeal
of this melodrama will probably be limited to sophisticated
picture-goers. It is hardly an entertainment for the masses,
for the hero is an erratic character and often resorts to vio-
lence, at times with justification, but at other times without
it. For this reason he does not win the spectator's sympathy.
There are tense dramatic moments, for the hero is suspected
of a murder he had not committed and is plagued by police
efforts to pin the guilt on him. Humphrey Bogart turns in a
compelling performance as the temperamental hero given
to maniacal rages, as does Gloria Grahame, as the girl who
falls in love with him only to leave him lest he bring her
suffering and horror. It is a realistic ending, but hardly one
that will please the average movie-goer. Some comedy relief
is furnished by that fine actor, Robert Warwick, as a faded
but cultured screen star addicted to drink: —

Bogart, a screen writer who had no patience with trite
stories, meets Art Smith, his agent, in a fashionable Holly-
wood restaurant and agrees to take a scription job on a
popular novel. Unable to stand the thought of reading the
trashy novel, Bogart asks Martha Stewart, the hat check
girl, who had read the book, to accompany him to his apart-
ment to tell him the story briefly. After hearing the story
from Martha, Bogart gives her cab fare to go home. Early
the next morning he is awakened by Frank Lovejoy, a de-
tective friend, who informs him that Martha had been mur-
dered. He accompanies Lovejoy to headquarters, where his
story that he had not left the apartment with Martha is
doubted until corroborated by Gloria Grahame, his pretty
neighbor, who could see into his apartment. Gloria and
Bogart had never met formally, but once they begin to know
each other they fall madly in love. She inspires him to take
a new interest in his writing and helps him with the typing.
Meanwhile he is somewhat annoyed by the fact that he,
along with the dead girl's sweetheart, are still suspects. One
day Gloria is summoned to headquarters for further interro-
gation, but she withholds this news from Bogart lest it upset
him. He learns of it, however, from another source, and be-
comes so enraged that he drives off in his car at a dangerous
speed and collides with another car. Still angered, he starts
beating the other driver unmercifully. Gloria intervenes in
time to save the man from certain death. Eventually calming
down, Bogart apologizes to Gloria for losing his head and
wins her consent to marry him that night. At a pre-wedding
celebration prior to their departure for Las Vegas, Bogart
again loses his temper over a minor matter, insulting Gloria
and striking his agent. She rushes home. Bogart follows her
to beg her forgiveness, but Gloria, now concerned over his
violent temper and wondering whether he had not killed
Martha, had already made arrangements to leave town. She
feigns forgiveness to pacify him, but through a chance phone
call from the airport he learns of her plans to leave him. His
violent temper comes to the surface again and he starts to
choke her, but he comes to his senses when the telephone
rings again. Gloria answers it as Bogart walks out dejectedly,
and learns from the police that Martha's boy-friend had

confessed to her murder. This good news has no effect on
her, for Bogart's latest outburst had shattered her dreams.

Robert Lord produced it and Nicholas Ray directed it
from a screen play by Andrew Solt, based on the novel by
Dorothy B. Hughes.

Adult fare.

"The Jackie Robinson Story"
with Jackie Robinson

(Eagle-Lion, May; time, 76 min.)

Very good! From its very first scene to its final fadeout,
this factual dramatization of the career of Jackie Robinson,
the famous baseball star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, holds one
completely engrossed. Told in simple but effective terms, it
is at once a thought-provoking and inspirational human in-
terest drama, one that should win many more admirers for
the remarkable Negro athlete, whose rise to fame in the
organized baseball world, despite the prejudice displayed by
officials, players and even the fans themselves, is an inspiring
lesson in high courage, restraint and personal dignity, as
well as a tribute to the democratic sportsmanship of the
American public. It should be made clear that, though the
picture has great social significance, it is at all times an en-
tertainment of a quality that should give it popular appeal
because it touches the heart. It will undoubtedly prove to be
a huge box-office success, not only because of the picture's
merits, but also because of the exceptional publicity breaks
both Robinson and the picture have received in recent weeks
in the national magazines.

The surprise of the picture is the fine job done by Robin-
son in portraying himself on the screen. He is not, of course,
a polished actor, but under Alfred E. Green's finished direc-
tion, he comes through with a performance that is completely
natural and appealing, speaking his lines clearly and facing
the camera with nary a trace of self-consciousness. His
performance would do credit to many a professional actor.
An outstanding job is turned in Minor Watson, as Branch
Rickey, president of the Dodgers, who defies the traditional
ban against Negro ball players, and who guides Robinson
through his trials and tribulations. Richard Lane, as a team
manager, injects many humorous touches. Louise Beavers, as
Jackie's mother, and Ruby Dee, as the girl he marries, lend
just the right warmth and tenderness to their sympathetic
roles.

Briefly, the rather episodic but well written story takes
Robinson from childhood through his high school and
college days, during which time he proves to be a prize ath-
lete in all competitive sports, particularly baseball. To help
support his mother, he quits college in his senior year to play
pro-football. He enters the Army with the start of World
War II, rising from private to lieutenant by the time he is
honorably discharged. His efforts to secure work as an ath-
letic instructor prove futile, but he eventually lands a job
on an all-Negro baseball team. His fine work on the ball field
comes to the attention of the Dodgers, and before long he
is signed to a contract by Branch Rickey, who warns him
of the problems he must overcome to remain in organized
baseball. Assigned to play second base with Montreal, Rob-
inson quickly proves his worth, but he is constantly subjected
to the abuse of the heckling fans and of the players, includ-
ing some of his own teammates. Although hurt and discour-
aged, he sticks to his promise to Rickey not to fight back
either with words or fists, no matter how vicious the insults.
In due time he wins a chance to play with the Dodgers and,
despite opposition from some of the players, soon wins their
respect as a ball player and a gentleman. The sportswriters
vote him the "Rookie of the Year," and he goes on to help
the Dodgers win two National League pennants.

Mort Briskin, the producer, Alfred E. Green, the director,
and Lawrence Taylor and Arthur Mann, the screen play
writers, deserve great credit for the masterful way in which
they have presented Jackie Robinson's story. It is a picture
that should be seen by everyone, and every exhibitor may
well be proud to show it on his screen.

80

HARRISON'S REPORTS

May 20, 1950

"Square Dance Katy" with Vera Vague,
Virginia Welles and Phil Brito

(Monogram, March 25; time, 76 min.)

Inoffensive- — it will startle nobody. The story is slow and
at times tiresome. There are spots here and there that please,
but there are not enough of them to put the picture over.
As a matter of fact, the story is nothing more than a frame
work for some square dancing, and for some musical num-
bers in which several of the actors either play or sing with
a band. Jimmie Davis, former Governor of Louisiana, ap-
pears with his Sunshine Band. Virginia Welles is winsome,
and with better stories she should make herself popular. Not
much can be said for Vera Vague, as a night-club hostess;
her talk is inane. There is, in fact, too much talk. Despite
its defects, however, the picture may prove suitable for small
towns, particularly where there is a square-dancing craze: —

When Warren Douglas and Sheila Ryan, representatives
of a soap manufacturing company, go to a rural community
in search of talent for the company's new television show,
they are met by Virginia Welles, who believes that Phil
Brito and his hill-billy band are entitled to a break in tele-
vision. Douglas meets Brito, but he is impressed by Virginia's
singing more than by Brito's band. Shortly thereafter, Vir-
ginia is summoned to star in the company's television show.
While in New York, she looks around with the hope of
finding a spot for Brito. She finds one at a Greenwhich Vil-
lage night-club operated by Vera Vague. Virginia becomes
an immediate hit. Brito gets along fairly well, but he feels
that, if he had a chance to give a big concert, he would fare
better. He soon disappears and later is found by Sheila at
a seaside resort, where he had won great popularity among
square-dancing 'teen-agers. Virginia persuades him to return
to the big town. He takes his band to Vera's place, where he
becomes a sensation. It ends with his teaming up with Vir-
ginia for life.

Lindsley Parsons produced it, and Jean Yarbrough di-
rected it, from a screen play by Warren Wilson.
Good for the family trade.

"Fortunes of Captain Blood"
with Louis Hayward and Patricia Medina

(Columbia, June; time, 91 min.)

A pretty good swashbuckling melodrama, of the blood-
and-thunder type. Perhaps the limited budget handicapped
the director, but whatever the cause, the direction does not
seem to be of the best. Most of the exciting action takes place
at the finish, during the battle between the pirate frigate and
the ship of the King of Spain. The action is pretty slow in the
beginning, but as the story progresses it manages to hold
one in suspense, particularly because of the danger to the
hero who, disguised as a fruit peddler, goes ashore in an
effort to liberate a boatload of his men, who had been cap-
tured and sold as slaves. The acting is so-so, and the romance
is fairly interesting. The story has been founded on the late
Raphael Sabatini's novel "Captain Blood," produced twice
before — once by Vitagraph, in the silent days, and once by
Warner Bros., as a talkie. The story, however, has been
altered considerably: —

Louis Hayward, commander of a buccaneer ship preying
on shipping in the West Indies, is short of supplies. He is
tricked into sending a boatload of his men ashore by Lowell
Gilmore, a rascal in the pay of George Macready, a noble-
man, who had been ordered by the King of Spain to capture
Hayward lest he (Macready) be stripped of his title. The
men are captured and imprisoned, but one manages to escape
and inform Hayward. To effect the liberation of his men,
Hayward goes ashore and disguises himself as a fruit peddler.
In the course of events, he meets Patricia Medina, Mac-
ready's niece, who is intrigued by him. He learns that she is
unhappy on the island and that she had been begging
Gilmore to spirit her away and send her back to Spain. Gil-
more captures Hayward and prepares to kill him just as

Macready's guards approach him (Gilmore) for keeping
a forbidden rendezvous with Patricia. Hayward helps Gil-
more to repulse the guards and escapes with him and Pat-
ricia to a disreputable inn, where they outwit the guards
again. In the excitement, Hayward hides Patricia's jewels.
Gilmore, finding that Patricia no longer has her jewels, loses
interest in her. Hayward returns her jewels and promises to
take her away in his ship if she could have her uncle pardon
him. That night, Hayward steals into Macready's private
office, takes hold of an official seal, and forges a pardon for
his men, who were held as slaves. Hayward and his men get
by all but the last guard, who notices that the wrong seal had
been used on the forged pardon. A fight ensues, but Hayward
and his men manage to escape and reach their ship. Soon
after, Macready's ship moves into sight to give battle. Aware
that he had no chance against Macready's powerful guns,
Hayward orders his men to abandon ship, leaving two men
to fire the guns and spike them. Macready, believing that his
guns had subdued the pirates, goes to the buccaneer ship in
a small boat to obtain Hayward's surrender. Meanwhile
Hayward and his men swim to Macrady's «hip, hi-jack it, and
train the guns on their own ship, killing Macready and most
of his men. As he sets sail for new adventures, Hayward
promises Patricia that he will one day return to her.

It was produced by Harry Joe Brown and directed by
Gordon Douglas, from a screen play by Michael Hogan,
Robert Libott and Frank Burt.

Unobjectionable for the family trade.

"State Penitentiary" with Warner Baxter

(Columbia, June 8; time, 66 mm.)

For a low-bracket picture, "State Penitentiary" is very
good. The results are owed to the good script and the expert
direction. The action is realistic and the players enact their
roles with force and conviction. Since there is hardly any
comedy relief, it should be paired with a lighter picture in
double-billing situations. Warner Baxter acts with restraint
and wins the spectator's sympathy because, despite the dan-
ger of his being accused of infractions of the prison rules
and the law, he does not "squeal." The action, at times, is
thrilling. The photography is sharp and clear: —

Although innocent, Baxter, an aviation engineer, is sent
to prison for embezzling four hundred thousand dollars from
stockholders. Onslow Stevens, a Federal agent, continues
to pursue Baxter in the belief that he could tell him where
he hid the money. Stevens attempts to obtain the informa-
tion also from Karin Booth, Baxter's beautiful wife, but to
no avail. Karin and Baxter begin to suspect Robert Shayne,
Baxter's partner, because he had not defended Baxter at the
trial as vigorously as Baxter had a right to expect. Karin
decides to go to Florida, where Shayne now resided, in the
hope of learning something from him. Meanwhile Baxter
gets in bad with a gang of prisoners when he helps quell an
uprising, and he is "ridden" unmercifully. Stevens, unaware
of the fact Karin was playing up to Shayne, hands Baxter
a newspaper clipping stating that Karin planned to divorce
him to marry Shayne. Hoping to obtain a confession from
Shayne, Baxter, too, decides to go to Florida. He assures
Stevens and the warden that he will recover the money if
they will free him for a few days. Unable to convince the
two officials that his proposal was sincere, Baxter escapes and
heads for Florida. En route, he is caught by Stevens and
ordered back to prison, but Stevens relents when Baxter
pleads for a chance to prove his innocence. The two continue
to Florida together. They reach Shayne's home in time to
catch him with the money and just as he was trying to sub-
due Karin, who was holding him at gun-point. Shayne again
tries to escape, but Stevens and Baxter capture him. Having
proved his innocence, Baxter is set free.

Sam Katzman produced it, and Lew Landers directed it,
from a story by Henry E. Helseth, and a screen play by
Howard J. Green, Robert Libott and Frank Burt.

Harmless for the family.

IN TWO SECTIONS — SECTION TWO

HARRISON'S REPORTS

Vol. XXXII NEW YORK, N. Y., SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1950 No. 20

(Partial Index No. 3 — Pages 50 to 76 Inclusive)

Titles of Pictures Reviewed on Page

Admiral Was a Lady, The — United Artists (87 min.) . . 75

Annie Get Your Gun— MGM (107 min.) 58

Arizona Cowboy, The — Republic (67 min.). .not reviewed

Asphalt Jungle, The— MGM (112 min.) 70

Beware of Blondie — Columbia (66 min.) 56

Big Lift, The— 20th Century-Fox (120 min.) 59

Boy from Indiana — Eagle-Lion (66 min.) 52

Caged — Warner Bros. (96 min.) 71

Captive Girl — Columbia (74 min.) 63

Capture, The— RKO (91 min.) 54

Cargo to Capetown — Columbia (80 min.) 55

Cheaper by the Dozen — 20th Century-Fox (85 min.) . . 50

Colt .45 — Warner Bros. (74 min.) 71

Comanche Territory — Univ.-Int'l (76 min.) 55

Congolaise — Film Classics (68 min.) 74

Cowtown — Columbia (70 min.) not reviewed

Customs Agent — Columbia (72 min.) 62

Damned Don't Cry, The — Paramount (103 min.) .... 54
Daughter of Rosie O'Grady, The — 20th Century-Fox

(104 min.) 51

Dynamite Pass — RKO (61 min.) not reviewed

Everybody's Dancin' — Lippert (65 min.) 60

Father of the Bride— MGM (92 min.) 75

Faust and the Devil — Columbia (87 min.) 72

Fighting Stallion, The — Eagle-Lion (63 min.) 70

Forbidden Jungle — Eagle-Lion (67 min.) 71

Four Days Leave — Film Classics (98 min.) 52

Golden Gloves Story, The — Eagle-Lion (76 min.) .... 66

Gun Slingers — Monogram (55 min.) not reviewed

Gunfighter, The — 20th Century-Fox (84 min.) 66

Harbor of Missing Men — Republic (60 min.) 62

House by the River — Republic (88 min.) 51

I Was a Shoplifter — Univ.-Int'l (74 min.) 58

Kill the Umpire — Columbia (78 min.) 66

Killer Shark — Monogram (76 min.) 52

Kind Hearts H Coronets — Eagle-Lion (101 min.) .... 74

Lawless, The — Paramount (83 min.) 54

Love That Brute — 20th Century-Fox (85 min.) 74

Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town — Univ.-Int'l (79 min.) . . 50

Messenger of Peace — Astor Pictures (87 min.) 56

Military Academy — Columbia (65 min.) 67

Modern Marriage, A — Monogram (66 min.) 59

Motor Patrol — Lippert (67 min.) 76

Mystery at the Burlesque — Monogram (59 min.) 64

No Sad Songs for Me — Columbia (89 min.) 58

One Way Street — Univ.-Int'l (79 min.) 59

Operation Haylift — Lippert (73 min.) 63

Outcast of Black Mesa — Columbia (54 min.) . not reviewed

Perfect Woman, The — Eagle-Lion (87 min.) 70

Rapture — Film Classics (80 min.) 56

Rock Island Trail — Republic (90 min.) 72

Rocketship XM — Lippert (78 min.) 72

Run for Your Money, A — Univ.-Int'l (83 min.) 56

Secret Fury, The— RKO (86 min.) 67

Sierra — Univ.-Int'l (83 min.) 67

Six Gun Mesa — Monogram (57 min.) not reviewed

Skipper Surprised His Wife— MGM (85 min.) 75

Sunset Boulevard — Paramount ( 1 10 min.) 63

Ticket to Tomahawk, A — 20th Century-Fox (90 min.) . 62

Torch, The— Eagle-Lion (83 min.) 76

Wabash Avenue — 20th Century-Fox (92 min.) 51

Wagonmaster — RKO (86 min.) 55

Whipped, The — United Artists (89 min.) 50

Women from Headquarters — Republic (60 min.) .... 74

RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR FEATURES

Allied Artists Features

(1560 Broadway. Hew Yor^ 19, H- Y.)
(Distribution through Monogram)
16 There'* a Girl in My Heart — Knox -Bowman- Jean. .Jan.

Columbia Features

(729 Seventh Ave.. Hew Tor\ 19, H. Y.)

221 Jolson Sings Again — Parks-Hale Feb.

232 Father Is a Bachelor — Holden-Gray Feb.

228 The Nevadan — Scott-Malone Feb.

231 Mark of the Gorilla — Weissmuller Feb.

267 Trail of the Rustlers— Starrett (55 m.) Feb. 2

213 Girls' School— Reynolds-Ford Feb. 9

248 Mule Train— Gene Autry (70 m.) Feb. 22

230 The Palomino — Courtland-Tyler Mar.

206 Blondie's Hero — Singleton-Lake Mar. 9

216 Body hold— Parker- Albright Mar. 21

234 A Woman of Distinction — Russell-Milland Apr.

236 Cargo to Capetown — Ireland-Crawford Apr.

208 Tyrant of the Sea — Williams-Randell Apr. 6

265 Outcast of Black Mesa — Charles Starrett

(54 min.) Apr. 13

210 Military Academy — 10th Ave. Gang Apr. 20

241 Frightened City — Keyes-Korvin-Bishop May

235 Kill the Umpire — Bendix-Merkel May

245 Cowtown — Gene Autry (70 m.) May

203 Beauty on Parade — Hutton-Warrick May 4

204 Customs Agent — Eythe-Reynolds May 18

The Good Humor Man — Carson-Albright June

Fortunes of Captain Blood — Hay ward June

Texas Dynamo — Charles Starrett June 1

State Penitentiary — Baxter-Stevens June 8

238 No Sad Songs for Me — Sullavan-Corey Not set

Eagle-Lion Features

( 165 West 46t/i St., Hew tor\ 19, H- Y.)

108 The Third Man— Cotten-Valli- Welles Jan.

943 Hit the Ice — reissue Feb.

018 The Sundowners — Preston- Wills-Barrymore ....Feb.

021 The Amazing Mr. Beecham — British cast Feb.

022 Guilty of Treason — Bickford-Granville Feb.

019 The Great Rupert — Durante-Moore Mar.

023 The Golden Gloves Story — James Dunn Mar.

024 Boy from Indiana — McCallister-Butler Mar.

069 The Fighting Stallion — Edwards-Merrick Mar.

070 Forbidden Jungle — Harvey-Taylor Mar.

Kind Hearts & Coronets — British cast Apr.

029 Kill or be Killed — Tierney-Coiouris Apr.

015 The Perfect Woman — British cast Apr.

032 The Jackie Robinson Story — Robinson May

027 The Winslow Boy — Donat-Hardwicke May

107 The Fallen Idol — Richardson-Morgan May

012 The Glass Mountain — Cortesa-Denison May

056 Twin Beds — reissue May

057 Getting Gertie's Garter — reissue May

025 The Torch — Goddard-Armendariz June

Eye Witness — Montgomery-Banks June

High Lonesome — Barrymore-Wills June

Timber Fury — Bruce-Lee June

030 It's a Small World— Dale-Miller June

The Blue Lamp — British cast June

The Sun Sets at Dawn — Reed-Parr July

Golden Salamander — British cast July

Naughty Arlette — British cast July

055 Up in Mabel's Room — reissue July

054 Tillie's Punctured Romance — reissue July

058 Abroad with Two Yanks — reissue July

Destination Moon — Archer-Anderson Aug.

Film Classics Features

(1501 Broadway. Hew YorJj 18, H- Y.)

The Flying Saucer — Conrad-Garrison Jan. 10

Guilty Bystander — Scott-Emerson Jan. 20

Cry Murder — Mathews-Lord Feb. 3

Four Days Leave — Cornel Wilde Feb. 10

The Vicious Years — Cook-Moore Mar. 10

Rapture — Langin-Albiin Apr. 5

Congolaise — Documentary Apr. 17

Good Time Girl — British cast May 11

Sudan — reissue June 1

Arabian Nights — reissue June 1

(Continued on next page)

May 20, 1950 HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page B

One Night in the Tropics — reissue June 15

Naughty Nineties — reissue June 15

Captain Kidd — reissue June 30

The Bridge of San Luis Rey — reissue June 30

The Wind is My Lover — Linfors-Kent not set

Lippert-Screen Guild Features

(255 Hyde St., San Francisco 2, Calif.)

4902 Baron of Arizona — Price-Drew Mar. 4

4919 Western Pacific Agent — Taylor-Ryan Mar. 17

4927 Hostile Country — Ellison-Hayden Mar. 24

4922 Everybody's Dancin' — Lane-Jackson Mar. 31

4928 Marshal of Hellderado — Ellison-Hayden Apr. 21

4910 Operation Haylift — Williams-Rutherford ...May 5

4925 Colorado Ranger — Ellison-Hayden May 12

4904 Rocketship XM — Bridges-O'Brian June 2

4926 Crooked River — Ellison-Hayden June 9

4923 Motor Patrol — Castle-O'Brian June 16

4929 Fast on the Draw — Ellison-Hayden June 30

4930 West of the Brazos — Ellison-Hayden not set

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Features

(1540 Broadway, Hew Tor\ 19, H- Y.)

9 Intruder in the Dust — Brian Jarman, Jr Feb.

14 East Side- West Side — Stanwyck-Mason Feb.

17 Blossoms in the Dust — reissue Feb.

18 Key to the City — Gable- Young Feb.

19 Nancy Goes to Rio — Sothern-Powell Mar.

20 Black Hand— Gene Kelly Mar.

21 Conspirator — Robt. Taylor- Eliz. Taylor Mar.

22 The Yellow Cab Man — Skelton-DeHaven Apr.

23 Side Street — Granger-O'Donnell Apr.

24 The Outriders — McCrea-Dahl-Sullivan Apr.

25 The Reformer & the Redhead — Powell- Allyson . . .May

26 Please Believe Me — Kerr-Walker-Lawford May

27 Shadow on the Wall — Sothern-Scott May

28 The Big Hangover — Johnson-Taylor May

30 Father of the Bride — Tracy-Bennett-Taylor June

31 Skipper Surprised His Wife — Walker-Leslie June

29 The Asphalt Jungle — Hayden-Hagen June

32 The Happy Years — Stockwell-Hickman July

33 Duchess of Idaho — Williams-Johnson July

34 Devil's Doorway — Robert Taylor July

35 Mystery Street — Montalban-Forrest July

36 Three Little Words — Astaire-Skelton-Ellen Aug.

38 The Miniver Story — Garson-Pidgeon Aug.

37 Lady Without Passport — Lamar-Hodiak Aug.

Monogram Features

(630 A[inth Ave., Hew York 19, H- T.)

4911 Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey — Kirkwood . . . Feb. 5

4913 Blonde Dynamite — Bowery Boys Feb. 12

4925 West of Wyoming— J. M. Brown (57 m.) . . .Feb. 19

4902 Young Daniel Boone — Bruce-Miller Mar. 5

4952 Over the Border — J. M. Brown (58 m.) Mar. 12

4907 Killer Shark— Roddy McDowall Mar. 19

4922 Square Dance Katy — Jimmy Davis Mar. 25

4941 Gun Slingers— Whip Wilson (55 m.) Apr. 9

4926 Mystery at the Burlesque — English cast.... Apr. 16

4909 Jiggs & Maggie Out West — Yule-Riano Apr. 23

4951 Six Gun Mesa — J. M. Brown (57 m.) Apr. 30

4917 Father Makes Good — Walburn May 7

4914 Lucky Losers — Bowery Boys May 14

4923 The Silk Stocking Murder — Carole Landis

(formerly "The Noose") May 28

49 1 2 Humphrey Takes a Chance — Kirkwood June 4

4924 Side Show — McGuire-Roberts June 18

4905 Bomba and the Lost Volcano — Sheffield . . . .June 25

4919 Snow Dog — Kirby Grant July 16

4903 County Fair — Calhoun-Nigh July 23

Paramount Features

( 1 501 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 18, H- T.)

4911 Captain China — Russell-Payne-Ruasell Feb.

4912 Dear Wife— Caulfield-Holden Feb.

4913 So Proudly We Hail — reissue Mar.

4914 Wake Island — reissue Mar.

4915 Paid in Full — Scott-Cummings-Lynn Mar.

4921 Lives of a Bengal Lancer — reissue Mar.

4920 Beau Geste — reissue Mar.

4917 Riding High — Crosby-Gray-Gleason Apr.

4918 Captain Carey, U.SA. — Ladd-Hendricks Apr.

4919 No Man of Her Own — Stanwyck-Lund May

4916 Eagle H the Hawk — Payne-Fleming-O'Keefe . . .June

4922 My Friend Irma Goes West— Wilson-Lynn . . . .July

4923 The Lawless — Carey-Russell July

4926 The Furies — Stanwyck-Huston Aug.

4927 Sunset Boulevard — Swanson-Holden Aug.

RKO Features

(1250 Sixth Ave., Hew Yor\ 20, H- Y.)
(No national release dates)

068 Bride for Sale — Colbert-Brent- Young

014 A Dangerous Profession — Raft-Rainea-O'Brien

013 HoUday Affair — Mi tchum- Leigh

015 The Threat— O'Shea-McGraw-Gray

016 Riders of the Range— Tim Holt (61 m.)

052 My Foolish Heart — Hayward-Andrews

094 Cinderella — Disney

017 Woman on Pier 13 — Day-Ryan

(formerly "I Married a Communist")

069 Man on the Eiffel Tower — Tone-Laughton

070 Stromboli — Ingrid Bergman

019 Storm Over Wyoming — Tim Holt (60 m.)

018 The Tattooed Stranger — Miles- White

020 Tarzan and the Slave Girl — Barker-Darcel

073 The Capture— Wright-Ayres

074 Wagonmaster — Johnson-Drew

022 Dynamite Pass— Tim Holt (61 m.)

021 The Golden Twenties — Documentary

The Secret Fury — Colbert-Ryan

Republic Features

(1790 Broadway. Hew Yor\ 19, H- Y.)

4962 Gun Man of Abilene — Allan Lane (60 m.) . .Feb. 6

4910 Tarnished— Patrick-Franz Feb. 28

4909 Singing Guns — Monroe-Raines-Brennan ....Feb. 28

4905 Sands of Iwo Jima — Payne-Agar Mar. 1

4906 Belle of Old Mexico— Patrick-Rockwell Mar. 1

4911 Federal Agent at Large — Patrick-Rockwell. .Mar. 12
4972 The Van-shing Westerner— Hale (60 m.). . .Mar. 21
4942 Twilight in the Sierras — Rogers (67 m.) Mar. 22

4912 House By the River— Hayward-Wyatt Mar. 25

4963 Code of the Silver Sage— Lane (60 m.) Mar. 25

4913 Harbor of Missing Men — Denning-Towne . .Mar. 26
4961 The Arizona Cowboy — Rex Allen (67 m.) ..Apr. 1

Woman from Headquarters —

Huston-Rockwell May 1

Hills of Oklahoma — Rex Allen May 1

4964 Salt Lake Raiders — Lane May 1

4914 Rock Island Trail — Tucker-Mara May 18

4917 The Savage Horde— Elliott-Booth May 22

4918 Destination Big House — Patrick-Rockwell ..June 1

The Avengers — Carroll-Mara June 26

Trigger, Jr. — Roy Rogers June 30

Covered Wagon Raid — Lane June 30

Selznick Rel. Org. Features

(400 Madison Ave., Hew Yor\ 17, H- T.)

The Fallen Idol — British cast Nov.

The Third Man— Welles-Valli-Cotten Feb.

Twentieth Century-Fox Features

(444 W. 56th St., Hew York 19. H- Y.)

003 When Willie Comes Marching Home — Dailey . . Feb.

004 Twelve O'Clock High— Gregory Peck Feb.

005 Dakota Lil — Montgomery Windsor Feb.

006 Mother Didn't Tell Me — McGuire-Lundigan. . . .Mar.

008 Under My Skin— Garfield-Prelle Mar.

009 Cheaper By the Dozen — Webb-Crain-Loy Apr.

010 Wabash Avenue — Grable-Mature Apr.

007 Three Came Home — Colbert-Knowles Apr.

012 The Big Lift— Clift-Douglas May

011 A Ticket to Tomahawk — Baxter-Dailey May

013 Night and the City — Tierney-Widmark June

016 Love That Brute — Douglas-Peters June

015 The Gunfighter — Gregory Peck July

017 Where the Sidewalk Ends — Andrews-Tierney . . .July

018 Stella — Sheridan-Mature- Wayne Aug.

019 The Black Rose — Power- Aubrey- Welles Aug.

020 The Caribou Trail — Randolph Scott Aug.

014 Broken Arrow — Stewart-Paget not set

United Artists Features

(729 Seventh Ave.. Hew Yor\ 19, H- Y.)

Johnny Holliday — William Bendix Feb. 17

The Girl from San Lorenzo — Renaldo-Carrillo Feb. 24

Love Happy — Marx Bros.-Massey Mar. 3

The Great Plane Robbery — Tom Conway Mar. 10

Quicksand — Rooney-Bates Mar. 24

Champagne for Caesar — Colman-Holm Apr. 7

D.O.A. — Edmund O'Brien Apr. 21

Johnny One-Eye — O'Brien-Morris-Moran May 5

So Young, So Bad — Henreid-McLeod May 19

The Whipped — Duryea-Storm-O'Shea June 2

Iriquois Trail — Montgomery-Marshall June 16

Page C

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index May 20, 1950

The Men — Brando-Wright July

Once a Thief — Romero-Havoc-McDonald July

Ellen — Young-Drake-Sutton July

If This Be Sin — Loy-Cummins-Greene Aug.

The Admiral Was a Lady — Hendrix-O'Brien Aug.

Universal-International Features

(445 Par\ Ave., Hew Tor\ 22, N.. T.)

909 Borderline — MacMurray-Trevor Feb.

910 Francis — Donald O'Connor Feb.

912 Buccaneer's Girl — DeCarlo-Friend Mar.

911 The Kid from Texas — Murphy-Storm Mar.

913 Outside the Wall — Maxwell-Basehart Mar.

914 Ma if Pa Kettle Go to Town — Main-Kilbride Apr.

915 One Way Street — Mason-Duryea-Toren Apr.

916 Comanche Territory — O'Hara-Carey May

917 I Was a Shoplifter — Brady-Freeman-King May

918 Curtain Call at Cactus Creek — O'Connor-Arden. June

919 Sierra — Murphy-Hendrix June

920 Spy Ring — Toren-Duff June

921 Winchester '73 — Stewart-Winters-Duryea July

922 Peggy — Lynn-Coburn-Greenwood July

923 Shakedown — Duff-Dow July

905 Tight Little Island — British cast not get

Adam and Evelyn — British cast not set

Warner Bros. Features

( 3 2 1 W. 44th St., Hew Tork 1 8, H- T.)

915 Backfire— Mayo-MacRae-O'Brien Feb. 11

905 Chain Lightning — Bogart-Parker Feb. 25

916 Young Man With a Horn —

Douglas-Bacall-Day Mar. 1

917 Perfect Strangers — Rogers-Morgan Mar. 25

918 Barricade — Clark-Massey-Roman Apr. 1

919 Stage Fright — Wyman-Dietrich- Wilding Apr. 15

920 The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady —

Haver-MacRae Apr. 29

921 The Damned Don't Cry — Crawford-Brian . . . .May 13

922 Colt .45 — Scott-Roman-Scott May 27

923 Destination Tokyo — reissue June 3

924 God Is My Co-Pilot — reissue June 3

925 Caged — Parker-Moorehead June 10

926 This Side of the Law — Lindfors-Smith June 17

927 Return of the Frontiersman — McRae-London . .June 24

928 Bright Leaf — Cooper-Bacall-Carson July I

SHORT SUBJECT RELEASE SCHEDULE
Columbia — One Reel

2607 Kangaroo Kid — Favorite (reissue) (V/2 m.).Feb. 2

2553 Candid Microphone No. 3 (l0]/2 m.) Feb. 23

2805 King Archer — Sports (9 m.) Feb. 23

2856 It Was Only Yesterday-

Screen Snapshots (10 m.) Mar. 9

2503 Spellbound Hound — Jolly Frolics (7 m.) Mar. 16

2608 Tom Thumb's Brother —

Favorite (reissue) (7 m.) Mar. 23

2806 The Rasslin' Match of the Century —

Sports (9 in.) Mar. 30

2857 Meet the Winners — Screen Snapshots Apr. 6

2554 Candid Microphone No. 4 (10J/2 m.) Apr. 20

2807 College Sports Paradise — Sports Apr. 20

2857 Meet the Winners — Screen Snapshots

(10 m.) Apr. 26

2653 Village Barn — Cavalcade of B'way Apr. 27

2609 The Wise Owl — Favorite (reissue) May 4

2808 Clown Prince of Golf— Sports (8</2 m.) May 25

2858 Famous Cartoonists — Screen Snap. (9Y2 m.).May 25

Columbia — Two Reels

2405 Hugs and Mugs — Stooges ( 16 m.) Feb. 2

2434 Calling All Curtains — Collins if Kennedy

(reissue) ( 16 m.) Feb. 9

2424 Hold That Monkey— Schilling if Lane Feb. 16

2406 Dopey Dicks — Stooges (l5]/2 m.) Mar. 2

2414 Dizzy Yardbird — Joe Besser fl6!/2 m.) Mar. 9

2415 Marinated Mariner — Andy Clyde (16 m.) . . .Mar. 30
2140 Cody of the Pony Express — Serial (15 ep.). .Apr. 6

2407 Love at First Bite — Stooges May 4

2425 Nursey Behave — Vera Vague May 11

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One Reel

W-138 Little Quacker — Cartoon (7m.) Jan. 7

W-139 Saturday Evening Puss — Cartoon (7 m.)..jan. 14

S-155 Pest Control — Pete Smith (8 m.) Jan. 14

T-115 Land of Tradition— Traveltalk (9 m.) Jan. 21

S-156 Crashing the Movies — Pete Smith (8 m.) . .Jan. 28
W-140 Why Play Leap Frog?— Cartoon (7 m.) . . .Feb. 4

T-116 Colorful Holland— Traveltalk (9 m.) Mar. 4

W-141 Texas Tom— Cartoon (7 m.) Mar. 11

W-142 Jerry if the Lion — Cartoon (7 m.) Apr. 8

S-157 Wrong Son— Pete Smith (11m.) Apr. 8

T-117 Pastoral Panoramas — Traveltalk (9m.) ...Apr. 15
W-163 The Uninvited Pest — Cartoon (reissue)

(8 m.) Apr. 29

S-158 Did'ja Know?— Pete Smith (8 m.) May 6

Z-171 Screen Actors — Industry Short May 13

T-118 Roaming Thru Michigan — Travel. (9 m.) ..May 20
W-143 Ventriloquist Cat — Cartoon (7 m.) May 27

Paramount — One Reel

Z9-3 Breezy Little Bears — Champion (11 m.) ...Feb. 3

K9-3 The Rhumba Seat— Pacemaker (10 m.) Feb. 10

X9-5 Detouring Thru Maine — Screen Song (7 m.) .Feb. 17

R9-5 Wild Goose Chase— Sportlight (10 m.) Feb. 24

P9-4 Quack-a-doodle-do — Noveltoon (7 m.) ....Mar. 3

Z9-4 Cilly Goose — Champion (10 m.) Mar. 10

E9-4 Gym Jam — Popeye (7 m.) Mar. 17

X9-5 Shortenin' Bread — Screen Song (7m.) Mar. 24

P9-5 Teacher's Pest — Noveltoon (7 m.) Mar. 31

Z9-5 Three Bears in a Boat — Champion (10 m.) . .Apr. 7

R9-6 Start 'em Young — Sportlight (10 m.) Apr. 14

K9-4 Sing Me Goodbye — Pacemaker (10 m.) Apr. 21

X9-7 Win, Place if Showboat— Screen Song (6m.) .Apr. 28
Z9-6 Yankee Doodle Donkey — Champion (8m.). .May 5

E9-5 Beach Peach — Popeye (7m.) May 12

X9-8 Jingle, Jangle, Jungle — Screen Song May 19

P9-6 Tarts if Flowers — Noveltoon (7m.) May 26

R9-7 Down Stream Highway — Sportlight (7 m.) . .June 2
P9-7 Ups an' Downs Derby — Noveltoon (7m.).. .June 9

E9-6 Jitterbug Jive — Popeye June 23

X9-9 Heap, Hep Injuns — Screen Song June 30

R9-8 To the Winner— Sportlight (10 m.) July 7

P9-8 Pleased to Eat You— Noveltoon (7 m.) July 21

X9-10 Gobs of Fun— Screen Song (7 m.) July 28

R9-9 The Sporting Suwannee — Sportlight (10 m.). Aug. 4

E9-7 Popeye Makes a Movie — Popeye Aug. 11

P9-9 Goofy, Goofy, Gander — Noveltoon Aug. 18

X9-11 Helter-Swelter — Screen Song Aug. 25

R9-10 Operation Jack Frost — Sportlight Sept. I

P9-10 Saved by the Bell— Noveltoon Sept. 15

X9-12 Boos in the Night — Screen Song Sept. 22

E9-8 Baby Wants Spinach — Popeye Sept. 29

RKO — One Reel

04109 Pluto if the Gopher— Disney (7 m.) Feb. 10

04306 Sports' Best — Sportscope (8 m.) Feb. 11

04207 Auditions for August — Screenliner (9 m.) . .Feb. 24

04703 How to Ride a Horse —

Disney (reissue) (7 m.) Feb. 24

04110 The Brave Engineer — Disney (8m.) Mar. 3

04307 New Zealand Rainbow — Sportscope (8 m.) .Mar. 10

04111 Crazy Over Daisy — Disney (6m.) Mar. 24

04112 The Wonder Dog— Disney (7 m.) Apr. 7

04308 Horseshow — Sportscope (8 m.) Apr. 7

04704 Funny Little Bunnies — Disney (reissue)

(7 m.) Apr. 21

04113 Trailer Horn— Disney (6 m.) Apr. 28

RKO — Two Reels

03504 Sunk By the Census-
Ed. Kennedy (reissue) (18 m.) Jan. 13

03403 Groan if Grunt — Comedy Special ( 17 m.) . .Jan. 20

03703 High if Dizzy— Leon Errol (16 m.) Feb. 17

03202 Pal, Canine Detective— My Pal (20 m.)...Feb. 17

03106 Expectant Father — This is America ( 16m.) .Mar. 3

03404 Put Some Money in the Pot —

Comedy Special (17 m.) Mar. 17

03107 Rescue Squadron — This Is Amer. (16 m.) . .Mar. 31
03801 Basketball Headliners of 1950 (17 m.) Apr. 21

03108 Trading Post— This Is America (15 m.) Apr. 28

Republic — Two Reels

4982 Radar Patrol vs Spy King (12 ep.) Apr. 1?

Twentieth Century-Fox — One Reel

5002 The Fox Hunt (Talk. Magpies)— Terry. (7 m.).Feb.

3002 From Jib to Topsail — Sports (9 m.) Feb.

5022 What Happens at Night — Terry.

(reissue) (7m.) Feb.

3051 Frolic in Sports — Sports (9 m.) Mar.

5003 Better Late Than Never

(Victor the Volunteer) — Terrytoon (7 m.) . .Mar.
(Continued on next page)

May 20, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page D

7002 Red Ingle fi His Gang— Melody (9 m.) Mar.

5004 Mighty Mouse in Anti-Cats — Terry. (7 m.)... .Mar.

500 5 Aesop's Fables, Foiling the Fox — Terry (7m.). .Apr.
2051 Pattern of Progress — Adventure (8 m.) Apr.

5006 Dinky in the Beauty Shop — Terry. (7m.) Apr.

5023 Orphan Duck — Terrytoon (reissue) (7 m.)...May

3003 Diving Maniacs — Sports (9 m.) May

5007 A Merry Chase (Talk. Magpies)—

Terry. (7 m.) May

3004 Shooting the Rapids — Sports (10 m.) May

5008 Dream Walking — Terrytoon (7 m.) May

5024 Just a Little Bull — Terry (reissue) (7 m.) June

8001 Mid-West Metropolis — Specialty (9 m.) June

5009 Law ii Order (Mighty Mouse) — Terry. (7 m.).June
3006 Action with Rod & Reel — Sport June

5010 The Red Headed Monkey — Terrytoon (7 m.)..July

8002 New York Philharmonic Orch. — Specialty

(10 m.) July

501 1 Dingbat in All This 6? Rabbit Stew — Terry.

(7 m.) July

8003 Music of Manhattan — Specialty (10 m.) July

5012 The Dog Show— Terrytoon (7m.) Aug.

7003 Skitch Henderson fe? Orch. — Melody Aug.

5013 King Tut's Tomb (Talk. Magpies) — Terry.

(7 m.) Aug.

Twentieth Century-Fox — Two Reels

Vol. 16 No. 1— Mid-Century: Half Way to Where—

March of Time (17 m.) Feb.

Vol. 16 No. 2 — The Male Look — March of Time

(16 m.) March

Vol. 16 No. 3 — Where's the Fire? — March of Time. .April

United Artists — One Reel

Southern Acapella — Songs of America (9 m.) . . . .Jan. 27

Memorable Gems — Songs of America (9 m.) Mar. 17

The Tradition — Songs of America (9 m.) Mar. 25

Tunes That Live — Songs of America (9 m.) Apr. 14

Glory Filled Spirituals — Songs of America ( 10m.) . .May 12

Universal — One Reel

5325 Barber of Seville — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.).Feb. 13

5383 Dream Dust— Sing 6? Be Happy (10 m.) Feb. 20

5326 Mother Goose on the Loose —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Mar. 6

5344 Progress Island — Variety Views (9 m.). .. .Mar. 13

5384 Sing Your Thanks-

Sing H Be Happy (10 m.) Apr. 3

5327 Candyland — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Apr. 10

5328 The Beach Nut — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.). .May 8

5385 Harmony Hall— Sing y Be Happy (10 m.) ..May 29

5329 Boogie Woogie Man — Cartune

(reissue) (7 m.) June 12

5330 Fish Fry — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) July 17

5386 Melody Moods— Sing &? Be Happy (10 m.) . .July 17

Universal — Two Reels

5304 Ethel Smith the Henry King Orch. —

Musical (15 m.) Feb. 1

5353 The Fargo Phantom —

Musical Western (24 m.) Feb. 9

5305 Sweet Serenade — Musical (15 m.) Mar. 1

5354 Gold Strike— Musical Western (25 m.) Mar. 30

5306 Skitch Henderson 6? Orch. — Musical (15m). Apr. 19

5355 Rustlers' Ransom — Musical Western May 18

5201 Thundering Rails— Special (19 m.) May 24

5356 Western Courage — Musical Western July 6

5307 King Cole Trio — Musical (15 m.) not set

Vitaphone — One Reel

6604 Hands Tell the Story— Novelty (10 m.) Feb. 4

6403 So You Want to Throw a Party —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Feb. 4

6719 Mutiny on the Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) . .Feb. 11

6804 Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys-

Melody Master (reissue) (10 m.) Feb. 11

6505 That's Bully— Sports Parade (10 m.) Feb. 18

6705 The Lion's Busy — Merry Melody (7m.) Feb. 18

6306 The Sheepish Wolf—

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Mar. 4

6706 The Scarlet Pumpernickel —

Merrie Melody (7 m.) Mar. 4

6605 Sitzmarks the Spot — Novelty (10 m.) Mar. 11

6720 Homeless Hare — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Mar. 11

6506 This Sporting World —

Sports Parade (10 m.) Mar 25

6307 Double Chaser—

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Mar. 25

6805 Hit Parade of Gay Nineties-

Melody Master (reissue) (10 m.) Apr. I

6707 Strife With Father— Merrie Melody (7 m.) . .Apr. 1
6404 So You Think You're Not Guilty —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Apr. 1?

6708 The Hypo-Chondri-Cat—

Merrie Melody (7 m.) Apr. 15

6308 Fifth Column Mouse —

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Apr. 22

6721 Big House Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Apr. 22

6507 Alpine Champions — Sports Parade ( 10 m.) . .May 6

6709 The Leghorn Blows at Midnight —

Merrie Melody (7m.) May 6

6309 Inky ii the Lion—

B. R. Cartoon ( reissue) (7m.) May 20

6710 Bitter Hare— Merrie Melody (7m.) May 20

6711 An Egg Scramble — Merrie Melody (7 m.).. .May 27

6806 Leo Reisman & Orch. — Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) May 27

6310 Tic, Toe, Tuckered —

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) June 3

6508 Riviera Days — Sports Parade ( 10 m.) June 3

6601 Horse & Buggy Days — Novelty (10 m.) . . . .June 17

6722 What's Up Doc? — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) June 17

6712 All Abir-r-r-d — Merrie Melody (7m.) June 24

6807 Matty Malneck Orch.— Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) June 24

6311 Booby Hatched — B. R. Cartoon (reissue)

(7 m.) July 1

6509 Racing Thrills— Sports Parade (10 m.) July 8

6723 8-Ball Bunny— Bugs Bunny (7 m.) July 8

6713 It's Hummer Time — Merrie Melody (7m.) . . .July 22

6808 Cliff Edwards His Buckeroos— Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) July 22

Vitaphone — Two Reels

6104 Vaudeville Days — Featurette (20 m.) Feb. 25

6004 Women of Tomorrow — Special (20 m.)...Mar. 18

6005 Danger is My Business — Special (20 m.)...Apr. 8

6105 Double Fool — Featurette (20 m.) Apr. 29

6006 Pony Express Days — Special (20 m.) May 13

6007 Give Me Liberty— Special (20 m.) June 10

6106 Just for Fun — Featurette (20 m.) July 15

6008 Sweden with Charlie McCarthy Mortimer

Snerd — Special (20 m.) July 29

NEWSWEEKLY NEW YORK
RELEASE DATES

Warner Pathe News News of the Day

79 Wed. (O) ...May 17

80 Mon. (E) May 22 274 Wed. (E) ..May 17

81 Wed. (O) ...May 24 ,,, w'

82 Mon. (E) . . .May 29 275 Mon- <°> ■ -MaV 22

83 Wed. (O) ...May 31 276 Wed. (E) ..May 24

84 Mon. (E) ...June 5 ,.,» w x,

85 Wed. (O) ...June 7 277 Mon- <°> • -May 29

86 Mon. (E) .. .June 12 278 Wed. (E) ..May 31

87 Wed. (O) . . .June 14 0>7O w /rkv T

88 Mon. (E) . . .June 19 279 Mon- <°> ' 'June 5

89 Wed. (O) ...June 21 280 Wed. (E) ..June 7

90 Mon. (E) ...June 26 ?81 mi T ,„

91 Wed. (O) . . June 28 281 Mon' (0) ' 'June 12

282 Wed. (E) . .June 14

Fox Movietone 283 Mon. (O) . .June 19

41 Friday (O) . .May 19 „„ „, J

42 Tues. (E) ...May 23 284 Wed- (E) • June 21

43 Friday (O) ..May 26 285 Mon. (O) . June 26

44 Tues. (E) May 30 J

45 Friday (O) ..June 2 286 Wed- (E) • -June 28

46 Tues. (E) . . June 6

47 Friday (O) . June 9

« F,i£y%- : fZ \l Paramount New.

5JX%-::{SS 78S"<E> •

52 Tues. (E) ...June 27 79 Wed. (O) ...May 24

53 Friday (O) . June 30 80 Sat (E) . . . .May 27

Universal News 81 w^d. (O) . . .May 31

352 Thurs. (E) .May 18 82 Sat. (E) June 3

353 Tues. (O) ..May 23 J

354 Thurs. (E) ..May 25 83 Wed- (°) •••June 7

355 Tues. (O) ..May 30 84 Sat. (E) June 10

356 Thurs. (E) June 1 „. „, , ,n.

357 Tues. (O) ..June 6 85 Wed' <°) - June 14

358 Thurs. (E) June 8 86 Sat. (E) June 17

359 Tues. (O) . June 13 Q>7 ,,7 , T

360 Thurs. (E) June 15 87 Wed- <°) • ■ -June 21

361 Tues. (O) ..June 20 88 Sat. (E) June 24

362 Thurs. (E) June 22 co ,.7 , T

363 Tues. (O) . June 27 89 Wed- (°> • June 28

364 Thurs. (E) June 29 90 Sat. (E) July 1

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1950 No. 21

EFFECTIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS WORK

On Friday evening, May 19, Allied Post No. 302, of the
American Legion, gave at the Hotel Ambassador, in Los
Angeles, its annual Americanism meeting, which was at'
tended by about 600 Legionnaires and 200 Reserve Officers
Training Corps cadets.

As in the past, Mr. Charles P. Skouras was co-sponsor of
the meeting. George Murphy, the well-known and popular
actor, was master of ceremonies.

High tribute was paid to Mr. Skouras by Mayor Fletcher
Bowrun and high-ranking officers of the American Legion
for the fine work he has done in taking part in movements
to promote the interests of the American people, particu'
larly the young folk, and to strengthen patriotism in general.

There is no doubt that other exhibitors in different parts
of the country either have sponsored similar meetings for
a variety of worthy purposes, or have taken a leading part
in them. And there is no doubt that the eulogies that were
paid to Mr. Skouras were paid also to other exhibitors on
similar occasions. These commendations cannot help bene-
fitting the motion picture industry as a whole, for we thus
make friends, and we need them. When men like Senator
Edwin Johnson of Colorado introduce a bill in the Senate
to control through a licensing procedure the moral conduct
of film players and technicians, as well as the moral content
of the films themselves, forgetting the fact that the motion
picture industry has been one of the chief factors that
helped the nation to reach its present greatness; when such
men forget the fact that the American motion picture has
shown people in every part of the world our democratic
civilization, our progress in the arts and sciences; when
men like him forget the services the motion picture industry
has rendered to the nation in time of peace as well as in
time of war — we need all the friends we can get.

Mr. Skouras, because of the unstinting way he gives of
himself to further patriotic and humanitarian causes, can be
compared to a one-man public relations organization, and
the more we have like him, the better for us all.

And while we are handing out bouquets, let us not forget
George Murphy. Mr. Murphy, like Mr. Skouras, is ever
ready to take part in any movement the effect of which is
to promote patriotism in any form. With his quiet dignity
and his charming sense of humor, Mr. Murphy is a credit,
not to his acting profession alone, but to the entire industry.
He is the answer to the "slanderous" imaginings of men
like Senator Johnson.

LANE ENTERPRISES
170 Nassau Street
New York 7, N. Y.

May 18, 1950

Mr. Peter Harrison
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York 20, N. Y.
Dear Pete: —

Lately, whenever Harrison's Reports publishes an arti-
cle of importance to the independent exhibitor, Mr. Spyros
Skouras takes time out to reply in length. I have yet to see
an independent exhibitor reply to Mr. Skouras' retorts.

In your issue of February 11, 1950, Mr. Skouras, at great
length, objected to "A Guide to Theatre Budget Control"
published January 14, 1950. He objects most vehemently
to the 25% allocation for film rental, including shorts,
and states that he is greatly alarmed about it for fear that
some "gullible exhibitors around the country will jump at
conclusions and will accept this as a yardstick based upon
thorough investigation." Mr. Skouras feels, and so writes,
that the budget published in Harrison's Reports makes "a

somewhat liberal allowance on other expenditures." He,
of course, mentions the fact, "I have spent more years as
an exhibitor than in my present field, which also includes
the large responsibility in connection with the operation of
quite a large circuit of theatres."

I have thoroughly investigated the budget control and
note no "liberal allowances on other expenditures." Cer-
tainly, 5% for advertising, in the metropolitan area especi-
ally, is not a "liberal allowance" when you consider the
many forms of advertising which are employed; such as,
newspapers, mailing lists, billposters, etc. Is 21% for pay-
roll a "liberal allowance?" I think not. In fact, I know it is
not. Is 15% for rent a "liberal allowance?" Definitely not.
Let Mr. Skouras ask his brothers, George and Charles, and
the various film buyers in his enterprises whether 25% for
film rental is not a good, fair, and substantial allowance.
In fact, Mr. Skouras should ask his brothers how long their
film buyers would remain in their employ if they went much
above that figure, not mentioning if they ever go that high.

In your issue of May 4th, Mr. Skouras again took time
out to reply to your editorial, "Let the Distributors Stop
Penalizing the Exhibitor for His Showmanship Work,"
which appeared in Harrison's Reports of April 15, 1950.
Of course, Mr. Skouras again mentions, "Therefore, as an
old exhibitor I am dismayed by the philosophy put forth in
your editorial by yourself and Colonel Cole asking for
increased concessions in film rentals." What he particularly
objects to, I believe, is the paragraph in your editorial which
very plainly states that the present system of the sliding
scale whereby the more the exhibitor takes in, the more he
pays, is illogical. Does Mr. Skouras know (and I feel certain
that he does) what the so-called sliding scale covers? If he
doesn't, here's an example bearing out exactly the facts as
Colonel Cole and you in your editorial so plainly stated: —

Left to

Cross Percentage Film Rental Exhibitor

$4800 25% $1200 $3600

5000 28% 1400 3600

5275 30% 1582 3693

and so on. Note that with the additional $200 gross above
the $4800 the exhibitor receives nothing. Out of the addi-
tional gross of $475 above the $4800, the exhibitor re
ceived $93.

Of course, Mr. Skouras is somewhat inconsistent in that
same letter to you of May 4th. Here it is: — 20th Century-
Fox's profits from film production were $3,667,000 in 1947;
$3,768,000 in 1948 (an increase); and $3,899,000 in 1949
(an increase again). Aggregate theatre profits were
$250,000,000 in 1947; $200,000,000 in 1948 (a decrease);
and $175,000,000 in 1949 (another decrease and a tre-
mendous one). Then Mr. Skouras states, "this is a lopsided
situation." Ain't it the truth?

This industry is all wrong from Producer, Distributor,
right down to the smallest independent Exhibitor. I have the
solution. All we need to do is to take a page out of Pal
Joe Stalin's book. When he and his boys took over Russia,
an absolute monarchy for over 300 years, they found that
some of the people had for so many years been imbued with
the old thoughts and ideals, Joe Stalin took a short cut and
"liquidated" the leaders. Possibly this Industry could also
use this method. I don't mean the extreme manner of "liqui-
dation" that Joe used, but there ought to be some other
method of liquidating the leaders of thought in the almost
absolute monarchy our industry has become in the past
thirty years. Put on the side-lines all the old-timers in the
producing, distributing and exhibiting ends of our business
(and I am including myself because I, too, am an old-timer)
(Continued on bac\ page)

82

HARRISON'S REPORTS

May 27, 1950

"The Happy Years" with Dean Stockwell,
Darryl Hickman and Scotty Beckett

(MGM, ]uly; time, 110 min.)

Based on "The Lawrenceville School Stories" by Owen
Johnson, this Technicolor production is a thoroughly en'
joyable humorous story of school life in the 1890's, although
it is a bit overlong. Dean Stockwell, that fine juvenile actor,
is fascinating as the pivotal character, a cocky youngster
with a penchant for getting into mischief, whose defiant
attitude keeps him at constant odds with his schoolmates.
The role gives him ample opportunity to demonstrate his
versatility, and he comes through with flying colors. The
picture teems with highly amusing episodes in the classroom,
on the campus, and at home during vacation time. Although
the emphasis is on the comedy, the picture has its serious
side in the depiction of how the youngster, through the
patience and understanding of his head master, warmly
played by Leo G. Carroll, is made to recognize the meaning
of honor and of his responsibility to the school, his class-
mates, and himself.

The story, which is episodic, shows Dean as the youngest
son of a fairly well-to-do family, an incorrigible student
who gets himself expelled from school for a second time
when one of his pranks blows out the side of the classroom.
His father (Leon Ames), threatening him with retorm
school, decides to give him one last chance — at Lawrence-
ville, the highly respected preparatory school near Princeton
University. There, Dean's outspoken contempt for the
school and his unwillingness to submit to the traditional
razzing accorded new boys, marks him as a bad sport.
Several of the boys think him cowardly, but they receive a
rude awakening when, in one afternoon, he whips each of
them. Flushed with success, he challenges Darryl Hickman,
the school's football star, whom he considered his greatest
enemy. Darryl knocks him cold, then offers to shake hands.
When Dean refuses to shake hands with him, the rest of
the boys decide to ostracize him. After a summer vacation at
home with his family, Dean returns to school with two aims
— to become more important than Darryl and, finally, to
whip him. It is not until he is given a chance to play side
by side with Darryl on the football team that Dean develops
an understanding of getting along with others. The two
boys become fast friends. Dean's pleasure at being accepted
by his classmates is tempered, however, when he learns that
Carroll had decided to give him a special examination in
Latin. Realizing that failure could mean expulsion, Dean
lays elaborate plans to cheat. Carroll, suspecting Dean's
intentions, leaves the room during the test. Placed on his
honor, Dean cannot bring himself to cheat and turns in a
blank paper. He is shocked when Carroll takes the blank
paper and gives him a passing mark as a reward for his
honesty. Through Carroll's patience and understanding,
Dean recognizes the error of his ways and acquires a new
dignity.

It was produced by Carey Wilson and directed by William
A. Wellman from a screen play by Harry Ruskin.
Excellent for the family.

"Good Time Girl" with an all-British cast

(Film Classics, May 11; time, 81 min.)
This British-made melodrama is a sordid, unpleasant tale
about the downfall of a headstrong, delinquent girl of six-
teen. If an American exhibitor were to disregard the moral
content of the picture, and the fact that none of the players
is known in the United States, he may book it, for the
action is fast. The fact that the heroine is convicted of
crimes she had not committed does not make the action
pleasurable. Moreover, her failure to make an effort to be-
come a useful member of society, and the sight of her tying
up with criminal characters, is not edifying, either for
youngsters or for oldsters. Jean Kent is good in the leading
role, but the other players tend to overact, giving the pro-
duction a quality that is reminiscent of the ten-twenty-
thirty days. An attempt has been made to point up the story
as a warning to juvenile delinquents, but the presentation
is so superficial that it does not impress one. It is unfortu-
nate that the son of Samuel Goldwyn, who is the associate
producer, did not start his production career with better
material : —

Jean Kent, employed as a pawnbroker's assistant, is caught
by her employer as she tries to return to the safe a brooch
she had borrowed to wear at a dance. The pawnbroker,
rebuffed when he makes a dishonorable proposal to Jean,
tells her father that she is a thief. Jean runs away from home
after her father beats her, and she obtains lodgings in a
cheap rooming house. There she becomes acquainted with

Peter Glenville, a slimy waiter, who gets her a job as a
cloak-room attendant in a Soho night-club owned by Her-
bert Lom. Dennis Price, a pianist at the club, takes a kindly
interest in her. One night Glenville attempts to seduce Jean
and blackens her eye when she resists. Lom discharges Glen-
ville, who vows vengeance on both. First, he tricks Jean into
pawning some stolen jewelry for him, then he attacks Lom
with a razor, slashing him. On the following day Jean is
arrested for stealing the jewelry and, despite her story of
innocence, is sentenced to three years in a wayward girls'
institution. There she comes under the adverse influence of
Jil Balcon, another wayward girl, and carries on a life of
misconduct in the prison. Seven months later, she escapes
during a prison revolt. She heads for London and goes to
Lom, who, to get rid of her, introduces her to his fast set of
friends. She takes up with Hugh McDcrmott, a black mar-
keteer, but runs out on him when they become involved in a
car crash, while drunk, killing a policeman. She then makes
an allegiance with two American Army deserters, and the
trio start on a life of hold-ups and beatings. With the news-
paper headlines hampering their activities, the trio decide
to stop a passing car, beat up the driver, and make a getaway.
The driver turns out to be Price, who is shot to death by
the deserters before Jean can warn him. The tumult attracts
the police, and all three are arrested and sentenced to a
long imprisonment.

It was produced by Sidney Box and directed by David
MacDonafd, from a screen play by the producer, Muriel Box
and Ted Willis. Strictly adult fare.

"The Men" with Teresa Wright
and Marlon Brando

(United Artists, July; time, 85 min.)

Stanley Kramer, who made his mark with "Champion"
and "Home of the Brave," delivers another compelling
drama in "The Men," the subject of which is paraplegics —
war veterans who emerged from the conflict paralyzed from
the waist down. It is a superior production, excellently
written, directed and acted, and it will undoubtedly receive
rave notices from the critics wherever it is shown, but just
how it will fare at the box-office is difficult to ascertain, for
the public has demonstrated its resistance to pictures with
illness and disease. A case in point is the disappointing busi-
ness being done by "No Sad Songs for Me," a fine picture,
in which the heroine is a victim of cancer. "The Men"
certainly deserves to be a box-office hit, for it is a profoundly
moving drama that grips one's emotions from start to finish
in its depiction of the heart-breaking problems faced by
paraplegics in readjusting themselves to a new way of life.

Briefly, the main story revolves around Mario Brando
who, embittered over his physical helplessness, prefers to die.
He refuses to see Teresa Wright, his loyal fiancee, but
Teresa, with the aid of Everett Sloane, head doctor of the
veteran hospital, persuades Brando to submit to therapy
that would start him on the road to adjustment. The wedding
of another paraplegic gives Teresa the opportunity to con-
vince Brando that their marriage, too, was possible. Satis-
fied that Teresa wanted to marry him out of love and not
pity, Brando sets a wedding date. On their wedding night,
Teresa becomes ill at ease when the full realization of her
responsibility dawns on her. Brando, misunderstanding her
feelings, leaves in a rage and goes back to the hospital.
Frustrated, he becomes moody and gets involved in several
brawls, including a drunken escapade that results in his
being expelled from the hospital by a veterans' disciplinary
board. He appeals to Sloane to overrule the board, but
Sloane refuses, pointing out that his attitude was all wrong
and that he needed to be taught a lesson. Brando's predica-
ment brings him to his senses, and he seeks out Teresa, who
had begged him to return to her. With a better understand-
ing of each other, they set out to make a new life for
themselves.

A brief synopsis cannot do justice to the broader scope of
the story which, for example, delves into the question of
whether paraplegics can enjoy normal married lives and
become fathers; examines the problems of other paraplegics;
and probes into the reaction of Miss Wright's parents to
the idea of her marrying a man who is destined to remain in
a wheel chair for the rest of his life. As said, the perform-
ances are excellent, but top honors go to Everett Sloane for
his superb characterization as the doctor. A good part of
the film was shot at the Birmingham Veterans Administra-
tion Hospital, and the therapeutic methods employed to
help the paraplegics are depicted in interesting detail.

It was produced by Stanley Kramer and directed by Fred
Zinnemann from a story and screen play by Carl Foreman.

The treatment is adult and frank.

May 27, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

83

"Night and the City" with
Richard Widmark and Gene Tierney

(20th Century-Fox, June; time, 95 min.)
The seamy side of life in London is vividly and effectively
depicted in this highly thrilling melodrama, which was
produced in England. Although expertly directed and acted,
it is not a picture that will appeal to the heart, but those
who like their entertainment raw, tough and brutal should
get much satisfaction out of it. The principal character,
played by Richard Widmark, is an unscrupulous opportun'
ist, and the other characters are generally of a low-life
grade. Gene Tierney, as his girl-friend, is decent, but her
part is relatively minor. The action is fast, and it is packed
with so much excitement and suspense that it grips one from
the start and never lets up. An outstanding sequence is
where a no-holds-barred fight takes place in a wrestling ring
between Stanislaus Zbyszko and Mike Mazurki; it is without
question one of the most realistic and thrilling fights ever
filmed. Zbyszko, incidentally, turns in a very fine perform-
ance in a highly sympathetic role. The actual London
backgrounds, enhanced by the fine photography, are a
definite asset: —

Widmark, a tout for a London night-club owned by
Francis L. Sullivan, is full of wild schemes, most of which
take the last penny of his girl-friend, Gene, a singer in the
club. One day Widmark overhears Zbyszko, a famous wrest-
ler just arrived from Athens, upbraid Herbert Lorn, his son,
for sponsoring fake wrestling matches in London. Thinking
fast, Widmark makes friends with Zbyszko and, by sympa-
thizing with his dislike for modern wrestling, wins his
confidence as well as a partnership agreement to sponsor
Ken Richmond, a young wrestler trained by Zbyszko. Wid-
mark's secret aim was to wrest control of the wrestling game
from Lom by capitalizing on his (Lom's) father's prestige.
Through a series of unscrupulous moves Widmark secretly
obtains the money needed for the venture from Googie
Withers, Sullivan's unfaithful wife. Sullivan, learning of
his wife's infidelity, maneuvers Widmark into a spot where,
to save the venture, a match between Mike Mazurki, the
champion, and Richmond was necessary. Knowing that
Zybszko would not permit Richmond to wrestle a man of
Mazurki's low calibre, Widmark gets Mazurki drunk and
provokes him into taunting Zbyszko. This leads to an im-
promptu fight in which Zbyszko thrashes Mazurki only to
die from the terrific strain on his aged heart. Lom, holding
Widmark responsible for his father's death, notifies the
underworld to get Widmark. A man-hunt ensues, with
Widmark coming to his end when Mazurki catches and
strangles him, but before he dies he tries to make it appear
as if Gene had revealed his whereabouts so that she might
collect the money Lom had offered for his capture.

It was produced by Samuel G. Engel and directed by
Jules Dassin from a screen play by Jo Eisinger, based on the
novel by Gerald Kersh.
Adult fare.

"Bright Leaf" with Gary Cooper,
Lauren Bacall and Patricia Neal

(Warner Bros., July 1; time, 110 min.)
The first-rate production values given to this adaptation
of Foster Fitz-Simon's novel, and its colorful depiction of the
growth of the tobacco industry in the late 1890's, make it a
striking picture in many respects. On the whole, however,
it is no more than a fairly interesting drama that will have
to depend on the drawing power of the players. Adult in
dialogue and in treatment, the picture is overlong, plot-
heavy and slow-paced, and its theme of love and revenge
somewhat unpleasant. Most of the characterizations, though
interesting, are unsympathetic, for they are ruthless and
motivated by vengeance. The performances are uniformly
good, and there are a number of individual scenes that are
outstanding, but there is so much plot and counterplot that,
for the most part, the drama fails to come through on the
screen with telling emotional impact: —

Excitement leaps high in the southern town of Kingsmont
when Gary Cooper arrives; he and his tenant-farmer father
had been driven out of town some years before by Donald
Crisp, the biggest tobacco grower there, and Cooper had
vowed to one day take possession of "Bright Leaf," Crisp's
fabulous mansion, and to marry Patricia Ncal his daughter,
who had been forbidden to see Cooper. He finds an oppor-
tunity to buck Crisp when Jeff Corey asks him to finance a
cigarette manufacturing machine. Cooper raises the needed
money from Lauren Bacall, an old-time sweetheart and

operator of a"refined brothel," making her, Corey, and
Jack Carson, a former medicine show man, his partners.
The machine proves to be a huge success, and Cooper,
through monopolistic methods, drives his competitors, in'
eluding Crisp, out of business. Crisp fails in an attempt to
kill Cooper, then commits suicide. He pursues Patricia and
marries her, to the utter dismay of Lauren, who breaks
with him. With "Bright Leaf" in his possession, and Patricia
now his wife, Cooper sets out to gain control of the world's
tobacco markets and rides roughshod over his own partners
in the process. In due time his marriage turns out to be most
unhappy, and he discovers that Patricia, to avenge her
father's suicide, had provided the Government with informa-
tion necessary to break his monopoly. Moreover, she had
sold stock entrusted to her short, ruining him financially.
He evicts her from "Bright Leaf," sets fire to the mansion,
and lets it burn to the ground. He then turns to Lauren, but,
when she tells him that she had lost all feeling for him, he
rides off a dejected man.

It was produced by Henry Blanke and directed by Michael
Curtiz from a screen play by Ranald MacDougall.

Adult fare.

"Father Makes Good" with
Raymond Walburn and Walter Catlett

(Monogram, May 7; time, 61 min.)
A mild program comedy, suitable chiefly for small towns.
The story is lightweight, for it deals with the "exploits"
of a mild-mannered cow. Good direction, however, enables
it to provoke mild laughter in some of the situations. At any
rate, it does not offend one's feelings even though it might
tax one's intelligence. In crowded houses, it should take
much better than in houses with empty seats. The photog-
raphy is clear: —

When Raymond Walburn, a resident of a small town,
learns from Walter Catlett, the Mayor, that the money col-
lected for taxes on milk is to be spent on a golf course, he
becomes so incensed that, to save the tax, he buys a milking
cow for his family. This starts a series of complications, for
the lowing noise of the cow disturbs the neighborhood.
The Mayor, however, is unable to do anything about it, for
there was no city ordinance against it. Meanwhile Cary
Gray, Walburn's son, aided by George Nokes, the Mayor's
son, milks the cow secretly and sells the milk to neighbors
to collect enough money to buy a bicycle, which his father
had refused to buy him for a birthday present. Meanwhile
the Mayor, instead of fighting Walburn, decides to befriend
him, hoping to induce him, through kindness, to sell the
cow. He approaches Walburn and sells him the idea of
delivering the 4th of July celebration address. Early on the
morning of the 4th, Walburn thinks it is a good idea to fire
the old cannon in the city park, but the cannon ball nearly
hits Francis Ford, who had been fishing nearby. Ford goes
gunning for Walburn, and the Mayor threatens Walburn
with arrest for having broken the law unless, of course, he
disposes of the cow. Walburn finds an excuse to sell the
cow, making every one happy.

Peter Scully produced it, and Jean Yarbrough directed it,
from a screen play by D. D. Beauchamp, who based it on
his own story, "Journey at Sunrise," published in Good
Housekeeping Magazine.

Harmless for the family.

"Curtain Call at Cactus Creek" with
Donald O'Connor and Gale Storm

(Univ.'Int'l, June; time, 86 min.)
Photographed in Technicolor, "Curtain Call at Cactus
Creek" is a lively and amusing mixture of slapstick, bur-
lesque, songs and dances, revolving around the misadven-
tures of a traveling theatrical company in the days of the
wild and woolly West. Although it does have its dull mo-
ments here and there, the action for the most part is speedy,
the characterizations amusing, and the comical mix-ups
laugh-provoking. Donald O'Connor, as a one-man stage
crew with ambitions to become an actor, is very good, and
his innocent entanglements with a band of bank robbers will
provoke much hearty laughter. Gale Storm, as his girl-friend,
is appealing, and Eve Ardcn, as a fading musical comedy
star, and Vincent Price, as a "ham" Shakespearian actor,
make the most of their interpretations. The old vaudeville
skits and the one-act melodramas put on by the troupe add
much to the merriment. All in all, it is the kind of picture
that helps one to pass the time quickly and pleasantly.

(Ed. Note: The full review with synopsis and credits will
be published next week.)

84 HARRISON'S REPORTS May 27, 1950

and bring in new blood; young people with new ideas who
can be consistent and who will earn and deserve to remain
in the Motion Picture Business.

Do we deserve to retain our investments? I wonder? Here s
a clear example of inconsistency and sheer stupidity. We are
wailing and complaining to the Congress of the United
States to eliminate the 20% nuisance tax, and we promise
to pass the saving on to the public. We promise the public
that "Movies Are Better Than Ever." Now, how do we
show our good faith? We play pictures such as RED
DANUBE, CHICAGO DEADLINE, AMBUSH, GREAT
GATSBY, MRS. MIKE, STROMBOLI, ROSEANNA
McCOY, ALWAYS LEAVE THEM LAUGHING, IN-
SPECTOR GENERAL and charge the regular admission
prices (which are high) but we can't help it because our
expenses are high, and of course, there is the 20% Federal
Tax included in the price of the ticket. Finally, we come
along with a good picture, SAMSON AND DELILAH.
Here's a picture the public wants to see, we should make it
possible for them to see, and exert every effort for pictures
such as SAMSON AND DELILAH to win the public
back to us. But, what do we do? We immediately raise the
admission prices on this picture and expect our patrons to
come right in to our theatres the following weeks to see
THE OUTRIDERS, GOLDEN GLOVES STORY, CAP-
TAIN CAREY, THE OUTLAW, and a few more of this
type. I know of one major neighborhood circuit theatre in
the metropolitan area that received forty-six complaints
during the showing of SAMSON AND DELILAH about
the advanced admission prices. I know that the manager
sent these complaints to the Home Office. Nothing will hap-
pen. The next good picture that comes along will probably
find its way into the very same circuit at the very same
advanced admission prices, if not higher.

What do you suppose the public's reaction will be?
They will sit at home and watch television. What will we
exhibitors do? We will hold pep meetings, make speeches,
and only mention television opposition in whispered tones.
We will put out new slogans such as "Movies Are Better
Than Ever" and "Let's Go Out to the Movies " buy a
larger supply of crying towels, weep on each other's shoul-
ders, and then wait for another good picture to come along
so that we can again raise our admission prices.
Oh Boy! What a lopsided Industry this is!

Very sincerely yours,
LANE ENTERPRISES
(Signed) Israel Zatkin
General Manager

R. D. GOLDBERG ENTERPRISES
State Theatre Building
1412 Farnam Street
Omaha 2, Nebraska

May 4, 1950

Mr. Pete Harrison
Harrison's Reports
1270 Sixth Avenue
New York, N. Y.
Dear Mr. Harrison:

I have been a reader of your reports for many years, and
also of your editorials, and with the current series of articles
running in the trade journals as to what is wrong with the
theatre business, I feel I should write to put in my 2 cents
worth as to what I consider one of the things needing the
most attention in our industry.

I refer to the practice that many theatre managers and
executives have of telling the public that business is bad.
I enclose, herewith, a clipping from a Milwaukee news-
paper which speaks for itself. You will note that the news-
paper has interviewed the leading motion picture exhibitors
in Milwaukee, and they have told that the movie business
is off 30 to 40 per cent below 1949. I recently had cause
to know that an affiliated circuit manager in this city has
been telling so many people that business is bad, that he
caused the idea to spread in many groups of people who
now think it is quite the thing to stay away from the movies.

I have great respect for these men as being bigger theatre
operators than myself, but they are certainly pursuing the
wrong attitude. We were all raised in the show business
where we held people in lines in front of the boxoffice, even
when the house was not packed, because the impression of
good business was a bigger ad than anything else we could
get. It seems to me that if we do not muzzle some of these
people within our own industry that are talking too much

to the public, that they are going to do the industry an
irreparable damage.

Speaking about the ills of our industry, and because no-
body asked me, I venture this opinion. There is nothing
wrong whatever, with our business, that three things cannot
cure. (1) Better manpower. If the same man who gold-
bricks all day and blabs all night that business is bad, will
roll up his sleeves and go to work, he is going to have results.
There is enough business in nearly every community except
in the few spots where locations are impossible, if only the
manpower in the show business will get the lead out and
go after it. (2) Better pictures. Of course that is a problem
for the producers. (3) Repeal of the admission tax.

Before I close I might mention that the same man who
exaggerates telling the public how bad business is, is also
the one who exaggerates his business when he makes his
boxoffice report to Variety. These exaggerated reports of
business help only a few men's vanity, and causes the unions
rightfully to make greater demands, while they do the
industry no good at all. In this city, my competitor affiliated
exhibitors are not satisfied unless Variety carries a report
that they are doing from 50 to 100% more business than
they are actually doing. As a matter of fact, I do not believe
any figures should be published openly, as it is neither the
business of the public, the union organizations or anyone
else, to have access to the grosses of our business.

Yours very truly,
(Signed) Ralph D. Goldberg

"David Harding, Counterspy" with
Howard St. John, Willard Parker
and Audrey Long

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 71 min.)

A good program spy melodrama. If the subsequent pic-
tures of this new series maintain the quality of this initial
production, they should find a ready market. In casting
Howard St. John as head of the U. S. counter-spies, Colum-
bia has made a happy selection; he is impressive and believ-
able. The action manages to hold one's interest undimin-
ished to the end. Willard Parker, as a Naval officer, lacks
fire, but his part is weak. Audrey Long is fair — she is not
given much to do, and what she does is not designed to
win the audience's sympathy. The photography is good: —

Howard St. John, head of the U. S. counter-spy division,
sees to it that Alex Gerry, a radio commentator, gets a story
to the effect that atomic information was stolen and deliv-
ered to alien hands. Gerry broadcasts the story and condemns
the division for its laxity. St. John then informs Gerry that
the story was false, but that it had been planted for the
purpose of catching foreign spies. He then relates to him
a case that occurred in 1943: The Government had learned
that enemy agents were at work in a small town, where
Navy torpedoes were manufactured. A Navy officer had
been found dead in his bed, ostensibly from a fire started by
his cigarette, but St. John had suspected murder and had
detailed Willard Parker to take over the dead officer's job,
hoping to learn the killer's identity. This had opened up an
old entanglement for Parker, because Audrey Long, the
dead man's wife, with whom he had been in love, had been
assigned as his secretary. Parker had become suspicious of
Raymond Greenleaf, a doctor at the factory, as aiding the
spies, and he had come upon evidence indicating that
Audrey had been in league with Greenleaf. His suspicions
about Audrey had been correct, but he had been unaware
of the fact that she, having fallen in love with him, had been
trying to get out of her spy work. Meanwhile St. John had
learned that Audrey had been sent to the U. S. as a spy
long before Pearl Harbor, with instructions to marry a
naval officer. When her husband had discovered this truth,
he had been killed by the spy ring. St. John's men had
finally closed in on Greenleaf's gang, but not before Green-
leaf had shot and killed Audrey, who had tried to save
Parker's life by warning him not to cross a street that had
been mined. Greenleaf, before being shot down by U. S.
agents, had been inveigled into sending misinformation to
his chief. When St. John finishes telling Gerry the story,
the radio commentator is satisfied for having been used as
a cat's paw for the good of the country.

Milton Feldman produced it and Ray Nazarro directed
it, from a story and screen play by Clint Johnson and Tom
Reed, who based it on the radio program, "Counterspy,"
created by Phillips H. Lord.

Good for the entire family.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, l'J21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 1950 No. 22

482 HOUSES SHUT DOWN
IN PAST SIX MONTHS

In a bulletin issued early this week, Abram F. Myers,
chairman of COMPO's Committee on Taxation and Legis-
lation, states that a survey conducted by his Committee with
the aid of the film companies discloses that 482 motion
picture theatres have closed their doors permanently during
the past six months. This figure is based on reports received
from twenty-five of the thirty-two film exchanges in the
country, and when the seven remaining exchanges submit
their reports the figure will undoubtedly be well over the
five hundred mark.

The exchanges reporting and the number of theatres
closed in each territory are as follows :

Albany, 10; Atlanta, 48; Boston, 27; Buffalo, 7; Char-
lotte, 5; Chicago, 21; Cincinnati, 38; Cleveland, 9; Dallas,
63; Denver, 0; Des Moines, 5; Detroit, 37; Indianapolis, 3;
Jacksonville-Tampa, 14; Los Angeles, 28; Milwaukee, 8;
Minneapolis, 22; New Haven, 1; New Orleans, 18; New
York, 5; Omaha, 8; Philadelphia, 71; Pittsburgh, 13; San
Francisco, 14; and Seattle, 7.

The exchanges that have not yet reported include Mem-
phis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Oklahoma
City, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D. C.

The huge number of theatre closings disclosed by this
survey is indeed shocking, but it should serve as powerful
ammunition to prove to Congress that the motion picture
theatres have suffered a sharp dip in business and that the
20% tax on admissions has been an important factor in
bringing about this decline.

Although the survey is not complete, Mr. Myers ex-
pressed the hope that members of the industry will make
use of these figures in writing to their Congressmen and
Senators requesting total repeal of the 20% tax.

CHARLES P. SKOURAS'
SHOWMANSHIP CAMPAIGN

Following the showmanship meeting called in Chicago
recently by Mr. Spyros P. Skouras, president of Twentieth
Century-Fox, Mr. Charles P. Skouras, president of National
Theatres and Fox- West Coast Theatres, called together the
heads of his different departments, including his publicity
men, and set them to work preparing a campaign designed
to stimulate the public's interest in motion pictures and to
revive the flow of admission dollars into the nation's box-
offices.

On Monday, May 22, Mr. Skouras asked representatives
of the trade press to have luncheon with him at his head-
quarters in Hollywood. There he presented each representa-
tive with an elaborate seventy-page manual, entitled "Let's
Prove Movies Are Better Than Ever," and asked their
cooperation in bringing it to the attention ol the industry
to the end that other exhibitors may know of the campaign,
which is designed to hit forcefully every phase of motion pic-
ture merchandising and exploitation.

In the preamble, Mr. Skouras said partly:

"Outlined in this campaign book are the basic and proven
showmanship tactics that every successful exhibitor, whether
he be circuit head or independent, has personally executed
during his career. They've all been tried; they've all been
successful and by employing them again, today's problems
will be overcome."

Following the prologue page, all phases of the campaign
are blueprinted and outlined in detail, with the different
exploitation devices and techniques indexed, and with each
idea treated in several pages.

These ideas and techniques include selling person-to-
person; selling the picture to the theatre-going public
through the newspapers; selling the audiences through the

screen and through the slogan "Movies Are Better Than
Ever"; selling the attraction with "gimmicks"; re-selling
the patron; selling the picture and the theatre in places
away from the theatre; utilizing television as well as radio;
selling the children, whom the book describes as "walking
broadcasting stations"; and, finally, selling the patrons with
pictures.

In the opinion of this paper the manual contains one of
the most extensive merchandising and exploitation cam-
paigns ever devised, and it is worth studying by every
exhibitor. Despite the high initial cost of compiling the
manual, arrangements have been made to sell it to the
exhibitors at a nominal charge of one dollar per copy.

If any exhibitor is interested, he may write to Metropoli-
tan Mat Service, 303 East Fourth Street, Los Angeles,
California.

EXHIBITOR OPPOSITION TO SALE OF
FILMS TO TELEVISION WORLDWIDE

According to a report in the May 24 issue of Film Daily,
the European Association of Movie Theatre Exhibitors, said
to represent more than 32,000 theatres in Belgium, France,
Creat Britain, Luxemburg, Holland, Italy and Switzerland,
met in Paris early in May to find international ways and
means to safeguard theatres against the threats ot television.

By unanimous resolution the delegates went on record as
"strongly opposed to the sale or hire to any television broad-
casting concern of any cinematograph film produced ior
commercial exhibition.'' The resolution also urged pro-
ducers in the United States and Europe "not to produce any
cinematograph film unless the television rights thereof are
acquired and not disposed of for any television purpose
whatsoever."

That the American exhibitors are in sympathy with the
feelings of the European exhibitors is evidenced by the
resolution adopted last week by National Allieds board ot
directors, at its meeting in Memphis, congratulating and
commending those producers and distributors who have
voluntarily announced that they will not license their films
for non-theatrical exhibition on television, Phonevision and
16 mm. Allieds board expressed "amazement and resent-
ment" that any producer or distributor "should add to the
difficulties and perplexities ol their theatre customers and
jeopardize their own established market by licensing their
product in competition with these theatres."

The licensing ot films produced tor commercial theatrical
exhibition to a competitive medium like television is a
matter that should be given deep study by the producers
and distributors, particularly the independent producers,
who have made most ot the better pictures that are now
being shown on television, in some cases, of course, these
producers are not to blame, tor they sold all rights to their
pictures long betore the advent ot television as a competi-
tive entertainment medium. But the producer or distributor
who licenses a picture to television today will no doubt tind
the going rough in his tuture dealings with the exhibitors,
both at home and abroad, ior they are in no mood to support
those whose dealings with television serve to undermine
theatre attendance.

In a statement given to this paper and published in the
April 22 issue, Mr. Trueman f. Kembusch, president ot
National Allied, had this to say, in part: "1 for one am not
going to play any producer s pictures that is so traitorous
to the motion picture industry as to sell his productions,
new or old, to television or to Phonevision. I imagine that
a great many exhibitors tcel as 1 do."

ihe action taken by the European exhibitors and by
National Allieds board ot directors bear out Mr. Rem-
busch's sentiments.

86

HARRISON'S REPORTS

June 3, 1950

"My Friend Irma Goes West" with
John Lund, Marie Wilson, Diana Lewis,
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

(Paramount, ]u\y; time, 91 min.)

A good sequel to "My Fnend Irma"; it should do
comparable business. As was the case in the first "Irma"
picture, the plot is nonsensical and the comedy is in a slap'
stick vein, but it moves along at a last pace and the gags
and situations keep one laughing throughout. Most of the
hilarity is caused by the broad comedy antics of Jerry Lewis,
who really carries the film. His misadventure with Indians
and the sequences in which he appears with a pet chimpanzee
and they ape each other are extremely funny. Except for
Corrine Calvet, who plays the role of a sexy French actress,
the other principal players are the same as in the first "Irma"
picture, with each enacting his or her original role. Worked
into the proceedings to good effect are several melodious
tunes sung by Dean Martin, one of which he sings with
Miss Calvet. One sequence, where Martin sings and Lewis
conducts the orchestra, is hilariously comical: —

After many months of inactivity, John Lund, Marie
Wilson's lazy boy-friend, finally manages to land a spot
on a television show for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
But when the boys are paid off in spaghetti cans, Diana
Lynn, Martin's girl-friend, decides to take over their man-
agement herself. She concludes a deal with a motion picture
producer to pay the boys $500 a week, and she draws out her
savings so that all, including Marie and Lund, could start
for Hollywood immediately. When they reach Albuquerque,
however, they learn from the newspapers that the man who
had given the boys a contract was a lunatic. With the group
stranded, Lund takes charge of matters and proceeds to
promote a film contract for Martin with Corrine Calvet, a
French actress, who had taken quite a liking to Martin on
the train, much to Diana's chagrin. She agrees to co-star
Martin in her next picture provided Lund delivers him to
Las Vegas, for which city she was bound to divorce her
husband. Lund manages to get transportation for the whole
group by promoting a job for himself as a roulette wheel
operator in a crooked gambling club owned by Lloyd Corri-
gan. Complications arise when Marie visits Lund at the
club and innocently cuts some wires that controlled the
roulette wheel. As a result, the customers win money hand
over fist. Corrigan, learning the reason, orders two of his
trigger-men to take Lund and Marie for a one-way ride.
Lund, thinking fast, makes a deal with the gangsters to hold
Marie while he tries to raise the money that was lost. He goes
to the sheriff for help, but it is Lewis who stumbles across
the gangster's hideout and rescues Marie — much to the re-
lief of the gangsters.

It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and directed by Hal
Walker, from a screen play by Cy Howard and Parke Levy,
based on Mr. Howard's radio program.

There are no objectionable situations.

"Louisa" with Ronald Reagan,
Charles Coburn, Ruth Hussey,
Edmund Gwenn and Spring Byington

(Univ.-Int'l, no rel. date set; time, 90 min.)
Very good! It is a romantic comedy, one that is decidedly
different from most pictures of this type, for the principals
in the romantic triangle are a grandmother and two elderly
suitors — all three about sixty years of age. It is the sort of
picture that should thoroughly entertain all types of movie-
goers, particularly family audiences, for it is at once a
warming, charming and highly amusing film, endowed with
fine characterizations, a well-written screenplay, and a
tasteful treatment. The comedy is provoked, not only by
the intense rivalry between the elderly suitors, but also by
the turmoil and nervous tension the grandmother's romantic
complications cause in the household of her son. Spring
Byington, Edmund Gwenn and Charles Coburn are excel-
lent as the romancing elders, as are Ronald Reagan and
Ruth Hussey, as Miss Byington's concerned son and
daughter-in-law. An amusing twist to the story is the
prudish attitude adopted by Reagan's 'teen-aged daughter
toward the romantic antics of her grandmother. The picture
is worthy of an exhibitor's best exploitation efforts to over-
come the fact that the marquee value of the players is
light: —

Reagan finds his household upset when Spring, his wid-
owed mother, moves in and starts to criticize his wife for her
management and scolds the children for minor things. To

restore peace, he urges her to occupy herself with outside
interests. She takes his advice and becomes friendly with
Gwenn, the neighborhood grocer, an aging widower, and
before long becomes romantically involved with him. Reagan
protests, but she tells him that she is old enough to know
her own mind, and induces Ruth, Reagan's wife, to invite
Gwenn to dinner. Gwenn, a genial old man, charms the
family when he comes to dinner, but trouble arises when
Charles Coburn, Reagan's boss, arrives unexpectedly to
discuss an important business matter. He meets Reagan's
mother for the first time and is immediately stricken with
her. His undivided attention to Spring infuriates Gwenn
and causes him to storm out in a rage of jealousy. Spring,
angered, accepts Coburn's invitation to go riding with him.
On the following night Coburn escorts Spring to a country
club barn dance, where he and Gwenn compete in various
dance contests, with Coburn always winning. But Spring's
sympathies go to Gwenn when Coburn throws him in an
Indian wrestling match. Coburn disappears for several days,
then shows up with a detective's report stating that Gwenn
had been married four times without benefit of divorce.
Reagan, shocked, orders his mother to break with Gwenn.
She disappears during the night and, after a frantic hunt,
is finally located in Gwenn's apartment, where she an-
nounces that she and Gwenn are going to get married.
Gwenn then explains the detective's report: each of the
weddings were to his first wife; every tenth anniversary,
until her death, they had repeated the ceremony. Several
days later Reagan gives his mother in marriage to Gwenn,
while Coburn grumbles that "it won't last."

It was produced by Robert Arthur and directed by Alex-
ander Hall from a story and screen play by Stanley Roberts.

Excellent for the family.

"So Young, So Bad" with Paul Henreid,
Catherine McLeod and Grace Coppin

(United Artists, May 19; time, 88 min.)

Ordinary. Dealing with the efforts of a psychiatrist to aid
delinquent girls to become useful members of society, and
to bring about reforms in the brutal disciplinary methods
employed in a girl's reformatory, the story is trite and offers
little that is novel either in treatment or in characterizations.
As in Warner Brothers' "Caged," to which this story bears
a strong resemblance, the cruelty and inhumanity shown by
the sadistic prison authorities towards the inmates are exag-
gerated to a point where it becomes difficult to believe that
such conditions can possibly exist in this day and age. The
performances are good, in fact, superior to the story ma-
terial. The direction, however, is not outstanding: —

Taking up his new duties as psychiatrist in a reformatory
for delinquent girls, Paul Henreid centers his attentions on
four newly-arrived girls, including Anne Francis, a young
mother, and Rosita Moreno, both convicted for vagrancy,
and Anne Jackson and Enid Pulver, both convicted for
stealing. After a talk with the girls he recommends that they
be assigned to certain duties that would help their rehabilita-
tion, but he soon discovers that his recommendations are
ignored by Cecil Clovelly, the tyrannical superintendent,
and Grace Coppin, the sadistic head matron. Catherine
McLeod, a social worker at the institution, sympathizes with
Henreid and warns him against hoping to change things.
Both, however, gain the upper hand on Clovelly when they
obtain indisputable evidence of unspeakable brutalities
against the girls. Alarmed lest there be an investigation,
Clovelly makes a deal with them to run the institution in
any manner they see fit. The reformatory becomes a changed
place overnight, and under the new regime the girls find
their lives filled with new hope. Clovelly, waiting for a
chance to resume his power, finds it when Rosita commits
suicide after Miss Coppin brutally clips off her hair. Anne
Francis and Anne Jackson, frightened, escape. Clovelly im-
mediately suspends Henreid and Catherine and brings them
up on charges before an investigating board. The girls cowed
and beaten into submission again, deny that any brutality
had been practiced on them, despite Henreid's pleas that
they need not be afraid to tell the truth. Learning of Hen-
reid's predicament, the two escaped girls return voluntarily
and submit evidence that vindicates him and brings about
the arrest of Clovelly and Miss Coppin. Henreid and Cath-
erine, by this time in love, take charge of the institution.

It was produced by Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger,
and directed by Bernard Vorhaus, who wrote the story and
screen play in collaboration with Jean Rouverol.

Adult fare.

June 3, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

87

"Her Wonderful Lie" with Marta Eggerth,
Jan Kiepura and Janis Carter

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 86 min.)

A mediocre musical drama. It is a modern story that
parallels the plot of Puccini's operatic story, "La Boheme,"
in which the life of the heroine is similar to that of the
heroine in the opera. The picture, which was produced in
Italy, seems best suited for the lovers of operatic music,
but even these will probably find it disappointing, for the
singing of the principals, perhaps due to the poor sound
track, is not always of good quality. The story itself is dull,
and the direction and acting amateurish. As a matter of fact,
audiences will probably laugh at some of the serious scenes:'

Marta Eggert, a sales girl employed in a Paris dress shop,
is taken by Janis Carter, her friend, to a party given by
Jan Kiepura, a struggling singer, in the apartment he shared
with three companions (Sterling Holloway, Marc Piatt and
Gil Lamb). Jan becomes enthusiastic over Marta's voice
when she sings a song, and both find that they have much
in common when they discover that each is a Polish refugee.
Strongly attracted to each other, Jan persuades Marta to
develop her voice with his help. Jan's failure to find em'
ployment discourages him and distresses her. To help him,
she appeals to Douglas Dumbrille, a wealthy middle-aged
man, who had long sought her love. Douglas uses his in-
fluence to obtain an audition for Jan at the opera, thus
helping the young man to win a contract and make his
debut in "La Boheme." Marta, unable to attend the perform'
ance because of illness, learns that she is tubercular. Jan,
flushed with success, proposes marriage to her, but Marta,
fearing that her illness would be a deterrent to his career,
rejects him for Dumbrille without revealing the true reason.
In the months that pass, Marta rests at Dumbrille' s villa in
Nice, while Jan broods over their separation. Completely
rested but aware that her days were numbered, Marta,
again through Dumbrille's influence, obtains a contract with
the opera to sing with Jan. The strenuous rehearsals impair
her health even more, but on the night of her debut she
insists upon going through with the performance of "La
Boheme." In the last act, living instead of playing the part
of "Mimi," she dies on the stage in Jan's arms.

It is a Gregor Rabinovich production, directed by Carmine
Gallone, from a screen play by Ernst Marischka, Hamilton
Benz and Rowland Leigh, based on the novel, "Latin
Quarter." Unobjectionable morally.

"Lucky Losers" with Leo Gorcey
and the Bowery Boys

(Monogram, May 14; time, 70 min.)

Very good! It rates as one of the best in this series, for the
story is different from the ordinary run. There is a murder,
gambling conducted as it is in real life, and sleuthing by
Leo Gorcey and his gang until they trap the criminals.
While Gorcey and his pals are working in the gambling
casino, the spectator is held in suspense because their lives
are in constant danger. There is considerable comedy
throughout, provoked mostly by Hunts Hall. William Beau-
dine's direction is fine, as usual; and so is the acting. The
photography is up to standard : —

Gorcey and Hall work as runners for a New York broker-
age firm owned by Selmer Jackson. Wendy Waldron, Jack-
son's daughter, is romantically interested in Gabriel Dell, a
crusading television reporter and friend of Gorcey's gang.
Jackson is found dead in his office, and the coroner declares
it a suicide. Unwilling to believe that Jackson had killed
himself, Gorcey snoops around Jackson's office and dis'
covers a pair of dice and a match cover with the insignia
of "The High Hat Club," a gambling casino. Gorcey en-
gages an expert to teach him and his pals how to beat all
games of chance through crooked methods, after which all
manage to obtain employment at the club, which was op-
erated by Lyle Talbot and Hillary Brooke, his associate, who
lured the customers into the club to be fleeced. With Gorcey
and his pals operating the different gaming tables, they ob-
tain valuable information and feed it to Dell, enabling him
to launch a vigorous campaign against Talbot on his tele-
vision broadcast. Meanwhile Gorcey uncovers evidence
establishing the fact that Jackson had been killed by Talbot.
When a young millionaire discovers that the games at the
club arc crooked and threatens to go to the authorities,
Talbot has his henchmen murder the young man. Talbot
is arrested, but he is exonerated through the political influ-
ence of a crooked public official he had in his pay. Aided
by the district attorney, Gorcey and his pals gather evidence
that exposes the crooked politician behind Talbot and his
gambling operations. Talbot and his henchmen are rounded

up, and Gorcey and Hall are acclaimed as heroes when they
appear on Dell's television show.

It was produced by Jan Grippo and directed by William
Beaudine from a screen play by Charles R. Marion.

Fine entertainment for the family.

"This Side of the Law" with
Viveca Lindfors, Kent Smith
and Janis Paige

(Warner Bros., June 5; time, 74 min.)

An ordinary program melodrama. The story is far-fetched
and unbelievable. The idea of the hero, a vagrant, imper-
sonating a long-missing millionaire, to whom the has an
amazing likeness, and being accepted by the missing man's
wife, his brother and sister-in-law, is too contrived to give
the story any substance. Aside from the story's implausi'
bility, it is unpleasant, for it deals with murder and fraud.
Moreover, most of the characters, including the hero, are
weak and unprincipled. Except for an exciting fight on the
edge of a cliff, there is more talk than action. The direction
and acting are average: —

Arrested as a vagrant, Kent Smith's fine is paid by Robert
Douglas, a lawyer, who is startled by Smith's likeness to a
missing client, whose $3,000,000 estate awaited settlement.
Douglas, bent on keeping the estate for himself, offers
Smith $5,000 to impersonate the missing man and ask no
questions. Smith agrees. He goes to the missing man's home,
where Viveca Lindfors, his wife, John Alvin, his brother,
and Janis Paige, Alvin's wife, are shocked to see him, but
he fools them all even though their reception is cold. Before
long Smith learns that the man he was impersonating was a
cad, that he had been having an affair with Janis, that
Viveca had been deeply hurt over the affair, and that his
brother hated him murderously. Janis, seeking to renew the
affair, discovers that Smith is an imposter but proposes to
split the inheritance with him. Smith reveals this to Douglas,
who kills Janis and makes the death appear accidental.
After arranging with Smith, through forged signatures, to
leave the estate to Viveca, with himself as executor, Douglas
knocks Smith unconscious and throws him into a huge
cistern to die. Smith, recovering, finds himself next to the
skeleton of the missing man. Meanwhile Douglas convinces
Alvin that Viveca was responsible for Janis' death. Alvin,
furious, lures Viveca to the edge of a cliff to kill her, while
Douglas summons the police. By this time Smith manages to
crawl out of the cistern and rushes to Viveca's rescue as she
fights off Alvin, whom he subdues. Douglas, startled when
all three return to the house, tries to kill them just as the
police arrive. Escaping, he falls into the cistern and dies of a
broken neck. Viveca, believing Smith to be honest, plans
to start life with him anew.

It was produced by Saul Elkins and directed by Richard
Bare from a screen play by Russell Hughes, suggested by
a story by Richard Sale. Adult fare.

"The Blue Lamp" with an all-British cast

(Eagle-Lion, June; time, 84 min.)
This British-made melodrama offers a fairly interesting
semi-documentary account of the work of the British police
in combatting crime. Its mixture of action, robbery and
murder, as shown through the experiences of a rookie Lon-
don "Bobby," is exciting, and it has all the ingredients
demanded by the followers of this type of pictures. The one
handicap, however, insofar as American audiences are con-
cerned, is the thick Cockney accent used by the players,
making the dialogue difficult to understand. But, since one
eventually becomes accustomed to the accent, the picture
may serve adequately as a supporting feature on a double
bill:—

Briefly, the story revolves around Jimmy Hanley, a new
London "Bobby," who is taken under the wing of Jack
Warner, an old-timer on the force, who teaches him how
to handle different police matters. Dirk Bogarde, aided by
his girl, Peggy Evans, and by Patric Doonan, his pal, holds
up a movie cashier, killing Warner in the process. An inten-
sive search for the crooks is started, and several clues found
by Hanley help him to recognize Peggy as a delinquent girl
whose photograph had been shown to him by Warner.
Scotland Yard, aided by the information supplied by Han-
ley, starts a systematic follow-up of the clues, trapping the
criminals, but they manage to escape in a high-powered car.
Radio cars give chase, and Hanley, in one of them, tracks
the crooks to the greyhound races where he and his superiors
eventually corner the culprits.

It is a Michael Balcon production, directed by Basil
Dcarden from a screen play by T. E. B. Clarke.

88

HARRISON'S REPORTS

June 3, 1950

"Curtain Call at Cactus Creek" with
Donald O'Connor and Gale Storm

(Univ.-Int'l, June; time, 86 mm.)
Photographed in Technicolor, "Curtain Call at Cactus
Creek" is a lively and amusing mixture of slapstick, bur-
lesque, songs and dances, revolving around the misadven-
tures of a traveling theatrical company in the days of the
wild and wooly West. Although it does have its dull mo-
ments here and there, the action for the most part is speedy,
the characterizations amusing, and the comical mix-ups
laugh-provoking. Donald O'Connor, as a one-man stage
crew with ambitions to become an actor, is very good, and
his innocent entanglements with a band of bank robbers will
provoke much hearty laughter. Gale Storm, as his girl-
Iriend, is appealing, and Eve Arden, as a fading musical
comedy star, and Vincent Price, as a "ham" Shakespearian
actor, make the most of their interpretations. The old
vaudeville skits and the one-act melodramas put on by the
troupe add much to the merriment. All in all it is the kind
of picture that helps one to pass the time quickly and
pleasantly: —

O'Connor is advance man for a traveling repertory com-
pany, whose members include Price, Eve and Gale, her
niece. The troupe's arrival in a frontier town coincides with
a visit by Walter Brennan and his gang of bank robbers.
Brennan decides to rob the local bank during the perform-
ance, while the townspeople will be diverted. The bank is
held up just as O'Connor disrupts the performance by
accidentally knocking over the stage backdrops. The troupe,
hearing shots, beats a hasty retreat, thinking that the
townspeople were after them. As O'Connor sneaks out of
town with the show-wagon, Brennan boards it. O'Connor,
thinking him to be a stage-struck yokel, takes him along as
a helper. A strong friendship develops between the two, but
complications arise when Brennan's identity is discovered
and O'Connor is arrested as his accomplice. Brennan and
his gang release O Connor from jail and Brennan convinces
the youngster that he must now become his successor as
leader of the gang. Seeing no other future for himself,
O'Connor steals back to town to bid Gale goodbye. He is
spotted by the sheriff and his men, who trail him back to
Brennan's camp. There, O'Connor finds himself caught in
a crossfire between the bandits and the sheriff's posse.
Brennan, aware that he is trapped, throws his guns to
O'Connor so that the youngster might receive credit for
capturing him. Cleared of all charges, O'Connor realizes
his ambition to act side-by-side with Gale, while Brennan,
paroled in his custody, becomes the one-man stage crew.

It was produced by Robert Arthur and directed by
Charles Lamont from a screen play by Howard Dimsdale,
based on a story by Stanley Roberts and Mr. Dimsdale
himself. The cast includes Chick Chandler, Joe Sawyer,
Harry Shannon and others.

Good entertainment for the family.

"It's a Small World" with Paul Dale,
Lorraine Miller and Ann Sholter

(Eagle-Lion, June; time, 68 min.)

There is considerable human interest in this program
picture, which centers around the trials and tribulations of
a midget who seeks to find a place for himself in the world.
It is an unusual picture and it keeps one's interest alive all
the way through, but how the public will accept a picture
in which the chief player, Paul Dale, is a midget, this re-
viewer does not undertake to say. An exhibitor either has
to use his own judgment or he will have to look at it before
booking it. The direction and acting are competent: —

Concerned because Paul Dale, his twelve-year-old son
had ceased growing, Will Geer, a farmer, takes him to a
doctor. He learns that Paul is a midget, and that he had
stopped growing at the age of six. Because Paul is taunted
by his schoolmates, his father takes him out of school and
keeps him on the farm, teaching him, not only his school
lessons, but also farming. At the age of twenty-one, Paul
leaves the farm with a carnival owner, but the man treats
him so cruely that he runs away from him. In the city, he
meets Ted Karns, a philosophical veteran who, having
found it difficult to make a livelihood, had taken up shining
shoes. He invites Paul to join him as a partner, and their
shoe-shine business flourishes. Paul becomes enamoured of
Lorraine Miller, a gold-digger, who lived in the same board-
ing hou. c with him, and who was in league with crooks.
Lorraine pretends to care for Paul and leads him on, her

purpose being to use Paul as a decoy, to rob people. She
takes Paul to Nina Koshetz, a "fence," who teaches him how
to become an expert pickpocket. They dress Paul up as a
child, and start him on a career of petty theivery. With
Nina posing as his "mother," Paul mingles with the crowds
in the city and picks pockets. He becomes disheartened,
however, when Lorraine mocks him for dreaming of marry-
ing her. Disillusioned, he telephones the police and all are
arrested. The judge, impressed by Paul's basic honesty,
pardons him with the understanding that he will join the
Cole Brothers circus at their winter quarters in Florida.
There, he is antagonistic to the circus crowd at first, but
when he meets Ann Sholter, a midget girl, he becomes
accustomed to the environment and begins to like it. He
ultimately falls in love with Ann, marries her, and prepares
to live a useful and happy life.

Peter Scully produced it, and William Castle directed it,
from an original screen play by Otto Schreiber and the
director.

Suitable family entertainment where there is no objection
to crook stories.

"The Good Humor Man" with Jack Carson
and Lola Albright

(Columbia, June; time, 80 min.)

This is a noble attempt to duplicate the success of "The
Fuller Brush Man," both as to entertainment and box-office;
unfortunately, the effort fails, except in the last one-third
of the film. That part is fully equal and, in some respects,
even superior to the slapstick entertainment values of "The
Fuller Brush Man," for it keeps the spectator laughing
hilariously. Everything, including the proverbial kitchen
stove is thrown in to get laughs. The trouble with the first
two-thirds of the picture is that the comedy is forced. On the
whole, however, the picture should please, for the last part
will send audiences out of the theatre chuckling. The wild
doings in the last few reels take place in a high school,
through which the crooks chase the hero and the heroine.
A masterpiece in slapstick engineering are the scenes where
an electric circular saw, overturned in the melee, cuts
through the floor and falls into the swimming pool in the
basement, chasing all the characters as it gyrates all over
the place. The arrival of the school kids, members of the
"Captain Marvel Club," to the rescue, should go over big
with the youngsters in the audience. This much is obvious:
The picture is a huge advertising plug for the Good Humor
Ice Cream Company, so much so that Columbia should be
reimbursed in full by the company for the production costs
and the exhibitors paid for showing it on their screens: —

Jack Carson, a Good Humor salesman, is in love with
Lola Albright. She likes him but doubts his ability to sup-
port her. Lola is desired also by George Reeves, a suave
insurance company investigator, whose secretary she is.
The chief reason for Carson's failure to make money is his
generosity — giving free ice cream to a group of youngsters,
members of the "Captain Marvel Club." Complications
enter Carson's life when he comes to the rescue of Jean
Wallace, a vivacious blonde, ostensibly being beaten by
three ruffians. He interferes, only to be knocked unconscious
and shoved into the freezing compartment of his truck.
He is rescued by the police, but they refuse to believe his
story. The incident costs him his job, but he gets it back
when his young friends start to picket the ice cream com-
pany. Carson soon gets into another jam when Jean, the
girl of the fight, calls him into her home as he passes by
with his truck and, by leading him to believe that she is in
mortal danger, persuades him to remain overnight to pro-
tect her. While Carson sleeps, the three ruffians, Jean's
confederates, steal his truck and uniform and use them in
the holdup of a company payroll. Carson awakens to find
Jean apparently strangled to death. He goes for the police
only to find the body gone when he returns with them. To
add to his troubles, he is suspected of the holdup. Aided by
Lola, he sets out to clear himself and learns that the gang
was headed secretly by Reeves. The gang attempts to dis-
pose of both Carson and Lola, and after a mad chase all
end up at the local high school, where the crooks are sub-
dued by members of the "Captain Marvel Club," summoned
at a signal by Carson.

It is a Sylvan Simon production, directed by Lloyd Bacon
from a screen play by Frank Tashlin, based on the Satur-
day Evening Post story, Appointment With Fear," by Roy
Higgins.

Good for family audiences.

Entered as second-ciass matter January 4, ia21, at the post oflice at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1950 No. 23

COMPO DISCLOSURE OF 580 THEATRE
CLOSINGS AN ALERT SIGNAL

Final figures released this week by Abram F. Myers,
chairman of COMPO's Committee on Taxation and Legis-
lation, disclose that 98 theatres closed their doors per'
manently in the seven film delivery territories not reported
in the announcement of its survey last week. This num-
ber, added to the 482 reported previously, makes for a
total of 580 theatres that have shut down in the pact six
months.

The seven exchanges reported this week and the number
of theatres closed in each exchange are as follows:

Portland, Oregon, L; Memphis, 27; St. Louis, 12; Okla-
homa City, 23; Kansas City, 16; Salt Lake City, 6; and
Washington, D. C, 13.

The closing down of 580 theatres at a time when em-
ployment and individual incomes have been maintained at
record-breaking levels is indicative of the fact that the
motion picture industry is undergoing a period of economic
stress that is, to say the least, bewildering. In times past,
when almost all other lines of business were suffering, the
motion picture business flourished. But, today, while most
other industries continue to prosper, our industry is in the
midst of a serious box-office decline.

One can cite any number of causes that may have brought
about the drop in theatre attendance. These include, for
example, claims that television is keeping people at home;
that picture quality on the whole has not shown a marked
improvement, thus nullifying extensive showmanship ef-
forts; and that the increase in installment buying of such
items as homes, television sets, automobiles, refrigerators,
washing machines, etc., has been so great that many people
either no longer find themselves with a spare entertainment
dollar or try to make the most of it by going to the theatre
only when they feel sure that the program offered is a
good one.

There are, of course, individual theatres here and there
and even entire sections where business is still good, but
reports from most sections of the country indicate that box-
office receipts are continuing on the downgrade.

In bringing this condition to the attention of its readers,
Harrison's Reports has no desire to seem unduly pessi-
mistic. Optimism is a fine thing, excellent in its way, but
facts are facts, and this paper would not be doing its duty
to its subscribers if it sought to sidestep or misrepresent
them.

Hardly a day goes by without some optimistic report ap-
pearing in portions of the trade press to the effect that the
future of the business is bright. But these fine words and
the plausible promises and prophecies of others must not
delude the exhibitor or blind him to the problems he must
face in the period of a box-office decline. No exhibitor is
going to survive by hoping for miracles; he must depend
on his own initiative and his own resources to overcome

the emergency. The complex causes that have brought about
the present conditions in the industry will not be remedied
overnight, the high-sounding predictions of an early return
to normalcy notwithstanding.

If an exhibitor is to survive, he must plan intelligently
for the future right now. He not only will have to practice
economies never before considered, but he must book, to
the best of his ability, only such pictures as are bound to
satisfy his patrons so that they may become inured with a
feeling of confidence that their next visit to the theatre will
be an enjoyable one.

With the advent of the summer months and the slow
business that generally prevails, many an exhibitor should
mull over the advisability of closing his theatre, for the hot
season offers him the best opportunity to clean, decorate and
install improvements. As this paper has pointed out in other
articles, the one thing that will enable an exhibitor to over-
come competitive entertainment mediums, particularly tele-
vision, is to make his theatre attractive and comfortable for
his patrons.

But the fate of the motion picture theatres is not in the
hands of the exhibitors alone, for no matter how intelligently
they operate their houses, and how intense their showman-
ship efforts, it will all mean nothing unless there is a de-
cided improvement in the general run of product. There is
no question that the producers have come through with
some fine pictures in the past six months, but the fact re-
mains that the percentage of poor pictures has not dimin-
ished. The good pictures are making their mark at the box-
office, but there are not enough of them to take care of
the fifty-two weeks in the year.

In recent weeks, several of the producing companies
have announced that they have stepped up their production
schedules for the coming season, with each planning to pro-
duce from 50 to 60 features. These announcements are
indeed encouraging, for they signify that the producers
have faith in the future of the business and are backing up
their faith with production investments that will run into
many millions of dollars. The one question in this writer's
mind, however, is whether the studios have enough person-
nel with sufficient creative ability to make pictures of actual
box-office value. Past experience has shown that a company
producing 50 to 60 pictures a year rarely made more than
ten that meant anything at the box-office, while the others
were merely routine pictures produced to meet a releasing
schedule. It is this over-abundance of routine pictures that
has proved a bane to the motion picture industry, and the
fewer that are made the better for all concerned. PerJple
would rather sit at home and sec a bad movie on television
than go to a theatre and pay for the "privilege."

The days ahead are not going to be easy ones for the
motion picture industry, but intelligent, realistic planning
on the part of both the producers and the exhibitors should
carry us successfully over the emergency. If we hope for
miracles and keep pooh-poohing the inroads made on our
business by other entertainment mediums, such an attitude
may very well prove to be our swan song.

90

HARRISON'S REPORTS

June 10, 1950

"The Next Voice You Hear" with
James Whitmore and Nancy Davis

(MGM, no release date set; time, 82 min.)

Dore Schary has fashioned a most impressive and unusual
picture in "The Next Voice You Hear," a stirring drama of
the reactions of people when God speaks to them on the
radio. It is a decidedly different picture, yet it should go
over in a big way with all types of audiences, for it puts
over its message of faith, kindness, and love for one's fellow
man not by preachment, but by means of a strongly appeal'
ing human-interest story that depicts the emotional upset and
eventual understanding that takes place in a typical Amer-
ican household. The subject matter is considerably off the
beaten path, and Mr. Schary, as producer, and William
Wellman, as director, deserve great credit for the good taste
and dignity with which they have handled it.

The story has God taking to the radio at precisely 8:30
every night for six nights to warn and remind people
throughout the world that they had forgotten to practice
love, kindness and understanding of one another. To typify
the emotional upset caused by this phenomena, the camera
centers its attention on the household of James Whitmore,
an average American worker employed in a west coast air-
plane plant, who lives happily in his modest home with
Nancy Davis, his wife, who is expecting her second child,
and Gary Gray, their 10-year-old son, who earned pocket
money by delivering newspapers. The happy existence of
the family is disturbed one evening when Whitmore, listen-
ing to the radio, hears the voice of God admonish him. He
believes the voice to be a hoax, but other people in town
claim to have heard it and the newspapers report that it had
been heard in other parts of the world at the same time in
different languages. When God broadcasts again on the
second night, Whitmore, like a number of his friends, is
still dubious, but he becomes convinced when God, to give
effect to His words, causes a frightening flash thunderstorm.
He becomes gripped with fear, goes through a harrowing
experience when his wife is taken to the hospital with
false labor pains, and in general anticipates that the worst
will happen to him and his loved ones. But he rids himself
of this fear within the next few days when God gets over
his message for the need of peace and understanding among
all people. In the end, he becomes more tolerant towards
Lillian Bronson, his panicky spinster sister-in-law, and
towards Art Smith, his grumpy foreman, whose job he had
coveted. And when the time comes for Nancy to have her
baby, he stands by calmly in the hospital, confident that
everything will turn out all right because of his renewed
faith in God.

A brief synopsis cannot do justice to the many human
touches in the story nor to the heart-warming relationship
between Whitmore and his wife. There are some fine comedy
touches, too, particularly in the sequence where Whitmore
tries to drown his fear in drink, and in the scenes where he
tangles with a motorcycle cop for reckless driving. The per-
formances are excellent, with those of Whitmore and Miss
Davis outstanding. Charles Schnee wrote the fine screen
play, based on a story by George Sumner Albee. The cast
includes Tom D'Andrea, Jeff Corey and others.

Excellent for all types of audiences.

"The Rocking Horse Winner" with
an all-British cast

(UnivAntl, June; time, 91 min.)
This is a curious British-made tragic drama, revolving
around a sensitive youngster who destroys himself in an
effort to satisfy his selfish mother's insatiable thirst for
money. It is an unhappy tale, expertly directed and acted,
but as entertainment, if it can be called such, its appeal will
be directed to the very few — those who patronize the art
houses. The curious story, with its overtones of the super-
natural, is too weird to be enjoyed by the general run of
movie-goers.

In the development of the story, Valerie Hobson, a spend-
thrift, constantly quarrels with Hugh Sinclair, her weak-
willed husband, over his inability to keep them out of finan-
cial difficulties. John Howard Davies, their 10-year-old son,

becomes depressed with the perpetual bickering over money,
and finds a warm and understanding friend in John Mills, a
former jockey who had come to work for the family as a
handyman. Gifted with a rocking horse at Christmas time,
the boy is fascinated by Mills' stories of his turf exploits.
Later, while riding the rocking horse in his room, he becomes
conscious of whisperings that are a continual cry for money.
He imagines himself a real jockey, and in his imaginations
finds himself able to predict the winners of forthcoming
horse races. With the secret aid of Mills and of Ronald
Squire, his uncle, the boy starts betting with a few shillings
and soon amasses a fortune, which he turns over to his
mother without letting her know of its origin. This new
wealth makes her even more extravagant, and the youngster,
driven by a sense of worry and urgency to keep her happy,
suddenly finds himself unable to predict the winners. He
resorts to frenzied spells of riding his rocking horse and
manages eventually to pick the winner of the Derby, thus
winning a fortune, but the effort brings about his death from
a brainstorm. The tragedy brings his mother to her senses
regarding money.

The screen play was written and directed by Anthony
Pelissier, based on the short story by D. H. Lawrence. John
Mills produced it.

Adult fare.

"Destination Big House" with
Dorothy Patrick and Robert Rockwell

(Republic, June 1; time, 60 min.)

In spite of the fact that the story strains one's credulity,
there is enough originality in this program melodrama to
put it a notch above most supporting features. It is not, as
the title indicates, a prison picture. The plot, which revolves
around a pretty schoolteacher who becomes innocently in-
volved in scandal and with crooks when a dying gangster
she had befriended wills her $80,000, has many surprising
and amusing twists. It succeeds in holding one's attention
throughout, for one never knows what will happen next.
Towards the finish, the story becomes rather wildly melo-
dramatic and loses its effect, but not to the extent where it
hurts one's enjoyment of the proceedings as a whole: —

While spending the week-end alone in the mountain
cabin of Robert Rockwell, her fiance and a doctor, Dorothy
Patrick gives first aid to Richard Benedict, who tells her
that he had been shot accidentally while hunting. Actually,
Benedict was a big-city racketeer, who had run out on his
mob with $80,000 in cash. Benedict hides the money in the
cabin and, while Dorothy leaves on an errand, he is shot
down by Robert Armstrong and John Harmon, two mem-
bers of his gang. Benedict manages to get to a hospital and,
before he dies, he wills the money to Dorothy without re-
vealing where it was hidden. The newspapers treat the story
as if Dorothy had been Benedict's moll, and her denials of
any previous acquaintance with him or of knowledge of the
existence of the money are disbelieved by all except Rock-
well and Jimmy Lydon, her younger brother. To stop the
vicious gossip, Dorothy announces that, if the money comes
into her possession, she will give it to Rockwell's hospital
for a new polio wing. In the events that follow, Armstrong,
posing as an income tax agent, persuades Dorothy to search
the cabin with him for the money. Meanwhile Lydon, heavily
in debt to Larry J. Blake, a local gambling racketeer, is put
under pressure to find the money and pay his debt. Lydon
succeeds in finding the money, but his conscience compels
him to hide it again. Blake and his henchmen, however, beat
the information out of Lydon, who manages to warn Doro-
thy. She in turn enlists Armstrong's aid to take her to an
isolated farm house, where Lydon had hidden the $80,000.
Armstrong grabs the money for himself just as Blake and
his crooks arrive. A gun battle ensues, with the crooks
killing each other off as Rockwell comes to Dorothy's
rescue. The money is retrieved and given to the hospital.

It was produced by William Lackey and directed by
George Blair from a screen play by Eric Taylor, based on a
story by Mortimer Braus.

Unobjectionable morally.

June 10, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

91

"Spy Hunt" with Howard Duff
and Marta Toren

( Univ.-lnt'l, June; time, 75 min.)

This post-war espionage melodrama, with its spies and
counterspies, is a fair enough picture of its kind, although
it does not rise above the level of program fare. The story is
on the far-fetched side, but it moves along at a steady clip
and whips up enough excitement and suspense to keep the
spectator interested. The fact that all the spies concerned
are after a piece of microfilm hidden in the collar of an
escaped panther loose in the Swiss mountains adds much to
the suspense. The performances, while not exceptional, are
adequate, and the mountain backgrounds are interesting: —

Marta Toren, a spy for an Eastern European democracy,
seeks to smuggle out microfilm evidence of a political mur-
der to UN authorities in Paris, while counterspies of the
party that committed the crime seek to intercept it. When
the film is passed to her by a fellow-agent who arrives in
Milan, Marta, posing as a reporter, goes to a railroad siding
to interview Howard Duff, an adventurous American, who
was escorting two man-eating panthers that had been con-
signed to a circus in the United States. She makes a date to
meet Duff in a nearby cafe and, when he leaves the freight
car, she dopes one of the panthers with drugged meat and
conceals the microfilm in its collar. The counterspies learn
of her move, and phone ahead to a confederate in Switzer-
land to derail the train as it speeds through the Alps. Duff,
knocked unconscious when he leaps to safety, wakes up in
an inn operated by Walter Slezak and learns that both
panthers had escaped from their wrecked cages. Before
long, Philip Friend, a British correspondent; Philip Dorn,
a famous hunter; Robert Douglas, an artist; and Marta,
check into the inn as guests. Marta, suspecting all her
fellow-guests, tells Duff the truth about the microfilm and
enlists his aid. Outwardly friendly but inwardly suspicious,
all join in the hunt for the panther. Marta and Duff trap
one of the animals, but it proves to be the wrong one. In
the events that follow, the other panther is killed and
Marta, aided by Duff, recovers the microfilm, but not be-
fore Friend, Dorn and Douglas expose themselves as counter-
spies and die in different attempts to recover the microfilm
themselves. It ends with Marta and Duff agreeing to form a
partnership for life.

It was produced by Ralph Dietrich, and directed by
George Sherman, from a screen play by George Zuckerman
and Leonard Lee, based on the book "Panther's Moon," by
Victor Canning. Unobjectionable for the family.

"Armored Car Robbery" with
Charles McGraw and Adele Jergens

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 68 min.)

The followers of cops-and-robbers melodramas should
get ample satisfaction out of this program picture. Other
than the fact that the action depicts an armored car robbery,
giving the exhibitor an exploitable angle because of the
recent Brinks holdup in Boston, the story itself follows a
familiar pattern, offering little that is novel. It holds one's
interest well, however, for the action is fast and the en-
counters between the police and the crooks generate con-
siderable excitement. The closing scenes, where the police
close in on the villain and rescue one of their colleagues
who had been trapped posing as a crook, are thrilling. The
direction and performances are good: —

William Talman, an expert mobster, lays careful plans
to pull an armored car robbery, and lines up his helpers,
Douglas Fowley, Steve Brodie and Gene Evans, and drills
them in their duties. Fowley, married to Adele Jergens, a
burlesque queen, was unaware of the fact that she was
having an affair with Talman. The four crooks hold up the
armored car under cover of a tear gas attack. Police lieu-
tenants Charles McGraw and James Flavin, cruising nearby
when the radio alarm comes, rush to the scene. Flavin is
wounded mortally in the chase that follows, and the crooks,
with Fowley badly hurt, manage to escape. Talman kills
Fowley when he demands a doctor, and Evans is shot down
by the police when he attempts to dispose of the body.
Talman and Brodie separate hurriedly, with Talman taking
charge of the loot. When Fowley's body is identified,

McGraw questions Adele. She denies all knowledge of the
affair, but McGraw orders a watch on her activities. Through
clever detective work, McGraw finds evidence of Talman's
involvement in the robbery and traces him to a motel, but
the wily crook escapes just in time. A break comes in the
case when Brodie, broke, is picked up by McGraw as he
tries to contact Adele to learn of Talman's whereabouts.
Learning that Adele had never met Brodie, McGraw ar-
ranges with Don McGuire, a detective, to impersonate the
thief so as to get information about Talman from Adele.
The trap backfires when Talman discovers the ruse and, at
gunpoint, forces McGuire into Adele's car and plans to
kill him. But McGraw, having anticipated such an emer-
gency, had secretly installed a tiny radio transmitter in
Adele's car. By keeping up a running conversation with
Talman, McGuire keeps McGraw informed of their route,
thus enabling him to close in on the criminal and effect his
(McGuire's) rescue.

It was produced by Herman Schlom, and directed by
Richard Fleischer, from a screen play by Earl Felton and
Gerald Drayson Adams, based on a story by Robert Angus
and Robert Leeds. Adule fare.

"Winchester '73" with James Stewart,
Shelley Winters and Dan Duryea

(UnivAnt'l, July; time, 92 min.)

This is a rip-roaring big-scale western, superior to most
pictures of this type offered in recent months. Even those
who ordinarily stay away from westerns should find this
one entertaining, for, in addition to the fact that it is
crammed with excitement and suspense, the story is differ-
ent enough to hold one's attention throughout, even though
the situations are not always convincing. It should provide
a field day for the action fans in particular, for it is loaded
with killings, shootings and violence, and a spectacular rifle
duel at the finish will make their hair stand on end. The
story is, however, unpleasant, for it pits brother against
brother in a vicious display of hatred, with one killing the
other at the end. The direction is good, the characterizations
colorful, and the performances first-rate: —

James Stewart and Millard Mitchell, his friend, ride into
Dodge City to compete in a rifle match, the winner of
which was to receive a prized 1873 model Winchester rifle.
Stewart finds his chief competitor to be none other than
Stephen McNally, his brother, whom he had long sought
to kill for having shot their father in the back. Will Geer,
the sheriff, compels them to keep the peace. Stewart wins the
contest and the rifle, only to have it stolen when he is
ambushed by McNally. While Stewart and Mitchell go in
search of him, McNally loses the rifle in a poker game with
a dishonest Indian trader (John Mclntire), who in turn
loses it to an enraged Indian chief he tries to cheat. Mean-
while Stewart and Mitchell, continuing their manhunt,
take refuge with an encampment of U. S. Cavalry soldiers
when they are menaced by the Indians. There, Stewart
meets Shelley Winters, a dance hall girl, and Charles Drake,
her cowardly fiance; they, too, had taken refuge in the
camp. Stewart helps the soldiers to repulse an attack by the
Indians, then leaves to continue his search for McNally.
Meanwhile his prize rifle is found next to the dead Indian
chief and given to Drake. On the following day, Shelley
and Drake meet up with Dan Duryea, a vicious outlaw,
who kills Drake in an argument precipitated by Shelley's
charms, and takes possession of the rifle. Duryea, taking
Shelley along with him, goes to meet McNally to carry out
a bank holdup in a town nearby. McNally, upon meeting
Duryea, retrieves the gun. Stewart and Mitchell ride into
town at the moment when McNally and his desperadoes
emerge from the bank with the loot. McNally flees into the
hills, where he is finally trapped and killed by Stewart after
a hair-raising gun duel. With his father's murder avenged,
and with the prized Winchester back in his possession,
Stewart turns his attention to Shelley.

It was produced by Aaron Rosenberg and directed by
Anthony Mann from a screen play by Robert L. Richards
and Borden Chase, based on a story by Stuart N. Lake.

Unobjectionable for the family.

92

HARRISON'S REPORTS

June 10, 1950

SUPREME COURT'S REFUSAL TO HEAR
APPEALS FINAL WORD ON
DIVORCEMENT DECREE

What appears to be the final word on the Government's
12-year-old anti-trust suit against the major companies was
handed down on Monday of this week when the Supreme
Court, by unanimous decision, affirmed the decree handed
down by the New York Statutory Court on February 8,
and declined to hear the appeals of the three remaining de-
fendants, Loew's, 20th Century-Fox and Warner Bros.

Under the decree, the three remaining defendants must
submit to the Court within six months a plan for the sepa-
ration of their exhibition operations from their production
distribution business, with complete divestiture and divorce-
ment to be accomplished within a period of three years.
Moreover, the Government and the defendants must within
one year submit respectively plans for divestiture of theatre
interests other than those heretofore ordered to be divested,
"which they believe to be adequate to satisfy the require-
ments of the Supreme Court decision. . . ."

Any distributing company that will result from the di-
vorcement is enjoined from engaging in the exhibition
business, and any exhibitor company that results is likewise
enjoined from engaging in the distribution business, unless
specific permission is granted by the Court upon a showing
that any such engagement will not unreasonably restrain
competition in the respective fields.

The decree also enjoins the defendants from continuing
to engage in certain trade practices previously found illegal,
and it also directs them to offer each of their pictures
theatre by theatre, and without discrimination.

The defendants have fifteen days in which to apply to the
Supreme Court for reconsideration of their appeals. Whether
any of them might adopt such a course has not bc m deter-
mined as of this writing, but even if they should it is doubt-
ful, in view of the Court's unanimous decision, that a re-
hearing will be granted.

"The Iroquois Trail" with
George Montgomery and Brenda Marshall

(United Artists, June 16; time, 85 min.)

A pretty good historical adventure melodrama, with an
appeal to those who are more interested in wildly melo-
dramatic situations than in story values. Based on James
Fenimore Cooper's classic "Leather Stocking Tales," the
story is similar in many respects to "The Last of the Mo-
hicans," and takes place during the 1750's when the British
and French fought for control of the St. Lawrence and
Hudson River Valleys. Discriminating patrons will find the
story too complicated, the situations implausible, and the
acting stilted. Moreover, it is handicapped by a number of
dull stretches because of excessive dialogue. But it has
enough ingredients to satisfy the action fans, for there are
battles between the French and the British, a massacre by
howling Indians, a furious hand-to-hand struggle between
the hero and a villainous Indian spy, a death-defying canoe
chase, and hairbreadth rescues. Some of the action is gory
and brutal but it is all exciting: —

Glenn Langan, a captain in the British Army, arrives in
Albany with secret orders signalling the start of the war
with the French and Huron Indian tribe. Langan's new
assignment reunites him with Brenda Marshall, whose father,
Paul Cavanagh, commanded Fort Williams. Dan Garver, a
dispatch rider, is ordered to deliver important papers to a
British outpost, and Reginald Denny, in dispatching him,
sends along two scouts, John Doucette, a white man, and
Sheldon Leonard, an Indian. Unknown to the British,
Denny and the two scouts were in the pay of the French.
The scouts murder Garner, making it appear as if he had
traitorously disposed of the papers to the French. George
Montgomery, Garner's brother and a famous scout himself,

refuses to believe that his brother had been a traitor and,
together with Monte Blue, a friendly Mohawk Indian, he
sets out to avenge Garner's death and clear his name. He
tracks down Doucette and kills him, and then lays plans to
get Leonard. Realizing that someone in the British Army
was in league with Leonard, Montgomery joins the British
forces to learn his identity. The crafty Denny, aware of
Montgomery's purpose, works together with Leonard and
leads the commanding officer to believe that both Montgom-
ery and Blue are French spies. As a result, Montgomery and
Blue are jailed for treason. Meanwhile the machinations of
Denny and Leonard bring about a serious defeat for the
British, after which Leonard, against orders of the French
general, leads the Hurons in a massacre at the weakened
fort, and makes off with Brenda, claiming her as his squaw.
Montgomery escapes from the jail during the massacre and,
after a series oi exciting events, during which he disposes
of Denny, he rescues Brenda after killing Leonard in a
hand-to-hand battle. It ends with Montgomery clearing his
brother's name, and with Langan stepping out of Brenda's
life in the realization that she loved Montgomery.

It was produced by Bernard Small and directed by Phil
Karlson from a screen play by Richard Schayer.

Fine for the family.

"Destination Murder" with
Joyce MacKenzie, Stanley Clements
and Hurd Hatfield

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 72 min.)

An ordinary gangster murder melodrama. It has enough
suspense to get by with the undiscriminating movie-goers as
a supporting feature, but others will find it undistinguished
in writing, direction and acting. The one thing that stands
out about the picture is the free advertising plug for
Cadillac automobiles. In one sequence, the heroine, asked
by the police why she was so positive in her identification of
the murderer's getaway car, says: "Any one can recognize
this year's Cadillac with the up-sweep in the back!"

The story, a complicated affair, has Albert Dekker, a
supposed night-club owner, hiring Stanley Clements, a
trigger-happy messenger boy, to murder Franklyn Farnum.
Unknown to Clements, Dekker was actually a front man
for Hurd Hatfield, the real owner of the club, who posed as
Dekker's assistant and who wanted Farnum out of the way
to gain racket control of the big city. Joyce MacKenzie, the
dead man's daughter, finds reason to suspect Clements and,
despite police objections, decides to do her own investigat-
ing and deliberately cultivates Clement's acquaintance.
Clements, having gambled away the money he had received
for the killing, goes to Dekker at the night-club and de-
mands more. Dekker beats him up. Joyce, figuring that she
might learn something at the club, assumes another identity
and persuades Hatfield to engage her as a cigarette girl.
Meanwhile Myrna Dell, Dekker's unfaithful girl-friend,
joins Clements in a plot to blackmail Dekker. Hatfield,
however, foils the plot and has Dekker murder both Myrna
and Clements. As a result of these killings, Joyce becomes
convinced that Dekker is her father's murderer. She begs
Hatfield, with whom she had fallen in love, to help her
convict Dekker. Hatfield, aware that Dekker was planning
a double-cross of his own, pretends to agree and then
frames matters so that Joyce shoots down Dekker in the
belief that she is saving his (Hatfield's) life. The district
attorney accepts Joyce's plea of justifiable homicide, but
police lieutenant James Flavin, suspecting that Hatfield had
master-minded all the killings, sets a trap for him. Exposed,
Hatfield attempts a getaway using Joyce as a shield, but
police bullets cut him down.

It was directed by Edward L. Cahn, who co-produced it
with Maurie M. Suess, based on a story and screen play by
Don Martin.

Adult fare.

Entered as second-claws matter January 4, l'J21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 1950 No. 24

BARNEY BALABAN FACES THE FACTS

In his opening address at the Paramount sales convention,
held this week in Los Angeles, Barney Balaban, president of
the company, warned the delegates that the costs of pre
ducing and distributing pictures must come down if the
company is to survive under the present changed conditions.

Citing figures furnished by his statistical department,
Mr. Balaban said that domestic grosses on the 50 top-gross*
ing pictures released in 1946 ranged from $2,400,000 to
$9,000,000, whereas in 1950, on the basis of present avail'
able information, the 50 top-grossing pictures will turn in
domestic grosses ranging from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000.
"Furthermore," he added, "the current outlook indicates
that very few of the A pictures released this year will gross
domestic in excess of $2,000,000."

In pointing up the need for strict economy from the time
a picture is planned to its sale for exhibition, Mr. Balaban
declared that "the standards of the past belong to another
world," and that "the only thinking and planning that will
produce results under present conditions are those based on
the realities of the future."

"Although the current mood of our industry is to frown
on any suggestion that all will not be bright and rosy," he
said, "my obligation to you impels me to speak out realisti'
cally. I would rather risk the unjust charge of pessimism
today than endure the guilt of negligence a year from now."

Mr. Balaban is to be commended for his realistic thinking.
As pointed out in these columns last week, optimism is a
fine quality, excellent in its way, but it should never blind
the business man as to the real problems he must face during
a period of declining revenues.

Harrison's Reports has already counseled the exhibi-
tors not to be deluded by optimistic predictions, but to plan
their operations intelligently and realistically to overcome
the present period of economic stress. Here you have the
same advice from a man who is in a position to know what
he is talking about.

MYERS HAILS COURT'S AFFIRMATION
AND ALERTS EXHIBITORS ON
QUESTION OF DIVESTITURE

Under the heading, "End of the Trail," Mr. Abram F.
Myers, general counsel and chairman of the board of Allied
States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors, had this
to say in a bulletin dated June 9:

"When on July 25, 1949 the U. S. District Court in New
York ruled that the three hold-outs— Loew's, 20th Century
and Warner Bros. — must submit to total divorcement, we
felt surely that must be the end.

"Then the dilatory tactics about which Thurman Arnold
complained so bitterly in 1940 were resumed and it was not
until February 8, 1950 that an order was entered on that
opinion.

"Then these defendants took the full time allowed by the
rules in which to take a second appeal to the Supreme Court
and had the time extended for the filing of the record.

"No sooner had the record been filed than WHAM!
The Supreme Court affirmed the District Court's divorce-
ment decree without even hearing argument.

"A MERITED REBUKE

"The Supreme Court does not act upon impulse, even
though it sometimes acts with startling speed. The Para-
mount case is now 12 years old. The delay has made a

mockery of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. It will be
noted that the filing of this last appeal was delayed until
almost the end of the present term of court. Argument and
a decision in the regular course would have meant further
delay of from 6 to 8 months.

"That was too much for the court to swallow. With the
issues clearly stated on the face of the appeal papers, the
Supreme Court could see that the District Court had carried
out the instructions given it on the former appeal. In
summarily affirming the District Court's decree the Supreme
Court administered a merited rebuke to the defendants.

"The history of this case rivals that in the celebrated case
of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce made famous by Charles Dickens.
The accumulation of motions, pleadings, briefs and memo-
randa is staggering in size, appalling in the amount of time
and money expended. Some day someone will write a his-
tory of this case which will occasion such an outcry at the
permissible delays under the existing rules that remedial
steps will be taken.

"Meantime, we still hold to our idea of a special anti-
trust court as outlined before the House Small Business
Committee in November, 1948.

"PARAMOUNT AND RKO VINDICATED

"Following the Supreme Court's decision in May 1948,
Paramount and RKO read the handwriting on the wall and
voluntarily negotiated with the Department of Justice for
decrees which provided, first, for total divorcement and,
second, for the divestiture of certain theatres included in
the segregated circuits.

"These companies in their desire to conform to the law
and put their houses in order, risked the criticism which
inevitably would follow in case the other defendants suc-
ceeded in securing a reversal of the divorcement order.

"Now the management of those companies has been fully
vindicated. The settlements which they made were favorable
to their interests because they were obtained at a time when
the Department wished to obtain precedents for total di-
vorcement.

"Reporting the summary action of the Supreme Court
under the sub-heading 'See Easier Terms for Faster Finis,'
Variety says :

" 'The Government will still welcome settlement talks
with the last defendants in the case and offer easier terms in
return for a faster windup to the 12-year-old litigation."

"The question of the theatres to be divested by the
divorced circuits still is wide open and in the interest of
speed and justice should be settled by agreement. But the
notion that these recalcitrants, after exhausting their privi-
leges under the rules and the patience of the court, should
now be granted special favors for doing what the court says
they must do, and what they could and should have done
two years ago, is fantastic.

"Independent exhibitors having just grievances against
competing theatres affiliated with Loew's, 20th Century or
Warner Bros, should send the facts to the Department of
Justice for consideration when the question of divestiture
comes up.

"The decree entered by the District Court on February 8
will become a final decree within the meaning of Sec. 5 of
the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C.A. Sec. 16) when the mandate
of the Supreme Court is sent down — in about 30 days.
This is of importance to independent exhibitors having
triple-damage suits against defendant film companies.

"Of course, the defendants can ask the Supreme Court for
a re-hearing on its order of affirmance and the trade papers
arc hinting that they will do so. A burnt child knows enough
to shun the fire, but not some grown-ups."

94

June 17, 1950

"Broken Arrow" with James Stewart,
Jeff Chandler and Debra Paget

(2Ul.ii (Jenturyl'vx, August, time, 93 mm.)

Photographed in Technicolor, this is a line historical
western, expertly written, directed and acted. It is a picture
that should satisiy all types oi patrons, western ians or not,
lor, in addition to the exciting action in the conflict between
the Apache Indians and the pioneering whites in the Arizona
territory in 167U, it oilers a poweriuily dramatic story in the
sincere Joint etlorts ot a tearless irontiersrnan and an
equally tearless Apache chief to bring about a state oi peace
uuu unuiasidiiUiiig between their peoples, despite the
machinations oi treacherous renegades on both sides. James
Stewart, as the irontiersrnan, and Jell Chandler, as the
Apache chiel, are excellent in their sympathetic characters
zations. Ihere is much human appeal in Stewarts tender
romance with, and marriage to, an Indian maiden, played
by Debra faget, an appealing newcomer. Her death, when
sne is shot by renegade whites lrom ambush, is most tragic.
Credit is due the makers oi this iiim lor their understanding
portrayal ol the Indian side ol American history, and lor
their lairness in depicting good and evil on both sides.
Although the story is told in terms oi entertainment, it
oilers considerable lood lor thought on the importance of
learning to live together in harmony : —

Led by Cochise, their leader, the Apache Indians wage
constant war on the white men, who had once made peace
with them but had broken their word. Stewart, a iar 'Sighted
irontiersrnan, who realized that the white men had not dealt
lairly with the Apaches, boldly decides to visit Cochise lor
a peace talk, rie learns to speak the Apache dialect and
through smoke signals, makes known his wish to conier
with Cochise. The Apache leader permits him into the en-
campment and, alter a brief talk, senses that Stewart is a
man to be trusted. Still suspicious but susceptible to the
idea of peace, Cochise, as a token demonstration of his
good faith, guarantees sate passage for the U. S. Mail riders
through the territory. When Stewart tells the white men of
this, they refuse to believe him, but they change their atti'
tude when the mail riders go through unmolested. Cochise,
however, continues battling the other whites, even wiping
out an American military detachment. President Grant,
eager for a fair peace with the Apaches, sends Basil Ruysdael,
a general, to Arizona. Stewart arranges a peace conference,
which results in the acceptance of a truce by all the Apache
tribes except those led by Geronimo. Meanwhile Stewart
falls in love with Debra and wins Cochise's consent to marry
her and stay at the encampment. Dissatisfied with the truce,
a group of hate-ridden whites, led by Will Geer, trick Stew-
art, Debra and Cochise into an ambush. Cochise escapes,
but Debra is killed and Stewart wounded. Stewart, in his
grief and wrath, wants to avenge Debra's death by an all-
out war against the whites, but Cochise quiets him down,
pointing out that the attack was the work, not of the mili-
tary, but of renegade whites who, like Geronimo and his
renegades, had violated the peace.

It was produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by
Delmer Daves irorn a screen play by Michael Blankfort,
based on Elliott Arnold's novel, "Blood Brother."

Excellent for the family.

"Panic in the Streets"
with Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas
and Barbara Bel Geddes

(20th Century-Fox, September; time, 93 min.)

By virtue of a tightly-woven screen play, excellent direc-
tion and competent acting, this melodrama emerges as a taut,
absorbing thriller that should make its mark at the box-
office. It is a chase story, revolving around a police hunt for
several murderers who were unknowingly contaminated
with bubonic plague, and who had to be captured lest they
spread the disease. The melodramatic action is kept at a
feverish pace, and the suspense is maintained from start to
finish as the police, aided by a U. S. Public Health officer,
carry on the hunt in secrecy so as not to frighten the
populace. Of the many exciting and suspenseful scenes, the
most effective ones occur towards the finish, where the
criminals are trapped in a huge dock warehouse and are
either apprehended or killed. Much of the picture's effec-
tiveness is owed to the documentary-like treatment and the
actual New Orleans backgrounds, as well as the unusually
good camera work: —

Having lost money in a poker game to Louis Charles,
newly arrived in New Orleans illegally, Jack Pulanz, Zero
Mostel and Guy Thomajian rob and kill him. When the
body is found an autopsy discloses that the man had been

suffering from bubonic plague. The police notify Richard
Widmark, a doctor with the U. S. Public Health Service,
who orders the body burned immediately and 6ees to it that
all persons known to have had contact with it are inocu-
lated. He then arranges a conference with the heads of the
city government and points out to them the importance of
catching the slayers quickly lest they unknowingly spread
the disease. Widmark insists that the reason for the hunt
be kept secret even from the newspapers lest people flee
the city and endanger the entire nation. Paul Douglas,
captain of the homicide squad, is assigned to the case. He
rounds up all questionable characters, but this procedure
comes to nothing. Widmark, dismayed by the lack of results,
takes a hand in the investigation himself, much to Douglas'
annoyance. He succeeds in tracking down a fisherman who
had smuggled the dead man into the country, and learns
that he had been an Armenian. With this meager informa-
tion, Widmark and Douglas begin a canvass of the city's
Armenian restaurants, and their intensive search uncovers
clues that help them to identify the three thugs, one of
whom had become deathly ill with the plague. The other
two become panicky and flee to the docks to escape in an
outgoing freighter,. but alert work by Widmark and Douglas
brings about their capture. The public's safety assured,
Widmark returns home to Barbara Bel Geddes, his admir-
ing wife, for a well-earned rest.

It was produced by Sol C. Siegel and directed by Elia
Kazan lrom a screen play by Richard Murphy, based on a
story by Edna and Edward Anhalt.

Unobjectionable morally.

"The Great Jewel Robber"
with David Brian and Marjorie Reynolds

(Warner Bros., July 15; time, 91 min.)

A fairly interesting crook melodrama, supposedly bio-
graphical ot the criminal career of Gerard Dennis, the widely
publicized thief, who is now serving a prison term of
eighteen years. Dennis, effectively portrayed by David Brian,
is shown as a suave crook who used many women as dupes to
further his schemes. Although it is supposed to be based on
fact, the story follows a conventional line for pictures of
this type, and offers little that is unusual, but it manages to
hold one's interest fairly well since it moves along at a fast
and somewhat exciting pace.

The story opens with Dennis being turned over to the
Canadian police by the irate father of Claudia Barrett, who
objected to the attention he was paying to her. He breaks
out of prison and, on a promise ot marriage, bluffs Claudia
into handing him her money and jewels. He then makes his
way to Buffalo with the aid of Perdita Chandler, who intro-
duces him to a crime set-up. But his experiences there end
disastrously when he tries a doublecross and is sent to the
hospital with a broken jaw. There, Marjorie Reynolds, his
nurse, falls in love with him. He marries her upon his re-
covery and goes to New Rochelle where, based on informa-
tion she had given him, he robs wealthy homes. While living
with Marjorie, who believed that he had reformed, Dennis
takes up with Alice Talton, a sexy iur model, when he tries
to dispose of some stolen gems in New York. Marjorie,
discovering his infidelity, informs the police of his where-
abouts, but he manages to escape the trap set for him, after
giving Marjorie a beating. He goes to Los Angeles, where
he wins the love of Jacqueline De Witt, a wealthy widow,
and uses her hospitality to rob her wealthy friends. In due
time, however, the police catch up with him and return him
to New Rochelle, where he again makes a daring escape, but
he is nabbed within a few hours and sent to prison.

It was produced by Bryan Foy and directed by Peter
Godfrey from a screen play by Borden Chase.

Adult fare.

"Johnny One-Eye" with Pat O'Brien,
Wayne Morris and Dolores Moran

(United Artists, May 5; time, 78 min.)
This crime melodrama has its moments of excitement,
but it is weak in entertainment values and will have to
depend on Pat O'Brien's name. Adapted from Damon
Runyon's story of the same name, the plot is a confused
mixture of crooked politics, underworld intrigue, and per-
sonal revenge between rival racketeers, with a touch of
sentimentalism introduced by having one of the racketeers
show compassion for a mistreated dog and sacrificing his
life to save a little girl from harm at the end. The action
fails to hold a tight grip on one's interest, first, because of
the slow-paced direction, and secondly, because of the arty
approach, which serves only to make some of the characters
appear ludicrous. Moreover, it is demoralizing, for it at-
tempts to win sympathy for worthless characters: —

June 17, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

95

Pat O'Brien, a big-time racketeer, eludes the police when
the district attorney tries to arrest him for a murder com-
mitted five years previously. He learns that Wayne Morris,
his former partner-in-crime, seeking protection, had made
a deal with the politically ambitious district attorney to put
him (O'Brien) on the spot. Determined to make Morris
change his story, O'Brien tracks him to a burlesque theatre,
where he was producing a show built around Dolores Moran,
his mistress. In the argument that ensues, O'Brien kills one
of Morris' bodyguards and is wounded himself. Hunted by
the police for this latest killing, and weakened by the bullet
wound, O'Brien hides out in an abandoned apartment
building. Meanwhile Morris, fearing that O'Brien is on his
trail, holes up in the apartment of Dolores, who lived there
with Gayle Reed, her six-year-old daughter, Morris, his
nerves unravelled, kicks Gayle's little dog, injuring its eye.
The suffering dog, thrown out by Morris, makes its way to
the abandoned building where O'Brien lies wounded. Gayle,
searching for her pet, finds him with O'Brien on the follow-
ing morning. O'Brien becomes friendly with the child, un-
aware that she is Dolores' daughter, and he jeopardizes his
own safety to give the dog medical aid. In the complicated
events that follow, Morris learns of O'Brien's whereabouts
through an inadvertent remark made by Gayle, and he sets
out to kill him. The child rushes to warn O'Brien and be-
comes trapped in the rotten flooring, directly in the line of
of fire between O'Brien and Morris. To save her, O'Brien
shifts his position, and both men kill each other in an
exchange of shots.

It was produced by Benedict Bogeaus and directed by
Robert Florey, from a screen play by Richard H. Landau.

Adult fare.

"The White Tower" with Glenn Ford, Valli
and Claude Rains

(RKO. June 24; time, 98 min.)

A fascinating, thrill-packed drama, revolving around an
oddly-assorted group of five men and a woman who com-
bine their efforts in a daring attempt to climb a towering
mountain never before scaled by man. After a slow start to
establish the character and backgrounds of the different
mountain climbers, the action offers some of the most
thrilling moments ever filmed as they make the perilous
ascent. Some of the scenes have been staged so well that
they will leave an audience trembling with excitement and
terror. The story itself is engrossing and powerfully dra-
matic in its analyzation of the different characters, their
motivations, and the personal conflicts among them as they
risk their lives in the struggle to conquer the mountain.
Filmed entirely in the Swiss Alps and photographed in
Technicolor, the picture is noteworthy for its breathtak-
ingly magnificent scenic backgrounds. Word-of-mouth ad-
vertising should help the picture at the box-office: —

Glenn Ford, an American vacationing in a Swiss village,
meets an oddly-assorted group, all of whom have one
burning desire — to climb the White Tower, a forbidding
mountain. They include Valli, an Italian girl whose father
had died in an attempt to reach the peak; Claude Rains, a
French author, who was weary of the world and of his
nagging wife; Oscar Homolka, an elderly Swiss guide; Sir
Cedric Hardwicke, an English botanist; and Lloyd Bridges,
a former Nazi officer, the most expert climber of the group.
Although he saw no point in attempting the perilous ascent,
Ford's interest in Valli and his dislike for Bridges' arro-
gance lead him to join the group. On the second day of the
treacherous climb, Hardwicke, exhausted, drops out. Two-
thirds of the way up Rains, too, quits, promising to wait on a
sheltered ridge until the others return. In their absence,
however, he commits suicide. As the remaining foursome
reach their last camp before the final stretch to the summit,
a violent snow storm comes up and Homolka orders them to
wait one day until the snow packs down. Bridges, scoffing
at the "softness" of the others, heads for the summit alone,
despite being told that each needed the help of the others
to make it. Ford, fed up with Bridges' pretentions of Nazi
supremacy, follows and overtakes him at a spot requiring
mutual help to get across. Scorning Ford's offer to help,
Bridges tries to make it alone and falls screaming to his
death. Ford crosses safely, but as he nears the peak an
attack of snow blindness renders him helpless. He is found
by Valli and Homolka who, rather than fullfil their life-
long dream of reaching the summit, lead Ford safely down
the mountain before a new blizzard strikes. The experience
brings a new understanding between Valli and Ford, and
they marry as soon as he regains his sight.

It was produced by Sid Rogcll and directed by Ted Tctz-
laff from a screen play by Paul Jarrico, based on the novel
by James Ramsey Ullman. Suitable for the family.

"Duchess of Idaho" with Esther Williams,
Van Johnson and John Lund

(MGM, July; time, 98 min.)

An elaborate and enjoyable romantic comedy-farce,
peppered with musical interludes and photographed in
Technicolor. The story is thin, but it is diverting and re-
laxing, and has plenty of movement and laughs. Moreover,
there is considerable eye-appeal in the lavishly staged water
ballets, featuring Esther Williams, and in the extraordinary
beautiful backgrounds of Sun Valley, Idaho, where most of
the action takes place. In addition to Miss Williams, Van
Johnson, Paula Raymond and John Lund, the principals
in the story's amusing romantic involvements, the picture
offers Lena Home, in a song number, and Eleanor Powell,
in a tap dance routine, as well as Connie Haines, who sings
several songs with Van Johnson. Red Skelton appears
briefly in an amusing bit. All in all, its mixture of romance,
comedy and music follows a familiar but sure-fire formula
that has satisfied audiences in the past: —

Esther, star of her own water ballet, rooms together with
Paula, secretary to Lund, a handsome railroad tycoon.
Paula's duties included posing as Lund's fiancee every time
he got himself into a jam with a woman who wanted to
marry him. Esther, aware that Paula loves Lund, decides on
a plan to trap him for her. Since Lund had never met her,
Esther follows him to Sun Valley, when he goes there for
a vacation, and deliberately sets out to get him romantically
involved with her so that he will send for Paula to rescue
him. Matters become complicated, however, when Esther
falls in love with Van Johnson, the bandleader at the hotel,
but continues her pretended romance with Lund to help out
Paula. The situation becomes even more mixed up when
Paula arrives unexpectedly and Lund, discovering the ruse,
deliberately makes it appear as if Esther had really fallen in
love with him, thus upsetting her romance with Johnson.
Both men become furious with the girls, but in the end the
misunderstandings are cleared up and each girl gets her man.

It was produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Robert
Z. Leonard from a screen play by Dorothy Cooper and
Jerry Davis.

Fine for the family.

"Peggy" with Diana Lynn, Charles Coburn
and Charlotte Greenwood

(Univ.-lnt'l, July; time, 77 min.)

Although not exceptional, this Technicolor comedy-farce
is a pleasant enough entertainment to get by with family
audiences. Revolving around the mixups that occur when
the two pretty daughters of a retired professor enter the
Rose Queen contest in the annual Tournament of Roses,
the story itself is flimsy and the comedy labored. There are
few genuine laughs in the situations, which rarely evoke
much more than some chuckles. The picture is given a
considerable lift by the colorful Pasadena backgrounds,
particularly the Tournament of Roses parade at the finish,
all enhanced by the fine Technicolor photography: —

Having quit Ohio State University, Charles Coburn, a
professor, arrives in Pasadena with his two daughters (Diana
Lynn and Barbara Lawrence) to live in retirement while
the girls attend Pasadena City College. Charlotte Green-
wood, a widowed neighbor, takes a big interest in the welfare
of the newcomers, much to Coburn's annoyance. Charles
Drake, Charlotte's son, takes a shine to Diana, unaware
that she is secretly married to Rock Hudson, an Ohio State
fullback, whom her father considered a nincompoop. Com-
plications set in when the girls, as coeds, are required to
enter the Rose Queen competition, and Diana learns that
married women are ineligible. She does everything she can
to lose out in the contest, but together with Barbara survives
successive eliminations. Meanwhile Drake shifts his atten-
tions to Barbara. On the day the Rose Queen is to be selected
from among five finalists, including Diana and Barbara,
Hudson arrives with his football team to play in the Rose
Bowl. He and Diana decide to reveal their marriage, but
belorc they can do so Coburn finds Diana's wedding band.
Barbara, to protect Diana, claims that the ring is hers, and
that she had eloped with Drake. The judges, having selected
Barbara as the Rose Queen, shift the award to Diana, but
she bursts in, proves her marriage, and makes them give the
award back to Barbara. Reconciled to Diana's marriage,
Coburn sets about warding off Charlotte's romantic over-
tures.

Ralph Dietrich produced it, and Frederick dc Cordova
directed it, from a screen play by George F. Slavin and
George \V. George, based on a story by Leon Ware.

Good for the family.

96

HARRISON'S REPORTS

June 17, 1950

"Sideshow" with Don McGuire and
Tracey Roberts

(Monogram, June 18; time, 67 min.)

Good program fare. The action is fast and the background
novel, for the story deals with the efforts of Treasury De-
partment agents to apprehend gem smugglers among the
members of a carnival show. The action keeps one mystified,
for one does not know who the villains are until late in the
story. There is considerable suspense, for the life of the hero
is placed in danger constantly. The reproduction of the
carnival show is realistic, and should prove of interest to the
majority of picture-goers, particularly to children. The
direction and acting are good, but the proceedings are at
times confusing because of the imperfect script. The photog-
raphy is good though at times somber: —

Don McGuire, a Treasury Agent on the trail of a jewel
smuggling gang, finds evidence indicating that several of
the gang members are working in a carnival show owned by
Ray Walker. With the aid of two fellow agents, whom he
"beats up" when they deliberately start an argument with
Tracey Roberts, the ticket seller, McGuire obtains a job
with the carnival as a handy-man. McGuire's suspicions fall
on Walker, Jimmy Conlin, the candy peddler, and John
Abbott, operator of the carnival's wax museum, but he can-
not arrest them until he finds proof of their smuggling
activities. In the course of his secret investigation, McGuire
becomes friendly with Tracey and with Eddie Quillan, a
member of the show and, convinced that they are not mem-
bers of the gang, reveals his identity and enlists their aid.
Quillan, caught spying by the smugglers, is murdered. In
due time McGuire catches Conlin trying to sell some of the
gems and, through him, learns that the jewels were hidden
in wax figures, from which they were picked up by stooges
and delivered to "fences." Just as McGuire finds a fortune
in gems hidden in the head of a wax figure, Walker con-
fronts him with a gun. McGuire manages to come to grips
with him, but Walker breaks loose. McGuire pursues him
up the scaffolding of a scenic railway and catches him in
one of the cars, which takes off at breakneck speed while
they continue their fight. Walker is jerked off the car and
falls to his death. Abbott, too, is killed when McGuire's
fellow agents close in on the rest of the gang. It ends with
McGuire and Tracey presumably headed for the altar.

The story was written by William F. Broidy and put into
screen play form by Sam Roeca. The author produced it and
Jean Yarbrough directed it.

Good for the family.

"The Avengers" with John Carroll,
Adele Mara and Mona Maris

(Republic, June 26; time, 90 min.)
Unquestionably, "The Avengers" will prove acceptable
to action-seeking patrons, for there is adventure, swash-
buckling, mob scenes, chases, and all the other ingredients
that tend to excite such patrons. But a meritorious script
could have obtained better results, for there is confusion as
to who is on whose side. There are times when one does
not know whom a mob is fighting for, and things happen
that are not accounted for. The confusion may be the result
of bad editing. The picture was photographed entirely in
Argentina : —

The lure of gold in the New World swells the ranks of
the bandits to such proportions that they are able to match
arms with the military. Terrorizing the inhabitants of a
Spanish colony on the Northwest Coast of South America is
Vincent Padula, who hides his features behind a gruesome
mask when he and his cutthroats attack the people. Years
later, Padula becomes an aide to power-mad Roberto Air-
aldi, who was engaged to Adele Mara, daughter of Jorge
Villolda, the colony's governor. Villolda trusted both men
implicitly, unaware that they were secretly planning to
capture the reins of government from him. John Carroll,
who years previously had sworn revenge on Padula for hav-
ing killed his father, now heads a band of young caballeros,
known as the Avengers, who risked their lives to protect
the common people. One day Carroll encounters Airaldi just

as he is about to take advantage of Fernando Lamas, a
French colonist. Carroll saves Lamas' life. Although his
pride is hurt, Airaldi decides that he can use Carroll, who
had boasted of his success with women. Airaldi, seeking to
marry Mona Maris, his mistress, lures Carroll into accepting
a wager to make good his boast on Adele or to become his
servant if he failed. Airaldi felt that, even if Carroll wins
Adele as his wife, her father would still make him (Airaldi)
ruler of the colony. Carroll soon wins Adele's heart, but
being a man of honor he refuses to hoodwink her any longer
and offers to become Airaldi's servant. Mona, disturbed by
this turn of events, reveals to Adele the nature of the wager.
Enraged, Adele refuses to marry Airaldi under any circum-
stances, but she still loves Carroll, although furious at him.
With the wedding cancelled, the governor decides to retain
his powers. Airaldi, aided by Padula, seizes power and kills
the governor in the process. Adele escapes and goes to
Carroll for help. Carroll, aided by Lamas, brings about the
death of Airaldi and Padula, and turns the power over to
the proper authorities. Carroll and Adele marry.

John H. Auer produced and directed it, from a screen
play by Lawrence Kimble and Aeneas McKenzie, based on
Rex Beach's novel, "Don Careless."

Suitable for the family.

"Rogues of Sherwood Forest"
with John Derek and Diana Lynn

(Columbia, July; time, 80 min.)

This "Robin Hood" costume melodrama, photographed
in Technicolor, is a fair entertainment of its kind, no better
and no worse than similar productions that Columbia has
made in recent years. Except for the fact that the hero is
the son of "Robin Hood," the story and treatment offer
little that is novel; it follows the usual pattern of the hero
and his friends rising to the defense of the oppressed people
when the treacherous King levies unjust taxes against them.
The heroics are on the incredible side, but it has all the
swordplay and derring-do that one expects to see in a motion
picture of this type, and for that reason should satisfy the
undiscriminating action fans, particularly the juveniles. As
"Robin Hood, Jr.," John Derek cuts an heroic figure, giving
the part all the dash it requires. Some of the settings are
easily recognizable as having been used in previous pic-
tures:—

Recognized as one of the noblest lords in England, and
as famous as his father before him, Derek is disliked by
George Macready, the King, who together with Lowell
Gilmore and Paul Cavanagh, his treacherous aides, makes an
attempt on Derek's life. Derek, however, foils their plot.
Later, when the King, with the connivance of Gilmore and
Cavanagh, levies unjust taxes against the people, Derek
defends his tenants and kills two of the King's guards.
He is captured and brought to the castle to be hanged, but
Diana Lynn, the King's ward, helps him to escape on the
day he is to die. Derek hides out in Sherwood Forest, where
he brings together his father's old friends, who help him to
harass the King on every hand. Diana keeps Derek informed
of the King's plans by carrier pigeon, and in this way he
learns that the King is plotting treachery against the country's
wealthiest barons to deprive them of their money and lands.
His efforts to warn the barons of their danger prove futile
until two of them are murdered by the King's guards. The
barons then join Derek in his efforts to combat the King.
Meanwhile the King, desperate for money, promises Diana
in marriage to Gilmore, an immensely wealthy man. Derek
and the barons intercept the marriage procession as it passes
through Sherwood Forest. In the battle that follows, Gilmore
and Cavanagh are killed, the King's guards subdued, and
the King himself captured and compelled to sign the famous
Magna Charta. With the people freed from oppression,
Derek claims Diana as his bride.

It was produced by Fred M. Packard and directed by
Gordon Douglas from a screen play by George Bruce, based
on a story by Ralph Bettinson. The cast includes Alan Hale,
Billy House and others.

Suitable for the family.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1950 No. 25

A DOUBLE-BARRELED BLAST AT
PRODUCTION-DISTRIBUTION

Charging that Hollywood "has lost its ability to correctly
assay the motion picture market," and that there is "a well-
organized plan at the top of distribution to gouge every last
dollar out of the exhibitor's till," Trueman T. Rembusch,
president of National Allied, speaking at the Allied of New
Jersey convention in Atlantic City last Friday, lashed out at
both production and distribution in a hard-hitting speech
that minced no words and named names.

In his remarks about production's responsibility for de-
clining grosses, Mr. Rembusch had this to say, in part:

"I believe that one reason for production losing that box-
office knowhow is that it is more interested in making pic-
tures for the critics while always keeping an eye directed
towards Academy Awards rather than on theatre box-office.
People in production are placing too much emphasis on win-
ning Academy Awards. If you want proof of the lack of
box-office effectiveness of Academy Award pictures, ponder
the performances of the runner-up and winner of the Award,
'The Heiress' and 'All the King's Men.' 'Ma and Pa Kettle
Go to Town' and 'The Yellow Cab Man' will never receive
good critical reviews, neither will they receive Academy
Awards, but they turned in healthy national grosses.

"Production will not regain its Midas touch in producing
pictures until it seeks suggestions and assistance from dis-
tribution and exhibition toward establishing a new standard
which, naturally, will include abandonment of releasing
cycles simultaneously dealing with the same theme, such as
the present cycle of de luxe Westerns and pictures on
disease."

In taking Hollywood to task for the weak showing of
many pictures at the box-office, Mr. Rembusch echoed the
sentiments of many exhibitors who are of the opinion that
there are altogether too many pictures with depressing
themes, as well as too many of the same variety, like West-
erns. Ask the exhibitors what kind of pictures they prefer
and most of them will tell you that they want family-type
entertainment, cheerful pictures that put movie-goers in a
happy frame of mind, for under such a frame of mind they
go to the theatre more frequently.

What is needed are more pictures like MGM's "Father
of the Bride" and "Annie Get Your Gun," 20th Century-
Fox's "Cheaper by the Dozen," and Universal-Interna-
tional's forthcoming "Louisa," to mention just a few. Pic-
tures like these do an immense amount of good, for those
who see them go out of the theatre singing the praises
of the motion picture industry.

As to Mr. Rembusch's thoughts on the ineffective box-
office value of pictures that aim for Academy Awards, he
is not alone; last week, Barney Balaban, in his talk before
the Paramount sales convention in Los Angeles, had this
to say about arty, highly-praised pictures:

"The picture is made beautifully, but when it reaches
the market we lose money on it. This experience has been
repeated time and again. We simply cannot afford to have

any more of them, no matter how gratifying the plaudits of
the critics may be. Price, Waterhouse S" Company doesn't
read the reviews in making up our profit and loss statement."

In his blast against the distributors' selling policies, Mr.
Rembusch declared that, after discussions with Allied
leaders in different parts of the country, he had come to
the conclusion that "there is an avaricious force at work
within our industry, a force that must be met with force.
If that grasping, confiscatory force is not stemmed, every
exhibitor will face bankruptcy."

He pointed out that, two years ago, the distributors were
happy to get 20 to 25% from drive-ins as gross film rental.
Last year, he said, they demanded from 25 to 35%. And
this year, he claimed, some distributors are demanding as
high as 50% of both indoor and outdoor theatres.

He singled out for criticism Columbia, MGM and Para-
mount, and charged that Columbia lost from $2,000,000
to $2,500,000 in revenue because of its short-sighted early
selling policy in connection with "Jolson Sings Again"; that
MGM is not only seeking percentage terms in all situations
on "Battleground" and "Annie Get Your Gun," but that
the company has taken away from its exchanges the author-
ity to allocate terms; and that Paramount was resorting to
"coercion" to make exhibitors increase admission prices on
"Samson and Delilah."

Mr. Rembusch's charge that the exhibitors are being
"gouged" by current sales policies brings to mind the follow-
ing significant remarks made by Jay Emanuel, publisher of
The Exhibitor, on the editorial page of his May 24 issue,
under the title, "Heading in Two Directions":

"If one were to chart the current industry picture, one
line would head downwards while the other will head up-
wards. The former would indicate grosses while the latter
would reflect rising film prices.

"In this industry, such a situation doesn't make sense.
At a time when business is definitely off, there is no reason
why distributors should figure their returns should be
higher. Still, faced with this picture, and knowing well that
for the first time in years, many theatres and drive-ins are
available for purchase or rental, than at any time in the
history of this business, and that many houses are beginning
to close for the summer months, a practice which hasn't
been seen in many areas since the '30's, the distributors ask
terms which even during the prosperous war years would be
considered high.

"If one were to make a survey of the amount of money
tied up in unsold possibilities, this would probably prove
an eye-opener in the case of some distributors. Still, the sales
departments hold out until, when the dam eventually breaks,
the value of the film is lessened.

"For a while, there was a shot in the arm actuated by
the sincere attempt of one company to bring a showmanship
rebirth to the industry. But there has been no change in
what the many distributors feel they ought to get. If any-
thing, terms being asked are higher, even in the face of
the decline.

(Continued on bac\ page)

98

HARRISON'S REPORTS

June 24, 1950

"The Flame and the Arrow"
with Burt Lancaster and Virginia Mayo

(Warner Bros., July 22; time, 88 min.)

Very good! It is a lusty, top-flight swashbuckling romantic
melodrama, photographed in Technicolor and briskly played
against impressive medieval backgrounds. The story itself
is neither strong nor original, being the conventional one
about an oppressed people, led by a dashing hero, rising
against the despotic rule of a heartless nobleman, but the
action is so fast and the feats of derring-do so imaginative
and thrilling that one does not notice the plot's lack of
surprises. The swordplay, the deadly bow-and-arrow marks-
manship, and the extraordinary acrobatic feats of the hero
and his mute friend as they clash with the castle guards and
lead them a merry chase through the castle and over roof-
tops, make for some of the most breathtaking "hokum"
seen on the screen in a long time. The action fans should
"eat it up," and it should be enjoyed also by others who are
willing to accept the picture for the so-called "escapist"
entertainment that it is. Burt Lancaster, as the hero, is ex-
cellent; athletically impressive, he gives the part just the
right touch of dash and leaps about with an agility that
would have done even the late Douglas Fairbanks proud : —

Lancaster, a free man of the mountains, and Gordon
Gebert, his seven-year-old son, come down to a city in
ancient Italy on the day that Frank Allenby, a Hessian
nobleman, returns with fresh troops to reinforce his control
of the rebellious and unhappy district. Lynne Baggett, Lan-
caster's petulant wife, had become Allenby's consort five
years previously, and Lancaster wanted the boy to see his
mother and form and strong hatred for the invader. Lan-
caster insults Allenby and incites a riot, during which his son
is captured and taken with his mother to Allenby's castle.
Lancaster retreats to a mountain hideout with his followers
and, several days later, accompanied by Nick Cravet, his
mute friend, raids the castle in a daring effort to recover
the boy. The attempt fails, but Lancaster succeeds in cap-
turing Virginia Mayo, Allenby's pretty niece, whom he
takes to the hideout as hostage for the boy. Allenby, how-
ever, compels him to release Virginia by threatening to hang
a close friend. In the events that follow Lancaster permits
himself to be captured and, through a clever ruse, leads
Allenby to believe that he had been hanged. He and his
friends disguise themselves as acrobats and join a traveling
troupe that had arranged to perform in the castle that night.
Once in the castle, Lancaster, backed by the townspeople,
launches a full-scale attack that brings about the deaths of
Allenby and Lynne, the rescue of the boy and the liberation
of the people, as well as the start of a romance between
Virginia and Lancaster.

It was produced by Harold Hecht and Frank Ross, and
directed by Jacques Tourneur, from an original screenplay
by Waldo Salt.

Fine for the family.

"Where Danger Lives"
with Robert Mitchum, Faith Domergue
and Claude Rains

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 84 min.)
Hampered by a story that is rambling, fuzzy and lacking
in dramatic credibility, "Where Danger Lives" shapes up
as no more than a mildly interesting melodrama that is not
particularly exciting. Being a chase melodrama, in which the
two principals elude the police in an effort to cross the
border into Mexico, the picture does have its moments of
suspense, but there are not enough of them to grip one's
attention. Moreover, one guesses in advance just how the
action will unfold. Its box-office chances will have to depend
on the popularity of Robert Mitchum and the value of the
build-up that RKO is now giving to Faith Domergue, who
makes her debut in this picture. She is an attractive per-
sonality and shows signs of being a capable actress, but the
script doesn't give her much of a chance. Claude Rains' part
in the picture is confined to a brief appearance in the be-
ginning:—

Mitchum, a doctor, forgets his romance with Maureen
O'Sullivan, a nurse, when he falls in love with Faith, an
exotic beauty, whose life he had saved after an attempted
suicide. When she evades his proposals of marriage by
saying that Claude Rains, her "father," objected, Mitchum,
slightly drunk, goes to her home for a showdown. There he
discovers that Rains is her husband. Rains tries to explain
that Faith is a mental case, but Mitchum, drunk and belliger-
ent, won't listen. The two men quarrel, with Rains knocked
unconscious when he strikes Mitchum with an andiron.
Recovering from the blow, Mitchum finds Rains dead, un-
aware that Faith had suffocated him with a pillow. Faith,
leading Mitchum to believe that he had killed Rains, induces
him to flee with her. As they head for the Mexican border,
Mitchum realizes that he had suffered a concussion and
would become paralyzed within twenty-four hours without
proper medical care, but they dare not stop for fear of the
police. They finally reach the border town of Nogales after
a wild flight, and find the authorities searching for them.
They go into hiding and make a deal with local crooks to
smuggle them across the border that night. Worried over
the possibility of arrest and finding the partially paralyzed
Mitchum a handicap, Faith becomes mentally unbalanced,
tells him of her condition, and confesses that she had killed
Rains. She then smothers Mitchum with a pillow and,
leaving him for dead, goes off to keep the rendezvous with
the smugglers. Mitchum recovers and, with his last ounce
of strength, manages to catch up with her at the international
gate. She tries to shoot him but is shot herself by an alert
officer. As she dies, she clears Mitchum of the murder charge.

It was produced by Irving Cummings, Jr. and directed
by John Farrow from a screen play by Charles Bennett,
based on a story by Leo Rosten.

Adult fare.

"Kill or Be Killed" with Lawrence Tierney

(Eagle Lion, April; time, 66 min.)

A poor program picture. The story is bad, the screenplay
equally so, and the direction unimpressive. The scenes where
the police are shown chasing the hero may satisfy those who
like melodramatic action, regardless of logic. The photog-
raphy is dark but clear. The picture may suffice for the lower
half of a double bill in third-rate theatres: —

Having completed a job in a South American seaport
town, Lawrence Tierney, an American engineer, demands
payment from Lopes Da Silva, his employer. Da Silva retires
to his office and, when he fails to reappear, Tierney, im-
patient, enters and finds him murdered. When the police
accuse him of the crime, Tierney, feeling that circumstantial
evidence is against him, escapes in order that he might be
able to establish his innocence. The police shoot Tierney
during the chase that follows and abandon the pursuit in
the belief that he had died in the river. But Tierney, merely
wounded, quietly boards a steamship owned by Rudolph
Anders as it starts downstream. On the ship he meets
Marissa O'Brien, Anders' wife, and convinces her that he
is not a criminal. She hides him and they fall in love during
the trip. Kicked off the boat as a stowaway, Tierney obtains
a job with one of Anders' jungle plantation labor gangs.
Meanwhile George Coulouris, Anders' henchman, reports
to Anders that he need no longer fear Da Silva, a black-
mailer, for he had murdered him and had put the blame
on an American engineer, who had been killed by the
police while attempting to flee. In the jungle, Tierney leads
his fellow-workers in a revolt to compel Anders to supply
medicine for snake bites, and thus comes to Anders' atten-
tion as the man who was wanted for Da Silva's murder.
And when Anders learns that his wife is in love with
Tierney, he orders Coulouris to kill him. In the complicated
events that follow, Coulouris attempts to throw Tierney into
shark-infested waters only to be thrown in himself. Tierney
pulls Coulouris back into the boat, but the man, dying
from shark bites, confesses the truth about Da Silva's mur-
der. Anders, confronted by Tierney with this knowledge,
attempts to shoot him, but an abused houseboy shoots and
kills Anders before he can fire at Tierney. Marissa rushes
into Tierney's arms, happy to find him alive.

It was produced by Walter Jurmann and directed by
Max Nosseck, who collaborated on the writing of the
original screen play with Arnold Phillips and Lawrence
Goldman.

Adult fare.

June 24, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

99

"Crisis" with Cary Grant, Jose Ferrer,
Paula Raymond and Signe Hasso

(MGM, June; time, 96 min.)

Distinguished by an out-of-the-ordinary story and by fine
acting tins melodrama is interesting and somewhat unusual,
but as entertainment many movie-goers may find its mood
too depressing and grim. Laid in an unidentified Latin'
American country and backgrounded by a revolution, the
plot points up the dilemma of an American brain surgeon
who, kidnapped in order to operate on the hated dictator,
does so for ethical reasons although he loathes everything
the man stands for. There is considerable suspense, brought
about by the fact that the revolutionists threaten to harm
the doctor's wife if the operation proves successful and the
dictator lives. The writing is somewhat uneven and there
are stretches where the action drags because of excessive
talk, but on the whole it has a fascinating quality. One
sequence, where the doctor rehearses the brain operation
with a dummy head, is so gruesome that it will make the
squeamish turn their eyes away from the screen: —

Honeymooning with Paula Raymond, his bride, Cary
Grant, a famous American brain surgeon, decides to return
to the United States when the Latin American country they
are visiting shows signs of a revolution. En route to their
ship, they are halted by armed soldiers and, despite Grant's
indignant protests, are taken to the presidential palace.
There Grant learns for the first time that Jose Ferrer, the
country's hated dictator, is desperately ill with a brain
tumor. Signe Hasso, Ferrer's wife, explains that other
American brain doctors were unwilling to come to her hus-
band's aid, and that he (Grant) had been kidnapped to
perform the delicate operation. Through Leon Ames, an
American who had lived in the country for years, Grant
learns that Ferrer is an evil tyrant and that the revolutionists,
headed by Gilbert Roland, opposed his being given medical
aid. But Grant, abiding by his ethics as a doctor, insists that
he must perform the operation. On the day the operation is
to take place, the revolutionists kidnap Paula as she departs
for the United States, and send a note to Grant stating that
she will die if he saves Ferrer's life. Signe intercepts the note
and destroys it. Four days after the operation, Ferrer shows
so much improvement that he gives Grant his freedom.
Grant, visiting Ames to say goodbye, learns of the note and
of Paula's plight. Assured by Roland that Paula still lived
but that her well being depended on Ferrer's death, Grant
storms back into the palace to demand an explanation about
the destroyed note. Meanwhile the revolutionists, believing
that Ferrer is already dead, break into the palace and kill
Signe. The excitement proves too much for Ferrer, because
of his operation, and he falls dead as he threatens to shoot
Grant. Roland, after bringing Paula to Grant, brags that it
is his day to rule. Just then a bullet brings him down. As he
pleads with Grant to save him, Grant remarks that no
matter who the dictator is, it is the same old cry of "Save
me, Doctor!"

It was produced by Arthur Freed and directed by Richard
Brooks from his own screen play, based on a story by
George Tabori.

Unobjectionable morally, but best suited for mature
audiences.

"50 Years Before Your Eyes"

(Warner Bros., July 29; time, 70 min.)

"50 Years Before Your Eyes" is an interesting docu-
mentary compilation of selected newsreel and library clips
depicting the memorable events and personalities of the
past 50 years in world history. Similar in format and presen-
tation to the March of Time's "The Golden Twenties," it
should, like that picture, make a good supporting feature.
Some of the footage is familiar, but on the whole it shapes
up as a comprehensive pictorial study of the highlights of the
past five decades. The picture should serve as an entertain'
ing lesson in history to the youngsters and bring back
memories of the past to their elders.

The picture starts off with the inauguration of President
McKinley in 1901 and follows history throughout the fifty
years with the depiction of such events as the San Francisco
fire; the funeral of Queen Victoria; Teddy Roosevelt in
Africa; Pershing's expedition against Pancho Villa; World
War I and the mammoth victory parades; Wilson and the
League of Nations; the Prince of Wales' visit to America
and, in later years, his abdication of the throne; candidate*

Cox and FDR conceding victory to President Harding;
Lindberg's flight across the Atlantic; the rise and fall of
Hitler and Mussolini; the 1929 stock market crash; FDR's
inaugural; the beginning of World War II; the Battle of
Britain; Pearl Harbor; FDR's funeral; the atom bomb; the
eventual armistice and formation of the United Nations; and
many other events too numerous to mention. Additionally,
there are shots of famous personalities in the fields of sports,
theatre, films, fashions, politics and labor.

The entire footage is narrated by nine commentators,
including Arthur Godfrey, Quentin Reynolds, H. V. Kalten-
born, Clem McCarthy, Andre Baruch, Norman Brokenshire,
Milton J. Cross, Dwight Weist and Dan Donaldson. It was
produced by Alfred Butterfield who wrote the script in
collaboration with Thomas H. Wolf. It was directed by
Robert G. Youngson.

"Treasure Island" with Bobby Driscoll
and Robert Newton

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 96 min.)

This latest screen version of Robert Louis Stevenson's
immortal tale of piracy and buried treasure is a first-rate
adventure melodrama that should thrill young and old alike,
even if they have never read the classic novel, for it is ad-
venturous, exciting and human, with fine touches of comedy.
The picture is Walt Disney's first all live-action production
he deserves the highest praise for the artistry with which he
has handled this ageless adventure yarn. The production
end, enhanced by the beautiful Technicolor photography,
is excellent, and the acting is of the highest order. The scenes
of mutiny aboard the ship and the seesaw battles on the
island between the pirates and the honest adventurers have
been staged most effectively, generating considerable sus'
pense. The picture was made in England and, except for
Bobby Driscoll, who does a fine job as young "Jim Hawkins,"
the entire cast is made up of British players, headed by
Robert Newton, whose characterization as "Long John
Silver," the one-legged pirate leader, is superb. He plays the
part to the hilt, making a thorough scoundrel of the char-
acter, but he manages to win some measure of sympathy
because of the attachment he shows for young Bobby and
the manner in which he protects him against his cutthroat
companions. There are no women in the cast: —

Bobby, son of a widowed innkeeper, comes into posses-
sion of a map giving the location of buried treasure when
it is given to him for safekeeping by Finlay Currie, an aged
pirate, just before he is murdered by former companions.
Denis O'Dea, the local doctor, and Walter Fitzgerald, the
village squire, recognize the authenticity of the map and
outfit a square-rigger, the Hispaniola, and set sail for the
secret island with Basil Sidney, the captain, in command.
Bobby, who is to share in the fortune, goes along as cabin
boy. Unknown to all, the crew, a motley lot headed by
Newton, were the murdered pirate's old shipmates who
knew about the map. Newton ingratiates himself with Bobby
and his friends, all the while plotting a mutiny once the
island is reached. Bobby, believing in Newton, is shocked
when he overhears him plotting and warns the captain.
Sidney takes immediate steps to keep the crew under con-
trol, but once the ship anchors off the island Newton and
his cutthroats outmaneuver the others, taking Bobby as
hostage as they go ashore. Bobby escapes and, with the aid
of Geoffrey Wilkinson, a demented pirate who had been
left stranded on the island years previously, manages to hide
out. While the pirates search for Bobby, the others come
ashore and defend themselves against continuing attacks for
possession of the map. During the course of the battle,
Bobby slips back to the ship, cuts it loose so that it will
drift out of firing range and, in self-defense, kills two of
the pirates who had been left to guard it. Wounded, he
returns to shore only to be captured by the pirates. Newton,
risking his own life, takes Bobby to O'Dea for medical aid,
but first manages to obtain the map. The pirates locate the
burying spot of the treasure but find that Wilkinson had
dug it up and had hidden it in a cave. All the pirates are
finally killed except Newton, who is captured. But Bobby
helps him to escape in return for having saved his life
earlier. As Newton sails out to sea alone in one of the
longboats, Bobby and his friends prepare to sail with the
treasure to England.

Perce Pearce produced it for Disney and Byron Haskin
directed it, from a screen play by Lawrence E. Watkin.

Excellent for the family.

HARRISON'S REPORTS

June 24, 1950

"There are no secrets in this business. Many drive-ins
which have paid through the nose for early runs and through
the bidding process have found that they were better off
with film which didn't cost nearly as much, and a lot of
regular houses which bid their heads off for a better run
learned they were only providing the distributors with a
field day.

"To be blunt about it: this business is going to be in for
an even darker era if the distributors fail to be realistic.
They can't demand more when they know their customers
gross less."

Jay Emanuel has given the distributors a sound piece of
advice. But will they heed it?

ADVERTISING CODE AMENDED TO
BAN EXPLOITATION OF STARS'
MISCONDUCT

Hailing its action as "a new move to strengthen the film
industry's voluntary and long-established system of self'
regulation," the board of directors of the Motion Picture
Association of America announced on Wednesday of this
week that, by unanimous vote, it had amended the Asso-
ciation's code of ethics for motion picture advertising to
ban the use of advertising that exploits the misconduct of
screen personalities.

The new section 14 added to the Advertising Code, the
provisions of which apply to pressbooks, newspaper, maga-
zine and trade paper advertising, publicity material, trailers,
posters, lobby displays and all other outdoor displays, nov-
elty distribution, radio copy and every form of motion
picture exploitation, is as follows:

"No text or illustration shall be used which capitalizes,
directly or by implication, upon misconduct of a person
connected with a motion picture thus advertised."

To administer and carry out the provisions of this new
section, the following, identified as the new section 5 of the
Regulations for the Administration of the Advertising Code,
was adopted also :

"After advertising for a motion picture shall have been
approved by the Advertising Code Administration, if cir-
cumstances arise, either before or after the picture's release,
which in the judgment of the Administrator seems to re-
quire the withdrawal of all, or any portion of such previously
approved advertising, then, after consultation with the
Advertising Advisory Council, he shall immediately file a
written report with the President and Secretary of the
Association (a) setting forth the situation existing at the
time such prior approval was granted for such advertising,
(b) reciting the intervening circumstances with resultant
changes in the situation, (c) listing the reasons why in the
opinion of the Administrator all or a designated portion
of the advertising previously approved should be withdrawn
and (d) certifying that if such advertising were then being
presented to him for the first time, it would not be approved
by him under the Advertising Code for stated reasons.

"If the President of the Association (or a Vice-President
of the Association in the absence of the President), upon
receipt of such report from the Advertising Code Adminis-
tration, is of the opinion that the situation presented is
sufficiently serious to justify consideration by the Board of
Directors, the Secretary of the Association shall be in-
structed to call an emergency meeting of the Board, at which
meeting the Board shall sit as a Board of Appeal with ade-
quate opportunity for the producer and/or distributor of
the motion picture to appear in person or through a duly
authorized representative and present reasons orally or in
writing, or both, as to why the prior approval of the adver-
tising should be affirmed, and with adequate opportunity
for the Administrator of the Advertising Code to appear
and present reasons, either orally or in writing, or both, as
to why in his judgment all or a designated portion of such
previously approved advertising should be withdrawn.

"Thereafter, the Board, meeting in executive session with
the producer and/or the distributor of the picture not
voting, shall determine by vote of a majority of the Direc-
tors present and voting, whether all or any portion of the
previously approved advertising shall be withheld from use
and/or withdrawn, and such action of the Board of Directors
shall be final and binding upon the producer and/or the
distributor of said film.

"When any previously approved advertising for a motion
picture is withdrawn pursuant to action of the Board here-
under, the company withdrawing same shall be reimbursed
the unrecoverable portion of its out-of-pocket expenditures
for 6uch advertising to the extent deemed equitable and
proper under all the circumstances by the Board. The amount
of such reimbursement shall be prorated among all members
of the Association including the company affected on the
same basis as dues to the Association are currently paid.

"If neither the producer nor the distributor of said film
is a member of the Association, then the non-member with-
drawing same shall be reimbursed the unrecoverable portion
of its out-of-pocket expenditures to the extent deemed
equitable and proper under all the circumstances by the
board."

In adopting the new section to the code and the accom-
panying regulations to administer and carry out its provi-
sions, the Board adopted also a statement of policy reaffirm-
ing the Association's adherence to the Advertising Code and
calling upon all in the industry to join in faithful observance
of the Code's spirit and letter.

The MPAA's action in banning the use of advertising
that exploits the misconduct of screen personalities is
indeed commendable, for it recognizes the industry's moral
obligation to the public through a system of self -regulation.

Equally commendable is the method adopted to withdraw
approved advertising in the event of a changed situation, to
be accomplished in a manner that will not work a financial
hardship on the producing-distributing company which,
through no fault of its own, falls victim to the scandalous
shenanigans of an irresponsible player who had a part in the
picture. The necessity of enforcing this rule will probably
be rare, but there is always the possibility that the need for
it will arise and there is no harm in being prepared to
meet it.

The important thing, however, is that the Advertising
Code Administration, in passing on the advertising and
exploitation material submitted by the producer-distribu-
tors, demand strict observance of the Code's spirit and letter.
The MPAA's statement of policy reaffirming adherence to
the Code notwithstanding, the fact remains that throughout
the years, ever since the Code was formulated in 1930,
Harrison's Reports has repeatedly brought to the atten-
tion of its readers numerous instances in which film ad copy
has been, not only false and misleading, but also very daring,
stressing the sex angle to attract people to the theatre — all
in violation of the Advertising Code's provisions.

If this newest amendment to the Advertising Code is to
mean anything, those who administer it must take a more
definite stand than they have in the past in rejecting ma-
terial that either violates the Code without question or
attempts to skirt it subtley. Not until the Advertising Code
Administration takes such a positive stand with the pro-
ducers and distributors and penalizes the offenders in
accordance with the Code's provisions will the entire Code,
in fact, win a greater measure of public acceptance.

ORDER YOUR MISSING COPIES

Now and then your copy of Harrison's Reports is lost
in the mails, but you don't know that it is missing until you
look up for some information you want. In such a case you
are greatly inconvenienced.

Why not look over your files now to find out whether a
copy of an issue or two issues is missing? A sufficient number
of copies for each issue is kept in stock for such an emergency.
All such copies are furnished to subscribers free of charge.

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JULY 1, 1950 No. 26

TAX FIGHT NEARING ITS CLIMAX

Reports pouring into the office of Abram F. Myers, chair'
man of the COMPO tax committee, indicate that the entire
industry has been spurred into renewed activity against the
20% admission tax by the fact that relief from this burden is
now nearer than at any time since the fight began months
ago* <(»-/.; tottrfM ,3,' _ r

"A great wave of interest and renewed activity has swept
the industry," says Mr. Myers, "and we need every ounce
of this energy and enthusiasm if we are to come out with
complete victory. Now is the time to get excited and make
that final push for complete repeal!"

With the tax reduction bill voted out of committee and
brought before the House of Representatives this week, its
passage by that body was expected by the week-end. This
bill includes a cut in the admission tax from 20% to 10%.
The bill will then be rushed to the Senate Finance Com'
mittee for its consideration. "There," says Mr. Myers, "the
last-ditch fight must be made for revision of the House bill
so that it will include not a reduction but complete elimina-
tion of the back-breaking 20% tax. This goal is not impos-
sible; it is near enough to justify every man and woman in
the business, who wants to protect his or her job or invest-
ment, to communicate with Senators and urge others to do
likewise."

Expressing amazement at the "avalanche" of response he
has received from his last message to the field, Mr. Myers
said that "it is positively inspiring to get back such en-
thusiastic letters saying that lines are being reformed, fences
patched and the field organization ready to swing back into
action after the several months delay while the House was
considering the bill."

He reported that, on the distributor level, Andy W.
Smith, Jr., chairman of the tax committee's distributor divi-
sion, had dispatched telegrams to all area chairmen urging
immediate action towards securing total repeal from the
Senate Finance Committee before it hurries the bill to the
floor of the Senate for a vote. At the exhibition level,
Mr. Myers reported that many circuits have already gone
into action, with all managers writing or wiring their Sena-
tors to help save their jobs. Connecticut exhibitors report
the full support of the state Federation of Labor (AFL).
Loew's Theatres are pinpointing their letter-writing and
personal-contact efforts on the Senators from each state in
which there are Loew theatres. Warners is doing likewise.
Executives of circuits and producer Home Offices are making
personal-letter appeals to Senators.

Richard Walsh, head of the IATSE, continuing the
support of the theatre unions in the tax fight, is asking his
locals for renewed efforts.

Exhibitor associations in New York and New Jersey,
their hopes rising high, are asking Ned Depinet, president of
COMPO, to create an immediate, special "task force" com-
mittee to map out a great nation-wide "T-Day— Go to the
Movies Week" celebration to publicize the day when the
tax will be lifted from the back of the box-office and provide
the "medicine" the business needs. It is proposed that a
group of the industry's top promotion minds be drafted to
create this industry-wide promotional celebration.

"I still hope that on that happy T-Day we'll be able to
shout that movie tickets now cost 20% less!" commented

Mr. Myers, "and start a great march back to the box-offices
of the land."

With the tax bill about to go before the Senate Finance
Committee, the climax of the industry's tax battle is at hand
and not a moment must be lost in a final effort to impress
the Senate with the industry's plight. Now, not tomorrow,
is the time for every exhibitor and all his employees to write
to their Senators pointing out that nothing less than total
repeal of the admission tax will save their investments and
jobs.

ANOTHER FINE JOB OF PUBLIC
RELATIONS AND EXPLOITATION

One of the finest examples of building public relations
and good will for a major company and a producer, as well
as for the entire industry, took place this week in Las Vegas,
Nevada, where Paramount brought one hundred and fifty
top newspaper, magazine and radio representatives to the
world premiere of the Hal Wallis production "My Friend
Irma Goes West."

Everyone concerned with the two-day celebration went
all-out to make it a memorable event. Backed by the out-
standing cooperation of civic groups and local business men,
civic officials and the Chamber of Commerce extended them-
selves to the limit to make the visitors welcome, and not a
stone was left unturned by the hard-working Paramount
publicity and exploitation staff to make the celebration an
event that will have beneficial effects on the "Irma" play-
dates for months to come.

The local newspapers put out special editions hailing the
premiere, and millions of words were filed to the nation's
press and overseas papers, not only reporting the events, but
also interpreting them in terms of good will for the entire
motion picture industry.

This kind of fanfare, in which a motion picture company
and civic bodies combine to promote a film with all the color,
glamour and skill at their command, certainly pays off at the
box-office for all exhibitors who play a picture that receives
such handling.

THE NEW THEATRE TELEVISION
ORGANIZATION

An important move to unify the exhibitors on the
problems that confront the development of theatre tele-
vision was taken last week in New York when prominent
exhibitors from all parts of the country, representing some
3,000 theatres, attended a meeting initiated by S. H. Fabian,
head of Fabian Theatres, and Leonard H. Goldcnson, presi-
dent of United Paramount Theatres, and completed plans
for formalizing the organization of a National Exhibitors
Theatre Television Committee.

Frank C. Walker, head of the Comerford Theatres and
former Postmaster-General, was elected as Organizing Chair-
man, and Mr. Fabian, as Treasurer.

All exhibitors, large and small, who are interested in the
future of theatre television, will be invited to join the
organization, which will be incorporated in Washington,
D. C, within the next week.

The purpose of the new organization, according to the
announcement, is to conduct research on the application of
television to theatre use, to encourage the development of
theatre television and to consider ways and means to use
(Continued on bac\ page)

102

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 1, 1950

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" with
Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney

(20th Century-Fox, July; time, 95 min.)

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" is one of the most taut
and absorbing crime melodramas produced in many a moon.
Tense, tightly written and swiftly paced, the action grips
one's attention from start to finish as it recounts the dilemma
of a tough New York detective who, censured by his su'
periors for handling hoodlums with force, accidentally kills
one in self defense and then plants false clues to divert
suspicion from himself. The complications that result when
he falls in love with the dead man's estranged wife give the
story some intriguing twists. Dana Andrews comes through
with a first rate portrayal as the detective, and considerable
suspense is maintained, not only by his efforts to hide his
guilt, but also by his relentless pursuit of an underworld
racketeer responsible for another murder. The crisp dialogue
is exceptionally good, and Otto Preminger's shrewd direc-
tion squeezes every ounce of suspense and excitement from
the material at hand: —

Investigating the murder of a wealthy Texan in a floating
crap game operated by Gary Merrill, leader of a gambling
mob, Andrews is told that the man had been killed in a
fight with Craig Stevens, who had disappeared. He learns
also that Stevens and Gene Tierney had steered the victim
to the game. Andrews sets out after Stevens and finds him in
a cheap rooming house, intoxicated. When Stevens attacks
him, Andrews knocks him down, accidentally killing him.
Warned that he would be demoted unless he quit using
force, Andrews becomes panicky, disposes of the body, and
makes it appear as if Stevens had left town. Following
through on his detective work, he contacts Gene and learns
that she is Stevens' estranged wife, and that he had tricked
her into helping to steer the Texan to the game. Her expla-
nation of the fight that took place at the game convinces
Andrews that Merrill and not Stevens had killed the Texan.
In the complicated events that follows, Stevens' body is
fished out of the river, and the police, basing their deduc
tions on circumstantial evidence, pin the murder on Tom
Tully, Gene's father, who had threatened to kill Stevens
unless he stopped molesting Gene. By this time a strong love
had grown up between Gene and Andrews, and he is
hounded by a sense of guilt over her father's plight. Realiz-
ing that he must confess the killing himself in order to save
Tully, Andrew pens a note of confession to his superior
and then sets out to catch Merrill and beat a confession out
of him for the first murder, knowing full well that he was
inviting his own death by the attempt. He succeeds in his
mission and comes out of the ordeal alive. He then frees
Tully by admitting the accidental killing of Stevens. Gene,
understanding his dilemma, forgives him, and the story
closes with the indication that Andrews will be exonerated.

It was produced and directed by Otto Preminger from a
screen play by Ben Hecht, based on a novel by William L.
Stuart.

Unobjectionable morally.

"The Savage Horde" with William Elliott
and Adrian Booth

(Republic, May 22; time, 90 min.)

Above average in production values but offering nothing
unusual, "The Savage Horde" should, nevertheless, find a
fair response in theatres that cater to the Western fans.
The story, dealing mainly with the conflict between big
and small ranchers, is cut from a familiar pattern and the
treatment is routine, but it should satisfy the undiscriminat-
ing followers of Westerns, for it has the customary quota
of gun-fights and hand-to-hand battles, with the inevitable
showdown shooting match at the finish. William Elliott, as
a notorious outlaw who turns to the side of law and order,
makes the character likable and human. The other players
are acceptable in standard characterizations. The picture,
however, offers little that will appeal to picture-goers who
generally shy away from this type of picture:—

Elliott, a notorious outlaw wanted for the killing of a
U. S. Cavalry captain, rides into the Utah Territory to see
Adrian Booth, his sweetheart, who operated a restaurant.
Arriving in town, Elliott finds that Grant Withers, a
wealthy ranch owner, aided by Bob Steele and Roy Barcroft,
his gunmen, is making an organized grab of all the small
ranches in the district through his powers over Will Wright,
the local judge, a weakling. Elliott, assuming another iden-
tity, becomes partners with Noah Beery, a small rancher,
and organizes the other small ranchers to defy Withers. A
ranch war develops with ensuing killings and cattle stam-
pedes, reaching its climax when Withers, discovering Elli-
ott's true identity, captures him and turns him over to the
Cavalry. With Elliott out of the way, Withers and his
gunmen corner the ranchers in a small building and open
fire on them to make them give in to their demands. Just
as the ranchers are about to surrender, Elliott, having
escaped from the Cavalry, rides into town and kills Withers
and his henchmen in a blaze of gunfire. He then surrenders
himself, and the authorities indicate that his plea of self-
defense on the murder charge will be accepted.

It was produced and directed by Joseph Kane from a
screen play by Kenneth Garnet, based on a story by Thames
Williamson and Gerald Geraghty.

Suitable for the family.

"Destination Moon" with John Archer,
Warren Anderson and Tom Powers

(Eagle-Lion, August; time, 90 min.)

Eagle-Lion has an exceptionally fine exploitation picture
in "Destination Moon," a fascinating Technicolor produc-
tion dealing with a trip to the moon in a huge interplanetary
space ship. Although the theme is fanciful, it has been pro-
duced with such skill and imagination that it becomes real-
istic and makes one feel as if he had gone along on the trip.
What helps to make the picture intriguing is a clever car-
toon sequence which, in simplified terms, explains the theory
of space travel by a rocketship powered by atomic energy.
With this knowledge, the spectator is given a better under-
standing and appreciation of the problems that must be
overcome to enable the ship to pull away from the Earth's
gravity and hurtle into outer space where, according to
scientists, there is no air, no wind and no gravity.

The first half-hour of the picture concerns itself with the
initial failures of an Army general and an atomic physicist
in their efforts to perfect a space ship, and their eventual
success in persuading a group of industrial tycoons to finance
an expedition to the moon in a rocketship powered by
atomic engines. This part of the story is pretty feeble in
spots, but once the ship is prepared to be launched with
four men aboard the action becomes tensely exciting. The
deafening roar as the gigantic silver tube rises from its base
at the speed of seven miles per second; the distortion of the
facial features of the four men in the control cabin as
acceleration increases rapidly; the weirdness of finding
themselves floating in outer space within a period of four
minutes, with the Earth, a huge ball, visible through a port-
hole; the terrifying experience when, halfway to the Moon,
the men, dressed in electrically-heated, pressurized suits,
venture onto the outside of the ship to repair a radar antenna
and one man slips off and begins to float in space in an
orbit of his own; his rescue from space by means of the jet
propulsion supplied by an oxygen tank; the landing on the
moon by pointing the ship's nose upwards and backing
down against the pressure of the jet-propelled engines; the
barren landscape they find on the Moon; stripping the ship
of every possible ounce of extra weight so that it might take
off and break out of the Moon's pull of gravity for the
return trip to the Earth — all this and considerable more
scientific phenomena are depicted in a manner that is highly
imaginative and profoundly impressive. The colorful and
weird pictorial effects of this fanciful expedition to the
Moon are alone worth the price of admission.

It was produced by George Pal and directed by Irving
Pichel from a screen play by Rip Van Ronkel, R. A. Heinlen
and James O'Hanlon, based on a novel by Mr. Heinlen.

Very good for all types of audiences.

July 1, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

103

"The Furies" with Barbara Stanwyck,
Wendell Corey and Walter Huston

(Paramount, August; time, 109 min.)
This western type drama is good from the production
point of view, but it is only moderately interesting as enter-
tainment. Not only is the story not unusual, but it is long
drawn out, overloaded with unnecessary scenes, and lacks
a convincing dramatic punch. More attention has been paid
to characterization than to plot development, with the result
that the action lags most of the time. Besides, there is too
much talk. The story itself is unpleasant and somber, and
there is hardly any human interest, for most of the charac-
ters are unprincipled and devoid of sympathy. The picture
has its moments of suspense and excitement, but on the
whole it will prove dull going, particularly to the action
fans: —

In the development of the episodic story, Walter Huston
is shown as the despotic, scheming head of a cattle empire
in the New Mexican Territory of 1899, who ruled every-
thing with an iron hand accept Barbara Stanwyck, his high-
spirited daughter, whom he adored and who was slated to
inherit the dynasty. Opposed to Huston is Gilbert Roland,
head of a family of Mexican squatters, who claimed a right
to the land and was not evicted because of Barbara's friend-
ship for him. Opposition comes also from Wendell Corey, a
self-assured young gambler, who despised Huston because
he had cheated his father out of land years previously.
Barbara defies her father by falling in love with Corey, only
to be disillusioned when Corey accepts $50,000 from Huston
not to marry her. Her bitterness increases when her father,
a widower, takes up with Judith Anderson, a worldly widow,
who craftily engineers him into marriage to gain control of
his vast holdings. Enraged, Barbara disfigures Judith by
cutting her face with a pair of shears. She then rides away
to Roland's stronghold. Huston, furious, lays siege to the
stronghold, captures Roland and, as revenge on Barbara,
hangs him. The hanging turns Barbara's feeling for her
father to bitter hate, and she joins Corey in a bold scheme
to strike back at Huston by taking his cattle empire away
from him. They accomplish this by secretly buying up at a
few cents on the dollar thousands of dollars in worthless
currency that had been issued privately by Huston, using
it to pay for a great herd of cattle they had purchased from
him anonymously. The manipulation forces Huston to turn
over his complete holdings to them and, as he admires his
daughter for her shrewdness, he is shot dead from ambush
by Roland's mother.

It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and directed by An-
thony Mann from a screen play by Charles Schnee, based on
a novel by Niven Busch. The cast includes Thomas Gomez,
Albert Dekker, Beulah Bondi, Wallace Ford and others.

Adult fare.

"If This Be Sin" with Myrna Loy,
Peggy Cummins, Richard Greene
and Roger Livesey

(United Artists, Sept. 8; time, 72 mm.)

A moderately interesting double triangle adult drama.
Produced and released in England under the title, "That
Dangerous Age," the picture has been cut drastically from
its original running time of 98 minutes, but it is apparent
that this cutting has not helped matters, for it remains a
slow-moving, uneven conversational piece of conflicting emo-
tions, revolving around the secret but innocent love affair
between a distinguished lawyer's neglected wife and his
junior partner, who finds new romance with her step-
daughter. The fact that the lawyer discovers that his wife
had been secretly meeting his future son-in-law adds to the
emotional mixup, but the stagey presentation, spotty direc-
tion, and the loosely written characterizations rob the story
of a convincing dramatic punch. Myrna Loy tries to put
feeling into her part, but she seems miscast. Robert Livesey,
as her husband, overacts the part: —

Livesey, a prominent attorney, is so wrapped up in his
work that he takes for granted Myrna Loy, his attractive
second wife. Overwork causes him to suffer an attack of
temporary blindness, and he is ordered to Capri for a rest.

He is accompanied by Myrna and by Peggy Cummins, his
daughter by the first marriage, whom Myrna adored. While
recuperating Livesey tries to recapture the love he had lost
through his neglect of Myrna, and she devotes herself to
him. But he is unable to keep his mind off work, and sends
for Richard Greene, his junior partner. One day, while
reading aloud to Livesey mail he had received from England,
Myrna begins reading an anonymous letter but breaks off
when she discovers that it discloses a secret love affair she
had been having with Greene. Livesey compels her to finish
reading the letter, despite her protests. Although guilty, she
dismisses the accusation as pure nonsense, pointing out that
Greene was in love with Peggy, which was not true. When
Greene arrives, Myrna informs him of the incident and
prevails on him to court Peggy in order to make her story
convincing. Unexpectedly, a true love grows up between
Peggy and Greene and they become engaged. Myrna, though
heartbroken, accepts the situation. Months later, at a party
celebrating his return to London, Livesey learns from his
mischievous sister, who disliked Myrna, that she had written
the anonymous letter and that the accusation was true.
Angered, Livesey humiliates Myrna in front of their guests.
Peggy, now aware of the affair, breaks with Greene. In the
end, however, after much emotional stress, there is a general
reconciliation, with Greene and Peggy departing on a
honeymoon with the blessings of Myrna and Livesey.

It was produced and directed by Gregory Ratoff from a
screen play by Gene Markey, based on a play by Margaret
Kennedy and Dya Surgutchoff. Adult fare.

"Once a Thief" with Cesar Romero
June Havoc and Marie McDonald

(United Artists, July 7; time, 88 min.)
Handicapped by an inadequate script that is as pat and
stereotyped as can be imagined, "Once a Thief" has little
to recommend it. The story, which deals with the downfall
of a pretty waitress when she falls prey to a cheap bookie
who used his charms to fleece working girls, is not only
trite and cliche-ridden but completely unconvincing. The
direction is poor and the acting is no credit to the players.
The picture is best summed up as a tawdry, artificial con-
coction that lacks flavor, consistency, reason and dramatic
suspense. Moreover, it is demoralizing in that it depicts
in specific detail the different techniques of shoplifting: —
Down on her luck in San Francisco, June Havoc, a work-
ing girl, falls in with Iris Adrian, a brassy shoplifter, who
teaches her the tricks of the trade. Almost caught when she
steals a watch, June escapes to Los Angeles, when she finds
a job as a waitress and becomes friendly with Marie Mc-
Donald, another waitress. Romance enters June's life when
she meets Cesar Romero, owner of a dry cleaning shop,
which was actually a front for his small-time bookie opera-
tions. A glib talker, Romero soon leads June to believe that
he is in love with her and will marry her as soon as his
cleaning business begins to operate at a profit. June, to help
him, gives him her life's savings plus some money borrowed
from Marie. But he continues to stall about the wedding
and keeps harping that he needs money. To satisfy his
demands, she teams up again with Iris, but their shoplifting
effort fails when Iris is caught. June manages to escape.
Meanwhile Romero, a sneak thief, steals the watch June
had snatched in San Francisco, and learns that it is "hot"
stuff when he attempts to pawn it. He tips off the police
about June's whereabouts to get out of his promise to marry
her. Arrested and sentenced to a year in prison, June be-
lieves that Iris had "ratted" on her. Romero now switches
his attentions to Marie, and she, too, falls for his charms.
June learning of the affair, deduces that Marie, who knew
of her past, had informed the police so that she might have
a clear field with Romero. Enraged, she breaks out of jail
for the purpose of killing Marie, but she learns the truth
when she meets Lon Chancy, Romero's stooge. She finds
Romero, shoots him dead, and gives up to the police.

It was produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder from a
screen play by Richard S. Conway, based on a story by
Hans Wilhclm and Max Colpet.

Strictly adult fare.

104

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 1, 1950

this medium in the theatres as a public service by making
available theatres during non-operating hours for educa-
tional and social welfare programs and for utilization by
government agencies for instructional and training purposes.

In accepting the post of Organizing Chairman, Mr.
Walker said :

"It is very heartening to me to have exhibitors represent-
ing all types of theatres recognize the potentialities of this
great new medium of communication and to agree upon a
plan for conducting research and making engineering and
other studies to develop theatre television so as to make it
available to every exhibitor throughout the country. I also
am highly pleased that the sponsors of this new organization
are interested not only in the commercial possibilities of the
use of television in the nation's theatres, but also in its
utilization as a public service to the national government
and to the communities which we serve.

"Our national defense officials are fully cognizant of the
excellent use that could be made in an emergency of the
more than 12,000,000 seats in the nation's theatres which,
when theatre television becomes a reality, could be thrown
open at short notice to deliver a visual message, in 3 or 4
sittings, to the entire adult population of the country, the
vast majority of which is within one hour's distance of the
nearest theatre. In time of war, this vast audience also
could be assembled for vital messages from state and local
officials, and the theatres made available for preliminary
training of recruits, disaster workers and countless others
engaged in essential emergency services. I also can envision
our theatres being used for morning television programs on
adult education, teaching citizenship, home-making and
helping the farmer and small business man with their
problems."

Mr. Walker stated that letters explaining the objectives of
the NETTC, with an invitation to join, will be sent to every
theatre in the country.

With large-screen theatre television looked upon by many
in the industry as the means by which this new medium will
be converted into the greatest stimulant the motion picture
business has had since the advent of sound, the formation
of an organization such as the NETTC is a step in the
right direction, for it offers the exhibitors, regardless of
which associations they are affiliated with, an opportunity
to unify their efforts in the development of this art, as well
as in the securing of channels for the exclusive use of
theatres, and in bringing about the manufacture of equip-
ment that will be standardized and sold at a price that will
be within the reach of the average theatre.

The problems confronting the development of theatre
television are many, and to overcome these problems there
is urgent need for exhibitor teamwork. In the matter of
securing channels for theatre television, for example, there
is now a division of opinion among the organized theatre
groups, with some favoring channels in the VHF range
while others want it in the micro-wave range. This division
of opinion may be damaging to the industry as a whole when
the different groups appear at the forthcoming Federal Com'
munication Commission hearings for the allocation of chan-
nels for theatre use. Through the NETTC, however, it may
be possible to secure channels in both ranges without the
exponents of one method hurting the exponents of the
other method.

If theatre television is to provide the industry with the
"shot-in-the-arm" it needs, we must not allow internal dis-
putes to impede its development. The NETTC seems to
offer the exhibitors, large and small alike, an opportunity
to join hands for their mutual protection and benefit.

"Humphrey Takes a Chance" with
Joe Kirkwood, Leon Errol and Tom Neal

(Monogram, June 4; time, 62 min.)

This latest "Joe Palooka" picture has a story that is only
fair, but what will put it over is the pie-throwing scenes,
which occur toward the end. These scenes remind one of the
happy old days of the Mack Sennett, as well as of the
Chaplin, comedies. Even though picture-making has made
great advances since those days pie-throwing still causes

much laughter. The action manages to hold one's interest
fairly tense up to the pie-throwing scenes. Jean Yarbrough's
direction is good, as is usually the case: —

Holding a monopoly on arenas and on top-ranking con-
tenders for the boxing championship, Tom Neal, a pro-
moter, does not allow any worth-while fighter to box Joe
Kirkwood unless Leon Errol, Kirkwood's manager, agrees
to give him a thirty per cent cut. Errol, however, refuses to
be blackmailed. Learning that Errol and Kirkwood were
headed for a small town to spend the weekend with Robert
Coogan, a strong man, and thinking that Errol was going
there to arrange a bout with Coogan, Neal rushes to that
town ahead of them and, with the aid of the town's crooked
Mayor, signs up Coogan. When Kirkwood and Errol arrive,
they are jailed on the ground that they had violated traffic
laws. Learning of the Mayor's crookedness, Errol, now
released, tells Coogan that the only way by which he could
get out of the contract would be to work for the Mayor's
recall. Coogan agrees to run for Mayor. As the recall and
election campaign are launched, Neal's gang moves into
town and, during a picnic given for Coogan, Neal hires a
little girl, actually an actress, to rush to Coogan and call
him "daddy." Coogan's supporters begin to desert him, but
Errol hires the little girl for an appearance at the next picnic,
where she announces that Coogan is not her father. Neal's
gang tries to break up the picnic by throwing pies at the
Coogan supporters, and a free-for-all fight results. The
Coogan element wins, and an honest government is assured
for the little town.

Hal E. Chester produced it, and Jean Yarbrough directed
it, from a screen play by Jeff Anjan, who based it on the
comic strip by Ham Fisher. Eddie Gribbon, Chester Conklin,
Hank Mann and Andrew Tombes are among those in the
supporting cast.

Good for the family. Children in particular should enjoy
the pie-throwing.

"The Lost Volcano" with Johnny Sheffield,
Donald Woods and Marjorie Lord

(Monogram, June 25; time, 76 min.)
Better than any of the previous "Bomba" series pictures,
by reason of the fact that there is considerable human inter-
est, aroused by Tommy Ivo, a youngster about twelve, and
by the fact that the blending of stock shots with real shots
is imperceptible. The spectator is held in tense suspense in
the scenes where the lives of the sympathetic characters are
placed in danger. The eruption of the volcano, causing the
earth to tremble, adds to the thrills. The photography is
good : —

Donald Woods, a zoologist goes to Africa to capture
wild animals. He is accompanied by Marjorie Lord, his wife,
and by Tommy Ivo, their son. In Africa, Woods meets
Grandon Rhodes, an ethnologist, who tells him of a legend
concerning a lost volcano, near which is a half-buried ancient
city and a wealth in jewels. Woods shows only mild interest
in the legend, disbelieving much of it. His son meets Bomba
(Johnny Sheffield), a jungle boy, and from him learns that
there is truth in the legend, but when he attempts to convey
his knowledge to his father his statement is attributed to
vivid imagination. But Elena Verdugo, the family servant,
verifies Tommy's story, for she had seen Bomba. Woods
suggests to his son that he persuade Bomba to visit them,
but Bomba refuses out of fear that he, too, would be cap-
tured and caged like the wild animals he loved. Learning
that Tommy knew where the treasure is buried, two jungle
guides kidnap him with the hope that he will lead them to
the jewels. Bomba, attempting to rescue Tommy, is wounded.
Woods and Rhodes go after the kidnapers and, in a fight,
the guides kill Rhodes. Tommy eventually leads them to the
treasure but they are trapped by the volcano's eruption.
Bomba, heading a rescue party, finds Tommy and leads him
to safety. The kidnapers, however, become victims of their
greed; in remaining behind to take away some of the
treasure, they are engulfed by the flowing lava.

It was produced by Walter Mirisch and directed by
Ford Beebe, who wrote the screen play, based upon the
characters created by Roy Rockwood in the "Bomba" books.

Good for the family.

IN TWO SECTIONS — SECTION TWO

HARRISON'S REPORTS

Vol. XXXII

NEW YORK, N. Y., SATURDAY, JULY 1, 1950

No. 26

(Semi-Annual Index— First Half of 1950)

Titles of Pictures Reviewed on Page

Admiral Was a Lady, The — United Artists (87 min.) . . 75

Annie Get Your Gun — MGM (107 min.) 58

Arizona Cowboy, The — Republic (67 min.) . .not reviewed

Armored Car Robbery— RKO (68 min.) 91

Asphalt Jungle, The— MGM (112 min.) 70

Astonished Heart, The — Univ.-Int'l (92 min.) 26

Avengers, The — Republic (90 min.) 96

Backfire — Warner Bros. (91 min.) 10

Barricade — Warner Bros. (75 min.) 38

Beauty on Parade — Columbia (67 min.) 46

Belle of Old Mexico— Republic (70 min.) 15

Beware of Blondie — Columbia (66 min.) 56

Beyond the Purple Hills —

Columbia (70 min.) not reviewed

Big Hangover, The — MGM (82 min.) 43

Big Lift, The— 20th Century-Fox (120 min.) 59

Black Hand— MGM (93 min.) 11

Blonde Bandit, The — Republic (60 min.) 2

Blonde Dynamite — Monogram (66 min.) 34

Blondie's Hero — Columbia (60 min.) 4

Blue Grass of Kentucky — Monogram (72 min.) 10

Blue Lamp, The — Eagle-Lion (84 min.) 87

Borderline — Univ.-Int'l (88 min.) 6

Boy from Indiana — Eagle-Lion (66 min.) 52

Bright Leaf — Warner Bros. ( 1 10 min.) 83

Broken Arrow — 20th Century-Fox (93 min.) 94

Buccaneer's Girl — Univ.-Int'l (77 min.) 34

Caged — Warner Bros. (96 min.) 71

Captain Carey, U.S.A. — Paramount (83 min.) 31

Captive Girl — Columbia (74 min.) 63

Capture, The— RKO (91 min.) 54

Cargo to Capetown — Columbia (80 min.) 55

Chain Lightning — Warner Bros. (94 min.) 18

Champagne for Caesar — United Artists (99 min.) 23

Cheaper by the Dozen — 20th Century-Fox (85 min.) . . 50
Code of the Silver Sage — Republic (60 m.) . . .not reviewed

Colt .4 5 — Warner Bros. (74 min.) 71

Comanche Territory — Univ.-Int'l (76 min.) 55

Congolaise — Film Classics (68 min.) 74

Conspirator — MGM (87 min.) 23

Covered Wagon Raid — Republic (60 min.) .. not reviewed

Cowtown — Columbia (70 min.) not reviewed

Crisis— MGM (96 min.) 99

Cry Murder — Film Classics (63 min.) 24

Curtain Call at Cactus Creek — Univ.-Int'l (86 min.) . . 88

Customs Agent — Columbia (72 min.) 62

Dakota Lil — 20th Century-Fox (88 min.) 15

Damned Don't Cry, The — Paramount (103 min.).... 54
David Harding, Counterspy — Columbia (71 min.) .... 84
Davy Crockett, Indian Scout — United Artists (71 min.). 7
Daughter of Rosie O'Grady, The — 20th Century-Fox

(104 min.) 51

Destination Big House — Republic (60 min.) 90

Destination Murder — RKO (72 min.) 92

Devil's Doorway — MGM (84 min.) 78

Duchess of Idaho — MGM (98 min.) 95

Dynamite Pass — RKO (61 min.) not reviewed

Eagle if the Hawk, The — Paramount (104 min.) 23

Everybody's Dancin' — Lippert (65 min.) 60

Father is a Bachelor — Columbia (84 min.) 22

Father Makes Good — Monogram (61 min.) 83

Father of the Bride— MGM (92 min.) 75

Faust and the Devil — Columbia (87 min.) 72

Federal Agent at Large — Republic (60 min.) 47

Fence Riders — Monogram (57 min.) not reviewed

50 Years Before Your Eyes — Warner Bros. (70 min.) . . 99

Fighting Stallion, The — Eagle-Lion (63 min.) 70

Flame and the Arrow, The — Warner Bros. (88 min.) . . 98

Flying Saucer, The — Film Classics (69 min.) 11

Forbidden Jungle — Eagle-Lion (67 min.) 71

Fortunes of Captain Blood — Columbia (91 min.) 80

Four Days Leave — Film Classics (98 min.) 52

Gay Lady, The — Eagle-Lion (95 min.) 10

Glass Mountain, The — Eagle-Lion (97 min.) 4

Golden Gloves Story, The — Eagle-Lion (76 min.) .... 66

Golden Twenties, The— RKO (68 min.) 46

Good Humor Man, The — Columbia (80 min.) 88

Good Time Girl — Film Classics (81 min.) 82

Great Jewel Robbery, The — Warner Bros. (91 min.).. 94
Great Plane Robbery, The — United Artists (61 min.) . . 39

Great Rupert, The — Eagle-Lion (86 min.) 2

Guilty Bystander — Film Classics (92 min.) 26

Gun Crazy — United Artists (see

"Deadly is the Female") 1949 179

Gunfighter, The — 20th Century-Fox (84 min.) 66

Gun Man of Abilene — Republic (60 min.) . . .not reviewed

Gun Slingers — Monogram (55 min.) not reviewed

Happy Years, The— MGM (110 min.) 82

Harbor of Missing Men — Republic (60 min.) 62

Her Wonderful Lie — Columbia (86 min.) 87

Hills of Oklahoma — Republic (67 min.) ... .not reviewed

Hoedown — Columbia (64 min.) 20

Hollywood Varieties — Lippert (60 min.) 4

House by the River — Republic (88 min.) 51

In a Lonely Place — Columbia (94 min.) 79

Iroquois Trail, The — United Artists (85 min.) 92

It's a Small World — Eagle-Lion (68 min.) 88

I Was a Shoplifter — Univ.-Int'l (74 min.) 58

Jackie Robinson Story, The — Eagle-Lion (76 min.).. 79

Jiggs ii Maggie Out West — Monogram (66 min.) 49

Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey — Monogram (65 min.). .20

Johnny One-Eye — United Artists (78 min.) 94

Key to the City — MGM (99 min.) 15

Kid from Texas, The — Univ.-Int'l (78 min.) 30

Killer Shark — Monogram (76 min.) 52

Kill or Be Killed — Eagle-Lion (66 min.) 98

Kill the Umpire — Columbia (78 min.) 66

Kind Hearts H Coronets — Eagle-Lion (101 min.) .... 74

Lawless, The — Paramount (83 min.) 54

Louisa — Univ.-Int'l (90 min.) 86

Love That Brute — 20th Century-Fox (85 min.) 74

Lucky Losers — Monogram (70 min.) 87

Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town — Univ.-Int'l (79 min.) . . 50

Mark of the Gorilla — Columbia (68 min.) 11

Men, The — United Artists (85 min.) 82

Messenger of Peace — Astor Pictures (87 min.) 56

Military Academy — Columbia (65 min.) 67

Modern Marriage, A — Monogram (66 min.) 59

Montana — Warner Bros. (76 min.) 2

Mother Didn't Tell Me — 20th Century-Fox (88 min.) . . 18

Motor Patrol — Lippert (67 min.) 76

Mule Train — Columbia (70 min.) not reviewed

My Friend Irma Goes West — Paramount (91 min.). . . 86

Mystery at the Burlesque — Monogram (59 min.) 64

Mystery Street — MGM (93 min.) 78

Nancy Goes to Rio — MGM (99 min.) 18

Nevadan, The — Columbia (81 min.) 7

Never Fear — Eagle-Lion (81 min.) 7

Next Voice You Hear, The — MGM (82 min.) 90

Night and the City — 20th Century-Fox (95 min.) 83

No Man of Her Own — Paramount (98 min.) 31

No Sad Songs for Me — Columbia (89 min.) 58

One Way Street — Univ.-Int'l (79 min.) 59

Operation Haylift — Lippert (73 min.) 63

Over the Border — Monogram (58 min.) not reviewed

Our Very Own— RKO (93 min.) 46

Outcast of Black Mesa — Columbia (54 min.) . not reviewed

Outriders, The— MGM (93 min.) 38

Outside the Wall — Univ.-Int'l (80 min.) 19

Palomino, The — Columbia (75 min.) 20

Panic in the Streets — 20th Century-Fox (91 min.)... 94

Peggy — Univ.-Int'l (77 min.) 95

Perfect Strangers — Warner Bros. (88 min.) 35

Perfect Woman, The — Eagle-Lion (87 min.) 70

Please Believe Me — MGM (86 min.) 39

Quicksand — United Artists (79 min.) 34

Rapture — Film Classics (80 min.) 56

Reformer and the Redhead, The — MGM (90 min.) 39

9}i}sP HARRISON'S REPORTS Index -- First Half of 1950, Page B

Return of the Frontiersman — Warner Bros. (74 min.) . 78

Riding High — Paramount ( 1 12 min.) 6

Rocketship XM — Lippert (78 min.) 72

Rocking Horse Winner, The — Univ.-Int'l (91 min.).. 90

Rock Island Trail— Republic (90 min.) 72

Rogues of Sherwood Forest — Columbia (80 min.) .... 96

Run for Your Money, A — Univ.-Int'l (83 min.) 56

Salt Lake Raiders — Republic (60 min.) not reviewed

Salt to the Devil — Eagle-Lion

(see "Give Us This Day") 1949 202

Sarumba — Eagle-Lion (64 min.) 47

Secret Fury, The— RKO (86 min.) 67

Shadow on the Wall— MGM (84 min.) 38

Sideshow — Monogram (67 min.) 96

Sierra — Univ.-Int'l (83 min.) 67

Singing Guns — Republic (91 min.) 42

Six Gun Mesa — Monogram (57 min.) not reviewed

Skipper Surprised His Wife— MGM (85 min.) 75

So Young, So Bad — United Artists (88 min.) 86

South Sea Sinner — Univ.-Int'l (88 min.) 3

Spy Hunt— Univ.-Int'l (75 min.) 91

Square Dance Katy — Monogram (76 min.) 80

Stage Fright — Warner Bros. (110 min.) 30

Stars in My Crown— MGM (89 min.) 35

State Penitentiary — Columbia (66 min.) 80

Storm Over Wyoming — RKO (60 min.) . . . .not reviewed

Stromboli— RKO (81 min.) 26

Sundowners, The — Eagle-Lion (83 min.) 6

Sunset Boulevard — Paramount ( 1 10 min.) 63

Tarnished — Republic (60 min.) 42

Tarzan and the Slave Girl— RKO (74 min.) 43

Tattooed Stranger, The— RKO (64 min.) 19

Texas Dynamo — Columbia (54 min.) not reviewed

Third Man, The— Selznick Rel. Org. (104 min.) 19

This Side of the Law — Warner Bros. (74 min.) 87

Three Came Home — 20th Century-Fox (106 min.) 22

Ticket to Tomahawk, A — 20th Century-Fox (90 min.) . 62

Torch, The— Eagle-Lion (83 min.) 76

Trail of the Rustlers —

Columbia (55 min.) not reviewed

Treasure Island— RKO (96 min.) 99

Trigger, Jr. — Republic (68 min.) not reviewed

Twilight in the Sierras — Republic (67 m.) . . . .not reviewed

Tyrant of the Sea — Columbia (70 min.) 47

Under My Skin — 20th Century-Fox (86 min.) 43

Underworld Story, The — United Artists (89 min.)

(reviewed as "The Whipped") 50

Unmasked — Republic (60 min.) 22

Wabash Avenue — 20th Century-Fox (92 min.) 51

Wagonmaster — RKO (86 min.) 55

Western Pacific Agent — Lippert (65 min.) 48

West of Wyoming — Monogram (57 min.) .. .not reviewed
When Willie Comes Marching Home —

20th Century-Fox (82 min.) 3

Where Danger Lives— RKO (84 min.) 98

Whipped, The — United Artists (89 min.) 50

White Tower, The— RKO (98 min.) 95

Winchester '73 — Univ.-Int'l (92 min.) 91

Winslow Boy, The — Eagle-Lion (97 min.) 42

Woman of Distinction, A — Columbia (85 min.) 35

Woman on Pier 13 — RKO (72 min.) (reviewed as

"I Married a Communist") 1949 154

Women from Headquarters — Republic (60 min.) .... 74
Vanishing Westerner — Republic (60 min.). . .not reviewed

Vicious Years, The — Film Classics (79 min.) 30

Yellow Cab Man, The— MGM (85 min.) 27

Young Daniel Boone — Monogram (71 min.) 36

Young Man With a Horn — Warner Bros. (112 min.) . .24

RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR FEATURES
Allied Artists Features

(1560 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)
(Distribution through Monogram)
16 There'a a Girl in My Heart — Knox-Bowman-Jean. .Jan.

Columbia Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

241 Frightened City — Keyes-Korvin-Bishop May

235 Kill the Umpire — Bendix-Merkel May

245 Cowtown — Gene Autry (70 m.) May

238 No Sad Songs for Me — Sullavan-Corey May

203 Beauty on Parade — Hutton-Warrick May 4

204 Customs Agent — Eythe-Reynolds May 18

237 The Good Humor Man — Carson- Albright June

233 Fortunes of Captain Blood — Hay ward June

251 Hoedown — Eddy Arnold June

266 Texas Dynamo — Charles Starrett (54 m.) . . . .June 1
202 State Penitentiary — Baxter-Stevens June 8

243 Rogues of Sherwood Forest — Derek-Lynn July

711 Ocean Drive — O'Brien-Dru July

247 Beyond the Purple Hills — Gene Autry (70 m.)..July

240 Captive Girl — Johnny Weissmuller July

220 David Harding, Counterspy — St. John-Long. .July 13

Eagle-Lion Features

(165 West 46th St., Hew York 19, H- T.)

031 Kind Hearts £# Coronets — British cast Apr.

029 Kill or be Killed — Tierney-Colouris Apr.

015 The Perfect Woman — British cast Apr.

032 The Jackie Robinson Story — Robinson May

027 The Winslow Boy — Donat-Hardwicke May

107 The Fallen Idol — Richardson-Morgan May

012 The Glass Mountain — Cortesa-Denison May

056 Twin Beds — reissue May

057 Getting Gertie's Garter — reissue May

025 The Torch — Goddard-Armendariz June

Eye Witness — Montgomery-Banks June

High Lonesome — Barrymore- Wills June

Timber Fury — Bruce-Lee June

030 It's a Small World— Dale-Miller June

The Blue Lamp — British cast June

The Sun Sets at Dawn — Reed-Parr July

Golden Salamander — British cast July

Naughty Arlette — British cast July

055 Up in Mabel's Room — reissue July

054 Tillie's Punctured Romance — reissue July

058 Abroad with Two Yanks — reissue July

026 Destination Moon — Archer- Anderson Aug.

Film Classics Features

(1501 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 18, H- T.)

Good Time Girl — British cast May 11

Sudan — reissue June 1

Arabian Nights — reissue June 1

One Night in the Tropics — reissue June 15

Naughty Nineties — reissue June 15

Captain Kidd — reissue June 30

The Bridge of San Luis Rey — reissue June 30

The Wind is My Lover — Linfors-Kent not set

Lippert-Screen Guild Features

(25 5 Hyde St., San Francisco 2, Calif.)

4930 West of the Brazos — Ellison-Hayden Apr. 28

4910 Operation Haylift — Williams-Rutherford ...May 5

4925 Colorado Ranger — Ellison-Hayden May 12

4904 Rocketship XM — Bridges-O'Brian June 2

4926 Crooked River — Ellison-Hayden June 9

4923 Motor Patrol — Castle-O'Brian June 16

4929 Fast on the Draw — Ellison-Hayden June 30

4920 Hijacked — Davis-Jones July 14

4931 I Shot Billy the Kid— Barry-Neal Aug. 4

4911 Holiday Rhythm — All-star cast Aug. 18

4933 Border Rogers — Barry-Neal Sept. 1

4907 Return of Jesse James — Ireland-Dvorak .... Sept. 8

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Features

(1540 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

25 The Reformer ii the Redhead — Powell- Allyson. . .May

26 Please Believe Me — Kerr-Walker-Lawford May

27 Shadow on the Wall — Sothern-Scott May

28 The Big Hangover — Johnson-Taylor May

30 Father of the Bride — Tracy-Bennett-Taylor June

31 Skipper Surprised His Wife — Walker-Leslie June

29 The Asphalt Jungle — Hayden-Hagen June

32 The Happy Years — Stockwell-Hickman July

33 Duchess of Idaho — Williams-Johnson July

41 Crisis — Grant-Ferrer July

35 Mystery Street — Montalban-Forrest July

36 Three Little Words — Astaire-Skelton-Ellen Aug.

38 The Miniver Story — Garson-Pidgeon Aug.

37 Lady Without Passport — Lamar-Hodiak Aug.

34 Devil's Doorway — Robert Taylor not set

39 Annie Get Your Gun — Hutton-Keel not set

40 Stars in My Crown — McCrea-Drew not set

Monogram Features

(630 Ninth Ave.. Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

4917 Father Makes Good— Walburn May 7

4914 Lucky Losers — Bowery Boys May 14

4912 Humphrey Takes a Chance — Kirkwood June 4

4924 Side Show — McGuire-Roberts June 18

4905 Bomba and the Lost Volcano — Sheffield . . . .June 25

4942 Arizona Territory — Whip Wilson July 2

4923 The Silk Noose — Carole Landis (formerly

"The Silk Stocking Murder") July 9

4919 Snow Dog — Kirby Grant July 16

4903 County Fair — Calhoun-Nigh July 30

7///SP HARRISON'S REPORTS Index -- First Half of 1950, Page C

4953 Massacre Valley — J.M.Brown Aug. 6

4915 Triple Trouble — Bowery Boys Aug. 13

4943 Silver Raiders — Whip Wilson Aug. 20

4908 Tall Timber— McDowall-Donnell Sept. 3

4906 Bomba and the Hidden City — Sheffield Sept. 24

Paramount Features

(1501 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 18, H- Y.)
4919 No Man of Her Own — Stanwyck-Lund May

4916 Eagle if the Hawk — Payne-Fleming-O'Keefe . . .June

4922 My Friend Irma Goes West — Wilson-Lynn . . . .July

4923 The Lawless — Carey-Russell July

4926 The Furies — Stanwyck-Huston Aug.

4927 Sunset Boulevard — Swanson-Holden Aug.

RKO Features

(1250 Sixth Ave., Hew Yor\ 20, H- Y.)
(No national release dates)

017 Woman on Pier 13 — Day-Ryan

(formerly "I Married a Communist")

069 Man on the Eiffel Tower — Tone-Laughton .

070 Stromboli — Ingrid Bergman

019 Storm Over Wyoming — Tim Holt (60 m.).

018 The Tattooed Stranger — Miles- White

020 Tarzan and the Slave Girl — Barker-Darcel .

073 The Capture — Wright-Ay res

074 Wagonmaster — Johnson-Drew

022 Dynamite Pass — Tim Holt (61 m.)

021 The Golden Twenties — Documentary

075 The Secret Fury— Colbert-Ryan

.023 The White Tower— Ford- Valli

Where Danger Lives — Mitchum-Domergue

Born to be Bad — Fontaine-Ryan

Treasure Island — Driscoll-Newton

Our Very Own — Blyth-Granger-Evans
Edge of Doom — Andrews-Granger-Evans . .

Republic Features

(1790 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 19, H- Y.)
4961 The Arizona Cowboy — Rex Allen (67 m.) ..Apr. 1

4916 Woman from Headquarters —

Huston-Rockwell May 1

4952 Hills of Oklahoma— Rex Allen (67 m.) May 1

4964 Salt Lake Raiders — Lane (60 m.) May 1

4914 Rock Island Trail — Tucker-Mara May 18

4917 The Savage Horde— Elliott-Booth May 22

4918 Destination Big House — Patrick-Rockwell ..June 1

4920 The Avengers — Carroll-Mara June 26

4945 Trigger, Jr. — Roy Rogers (68 m.) June 30

4965 Covered Wagon Raid — Lane (60 m.) June 30

4921 Trial Without Jury— Rockwell-Taylor July 8

The Old Frontier — Monty Hale July 15

Jungle Stampede — Documentary July 29

Surrender — Ralston-Carroll July 31

Redwood Forest Trail — Rex Allen Aug. 1

Selznick Rel. Org. Features

(400 Madison Ave., Hew Yor\ 17, H- Y.)

The Fallen Idol — British cast Nov.

The Third Man— Welles-Valli-Cotten Feb.

Twentieth Century-Fox Features

(444 W. 56th St., Hew Yor\ 19, H- Y.)

012 The Big Lift— Clift-Douglas May

011 A Ticket to Tomahawk — Baxter-Dailey May

013 Night and the City — Tierney-Widmark June

016 Love That Brute — Douglas-Peters June

015 The Gunfighter — Gregory Peck July

017 Where the Sidewalk Ends — Andrews-Tierney . . .July

018 Stella — Sheridan-Mature-Wayne Aug.

020 The Caribou Trail — Randolph Scott Aug.

014 Broken Arrow — Stewart-Paget Aug.

019 The Black Rose — Power-Aubrey-Welles Sept.

021 My Blue Heaven — Grable-Dailey Sept.

022 Panic in the Streets — Widmark-Douglas Sept.

United Artists Features

(729 Seventh Ave.. Hew York 19, H- Y.)

Johnny One-Eye — O'Brien-Morris-Moran May 5

So Young, So Bad — Henreid-McLeod May 19

The Whipped — Duryea-Storm-O'Shea June 2

Iroquois Trail — Montgomery-Marshall June 16

Once a Thief — Romero-Havoc-McDonald July 7

The Underworld Story — Duryea-Storm (reviewed

as "The Whipped") July 21

The Admiral Was a Lady — Hendrix-O'Brien Aug. 4

The Men — Brando-Wright Aug. 25

If This Be Sin — Loy-Cummins-Greene Sept. 8

Ellen — Young-Drake-Sutton not set

Universal-International Features

(445 Par\ Ave., Hew Yor\ 22, H- Y.)

916 Comanche Territory — O'Hara-Carey May

917 I Was a Shoplifter — Brady-Freeman-King May

918 Curtain Call at Cactus Creek — O'Connor-Arden. June

919 Sierra — Murphy-Hendrix June

920 Spy Ring — Toren-Duff June

921 Winchester '73 — Stewart- Winters-Duryea July

922 Peggy — Lynn-Coburn-Greenwood July

Adam and Evelyn — British cast July

923 Shakedown — Duff-Dow not set

905 Tight Little Island — British cast not set

Warner Bros. Features

(321 W. 44th St., Hew Yor\ 18, H- Y.)

921 The Damned Don't Cry — Crawford-Brian . . . .May 13

922 Colt .45 — Scott-Roman-Scott May 27

923 Destination Tokyo — reissue June 3

924 God Is My Co-Pilot — reissue June 3

925 Caged — Parker-Moorehead June 10

926 This Side of the Law — Lindfors-Smith June 17

927 Return of the Frontiersman — McRae-London. .June 24

928 Bright Leaf — Cooper-Bacall-Carson July 1

929 The Great Jewel Robbery — David Brian July 15

930 The Flame and the Arrow — Lancaster-Mayo . .July 22
50 Years Before Your Eyes — Documentary. . . .July 29

SHORT SUBJECT RELEASE SCHEDULE
Columbia — One Reel

2857 Meet the Winners —

Screen Snapshots (10 m.) Apr. 6

2554 Candid Microphone No. 4 (lOJ^m.) Apr. 20

2807 College Sports Paradise — Sports Apr. 20

2857 Meet the Winners — Screen Snapshots

(10 m.) Apr. 26

2653 Village Barn — Cavalcade of B'way Apr. 27

2609 The Wise Owl — Favorite (reissue) ( 7 m.) . . .May 4

2808 Clown Prince of Golf— Sports (8|/2 m.) May 25

2858 Famous Cartoonists — Screen Snap. (9]/i m.).May 25

2504 The Miner's Daughter — Jolly Frolics May 25

2610 The Little Moth's Big Flame-

Favorite (reissue) m.) June 1

2555 Candid Microphone No. 5 June 15

2859 Hollywood Ice Capades — Screen Snap June 22

2809 Hi Board Hi Jinks — Sports June 29

2611 The Timid Pup — Favorite (reissue) July 6

2810 King of the Jockeys — Sports July 20

2860 Hollywood's Famous Feet — Screen Snap. . . .July 20

2654 Leon (i Eddie's— Cavalcade of B'way July 27

2505 Giddyap — Jolly Frolics July 27

Columbia — Two Reels

2407 Love at First Bite — Stooges May 4

2408 Self-Made Maid— Stooges May 4

2425 Nursey Behave — Vera Vague May 11

2435 His Ex Marks the Spot —

Favorite (reissue) (17J4m.) May 25

2426 One Shivery Night — Hugh Herbert July 13

2416 House About It — Quillan- Vernon July 20

2180 Atom Man vs. Superman — Serial (15 ep.) . . .July 20

2436 Oh My Nerves! — Favorite (reissue) July 27

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One Reel

T-118 Roaming Thru Michigan — Travel. (9 m.) . .May 20

W-143 Ventriloquist Cat — Cartoon (7 m.) May 27

W-144 The Cuckoo Clock— Cartoon (7 m.) June 10

S-159 That's His Story— Pete Smith (9 m.) June 17

W-164 Yankee Doodle Mouse —

Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) June 24

W-145 Safety Second — Cartoon (7 m.) July 1

Z-172 Moments in Music — Industry Short (10 m.). July 13

Paramount — One Reel

R9-7 Down Stream Highway — Sportlight (7 m.). .June 2

P9-7 Ups an' Downs Derby — Noveltoon (7 m.) . . .June 9

E9-6 Jitterbug Jive — Popeye June 23

X9-9 Heap, Hep Injuns — Screen Song June 30

R9-8 To the Winner— Sportlight (10 m.) July 7

P9-8 Pleased to Eat You — Noveltoon (7 m.) July 21

X9-10 Gobs of Fun— Screen Song (7 m.) July 28

R9-9 The Sporting Suwannee — Sportlight ( 10 m.) . Aug. 4

E9-7 Popeye Makes a Movie — Popeye Aug. 11

P9-9 Goofy, Goofy, Gander — Noveltoon Aug. 18

X9-11 Heltcr-Swelter — Screen Song Aug. 25

R9-10 Operation Jack Frost — Sportlight Sept. 1

P9-10 Saved by the Bell— Noveltoon Sept. 15

X9-12 Boos in the Night — Screen Song Sept. 22

E9-8 Baby Wants Spinach — Popeye Sept. 29

Vl/SP HARRISON'S REPORTS Index -- First Half of 1950, Page D

RKO — One Reel

04111 Crazy Over Daisy — Disney (6 m.) Mar. 24

04208 Wonders Down Under —

Screenliner (8 m.) Mar. 24

04112 The Wonder Dog— Disney (7 m.) Apr. 7

04308 Horseshow — Sportscope (8 m.) Apr. 7

04704 Funny Little Bunnies — Disney (reissue)

(7 m.) Apr. 21

04209 Sunshine U — Screenliner (8 m.) Apr. 21

04113 Trailer Horn — Disney (6m.) Apr. 28

04309 The Bauer Girls — Sportscope May 5

04114 Primitive Pluto — Disney (7 m.) May 19

04210 Country Rhythm — Screenliner May 19

04115 Puss-Cafe — Disney (7 m.) June 9

04116 Motor Mania — Disney (7 m.) June 30

04705 The Grasshopper & the Ant —

Disney (reissue) (7 m.) July 7

04117 Pests of the West — Disney (7 m.) July 21

04118 Food for Feudin' — Disney (7 m.) Aug. 11

04706 Brave Little Tailor —

Disney (reissue) (9 m.) Aug. 25

RKO — Two Reels

03108 Trading Post — This Is America (15 m.) Apr. 28

03405 Brooklyn Buckaroos — Comedy Special ....May 12

03109 Play Ball— This is America (13 m.) May 26

Republic — Two Reels

4982 Radar Patrol vs Spy King (12 ep.) Apr. 15

4983 Undersea Kingdom —

Serial (12 ep.) (reissue) July 8

Twentieth Century-Fox — One Reel

5024 Just a Little Bull — Terry (reissue) (7 m.) June

8001 Mid-West Metropolis — Specialty (9 m.) June

5009 Law & Order (Mighty Mouse) — Terry. (7 m.) June
3006 Action with Rod if Reel — Sport June

5010 The Red Headed Monkey — Terrytoon (7 m.)..July

8002 New York Philharmonic Orch. — Specialty

(10 m.) July

5011 Dingbat in All This Rabbit Stew— Terry.

(7 m.) July

8003 Music of Manhattan — Specialty (10 m.) July

5012 The Dog Show — Terrytoon (7m.) Aug.

7003 Skitch Henderson & Orch. — Melody Aug.

5013 King Tut's Tomb (Talk. Magpies) — Terry.

(7 m.) Aug.

Twentieth Century-Fox — Two Reels

Vol. 16 No. 3 — Where's the Fire? — March of Time. .April
Vol. 16 No. 4 — Beauty at Work —

March of Time (17 m.) May

United Artists — One Reel

Glory Filled Spirituals — Songs of America ( 10m.) . .May 12
Highlights of Long Ago — Songs of America (9m.) .June 9
Long Remembrances — Songs of America (9 m.) . . .July 14

Folk Lore — Songs of America (9 m.) Aug. 11

The Moods — Songs of America (9m.) Sept. 15

Universal — One Reel

5328 The Beach Nut — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.). .May 8

5385 Harmony Hall — Cartoon Melody (10 m.). . .May 8
5345 A Camping We Will Goo —

Variety Views (9m.) May 15

5329 Boogie Woogie Man — Cartune

(reissue) (7 m.) June 12

5330 Fish Fry — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) July 17

5386 Melody Moods — Cartoon Melody (10 m.) . July 17

5331 Toyland Premiere —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Aug. 14

5332 Greatest Man in Siam —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Sept. 11

5333 Ski for Two — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.)....Oct. 16
(Ed. J^ote: "The "Sing H Be Happy" series has been

changed to "Cartoon Melodies.")

Universal — Two Reels

5307 King Cole Trio— Musical (15 m.) May 17

5308 Claude Thornhill Orch.— Musical (15 m.) .June 14

5356 Cactus Caravan — Musical Western (26 m.) . .July 6

5309 Sarah Vaughan ii Herb Jeffries —

Musical (15 m.) July 12

5357 Western Courage — Musical Western Aug. 31

5358 Ready to Ride — Musical Western Oct. 5

Vitaphone — One Reel

6310 Tic, Toe, Tuckered —

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) June 3

6508 Riviera Days — Sports Parade (10 m.) June 3

6601 Horse H Buggy Days — Novelty (10 m.) June 17

6722 What's Up Doc?— Bugs Bunny (7 m.) June 17

6712 All Abir-r-r-d — Merrie Melody (7 m.) June 24

6807 Matty Malneck & Orch. — Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) June 24

6311 Booby Hatched — B. R. Cartoon (reissue)

(7 m.) July 1

6405 So You Want to Hold Your Husband-

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) July 1

6509 Racing Thrills— Sports Parade (10 m.) July 8

6723 8-Ball Bunny— Bugs Bunny (7 m.) July 8

6713 It's Hummer Time — Merrie Melody (7 m.) ...July 22

6808 Cliff Edwards & His Buckeroos — Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) July 22

6312 Trap Happy Porky — B.R. Cartoon

(reissue) (7 m.) Aug. 5

6714 Golden Yeggs — Merrie Melody (7 m.) Aug. 5

6606 Cavalcade of Girls— Novelty (10 m.) Aug. 12

6724 Hillbilly Hare— Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Aug. 12

6406 So You Want to Move —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Aug. 19

6510 Champions of Tomorrow —

Sports Parade (10 m.) Aug. 19

6313 Lost ii Foundling — B.R. Cartoon

(reissue) (7 m.) Aug. 26

6715 Dog Gone South — Merrie Melody (7 m.).. Aug. 26

6716 The Dicksters — Looney Tune (7 m.) Sept. 2

6717 A Fractured Leghorn — Looney Tune (7m.) .Sept. 16

6725 Bunker Hill Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.).. Sept. 23

6718 Canary Row — Looney Tune (7 m.) Oct. 7

6726 Bushy Hare — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Nov. 11

Vitaphone — Two Reels

6007 Give Me Liberty — Special (20 m.) June 10

6106 Just for Fun — Featurette (20 m.) July 15

6008 Sweden with Charlie McCarthy 6? Mortimer

Snerd — Special (20 m.) Sept. 3

NEWSWEEKLY NEW YORK
RELEASE DATES

Warner Pathe News

91 Wed (O) ..June 28

92 Mon. (E) ...July 3

93 Wed. (O) ..July 5

94 Mon. (E) . . .July 10

95 Wed. (O) ..July 12

96 Mon. (E) ...July 17

97 Wed. (O) . .July 19

98 Mon. (E) ...July 24

99 Wed. (O) ..July 26

100 Mon. (E) . . .July 31

101 Wed. (O) ..Aug. 2

102 Mon. (E) . .Aug. 7

103 Wed. (O) ..Aug. 9

104 Mon. (E) . .Aug. 14

Paramount

90 Sat. (E) . .

91 Wed. (O)

92 Sat. (E) . .

93 Wed. (O)

94 Sat. (E) . .

95 Wed. (O)

96 Sat. (E) ..

97 Wed. (O)

98 Sat. (E) . .

99 Wed. (O).

100 Sat. (E) ..

101 Wed. (O).

102 Sat. (E) ..

103 Wed. (O).

News

..July 1
..July 5
..July 8
..July 12
..July 15
. .July 19
. .July 22
..July 26
. .July 29
.Aug. 2
.Aug. 5
.Aug. 9
.Aug. 12
• Aug. 16

Universal

364 Thurs. (E)

365 Tues. (O)

366 Thurs. (E)

367 Tues. (O)

368 Thurs. (E)

369 Tues. (O)

370 Thurs. (E)

371 Tues. (O)

372 Thurs. (E)

373 Tues. (O) .

374 Thurs. (E)

375 Tues. (O) .

376 Thurs. (E)

377 Tues. (O) .

378 Thurs. (E)

New*

. .June 29
..July 4
..July 6
. .July 11
. .July 13
..July 18
. .July 20
..July 25
..July 27
.Aug. 1
.Aug. 3
. Aug. 8
.Aug. 10
.Aug. 15
.Aug. 17

Fox Movietone

53 Friday (O) ..June 30

54 Tues. (E) . . .July 4

55 Friday (O) ..July 7

56 Tues. (E) . . .July 11

57 Friday (O) ..July 14

58 Tues. (E) ...July 18

59 Friday (O) ..July 21

60 Tues. (E) ...July 25

61 Friday (O) ..July 28

62 Tues. (E) . . .Aug. 1

63 Friday (O) . .Aug. 4

64 Tues. (E) . . .Aug. 8

65 Friday (O) . .Aug. 11

66 Tues. (E) . . .Aug. 15

67 Friday (O) . .Aug. 18

News

286 Wed.

287 Mon.

288 Wed.

289 Mon.

290 Wed.

291 Mon.

292 Wed.

293 Mon.

294 Wed.

295 Mon.

296 Wed.

297 Mon.

298 Wed.

299 Mon.

300 Wed.

of the

•(E)..
• (O) .
(E)
(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)
(O)
(E)

Day

June 28
.July 3
July 5
July 10
July 12
July 17
July 19
July 24
July 26
July 31
Aug. 2
Aug. 7
Aug. 9
Aug. 14
Aug. 16

fintered as second -claua matter January i, 11)21, at the post office at Now Vork, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1950 No. 27

ALLIED STEPS UP DRIVE AGAINST
"MUST" PERCENTAGE DEMANDS

All the regional units of Allied States Association of
Motion Picture Exhibitors, in an effort to acquaint the ex-
hibitors in their territories with the promises and commit-
ments made by the sales managers of the eight major
distributing companies in regard to the elimination of
"must" percentage selling to the smaller grossing theatres
throughout the country, have mailed to both members and
non-members in their areas a report made by the Allied
"Must" Percentage Committee, which was created in the
fall of 1948 for the purpose of contacting each of the eight
sales managers to discuss with and obtain from them, if
possible, a lessening of the pressure for percentage terms in
the aforementioned theatres.

In a foreword to the report, the Committee points out that
it visited New York twice during the winter of 1948-49
and again in April of this year. All the major sales managers
were contacted on the first visit, and all except United
Artists on the second. The foreword adds that the "flat sell-
ing yardstick" shown in the reports of the different dis-
tributors' sales policies is not rigid, and the figures stated are
not necessarily maximum and have in many instances been
exceeded by enterprising exhibitors.

The different regional bulletins point out that, before
printing, the text of the report on each company was
approved by the sales manager of the company involved as
accurately expressing his statements to Allied's Percentage
Committee.

Because the information contained in the Committee's
reports is of great interest to all exhibitors, particularly those
who are located in non-Allied territories and have not
received a copy, Harrison's Reports is herewith repro-
ducing the complete text of the reports on each company:

"Columbia — On the first visit, Mr. Abe Montague,
General Sales Manager, stated that in every case where the
exhibitor so desired and where the average gross on their
A pictures was $300 or less, Columbia would sell flat with
the possible exclusion of a picture or pictures from outside
producers.

"Upon our second visit the Committee thanked Mr.
Montague for living up to and expanding his commitment
on flat rentals. So far as we know the only exceptions in the
past year and a half were the Jolson pictures.

"Mr. Montague, upon question of the Committee, stated
that for more than a year Columbia has offered their entire
product, excluding outside produced pictures, on a yearly
contract with a 20% cancellation. This particular deal is set
up for exhibitors paying up to $75 for top pictures and in
some territories as high as $100. He further stated that in
selling this contract, no specified number of pictures had
to be purchased. This year's contract included all the product
except 'Jolson Sings Again.' "

"20th Century-Fox — On our visit Andy Smith, General
Sales Manager, would m;ike no positive commitment on
what theatres would be sold flat, but stated that their policy
would be to increase flat rental picture deals as rapidly as
possible in the smaller grossing situations.

"On our second visit (1950) Andy Smith still would

make no definite commitments on what theatres would be
sold flat, but the Committee has found in actual practice
that Fox is very generally selling on an all flat basis to
theatres grossing as high as $200 or even $250 on their A
product: in some territories this goes even as high as theatres
grossing as much as $600. Mr. Smith indicated that in all
such situations being sold flat, sooner or later it would be
necessary to get some kind of measuring rod. The Com-
mittee feels, however, that this does not necessarily entail a
high percentage on such trial basis. Mr. Smith added that in
such smaller situations he would prefer selling flat rental
since economically this was the sounder business practice."

"Metro — On our first visit with Mr. William F. Rodgers,
General Sales Manager, he advised the Committee that
Metro would sell all flat in such situations where their film
rental on their best productions ran $200 or less. He stated,
however, that once in a great while Metro might issue a
picture of such class that they would feel percentage was
necessary in every situation. He stated that there would be
no obligation for the exhibitor to accept such percentage
terms but that the picture could be passed without penalty
in future dealing. During the past eighteen months there
has only been one such picture: 'Battleground.' "

"Paramount — Mr. Charles M. Reagan was General
Sales Manager on our first visit to New York. Mr. Reagan
stated that at the present time (1949) his company is sell-
ing any exhibitor regardless of size on a flat rental basis,
if desired. During the discussions, Mr. Reagan stated that
the subterfuge of pricing the flat rental pictures so high as to
force percentage was dishonest.

"At a later interview the same year, Mr. A. W. Schwal-
berg, who succeeded Mr. Reagan as General Sales Manager,
said: 'What Charlie Reagan promised, I will deliver.'

"On our succeeding visit in 1950 Mr. Schwalberg modi-
fied that commitment with the statement that Paramount
would sell all pictures to the smaller theatres flat rental with
the reservation that there might be a picture on which they
will demand must percentage. Mr. Schwalberg further
stated that the formula for the conversion of accounts which
had been formerly paying percentage, to flat rental, would
be the average percentage earnings on the last four top
pictures. Wherever any such top earning picture proved to
be a sensational grosser (as, for example, 'Paleface'), and is
disproportionate of the other top grossing pictures, such
picture was to be excluded. The second bracket pictures
would be figured approximately 70 to 75% of the flat rental
price of the first bracket. Named as typical of such second
bracket pictures now in release were the Alan Ladd pictures.

"Mr. Schwalberg further stated that he had put into
effect last May (1949) a plan under which the smaller ex-
hibitors of the country — those paying up to $75 and occa-
sionally up to $100 for top pictures — could buy all Para-
mount pictures scheduled for release up to and including
January 1, 1950. Such deal meant that the exhibitor was
afforded an opportunity to acquire an inventory of Para-
mount pictures for the eight months period involved. All
pictures not already trade shown carried a 20% cancellation
privilege, such to be included in all contracts. He stated
further that the field force was instructed to sell all of these
accounts on a flat rental basis and to convert such accounts
(Continued on last page)

106

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 8, 1950

"The Cariboo Trail" with Randolph Scott
and George "Gabby" Hayes

(20th Century-Fox, August; time, 81 min.)

Those who like their westerns with plenty of
action, cattle stampedes, Indians, fisticuffs and gun'
fighting will find that "The Cariboo Trail" more than
adequately fills the bill. Its story about a rugged
cattleman who treks from his native Montana into
the Canadian wilds to find good cattle country is
made up of standard melodramatic situations and
characterizations and is not particularly novel; never-
theless, it is a satisfying entertainment of its kind, for
it is swift-paced and adventurous. Randolph Scott's
performance as the hero is characteristically hard-
hitting and fearless, with audience sympathy on his
side as he battles the lawless element and overcomes
the many obstacles placed in his way. George
"Gabby" Hayes, as a grizzled prospector, gives the
proceedings some lighter moments with his humorous
ways, and Karin Booth is properly attractive and
winsome as the girl who comes to Scott's aid. Not the
least of the picture's assets is the fine Cinecolor photog-
raphy, which enhances the scenic values: —

In quest of gold and seeking new cattle country,
Scott, Bill Williams, his partner, Lee Tung Foo, their
Chinese cook, and their small herd of cattle are
stopped on the trail at a small toll bridge owned by
Victor Jory, whose four henchmen guarding the
bridge demand an outrageous fee for them to cross.
Scott refuses to pay and, in the ensuing fight, stam-
pedes his cattle across the bridge, destroying it. Gabby,
a lone prospector, meets and joins up with Scott's
party. That night, Jory's henchmen stampede the
cattle and steal the herd. Williams' arm is so badly
hurt in the stampede that Scott has to amputate it.
Scott then brings Williams to Carson Creek, where
he is taken in by a doctor. At the local saloon, Scott
becomes friendly with Karin, the owner, much to the
chagrin of Jory, who desired her for himself. Jory
pretends to know nothing about the stampede. With
Williams under a doctor's care, Scott, Gabby and the
Chinese cook set out to pan gold. They locate a beau-
tiful valley, which Scott terms a cattleman's paradise,
where they are ambushed and taken prisoners by
Indians. All escape but are separated, and while wan-
dering alone Scott discovers a gold pocket. Meanwhile
Williams, now recovered but grown bitter over the
loss of his arm, for which he blames Scott, joins Jory
as his chief gunman. When Scott returns to Carson
Creek he is rebuffed by Williams and run out of
town by the miners, who are led by Jory to believe
that he is withholding information on his gold strike.
Back on the trail, Scott meets Gabby with a herd of
cattle owned by his widowed sister-in-law, and makes
a deal to lead the cattle to the beautiful valley. Jory,
to get the cattle for himself, arranges with the Indians
to massacre Scott and his party. Williams turns
against this plan and persuades the miners to rescue
the party from the Indians. In the battle that follows,
the Indians are beaten and Jory and Williams shoot
it out, killing each other. But before Williams dies,
he and Scott patch up their quarrel.

It was produced by Nat Holt and directed by Ed-
win L. Marin from a screen play by Frank Gruber,
based on a story by John Rhodes Sturdy.

Suitable for the family.

"Federal Man" with William Henry,
Pamela Blake and Robert Shayne

(Eagle-Lion, June; time, 67 min.)

A run-of-the-mill low-budget program melodrama
that should get by as a supporting feature in small-
town and neighborhood theatres. Revolving around
the efforts of Federal Narcotic Bureau agents to track
down and apprehend a gang of criminals smuggling
drugs over the Mexican border, the plot is stereotyped
in formula and in treatment, offering little that hasn't
been done many times in better productions. The pur-
suit, however, offers enough excitement and suspense
to satisfy the undiscriminating action fans. The scien-
tific methods employed by the Federal agents, such as
radar detection to trace the course of an automobile
transporting the dope, helps to keep the proceedings
interesting. The acting and direction are adequate,
despite the loosely-written screen play.

The story opens with the murder of Pamela Blake's
husband, a narcotics agent, just as he leaves his home
to report to Robert Shayne, his chief. Shayne assigns
William Henry, another agent, to track down a ring
of dope smugglers, whom he suspected of the murder
of Pamela's husband. Having established that the
criminals were smuggling dope across the Mexican
border, Henry goes to that country and, with the aid
of Mexican officials, discovers that the criminals car-
ried on their activities by placing the narcotics in a
box that was attached to the undercarriage of an auto-
mobile owned by an unsuspecting American tourist.
The gang trailed the automobile back to the United
States and removed the box without the owner becom-
ing any wiser. Shayne, interested in learning the
identity of the gang's leader and capturing him, orders
Henry to permit a shipment of the drugs to cross the
border and to trail it to its destination. In the events
that follow, Henry, aided by Pamela, gets a line on the
gang leader and sets a trap for him. But the plan
backfires when the trap is discovered and Henry be-
comes the gang's captive. In the end, however, Shayne
and the other agents trace Henry to the gang's hideout
and, after a furious gun battle, Henry is rescued and
the gang members either killed or captured.

It was produced by Jack Schwartz and directed by
Robert Tansey from an original screen play by Sam
Neuman and Nat Tanchuck.

Unobjectionable morally.

"The Baron of Arizona" with
Vincent Price and Ellen Drew

(Lippert, March 4; time, 93 min.)

Produced on a budget that is considerably higher
than the usual allotment given most Lippert produc-
tions, "The Baron of Arizona" offers a fascinating
though not always convincing tale about a swindler's
fantastic attempt to steal the territory of Arizona in
the 1870's. The plot, which purportedly is based on
fact, stresses characterization more than movement,
but it does have a fair share of excitement and sus-
pense and manages to hold one's interest fairly well.
Vincent Price, as the patient and ambitious swindler,
makes the most of his part, but Ellen Drew, as the
woman he marries and tricks into believing that she is
heir to the whole of Arizona, fails to put much con-
viction into the role, and her love for Price, despite
knowledge of his fraudulent ways, is unbelievable.

July 8, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

107

On the whole, however, the picture is good enough to
serve as the top feature of a double bill in secondary
situations : —

Price, an ambitious land office clerk in Arizona,
conceives a plan to take over the entire territory of
Arizona by means of a forged Spanish land grant.
To execute his plan, he builds a fake landmark in the
desert and forges birth records to establish an orphan
girl, cared for by a poor farmer, as the rightful heir to
Arizona by reason of a Spanish grant made to her
ancestors by King Ferdinand VI of Spain. Price ar-
ranges for the child to be raised and educated by
Beulah Bondi, a governess, then sets out for Spain,
where he enters a monastery as a monk for the purpose
of altering Fifteenth Century land grant records,
which were kept in the monastery's library. He ac'
complishes his mission after a period of three years,
then leaves to forge and alter other necessary docu-
ments scattered in different parts of Mexico and Latin
America, all of which he does by cheating, bribing and
making love to several women. His work finished,
Price returns to Arizona, where he marries the orphan
girl, now grown to a young woman (Ellen Drew).
He soon sets himself up as the "Baron of Arizona,'"
with Ellen as his "Baroness," and lays claim to Ari-
zona. The government, unable to disprove his claim,
offers him $25,000,000 as a settlement, but he rejects
the offer and proceeds with plans to build an empire,
infuriating the settlers who had established their
homes in the territory. The irate settlers attempt to
lynch him, but he succeeds in talking them out of it.
Meanwhile Reed Hadley, a government expert, estab-
lishes proof that Prices claim was based on forgeries.
He confronts Price with this evidence and compels
him to confess the fraud. Sentenced to six years in
prison, Price serves his term and, upon his release,
finds Ellen waiting for him.

It was produced by Carl K. Hittleman and directed
by Samuel Fuller, who wrote the original screen play.

Suitable for the family.

"Three Little Words" with Fred Astaire,
Red Skelton, Vera-EIlen and Arlene Dahl

(MGM, August, time, 102 min.)

A thoroughly entertaining Technicolor musical,
based on the lives and songs of Bert Kalmar and
Harry Ruby, the famous songwriting team. If the
reception given the picture by a New York neighbor-
hood audience at a preview is any criterion, it should
prove to be one of the season's outstanding box-office
attractions. The story itself is simple, but it is bright,
gay and heartwarming, and is peppered with musical
interludes that are highly enjoyable as well as nostal-
gic, for all the songs were favorite hit tunes in the
1920's. The melodious music, combined with the
nimble-footed dancing of Fred Astaire and Vera-
Ellen, and the clowning of Red Skelton, makes for
sure-fire entertainment that will please and relax all
types of picture-goers. Skelton, as Harry Ruby, is
cast in a role that is more subdued than is usual for
him, but he is very good in the part, as is Astaire, as
Bert Kalmar. Vera-EIlen and Arlene Dahl are charm-
ing as the girls with whom the songwriters fall in
love, and Keenan Wynn is amusing in a minor part as
the team's manager. The color photography is fine,

and the production values are up to the usual lavish
MGM standard: —

As a vaudeville song-and-dance team, Astaire and
Vera-EIlen do well, but he does not respond to the
love she feels for him and concerns himself mainly
with magic — his hobby. While trying out a magic act
alone under another name, Astaire meets Skelton, a
stagehand and aspiring songwriter, whose hobby was
baseball. Skelton bungles the magic props so badly
that he ruins the act and puts an end to Astaire's
career as a professional magician. Astaire goes back
to dancing with Vera-EIlen, but he injures his knee
and is unable to dance for a year. Vera-EIlen, hoping
that Astaire would take this opportunity to marry
her, is disappointed when he turns his attentions to
songwriting and teams up with Skelton; she arranges
to continue her vaudeville career alone. Astaire and
Skelton become a promising songwriting team, but
with Vera-EIlen away Astaire finds a void in his life.
Skelton, aware of the reason for his partner's unhap-
piness, intervenes, and before long Astaire and Vera-
EIlen are married. She retires from the stage and
devotes herself to keeping Astaire and Skelton from
quarrelling because of their respective hobbies. Mean-
while Skelton falls in love with Arlene, a young
actress, and marries her. Both men become highly suc-
cessful writing words and music for Broadway shows
and moving pictures, but a split occurs between them
over a minor misunderstanding. Neither one is happy
without the other, but each is too stubborn to admit
it. Their wives, however, are instrumental in bringing
them together again for the happy ending.

It was produced by Jack Cummings and directed
by Richard Thorpe from a screen play by George
Wells. The cast includes Gale Robbins, Gloria de
Haven, Phil Regan and many others.

Fine for the entire family.

SOUND ADVICE FROM
NEW ENGLAND ALLIED

A recent bulletin of New England Allied had this
to say on the subject of film rentals :

"From where we sit this is the time right now to
get your film rentals cut down to a level that will give
you a profit. This may sound foolish to many of our
exhibitors; but frankly, we are aware of many situa-
tions that have gotten little or no relief since the
beginning of the Decline and Fall of Crosses.

"As we have cited before, if your gross is off 22%,
it is not asking too much to expect your film rental
to be decreased a li\e amount percentage-wise. For
example, if your gross was $600 per week and your
rental for film 25% of the gross, your rental was $1 50
per week. Now your gross is off 22% of $600 or $132
leaving you a new gross of $468 per week. Likewise
your $150 per week film costs should be slashed 22%
or $33, leaving a new film cost of $117 per week.
Checking this we find that your 25% film rental is
being maintained.

"Don't think for one minute that any distributor
representative is going to 'cotton' to your logic; but
nevertheless, you are being logical and if you don't
fight for this, you pay and pay as long as you arc able.

"Take the bull by the horns and don't let your
film rental become a matter of your existence, make
it an equitable payment so that you can live with it."

108

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 8, 1950

from percentage to flat rental where the percentage had
previously been sold."

"RKO — Mr. Robert Mochrie, General Sales Manager, on
our first visit made no commitments on selling any theatre
on flat rental basis.

"On our visit in 1950 Mr. Mochrie stated that he was
sympathetic to the Committee's plan on flat rentals. He said
that he was selling more and more theatres flat rental today
(and the Committee finds that this is true), but that he
would make no general commitment."

"United Artists — On our first visit (1949) Mr. Grad'
well L. Sears, President, stated that he had no reservation in
selling any of his pictures to any exhibitor on a flat rental
basis. He advised the Committee that he had sold pictures
like 'Red River' flat. He said his position was sometimes
complicated by some producer reserving the right to ap'
prove contracts.

"In 1950 we attempted to contact both Mr. Sears and his
General Sales Manager, Mr. Lazurus, but both of these
gentlemen were out of town, and we were unable to see
them."

"Universal — On our first visit with Mr. William Scully,
General Sales Manager, he would make no promises or
commitments.

"On our second visit in 1950 Mr. Scully still would make
no commitments.

"The Committee finds that Universal generally is demand'
ing percentage not only on their top bracket pictures but in
varying degrees on down the line into the second and even
third brackets.

"The Committee discussed with Mr. Scully changing to
flat rentals instead of percentage and suggested that Uni'
versal, where it found a situation unalterably opposed to
percentage, offer a flat rental deal even on their A product,
based on experience with other Universal pictures in the
same situation. Mr. Scully and his assistant, Mr. O'Keefe,
thought that suggestion might have merit and promised
further consideration.

"Within the past few days our Committee Chairman who
had received a report from Iowa-Nebraska that Universal
was starting such a practice, wrote Mr. Scully. We quote
Mr. Scully's reply in answer to our letter:

" 'We acknowledge a copy of your communication . . .
in reference to the Universal deals in Iowa-Nebraska.

'This is being tried at the suggestion of you and your
Committee and is also being tried in Texas and other parts
of the country.

'We are trying out the suggestion made at our conference,
and we hope it turns out satisfactorily for the Exhibitor as
well as ourselves.

'Yours very truly,
'W. A. Scully "

"Warner Brothers — In our 1949 interview with Mr.
Ben Kalmenson, General Sales Manager, he stated that the
Warner policy at that time was to eliminate percentage in
theatres grossing up to $150 on A pictures. This was done
by Warners for the reason that, on the average, checking
costs more than offset the extra film rental.

"On our second visit, April 1950, Mr. Kalmenson stated
that he had gone further than his commitment in converting
to flat rentals in the smaller theatres. He said that in all
probability it would be still further expanded where this
was economically sound. He said that Warners had sold
more flat rentals this past year than in the previous ten
years. From our information throughout the country, we
believe this to be a fact."

In making the foregoing reports available to all exhibitors,
the Allied regional units point out that copies have been
sent also to the branch managers of every exchange in the
country so that they and their salesmen will know the flat
selling policy laid down by their general sales managers.

"If your theatre is one of those included in the classifica-

tion," says Pete J. Wood in the service bulletin of the
Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, "the sales policy has
definitely and positively been laid down by the Big Boss of
the salesman who visits you to sell pictures. Don't let that
salesman bluff you into paying more."

The Allied "Must" Percentage Committee, comprised of
Col. H. A. Cole, chairman, and Irving Dollinger, Wilbur
Snaper, Sidney Samuelson and Charles Niles, is to be con-
gratulated for the fine progress it has made in the Allied
campaign to eliminate "must" percentage terms in the na-
tion's smaller theatres, most of which are having a difficult
time to remain in existence.

Allied may be proud of a service well done for all exhibi-
tors, the smaller ones in particular, for the valuable informa-
tion contained in the Committee's reports should enable
many of them to combat the too ambitious salesman and to
establish live-and-let-live film rentals.

A PUBLIC RELATIONS JOB THAT IS
AT ONCE A BOX-OFFICE STIMULANT

National Kids' Day, the nationwide project sponsored by
the more than 3100 Kiwanis Clubs of the United States and
Canada for the benefit of underprivileged children, will be
observed this year on September 23 and, like last year, the
National Kids' Day Foundation, of which Jimmie Fidler, the
famous syndicated columnist and radio commentator on
motion picture matters, is president, is seeking the coopera-
tion of the nation's exhibitors to make this worthwhile
drive a success.

Working with Roy Rogers, the cowboy star, and Herbert
J. Yates, president of Republic Pictures, Mr. Fidler has
devised a method of exhibitor participation that will not
only cost the exhibitor nothing but actually increase his
box-office receipts and at the same time win for him the good
will of the community because of his support of so praise-
worthy a cause.

Briefly, the plan calls for a tieup of the exhibitor's theatre,
its Roy Rogers Rider's Club members, numbering nearly
2,000,000 nationally, and the National Kids' Day lapel
buttons. The exhibitor will be furnished with lapel buttons,
free of charge, and each Rider's Club member would be
given ten buttons to be sold for 10c each to friends, neigh-
bors and relatives. When the youngster sells his ten buttons
and turns in the one dollar collected, the exhibitor is to
retain 50c, giving the boy or girl as many admission tickets
as that 50c will buy, to be good until used. The remaining
50c is to go into the National Kids' Day Fund, and when
the drive is over on September 23 one-half of all the money
collected is to be forwarded to the National Kids' Day
Foundation.

The idea, of course, is for the exhibitor to generate a
competitive spirit among the youngsters by offering prizes
to those who sell the most buttons. An enterprising exhibi-
tor should have little trouble promoting these prizes from
local merchants.

Since the drive will be given wide publicity on the na-
tional and local level, the idea of the button sales offers the
exhibitor a golden opportunity to not only raise funds for a
worthy movement and win genuine good will for his theatre
but to also boost his theatre receipts through advance ticket
sales — and all at no cost to him. The plan does not burden
the exhibitor; on the contrary, the exhibitor is helped to
fill his seats.

Aside from the fact that the exhibitor who participates in
this drive will benefit through paid-in-advance admissions,
the plan is a natural insofar as it concerns the building of
public relations for the individual theatre as well as the in-
dustry as a whole, for there is no quicker and better way to
capture the good will of the public than by doing something
for children, particularly the underprivileged.

Those of you who are interested in joining this drive
should communicate with Jimmie Fidler, National Kids'
Day Foundation, 1765 Gower Street, Hollywood 28, Cali-
fornia.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by

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U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 ». v t9A N V Publisher

Canada 16.50 Wew Iork zu> n' J' p. S. HARRISON, Editor

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Australia, New Zealand,

India, Europe, Asia .... 17.50 Ug Editorial Poiicy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Circle 7-4622

35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor.

A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1950 No. 28

KOREAN CONFLICT CAUSES
TAX CUT DELAY

A severe blow to the industry's hopes for the early
elimination or reduction of the 20% Federal tax on
admissions was suffered this week when the House'
approved bill to cut excise taxes was laid aside by
Congressional leaders at the request of President
Truman, who felt that it would not be prudent, in
the light of present developments in Korea, for the
Senate to proceed with further consideration of the
tax bill.

As a result of this suggestion, it is feared that no
tax-cutting legislation would be passed during this
session of Congress.

With the country faced with the possibility of
increased military appropriations because of the Ko-
rean war and other international developments, the
action taken by President Truman and supported by
the Congressional leaders of both political parties is
understandable. Industryites who have been active in
the tax battle need not despair, however, for if and
when Congress again takes up the enactment of a
tax-cutting bill the result should be favorable to the
industry since the overwhelming majority of Con'
gressmen and Senators have pledged themselves as
being in favor of either the complete elimination or a
substantial reduction of the 20% tax on admissions.

There is no doubt that the COMPO Committee on
Taxation and Legislation, headed by Mr. Abram F.
Myers, will decide on a plan of coordinated action
whereby the exhibitors, pending renewal of Congres-
sional consideration of a tax cut, will keep alive the
interest of their Congressmen and Senators in the
fact that the burdensome admission tax is having a
serious effect on theatre attendance.

There must be no letdown in the efforts of indi-
vidual exhibitors to keep their Congressional repre-
sentatives constantly aware of the damaging effect the
admission tax is having on their business. It is the
most effective approach because, generally speaking,
Congressmen and Senators are interested only in the
views of their constituents.

Mr. Myers and the members of his committee have
done an outstanding job in leading the industry's uni-
fied tax battle, and it is indeed unfortunate that inter-
national conditions have compelled Congress to aban'
don indefinitely passage of the excise-cutting bill,
thus delaying the victory they have so well earned.
It behooves the exhibitors throughout the country to
send a note of appreciation to Mr. Myers and the
members of his committee for their untiring efforts in
this tax battle, pledging full cooperation on whatever
future action they may decide upon.

THE POSSIBLE ANSWER TO
THE BOX-OFFICE BLUES

In an effort to boost declining box-office receipts
and to combat television competition, a group of lead-
ing circuit owners have formed a new production
company, Cinema Productions, Inc., for the purpose
of producing a series of twelve novelty and experi-
mental feature pictures designed to enable exhibitors
to offer their patrons entertainment that is not avail-
able on television.

According to trade paper reports, the circuit own-
ers interested in the new company include Fred
Schwartz, M. A. Lightman, Sam Pinanski, Si Fabian,
George Skouras, Frank Walker, Mitchell Wolfson,
Sam Rinzler, Harold Stoneman and Robert Dowling.

The first project on the program is a third-dimen-
sion type of picture, titled "The Customer's Always
Right," which will be produced by Lester Cowan,
who is a vice-president of the new firm. Mr. Cowan
is now casting the picture on the Coast and hopes to
get into production in New York some time in
August.

Mr. Cowan has told the press that the Polaroid
method of third-dimension will be employed in the
production of this initial film. This process, he claims,
was developed by the Polaroid Corporation for the
Army and Navy for use in World War II, and is an
improvement over the Polaroid method developed
some twenty years previously.

From what Mr. Cowan claims for this new process,
it does appear to have distinct advantages over the
old process which, in the opinion of this paper, was
not practical for use in commercial motion picture
exhibition.

Under the old process, for example, the production
of a three-dimensional picture required the use of
either two different cameras to shoot the picture at the
same time, each camera photographing what one eye
supposedly sees, or a single camera of special con-
struction, running at double speed, shooting alter-
nately "right eye" and "left eye" views. Then the two
positives, printed from two negatives, had to be pro-
jected on the screen by two projectors simultaneously,
each projector throwing one picture, the two pro-
jected pictures meeting on the screen and, when suit-
ably viewed through spectacles made of Polaroid
glass, blending into one picture. The effect, of course,
was to make the objects in the picture stand out as do
still pictures when viewed through a stereoscope.

Under the new process, however, as claimed by
Mr. Cowan, a single specially constructed camera is

(Continued on back, page)

no

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 15, 1950

"Abbott and Costello in
The Foreign Legion"

(Univ.-Int'l, August; time, 80 min.)

On a par with the last few Abbott 6? Costello
slapstick comedies; that is, it should give satisfaction
to those who enjoy this comedy team's brand of clown'
ing and do not mind their repetitious antics. Others
may find it tiresome, for the story is insipid and the
comedy situations are, at times, milked for much more
than they are worth. Moreover, the action has a tend-
ency to lag. But discriminating patrons who are
amused easily should find a fair share of laughs in the
broad comedy antics of this pair as a result of their
misadventures in Algiers when they unwittingly be-
come members of the Foreign Legion. As a matter of
fact, the only difference between this picture and the
previous A & C pictures is the locale; the story for-
mula itself is familiar.

This time the boys are cast as wrestling promoters
who go to Algeria to locate and bring back to the
United States an Arabian wrestler who had run out
on a contract he had with them. Once in Algiers, the
boys run afoul of Douglas Dumbrille, a desert sheik,
when they inadvertently interfere with his harassing
of the Foreign Legion in an effort to stop the construc-
tion of a railroad line. To teach the boys a lesson,
Walter Slezak, a sergeant in the Legion, who was
secretly in cahoots with Dumbrille, dupes them into
signing enlistment papers. From then one they be-
come involved in a series of wild misadventures with
slave girls, including Patricia Medina, a beautiful
French spy, and in the course of events make a sham-
bles of the Legion's boot-training camp. Meanwhile
Dumbrille and Slezak hatch a plot to wipe out the
Legionnaires in a surprise Arab attack, but the boys
uncover the plot and in their own blundering way
defeat the Arab forces and emerge as heroes.

It was produced by Robert Arthur and directed by
Charles Lamont from a screen play by John Grant,
Martin Ragaway and Leonard Stern, based on a story
by D. D. Beauchamp. Harmless for the family.

"Union Station" with William Holden,
Nancy Olson and Barry Fitzgerald

(Paramount, September; time, 80 min.)

"Union Station" is a highly exciting thriller that
grips one's interest from start to finish. Revolving
around the kidnapping of the blind 18-year-old
daughter of a wealthy industrialist, the construction
of the plot is skillful and the action is loaded with
suspense and thrills as the ingenious kidnappers and
the police, both using a huge railway station for their
operations, try to outsmart each other. What helps to
keep the action at a high pitch of excitement are sev-
eral chases through a stockyards, an elevated railroad
and a network of tunnels underneath the huge termi-
nal. William Holden turns in a deft performance as
the two-fisted head of the railway police, and Barry
Fitzgerald is equally good as the head city detective,
giving the role just the right touch of humor. Lyle
Bettger, as the ruthless kidnapper, is outstanding:—

Nancy Olson, a secretary, aboard a train heading
back to the city from the suburban home of Herbert
Heyes, her employer, notices two suspicious looking
passengers, one of whom carried a concealed gun.
Alarmed, she notifies the conductor, who in turn wires
ahead to Holden. Nancy is met by Holden at the
terminal and together they follow the two men into
the station and watch them place a suitcase in a coin-

operated locker, then put the key into an envelope
and mail it. Holden orders a detective to follow the
suspects, then removes the suitcase to examine it.
Nancy is shocked to find that it contained a scarf
belonging to Allene Roberts, her employer's blind
daughter, and a quick telephone call to Heyes con-
firms Holden's suspicions that the girl had been kid-
napped. To make matters worse, the detective as-
signed to follow the suspects reports that they had
given him the slip. Holden calls Fitzgerald into the
case and both advise Heyes to follow to the letter all
instructions given to him by the kidnappers to keep
a rendezvous in the station for the purpose of making
contact for the payment of a ransom. Meanwhile they
enlist Nancy's aid to identify the kidnappers and
scatter an army of plainclothesmen throughout the
depot to close in on the culprits. Aware that the police
may be waiting, Lyle Bettger, head of the kidnappers,
arranges for two of his accomplices to make the con-
tact, but through clever work by Nancy both are
caught by the police, one dying before he can be
questioned while the other, frightened by threats of
violence, discloses where Bettger was holding Allene
captive. Bettger escapes from the hiding place with
Allene, brings her to a tunnel underneath the station
and, through an ingenious scheme, manages to collect
the ransom money from Heyes despite the presence of
Holden and all the other police who were waiting for
him to keep the rendezvous. But Holden spots the
scheme just as Bettger flees with the money. He gives
chase, and the pursuit leads to the tunnel, where he
kills Bettger in a gun duel and rescues Allene.

It was produced by Jules Schermer and directed by
Rudolph Mate from a screen play by Sydney Boehm,
based on a story by Thomas Walsh.

Unobjectionable morally.

"711 Ocean Drive" with Edmond O'Brien,
Joanne Dru and Otto Kruger

(Columbia, July; time, 102 mm.)

Producer Frank N. Seltzer has fashioned a gripping
and highly exploitable melodrama in "711 Ocean
Drive," which is an expose of the wire-service gam-
bling racket. In addition to the picture's own merit,
it should benefit considerably from the publicity it has
received from Congressional investigation of charges
that underworld forces attempted to block its pro-
duction. Its story about the rise of an aggressive tele-
phone repair man to a big-time bookie is not pleasant,
for it involves cheating, blackmail and murder, yet it
grips one's attention because of the graphic way in
which it exposes the tricks and devices employed in
the bookie racket, and the cunning but illegal manner
in which wire services furnish the bookies with in-
formation on horse races from the tracks. Boulder
Dam, with its massive labyrinth of generators, tunnels
and weird stairways, serves as the actual background
for a highly thrilling chase at the finish. The entire
action, in fact, has been filmed at the actual locales
named in the story. The direction and acting are fine,
and the photography exceptional: —

Because of his knowledge of electronics, Edmond
O'Brien, a telephone repairman with a yen for an
easy dollar, is hired by Barry Kelley, owner of a wire
service that furnished Los Angeles bookies with up-to-
the-minute information from the tracks. By employ-
ing the latest technical advancements in telephony
and electronics, O'Brien enables Kelley to expand his
service to hundreds of bookies in several states,

July 15, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

thereby increasing his income many fold. O'Brien,
threatening to quit, compels Kelley to give him a cut
of the profits, and later, when Kelley is murdered by
a disgruntled client, O'Brien takes over the operation
and through daring and cunning becomes one of the
biggest bookies on the coast. Before long, however,
he is "persuaded" to join forces with a powerful East-
ern syndicate controlled by Otto Kruger and repre-
sented by Donald Porter. O'Brien falls in love with
Joanne Dru, Porter's wife, who hated her husband.
Learning that the syndicate had been short-changing
him on the profits, and that Porter had been beating
Joanne, O'Brien hires Robert Osterloh, a killer, to
murder Porter. Later, O'Brien murders Osterloh
when he attempts to blackmail him. He decides to flee
the country with Joanne, but first engineers an in-
genious scheme whereby he wins a fortune from
Kruger by intercepting race results and placing bets
before they reach Kruger's bookies. Kruger discovers
the double-cross just as the police trace Osterloh 's
murder to O'Brien. With both the police and the
underworld on his trail, O'Brien, accompanied by
Joanne, heads for other parts. They encounter a road-
block set up by the police on Boulder Dam and, after
a hectic chase through the vast structure, Joanne is
captured and O'Brien cut down by police bullets.

It was directed by Joseph H. Newman from an
original screen play by Richard English and Francis
Swan. Adult fare.

"A Lady Without Passport" with
Hedy Lamarr and John Hodiak

(MGM, August; time, 72 min.)

Although the running time is unusually short con-
sidering the magnitude of the stars, this is an interest-
ing romantic melodrama revolving around the efforts
of an American immigration inspector to track down
a gang of racketeers smuggling aliens into the United
States from Cuba. Capably directed and acted, it is
a swiftly-paced story, with enough romance and high
spots of melodramatic action to appeal to the rank-
and-file movie-goers. A particularly good chase se-
quence, highlighted by some outstanding aerial pho-
tography, is where a plane carrying a group of illegal
immigrants is forced down by a Navy plane in the
Florida swamplands and the passengers caught after
a futile attempt to escape. Much of the action was
shot against actual Havana backgrounds, adding
much to one's interest in the proceedings: —

Posing as a refugee seeking admittance to the
United States, John Hodiak, an immigration inspec-
tor, seeks evidence against George Macready, leader
of the alien smuggling gang. He makes contact with
Macready in Havana and through him meets Hedy
Lamarr, a Vienna refugee, with whom he falls in love,
much to the chagrin of Macready, who desired her
for himself. In the course of events, Macready 's
henchmen discover Hodiak's true identity, and Mac-
ready uses this information to turn Hedy against him,
claiming that he had been using her as a dupe. Despite
Hodiak's offer to man y her so that she may become an
American citizen, Hedy listens to Macready 's over-
tures and joins him and several other aliens on an
illegal flight to the United States. Hodiak notifies his
superior of the flight and an intense search with
Navy planes is set into motion. Finding a Navy plane
on his tail, Macready crash lands in the Everglades.
The location of the landing is reported and Hodiak
sets out for the spot. He catches up with Macready
after a hectic chase and, to save Hedy from harm,

permits Macready to make a shortlived escape. Hedy
prepares to pay the penalty for entering the country
illegally but looks forward to a happy future with
Hodiak.

It was produced by Samuel Marx and directed by
Joseph H. Lewis from a screen play by Howard Dims-
dale, based on a story by Lawrence Taylor.

Suitable for the family.

KEEP THEM OPEN!

H. V. (Rotus) Harvey, board chairman of the
Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre
Owners, had this to say in a current bulletin under
the above heading :

"Every day we hear about another theatre closing
its doors . . . out of business . . . another exhibitor or
theatre manager out of work, disillusioned, his dreams
shattered, his investment gone!

"Most of these theatres are the so-called marginal
theatres, that is, up to this time. BUTT there are about
six to eight thousand theatres in the United States
rapidly facing the possibility of 'turning out the
lights.' These are NOT wartime babies. They are
subsequent run theatres and theatres in small com-
munities.

"Grosses have been dropping and expenses have
been steadily increasing over the years. The two lines
have crossed . . . result? Losses!

"Something MUST be done. The motion picture
industry will suffer greatly IF these theatres are
closed. Theatre patrons are creatures of habit and
closed theatres break that habit.

"CUT EXPENSES? HOW? You cannot cut Pro-
jectionists' wages, the unions won't let you. Pay their
scale or close up! If it is a non-union town you will
find the scales already at a minimum. In California
you must pay a minimum of 65c per hour for women
and minors, so you can't cut there. Taxes have gone
up EVERY year and you can't cut them. Rent? Every
exhibitor has tried ... no results.

"FILM RENTAL— In most of these situations
film rentals are running ABOVE 40% and many
times over 50%, and the Distributors WILL NOT
cut. They do not care about these small theatres,
they're perfectly willing to LET THEM CLOSE . . .
they cannot be bothered.

"We know it costs money to produce pictures and
we know producers' overheads are high. BUT, we
also can read what astronomical salaries and bonuses
are paid to their Executives.

"In the so-called NORMAL DAYS, small theatres
could buy features from $10.00 up; sometimes as low
as $7.50. Now the only thing you can get for $12.50
is JUNK which you are ashamed to run.

"It is not a question of the admission prices being
too high. These small theatres are only charging from
40c to 50c and then when they take out Uncle Sam's
blood money what is left? 33c and 42c.

"Uncle Carl Laemmle, when he was active, once
had what was called a 'Universal Complete Service
Contract.' He gave you a feature, comedy and news-
reel for $1 2.50 up— ONCE A WEEK -and he made
MILLIONS on it until some wiseacre unsold him.

"Why doesn't some Major Distributor, who has
this business at heart, revive this deal and offer it to
those theatres that are struggling to keep open? It
will not only cost them nothing, they will make
money. Remember you cannot sell a closed theatre;
that revenue is gone!"

112

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 15, 1950

used for shooting the picture and, instead of having
two prints projected simultaneously by two projec-
tion machines, only one positive print, which is printed
on both sides of the same strip of film, is required and
this may be projected with the exhibitor's standard
equipment, thus eliminating the need for two addi'
tional projection machines and the employment of
twice the number of projectionists, as well as the
possible enlargement of the projection booth.

An added advantage, according to Mr. Cowan, is
that the Polaroid glasses used today, unlike the red-
and-blue glasses used years ago, will provide no strain
on the eyes of the audience.

In the old days, one of the most important problems
that needed solving before third-dimension pictures
could be exhibited to audiences satisfactorily was the
manner in which each theatre was to supply its pa-
trons with glasses. This problem had a number of
phases, such as cost to the exhibitor, breakage, the
different sizes of glasses needed, sterilization, etc.

To an extent, these problems are overcome by the
present Polaroid system in that the glasses that will
be provided are made of a gelatin sheet in a cardboard
frame, and at a cost that is so nominal that the patrons
may keep them and may, by reversing them, use them
as sun glasses.

Three-dimensional pictures may pose other prob-
lems that cannot be foreseen just now.

Whether or not this type of film will prove success-
ful from the entertainment and box-office points of
view remains to be seen. Meanwhile Mr. Cowan and
the exhibitors financing him are to be commended for
their attempt to give the industry the shot-in-the-arm
it needs so badly.

ART HAS ITS PLACE

In an article that appeared in the program book of
the annual convention of Allied Theatre Owners of
New Jersey, Mr. Abram F. Myers, National Allied's
general counsel and chairman of the board, had this
to say in part about the declining popularity of motion
pictures:

"A large part — perhaps the major part — of the
trouble can be traced to the marked change in the
attitude of reviewers and critics in recent years. I can
remember when the good pictures all received 'rave
notices' and the good points of even minor pictures
were stressed. Now only the most outstanding pro-
ductions are commented on favorably and even the
best occasionally suffer from snide remarks. The most
overworked word in the drab lexicon of these self-
conscious high-brows is 'mediocre' and it is applied
indiscriminately without regard to the entertainment
value of the pictures. The good old-fashioned 'rave'
notices now are reserved for the small number of
pictures in which the ivory tower boys think they
detect some obscure artistic merit or which convey a
message on some issue of doubtful public interest.
Honest sentiment and belly-laughs amount to nothing
in the estimate of these not-so-amiable gentlemen,
even though they still are loved by the theatre-going
public.

"I am not so foolish as to suppose that any great
number of people will accept this theory in preference
to their own pet ideas. But along with all the others

it deserves careful investigation. I personally hope
that when COMPO gets underway it will launch a
research project to determine the causes for the de-
clining popularity of the movies and to propose reme-
dies therefore. If that comes to pass, I feel sure that
trained investigators will find that the critics have
strayed far from their essential duty to inform their
readers whether the pictures reviewed possess those
qualities which make for entertainment and whether
their readers will enjoy seeing them. The people con-
sult the amusement page of the daily paper not for a
lecture on art or sociology, but for guidance in their
quest for pleasure, and the sooner some reviewers get
back on the job, the sooner the present trend away
from the movies will be reversed."

Mr. Myers has touched upon a subject that should
be given deep thought by the nation's motion picture
critics, particularly those who are too literary and
artistic in their ideas of what constitutes good motion
picture entertainment for the great majority of movie-
goers.

Mr. Myers' remarks bring to mind a speech deliv-
ered by Mr. Howard S. Cullman in 1936 at the School
of Education, New York University. Mr. Cullman,
at that time, was Receiver of the Roxy Theatre, New
York City. The following excerpts from his speech
are as applicable today as they were in 1936:

". . . to the average American, thinking is the direct
antithesis of entertainment. That which is difficult to
grasp is, by its very nature, not amusing. The film,
therefore, . . . must be readily understood by the low-
est as well as the highest intelligence in the audience.

". . . mass entertainment . . . must cause emotional
excitation of some kind. This is most readily attained
through stimulation of the primary passions such as
love, fear, hate and pity. . . .

"As a business, the motion picture has, to a very
large extent, learned its lesson. It has discovered that
good merchandise must be built of sound ingredients;
that expert acting, camera work and direction, with-
out an adequate story, will produce feeble results;
it has accepted the fact that production, distribution
and exhibition can and must be carried on in a funda-
mental business-like fashion. All this cannot be ac-
complished when one is one jump ahead of the sher-
iff. .. .

"The prospect is encouraging to those of us who
are interested in an adequate supply of salable popu-
lar entertainment. For those who cherish hopes of a
cinematic art acceptable to esthetes and intellectuals
the situation appears less promising. They can expect
to find on the screen a progressively improved brand
of amusement, utilizing each year the talents of an
increasing number of gifted individuals. They will
find plenty of hearty laughs and abundance of breath-
taking thrills; but for their moments of true mental
and spiritual stimulation I fear they will have to hie
themselves to the concert halls, theatres and museums,
wherein flourish the true arts."

If any motion picture critic in your city has, as
Mr. Myers says, strayed from his (or her) essential
duty to inform the readers whether the pictures re-
viewed possess those qualities that make for popular
entertainment, this paper suggests that you clip this
article and send it to him or her.

entered as second -cia.ss matter January 4, 1U21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JULY 22, 1950 No. 29

ALLIED TO GATHER IN CHICAGO FOR
ACTION AGAINST EXCESSIVE
FILM TERMS

Colonel H. A. Cole, chairman of National Allied's
committee for the elimination of forced percentage
selling, has sent the following telegram to all Allied
regional units and Caravan groups :

"With complaints pouring in from all over the
country covering extortionate film rental demands,
both flat and percentage, and with steadily declining
box-office, the time has come when some considerate
thought and drastic action is necessary. From one ter-
ritory we hear of demands for 37J/2 per cent film
rental for subsequent-run neighborhood houses where
top demands heretofore on A product, not super pro-
ductions, has not been in excess of 3 5 per cent, which
in itself is much too high. In other territories we hear
of Branch Managers (not salesmen) refusing to con-
sider the impossibility of percentage terms demanded,
even though exhibitors offer to open their books, the
Branch Manager stating that he is not interested in
whether exhibitor makes money or not. Some prog-
ress was made by Allied Percentage Committee cov-
ering very small situations, but no relief apparent for
the great mass of theatres not in such group. A na-
tional mass meeting of exhibitors on this subject could
get nowhere unless intelligent planning and an in-
telligent campaign is formulated by some central
group. Allied Caravan and its National Committee
is the only organized group formed for this immediate
purpose. I have myself no definite plan in mind, but
believe that a gathering of representatives of all re-
gional Caravan units could arrive at some plan for
action. Film companies are taking advantage of com-
petitive situations and the bidding system to still
further hike film prices and terms. This is accentu-
ated by large number of drive-in theatres, many of
whom are new in the business and unfamiliar with
usual film prices and terms. Therefore, a meeting of
representatives from local Caravan organizations is
called at the Congress Hotel, Chicago, July 26-27. If
you have not already made hotel reservations through
us for such meeting, please wire me at once."

The present outcry against excessive film rentals
and terms, as evidenced by Colonel Cole's statements
in his telegram, and by the statement issued last week
by H. V. (Rotus) Harvey, chairman of the board of
trustees of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independ-
ent Theatre Owners, reflects an unyielding attitude
on the part of the producer-distributors, and unless
there is an abrupt change in their selling policies the
result may be disastrous to all concerned.

In spite of the fact that complaints against high
film rentals are numerous and insistent, and are com-

ing from all parts of the country, some distributor
representatives are inclined to look upon this outcry
as the usual squawk from exhibitors who are chronic
complainers but who manage to remain in business
year after year. Such an attitude is indeed shocking
and discouraging, particularly since the film com-
panies themselves, through their branch offices, re-
ported to COMPO'S tax committee that 5 80 theatres
had closed their doors permanently in the six-month
period from December, 1949 to May, 1950. Just how
many more theatres have closed down since May has
not been ascertained, but the number must be con-
siderable in view of the fact that there has been no
halt in the steady box-office decline.

There is a limit to what the exhibitors can pay for
film. Asking them to pay rentals that cannot, even if
the pictures were to be exploited intensively, leave
them with a profit, is a poor business practice on the
part of the producer-distributors, for, as Mr. Harvey
pointed out in his statement, "\ . . you cannot sell a
closed theatre; that revenue is gone!"

The two-day Chicago meeting called by Allied,
coupled with the strong protest of the West Coast ex-
hibitors against high film rentals, should indicate to
the distributors that storm clouds are gathering.

THINGS TO COME!

Now that President Truman has asked Congress
for ten billion dollars and for broad authority to win
the war in Korea and to protect the world against the
threat of Communist aggression, it can be expected
that Congress will speedily enact legislation that will
once again put the nation on a war footing.

To carry out the vast program of rearmament, the
President requested, and will no doubt be granted,
authority to establish priorities and allocate essential
defense materials, and to requisition supplies needed
for national defense. This means that in due time
you may find it difficult to obtain replacement parts,
and for this reason you should take steps immediately
to conserve on every item and carefully supervise its
use.

Such items, for example, as tubes and electric bulbs,
theatre chairs, carpets, carbon tetrachloride, frcon
gas, projector carbons, cleaning solvents, soaps and
many other materials that are vital in theatre opera-
tion may be as hard to get as during the last war.

Motors and machinery should be repaired now and
kept in first-class condition, and projectors and sound
equipment in particular should be given constant
vigilance.

Proper care now will save you headaches later, and
prevent the possibility of a dark house.

114

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 22, 1950

"Copper Canyon" with Ray Milland,
Hedy Lamarr and Macdonald Carey

(Paramount, October; time, 83 min.)

A pretty good western-type melodrama, photo-
graphed in Technicolor. The story itself offers noth-
ing unusual, for it follows the old established formula
of the hero's dropping into town and taking the side
of justice against the lawless element, but it holds
one's interest well because of the expert direction and
the capable acting. The dyed'in'the-wool western
fans may find it a bit too talky in spots, but on the
whole it has more than a fair quota of suspense and
exciting action, as well as comedy and romance. The
restraint with which Ray Milland portrays a cool
trick shot artist makes his heroics doubly effective.
Hedy Lamarr is satisfactory as the glamorous dance-
hall queen with whose wiles Milland has to cope, and
Macdonald Carey is properly deceitful and ruthless
as the villain. The magnitude of the stars should draw
to the box-office movie-goers who do not ordinarily
patronize westerns: —

When former Confederate soldiers seeking to re-
coup their fortunes in Coppertown are driven to the
wall by the ruthless Northern owners of the only
smelter in the area who refused to buy their ore ex-
cept on their own terms, they go to Nevada City to
appeal to Ray Milland, a trick shot performer, whom
they believed to be a fabulous Confederate hero who
had escaped from Federal prison after being captured
by the Union Army. Milland denies that he is the
famous hero lest he be arrested as a fugitive, and re-
fuses to offer assistance. Several days later, however, he
arrives in Coppertown with a troupe of entertainers,
and immediately starts using his charms on Hedy
Lamarr, owner of the saloon, much to the annoyance
of Carey, a murderous deputy sheriff who, together
with other crooked deputies, was in the pay of the
smelter owners to create havoc with the small mine
operations and keep their owners subjugated. Mil-
land's sense of justice is aroused when he sees Carey
and his henchmen kill three of the Southerners in
cold blood; he secretly joins the small mine owners in
a plan to ship their ore to another smelter thirty miles
away, a move that Carey had thus far blocked. Learn-
ing of the plan through a confederate who pretended
to be one of the Southerners, Carey calls upon Hedy
to use her wiles to keep Milland from leading the ore
wagon train. Hedy was part of the conspiracy to
force the small owners to sell their mines and quit the
territory. Milland, seeing through Hedy, foils her
attempt to get him drunk and, in a daring maneuver
as a masked rider, breaks up an attempt by Carey and
his henchmen to wreck the wagon train. In the com-
plicated events that follow, Carey, to dispose of Mil-
land's interference, steals the money the Southerners
had collected for their ore, frames Milland for the
robbery, and jails him. Hedy, by this time in love with
Milland and resentful of Carey's murderous tactics,
bribes a jailer to free him. Once out of jail, Milland
rallies the small mine owners and launches a furious
attack that ends with the death of Carey and his
crooked deputies. With the small mine owners now
assured of a square deal in the future, Milland leaves
Coppertown with Hedy to start a new life together.

It was produced by Mel Epstein and directed by
John Farrow from a screen play by Jonathan Letimer,
based on a story by Richard English. The cast includes
Mona Freeman, Harry Carey, Jr., Frank Faylen and
many others.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Fancy Pant*" with Bob Hope
and Lucille Ball

(Paramount, Sept.; time, 92 min.)
Photographed in Technicolor, this comedy shapes
up as an amusing one and one-half hours of slapstick
buffoonery that should more than satisfy the Bob
Hope enthusiasts. It is nonsensical stuff, but it keeps
one laughing throughout, for it is patterned in a man-
ner that does justice to Hope's brand of humor. As a
"ham" actor who is mistaken as a British nobleman
in the wild and wooly west, Hope romps through his
part with his typical gags and quips, becoming in-
volved in numerous misadventures that are com-
pounded into a series of rollicking slapstick situations.
There is considerable satirical humor directed at the
British aristocracy in the early reels, where Hope, in
England, poses as a gentleman's gentleman. A highly
laugh-provoking sequence is a fox hunt arranged by
Hope for President Theodore Roosevelt. Lucille Ball,
as the uninhibited daughter of nouveau riche Amer-
ican parents, adds much to the film's entertainment
values. The photography and production values are
fine: —

Lucille, touring England with her mother (Lea
Penman) in search of a titled husband, attends a
weekend party given by an impoverished nobleman
who had matrimonial designs on her. There, she and
her mother meet Hope, an American actor, who had
been hired by the nobleman to pose as a butler to im-
press Lucille. Hope makes a mess of the assignment,
but his finesse so impresses Lucille's mother that she
engages him to buttle in her home in a pioneer New
Mexico town so as to give social polish to both her un-
couth husband (Jack Kirkwood) and ill-mannered
daughter. Upon his arrival in New Mexico, Hope is
mistaken by the townspeople as an English Lord, and
the family, impressed by the envy of their friends,
persuade him to masquerade as one. Lucille soon finds
herself attracted to Hope, thus incurring the jealous
wrath of Bruce Cabot, her quick shooting boy-friend,
who utilizes every opportunity to make life miserable
for Hope. President Teddy Roosevelt (played by
John Alexander), visiting New Mexico and hearing
about Hope, comes to town to see him, and Hope,
continuing the masquerade, arranges a fox hunt in
his honor, but manages not to participate himself by
faking a game leg. Meanwhile Cabot, still gunning
for Hope, discovers a scrap book with clippings that
reveal Hope as an actor. He exposes him after a hectic
chase for possession of the scrap book, and it all ends
with Hope fleeing town on a handcar with Lucille at
his side.

It was produced by Robert Welch and directed by
George Marshall from a screen play by Edmund Hart-
mann, based on a story by Harry Leon Wilson. The
cast includes Eric Blore and others.

Fine for the family.

"Trial Without Jury" with Kent Taylor,
Audrey Long, Barbra Fuller
and Robert Rockwell

(Republic, July 8; time, 60 min.)
The story idea is original, but the action, unfor-
tunately, is not convincing as a result of poor dia-
logue and equally poor direction and acting. For in-
stance, the hero is in love with the sister of the de-
tective investigating the case, yet she persuades him
to say nothing to the brother on the ground that he
could not have convinced him that he had not com-
mitted the crime. In real-life action, this would be

July 22, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

altogether unnatural. From this point on, all the ac-
tion seems to have been contrived by the author; his
characters move at his will, and their actions are not
those of normal persons. All in all, the story is syn-
thetic— it couldn't have happened in real life. The
pace is slow, and there is no comedy relief:—

Kent Taylor, a successful playwright, writes a
psychological murder mystery melodrama, but Theo-
dore Von Elu, his producer and a philanderer, rejects
the play and the two get into a violent argument. On
the following morning, Taylor learns that Von Eltt
had been found strangled to death in his office.
Audrey Long, Taylor's sweetheart, advises him not
to say that he had been with Von Eltt on the previous
night lest he be accused of the murder. But Audrey's
brother, Robert Rockwell, a lieutenant with the Homi-
cide Squad, suspects Taylor. To trap the killer, Tay-
lor decides to write and produce a play, fitting the
action to parallel the circumstances surrounding Von
Eltt' death. K. Elmo Lowe, backer of Von Eltt' pro-
ductions, had assembled a cast in anticipation of get-
ting Taylor's psychological mystery story underway,
and Taylor receives permission to use both the cast
and the staff for the production of his new play. This
worked in with his scheme, for Barbra Fuller, the
leading lady, John Whitney, the male lead, Stanley
Waxman, the director, Barbara Bilhngsley, Von Eltt'
attractive associate, and Ruthelma Stevens, his dis-
illusioned wife, who hated her dead husband because
of his philanderings, were suspects. The play is a sell-
out since the public had become aware of its purpose.
Meanwhile Taylor, under constant threat of death
from the murderer himself, uncovers evidence indi-
cating that Miss Fuller had been the killer's accom-
plice. On opening night, Taylor plays the part of the
detective and maneuvers Miss Fuller into admitting
her connection with the real-life killer, who turns out
to be none other than Lowe. Lowe suddenly confesses
that he is Miss Fuller's foster-father, and that he had
killed Von Eltt for forcing his attentions on her and
refusing to put an end to his efforts. Convinced of
Taylor's innocence, Rockwell steps in and arrests
Lowe.

The story is by Rose Simon Kohn, the adaptation
by Lawrence Goldman, and the screen play by Albert
DeMond. Stephen Auer produced it, and Philip Ford
directed it.

Harmless for family patronage.

"Death of a Dream"

(Eagh'Lion, July 19; time, 45 nun.)
Written and narrated by Quentin Reynolds, this
documentary featurette is a compilation of newsreel
clips of actual historic events of the last thirty-five
years, which Mr. Reynolds uses to sum up the world
situation as it exists today and to show that the dream
of all free men for peace, democracy and security may
turn into a nightmare as a result of Communist ag-
gression. Most of the clips are familiar and have been
used in many other documentary-type films. They
include, among others, battle scenes of World Wars
I and II; President Wilson and the League of Na-
tions; the rise of Hitler and Mussolini; the attack on
Ethiopia; the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and
the attack on Pearl Harbor; the Nazi march into the
Rhincland; Chamberlain at Munich; and the present
Communist advance in the Orient. Although familiar,
these clips give impact to what Mr. Reynolds has to
say as he draws a parallel between the ambitions of
Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito and those of Stalin,

and warns that the United Nations, unlike the League
of Nations, must be equal to the challenge of aggres-
sion. It is an interesting film, one that should do well
in the newsreel theatres. Because of its timeliness,
regular theatres may be able to exploit it to good ad-
vantage as a secondary feature. It is a United World
Films production.

"Stella" with Ann Sheridan, Victor Mature
and David Wayne

(20th Century-Fox, August; time, 83 min.)

"Stella" is a comedy-farce of questionable taste and
doubtful box-office value, mainly because of the
macabre quality of its subject matter. The comedy
stems chiefly from the farcical doings surrounding the
search for a missing man, killed accidentally, whose
"screwball" family had hidden his body lest they be
accused of murder. Worked into the proceedings for
laughs are grave diggings and several decomposed
corpses, including a high comedy sequence in an un-
dertaker's parlor during the funeral services for the
wrong remains. The whole thing is played strictly for
laughs, but the different happenings and zany char-
acterizations will, as noted at a New York sneak pre-
view, result in mixed audience reaction ; some persons
thought it quite funny while others didn't. The story
itself is pretty weak and the romantic interest lacks
substance. The acting is just fair, and the camera has
not been too kind to Ann Sheridan; she appears wan :

Ann is the only working member of a shiftless
family, which includes her mother, two sisters, their
lazy husbands, and an uncle addicted to drink. All
live in a New England resort town, where Ann is
employed as secretary to Lief Erickson, an insurance
broker, who hoped to marry her. Victor Mature, a
representative of a large insurance company, comes
into Ann's life when he arrives in town to check on
Erickson 's qualifications for a job in the home office.
While Ann is at work, the family quarrels at a picnic
and the uncle is killed accidentally. Agreeing that it
might look like murder, the relatives bury the body
and, later, lead Ann to believe that he had disap-
peared on one of his periodic binges. But Ann be-
comes suspicious and soon draws the truth from
them. She favors going to the police, but the family
convinces her that the authorities would not accept
the truth. While Ann, Mature and Erickson become
involved in a romantic triangle, the family discovers
that the uncle had been heavily insured by Mature's
company, and to collect the money they begin to
identify one stray corpse after another as the uncle's
body. In every case, however, Mature, meaning to be
helpful, disproves the identification. Driven frantic
by her family's antics, Ann unburdens herself to
Erickson, who in turn uses her confession as a club to
make her forget about Mature. In the events that fol-
low, the two brothers-in-law try to exhume the uncle's
body so that it would be found elsewhere and enable
them to collect the insurance. They are caught red-
handed by Mature and the police as they dig up the
body of an Indian woman, and the discovery is made
that they had inadvertently buried the uncle in an old
Indian graveyard. With the truth finally out, the rela-
tives arc absolved of responsibility for the uncle's de-
mise and, while Ann and Mature depart to be mar-
ried, the brothers-in-law keep prospecting for the
uncle's body, still hopeful of collecting the insurance.

Claude Binyon directed it and wrote the screen
play, based on a novel by Doris Miles Disney. It was
produced by Sol C. Siegel. Adult fare.

116

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 22, 1950

"STOP" PICTURES

Early this month, Pete J. Wood, erstwhile secre-
tary of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio,
sent a letter to Abram F. Myers, National Allied's
general counsel, asking his advice as to what can be
done to eliminate the practice of a distributor refusing
to deliver a newly-licensed picture because of the fact
that the exhibitor had not yet played off the pictures
he had licensed previously from that distributor.

Taking, as an example, the case of MGM, Wood
put this query to Myers :

"An exhibitor buys four pictures late and has not
furnished any play dates. Then sometime later he
signs a contract for 'Annie Get Your Gun,' and he
wants to play it 'hot.' When he gives the exchange a
date he is informed that they will not accept it unless
he dates in the other four pictures previous to a date
for 'Annie Get Your Gun.'

"The Court has said that the sale of one picture
cannot be made contingent upon the sale of another
picture, or other pictures. How does this apply to the
above situation?"

The following reply by Mr. Myers should be of
interest to all exhibitors :

"Replying to yours of the 7th, I do not see how an
exhibitor can compel a distributor to deliver a newly-
licensed picture until he has played pictures formerly
licensed, unless his right to do so is expressly written
into the license agreement.

"It is true that the decrees, now effective as to all
of the Big Eight, provide that the licensing of one
picture shall not be conditioned upon the licensing of
another. The provision outlaws the old abuse of com-
pulsory block-booking, or forcing. But it applies only
to the licensing of pictures.

"It is my impression that all companies stipulate in
their printed contract forms that the pictures shall be
played 'in order of general release in the Exchange
district.' That established a procedure with respect to
the pictures licensed by the particular agreement. But
since you refer to the refusal of Metro to deliver
'Annie Get Your Gun' to exhibitors having unplayed
pictures under earlier contracts, let's look at the Metro
form.

"In addition to the provision above quoted, that
form also provides — 'It is also agreed that if Exhibitor
shall fail or refuse to date, play, or pay the license
fees contracted for under any other exhibition con-
tract (s) between the parties hereto . . . Distributor
may at its option exercise with respect to this agree-
ment any and all of the rights granted Distributor
under Clause Seventeenth hereof

"Clause Seventeenth provides that in case of such
default by Exhibitor — \ . . the Distributor may at its
option . . . (2) suspend the delivery of additional
motion pictures hereunder until such default or de-
faults shall cease and be remedied.'

"Unless 'Annie' is licensed under some special form
which does not contain the above provisions, or the
substance thereof, which seems very unlikely, I see
no legal remedy for the condition described in your
letter. So-called 'stop' pictures have long been a source
of irritation but the distributors have been unwilling
to eliminate these contract provisions, although they
have in meritorious cases waived their rights there-
under.

"The best and surest remedy is for an exhibitor

having unplayed pictures under contract and desiring
a later release for exhibition before he catches up un-
der his contracts, is to have his playdates written into
the license agreement. For example, he might insist
on writing into his contract for 'Annie' the follow-
ing:

" 'Print for this picture shall be delivered not later

than July , other provisions of the agreement

notwithstanding.'

"Of course, this offers no comfort to those exhibi-
tors who have bought 'Annie' without alteration of
the form. As to them, I think that they, or you in their
behalf, should appeal to Metro to make an exception
with respect to this picture. Conditions being what
they are, it is to the advantage of both the distributor
and the exhibitor that 'Annie' be played while it is
hot. I have seen the picture and it is wonderful en-
tertainment, just the sort of picture the theatres need
right now. Metro and its customers should cash in on
it right now, thereby capitalizing on the national ad-
vertising campaign. With the summer slump added
to our present difficulties, a little later may be too late
to realize on the full potentiality of this picture.

"Incidentally, 'Father of the Bride' is going great
guns in these parts and if your members want it for
early exhibition, advise them to insist on adding the
clause herein recommended."

THE NEW UNITED ARTISTS SETUP

As most of you undoubtedly know by this time, a
group of investors, headed by Paul V. McNutt,
former Governor of Indiana, who served also as high
commissioner of the Philippines and as manpower
commissioner during the last war, has acquired con-
trol of United Artists from Mary Pickford and
Charles Chaplin.

The sale came as a complete surprise to the in-
dustry, for up to the time of the announcement there
had been no indication that Mr. McNutt had been
negotiating with Miss Pickford and Chaplin. At a
trade press interview in New York this week, Mr.
McNutt, other than admitting that he holds 90% of
the outstanding stock as trustee, with Miss Pickford
and Chaplin retaining 10%, refused to divulge the
identity of the principals he represents, thus hanging
a veil of mystery over the entire deal.

Under the new setup, Mr. McNutt will act as
chairman of the board, and Frank L. McNamee, an
old associate of McNutt's and a present partner with
Jay Emanuel, publisher of The Exhibitor, in several
theatres, replaces Grad Sears as president. Miss Pick-
ford replaces Arthur W. Kelly as executive vice-
president. No decision has been reached as to the
future status of Sears, whose contract with UA re-
portedly runs until the end of 1951.

While the undisclosed details of the deal would be
interesting from the "newsy" point of view, they do
not mean much to the exhibitor, for he still is faced
with demands for top rentals no matter who heads a
film company.

United Artists has been in difficulties for a long
time, and the general run of product from the com-
pany has not been of the best entertainment quality.
It is to be hoped that the new owners will revitalize
the company and deliver better pictures to the bene-
fit of themselves as well as the exhibitors.

Harrison's Reports wishes Mr McNutt and his
mysterious backers success.

Entered as second-ciaaj matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII

SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1950

No. 30

A DEPLORABLE STATE OF AFFAIRS

With the Government moving swiftly to organize
the nation for all-out mobilization to meet the present
crisis, it was to be expected that the different elements
of the motion picture industry would come forward
with offers of cooperation, as they have always done
whenever a national cause was to be served. It is dis-
maying, however, to see representatives of the differ*
ent industry groups rushing to Washington to present
cooperation programs of their own without first mak'
ing an effort to coordinate their thinking with that of
the other industry groups so that a unified industry
liaison may be set up between the Government agen-
cies and the motion picture industry as a whole.

First to rush to Washington was Francis S. Har-
mon, vice-president of the Motion Picture Associa-
tion of America, who had been named by Eric John-
ston, MPAA president, to act as liaison between the
Government and the producer-distributor members
of the association. Mr. Harmon was executive vice-
president and coordinator of the War Activities
Committee during World War II.

Close on Mr. Harmon's heels was a group of top
officials of the Theatre Owners of America who, ac-
cording to trade paper reports, met with Government
officials early this week to present a program of
theatre cooperation.

Obviously motivated by the appointment of Har-
mon and by the maneuvers of the TOA officials,
Trueman T. Rembusch, president of National Allied,
issued the following statement last weekend:

"I feel strongly that the motion picture industry's
war activities should be carried on through COMPO,
which is the only all-industry organization including
in its membership the different elements and factions
in production, distribution and exhibition. Pending
the assumption by COMPO of its proper duties and
functions in connection with the war effort, I have
asked our general counsel Abram F. Myers to serve
as liaison with the several Government departments
and agencies in all matters affecting Allied members.
Allied cannot consent to being represented in matters
of such grave importance by volunteers or others in
the selection of whom Allied has no voice. I personally
hope that the situation in regard to COMPO will be
clarified and that it will become a going concern be-
fore Allied's October meeting when under a resolu-
tion adopted in Minneapolis last November the entire
subject of Allied's membership in COMPO will be
reviewed."

Mr. Rembusch then sent the following telegram to
President Truman, Secretary of State Dean Acheson,

Secretary of the Treasury John W. Synder, Secretary
of National Defense Louis B. Johnson and W. Stuart
Symington, chairman of the National Security Re-
sources Board :

"Allied States Association of Motion Picture Ex-
hibitors representing independent motion picture
owners is planning full cooperation with Government
in war emergency through Council of Motion Picture
Organizations which includes in its membership all
elements in the motion picture industry. Meantime I
have designated our general counsel, Abram F.
Myers, 1131 Dupont Circle, Washington, D. C, to
represent the 7000 independent theatres in Allied
States Association in all matters involving participa-
tion by such theatres in the war effort. In the interest
of complete teamwork we feel we should warn you
against opportunists and publicity seekers pretending
to speak for the motion picture industry. As soon as
Council of Motion Picture Organizations assumes its
responsibility in this matter, probably on July 25, you
will be assured of a point of contact with the industry
involving all branches."

National Allied's stand undoubtedly stirred Ned
E. Depinet, COMPO's president, into immediate ac-
tion, for he called a special meeting of COMPO's
executive board on Friday, July 21, to meet in New
York on Monday, July 24, to discuss primarily the
use of the all-industry organization as the exclusive
channel for cooperation with the Government in the
present emergency, as recommended by COMPO's
Committee on Organization, of which Harry Brandt
is chairman.

Of the ten member organizations that make up
COMPO, four were not represented at the meeting,
including the Motion Picture Industry Council, Pa-
cific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Own-
ers, Variety, International and the TOA. The ab-
sence of representatives of the first three organizations
is understandable because of the limited time in which
they had to travel a great distance, but TOA's failure
to attend may or may not be significant.

At any rate, a decision on the deliberations will not
be reached until the absent member groups will have
had a chance to register their approval or rejection.

Harrison's Reports is in complete accord with
the stand taken by National Allied in calling upon
COMPO to assume the responsibility of dealing with
the different Government agencies in all matters that
affect the industry as a whole. COMPO was launched
as an all-industry organization. It gives evenly-bal-
anced representation to all groups and factions and,
under its by-laws, no step may be made by the organi-
(Continued on last page)

118

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 29, 1950

"Beaver Valley"

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 32 min.)
Excellent! Photographed in Technicolor and filmed
with the cooperation of the Montana Fish and Game
Department, it is a fascinating and delightful Walt
Disney "True Life" featurette that depicts a group of
birds and animals in their natural habitat — the region
of a beaver pond. Completely authentic, unstaged and
unrehearsed, the films depiction of wild animals and
birds going about their business of courtships, home
making and survival has been captured by the cameras
in a way that is nothing short of remarkable. It is a
grand entertainment in every sense of the word, for
Disney has cleverly gotten away from the routine
nature film by presenting the activities of the animals
with a storylike continuity, giving it elements of com'
edy, romance, suspense and excitement that will have
undeniable appeal for all types of moviegoers, young
or old. It should make a perfect second feature in
doubk'billing theatres, and can be used to fine advan'
tage in rounding out a program in single-billing
houses.

Covering the four seasons in the year, the film por'
trays the beaver as the "leading citizen" of the wood-
land community and depicts in fine detail the manner
in which he builds a dam, raises a family, prepares
food for the winter and protects his loved ones from
intruders and enemies. The camera also takes in the
activities of moose, deer, bear, coyote, otter, badger,
racoon, eagle, owl, duck, salmon, trout, frog and
many other birds and beasts. There are any number
of unusual shots, such as a moose feeding with its head
under water, and a bear catching huge salmon in mid'
stream. And there is much comedy, too. For example,
the scenes that show a harried merganser mother
teaching her young to fly, and the sequences that deal
with the mischievous behaviour of the fresh-water
otter, sleek swimmers, as they tease the slower beavers
and slide on snow and ice, are extremely comical. The
most outstanding and funniest sequence is the "Frog
Symphony," in which a chorus of assorted frogs croak
in rhythm with an operatic aria. The narration, back'
ground music, editing and photography are of the
highest quality. The film will, in all probability, re-
ceive an Academy Award.

"Convicted" with Glenn Ford, Broderick
Crawford and Millard Mitchell

(Columbia, August; time, 91 min.)

A fair prison melodrama that rises slightly above
the level of program fare by virtue of its star value.
It is a remake of "The Criminal Code," produced by
Columbia in 1931. The effective acting of Glenn
Ford, as the young man who is sent to prison for the
accidental killing of a politician's son, and of Brod-
erick Crawford, as the sympathetic District Attorney
who becomes the prison warden, holds one's interest,
but there are times when the story drags and becomes
boresome. The fault seems to lie in the incredible
plot, which is written loosely and padded consider'
ably. The picture should, however, get by with undis-
criminating audiences, for it has several exciting mo-
ments and a number of dramatic situations: —

Ford, employed in a brokerage house, finds himself
charged with second degree murder when a barroom
brawl with the drunken son of a politician results in
the young man's accidental death. Crawford, the
District Attorney, feels sympathy for Ford and tries
to advise his attorney on how to defend him, but the
attorney bungles the case and Ford is sentenced to ten

years in prison. After serving two years, Ford is de-
nied a parole when the Board learns the name of his
victim. Embittered, he plans to escape with several
cellmates, but on the day of the break he receives word
of his fathers death and is put into solitary for strik-
ing a guard. Meanwhile his cellmates attempt the
break and are mowed down by the guards as the result
of their betrayal by Frank Faylen, a stool pigeon.
Crawford comes to the prison as the new warden and
immediately arranges for Ford to become his chauf-
feur. Ford falls in love with Dorothy Malone, Craw-
ford's daughter, who does her best to condition him
to his imminent return to civilian life. In the events
that follow, Crawford becomes aware of a strong
feeling among the convicts against Faylen, and he
keeps the stool pigeon on his staff to protect him. On
the eve of his parole, Ford witnesses the murder of
Faylen by Millard Mitchell, a fellow convict. Craw-
ford, aware that Ford was the only witness to the
crime, demands to know the name of the killer, but
Ford, true to the criminal code, refuses to squeal and
is thrown into solitary confinement. There, he is tor'
tured secretly by Carl Benton Reid, the sadistic cap-
tain of the prison guards, whom Mitchell hated.
Learning that fellow convicts had smuggled a knife
to Ford's cell, and fearing that Ford will kill Reid and
get life, Mitchell obtains a gun, creates a riot, and
has himself thrown into solitary with Ford. Once
there, he gets hold of the knife, confesses Faylen's
murder and kills Reid before being killed himself. It
ends with Ford gaining his freedom and with Craw-
ford approving his marriage to Dorothy.

It was produced by Jerry Bressler and directed by
Henry Levin from a screen play by William Bowers,
Fred Niblo, Jr., and Seton I. Miller, based upon a
play by Martin Flavin. Adult fare.

"Snow Dog" with Kirby Grant,
Elena Verdugo and Rick Vallin

(Monogram, July 16; time, 63 min.)

A very good program melodrama of the Canadian
woods, with a Mounted Police officer as the chief
character. The action holds one in tense suspense from
the beginning to the end. Although the direction is
skillful, as a result of which the players act with real-
ism, a great deal of the credit should go to Bill Ray-
nor, the screenplay writer, even though this work is
his first. There are many tensely melodramatic situa-
tions throughout the picture, and the outdoor scenery
adds to the spectator's pleasure. Chinook, the dog,
wins much sympathy. The villainous characters im-
press one as being real villains and not Hollywood-
made. The photography is a treat to the eye: —

Killings without robbery puzzzle Kirby Grant, a
Canadian mountie, but, when Chinook, his dog, tears
a dog collar from a wolf he meets in the woods, Grant
suspects that a human agency is responsible for the
killings. Still puzzled for a motive, however, Grant
dons civilian clothes to track the killer. He decides to
enlist the aid of Elena Verdugo, whose uncle had
been the first victim, and arrives at her cabin just as
Rick Vallin, her brother, returns from a trapping
trip, where he had been attacked by a wolf that bore
a likeness to Chinook. Noticing Chinook, Vallin
raises his gun to shoot him, but Grant convinces him
that the animal was not the killer. Grant learns from
Elena that her uncle had left a map indicating the lo-
cation of a fortune in pitchblende deposits. Hal Ger-
ard and Richard Avonde, two ruffians who had over-
heard Elena's statement about the map, steal it. Val-

July 29, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

119

lin, who had seen the map, draws another one from
memory for Grant, who heads for a distant trading
post to check the information. En route, he is am-
bushed and wounded by Gerard, but manages to
reach town, where his wounds are treated by Milburn
Stone, a doctor. Richard Karlan, head of the gang
seeking to locate the pitchblende, kills Gerard for his
failure to dispose of Grant, and makes it appear as if
Chinook had committed the killing. With Grant
away, Vallin tries to save Chinook from the gang by
hunting down the wolf. He is captured by the gang
and tortured in an effort to make him disclose the spot
described on the map. In a further effort to make him
talk, Elena is abducted by the gang. Grant, learning
of the abduction from Stone, sets out with Chinook,
locates the villains and, at gunpoint, forces them to
release both Elena and Vallin. The doctor, a secret
member of the gang, orders Grant to put up his
hands. At that moment, however, Chinook leaps on
the doctor and a fight ensues, culminating in the cap-
ture of all the villains. As Grant leaves for head'
quarters with his prisoners, he promises to return to
marry Elena.

The screenplay was based on the novel, "Tentacles
of the North," by James Oliver Curwood. It was pro-
duced by Lindsley Parsons and directed by Frank
McDonald. Fine for family audiences.

"Eye Witness" with Robert Montgomery

(Eagle-Lion, August; time, 104 min.)

Made in England, this murder trial melodrama is
hampered by an overlong, rambling story that could
stand some judicious cutting. On the whole, however,
it is a fairly engrossing entertainment of its kind,
mainly because of the interesting characterizations.
As a glib New York attorney who goes to England to
defend a wartime buddy on a murder charge, Robert
Montgomery functions as both star and director and
does a competent job in both categories, except for the
fact that he has kept the pace a bit too slow. The pic-
ture is at its best in the sly but good-natured humor
poked at British customs and legal traditions as seen
through the eyes of an American. The brash tactics
employed by Montgomery in the courtroom, and the
exchanges between him and Felix Aylmer, the patient
judge, are delightfully comical: —

Montgomery, a successful New York lawyer, flies
to England when he learns that Michael Ripper, a
former British soldier who had saved his life on the
battlefield, is in trouble with the law. Arriving in a
small English village on a Sunday morning, he learns,
after much difficulty with the slowmoving authori-
ties, that Ripper was accused of murdering his part-
ner in a livery stable because he suspected the man of
making improper advances to his wife (Jenny Laird) .
Ripper claimed that he had shot the man in self-
defense, and that an unknown woman who had been
in the victim's bedroom could clear him if she would
come forward and testify. Montgomery sets out to
find the mysterious woman and is aided in his search
by Patricia Wayne, widowed sister-in-law of Leslie
Banks, high sheriff of the county. Their search is un-
availing by the time Ripper is put on trial, but Mont-
gomery doggedly continues his investigation and re-
luctantly finds reason to suspect that Patricia herself
was the mysterious woman. By a stroke of luck, how-
ever, he discovers that the missing witness is none
other than Ann Stephen, the high sheriff's young
daughter, who denies the accusation. Through her
father, Montgomery arranges for Ann to take the

witness stand and, under his clever cross-examination,
she breaks down and clears Ripper. His task with Rip-
per completed, Montgomery shrewdly brings about a
better understanding between Ann and her father,
and at the same time wins Patricia's love.

It was produced by Joan Harrison and directed by
Mr. Montgomery from a screen play by Ian Hunter
and Hugo Butler. Adult fare.

"Pretty Baby" with Dennis Morgan,
Betsy Drake and Zachary Scott

(Warner Bros., Sept. 16; time, 92 min.)

Although the story is thin and far-fetched to the
point of ridiculousness, "Pretty Baby" is an enter-
taining comedy-farce. Revolving around the "wacky"
mixups a young secretary gets herself into as a result
of using a life-size doll to get a seat in a crowded sub-
way train, the plot is full of convenient coincidences
and unlikely situations, but it moves along at a breezy
pace and should amuse those who relish broad fun.
Most of the comedy stems from the mistaken beliefcof
a wealthy tycoon that the unwed heroine has a real
baby, and from the pressure he puts on her bosses to
make her happy. As said, it is nonsensical stuff, but it
is light and affable, and permits one to relax : —

Betsy Drake, a stenographer, is employed by an
advertising agency operated by Dennis Morgan and
Zachary Scott, whose chief client is Edmund Gwenn,
an irascible baby food tycoon, without whose business
they could not exist. To solve the problem of getting
a seat in the subway each day, Betsy wraps a blanket
around a life-size doll to appear like a mother and in-
fant. Gwenn, compelled to ride in the subway when
his chauffeur quits, overhears Betsy tell a woman pas-
senger that her "baby" was named after him. Inter-
ested, he makes her acquaintance by identifying him-
self as a watchman in the food company he owned,
and learns that she worked for Morgan and Scott.
Gwenn summons the pair, tells them about Betsy and
her "baby," and insists that they make her happy in
her work. They hurriedly agree, although neither one
knew that she was in their employ. Returning to the
office, they learn that the office manager had fired
Betsy for incompetence, but they find her and rehire
her with a big raise in pay, and immediately set in
motion a plan to use her to sell Gwenn on a new ad-
vertising campaign. With Morgan and Scott believing
that Betsy is Gwenn s "girl-friend," and with Betsy
believing that she had been rehired because of her
ability, all concerned become involved in a series of
misunderstandings, with matters becoming even more
complicated when Betsy discovers Gwenn's real iden-
tity and he in turn learns that she is not married and
finds reason to suspect that Scott is the "father" of her
"child." Betsy wants to tell Gwenn the truth, but
Morgan stops her by telling her that she will be re-
sponsible for putting several hundred people out of
work. To make matters worse, Morgan, by this time
in love with Betsy, is compelled to watch Scott date
her in order to keep Gwenn happy. More confusion
results when Betsy, no longer wishing to fool Gwenn,
disappears. Gwenn hires a detective to find her and,
after much excitement, learns her whereabouts as
well as the truth. It all ends with Morgan and Betsy
heading for the marriage license bureau.

It was produced by Harry Kurnitz and directed by
Brctaigne Windust from a screen play by Everett
Freeman and Mr. Kurnitz, based on a story by Jules
Furthman and John Klorer.

Unobjectionable morally.

120

HARRISON'S REPORTS

July 29, 1950

nation without the unanimous approval of all the
groups and factions represented. Consequently, no
action can be taken that will give one group an advan-
tage at the expense of another. Under this set'up,
COMPO is the ideal agency through which a unified
industry liaison with the Government can be estab'
lished. It seems strange, therefore, that, after all the
effort that has been put into unifying the industry
through COMPO, two member organizations, namely
MPAA and TOA, should branch out on their own
to deal with the Government on matters that vitally
affect the interests of all. Thoughtless acts such as
these breed a lack of confidence in the intentions of
MPAA and TOA in regard to COMPO's future.

Up to this point, though the going has been slow,
COMPO has offered the first tangible evidence of the
possibility of getting the different elements of the in'
dustry to work together for the common good. The
excellent admission tax campaign carried on through
COMPO's Committee on Taxation and Legislation
is proof of what can be done with a united front.
Harrison's Reports has supported the COMPO
unity movement from its inception and it still hopes
that the movement can be rescued from the misunder-
standing and distrust into which it has fallen. It is up
to the leaders of the MPAA and of the TOA to see
to it that confidence in COMPO is reestablished, for,
if the movement fails and the industry enters into the
dark years ahead torn by internal dissension, the lack
of a unified front may bring about crippling Govern'
ment regulations that will work a hardship on the
business without in any way helping the war effort.
And without a unified front it will be difficult to in-
duce the Government to modify such rulings.

IT MUST NOT HAPPEN AGAIN

Even if the Korean conflict should end suddenly
with the American troops, of course, emerging vie
torious, the present crisis will continue for a long time
because of the threat of Communist aggression in
other parts of the world. Elder statesman Bernard
Baruch told a Congressional committee this week that
the next five years will be a critical period in the na'
tion's effort to build up and maintain our military
strength on a par with Soviet Russia.

In the months ahead, therefore, our industry must
anticipate Government rulings and regulations that
will have a direct effect on all branches of the industry.
Just how drastic these may be cannot be foretold, but
if we will think back to the war years we will remem-
ber the "brownout," which limited the use of exterior
lighting to save power; the advocation of the closing
of theatres whenever a fuel shortage threatened; the
denial of Freon gas to the theatres; the shortage and
allocation of raw film stock; the doubling of the Fed-
eral tax on admissions; the limit placed on the amount
of money the producers could spend for new mate-
rials to build new sets; and numerous other rules and
regulations that hampered the industry's operations
but which had to be overcome because of the sacrifices
demanded by the war.

While most of the rules and regulations governing
the allocation of strategic materials were a hindrance,
there was one — the allocation of raw film stock — that
proved to be a bonanza for the producer-distributors

at the expense of the exhibitors, who woke up to the
danger too late for their protests to do them any good.

During the war years, the War Production Board
allocated to the industry a share of the raw film stock
produced in this country, with each of the eleven
producing-distributing companies receiving a certain
number of million feet. There were no restrictions
placed on the use of this raw stock; each company was
left to work out its own problems regarding the num-
ber of feet needed for production and the number of
feet required for release prints.

Unhampered by regulatory restrictions, the produ-
cer-distributors began to juggle their raw stock allo-
cations in a manner that perpetuated a "seller's mar-
ket." By releasing fewer pictures and giving them
extended playing time in the key-runs, and by con-
trolling the number of prints in circulation, they were
able to tighten their control of the film market and
even used the print shortage to increase the clearance
enjoyed by their affiliated theatres, as well as to ex-
act exorbitant rentals and preferred playing time
from the independents.

The situation became so acute that many exhibitors
turned to spot bookings of reissues for relief. But this
avenue of escape was soon closed to them when the
distributors, realizing that reissues offered a lucrative
profit because of the artificial product shortage main-
tained by their tactics, began to reissue old pictures on
a national basis, using thousands of feet of rationed
film stock for new prints, and demanding rental terms
that were not only excessive but in many instances
even higher than the terms demanded when the pic-
tures were new. It was, in other words, the old
"squeeze play." Meanwhile the companies accumu-
lated large backlogs of pictures, hoarding them in
their vaults and marking time while the reissues made
their rounds.

Another abuse was the use by the distributors of
rationed film stock to further their interests in foreign
markets while the American exhibitors were "starved"
for pictures.

The abuses suffered by the exhibitors in the war
days stemmed to a great extent from the failure of the
WPB to regulate the distributors' use of raw stock,
despite the fact that the exhibitors, as much as the
producer-distributors, had an undeniable stake in
every foot of film allocated to the industry.

Having carried on a vigorous campaign during the
war years for a revision by the WPB of its method
of film stock allocations so that recognition would
be given to the exhibitors' equity in the stock, Harri-
son's Reports can cite any number of specific moral
violations committed by the producer-distributors in
their misuse of the film stock. The purpose of this
article, however, is not to dwell on past abuses but to
alert the exhibitors to the fact that exhibition, through
its leaders, must have a voice in all conferences held
by Government officials with motion picture industry
representatives in connection with the war effort,
whether it be for the rationing of raw film stock or the
placing of restrictions on other commodities as well as
manpower used in the functions of the business. Only
by being given full recognition and representation in
all such conferences will the exhibitors be protected
fully in matters that are vital to their business exist-
ence in accordance with war-time exigencies.

Entered as second-class niatu r January 4, 1021, at the post office at New York, New York, under the aet of March 3, 1870.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 1950 No. 31

THE IMPENDING CYCLE OF WAR
PICTURES

With the advent of the Korean war, and with the nation
gearing itself for all-out mobilization, the producers in
Hollywood, according to reports, are scurrying around for
story material that will fit in with the current headlines. In
some instances scripts are being revised to include timely se-
quences, and in other instances original stories dealing di'
rectly with the Korean conflict are being typed out hurriedly
by the studios' writers in order that they may be put before
the cameras at the earliest possible date.

As evidence of the producers' current thinking, a great
number of picture titles slanted to capitalize on the Korean
war has been filed in recent weeks with the title registration
bureau of the MPAA.

From the hurried preparations that are now going on in
Hollywood, an impending cycle of pictures dealing with
timely war subjects is in the offing. Before rushing through
with their plans, however, the producers would do well to
give the matter deep consideration, for no one knows better
than the exhibitors just how seriously the box-office was hit
during the last war because the movie-goers had become
apathetic towards war pictures, of which they had been fed
an overdose. The movie-going public had become so satiated
with pictures that used the war as a background that even
the meritorious ones suffered at the box-office.

No one will deny the necessity of timely war pictures that
will, in terms of entertainment, clarify the issues for which
we are fighting, but there can be no question that an over-
dose of war-themed pictures, no matter how good and mean-
ingful some of them may be, tires the movie-goer.

* * *

While on the subject of the impending cycle of war-
themed pictures, a word of caution to the producers on the
importance of considering the public's state of mind will
not be amiss.

It is understandable and even desirable that war melo-
dramas should be grim, for they serve to reflect to the civil-
ians at home that war is a tough, dirty business that demands
the greatest sacrifices from each one of us to bring it to a
speedy and successful conclusion. Battle scenes, for example,
add a realistic touch to war pictures and give them the de-
sired dramatic and inspirational effect. Audiences expect to
see this type of action in such pictures, and they find these
scenes acceptable, though brutal.

But there is one sort of realism that war pictures can do
without — scenes that depict in minute detail the mental and
physical sufferings of a fighting man. Surgical operations;
the loss of limbs; shell-shock; a fighting man returning home
to his loved ones either blinded or with some other injury
received from performing an heroic act, are scenes that may
be highly dramatic and may even bring tears to one's eyes,
but they can hardly be classified as entertainment for
parents, wives, sweethearts and relatives of men who are
either in the armed forces or subject to the draft. In the
days ahead most picture-goers will look upon the fighting
man on the screen as representative of the one they love,
and scenes that depict him undergoing excruciating mental

and physical pain are sights that will torture their hearts out
of fear that their loved ones will suffer a similar fate.

The Korean war and the tense international situation are
causing great mental stress to many people, and our motion
pictures should not add to this strain unnecessarily. Since
the motion picture, as a matter of fact, has no equal as a
source of entertainment for the masses, the producers must
recognize that their responsibility in the selection of story
material for war-themed pictures is greater than ever, for
their judgment will determine whether or not the movie-goer
is to receive the relaxation he or she seeks and needs. When
every day fills the lives of millions with intense emotional
stress, they need entertainment that will give them a lift.
But if they leave the theatres in an unhappy frame of mind,
caused by heart-rending scenes that parallel their own grief,
it will help neither their morale nor theatre attendance.

BILL RODGERS OFFERS HIS
COOPERATION

Under the heading " 'STOP' PICTURES," this paper
published in its July 22 issue an opinion by Abram F.
Myers, National Allied's general counsel, on what can be
done to eliminate the practice of a distributor refusing to
deliver a newly-licensed picture to an exhibitor unless he
has first played off the pictures he had licensed previously
from that distributor. Mr. Myers' opinion was in reply to a
query from Pete Wood, secretary of the Independent
Theatre Owners of Ohio, who took, as an example, the case
of MGM's "Annie Get Your Gun."

William F. Rodgers, MGM's general sales manager, had
this to say on the subject in a recent letter to Mr. Myers:

"My attention has been called to your statement of opin-
ion regarding exhibitors who want 'Annie Get Your Gun,'
but who are delinquent in dating other pictures previously
bought.

"We are most appreciative of what you had to say about
'Annie Get Your Gun' and 'Father of the Bride' as well as
the very clear and fair manner in which you answered the
question.

"Let me assure you that if there are any deserving cases,
because of recent purchases of a number of pictures, or due
to conditions beyond their control, where any theatre own-
ers would be unreasonably held up on the playing of these
outstanding attractions, if these details will be given to our
local Branch Manager and are meritorious I will authorize
the dating of either or both pictures out of continuity of
release for I agree with you that there should be as little
delay as possible in getting these pictures before the public
as further proof that 'Movies Are Better Than Ever.'

"Just as it is right and proper for us to deliver our pictures
to our customers in order of release, so we feel it is only fan-
that they be played in a like manner unless, as I have stated
above, there arc mitigating circumstances in which case we,
of course, want to fully cooperate."

That Bill Rodgers has offered his full cooperation in this
matter does not come as a surprise to Harrison's Reports,
nor will it startle most of the exhibitors, for he has always
made a sincere effort to recognize the exhibitors' problems
and to do something about them.

HARRISON'S REPORTS

August 5, 1950

"The Desert Hawk" with Yvonne De Carlo
and Richard Greene

(Univ.-Int'l, August; time, 78 min.)

A good picture of its type. Photographed in Technicolor,
it is one of those fantastic Arabian Nights tales, offering a
mixture of adventure, romance and comedy that should
please the youngsters as well as the adult action fans, for the
story is wildly melodramatic, with plentiful swordplay and
chases. The lavish palace settings, the desert and ancient
Bagdad backgrounds, the brilliant-hued costumes, all en-
hanced by the color photography, give the film a pageantry-
like quality! And Yvonne De Carlo, as a princess, together
with her handmaidens and a bevy of harem girls, all in fetch-
ing costumes, are easy on the eyes. Richard Greene, as a
"Robin Hood" type of character, cuts a dashing and heroic
figure. The direction is good and the acting is in the bom-
bastic style demanded by this type of story: —

George Macready, a wicked prince who oppressed the
people of the desert, is constantly opposed by Richard
Greene, a blacksmith who, as the Desert Hawk defended
the people and rode forth with his masked band to harass
Macready's forces. To rid himself of the Desert Hawk, Mac-
ready seeks the help of the Caliph of Bagdad and arranges
to marry Yvonne De Carlo, his daughter. Learning that
Yvonne awaited the arrival of her bridegroom, whom she
had never met, in an oasis, Greene rides in, impersonates
Macready, and marries her before disappearing on the fol-
lowing morning upon the arrival of Macready. Yvonne, dis-
covering that she had been tricked, demands that Macready
bring Greene's head to her on a platter. Macready then
makes a deal with Carl Esmond, another powerful ruler, to
murder Yvonne and make it appear as if Greene is responsi-
ble. Marc Lawrence, Esmond's aide, disguises himself as the
Desert Hawk and swoops down on the oasis, but instead of
killing Yvonne he takes her prisoner along with her hand-
maidens. Now aware that there was a plot against her life,
Yvonne switches clothes with one of her handmaidens and
soon finds herself sold as a slave in the open market. She is
recognized by Greene, who buys her. Meanwhile Esmond
discovers that the handmaiden he held prisoner is not
Yvonne, and Macready learns that Esmond had failed him.
These circumstances set in motion a wild series of events in
which Yvonne is kidnapped from Greene by Esmond, and
in which all concerned, including Macready, end up in
Esmond's palace. There, after a furious fight in which both
Esmond and Macready are killed, Greene rescues Yvonne
and wins the blessing of the Caliph as his new son-in-law.

It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by
Frederick de Cordova, from an original screen play by
Aubrey Wisberg, Jack Pollexfen and Gerald Drayson
Adams. The cast includes Jackie Gleason, Joe Besser and
others. Harmless for the family.

"Hi-Jacked" with Jim Davis
and Marsha Jones

(Lippert, ]uly 7; time, 65 min.)

A surprisingly well produced "B" melodrama. One is held
in fairly tense suspense throughout, for the hero is sympa-
thetic and one fears lest he be punished for crimes he had
not committed. The theme, as indicated by the title, is hi-
jacking. The hero is hi-jacked twice and, because he is a
parolee, he is naturally suspected of being in league with the
crooks. The methods he employs to track down the hi-
jackers and thus prove his innocence are logical, and, be-
cause of good direction, they are made believable. The ro-
mantic interest is fairly pleasant: —

Jim Davis, an interstate truck driver, is tricked one eve-
ning by crooks, who beat him up and hi-jack his truck. He
reports the robbery to Ralph Sanford, the company's dis-
patcher, but because of his prison record he is suspected of
being implicated in the crime. Actually, Sanford himself is
in league with the crooks, passing information to them about
valuable cargoes. Dispatched on another run with orders to
return with a liquor shipment, Davis stops in the town of
Gorman, where one of the crooks starts a fight with him
while the other pours a drug into his thermos bottle of coffee.
Later, he sips the coffee, becomes drowsy and is forced to

stop the truck. Just before he slips into unconsciousness, he
hears the voice of the ringleader ordering the crooks to take
the truck to their warehouse. Davis is again accused of com-
plicity in the crime when he reports the second robbery. He
quits his job, determined to hunt and find the "voice,"
claiming that he will recognize it anywhere. Sanford is pres-
ent when he makes that statement. When Davis is attacked
later by thugs and told to forget the "voice," he realizes
that Sanford is the only logical person who might have in-
formed his attackers. He overhears the crooks planning to
hi-jack another truck and conceals himself in the truck's
compartment beneath the floor to witness the crime. When
the truck arrives at the warehouse, Davis slips out and
quietly telephones the police. The crooks discover him and
attempt to kill him, but he manages to get hold of a gun and
shoots it out with them, killing two of the crooks by the
time the police arrive. With Sanford and the gang appre-
hended, Davis, now exonerated, is promoted to general
manager, and he returns home to Marsha Jones, his wife,
a happy man.

It was produced by Sigmund Neufield and directed by
Sam Newfield from a screen play by Orville Hampton and
Fred Myton, who collaborated on the original story with
Ray Shrock.

Ed. N.ote: The picture advertises Miller's High Life beer,
Hoffman Radios, and the Gorman Restaurant in Gorman,
Calif. Suitable for the family.

"Summer Stock" with Judy Garland,
Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken
and Gloria De Haven

(MGM, August; time, 109 min.)
An excellent Technicolor musical comedy-drama, one
that should do extremely well at the box-office, not only
because of the drawing power of the stars, but also because
of the favorable word-of-mouth advertising it is sure to re-
ceive. Revolving around the activities of a summer stock
company, and around their invasion of a farm owned by
Judy Garland, the story is lightweight, but it is refreshing
and consistently entertaining, for it has been endowed with
good comedy situations and an appealing romance. More-
over, the musical sequences are intimate and attractive, and
the songs melodious. Judy Garland is exceptionally good in
this picture, the best she has been in a long time; her singing
and dancing drew rousing cheers from a preview audience
after the finish of each of her numbers. Gene Kelly's dance
routines are nothing short of superb. One musical number
that will literally bring down the house is a comedy hill-
billy song-and-dance routine in which Kelly and Phil Silvers
are joined by a pack of barking dogs. Eddie Bracken, as a
mousey suitor domineered by his father, adds much to the
comedy: —

Judy, an impoverished farm owner in Connecticut, awaits
the arrival of Gloria De Haven, her sister, to help gather in
the crops. She becomes furious when Gloria, an aspiring
actress, arrives with a summer stock company headed by
Gene Kelly, Gloria's boy-friend, to put on a show in the
farm barn. Learning that Kelly and his group had invested
all their money to stage the show, Judy agrees to let them
remain provided they help Marjorie Main, her housekeeper,
with the chores. The presence of actors on Judy's farm dis-
turbs Eddie Bracken, her local boy-friend, as well as Ray
Collins, his father, owner of the general store. Judy and
Kelly are attracted to each other, but she keeps away from
him out of deference to Gloria. Complications arise several
days before the opening when Gloria quarrels with Kelly
and returns to New York. Desperate for a leading lady,
Kelly calls upon Judy to step in and do the part. She agrees,
despite the objections of Bracken, who hurries to New York
to bring back Gloria. Judy and Kelly realize their love
during the next few days of intense rehearsing. Gloria and
Bracken return on opening night, but Gloria refuses to
interfere when she sees that Judy and Kelly are really in love.
The show turns out to be a hit, and it all ends on a happy
note with the start of a romance between Gloria and Bracken.

It was produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Charles
Walters from a story by Sy Gomberg, who wrote the screen
play with George Wells. Fine for the family.

August 5, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

123

"Edge of Doom" with Dana Andrews,
Farley Granger and Joan Evans

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 99 min.)

Ninety-nine minutes of unrelieved gloom are served up in
this tragic tale about a morose, grief'Stricken young man
who kills an elderly Catholic priest for refusing to give his
mother an elaborate funeral. It is a morbid, depressing story,
set against a bleak background of tenement squalor and
poverty, and its box-office possibilities are questionable, for
it is doubtful if movie-goers nowadays are in the mood for
this type of grim entertainment. Moreover, the story itself
lacks an appreciable dramatic punch, mainly because of the
fact that the characterizations are somewhat vague and the
plot sketchily developed. Extraneous incidents are intro-
duced without any of them having a direct bearing on the
story. The acting is fairly good, with Farley Granger turn-
ing in a sensitive performance as the neurotic young mur-
derer, and with Dana Andrews sympathetic as an under-
standing priest who influences the boy to give himself up to
the police. Although Joan Evans is given star billing, her
part is extremely brief, consuming perhaps not much more
than one or two minutes of screen time: —

When his mother, a deeply religious woman, dies of
tuberculosis, Granger, penniless and friendless, becomes
obsessed with a desire to give her an elaborate funeral to
make up for the poverty in her life. He appeals to Harold
Vermilyea, the district's elderly parish priest, towards whom
Granger felt bitter because he had denied his father, a
suicide, burial in consecrated ground. When the aged priest
treats Granger's unreasonable demands coldly, the lad, en-
raged, hits him on the head with a metal crucifix, killing
him. He covers up all evidence of the crime and flees from
the rectory. As he walks the streets aimlessly, he finds
himself caught up in a crowd attracted to a theatre robbery.
He becomes panic-stricken, and two detectives, noticing his
erratic behavior, accuse him of the robbery and take him to
headquarters for questioning. There he is recognized by
Andrew's, the murdered priest's assistant, who gains his
release by assuring the police that the lad's odd actions
were due to the death of his mother. Meanwhile the priest's
body is found and a hunt is started for the killer. In the
complicated events that follow, while Granger tries unsuc-
cessfully to arrange an elaborate funeral for his mother,
Andrews finds a clue indicating that the lad had murdered
Vermilyea. In the meantime Paul Stewart, a petty thief
known to Granger, is erroneously accused and identified as
the killer. Andrews confronts Granger with the clue and,
when the young man denies the crime, he tells him gently
to examine his conscience. In a final scene at the mortuary
chapel, Granger, standing besides his mother's casket, sobs
out his confession to her while Andrews and the police
stand unobserved in the doorway.

It was produced by Samuel Goldwyn and directed by
Mark Robson from a screen play by Philip Yordan, based
on the novel by Leo Brady.

Adult fare.

"Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" with
James Cagney and Barbara Pay ton

(Warner Bros., Aug. 19; time, 102 min.)

This crime melodrama is so unpleasant, vicious and de-
moralizing that it can hardly be classified as entertainment.
It should, however, satisfy those who enjoy seeing James
Cagney in his familiar role of a cocky, sadistic gangster,
one who shoots down people without compunction, slaps his
women and throws them around, and in general displays
maniacal tendencies as he goes about the business of achiev-
ing his crooked ends. The story is made up of ugly situations
from start to finish, and there is not one character for
whom the spectator can feel any sympathy. Even the police
are shown as being crooked. The plot itself is weak, for
much of it is illogical. Cagney's portrayal of the homicidal
gangster is, at times, so lacking in restraint that it borders
on the burlesque: —

Cagney, an inmate at a prison farm, plans an escape with
another prisoner, whose sister (Barbara Payton) had ar-
ranged for a getaway car. To make good his own escape,
Cagney shoots down Barbara's brother on the way out.
Arriving in the big city, Cagney learns from Steve Brodic,
driver of the getaway car, that Barbara owed $1000 to Rhys
Williams, a crooked garage owner, for furnishing the car.
Together with Brodie, he stages a quick holdup of a super-
market to get ready cash and to pay Williams the $1000.
By this time Barbara, after some rough handling by Cagney,
had become his mistress. That night Cagney is visited by
Ward Bond and Barton MacLane, two crooked detectives

who, tipped off by Williams, take away the balance of the
holdup money. On the following day, Cagney lures the
crooked detectives back to his home and proposes that they
cooperate with him on a big payroll robbery. He secretly
records their verbal agreement to the deal and, with the aid
of Luther Adler, a shady lawyer, uses the recording to
blackmail them into agreeing to protect his criminal activ-
ities. With Bond and MacLane under his thumb, Cagney
has little difficulty staging one holdup after another, killing
his victims whenever it suited his purpose. He meets and
becomes attracted to Helena Carter, daughter of Herbert
Heyes, a powerful steel tycoon, and marries her secretly.
Heyes learns of the marriage and demands an annulment.
Cagney agrees without argument, and even signs a paper
renouncing all claims to Helena's fortune. Impressed by
Cagney's fairness but still unaware of his activities, Heyes
asks him to resume the marriage, revealing that it had not
been annuled after all. Returning home to pack, Cagney
finds Barbara awaiting him with a gun — she had learned
about Helena and about the fact that he had killed her
brother. She shoots him dead when he tries to wrest the gun
from her. Barbara's arrest brings to light the recordings,
which the authorities use to convict all who had been in-
volved with Cagney.

It was produced by William Cagney and directed by
Gordon Douglas from a screen play by Harry Brown, based
on Horace McCoy^s novel of the same name.

Strictly adult fare.

"No Way Out" with Richard Widmark,
Linda Darnell and Stephen McNally

(20th Century-Fox, no rel. date set; time, 106 min.)

Darryl F. Zanuck has come through with another powerful
melodrama in this personal production, which revolves
around the problems of a young Negro doctor who is accused
by a vicious white Negro-baiting hoodlum of murdering
his brother. It is a gripping, highly dramatic story that points
up the problem of racial prejudice, and, though it does not
furnish an answer, it certainly calls attention to the prob-
lem in an objective and meaningful way. The subject matter
is presented in a bold, forceful manner, with free use made
in dialogue and in action of the insulting tactics generally
employed by Negro-baiters. It is not a picture for the
squeamish, for the action is strong and hard-hitting from
start to finish in its display of violence and brutality fanned
by bitter hatreds. A most powerful and tense sequence is a
race riot between the Negroes and whites of a slum district.
The direction is expert and the acting excellent, with out-
standing portrayals turned in by Richard Widmark, as the
vicious, vindictive criminal; Linda Darnell, as his hardened
sister-in-law who eventually turns against his viciousness;
and Sidney Poitier, as the sensitive and sympathetic young
Negro doctor: —

Having passed the State Board examination, Poitier, the
lone Negro interne in a city hospital, is assigned to the
prison ward by Stephen McNally, the head doctor, whose
encouragement inspired him. Poitier's first case is Richard
Widmark and Dick Paxton, brothers, who had been shot
and captured during a holdup. Widmark, an intense Negro
hater, insults Poitier and demands a white doctor, but the
demand is ignored. Paxton dies as he is given first aid by
Poitier, and Widmark accuses him of murder. Disturbed by
the accusation, Poitier demands an autopsy, but Widmark,
backed by the law, refuses to permit it and continues his
claim of "murder." To avenge his bother's death, Widmark,
through Linda Darnell, his brother's scparted widow, ar-
ranges for his hoodlum pals in the slums to attack the Negro
section. The Negroes, however, learn of the plan and attack
first, sending numerous whites to the hospital. Poitier, en-
deavoring to treat them, suffers many indignities and quits.
He then surrenders to the police on a confessed murder
charge to force an autopsy on Paxton's body. The autopsy
vindicates him, but Widmark, not satisfied with the coro-
ner's verdict, escapes from the police, despite his crippled
leg, and forces Linda against her will to trick Poitier into
coming to an empty house, where he planned to kill him.
Linda manages to notify the police and rushes to the house
to save Poitier. She prevents his death by pulling a light
switch just as Widmark fires. Widmark falls to the floor,
half crazed from the pain of his bleeding leg, and the picture
ends on an ironic note with Poitier, true to the medical
code, applying a tourniquet to save Widmark from bleeding
to death.

It was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by
Joseph L. Mankicwicz, who wrote the original screen play
with Lesser Samuels.

Adult fare.

124

HARRISON'S REPORTS

August 5, 1950

ALLIED PREPARES FOR ALL-OUT
DRIVE AGAINST EXCESSIVE
FILM RENTALS

Meeting in Chicago on July 26'27 to formulate a plan of
action against high film rentals currently demanded by the
distributors, leaders of Allied States Association of Motion
Picture Exhibitors issued the following formal statement at
the close of their two-day conference:

"Leaders from Allied territories meeting informally in
Chicago by invitation of Allied States Association of Motion
Picture Exhibitors, after discussing fully the conditions in
the several territories, arrived at the following conclusions:

"1. That boxoffice receipts for the past three months range
from 17J/2 to 35 per cent below the receipts for the corre-
sponding months a year ago.

"2. That while the distributors have for many years
forced themselves into an unwanted partnership with the
exhibitors in draining off the profits of the theatres, they
have not recognized the corresponding obligation to share
losses resulting from the decline in business.

"3. That, on the contrary, reports from all territories
indicate that the distributors are seeking to cushion them'
selves against the shocks of the current business decline by
increasing domestic film rentals.

"4. That this is being accomplished by unsound alloca'
tions of pictures, by increased demands for percentage play
ing and for higher flat rentals.

"5. As a matter of simple justice and fair dealing the
distributors must accept their fair share of the loss and imme-
diately reduce film rentals proportionate to the decline in
the boxoffice.

"6. That the exhibitors in justice to themselves and in
order to perpetuate themselves in business, each acting for
himself, should forthwith determine to reduce his film costs
in accordance with this recommendation.

"7. That in the struggle to protect themselves in the pres-
ent emergency, exhibitors should bear in mind that while
'must' percentage pictures are intolerable, it is equally dan-
gerous for any exhibitor in times like this to think that he
'must' have any particular picture, regardless of the terms
demanded therefor.

"8. That for the information of its exhibitors competent
organization reviewers will assign to each picture that is
trade shown a recommended allocation which exhibitors can
use in place of the one-sided company allocations.

"9. That exhibitors should be reminded that under the
decision of the Supreme Court they are entitled to buy their
pictures selectively and no film company can lawfully retali-
ate against an exhibitor who exercises his right to pass a
picture for which exorbitant terms are demanded, or to reject
other pictures of questionable boxoffice value.

"10. All exhibitors should make a careful analysis of their
film buying to determine an accurate profit and loss state-
ment for each individual company.

"11. This meeting was held preliminary to the full con-
sideration of this problem at the national Allied convention
to be held at the William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, October
2, 3 and 4. It is planned to hold individual sessions for
theatres in like classification, where film and trade practices
will be discussed."

"Jungle Stampede"

(Republic, July 29; time, 60 min.)
This photographic record of an expedition through the
wilds of Africa is a routine jungle adventure film that should
get by as a supporting feature wherever other films of this
type have proved acceptable. The usual shots of bare-
breasted native women makes the picture a natural for the
so-called grind houses that deal in sensational ballyhoo meth-
ods. Similar in format to most jungle exploration pictures,
the camera follows the expedition from Nairobi to a jungle
region inhabited by Pygmies, whose primitive customs and
mode of living are shown in detail. From there, the expedi-

tion travels to the Masai Country, where all types of wild
animals are shown, such as gazelles, lions, zebras, buffalo,
vultures, and many others. Highlights in the depiction of
the wild animal life are exciting shots of an unsuccessful
attempt to capture a young elephant; a vicious battle be-
tween a wart hog and a hyena; and an encounter with a
school of hippopotami wallowing in a river. Worked into
the action are some fanciful but obviously staged incidents,
such as the stalking and killing of the expedition's native
cook by a leopard, and the fall of one of the explorers into a
snake pit, from which he makes a "miraculous" escape. In
view of the fact that the cameraman is always present before
these and other fantastic incidents occur, these sequences
will probably be greeted with derisive laughter by all but the
very naive. One distasteful sequence, which is enough to
make the picture unsuitable for the family, depicts a Masai
marriage ceremonial. It is objectionable, not only because of
the primitive tribal dances, which emphasize indecent move-
ments, but also because of the manner in which the camera
dwells on the pre-marital anointment of the bare-breasted
bride, with undue emphasis on the painstaking way in which
the male anointer smears oil on her breasts.

It was directed by George Breakston, who co-produced it
with Yorke Coplen. This pair also produced "Urubu,"
which United Artists distributed in 1948.

"On the Isle of Samoa" with Jon Hall
and Susan Cabot

(Columbia, August; time, 6? min.)

Poor. There is no earthly reason why this picture should
have been made. The story is inane, and the spectator is
made to watch, from the beginning to the end, the doings of
a crook and double-crosser. The fact that he becomes re-
generated in the last scenes does not help the picture. The
direction has been wasted on this worthless story material.
The only good thing that one can say about it is that the
scenery is beautiful. The title, however, leads one to think
that it is a travelogue rather than an assembly-line produced
picture. The photography is good: —

Jon Hall, a former war pilot, leads Jacqueline de Wit, wife
of Ben Weldon, his employer, to believe that he loves her
when he, in reality, loves only money. He enlists her aid to
rob her husband's safe at the Seven Seas Cafe in Sydney,
Australia. When Weldon surprises them and attempts to
retrieve the money, Hall knocks him down and prepares to
leave without Jacqueline. Weldon, recovering, attempts to
shoot both his wife and her lover, but kills only his wife.
Hall charters a plane for Honolulu, but the flight is cancelled
because of a rising hurricane. Determined to get away, he
knocks the pilot unconscious and takes off in the plane him-
self. But he is overtaken by the hurricane and forced to
crash land on a remote island seldom visited by ships. He
sprains his leg in the crash. He is treated kindly by Raymond
Greenleaf, a missionary, the only white man on the island,
and by the natives. Susan Cabot, a beautiful native girl, is
affectionate towards him. Despite their fine treatment, how-
ever, Hall determines to leave at the first opportunity.
Meanwhile he teaches Susan how to make love, and hides
the stolen money. The missionary, while examining the
plane, accidentally touches the radio lever and hears a broad-
cast that Hall is wanted in Sydney for Jacqueline's murder.
To get away quickly, Hall persuades several natives to clear
a runway for the plane, and at this point discovers that the
money is missing from the hideout — a monkey had dug it
up and the missionary had taken care of it for Hall. Believ-
ing that the missionary had stolen the money, Hall strikes
him, but he begs his forgiveness when he learns the truth.
By this time Hall discovers that he is really in love with
Susan. He leaves for Sydney on the first available boat to
clear his name, promising Susan that he will return to make
his home on the island with her as his wife.

The story is by Joseph Santley; the screenplay by Brenda
Weisberg and Harold Green. It was produced by Wallace
MacDonald, and directed by William Berke.

Harmless for the family.

Entered as sccund-cia.ss matter January 4, l'J21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1950

No. 32

COMPO WEATHERS THE STORM

The most heartening news of the week is the unanimous
agreement reached on Wednesday by COMPO's executive
board on a program of united industry cooperation with
the Government in the present emergency.

For the past two weeks, the future of COMPO looked
dark because of the deadlock created by the objections of
the Theatre Owners of America to certain provisions of
the resolution presented at the Board's July 24 meeting,
whereby COMPO would have been authorized to assume
the responsibility of dealing with the different Government
agencies in the present war effort on all matters that affect
the motion picture industry as a whole.

The TOA's chief objections were that, under the reso'
lution's provisions, theatre owners would lose their auton-
omy of action in matters that affect exhibition, and that the
TOA itself would lose the power of a veto.

With the deadlock hampering COMPO's efforts to "get
off the ground," and with the need for a united industry
front greater than ever, Ned E. Depinet, COMPO's presi-
dent, called an emergency meeting of the COMPO execu-
tive board for Wednesday of this week to find a solution,
and it is to the credit of all concerned that a serious breach
in COMPO's ranks was averted by the unanimous adoption
of a new resolution that overcomes TOA's objections and
establishes a COMPO Committee for Cooperation with
the Government.

The complete text of the resolution is as follows:

"RESOLVED by the Executive Board of the Council of
Motion Picture Organizations, Inc.

"1. THAT Ned E. Depinet, President, be authorized
and instructed to send a communication to the President
of the United States offering him as Commander'in'Chief
of our Armed Forces, the full cooperation in the present
crisis of the organizations which are charter members of the
Council of Motion Picture Organizations, Inc., and repre-
sentatives of the American motion picture industry.

2. THAT the officers of the Council of Motion Picture
Organizations, Inc. (the President, the nine Vice-Presidents
and the Treasurer) or alternates designated by each of them,
is hereby constituted as a committee to be known as the
COMPO Committee for Co-operation with the U. S. Gov-
ernment. The Secretary of COMPO shall serve as the
secretary of the committee without vote.

"The primary functions of said committee are:

"(a) To develop a satisfactory liaison between officials
of the U. S. Government and the Council of Motion Picture
Organizations, Inc., as representative of all branches of
the organized American motion picture industry, including
exhibition, distribution, production, the crafts, the guilds,
the trade press, and the Variety Clubs; to establish the neces-
sary direct contacts with departments and bureaus of the
Federal Government whose activities either involve the
cooperation of the motion picture industry or affect the
successful functioning of the motion picture industry during
the present crisis, and take all necessary steps to protect
the essential operations ol the motion picture industry as a
vital medium of communication and information within
the United States and the free world.

"(b) To formulate and recommend to the Council of
Motion Picture Organizations, Inc., Executive Board for
approval a program of cooperation designed to assist the
U. S. Government and the United Nations in the informa-
tional and morale fields;

"(c) To protect and utilize the industry's status as an
important medium of communication; and

"(d) To secure for the motion picture industry the
necessary materials and manpower required for its effective
functioning throughout the critical period.

"Said committee created by and responsible to the Execu-
tive Board of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations,
Inc., is authorized to act by unanimous vote of the mem-
bers of the said committee on matters within the scope of
the authority delegated to it by the Executive Board pro-
vided, however, that such committee shall have no authority
to pledge the motion picture screens of America to the
exhibition of any informational or other film or films made
by or for the U. S. Government, unless such film or films
be first approved by a special Screen Sub-committee repre-
senting the five exhibitor organizations which are charter
members of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations,
Inc., which committee shall be set up at once, and provided
further that this committee shall have no authority to pledge
the production or distribution of any gratis film or films for
the U. S. Government unless and until the representatives
of the Motion Picture Industry Council, the Motion Picture
Association of America and the Society of Independent
Motion Picture Producers vote affirmatively in favor thereof
or unless and until some named producer or distributor or
one of the above charter members advises the committee in
writing of a willingness to produce and/or distribute such
film or films without cost.

"Minutes of the meeting of such committee shall be sent
to absentee member or members and unless a negative vote is
recorded by such absentee members with respect to any
action or actions within five days after receipt thereof, such
minutes shall be deemed to have been approved by such
absent member or members.

"The committee is authorized and instructed to appoint
the necessary persons and sub-committees to effectuate prop-
erly the purposes of this resolution and this committee.

"All indebtedness incurred by the committee with the
authorization of the Executive Board shall be paid out of
the funds collected by COMPO through the medium of the
approved finance plan effective as of September 1, 1 950."

At this writing (Thursday), COMPO's executive board
is meeting for the second consecutive day of sessions to
consider reports of the different functional committees and
to study ways and means of putting the finance plan into
operation by September 1 so that the organization may be-
come a going concern.

By the unanimous adoption of the foregoing resolution,
the leaders of COMPO have overcome a serious crisis in
intra-industry relations and have reestablished confidence in
the organization. Through COMPO, we now have a unified
industry liaison with the Government, and under such a
setup the industry will be in a position to exert tremendous
influence and create invaluable good will.

20TH CENTURY-FOX DARES TO BREAK
AWAY FROM PRECEDENTS

The inauguration of a plan of "scheduled performances,"
a unique idea that recognizes the desirability of having
movie-goers see certain pictures from the very beginning and
at the same time calls the public's attention to the picture
as being something special, has been announced by Spyros
P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox. in connection
(Continued on bac1{ page)

126

HARRISON'S REPORTS

August 12, 1950

"A Life of Her Own" with Lana Turner
and Ray Milland

(MGM, September; time. 108 mm.)

Good adult entertainment, with a particular appeal for
women. The theme is a delicate one — that of a love affair
between a beautiful model and a married man, who is un-
able to get a divorce because of an invalided wife; yet it
has been handled discreetly and at no time becomes offensive.
The principal characters are sympathetic, and the hopeless'
ness of their love makes for an ending that may disappoint
some, but it is logical. Several of the situations, particularly
the one where the model visits the invalided wife and finds
herself unable to reveal her love for the woman's husband,
are highly dramatic. Lana Turner, as the model, is effective,
and the beautiful clothes that she wears should intrigue the
woman folk. Ann Dvorak is exceptionally good as a frus-
trated top model, a "has been" who is driven to drink
and suicide: — t

Lana, a small'town girl, comes to New York to make
good as a model, and is engaged by Tom Ewell, owner of a
top model agency. There she meets Ann, who persuades her
to accompany her on a double-date that night with Barry
Sullivan, her boy-friend, and Louis Calhern, an attorney.
Although Lana tries to discourage him, Sullivan lavishes
his attentions on her, infurating Ann. Later, after warning
Lana never to become like herself — a "has been," Ann com-
mits suicide. On the following day, Sullivan makes a play
for Lana, but she brushes him off. In due time Lana becomes
one of the most successful models in New York, and through
Calhern, now a dear friend, she meets Ray Milland, owner
of a copper mine, who had come to New York on business.
They fall deeply in love with each other, but Milland, mar-
ried to Margaret Phillips, an invalid, whose paralytic illness
he had inadvertently caused, feels morally bound not to
divorce her. Lana accepts the situation and lives with Mil-
land secretly as his mistress. But when his wife comes to
New York for an extended visit, and Milland is compelled
to stay with her, Lana is unable to bear his absence and
decides to visit Margaret for a showdown. Arriving at
Margaret's apartment, Lana permits her to believe that she
is just a friend of Calhern's, who had accompanied her.
Margaret is most gracious to her, and when Lana notices
how happy she is despite her serious affliction, she becomes
ashamed of the importance she had put on her own suffer-
ing; she does not reveal her affair with Milland, and walks
out of his life in the full realization that their love is hopeless.

It was produced by Voldemar Vetluguin and directed by
George Cukor from a screen play by Isobel Lennart.

Adult fare.

"High Lonesome" with John Barrymore, Jr.,
Chill Wills and Lois Butler

(Eagle Lion Classics, Sept; time. 81 min.)

Photographed in Technicolor, this is a fairly engrossing
Western melodrama with a mystery angle. Revolving around
a sullen and defiant 17-year-old lad who is victimized by
two murdering outlaws whose mysterious movements make
him a suspected killer, the story is complex and somewhat
hazy, and is given more to talk than to action. The Western
fans who are fond of gun-battles, fist-fights and hard-riding
pursuits will find a minimum of this type of action, except
for the closing scenes, where the lad traps the murderers after
a furious gun-fight. The direction and performances are
passable, and the outdoor photography outstanding: —

Exhausted and hungry after evading two pursuing horse-
men, John Barrymore, Jr. makes his way to Basil Ruysdael's
ranch, where he is caught stealing food by Chill Wills, the
cook. Sullen and defiant, the lad refuses to answer questions
about himself, but when he is dragged along the ground at
the end of a rope he confesses to the murder of a storekeeper
nearby, claiming that he had been forced to commit the
crime by two strangers. Ruysdael and his ranch hands go
to the store to check the boy's story, and find the place
covered with dust and with no evidence of a murder. All are
puzzled, however, when the lad's description of the strangers
fit two men who had been killed by Ruysdael's ranch hands
in a fence war fifteen years previously. Feeling sorry for the
boy, Ruysdael permits him to stay at the ranch. Kristine
Miller and Lois Butler, Ruysdael's daughters, learn to like

him. Barrymore sees the strangers several times, but they
disappear before he can point them out, causing every one
to believe that his mind is affected. When the parents of
John Archer, a neighboring rancher, are killed, Archer at-
tempts to link Barrymore with the crime, but Ruysdael de-
fends him for lack of proof. Later, Wills is murdered by the
strangers in Barrymore's presence, and the lad, fearing that
he will be blamed, sets out to find the storekeeper's body to
prove that he had told the truth. While searching for the
body, Barrymore meets up with the strangers while Ruysdael,
now believing that the lad is really a killer, pursues him.
Barrymore, risking his life, shoots down the strangers as
they try to ambush the approaching Ruysdael. The mystery
is solved when the strangers are recognized as the sons of
the men who had died in the fence battle: they had sought
to avenge their fathers' deaths. Ruysdael, grateful to Barry-
more, insists that the boy make the ranch his permanent
home.

It was produced by George Templeton and written and
directed by Alan Lemay.
Suitable for the family.

"Dark City" with Lizabeth Scott,
Charlton Heston and Viveca Lindfors

(Paramount, October; time, 97 min.)

Just fair. For all its production polish, this melodrama of
violence and murder, with a romantic triangle twist, cannot
cover up the fact that its story is artificial and shallow,
the situations fabricated, and the characterizations blurred.
It should, however, get by with those who are not too con-
cerned about story values, for considerable suspense is
generated by the fear that grips three crooked gamblers
who become aware that they are being stalked by a maniacal
killer, who is unknown to them as well as to the audience.
Although the sequence of events make for suspense they
are not convincing. The film marks the debut of Charlton
Heston, a rugged, handsome personality, who does fairly
well as a sullen gambler, in spite of the fact that the charac-
terization is not clearly defined. The triangular romantic
complications involving Heston, Viveca Lindfors and Liza-
beth Scott lack substance: —

Heston, bitter and disillusioned because of an unfaithful
wife, is co-owner of a cheap bookie joint with Ed Begley
and Jack Webb. While visiting Lizabeth, a torch singer in a
night-club, who was very much in love with him, Heston
meets at the bar Don DeFore, a Californian, who had come
to Chicago to purchase athletic equipment for a club.
Learning that DeFore is carrying a $5,000 cashier's check,
Heston lures him into a crooked poker game with his part-
ners and fleeces him of the money. DeFore commits suicide
in remorse. Shocked by this happening, the gamblers decide
not to cash the check until the case blows over. Begley is
found murdered on the following day, and Heston and
Webb are questioned at police headquarters by Captain
Dean Jagger, who voices his suspicion that Begley's murder
is connected with DeFore's suicide. He explains that De-
Fore's suicide had been reported by DeFore's brother, a
mentally deranged man, who had vowed on the phone to
kill the gamblers who had cheated his brother. Aware that
he and Webb were being stalked by a killer, whom no one,
not even the police, could identify, Heston decides to visit
Viveca Lindfors, DeFore's widow in Los Angeles, to obtain
a photo of the brother. He wins her confidence by posing
as an insurance investigator but is unable to obtain the
photo. They soon fall in love and he reveals the truth about
himself. Meanwhile the killer catches up with Webb and
murders him. Heston hurriedly leaves for Las Vegas, where
he obtains a job as a card dealer and is joined by Lizabeth.
Several days later, he receives a frantic call from Viveca,
warning him that the brother had discovered that he is in
Las Vegas. In the course of events, Heston is trapped by
the killer (Mike Mazurki), but timely action by the police
saves him from harm. Faced with the problem of returning
to Viveca or remaining with Lizabeth, Heston chooses the
singer.

It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and directed by William
Dieterle from a story by Larry Marcus, who wrote the
screen play in collaboration with John M. Lucas.

Adult fare.

August 12, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

"Bunco Squad" with Robert Sterling,
Joan Dixon and Ricardo Cortez

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 67 min.)
A fairly good program thriller, revolving around police
efforts to break up a ring of fake mediums who victimise
bereaved persons by pretending to communicate with the
dead. It is an unpretentious production, and its story is not
startling, but it should serve adequately as a supporting
feature in secondary theatres, for it has a generous share
of fast action, excitement and intrigue. The direction and
acting are competent, considering the confines of the
script : —

En route by train to Los Angeles, Ricardo Cortez, a
swindler, makes the acquaintance of Elizabeth Risdon, a
wealthy widow, who was bringing back the body of her
soldier son for burial. He meets also Marguerite Churchill,
her secretary, from whom he learns that Miss Risdon is con-
sulting a fake psychologist. Arriving in Los Angeles, Cortez
rents a pretentious house, rounds up Bernadine Hayes, a
fake medium; Vivien Oakland, a fortune teller; Robert Bice,
a fake swami; and John Kellogg, a con man, and establishes
them under the name of the Rama Society, devoted to the
study of the occult. He then compels the fake psychologist
to steer Miss Risdon to the Society's house, where Berna'
dine, through information obtained by Cortez, convinces
her that she is in communication with her dead son, and
influences her to make a will leaving her millions to the
society. Marguerite, alarmed over the situation, confides to
Cortez that she is going to the police. He sends her to her
death by tampering with the brakes of her car — a means he
planned to employ on Miss Risdon as soon as she signed
the will. Meanwhile Robert Sterling and Douglas Fowley,
of the police department's bunco squad, discover that Berna-
dine and the other fakes had disappeared from their usual
haunts. They trace them to the Rama Society, where they
see Miss Risdon and realize that she is being prepared for
a fleecing. When she refuses to listen to their warnings, the
police set up Joan Dixon, Sterling's girl-friend, as a medium,
to win Miss Risdon's confidence and lure her away from
the Rama Society. Cortez, learning that Miss Risdon had
been to another medium, thinks a rival crook is trying to
chisel in on him. He visits Joan, ties her up, and carries
Miss Risdon out of the house, determined to kill her at
once. Just then the police arrive. Cortez drops Miss Risdon
and jumps into her car to escape, forgetting that he had
tampered with the brakes. Unable to stop the car, he plunges
to his death over a cliff.

It was produced by Lewis J. Rachmil and directed by
Herbert I. Leeds from a screen play by George Callahan,
suggested by a story by Reginald Taviner.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Let's Dance" with Betty Hutton
and Fred Astaire

(Paramount, November; time, 111 min.)

This Technicolor mixture of comedy, romance, music
and dancing should prove to be a pretty good box-office
attraction because of the popularity of Betty Hutton and
Fred Astaire, but as entertainment it is not exceptional.
The story is thin, hackneyed and even silly in spots, and its
running time of 111 minutes is much too long, making for
a number of dull stretches. Musically, however, the picture
is fairly satisfying, for Astaire's dance routines are fascinat-
ing, and the spirited singing style of Betty Hutton, who
joins Astaire in several dance numbers, is highly effective.
The musical highlight of the picture, one that is good for
many laughs, is the "Oh, Them Dudes" square dance num-
ber, with Betty and Astaire dressed as old-time Western
gunmen. The comedy for the most part is broad and should
entertain those who are easily amused: —

The story opens in 1944 with Betty and Astaire enter-
taining troops in England. When he proposes marriage,
she informs him that she h;id secretly married a soldier who
lived in Boston, because she had become tired of waiting
for him (Astaire) to propose to her. Five years later finds
Betty a widow with a young son, living unhappily in the
strait-laced atmosphere of the Boston home of Lucille Wat-
son, her husband's wealthy grandmother. Rebelling against
the restrictions, Betty "kidnaps" her son and heads for

New York to reenter show business. Several months later,
jobless and broke, she meets Astaire, who barely supports
himself dancing in a night-club. He helps her obtain a job
as cigarette girl at the club, where her son, adored by the
help, leads a topsy-turvy life by sleeping during the day
and staying awake during the night. Roland Young and
Melville Cooper, Miss Watson's attorneys, trace Betty to
the night-club and start a suit to gain custody of the child
for the grandmother on the grounds that the night-club at-
mosphere is unhealthy for him. In court, the judge sympa-
thizes with Betty and grants her 60 days in which to establish
a proper home for the child, a decision that stems from
Astaire's announcement that he will marry her. But a quar-
rel between Betty and Astaire disrupts the marriage plans,
and Betty becomes involved with Shepperd Strudwick, a
wealthy college chum of Astaire's, while Astaire makes a
play for Ruth Warrick, Miss Watson's granddaughter.
After numerous complications, during which Betty and
Astaire keep baiting each other, the court officials take the
child to the grandmother because of Betty's failure to estab-
lish a proper home. Betty again kidnaps her son and, after
much confusion, she agrees to marry Astaire and is per-
mitted by Miss Watson to retain the child.

It was produced by Robert Fellows and directed by
Norman Z. McLeod from a screen play by Allan Scott,
suggested by a story by Maurice Zolotow. The cast includes
Harold Huber, Barton MacLane, George Zucco and others.

Suitable for the family.

"The Black Rose" with Tyrone Power,
Orson Welles and Cecile Aubry

(20th Century-Fox, October; time, 120 min.)

From the production point of view, this costume adven-
ture melodrama leaves nothing to be desired; it is a mag-
nificent Technicolor spectacle, filmed in England and North
Africa on a highly lavish scale, and its backgrounds, which
range from medieval England and its massive castles to the
Mongolian desert and the lush palaces of ancient China, give
the film an opulence that is breathtaking in its magnificence.
Unfortunately, the quality of the rambling story does not
match that of the production values, for their long dull
stretches where the pace is extremely slow because of exces-
sive dialogue. Moreover, the editing is choppy, and a num-
ber of the sequences lack coherence.

Briefly, the story, which is based on Thomas B. Costain's
best-selling novel, takes place at the time of the Saxon
Norman feuds in the 1 3th Century. Tyrone Power, a young
Saxon, the illegitimate son of a dead nobleman, refuses to
serve the Norman king and decides to leave England to
seek adventure in the Far East. He takes along Jack Hawkins,
a friend. Months later they arrive in Antioch, where they
join a caravan led by Orson Welles, a tyrannical Mongolian
war lord, whose troops were carrying gifts to the Kubla
Khan in Mongolia, including Cecile Aubry, a slave girl,
known as the Black Rose. Welles takes a liking to the two
daring Englishmen, and in the course of events Power
rescues Cecile and falls in love with her. When Hawkins
can no longer stomach Welles' savageries, Power arranges
for him to escape to China with Cecile. Welles puts Power
to torture for aiding the escape but spares his life. When
Welles' troops reach the China border, he dispatches Power
to impress the Empress with the size of his army, hoping to
score a bloodless coup. Arriving at the palace, Power is
taken for a God and soon finds himself quartered with
Hawkins and Cecile. They arc treated royally, and learn
from the Chinese the secret of the compass, and of making
paper and explosives. In due time Welles attacks the city,
and all three, now imprisoned by the Chinese, decide to
escape. Hawkins dies in the escape attempt, and Cecile loses
her way, but Power manages to return safely to England,
where he is honored by the king and his estates restored for
bringing back the Chinese secrets. His happiness is complete
when two Mongol officers arrive with Cecile, sent to him
by Welles as a friendly gesture.

Although the pace is generally slow, the action docs have
moments of high excitement, such as troop maneuvers in the
desert; a dramatic bow-and-arrow contest; and the punish-
ment meted out to Power, who is made to walk a thick rope
while Mongol soldiers hit him with inflated pig bladders
so that he might lose his balance and fall on upended knives.
The extensive advertising campaign Fox is giving to this
picture should be of considerable help at the box-office.

It w;;s produced by Louis D. Lighton and directed by
Henry Hathaway from a screen play by Talbot Jennings.

Suitable for the family.

128

HARRISON'S REPORTS

August 12, 1950

with the exhibition of "All About Eve," the forthcoming
Darryl F. Zanuck production, which stars Bette Davis and
Anne Baxter in a story about the ruthless determination of
an ambitious young actress to become a top legitimate star.

The plan, as revealed by Mr. Skouras at a trade press
conference held in New York this week, calls for the exhibi'
tor to set a definite time for each performance of the picture,
and to sell non-reserved tickets in advance for each specific
performance, with no one, not even ticket-holders, per-
mitted to enter the theatre after the feature is started. Late-
comers with tickets may obtain either a refund or tickets for
another performance. The main purpose behind the plan,
according to Mr. Skouras, is to make movie-patrons see the
picture lrom the beginning, because if the ending is seen
first it will spoil one's enjoyment of the rest of the picture.
Consequently, by refusing admittance to late-comers, the
exhibitor will void the possibility of unfavorable word-of-
mouth advertising.

Mr. Skouras, in revealing the details of the plan, stressed
the point that "All About Eve" is not a "problem" picture.
It is, he said, pure entertainment, but being a unique type
of film it requires this special treatment which, he believes,
will redound to the financial benefit of both the exhibitor
and his company, and at the same time help movie-goers to
fully enjoy and appreciate the picture.

As an example of how the plan will work, Mr. Skouras
said that the Roxy Theatre, the company's showcase in New
York City, which will show the picture early in October,
will offer four shows daily, possibly five on Saturdays, with
different colored non-reserved tickets used for each specific
performance. After each showing there will be a 25 to 30'
minute intermission, during which the lights will be turned
up and the theatre emptied in readiness for the next per-
formance. At each complete show, the patrons will be seated
during the showing of the newsreel and short subjects, but
no one will be seated after the start of the feature.

Pointing out that the picture has a running time of two
hours and twenty minutes, Mr. Skouras said that the license
agreement will call for single-billing but that there will be
no objections to the use of a newsreel, short subjects or a
stage show to round out the program. The "scheduled per-
formances" plan, too, will be made a part of the contract.
Mr. Skouras said that his company will decline to sell the
picture to any exhibitor who will not agree to accept the
single-billing and "scheduled performances" provisions of
the contract.

Mr. Skouras made it clear that the price of admission is to
be determined by the exhibitor himself, and stated that the
Roxy Theatre will show the picture at no advance in the
regular admission prices.

Supplementing Mr. Skouras' remarks, Charles Einfeld,
vice-president in charge of advertising and publicity, stated
that the company will back the plan with a vast national
advertising campaign, including trailers, with special empha-
sis put on the "scheduled performances" method of presen-
tation.

Mr. Skouras was careful to point out that the method of
presentation planned for "All About Eve" is not intended
to supplant the present method of continuous exhibition
of pictures. It is experimental only, he said, and is adaptable
to a picture such as "All About Eve," because of its ex-
traordinary characteristics. If the experiment proves success-
ful, he continued, his company plans to adapt the policy to
other suitable pictures, and he added that the success of the
policy may very well influence producers to develop new
story ideas that will lend themselves to this method of
presentation.

Another point stressed by Mr. Skouras is that the single-
billing requirement in the exhibition contract for this picture
is not to be construed as a step towards the elimination of
the double-bill. He said that, though he personally does not
approve of double-bills, the continuance of that policy can
best be determined by the individual exhibitor.

The idea of scheduled performances as conceived by
20th Century-Fox is indeed worthy of the exhibitor's
thoughtful consideration for several reasons: First, as Mr.
Skouras pointed out, the plan should encourage attendance
by many people who stay away from theatres rather than
stand on line awaiting admittance and then not see a pic-
ture from the beginning; secondly, as pointed out by Mr.

Einfeld, the plan is a novel showmanship idea, one that is
bound to attract potential patrons because of their natural
curiosity; thirdly, even though the intermission periods may
reduce the number of shows the theatre can schedule, the
novel method of exhibition may attract greater attendance
despite fewer shows; and, fourthly, the plan will compel
movie-goers to see the picture from the beginning and
should, if the picture is as exceptional as claimed, result in
fine word-of-mouth advertising which, as every exhibitor
knows, is what really makes a picture successful at the box-
office.

One of the most important features of this plan, in the
opinion of this writer, is that, if successful, it should provide
the producers with an incentive to conceive and develop
original story ideas rather than waste their ability as well
as the valued services of our stars and technical experts in
the production of pictures based on half-baked, inane, medi-
ocre or shallow themes, which are doing more damage to
the industry than all the competitive entertainment mediums
combined, including television.

Not having seen "All About Eve," this writer is in no
position to pass judgment on its entertainment values, but,
assuming that the picture is all that it is claimed to be, there
is every reason to believe that the "scheduled performances"
policy under which it will be exhibited will be successful.
Harrison's Reports sincerely hopes that it will be a rous-
ing success, but no matter what the outcome this paper
believes that 20th Century-Fox is to be commended for
bringing into exhibition an idea that dares to get away from
the "tried and true" and is far different from the ideas that
have heretofore been adapted by exhibition in this country.

By this plan, 20th Century-Fox has once again demon-
strated the type of aggressive showmanship our industry
needs to stimulate greater theatre attendance.

"County Fair" with Rory Calhoun,
Jane Nigh and Warren Douglas

(Monogram, July 30; time, 77 min.)

A fine sulky-racing Cinecolor picture, with a great deal of
human interest. Despite the good acting by Rory Calhoun,
Jane Nigh and Warren Douglas, the three principals,
Florence Bates "steals" the picture with her fine perform-
ance. Being an old trouper, she handles her part with skill
and walks off with the acting honors. The action is fast,
keeping one interested through the entire length of the
picture. The romance is charming, despite the triangle twist.
The photography is good; the color, fair: —

Florence Bates, operator of a hamburger stand concession,
travels from one county fair to another with Jane Nigh,
her daughter, who helps her. Miss Bates has one weakness
— wagering on trotting races, which Jane tries to prevent
in vain. One day she gives Jane ten dollars to bet on horse
number 6, and Jane, through an error, places the bet on
horse number 8. She realizes her mistake and tries unsuccess-
fully to change the pari-mutuel ticket. Rory Calhoun, son
of Emory Parnell, owner of a stable of trotting horses, offers
to exchange his number 6 ticket for her number 8 and, after
making the swap, persuades her to keep both tickets, but
he does not tell her that horse number 8 is owned by his
father. Number 8 wins, pays heavy odds, and Jane returns
to her mother with two hundred dollars. Jane, who had been
in love with Warren Douglas, a racer, soon finds herself
deeply in love with Calhoun, a situation Douglas gracefully
accepts. Meanwhile Calhoun discovers that Jane's mother
owned a hamburger stand, a fact Jane had tried to conceal.
Miss Bates, aspiring to be a horse owner, buys Henry the
Eighth, a "has been" trotter, at an auction sale. Calhoun,
seeking to make her happy, arranges for her to become a
bonafide member of the racing club. Miss Bates then de-
cides to race the horse, and Calhoun, knowing that the
animal cannot win, persuades the other horse owners to
throw the race in favor of Miss Bates' horse in a manner
that does not affect the public. Henry the Eighth wins, and
Calhoun's father, to stop Miss Bates from ruining herself,
claims the horse for fifteen hundred dollars. Meanwhile
Calhoun claims Jane as his bride.

Walter Mirisch produced it for Jeffrey Bernerd. It was
directed by William Beaudine from a screen play by
W. Scott Darling.

Excellent for family audiences. :

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE

.Entered as second-class mattes January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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3oc a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor.

A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1950 No. 33

MORE ABOUT THE COMPO MEETING

Having agreed on a compromise resolution to estab-
lish the Council of Motion Picture Organizations as
the industry's sole liaison with the Government
during the present emergency, thus overcoming ob'
stacks that threatened to doom COMPO before it
could get "off the ground," the executive board of
COMPO moved swiftly on Thursday (10), the final
session of its two-day meeting last week, to set in
motion the organization's machinery at the earliest
possible date.

Most important of the actions taken by the board
was the unanimous election of Arthur L. Mayer as
executive vice-president for a term of one year, at a
salary of $25,000. As COMPO's only paid executive,
Mr. Mayer will supervise the overall activities of the
organization.

Mr. Mayer, for many years identified with exhibi'
tion and distribution, served during the war as a key
member of the War Activities Committee staff. Later,
he was film consultant to Secretary of War Patterson,
and in 1945-46 acted as assistant to Basil O'Connor,
chairman of the American Red Cross, in which capac-
ity he made surveys for the Red Cross in the Pacific,
the Far East and in Europe. In 1948-49 he served as
chief of the film branch of the American Military Gov-
ernment in Germany, and is presently film consultant
to the Economic Cooperation Administration. Because
of Mr. Mayer's vast experience in the fields of exhibi-
tion, distribution and publicity, he is, in the opinion of
this paper, an ideal choice to fill the important post as
COMPO's executive vice-president.

Other actions taken by the board at the final session
included :

1. Formal adoption of the financing plan, whereby
exhibitors will contribute voluntarily to COMPO an
amount equal to one-tenth of one per cent of their
film rentals (10^ on each $100), with the distributors
contributing a sum equal to that collected from the
exhibitors.

2. Established a COMPO Committee on Research,
which will formulate plans for industry surveys and
market analyses to help all branches of the industry in
regard to both public relations and box-office.

3. Unanimously approved COMPO's sponsorship
of two industry seminars on the problems of produc-
tion and exhibition, one to be held in Hollywood and
another in a grass roots area yet to be selected.

4. Authorized Ned E. Depinet, president of the
organization, to send appropriate individual letters to
the 238,000 person who make their living in the

motion picture industry, appointing each as a "com-
mittee of one" to work for the improvement of the
industry's public relations and to strive for greater
harmony within the industry.

5. Recommended that the distributors include in
their future press books institutional advertising
material to help exhibitors create industry good will at
the local level.

6. Adopted resolutions for the establishment of
libraries of industry information in Hollywood and
New York; the creation of a Speakers' Bureau, which
will prepare special kits for speakers; the production
of a training film to help industry employees to better
serve the public; and the inauguration of a single an-
nual collection for charitable causes.

COMPO's executive board, under the able leader-
ship of Ned E. Depinet, accomplished much at the
two-day meeting in New York last week. The job that
confronted the board presented many obstacles, but
the board proved that no task is too great for men who
are willing to cooperate, to give and take, and to be
fair and just.

Through COMPO, we now have attained the
stability and teamwork necessary to best protect and
promote the interests of the motion picture industry.
Let us make the most of it.

A WISE MOVE BY WARNER BROTHERS

An all-out nation-wide search for original screen
stories has been launched by Warner Brothers, ac-
cording to an announcement made this week by Jack
L. Warner, vice-president in charge of production,
who said that the search will be a continuing and im-
portant part of his studio's operations in the future.

Pointing out that he was encouraged by recent ad-
ditions to his company's story property lists from the
field of originals, Mr. Warner said that at least half of
the industry's great box-office successes have been
based on originals, and that an examination of screen
history proves that the original story is the foundation
of the motion picture industry.

In stating that "originals written especially for the
screen and having no prior limitation imposed by
other mediums are, in my opinion, the basis of our
business," Mr. Warner made the following salient
points :

1 . Stories created for the camera require no doctor-
ing to fit them to the screen. This is an advantage, he
said, "because doctoring usually causes a loss in trans-
mission, just as most engravings do not carry the full
values of the original."

(Continued on last page)

HARRISON'S REPORTS

August 19, 1950

"Right Cross" with June Allyson,
Dick Powell, Ricardo Montalban
and Lionel Barrymore

(MGM, October; time, 90 min.)

A good prizefight story, capably directed and acted.
Revolving around the problems of a champion boxer
who mistakenly believes that he must retain his title
and become wealthy lest he lose his girl, the story
holds one's attention well because of the interesting
plot developments, which include a romantic triangle.
Although the story is quite dramatic in spots, it is not
a heavy entertainment by reason of the glib dialogue.
The principal characters — Ricardo Montalban, as the
fighter, June Allyson, as his sweetheart, and Dick
Powell, as his best friend, an easygoing sportswriter
who, too, loved June — are appealing. The fight scenes
at the finish are exceptionally good, ranking with the
best ever seen on the screen : —

Montalban, a middleweight champion, is managed
by June, whose invalided father, Lionel Barrymore,
a one-time top promoter, had him under contract.
Through Montalban, Barrymore hoped to regain his
lost prestige. While training for an approaching bout,
Montalban injures his right hand. The doctor assures
June and Powell that the hand will heal in time for
the fight, but to Montalban the doctor confided that
the bones in his hand had become brittle, and that an'
other injury would end his career. Montalban broods
over the doctor's warning; retirement, he felt, would
mean losing June, and would reduce him to struggling
for a living at one of the menial jobs he is convinced
are reserved for those with his Mexican blood. Hoping
to find security, Montalban makes a tentative deal
with Barry Kelley, a rival promoter and virtual czar
of the boxing game, who offers him a sound future in
his vast organization even after his fighting days are
over. Montalban's desire to end their contract is a
blow to Barrymore, who suffers a stroke and dies.
June blames Montalban for his death, and turns to
Powell, but none of the three is happy. Powell be-
comes disturbed when he learns that Montalban's op-
ponent in the forthcoming fight has discovered a
weakness in Montalban's defense. He tries to warn
Montalban, only to be rebuffed, then predicts in his
column that Montalban will lose the championship.
Powell's prediction comes true on the night of the
fight. Angered when Powell comes to his dressing
room to offer condolences, Montalban hits him with
his bare knuckles, and smashes his weakened hand.
He retires from the ring to face a blank future, but
June, having learned the reason for his past attitude,
goes to him and convinces him that the loss of his title
was no bar to their future happiness.

It was produced by Armand Deutsch and directed
by John Sturges from an original screen play by
Charles Schnee.

Acceptable family fare.

"Tea for Two" with Doris Day,
Gordon MacRae and S. Z. Sakall

(Warner Bros., Sept. 2; time, 98 min.)
A gay Technicolor musical that should leave audi-
ences well satisfied, for it is peppy, has good musical
interpolations, and enjoyable comedy situations. The
story itself is not very substantial, but it has been given
a good treatment and serves nicely as a framework
for the effective singing of Doris Day and Gordon
MacRae, the spectacular dancing of Gene Nelson, the
clowning of Billy De Wolfe and S. Z. Sakall, and the

smart dialogue with which Eve Arden has a way.
Most of the melodious songs were hit tunes in the early
thirties and they are just as enjoyable today. In addi-
tion to her pleasant way of putting over a song, Doris
Day is surprisingly good in several dance sequences.

Told in flashback, the story takes place during the
early days of the 1929 depression. Doris, a wealthy
singer, is not told by Sakall, her guardian, that most of
her money had been lost in the stock market crash,
and she proceeds with plans to finance a show pro-
duced by De Wolfe, a fast-talking promoter, featur-
ing the music of Gordon MacRae, a struggling com-
poser and singer. De Wolfe had already promised the
lead to Patrice Wymore, but he had given it to Doris
instead in order to secure her backing. Still unwilling
to tell Doris the truth about her financial situation,
Sakall makes a deal with her whereby he will give her
the funds she needs provided she says "no" to every
proposal made to her for a period of forty-eight hours.
Doris' strict adherence to the terms of the deal soon
results in no end of confusion during rehearsals and
leads to a number of romantic misunderstandings be-
tween MacRae and herself. At the end of forty-
eight hour period Doris explains to everyone's satis-
faction the reason for her negative attitude, then
asks Sakall for the money. Just then Bill Goodwin,
Doris' attorney, arrives on the scene and informs her
that she has no money. Rising to the emergency, Eve
Arden, Doris' secretary, uses her charms on Good-
win, who had not been hurt by the market crash, and
persuades him to put up the money for the show.

It was produced by William Jacobs and directed
by David Butler from a screen play by Harry Clark,
suggested by the play, "No, No, Nanette."

Fine for the family.

"The Petty Girl" with Robert Cummings
and Joan Caulfield

(Columbia, September; time, 87 min.)

Although this Technicolor offering shapes up as no
more than a fairly entertaining romantic comedy with
music, it should do pretty good business at the box-
office because of the fame of the Petty Girl drawings.
There is not much to the story, and some of the at-
tempts at comedy fall flat, yet on the whole the pic-
ture manages to be pleasantly diverting. Physically,
Joan Caulfield more than meets the demands of the
ieading role as she cavorts about in the scantiest of
costumes. A highlight of the picture is the huge pro-
duction number at the finish, where a dozen beautiful
girls become living illustrations of the Petty calendar
girls, with each, dressed in revealing and appropriate
costumes, representing a different month of the year.
The music is undistinguished: —

Robert Cummings (as George Petty), artist-
creator of the Petty Girl, unsuccessfully tries to sell
his illustrations to an auto firm for exploitation. But
Cummings, himself, arouses the interest of Audrey
Long, the predatory married daughter of the firm's
owner, who decides to sponsor his career as a high-
brow portrait painter. While visiting a New York art
museum, Cummings encounters Joan, in whom he
sees all the attributes required for a perfect Petty Girl
model. He contrives to meet her through Elsa Lan-
chester, her elderly companion, and learns that both
are professors in a staid New England college, and
that they had come to New York to attend an educa-
tional conference. He inveigles Joan into a round of
night-life gaiety, and the gay whirl ends up in court
when they are caught in a raid and Joan is mistaken

August 19, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

131

for a model who had posed undraped. Hurt and hu'
miliated, she returns to the college. Cummings follows
her there, obtains a job as a handyman and, after
winning her love, persuades her to pose for a Petty
Girl drawing. A snoopy member of the faculty dis'
covers that Joan is posing, and the resultant scandal
causes Joan to flee to New York to marry Cummings.
She finds him in the clutches of Audrey, now a divor-
cee, who had sold him on the idea that he can become
a great painter. To counteract Audrey's influence,
Joan plants Cummings1 drawing of herself as a Petty
Girl at an exhibit of his serious paintings, and wins
nation- wide publicity as the Petty Girl. She then pre
pares to star in a burlesque show, but Cummings has
a writ served to prevent her appearance. Undeterred,
Joan takes her girlie show to a swank party given by
Audrey for Cummings. The show is so sensational
that Audrey's father immediately signs Cummings
to a contract to exploit his cars with Petty Girl illus-
trations. Now aware that glamour art is his forte,
Cummings embraces Joan.

The screen play was written and produced by Nat
Perin, based on a story by Mary McCarthy. It was
directed by Henry Levin.

Unobjectionable for the family.

"The Dancing Years"
with an all-British cast

(Monogram, no rel. date set; time, 98 min.)

Produced in England and photographed in Techni'
color against beautiful interior and exterior 1911
Vienna backgrounds, "The Dancing Years" is a
charming, sentimental mixture of romance and lilting
operatic music. It is a delight to the eye as well as to
the ear, for, in addition to Ivor Novello's tuneful
score, the picture has been given a first-rate produc-
tion, with beautiful women, handsome officers and
an impressive ballet sequence. The story itself is not
too original; nevertheless, it has emotional appeal,
and as entertainment should please those who enjoy
classical music. As to how it will be received by the
rank-and-file picture-goers is another matter, for the
players, though good, are unknown in this country,
and the overall pace is slow: —

Dennis Price, an aspiring but impoverished com-
poser, is befriended by Gisele Preville, a beautiful
opera, star, who arranges for his opera to be pro-
duced with herself in the leading role. The operetta
proves to be a huge success, and a great romance de-
velops between Price and Gisele. For three years the
lovers delight audiences throughout Austria, but Gi-
sele is somewhat unhappy because of Price's failure
to ask her to marry him. Price, however, had his
reason: As a penniless composer, he had promised
Patricia Danton, his landlady's pretty niece, who be-
lieved herself in love with him, that he would never
ask any woman to marry him until he had given her
first refusal. Following their successful tour, Price
and Gisele go to the mountains for a holiday, and
Patricia, now a dancer, is invited to join them. Patricia
playfully holds Price to his promise. Gisele overhears
him propose but leaves before Patricia refuses him.
She hurries to Anthony Nicholls, a nobleman who
had long loved her, and tells him her story, including
the fact that she is going to have Price's child. Nich-
olls, devoted to her, marries her at once. On the fol-
lowing day, Gisele returns to congratulate Price and
Patricia and is shocked to learn that she had misunder-
stood the proposal. In the ten years that follow, Price
reached new heights of fame, but he remains unhappy

longing for Gisele. He finally meets her in Vienna,
and for the first time learns that he is the father of her
son. Realizing that they cannot get together again,
they part, gratified that their son will always be a
reminder of their love.

It is an Associated British-Pathe production, pro-
duced by Warwick Ward and directed by Harold
French from a screen play by Mr. Ward and Jack
Whittingham.

Adult fare.

"The Fireball" with Mickey Rooney,
Pat O'Brien and Beverly Tyler

(20th Century-Fox, October; time, 84 min.)

This shapes up as a fairly good action melodrama
by virtue of its novel background — professional roller
skating, which has become a top indoor sport in recent
years. The story, which is the old one about the rise
of an underprivileged youngster who lets success go
to his head, is rather weak, for the hero's ingratitude
towards those who had helped him alienates whatever
sympathy the audience feels for him at the beginning.
He becomes, in fact, so disagreeable a character in his
behavior towards his friends and teammates that even
when he is struck down by polio one's emotions are
not stirred much. In the end, of course, he makes
amends, but by that time one's feelings for him are
cold. On the credit side are the good performances,
amusing comedy touches, the swift pace and the ex-
citing action in the roller derby sequences: —

Mickey Rooney, an undersized orphan reared in a
Catholic Home for Boys, develops an inferiority com-
plex because of his size. Frustrated in his attempts to
cope with bigger boys in athletic games, Rooney de-
stroys some of the school's athletic equipment and
runs away when Pat O'Brien, the priest in charge,
arranges for a psychiatrist to interview him. Roaming
the streets, Rooney finds a pair of roller skates and,
despite many falls, finds skating enjoyable. He obtains
a job as a dishwasher, and spends his evenings at a
roller skating rink, where Beverly Tyler, a profes-
sional skater, teaches him the art. At the rink, Rooney
clashes with Glenn Corbett, a skating champ, and
the two wind up hating each other. Meanwhile
O'Brien had learned of Rooney 's whereabouts, but
does not compel him to return to the home in the
hope that independence may solve his problems. With
the start of the roller derby season, Rooney sits in a
front seat every night, screaming insults at Corbett.
The crowd begins to enjoy his stream of abuse, and
eventually Corbett, to save face, is compelled to ac-
cept Rooney 's challenge to a race. Rooney loses when
he is thrown over the rail by Corbett with a body
blow, but sensing his popularity with the crowd he
determines to become a professional. Under Beverly's
guidance, he soon learns the tricks of the game. He
becomes a teammate of Corbett's, and before long is
hailed as the world's outstanding skater. His ego and
conceit become unbearable to everyone, and at the
very crest of his fame he is struck down by polio.
O'Brien and Beverly encourage him, and he recovers
his health in two years, during which time he learns
humility. But once back on the rink he resumes his
old ways. O'Brien takes him in hand and, at the finish,
he rids himself of conceit and wins the friendship of
his teammates.

It was produced by Bert Friedlob and directed by
Tay Garnctt, who wrote the original screen play with
Horace McCoy.

Suitable for the family.

132

HARRISON'S REPORTS

August 19, 1950

2. The creation of originals directly for the screen
relieves the industry of dependence on plays, pub'
lished works, magazine articles and other sources.

"In other words," Mr. Warner said, "originals are
insurance that there will be a supply of filmable ma'
terial. We will not have to take our chances on
whether the coming months or years make other kind
of material available. If the Broadway stage has a bad
season, if the publishers don't bring out the kind of
books and stories we can buy for adaptation to the
screen, we'll still have a bank of good stories to go on.
We then will be more self -sufficient. We will be avail'
ing ourselves of the writing talent which is already
experienced in the creation of the kind of material
the screen can use best.

"We particularly want newspapermen to tell us
about their pet original story ideas. We believe their
close'up view of life can contribute not only greater
originalty but even greater vitality to the screen. Their
knowledge of men and women and what interests the
public gives them wonderful opportunities. We are
working now on a plan which will tell every news'
paperman in the country who covers any kind of beat
and has any ideas how he can best get his story ideas
to our attention. Proof of the value of newspaper ex-
perience lies in the list of members of the Screen
Writers Guild and the numerous producers who broke
into the industry after they had learned the news-
paper business.

"We will implement our plan to bring more origi-
nals from more writers to our story department for
consideration with a special budget of flexible nature.
It wll be a steady, continuing routine of studio opera'
tion. We won't limit ourselves to story prices. We will
pay what we believe the material is worth. And we
have a high regard here for originals. We'll buy a
good idea, however short it may be, although we will
always prefer to acquire stories containing full and
basic ingredients. The ideal, of course, would be to
find original screen plays ready to shoot. But the point
is that we will buy anything good that comes to us
if it has the promise of becoming a hit screen play."

Mr. Warner emphasized the fact that "names" were
not necessary, and that a good idea was acceptable
from anyone who had an original story to tell. "We
want, in fact," he continued, "to have writers think of
us immediately when they have ideas for original
screen plays. We want submissions and will take the
necessary steps to see that they are properly read and
judged as quickly as possible."

Having long been an advocate of new talent in the
motion picture industry, particularly in regard to the
creators of original story ideas, Harrison's Reports
wishes to commend Mr. Warner for deciding to make
an extensive search for original stories a continuing
and important part of his studios operations in the
future.

Up to now, as said many times in these columns,
those who conceive original ideas and develop them in'
to picture stories must first earn a reputation else'
where before Hollywood will pay any attention to
them, no matter how fine is their story material. There
has been an exception now and then, but such has
been Hollywood's attitude in the main. This attitude,
of course, has served to discourage many brilliant but
unknown writers and, consequently, has done much
to choke off the conceiving of original stories for
motion pictures.

One of the biggest mistakes that is constantly re-
peated by the production executives is that, in deter'
mining whether or not a story is suitable material for
a motion picture, they are not guided by their own
judgment, the result of years of experience; they
prefer to invest in the published works of famous
authors, or successful stage plays, often paying a
king's ransom for the screen rights. The practice has
many pitfalls, for often a successful stage play is for
select audiences, or a great novel is for literary clien-
tele, thus making the material hardly suitable for
motion pictures, which cater to masses.

In many cases, the producers realize that a famous
stage play or a novel is not suitable for the screen, but
they buy it regardless, and then hand it to their writ-
ers to make something out of it. Thus it often happens
that the story is changed completely, with nothing
but the title left of the original work, in which case
many movie-goers, familiar with the original, leave
the theatre with a feeling of having been deceived.

The history of the business shows that any number
of producers who resorted to original stories attained
excellent results. Take, for example, the case of Joe
Pasternak, who made Deanna Durbin into a box-office
sensation. Realizing that Miss Durbin had a personal-
ity that required suitable story material to establish
her, Mr. Pasternak, rather than buy a novel or stage
play to bring out her talent, found the necessary ma-
terial in the brains of story originators. Had he taken
less care in his search for a proper story, it is unlikely
that he would have attained the same success with
Miss Durbin.

If the producers want an abundance of good story
material, they should follow the lead of Warner
Brothers and encourage the creators of original story
ideas, for such encouragement will spell the difference
between a large number of meritorious pictures as
against the few that are produced nowadays.

REISSUES THAT ARE AVAILABLE
FOR TELEVISION

Classic Pictures, Inc., a distribution organization
headed by Max J. Rosenberg and Albert Margolies,
has acquired the reissue rights in the United States to
twenty-two Alexander Korda features, which were
originally reissued by Film Classics.

Because all the pictures involved, with the possible
exception of "That Hamilton Woman" and "The
Challenge," have been available for television during
the past eighteen months, the list is herewith pub-
lished for the guidance of this paper's subscribers :

"Drums," in Technicolor, starring Ralph Richard-
son; "Four Feathers," in Technicolor, starring Sabu
and Raymond Massey; "Private Life of Henry VIII,"
starring Charles Laughton; "Jungle Book," in Techni-
color, starring Sabu; "The Ghost Goes West," star-
ring Robert Donat; "The Divorce of Lady X," in
Technicolor, starring Merle Oberon and Ralph Rich-
ardson; "Elephant Boy," starring Sabu; "Rem-
brandt," starring Charles Laughton; "Things to
Come" and "The Man Who Could Work Miracles,"
both by H. G. Wells; "The Private Life of Don
Juan," starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.; "Thief of
Bagdad," in Technicolor; "Lydia," starring Merle
Oberon; "Catherine the Great," starring Elisabeth
Bergner and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.; "Men Are Not
Gods"; "Murder in Diamond Row"; "Sanders of the
River"; "Spy in Black"; "Q Ships"; and "Over the
Moon," in Technicolor.

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION TWO

HARRISON'S REPORTS

Vol. XXXII

NEW YORK, N. Y., SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1950

No. 33

(Partial Index No. 4 — Pages 102 to 128 Inclusive)

Titles of Pictures Reviewed on Page

Abbott H Costello in the Foreign Legion —

Univ.-Int'l (80 min.) 110

Arizona Territory— Monogram (56 min.) ... not reviewed

Baron of Arizona, The — Lippert (93 min.) 106

Beaver Valley— RKO (32 min.) 118

Black Rose, The — 20th Century-Fox (120 min.) 127

Bunco Squad— RKO (67 min.) 127

Cariboo Trail, The— 20th Century-Fox (81 min.) 106

Convicted — Columbia (91 min.) 118

Copper Canyon — Paramount (83 min.) 114

County Fair — Monogram (77 min.) 128

Dark City — Paramount (97 min.) 126

Death of a Dream — Eagle-Lion (45 min.) 115

Desert Hawk, The — Univ.-Int'l (78 min.) 122

Destination Moon — Eagle-Lion (90 min.) 102

Edge of Doom— RKO (99 min.) 123

Eye Witness — Eagle-Lion (104 min.) 119

Fancy Pants — Paramount (92 min.) 114

Federal Man — Eagle-Lion (67 min.) 106

Furies, The — Paramount (109 min.) 103

High Lonesome — Eagle-Lion (81 min.) 126

Hi-jacked — Lippert (6? min.) 122

Humphrey Takes a Chance — Monogram (62 min.) .... 104

If This Be Sin— United Artists (72 min.) 103

Jungle Stampede — Republic (60 min.) 124

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye — Warner Bros. ( 102 min.) ... 123

Lady Without Passport, A — MGM (72 min.) Ill

Let's Dance — Paramount (111 min.) 127

Life of Her Own, A— MGM (108 min.) 126

Lost Volcano, The — Monogram (76 min.) 104

No Way Out — 20th Century-Fox (106 min.) 123

Old Frontier, The— Republic (60 min.) not reviewed

On the Isle of Samoa — Columbia (65 min.) 124

Once a Thief — United Artists (88 min.) 103

Pretty Baby — Warner Bros. (92 min.) 119

Savage Horde, The — Republic (90 min.) 102

711 Ocean Drive — Columbia (102 min.) 110

Snow Dog — Monogram (63 min.) 118

Stella— 20th Century-Fox (83 min.) 115

Streets of Ghost Town — Columbia (54 min.). not reviewed

Summer Stock — MGM (109 min.) 122

Three Little Words— MGM (102 min.) 107

Trial Without Jury — Republic (60 min.) 114

Where the Sidewalk Ends — 20th Century-Fox (95 m.) . 102
Union Station — Paramount (80 min.) 110

RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR FEATURES
Allied Artists Features

( 1 560 Broadway. Hew Yor\ 19, H- Y.)
(Distribution through Monogram)
16 There'i a Girl in My Heart — Knox-Bowman-Jean . .Jan.

Columbia Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)

241 Frightened City — Keyes-Korvin-Bishop May

235 Kill the Umpire — Bendix-Merkel May

245 Cowtown — Gene Autry (70 m.) May

238 No Sad Songs for Me — Sullavan-Corey May

203 Beauty on Parade — Hutton-Warrick May 4

204 Customs Agent — Eythe-Reynolds May 18

237 The Good Humor Man — Carson-Albright June

233 Fortunes of Captain Blood — Hayward June

251 Hoedown — Eddy Arnold June

266 Texas Dynamo — Charles Starrett (54 m.) . . . .June 1
202 State Penitentiary — Baxter-Stevens June 8

243 Rogues of Sherwood Forest — Derek-Lynn July

244 71 1 Ocean Drive— O'Brien-Dru July

247 Beyond the Purple Hills — Gene Autry (70 m.)..July

240 Captive Girl — Johnny Weissmuller July

220 David Harding, Counterspy — St. John-Long. .July 13

242 In a Lonely Place — Bogart-Grahame Aug.

Convicted — Ford-Crawford Aug.

215 On the Isle of Samoa — Jon Hall Aug.

264 Streets of Ghost Town — Starrett (54 m.) . . . .Aug. 3
207 Beware of Blondie — Lake-Singleton Aug. 10

Prowl Car — Stevens-O'Brien-Storm Sept.

Indian Territory — Gene Autry Sept.

The Petty Girl — Cummings-Caulfield Sept.

262 Across the Badlands — Starrett Sept. 14

When You're Smiling — Courtland- Albright . .Sept. 21

Eagle-Lion Classics Features

( 165 West 46th St., Hew Jor\ 19, H- T.)

031 Kind Hearts 6? Coronets — British cast Apr.

029 Kill or be Killed — Tierney-Colouris Apr.

015 The Perfect Woman — British cast Apr.

032 The Jackie Robinson Story — Robinson May

027 The Winslow Boy — Donat-Hardwicke May

107 The Fallen Idol — Richardson-Morgan May

012 The Glass Mountain — Cortesa-Denison May

056 Twin Beds — reissue May

057 Getting Gertie's Garter — reissue May

066 Timber Fury — Bruce- Lee June

030 It's a Small World— Dale-Miller June

016 The Blue Lamp— British cast June

055 Up in Mabel's Room — reissue July

054 Tillie's Punctured Romance — reissue July

058 Abroad with Two Yanks — reissue July

050 Death of a Dream — Documentary July

Federal Man — Henry-Blake July

026 Destination Moon — Archer-Anderson Aug.

025 The Torch — Goddard-Armendariz Aug.

045 Eye Witness — Montgomery-Banks Aug.

044 High Lonesome — Barrymore-Wills Sept.

046 The Sun Sets at Dawn — Reed-Parr Sept.

Golden Salamander — British cast Sept.

Naughty Arlette — British cast Sept.

Film Classics Features

( 1 501 Broadway. Hew Tor\ 18. H. T.)

Good Time Girl — British cast May 11

Sudan — reissue June 1

Arabian Nights — reissue June 1

One Night in the Tropics — reissue June 15

Naughty Nineties — reissue June 15

Captain Kidd — reissue June 30

The Bridge of San Luis Rey — reissue June 30

The Wind is My Lover — Linfors-Kent not set

Lippert-Screen Guild Features

(255 Hyde St.. San Francisco 2. Calif.)

4930 West of the Brazos — Ellison-Hayden Apr. 28

4910 Operation Haylift — Williams-Rutherford ...May 5

4925 Colorado Ranger — Ellison-Hayden May 12

4904 Rocketship XM — Bridges-O'Brian June 2

4926 Crooked River — Ellison-Hayden June 9

4923 Motor Patrol — Castle-O'Brian June 16

4929 Fast on the Draw — Ellison-Hayden June 30

4920 Hijacked — Davis-Jones July 14

4932 Gunfire — Barry-Lowery Aug 11

4931 I Shot Billy the Kid— Barry-Neal Aug. 25

4907 Return of Jesse James — Ireland-Dvorak ....Sept. 8

4934 Train to Tombstone — Barry-Ncal Sept. 15

493 3 Border Rangers — Barry-Neal Oct. 6

4911 Holiday Rhythm — All-star cast Oct. 13

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Features

( 1 540 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

25 The Reformer 67 the Redhead — Powell- Allyson . . .May

26 Please Believe Mc — Kerr-Walker-Lawford May

27 Shadow on the Wall — Sothern-Scott May

28 The Big Hangover — Johnson-Taylor May

30 Father of the Bride — Tracy-Bennctt-Taylor June

31 Skipper Surprised His Wife — Walker-Leslie June

29 The Asphalt Jungle — Haydcn-Hagcn June

32 The Happy Years — Stockwell-Hickman July

33 Duchess of Idaho — Williams-Johnson July

(CoHtuiued on next page)

August 19, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page B

41 Crisis — Grant-Ferrer July

35 Mystery Street — Montalban-Forrest July

36 Three Little Words — Astaire-Skelton-Ellen Aug.

37 Lady Without Passport — Lamar-Hodiak Aug.

38 Summer Stock — Garland-Kelly Aug.

Toast of New Orleans — Grayson-Lanza-Niven. . . .Sept.

34 Devil's Doorway — Robert Taylor Sept.

A Life of Her Own — Turner-Milland Sept.

38 The Miniver Story — Garson-Pidgeon Oct.

Right Cross — Powell-Allyson-Montalban Oct.

To Please a Lady — Gable-Stanwyck Oct.

Dial 1119 — Thompson-Brasselle Nov.

Two Weeks with Love — Powell-Montalban Nov.

King Solomon's Mines — Kerr-Granger Nov.

Kim — Flynn-Stockwell Dec.

The Camera Man- — Red Skelton Dec.

Cause for Alarm — Young-Sullivan Dec.

Pagan Love Song — Williams-Keel-Montalban Dec.

The Next Voice You Hear — Whitmore-Davis. . .not set

39 Annie Get Your Gun — Hutton-Keel not set

40 Stars in My Crown — McCrea-Drew not set

Monogram Features

(630 Hinth Ave., Hew Tor\ 19, H T.)

4914 Lucky Losers — Bowery Boys May 14

4912 Humphrey Takes a Chance — Kirkwood June 4

4924 Side Show — McGuire-Roberts June 18

4905 Bomba and the Lost Volcano — Sheffield . . . .June 25

4942 Arizona Territory — Whip Wilson (56 m.) . . . July 2
4923 The Silk Noose — Carole Landis (formerly

"The Silk Stocking Murder") July 9

4919 Snow Dog — Kirby Grant July 16

4903 County Fair — Calhoun-Nigh Aug. 6

4915 Triple Trouble — Bowery Boys Aug. 13

4943 Silver Raiders — Whip Wilson Aug. 20

4908 Big Timber— McDowall-Donnell Sept. 10

4953 Massacre Valley — J. M. Brown Sept. 17

4906 Bomba and the Hidden City — Sheffield Sept. 24

4918 Hot Rod — Lydon- Winters Oct. 22

4916 Bowery Thrush — Bowery Boys Oct. 29

Paramount Features

(1501 Broadway, Hew Tor\ 18, H T.)

1949-50

4919 No Man of Her Own — Stanwyck-Lund May

4916 Eagle 6f the Hawk — Payne-Fleming-O'Keefe . . .June

4922 My Friend Irma Goes West — Wilson-Lynn . . . .July

4923 The Lawless — Carey-Russell July

4926 The Furies — Stanwyck-Huston Aug.

4927 Sunset Boulevard — Swanson-Holden Aug.

^ (End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5001 Fancy Pants — Hope-Ball Sept.

5002 Union Station — Holden-Olsen Sept.

Copper Canyon — Lamarr-Milland Oct.

Dark City — Heston-Scott Oct.

Going My Way — reissue Oct.

Let's Dance — Hutton-Astaire Nov.

Tripoli — Payne-O'Hara Nov.

Mr. Music — Crosby-Coburn-Hussey Dec.

RK.O Features
1948-49

(1250 Sixth Ave., Hew Yor\ 20, H T.)
(No national release dates)

017 Woman on Pier 13 — Day-Ryan

(formerly "I Married a Communist")

069 Man on the Eiffel Tower — Tone-Laughton

070 Stromboli — Ingrid Bergman

019 Storm Over Wyoming — Tim Holt (60 m.)

018 The Tattooed Stranger— Miles- White

020 Tarzan and the Slave Girl — Barker-Darcel

073 The Capture — Wright-Ayres

074 Wagonmaster — Johnson-Drew

022 Dynamite Pass — Tim Holt (61 m.)

021 The Golden Twenties — Documentary

075 The Secret Fury — Colbert-Ryan

023 The White Tower— Ford-Valli

024 Where Danger Lives — Mitchum-Domergue

m (End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

191 Treasure Island — Driscoll-Newton

151 Our Very Own- — Blythe-Granger-Evans

101 Born To Be Bad — Fontaine-Ryan

104 Bunco Squad — Sterling-Dixon

152 Edge of Doom — Granger-Andrews-Evans

103 Outrage — Andrews-Powers

102 Walk Softly, Stranger— Valli-Cotten

105 Border Treasure — Tim Holt

Republic Features

(1790 Broadway, Hew Jor\ 19, H T.)

1949-50

4961 The Arizona Cowboy — Rex Allen (67 m.) ..Apr. 1

4916 Woman from Headquarters —

Huston-Rockwell May 1

4952 Hills of Oklahoma— Rex Allen (67 m.) May 1

4964 Salt Lake Raiders — Lane (60 m.) May 1

4914 Rock Island Trail— Tucker-Mara May 18

4917 The Savage Horde— Elliott-Booth May 22

4918 Destination Big House — Patrick-Rockwell ..June 1

4920 The Avengers — Carroll-Mara June 26

4945 Trigger, Jr. — Roy Rogers (68 m.) June 30

4965 Covered Wagon Raid — Lane (60 m.) June 30

4921 Trial Without Jury— Rockwell-Taylor July 8

4973 The Old Frontier— Monty Hale (60 m.) July 29

4922 Jungle Stampede — Documentary July 29

4966 Vigilante Hideout — Allan Lane (60 m.)...Aug. 6

4924 The Showdown — Elliott-Brennan-Windsor .Aug. 15

4925 Lonely Heart Bandits — Patrick-Rockwell. . .Aug. 29

Frisco Tornado — Allan Lane Sept. 6

Redwood Forest Trail — Rex Allen Sept. 18

Prisoners in Petticoats — Perkins-Rockwell . . .Sept. 18
Sunset in the West — Roy Rogers Sept. 25

(more to come)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5001 Surrender — Ralston-Carroll Sept. 15

Selznick Rel. Org. Features

(400 Madison Ave., Hew Tor\ 17, H- T.)

The Fallen Idol — British cast Nov.

The Third Man— Welles-Valli-Cotten Feb.

Twentieth Century-Fox Features

(444 W. 56th St., Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)

012 The Big Lift— Clift-Douglas May

011 A Ticket to Tomahawk — Baxter-Dailey May

013 Night and the City — Tierney-Widmark June

016 Love That Brute — Douglas-Peters June

015 The Gunfighter — Gregory Peck July

017 Where the Sidewalk Ends — Andrews-Tierney ...July

018 Stella — Sheridan-Mature-Wayne Aug.

020 The Caribou Trail — Randolph Scott Aug.

014 Broken Arrow — Stewart-Paget Aug.

019 The Black Rose— Power-Aubrey Welles Sept.

021 My Blue Heaven — Grable-Dailey Sept.

022 Panic in the Streets — Widmark-Douglas Sept.

Farewell to Yesterday — Documentary Sept.

The Fireball — Rooney-O'Brien Oct.

Mister 880 — Lancaster-Gwenn-McGuire Oct.

No Way Out — Widmark-Darnell Oct.

Two Flags West — Darnell- Wilde-Cotten Nov.

All About Eve — Davis-Baxter Nov.

The Jackpot — Stewart-Medina Nov.

American Guerrilla in the Philippines —

Power-Prelle Dec.

For Heaven's Sake — Bennett- Webb-Blondell. ... Dec.

United Artists Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Yor\ 19, H T.)

Johnny One-Eye — O'Brien-Morris-Moran May 5

So Young, So Bad — Henreid-McLeod May 19

The Whipped — Duryea-Storm-O'Shea June 2

Iroquois Trail — Montgomery -Marshall June 16

Once a Thief — Romero-Havoc-McDonald July 7

The Underworld Story — Duryea-Storm (reviewed

as "The Whipped") July 21

The Admiral Was a Lady — Hendrix-O'Brien Aug. 4

The Men — Brando-Wright Aug. 25

If This Be Sin — Loy-Cummins-Greene Sept. 8

Ellen — Young-Drake-Sutton not set

Universal-International Features

(445 Par\ Ave., Hew Yor\ 22, H T.)

916 Comanche Territory — O'Hara-Carey May

917 I Was a Shoplifter — Brady-Freeman-King May

918 Curtain Call at Cactus Creek — O'Connor-Arden. June

919 Sierra — Murphy-Hendrix June

920 Spy Ring — Toren-Duff June

921 Winchester '73 — Stewart- Winters-Duryea July

922 Peggy — Lynn-Coburn-Greenwood July

923 Adam and Evelyn — British cast July

924 Abbott 6s? Costello in the Foreign Legion Aug.

925 The Desert Hawk — De Carlo-Greene Aug.

926 Louisa — Coburn-Gwenn-Byington Aug.

927 Madness of the Heart — English cast Aug.

928 Saddle Tramp — McCrea-Hendrix Sept.

929 Shakedown — Duff-Donlevy-Dow Sept.

930 The Sleeping City — Conte-Gray-Dow Sept.

Hamlet — Laurence Olivier Oct.

Page C

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index August 19, 1950

Wyoming Mail — McNally-Smith Oct.

Woman on the Run — Sheridan-O'Keefe Oct.

The Milkman — O'Connor-Durante Oct.

905 Tight Little Island — British cast not set

Warner Bros. Features

(321 W. 44th St., Hew Tor\ 18, H- T.)

1949-50

921 The Damned Don t Cry — Crawford-Brian May 13

922 Colt .45 — Scott-Roman-Scott May 27

923 Destination Tokyo — reissue June 3

924 God Is My Co-Pilot — reissue June 3

925 Caged — Parker-Moorehead June 10

926 This Side of the Law — Lindfors-Smith June 17

927 Return of the Frontiersman — McRae- London . .June 24

928 Bright Leaf — Cooper-Bacall-Carson July 1

929 The Great Jewel Robbery — David Brian July 15

930 The Flame and the Arrow — Lancaster-Mayo . .July 22

931 50 Years Before Your Eyes — Documentary. . . .July 29

932 Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye — Cagney Aug. 19

(End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

001 Tea for Two — Day-McRae Sept. 2

002 Alcatraz Island— reissue Sept. 9

003 San Quentin — reissue Sept. 9

004 Pretty Baby — Morgan-Drake-Scott Sept. 16

005 Breaking Point — Garfield-Neal Sept. 30

SHORT SUBJECT RELEASE SCHEDULE

Columbia — One Reel

2857 Meet the Winners — Screen Snapshots

(10 m.) Apr. 26

2653 Village Barn — Cavalcade of B'way (lO^m.) . Apr. 27

2609 The Wise Owl — Favorite (reissue) (7m.).. .May 4

2808 Clown Prince of Golf— Sports (8J/2 m.) May 25

2858 Famous Cartoonists — Screen Snap. (9J/^ m.).May 25

2504 The Miner's Daughter —

Jolly Frolics (6]/2 m.) May 25

2610 The Little Moth's Big Flame —

Favorite (reissue) (8 J/2 m-) June 1

2555 Candid Microphone No. 5 (11 m.) June 15

2859 Hollywood Ice Capades —

Screen Snap (10 m.) June 22

2809 Hi Board Hi Jinks — Sports (9 m.) June 29

2611 The Timid Pup — Favorite (reissue) (7 m.).. July 6

2810 King of the Jockeys — Sports (9 m.) July 20

2860 Hollywood's Famous Feet —

Screen Snap (8J/2 m.) July 20

2654 Leon 6? Eddies — Cavalcade of B'way July 27

2505 Giddyap— Jolly Frolics (6\/2 m.) July 27

2612 The Gorilla Hunt— Novelty (8 m.) Aug. 3

2556 Candid Microphone No. 6 ( 10^2 m) Aug. 17

Columbia — Two Reels

2407 Love at First Bite — Stooges (16 m.) May 4

2425 Nursey Behave — Vera Vague (15J/-2 m.)...May 11

2435 His Ex Marks the Spot —

Favorite (reissue) (l7J/£ m.) May 25

2408 Self-Made Maids— Stooges 16 m.) July 6

2426 One Shivery Sight— Hugh Herbert (l6]/2 m.) . July 13
2416 House About It — Quillan- Vernon (W/2 m.).July 20
2180 Atom Man vs. Superman — Serial (15 ep.). . .July 20

2436 Oh My Nerves! — Favorite (reissue) (17 m.).July 27

Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer — One Reel

T-118 Roaming Thru Michigan — Travel. (9 m.) . .May 20

W-143 Ventriloquist Cat — Cartoon (7 m.) May 27

W-144 The Cuckoo Clock— Cartoon (7 m.) June 10

S-159 That's His Story— Pete Smith (9 m.) June 17

W-164 Yankee Doodle Mouse —

Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) June 24

W-145 Safety Second — Cartoon (7 m.) July 1

S-160 A Wife's Life— Pete Smith (8 m.) July 8

Z-172 Moments in Music — Industry Short (10 m.).July 13
T-l 19 To the Coast of Devon— Traveltalk (9 m.) . .July 15
T-120 Touring Northern England — Travel. (9 m.) .July 29
T-121 Land of Auld Lang Syne — Travel. (8 m.).Aug. 12
T-l 22 Life on the Thames — Traveltalk (9 m.)... .Aug. 26
W-146 Albert in Blunderland — Cartoon (8 m.)..Aug. 26
(End of 1949-50 Season)

Paramount — One Reel
1949-50

R9-7 Down Stream Highway — Sportlight (7 m.). .June 2
P9-7 Ups an' Downs Derby — Noveltoon (7 m.) . . .June 9

K9-5 Flatbush, Florida— Pacemaker (11 m.) June 16

E9-6 Jitterbug Jive — Popeye June 23

X9-9 Heap, Hep Injuns — Screen Song June 30

R9-8 To the Winner— Sportlight (10 m.) July 7

P9-8 Pleased to Eat You — Noveltoon (7 m.) ....July 21

X9-10 Gobs of Fun— Screen Song (7 m.) July 28

R9-9 The Sporting Suwannee — Sportlight (10 m.) .Aug. 4

E9-7 Popeye Makes a Movie — Popeye Aug. 11

P9-9 Goofy, Goofy, Gander — Noveltoon Aug. 18

X9-11 Helter-Swelter — Screen Song Aug. 25

R9-10 Operation Jack Frost — Sportlight Sept. 1

K9-6 Cowboy Crazy — Pacemaker Sept. 8

P9-10 Saved by the Bell — Noveltoon Sept. 15

X9-12 Boos in the Night — Screen Song Sept. 22

E9-8 Baby Wants Spinach — Popeye Sept. 29

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

R10-1 Desert High Jinks — Sportlight Oct. 6

El 0-1 Quick on the Vigor — Popeye Oct. 13

B10-1 Casper's Spree Under the Sea — Casper Oct. 27

PI 0-1 Voice of the Turkey — Noveltoon Nov. 3

R10-2 Outboard Shenanigans — Sportlight Nov. 10

E10-2 Riot in Rhythm — Popeye Nov. 17

P10-2 Mice Meeting You — Noveltoon Nov. 24

X10-1 Fiesta Time — Screen Song Dec. 1

ZlO-l Her Honor, The Mare — Champion Dec. 8

K10-2 The City of Beautiful Girls — Pacemaker. . .Dec. 22
B10-2 Once Upon a Rhyme — Casper Dec. 29

Paramount — Two Reels
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

T10-1 The New Pioneers — Special (20 m.) Sept. 1

FF10-1 Mardi Gras— Musical Parade (19 m.) Oct. 6

FF10-2 Caribbean Romance — Musical Parade

(19 min.) Nov. 3

FF10-3 Showboat Serenade — Musical Parade

(20 min.) Dec. 1

RKO — One Reel

04111 Crazy Over Daisy — Disney (6 m.) Mar. 24

04208 Wonders Down Under —

Screenliner (8m.) Mar. 24

04112 The Wonder Dog— Disney (7 m.) Apr. 7

04308 Horseshow — Sportscope (8 m.) Apr. 7

04704 Funny Little Bunnies — Disney (reissue)

(7 m.) Apr. 21

04209 Sunshine U — Screenliner (8m.) Apr. 21

04113 Trailer Horn — Disney (6m.) Apr. 28

04309 The Bauer Girls — Sportscope (8 m.) May 5

04114 Primitive Pluto — Disney (7 m.) May 19

04210 Country Rhythm — Screenliner (8 m.) May 19

04310 Ski Riders — Sportscope (8 m.) June 2

04115 Puss-Cafe — Disney (7 m.) June 9

04211 School for Dogs — Screenliner (8 m.) June 16

04116 Motor Mania — Disney (7m.) June 30

04311 Ben Hogan — Sportscope (reissue) (9 m.) . . .June 30

04705 The Grasshopper 6? the Ant —

Disney (reissue) (7 m.) July 7

04212 Nickelodeon Time — Screenliner (9 m.)... July 14

04117 Pests of the West — Disney (7 m.) July 21

04312 Lady of the Deep — Sportscope (8 m.) July 28

04118 Food forFeudin' — Disney (7 m.) Aug. 11

04706 Brave Little Tailor —

Disney (reissue) (9 m.) Aug. 25

RKO — Two Reels

03108 Trading Post — This Is America (15 m.) Apr. 28

03405 Brooklyn Buckaroos — Comedy Special

(16 m.) May 12

03109 Play Ball— This is America (13 m.) May 26

03110 Danger Sleuths — This Is America (14 m.).June 23

03406 Photo Phonies — Comedy Special (16 m.).. .July 7

03111 House of Mercy — This Is America (15 m.). July 21

Republic — One Reel

4975 Norway— This World of Ours (9 m.) Mar. 15

4976 Denmark — This World of Ours (9 m.) June 1

9495 Battle for Korea— Special (9 m.) July 1

4877 Glacier National Park— This World of Ours. July 15
4978 Sweden— This World of Ours Aug. 30

Republic — Two Reels

4982 Radar Patrol vs Spy King (12 ep.) Apr. 15

4983 Undersea Kingdom —

Serial (12 ep.) (reissue) July 8

4984 The Invisible Monster— Serial (12 ep.) Sept. 30

Twentieth Century-Fox — One Reel

5024 Just a Little Bull — Terry (reissue) (7 rn.) June

8001 Mid-West Metropolis — Specialty (9 m.) June

5009 Law if Order (Miehty Mouse)— Terry. (7 m.).June
3006 Action with Rod & Reel — Sport (10 m.) June

5010 The Red Headed Monkey — Terrytoon (7 ni.). .July

8002 New York Philharmonic Orch.— Specialty

(10 m.) July

(Continued on next page)

August 19, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page D

5011 Dingbat in All This 6? Rabbit Stew— Terry.

(7m.) July

8003 Music of Manhattan — Specialty (10 m.) July

5012 The Dog Show — Terry toon (7m.) Aug.

7003 Skitch Henderson fe? Orch. — Melody (10 m.) . . . Aug.

5013 King Tut's Tomb (Talk. Magpies) — Terry.

(7 m.) Aug.

3007 Bowlers' Fair — Sports Sept.

5014 Little Roquefort in Cat Happy —

Terrytoon (7 m.) Sept.

3008 Football Payoff Plays — Sports Sept.

5015 If Cats Could Sing— Terrytoon (7m.) Sept.

5016 Little Roquefort in Mouse ii Garden —

Terrytoon (7m.) Oct.

3009 Circus on the Campus- — Sports Oct.

5017 Beauty on the Beach (Mighty Mouse) —

Terrytoon (7 m.) Oct.

7004 The Fontaine Sisters — Melody Oct.

5018 Wide Open Spaces (Gandy Goose) —

Terrytoon (7m.) Nov.

3010 Tee Girls — Sports Nov.

5019 Sour Grapes (Dingbat) — Terrytoon (7 m.) . . . .Dec.

5020 Mother Goose's Birthday Party (Mighty Mouse) —

Terrytoon (7 m.) Dec.

Twentieth Century-Fox — Two Reels

Vol. 16 No. 3— Where's the Fire?— March of Time. .April
Vol. 16 No. 4 — Beauty at Work —

March of Time (17 m.) June

United Artists — One Reel

Glory Filled Spirituals — Songs of America ( 10m.) . .May 12
Highlights of Long Ago — Songs of America (9 m.) . June 9
Long Remembrances — Songs of America (9 m.). . .July 14

Folk Lore — Songs of America (9 m.) Aug. 11

The Moods — Songs of America (9 m.) Sept. 15

Universal — One Reel

5328 The Beach Nut — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) . .May 8

5385 Harmony Hall — Cartoon Melody (10 m.) . . .May 8

5345 A Camping We Will Goo-

Variety Views (9m.) May 15

5329 Boogie Woogie Man — Cartune

(reissue) (7 m.) June 12

5330 Fish Fry — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) July 17

5386 Melody Moods — Cartoon Melody (10 m.).. July 17

5331 Toyland Premiere —

Cartune (reissue) (7m.) Aug. 14

5387 Sing Happy — Cartoon Melody (10 m.) Aug. 28

5332 Greatest Man in Siam —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Sept. 11

5388 Feast of Songs — Cartoon Melody (10 m.) . . .Oct. 2

5333 Ski for Two — Cartune (reissue) (7 m ). . . .Oct. 16

5346 Treasure of the Nile — Variety Views (9 m.). not set

5347 Brooklyn Goes Hollywood — Variety Views

(9 m.) not set

Universal — Two Reels

5307 King Cole Trio— Musical (15 m.) May 17

5308 Claude Thornhill & Orch.— Musical (15 m.) .June 14

5356 Cactus Caravan — Musical Western (26 m.)..July 6

5309 Sarah Vaughan 6s? Herb Jeffries —

Musical (15 m.) July 12

5310 Red Nichols fcV His Five Pennies — Musical

(15 m.) Aug. 9

5311 Salute to Duke Ellington— Musical (15 m.).Aug. 30

5357 Western Courage — Musical Western

(26 m.) Aug. 31

5358 Ready to Ride — Musical Western (25 m.) . . .Oct. 5

Vitaphone — One Reel
1949-50

6310 Tic, Toe, Tuckered —

B. R. Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) June 3

6508 Riviera Days — Sports Parade ( 10 m.) June 3

6601 Horse 6? Buggy Days — Novelty (10 m.) June 17

6722 What's Up Doc?— Bugs Bunny (7 m.) June 17

6712 All Abir-r-r-d — Merrie Melody (7 m.) June 24

6807 Matty Malneck 6? Orch. — Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) June 24

6311 Booby Hatched — B. R. Cartoon (reissue)

(7 m.) July 1

6405 So You Want to Hold Your Husband —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) July 1

6509 Racing Thrills — Sports Parade ( 10 m.) July 8

6723 8-Ball Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) July 8

6713 It's Hummer Time — Merrie Melody (7 m.) ...July 22

6808 Cliff Edwards (f His Buckeroos — Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) July 22

6312 Trap Happy Porky — B.R. Cartoon

(reissue) (7 m.) Aug. 5

6714
6606
6724
6406

6510

6313

6715
6716
6717
6725
6718
6726

7502
7301

7401

6007
6106
6008

7001
7101

Golden Yeggs — Merrie Melody (7 m.) Aug. 5

Cavalcade of Girls — Novelty (10 m.) Aug. 12

Hillbilly Hare — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Aug. 12

So You Want to Move —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Aug. 19

Champions of Tomorrow —

Sports Parade (10 m.) Aug. 19

Lost ty Foundling — B.R. Cartoon

(reissue) (7 m.) Aug. 26

Dog Gone South — Merrie Melody (7 m.). .Aug. 26

The Dicksters — Looney Tune (7 m.) Sept. 2

A Fractured Leghorn — Looney Tune (7 m.) .Sept. 16
Bunker Hill Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.)..Sept. 23

Canary Row — Looney Tune (7 m.) Oct. 7

Bushy Hare — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Nov. 11

_ (End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season
Grandad of Races — Sports Parade (10 m.).Sept. 2
Pagan's Freshmen — B. R. Cartoon (reissue)

(7 m.) Sept. 16

So You Want a Raise — Joe McDoakes

(10 m.)^ Sept. 23

Vitaphone — Two Reels
1949-50

Give Me Liberty — Special (20 m.) June 10

Just for Fun — Featurette (20 m.) July 15

Sweden with Charlie McCarthy Mortimer

Snerd — Special (20 m.) Sept. 3

^ (End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

Wish You Were Here— Special (20 m.) July 29

Wagon Wheels West — Featurette (reissue)

(20 m.) Sept. 9

NEWSWEEKLY NEW YORK
RELEASE DATES
Warner Pathe News

104 Mon. (E) . . .Aug. 14
(End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of
1950-51 Season

1

Wed.

(O) ..

. .Aug. 16

2

Mon.

(E) ..

. .Aug. 21

3

Wed.

(O) ..

. .Aug. 23

4

Mon.

(E) ..

. .Aug. 28

5

Wed.

(O) ..

. .Aug. 30

6

Mon.

(E)

..Sept. 4

7

Wed.

(O) ..

. . Sept. 6

8

Mon.

(E) ..

. . Sept. 1 1

9

Wed.

(O) ..

. .Sept. 13

10

Mon.

(E) ..

. .Sept. 18

11

Wed.

(O) ..

. . Sept. 20

12

Mon.

(E) ..

. .Sept. 25

13

Wed.

(O) ..

. . Sept. 27

14

Mon.

(E) .

...Oct. 2

15

Wed.

(O) .

...Oct. 4

Fox Movietone

67 Friday (O) . . .Aug. 18

68 Tues. (E) Aug. 22

69 Friday (O) . . .Aug. 25

70 Tues. (E) Aug. 29

71 Friday (O) . . .Sept. 1

72 Tues. (E) Sept. 5

73 Friday (O) ...Sept. 8

74 Tues. (E) Sept. 12

75 Friday (O) . . .Sept. 15

76 Tues. (E) Sept. 19

77 Friday (O) . . .Sept. 22

78 Tues. (E) Sept. 26

79 Friday (O) . . .Sept. 29

80 Tues. (E) Oct. 3

81 Friday (O) . . .Oct. 6

Paramount News

103 Wed. (O) . .Aug. 16

104 Sat. (E) Aug. 19

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of
1950-51 Season

1 Wed. (O) Aug. 23

2 Sat. (E) Aug. 26

3 Wed. (O) Aug. 30

4 Sat. (E) Sept. 2

5 Wed. (O) Sept. 6

6 Sat. (E) Sept. 9

7 Wed. (O) ....Sept. 13

8 Sat. (E) Sept. 16

9 Wed. (O) ....Sept. 20

10 Sat. (E) Sept. 23

11 Wed. (O) Sept. 27

12 Sat. (E) Sept. 30

13 Wed. (O) Oct. 4

14 Sat. (E) Oct. 7

News of the Day

300 Wed. (E) . . .Aug. 16

301 Mon. (O) . . .Aug. 21

302 Wed. (E) . . . Aug. 23

303 Mon. (O) . . .Aug. 28
(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of
1950-51 Season

200 Wed. (E) . . .Aug. 30

201 Mon. (O) . . .Sept. 4

202 Wed. (E) . . .Sept. 6

203 Mon. (O) . . .Sept. 11

204 Wed. (E) . . .Sept. 13

205 Mon. (O) . . .Sept. 18

206 Wed. (E) . . .Sept. 20

207 Mon. (O) . . .Sept. 25

208 Wed. (E) . . .Sept. 27

209 Mon. (O) . . .Oct. 2

210 Wed. (E) ...Oct. 4

Universal

378 Thurs. (E)

379 Tues. (O) .

380 Thurs. (E)

381 Tues. (O) .

382 Thurs. (E)

383 Tues. (O) .

384 Thurs. (E)

385 Tues. (O) .

386 Thurs. (E)

387 Tues. (O) .

388 Thurs. (E)

389 Tues. (O) .

390 Thurs. (E)

391 Tues. (O)

392 Thurs. (E)

News

. .Aug. 17
. .Aug. 22
. .Aug. 24
. .Aug. 29
. .Aug. 31
. . Sept. 5
. . Sept. 7
. .Sept. 12
. .Sept. 14
. .Sept. 19
. .Sept. 21
. .Sept. 26
. .Sept. 28
...Oct. 3
..Oct. 5

Entered as second-class mattes January 4, l'J21, at the post office at New York, Now York, under the act of March 3,

Harrison's Reports

Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by

United States $15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison's Reports, Inc.,

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1950 No. 34

MYERS ADVOCATES MODERATE
INCREASE IN ADMISSIONS
WHERE NECESSARY

In a bulletin issued to his membership on Tuesday of this
week, Abram F. Myers, National Allied's general counsel
and chairman of the board, had this to say on the question
of increasing admission prices:

"Here, in brief, is the dilemma which faces the exhibitors:
"During the past 10 years operating costs have steadily
increased.

"In the past three years there has been a box-office reces-
sion and in the past nine months the decline has been accel-
erated.

"Caught between the upper and nether millstone, the
exhibitors are seeking means of escape.

"For awhile we hoped that Congress would repeal the
admission tax and that that would stimulate attendance.

"The Korean war put an end to all hope for repeal of the
admission tax and income taxes are to be increased, imposing
an additional burden on the exhibitors.

"Apparently the only hope of immediate relief lies in
increasing admission prices.

"And in doing this the exhibitors run the risk that higher
admissions may further discourage attendance.

"But many exhibitors have no choice but to make the ex-
periment; they cannot continue indefinitely under present
conditions, and opportunities to reduce operating costs are
limited and the process slow.

"Harsh as it may sound, we are again entering upon a
war economy with attendant inflation; the prices of virtually
all commodities have increased since the war broke out, and
for the time being the public is inured to price rises.

"This is a favorable time for exhibitors who feel they must
do so to advance their admission scales. Motion pictures
must remain a popular entertainment and there is grave
danger in making admissions too high. But there have been
no increases for a long time, the exhibitors have demon-
strated that they are not profiteers, and moderate increases
at this time should be accepted by the public.

"It is in the public interest that the theatres remain open,
and if that can be assured by a moderate price hike, then
by all means let it be done."

In all probability Mr. Myers1 suggestion will create con-
siderable controversy, for nowadays many exhibitors will
look upon an increase in admission prices as being too
dangerous.

This paper is in sympathy with Mr. Myers' views, for the
fact remains that, in the months ahead, the exhibitors will
find themselves faced with steadily increasing operating
costs as a result of more taxes, higher wages and the advance
in price of every commodity needed by a theatre. And an
increase in admission prices to cover these added costs does
seem to be in order.

Each exhibitor, however, must study his own situation
carefully before putting into effect an increase. Although
the public is inured to price rises in these days, such an atti-
tude may hold true only in regard to the necessities of life.
It is, therefore, up to the individual exhibitor to determine
whether or not an increase in his admission prices may cause
resentment, and may prompt his patrons to protest in the
only way they know — to reduce the number of times they
normally go to his theatre.

Assuming, however, that an exhibitor decides to experi-
ment with a nominal increase in the price of admission, the
experiment should be tried immediately, for the gradual rise
in the cost of living, and the new income tax rates that will
soon be in effect are going to put a strain on everyone's
pocketbook in the near future. Consequently, the picture-
goers may be more receptive to an increase in admission
prices today than they will be in about two or three months
from now.

The real remedy, of course, lies in increased attendance;
and that increased attendance may be brought about only
by bettering the quality and entertainment values of the
pictures.

Let us keep in mind that increased income tax rates and
higher living costs compel most people to change their
mode of living. For instance, many people who never
bothered about living on a budget will suddenly become
budget-conscious, and, when a man sits down to make up a
budget, one of the first items he will pare will, no doubt,
be the money that he and his family usually spend for enter-
tainment. It is up to us to see that whatever is left in the
family's entertainment fund finds its way into our box-
offices instead of into the box-offices of other forms of
amusement. And we can do that only by giving the family
good entertainment values, thus imbuing them with a desire
to go to the movies.

To repeat, the real solution to the problem of meeting
rising operating costs and declining grosses is, not higher
admission prices, but increased attendance. Still an in-
crease in the admission prices is necessary where they are
now too low.

COMPO RECEIVING PLEDGES
OF ALL-OUT COOPERATION

Fullest cooperation with COMPO in its war liaison activi-
ties has been pledged by National Allied, Loew's Theatres
and three regional exhibitor organizations, according to an
announcement by Arthur L. Mayer, COMPO's executive
vice-president.

Trueman T. Rembusch, National Allied president,
pledged the support of his association's 7,000 members in
a letter to John R. Steelman, assistant to President Truman,
in which he reaffirmed the pledge set forth in his wire of
July 21 to the President.

The other pledges of cooperation were received from
Earl J. Hudson, president of United Detroit Theatres, rep-
resenting 500 Michigan exhibitors; J. B. Harvey, president
of the Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina; W. F.
Crockett, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Associa-
tion of Virginia; and Joseph R. Vogel, head of Loew's
Theatres.

Additionally, Abram F. Myers, in his membership bulle-
tin issued this week, stated that COMPO in its present form
"is as satisfactory a vehicle for cooperation in public rela-
tions as we could hope for."

Referring to the recent COMPO controversy, Mr. Myers
said: "It was a tempest in a teapot and when the vapors
cleared away COMPO emerged unscathed and unchanged.
The rule that it must function by unanimous consent is
written into the by-laws, it could not be changed except by
unanimous consent, and there it remains. The wisdom of the
rule is obvious in view of the diverse interests involved and
its workability has been demonstrated by the fact that no
single faction can flout organized industry opinion by exer-
cising its veto capriciously."

Mr. Myers predicted that Allied's membership in
COMPO, confined to a period of one year by the Minne-
apolis resolution, will be extended at the organization's
forthcoming national convention, to be held in Pittsburgh
on October 2, 3 and 4.

Meantime, he pointed out, COMPO must have funds with
which to operate, and he urged all Allied members to begin
contributing to Compo as soon as the financing plan goes
into effect next month. That plan contemplates the volun-
tary payment by exhibitors of a sum equal to one-tenth of
one per cent of their film rentals, with such payments to be
matched by the distributors.

"So long as Allied is a part of COMPO," said Mr. Myers,
"neither Allied nor its members should falter in their sup-
port of the movement."

HARRISON'S REPORTS August 26, 1950

134

"Mister 880" with Burt Lancaster,
Dorothy McGuire and Edmund Gwenn

(20th Century-Fox, October; time, 90 win.)

Excellent! In "Mister 880," 20th-Fox has come up with
a completely satisfying, heart-warming comedy drama, one
that will leave every type of movie-goer brimming with
enjoyment. Word-of-mouth advertising should make the
picture one of the box-office champs of the year. Revolving
around an amiable and gentle old junk dealer who counter-
feits crude one dollar bills only when he is in need of money
to help others or to buy the bare necessities of life, the
story has been expertly fashioned on every count, making
for a mixture of comedy, tenderness and pathos that tugs
at one's heartstrings all the way through.

Edmund Gwenn, as the gentle old counterfeiter, is su-
perb; he so endears himself to the audience by the kindness
he shows to others and by his fondness for children that
one finds himself hoping that the authorities will not catch
up with him. There is considerable suspense and comedy
as a result of the narrow escapes the old man has unwit-
tingly as the Treasury agents try to track him down. And
there is much humor in the fact that the agents continually
crack big counterfeiting rings with apparent ease, yet re-
main completely baffled by Gwenn's operations because of
the fact that he confines himself to counterfeiting one
dollar bills and does not print more than twenty-five of
them every few months. An amusing twist to the story has
Burt Lancaster, the Government agent in charge of the
case, meeting and falling in love with Dorothy McGuire,
a pretty neighbor of Gwenn's, and under these circum-
stances Lancaster becomes friendly with Gwenn but hasn't
the remotest idea that he is the man he is searching for.
An hilarious sequence is where Lancaster accompanies
Dorothy, Gwenn and several neighborhood kids to Coney
Island, where Gwenn takes the children on different amuse-
ment rides, blithely changing one dollar bills under Lan-
caster's nose. The romantic interest between Dorothy and
Lancaster is charming and refreshing.

Some of the situations are most touching, such as the one
where Lancaster finally uncovers Gwenn as the counter-
feiter and the old man admits his guilt. A heart-tugging
sequence, one that will be long remembered, takes place in
the courtroom, where the authorities, recognizing that
Gwenn is not a criminal in a true sense, intercede with the
judge to give him the lightest possible sentence of four
months and a fine of one dollar. The picture ends on an
hilarious note when Gwenn, inadvertently, pulls a bogus
dollar bill out of his pocket to pay the fine. The title stems
from the fact that 880 is the number of Gwenn's case in
the Secret Service files.

It was produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by
Edmund Goulding from a screen play by Robert Riskin,
based on an article in the Hew Jor\er by St. Clair McKela-
way. The cast includes Millard Mitchell, Minor Watson and
others.

Excellent for the family.

"My Blue Heaven" with Betty Grable
and Dan Dailey

(20th Century-Fox, Sept.; time, 96 min.)

A thoroughly entertaining Technicolor musical, with
Betty Grable and Dan Dailey, as a happily married song-
and-dance team, cast in the type of roles the great mass of
movie-goers enjoy seeing them in. The story is lightweight,
but it is enjoyable, for it is heart-warming, appealing and
comical, and has a lively pace. Musically, it is more than
satisfying; the songs are melodious and the singing is pleas-
ant to the ear. The production, of course, is lavish and,
needless to say, Miss Grable, in fetching costumes and
clothes, is easy on the eyes. Set this one down as a pleasant
Technicolor package of music and sentiment that cannot
miss at the box-office, for it is geared to the popular taste: —

Successful in show business and happily married, Betty
and Dailey are overjoyed when they learn that she has

become an expectant mother. They are heartbroken when
Betty, involved in an accident, loses the unborn baby and
is told that in all probability she will never have another.
When they learn that David Wayne and Jane Wyatt, their
writers, had adopted two children, Betty and Dailey apply
at a foundling home and, after months of investigation,
are given a baby for adoption. The supervisor of the found-
ling home accompanies them back to their apartment with
the baby and, upon their arrival, they find a wild party in
progress, hurriedly arranged by Wayne to welcome the
baby. The supervisor frowns on such shenanigans and
takes back the baby. To make up for his blunder, Wayne
arranges for Betty and Dailey to adopt another baby, but
without benefit of legal sanction. Betty becomes so attached
to the child that she decides to give up show business to be
with the infant all the time. But she soon changes her mind
when she finds reason to suspect that Mitzi Gaynor, Dailey's
new dancing partner, had designs on him. One night,
while at the television studio, Betty and Dailey receive a
message that the child had been taken back by its mother,
and that they had no recourse because they had not adopted
the child legally. Months later, the couple's spirits rise again
when the supervisor of the foundling home changes her atti-
tude and gives them another baby. At this point, Wayne
arrives with news that the mother who had taken back the
baby now wanted to return the child for good. Overjoyed,
Betty faints. A doctor is called and he promptly announces
that she is an expectant mother once again.

It was produced by Sol C. Siegel and directed by Henry
Koster from a screen play by Lamar Trotti and Claude Bin-
yon, based on a story by S. K. Lauren.

Fine for the family.

"The Toast of New Orleans" with
Kathryn Grayson, Mario Lanza
and David Niven

(MGM, September; time, 98 min.)

A highly diverting musical comedy, lavishly produced
and splashed with the brightest of Technicolor hues. The
operatic type of music, as sung by Kathryn Grayson and
Mario Lanza, should thrill the lovers of classical music. For
those who are not particularly keen about high class music,
the story offers considerable merriment in its depiction of
the rise of Lanza from a brash fisherman to an opera star,
and of his romantic pursuit of Miss Grayson, an established
star. Much laughter is provoked by the embarrassment he
causes her in a. fashionable restaurant because of his crude
manners, and by his subsequent schooling in the social
graces. Very good comedy relief is provided by J. Carrol
Naish, as Lanza's uncouth uncle. The action takes place in
New Orleans at the turn of the century: —

En route to New Orleans to keep an operatic engagement,
Kathryn, accompanied by David Niven, her manager and
fiance, stops off at a small Louisiana village to sing at a
fishermen's festival. Lanza, a rugged young fisherman who
had an eye for the ladies and who loved to sing, joins
Kathryn in a duet against her will. Niven, impressed by
Lanza's voice, offers to train him for an operatic career.
When he loses his boat in a squall, Lanza, accompanied by
Naish, his uncle, goes to New Orleans to accept Niven's
offer. He is started immediately on a voice training program.
Kathryn shuns him because of his crude manners, but Lanza
proceeds to woo her despite her antagonism, and cleverly
maneuvers her into a spot whereby she undertakes to teach
him the social graces. Lanza learns to sing quickly, and be-
fore long is acclaimed as a top star. But he decides to give
up his career when he learns that Kathryn and Niven are
engaged. Niven, aware that Kathryn had fallen in love
with Lanza in spite of herself, solves her problem by grace-
fully stepping out of her romantic life.

It was produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Nor-
man Taurog from an original screen play by Sy Gomberg
and George Wells.

Good for the family.

August 26, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

"Born to Be Bad" with Joan Fontaine,
Robert Ryan, Joan Leslie and Zachary Scott

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 94 min.)

"Born to Be Bad" is endowed with a good cast and with
dressy production values, but as entertainment it is quite
ordinary. Revolving around a beautiful but unscrupulous
woman who conceals her avariciousness behind a winsome
smile of innocence, the story is familiar and superficial, and
is certainly not worthy of the players' talents. There is
nothing real about the characters, and a number of the
situations, intended as dramatic, will undoubtedly cause
many movie-goers to titter. Neither Joan Fontaine, as the
crafty woman, nor the other players are given much of a
chance by the pat script as well as by some of the dialogue.
The choppy editing does not help matters: —

When Joan becomes engaged to marry Zachary Scott, a
wealthy socialite, Harold Vermilyea, her employer, sends
for Joan Fontaine, his niece, to take her place as his secre-
tary. Miss Leslie agrees to share her apartment with Miss
Fontaine while the latter attends business school to fit her-
self for the job. Soon after she meets Scott, Miss Fontaine
sets out to captivate him, even though she finds herself at'
tracted to Robert Ryan, a struggling novelist. She manages
to fool Scott with an assumed sweetness and, through
crafty maneuvering, wins him away from Miss Leslie and
marries him. The marriage, however, does not go well, for
she cannot pretend to love Scott while her emotional self
is centered upon Ryan. Aware of her feeling for Ryan,
Scott, in a desperate effort to preserve the marriage, takes
her on a second honeymoon. She slips away at the first op-
portunity to see Ryan in San Francisco, leaving a note to
the effect that she had gone to see a sick aunt. Ryan, very
much in love with her, insists that they tell Scott the truth
and that she obtain a divorce, but she rejects the suggestion
because of Scott's wealth. Now seeing her for what she is,
Ryan, disgusted, breaks with her. Having lost Ryan, Miss
Fontaine hurries home to hold on to Scott, but he, too, gives
her the air, for he had learned the truth about her infidelity
with Ryan. Scott divorces her and makes up with Miss
Leslie, while Miss Fontaine continues on her merry way,
amassing wealth and social position as she makes conquest
after conquest with her sweet smile of innocence.

It was produced by Robert Sparks and directed by
Nicholas Ray from a screen play by Edith Sommer, based
on the novel "All Kneeling," by Anne Parnsh. The cast
includes Mel Ferrer and others.

Strictly adult fare.

"Outrage" with Mala Powers
and Tod Andrews

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 75 min.)

Grim and unpleasant program fare. It can hardly be
called an entertainment, for the story deals with the
criminal rape of an innocent young girl about to be married,
and with the psychological effect the experience has upon
her. Credit is due Collier Young, the producer and Ida
Lupino, the director, for handling the delicate theme in the
best possible taste; nevertheless, the subject matter remains
distasteful and depressing, and its dramatic points are,
for the most part, made in the form of a preachment. The
principal players, though unknown, are capable. The pace
is generally slow : —

Mala Powers, an office worker in a mid-Western city,
lives with her parents and is happy in her engagement to
Robert Clarke. Leaving the office late one night, she is
stalked by a scar-faced degenerate who overpowers and
rapes her in a deserted truck yard. She arrives home dazed
and hysterical, and is unable to identify her attacker to the
police. The sympathy of Clarke and of her parents, and the
curious stares of the neighbors, become intolerable to Mala;
she runs away from home, assumes another name, and heads
for California by bus. When she hears a radio broadcast
about her disappearance, Mala leaves the bus and continues

on foot. She sprains her ankle and falls unconscious by the
roadside, where she is found by Tod Andrews, a young
clergyman, who takes her to a neighboring orange ranch.
There she obtains a job packing oranges. To help her make
new friends, Andrews persuades Mala to attend a dance
at the ranch. During the affair, one of the ranch hands tries
to kiss her, and Mala, re-living her terrifying experience,
strikes him with a wrench, seriously injuring him. She flees
in panic, but Andrews brings her back, and she is arrested.
At the court hearing, the facts about her past come to light.
The ranch hand refuses to press charges, and the judge
agrees to dismiss her provided she undergoes psychiatric
treatment for a period of one year. Andrews convinces the
court that it would be best for her to return home to her
parents and Clarke, to be treated there. Mala, influenced by
Andrews, returns home with new courage to rebuild her
life.

It is a Filmakers production, written for the screen by
Collier Young, Malvin Wald and Ida Lupino.
Strictly adult fare.

"Walk Softly, Stranger" with Valli
and Joseph Cotten

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 81 min.)

A mixture of melodrama and a strange romance between
a thieving gambler and a wealthy, beautiful invalid, "Walk
Softly, Stranger" misses fire because of a loosely-written,
foggy script. At best, it is no more than moderately inter-
esting, for the picture lacks coherence and clear-cut motiva-
tions. The story, as presented, gives one the impression that
a studied attempt has been made to break away from a stand-
ard gangster formula, but the result is a cryptic pattern
that tends to puzzle the spectator. In spite of its frequent
vagueness, the film has some arresting moments, and the

calibre of the acting is good: —

Arriving in a small Ohio town, Joseph Cotten goes to
the home of Spring Byington, a widow. He tells her that he
had lived in the house as a boy, and persuades her to rent
him a room. That evening he goes to a fashionable country
club, where he meets Valli, daughter of Frank Puglia, the
town's richest man, and tells her that years previously, as a
newsboy, he had been madly in love with her. Valli,
crippled by a skiing accident, feels herself an outcast and
takes an interest in Cotten. This pleases her father, who
offers Cotten an executive position in his shoe factory, but
Cotten declines in favor of a less important job in the
factory's shipping department, which he had obtained
through Miss Byington's efforts. Cotten's attitude fascinates
Valli, and a strong friendship grows up between them.
Several months later, Cotten makes a week-end trip to a
large city, where he meets Paul Stewart, an old pal. There,
the pair speedily carry out a long-planned hold-up of a
gambling joint owned by Howard Petrie, netting them-
selves $100,000. They divide the loot, and Cotten returns
to Ohio, where he resumes his life of respectability and
keeps on with his job, presumably as part of his plan to
eventually marry Valli for her money. His attitude changes,
however, when he realizes that he is really in love with her.
Complications arise when Stewart, broke, arrives in town
for a loan and is trailed there by two of Petrie's henchmen,
who kill him. Cotten, knowing that he cannot escape, goes
to Valli and confesses the truth about his criminal career,
then joins Petrie's henchmen, who take him to the gambler.
As Petrie takes him for a "last ride," Cotten, in desperation,
attacks the driver, causing the car to crash into a ditch.
Petrie and the driver are killed, and Cotten injured and
taken to a hospital. Valli visits him before the police take
him to jail anjl promises to wait for him.

It was produced by Robert Sparks and directed by Robert
Stevenson from a screen play by Frank Fenton, based on a
story by Manny Scff and Paul Yawitz. The cast includes
Jeff Donncll, John Mclntire and others.

Adult fare.

136 HARRISON'S REPORTS August 26, 1950

"Shakedown" with Howard Duff,
Brian Donlevy and Peggy Dow

(Univ.-Int'l, Sept.; time, 80 mm.)

A fairly interesting but unpleasant crime melodrama, of
program grade. The unpleasantness is brought about by the
fact that the gangster-like story centers around a "heel," a
coldblooded newspaper photographer who rises to the top
of his profession by cheating, double-crossing and black'
mailing. Moreover, most of the characters are unsympathetic.
The action is fairly exciting in a superficial way. Howard
Duff is capable as the ruthless photographer; he acts the
part with realism. Brian Donlevy, as a suave gangster, and
Lawrence Tierney, as his rival, are acceptable in standard
characterizations. Peggy Dow, as the sympathetic picture
editor who is deceived by Duff, is effective: —

Duff, an ambitious but unemployed photographer, man'
ages to obtain a trial job on a San Francisco paper through
the efforts of Peggy Dow, the photo editor, despite the mis-
givings of Bruce Bennett, the managing editor. By disrc
garding ethics, and by taking advantage of Peggy's affection
for him, Duff becomes the paper's top photographer. He
becomes friendly with Donlevy, a suave racketeer, who tips
him off to a robbery planned by Tierney, a rival gangster,
and gives him $1,000 to snap a picture of the crime in order
to bring about Tierney's arrest. Duff gets the picture, but
instead of giving it to his paper he uses it to blackmail
Tierney. Attracted to Ann Vernon, Donlevy's wife, and
seeking a clear field for her, Duff informs Tierney of how
Donlevy had framed him, then joins him in a scheme
whereby Donlevy is killed in a bomb explosion. Duff, "just
passing by," gets a sensational picture of the killing, and as
a result wins world-wide fame. He quits the paper despite
Peggy's pleas, and makes a fortune free-lancing all over the
world on special assignments. Meanwhile he continues to
pursue Ann, but to no avail. Returning to San Francisco,
Duff gets an assignment to photograph a society ball and
cooks up a scheme whereby he compels Tierney and his gang
to agree to rob the guests of their jewels, giving him half of
the loot. Tired of Duff's blackmailing methods, Tierney goes
to Ann and proves to her that Duff had been responsible for
her husband's death. At the ball, Ann tries to shoot Duff.
He escapes, only to be wounded mortally by Tierney, but as
he drops Duff presses a camera shutter and gets a perfect
picture of his killer.

It was produced by Ted Richmond and directed by Joe
Pevney from a screen play by Alfred Lewis Levitt and
Martin Goldsmith, based on a story by Nat Dallinger and
Don Martin. Adult fare.

"When You're Smiling" with
Jerome Courtland and Frankie Laine

(Columbia, Sept. 21; time, 75 min.)

Just a routine comedy with music, best suited for the
lower-half of a double bill. The picture will appeal chiefly
to those who enjoy "swing" music regardless of story values,
for it features a number of radio and recording artists, in-
cluding Frankie Laine, Bob Crosby, the Mills Brothers, The
Modernaires, Kay Starr and Billy Daniels. Except for
Frankie Laine, who plays a small part in the story, the
others are spotted here and there in different song routines,
which give the picture its most entertaining moments. The
story itself is very ordinary, and what there is in the way
of comedy is pretty weak. The production values are modest:

Jerome Cowan, owner of a recording company, is con-
stantly in financial straits because of his gambling on horses,
and he seeks to marry off Margo Woode, his daughter, to
a wealthy man who can be counted on to invest in the firm.
As Margo prepares to return home from a Texas dude
ranch, she meets Jerome Courtland, a young Texan, who
tells her that he has ambitions to be a singer and that he
needed a "break." Through information she receives from
a ranch hand, Margo gets a false impression that Courtland
is a millionaire and, when she arrives home and tells her
father about him, Cowan wires the young man to come east
immediately for his big opportunity. Cowan, through Court-
land, hoped to raise $100,000 he owed to Robert Shayne,
a bookmaker, who threatened to take over the recording

company as payment. Upon arrival, Courtland, unaware
that everyone believed him to be a millionaire, is given a job
in the office so that he can be around for Margo to entice
him into marriage. Lola Albright, the receptionist, becomes
romantically interested in him, and when he tells her of his
desires to sing she takes him into the studio to record his
voice. Both flee when they hear Cowan approach with
Shayne. To pacify Shayne's demands for payment, Cowan
tells him of his plan to marry Margo to Courtland for his
money. Their conversation is recorded on Courtland's
record, which Lola had neglected to take off the turntable.
In the complicated events that follow, the record gets into
the hands of Collette Lyons, a shrewd agent, who not only
recognizes Courtland's superior singing voice but also
learns of Cowan's scheme to mulct the young man. Her
maneuvers bring out the truth about Cowan's intentions and
about Courtland's true financial status. It all ends with
Courtland getting a contract to sing while free to pursue
his budding romance with Lola. Meanwhile Shayne, now
attracted by Margo, tears up her father's notes.

It was produced by Jonie Taps and directed by Joseph
Santley from a screen play by Karen DeWolf and John R.
Roberts. Harmless for the family.

"Saddle Tramp" with Joel McCrea
and Wanda Hendrix

(Univ.-Int'l, September; time, 77 min.)

A satisfactory Technicolor western. What it lacks in fast,
hard-riding action is more than made up for in the human
appeal of the story, which has a carefree cowboy finding
himself saddled with the responsibility of providing for
four orphaned boys, as well as a comely young miss who
had run away from the home of her mean uncle. As written,
the screenplay is a bit too pat, but it provides numerous
chuckles and manages to hold one's interest throughout.
Worked into the proceedings is a cattle rustling plot, which
makes for several exciting fist-fights between the hero and
the villains. Joel McCrea gives a good account of himself as
the genial footloose cowboy, and Wanda Hendrix is ap-
pealing as the pretty heroine: —

Casually making his way to California, McCrea stops to
visit John Ridgley, an old buddy who owned a small ranch
in Nevada, whose wife had died recently, leaving him
with four young sons. Ridgley borrows McCrea's horse to
do a chore and is killed accidentally when the horse throws
him. Feeling responsible for his friend's death, McCrea
loads the ranch furnishings and the youngsters on a wagon
and moves on, intending to provide for them until such a
time as he can leave them with the proper authorities. He
finds a job at a ranch owned by John Mclntire, an irascible
man who hated children, causing McCrea to keep the young-
sters hidden in the woods. Each night he steals food and
takes it to the children. McCrea's disappearances every night
cause friction between him and John Russell, the ranch
foreman, who intimates that McCrea may be in the pay of
Antonio Moreno, a neighboring rancher, whom Mclntire
accused of stealing his cattle. Moreno, in turn, believed the
same of Mclntire. Returning to the children's camping site
one night, McCrea finds Wanda, who had run away from
the home of Ed Begley, her mean uncle. He permits her to
stay with the children, and they become deeply attached to
each other. In the course of events, McCrea is suspected
of cattle rustling by Mclntire, but through information given
him by the children he discovers that the cattle was being
stolen by Peter Leeds, Moreno's foreman, and Michael
Steele, a Mclntire cowpoke, who had covered their activi-
ties by pitting the ranch owners against each other. McCrea
confronts the two men and is overpowered by them. Wanda
learns of McCrea's predicament and, together with the
children, rides to the Mclntire ranch for help, arriving in
time to prevent a gun battle between Moreno's and
Mclntire's forces. The two ranchers join forces and go to
McCrea's rescue. It ends with McCrea and Wanda marry-
ing and settling down with a rcadymade family.

It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by
Hugo Fregonese from a story and screen play by Harold
Shumate.

Good for the family.

Hutered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at lh« p»et office at New York, New York, under the act ei Mar eh 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1950

No. 35

THE FILM RENTAL PROBLEM

As a result of a series of regional meetings held
during the past few weeks in Iowa, South Dakota and
Nebraska, officials of the Allied Independent Theatre
Owners of Iowa and Nebraska have concluded that
the film companies are now selling the small-town
theatres on an all-flat rental basis but that there are
numerous complaints about the methods used by the
companies in arriving at those flat rentals.

Some exhibitors, according to an Iowa-Nebraska
statement, say that their flat rentals are unfair be'
cause they are based, either on the earnings of for-
mer outstanding pictures that were played on a per-
centage basis, or on grosses reported during the lush
days.

The statement, which was sent to all sales man-
agers, declared that "the distributors, keeping in mind
the best interests of the stockholders of the various
film companies, should maintain their volume of
business up and, also to keep some theatres in opera-
tion, should immediately recognize that the exhibitor
is entitled to a profit commensurate with the grossing
possibilities of the theatres.

"The '1-A1 towns, those grossing under $500 per
week, should have as a profit the same amount of
money as the theatre pays film rental. No sane-
thinking distributor can truthfully claim that an ex-
hibitor is not justly entitled to a $30 profit to feed
and clothe his family if he grosses only $60 above his
overhead and pays a $30 film rental.

"The same holds true on various levels of grossing
in this '1-A1 theatre classification and other problem
houses."

Another organization that has been carrying on a
consistent drive for more equitable film rental terms
for exhibitors "who live on the wrong side of the
tracks11 is North Central Allied. After conducting a
series of regional meetings throughout the North
Central territory, Benjamin N. Berger, the organi-
zation's fiery president, had this to say in part in a
recent message to his membership :

"At all these meetings we heard only one cry:
That the distributors are unwilling to listen to reason,
that they are getting more money for their pictures
than they ever received in the history of this business,
in spite of the fact that business at the box-office is
on the downgrade, and theatre operating costs are on
the upgrade. Pictures which were heretofore placed
in the third or fourth bracket, are now put in the first
or second bracket. The film companies have released
more percentage pictures in the last several months
than they have for quite some time heretofore. The
demands of the exhibitors at these various meetings
were that the organization devise ways and means of

retaliation against the distributors for their present
rough-shod attitude.11

All the other Allied units, as well as the organiza-
tions that make up the Pacific Coast Conference of
Independent Theatre Owners, have been carrying on
a relentless fight against excessive film rental terms
demanded of the smaller-grossing theatres, and there
is no doubt that their efforts have brought some meas-
ure of relief to a great number of small exhibitors.
But, no matter how much aid the hard-pressed ex-
hibitor receives through the efforts of his organiza-
tion, the problem of excessive film rentals will always
confront him, and to combat this problem success-
fully he must help himself. The exhibitor must always
bear in mind that, if he is to remain solvent, business
prudence requires that he operate his theatre on a
system so that he will at all times know what he is
doing and why he is doing it instead of just guessing
as he goes along. This means that he must analyze his
overhead costs periodically so that he may operate his
theatre on a set budget, using it as a gauge for buy-
ing film at prices that will leave him with a deserving
profit.

Along these lines, the Associated Theatre Owners
of Indiana gave some sound advice to its membership
in a recent organization bulletin, which stated that,
"even though ATOI and National Allied can assist
in many ways, ultimately the relief from high per-
centages, inordinate flat rental demands and un-
sound allocations must be secured by the efforts and
resolve of each individual theatre owner. He must
make a careful analysis to determine an accurate
profit and loss statement for each company, and when
terms are offered that are unfair beyond his ability
to pay the exhibitor must learn to say 'no'.1'

The bulletin then offered the following five-point
formula for determining top flat film rental :

\. Determine the actual amount of your weekly
overhead expenses, exclusive of feature film rental.
(Editor's Tv^ote: A simplified form to help exhibitors
obtain a breakdown of their overhead expenses was
published in the January 14, 1950 issue of Harrison's
Reports, under the heading, "A Guide to Theatre
Budget Control." If this issue is missing from your
files, a copy may be had on request.)

1. Divide the total of your weekly expenses into
tenths, charging three-tenths off for Sunday, two-
tenths for Saturday, and one-tenth for each of the
other days of the week. To be more accurate, you
may break down this overhead in relation to the
average business that you actually do on each day of
the week so that the overhead is loaded on to cadi
change in accordance with the ability of the average
gross on that change to carry it.

(Continued on bac\ page)

138

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 2, 1950

"Triple Trouble" with the Bowery Boys

(Monogram, August 13; time, 66 min.)

A fair "Bowery Boys" comedy-melodrama. The trouble
with it is the fact that the story is unbelievable. For example,
Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall plead guilty to a robbery charge
so that, by going to jail, they might uncover the criminals
who had been communicating with the outside world by
means of a short-wave radio. It might have been made
believable if Gorcey had persuaded the judge to stay their
sentencing until they were given a chance to catch the guilty
persons in the penitentiary. Thus they would have had the
aid of the prison authorities. The direction and acting are
acceptable, considering the weakness of the story: —

While returning from a party still wearing masks, Gorcey
and his gang witness a warehouse robbery. Their attempt to
capture the crooks is unsuccessful and, when the police
arrive and find them there, they suspect them of the robbery
and arrest them, despite their pleas of innocence. The boys
appeal to Gabriel Dell, their friend, who had just opened up
an office as an attorney-at-law. Dell accepts the case and
effects their release to await trial. One of the boys (William
Benedict), a short -wave radio fan, picks up information that
leads him to believe that the crooks had been communicating
with other crooks in the penitentiary as to what warehouse
to rob each time. Gorcey and Hall decide to plead guilty so
that, by being imprisoned, they may discover the identity
of the crooks. Arriving at the prison, the boys pose as
hardened criminals from Detroit. They soon meet Pat Col-
lins, leader of the criminal gang in prison, and learns that
he is sending to Effie Laird, his mother, leader of the out'
side gang, a message by a concealed short-wave radio as to
the gang's intention to break jail. Benedict intercepts the
message and informs the police. Meanwhile, Collins dis-
covers that Gorcey and Hall are "imposters," and forces
them to join the jail break. Once outside the prison walls,
the criminals are surrounded by the guards and captured.
Thus Gorcey and his gang prove their innocence.

The picture was produced by Jan Grippo, and directed
by Jean Yarbrough, from a screen play by Charles R. Marion.

Unobjectionable for the family.

"The Showdown" with William Elliott,
Walter Brennan and Marie Windsor

(Republic, August 15; time, 86 win.)

Good. It is a better-than-average western melodrama
that should more than satisfy the followers of this type of
entertainment. Not only does it contain all the action de-
sired in a western, but it has an interesting story that grips
one's attention throughout because of a touch of mystery
that is not solved until the finish. William Elliott, as an ex-
Texas Ranger seeking to avenge his brother's murder, is
excellent in a forceful characterization, and there is con-
siderable suspense and thrills in his efforts to detect and
bring the guilty person to justice. The other players, too,
are very good. The capable direction by Dorrell and Stuart
McGowan, who also wrote the effective screen play, has
given the film an exciting tempo: —

Learning that his brother had been killed and robbed of
the money he had given him to buy a ranch, Elliott arrives
in an Arizona cattle town to track down the killer. He
becomes convinced that the murder had been committed
by one of the cowhands employed by Walter Brennan, a
genial cattleman. The cowhands resent Elliott's accusation
and gang up on him in a saloon owned by Marie Windsor,
but Brennan intervenes in time to save him from harm.
When Brennan offers him a job to lead a cattle drive to
Montana, Elliott accepts, figuring that he will have an op-
portunity to find the killer among the men. Marie, having
bought a share of the herd, goes along on the drive. As
trail-boss, Elliott drives the men relentlessly to get the
herd to Montana before the snow flies. The men hate him,
and several revolt against him as he ruthlessly pursues his
campaign to uncover the killer. Brennan begs Elliott to
forget revenge and tries to convince him that natural

retribution will take care of the murderer, but Elliott refuses
to listen to his preaching. He suspects everyone, but from
time to time he finds reason to clear one of them of sus-
picion. Fate steps in towards the finish when Brennan,
gored by a mad steer and knowing that he will die, con-
fesses that he is the killer and begs Elliott to shoot him to
put him out of his misery. Elliott refuses to shoot, and
insists that Brennan be left on the trail to suffer and die
alone. But at the last minute his desire for revenge fades,
and he permits the others to aid Brennan, knowing full
well that the old man would soon become the victim of the
retribution he had been preaching.

The screen play is based upon an Esquire Magazine
story by Richard Wormser and Dan Gordon. It was pro-
duced by William J. O'Sullivan.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Mr. Music" with Bing Crosby,
Nancy Olson and Charles Coburn

(Paramount, December; time, 113 min.)
Although this is not one of Bing Crosby's better musical
pictures, it makes for pleasant and relaxing entertainment
all the way through, in spite of the fact that it is overlong
and has some dull stretches. The story is lightweight, but
this is incidental since the entertainment values stem from
the amusing situations, the glib dialogue and, of course,
Crosby's singing. Also on the plus side are guest appearances
by Groucho Marx, Dorothy Kirsten, Peggy Lee, Marge and
Gower Champion, and the Merry Macs — all appear with
Crosby in different musical routines in a show staged at the
finish. As a successful music composer who is broke because
he would rather loaf than work, Crosby is cast in the type
of role his fans will enjoy seeing him in, for it suits his
charm and personality. Nancy Olson, as a prim secretary
who is hired by Crosby's producer to see that he keeps on
working, is exceptionally good, as is Ida Moore, who is
highly comical as Nancy's flighty aunt. The songs are
melodious, but not one is of the sort that remains in one's
mind : —

Crosby, preferring to enjoy life and relax, disregards the
pleas of Charles Coburn, his producer-friend, to resume his
song-writing. Crosby soon finds himself in debt and goes to
Coburn for a $15,000 advance on an unwritten show. To
make sure that Crosby will keep his promise to start work,
Coburn engages Nancy, a college student, as secretary for
Crosby, and gives her the money with instructions to pay
Crosby's essential bills so long as he keeps composing.
Nancy moves into Crosby's swank apartment with her aunt
as chaperone, and her rigid control of his funds soon com-
pels him to start work seriously. She inspires him, and
before long he turns out a fine musical score. Meanwhile
Nancy finds herself falling in love with Crosby, but he, pre-
suming that she is in love with Robert Stack, a brash
college athlete, showers his attentions on Ruth Hussey, a
glamorous sophisticate, whose affections are measured by
the size of a man's pocketbook. Complications arise when
Coburn, whose last three productions had been failures, is
unable to obtain backing for Crosby's musical. Financing
is offered to Crosby direct, but his loyalty to Coburn is so
intense that he refuses to do the show without him. To over-
come the difficulties, Crosby, aided by Nancy, arranges for
the college to stage the show and calls upon his friends in
the entertainment world to lend their talents. The prospec-
tive backers invited to the show like it, but they still refuse
to back it unless Coburn is removed. Crosby refuses to bow
to their demands, and the situation is saved when Nancy's
aunt shows up with an eccentric elderly boy-friend who puts
up the needed funds. It all ends on a happy note when
Crosby realizes that he is in love with Nancy.

It was produced by Robert L. Welch and directed by
Richard Haydn from a screen play by Arthur Sheekman,
suggested by a play by Samson Raphaelson. The cast in-
cludes Tom Ewell, Donald Woods and others.

Suitable for the family.

September 2, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

139

"Three Secrets" with Eleanor Parker,
Patricia Neal and Ruth Roman

(Warner Bros., Oct. 14; time, 98 min.)
An interesting and unusual adult mother-love drama.
Women in particular should find it appealing, for it revolves
around the emotional reactions of three young women, com-
plete strangers, each of whom fears that an adopted five-
year-old boy hurt in an airplane disaster is the child each
had given up secretly for adoption. It is a highly coincidental
plot into which three separate flashback stories detailing the
lives of the three women have been dovetailed, but the pres-
entation is so artful and the emotional appeal so strong
that one is prone to overlook the plot's inplausibilities. The
direction is expert, and the performances of the three female
stars are very good, with each contributing a moving study
without overshadowing the other.

The story opens with the crash of a private plane on an
inaccessible mountain peak, and with the discovery that the
youngster is the sole survivor, his foster parents having been
killed. As a rescue party is formed, news of the boy's plight
upsets Eleanor Parker, Patricia Neal and Ruth Roman, each
of whom finds reason to believe that the trapped child is
her own. All three had encountered each other briefly five
years previously, when each on the same day had given up
her child to the same adoption agency. The three meet
again and recognize each other when they rush to the scene
of the accident, and while they wait for the rescue party to
complete its mission they reveal to each other the events that
had clouded their lives. Eleanor, now happily married to
Lief Erickson, reveals that her child had been the result of
a war romance with a sailor. She had never told her hus-
band about the child, and now felt that she must tell him the
truth, because, if the injured boy proved to be hers, she
must give him a home. Patricia, a sophisticated and success-
ful newspaperwoman, reveals that her desire for a career
had broken up her marriage to Frank Lovejoy, and two
weeks after he had divorced her and had remarried, she had
discovered that she was pregnant. For that reason she gave
her son to the adoption home. Ruth, a showgirl just released
from prison for manslaughter, reveals how she had killed
her racketeer-lover when he tried to cast her aside, and how
she had been compelled to give up her baby for adoption be-
cause she was a convict. As word comes that the rescue
party had reached the boy, Eleanor's husband arrives and
she tells him the truth. He immediately offers to treat the
child as his own if he proves to be hers. Meanwhile Patricia,
through her publisher, obtains conclusive evidence that the
boy is Ruth's child. To safeguard the boy's future happi-
ness, Ruth, With Patricia's approval, informs Eleanor, the
only one of the three who is married, that the child is hers,
and she sets out to adopt him when he is brought down
from the mountain safely.

It was produced by Milton Sperling and directed by
Robert Wise from an original screen play by Martin Rackin
and Gina Kaus.
Strictly adult fare.

"Madeleine" with Ann Todd

(Univ.'Int'l. September; time, 101 min.)
Based on a true-life murder mystery that happened in
Scotland in 1857, this British-made period drama has been
given a quality production, distinguished direction and im-
pressive acting. Class audiences may appreciate it, but its
appeal to the masses is doubtful, for it is extremely slow-
moving, somber and talkative. The dialogue, in fact, is so
excessive that most picture goers will find it exhausting, par-
ticularly in the long drawn out courtroom scenes, which
take up most of the second half of the picture. The ending
is enigmatic in that the heroine, on trial for the murder of
her unscrupulous clandestine lover, is let off on a verdict of
"Not Proven," a verdict peculiar to Scottish law, thus the
audience is lelt in doubt as to her guilt: —

Ann Todd, sheltered daughter of Leslie Banks, a pros-
perous but stern Glasgow merchant who dominated his

family, falls passionately in love with Ivan Desny, a hand-
some but unscrupulous young Frenchman, whom she meets
secretly because he was far removed from her social circles.
In due time Desny seduces her. Meanwhile Ann's father
wants her to marry Norman Wooland, a socially eligible
bachelor, and rather than incur her father's displeasure Ann
allows Wooland to believe that she will one day become
his wife. But when her father demands that she set a wed-
ding date, Ann goes to Desny and asks him to elope with
her immediately. He refuses on the ground that she wouid
be cut off by her father without a penny, and demands that
she win her father's sanction of their marriage so as to
assure their financial security. Infuriated, Ann breaks with
Desny and announces her intention to marry Wooland.
Humiliated but persistent, Desny threatens to show Ann's
father her intimate letters unless she introduces him to her
family. To appease him, Ann permits Desny to resume his
secret meetings with her, and shortly afterwards he becomes
ill and dies of arsenical poisoning. Her illicit affair with
Desny comes to light and, after inquiries by the authorities,
who discover that she had made a purchase of arsenic, Ann
is arrested and put on trial for Desny's murder. Despite the
6trong evidence against her, however, her lawyer defends
her in so clever a manner that the jury reaches a verdict of
"Not Proven," permitting her to go free.

It is a J. Arthur Rank presentation, produced by Stanley
Haynes and directed by David Lean. Nicholas Phipps wrote
the screen play in collaboration with Mr. Haynes.

Strictly adult fare.

"The Return of Jesse James" with
John Ireland, Ann Dvorak and Henry Hull

(Lippert, Sept. 8; time, 75 min.)
The exhibitor who will book this picture must depend on
the title and on the business "I Shot Jesse James" did when
either he or his competitor played it, for the story is weak
and not as exciting as the iormer pictures, in which John
Ireland also played the leading part. One reason for the
story's weakness is that the picture-goer is asked to follow
the fate of a character who profits from the reputation of
another. Moreover, Ann Dvorak is presented as a faithless
woman. It lacks the action of the former "Jesse James" pic-
ture because of too much talk. There is, however, enough
shooting to excite the followers of western melodramas. The
protography is somewhat dark: —

Two years after the shooting of Jesse James, the famous
outlaw, Ireland, a bank robber, joins forces with Henry
Hull, a former member of the James' gang, who noticed
that he (Ireland) had a close resemblance to James. Hull
persuades Ireland to masquerade as James and, together
with his henchmen, helps him to stage a series of holdups.
The word soon spreads around that James is not dead, and
that his brother Frank (played by Reed Hadley) was riding
with him. Frank low living a respectable life in Tennessee
under an assumed name, visits Hull and persuades him to
put a stop to the holdups and to Ireland's masquerade. But
Ann Dvorak, Hull's daughter, tells Ireland that he is a
better man than James ever was, and, at her insistence, he
continues the masquerade, committing many more holdups
and killings. To stop the crimes, state officials distribute
handbills offering amnesty to any one who will bring in
Frank or Jesse James, dead or alive. Frank, realising that
Ireland had been following a pattern set by his brother in
these holdups, concludes that Ireland will next hold up the
bank in Westfield, Minnesota, and he goes there to alert
the town officials. When the outlaws arrive, all arc killed
except Ireland, who is wounded seriously. He makes his
way back to Ann, but she decides to leave him when she
learns that he had brought no money. He shoots .ind kills
her as he is dying. Frank returns to Tennessee a free man.

Carl K. Hittlcman wrote the original story and produced
it. Jack Nattcford wrote the screen play, and David Hilton
directed it.

Strictly an adult picture.

140

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 2, 1950

3. Separately figure the average gross on each com'
pany's figures on each change for a period of one
year. If for some particular reason there has been a
change in the general level of business in your situa'
tion use a period of time that gives a more accurate
indication of today's conditions. For companies that
you do not buy, or for companies from which you
have used only a few pictures, take the overall aver-
age gross on the change.

4. From the average gross of each company on each
change deduct the proper units (tenths) of overhead.
From the balance, of course, must come your film
rental and profit. It is up to each exhibitor to deter'
mine for himself what constitutes a fair profit. After
providing for profit the remaining amount should be
the exhibitor's top rental.

5. You naturally won't realize the same profit on
all bookings and inevitably some will be a loss. But
this procedure will yield a fair overall profit. On
companies from which you play percentage pictures,
such pictures should not be included in your calcula-
tion of average gross. It is apparent that such returns
would bring up your average but because the film
company shares in the unusually high gross you do
not retain enough share of this gross to provide a
cushion for the weaker pictures that fall below the
average. Each percentage picture must then be negO'
tiated for at terms that permit profitable exhibition
of the individual feature.

The ATOI then takes up the subject of allocations
with this declaration:

"Off hand we'll guess that three out of four ex'
hibitors who complain about excessive film rentals
say that it is the result of misallocations. National
Allied plans to expand its reviewing service so that
exhibitors will have a better indication of proper al'
locations than overly charitable trade paper reviews,
enthusiastic claims of salesmen or exaggerated adver'
rising copy. Unless little acorns are stepped on and
squashed they become big oaks that are hard to hack
away is proved by the fact that these bulletins
warned about the slight of hand being done with alio'
cations more than three years ago. With picture after
picture being allocated in the top brackets exhibitors
are hard pressed to find reasonably good product for
their mid-week changes where the potentialities sim'
ply don't exist to come out on 1 and 2 bracket pic
tures. That is probably why regular movie'goers
don't all agree that 'movies are betetr than ever.''

"After an exhibitor has determined his proper flat
allocations we recommend that he religiously stick to
them. No salesman has such amazing foresight that
he can predict that a picture is 'half way between
second and third bracket' or worth 30% more than
regular second bracket terms. When attention is no
longer paid to the guideposts of brackets an exhibitor
has no way of knowing whether by some magic fore'
sight he is getting a picture worth 30% more than his
second bracket or, what is more likely, that his second
bracket has been eased up 30%. As a last resort it
would be better to deal at the next higher regular
bracket because then you will at least know what is
happening to your deals and are in a position to justly
ask reallocation if the picture fails. You may be told
that the company no longer sells according to brack'
ets but only according to what each individual pic
ture is worth. In spite of that sales talk you can be
sure that the distributor still carries specific alloca-
tions for each situation in his own records. He needs

these slots in order to set up deals for all of his 10,000
or more possible accounts.

"However you may arrive at what is a fair price
for a picture, when you can't make that kind of a
deal learn to say 'no'. To the exhibitor who feels that
he 'just has to book' some particular picture, we ask
the question asked by Art Rush: 'And what would
you have done if Hollywood never had made that
picture?' "

"Lonely Heart Bandits" with
Dorothy Patrick and John Eldredge

(Republic, August 29; time, 60 min.)

A minor program "quickie" that may get by with
those who are not too demanding in their choice of
entertainment. Discriminating audiences, however,
will probably be bored, for the story, which revolves
around the exploits of a married couple who operate
a "lonely hearts" racket and fleece lovelorn but gul-
lible people of their savings, is ordinary, lacks novel-
ty of plot development, and is completely unconvinc-
ing. In spite of the fact that the picture has some
melodramatic action, it fails to impress on any one
count. The players try hard enough, but there is
little they can do with the weak material : —

Tempted by the easy pickings in the lonely hearts
racket, John Eldredge, a suave confidence man, joins
forces with Dorothy Patrick, a glamorous woman
well versed in the tricks of the trade, whom he mar-
ries. They rent a run-down farm in the mid-west and,
posing as a widow and her brother, prepare to fleece
a middle-aged farmer, whom Dorothy had lured
there through lonely hearts letters. They steal the
man's money and kill him when he puts up a fight.
After fleecing several more victims, the couple con-
centrate their efforts on Ann Doran, a comely but
lonely widow who, inspired by the success of a friend
with a mail-order romance, had replied to one of
Eldredge's lonely hearts advertisements. Eldredge
arrives at Ann's home with Dorothy, whom he intro-
duces as his sister, brought along for the purpose of
keeping his visit respectable. Impressed by Eldredge's
fine manners and show of wealth, Ann soon falls
victim to his ardent love-making and smooth talk,
and agrees to put up her home for sale so that they
may leave on a round-the-world honeymoon trip he
promises to her. Richard Travis, a life-long friend
who loved Ann, mistrusts Eldredge and telegraphs
Eric Sinclair, Ann's grown son in Saudi Arabia, to
come home immediately. Learning of the son's threat-
ened return, Dorothy takes Ann on a shopping trip
to Chicago while Eldredge remains behind to collect
the money from the sale of her property. Meanwhile,
Dorothy disposes of Ann by pushing her off the rear
platform of the moving train. Travis becomes aware
of dirty work when he receives a greeting card from
Ann but notices that it is not in her handwriting. He
attempts to question Eldredge and is knocked uncon-
scious by him. Eldredge flees town. This sets in mo-
tion a vast manhunt led by Travis and Sinclair, which
ends with the police killing Eldredge and arresting
Dorothy after a furious gun battle. Meanwhile Ann
is found in a small country hospital, and upon her
recovery she accepts Travis' proposal of marriage.

It was produced by Stephen Auer and directed by
George Blair from a screen play written by Gene
Lewis. The cast includes Barbra Fuller, Robert Rock-
well and others.

Adult fare.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New YorU, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1950 No. 36

COMPO MOVES AHEAD

The creation of voluntary committees in every ex'
change area of the country to cooperate in the work
of the Council of Motion Picture Organisations has
been recommended in a resolution adopted unani'
mously by COMPO 's Committee on Organization,
under the chairmanship of Harry Brandt, at a meet'
ing held on Wednesday of this week at the Astor
Hotel in New York City.

The resolution reads as follows:

"Resolved that each exchange area be urged to set
up at the earliest possible date a COMPO committee
to cooperate in the work of the organisation. In call'
ing these meetings, all the various charter members
of COMPO represented in the area should be in'
eluded. If more than one state is served by the area,
such states should be represented on the committee.

"The committee will select an area chairman, state
chairmen where desired, theatre, distribution, pub'
licity, and any other chairmen representing groups
affiliated with the industry who may be invited to
participate in COMPO activities.

"There will be no effort to suggest that exactly the
same procedure be followed in the formation or op-
eration of COMPO exchange area committees
throughout the country. Complete local autonomy
will be preserved."

The purpose of the Committee on Organisation
meeting was, not only to speed up the establishment
of COMPO on a national basis, but also to head off
any further action by local groups to organise them-
selves under a set-up that, though well-intentioned,
may cause objections to be raised by certain of the
groups represented in the area.

In Minneapolis, for example, a Northwest Motion
Picture Committee for National Defense was formed
last week to support COMPO's pledge of full support
to the Government in the present emergency. Harry
B. French, president of the Minnesota Amusement
Company, was elected as permanent chairman of the
newly-formed committee by its organisers, who set
up the committee along the lines of the World War
II Activities Committee. Objections to this set-up
have been raised by Bennie Berger, president of North
Central Allied, who, according to trade paper re-
ports, claims that his organisation was not consulted
prior to the formation of this new committee and was,
therefore, unprepared to vote for chairmen and com-
mitteemen. NCA has rejected the French committee
on the ground that it has not been established in ac-
cordance with the procedure approved by COMPO,
and it is asking exhibitors not to sign participation
pledge cards sent out by the committee.

Under the resolution adopted by Compo's Com-
mittee on Organisation, every group affiliated with
the industry and represented in the area will be in
vited to the meeting and consulted before chairmen

and committeemen are selected so as to prevent any
further possible dissension.

* * *

Elsewhere on the COMPO front, Arthur L. Mayer,
executive vice-president, took initial steps in the build-
ing of a working staff for COMPO with the an-
nouncement this week that Robert W. Coyne has
been appointed as Special Counsel to the organisa-
tion, and that William Ainsworth, former president
of National Allied, has been invited to act as Special
Consultant to COMPO.

Mr. Mayer announced also that Dick Pitts, former
motion picture critic of the Charlotte (N.C.) Ob-
server, has been engaged as COMPO's editorial direc-
tor.

Coyne, who was national field director of the
U. S. Treasury's War Finance Division during
World War II, and a former executive director of
the Theatre Owners of America, has been associated
with Ted Gamble's theatrical enterprises for the past
few years. He will leave Gamble to devote his full
time to the COMPO post.

As Special Consultant to COMPO, Ainsworth, if
he accepts Mayer's bid, will confer with COMPO's
operational staff in an advisory capacity during peri-
odic visits to New York from his business headquar-
ters in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Dick Pitts, who two years ago won industry-wide
acclaim with his series of articles on "What's Right
with Hollywood," will, like Coyne, serve COMPO
on a full-time basis.

Mr. Mayer also announced the appointment of a
special COMPO committee for cooperation with the
State Department in connection with the Voice of
America operation overseas. Its personnel, drawn
from the three COMPO member groups directly con-
cerned with the international scene, consists of Cecil
B. DeMille, of the Motion Picture Industry Council,
as chairman; Gunther Lessing, of the Society of In-
dependent Motion Picture Producers; and Francis S.
Harmon, of the Motion Picture Association. The
function of the new committee will be to work with
Assistant Secretary of State Edward W. Barrett and
his associates on Voice of America program opera-
tions.

Meanwhile on Friday (Sept. 8) the COMPO
Committee on Cooperation with the U. S. Govern-
ment was scheduled to meet with President Truman
at the White House, as well as with Dr. John R.
Stcelman, Assistant to the President, who has been
designated as the Government's liaison with the mo-
tion picture industry, and Dallas Halverstadt, film
section chief in Steelman's office.

The visit to the White House was to be preceded
by a formal meeting of the committee, with the meet-
ing to be resumed following the conference with the
(Continued on bac\ page)

142

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 9, 1950

"The Sleeping City" with Richard Conte
and Coleen Gray

(Unw.-Int'l, September; time, 84 min.)

Given a semi-documentary treatment and shot on actual
locations in and around New York City's Bellevue Hospital,
this is an interesting murder mystery melodrama. It does
not, however, match the superior quality of "Naked City,"
as the trade paper ads would have you believe. The story,
which revolves around a detective who poses as a doctor to
unravel the murder of an interne, and who discovers an
illicit traffic in narcotics in the process, is somewhat short on
excitement, and one guesses the murderer's identity long
before the finish, yet there is enough intrigue and suspense
to grip one's attention throughout. The authentic hospital
scenes and the realistic depiction of an interne's life and
routine give the picture a fascinating quality. The direction
and acting are good, as is the low'key photography: —

When efforts to solve the hospital murder of Hugh Reilly,
an interne, prove fruitless, police inspector John Alexander
assigns Richard Conte, of his confidential squad, to the case.
Conte, having had some medical experience in the Army,
poses as an interne and is assigned to the emergency ward,
where Reilly had served, and there meets Coleen Gray, the
ward nurse, who had been Reilly's sweetheart. When Alex
Nicol, a moody interne, commits suicide because his meagre
wages did not permit him to marry Peggy Dow, a student
nurse, Conte learns that both Nicol and Reilly had been
heavily in debt to Richard Taber, an elderly hospital eleva-
tor operator, who induced the internes to place horse race
bets with him on credit. Suspicious, Conte starts to place
bets with Taber and soon runs up a bill of several hundred
^pilars. Before long Taber confronts him with a demand for
immediate payment, claiming that his (Taber's) bookie will
resort to violence. Conte pleads that he hasn't got the money,
and Taber suggests that he pay off the debt in morphine,
which he could obtain with the cooperation of his ward
nurse by signing a prescription for an emergency patient.
Through clever detective work, Conte soon establishes that
Coleen and Taber were working hand-in-hand, blackmailing
the internes to carry on an illegal traffic in dope. In the end,
he brings about Coleen's arrest and, to save his own life,
kills Taber in a blazing gun duel.

It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by
George Sherman from a story and screenplay by Jo Eisinger.

Adult fare.

"Rookie Fireman" with Bill Williams,
Barton MacLane and Marjorie Williams

(Columbia, October; time, 63 min.)
A minor low-budget melodrama that will just about make
the grade as a supporting feature on a mid-week double bill
in secondary situations. It barely holds one's attention, for
the story is hackneyed and the characterizations stereotyped.
Moreover, it is sorely lacking in fast action and excitement,
for most of the proceedings are confined to the four walls
of a firehouse with a minimum of footage devoted to fire-
fighting. Not much can be said for either the direction or
the acting, but in fairness to the players it should be said
that the cliche-ridden script didn't give them much of a
chance : —

Richard Quine, an unwordly young man, and Bill Wil-
liams, a rough young merchant seaman, join a metropolitan
fire department as trainees. Williams looked upon the fire-
man job merely as a meal-ticket until a dock strike is over.
Shortly after both are assigned to an engine house, Cliff
Clark, their kindly captain, is killed in a fire, and his place
is taken by Barton MacLane, a stern, career fireman. Trouble
brews immediately because MacLane had once been engaged
to Marjorie Reynolds, wife of John Ridgely, one of the
firemen under his command. Ridgely, insanely jealous,
rightly suspected that his wife still preferred MacLane, but
he was unaware that the affection was one-sided and that
MacLane had been urging Marjorie to preserve her mar-
riage. Meanwhile Williams, resentful of MacLane's rigid

discipline, becomes antagonistic towards him and plans to
resign. Trouble really starts when Richard Benedict, a
crooked fireman, cheats Williams in a forbidden game of
cards and MacLane catches them in a fight. He censures
Williams and discharges Benedict. Angered at MacLane,
Benedict telephones Ridgely when he sees the captain with
Marjorie. Actually, MacLane had met Marjorie to tell her
that he will promote Ridgely if she will promise to stick to
him. Ridgely, believing the worst, attempts to murder
MacLane with an axe when both enter a burning building
on the following day, but both are trapped by falling debris
before he can swing. Williams, having witnessed the inci-
dent, rescues both men and is told by MacLane to forget
what he had seen. The near tragedy brings about a complete
understanding between Marjorie and Ridgely because of
MacLane's forgiving nature. Williams, too, finds new re-
spect for MacLane and, rather than return to sea, he de-
cides to make firefighting a career, and to settle down with
Gloria Henry, a pretty waitress, as his wife.

It was produced by Milton Feldman and directed by Sey-
mour Friedman from a screenplay by Jerry Sackheim, based
on a story by Harry Fried.

Harmless for the family.

"I Killed Geronimo" with James Ellison
and Virginia Herrick

(Eagle Lion Classics, Sept.; time, 63 min.)

Despite the bad direction, "I Killed Geronimo" should
go over well in theatres where fast action melodramas are
liked, for the story is substantial and the action holds the
spectator in tense suspense. The picture is by no means a
"cheapy"; some of the scenes are big and impressive, and
the attacking Indian groups are of formidable size, such as
is found in big productions. It is too bad that the story was
not handled by a director more experienced in this type of
melodrama. The acting of James Ellison and Virginia Her-
rick is good, but that of the other characters is somewhat
stilted and "hammy." The photography is not bad : —

When Geronimo (played by Chief Thunder Cloud), the
dreaded Apache chief, leaves the reservation with his braves
and starts plundering and killing white settlers, Army intel-
ligence in Washington assigns James Ellison, a captain, to
stop the flow of guns to the Indians. Ellison, posing as an
outlaw, joins the gang of Ted Adams, a trader suspected of
supplying guns to the Indians. When Adams loads three
wagons with guns and ammunition for the Apache chief,
Ellison passes the information to Myron Healy, another
intelligence agent, but is overheard by Wesley Hudman,
one of the gang. Ellison overpowers Hudman and arranges
for his arrest, then rejoins the gang while Healy leaves to
inform the Army about the shipment. En route to the ren-
dezvous with Geronimo, the gang comes upon a burned out
ranch and capture Virginia Herrick, who had tried to shoot
them. She is bound and hidden in a wagon when Army
troops, on reconaissance, arrive on the scene. Finding
nothing suspicious, the troops permit the gang to proceed,
but later, as a result of a clue dropped by Ellison, the troops
capture the gang and the wagons, rescuing Virginia. Ellison
secretly arranges for the Army to allow Adams and himself
to escape so as to keep the rendezvous with Geronimo.
Meanwhile Hudman had escaped and had reported to
Geronimo. Upon meeting Ellison, the wily Apache chief
allows him to arrange a peace talk with the Army, then
uses the occasion to launch a savage attack on the troops
to recover the guns and ammunition. In the events that
follow, Geronimo kills Adams for his failure and engages
Ellison in a hand-to-hand battle, which ends in the death of
the Indian chief when he falls upon his own knife. Having
brought peace to the West, Ellison claims Virginia as his
bride.

It was produced by Jack Schwarz and directed by John
Hoffman from a story and screenplay by Sam Neuman and
Nat Tanchuck.

Children should enjoy it immensely.

September 9, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

143

LET US MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT

Under the above heading, a powerful statement on what
all freedom-loving people are faced with as a result of
Russian agression appeared in the August 30 issue of the
Hollywood Reporter over the signature of ten of Holly-
wood's most prominent picture people, namely, Cecil B.
de Mille, Y. Frank Freeman, Samuel Goldwyn, Louis B.
Mayer, Joseph M. Schenck, Albert, Harry M. and Jack L.
Warner, John Wayne and Darryl F. Zanuck.

The statement, which appeared in a two-page spread paid
for by the signers, is so well written, so enlightening and
so thorough that Harrison's Reports is reproducing it in
full in the belief that it deserves the widest possible circula-
tion. As a matter of fact, this paper believes that the exhibi-
tors would do well to bring this statement to the attention
of their local newspaper editors as an example of the fact
that an important segment of Hollywood's top brass is
awake to the responsibilities imposed on them by good
citizenship.

The statement is as follows:

"The people of the United States, looking on at this war
that has begun in Korea, appear to view it with about equal
parts of fury, incredulity, confusion and frustration. It's a
war we don't want and have tried in every way to avoid.
Two world wars would seem to be enough. Now we have
a third.

"But we do have it, and unless we win it we shall lose
it — and if we lose it the earth, including the United States,
will be governed from Moscow. The worst thing we can do
at this moment is to take it for granted that we shall win.
We can win only if we use our heads and hold nothing back,
for the Russians have the jump on us. They are so confident
that they hope not to have to fight us at all, but to run us
ragged with minor engagements found by stooges all around
their periphery till we are worn out and can put up only
guerrilla resistance when taken over.

"Part of our confusion and frustration are caused by the
fact that we have never been in a war like this one. This
is not the first time our forces have been mauled at the
beginning, but it is the first time when our enemies looked
forward with confidence to the long pull. If we let it go
that way, this war may last the rest of our lives, even the
lives of those who are young. Russia counts on growing
constantly stronger during the next thirty years. If we are
harried by minor campaigns all over the world our economy
and our morale are going to be subjected to such strains as
they have never known. We shall have to put on stringent
controls and we are going to have to do without a lot of
things we've been used to if we're to produce the quantities
of munitions and train the numbers of men needed for the
almost predictable series of emergencies.

"The action in Korea shows us what would happen to us
in the Pacific if Russia were to send her own forces against
us. We could not hold Korea, we could not hold Japan, we
could not hold the Philippines, we probably could not hold
Alaska and perhaps not Hawaii. A recent discussion in the
House of Commons exposed very frankly what would
happen to Europe if Russia decided to march west. Eighty
Russian divisions and four or five thousand tanks are mo-
bilizcd and ready. Nothing could stop them before they
reached the English Channel. There is only one reason why
Russia has not already annexed our Pacific holdings and
western Europe. She ie afraid that if she makes open war
on us we will drop atomic bombs. And we probably would.
The world has no other reply to the enormous military ma-
chine Russia is holding over our heads.

"There are many honest men who are wondering whether
anything we could win by a war would be worth the im-
mense and prolonged sacrifices a war will certainly demand
of us. But one steady look at the Politburo makes it obvious
to any American that he could not endure existence in that
vast concentration camp which is Russia and her satellites.

We know democracy is not perfect; it's only a political sys-
tem which tries to give all its citizens a fair chance under
rules of fair play. It's not perfect, but it's the best men have
had so far and the Communist slave-state is probably the
worst. There are conditions under which liic is not worth
living, and those are the exact conditions now offered by
Russia to the rest of the earth. Living in a democracy we
are prejudiced against violence and try to avoid trouble
when we can, but the men of violence are marching their
slaves against us again. We cannot accept what they offer.
Weary of war though we are, it's better to fight.

"Ultimately we shall win. The atom bomb is still ours
and is holding the Russians at their borders. Invention and
thought, which are dead in Russia, are very much alive
among us, and they will begin to find ways to defeat the
massed power of slaves and steel. Every soldier in our army
is a potential leader, every working brain is a potential
leader of thought. We shall fight our way out of this trap,
no matter how long it takes.

"But from now on, let us make no mistake about it: the
war is on, the chips are down. Those among us who defend
Russia or Communism are enemies of freedom and traitors
to the United Nations and the United States. American
soldiers are dying in a battle against slavery, against Russia's
attempt to enslave mankind. Every man's house will be in a
target area before this thing ends, whether we like it or not.
The United Nations is on our side because Russia is at war
with every nation that insists on being free. Fortunately our
Government has seen the Russian danger, and knows
full well how boldly and rapidly we must act if we, as a
nation, are to come out of this conflict alive. It will make
very heavy demands on us, and very soon. It will have tfl.
make them, and we shall have to give everything we have
to defend our liberty. Well, let us give it, and let us give
ourselves, till Russia too has been taught that our free
world is more than a match for the world of Genghis Khan."

THREE NEW COMPO COMMITTEES
APPOINTED

To cope effectively with requests and problems arising
from the national emergency, Ned E. Depinet, COMPO
president, announced this week the establishment of three
new COMPO committees: a Screening Committee, Theatre
Priorities Committee, and a Production and Distribution
Priorities Committee.

The Screening Committee, composed exclusively of ex-
hibitors, will pass upon all film submitted by government or
private agencies for exhibition in connection with the war
effort. Russell V. Downing was named to serve as chairman
of this committee, with Rotus Harvey, William Namenson,
Wilbur Snaper and Robert Wilby.

On the Theatre Priorities Committee are Si Fabian, chair-
man, Emanuel Frisch, Ben Shearer, Abram F. Myers and
David Weinstock.

The Production and Distribution Priorities Committee
consists of Marvin L. Faris, chairman, Francis S. Harmon
and Lester W. Roth.

ORDER YOUR MISSING COPIES
OF HARRISON'S REPORTS

Now and then your copy of Harrison's Reports is lost

in the mails, but you do not know that it is missing until
you look up for some information you need. In such a case
you arc greatly inconvenienced.

Why not look over your files now to find out whether a
copy of an issue or two issues is missing.

A sufficient number of copies of each issue arc kept in
stock for such an emergency.

All such copies arc furnished to subscribers free of charge.

144 HARRISON'S REPORTS

President. Primary purpose of the meeting, accord'
ing to Ned E. Depinet, COMPO president and ex-
officio chairman of the committee, was to lay the
groundwork for active operation of the committee
and to develop the opening phases of COMPO's pre
gram of cooperation with the Government in the
present crisis.

Members of the COMPO Committee on Coopera-
tion include Ellis A. Arnall, president of SIMPP;
Harry Brandt, president of ITOA; Leo Brecher,
president of MMPTA; Roy Brewer, head of the
AFL Film Council in Hollywood, and former chair-
man of the MPIC; Abel Green, of the Trade Press
Publishers group; Rotus Harvey, chairman of
PCCITO; Robert J. O'Donnell, ringmaster of Vari-
ety International; Samuel Pinanski, president of
TO A; Ronald Reagan, president of the Screen Actors
Guild; and Trueman T. Rembusch, president of
National Allied.

Arthur L. Mayer, COMPO's executive vice-presi-
dent, and Francis S. Harmon, secretary of the Coop-
eration Committee, will also attend the Washington
parleys.

Pointing out that this will mark the first meeting of
COMPO's Committee on Cooperation with the Gov-
ernment, Mr. Mayer said: "We do not yet know the
nature or extent of activities which the Government
will call upon us to perform for the war effort. But
this much is certain. Whatever the requests, the mo-
tion picture industry was never more thoroughly mobi-
lized— in organization and in spirit — to fulfill them."

To carry out the vast program laid out for it,
COMPO this week set in motion the machinery to
collect the funds it will need. Beginning with Sep-
tember billings, the distributors will include in their
film rental bills to the exhibitor a separate item of
"voluntary contribution to COMPO," equal to one-
tenth of one per cent of his film rental. For example,
if an exhibitor receives a film bill in the amount of
$100, he will be asked for a voluntary contribution of
ten cents, which sum, when collected, will be matched
by the distributor and forwarded to COMPO.

COMPO, to operate effectively, must have funds,
and the plan under which the exhibitors are being
asked to contribute financial support is most equitable
and should not be a burden on him, whether he be a
big or small operator. It is, in fact, an insignificant
price to pay for the benefits he stands to gain from
the important work that will be handled by this all-
industry organization.

MYERS' PROPOSAL FOR PRICE HIKE
GETS MIXED REACTION

As anticipated in these columns, the suggestion by
Abram F. Myers, National Allied's general counsel,
that exhibitors resort to moderate increases in admis-
sion prices wherever necessary has been received with
mixed reaction by theatre owners.

Generally, those who oppose the suggestion claim
that an admission price rise at this time will serve only
to antagonize the public, and that it will be incon-
sistent to raise prices so soon after the highly publi-
cized tax campaign, in which movie-goers were asked
to help repeal the 20% tax to bring about lower ad-
mission prices.

On the other Land, a number of exhibitors
throughout the country, particularly in Ohio, have
followed through on Mr. Myers' suggestion with in-

September^9, 1950

creases of from five to ten cents in their admission
prices, and none have experienced a decline in at-
tendance as a result of the raise.

According to a report in Motion Picture Daily,
Mr. Myers said that he has gotten "mostly favor-
able" reaction to his suggestion but admitted that the
ones who agreed with him were more likely to write
than those who did not. He feels, however, that he
has accomplished his major purpose, which was to
start the exhibitors thinking about the matter.

NATIONAL FILM CLINIC
AT ALLIED CONVENTION

A National Film Clinic will be held in conjunction
with the national convention of Allied States Asso-
ciation of Motion Picture Exhibitors, to be held Oc-
tober 2, 3 and 4 at the William Penn Hotel in Pitts-
burgh.

Pointing out that film buying is the most important
subject to every exhibitor, William Finkel, convention
chairman, said that it is planned to hold individual
meetings at the convention so that the problems pe-
culiar to different types of theatres can be fully dis-
cussed with the exhibitors attending the meeting for
an exchange of ideas. Separate meetings are planned
for the first-run big-city houses, first-run small-town
theatres, subsequent-runs and drive-in theatres. At
each of these meetings a "film buyers school" will be
conducted by experienced leaders on an open forum
basis.

Stating that "selective buying" is the greatest vic-
tory in the recent Supreme Court decision, Finkel
said that methods of securing the benefits of selective
buying and all other phases of the decision will be
discussed at length during the film clinic. He stated
also that a method of dealing with misallocated pic-
tures has been developed and will be explained in de-
tail.

The groundwork for this National Film Clinic was
laid by Allied leaders last July at their Chicago meet-
ing, which was called as a result of the many com-
plaints from small -town exhibitors that percentage
and flat film rentals are much too high.

"Exhibitors know that their number one problem
is film buying," concluded Finkel. "We guarantee
that any exhibitor attending this National Film Clinic
will receive enough information to compensate him
many times for the cost of coming to Pittsburgh.
Allied extends a nationwide invitation to all inde-
pendent exhibitors to attend the 1950 Convention and
take part in this initial National Film Clinic."

Among the sales managers who have definitely con-
firmed their attendance at the convention are William
F. Rodgers, of MGM, and Andrew W. Smith, Jr.,
of 20th Century-Fox.

Gene Autry, whose entry into the television field
is meeting with considerable opposition from some
exhibitors who, in retaliation, are refusing to book
his pictures released through Columbia, has been in-
vited to explain his views and has promised to attend
if his working schedule permits.

That the 1950 Allied Convention is creating con-
siderable excitement in exhibition circles is evidenced
by the fact that advance reservations are running
more than thirty per cent ahead of last year's record-
breaking convention in Minneapolis. Those who plan
to attend are urged by Mr. Finkel to send reservations
in by September 13 to assure good accommodations.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1899.

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Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1950 No. 37

EAGLE LION ACQUIRES A PRIZE ASSET

Harry Sherman, the veteran producer, whose
trademark is the "western," and who is affection-
ately known throughout the industry as "Pop," has
concluded a five-year picture deal with Eagle Lion
Classics, calling for the delivery of fifty pictures at
the rate of ten a year.

Associated with "Pop" Sherman in this venture is
Neil F. Agnew, former president of Selznick Releas-
ing Organization, and former vice-president in charge
of distribution at Paramount.

Sherman plans to use the western theme in each of
his pictures, and his program calls for the production
each year of four top -budget pictures (two in Techni-
color) , and six smaller budgeted westerns, all in Tech-
nicolor. Each of the top pictures will be made on a
budget of approximately $1,000,000, and each will
star Hollywood players of the first magnitude. The
smaller Technicolor westerns will be produced at an
average cost of $300,000 and will be known as the
"Hashknife Hartley" series, based on the William
C. Tuttle stories.

Sherman plans to launch an intensive talent search
shortly for the purpose of finding a new western per-
sonality to fill the role of "Hashknife," the cowboy-
detective hero of Tuttle's books.

George "Gabby" Hayes, the popular western star,
whom Sherman discovered, has been signed to an
exclusive contract to portray the character of
" 'Sleepy' Stevens," the hero's pal.

Having launched the "Hopalong Cassidy" series,
as well as numerous other westerns, "Pop" Sherman
has long been acknowledged as a producer of the best
westerns. A former exhibitor, he is one of the most
kind-hearted people one can ever hope to meet, and
all who know him personally think the world of him.
Ever since he went into production in 1916, he has
produced pictures that were, not only of good qual-
ity, but also decent and clean, let alone commercially
saleable.

Eagle Lion can indeed be proud of the tie-up it has
made with Harry Sherman, particularly at this time
when there is so much need for producers of his
calibre.

Harrison's Rfports wishes "Pop" Sherman con-
tinued success, for no one is more deserving of it than
a man of his intelligence, ability, knowledge and big-
ness of heart.

ALLIED TO CONSIDER COOPERATIVE

BUYING OF EQUIPMENT

A plan for cooperative buying of theatre equip-
ment to combat existing high prices will be discussed

at Allied's 1950 National Convention in Pittsburgh,
according to Abram F. Myers, general counsel and
chairman of the board, who had this to say on the
subject in a bulletin issued to Allied members on
Wednesday of this week:

"Profoundly disturbed by the mounting costs of
all manner of theatre equipment, indicating either in-
flation in the production or price-fixing among the
supply dealers, Allied leaders are discussing the feasi-
bility of buying such equipment cooperatively and
eliminating so far as possible the middlemen's profits
which are widely blamed for existing high prices.

"Efforts are being made to point up the idea for
discussion at Pittsburgh and this may prove to be one
of the highlights of the convention."

Elsewhere in his bulletin Mr. Myers had this to say
on the problems of wartime operation:

"The business outlook will be fully explored in
order to see what lies ahead — and to prepare for it.

"Whether or not the Korean police action spreads
into another world war, our country is committed to
a preparedness program which involves a return to a
wartime economy. Many of us have seen it happen
twice before, the inflationary tendencies, the trend
toward cheap money and free spending.

"The theatres' dollar intake may soon be on the
upsurge but those dollars may be cheapened in value
so that exhibitors will be well advised to closely sup-
ervise their operations and salt away some of them
against the inevitable day of reckoning, the date of
which is now unpredictable.

"This is only one of the many important questions
which far-sighted exhibitors are pondering and which
will be discussed at Pittsburgh. Every thoughtful ex-
hibitor has ideas on these problems and he should be
on hand to share them with others. Every independent
theatre owner should attend in order to listen to and
sift the ideas of his fellow exhibitors."

On the subject of the National Film Clinic, which
promises to be one of the most important events at the
convention, Mr. Myers had this to say:

"Pictures are the exhibitor's lifcblood and no mat-
ter how interesting other subjects may be he must
give first attention to the problems inherent in the
licensing of pictures- their boxofhec value and the
terms and conditions on which they arc offered — or
he will fail.

"Some social clubs posing as exhibitor organisations
with an absurd show of self-righteousness assert that
films and film prices have no place in the discussions
at exhibitor meetings. Allied has never subscribed to
that view and holds that exhibitors have the same
(Continued on bacl{ page)

146

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 16, 1950

"All About Eve" with Bette Davis,
Anne Baxter and Celeste Holm

(20th Century-Fox, November; time, 138 min.)

A very good adult drama. It is a notable production
on every count — story, writing, direction and acting.
Revolving around an evil young woman who, mas-
querading her true nature under a cloak of shyness
and innocence, lets nothing interfere with her driv-
ing ambition to become a leading actress, it is a fascin-
ating, continually absorbing story about Broadway
theatrical people, given a mature treatment and pene-
trated with realistic dialogue and flashes of slick,
sardonic humor. The proceedings hold one's attention
so rapt that one does not notice the running time of
two hours and eighteen minutes. The films sophisti-
cated flavor is especially suited for metropolitan
centers, where it is destined to become a big money-
maker, but it is not too subtle for the small town trade
and should do fairly well in those situations. The
acting is uniformly top-grade from stars to bit players,
and the three feminine principals have been provided
with roles that are perfectly tailored to their respec-
tive talents. Anne Baxter is most effective as the
aspiring actress who becomes a top success but whose
machinations bring heartaches to those who had be-
friended her. Bette Davis, as an ultra-sophisticated
but aging star who is victimized by Miss Baxter, is
just right in a fiery characterization, as is Celeste
Holm, as the kindly wife of a playwright, who, too,
falls victim to the calculating Miss Baxter. At the
finish, there is a highly effective bit contributed by
Barbara Bates, an attractive starlet, as a stage-struck
but scheming 'teen-ager, who worms her way into
Miss Baxter 's confidence with every indication that
she will eventually give Miss Baxter a dose of her
own medicine. Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who wrote the
original screen play and directed it, has provided
some highly imaginative twists and directorial touches.
The production values are impressive throughout.
Darryl F. Zanuck produced it.

The story opens at a banquet with Anne receiving
an award for the best performance of the year. As
she accepts the gold statuette with humility, the
thoughts of several theatrical people who played a
part in her rise are revealed in flashback. Celeste,
wife of Hugh Marlowe, a playwright, recalls that
nine months previously she had taken pity on Anne,
then a stage-struck girl, and had brought her back-
stage to meet Bette, her idol. By her shyness and good
manners, and by her tragic tale about having lost her
husband in the war, Anne had ingratiated herself, not
only with Bette, but also with Marlowe and with Gary
Merrill, Bette's director and fiance. Bette, having de-
veloped a protective feeling for Anne, had taken her
into her household and had permitted her to become
her confidante. But Thelma Ritter, Bette's maid, re-
sented Anne, and within several weeks Bette had
become aware of the fact that Anne was insincere and
that she was coyly making a play for Merrill. She had
abused Anne while in a drunken rage at a party,
and everyone, still blinded by Anne's masquerade of
innocence, had come to her defense. Playing on this
new-found sympathy, Anne had carefully maneuv-
ered Celeste, Marlowe and Merrill into persuading
Gregory Ratoff, Bette's producer, to accept her as
Bette's understudy, and with the help of George
Sanders, a noted but unprincipled critic, had eventu-
ally become a top star, even to the point of taking
away a part meant for Bette. In the process she had

made an attempt to win Merrill away from Bette and,
failing that, had set her cap for Celeste's husband.
But Sanders, having discovered that Anne had lied
about being a widow and that she had had an un-
savory past, had used the information to compel her
to give up her designs on Marlowe and to become his
own mistress. Coming back to the present, the story
has Anne returning to her apartment with the coveted
award and finding Barbara Bates waiting for her.
Furious because the girl had sneaked into her home,
Anne soon softens when she learns that Barbara is a
stage-struck youngster who idolized her. As she
warms up to Barbara, the story ends with the sug-
gestion that the girl will go about building a stage
career for herself by using Anne as a stepping stone.

"All About Eve," as most exhibitors probably
know by this time, is the picture with which 20th
Century-Fox will inaugurate its "scheduled perform-
ances" plan. This plan calls for the exhibitor to set a
definite time for each performance and to sell non-
reserved tickets in advance for each specific perform-
ance, with no one, not even ticket-holders, to be
seated after the picture is started. The purpose is to
make patrons see the picture from the beginning so
that they may fully understand and enjoy the pro-
ceedings, and thus give it favorable word-of-mouth
advertising. In the opinion of this reviewer, all pic-
tures, big or small, should be seen from the beginning
for full enjoyment. But whether or not this particular
picture, more than any other, should be seen from
the start is debatable. The fact remains, however, that
there is definite exploitation values in the scheduled
performances idea, and it may be wise for the exhibi-
tor to give it a trial wherever his situation permits.
Incidentally, 20th-Fox has announced that the exhi-
bition contracts for this picture will require single-
billing. No other feature-length picture will be per-
mitted to be shown on the same program.

Strictly adult fare.

"The Fuller Brush Girl" with Lucille Ball
and Eddie Albert

(Columbia, October; time, 85 min.)

This is one of those wildly slapstick comedies that
are the forte of the director Lloyd Bacon, whose last
effort in this category was "The Good Humor Man."
Like that picture, this one, too, does not match the
entertainment values of "The Fuller Brush Man,"
yet it is an entertaining picture of its kind and should
give ample satisfaction to those who enjoy this type
of comedy. The story, of course, is completely non-
sensical, but it serves as an adequate device for pro-
jecting the many comical gags and situations, some
highly inventive, that are reminiscent of the Mack
Sennett Keystone comedies. The pace is fast and
furious from start to finish, and Lucille Ball literally
knocks herself out trying to keep up with the plot
complications, which are so dizzy that they defy any
attempt to synopsize.

Briefly, however, the story has Lucille and Eddie
Albert, sweethearts, working in a steamship company
owned by Jerome Cowan, who secretly used the firm
as a front for the illegal smuggling of diamonds.
Cowan fires Lucille for inefficiency, but he retains the
timid Albert to use him as a dummy executive in the
firm. Needing money to get married and to help
Albert establish a home for them, Lucille takes a job
with the Fuller Brush Company to sell their new line
of cosmetics. Her adventures while canvassing from

September 16, 1950

147

house to house eventually implicate her in two mur'
ders committed by Cowan's gang, and before long
she becomes a suspect. She then becomes the object
of a police hunt, with Albert helping her to elude the
law. After many complications, Lucille and Albert
are lured aboard a freighter owned by Cowan, and
an exciting chase ensues from one end of the ship to
the other when they escape from their stateroom. It all
ends explosively when a case of dynamite blows up
the ship. The final fadeout finds the lovers safe, em-
bracing each other on a floating piece of wreckage.
Meanwhile, of course, their innocence had been es-
tablished.

Among the highly amusing situations, outstanding
are the ones in which Lucille, trapped in a burlesque
theatre, does a strip-tease act to evade capture, and in
which she and Albert get all tangled up in television
aerials during a chase over roof-tops, causing the own-
ers of the video sets to get fantastic pictures. A brief
but amusing highlight is where a householder can-
vassed by Lucille turns out to be Red Skelton, who
sells her some brushes before she can give him her
sales pitch.

Frank Tashlin wrote the original screen play. No
producer credit is listed.
Suitable for the family.

"Farewell to Yesterday"

(20th Century-Fox, Sept.; time, 90 min.)

This is a highly interesting documentary pictorial
history of world events during the last thirty years,
depicting the cause and effect of war. Compiled from
newsreel clips and from official Allied and enemy
films, most of the footage is familiar, yet it is an ar-
resting presentation from start to finish by reason of
the excellent job done on the editing and on the
commentary. Unlike other recent documentary films,
this one omits the frivolous side of life and, through
a series of powerfully dramatic sequences, concen-
trates on the events that since the end of World War
I have put the entire world into a condition of chaos
from which it has not yet recovered.

Beginning with the signing of the treaty at Ver-
sailles, the film traces the unrest that arose all over
Europe in the struggle against poverty, giving birth
to Fascism and Nazism and leading to the unholy
alliance between Hitler and Mussolini. Picturing the
fall of the League of Nations, the appeasement of
Hitler, and the invasion of Poland that set off World
War II, the film then dwells on the horrors of war,
depicting the 82-day blitz against England by the
Nazis, the invasion of the Lowlands and France, and
the different European battlegrounds. It shows in
minute detail the destruction fo property in the big
European cities, and the heartbreaking suffering of
people at home and of soldiers on the battlefield.
Much of this is so appalling that it leaves one de-
pressed. Shown also is America's involvement in the
war with the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the subse-
quent battles that raged throughout the South Pacific
on sea and on land before the conflict was brought
to an end with the dropping of the atomic bomb on
Japan. The final reel is concerned principally with
the outbreak of war in Korea.

Those who will see this film cannot escape its power-
ful message, which is that we must learn our lesson
from the mistakes in the past, and that wc must at
all times be fully prepared to meet lawless aggression
with force.

It was produced by Edmund Reek and edited by
Louis Tetunic. Written by Joseph Kenas, the com-
mentary is shared by Sidney Blackmer, John Larkin,
Kermit Murdock and William Post, Jr.

"The Breaking Point" with John Garfield,
Patricia Neal and Phyllis Thaxter

(Warner Bros., Sept. 30; time, 97 min.)

This melodrama offers some violent action as well
as some spicy dialogue that is spouted by a woman
of loose morals, but as entertainment it is somber and
depressing. Moreover, the story, which is a pretty
free adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "To Have
and Have Not," is handicapped by characterizations
that are not clearly motivated. Another weakness lies
in the fact that the spectator is asked to follow the
fate of an unsympathetic hero, a man who knowingly
breaks the law from start to finish. As an impover-
ished charter fishing boat owner who is always in
trouble, John Garfield manages to give some credence
to his role, but Patricia Neal, as a playgirl who is
constantly making passes at him, is not given much
of a chance by a role that not only has little to do
with the story but seems to have been dragged in by
the ear to give the proceedings some spice. Consider-
able sympathy is felt for Phyllis Thaxter, who gives a
touching portrayal as Garfield's suffering wife, and
for Juano Hernandez, as Garfield's loyal helper. On
the whole, however, it impresses one as a pointless
story of sex and violence: —

Garfield, an ex-GI with a wife and two children,
barely ekes out a living chartering his cruiser to fish-
ing parties. Heavily in debt, he finds it difficult to
meet the payments due on the cruiser. He gets a break
when a wealthy playboy charters his boat for a cruise
to Mexico with Patricia, a good-time girl. During
the trip, Garfield, finds it necessary to resist Patricia's
advances. The playboy disappears in Mexico, leaving
Garfield, his helper, and Patricia stranded. Needing
funds to return to the States, Garfield makes a deal
through Wallace Ford, a shady lawyer, to smuggle
eight Chinese into the States, but he forces the
Chinese overboard in shallow Mexican waters when
their leader, whom he kills, tries to doublecross him
on the price. When he returns home, Garfield's boat
is impounded by the Coast Guard, which had heard
rumors about his attempt to smuggle in the Chinese.
Despondent, he goes on a drunk, and Patricia, who
had returned with him, once again makes a play for
him. Phyllis, however, soon makes her understand
that Garfield is not an unfaithful husband. Ford comes
to the States and, by seeing to it that Garfield's boat
is returned by court order, persuades him to make a
deal with four gangsters who wanted to make a
getaway in his boat after holding up a racetrack.
Phyllis' pleas that he give up the job are unavailing.
Having pulled off the holdup successfully, the gang-
sters arrive at the pier and shoot down Garfield's
helper, who had joined him unexpectedly. They then
force Garfield to take them out to sea. Positive that
they will kill him when he gets them to their destina-
tion, Garfield, at sea, succeeds in killing them all in a
furious gun battle, but is wounded seriously himself.
He is rescued by the Coast Guard and told that his
damaged arm must be amputated. He prefers to die,
but Phyllis induces him to consent to the operation
so that they might try life anew.

It was produced by Jerry Wald and directed by
Michael Curtiz from a screen play by Ranald Mac-
Dougall. Strictly adult fare.

148

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 16, 1950

right to discuss product and prices at their conven-
tions as the distributors have to consider those sub-
jects at their sales meetings.

"If there ever was a time for exhibitors to take
stock of their situation, filmwise and otherwise, it is
now. In recognition of this the Convention Commit-
tee has approved the following name for the gather-
ing: ALLIED'S 1950 NATIONAL CONVEN-
TION AND FILM CLINIC. That the exhibitors are
seeking solution of their problems is indicated by the
fact that advance reservations for the Pittsburgh Con-
vention are running ahead of the advance reservations
for the record-breaking convention held in Minne-
apolis last year."

Stating that "there is no problem too big or too
difficult for an Allied convention to tackle, if to do so
is in the interest of the independent exhibitors," Mr.
Myers said that exhibitors who come to Pittsburgh
this year will be doing themselves a favor. "Leaders
from other branches of the industry will bring their
messages to Pittsburgh," he added, "but as is always
the case at Allied gatherings, there will be ample op-
portunity for the exhibitors to discuss matters of spe-
cial interest to themselves in their own way."

Among the sales managers who have already prom-
ised to attend the convention are William F. Rodg-
ers, of MGM, Andy W. Smith, Jr., of 20th Century-
Fox, and Al Schwalberg, of Paramount.

MORE ABOUT ALLIED'S
NATIONAL FILM CLINIC

In connection with the National Film Clinic to be
held in conjunction with the National Allied Conven-
tion in Pittsburgh on October 2, 3 and 4, Trueman T.
Rembusch, Allied president, has appointed the fol-
lowing Allied leaders as chairmen of the forums that
will be held for the different types of theatres: Col.
H. A. Cole and Charles Niles, small towns; Sidney
Samuelson and Arthur Rush, medium towns and
suburban runs; Nathan Yamins and O. F. Sullivan,
city runs. Martin Smith and Wilbur Snaper, key
neighborhoods and subsequent runs; and John Wolf-
berg and Rube Shor, drive-ins. A special meeting will
be conducted by Jack Kirsch and Abe Berenson for
circuit buyers, including combines, as well as for
those who are interested in bidding situations.

All the meetings will be held in separate rooms so
that film buyers in like situations will be able to dis-
cuss mutual problems.

Pointing out that the increase in film rentals by the
various distributors has been a main topic of discus-
sion at all the regional conventions held by the Allied
units this year, Mr. Rembusch stated that there is no
doubt in his mind that there is a concerted effort to
raise film rentals on a nation-wide basis at a time when
they (the distributors) should be thinking of keeping
their customers in business.

"The convention committee,11 said Rembusch, "has
developed this National Film Clinic as a school of
instruction for film buyers. Last year we celebrated
the Allied Victory Convention, at the conclusion of
a long eleven-year fight to bring about the many re-
forms of the Supreme Court decision. Now we are

going to see that the independent exhibitors realize
the benefits of the decision. The only way any ex-
hibitor can gain all the benefits of the decision is to be
thoroughly informed of his rights. Those rights will
be the subject matter of the National Film Clinic."

Rembusch announced also that Arthur Mayer,
executive vice-president of the Council of Motion
Picture Organizations, has accepted an invitation to
speak at the Allied convention, at which time he will
outline to the exhibitors present the full scope of
COMPOs activtities.

From all indications, the Allied Convention in
Pittsburgh promises plenty of fireworks, particularly
in regard to the boost on film rentals. One who is sure
to spark the fireworks is Bennie Berger, president of
North Central Allied, who has announced that he
will bring to the convention floor figures showing that
the distributors are collecting approximately 200%
more in film rentals from independent neighborhood
and suburban exhibitors in Minneapolis and St. Paul
than they did before the consent decree. Berger, as
quoted in weekly Variety, said: "Northwest Allied
directors have protested to the distributors, but noth-
ing has come of it. Distributors persist in their goug-
ing policy although theatre grosses are declining and
costs are generally increasing, with film companies1
earnings greater than ever."

No doubt the other Allied leaders, too, will come
to the convention prepared to offer evidence that will
support the outcry lately against the distributors'
rental demands and terms. Just how the convention
will work out a solution to this problem should be
interesting.

DOUBTFUL IF NEW CREDIT CONTROLS
WILL AFFECT TV SET SALES

Acting under the new Economic Control Bill
signed by President Truman last week, the Federal
Reserve Board has clamped tight controls on install-
ment purchases of new and used television sets. Ef-
fective September 18, purchasers of television sets
will have to make a down payment of 15% and will
have to pay the balance in 18 months.

Although some of the trade papers, in reporting
this item, described it as a serious setback for the tele-
vision industry, Harrison's Reports is of the opin-
ion that the new installment credit controls will not
effectively curb purchases of television sets, for the
new terms are not much stiffcr than those currently
in use. At the most, it means an additional five per
cent on the down payment and a little less time to pay
the balance, all of which probably will mean very
little to those who have their hearts set on buying a
television set, what with higher wages and more
take-home-pay in the offing as a result of the many
billions of dollars that will be spent in the defense
effort.

Unless either the credit controls are made much
more stiff er, or production of TV sets is restricted
because of allocations of critical materials to meet
defense requirements, the sale of television receiving
sets will undoubtedly continue at a record-breaking
pace.

.Entered as second-class matter January 4, l'J21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1950 No. 38

INDUSTRY UP IN ARMS AGAINST
MARTIN-LEWIS TELEVISION SLUR

A perfect example of "biting the hand that feeds
you" was displayed last Sunday night on television
by comedians Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in a com-
edy skit that belittled and ridiculed the motion pic-
ture industry in a way that was nothing short of
vicious.

The scene was the front of a motion picture theatre,
and the skit opened with Martin, as the theatre man-
ager, vainly trying to entice customers by marking
down the admission price from 80^f to 60^ and then
to 40^, and finally hanging up a sign that offered
"easy credit terms.11 To show how bad business was,
the skit depicted a balcony usher rushing out of the
theatre stark, raving mad, the result of loneliness. The
rest of the skit had to do with Martin attempting to
persuade Jerry Lewis, a passing 'teen-ager, to buy a
ticket. He succeeds with the aid of the cashier, a sexy
female in a low-necked, split-skirted gown, who does
a partial strip-tease to lure Lewis into the theatre.
Worked into the proceedings were gags that depicted
Martin and his staff of ushers shuddering at the mere
mention of television, and a situation that showed
them brow-beating Lewis into buying a box of pop-
corn. All in all, the skit purported to show, in a hu-
morous way, of course, that television has just about
bankrupted the motion picture theatres.

As a result of this objectionable skit, Arthur L.
Mayer, executive vice-president of COMPO, has sent
a vigorous protest to Frank Folsom, president of the
Radio Corporation of America, parent company of
NBC. Mayer wired Folsom as follows:

'This organization, representing all branches of the
motion picture industry, strongly protests attack on
our business contained in Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis
show on WNBT Sunday night. In depicting motion
picture theatres as places shunned by public both
producers of show and WNBT have done serious
damage to this industry. We cannot believe that you
as responsible head of Radio Corporation of America
condone such irresponsible attacks and we ask that
you take steps immediately to see that this scene is
not repeated on other stations."

At the time this is being written, Mr. Folsom had
not yet replied to Mr. Mayer s wire.

Another protest came from Harry Brandt, presi-
dent of the Independent Theatre Owners Associa-
tion, who, in behalf of his organization, said the fol-
lowing, in part, in a telegram sent to Hal Wallis,
producer of the "My Friend Irma" pictures, in which
Martin and Lewis are featured :

"Theatre owners in the New York area are out-
raged. ... In this sketch, Martin and Lewis ridicule
motion picture exhibition and production and present
the industry in the worst possible light.

"Personalities who work for financial gain in the
industry and who continue to profit through the
medium should not slur or smear the industry which
is so good to them. Only recently, the Screen Actors
Guild urged all its members to help promote motion
pictures whenever the opportunity arises, particu-
larly in other mediums of communication such as
radio and television. Apparently Martin and Lewis
are unaware of this effort, as witness their completely
distorted picture of industry conditions.

"By virtue of your contract with them, we ask you
to take whatever disciplinary action you can to curb
their future antics in tearing down the good public
relations that we are building up through COMPO.
Martin and Lewis are guilty of a disservice to you, to
Paramount Pictures which has released their films, to
the exhibitors who play their pictures, and to the
entire industry, and particularly to themselves as
independent producers."

Another who was quick to comment on the ill-
advised Martin and Lewis skit was Abram F. Myers,
National Allieds general counsel and chairman of
the board, who had this to say, in part, in a special
bulletin issued early this week to his membership :

"It is bad enough when any performer, regardless
of whether he has ever appeared in pictures, uses the
medium of television to ridicule and deride the mov-
ies. It is most reprehensible for players who have been
elevated to stardom and enriched by the movies to do
so. And when players who are appearing in films cur'
rently playing in the theatres go out of their way to
slander the movies, it is time for the motion picture
industry to do something about it.

"A case in point was the Colgate sponsored show
featuring the erstwhile movie comedians Martin and
Lewis, which was televised last Sunday evening. The
performance, we are informed, consisted of a bur-
lesque of the motion picture business. . . .

"While this show was being given over television,
free to anybody having access to a receiving set, mo-
tion picture exhibitors (including our informant)
were playing Paramount^ 'My Friend Irma Goes
West,1 featuring the comedians Martin and Lewis
and charging an admission price therefor.

"If this were merely an isolated case, it still would
be in bad taste but we might shrug it off as one of
those things. But panning the movies is becoming a
habit of television comedians and unless a halt is
(Continued on bac\ page)

150

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 23, 1950

"Timber Fury" with David Bruce
and Laura Lee

(Eagle'Lion, September; time, 60 min.)

The fact that it is an outdoor picture, that it has
been based on a story by James Oliver Curwood, and
that the action is pretty fast, may make it suitable
for the lower half of a double bill. But the di-
rection is not so good, and the script, based on
an amateurish treatment, is inadequate. There hap-
pen in the action things that are forced. For instance,
the movie-goers will not believe that the hero could
have been held for the murder of the log mill owner,
least of all that he would run away for the purpose
of establishing his innocence. And the villain finds it
so easy to get away with his nefarious schemes! David
Bruce is a weak hero; his noisy breathing before
starting to speak is annoying in the extreme. If the
director could not have corrected this fault in Bruce
he should have told the producer to get some one else
in his place. Sam Flint is "hammy" in his part. The
photography is good: —

Returning from college to her home in the great
Northwest timber country, Laura Lee learns that
Flint, her father, is trying desperately to fulfill a
contract for timber delivery, unaware that George
Slocum, his foreman, was being paid by a business
rival to delay the delivery. After the derailing of a
logging train, the work of Slocum and his henchmen,
Flint hires David Bruce, a river engineer, to dam the
river to enable him to float enough logs to fulfill the
contract. Bruce and Laura meet and fall in love.
Beaten by Bruce when he tries to harm Laura's dog,
Slocum vows vengeance. The dam is finished and
Bruce prepares to blow it up so as to let the logs
float down the river. Slocum, however, instructs his
henchmen to break the log jam ahead of Bruce 's sig-
nal. But Bruce, risking his life, blows up the dam
ahead of time and thus prevents a catastrophe. Flint
surprises Slocum in the act of stealing dynamite to
blow up the saw mill, and Slocum in desperation,
clubs him to death. Attracted to the scene by the
mournful howlings of Laura's dog, Bruce is found
there by the sheriff and jailed for the crime. Slocum
incites a mob to lynch Bruce, but Laura, finding the
imprint of a woman's shoe at the scene of the crime,
traces it to Nicla di Bruno, Slocum's woman, and
extracts from her a confession that Slocum had
murdered Flint. The sheriff is informed and he and a
posse finally corner Slocum who, during a fierce battle
with Bruce, slips and falls to his death in the raging
waters of the river. Bruce and Laura plan to wed.

The screen play, based on the James Oliver Cur-
wood story "Retribution," was written by Michael
Hansen from an adaptation by Sam Neuman and
Nat Tanchuck. It is a Jack Schwarz production, pro-
duced and directed by Bernard B. Ray.

Harmless for family audiences, despite the rela-
tionship between Slocum and Miss Di Bruno.

"The Glass Menagerie" with Jane Wyman,
Gertrude Lawrence, Kirk Douglas
and Arthur Kennedy

(Warner Bros., Oct. 28; time, 107 min.)

Adapted from Tennessee Williams' hit stage play
of the same name, this drama has been produced

artistically, but as entertainment it will appeal main-
ly to cultured picture-goers who will appreciate the
sensitive writing, the expert direction and the flawless
acting. That it will prove satisfying to the masses
is doubtful, for it is almost like a photographed stage
play — all talk and little movement. Morever, nearly
all the action takes place in a dingy tenement apart-
ment, and the story, though it has its touches of
humor, is cheerless and tends to distress one. An-
other drawback insofar as the rank and file pic-
ture-goers are concerned is that the story, which is a
character study of four people, has been given an
unconventional treatment and ends on an inconclu-
sive note that will leave many a spectator bewildered.

The pivotal character in the story is Gertrude
Lawrence, as the middle-aged mother of two children
— Jane Wyman, a shy, crippled girl, and Arthur
Kennedy, a frustrated poet, who worked in a ware-
house at a job he disliked so as to support the family.
A faded Southern belle who had been deserted by her
husband years previously, Miss Lawrence dominates
her children to the point of tyranny out of a desire
to make them overcome their life of poverty and
achieve the sort of life that she had once known.
Kennedy, hounded by his mother to bring home a
"gentleman caller" for his sister, is constantly at odds
with her because of her nagging. Jane, whose shyness
stemmed from her physical deformity, avoids people
and finds contentment by playing with her collection
of miniature glass animals. When Jane fails to make
the grade in a typing school, Miss Lawrence resolves
that, if her daughter cannot make a career of business,
she at least can make one of marriage. She finally pre-
vails on Kennedy to bring home to dinner Kirk
Douglas, a fellow-worker at the warehouse. Doug-
las, sympathetic to Jane, draws out the shy, gentle
girl and does his utmost to help her get over her in-
feriority complex, even taking her to a dance hall
to prove to her that her ailment is no bar to happiness.
Extremely happy during the few hours that she is
with Douglas, Jane falls in love with him. Realizing
that he had gone too far, and afraid to hurt her
further, Douglas confesses that he is already engaged
to another girl. Jane is crushed, but the meeting cures
her of her introspection and shyness. After Douglas
leaves, Miss Lawrence, bitterly disappointed, up-
braids Kennedy for bringing home an engaged man
instead of an eligible one. Kennedy leaves home in
disgust and goes off to sea. The closing scenes show
Kennedy in a distant port months later, visualizing
a more confident Jane and her mother awaiting the
arrival of another "gentleman caller."

The story has many touching and pathetic mo-
ments that cannot be described in a brief synopsis.
Gertrude Lawrence is excellent as the mother, a role
that calls for the portrayal of a wide variety of hu-
man qualities, which she achieves with subtle shad-
ings. Miss Wyman is deeply sympathetic in her
part, and Kirk Douglas and Arthur Kennedy are
highly effective in their respective roles.

It was produced by Jerry Wald and Charles K.
Feldman, and directed by Irving Rapper, from a
screen play written by Tennessee Williams and Peter
Berneis.

Unobjectionable morally, but it is a film for ma-
ture minds.

September 23, 1950

"Prisoners in Petticoats" with Valentine
Perkins and Robert Rockwell

(Republic, Sept. 18; time, 60 min.)

A weak program crook melodrama that barely
makes the grade as a supporting feature, even for a
mid-week double-bill. Trite in story and stereotyped
in direction and acting, there is little about it to
save it from mediocrity. The plot is not only implaus'
ible but also lacking in fast and exciting action.
Valentine Perkins, as the heroine, is amateurish.
The others in the cast handle their routine roles in
acceptable fashion, but even so they are wasted on
a story that is hackneyed and poorly written:—

Valentine Perkins, an accomplished pianist, ax'
rives in the city from an upstate town, where her
father is a professor, and obtains a job in a night
club operated by Anthony Caruso, a sleek gangster
who used the club as a blind for his other shady
operations. Because no one else would give her a job,
Valentine believes Caruso to be a good'hearted man,
but she changes her identity lest her father learn
that she had stooped to playing in a night-club. When
a mobster is murdered outside the club, Robert
Rockwell, a special investigator for the District
Attorney, questions Joan as a witness. He realizes
that she is not the kind of a girl to be mixed up with
gangsters, and warns her to stay away from Tony
Barrett, a smooth killer, who was making a play for
her. Although she realizes that Rockwell is falling in
love with her himself, Valentine remains loyal to Bar-
rett. In the complicated events that follow, Barrett
double-crosses Caruso's gang in a $100,000 holdup
and hides the money in one of Valentine's suitcases,
which she unwittingly stores in the attic of her
father's home, thinking that it contained her sheet
music. Barrett is slain by Caruso's henchmen when he
goes to Valentine's city apartment to retrieve the
loot, and Valentine, refusing to give any information
about herself lest it bring disgrace to her father, is sent
to prison as an accomplice to the crime. Caruso plants
Danni Sue Nolan, his moll, in prison to lure Valentine
into revealing the whereabouts of the money. Danni's
questions make Valentine aware of the fact that
the money is in her suitcase. In an elaborate scheme,
she joins Danni in a jailbreak under a pretense of
sharing the loot with Caruso's gang, but once on the
outside she manages to get word to Rockwell, who
rescues her and rounds up the gang.

It was produced by Lou Brock and directed by
Philip Ford from a screen play by Bradbury Foote,
based on an original story by Raymond Shrock and
George Callahan.
Adult fare

ALLIED CLAIMS PHONEVISION
TEST WILL PROVE INCONCLUSIVE

The following press release was sent out this week
by Trueman T. Rembusch, president of Allied States
Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors :

"The Allied television committee will report to the
national board of directors' meeting in Pittsburgh
at the William Penn Hotel on September 30 and
October I, on two TV developments affecting the
motion picture exhibitor.

"One of these is the contract that Zenith Radio
is using to secure subscribers for their much delayed

test run of Phonevision. As of this date, Zenith
has not announced what product they will use on
the test and it is very doubtful if they will be able
to secure sufficient film for the test. If they do secure
sufficient film, the results obtained from the test will
prove inconclusive due to one portion of the contract
that is being used by Zenith to secure Phonevision
installations for the test. That clause has to do with
the non-payment, by the subscriber, of his bill for
Phonevision service. The contents of that penalty
clause are as follows:

" 'It is agreed that, in the event you do not make
payment of our bills for Phonevision subscriptions
within the time above specified, we, at our election,
may remove from your home any television set and
Phonevision decoder installed therein by us, or any
Phonevision decoder we may have installed in your
own television set; and on our direction the Illinois
Bell Telephone Company, under such circumstances,
shall have the right to remove from your home the
connection above mentioned including the special
leased telephone wire provided for the test. Such re-
moval of our equipment and the special telephone
connection shall constitute the only penalty for your
failure to make payment of our bills, and we agree to
take no legal action to collect such bills and we waive
any right to enforce payment thereof.'

"Under the provisions of this clause, obviously any
Phonevision subscriber can order all of the Phone-
vision movies he wants without any legal obligation
on his part to pay for the service. Such a precedent in
selling Phonevision to the public without any liability
on the part of the subscriber to pay for the service
used, sets up a pattern of giving film away on Phone-
vision. Under these circumstances, the Allied TV
committee cannot help but wonder if any producer
would be foolhardy enough to turn his back upon his
regular customers, the exhibitors, and sell his film for
Phonevision use.

"The Allied television committee will urge the
Allied National Board of Directors meeting in Pitts-
burgh to give serious consideration to the Zenith
matter.

"They will also bring up for consideration Gene
Autry's latest deal with CBS for production of 26
videoaters under the title of "The Range Rider" and
starring Jock O'Mahoney, as reported in Variety on
September 6. It appears that Mr. Autry miscalcu-
lated in his recent letter to Pete Wood, secretary of
the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, explaining
that he personally was making pictures for TV to
improve grosses on his pictures playing in the regular
theatres. The Allied TV committee would like for
Mr. Autry to explain away his latest support of TV
by Autry. It is their opinion that Pete Wood was
right when he said, 'Is Autry naive enough to think
that the public will pay to see him when they can see
him for free? When he can be seen in films for noth-
ing, that's exactly what he will be worth to the ex-
hibitors who play his pictures.'

"No doubt, when this latest endeavor of Autry's
in behalf of TV to the detriment of the motion picture
industry is brought to the attention of the Allied
board of directors, it will become an important topic
on the Allied convention program to be held October
2, 3 and 4 in Pittsburgh."

152

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 23, 1950

called they will succeed in convincing some of their
audience that the movies are indeed a thing of the past
and that it is a waste of time and money to patronize
the theatres. No less a personage than Bob Hope, on
his Easter television show, went out of his way to
ridicule the movies and, considering what the movies
have done for Mr. Hope, that was the unkindest cut
of all.

"Still another was a program sponsored by Ford
Motor Company on Sunday, July 30, featuring one
Johnny Johnston, substituting for Eddie Sullivan.
He felt called upon to say, in substance, '1 went across
the street from the station (CBS) to see a movie. The
picture was so bad they had to spread Airwick to
fumigate the place and also to fumigate the popcorn.1
We find no reference to this Johnston in Motion Pic-
ture Almanac and perhaps his only connection with
the movies is by marriage. In any case, he should be
on our list — he never will be missed.

"Martin and Lewis are said to be good comedians
but certainly they are not indispensable to the motion
picture business and they and their kind should be
told in no uncertain way that if they use a rival me-
dium of entertainment to injure the motion picture
business, they cannot hereafter expect to appear in
the films. The motion picture producers should take a
firm stand on this right now, before serious damage is
done.

"And if the producers ignore this condition or take
a weak-kneed stand, then the exhibitors must serve
notice that they will be slow to play pictures featur-
ing those traducers of the motion picture business.

"Also the sponsors of these comedians should be
informed of the industry's resentment of such tactics.
Fun's fun and the motion picture industry can enjoy
a joke at its expense, but it cannot permit an endless
repetition of these slanders. Colgate would scream
bloody murder if a movie made slighting references
to its products and we have a right to expect the same
consideration from Colgate.

"Members have asked that this subject be included
in the agenda for the forthcoming Allied board meet-
ing and that it be dealt with at the Pittsburgh Con-
vention. Regardless of what other branches may do,
the exhibitors will have their say on this subject and
it is a safe bet that they will take definite action."

There is little one could add to what has already
been said about this matter by Messrs. Mayer, Brandt
and Myers, except to say that Martin and Lewis
would do well to come through with profuse apologies
to the industry and with assurances that in their fu-
ture appearances on radio or television they will exer-
cise greater care in the choice of material that has any
connection with the motion picture business.

Recently, this comedy pair completed "At War
with the Army," an independent production that has
not yet been set for release through any distributing
company. In addition to starring in the picture, it has
been reported that they have a financial interest in it.
If such is the case, Martin and Lewis, as a result of
their thoughtlessness, are in the unenviable position
of having maligned and offended the exhibitors,
whose good will they need if they are to recoup their
investment and emerge with a profit. They had better
make amends soon lest the exhibitors prove to them
that their comedy skit last Sunday night was not so
funny after all.

ALLIED CHARGES EQUIPMENT
MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS
WITH "UNBRIDLED PROFITEERING"

In a press release issued last weekend from his head-
quarters in Franklin, Indiana, Trueman T. Rem-
busch, National Allied president, charged that "un-
bridled profiteering" by the manufacturers of theatre
equipment and supplies is one of the major complaints
being brought to his attention by Allied members.

Typical of these complaints, said Rembusch, is a
letter received from Abe Berenson, a director of
Allied Theatre Owners of the Gulf States, in which
he points out that the price of carpet for theatres has
risen in the last few years from $3.25 per yard to
$9.60 per yard. Berenson pointed out also that, in-
stead of reducing prices on discontinued patterns, a
practice that is usually followed by carpet retailers
outside of the motion picture industry, the theatre
carpet suppliers invariably push their stocks of dis-
continued patterns by increasing prices on the new
patterns. He charged also that the exhibitor is further
victimized by the practice of discontinuing patterns,
which prevents him from securing enough carpet
yardage of the pattern in use in his theatre for the
purpose of repairing worn spots in areas that are
heavily traveled.

Berenson took up also the "terrific increase" in the
price of projection heads, "in spite of the fact that the
number of moving parts in projection heads manu-
factured today has been reduced substantially," claim-
ing that the reduced manufacturing costs should have
brought about a corresponding decrease in the price
of new projection heads.

On the subject of carbons, Berenson charged that
in December of 1 949 there was a whispered campaign
by suppliers that the price of carbons would be in-
creased by 10%, but that this price increase did not
take place because one of the small independent
manufacturers of carbon refused to go along on the
increase with the manufacturer dominating that par-
ticular market.

Turning to outdoor theatre speakers, Berenson said
that the price of these units was in the neighborhood
of $40 each until outside manufacturers entered that
field, resulting in competition that has made good
units available for as low as $14 each.

Berenson charged also that the mark-ups in the
merchandising of equipment and supplies for motion
picture theatres run from a minimum of 100% to as
high as 300%, which are greatly in excess of mark-
ups used in other industries. He added that a National
Allied cooperative buying plan would eliminate the
"terrific profiteering" in the theatre equipment and
supply field.

Commenting on Berenson's observations, Rem-
busch said: "It is obvious that the monopoly and
price-fixing inherent within the theatre equipment
and supply market is due in no small part to the
closely knit organization known as TESMA (Theatre
Equipment and Supply Manufacturers' Associa-
tion) ."

Rembusch stated that Berenson, as well as Benny
Berger, president, and Stanley Kane, executive secre-
tary, of North Central Allied, who three years ago
advanced the co-op idea, will present to the forthcom-
ing Allied convention in Pittsburgh, on October 2-4,
all the background information necessary toward
establishing a co-op organization to furnish the ex-
hibitors' equipment and supply needs. The subject
promises to be one of the convention's highlights.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1950 No. 39

THE PCCITO MEETING
AT LAKE TAHOE

The Pacifiic Coast Conference of Independent Exhibitors,
composed of six constituent regional associations represent-
ing exhibitors in eight western states and the territory of
Alaska, held its annual convention on September 14-15'
16-17 in the Cal-Neva Lodge at Lake Tahoe, California-
Nevada.

Because I happened to be in California, I attended the
convention at the invitation of Mr. Rotus Harvey, president
of the organization, and had an opportunity to observe at
first hand the constructive work that is being done by this
fine exhibitor group.

At the end of the first session, a chairman and committee
members for each of the following committees were selected
and instructed to meet and bring back to the convention
their recommendations: Film Rentals, Information Service,
Unit Service, Theatre Service, Production, and Cost and
Price Control.

On the second day, Mr. Harvey was reelected as presi-
dent; Ben Levin, as treasurer; and Hannah K. Oppie, as
executive secretary.

Following the elections, several speakers were heard, in-
cluding B. F. Shearer, an exhibitor, who spoke on "The
Future as it Affects Manpower, Materials and Priorities;
Al Rogell, president of the Screen Directors Guild, who
spoke interestingly on "Celluloid Bullets," describing the
value of motion pictures in the present world crisis; Mrs.
Hulda McGinn, public relations representative of the Cali-
fornia Theatres Association, who spoke on "The Value of
Public Relations"; and E. Bertram Watkins, who made a
highly interesting speech on insurance under the heading,
"So You Think You Are Insured." I plan to deal more
extensively with this insurance speech as soon as I can
obtain a transcript.

The reports of the Production Committee and of the
Film Rental Committee contain recommendations that are
so interesting that I am reproducing them in the belict that
they will be of benefit to all exhibitors.

The Production Committee report follows:

"As exhibitors we are vitally interested in production.
We are extremely proud of Hollywood's record in leading
the world with the highest standard of motion picture pro-
duction. We have pride in Hollywood's record of contribut-
ing to Democracy and extolling the American Way of Life.
Hollywood will do well to continue to work hard to main-
tain this record in the face of increasing pressure on all sides
to fall to the lure of every imaginable 'ism.'

"We are anxious to have everyone concerned with PRO-
DUCTION know that we are their best friends. Frequently
we may be critical of them but only as a brother is critical
of a brother who is inclined at times to be wayward. We will
always come forward to the defense of Hollywood when it
is criticized by an outsider. Wc have in the past done this
and will always do it. Wc are vitally concerned with public
relations in our own communities as well as industry-wide.

"We want producers to know we are anxious for movies
that furnish ENTERTAINMENT in capital letters. 'Escap-
ism' is no crime. Movie patrons today are more and more
critical of what they will accept on our screen. They want
film fare which gives them relaxation Irom the cares of a
world in stress and turmoil. Our patrons are rejecting
Crime . . . Psychos . . . Suspense . . . Murder . . . Melo-
dramas . . . Propaganda. The biggest boxoffice pictures of

the year are pictures appealing to the entire family with
comedy predominant, i.e., CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN,
FATHER OF THE BRIDE, FRANCIS, etc. We are re-
ceiving an alarming number of complaints of brutality and
sadism. This is even more concerning when it is found in
outdoor pictures which have generally good appeal to juven-
iles. We want moving pictures that MOVE. Excessive dia-
logue with a resultant loss in action has always been a
problem .

"All suggestions by this committee are not to satisfy the
personal likes or dislikes of the exhibitor members. Rather
they are the expression of the likes and dislikes of the ma-
jority of our patrons. We feel as if we are closer than anyone
to movie patrons. Our information can be of inestimable
value to Hollywood. We urge that some producers could
gain tremendous knowledge by polling exhibitors regularly
asking for pertinent comments.

"This committee was wholeheartedly in accord that our
Trustees be urged to suggest in the strongest recommenda-
tion the following :

"That some agency such as COMPO or the Johnston
Office be given authority by all producers to establish a
system of releasing so that there is always a variety ol fea-
tures in release at the same time. This last summer we have
seen many super-westerns dissipated because our audiences
have been surfeited with too many of this kind. If such an
authority is not workable then we suggest each company
make sure its own release schedule is in balance with good
variety. Even this month MGM is releasing three musicals
in succession . . . THREE LITTLE WORDS, SUMMER
STOCK and DUCHESS OF IDAHO. Such a product is
too valuable to waste in this manner. Good variety will also
assure a steady flow of good product at all times so there
is no period when we have inferior pictures to offer for two
or three months.

"Our committee was greatly concerned with the subject
of good and bad titles. The following were subject to much
criticism: CRISIS, SUSPENSE, ASPHALT JUNGLE,
CRY MURDER, DEADLY IS THE FEMALE, NO SAD
SONGS FOR ME, TICKET TO TOMAHAWK, IN A
LONELY PLACE, HIGH LONESOME, AN ACT OF
MURDER, CURTAIN CALL AT CACTUS CREEK,
STELLA, MR. 880, ACT OF VIOLENCE, etc. The
committee recommends that titles with a single name such
as FRANCIS or STELLA be followed by a parenthetical
phrase to describe the picture. This was effective with the
former followed by (the talking mule). Producers are to
be commended for such GOOD titles as ROCKETSHIP
XM, FATHER WAS A FULLBACK, FANCY PANTS,
I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE, THE GOOD HUMOR
MAN, CARIBOO TRAIL, MR. BELVEDERE GOES TO
COLLEGE, etc. Ambiguity in titles is not desirable.

"Advanced admission prices as forced by producers and
distributors through various devious means is to be con-
demned. Advanced children's prices for CINDERELLA
was particularly condemned.

"Our committee was critical of long complicated story
lines that have sub-plots, by-plots and make for confusion.
Stories and scripts should be kept tight and simple.

"Our committee was also critical of 're-makes' of pictures
vuthin a period of seven or eight years which were originally
no great hits to begin with . . . pictures in this category
were CONVICTED, LOVE THAT BRUTE, WABASH
AVENUE to name only a few.

"The mi: casting of stai r, is often disastrous to the picture
itself and to the future drawing power of the player.
(Continued on back. Pa8e)

154

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 30, 1950

"King Solomon's Mines" with Deborah Kerr
and Stewart Granger

(MGM, no rel. date set; time, 102 min.)

Photographed in Technicolor, this is a highly spectacular
romantic adventure melodrama that has the rare quality of
holding an audience captivated from start to finish. The
story, based on H. Rider Haggard's famous novel about a
dangerous trek into unexplored Africa to search for a
missing white man and for a legendary diamond mine, is
"hokum," but it has been presented in so fascinating a man-
ner and on such a vast scale that one enjoys every minute of
it. The production was filmed in its entirety in Africa, mak-
ing for scenic shots that are as breathtakingly beautiful
as any ever seen on the screen, and for wild animal shots
that are extraordinary. Words cannot adequately describe
the exciting experiences the safari encounters with man and
beast, nor their hair-breadth escapes as they make their
way through dense hot jungles, across torrid deserts and
over snowcapped mountains. A high point in the excite-
ment is a hand-to-hand fight to the death between two
native kings. One blood-curdling sequence that will have
the movie-goers on the edge of their seats is where thousands
of wild animals, frightened by a bush fire, stampede across
the. open plain directly in the path of the safari. Their thun-
derous hoofbeats and their furious speed make this one of
the most thrilling sequences ever put on film; it leaves
one exhausted.

Briefly, the story, which takes place in 1897, introduces
Stewart Granger as a famous jungle guide who is engaged
by Deborah Kerr, a wealthy British woman, to lead a safari
into the uncharted African country to search for her hus-
band, who had disappeared while trying to find the legend-
ary King Solomon's mines. Accompanied by natives and
by Richard Carlsom, Deborah's brother, they set out for
land that is feared by both natives and whites alike. They
experience many harrowing encounters with wild savages
and beasts in which their lives are constantly threatened,
and in due time find themselves abandoned by all their
frightened natives except one, a mysterious seven-foot tall
fellow, who had joined the safari en route. He leads them
to the legendary diamond mines, which they find guarded
by a strange tribe of towering natives, whose King he claims
to be; he had returned to wrest the kingdom from his evil
cousin. Impressed by Stewart's guns, the evil king tricks
Stewart and his party into entering a cave filled with dia-
monds, then seals the entrance. There they find the skeleton
of Deborah's husband. They make a miraculous escape
through an underground river and, with the help of their
native friend, who had regained his kingdom in a battle to
the death whith his cousin, head for home. In the meantime,
Stewart and Deborah had fallen in love.

It was produced by Sam Zimbalist, and directed by
Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton, from a screen play
by Helen Deutsch.

Suitable for the entire family.

"Dial 1119" with Marshall Thompson,
Virginia Field and Andrea King

(MGM, T^ovember; time, 75 min.)

An unpleasant but tense psychological program thriller,
revolyjng around a berserked escaped criminal who, ob-
sessea with the idea of killing the police psychiatrist re-
sponsible for his being sent to a hospital for the criminal
insane, holds five innocent hostages at bay in a barricaded
tavern to accomplish his purpose. The story, which is more
or less a character study of a mentally-deranged youth,
played effectively by Marshall Thompson, is rather choppy
and not too convincing, but it does generate considerable
tension, particularly in the second half, where Thompson
gives the police who had surrounded the tavern twenty-five
minutes to send the psychiatrist to him lest he kill the five
people he is holding at gunpoint. The suspense is heightened
by the dilemma the police are faced with as a result of this
ultimatum, and by the unsuccessful attempt made by Rich-
ard Rober, the police captain, to kill Thompson by sending
an officer through an air-conditioning duct leading to the
tavern. The closing sequences are highly melodramatic, with
Sam Levene, the psychiatrist, bowing to Thompson's ulti-
matum and being killed by him as he tries to reason with
him, and with Thompson himself mowed down by police
bullets when one of his hostages gains the upper hand on
him. A unique angle is the clever way in which the producer
has employed television to keep Thompson inlormed of the
police moves against him. This is accomplished by the

arrival of television cameras on the scene to report spot
news, with Thompson watching the proceedings on the
tavern's television set. A considerable part of the footage is
given over to the introduction of the characters who become
innocent hostages, including William Conrad, the tavern
owner, whom Thompson kills; Keefc Brasselle, a young
bartender concerned about his wife who is having a baby;
Virginia Field, an attractive barfly; James Bell, a disillu-
sioned newspaperman; and Andrea King, a discontented
young woman about to go away on an illicit weekend with
Leon Ames, a smooth-talking married man.

It was produced by Richard Goldstone and directed by
Gerald Mayer from a screen play by John Monks, Jr.,
based on a story by Hugh King and Don McGuire.

Strictly adult fare.

"Big Timber" with Roddy McDowall
and Jeff Donnell

(Monogram, Sept. 10; time, 73 min.)

Rather weak. It seems as if the picture was made for the
main purpose of showing logging camp operations. In this,
the picture succeeds, for such operations are instructive to
those who have not been in a logging camp. But the story
is very thin and hardly of much interest. The acting of
Tom Greenway and of some of the other supporting players
is "hammy." Even Jean Yarbrough's directorial skill could
do nothing with them. The situation where Roddy McDow-
all drives a truck with defective brakes down a steep hill
is thrilling. The photography is considerably dark: —

Seeking a job, Roddy arrives at a logging camp in the
west, even though he knew nothing about logging; he had
been told by Tom Greenway, whom he had known in
Chicago, to come to the camp. Greenway helps him to ob-
tain the job, and Roddy, eager to work but lacking knowl-
edge, finds himself doing the wrong things most of the time.
He is ribbed by the loggermen but takes their jibes like a
good sport. When Jeff Donnell, the commissary operator
at the camp, pays considerable attention to Roddy, it
arouses the jealousy of Ted Hecht. who is in love with her,
and of Lyn Thomas, the camp superintendent's daughter,
who found herself attracted to Roddy at first sight. Roddy
is discharged when his work fails to improve, and on his
last working day Gordon Jones, a co-worker, is injured
seriously as a result of the careless handling of a tractor by
Hecht. Roddy volunteers to drive Jones to a doctor in a
truck, unaware that Hecht, in an effort to get Roddy out
of the way of his love for Jeff, had tampered with the
truck's brakes. As Roddy drives the truck down the steep
mountain road the brakeless vehicle gathers terrific speed,
but he negotiates the road by skillful driving and manages
to get the injured man to the doctor in time to save his life.
For this, Roddy, now a hero, wins back his job and gets
the hand of Lyn, whom he loved secretly.

The picture was produced by Lindsley Parsons, and di-
rected by Jean Yarbrough, from a screen play by Warren
Wilson.

Harmless for family patrons.

"Cassino to Korea"

(Paramount, October; time, 58 min.)

This latest in the current cycle of documentary features
is an interesting picture of its kind. Compiled from Para-
mount News clips and from official and captured enemy
films, this documentary draws a parallel between the present
fighting in Korea and the American campaign in Italy in
1943. Most of the footage is given over to the vicious battles
that took place from the Cassino beachhead up to and be-
yond Rome, with emphasis placed on the destruction of the
famed Cassino Monastery, which the Nazis used as a
stronghold to halt the Allied advance. Worked into the
film are the personal stories of two Congressional Medal of
Honor winners — Sgt. James M. Logan, who routed a nest
of German machine-gunners blocking the American ad-
vance, and Captain David Ludlum, an Air Force weather
officer, whose accurate weather forecasts enabled the Amer-
icans to launch the attack that broke the Nazi resistance.
Worked into the footage also are familiar clips of famous
and infamous personalities who figured in the events that
led to World War II, as well as in the postwar efforts for
world peace through the United Nations. Included at the
finish arc some brief shots of the fighting in Korea.

The film should serve adequately as a supporting feature
on a double bill. It was produced by A. J. Richards, di-
rected by Edward Genock, and features a narration by
Qucntin Reynolds. The script treatment is by Max Klein, i

September 30, 1950 HARRISON'S REPORTS 155

"Between Midnight and Dawn"
with Mark Stevens, Edmond O'Brien
and Gale Storm

(Columbia, October; time, 89 min.)

This is a routine cops-and-robbers melodrama, handi-
capped by a creaky plot and by stilted dialogue; it leaves the
spectator with the feeling of having seen the same thing
many times previously. Its story about two policemen, bud-
dies, in love with the same girl, and about their efforts to
track down an escaped gangster, follows a formula treat-
ment and lacks imagination. Some of the situations are far'
fetched. It should, however, get by with the undiscriminating
action fans, for it generates a fair share of suspense and
excitement. The performances are adequate, considering
the shortcomings of the script: —

Mark Stevens and Edmond O'Brien, close friends on and
off duty, fall in love with Gale Storm, secretary to their
superior officer, but Gale, whose father, a police lieutenant,
had been murdered by a criminal, is determined not to fall
in love with a policeman. She resists the advances of both
but finally chooses the lighthearted Stevens. Having in-
curred a dislike for Donald Buka, a violent-tempered gang-
ster who operated a night club, the boys are pleased when
they capture him for the murder of a rival gangster and he
is convicted and sentenced to death. On the night before
Stevens and Gale are to be married, Buka escapes from jail
and shoots Stevens dead as he cruises the streets with
O'Brien in a prowl car. O'Brien determines to capture Buka
and, after many weeks, the killer is spotted going to the
apartment of Gale Robbins, his girl-friend, a singer at the
club. The police surround the building and order Buka to
surrender. Just then a neighbor's child comes to visit Miss
Robbins. Buka grabs the child and threatens to drop her
to the street below unless the police withdraw and permit
him to escape. While the police retreat, O'Brien crawls
along the ledge of the apartment building, throws a tear
gas bomb into the apartment, and jumps in after it. In the
ensuing gunfight, both Miss Robbins and Buka are killed
and the child saved. The picture ends with the suggestion
that Gale and O'Brien will find happiness together.

It was produced by Hunt Stromberg and directed by
Gordon Douglas from a screen play by Eugene Ling, based
on a story by Gerald Drayson Adams and Leo Katcher.

Unobjectionable morally.

"I'll Get By" with June Haver,
Gloria De Haven and William Lundigan

(20th Century-Fox, October; time, 83 win.)

Although its backstage story and romantic involvements
stick too close to familiar formulas, "I'll Get By" is a tunc
ful Technicolor musical that should prove acceptable to the
rank and file. The music is the rewarding thing about this
picture, which is about the song publishing business, for it
features many nostalgic songs that were highly popular
during the period from 1939 to 194?, and all are put over
effectively by the singing principals. Dennis Day's comedy
antics give the proceedings a considerable lift, as does the
trumpet playing of Harry James. An exploitable angle is the
guest appearances that are made by Jeanne Crain, Dan
Dailey (featured in a song-and-dance number), Victor Ma-
ture and Reginald Gardner: —

Unable to have a song he had written published, William
Lundigan, a song-plugger, decides to go into the music
publishing business on his own. The venture proves un-
successful and, just as he is about to fold up, Dennis Day,
an aspiring songwriter from Texas, comes along with a
song and with enough money to have it published. Lundi-
gan makes him a partner. The song is a flop, but Day,
undismayed, saves the situation by inducing June Haver
and Gloria de Haven, a popular singing team, to put over
the song with Harry James and his band. Before long the
partnership becomes highly successful as a direct result of
June's arid Gloria's aid. Meanwhile June and Lundigan fall
in love, while Day pursues Gloria to no avail. When the
girls head for an engagement in Hollywood, the boys follow
to open a west coast office. Lundigan, to help June land a
possible inovie contract, arranges for her to introduce a new
Gershwin song at a forthcoming benefit for the Free French.
Day, unaware of this arrangement, agrees to let Jeanne
Grain introduce the song when she requests it. This leads
to a misunderstanding and break between June and Lundi-
gan. World War II breaks out, and the boys join the
Marines and arc shipped overseas. Shortly thereafter, June
learns that Lundigan was not to blame. Everything turns
out for the best when the girls join a USO unit to entertain
troops and reconcile with the boys at a South Pacific base.

It was produced by William Perlberg and directed by

Richard Sale, who wrote the screen play with Mary Loos,
based on a story by Robert Ellis, Helen Logan and Pamela
Harris. The cast includes Thelma Ritter and others.
Harmless for the family.

"Chain Gang" with Douglas Kennedy
and Marjorie Lord

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 70 min.)

The question in the case of this picture is, not that it is
a poor entertainment, but whether it should have been pro-
duced at all. Revolving around a crusading reporter's efforts
to expose a ruthless chain gang system, the story is com-
pletely artificial and unbelievable, and the direction and
acting amateurish. It is, in fact, a harrowing picture because
of the excessive brutality depicted in the inhumane treat-
ment of prisoners. The picture so distorts prison conditions
in the United States that the Johnston Office should see to
it that it is not distributed in foreign countries lest it be
used by our enemies for ani-U. S. propaganda purposes:' —

Douglas Kennedy and Marjorie Lord, reporters on rival
papers, love each other, although Thurston Hall, her rich
and influential stepiather, does not approve. Crusading
against the chain gang prison system in his state, Kennedy
arranges to obtain a job as a prison guard to collect ^evidence
for an expose. Using an assumed name and armed with a
tiny camera in the shape of a cigarette lighter, Kennedy is
accepted as a legitimate guard by Emory Parnell, the ruth-
less captain at the prison. He secretly photographs the
torture undergone by the convicts, and when the pictures
are published they disturb Hall, who unbeknownst to his
stepdaughter had accumulated his wealth by the crooked
use of chain gang labor. She discovers this and leaves him.
Before Kennedy can wind up his assignment, his identity
is discovered by one of Hall s henchmen and brought to
ParnelTs attention. Parnell orders the other guards to give
Kennedy a merciless beating. Just then a convict escapes,
and Kennedy, taking advantage of the confusion, escapes
himself, but he is felled by a bullet and left for dead. With
the aid of the escaped convict, whom he had once befriended,
he makes his way to safety, and his undercover work proves
to be a vital factor in the subsequent outlawing of chain
gangs.

It was produced by Sam Katzman and directed by Lew
Landers from a screen play by Howard J. Green.
Too brutal for the family.

ANOTHER BOOST FOR CHILL WILLS

Clarence Golder, owner-manager of the Civic Center
Theatre in Great Falls, Montana, and Secretary-Treasurer
of the Independent Theatre Owners of Montana, has sent
the following communication to this paper:

"Chill Wills did the finest job of public relations for me
at the Civic Center Theatre in Great Falls, Montana, that
I ever have experienced in thirty years of show business.
Not since the late Will Rogers, whom Chill resembles in
appearance and action, has such an 'Ambassador of Good
Will' represented the Motion Picture Industry. He is a
great master of ceremonies and a natural humorist. He never
misses an opportunity to make a friend for the theatre at
which he is appearing, lor the exhibitor, and as a matter of
fact for the entire industry. His familiar 'Hello, cousin' has
a heartwarming effect on those with whom he comes in con-
tact, and wins him many friends. In no time he has an
audience eating out of his hands. The kids love him; the
adults love him; — he's terrific.

"They are still talking about Chill Wills in Great Falls.
He did free shows for the orphans, blind school, a baseball
banquet, a Shrine dance, and at three night clubs. Chill
appeared at the Civic Center Theatre last May 4-5-6 in
conjunction with the Eagle Lion production, 'The Sun-
downers,' in which he is featured. He also appeared at the
Falls Motor Vu Theatre with which I am affiliated.

"What this industry needs today is more Chill Wills to
get out and resell this great entertainment medium to the
people connected with it and to the public in general. This
is what Chill Will;; is trying to do. He is personally sold on
the Mdtion Picture Industry, and in my opinion, one of
the Industry's best public relations men, if not the greatest.
In the near future I predict that Chill will be where he be-
longs;— 'on top the heap.' The role of doing Will Rogers'
life story or. the screen could help put him on top. He is a
natural for this role, and he is deserving of it since he lives
the role in every day life. I suggest that you get acquainted
with Chill Wills yourscli : — hook him for a personal appear-
ance and reap from the good-will he will bring you.

"Give us more Chill Wills."

156

HARRISON'S REPORTS

September 30, 1950

"The committee felt one of the great wastes in produc-
tion budgets is the unwarranted salaries asked by secondary
stock players who have no drawing power at the boxoffice.
New, fresh personalities would give a picture a certain
'lift' at less cost.

"As exhibitors we realize the importance of encouraging
experimental pictures such as THE SNAKE PIT, JOHNNY
BELINDA and THE NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR. BUT,
we urge that production experiments, such as these, have
small budgets. Huge budgets for pictures that have doubtful
boxoffice qualities are hazardous and when they fail finan-
cially other producers point to such experimentation as a
failure. It is also true that large budgets make for greater
demands by sales departments. A financially unsuccessful
picture of an experimental nature can always be liquidated
by us because top playing time will not be expected. We
cannot afford to ruin preferred playing time at a loss.

"Drive-In theatres give important revenue to Hollywood.
These outdoor operators want more close-ups and fewer
distant shots. They want a minimum of dark shadowy scenes
and no scenes set in fog such as BATTLEGROUND.
Good color is very valuable.

"The committee recommends that all studios consider a
program of educating studio personnel (especially those in
the public eye) as to their responsibilities of both good be-
havior and citizenship.

"Our committee was enthusiastic about the possibility of
COMPO bringing a new era of close cooperation between
Production-Distribution and Exhibition. All members of the
committee felt that Production could make huge strides by
utilizing the knowledge the exhibitors have from being
close to the actual theatre ticket buyer. The reverse is also
true. Exhibitors who are now critical and belligerent would
do well in having a closer insight to production problems.
Our committee was enthusiastic about the possibility of
the Seminars to be conducted by COMPO late this fall.

"FINALLY in summation this committee listed pictures
that are a matter of pride to all exhibitors everywhere :
BATTLEGROUND, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN,
FATHER OF THE BRIDE, THE BROKEN ARROW,
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, THE MEN, ROCKETSHIP
XM, TEA FOR TWO, ALL THE KING'S MEN, CIN-
DERELLA, THE FLAME AND THE ARROW, TREAS-
URE ISLAND, FRANCIS, DESTINATION MOON,
SANDS OF IWO JIMA, WINCHESTER '75, to name
only a few. With releases such as these there is nothing
basically wrong with our industry.

"We do, however, urgently request: (1) a more orderly
release of a variety of types of pictures; (2) fewer bad titles;
and (3) less crime, murder and psychos."

The Film Rental Committee's report contained the fol-
lowing recommendations:

"We recommend the formation in each exchange center
of a committee of three . . . and alternates to investigate any
and all distress theatre situations involving members which
may be brought to their attention. The duties of the com-
mittee will be to thoroughly analyze the complaint involved
and determine its merits. If the complaint is justified and
the distress is apparently caused by excessive film rentals,
the committee shall call upon the exhibitor to furnish a cer-
tified public accountant's statement to corroborate the facts
of his complaint. Using this information as a basis, the
committee shall call upon each film company involved at-
tempting to secure proper adjustments. Lacking cooperation
locally, the committee shall submit the case to the Asso-
ciation's executive office for submission to the General
Sales Manager.

"If the committee finds that in addition to excessive film
rentals the distress is due in part to lack of showmanship
and/or poor physical operation, it shall assist with any
means at its disposal in correcting these problems.

"We further recommend that the Department of Com-
merce of the United States be requested to prepare a report
for guidance of our members, showing percentage of the
expense items and profit in relation to grosses applicable to
proper conduct of motion picture theatres. In the event that
the Department of Commerce should decline to render this
service, then a nationally known statistical organization be
retained. This analysis shall include grosses from $250.00
to $5,000.00 per week.

"We reaffirm the resolution unanimously adopted at the
convention at Sun Valley in 1949 pertaining to the inv
proper handling of film bids. The evils previously con-
demned are still in existence. V/e suggest that a representa-

tive of the PCCITO meet with representatives of the film
companies to correct the abuses now practiced."

MARTIN AND LEWIS RECANT

The vigorous protests made last week by spokesmen of
different industry groups against the Dean Martin-Jerry
Lewis television skit that ridiculed the efforts of exhibitors
to attract patrons have had a sobering effect on the come-
dians, who issued the following statement to the press at
the week end: —

"We have read in the trade press and have received copies
of exhibitors' telegrams complaining about our appearance
Sunday evening, September 17, in the TV sketch of attend-
ance at a movie theatre.

"Odd as it may seem, it never occurred to us that this
material would be construed as injurious to the industry.
Had we thought so, we never would have performed it.

"As you know, we are relatively new to motion pictures
and are equally new to television and radio. Our principal
experience has been in the intimate atmosphere of night
clubs and personal appearances where satire is always ac-
cepted in good fun and without complaint. We now realize,
however, that such is not always the case with respect to
radio, television or movies which reach vast audiences.

"We regret, exceedingly, this incident and wish to assure
the exhibitors that it will not happen again."

Having realized their mistake and having been big enough
to admit it and to give assurances that it will not happen
again, Martin and Lewis deserve forgiveness. Any thoughts
the exhibitors may have had about reprisals should be
forgotten.

FAVORABLE NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY

In its September 9 issue this paper reproduced from the
Hollywood Reporter a powerful statement on what all free-
dom-loving people are faced with as a result of Russian
aggression. This statement, under the heading, "Let Us
Make No Mistake About it," was signed by Cecil B. de-
Mille, Y. Frank Freeman, Samuel Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer,
Joseph M. Schenck, Albert, Harry M. and Jack L. Warner,
John Wayne and Darryl F. Zanuck.

The statement was so well written and so enlightening
that this paper urged its exhibitor readers to bring it to the
attention ol their local newspaper editors as an example of
the fact that an important segment of Hollywood's top
brass is aware to the responsibilities imposed on them by
good citizenship.

Following through on this suggestion, Mr. Ellison Loth,
head of The Waynesboro Theatres Corporation, of Waynes-
boro, Virginia, and Mr. A. A. Holler, assistant manager of
the Fenray Photoplay Company, operators of the Fenray
and Elzane Theatres in Martins Ferry, Ohio, have sent to
this office tear sheets from their local newspapers, each of
which reproduced the statement in full as the leading edi-
torial feature on their editorial pages in their issues of
September 18, with each giving full credit to the signers.

The Waynesboro 'Njews-Virginian, in an editor's note,
said partly that it "has repeatedly urged all-out mobilization
for possible World War III . . . economic and military,"
and that it was reproducing the statement "because it empha-
sizes the seriousness of our present situation."

The Martins Ferry Times-Leader had this to say in part:

"Brought to our attention the other day was an adver-
tisement . . . signed and paid for by 10 of Hollywood's
top picture people. . . .

"We feel it pictures about as clearly as anything written
recently what lies in store for Americans over the next
decade. We disagree with some of the wording of the last
paragraph of the piece in which it is alleged '. . . our Gov-
ernment has seen the Russian danger and knows full well
how boldly and rapidly we must act. . . .' They possibly
see it now, but five years or so ago they certainly didn't or
we wouldn't be in this position, and steps currently being
undertaken won't halt the inflation which is proving so dis-
astrous to the economy we hope will provide the physical
needs to meet the crisis.

"We feel the American people are considerably ahead of
the administration in their thinking and in their realization
of the necessary steps to avoid slavery. That thinking is
certainly reflected in the article prepared for the movie
moguls, and so we pass it along. . . ."

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE

Entered as second-class matter January -1, l'J21, at the post office at New York, NeSv York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1950 No. 40

THE ALLIED CONVENTION

In an effort to eliminate competitive bidding between
independent exhibitors, National Allied's board of directors,
meeting prior to the organization's three-day annual conven-
tion held in Pittsburgh this week, directed Abram F. Myers,
its general counsel, to meet with representatives of the de-
fendant distributors in the New York anti'trust case to dis-
cuss ways and means of arriving at a more equitable interpre-
tation of the words "or others" in the anti-discrimination
clause of the final decree.

Myers contends that the words in question, construed in
the light of the pleadings, evidence and findings in the case,
warrant resort to competitive bidding only on the application
of an independent exhibitor competing on a run with an
affiliated or large circuit theatre that is wrongly seeking to
corral the product. Myers contends further that, since the
independent theatres were not parties to the suit there is
nothing in the decree that requires competitive bidding
where two independents are competing for product, and that
the major distributors are wrongfully interpreting the de-
cree to their own advantage when they call for bidding in
such situations. The imposition of bidding in such cases
serves to boost film rentals by setting the exhibitors against
one another.

Failing to come to an agreement with the distributors in
this matter, Myers was authorized by the Board to take the
matter up with the Department of Justice.

Another action taken by the Board was to extend Allied's
membership in COMPO for another year.

Among the many highlights of the convention were the
personal appearances of four major distributor sales mana-
gers, including William F. Rodgers, MGM; Andy W. Smith,
Jr., 20th Century-Fox; Alfred W. Schwalberg, Paramount;
and Robert Mochrie, RKO. Each made an effective talk to
the delegates present, and each submitted himself volun-
tarily to questions from the convention floor.

Rodgers, among other matters, took up the problem of
competitive bidding and emphasized that his company had
not invited the procedure. "It has been followed," he said,
"only because we know of no other method to satisfy com-
peting interests who are seeking the same position as to
product and its availability. We do invite, however, any
ideas or suggestions for any other plan of procedure that
will have as an objective the same principles desired by
those who are seeking something they heretofore have not
enjoyed and to which they believe they are entitled."

He pointed out that a condition of overbidding exists in
some situations, and that, though his company deplores such
a condition, "the competing interests often do not favor a
solution and have repeatedly refused our overtures to make
our product available in some equitable manner." He warned
that unless these situations discontinue overbidding, his
company may find it necessary to refuse to consider such
bids "to protect such erring participants from themselves."

"Generally," said Rodgers, "the complaints about bidding
come from those who, in the past, may not have appreciated
the rights of others and who may have enjoyed a priority
that now, under the decree, they may not continue to re-
ceive. On the other hand, many competitive theatres have
been successful in securing product they long claimed they
should have the right to compete for. . . . We expect to con-
tinue to offer our product in the fairest manner we know
how and that is in free and open competition, regardless of
personalities, affiliations or buying power and in doing so
we are not going to be deterred by those who, because of
this, accuse us of being unfriendly."

Rodgers revealed that out of 450 situations now bidding
competitively for MGM product, 200 involve affiliated or
former affiliated theatres in competition with independents.
Of 10,522 pictures involved, 5,396 have been awarded to
independents, 4,431 to the affiliates, and 695 were not sold.
In 147 situations where bidding is between representative
independent circuits and individual independent theatres,
and where 6,251 pictures were involved, 3,016 were awarded
to the individuals, 2,716 to the circuits, and 519 were not
sold. In 94 situations where two independents were bidding
against each other, and where 3,803 pictures were involved,
the division was 1,902 pictures in one instance, 1,746 in
the other instance, and 155 pictures unsold. "This record,"
declared Rodgers, "speaks for itself."

Elsewhere in his talk, Rodgers urged greater attendance
at tradeshows; asked that drive-in operators avoid the adop-
tion of free admissions, threatening to decline to do busi-
ness with such offenders; and asked for complete support of
COMPO.

To complaints from the floor about the forcing of un-
wanted pictures, Rodgers stated flatly that, if it can be
proved that an MGM man forced a picture, that man would
be discharged immediately. "That goes for me, too," he
added.

Andy W. Smith, Jr., in his talk, offered exhibitors in small
towns and outlying areas away from distribution centers a
license agreement covering a full season's product to facili-
tate their bookings. Smith defined these theatres as those
that have a limited ability to gross; that operate in many
instances for less than a full week, even one night; and that
are for the most part actually operated by the exhibitor and
his family, thus giving them limited opportunity to visit the
exchange center and make deals for pictures. Although
salesmen are sent to these situations as often as possible,
said Smith, the procedure is costly and has had its disadvan-
tages for both the exhibitor and his company.

Stating that the license agreement will cover product re-
leased from September 1, 1950 through August 31, 1951,
Smith said that the standard form of contract will be em-
ployed and, in addition to the regular clauses, there will be
three riders, the fust stating the number of feature pictures
involved, the second protecting the exhibitor's right to can-

( Continued on bac\ page)

158

HARRISON'S REPORTS

October 7, 1950

"The Jackpot" with James Stewart
and Barbara Hale

(20th Century -Fox, J^ovember; time, 85> min.)

Hilarious is the word for this rollicking comedy, which
satirizes the problems that beset an easygoing, moderately
successful family man when he becomes the winner of a huge
jackpot prize on a radio giveaway show. It is an uproarious
romp from start to finish, with rapid-fire laugh situations
that are sure to hit the mass audience right smack in its
composite funnybone. The comedy stems from the fact that,
having won $24,000 in assorted merchandise, the hero
discovers that the prizes are taxable to the tune of $7,000,
a debt he is unable to meet. His frenzied efforts to raise the
tax money by selling some of the prizes get him into jams
that will leave the spectator weak from laughter. James
Stewart is ideal as the bewildered hero; his performance is
one of his best light-comedy jobs. Barbara Hale is just right
as his wife, and there is competent support from James
Gleason, Alan Mowbray and Patricia Medina in lesser roles.
Credit is due Walter Lang, the director, for his expert han-
dling of the story material and of the players, for in less
competent hands the whole farce might have collapsed into
silly nonsense. As it is, he has fashioned a comedy that is
fresh, wholesome and good fun: —

Stewart, a minor executive in a small-town department
store, lives in a modest home with his wife and two children.
When he receives a call from a radio network informing
him that he will be called that night as a contestant in a
quiz program, he thinks at first that it is a gag, but he
learns that the call was genuine and, after much fretting and
the help of several friends, comes up with the correct answer.
Within a few days he starts to receive a vast assortment of
merchandise from home freezers to diamond rings, all of
which clutters up his home and his lawn. In addition, Alan
Mowbray, a famous interior decorator, arrives to redecorate
his home, and Patricia Medina, a comely French artist,
comes to paint his portrait in oil. Stewart's elation subsides
considerably when he learns that the prizes are subject to
an income tax of $7,000. He decides to sell some of the
merchandise and, on the advice of James Gleason, a news-
paperman pal, goes to Chicago to sell a diamond ring to a
big-time gambler. He meets the gambler in a bookie joint
just as it is raided and is taken into custody. The police try
unsuccessfully to make him admit that the gambler is his
"fence" before they free him. Returning home, Stewart
finds that he had been fired for selling his prizes to custo-
mers in the store, and that his wife suspected him of having
an affair with Patricia, whom he had been visiting secretly;
Barbara did not know that Stewart, as a surprise, had ar-
ranged with Patricia to paint her portrait from a photo-
graph. With Stewart and Barbara on the verge of parting, it
all comes to a happy ending when Patricia delivers the
painting, and when the gambler, appreciating the way
Stewart had protected him, sends him enough money for
the ring to meet the income tax problem.

It was produced by Samuel G. Engel from a screen play
by Phoebe and Henry Ephron, based on an article in The
T^ew Tor\er by John McNulty.

Excellent for the family.

"Rocky Mountain" with Errol Flynn
and Patrice Wymore

(Warner Bros., 7<iov. 11; time, 83 min.)
A fairly interesting western-type melodrama. The story,
which is a mixture of moods and tension, is well written
and differs from the usual plot formulas employed in pictures
of this kind, but it may not be relished by the western
picture addicts, for it is given more to talk than to action,
with almost the entire proceedings taking place within the
confines of a rocky peak in the middle of the California
desert. But the lack of excitement in the early reels is more
than made up for at the finish, where the hero and his men,
though hopelessly outnumbered, make a wild charge against
attacking Indians and are killed to a man by the shrieking
savages. It is one of the most exciting Indian battles ever

staged. The direction and acting are competent, and the
photography exceptionally fine: —

Under orders of Gen. Robert E. Lee, Errol Flynn leads
a small band of Confederate soldiers to California to keep
a rendezvous with a band of outlaws in a daring scheme to
gain control of the West for the Confederacy. While wait-
ing for the outlaws on a rocky plateau in the desert, Flynn
and his men drive off a band of Indians attacking a stage-
coach and rescue Patrice Wymore. Flynn gives her sanctu-
ary and learns that she was on her way to the coast to meet
Scott Forbes, her fiance, an officer in the Union army. When
Forbes and a scouting party of three soldiers and three
Indians come looking for Patrice, Flynn captures them.
One of the Indians escape and before long smoke spires rise
from the surrounding hills indicating an impending Indian
attack. Forbes asks Flynn to allow him to escort Patrice to
the safety of a garrison 60 miles distant, promising to re
turn, but Flynn refuses. Later, Forbes escapes alone. Mean-
while Flynn and Patrice are mutually attracted. The Indians
eventually break out of the hills for the attack, and Flynn,
to save Patrice, decides to lead his patrol away in full sight
of the Indians so as to lure them away and give Patrice a
chance to escape. Finding themselves boxed in a canyon,
Flynn and his men wheel about and make a wild but hope-
less charge against the redskins. All are killed. Forbes, re
turning with a patrol, discovers the massacre. He directs
his men to raise the Confederate flag on the spot as a
tribute to the rebels' gallantry.

It was produced by William Jacobs and directed by
William Keighley from a story by Alan LeMay, who wrote
the screen play with Winston Miller.

Suitable for the family.

"To Please a Lady" with Clark Gable,
Barbara Stanwyck and Adolphe Menjou

(MGM, October; time, 91 min.)

This auto racing melodrama should go over well with the
rank and file. The story is thin and contrived, but it is
fast-moving, exciting and romantic, providing the kind of
entertainment the masses have always enjoyed. Moreover,
Clark Gable, as a tough but dashing devil-may-care racing
driver, and Barbara Stanwyck, as a powerful syndicated
columnist who almost ruins him before they fall in love,
are cast in the type of roles that should delight their fans.
A good part of the footage is given over to auto racing, and
its depiction of the dangers and hazards of the sport, with
its smash-ups and suddent death, make for many thrills.
One sequence, which is devoted to death-defying auto stunts,
is highly exciting. The big event, of course, is the Memorial
Day 500-mile race at Indianapolis Speedway: —

Gable, an expert but reckless driver in midget races, is
decidedly unpopular with the racing crowd because of his
ruthless tactics on the track. He is rude to Barbara when
she interviews him, and later, when he causes the death of
another driver, she brands him as a murderer in her column.
The resultant publicity bans him from every midget race
track. Risking his neck, he goes in for stunt driving and
soon earns enough money to buy a big racing car. Barbara
keeps in touch with his activities and, though she resents
him, soon realizes that she is in love with him, a fact she
unsuccessfully tries to hide from Adolphe Menjou, her
confidante and aide. Gable, too, is attracted to her, but their
budding romance travels a rocky road because of their failure
to understand each other. Meanwhile Gable wins fame and
fortune as a big-car driver and qualifies for the Indianapolis
classic. Shortly thereafter, when a shady business man com-
mits suicide because of the publicity given to his dealings
in Barbara's column, Barbara realizes that she is as much a
killer as Gable even though neither meant to kill. She rushes
to Indianapolis to reconcile with him. During the race,
Gable, though in the lead, sacrifices victory and endangers
his own life to save another driver from a collision, thus
convincing Barbara that he had changed his ways.

It was produced and directed by Clarence Brown from a
story and screen play by Barre Lyndon and Marge Decker.

Adult fare.

October 7, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

159

"Wyoming Mail" with Stephen McNally,
Alexis Smith and Howard da Silva

(UnivAnt'l, October; time, 87 min.)

A good Technicolor outdoor action melodrama. Set in
the Wyoming Territory shortly after the Civil War, at a
time when the railroads took over the transportation of the
U. S. Mails from the stagecoaches, its story about a secret
government agent's efforts to track down a gang of train
robbers has plenty of two-fisted action, gunplay and well'
sustained suspense to satisfy those who enjoy western-type
film fare. The idea of the hero posing as a criminal to get
in with the gang is not novel, but as presented in the
incident-packed script it holds one's interest throughout.
The direction and acting are competent, the production
quality good, and the outdoor photography effective: —

When Roy Roberts, district supervisor, is unable to halt
a series of holdups on mail cars traveling through the Wyo-
ming territory, the Government enlists the services of
Stephen McNally, a war hero, and sends him to Cheyenne
as a secret agent to follow up a lead supplied by the local
telegrapher. McNally arrives minutes after his informant is
shot dead, and he traces the murder to Ed Begley, warden
of a prison nearby. In Cheyenne, McNally meets and is
attracted to Alexis Smith, a saloon songstress. Shortly there-
after, he arranges to have himself imprisoned as an escaped
bank robber. There he meets Whit Bissell, a convict, who
supplies him with leads to the gang, with which Begley had
a connection. Armando Silvestre, an Indian guide and
McNally's outside contact, effects his escape from prison.
Following Bissell's leads, McNally gets himself accepted by
the gang and learns that it is headed by Howard da Silva,
who worked as a mail train guard. He is shocked to learn
also that Alexis, too, worked with the gang. When plans for
another holdup are made, McNally sends the Indian to
telegraph the authorities. The dispatcher, a secret member
of the gang, shoots down the Indian when he reveals Mc-
Nally's identity, and sends Alexis to warn the gang. But
Alexis, desiring to turn straight, warns McNally and offers
to help him. Da Silva learns of the doublecross and prepares
to dispose of both Alexis and McNally. But McNally nar-
rowly escapes from the gang and, after much gunplay, pre-
vents the robbery, captures the culprits, unmasks Roberts
as the gang's mastermind, and rescues Alexis. McNally wins
a pardon for Alexis to avoid spending their honeymoon
in jail.

It was produced by Aubrey Schenck and directed by
Reginald Le Borg from a screen play by Harry Essex and
Leonard Lee, based on a story by Robert H. Andrews.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Woman on the Run" with Ann Sheridan
and Dennis O'Keef e

(Univ.dnt'l, October; time, 77 min.)

Although it is cut from a more or less conventional story
pattern and is somewhat far-fetched, this murder mystery
melodrama should prove acceptable to theatre-goers gener-
ally. Revolving around a manhunt for a missing witness to
a gangland murder, it has a fair share of excitement and
suspense, crisp dialogue, and moves along at a steady pace.
The killer's identity becomes known to the audience early
in the proceedings, but this serves to heighten the suspense
since he, posing as a reporter, had won the confidence of
Ann Sheridan, the missing man's wife, and was using her
blind friendship in an effort to dispose of her husband. The
closing scenes, where the killer stalks Ann's husband in an
amusement park while she, trapped on a scenic railway, is
unable to warn him, hold one tense. The authentic San Fran-
cisco backgrounds give the film a semi-documentary flavor: —

While walking his dog, Ross Elliott witnesses the fatal
shooting of a shady character and is shot at himself by the
fleeing murderer. The police arrive seconds later, and Elliott,
frightened but unharmed, tells them that he could identify
the murderer in a line-up, but not wishing to become in-
volved he sneaks away. Determined to find Elliott, Inspector

Robert Keith tries to enlist the aid of Ann Sheridan, Elliott's
wife who, on the verge of divorcing him, refuses to cooperate
out of a belief that her husband had run away from her.
Keith informs Ann that Elliott is suffering from a danger-
ous heart malady — a fact she confirms — and must take cer-
tain pills. Realizing that she must find Elliott and give him
a supply of pills, Ann, eluding the police, tries to track him
down. She is aided by Dennis O'Keefe, a reporter, who
offers to pay her $1,000 if she will lead him to her husband
for an exclusive interview. A cryptic letter received from
Elliott not only tells Ann that he is hiding out at a beach
amusement park but that he wants to live only if she cared
for him, thus convincing her that he still loved her. Mean-
while it develops that O'Keefe himself is the killer when
he murders a Chinese girl who unwittingly possessed a clue
that could lead to him. He accompanies Ann to the beach
and arranges with her to tell Elliott to meet him under the
scenic railway ramp. As Elliott goes to meet O'Keefe, Ann
boards a roller coaster and, recalling a remark dropped by
O'Keefe, realizes that he is the killer and that he planned to
murder Elliott to get him out of the way. After a torturous
ride, she rushes to warn her husband only to find that the
police, having discovered that O'Keefe is the murderer,
had arrived in time to kill him and rescue Elliott.

It was produced by Howard Welsch, and directed by
Norman Foster, who wrote the screen play with Alan Camp-
bell, based on a story by Sylvia Tate.

Adult fare.

"The Miniver Story" with Greer Garson
and Walter Pidgeon

(MGM, October; time, 104 min.)

As a general rule, sequels to highly successful works
rarely match the quality of the original, and this rule seems
to hold true in the case of "The Miniver Story." It is an
out and out tear-jerker, with a number of tender passages
and a somewhat sad ending, but unlike "Mrs. Miniver," its
predecessor, the story's effect on one's emotions is not deep
because of its blatantly theatrical quality. It may go over
with women whose emotions are stirred easily, but most
picture-goers will probably find it disappointing, for the
story is synthetic, the continuity uneven, the characteriza-
tions unconvincing, the pace tedious, and the acting so
attitudinized that many of the scenes strike a pompous and
false note. Its box-office success will depend on the fame of
the original and on the drawing power of the stars.

Opening on V-E Day in London, the story depicts a
pallid Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson) rejoicing in a victory
celebration with an American colonel (John Hodiak), who
admits his love for her prior to his departure for home.
In due time she welcomes home from service overseas Clem
(Walter Pidgeon), her husband, and Judy (Cathy O'Don-
nell), her daughter, but does not reveal to them that she is
ill and had been given at the most one year to live. She
determines to devote her remaining months to adjusting
their problems. Clem, an architect, finds war-torn London
depressing and wants to accept an assignment in Brazil.
A more important problem is Judy, who spurns the love of
Tom Foley (Richard Gale), a wholesome local lad, because
of her infatuation for a married brigadier general (Leo
Genn). Mrs. Miniver visits the brigadier and dissuades him
from getting a divorce to marry Judy by convincing him
that he is still in love with his wife. Judy, angered by her
mother's intereference, sees the light when Mrs. Miniver
shows her a letter from Hodiak in which he points out that
he is happily married and that the love he had felt for her
was spurious, the result of a wartime kinship. With Judy's
problem solved, Mrs. Miniver's happiness is complete when
her husband decides to remain in England. She then tells
him of her condition. Heartbroken, he does his utmost to
make her remaining days happy and comfortable, and she
lives long enough to sec her daughter marry young Foley.

It was produced by Sidney Franklin and directed by H. C.
Potter from a screen play by Ronald Millar and George
Froeschel.

Suitable for the iauiily.

160

HARRISON'S REPORTS

October 7, 1950

eel, and the third stating that the licensing of one picture ia
not conditioned upon the licensing of another. The use of
this form of contract will be optional with the exhibitor.
Individual forms of contracts for each picture will be made
available to those who prefer to deal on that basis.

"Each of our branch managers," said Smith, "is being
requested by me to furnish a list of the theatres in his ex'
change area which he feels qualifies for service under our
plan.

". . . our salesmen will be in a position to state by title,
and in many instances, the names of the producer and direc
tor, stars and leading players, as to each picture to be served.

"Our plan for rental is to establish with each customer
film rental terms to be paid for different classifications of
pictures. We propose 3 classifications which shall be 1, 2
and 3 and with a stipulated rental agreement for each pic-
ture in each classification.

"In the case of classification No. 1, that may be made up
in whole or in part of percentage pictures. It is our belief,
however, that for the kind of theatres we plan to serve under
this arrangement, that there must be a very limited number
of percentage pictures.

"Pictures will be discussed with our customer picture by
picture, and an agreement mutually arrived at will be written
up with a stipulated number of pictures that fall in each
classification. These pictures will not be designated by title."

Smith added that his company will proceed with the im-
mediate operation of the plan, and that for the present it
will be considered as being "in a state of being tested," with
its continuance depending on how satisfactory it proves to
the exhibitors as well as the company.

Alfred W. Schwalberg, in his address, paid tribute to
Allied's efforts to solve industry problems, and assured the
Allied leaders that he would willingly join hands with them
in any plan to bring about a better exhibitor-distributor
understanding.

Robert Mochrie, in his talk, urged the exhibitors to exploit
pictures more fully, and to give new talent a break by not
refusing pictures because it doesn't have names.

He also outlined RKO's new policy of selling "A" pic-
tures on a flat rental basis to theatres that gross in the $200
to $300 class.

Like Bill Rodgers, Mochrie, as well as Smith and Schwal-
berg, said that, upon proper proof, their companies stand
ready to cancel any picture that had been forced on an
exhibitor.

The various film buying clinics held in connection with
the convention were most constructive, according to the
reports submitted by the different moderators at the closing
session. Trueman Rembusch, Allied's president, said that
these clinics will become an integral part of all future Allied
conventions.

Col. H. A. Cole, co-ordinator of the film clinic activities,
reported that the two main developments to come out of the
seminars were complaints that the distributors were still
forcing pictures, and exhibitor fears of reprisal if they
voiced their grievances. Based on Cole's report, the dele-
gates adopted unanimously a resolution calling upon the dis-
tributors to provide dated worksheets to be signed and left
with the exhibitor by the salesman after having offered or
tentatively worked out any deals. These worksheets, said
Cole, will provide an exhibitor with the necessary proof in
the event a salesman tried to force a picture on him.

Questioned by Cole on the matter, Schwalberg immedi-
ately agreed to supply the worksheets, but Mochrie and
Smith asked for additional time to study it. Bill Rodgers,
however, saw little merit in the plan and explained that it
would interfere with efficient and economic selling.

Other convention highlights included the keynote address
by Charles Niles, of Iowa-Nebraska, who urged the dele-

gates to take action on the exorbitant film rental demands of
the distributors; an appearance by Gene Autry, who de-
fended his right to make films for television and cited figures
to prove that the exhibitors had not permitted him to make
a fair profit on his films for theatres; a talk by Arthur L.
Mayer, COMPO's executive vice-president, who explained
COMPO's objectives and urged the exhibitors to give it a
fair trial; the adoption of a resolution, after spirited debate,
directing Allied's Board to study the advisability of a plan
for cooperative buying of equipment supplies and candy for
such Allied units as desire to avail themselves of it; a brief
appearance by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis to express their
regrets for their recent television skit ridiculing the theatres,
a gesture that was enthusiastically applauded by the conven-
tion delegates; a talk by Mr. Myers, who took up the matter
of competitive bidding between independent exhibitors, and
told the delegates of the Board's decision to press for a
solution to the problem; and a typical militant speech by
Bennie Berger, North Central Allied president, who casti-
gated the distributors for their percentage selling policies
which, he said, takes so much out of the gross that it kills
the incentive of the exhibitor to get out and sell the picture.

"State Secret" with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
and Glynis Johns

(Columbia, October; time, 97 min.)

A very good British-made chase melodrama. It is a lively,
intriguing thriller that takes place in an unnamed Balkan
country and revolves around an American surgeon who finds
himself marked for death because of his knowledge that the
country's ruthless dictator had died — an explosive state
secret that jeopardized the future of the ruling regime. His
escape from the authorities makes for a highly exciting chase,
one that never flags in interest, pace and suspense because
of the many hair-raising adventures experienced by the
hero and by a pert music-hall performer who comes to his
aid. Some nice touches of humor are worked into the pro-
ceedings. Photographed in Italy, the street-by-street man-
hunt, climaxed by a climb over a steep mountain, provides
the film with highly interesting backgrounds. The direction
and acting are excellent: —

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., an American surgeon, is invited
to a dictator-controlled Balkan country on the pretext of
receiving a medical award. Upon arriving he agrees to dem-
onstrate a delicate operation he had perfected, and in the
midst of the operation he discovers that the patient is none
other than the dictator himself. The dictator dies as a result
of the surgery, whereupon Jack Hawkins, the secret police
head, decides that Fairbanks must be "liquidated" to prevent
word of the dictator's death from leaking out to the people
prior to the elections. Fairbanks escapes from the palace
and takes refuge from the police-filled streets in a theatre.
Backstage, he corners Glynis Johns, a singer, and persuades
her to hide him. When Fairbanks is recognized by a fellow-
performer who notifies the police, Glynis, now involved, is
compelled to flee with him. Together they manage to black-
mail Herbert Lom, a notorious black-marketeer, into help-
ing them to escape. They travel part of the way by river
barge and thence by foot over perilous mountains to elude
border guards who had been alerted to prevent them from
leaving the country. They are captured just as they approach
the border, and Hawkins once again makes plans for the
"liquidation." But just as he gets set to execute Fairbanks
the radio blares the news that the dictator had been assas-
sinated. Actually, the murdered man was a double, whom
Hawkins had been utilizing to cover up the death of the
actual dictator. Public knowledge of the dictator's death
leaves Hawkins with no reason to "liquidate" Fairbanks and
Glynis who, now in love, are permitted to leave the country
together for a happier life.

It is a Frank Launder-Sidney Gilliat production, pro-
duced, directed and written by Mr. Gilliat.

Unobjectionable morally.

IN TWO SECTIONS — SECTION TWO

HARRISON'S REPORTS

Vol. XXXII NEW YORK, N. Y., SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1950 No. 40

(Partial Index No. 5— Pages 130 to 156 Inclusive)

Titles of Pictures Reviewed on Page

All About Eve — 20th Century-Fox (138 min.) 146

Between Midnight and Dawn — Columbia (89 min.) ... 155

Big Timber — Monogram (73 min.) 154

Border Rangers — Lippert (57 min.) not reviewed

Border Treasure — RKO (59 min.) not reviewed

Born to Be Bad— RKO (94 min.) 135

Breaking Point, The — Warner Bros. (97 min.) 147

Cassino to Korea — Paramount (58 min.) 154

Chain Gang — Columbia (70 min.) 155

Dancing Years, The — Monogram (98 min.) 131

Dial 1119— MGM (75 min.) 154

Farewell to Yesterday — 20th Century-Fox (90 min.).. 147

Fireball, The— 20th Century-Fox (84 min.) 131

Frisco Tornado — Republic (60 min.) not reviewed

Fuller Brush Girl, The— Columbia (85 min.) 146

Glass Menagerie, The — Warner Bros. ( 107 min.) 150

I Killed Geronimo — Eagle-Lion (63 min.) 142

I'll Get By— 20th Century-Fox (83 min.) 155

Indian Territory — Columbia (70 min.) not reviewed

King Solomon's Mines — MGM (102 min.) 154

Lonely Heart Bandits — Republic (60 min.) 140

Madeleine — Univ.-Int'l (101 min.) 139

Mister 880 — 20th Century-Fox (90 min.) 134

Mr. Music — Paramount (113 min.) 138

My Blue Heaven — 20th Century-Fox (96 min.) 134

Outrage— RKO (75 min.) 135

Petty Girl, The— Columbia (87 min.) 130

Prisoners in Petticoats — Republic (60 min.) 151

Redwood Forest Trail — Republic (60 min) .. not reviewed

Return of Jesse James, The — Lippert (75 min.) 139

Right Cross— MGM (90 min.) 130

Rookie Fireman — Columbia (63 min.) 142

Saddle Tramp— Univ.-Int'l (77 min.) 136

Shakedown — Univ.-Int'l (80 min.) 136

Showdown, The — Republic (86 min.) 138

Silver Raiders — Monogram (55 min.) not reviewed

Sleeping City, The— Univ.-Int'l (84 min.) 142

Sunset in the West — Republic (60 min.) . . . .not reviewed

Tea for Two— Warner Bros. (98 min.) 130

Three Secrets — Warner Bros. (98 min.) 139

Timber Fury — Eagle-Lion (60 min.) 150

Toast of New Orleans, The— MGM (98 min.) 134

Triple Trouble — Monogram (66 min.) 138

Walk Softly, Stranger— RKO (81 min.) 135

When You're Smiling — Columbia (75 min.) 136

RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR FEATURES
Allied Artists Features

(1560 Broadway, Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)
(Distribution through Monogram)

16 There's a Girl in My Heart — Knox-Bowman-Jean . .Jan.

17 Southside 1-1000— DeFore-King Nov. 12

18 Short Grass — Cameron-Downs Dec. 3

Columbia Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)
1949-50

237 The Good Humor Man — Carson-Albright June

233 Fortunes of Captain Blood — Hay ward June

251 Hoedown — Eddy Arnold June

266 Texas Dynamo — Charles Starrett (54 m.) . . . .June 1
202 State Penitentiary — Baxter-Stevens June 8

243 Rogues of Sherwood Forest — Derek-Lynn July

244 711 Ocean Drive— O'Brien-Dru July

247 Beyond the Purple Hills— Gene Autry (70 m.)..July

240 Captive Girl — Johnny Weissmuller July

220 David Harding, Counterspy — St. John-Long. .July 13

215 On the Isle of Samoa — Jon Hall Aug.

242 In a Lonely Place — Bogart-Grahame Aug.

264 Streets of Ghost Town — Starrett (54 m.) ....Aug. 3

207 Beware of Blondie — Lake-Singleton Aug. 10

249 Indian Territory — Gene Autry (70 m.) Sept.

262 Across the Badlands — Starrett Sept 14

239 The Fuller Brush Girl— Ball-Albert Oct.

(End o/ 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

324 Convicted — Ford-Crawford Aug.

317 The Petty Girl — Cummings-Caulfield Sept.

304 When You're Smiling — Courtland-Albright. .Sept. 21

Last of the Bucaneers — Henreid-Ooakie Oct.

311 Rookie Fireman — Williams-Reynolds Oct. 12

Raiders of Tomahawk Creek — Starrett Oct. 26

328 Between Midnight and Dawn — Stevens-O'Brien'

Storm (formerly "Prowl Car") Oct.

Eagle-Lion Classics Features

(165 West 46th St., Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)

066 Timber Fury — Bruce-Lee June

030 It's a Small World— Dale-Miller June

016 The Blue Lamp — British cast June

055 Up in Mabel's Room — reissue July

054 Tillie's Punctured Romance — reissue July

058 Abroad with Two Yanks — reissue July

050 Death of a Dream — Documentary July

084 Federal Man — Henry-Blake July

026 Destination Moon — Archer- Anderson Aug.

025 The Torch — Goddard-Armendariz Aug.

045 Eye Witness — Montgomery-Banks Sept.

044 High Lonesome — Barrymore- Wills Sept.

Naughty Arlette — British cast Sept.

071 1 Killed Geronimo — Ellison-Herrick Sept.

Paper Gallows — British cast Sept.

The Taming of Dorothy — British cast Sept.

One Minute to Twelve — Swedish cast Oct.

So Long at the Fair — British cast Oct.

The Second Face — Raines-Bennett-Bruce Oct.

The Kangaroo Kid — Borg-Malone Oct.

Two Lost Worlds — Laura Elliott Oct.

Prehistoric Women — Luez-Nixon Nov.

They Were Not Divided — British cast Nov.

Rogue River — Calhoun-Madison Nov.

Mr. Universe — Carson-Paige-Lahr Nov.

046 The Sun Sets at Dawn — Reed-Parr Nov!

Golden Salamander — British cast Dec.

The Kid from Mexico — Rooney-Hendrix Dec.

Tinderbox — Cartoon feature Dec.

White Heather — Milland-Roc !Dec!

4930
4910
4925
4904
4926
4923
4929
4920
4932
4931
4907
4934
4933
4911

Lippert-Screen Guild Features

(255 Hyde St., San Francisco 2, Calif.)

West of the Brazos — Ellison-Hayden Apr. 28

Operation Haylift — Williams-Rutherford ...May 5

Colorado Ranger — Ellison-Hayden May 12

Rocketship XM — Bridges-O'Brian June 2

Crooked River — Ellison-Hayden June 9

Motor Patrol — Castle-O'Brian June 16

Fast on the Draw — Ellison-Hayden June 30

Hijacked — Davis-Jones July 14

Gunfire — Barry-Lowery Aug. 11

I Shot Billy the Kid — Barry-Neal Aug! 25

Return of Jesse James — Ireland-Dvorak Sept. 8

Train to Tombstone — Barry-Neal Sept. 1 5

Border Rangers — Barry-Neal (57 m.) Oct'. 6

Holiday Rhythm — All-star cast Oct. 13

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Features

( 1 540 Broadway, Hew York 1 9, H- Y. )

1949-50

25 The Reformer 6? the Redhead — Powcll-Allyson . . .May

26 Please Believe Me — Kerr-Walker-Lawford May

27 Shadow on the Wall — Sothern-Scott May

28 The Big Hangover — Johnson-Taylor May

30 Father of the Bride — Tracy-Bennett-Taylor June

31 Skipper Surprised His Wife — Walker-Leslie June

29 The Asphalt Jungle — Hayden-Hagen June

32 The Happy Years — Stockwcll-Hickman July

33 Duchess of Idaho — Williams-Johnson July

41 Crisis — Grant-Ferrer july

35 Mystery Street — Montalban-Forrest July

36 Three Little Words— Astaire-Skelton-EIIcn Aug.

37 Lady Without P.^sport — Lamar-Hodiak Aug.

38 Summer Stock — G.irland-Kelly Aug.

39 Annie Get Your Gun — Hutton-Kcel not set

(Continued on next page)

October 7, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page B

40 Stars in My Crown — McCrea-Drew not set

(End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

103 Toast of New Orleans — Grayson-Lanza-Niven. .Sept.

102 Devil's Doorway — Robert Taylor Sept.

101 A Life of Her Own — Turner-Milland Sept.

106 The Miniver Story — Garson-Pidgeon Oct.

104 Right Cross — Powell- Allyson-Montalban Oct.

105 To Please a Lady — Gable-Stanwyck Oct.

Dial 1119 — Thompson-Brasselle Nov.

Two Weeks with Love — Powell-Montalban Nov.

King Solomon's Mines — Kerr-Granger Nov.

Cause for Alarm — Young-Sullivan Dec.

Pagan Love Song- — Williams-Keel-Montalban ...Dec.
Watch the Birdie — Red Skelton

(formerly "The Camera Man") Dec.

The Next Voice You Hear — Whitmore-Davis. not set
Kim — Flynn-Stockwell not set

Monogram Features

(630 Nmth Ave., Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

1949-50

4905 Bomba and the Lost Volcano — Sheffield June 25

4942 Arizona Territory — Whip Wilson (56 m.) . . .July 2
4923 The Silk Noose — Carole Landis (formerly

"The Silk Stocking Murder") July 9

4919 Snow Dog — Kirby Grant July 16

4903 County Fair — Calhoun-Nigh Aug. 6

4915 Triple Trouble — Bowery Boys Aug. 13

4943 Silver Raiders — Whip Wilson (55 m.) Aug. 20

4908 Big Timber — McDowall-Donnell Sept. 10

4953 Law of the Panhandle — J. M. Brown Sept. 17

4906 Bomba and the Hidden City — Sheffield Sept. 24

4944 Cherokee Uprising — Whip Wilson Oct. 8

4918 Hot Rod— Lydon- Winters Oct. 22

4916 Blues Buster — Bowery Boys

(formerly "Bowery Thrush") Oct. 29

4954 Massacre Valley — J. M. Brown Nov. 26

4945 Outlaws of Texas — Whip Wilson Dec. 10

(more to come)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5199 A Modern Marriage — Hadley-Field Oct. 15

5117 The Squared Circle — Joe Kirkwood Nov. 5

5125 Father's Wild Game— Walburn Nov. 19

Paramount Features

(1501 Broadway, Hew Yor\ 18, H- T.)
1949-50

4916 Eagle & the Hawk — Payne-Fleming-O'Keefe . . .June
4922 My Friend Irma Goes West — Wilson-Lynn . . . .July

4923 The Lawless — Carey-Russell July

4926 The Furies — Stanwyck-Huston Aug.

4927 Sunset Boulevard — Swanson-Holden Aug.

_ (End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5001 Fancy Pants — Hope-Ball Sept.

5002 Union Station — Holden-Olsen Sept.

5003 Copper Canyon — Lamarr-Milland Oct.

5004 Dark City — Heston-Scott Oct.

Going My Way — reissue Oct.

5008 Cassino to Korea — Documentary Oct.

5006 Let's Dance — Hutton-Astaire Nov.

5005 Tripoli— Payne-O'Hara Nov.

5007 Mr. Music — Crosby-Coburn-Hussey Dec.

RKO Features
1948-49

(1250 Sixth Ave., Hew Tor\ 20, H- Y.)
(No national release dates)
018 The Tattooed Stranger — Miles- White

020 Tarzan and the Slave Girl — Barker-Dared .

073 The Capture — Wright-Ayres

074 Wagonmaster — Johnson-Drew

022 Dynamite Pass — Tim Holt (61 m.)

021 The Golden Twenties — Documentary

075 The Secret Fury— Colbert-Ryan

023 The White Tower— Ford- Valli

024 Where Danger Lives — Mitchum-Domergue

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

191 Treasure Island — Driscoll-Newton

151 Our Very Own — Blythe-Granger-Evans ..

101 Born To Be Bad — Fontaine-Ryan

104 Bunco Squad — Sterling-Dixon

152 Edge of Doom — Granger-Andrews-Evans . .
103 Outrage — Andrews-Powers

102 Walk Softly, Stranger — Valli-Cotten

105 Border Treasure — Tim Holt (59 m.)

Republic Features

( 1790 Broadway. Hew Tor\ 19, H- Y.)
1949-50

4920 The Avengers — Carroll-Mara June 26

4945 Trigger, Jr. — Roy Rogers (68 m.) June 30

4965 Covered Wagon Raid — Lane (60 m.) June 30

4921 Trial Without Jury — Rockwell-Taylor July 8

4973 The Old Frontier— Monty Hale (60 m.) July 29

4922 Jungle Stampede — Documentary July 29

4966 Vigilante Hideout — Allan Lane (60 m.)...Aug. 6

4924 The Showdown — Elliott-Brennan-Windsor .Aug. 15

4925 Lonely Heart Bandits — Patrick-Rockwell ... Aug. 29

4967 Frisco Tornado — Allan Lane (60 m.) Sept. 6

4953 Redwood Forest Trail — Rex Allen (60 m.) . .Sept. 18
4929 Prisoners in Petticoats- — Perkins-Rockwell. . .Sept. 18
4943 Sunset in the West — Roy Rogers (67 m.) . .Sept. 25

(more to come)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5001 Surrender — Ralston-Carroll Sept. 15

5002 Hit Parade of 1951— Carroll-Macdonald ...Oct. 15
Rustlers on Horseback — Allan Lane Oct. 23

Selznick Rel. Org. Features

(400 Madison Ave., Hew Yor\ 17, H- Y.)

The Fallen Idol — British cast Nov.

The Third Man— Welles-Valli-Cotten Feb.

Twentieth Century-Fox Features

(444 W. 56th St., Hew Tor\ 19, H- Y.)

013 Night and the City — Tierney-Widmark June

016 Love That Brute — Douglas-Peters June

015 The Gunfighter — Gregory Peck July

017 Where the Sidewalk Ends — Andrews-Tierney . . .July

018 Stella — Sheridan-Mature-Wayne Aug.

020 The Caribou Trail — Randolph Scott Aug.

014 Broken Arrow — Stewart-Paget Aug.

019 The Black Rose— Power-Aubrey-Welles Sept.

021 My Blue Heaven — Grable-Dailey Sept.

022 Panic in the Streets — Widmark-Douglas Sept.

028 Farewell to Yesterday — Documentary Sept.

023 The Fireball — Rooney-O'Brien Oct.

024 Mister 880 — Lancaster-Gwenn-McGuire Oct.

025 No Way Out— Widmark-Darnell Oct.

027 I'll Get By — Haver-Lundigan-De Haven Oct.

029 Two Flags West— Darnell-Wilde-Cotten Nov.

030 All About Eve — Davis-Baxter Nov.

031 The Jackpot — Stewart-Medina Nov.

American Guerrilla in the Philippines —

Power-Prelle Dec.

For Heaven's Sake — Bennett- Webb-Blondell. .. .Dec.

United Artists Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Tor\ 19, H- Y.)

The Whipped — Duryea-Storm-O'Shea June 2

Iroquois Trail — Montgomery-Marshall June 16

Once a Thief — Romero-Havoc-McDonald July 7

The Underworld Story — Duryea-Storm (reviewed

as "The Whipped") July 21

The Admiral Was a Lady — Hendrix-O'Brien Aug. 4

The Men — Brando-Wright Aug. 25

If This Be Sin — Loy-Cummins-Greene Sept. 8

Ellen — Young-Drake-Sutton Oct. 13

Three Husbands — Williams-Arden-Warrick Nov. 17

New Mexico — Ayres-Maxwell-Corey Dec. 1

The Sound of Fury — Ryan-Lovejoy Jan. 15

Universal-International Features

(445 Par\ Ave., Hew Yor\ 22, H- Y.)
1949-50

918 Curtain Call at Cactus Creek — O'Connor-Arden. June

919 Sierra — Murphy-Hendrix June

920 Spy Ring — Toren-Duff June

921 Winchester '73 — Stewart-Winters-Duryea July

922 Peggy — Lynn-Coburn-Greenwood July

923 Adam and Evelyn — British cast July

924 Abbott ii Costello in the Foreign Legion Aug.

925 The Desert Hawk — De Carlo-Greene Aug.

926 Louisa — Coburn-Gwenn-Byington Aug.

927 Madness of the Heart — English cast Aug.

928 Saddle Tramp — McCrea-Hendrix Sept.

929 Shakedown — Duff-Donlevy-Dow Sept.

930 The Sleeping City — Conte-Gray-Dow Sept.

931 Wyoming Mail — McNally-Smith Oct.

932 Woman on the Run — Sheridan-O'Keefe Oct.

905 Tight Little Island — British cast not set

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Page U

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

101 Hamlet — Laurence Olivier Nov.

102 The Milkman — O'Connor-Durante Nov.

103 Deported — Toren-Chandler Nov.

Warner Bros. Features

(321 W. 44th St., Hew York 18, 7s(. T.)
1949-50

923 Destination Tokyo — reissue June 3

924 God Is My Co-Pilot — reissue June 3

925 Caged — Parker-Moorehead June 10

926 This Side of the Law — Lindfors-Smith June 17

927 Return of the Frontiersman — McRae-London. .June 24

928 Bright Leaf — Cooper-Bacall-Carson July 1

929 The Great Jewel Robbery — David Brian July 15

930 The Flame and the Arrow — Lancaster-Mayo . .July 22

931 50 Years Before Your Eyes— Documentary. . . .July 29

932 Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye — Cagney Aug. 19

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

001 Tea for Two — Day-McRae Sept. 2

002 Alcatraz Island — reissue Sept. 9

003 San Quentin — reissue Sept. 9

004 Pretty Baby — Morgan-Drake-Scott Sept. 16

005 Breaking Point — Garfield -Neal Sept. 30

006 Three Secrets — Parker-Neal-Roman Oct. 14

007 The Glass Menagerie — Wyman-Douglas Oct. 28

008 Rocky Mountain — Flynn-Wymore Nov. 11

SHORT SUBJECT RELEASE SCHEDULE

1949-50
Columbia — One Reel

2611 The Timid Pup — Favorite (reissue) (7 m.)..July 6

2810 King of the Jockeys — Sports (9 m.) July 20

2860 Hollywood's Famous Feet —

Screen Snap (8J/2 m.) July 20

2654 Leon 6? Eddie's — Cavalcade of B'way July 27

2505 Giddyap— Jolly Frolics (6|/2 m.) July 27

2612 The Gorilla Hunt — Novelty (8 m.) Aug. 3

2556 Candid Microphone No. 6 (10J/2 m.) Aug. 17

(End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

3601 Happy Tots Expedition— Favorite

(reissue) (7 m.) Sept. 7

3701 Trouble Indemnity — Mr. Magoo (6]/z m.). Sept. 14
3951 Korn Kobblers — Favorite (reissue) (11 m.). Sept. 21
3801 Snow Fiesta — Sports Sept. 28

3851 30th Anniversary Special —

Screen Snap. (11 m.) Sept. 28

3901 Stars of Tomorrow — Novelty Sept. 28

3602 Land of Fun — Favorite (reissue) (16 m.) . . .Oct. 5
3551 Candid Microphone No. 1 Oct. 12

3852 Fun at Shadow Mountain —

Screen Snap. (9l/2 m.) Oct. 19

Columbia — Two Reels
1949-50

2408 Self-Made Maids — Stooges 16 m.) July 6

2426 One Shivery Sight— Hugh Herbert (16J4 m.) . July 13
2416 House About It — Quillan-Vernon (16J/2 m.) .July 20
2180 Atom Man vs. Superman — Serial (15 ep.) . . .July 20
2436 Oh My Nerves! — Favorite (reissue) (17 m.).July 27
# (End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

3401 Three Hams on Rye— Stooges (15l/2 m.) . . .Sept. 7

3411 A Blunderful Time —

Andy Clyde (W/z m.) Sept. 7

3431 Shot in the Escape —

Favorite (reissue) (19 m.) Sept. 14

3402 Studio Stoops — Stooges (16 m.) Oct. 5

3412 Foy Meets Girl— Eddie Foy Oct. 5

3421 Two Roaming Champs — Baer-Rosenblum. . .Oct. 12

Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer — One Reel
1949-50

W-145 Safety Second— Cartoon (7 m.) July 1

S-160 A Wife's Life— Pete Smith (8 m.) July 8

Z-172 Moments in Music — Industry Short (10 m.).July 13
T-119 To the Coast of Devon— Traveltalk (9 m.) . .July 15
T-120 Touring Northern England — Travel. (9m.) .July 29
T-121 Land of Auld Lang Syne— Travel. (8 m.).Aug. 12

T-122 Life on the Thames— Traveltalk (9 m.) Aug. 26

W-146 Albert in Blunderland — Cartoon (8 m.)..Aug. 26
< (End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season
S-251 Wrong Way Butch— Pete Smith (10 m.)..Sept. 2
S-252 Football Thrills No. 13—

Pete Smith (9 m.) Sept. 9

uctoDer /, laou

W-231 The Hollywood Bowl— Cartoon (7 m.)..Sept. 16

W-232 Garden Gopher — Cartoon (6 m.) Sept. 30

W-261 Zoot Cat — Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Oct. 7

W-233 The Framed Cat— Cartoon (7 m.) Oct. 21

Paramount — One Reel
1949-50

E9-6 Jitterbug Jive — Popeye (7 m.) June 23

X9-9 Heap, Hep Injuns — Screen Song (7 m.) . . . .June 30

R9-8 To the Winner— Sportlight (10 m.) July 7

P9-8 Pleased to Eat You — Noveltoon (7 m.) July 21

X9-10 Gobs of Fun— Screen Song (7 m.) July 28

R9-9 The Sporting Suwannee — Sportlight( 10 m.) . Aug. 4
E9-7 Popeye Makes a Movie — Popeye (10 m.)..Aug. 11
P9-9 Goofy, Goofy, Gander — Noveltoon (7 m.). .Aug. 18

X9-U Helter-Swelter— Screen Song (7m.) Aug. 25

R9-10 Operation Jack Frost — Sportlight (10 m.).Sept. 1

K9-6 Cowboy Crazy — Pacemaker (10 m.) Sept. 8

P9-10 Saved by the Bell— Noveltoon (7 m.) Sept. 15

X9-12 Boos in the Night — Screen Song (6 m.). . .Sept. 22

E9-8 Baby Wants Spinach — Popeye (7 m.) Sept. 29

< (End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

R10-1 Desert High Jinks — Sportlight Oct. 6

Z10-1 Her Honor, The Mare — Champion Oct. 13

El 0-1 Quick on the Vigor — Popeye Oct. 13

K10-1 Just for Fun — Pacemaker Oct. 20

B10-1 Casper's Spree Under the Sea — Casper Oct. 27

P10-1 Voice of the Turkey — Noveltoon Nov. 3

Z10-2 We're On Our Way to Rio — Champion . . .Nov. 3

R10-2 Outboard Shenanigans — Sportlight Nov. 10

E10-2 Riot in Rhythm — Popeye Nov. 17

Z10-3 Popeye a la Mode — Champion Nov. 17

PI 0-2 Mice Meeting You — Noveltoon Nov. 24

ZlO-4 Shape Ahoy — Champion Dec. 1

XI 0-1 Fiesta Time — Screen Song Dec. 8

R10-3 Glacier Fishing — Sportlight Dec. 15

K10-2 The City of Beautiful Girls — Pacemaker. . .Dec. 22
B10-2 Once Upon a Rhyme — Casper Dec. 29

Paramount — Two Reels

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

T10-1 The New Pioneers— Special (20 m.) Sept. 1

FF10-1 Mardi Gras— Musical Parade (19 m.) Oct. 6

FF10-2 Caribbean Romance — Musical Parade

(19 min.) Oct. 6

FF10-3 Showboat Serenade — Musical Parade

(20 min.) Oct. 6

FF10-4 You Hit the Spot — Musical Parade Oct. 6

FF10-5 Bombalera — Musical Parade Oct. 6

FF10-6 Halfway to Heaven — Musical Parade ....Oct. 6

RKO — O ne Reel
1949-50

04116 Motor Mania — Disney (7 m.) June 30

04311 BenHogan — Sportscope (reissue) (9 m.) . . . June 30

04705 The Grasshopper ii the Ant-

Disney (reissue) (7 m.) July 7

04212 Nickelodeon Time — Screenliner (9 m.)... July 14

04117 Pests of the West— Disney (7 m.) July 21

04312 Lady of the Deep — Sportscope (8 m.) July 28

04118 Food forFeudin' — Disney (7m.) Aug. 11

04213 Day in Manhattan — Screenliner (8 m.). . .Aug. 11

04706 Brave Little Tailor-

Disney (reissue) (9 m.) Aug. 25

04313 Nova Scotia Woodcock —

Sportscope (8 m.) Aug 25

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

14101 Hook, Lion & Sinker — Disney (7 m.) Sept. 1

RKO — Two Reels
1949-50

03406 Photo Phonies — Comedy Special (16 m.) . . .July 7
03111 House of Mercy — This Is America (15 m.).July 21
(End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

13101 Pinkerton Man — This Is America (16 m.).Sept. 15

Republic — One Reel

9495 Battle for Korea— Special (9 m.) July 1

4877 Glacier National Park —

This World of Ours (9 m.) July 15

4978 Sweden— This World of Ours (9 m.) Aug. 30

Republic — Two Reels

4983 Undersea Kingdom —

Serial (12 ep.) (reissue) July 8

4984 The Invisible Monster— Serial (12 ep.) Sept. 30

HAKK1SUIN o KUirUrvTO rartial index

October 7, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page D

Twentieth Century-Fox — One Reel

5010 The Red Headed Monkey — Terrytoon (7 m.) . .July

8002 New York Philharmonic Orch. — Specialty

(10 m.) July

5011 Dingbat in All This fe? Rabbit Stew— Terry.

(7 m.) July

8003 Music of Manhattan — Specialty (10 m.) July

5012 The Dog Show — Terrytoon (7m.) Aug.

7003 Skitch Henderson fi Orch. — Melody (10m.)... Aug.

5013 King Tut's Tomb (Talk. Magpies) — Terry.

(7 m.) Aug.

3007 Bowlers' Fair — Sports (8m.) Aug.

5014 Little Roquefort in Cat Happy —

Terrytoon (7m.) Sept.

3008 Football Payoff Plays — Sports Sept.

5015 If Cats Could Sing— Terrytoon (7m.) Sept.

5016 Little Roquefort in Mouse ii Garden —

Terrytoon (7m.) Oct.

3009 Circus on the Campus — Sports Oct.

5017 Beauty on the Beach (Mighty Mouse) —

Terrytoon (7m.) Oct.

7004 The Fontaine Sisters — Melody (8 m.) Oct.

5018 Wide Open Spaces (Gandy Goose) —

Terrytoon (7 m.) Nov.

3010 Tee Girls — Sports Nov.

5019 Sour Grapes (Dingbat) — Terrytoon (7 m.) . . . .Dec.

5020 Mother Goose's Birthday Party (Mighty Mouse) —

Terrytoon (7m.) Dec.

Twentieth Century-Fox — Two Reels
Vol. 16 No. 4 — Beauty at Work —

March of Time (17 m.) June

Vol. 16 No. 5 — As Russia Sees It —

March of Time (16 m.) Aug.

United Artists — One Reel

Folk Lore — Songs of America (9m.) Aug. 11

The Moods — Songs of America (9 m.) Sept. 15

5386
5331

5387
5332

5346
5388
5333
5347

5348

5356
5309

5310

5311
5357

5312

5358
5313
5202

Universal — One Reel
1949-50

Melody Moods — Cartoon Melody (10 m.),
Toyland Premiere —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.)

Sing Happy — Cartoon Melody (10 m.)...
Greatest Man in Siam —

Cartune (reissue) (7 m.)

Treasure of the Nile — Variety Views (9m.)
Feast of Songs — Cartoon Melody (10 m.) . .
Ski for Two — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.)...
Brooklyn Goes Hollywood — Variety Views

(9 m.)

In the Shadow of the Andes —

Variety Views (9 m.)

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Universal — Two Reels
1949-50

Cactus Caravan — Musical Western (26 m.).
Sarah Vaughan 6? Herb Jeffries —

Musical (15 m.)

Red Nichols 6s? His Five Pennies — Musical

(15m.)

Salute to Duke Ellington — Musical (15 m.),
Western Courage — Musical Western

(26 m.)

Connie Boswell 6s? Les Brown Orch. —

Musical (15 m.)

Ready to Ride — Musical Western (25 m.)..

Music By Martin — Musical (15 m. )

The Tiny Terrors Make Trouble — Special. .
(End oj 1949-50 Season)

July 17

Aug. 14
Aug. 28

Sept. 11
Sept. 25
.Oct. 2
.Oct. 16

.Oct. 16
.Oct. 23

.July 6
.July 12

Aug. 9
Aug. 30

Aug. 31

Sept. 2
• Oct. 5
.Oct. 11
Jan. 18

July l

Vitaphone — One Reel
1949-50

6311 Booby Hatched — B. R. Cartoon (reissue)

(7 m.)

6405 So You Want to Hold Your Husband —

Joe McDoakes ( 10 m.) July I

6509 Racing Thrills — Sports Parade (10 m.) July 8

6723 8-Ball Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) July 8

6713 It's Hummer Time — Merrie Melody (7m.) ... July 22
6808 Cliff Edwards & His Buckeroo6 — Melody Master

(reissue) (10 m.) July 22

6312 Trap Happy Porky— B.R. Cartoon

(reissue) (7 m.) Aug. 5

6714 Golden Yeggs — Merrie Melody (7 m.) Aug. 1

6606 Cavalcade of Girls — Novelty (10 m.) Aug. 12

6724 Hillbilly Hare— Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Aug. 12

6406 So You Want to Move —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Aug. 19

6510

6313

6715
6716
6717
6725
6718
6726

7502
7301

7401

7801
7302
7601
7701
7503

7702
7303
7602
7703

6106
6008

7001
7101

7002
7102

Champions of Tomorrow —

Sports Parade (10 m.) ,

Lost 6# Foundling — B.R. Cartoon

(reissue) (7 m.) ,

Dog Gone South — Merrie Melody (7 m.).

The Dicksters — Looney Tune (7 m.) ,

A Fractured Leghorn — Looney Tune (7 m.) .
Bunker Hill Bunny — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) . .

Canary Row — Looney Tune (7m.)

Bushy Hare — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) ,

_ (End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

Grandad of Races — Sports Parade (10 m.).
Pagan's Freshmen — B. R. Cartoon (reissue)

(7 m.)

So You Want a Raise — Joe McDoakes

(10 m.)

When Grandpa Was a Boy — Hit Parade . . .
Slightly Daffy — Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.).

Slap Happy — Novelty (10 m.)

Stooge for a Mouse — Merrie Melody (7m.)
Paddle Your Own Canoe —

Sports Parade (10 m.)

Pop 'Im Pop! — Merrie Melody (7 m.)....
The Aristo Cat — Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) . ,

Those Who Dance — Novelty (10 m.)

Caveman Inki — Merrie Melody (7 m.)

Vitaphone — Two Reels
1949-50

Just for Fun — Featurette (20 m.)

Sweden with Charlie McCarthy 6? Mortimer

Snerd — Special (20 m.)

_ (End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

Wish You Were Here — Special (20 m.) . . .
Wagon Wheels West — Featurette (reissue)

(20 m.)

Royal Rodeo — Special (20 m.)

Life Begins Tomorrow — Featurette

(reissue) (20 m.)

Aug. 19

Aug. 26
Aug. 26
Sept. 2
Sept. 16
Sept. 23
.Oct. 7
Nov. 11

Sept. 2

Sept. 16

Sept. 23
.Oct. 7
.Oct. 14
.Oct. 14
.Oct. 21

.Oct. 21
.Oct. 28
Nov. 1 1
Nov. 25
Nov. 25

July 15
Sept. 3

July 29

Sept. 9
Nov. 4

Nov. 18

NEWSWEEKLY NEW YORK
RELEASE DATES

Paramount News

14 Sat. (E) Oct. 7

15 Wed. (O) ... .Oct. 11

16 Sat. (E) Oct. 14

17 Wed. (O) ....Oct. 18

18 Sat. (E) Oct. 21

19 Wed. (O) ... .Oct. 25

20 Sat. (E) Oct. 28

21 Wed. (O) Nov. 1

22 Sat. (E) Nov. 4

23 Wed. (O) Nov. 8

24 Sat. (E) Nov. 11

25 Wed. (O) Nov. 15

26 Sat. (E) Nov. 18

News of the Day

Warner Pathe News

15 Wed. (O) ....Oct. 4

16 Mon. (E) Oct. 9

17 Wed. (O) ... .Oct. 11

18 Mon. (E) Oct. 16

19 Wed. (O) Oct. 18

20 Mon. (E) Oct. 23

21 Wed. (O) ....Oct. 25

22 Mon. (E) Oct. 30

210 Wed. (E)

211 Mon. (O)

212 Wed. (E)

213 Mon. (O)

214 Wed. (E)

215 Mon. (O)

216 Wed. (E)

217 Mon. (O)

218 Wed. (E) .

219 Mon. (O) .

220 Wed. (E) .

221 Mon. (O) .

222 Wed. (E) .

...Oct. 4
. . . Oct. 9
. . Oct. 1 1
. .Oct. 16
• .Oct. 18
. • Oct. 23
. .Oct. 25
• • . Oct. 30
. . Nov. 1
. . Nov. 6
. . Nov. 8
..Nov. 13
. .Nov. 15

23 Wed. (O)

24 Mon. (E)

25 Wed. (O)

26 Mon. (E)

27 Wed. (O)

.Nov. 1
. Nov. 6
. Nov. 8
.Nov. 13
.Nov. 15

Universal News

Fox Movietone

81 Friday (O) . . .Oct. 6

82 Tues. (E) Oct. 10

83 Friday (O) . . .Oct. 13

84 Tues. (E) Oct. 17

85 Friday (O) . . .Oct. 20

86 Tues. (E) Oct. 24

87 Friday (O) . . .Oct. 27

88 Tues. (E) Oct. 31

89 Friday (O) . . .Nov. 13

90 Tues. (E) Nov. 7

91 Friday (O) . . .Nov. 10

92 Tues. (E) Nov. 14

93 Friday (O) . . .Nov. 17

392

Thurs. (E) .

. . Oct. 5

393

Tues. (O) .

..Oct. 10

394

Thurs. (E) .

. .Oct. 12

395

Tues. (O) .

. .Oct. 17

396

Thurs. (E) .

. .Oct. 19

397

Tues. (O) .

. .Oct. 24

398

Thurs. (E) .

. .Oct. 26

399

Tues. (O) .

. .Oct. 31

400

Thurs. (E) .

.Nov. 2

401

Tues. (O) . .

.Nov. 7

402

Thurs. (E) .

. Nov. 9

403

Tues. (O) . .

.Nov. 14

404

Thurs. (E) .

.Nov. 16

Entered as second-clu.-s matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the aci of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by

United States $15.00 (Formerly SUth Avenue) Harrison's Reports, Inc.,

U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 M v . ,n N v Publisher

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35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor.

A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1950 No. 41

HERE AND THERE

ON HIS NATIONWIDE RADIO program Tues-
day night over the NBC network, Bob Hope devoted
his closing remarks to a warm tribute to the motion
picture industry, its theatres and its product. He said :

"Ladies and gentlemen, when you picked up your
morning newspaper the other day maybe you saw that
shot of a G.I. in Korea, setting up a motion picture
projector somewhere along 'Heartbreak Road.' I
couldn't help thinking, 'What a Road picture.1 And
I can't help thinking that life would be a pretty dull
routine without the magic of Hollywood's magic
lanterns.

"Imagine Main Street without its marquee. Imagine
Saturday afternoon without its marquee. Sort o'like
Texas without stars, isn't it? A lot of us take the
movies for granted, and we're so right . . . they're
like the automobile, they're part of our everyday life.
And like the new cars, pictures are better than ever.
(I'll even say that about Crosby's pictures ... if he'll
say that much about mine!)

"I'm mighty proud to be part of a great industry
that gives so many so much pleasure for so little. Yes
sir, a dollar doesn't buy much of a steak any more
but that buck at the box office is still a great bargain :
America's best music and drama, plus a million laughs
and thrills, plus two bags of popcorn! You can't beat
it!"

The industry owes a vote of thanks to Bob Hope for
this very fine tribute. Those of us who have been quick
to castigate the stars who ridicule and deride the
movies for a laugh should be just as quick with our
expression of thanks when they do us a great service.
Drop Bob Hope a line in care of the Paramount StU'
dios, Marathon Avenue, Hollywood, California, and
let him know how much you appreciate his remarks.
* * *

GAEL SULLIVAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
of TOA, this week made public a letter received from
Charles J. Valaer, Deputy Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, clarifying a previous ruling regarding the
Federal admission tax on tickets to drive-in theatres.

In the previous ruling handed down in September,
1949, in response to an inquiry by Mr. Sullivan, Mr.
Valaer said that if a drive-in theatre does not have
in effect on a certain night or nights an established
price for a single admission, and it charges $1.00, in-
cluding tax, for each car admitted on such occasion,

regardless of the number of persons in the car, the es-
tablished price of admission to the theatre is 83 cents
and the total federal admission tax due thereon is 17
cents. The theatre may change its policy at any time
and admit patrons only on the basis of a per person
charge.

"It may not, however, admit cars with one person
for one price such as 40 cents, including tax, and for
the same performance admit a group of persons in a
car for $1.00, including tax," added Mr. Valaer.

To clarify any ambiguity thart might arise from the
language contained in the statement quoted above,
Mr. V alaer had this to say in his recent letter to Mr.
Sullivan :

"Where a drive-in theatre makes a set charge such
as $1.00, including tax, for the admission of automo-
biles, without regard to the number of persons there-
in, the established price of admission for automobiles
is 83 cents and the tax due thereon is 17 cents. In such
case an automobile with only one or two persons may
be admitted at a reduced rate, but the tax is computed
on the basis of the established price for the admission
of automobiles. For example, if an automobile with
two passengers is admitted for 70 cents, including
tax, the tax applicable in each case is 17 cents based
on the established price for the admission of auto-
mobiles."

* * *

IN LETTERS SENT THIS WEEK to heads of
the leading exhibitor organizations as well as to one
thousand individual theatre operators in key points,
the Council of Motion Picture Organizations ap-
pealed to the exhibitors for clippings of newspaper
comment on motion picture activities.

COMPO is requesting prompt transmission of edi-
torial or columnists' comments, whether adverse or
favorable to the industry.

Arthur L. Mayer, COMPO's executive vice-presi-
dent, said in his letter that COMPO, by obtaining
this information, can move directly to answer criti-
cism or can supply local industry representatives with
data for rebuttal. He said also that digests of the
comments will be made so that it will be possible to
evaluate editorial attitudes toward the industry.

The compilation of such clippings is most important
to the industry's public relations program. They
should be mailed to the Council of Motion Picture
Organizations, 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y.

162

HARRISON'S REPORTS

October 14, 1950

"September Affair" with Joan Fontaine
and Joseph Cotten

(Paramount, no rel. date set; time, 104 min.)

Produced by Hal Wallis in Italy, "September Affair"
offers a familiar tale about the sincere but hopeless love af-
fair between an unhappily married man and an unmarried
woman, but even though the story is lacking in depth it has
been made into a fairly compelling adult drama by reason
of the fine direction and sensitive acting. Women in par-
ticular should find it to their liking, for it is replete with all
the elements that the ladies relish. The action fans, how-
ever, probably will find the long drawn out proceedings
tenuous. Most of the footage was shot in and around Capri,
Naples, Rome, Florence and Pompeii, giving the film pic-
turesque settings that are highly interesting. The excellent
music score deserves special mention: —

On a plane bound from Rome to New York, Joseph Cot-
ten, a prosperous American engineer, meets Joan Fontaine,
a pianist, returning to New York for her concert debut.
They land at Naples when the plane develops engine trouble,
and decide to see the sights while the repairs are being made.
They become so engrossed in each other that they miss the
plane; they decide to spend several days — as friends — visit-
ing Pompeii and Capri. Meanwhile Cotten had revealed to
her that he is unhappily married to Jessica Tandy, and that
he had a grown son (Robert Arthur). They fall madly in
love during their unconventional holiday, and later learn
that the plane they had missed had been wrecked, killing
all the passengers, and that they had been listed among
those missing. They decide to let the world believe that they
are dead, and Cotten, with the aid of Francoise Rosay,
Joan's music tutor in Florence, obtains enough money from
his estate to buy a Florentine villa. Their life together is
idyllic until Jessica and her son, touring Italy, visit Miss
Rosay's home and meet Joan. They recognize her from
photographs in the newspapers and quickly conclude that
Cotten was alive and living with her. Both Cotten and Joan
are relieved when Jessica makes no issue over their romance,
but in due time Joan sees in Cotten a yearning for his son
and an eagerness to return to his work. They go to New
York, he on business, and she for her concert debut, which
proves highly successful. There, Joan comes to the realization
that Cotten's obligations to his wife and son were more im-
portant than their love. She parts from him and goes to
South America to continue her music career.

It was directed by William Dieterle, from a screen play
by Robert Thoeren, based on a story by Fritz Rotter.

Strictly adult fare.

"Tripoli" with Maureen O'Hara,
John Payne and Philip Reed

(Paramount, November; time, 95 min.)

The Technicolor photography and the drawing power of
the players are the important factors in this otherwise
routine adventure melodrama. Set in 1805, at the time
when the United States was at war with Tripoli, the story
is supposedly based on a true historical incident involving
the march of a native army, led by a detachment of U. S.
Marines, across the Libyan desert to attack the beleaguered
city from the rear. The trouble with the picture is that it
lacks a substantial story and is too long drawn out. Although
it does have a burst of excitement here and there, notably at
the finish, its opportunities for action are never fully devel-
oped because it dawdles too long on the cliche-ridden roman-
tic by-play between John Payne, as the Marine lieutenant
in charge of the expedition, and Maureen O'Hara, as an
exotic beauty attached to the court of an exiled Tripolitanian
Pasha. There is some comedy, but it is trite and woefully
weak. All in all, it shapes up as passable entertainment for
those who are not too critical : —

As part of a plan to capture Tripoli by a coordinated land
and sea operation, Payne is selected to lead the land attack
and to build a native army around Philip Reed, the exiled
Pasha dethroned by his brother. Arriving at Reed's desert
hideaway, Payne quickly wins his cooperation and organizes
an army of 600 natives, including a group of Greek profes-
sional soldiers, headed by Howard da Silva. He meets at the
hideaway Maureen, who was the daughter of an exiled
French diplomat, and upon whom Reed showered attentions,
planning to make her his wife. Although mutually attracted,
a feeling of animosity grows up betwen Maureen and Payne,
and when she manages to come along on the trek to Tripoli
they find themselves constantly at odds. Battling its way
through a sand storm, the army eventually reaches the out-
skirts of Tripoli and Payne prepares to coordinate his attack
with that of American warships offshore. Meanwhile Reed
had secretly joined a conspiracy to defeat the Americans,
and he tells Maureen of the scheme. Now in love with Payne

and realizing the danger to his life, Maureen steals Reed's
horse and rides to warn Payne. Her warning enables him to
concoct a counter-scheme that defeats the enemy.

It was produced by William H. Pine and William C.
Thomas, and directed by Will Price, from a screen play by
Winston Miller, who based it on a story by himself and
the director. Suitable for the family.

"Surrender" with Vera Ralston,
John Carroll and Walter Brennan

(Republic, Sept. 15; time, 90 min.)

There is nothing new, novel or distinctive in "Surrender,"
a routine melodrama that is set in the early days of Texas
and that deals with the machinations of an avaricious siren.
Undiscriminating audiences will find it mildly entertaining
at best, while others no doubt will be bored. None of the
players manage to rise above the weak script. The acting, in
fact, is "hammy," particularly so in the case of Vera Ralston,
as the scheming beauty of the piece; her mugging and ex-
aggerated posturing are reminiscent of the acting in the pre-
talkie days. Except for a typical Western horseback chase
and gun duel in the closing scenes, the pace is slow. The
production values are good: —

Having left her husband (Francis Lederer) in a Houston
jail, and having fled from the San Antonio police herself,
Vera settles down in a small border town with Maria Palmer,
her sister, an industrious girl who owned a women's shop.
Vera, determined to have wealth regardless of cost, charms
Edward Norris, blackjack dealer, into stealing money from
John Carroll, his boss, to buy her a bracelet. When Carroll,
a shady character himself, comes to her home to retrieve the
bracelet, Vera makes a play for him. William Ching, Car-
roll's newspaperman pal, is attracted to Maria, who falls in
love with him. But when Vera learns that Ching's family is
the richest in Texas, she abandons Carroll and lures Ching
into eloping with her. She flaunts her success and taunts
Janet, and even attempts to carry on a secret love affair with
Carroll, but the gambler, who had a high regard for Ching,
refuses to have anything to do with her. Vera's past catches
up with her when Lederer, released from prison, shows up
in town and tries to blackmail her to keep secret the fact
that she had married Ching without bothering to divorce
him (Lederer). Vera lures Lederer to Carroll's office and kills
him. Ching, finding the body, is arrested for the murder by
Walter Brennan, the sheriff, but does not deny the killing
out of a belief that it had been committed by Carroll to
protect his (Ching's) marriage. Carroll, believing Ching
guilty, helps him to escape from jail. When he attempts to
make Ching and Vera flee over the border, Ching protests
his innocence and the truth comes out, with Vera confessing.
Carroll then forces Vera to make a break with him for the
border, leaving Ching to Maria. The sheriff and his men
pursue and ambush Vera and Carroll, killing them both.

It was directed by Allan Dwan from a story by James
Edward Grant, who wrote the screen play in collaboration
with Sloan Nibley. No producer credit is given. Adult fare.

"The Milkman" with Donald O'Connor
and Jimmy Durante

(Univ.-Int'l, November; time, 87 min.)

Slapstick in content, this shapes up as an amiable comedy
that should give the general run of audiences an amusing
time. There is not much that can be said for the story, in
spite of the fact that it took four writers to complete the
screenplay, but it moves along at a lively pace and serves
well enough for the comedy antics of Donald O'Connor and
Jimmy Durante, whose engaging personalities are what put
this picture over; their way with a quip and a song is en-
joyable enough to make one overlook the other shortcomings.
The comedy, which stems from O'Connor's misadventures
as a rookie milkman, is a hodge-podge of slapstick situations,
some of which are dragged out unnecessarily, but most of
them are laugh-provoking:- —

O'Connor, son of Henry O'Neill, a milk company presi-
dent, wants employment to keep himself busy, but his father
rejects the suggestion because the boy, an ex-GI, suffered
from battle fatigue, a condition that made him quack like a
duck when he got excited. In desperation, O'Connor turns
to Jimmy Durante, an old friend, who worked as a milkman
for a rival dairy. On Durante's recommendation, O'Connor,
disguising his identity, is given a milk route with the rival
company and, in his anxiety to make good, he gets into all
sorts of trouble with the customers. Durante, however, man-
ages to cover up the complaints before they reach Paul
Harvey, the boss. Meanwhile Harvey was having his own
troubles with Elisabeth Risdon, a large stockholder in the
dairy, who had installed Jess Barker, her crooked nephew,
in the company to protect her interests. Threatened by
gamblers because of an unsatisfied debt, Barker steals his

October 14, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

163

aunt's $50,000 necklace, conceals it in a bottle of milk,
and sends O'Connor to deliver it to the gamblers at their
hotel. There, O'Connor gets himself into another mess be-
cause of his mistaken belief that the building was on fire,
and Durante, to protect O'Connor's job, takes the blame
himself. As a result, Durante is fired at Miss Risdon's in-
sistence and loses his right to a pension. O'Connor goes to
Miss Risdon's home to plead for Durante and arrives just
as she is shot dead mysteriously. He finds himself accused of
the murder but eventually discovers the stolen necklace and
other clues that point to Barker as the culprit. Aided by
Durante and an army of milk drivers, O'Connor clears
himself by capturing Barker and the gamblers after a hectic
chase. It all ends with the rival companies merging, while
O'Connor merges with Piper Laurie, Harvey's daughter.

It was produced by Ted Richmond, and directed by
Charles T. Barton, from a screen play by Martin Ragaway,
Leonard Stern, James O'Hanlon and Albert Beisch, based
on a story by the Messrs Ragaway and Stern.

Good for the family.

"Southside 1-1000" with Don DeFore
and Andrea King

(Allied Artists, Hov. 12; time, 73 mm.)

If one should forget the fact that this type of story has
been put into pictures repeatedly, one should enjoy "South-
side 1-1000," for it has been produced, and acted well. It is
a counterfeiting story, in which the Government agents
triumph in the end. The fact that the engraving of the
plates takes place in a Federal prison may have happened,
for the story is supposedly based on an actual case, but many
people may not believe it. The chase towards the end, where
the hero attempts to persuade the heroine, head of the ring,
to give herself up, offers some thrills. The photography is
clear though somewhat dark : —

When the country is flooded with bogus ten-dollar bills,
the Treasury Department assigns Don DeFore to the case.
He traces the bills to Morris Ankrum, a convicted counter-
feiter in Federal prison, who, under a religious guise, man-
aged to make the plates in prison and to conceal them in a
bible. DeFore, however, is unable to trace the plates. Through
the cooperation of the Los Angeles police, Barry Kelley, a
passer of the bogus money, is arrested, but he is bailed out
and murdered by the gang lest he squeal. Following up dif-
ferent clues, DeFore learns that the counterfeit gang's head-
quarters were in a certain Los Angeles hotel. He obtains a
room there and, posing as a criminal, contacts the gang and
makes a deal to buy $500,000 worth of the counterfeit
money for $100,000. Kept under surveillance until the deal
is concluded, DeFore pretends to court Andrea King, at-
tractive manager of the hotel, and learns that she is Ankrum's
daughter. DeFore accompanies the gang to a deserted ware-
house where the bogus money was printed, and there comes
face to face with Ankrum, who had escaped from the prison
hospital. Their meeting results in DeFore being unmasked
as a Federal agent. The gang ties him up and sets fire to the
warehouse. But Treasury agents, whom DeFore had ingeni-
ously advised of his whereabouts, break into the warehouse
in time to save him and capture the counterfeiters. DeFore
pursues Andrea, who had escaped with the genuine $100,000
but she leaps from a river bridge and plunges to her death.

The picture was produced by Maurice and Max King; it
was directed by Boris Ingster, from a screen play by Leo
Townsend and the director himself, based on a story by
Milton H. Raison and Bert C. Brown.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Two Weeks— With Love"
with Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban
and Ann Harding

(MGM, November; time, 92 mtn.)
A charming comedy with music, produced in Technicolor.
The comedy is so plentiful that the audience at the theatre
where it was shown to the reviewers kept chuckling all the
time. A great deal of the picture's charm is owed to Jane
Powell, who acts with vivacity: her part is lovcable, and her
singing is a delight to the car. At times the comedy reaches
slapstick proportions, but it is good. Ann Harding, who looks
youthful, is fine as the mother, as is Louis Calhern, as the
father. Carleton Carpenter is a source of amusement be-
cause of his gawkincss, and Debbie Reynolds shows signs of
real acting ability. Ricardo Montalban is slightly awkward.
The action takes place in 1913 : —

Ann and Calhern, accompanied by their four children,
including Jane, the eldest, Debbie, Gary Gray and Tommy
Rettig, go to a summer resort in the Catskills for their an-
nual vacation. Jane, a girl of seventeen, effects a reunion
with Phyllis Kirk, a friend of other summers, and before

long finds herself vying with Phyllis for the attentions of
Ricardo Montalban, a handsome Cuban who had just ar-
rived at the resort. Jane, however, finds herself at a disad-
vantage because her parents believed her to be too young
for romance, and because they prevented her from dressing
modernistically, with a corset; she resented being treated like
a child. To aggravate matters, there is a misunderstanding
between Montalban and her parents when he brings her
home one night soaking wet after she had fallen out of a
canoe, for which accident he was blameless. Jane's real
troubles start when Phyllis, jealous because Montalban
waltzed with Jane at a dance, spreads the word that Jane is
corsetless. Feeling disgraced, Jane goes into self-imposed
exile, refusing to either eat or leave her room. Her plight
sets off a feud between her parents, and Calhern, in des-
peration, finally buys Jane a corset without realizing that
it is a surgical garment, the kind that locks into a stopped
position when the wearer bends over. Later, at an amateur
show, Jane's younger sister steals Phyllis' dancing shoes,
resulting in Jane being drafted to replace her in a tango ex-
hibition dance with Montalban, but when she does a deep
bend she is unable to straighten out. Back in the hotel with
the corset unbuckled and the differences between mama and
papa ironed out, Montalban asks and receives permission
to call on Jane when she returns home.

The picture was produced by Jack Cummings, and di-
rected by Roy Rowland, from a screen play by John Larkin
and Dorothy Kingsley, based on a story by Mr. Larkin.

Excellent family entertainment.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT.
CIRCULATION, ETC., REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF
CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1912, AS AMENDED
BY THE ACTS OF MARCH 3, 1933, AND JULY 2,
1946, OF HARRISOH'S REPORTS, published Weefely
at Hew Tor\, H- T., for Oct. 1, 1950.
State of Hew Yor\.
County of Hew Tor^.

Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the State and
County aforesaid, personally appeared Al Picoult, who,
having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and says
that he is the Managing Editor of the HARRISON'S RE-
PORTS and that the following is, to the best of his knowl-
edge and belief, a true statement of the ownership, manage-
ment, etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown
in the above caption, required by the act of August 24, 1912,
as amended by the acts of March 3, 1933 and July 2, 1946
(section 537, Postal Laws and Regulations), printed on the
reverse of this form, to wit:

1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor,
managing editor, and business managers are:

Publisher, Harrison's Reports, Inc., 1270 Sixth Ave., New
Tor^ 20, H- T.

Editor, P. S. Harrison, 1 270 Sixth Ave., Hew Tot\ 20, H- Y.
Managing Editor, AI Picoult, 1270 Sixth Ave., New Yorfe
20, H- Y.

2. That the owner is: Harrison's Reports, Inc., 1270 Sixth
Ave., Hew Yor\ 20, H- Y.

P. S. Harrison, 1270 Sixth Ave.. Hew Tor\ 20, H- Y.

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Hone.

4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names
of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any,
contain not only the list of stockholders and security holders
as they appear upon the books of the company but also, in
cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon
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relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom
such trustee is acting, is given; also that the said two para-
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preceding the date shown above is 2439.

(Signed) AL PICOULT.

(Managing Editor).
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 29th day of
September, 1950.

VICTOR H. FRIEND
(My commission expires March 30, 1952.)

164

HARRISON'S REPORTS

October 14, 1950

"Trio" with an all-British cast

(Paramount, no rel. date set; time, 91 min.)

Comprised of three separate Somerset Maugham short
stories, this British-made production is being offered as a
successor to last year's "Quartet." Although it falls short of
the quality of that picture, it docs offer an interesting variety
of entertainment, with each of the three stories different
in theme. It is, however, the sort of picture that will best
be appreciated in arty houses that cater to class audiences,
for the stories are of a type that are too subtle for the rank
and file moviegoers. A mixture of comedy, satire, drama
and romance, each of the stories is well produced, directed
and acted, with Mr. Maugham appearing on the screen
before each one and narrating a prologue.

The first story, "The Verger," is a fanciful comedy about
a kindly middle-aged church verger, who loses his job after
seventeen years when it is discovered that he can neither read
nor write. Compelled to earn a living elsewhere, he opens
up a tobacconist shop, and within a few years owns a chain
of them and amasses a fortune. When his bank manager
asks him what he thinks he could have been if he were able to
read and write, he replies, "Probably a church verger."

The seconcTstory, "Mr. Knowall," takes place aboard a
steamer and revolves around Nigel Patrick, a London jew-
eler, an irrepressible character who claims to know everything
and who makes himself obnoxious by forcing his presence
on every one, including Anne Crawford, who snubs him. In
the end, however, he proves himself a gallant gentleman
when Anne's husband, whom she had not seen in two years,
bets him that he cannot tell whether her pearl necklace is
genuine. (Anne had told her husband that she had bought
it for a few pounds.) Although aware that the necklace is
real and expensive, Patrick, seeing a look of distress on
Anne's face, declares it to be a fake.

The third story, "Sanatorium," is an episodic but poig-
nant tale dealing with the personal problems of a group of
patients in a tubercular sanatorium. Included are two elderly
Scots who quarrel constantly, with one losing all interest in
life when the other dies; a married man who resents his wife
because she is healthy; and a novelist, who finds the sana-
torium's atmosphere strange and unreal. The principal in-
terest, however, lies in the tender romance between Jean
Simmons, a virtuous, lovely girl, and Michael Rennie, a
dashing fellow with a scandalous past. Although advised that
marriage will shorten both their lives, they decide to wed
and sacrifice themselves to a brief period of real happiness.
Their brave example help^ the other patients to adjust their
own problems.

It is a Sydney Box production, produced by Antony Darn'
borough, and directed by Ken Annakin and Harold French,
from screen plays by Mr. Maugham, R. C. Sheriff and Noel
Langley.

Best suited for mature audiences.

"Two Flags West" with Joseph Cotten,
Linda Darnell, Jeff Chandler
and Cornel Wilde

(20th Century-Fox, ^iov.; time, 92 mm.)

"Two Flags West" has an interesting story idea in that
it has Confederate prisoners-of-war joining the Union Army
to fight hostile Indians in New Mexico. That it has turned
out to be no more than a fair melodrama, despite the good
performances of the well known cast, is due to a rambling
script that is draggy in spots and that places more emphasis
on the characterizations than on the action, giving the pro-
duction a brooding quality. In the closing reels, however,
there is a spectacularly thrilling hand-to-hand battle between
the Apaches and the Cavalry, which more than makes up
for the lack of physical action in the earlier reels. The direc-
tion is good, and the outdoor photography fine: —

Rather than endure the rigors of prison, a band of Con-
federate prisoners-of-war, commanded by Joseph Cotten,
accept an offer of amnesty to go out West and fight the
Indians under the Union flag, after being promised that they
will not be required to turn their weapons against the South.
Cornel Wilde, a Union captain, escorts them to a fort com-
manded by Jeff Chandler, a bitter and frustrated man be-
cause an injury had re! gated him to frontier duty. Chandler,
who had lost a brother in the war, does not hide his con-
tempt for the proud Southernei :s. Taking refuge at the fort is

Linda Darnell, widow of Chandler's brother, whom Wilde
loved. Chandler, secretly in love with her himself, had man-
aged to keep her from going home to California on one
pretext or another. Assigned to escort a wagon train with
civilians to California, Cotten and his troops plan to desert
because Chandler had tricked them into executing two
Southerners. Linda, refused permission to go along, stows
away, and on the trail, after being discovered, she finds her-
self drawn to Cotten. On the advice of a Confederate spy,
Cotten holds up the plan for desertion and returns to the
fort with his men and Linda. Meanwhile Chandler's men had
captured an Apache chief's son, whom Chandler kills in a fit
of rage. This act provokes a full-scale Indian attack on the
fort, at a time when Cotten and his men are away on another
mission, with definite plans to desert. Learning that the fort
with its women and children was under attack, Cotten and
his troops return to join the bloody battle, in which Wilde
loses his life. Wit hthe fort facing annihilation, the Apaches
offer to stop the massacre if the officer who killed the chief's
son is handed over to them. Chandler, to save the others,
hands his command over to Cotten and bravely leaves the
fort to satisfy the Apaches' demand for his life. When an
army courier arrives with news that the Civil War is ended,
Linda decides to remain at the fort with Cotten.

Casey Robinson wrote the screen play and produced it,
based on a story by Frank S. Nugent and Curtis Kenyon. It
was directed by Robert Wise.

Suitable for the family.

"Harvey" with James Stewart
and Josephine Hull

( Univ.-Int'l, no rel. date set; time, 104 min.)

A good comedy, based on the highly successful prize-
winning stage play of the same title, but, in view of the fact
that Universal is considering a road-show policy for this
picture at advanced admissions, it should be pointed out that
it is by no means a great or extraordinary entertainment,
one that would warrant this special type of handling. As a
matter of fact, the picture, being a sort of whimsical fantasy,
with considerable humor that is subtle, satirical and mean-
ingful, may not register too well with the younger element
and the action fans. The fame of the play, however, coupled
with the drawing power of James Stewart, should make it
an outstanding box-office attraction, particularly in met-
ropolitan centers.

Brieflly, the story revolves around Stewart, an amiable
drunkard, who loves humanity and who keeps Josephine
Hull, his middle-aged sister, and Victoria Home, her mar-
riageable daughter, in a constant state of nervousness and
embarrassment by insisting that he is always accompanied
by "Harvey," a six-foot invisible rabbit. Matters reach the
boiling point when Stewart arrives home one afternoon and
breaks up a very social musicaJe by introducing his invisible
buddy to the alarmed women guests. His sister decides to
place him in a mental institution, but when she confides to
Charles Drake, a young psychiatrist, that she, too, has seen
"Harvey," he has her committed and sees to it that Stewart
is released. Cecil Kellaway, the head psychiatrist, discovers
the error and finds himself threatened with a suit for dam-
ages. Meanwhile he goes searching for Stewart and finds
him in a bar where, after several drinks and a talk with
Stewart, he, too, becomes convinced that "Harvey" exists.
In the events that follow all end up at the institution, where
Drake reveals that he can give Stewart an injection that will
make him forget "Harvey" and be like any ordinary irascible
human being. His sister consents, but just before Drake
gives Stewart the serum she calls off the treatment lest it
cause a change in her brother's sweet and generous dispo-
sition. It ends with Stewart and his invisible rabbit walking
up a moonlit road together, a happy, untroubled pair.

A brief synopsis cannot do justice to the humor in the
story, much of it delightful and some of it hilarious. Stewart
is excellent in the leading role; his casual ease and amiability,
and the quiet manner in which he explains his relationship
with "Harvey," are fascinating. Miss Hull, repeating the
role she played on the stage, is just perfect as the distraught
but understanding sister. Peggy Dow, as a nurse; Jesse White,
as an asylum attendant; and William Lynn, as the family
lawyer, are fine in lesser parts.

It was produced by John Beck, and directed by Henry
Koster, from a screen play by Mary C. Chase and Oscar
Brodney, based on Miss Chase's play.

Suitable for the family, but children may not understand it.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 11)21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1950 No. 42

COMPETITIVE BIDDING
By Abram F. Myers

(Editor's K[ote: Under the preceding heading, the foh
lowing address was made by Mr. Abram F. Myers, Chairman
of the Board of Directors and General Counsel of Allied
States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors, at the
organization s recent national convention in Pittsburgh.

Because Mr. Myers' views, particularly on an all-important
problem such as competitive bidding, are always of great
interest to the exhibitors, 1 am reproducing his speech in
full.)

Mr. President and ladies and gentlemen of the Conven'
tion:

The topic assigned to me for discussion is competitive
bidding as practiced in the motion picture business.

I wish this topic could have been held over until tomor-
row when the chief sales executive of the five largest film
companies will be here. The problems presented by com-
petitive bidding should be solved in conference with the
general sales manager as well as their lawyers.

But solve them we must because competitive bidding is
one of the chief sources of irritation and dissatisfaction in
the industry today. As the practice spreads, exhibitor com'
plaints mount at an alarming rate. And when these com-
plaints are lodged with the sales representatives, they protest
that they are as unhappy with the situation as are the
complaining exhibitors.

I have heard general sales managers say they wish they
had never heard of competitive bidding; that it is their
greatest headache, their most constant source of worry. One
said to me recently, "'How do you think I feel when I have
to tell old friends, men I have been dealing with for years,
that I can no longer do business with them in the old way;
that because some rival exhibitor had suddenly become
ambitious to take over the run, I must now require my old
friend to bid on every picture?"

Now you know and I know that competitive bidding has
the tendency and has had the effect materially to increase
film rentals. I do not believe that statement will be chal*
lenged anywhere. Indeed, sales representatives have told
me of their alarm over some bids they have received because
they were so excessive as to indicate a predatory or monopo-
listic purpose on the part of the bidders.

As against those protestations of dislike for competitive
bidding come many stories from exhibitors to the effect that
the system employed by the film companies — or some of
them — is not competitive bidding at all. They say that as
practiced by some companies, it is merely a method of ped-
dling a film from one exhibitor to another, via the telephone,
until a very high price is reached, whereupon the film is
licensed to the exhibitor to whom the distributor wanted to
sell it in the first place.

Let me cite an example. An Allied member, an able and
experienced independent now is challenged by a rival inde-
pendent who has re-opened an old theatre which the Allied
member formerly operated and later abandoned. There is
reason to believe that the film companies — that is, those with
whom he is accustomed to deal — would prefer to sell their
films to the Allied man who has a long and honorable record
in the business.

But this is how it works. The Allied man is invited to bid
on a picture. The only way he can initiate a deal for that
picture is to submit a bid. This he does, offering what on
the basis of his experience he believes to be a fair price — ■
one that will yield a profit on the engagement. Later he
received a telephone call from the exchange manager saying,
in substance, "The bids received on the picture were not
satisfactory, so it is no longer subject to bidding. Now we
are negotiating. If you will change your offer in certain
respects (stating them) you will get the picture."

Now the Allied man never learned what his rival offered,
and certainly his rival did not know about this call to the
Allied man. This is not competitive bidding. Even when it
is conducted without telephone calls, it does not conform to
any known form of competitive bidding. It is blind selling
of the worst kind, a device for jacking up prices and, in
some instances, is fraudulent in its pretenses.

The only legitimate methods of competitive biddiing, so
far as I am aware, are ( 1 ) public autions where the bidders
confront one another and the whole process is conducted
in the open; and (2) bidding on public contracts where
sealed bids are received and opened for public inspection
on a day named.

Now you may conclude that the foregoing description of
how competitive bidding is conducted, and its inevitable
tendency to increase film rentals, casts some doubt on the
sincerity of those sales executives who claim to be opposed
to competitive bidding. I can only suggest that perhaps
there are differences of opinion, as well as variations in
practice, as between different sales executive and different
companies.

But the issue of veracity is, for the time being, wholly
beside the mark. For present purposes I am going to accept
all such claims at face value. I am going to assume that
they are made in good faith. I intend to proceed on the
theory that the film companies and the exhibitors have a
common problem which can and should be solved by nego-
tiation and conference leading to an agreement on appro-
priate court action.

This is the big issue affecting distributors and exhibitors
alike. Its proper solution will go far toward the elimination
of existing chaos in the business. One aspect of it would
be to rescue from the ambiguities of the decree the basic
principle that a manufacturer or distributor, acting alone
and not in concert with others, has the right to choose his
own customers in bona fide transactions and not in restraint
of trade.

There is little point in clamoring for elaborate and expen-
sive conciliation and arbitration systems for the pinpricks
of the business so long as the running sores go unhealed.

So in a mood of forbearance, let us look at the distribu-
tor's side of the question and try to understand his point
of view. As you kn;>w, competitive bidding was introduced
into this business, not by the distributors, but by the United
States District Court for the Southern District of New York
in the Government's anti-trust suit against the eight major
producers and distributors. That court thought competitive
bidding would be a cure-all for the ills of the industry and
made the practice mandatory.

When the case was appealed to the United States Supreme
(Continued on bac\ page)

166

HARRISON'S REPORTS

October 21, 1950

COMPETITIVE BIDDING

(Continued from bac\ page)

stand in a preferred position." Again: "If a premium is
placed on purchasing power, the court-created system may
be a powerful factor towards increasing the concentration
of economic power in the industry instead of cleansing the
competitive system of unwholesome practices."

There is no occasion to apologize for an interpretation of
the decree, or for an amendment, which will give effect to
the true purpose of the Supreme Court to restore a balance
within the industry by granting special favors to the inde-
pendent exhibitors who, in the language of the Supreme
Court, "have been the victims of the massed purchasing
power of the larger units in the industry." For, the court
reminds us, "it is largely out of the ruins of the small oper-
ators that the large empires of exhibitors have been built."

It is my view that the words "or others," properly con-
strued according to the rule ejusdem generis,2 must relate
back to the words "affiliated theatres and circuit theatres,"
representing what the Supreme Court has referred to as
"The massed purchasing power of the larger units in the
industry," and surely were not intended to bring within the
restrictive provisions of the clause independent exhibitors
who were not — and are not — parties to the suit, who have
been charged with no law violations and against whom no
proof was offered and no findings were made.

But whether I am as right as rain or as wrong as Corrigan,
is of no moment because counsel for the film companies will
not adopt my interpretation — and if I were in their situa-
tion, I do not know that I would, either. There is too much
at stake to proceed without judicial assurance that my in-
terpretation is right.

On the other hand, counsel for the distributors should be
willing to cooperate with us in working out a solution, be-
cause they have no assurance that competitive bidding is a
shield and buckler in all competitive situations. I am not
too much impressed, at the present time, by statistics show-
ing the number of cases in which pictures have been awarded
to an independent exhibitor as against a circuit. From the
complaints which have arisen it is possible that those in-,
dependents are being bled white in the process; and if so,
the manner of this bleeding may itself give rise to serious
legal consequences.

If any independent exhibitor should fail because he was
forced to compete for every picture against one having a
long purse, it is quite conceivable that he too would have a
cause of action, and a stronger one, inasmuch as his un-
doing resulted from the employment by the distributors of
a device which the Supreme Court has condemned.

So what does Allied propose to do about it? I can say
Allied, now, because this question had the full attention of
the Board of Directors on Sunday morning, and the Board
has acted.

The Board of Directors has instructed your general coun-
sel to confer with the attorneys for the film companies and/
or with the Department of Justice to see if we can agree
upon an interpretation, or an amendment, or upon the elim-
ination of the words "or others," to the end that competitive
bidding may be confined to those situations which were
within the intendment of the lawsuit and the practice re-
formed and made more workable in those situations where,
conceivably, it may have some usefulness.

Delicate and troublesome questions are involved. For
example, does the phrase "circuit theatres" include only the
affiliated circuits and/or those which may be formed as a
result of divorcement? Does it include the powerful cir-
cuits whose operations have been held to be illegal in recent
years such as Crescent, Schine and Griffith? Does it extend
to smaller circuits which, nevertheless, may be said to wield
"massed purchasing power?" And if the latter, at what
number of theatres should the line be drawn?

It is because of these hard practical problems that I asked
the Board of Directors to authorize the appointment of an
advisory committee of experienced, able exhibitors and
exhibitor leaders representing the different classes of inde-
pendent theatres and the areas most affected by bidding, to
work with me on this task. President Rembusch has named
the following committee which, for experience and ability,
it would be difficult to match: Col. H. A. Cole, of Dallas
(who has already given careful consideration to the problem
and to whom I am indebted for numerous suggestions);
Nathan Yamins, of Boston; Jack Kirsch, of Chicago; Ray

Branch, of Hastings, Mich.; Sidney E. Samuelson, of Phila-
delphia.

Your counsel and your committee are going to do every-
thing they can to bring about an early satisfactory settle-
ment of this irritating and dangerous condition. When and
if an agreement is reached with the parties to the suit, either
on an interpretation or an amendment, the same will have
to be submitted to the statutory court for its approval.

The way for such a proceeding is paved by Section IX of
the decree which reads as follows:

Jurisdiction of this cause is retained for the purpose of
enabling any of the parties to this decree, and no others,
to apply to the court at any time for such orders or direc-
tion as may be necessary or appropriate for the construc-
tion, modification, or carrying out of the same, for the
enforcement of compliance therewith, and for the pun-,
ishment of violations thereof, or for other or further
relief.

Here, ladies and gentlemen, is definite, constructive action
taken by your Board of Directors in your interest. Let us
all hope that our proposals will be given sincere, unpreju-
diced consideration by all to whom they are addressed. If
this job can be done through agreement and understanding,
it will constitute clear evidence that our industry has reached
maturity, and in the manner of intra-industry cooperation
we will then be encouraged to enlarge our horizons.

1 Sec. II, Sub-par. 8 (b): "Each license shall be granted solely upon the
merits and without discrimination if favor off affiliates, old customers
or others."

Sec. II, Sub-par. 8 (d): "Each license shall be offered and taken theatre
by theatre and picture by picture."

* Unless there is a clear manisfestation to the contrary general words, not
specific or limited but following particular descriptive words should
be construed as ppplicable to cases or matters of like kind with those
described by the particular words. United States v. Stever, 222 U.S.
167 and cases cited by U.S. Supreme Court Digest Annotated, Vol.
12, Tit. "Statutes," Sec. 173, pp. 643-646.

The decree if enforceable against the independent exhibitors, limiting
them in their normal business operations, constitutes judicial legisla-
tion and is invalid. The difficulty is for the independents to initiate
a proceeding or to find a forum in which to try out this question.
As a matter of interpretation — any interpretation which endangers
the validity of the decree should be abandoned in favor of one which
will sustain its validity. "A construction of a statute which makes
it unconstitutional should not be adopted if the statute is reasonably
susceptible of another which renders it valid." Sully v. American
Rational Ban\, 178 U.S. 289 and cases cited in U.S. Supreme Court
Digest, Vol. 12, Tit. "Statutes," Sec. 106, pp. 568-569.

TRUST CASE DECISION NOW
ABSOLUTELY FINAL

The Government's twelve-year-old anti-trust suit against
the major companies was brought to a final close on Monday
of this week when the U.S. Supreme Court denied the peti-
tions of Loew's, Inc., 20th Century-Fox and Warner Bros,
to reconsider its June ? decision, which affirmed the decree
handed down by the New York Statutory Court on Feb-
ruary 8.

In refusing to grant a rehearing to the three remaining
defendants, the high court removed the last legal hope they
might have had to upset the lower court's decree.

Except for the possibility that each of the remaining de-
fendants might negotiate a consent decree with the Depart-
ment of Justice, all three must now carry out the divorce-
ment and divestiture provisions of the decree, which call
for submission to the court within six months of a plan for
the separation of their exhibition operations from their pro;
duction and distribution business, with complete divestiture
and divorcement to be accomplished within three years.
(There is a legal question as to whether the time limit starts
from July 10, the date the hight court's mandate affirming
the decree reached the lower court, or from June 5, on
which date the Supreme Court handed down its ruling.)

The decree provides also that the Government and the
defendants must within one year submit respectively plans
for divestiture of theatre interests other than those hereto-
fore ordered to be divested, "which they believe to be ade-
quate to satisfy the requirements of the Supreme Court
decision."

Moreover, any distributing company that will result from
the divorcement is enjoined from engaging in the exhibition
business, and any exhibiting company that results is likewise
enjoined from engaging in the distribution business, unless
specific permission is granted by the court upon a showing
that any such engaegment will not unreasonably restrain
competition in the respective fields.

October 21, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

167

"Madness of the Heart" with
Margaret Lockwood and Paul Dupuis

(Univ.-Int'l, October; time, 91 min.)

Although the hypercritical may look upon this British'
made drama as just so much "hokum," most mature movie-
goers, particularly women, should find it to be a fairly grip-
ping and poignant tale of a blind bride's struggle for marital
happiness. Much of the film's effectiveness is due to the fine
portrayal by Margaret Lockwood as the sightless bride; she
plays the Tole with skill, and there is considerable emotional
impact in the heartaches she suffers as the result of the subtle
but evil machinations of a vindictive woman — her husband's
former fiance. The story strikes an overly-theatrical note in
spots, particularly at the finish, but despite these shortcom-
ings one's interest is maintained throughout. The direction
is fine, and the production values very good : —

Margaret, confidential secretary to a London doctor,
meets and falls in love with Paul Dupuis, a French noble-
man. She becomes blind during their whirlwind courtship
and, rather than be pitied by Dupuis, seeks sanctuary in a
convent. After finding life as a novice too difficult, she re-
turns to the outside world and finds Dupuis still waiting for
her. He marries her and takes her to his family's chateau in
France. The family makes her welcome, but it soon becomes
obvious that Raymond Lovell, Dupuis' father, did not ap-
prove of a blind woman as his son's wife. Kathleen Byron, a
neighbor and Dupuis' former fiance, is especially kind to
Margaret, but as time goes on her vicious intentions become
clear as she takes advantage of Margaret's blindness, trying
to undermine her confidence and even attempting to kill her.
When Dupuis goes away for several days, Kathleen, by
stealing a letter Margaret had dictated for him, leads him to
believe that it was written to Margaret by a secret lover. He
accuses Margaret of infidelity and, in her upset condition, she
suffers an accident and loses her unborn child. She leaves
him and returns to London, where she undergoes an opera-
tion that restores her sight. She then returns to France and,
still feigning blindness, unmasks Kathleen's evil scheming
when she attempts once again to kill her. Dupuis father, who
had been in league with Kathleen, refuses to share in any
more of her conspiracies and sends a telegram to Dupuis to
return to his wife. Kathleen, in an attempt to intercept the
telegram, is killed in an automobile crash, following which
Margaret and Dupuis are reunited.

It is a J. Arthur Rank presentation, produced by Richard
Wainwright. It was directed by Charles Bennett from his
own screen play, based on a novel by Flora Sandstrom.

Adult fare.

"Last of the Buccaneers" with Paul Henreid
Jack Oakie

(Columbia, October; time, 79 mm.)
The Technicolor photography gives this swashbuckling
adventure melodrama a definite lift, but not enough to help
it rise above the level of program fare; it is only just fair in
entertainment values. Set in 1812 and revolving around a
supposed episode in the career of Jean Lafitte, the famous
Louisiana pirate, the story is ordinary and the treatment
routine. Discriminating audiences probably will be bored
with it, for the action is far-fetched and the comedy strained,
but it should give ample satisfaction in small-town and neigln
borhood theatres, for it moves along at a fairly-fast pace and
whips up enough excitemnet to satisfy the demands of the
less critical. The acting is adequate, considering the weak
material: —

Having been a key factor in the successful defense of New
Orleans after it had been attacked by the British, Paul Hen-
reid (as Lafitte) feels ill-rewarded when he is deprived of his
ships by the Governor of Louisiana, whose decision had been
influenced by Edgar Barrier, a crafty shipowner. Henreid
allies himself with Venezuela, then at war with Spain, and
he and his men start their operations by capturing at a New
Orleans dock a Spanish ship owned by Barrier. In the months
that pass, Henreid, together with Jack Oakie, his chief aide,
leads the buccaneers on many successful raids on Spanish

shipping and establishes headquarters on Galveston Island,
where the fabulous loot is hidden in an underground cave.
All goes well until one of Henreid's captains, against orders,
sinks an American vessel. Henreid promptly hangs the of-
feder, but news of the sinking causes bitter resentment in
New Orleans. Karin Booth, Barrier's niece, who is in love
with Henreid, volunteers to go to Galveston to either prove
his innocence or obtain evidence of his guilt. He proves his
innocence to her and makes preparations for their wedding,
but one of her aides, finding evidence that loot from an
American vessel is in the cave, notifies the authorities in
New Orleans and soldiers are dispatched to capture the
island. Aware that Henreid was innocent of any deliberate
wrongdoing against the Americans, Karin escapes with him
in a fishing boat while the soldiers reduce the island to ruins.

It was produced by Sam Katzman, and directed by Lew
Landers, from an original screen play by Robert E. Kent.

Harmless for the family.

"Deported" with Marta Toren
and Jeff Chandler

(Univ.-lnt'l, November; time, 89 min.)

A pretty good crime melodrama that is made all the more
interesting by the fact that it has been photographed entirely
against the authentic backgrounds in Italy. Revolving around
an American gangster who is deported to his native Italy, the
story deals with his efforts to recover stolen money hidden in
the states, despite the surveillance of American and Italian
authorities, who anticipate that he will make such an at-
tempt. Although the story is lacking in hard-hitting action,
it manages to generate considerable suspense, not only be-
cause of the gangster's efforts to outwit the authorities, but
also because of his efforts to keep from his family and friends
the truth about his past, for they regarded him as a local boy
who made good in America. Jeff Chandler gives a convinc-
ing portrayal as the gangster and, toward the finish, wins
audience sympathy because of his reformation. His romance
with Marta Toren, a widowed Italian countess who distrib-
uted American foodstuffs to the poor, is an important part
of the story: —

Deported to Italy after serving five years in Sing Sing,
Chandler, upon his arrival in Naples, is ordered by the
Italian police to proceed immediately to Marbella, his hornet
town, and to remain there for thirty days. Before his de-
parture, Chandler encounters Richard Rober, a former
henchman, who demands a cut of the $100,000 he and
Chandler has stolen. Chandler informs him that he had left
the money hidden in the United States, and that he had no
intention of sharing it since he had paid for the crime. Ar-
riving in Marbella, Chandler goes to live with, his uncle. The
townspeople regard him as a successful American business
man. He meets and becomes enamored of Marta, and helps
her to distribute American relief supplies to the poor. To get
the stolen money out of the United States, Chandler cooks
up a scheme whereby his New York contact uses the loot to
buy relief supplies for shipment to Marta's organization.
Meanwhile he makes a deal with Carlo Rizzo, a local black
marketeer, to steal the supplies after they arrive and to sell
them in the black market for a fabulous profit. The towns-
people are overwhelmed when the supplies arrive, and
Marta, innocent of Chandler's scheme, reveals to them that
he is their "benefactor." Becoming ashamed, Chandler calls
olf the deal with Rizzo, tells Marta the truth about himself,
and prepares to leave town. Rizzo, disregarding Chandler's
wishes, gets together with Rober and prepares to hijack the
supplies. But Chandler, anticipating such a move, hides in
the warehouse and gets into a gun battle that ends with
Rober' s death and with the police showing up in time to
capture the gang. Chandler, too, is taken into custody, but,
when Marta promises to stand by him, the police indicate
that he will be let off lightly because the net result of his
machinations was the feeding of a hungry town.

It was produced by Robert Buckner, and directed by
Robert Siodmak, Mr. Buckner wrote the screen play, based
on a story by Lionel Shapiro. Adult lare.

168

HARRISON'S REPORTS

October 21, 1950

Court all exhibitor organizations without exception, the
three non-theatre-owning film companies and Paramount
Pictures, Inc., all of them, joined in condemning the pre
vision of the District Court's decree which required bidding.
Four of the theatre-owning film companies — Loew's, 20th
Century, Warner Bros, and RKO — supported competitive
bidding as a substitute for theatre divorcement.

When the Supreme Court soundly criticized competitive
bidding and ordered that it be stricken from the District
Court's decree, we thought we were through with that
problem, once and for all time. But the Supreme Court also
directed the District Court to do something about the dis-
crimination which the proof showed had been practiced by
the distributors in favor of the affiliated theatres and circuit
theatres and against the independent exhibitors.

After much travail the District Court evolved the follow-
ing provision, which became Section II, Paragragh 8 of the
decree filed February 8, 1950:

Each of the defendant distributors is enjoined ... 8.
From licensing any feature for exhibition upon any run
in any theatre in any other manner than that each license
shall be offered and taken theatre by theatre, solely upon
the merits and without discrimination in favor of affili-
ated theatres, circuit theatres —
down to this point, the Court hit the nail squarely on the
head, as we shall hereafter see, but then it went one step
(perhaps I should say two words) further and spoiled it all,
for it added to the otherwise satisfactory provision the
words —
or others.

The foregoing was fashioned after and is reminiscent of
two passages in the District Court's first decree relating to
competitive bidding.1 The main differences are that there
is no requirement for licensing "picture by picture" and
there is no provision against discrimination in favor of "old
customers." Judge Hand recognized that this similarity
might cause confusion and in order to forestall objection
hastened to point out that the provision did not contemplate
competitive bidding, saying, "it neither involves calling for
bids nor licensing picture by picture."

In an endeavor to find the proper interpretation of those
two little words, or to lay the foundation for their elimina-
tion, let us retrace our steps and refresh our recollections
of the Government's suit. It is a cardinal rule of construction
that a statute or decree or written instrument shall be con-
strued— or interpreted — so as to give effect to the intent
and purpose of the legislature, court, or author responsible
for the writing.

Therefore, we must look to the purpose of the Govern-
ment's suit, the law violations to be enjoined and the evils
to be remedied, as disclosed by the pleadings, the proof and
the findings in that case. In order to do that, it is not
necessary to review or summarize the ponderous records in
the case or to cite more than a few passages from the deci-
sions of the courts.

Instead, I am going to call on you to resort to your own
memories — those of you whose memories run back to the
days preceding the filing of the Government's suit in July,
1938.

The great evil of the business, the menace to every inde-
pendent exhibitor, was the flagrant discrimination practiced
by the distributors in favor of the affiliated theatres and the
theatres operated by the powerful circuits.

In the era preceding the filing of the Government suit, no
independent exhibitor was secure in his business or prop<
erty. He did not know at what moment an affiliated circuit,
or other powerful circuit such as Schine, Crescent or Grif-
fith, might build against him and take away of his product
on whatever run he enjoyed. That "system of fixed runs
and clearances," as the courts described it, which included
the circuit theatres and excluded the independents, was the
evil at which the Government's suit was aimed and for which
the courts were seeking a remedy.

Independent exhibitors in their vexation over some of the
incidents of the decree are prone to forget the protection
and security which they have gained from the Government's
insistence that the law must be obeyed .

Now I am convinced that Section II, Paragraph 8, quoted
above, justifies resort to competitive bidding, theatre by
theatre on the merits, only when an independent exhibitor
seeks to break down that wall of runs and clearances which
has secured to the affiliated circuits and the large circuits a
monopoly in many areas. That is the only interpretation
that is consistent with the records in the several anti-trust
cases involving major film companies and the major circuits.

But in view of the wording of the anti-discrimination
clause, I recognize that acceptance of my interpretation
by the distributors at this time involves the assumption of a
grave risk.

Counsel for one of the film companies, who must remain
unidentified, said that as a matter of first impression he
thought I was right. "But," he added, "there is too much
at stake for me to advise our sales department to proceed
along those lines. For if I did, and the court should later
rule that your interpretation was wrong, then I would have
let my company in for more lawsuits and untold damages."

And when we consider those two little words, "or others,"
at the end of the sentence, we must admit that the film
company lawyers have a point — and certainly a grave re-
sponsibility— and I am going to proceed on the theory that
they too are acting in good faith as long as they show any
disposition to cooperate with us in working out a solution
of the problem.

Now there are those who will say — who have in fact said
— that what Allied now proposes is that the distributors may
discriminate in favor of the independent exhibitors, but not
against them. That is one way of putting it, and it opens
the door for some amusing wisecracks, but it does not tell
the whole story.

Prior to any court order the distributors, in dealing with
competitive situations involving only independent exhibitors,
did a pretty fair job of protecting their old customers with-
out resort to unlawful discrimination. The Supreme Court
recognized the propriety, in such situations, of maintaining
old-customer relationships for, in striking down the com-
petitive system, it said: "The system uproots business ar-
rangements and established relationships with no apparent
overall benefit to the small independent exhibitor."

And the purpose of the bidding system was aptly summed
up by the court when it said: "The system was designed . . .
to remedy the difficulty of any theatre to break into or
change the existing systems of runs or clearances."

Therefore, the effect of permitting an independent ex-
hibitor to initiate bidding against an affiliated or other large
circuit, without permitting a circuit to take like action against
an independent, is merely to give effect to a legal remedy
for an unlawful state of things. It is not one-way discrim-
ination, it is retribution; and there is no rule of law or ethics
which says that the innocent must share the punishment of
the guilty.

As a matter of fact, the District Court, acting on the
mandate of the Supreme Court, clearly sanctioned discrimi
ination in favor of independent exhibitors and against the
affiliated circuits in the matter of franchises. Sec. II, Para-
graph ? of the final decree enjoins the distributors "From
further performing any existing franchise and from making
any franchises in the future, except for the purpose of
enabling an independent exhibitor to operate a theatre in
competition with a theatre affiliated with a defendant or
with theatres in new circuits which may be formed as a result
of divorcement."

And it does not require a strained argument to contend
that since by the final decree discrimination in favor of
"affiliated theatres" and "circuit theatres" is expressly
barred by that decree, and "old customers" were eliminated
from the category, there was a definite purpose on the part
of the courts to sanction discrimination, even price dis-
crimination, in favor of the independents who enjoy an
"old customer" status.

For bear in mind that one of the chief criticisms leveled
by the Supreme Court against competitive bidding was that
if each feature must go to the highest bidder, "those with
the greatest purchasing power would seem to be in a favored
position." Also: "Those with the longest purse — the ex-
hibitor defendants and the large circuits — would seem to
(Continued on inside page)

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1S79.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1950 No. 43

TWO SOUND EXHIBITOR PLEAS IN
BEHALF OF DISTRIBUTORS
WHO PLAY FAIR

Under the heading, "Have You Considered It This
Way?" the October 20 bulletin of the Associated Theatre
Owners of Indiana had this to say:

"Mr. Schwalberg, Mr. Rodgers, Mr. Smith and Mr.
Mochrie told the exhibitors attending the Pittsburgh Allied
Convention without any quibbling or reservations that they
would not tolerate any illegal sales practices by their organi'
zations. Of course, we know that distribution's thinking
cannot be 100% changed overnight and that sometimes a
company's policy is controverted as it is administered down
through the chain of command. We can also understand
the reluctance on the part of an exhibitor to really 'go to the
mat' when he is the victim of an outlawed sales policy.

"But is that playing fair with those distributors that are
completely respecting the law in both letter and spirit? If
you accept a picture forced on you by company A it may
mean the elimination of a program from company B that
has honestly offered you picture by picture. Could you
honestly blame the latter if they did not begin to wonder
if they were not simply penalizing themselves for no pur-
pose if the violator is allowed to get away with his forcing?
Unless exhibitors militantly fight against any illegal practice
they will begin to lose ground already gained rather than
continue to make further progress. And it isn't fair to the
fellow who is playing according to the rules."

In more or less the same vein, Charles Niles, chairman of
the Allied Caravan of Iowa and Nebraska, had this to say
in part under the heading, "Fear Selling," in his October
14 bulletin:

"This type of selling must be stopped. The idea that any
exhibitor should fear retaliation for attempting to get an
unfair deal straightened out is unthinkable in America. This
is not Hitler's Germany, or Stalin's Russia; this is America
— a land of freedom. All independent exhibitors have been
granted the right of selective buying and you can turn this
into a powerful weapon to get equitable deals if you have
the intestinal fortitude to use it. We have said before, go
along with a company that gives you a fair deal and attempt
to liquidate as many pictures as possible, but with the
company that is unfair to you, give them a kiA in the pants;
buy just what you want even if it is one picture per year.
Let us take an example: An exhibitor is playing Paramount
and has a fair deal that is making him or her money. Along
comes THE HEIRESS. It is our opinion if Paramount is
treating you right that you owe an obligation to try and
liquidate the picture. It is our understanding that Para-
mount will date THE HEIRESS on any playing time on
terms . . . that will at least bring this Academy Award pic-
ture to the people in your town that do want to see it.
On the other hand, if Paramount has been giving you a bad
time, I would never play THE HEIRESS. In fact, I wouldn't
play anything except the top pictures and I would make
Paramount sell these without gimmicks to me which is my
right under the court's decision. By gimmicks I mean pricing
the top pictures exorbitantly to circumvent selective buying.
It is a two-way street; we can't expect to make it 100%
our way. On the other hand, we can give to the fair com-

panies and we can keep from the unfair companies. . . ."

If any one from among the distribution side of the fence
thinks that the Allied regional bulletins are all toughness
and no fairness, he had better revise his views. And the
foregoing statements are the proof.

Despite some distributor statements to the contrary,
HARRISON'S REPORTS believes that the average ex-
hibitor expects and demands no more than a fair deal. If
fair consideration is given to an exhibitor's individual prob-
lems at the time of the writing of the deal so that he is made
to feel that he is not humbling himself to get what he is
justly entitled to, that exhibitor, in the opinion of this
paper, will always be ready and willing to recognize the
problems of the distributor who had given him such fair
treatment.

Lest any distributor executive wonder if it will pay him
to gain the good will of his customers, he should be reminded
that there was a time in 1931 when you could have fired a
machine gun into the exchanges of a certain company with*
out any danger of hitting an exhibitor. For a few years
prior to 1931, the salesmen of that company, having the
best product, strutted around like "king pins" and treated
the exhibitors ruthlessly. But when the quality of that com-
pany's product deteriorated, the exhibitors retaliated by re-
fusing to support it. This experience taught that company
a good lesson, and they are now, of course, acting differ-
ently.

There comes a time when every distributing company
finds itself saddled with one or more pictures that are below
par from the box-office point of view, and it is at such a
time that the company is greatly in need of exhibitor sup-
port. With the exercise of some good faith and reasonable
dealings now, the distributor can create the good will that
will pay off in time of stress.

A COMMENDABLE CHANGE IN POLICY

20th Century-Fox has announced that it has abandoned
its "scheduled performances" policy in connection with the
showings of "All About Eve," and that it will permit the
picture's exhibition on a continuous performance basis
throughout the country.

The "scheduled performances" policy, which called for
tickets for specific performances and which prohibited the
seating of patrons after the start of the feature, did not prove
to be workable at its test engagement at the Roxy Theatre
in New York, first, because many people who arrived after
the picture started refused to wait around for the next
show, and secondly, because many potential patrons, despite
the extensive advertising and publicity given to the plan,
did not understand what it was all about when they came
to the theatre.

After one week of "scheduled performances," the Roxy
reverted to continuous performances and has been enjoying
a record-breaking business ever since the change was made.

In spite of the fact that the "scheduled performances"
policy has not proved successful, 20th Century-Fox is to be
commended highly, not only for its diligent efforts to intro-
duce a unique idea in exhibition and thus stimulate greater
attendance, but also for being big enough to admit frankly
that the plan had failed and to abandon it lest it prove a
source of trouble to the exhibitors.

170

HARRISON'S REPORTS

October 28, 1950

"Hit Parade of 1951" with John Carroll and
Marie McDonald

(Republic, October 15; time, 85 min.)

Just a fair comedy with music, best suited for
double-billing situations. If spectators can overlook
the triteness of the mistaken-identity plot, which is
one of those implausible dual role affairs centering
around two characters who are identically alike, they
should find it diverting. It has a few good gags that
provoke laughter, but for the most part the comedy
is feeble. As a matter of fact, the plot unfolds in so
obvious a manner that one knows in advance just
what will happen. Worked into the footage are sev-
eral moderate production numbers, including seven
tuneful songs: —

John Carroll, a devil-may-care gambler, loses
$200,000 to Grant Withers, owner of a Las Vegas
gambling casino, who gives him forty-eight hours to
square the debt. Learning that he looked exactly like
"Eddie Paul" (also played by Carroll), star crooner
on a Los Angeles radio show, Carroll, searching fever-
ishly for a solution to his gambling debt dilemma,
manages with the help of his pals (Mikhail Rasumny
and Frank Fontaine) to spirit "Eddie" to Las Vegas.
Meanwhile he impersonates the crooner in Los
Angeles and romances with Marie McDonald,
"Eddie's" co-star and girl-friend, who is delightfully
surprised by the manly change in her "boy-friend's"
character. In Las Vegas, "Eddie," taken for Carroll,
is passed off to Estelita Rodriguez;, Carroll's torrid
girl-friend, as an amnesia victim, and she is turn is
thrilled by the courteous manner her "boy-friend"
had acquired. Under the influence of champagne,
"Eddie" foils a holdup of the casino, and Withers,
thinking that he is Carroll, gratefully grants him more
credit to give him an opportunity to square the
gambling debt. "Eddie," who had never gambled in
his life, breaks the bank and even wins back Carroll's
IOU's. In the series of mixups that follow, "Eddie"
and Carroll finally meet and, after explanations,
apprise each other of what their respective girl-friends
like to see in a lover. They then return to their proper
localities and behave accordingly, without either
Marie or Estelita becoming aware of the switch. It
all ends with a double wedding in Las Vegas, with
neither girl being absolutely certain about whom she
married until "Eddie" solves the riddle by bursting
into song.

It was produced and directed by John H. Auer
from a story by Aubrey Wisberg, who collaborated
on the screen play with Lawrence Kimble and Eliza-
beth Reinhardt.

Harmless for the family.

"Harriet Craig" with Joan Crawford and
Wendell Corey

(Columbia, Jiovember; time, 94 min.)
A fairly interesting domestic drama, well pro-
duced, directed and acted, but those who look for
fast action may find it tiresome because it is mostly
dialogue. Based on the Pulitzer Prize stage play,
"Craig's Wife," which was produced as a silent pic-
ture by Pathe in 1928, and as a "talkie" by Columbia
in 1936, it makes for an absorbing psychological
study, but as entertainment it is cheerless and un-
pleasant, for it deals with the actions of a cold, cal-
culating woman, whose chief thoughts are for her

own financial security. Joan Crawford's acting is very
good; she makes of the mercenary leading character
a hateful woman, one who is completely devoid of
audience sympathy, Although she gets her just deserts
at the finish, the picture ends on a tragic note — a
broken home and marriage — leaving one in an un-
happy frame of mind: —

Wendell Corey, a fairly well-to-do electrical engi-
neer, is so much in love with Joan, his wife, that he
does not realize that she is a selfish woman with a
passion to dominate everyone, including himself, and
that she had been shaping his future for her own
benefit. Even K. T. Stevens, her cousin who lived with
them, was unconsciously dominated by Joan's preda-
tory possessiveness. Bill Bishop, Corey's assistant, is
in love with Mis Stevens, but Joan discourages the
attachment lest it remove her cousin from her sphere
of domination. Through clever maneuvering, Joan
manages to keep Corey's friends away from their
home and invites instead prominent society people,
including Raymond Greenleaf, Corey's employer,
and Lucille Watson, his wife. Miss Watson takes a
liking to Corey and privately induces her husband to
give him a promotion, one that entailed a three-month
business trip to Japan. Joan, afraid that Corey may
never return if he escapes from her control, tries un-
successfully to make him turn down the assignment.
Desperate, she visits his employer and, through guile-
ful inference, leads him to believe that Corey is
dishonest. As a result, Corey loses the promotion.
Heartbroken, Corey questions his employer's wife
and learns of the disparaging references Joan had
given her husband. He goes home for a showdown
with Joan. She tries to lie her way out of the situation
and, in the course of the argument, it comes out that
she had also schemed to break up the romance be-
tween Bishop and Miss Stevens. Shocked, Miss
Stevens leaves her, as had the servants, who hated her.
Corey, now seeing Joan for the grasping, dominating
woman that she is, upbraids her for her attitude. She
then tells him that she tolerated him for the security
he could give her in their richly-appointed home, but
that she now needed him because she was going to
have a baby. This statement, too, proves to be a lie
when he attempts to phone the family doctor. Utterly
revolted by her character, Corey walks out, telling
Joan that she may keep the house she worships. She
finds herself completely alone — a woman despised by
all.

It was produced by William Dozier and directed
by Vincent Sherman from a screen play by Joseph
Walker, based on George Kelly's play.

Adult fare.

"Blues Busters" with Leo Gorcey and
the Bowery Boys

(Monogram, Oct. 29; time, 67 min.)
Good! It is a better-than-average "Bowery Boys"
picture. This time Leo Gorcey and his gang conduct
a night-club, with Huntz Hall as the main singing
attraction, for he had gained a fine crooner's voice
after a tonsil operation. The dubbed in voice used for
Hall is very good and should give great pleasure to
those who will see the picture. There is plentiful
comedy, as is usually the case with pictures directed

October 28, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

171

by William Beaudine. The action keeps the spectator
interested all the way through. The only weakness is
in the ending, which shows Hall losing his voice; the
audience may feel that it had been let down. The
photography is of the best: —

When Gorcey and his gang notice that a tonsilec-
tomy had given Hall a fine singing voice, they decide
to profit from it. They remodel the sweet shop that
was owned by Bernard Gorcey, their friend, open it
as a night-club, and establish Hall as their singing star.
Halls voice attracts the crowds, resulting in a loss of
business to Craig Stevens, owner of the Rio Cabana
Club across the street. To get his business back,
Stevens decides to steal Hall from the Gorcey gang.
He instructs Adele Jergens, his sweetie, to obtain
Halls signature on a contract. Adele tricks Hall into
signing the contract by making him believe that it was
merely an autograph. With the contract in hand,
Stevens compels Hall to sing in his own night-club.
Stevens meets his Waterloo, however, when he takes
on a new "flame"; Adele, incensed at being discarded,
goes to Gorcey and reveals to him the trickery she
had used to obtain Hall's signature to the contract.
With this information on hand, Gorcey drags Hall
away from Stevens' night-club. On the opening night,
however, it is found that Hall can no longer sing; the
tissue that had covered his larynx following the oper-
ation had dissolved. Thus the dreams of Gorcey
and his gang go up in smoke.

Jan Grippo produced it, and William Beaudine
directed it from an original screen play by Charles R.
Marion.

Fine for family audiences.

"Hot Rod" with Jimmy Lydon and
Gloria Winters

(Monogram, Oct. 22; time, 61 min.)

Good for double-feature billing. The action is fast
and there is considerable human interest in many of
the situations. There is also comedy here and there.
A few of the scenes are exciting. The only weakness
in the story lies in the fact that the father of the hero
does not believe his son's story that his car had been
stolen and that he had not been involved in any hit-
and-run accident, but this defect will undoubtedly be
overlooked. The slight romance is pleasant. The
photography is good: —

Jimmy Lydon, son of Art Baker, a judge opposed to
hot rods, buys an old car for his newspaper delivery
route. In deference to his father, Jimmy had no inten-
tion of turning his car into a hot rod, but when
Gloria Winters accepts the attentions of Tommy
Bond, owner of a speedy hot rod, Jimmy converts his
car and thus regains her affections. While Jimmy and
Gil Stratton, Jr., his pal, deliver papers, Tommy
steals Jimmy's car as a prank. He becomes involved
in a hit-and-run accident, and the owner of the car is
traced through the license number. Jimmy reports the
disappearance of the car to the police, but they refuse
to believe his story because he had made the report
after they had received word of the accident. Jimmy's
father, too, refuses to believe that the car had been
stolen. In court, the owner of the damaged car tells
the judge that Jimmy was not the boy who had hit
him. At that moment, Tommy, a spectator in court,

arises and confesses his guilt, explaining that he had
stolen the car as a prank and without malicious in-
tentions. The judge is overjoyed to learn that his son
had told the truth, and the charge against Tommy
is dropped when the owner refuses to prosecute. The
judge sponsors a legal race track for hot rods, and
on the day of the inauguration Jimmy and Gil wit-
ness a bandit drive away from a store he had robbed.
Jimmy pursues the theif, and the police, through an
error, pursue Jimmy and overtake him. He convinces
the police that he had been chasing the bandit him-
self, and then helps them to corner the crook. Jimmy's
father is proud of his son's accomplishment, and
Gloria, once influenced by Tommy's hot rod, now has
eyes only for Jimmy.

It was produced by Jerry Thomas and directed by
Lewis D. Collins from an original screen play by Dan
Ullman.

Good for family audiences. Young men and women
in particular should enjoy it very much.

"He's a Cockeyed Wonder" with Mickey
Rooney, Terry Moore and William Demarest

(Columbia, Oct.; time, 77 min.)

A moderately amusing program comedy that
should get by with those who are ardent Mickey
Rooney fans and who are not too exacting in their
demands. Those who are the least bit discriminating
probably will be bored with it, for the story is thin
and inane, and the comedy, most of which is slap-
stick, is forced. As a not- too-bright young man who
is always blundering into trouble, Rooney works hard
to make something of his role, but he is handicapped
by the weak material. William Demarest is amusing
in one of his usual blustering characterizations, and
Terry Moore is pert and pretty as the girl of Rooney 's
dreams. In the picture's favor is the fast action : —

Rooney, an orange sorter in an orange packing
plant, is in love with Terry, but Demarest, her father,
a foreman at the plant, wants her to marry Ross
Ford, nephew of Charles Arnt, the plant's owner.
Demarest feels differently towards Rooney when the
young man inherits the "fortune" of his deceased
uncle, a vaudeville magician, but he is not informed
that the fortune turned out to be $162 in cash and
a truckload of magic equipment, which costs Rooney
most of his inheritance for cartage. When Ned Glass,
his uncle's agent, books him in an act to replace his
uncle, Rooney arranges with Terry to steal her
father's key to the warehouse so that they could use
the premises to practice magic tricks that night for the
act. At the warehouse, they interrupt a robbery by
Douglas Fowley, Mike Mazurki and William Philips
who, with the cash from the safe, take Rooney and
Terry along with them. Their disappearance, coupled
with the fact that Terry had stolen her father's key
to the warehouse, make the young couple robbery sus-
pects. Fowley, attracted to Terry, plans to "bump off"
Rooney to get him out of the way, but Rooney,
through a series of blundering accidents, and with the
help of a pet raven he had also inherited, gets word
to the sheriff of their whereabouts and helps to cap-
ture the thieves. Rooney and Terry marry and go on
tour with their magic act.

It was produced by Rudolph C. Flothow, and di-
rected by Peter Godfrey, from an original screen play
by John Henley. Children should enjoy it.

172

HARRISON'S REPORTS

October 28, 1950

"SO YOU THINK YOU ARE INSURED"

Under the preceding heading, Mr. Ernest Watkins, a
San Francisco insurance man, made an interesting speech at
the recent Lake Tahoe convention of the Pacific Coast Con-
ference of Independent Theatre Owners, of which Mr.
Rotus Harvey is president.

Because Mr. Watkins presented to the exhibitors at the
convention valuable information on insuring theatres, I am
reproducing the salient parts of his speech:

"... I have traveled possibly forty thousand miles a year,
talking to independent exhibitors all along the northern
part of the state. Always, they are interested in knowing
something about their insurance, but with a cautious, doubt'
ful feeding that something is wrong — and usually there is.

"I don't know today how many of you gentlemen have
insurance on your theatres or what type of insurance you
have, but unless the equipment or building, or both, have
been appraised by an independent appraisor, you are headed
for trouble.

In the old days, many years ago, we insurance people
would sit down with an assured and talk with him about
the value of his building or the value of his equipment, and
he would make the sale. He would decide how much his
building was worth or how much his equipment was worth
and we'd walk out with an order. And we'd take it down to
our markets and we'd insure these properties. Then in many
instances when a fire resulted — and I'm speaking specifically
today about fire insurance— this individual assured was
penalized on his loss.

"And then as time went on we recognized certain in«
dividuals representing insurance companies as being ap-
praisors, and they would go out into the territory, or
wherever they were sent, and would casually step off the
square foot area of the building, multiply it by six dollars,
or eight dollars, or seven dollars a square foot and come
up with a value.

"But there are many problems that present themselves in
our business in the underwriting of the risk that prohibit
this type of appraisal to be made. First, all of you know that
an insurance policy is a contract between the insurer and
the insured, to do or not to do certain specific things.

"You perhaps have heard of co-insurance. To us people
in the insurance business it has always been a difficult buga-
boo to explain to the layman or to the insured. I hope that
I can get over to you just what co-insurance is.

"Co-insurance means that the individual insured is willing
to be co-insurer with the insurance company. You perhaps
have heard of insuring 90% to value. That would mean that
the insured was willing to carry or co-insure with the
insurance company 10% of his loss. If the value of the build-
ing was $100,000, he would therefore be willing to carry,
or have the insurance company write for him, $90,000 of
insurance, and he would carry $10,000 of insurance, — a
remote possibility unless one anticipates a total loss in every
instance. By so doing, the company, the insurance carrier,
is willing to reduce the premium considerably. And so we
use it a lot.

"But when we arrive at values there are three definite
approaches. One is, the new replacement value of the build-
ing, which like insuring people we are not concerned with.
The other is the present replacement value of the building
which, for the purpose of applying co-insurance, is not to
be considered.

"To be specific; if an individual owned a building whose
present replacement value was $100,000, an intelligent
breakdown of the insurance on that building would be ap-
proximately $70,000. First, we would deduct from the
building the land values, and all underground plumbing,
excavation, architect's fee, architect's plans (if those plans
are available), and many other exclusions, concrete slabs
laid on ground as applied to theatres, and all the time we

are reducing the $100,000 to what we call net insurable
value.

"Assuming that we had $70,000 as a net insurable value
on a building worth $100,000, we then would agree to co-
insure with the company 90% of $70,000; or we would
carry $63,000 of insurance.

"As I say, co-insurance is very desirable because it enables
the insured to buy his insurance at a greatly reduced rate
per hundred, but likewise this co-insurance is an atomic
bomb in the hands of an individual who uses it promiscu-
ously. You can readily see that, if we are going to deduct
from the building all these various exclusions or items, parts
of the building that are not presumed to burn, it would be
necessary for an insurance company to be furnished with a
proper breakdown of the building costs.

"So today, instead of using the company man who steps
off the square foot area for us, we are recommending every
day that the insured buy and pay for, out of his own pocket,
an appraisal, a comprehensive, broad breakdown of the
building costs, made by an individual who is competent to
do that work — an independent appraisal company.

"The insurance companies, gentlemen, recognize that
there is no such thing as true values; values are opinions.
My opinion may be very high, your opinion may be low,
but they feel that an individual who is appraising buildings
and equipment day in and day out, every day, all the time,
all types of buildings, that individual is capable of giving
to the insurance company at least a fair value of the build-
ing or the structure involved. And that's all they expect.
That is truly all they expect.

"But if we don't have these building costs, it is possible
that, in the event of a loss, particularly if your agent and
yourself sit down and arrive at book values of the building,
or arrive at some square foot area basis of the building, at
the time of a loss, not only do you exclude intelligently,
and thereby reduce your insurance, those items of the build-
ing that are definitely not insured in your contract, but
you may even carry $90,000 on this $100,000 building, and
find at the time of a loss your claim for damages is $90,000
and you have still got 50% of your building standing.

"The company isn't going to pay you that $90,000 if
that be the case, because, when they reduce the premium
with this co-insurance provision, they likewise penalize you
if you are deficient to 90% to value at the time of the loss.
So today we are recommending ... to everyone with whom
we come in contact, the desirability of having an independ-
ent appraisal company appraise these buildings.

"Likewise equipment in the theatre. If the theatre is
burned down, you may have Simplex heads in there, or
Motiograph heads or RCA heads. It doesn't make any dif-
ference, for the companies, if you are to have a satisfactory
loss settlement, want to know the serial numbers of those
pieces of equipment, when they were purchased, how much
you paid for them, and they want to be able to determine
the present value of that equipment, in the event of loss.
So an independent appraisor not only counts the two by
fours in this theatre and breaks down all the excavating
cubic feet of concrete, all that sort of thing, and puts it into
a nicely drawn binder for the benefit of the insurance com-
pany when necessary, but he counts the seats in the theatre
and tells what kind of seats they are. If they are Heywood-
Wakefield rocking chair loges, he tells what they are. . . .

"And, gentlemen, these are the things that the insurance
companies want to know before they pay out their dough.
And, those are exactly the same things that you would want
to know if the tables were turned and you were paying out
your dough. . . .

"Last year, in the State of California, assured were de-
prived of twenty-five million dollars of insurance. Twenty-
five million dollars of their loss adjustments, that they should
have received but they didn't, because they either didn't
understand their contracts, or they ignored the co-insurance
provisions of their contracts, or they didn't have appraisals."

Entered as second-class matter January 4, lUiil, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1950 No. 44

THE TOA MID-CENTURY CONVENTION

Samuel Pinanski, of Boston, was reelected as president of
the Theatre Owners of America at the organization's mid'
century convention, held this week at the Shamrock Hotel,
in Houston, Texas.

Mitchell Wolfson, of Miami, was elected chairman of the
board, succeeding Arthur Lockwood, of Boston.

The fout-day meeting, probably the largest gathering of
theatremen ever held, was highlighted by the "Products
Day" sessions on Tuesday, during which the assembled dele-
gates were addressed by top film company executives, in-
eluding William F. Rodgers, Spyros P. Skouras, Al Licht-
man, Andy W. Smith, Jr., Charles Einfeld, Robert Mochrie,
David Lipton, Abe Montague, Steve Broidy and Robert L.
Lippert.

Rodgers, MGM's vice-president in charge of sales, whose
speech was along the lines of the one he delivered at the
recent National Allied convention in Pittsburgh, reiterated
the statements he had made there on the subject of com-
petitive bidding to the effect that his company had not
invited the procedure but was following it because it knows
of no other method to satisfy competing exhibitors who are
seeking the same positions as to product and its availability.
He did, however, add the following statements of policy in
his talk before the TOA:

"Insofar as the law permits, we intend to confine our
future competitive bidding activities to theatres that are
adequate to exhibit our product on the run desired.

"We are going to do our level best to administer this
phase of our business intelligently, always bearing in mind
that the law governing our business must be respected.

"As to divulging to the losing bidder the terms under
which a picture was awarded after competitive bidding, we
are agreeable hereafter to such a procedure, providing each
and every one of the interested parties so indicates his will-
ingness in writing at the time the bid is submitted."

By offering to reveal the terms of the successful bid to
the losing bidders, Bill Rodgers has taken an important step
forward to help remove one of the most vexatious exhibitor
objections to competitive bidding as practiced in the motion
picture industry. In view of the fact, however, that Rodgers'
offer to disclose the terms of the winning bid hinges on
"each and every one of the interested parties" agreeing to
the disclosures, many competing exhibitors may not obtain
the desired information because of the refusal of one of the
interested parties, for reasons best known to himself, to
have the terms of his bid disclosed.

In a further statement of policy, Rodgers castigated ex-
hibitors who "short-change" the distributors on percentage
engagements, stating that their cheating "can only result in
harm to the reputation of the vast majority of honorable
exhibitors." Warning that his company will continue to
prosecute offenders, Rodgers said that, hereafter, MGM will
no longer solicit business from exhibitors who have been
caught falsifying their records to the company.

Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox,
devoted the major part of his effective address to ways and
means of meeting competition from television, which he
termed "our supreme problem today," the "toughest com-
petition we have ever had to meet."

In addition to urging the exhibitors to devote themselves
to greater showmanship efforts, Skouras told them that he
personally believes, despite the misgivings of many of his
friends, that the future of the motion picture theatres will
be insured if the exhibitors have the courage to embrace
theatre television.

He envisaged theatre television as offering the exhibitors

an opportunity to provide theatre entertainment of a quality
never dreamt of before, through the production of special
televised shows to be shown on the same program with a
motion picture. "In simultaneous programs in hundreds or
thousands of theatres," said Mr. Skouras, "you can bring
to your audiences programs dwarfing anything we know,
because your screens can present great artists of the motion
pictures, of the theatre, the concert stage, and of radio. . . .
Many times, together with a great motion picture, you can
present such great hits as 'South Pacific' and 'Call Me
Madam,' as well as operas."

Yet, in the face of this opportunity, Skouras stated, "we
seem to be incredibly helpless" in that the industry is still
without television channels. "Is it possible," he queried,
"that we do not demand enough respect from an agency of
our Government to protect our business, our investments,
and to serve the public best? I believe that we have failed to
persuade the FCC to license us with the channels we deserve
because we are too inarticulate. Because we have not a
common clear understanding of the value of this new
medium for our theatres, and because we lack harmony and
coordination."

Elsewhere in his talk Skouras recommended one or two
charity collections a year in theatres for outstanding na-
tional charities; urged every one in the industry to avoid
criticizing Hollywood and their fellow industryites, stating
that "this self destructive criticism has done more to hurt
us than all outside criticism"; and suggested a schedule of
outstanding film festivals in ten or twelve important cities
annually as a means of creating public interest in our busi-
ness.

Referring to the avalanche of lawsuits that are being
brought by exhibitors against the distributors, Skouras said :
"It has come to pass that we are virtually damned if we do
and damned if we don't. Obviously, we can't satisfy con-
flicting demands from exhibitors whom we believe are in
competition for identical runs. If we use our best judgment
and do what we think is right, we often get a lawsuit for
trying."

"These suits have become so numerous and the amounts
involved so vast," he added, "that if something constructive
is not done by each branch of the industry, working in co-
operation with each other branch, to solve this problem,
there is not going to be anything left for any of us." Mr.
Skouras made it clear that, in his opinion, competitive bid*
ding is not a constructive policy.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Skouras urged the industry to
unite to build up the interests of every producing company,
distributor and exhibitor, so that all will prosper and suc-
ceed. "We must fight together," he declared. "None of us
can survive if the industry does not survive."

Limited space does not permit more than a brief sum-
mary of the interesting talks made by the other speakers.

Al Lichtman, 20th Century-Fox vice-president, reviewed
the rise of the motion picture to the greatest entertainment
medium in the world but warned that the unequal compe-
tition of television, because it is free and convenient to the
public, challenges the very existence of the industry. He
voiced alarm that home television may reduce the industry
to "only a business of hits," in which case, he said, we may
become the "picuayne business that the legitimate show
business has been reduced to." He urged the exhibitors to
realize the danger and expressed confidence that, through
united efforts, the industry can overcome its problems and
rise to even greater heights.

Andy W. Smith Jr., 20th Century-Fox vice-president in

(Continued on bac\ page)

174

HARRISON'S REPORTS

November 4, 1950

"Breakthrough" with David Brian, John Agar
and Frank Love joy

(Warner Bros., Dec. 9; time, 91 win.)

"Breakthrough" is a hard-hitting, thrill-packed war melo'
drama, dealing with the World War II experiences of an
American infantry company involved in the invasion of
Europe from the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach to the
capture of St. Lo. The picture is most effective in the battle
scenes, which are made all the more realistic by the expert
way in which authentic clips from both Allied and enemy
combat films have been blended in with the staged action.
The battle scenes are, in fact, so vivid in their depiction of
modern warfare in all its harsh ugliness that they may prove
to be much too grim for those who are squeamish. The
weakest part of the picture is the story, which is episodic
and somewhat contrived, and which is lacking in clear-cut
characterizations and motivations. Despite the story's short-
comings, however, it is one of the better war pictures, but
just how it may perform at the box-office is a question that
the exhibitor must answer for himself since he is the best
judge of whether or not his patrons are in the mood to
accept a picture of this type nowadays.

Primarily, the story concerns itself with the friction be-
tween David Brian, the tough, battle-wise company com<
mander, and John Agar, a sensitive second lieutenant, fresh
from OCS. Chief cause of the animosity between them is
Brian's apparent indifference to the tragedies that befall his
men, and the abusive attitude he assumes in training Agar
on tactical war problems. In due time, however, Agar be-
comes aware of Brian's deep concern for his men, despite
his tough exterior, and eventually, when the rigors of battle
turn Brian into a psychopathic case, a condition he recog-
nizes himself when he is assigned to headquarters, he rec-
ommends Agar, who had proved his worth, as his successor
with the company command. The story concerns itself also
with the thoughts and reactions of the soldiers under battle
conditions, and with their individual feats of daring and
sacrifice as they battle foot by foot across France from
one hedgerow to another to dislodge the Germans from
the protection these hedgerows afforded them. Here and
there some touches of humor are worked in between the
melodramatic incidents. The supporting cast is good, with
an outstanding job turned in by Frank Lovejoy, as a sea-
soned top sergeant, whose understanding guidance helps
Agar over the rough spots. A brief but effective bit is con-
tributed by Suzanne Dalbert, as a flirtatious French girl in
a liberated Normandy village.

It was produced by Bryan Foy and directed by Lewis
Seiler from a screenplay by Bernard Girard and Ted Sherde-
man, based on a story by Joseph I. Breen, Jr. Matt Willis,
Greg McClure and Edward Norris are among the others in
the cast. Adult fare.

"Undercover Girl" with Alexis Smith and
Scott Brady

(Univ.'Int'l, ~Npvemher; time, 83 min.)

A fairly interesting "cops and robbers" melodrama. The
story follows a conventional pattern in theme and treatment
and, as indicated by the title, the heroine is a policewoman
who poses as a shady character to worm her way into the
crooks' confidence and ultimately bring them to justice.
Although it offers little that is novel and moves rather slowly
at times, it does generate enough excitement and suspense
to satisfy the followers of this type of pictures. The char-
acterizations are stereotyped, but the players adequately fill
the roles assigned to them: —

Gerald Mohr, head of a West Coast narcotics gang, kills
Regis Toomey, a New York detective, when he rejects a
bribe. Scott Brady, a Los Angeles police lieutenant who
had been trying to trap the gang, enlists the aid of Toomey's
daughter, Alexis Smith, a rookie New York policewoman,
who is granted leave to accompany Brady to the coast in an
effort to find her father's killer. Under a plan worked out
by Brady, Alexis assumes a fictitious identity and represents
herself as a Chicago drug operator, a protege of Gladys
George, a drug addict, whom the underworld erroneously
believed to be dead. Through clever maneuvers she makes

contact with the gang and soon wins the confidence of
Edmon Ryan, a shady doctor, whose private sanitorium was
used as a front by Mohr. Ryan falls in love with Alexis and
tells her of his grown son who knew nothing about his
shady operations. On the day set for Alexis to buy a quan-
tity of drugs from Mohr, she bumps into Richard Egan, a
jilted New York boy-friend. The meeting is observed by
Royal Dano, a gang member, who checks up on Egan and
discovers Alexis' true identtiy. To keep this information
from Mohr, Ryan, for his own safety, murders Dano. Alexis,
now aware that she had been found out, persuades Ryan to
turn state's evidence and go through with the deal to protect
his son from scandal. At the appointed hour for the delivery
of the narcotics, with the police all set to close in on the
gang, Mohr cagily makes a switch in plans and takes Alexis
to another hideaway in an abandoned house. There, as he
turns over the drugs to Alexis, word comes of Dano's murder
and the reason for it. Alexis bolts from the room and runs
through the darkened house with Mohr in hot pursuit.
Just then Brady and the police burst in and capture the
gang, but Alexis herself gets the drop on Mohr, thus having
the satisfaction of bringing her father's slayer to justice. It
ends with Alexis and Brady finding themselves in love.

It was produced by Aubrey Schenck and direceted by
Joseph Pevney from a screenplay by Harry Essex, based on
a story by Francis Rosenwald. Adult fare.

"Never a Dull Moment" with Irene Dunne and
Fred MacMurray

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 89 min.)

Good mass entertainment. The family trade in particular
should enjoy it, for it has the sure-fire ingredients of a highly
amusing domestic comedy, with just the right touches of
warmth and human interest. Revolving around a sophisti-
cated woman songwriter who forsakes the luxuries of her
New York life to marry a cowhand, a widower with two
children, the story, though lightweight, keeps one laughing
throughout. Most of the comedy, some of it slapstick, is
provoked by her trials and tribulations as she bravely strug-
gles to adjust herself to life on a rundown ranch, and by the
invasion of her privacy by overfriendly neighbors. Irene
Dunne, who is as beautiful as ever, and Fred MacMurray,
are a perfect team for this type of comedy, and they make
the most of their respective roles. Andy Devine, as a ranch
hand, and William Demarest, as a grumpy ranch owner,
contribute much to the comedy: —

MacMurray, appearing with Devine at a charity rodeo
sponsored by Irene, falls in love with her when Devine
arranges a meeting between them in her luxurious apart-
ment. They marry after a whirlwind courtship and set out
in his ancient touring car for his ranch in the Rockies. The
ranch proves to be a rundown affair, dependent for water
on Demarest, and MacMurray's two daughters (Natalie
Wood and Gigi Perreau) greet Irene with considerable re-
serve. Determined to make a go of it, she struggles to make
the place a real home and gradually wins the children's
affections as she learns to cook, ride and rope a horse, and
milk a cow. She even tricks Demarest into agreeing to fur-
nish the additional water the ranch needs badly, only to
antagonize him when she accidentally shoots his prize bull.
In retaliation, he calls off the water deal and announces
that he will take over the ranch in repayment. This turn of
events leads to a quarrel between Irene and MacMurray
and, to the consternation of the children, she decides to
return to New York to resume her songwriting career. She
is unable, however, to concentrate on her work because of
her longing for MacMurray and the children. Meanwhile
MacMurray, to salvage his own finances, had taken to the
rodeo again, but he, too, is so disturbed emotionally that
he meets with little success. Devine finally solves their
problems by dragging MacMurray up to Irene's apartment
where, after a joyous reunion, she agrees to accompany him
West for keeps.

It was produced by Harriet Parsons and directed by
George Marshall from a screen play by Lou Breslow and
Doris Anderson, based on a novel by Kay Swift.

Very good family entertainment.

November 4, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

175

"Mrs, O'Malley and Mr. Malone" with James
Whitmore and Marjorig^Mam

(MGM, December; time,/o9 min.)j

A good program murder mystery melodrama, with the
accent on comedy. The fact that the story is a hodgepodge
of nonsense does not matter much, for the action is fast,
the dialogue breezy, and the situations, although far-fetched,
quite comical. A major part of the action takes place on a
train, and most of the laughter is provoked by the mixups
that occur when Marjorie Main and James Whitmore be-
come innocently involved in two murders and are compelled
to keep switching the bodies from one compartment to
another lest they be charged with the crimes. Normally,
situations that deal with murders and with dead bodies are
distasteful, but not so in this film because it is all treated in
a comedy vein. The direction is good, and the performances
sprightly: —

Principal characters in the "screwball" story are Marjorie
Main, a forthright middle-aged backwoods widow, who had
just won a $50,000 radio quiz program and a trip to New
York; James Whitmore, a completely unethical criminal
attorney, a raffish young man who had an eye for the ladies
and who spent more money than he earned; Douglas Fow-
ley, an ex-convict, from whom Whitmore sought to collect
$10,000 for securing his parole; Fred Clark, a Chicago
detective, who was searching for $100,000 stolen by Fowley
and never recovered; Ann Dvorak, Fowley's ex-wife, who
wanted her back alimony; Don Porter, Fowley's former
partner, who wanted his cut of the stolen money; and
Dorothy Malone, Porter's girl-friend, a designing blonde.
All find themselves on a train bound for New York when
Fowley, who had disappeared, had been seen buying a rail-
road ticket for the big city. Marjorie and Whitmore, finding
themselves in adjoining compartments, soon strike up a
friendship. Unknown to all, Dorothy, doublecrossing Porter,
was traveling with Fowley, who had escaped detection by
wearing a sailor's uniform. The excitement starts when
Fowley and Dorothy are murdered mysteriously and their
bodies placed in Marjorie's compartment. Marjorie and
Whitmore have a hectic time switching the bodies from one
compartment to another each time Clark drops in for a chat,
but he eventually catches them with the bodies as well as the
$100,000 and places them under arrest for the murders.
By the time they arrive in New York, Whitmore deduces
that Porter is the murderer and spots him as he tries to
make a getaway disguised as a sailor. Although still hand-
cuffed to Marjorie, Whitmore breaks away from Clark
and, after a wild chase through the crowded station, pursued
by police and followed by a welcoming band for Marjorie,
corners Porter. When Porter starts to confess, Whitmore
stops him and offers to defend him for a fee.

It was produced by William H. Wright and directed by
Norman Taurog from a screenplay by William Bowers,
based on a story by Craig Rice and Stuart Palmer.

Best suited for mature audiences.

"The Sun Sets at Dawn" with Sally Parr and
Philip Shawn

(Eagle-Lion, November; time, 72 win.)

A cheerless slow-moving melodrama, revolving around
the eleventh hour reprieve of an innocent young man await-
ing electrocution for a murder. It is a dreary, depressing
yarn and, although a certain amount of suspense is main-
tained because a faulty electric chair conveniently delays
the execution, its plot development is unconvincing and its
slow and mechanical unraveling adds up to a generally list-
less dramatic show. Moreover, its lack of players who mean
anything at the box-office will mitigate against its being used
as more than a supporting feature in secondary theatres.
The direction and acting are no more than adequate, and
the production values modest: —

The story takes place on the day set for the electrocution
of Philip Shawn for the murder of a political boss. Although
the young man protests his innocence, the only ones who
believe him are Walter Reed, the prison priest, Sally Parr,
his sweetheart, and Howard St. John, the Warden. A group

of reporters, waiting to cover the execution, discuss the case
at a combination diner and post office nearby the prison,
.and all agree that the only person who ever committed a
killing in like fashion was Lee Fredericks, a gangster pre-
sumed to be dead at the time the politician was murdered.
Taken to the prison to witness the execution, the reporters
are shocked when Shawn, strapped to the chair, is miracu<
lously spared through a fault in the mechanism. Meanwhile
a stranger stops off at the diner, where a trusty, sent there
to pick up the prison mail, recognizes him as Fredericks,
even though his facial features had been changed by plastic
surgery. The trusty, to settle an old score, exposes the
gangster, who is taken into custody after a furious gun
battle. Confronted by the warden, Frederick admits his
identity and, out of sympathy for the distraught Sally, con-
fesses that he had killed the politician, who had been black-
mailing him. His confession comes just as Shawn is being
strapped to the chair for a second time. Thinking fast, the
warden pulls the main switch, saving Shawn's life in the
nick of time.

The story was written and directed by Paul H. Sloane,
who co-produced it with Helen H. Rathvon. Adult fare.

"Three Husbands" with Emlyn Williams, Eve
Arden and Howard da Silva

(United Artists, 7s[ov. 17; time, 78 mm.)
A pretty good program sex comedy, best suited for the
sophisticated trade. Similar to "A Letter to Three Wives" in
reverse, the story deals with the consternation that is caused
among three sets of married couples when a deceased mutual
friend, a playboy bachelor, prankishly leaves a note to each
husband, making him believe that he had had an affair with
his wife. Although the picture is by no means as good as
"A Letter to Three Wives,'.' it does have some very good
comedy situations and bright dialogue. The strife that is
stirred up among the couples is cause for considerable
laughter, particularly when the husbands, through flash-
backs, review past incidents that give them reason to be'
lieve that their wives had been unfaithful. The direction is
competent, the acting zestful, and the production values
good: —

The day after the sudden death of Emlyn Williams, a
wealthy British bachelor living in San Francisco, Jonathan
Hale, his attorney, gives to Shepperd Strudwick, Robert
Karnes and Howard da Silva, Williams' three best friends,
letters informing them that he had carried on an affair with
each of their wives. Strudwick and Karnes react to the
shocking news with indignation and determine to seek di-
vorces, but da Silva, a rough and ready sporting type of
fellow, regards the letter as a monumental jest. But as the
three men review past associations of themselves and their
wives with the gay Williams, each finds reason to believe
that his wife had been unfaithful. Strudwick, married to
Ruth Warrick, believes that the affair started while he him-
self was carrying on romantically with Louise Erickson, a
voluptuous artist, and Williams was presumably accompany
ing Ruth to musicals; nevertheless he calls her a Jezebel.
Karnes, married to Vanessa Brown, a Nurse, practically puts
her out of their home when he recalls her aid to Williams
during his illness and suspects that she had been visiting
him secretly while presumably on other cases. Da Silva,
goaded by Eve Arden, his wife, into thinking that Williams
did have a romantic attachment for her, recollects numerous
gay incidents that seem to bear out her remarks. On the
following day, Williams' attorney summons the three cou-
ples to his office for a reading of the will, at which time
Williams enjoys his last posthumous jest by dividing his
estate among the three girls. But a final disclosure in the
tongue-in-cheek document reveals that his "affairs" with
the wives had been a gag to stimulate in the husbands a re<
examination of their attitudes toward their wives. Each goes
crawling back to his wife and is forgiven.

It was produced by I. G. Goldsmith and directed by
Irving Reis from a story by Vera Caspary, who wrote the
screen play in collaboration with Edward Eliscu. The cast
includes Billic Burke, James Darwcll and others.

Adult fare.

176

HARRISON'S REPORTS

November 4, 1950

charge of sales, listed five contributions that his company
can make to the welfare of the exhibitors. These included
(1) The release of 36 "A" pictures in 1951, an increase of
eleven pictures over the 1949-50 average; (2) the sale of a
full season's product to small exhibitors in outlying areas,
along the lines of the plan he outlined at the recent National
Allied convention; (3) the refusal to negotiate for "drive-
in first run" in any community for the protection of the
regular first-runs, but, in cases where the company is
"forced" to give drive-in an earlier clearance, it will consent,
where the situations warrant, to permit drive-ins to compete
or buy on the same availability as the first neighborhood
run; (4) minimizing competitive bidding, permitting it only
where a request is made by either an independent or a cir-
cuit; (5) support of any workable industry arbitration sys-
tem that will be embraced by all the distributors and
exhibitors. (Bill Rodgers, too, urged the formulation of an
industry arbitration plan.)

Charles Einfeld, 20th Century-Fox vice-president in
charge of advertising and publicity, indirectly took the
exhibitors to task for failing to support properly with their
local advertising the advertising that is done on a national
scale by the distributors. He cited as examples the methods
followed by manufacturers and dealers in other industries,
with particular emphasis on the funds contributed by the
dealers, to show that by comparison the exhibitors, the
"dealers" in the motion picture industry, are not doing as
good a job in selling locally their industry and its products.
Einfeld suggested that the exhibitors, like dealers in other
industries, "band together and invest in community public
relations to protect your own interests."

David Lipton, Universal-International's national director
of advertising and publicity, urged collective advertising on
a national scale of outstanding films from all sources, with
the cost of the program shared by the producers and dis-
tributors. He cautioned, however, that such an advertising
campaign would be doomed to failure if any of the par-
ticipating companies insisted upon including films of doubt-
ful value.

Robert Mochrie, RKO's general sales manager, outlined
his company's forthcoming product and urged the exhibitors
to carry on more extensive advertising and exploitation to
obtain maximum grosses.

Abe Montague, Columbia's general sales manager, urged
the exhibitors to shake themselves free from their fears over
television, and pointed to the expanded production plans of
his own company as proof of its confidence in the future of
the industry.

Steve Broidy, Monogram president, and Robert L. Lip-
pert, head of the company bearing his name, left no doubt
about the confidence that they have in the industry's future.
Both reviewed their product line-ups in glowing terms.

Broidy, incidentally, won a rousing round of applause
from the delegates when he stated that his company will
stick to family-type pictures and shy away from psycholog-
ical pictures because "we get so confused ourselves that we
don't know what we are making."

"Holiday Rhythm" with Mary Beth Hughes,
David Street and Wally Vernon

(Lippert, October 13; time, 60 and 70 min.)

Produced as a follow-up to "Hollywood Varieties," this
is a good picture of its kind, suitable for a double bill. It
is really a collection of specialty acts, featuring different
well-known performers. Being a novelty, it should be ac-
cepted well by the movie-goers, most of whom would not
have an opportunity to see these performers in the flesh.
The music is mostly good and the photography is clear. The
producer is offering the picture in two versions, one sixty
minutes long, and the other seventy, for theatres in single
feature situations: —

Mary Beth Hughes and David Street are trying to sell
their television show to Donald McBride, hypochondriac
president of an airline company, who is accompanied by
Wally Vernon, his "Yes!" man. While the TV program
director is discussing with McBride other show possibilities,
David slips and knocks himself unconscious. While in that
state, he dreams about a trip around the world, during which
he and Mary witness a series of events. In Ireland, they are
entertained by Glenn Turnbull, a dancer. On a visit to a
Parisian cabaret, they see an apache dance number with

Vera Lee and Tom Ladd, Bertil and Gustaf Unger, boy
twins, and Eva and Neva Martell, girl twins, to the accom-
paniment of Nappy LaMare and his Dixieland Band. In
Holland, they watch George Arnold and his "Rhythm on
Ice" show. In London, they watch Tom Noonan, a screwball
doctor, and Peter Marshall, his looney assistant, perform an
operation on Wally Vernon. Later, they watch Bill Burns
and his Birds present a feathered frolic, followed by Gloria
Grey, Tex Ritter and The Cass County Boys in a few rounds
of Western music. In the Pacific Islands, they see Moana, a
Hawaiian singer, Freddie Letuli, a sword dancer, and Regina
Day, a drum dancer. After Bobby Chang, a Chinese juggler,
goes through his paces for them, they join a group of inter-
planetary explorers on a trip into space. In South America,
Chuy Reyes and his Mambo Orchestra present a finale to
their journey. David regains consciousness to the strains of
music made by Ike Carpenter and his Orchestra. When Mc-
Bride tells them that he liked their show and that he will
contract for it, Mary and David go into a happy embrace.

It was produced by Jack Leewood and directed by Jack
Scholl from an original screenplay by Lee Wainer.

Suitable for the entire family.

"Rio Grande" with John Wayne and
Maureen O'Hara

(Republic, Hov. 15; time, 105 min.)
Reverting once again to his favorite theme in recent years
— the U.S. Cavalry versus Apache Indians in the post-Civil
War era, John Ford has fashioned another big-scale outdoor
melodrama that draws comparison with his "Fort Apache"
and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," although it does not
match the entertainment quality of either of these pictures.
It seems unlikely that its box-office performance will be less
than good, first, because it offers the kind of thrilling action
one expects to find in a picture of this type, and secondly,
because of the potent marquee value of the leading players'
names as well as of the supporting cast, which includes Chill
Wills, Victor McLaglen, J. Carrol Naish and Claude
Jarman, Jr. Critical patrons, however, will find it no more
than fairly entertaining, for the story is familiar, somewhat
hazy and excessively overlong, and its dramatic content is
never as persuasive as it tries to be. Moreover, the char-
acterizations are stereotyped and not clearly defined. The
avid action fans will do doubt find it to their liking for,
despite some draggy moments, it has an adequate share of
fist fights, mounted pursuits and Indian fighting: —

John Wayne, colonel in command at Fort Starke, is taken
by surprise when Claude Jarman, Jr., his son, whom he had
not seen in fifteen years, is assigned to his command as an
ordinary trooper. Years previously, as an officer in the Union
Army, Wayne had sacrificed his marriage to military duty
by burning the buildings on the family plantation of
Maureen O'Hara, his Southern-born wife, who refused to
forgive him. Wayne, a strict militarist, makes it clear to his
son that he will not be given favored treatment because of
their relationship. The proud lad, in turn, informs him that
he expects no favors. To Wayne's secret satisfaction, the
boy proves his mettle as a trooper. He becomes close buddies
with troopers Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr., and a
fatherly interest is taken in his welfare by Victor McLaglen,
a blustering sergeant, and Chill Wills, the fort's doctor.
Wayne's emotions are stirred by the arrival of Maureen,
who was determined to obtain her son's discharge from the
army. Both Wayne and the boy, however, hold out against
her wishes. Meanwhile Wayne is plagued by savage attacks
by the Apaches, who escape across the border and hole up
in a remote Mexican village, thus leaving him helpless be-
cause of strict military orders not to cross the Rio Grande
into Mexico. A fresh attack by the Apaches, in which a
group of children are kidnapped, leads J. Carrol Naish, the
general, to give Wayne informal permission to cross the
border. In a rousing fight highlighted by the heroism of
Claude and his buddies, Wayne's troops defeat the Apaches
and rescue the children. As their son is cited for bravery,
Wayne and Maureen effect a reconciliation.

It is an Argosy production, directed by John Ford, who
co-produced it with Merian C. Cooper. The screen play was
written by James Kevin McGuinness, based on a Saturday
Evening Post story by James Warner Bellah. The cast in-
cludes Grant Withers, the Sons of the Pioneers and others.
Suitable for the family.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1950 No. 45

COMPO'S SURVIVAL AT STAKE

Having survived one serious crisis in its brief history only
three months ago, the Council of Motion Picture Organiza<
tions once again finds its future in doubt as a result of new
demands on the part of the Theatre Owners of America.

This time TOA, through an action taken by its board of
directors on the final day of the organization's annual con-
vention held last week in Houston, is demanding larger rep-
resentation on COMPO's executive board before it will
approve continued membership in COMPO.

Under the present set-up, COMPO's executive board is
comprised of two delegates from each of COMPO's ten
charter member organizations, with both delegates entitled to
only one vote as a unit. TOA is dissatisfied with this set-up,
claiming that it is entitled to "fairer representation" on the
board in proportion to the number of theatres it represents,
the importance of these theatres, the number of states in
which it has regional units, and the huge percentage of dues
its members will pay for the support of COMPO.

As an example of what it considers to be inadequate rep-
resentation, TOA points out that its regional units in twenty-
two states west of the Mississippi have no official spokesmen
on the COMPO executive board, and that these states are
now represented by two delegates from the Pacific Coast
Conference of Independent Theatre Owners, which has no
affiliation with TOA. Fairer representation on COMPO's
board would correct this condition, according to TOA.

Under a resolution adopted by TOA's board of directors,
Sam Pinanski, the organization's president, appointed a com-
mittee "to meet with representatives of COMPO seeking to
have COMPO reorganize itself along the lines of fairer rep-
resentation and limiting its activities to public relations at
the national level, with the end in mind of said TOA com-
mittee reporting back to the board of TOA for final
approval."

This committee includes Ted Gamble, as chairman, Charles
Skouras, Robert J. O'Donnell, Mitchell Wolfson, Sherrill
Corwin, E. D. Martin, Tom Edwards, Max Connet, Si
Fabian, Arthur Lockwood, Robert Wilby, Gael Sullivan and
Mr. Pinanski. Presumably, this committee is to meet with
COMPO officials prior to the scheduled COMPO executive
board meeting on November 16-17.

Ned E. Depinet, COMPO's president, in his speech at the
TOA convention, told the delegates that the problem of
greater western representation will be considered at the
forthcoming executive board meeting.

That the other constituent organizations in COMPO will
resist any move that tends to give the TOA a dominating
voice in COMPO matters soon became apparent this week
when Abram F. Myers, National Allied's general counsel and
chairman of the board, commenting on the TOA action, had
this to say, as quoted in Motion Picture Daily:

"Unquestionably, the regional representation idea is to
give TOA more influence. You can be sure Allied will be
against any proposal to upset the present balance or give
TOA or any of its people domination in COMPO."

Stating that Allied will veto any reorganization plan that
gives TOA increased influence, Myers said that Allied's
board of directors had ratified participation in COMPO only
on the basis of the present organizational set-up, and that
any change in that set-up would have to be approved by the
Allied board. "I do not believe," he added, "that the board
for one minute would participate in any organization where
TOA is given greater influence than anyone else, merely to

appease it. Allied is interested in a public relations project
where all interests have an equal voice and which functions
by unanimous consent. We are against any appeasement of
dissident elements by granting special favors."

As to TOA's claim that its western regional units are with-
out representation on the COMPO board, Myers said:
"TOA can send its directors from the West as well as the
East. It can name Charles Skouras instead of Sam Pinanski
or Gael Sullivan if it is so worried about the West Coast
being represented. But tearing the structure of COMPO
apart to take care of something like that can lead only to
disaster."

Commenting still further on the matter, Myers, in an ap-
parent reference to reports that the COMPO high command
is willing to work out an agreement with TOA to keep it in
the COMPO fold, is quoted as saying that the Allied leaders
are "good and tired of the way COMPO insists on playing
politics all the time — the reaction is very strong."

Whether or not a compromise can be reached with TOA
is a matter of conjecture. It is known that, like the Allied
leaders, some of the leaders of the other constituent groups
in COMPO are annoyed over the constant TOA objections,
which have served to impede COMPO's progress. Moreover,
there is need for further clarification of TOA's demands. For
example, if TOA's demand for "fairer representation entails
no more than an expansion of COMPO's executive board so
that a larger number of TOA leaders can give expression to
their views, the other charter organizations, except Allied, of
course, may be willing to go along with the plan even to the
point of accepting smaller representation on the executive
board themselves. Allied, no doubt, will accept nothing less
than equal representation with TOA. If, however, TOA's
demand for "fairer representation" includes also a provision
for greater voting power — that is, if it wants more than the
one vote that is now allotted to each constituent group, the
demand will unquestionably be rejected, not only by Allied,
but also by most if not all the other groups.

Pending further clarification of just what TOA's demands
entail, no fair-thinking person can disagree with the views
expressed by Mr. Myers. After all, no exhibitor leader with
a proper regard for his responsibility would expose his organ-
ization to the control of any other group.

As a result of this latest TOA demand, many industryites
now look upon the future of COMPO with misgivings. This
is most unfortunate, for if ever there was a time in the his-
tory of the motion picture industry when unified action was
needed, that time is the present. Improved public relations,
unfair legislation and discriminatory taxation, competition
from television, declining box-office receipts, industry par-
ticipation in the defense effort — these and many other prob-
lems that aifect the industry as a whole await solution. And
the only organization that can accomplish the most in dealing
with these problems is COMPO, for it provides the means
by which all elements of the industry can get together in
harmony to exchange views and work our programs that will
have each and every one of us fighting shoulder to shoulder
to protect and safeguard the business.

The industry cannot afford to let COMPO fall by the
wayside. Too much is at stake. It is to be hoped that at the
forthcoming COMPO executive board meeting, when con-
sideration will be given to TOA's demand for reorganization,
cool heads will prevail, and that there will be a demonstra-
tion of sincerity on the part of all concerned to keep
COMPO alive in the interest of unity.

178

HARRISON'S REPORTS

November 11, 1950

"Kansas Raiders" with Audie Murphy,
Brian Donlevy and Marguerite Chapman

(Univ.'Int'l, November; time, 80 min.)

This western-type Technicolor melodrama, which depicts
Jesse James and several other famous outlaws in their
younger days as members of the infamous Quantrill raiders,
has all the excitement that one expects to find in a picture
of this kind, but it is unpleasant. Not only is the action
ruthless and excessively brutal, but the story is demoralizing
in that it attempts to win sympathy for murderous char'
acters. Moreover, it is ethically unsound, for at the finish
the desperadoes, although deserving of punishment for their
misdeeds, ride off into the hills scot-free. Aside from these
shortcomings, the story is unconvincing, and the character'
izations confusing, for their motivations are never made
quite clear. The acting is adequate, in spite of the fact that
the script is below par.

The story casts Audie Murphy, as Jesse James; Richard
Long, as Frank James; Anthony Curtis, as Kit Dalton; and
James Best and Dewey Martin, as the Younger Brothers.
Led by Murphy, the five men, all under twenty-one, ride
into Kansas to join up with Brian Donlevy (as Quantrill),
leader of a guerrilla band that was looting and burning
Union towns in the name of the Confederacy. When the
boys meet Donlevy, they make it clear that they were out
to avenge themselves on Union soldiers who had burned
their farms and had murdered unarmed relatives. Donlevy
tests Murphy's courage by having one of his tough aides
pick a fight with the youngster. Murphy stabs the man to
death. Impressed by the lad's fighting ability, Donlevy
makes him a top aide. Marguerite Chapman, Donlevy's mis-
tress, takes a liking to Murphy and warns him that Donlevy
is nothing more than a blood-thirsty murderer seeking per-
sonal profit and power. Murphy realizes the truth of these
words on his first raid, when the raiders swoop down on a
farm settlement, killing unarmed men and looting and burn-
ing the buildings. The sight of the wanton destruction is
revolting to Murphy and, under Martha's prodding, he
decides to quit, but he soon comes under the spell of Don-
levy's magnetism and stays on, despite his abhorance of the
continued wanton killings. Eventually, both the Union and
Confederate military leaders brand Donlevy as an outlaw,
and his raiders are compelled to split up to evade capture.
Donlevy, wounded in a clash with Union soldiers, is taken
to a hideout by Murphy and his group, but the soldiers,
headed by Richard Arlen, soon find the hideout and sur'
round it. At the finish, Donlevy sacrifices his life in a
suicidal dash from the hideout, thus drawing the soldiers'
fire in a way that permits Murphy and the others to escape.

It was produced by Ted Richmond and directed by Ray
Enright from a story and screen play by Robert L. Richards.
Adult fare.

"Paper Gallows" with an all-British cast

(Eagle-Lion, September; time, 68 min.)

A mediocre British-made murder melodrama; it will prob-
ably have tough sledding in this country even as the lower
half of a double bill. The story is a grim, moody affair that
unfolds in an obvious manner and, even though it does
have a few thrills and several suspenseful moments, the
acting is so unrestrained that one loses interest in the pro-
ceedings. Not much can be said for the direction, which is
amateurish, nor for the production values, which are ex-
tremely modest. Moreover, the English accents of the play-
ers are so thick at times that one has difficulty understand-
ing the dialogue: —

John Bentlcy and Dermot Walsh, brothers and authors
of crime stories, share a large country home with Rona
Anderson, their pretty secretary. Rona loves Bentlcy, a
clean-cut chap, arousing the jealousy of Walsh, a inoody,
neurotic fellow. Walsh, determined to write a classic murder
thriller, goes to great lengths to obtain authentic color, even
to the point of murdering an ex-convict, a friend who had
come to call on the brothers. The man's failure to keep his

appointment causes Bentley to suspect his brother of foul
play, but Walsh shrewdly attempts to make it appear as if
the missing man was still alive. Bentley, however, continues
to search for the body. An intense hatred grows up between
the brothers, and Rona herself soon finds reason to suspect
and fear Walsh. Learning that Bentley had come across a
clue that was sure to reveal him as the murderer, Walsh
starts dictating his new novel to Rona. She soon becomes
aware of the fact that the story was, in reality, an account
of how he had committed the murder and of the manner in
which he had covered up the crime. For the final chapter to
the novel, he forces Rona into a storage room and prepares
to hang her from a rafter, but the attempt is thwarted by
the timely arrival of Bentley. Walsh, by this time a total
nervous wreck, meekly awaits the police.

John Guillermin wrote the screen play, directed it, and
co-produced it with Robert Jordan Hill.

Adult fare.

"Mad Wednesday" with Harold Lloyd

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 77 min.)

(Editor's 'Hote: The following review was originally pub-
lished in the February 22, 1947 issue, under the title. "The
Sin of Harold Diddlebocl{." Originally set for release through
United Artists, the picture was held bac\ and is now ready
for release through RKO. Twelve minutes have been cut
from its original running time of 89 minutes. The review is
being reproduced for the guidance of this paper's subscribers.)

A highly amusing slapstick comedy, with many uproarious
laugh-creating situations throughout. The film marks the
return of Harold Lloyd to the screen, and a welcome one
it is, for his brand of comedy is as effective as ever. The
story, which was written, produced, and directed by Preston
Sturges, has many novel and original touches, centering
around Lloyd's transformation, as a result of his first drink,
from a timid, middle-aged bookkeeper to a brazen, un'
inhibited playboy, who paints the town red, wins a fortune
gambling on the horses, and wakes up from his drunken
orgy to find that he had invested his winnings in a circus
that was on the verge of bankruptcy. The most hilarious
sequences have to do with his efforts to sell to uninterested
bankers in Wall Street the idea of sponsoring a free circus
for children in order to win friends. Meeting with rebuffs,
he decides to make the bankers listen to him by calling on
them with a tame lion in tow. The commoition he causes in
the financial district will have your patrons literally rolling
in the aisles, particularly the sequence in which the lion
breaks loose, crawls onto a fire escape, and from there onto
a narrow parapet many stories above the street. Lloyd's
efforts to get the lion back into the building, and his slipping
off the ledge and dangling in mid-air from the lion's leash,
is all-out slapstick in the "Safety Last" manner, but it is
extremely well done and should provoke riotous laughter.

The start of the picture is novel in that it opens with an
actual sequence from Lloyd's "The Freshman," which he
produced in 1925. This sequence is the one in which Lloyd,
as a water boy on the football team, is permitted to enter the
game only because injuries to the team left no other player
available. How he wins the game through a series of mistakes
is just as comical now as it was then, and it should make one
laugh to his heart's content. The present story dovetails
with the old one by showing Lloyd being acclaimed as a
hero in the dressing room, where Raymond Walburn, an
alumnus, offers him a job in his advertising agency. He
starts work at the bottom and, twenty-two years later, we
find him doing the same perfunctory work, tired and resigned
to his menial job. It is not until he is fired for being too
old that he meets up with Jimmy Conlin, a racetrack tout,
who talks him into having his first drink, which in turn sets
him off on his wild spree. Conlin, incidentally, does an
outstanding comedy job. Others in the cast include Rudy
Vallee, Edgar Kennedy, Arline Judge, Franklin Pangborn,
Lionel Stander, and Frances Ramsden, a charming new-
comer, with whom Lloyd finds romance.
Unobjectionable morally.

November 11, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

179

"Prelude to Fame" with an all-British cast

(Univ.-Int'l, November; time, 78 min.)

This British-made drama should go over fairly well with
music lovers and class audiences who patronise the art
theatres. Centering around an eight-year-old Italian boy
who is discovered to have an extraordinary instinct for
orchestration, and around a socially ambitious woman who
exploits the child selfishly, the story, by virtue of sensitive
direction and convincing acting, is interesting and has con-
siderable emotional appeal. Jeremy Spenser, as the child
prodigy, is a remarkably fine little actor, and the music
lovers in particular will be thrilled by the expert manner in
which he handles the baton as he conducts the Royal Phil-
harmonic Orchestra through the movements of a series of
classical numbers. The action takes place in England and
Italy, and the production values are of a high quality: —

While vacationing in Italy with his wife and young son,
Guy Rolfe, a famous English philosopher and amateur musi-
cian, discovers that Jeremy, youngest member of a poor
neighboring Italian family, has a phenomenal appreciation
of fine music. Rolfe, a kindly man, encourages the boy, and
his ability comes to the attention of Kathleen Byron, a
wealthy but childless neighbor, who dominated Henry
Oscar, her congenial husband. She talks Jeremy's parents
into letting her educate him musically and arranges for the
boy to be tutored by a famous music professor. The young-
ster is put through an intensive period of training and,
within a few months, Miss Byron arranges for his debut as
a conductor. The child becomes phenomenally successful
and is taken on a grand tour of Europe. Miss Byron, en-
raptured by the acclaim given her for her "discovery" of
the boy, prepares to take him to America, breaking a pronu
ise to take him home first. She sees to it that the child is
denied all contact with his family and friends and, by
withholding his mail, leads him to believe that they had
forsaken him. He becomes extremely unhappy and attempts
to commit suicide, a tragedy that is averted by the timely
arrival of Rolfe, who had learned of the child's unhappiness.
Aided by Miss Byron's husband, who was sympathetic to
the boy, Rolfe discovers the undelivered letters and enlists
his help in voiding adoption papers prepared by his wife,
and in sending the lad back to his family. Furious when she
discovers that the boy had returned to Italy, Miss Byron
denounces her husband for having wrecked her ambition
to have a child to replace the one she never could have. He
accepts her abuse, pleased in the thought that the boy had
returned happily to his home.

It is a Two Cities film, produced by Donald B. Wilson
and directed by Fergus McDonel from a screen play by
Robert Westerby, based on the story, "Young Archimedes,"
by Aldous Huxley. Unobjectionable morally.

"American Guerrilla in the Philippines"
with Tyrone Power and Micheline Prelle

(20t/i Century-Fox, December; time, 105 min.)
Photographed in Technicolor, this war drama is not with-
out its shortcomings, but on the whole it shapes up as a
good picture of its kind. The story, which is based on the
factual novel by Ira Wolfert, is an exciting account of the
adventures of a naval officer stranded in the Philippines
during World War II, after that country fell to the Jap-
anese in 1942. The picture's shortcomings lie in the episodic
story and in the romantic interest, which seems to have been
dragged in by the ear; nevertheless, it grips one's interest
throughout, for in addition to the thrilling action brought
about by guerrilla warfare against the Japs, the picture has
a realistic quality owing to the fact that it was made on
location in the Philippines, and that the cast, except for
the principals, is composed entirely of native Filipinos.
Tyrone Power is rugged as the gallant hero of the piece,
and Micheline Prcllc aptly portrays the wife of a planter
who is executed by the Japs, thus clearing the way for the
romantic attachment between Power and herself. A most
interesting sequence features a novel dance by a talented
Filipino couple who step in and out of two bamboo poles
that arc struck together rhythmically by two natives; it is

one of the most fascinating dance numbers ever screened.

Power, an Ensign in the Navy, is one of eight survivors
of a torpedo boat sunk by Jap planes. Learning that Bataan
had fallen, Power, accompanied by Tom Ewell, sets out for
an airfield on Mindanoa, some 200 mlies away, hoping to
get a plane ride to Australia to rejoin his unit. They hack
their way through jungles and, after several weeks, finally
reach a town on the Island of Leyte, where they learn from
the commander of the American outpost that their journey
had been in vain, and that he himself had been instructed
to surrender within 24 hours. Through the commander,
Power promotes a native sailboat and hastily recruits a vol-
unteer crew for the journey to Australia. Meanwhile he
strikes up a friendship with Micheline by using his influence
to obtain medical aid for one of her relatives. She tries to
dissuade him from attempting the journey to Australia be-
cause of dangerous monsoons, but he ignores her advice.
Just as she had warned, however, the craft capsizes eight
miles from shore in a tropical storm. All manage to swim to
shore and are given aid by Filipino patriots, who cleverly
keeps the Japs from learning of their whereabouts. In the
many months that follow, Power and his tattered followers
hide in the jungle and successfully evade one Jap patrol
after another. They meet Juan Torena, Micheline's hus-
band, an underground leader, who offers to help them get
to Australia. Torena introduces Power to a guerrilla gen-
eral, who offers him a vessel on condition that he deliver
a message to an American colonel on the Island of Mindano
who was attempting to unify all guerrilla activities against
the Japs. Power delivers the message at great risk to his
life and, when the colonel informs him of General Mac-
Arthur's desire to establish a spy service, he gives up the
projected trip to Australia to take charge of radio opera-
tions on Leyte. After much difficulty he manages to estab-
lish radio contact with Army headquarters, but enemy
harassment forces him to change the base of his operations
frequently. Meanwhile he has several reunions with Miche<
line, now widowed. Power's efforts are instrumental in
helping American submarines to deliver supplies and, after
more clashes with the Jap patrols, he and Micheline join
the Filipino patriots in welcoming MacArthur (played by
Robert Barrat) and a new fighting force back to the Philip-
pines.

Lamar Trottie wrote the screen play and produced it.
Fritz Lang directed it. Suitable for the family.

BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCES

(Continued on inside page)
"Peggy": Fair

"Abbott ii Costello in the Foreign Legion": Good-Fair

"The Desert Hawk": Fair

"Louisa": Good

"Saddle Tramp": Good-Fair

"Shakedown": Fair

"The Sleeping City": Good-Fair

Eighteen pictures have been checked with the following
results: Very Good-Good, 1; Good, 3; Good-Fair, 3; Fair, 11.

Warner Bros.

"Young Man with a Horn": Good

"Perfect Strangers": Good-Fair

"Barricade": Fair

"Stage Fright": Good-Fair

"Daughter of Rosie O'Grady": Good

"The Damned Don't Cry": Fair

"Colt .4?": Good-Fair

"Caged": Good

"This Side of the Law": Fair

"Return of the Frontiersman": Fair

"Bright Leaf": Fair

"The Great Jewel Robbery": Fair

"The Flame and the Arrow" : Very Good

"50 Years Before Your Eyes": Poor

"Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye": Good-Fair

"Tea for Two" : Good-Fair

"Pretty Baby": Fair

"The Breaking Point": Fair

Eighteen pictures have been checked with the following
results: Very Good, 1; Good, 3; Good-Fair, 5; Fair, 8;
Poor, 1.

180

HARRISON'S REPORTS

November 11, 1950

BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCES

The previous box-office performances were published in
the issues of March 4 and March 25, 1950:

Columbia

"The Palomino": Fair-'Poor
"Blondie's Hero": Fair-Poor
"Bodyhold": Fair
"A Woman of Distinction": Fair
"Cargo to Capetown": Fair
"Tyrant of the Sea" : Fair-Poor
"Military Academy": Fair-Poor
"Kill the Umpire" : Good-Fair
"No Sad Songs for Me": Fair-Poor
"Beauty on Parade" : Fair
"Customs Agent": Fair
"The Good Humor Man" : Fair
"Fortunes of Captain Blood": Fair
"State Penitentiary" : Fair-Poor
"Rogues of Sherwood Forest": Fair
"711 Ocean Drive": Good-Fair
"Captive Girl": Fair-Poor
"David Harding, Counterspy": Fair
"In a Lonely Place": Poor
"On the Isle of Samoa": Fair-Poor
"Beware of Blondie": Fair-Poor
"Fuller Brush Girl": Fair
"Convicted": Fair
"The Petty Girl" : Fair

Twenty-four pictures have been checked with the follows
ing results: Good, 2; Fair, 12; Fair-Poor, 10.

Eagle-Lion

"The Great Rupert" : Fair

"The Golden Gloves": Fair-Poor

"The Boy from Indiana": Fair

"The Fighting Stallion": Fair- Poor

"Forbidden Jungle": Poor

"Kill or be Killed": Fair-Poor

"The Jackie Robinson Story" : Good-Fair

"Timber Fury" : Poor

"It's a Small World" : Fair-Poor

"Death of a Dream": Poor

"Federal Man": Fair-Poor

"Destination Moon": Good-Fair

"Eye Witness": Fair

"High Lonesome": Fair

"I Killed Geronimo" : Fair

Fifteen pictures have been checked with the following
results: Good-Fair, 2; Fair, 5; Fair-Poor, 5; Poor, 3.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

"Nancy Goes to Rio": Good

"Black Hand": Fair

"Conspirator": Fair-Poor

"The Yellow Cab Man" : Good-Fair

"Side Street": Good-Fair

"The Outriders": Fair

"The Reformer and the Redhead": Good

"Please Believe Me": Fair

"Shadow on the Wall": Fair

"The Big Hangover": Fair

"Father of the Bride": Excellent-Very Good

"The Skipper Surprised His Wife": Fair

"The Asphalt Jungle": Good-Fair

"The Happy Years": Good-Fair

"The Duchess of Idaho": Very Good-Good

"Crisis" : Fair

"Mystery Street": Fair

"Three Little Words": Very Good-Good

"Lady Without Passport": Fair

"Summer Stock" : Very Good-Good

"Annie Get Your Gun": Very Good

"Stars in My Crown": Good-Fair

"Toast of New Orleans": Good

"Devil's Doorway": Good-Fair

"A Life of Her Own": Good-Fair

Twenty-five pictures have been checked with the following
results: Excellent-Very Good, 1; Very Good, 1; Very Good-
Good, 3; Good, 3; Good-Fair, 7; Fair, 9; Fair-Poor, 1.

Paramount

"Paid in Full" : Fair

"Riding High": Good

"Captain Carey, U.S.A.": Fair

"No Man of Her Own": Fair

"The Eagle and the Hawk": Fair

"My Friend Irma Goes West": Very Good-Good

"The Lawless" : Fair

"The Furies" : Fair

"Sunset Boulevard": Good

"Fancy Pants": Good

"Union Station": Good-Fair

Eleven pictures have been checked with the following
results: Very Good-Good, 1; Good, 3; Good-Fair, 1; Fair, 6.

RKO

"The Tattoed Stranger": Fair

"Tarzan and the Slave Girl": Fair

"The Capture": Fair-Poor

"Wagonmaster" : Fair

"The Golden Twenties": Fair-Poor

"The Secret Fury": Fair

"The White Tower": Fair

"Where Danger Lives": Fair

"Treasure Island": Good

"Our Very Own": Very Good-Good

"Born to Be Bad": Fair

Eleven pictures have been checked with the following
results: Very Good-Good, 1; Good, L; Fair, 7; Fair-Poor, 2.

20th Century-Fox

"Mother Didn't Tell Me": Good-Fair
"Under My Skin": Fair

"Cheaper by the Dozen": Excellent-Very Good

"Wabash Avenue": Good

"Three Came Home" : Very Good-Good

"The Big Lift": Good-Fair

"A Ticket to Tomahawk": Fair

"Night and the City": Good-Fair

"Love that Brute" : Fair

"The Gunfighter": Good

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" : Good«Fair

"Stella": Fair

"The Cariboo Trail": Good-Fair
"Broken Arrow" : Very Good
"The Black Rose": Good
"My Blue Heaven": Very Good-Good
"Panic in the Streets" : Good-Fair
"Farewell to Yesterday" : Fair-Poor

Eighteen pictures have been checked with the following
results: Excellent-Very Good, 1; Very Good, 1; Very Good-
Good, 2; Good, 3; Good-Fair, 6; Fair, 4; Fair-Poor, t.

United Artists

"Love Happy": Good-Fair

"The Great Plane Robbery": Fair-Poor

"Quicksand": Fair

"Champagne for Caesar": Good

"D.O.A.": Good-Fair

"Johnny One-Eye": Fair-Poor

"So Young, So Bad": Good

"The Underworld Story": Good-Fair

"Iriquois Trail" : Good-Fair

"The Admiral Was a Lady" : Fair

"The Men": Good-Fair

"If This Be Sin" : Poor

Twelve pictures have been checked with the following
results: Good, 2; Good-Fair, 5; Fair, 2; Fair-Poor, 2; Poor, 1.

Universal-International

"Bucaneer's Girl": Fair

"The Kid from Texas": Fair

"Outside the Wall": Fair

"Ma 6s? Pa Kettle Go to Town": Good

"One Way Street": Fair

"Comanche Territory" : Good

"I Was a Shoplifter": Fair

"Curtain Call at Cactus Creek" : Fair

"Sierra": Fair

"Spy Ring": Fair

"Winchester '73": Very Good-Good

(Continued on bac\ page)

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 19ZI, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Report

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1950 No. 46

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON
SERVICE CONTRACTS

Most all of the organization bulletins issued in re-
cent weeks by the different Allied regional units warn
the exhibitors that current service contracts being
offered by the RCA Service Company and by the
Altec Service Corporation have a new automatic
renewal clause.

The bulletins cite the case of one exhibitor who,
having learned of a new service company in his terri-
tory and desiring to make a change, notified his
present service company of his intentions to cancel
their service only to learn that the contract he had
signed for one year had automatically renewed itself,
thereby precluding his ability to make a change that
would have been to his advantage.

Ray Feeley, business manager of the Independent
Exhibitors, the Allied unit in New England, who
brought this condition to the attention of the ex-
hibitors, reminds them of the automatic renewal
clauses that used to be hidden in the newsreel con-
tracts but have since been removed. He recommends
that the exhibitors, before signing a service contract,
demand that the automatic renewal clause be stricken
out so that they will be in a position to make a change
if and when they so desire.

Incidentally, Feeley, commenting on the effect of
a new sound service company operating in New Eng-
land, conveyed the following important information
in a recent letter to Charles Niles, exhibitor leader
of the Iowa-Nebraska Allied unit:

"I should like at this time to point out to the
leaders of the various Allied units that with the in-
ception of the third sound service company, namely,
Image and Sound Service, Inc., RCA and Altec are
willing to give the exhibitor reductions on his present
and current contract now in force to help the busi-
ness, but only if they are forced into the situation.

"This is surprising in view of pay raises being
granted in other fields of engineering endeavors, and
we in New England feel that it is definitely a result
of this third company being in the field.

"I write this letter with the knowledge that this
sound service will, in the near future, come into your
territory and suggest that in the event of proposed
raises in rates by either one of the two now cur-
rently operating service companies in your territory
that you use this knowledge to combat the proposed
increases. We have found in New England, as I have
above stated, that either RCA or Altec will reduce
to the extent of 25 per cent of a now valid contract
and I am sure that had we not had the experience of
the new company coming into the field, increases
would have been in order.

"As you know, Allied has always fought for and
sponsored clean competition in our business and I am
sure that a third service company in our business can
do nothing but bring about more competition and
better rates for the individual exhibitor who has been
heretofore hog-tied with the situation of having only
two companies to deal with on sound service.

"... I again wish to impress you with the fact
that this is not an idle threat and in the near future
your territory will be served by a new sound service
company."

Based on what Ray Feeley has to say, the exhibitor
will do well to check his present service contract to
see if it has an automatic renewal clause and to take
whatever steps are necessary to prevent that clause
from taking effect so that he will be in a position to
take advantage of a new service offering better terms
if and when it is established in his territory.

EXPLOITING FEATURE PICTURES IN
NEWSREELS CONDEMNED

At a recent meeting, the board of directors of the
Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Kansas and
Missouri unanimously passed a resolution condemn-
ing the practice of certain unnamed film companies
of inserting in their newsreels scenes of premiere
showings of their feature pictures to the extent that
such scenes are tantamount to coming attraction
trailers.

The resolution states that exhibitors, in purchasing
newsreels, are entitled to current news scenes and not
exploitation matter for a company's product, and that
such exploitation scenes serve to create a demand for
the exhibition of a particular picture, which the ex-
hibitor either cannot purchase or has not been given
an opportunity to purchase.

The resolution "respectfully requests" all the film
companies releasing newsreels to discontinue the
practice.

The stand taken by Kansas-Missouri Allied is fully
justified, for the practice is unmoral on at least three
grounds: It uses the exhibitor's property — his screen
— without his consent to exploit a company's product;
it places the exhibitor in the position of helping to
exploit pictures that he may not be able to buy and
that may be shown by a competitor; and, if the ex-
hibitor is in a position to buy the picture, it creates a
demand for its exhibition, hurting the exhibitor's bar-
gaining position at the time he tries to make a deal.

Whether or not the film companies will heed the
request made by this exhibitor organization remains
to be seen. In any case, the exhibitor who resents the
practice can always use his scissors.

182

HARRISON'S REPORTS

November 18, 1950

"The Magnificent Yankee" with Louis Calhern
and Ann Harding

(MGM, February; time, 89 min.)

Very good entertainment! Biographical of the life of
Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, "The Mag'
nificent Yankee" stands a very good chance at the box-
office, for it is a heart-warming study of a kindly, pro-
gressive man, depicted in a way that is sure to enjoy wide
audience appeal. The story, which concentrates more on
his personal life and friendships than on his public life, has
charm, deep human appeal, delightful comedy, and stirring
patriotic overtones. Moreover, the performances are excel-
lent, with Louis Calhern outstanding in his extraordinary
portrayal of the famed jurist, whom he brings to life as a
robust, good-natured man, wise and philosophical, and firm
and progressive in his opinions. Ann Harding, as his wise
and devoted wife, is completely winning.

Opening with Holmes'' arrival in Washington in 1907
to assume his post on the Supreme Court bench, the story
traces his life and career from that time to the beginning
of the Roosevelt administration in 1933. It details the
mutual devotion and understanding between Holmes and
his wife; the charming and human atmosphere of his home
life; the arrangement by which a different Harvard Law
School graduate is given an opportunity each year to serve
as his personal secretary for one year; his close friendship
with Louis D. Brandeis (excellently portrayed by Eduard
Franz) before and after Brandeis becomes an associate
justice; and his frequent disagreements with his conserva-
tive colleagues on the bench in cases involving many vital
issues.

There are many situations that tug at one's heart-strings
and others that provoke hearty laughter. A most touching
sequence is where Holmes' wife arranges a surprise birth-,
day party for him attended by all the men who had served
as his secretaries down through the years; the manner in
which the aging Holmes, choked with emotion, accepts the
good wishes of his "sons," brings tears to one's eyes. Touch-
ing also are the scenes that show Holmes' daily visits to
his wife's grave after her death, and his sudden but quiet
decision to retire when he finds himself getting drowsy on
the bench. A most stirring sequence is where Holmes reads
to a friend his last will in which he states why he has faith
in the future of the country and in which he bequeaths the
bulk of his estate to the Government. Stirring also is the
closing sequence, where Holmes, in retirement and weak-
ened by age, is informed that FDR, who had been in'
augurated on that day, had come to call on him; like the
old soldier that he is, he gets to his feet, snaps back his
shoulders, and prepares to meet his commander-in-chief.

It was produced by Armand Deutsch and directed by
John Sturges from a screen play by Emmett Lavery, based
on his own play of the same name.

Excellent for the family.

"The Taming of Dorothy" with an
all-British cast

(Eagle-Lion, J^ovember; time, 75 min.)

The one thing that may be said for this farce, which was
produced in Italy with a British cast, is that it moves along
at a lively pace. As entertainment, however, it is only mildly
amusing even though it does have several bright comedy
moments. The story is based on the time-worn, improbable
theme of two men who look exactly alike, in this case a
tough American gangster and a meek Italian bank clerk.
Naturally, the complications are brought about by one be-
ing mistaken for the other, with the gangster making the
most of the mix-up to carry out his nefarious schemes. The
trouble with the picture is that the comedy, much of it
slapstick, is forced, with the result that the proceedings are
often more silly than funny. Another drawback is the poor
synchronization; some of the dialogue appears to have been
dubbed in. The picture's box-office chances in this country
are slim: —

Robert Beatty, a timid Neopolitan bank clerk, is domi-

nated by Jean Kent, his English wife, and by her parents
(Margaret Rutherford and Gordon Harker), who were
visiting their daughter in Italy. Beatty's troubles start when
a notorious American gangster, "casing" the bank, discovers
that they look alike. The gangster kidnaps Beatty and forces
him to change clothes. Later, when the gangster takes
Tamara Lees, his girl, to dinner, he finds himself confronted
by Jean who, believing him to be her husband, accuses him
of being unfaithful. He goes home with Jean, makes love
to her, and soon puts both her and her parents in their
place, leaving them stunned. That night, using Beatty's
identity, the gangster robs the bank. Meanwhile Beatty
escapes from the gangster's henchmen with the aid of Rona
Anderson, the gangster's former sweetheart. The police
arrive at Jean's apartment to arrest Beatty for the crime
but soon find themselves led on a confused chase when
both Beatty and the gangster show up. Eventually, the
gangster is captured and Beatty cleared. No longer meek,
Beatty starts dominating the family, thus leaving Jean be-,
wildered as to whether he or the gangster had returned to
her.

It is an Orlux Films presentation, produced by Colin
Lesslie and directed by Marie Soldat from a screen play by
Noel Langley, based on a play by Pepine de Filippe.

Adult fare.

"Branded" with Alan Ladd, Mona Freeman
and Charles Bickford

(Paramount, January; time, 95 min.)

A good western melodrama, photographed in Techni-
color. While it is sure to please in situations that favor
outdoor pictures, it should also make its mark elsewhere
for, in addition to the draw of Alan Ladd's name, it has
all the vigorous action one expects to find in a picture of
this type. Moreover, its story about the reformation of a
gunfighter is better than average, holding one's interest all
the way through. Although Ladd portrays a desperado who
enters a contemptible conspiracy to fleece a wealthy rancher
by posing as his long-lost son, he gains the spectator's sym-
pathy by his sincere desire to make amends and the risks
he takes to deliver the real son to his grieving family. The
outdoor scenic backgrounds are exceptionally good: —

Ladd, a notorious gunfighter, is approached by Robert
Keith and John Berkes, who propose that he pose as the
missing son of Charles Bickford, a wealthy Texas rancher,
whose boy had been kidnapped twenty-five years previously.
All that Ladd needed was an identifying birthmark, which
Berkes could tatoo on his shoulder. Ladd agrees and, soon
after, Keith murders Berkes to keep him from sharing in
the anticipated loot. Ladd heads for Bickford's ranch, where
he obtains a job as a cowhand, and by clever maneuvering
he permits Bickford to discover the birthmark himself.
When Ladd claims to know nothing about his childhood,
but conveniently "remembers" a few things, Bickford and
his wife (Selena Royle) become convinced that he is their
son. Their happiness is shared by Mona Freeman, their
daughter. The affection the family showers on him makes
Ladd ashamed, and later, when he learns that Keith him-
self had kidnapped the child and had left him with Joseph
Calleia, a Mexican bandit, he breaks with Keith and tells
Mona the truth. He then crosses the border into Mexico,
gets into Calleia's mountain stronghold and, at gunpoint,
forces Peter Hanson, Bickford's real son, to accompany him
back to the ranch, which they reach only after a wild and
exciting chase with Calleia in vengeful pursuit. Before long,
however, Calleia shows up at the ranch determined to kill
Peter for having deserted him, but he softens when Ladd
points out that the young man loved him, too, and that he
wanted to divide his time between his real parents and his
foster father. Having arranged a friendly settlement, Ladd
prepares to leave, but Mona, now in love with him, induces
him to remain.

It was produced by Mel Epstein and directed by Rudolph
Mate from a screen play by Sydney Boehm and Cyril Hume,
based on a novel by Evan Evans.

Unobjectionable morally.

November 18, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

183

"The West Point Story" with James Cagney,
Virginia Mayo and Doris Day

(Warner Bros., November 25; time, 107 min.)

Combining comedy, romance, music and dancing, with
bright dialogue and breezy performances, "The West Point
Story" offers entertainment that should be enjoyed thor-
oughly by the rank and file. The story is somewhat in-
credible, but it is refreshingly different, fast-moving, and
vastly amusing. The picture-goers will get a kick out of
James Cagney, who plays to the hilt the part of a brash
Broadway musical director, a fellow who is as quick with
his fists as he is with his nimble dancing feet. The com-
plications he gets himself into when he is compelled to be-
come a cadet in order to stage West Point's annual show
make for many laugh-provoking situations. His bombastic
temperamental outbursts should prove a source of merri-
ment to every one. Musically, the picture is very good; the
tuneful songs as put over by Doris Day and Gordon Mac-
Rae are highly enjoyable, as are the song and dance num-
bers that are handled by Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Gene
Nelson: —

Cagney, out of work, is compelled to accept an offer from
Roland Winters, a producer he disliked, to go to West
Point to stage a show written by Cadet Gordon MacRae, his
nephew. Convinced that the show is a potential hit, Winter
instructs Cagney to induce his nephew to quit the Academy
and to appear in the show on Broadway. Cagney goes to
the Academy, accompanied by Virginia, his girl. He soon
becomes annoyed over Academy rules that hinder the re-
hearsals, and one day.in a fit of temper, he slugs a cadet.
To remain at the Academy, Cagney is told that he must
enlist as a plebe, subject to all the rules. He balks at this,
but quickly agrees when Virginia threatens to leave him.
From then on the cadets take pleasure in making things
tough for him, but he takes their jibes in stride. Meanwhile
he is unsuccessful in his efforts to induce MacRae to quit.
Complications set in when Cagney introduces MacRae to
Doris Day, a Hollywood star, and both fall deeply in love.
When she is ordered back to the coast by her studio bosses,
MacRae, heartbroken, goes A.W.O.L. to follow her. Cag-
ney brings MacRae back to save his army career. The net
result of all this is that MacRae is placed under arrest and
the show cancelled. Learning that under West Point rules
a visiting celebrity could obtain amnesty for all cadets being
punished, Cagney, by virtue of a French decoration he had
earned during the war, induces the French Premier to pay
an official visit to the Academy and to ask for the amnesty.
Thus the show goes on and, at the finish, MacRae, now re-
united with Doris, shows his appreciation to Cagney by
giving him the book and stage rights as a gift.

It was produced by Louis F. Edelman and directed by
Roy Del Ruth from a story by Irving Wallace, who col'
laborated on the screen play with John Monks, Jr. and
Charles Hoffman.

Suitable for the family.

"Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard" with
Howard St. John and Amanda Blake

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 67 min.)

Just a moderately interesting program spy melodrama,
produced on a modest budget. The story is far-fetched, but
it provides enough suspense and excitement to squeeze by
as a supporting feature in secondary situations where audi-
ences are not too concerned about the plausibility of a plot,
or about its obvious developments. The script doesn't give
the players much of a chance, but all do their best to make
their roles believable: —

Howard St. John, chief of America's counterspy division,
becomes concerned when top secrets about a guided mis-
sile reservation leak out to enemy agents. Lest the leak
might lead to international complications, Scotland Yard
assigns, Ron Randell, its ace investigator, to work with
St. John. When Amanda Blake, a secretary at the reserva-
tion, asks to be transferred to another job, Randall becomes
suspicious. He trails her to the office of Lewis Martin, a
doctor, who was treating her for severe headaches. June
Vincent, the doctor's nurse, was a friend of Armanda's,

but she did not know that June and the doctor were mem-
bers of the enemy spy ring, and that, by putting her under
the influence of drugs, they made her talk about the vital
notes she took on the job, and not, as she thought, about
the reasons for her headaches. Randall starts a romance
with Amanda, and when she tells him of her visits to the
doctor and of the needle injections, he soon deduces that
they were using her as a dupe. St. John and Randall permit
Amanda to visit the doctor once again, but by setting up
an elaborate trap they succeed in apprehending the entire
spy ring.

It was produced by Wallace MacDonald and directed by
Seymour Friedman from a story and screen play by Harold
R. Greene.

Harmless for children.

"Cyrano de Bergerac" with Jose Ferrer
and Mala Powers

(United Artists, roadshow; time, 112 min.)

Excellent! There is no question that those who appre-
ciate real art in motion pictures will wax ecstatic over this
film version of Edmond Rostand's 50-year-old classic play.
Of primary importance, of course, is the superb acting of
Jose Ferrer in the title role. Mr. Ferrer captivates the viewer
completely by his exquisite portrayal of Cyrano, the valiant
long-nosed hero, an expert swordsman, philosopher, poet,
wit, playwright and loyal friend. His deft handling of a
sword, his dash and derring-do, his perfect diction, which
adds to the beauty and lyricism of the play's language, his
glibness with a comedy line, his expertness in bringing out
fully the inherent pathos of the characterization, prove Mr.
Ferrer to be an artist of the first order; his performance will
no doubt make him a leading contender for this year's
Academy Award.

The story, which takes place during the seventeenth cen-
tury and which is based on the Brian Hooker translation
of the play, revolves around the hopeless love of Cyrano de
Bergerac, a beloved member of the Gascony Guards, for
the beauteous Roxanne (Mala Powers), his distant cousin.
Learning that she had fallen in love with Christian (William
Prince), a young guard who loved her in turn but who was
inexperienced in the art of love-making. Cyrano takes the
young man in hand, puts beautiful words of love on his
lips, writes fervent love-letters for him, and even imper-
sonates him in the shadow under a balcony to make pretty
love speeches to Roxanne, but the words he speaks and
writes are those of his own heart. On the eve of the war
between France and Spain, Roxanne and Christian marry,
with the ceremony being made possible by Cyrano's re-
sourcefulness. When Roxanne visits him on the battlefield
and tells him how much his letters meant to her, Christian
realizes that it is Cyrano she really loves, for the words
had been his. Christian, however, dies from a mortal wound
before he can make this clear to Roxanne. She enters a
convent and for fifteen years is visited regularly by Cyrano.
One day, after being injured by enemies, Cyrano leaves a
sick bed to keep his appointment with Roxanne at the con-
vent. There, as he reads aloud the last letter she had rea
ceived from Christian, Roxanne realizes that the words
were Cyrano's and that he had secretly loved her all his
life. He collapses soon after and dies.

A brief synopsis cannot convey the story's humor or its
emotional appeal. The closing scenes, where Cyrano is
shown dying in the presence of the woman he loved but
to whom he had never expressed his feelings out of a
belief that she could not love a face as ugly as his, is most
pathetic. Throughout one feels warm sympathy for Cyrano
because he denies his own feelings to further the romance
of Roxanne and Christian. The melodramatic action, such
as the battle scenes and the sword fights, provide many
thrills. The picture deserves high praise for its excellence
in all departments — acting, direction, production and music.
It is, of course, an entertainment that will appeal chiefly
to high-class audiences. It should prove absorbing to high
school and college students.

It was produced by Stanley Kramer and directed by
Michael Gordon from a screen play by Carl Foreman.
George Glass is credited as associate producer.

184

HARRISON'S REPORTS

November 18, 1950

"The Tougher They Come" with Wayne Morris
and Preston Foster

(Columbia, December; time, 69 min.)

A routine program melodrama, with a lumber camp back'
ground. The story is neither novel nor plausible, and one
knows almost from the beginning just how it will progress
and end. Yet it should prove acceptable to the action fans
who are not too exacting in their demands, for, though it
has some slow spots, the melodramatic action is virile and
the stock shots of logging scenes colorful. There is hardly
any human interest in the story, and the principal char-
acters are not particularly appealing. The direction and
acting are no more than adequate, and the photography,
which is in sepia-tone, is good: —

Preston Foster and Wayne Morris, close pals, find their
friendship strained where women are concerned, but this
obstacle removes itself when Foster marries Kay Buckley
after he inherits a lumber camp. Foster asks Morris, an ex-
pert high-rigger, to work with him, but Morris declines, pre-
ferring to try another business. Foster finds the camp in a
rundown condition, unaware that it was the result of "acci-
dents" caused by William Bishop, his foreman, who was in
league with a lumber combine seeking to buy the camp at
a very low figure. With Foster busy trying to organize the
camp on a paying basis, Kay soon becomes bored. Foster
decides to sell out when he finds himself without cash and
heavily in debt, but Morris comes to his rescue with a loan
and agrees to work at the camp. Gloria Henry, daughter of
Frank McHugh, the camp's cook, is attracted to Morris.
Meanwhile Kay, much to Gloria's disgust, starts making a
play for Morris herself. Kay's behavior gives Bishop an
opportunity to break up the friendship between Foster and
Morris by making Foster suspicious of his wife and pal.
Foster orders Morris out of the camp. Just then Bishop, in
a final effort to make Foster sell out to the combine, starts
a forest fire. His action is witnessed by McHugh, who noti-
fies Morris. While Morris gives Bishop a thrashing and
forces a confession from him, Foster, overcome by smoke,
is trapped in the flaming forest. Kay, sensing his danger,
realizes her love for him and risks her life to rescue him.
With the fire finally conquered, Kay and Foster reach a
new understanding, while Gloria wins Morris.

It was produced by Wallace MacDonald and directed by
Ray Nazarro from a screen play by George Bricker.

Best suited for mature audiences.

"Pygmy Island" with Johnny Weissmuller

(Columbia, J^ovember; time, 69 min.)

This latest of the "Jungle Jim" program pictures is a
fair enough adventure melodrama of its kind. As enter-
tainment, however, it is best suited for the juveniles, who
will appreciate its serial-like, far-fetched story, which has
Johnny Weissmuller aiding the U. S. Army when it tangles
with enemy agents in the African jungle. The children
should enjoy in particular the doings of a tribe of pygmies,
Weissmuller's friends, who help him to combat the enemy
spies. For added thrills, Weissmuller has several battles with
ferocious animals, including a crocodile and a gorilla. The
sepia-tone photography is good: —

Roaming through the jungle, Weissmuller, a famous
guide, finds the body of a pygmy and discovers that the
little fellow carried a pair of U. S. Army identification tags
issued to Ann Savage who, together with a small expedi-
tionary force, had disappeared while searching in the jungle
for the N'gona plant, whose fiber was of such great tensile
strength that the United States considered it a strategic war
material. Weissmuller notifies Washington, and shortly
thereafter he is joined by a U. S. Army unit headed by
David Bruce, a major, who asks him to guide the unit into
the pygmy country where the N'gona plant apparently
grew, and where Ann and her party must have been swal-
lowed up. Unknown t'> Weissmuller, Steven Geray, a suave
European trader, and William Tannen, his aide, were in
the pay of another foreign nation that sought to discover
the location of the plants. Geray's men had wiped out Ann's

unit in an attack, and Ann, the only survivor, had gone
into hiding with the friendly pygmies. When Weissmuller
and the Army unit pushes through the jungle, they are con-
stantly attacked by Geray's men, but Weissmuller's quick
thinking and heroism save the unit every time it is about to
be ambushed, and after making contact with the pygmies
he even saves Ann and the pygmies' chief from capture by
the enemy. Eventually, Weissmuller himself is captured and
the enemy agents use him as a hostage to get past the
American unit with some of the valued plants. The pygmies,
however, take to the trees and lasso the enemy, rescuing
Weissmuller and enabling the Americans to take charge of
the situation. It ends with the pygmies giving the Ameri-
cans a load of N'gona seeds and promising to grow enough
plants themselves to supply the needs of the United States.

It was produced by Sam Katzman and directed by
William Berke from a screen play by Carroll Young.

Suitable for the family.

"Emergency Wedding" with Larry Parks
and Barbara Hale

(Columbia, J^ovember; time, 78 min.)

This is a remake of "You Belong to Me," which Colum-
bia produced in 1941 with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry
Fonda in the leading roles. For the first half of the picture,
it is a fair romantic comedy and, even though the story
lacks substance and the characterization of the hero is
somewhat silly, the situations are amusing enough to pro-
voke considerable laughter. It falters in the second half,
however, when the story takes on a serious tone because
of the hero's fight against the American Medical Associa-
tion's regulations that prevent foreign doctors from prac-
ticing in this country until they have served an interneship.
The introduction of this subject is entirely out of place in
this type of story. Moreover, the abrupt change from comedy
to drama is difficult to take, with the result that, at the
finish, when the mood reverts to comedy, one no longer
finds the proceedings amusing: —

Larry Parks, a millionaire playboy, falls in love with Bar-
bara Hale, a pretty doctor, after she treats him for a minor
injury. She warns him that marriage to her might prove
difficult because of all the time she must devote to her work,
but he assures her that he understands and induces her to
become his wife. From the beginning her patients, many of
them men, make innumerable demands on her time. An-
noyed, Parks forgets his promise about understanding; he
makes a scene in Barbara's office several times, interfering
with her work, and becomes extremely jealous over the at-
tentions she pays to one patient, Willard Parker, her lawyer
and former suitor. He apologizes each time he makes a fool
of himself and promises to reform, but he does not. Barbara
finally decides to leave him, after calling him an idler who
could accomplish nothing in life. He obtains a job as a
clerk in a department store, but he is soon recognized by
the other clerks who force his resignation because he was
taking away work from a poor man who needed the job.
Leaving the store dejected, Parks is saved from injury when
a newsboy pushes him out of the path of a truck but is
hurt doing it. Parks rushes the youngster to a hospital only
to find that Edward Franz, the only surgeon available, can-
not operate because he is a foreigner who had not served
his interneship. Parks induces him to operate anyway, and
the boy's life is saved. This medical foible makes Parks
fighting mad and he takes up the cause of alien doctors
before a medical committee. He loses, however, when Bar-
bara opposes his views. Parks then builds his own hospital
to help foreign doctors get a start. Satisfied that he had
accomplished something worthwhile, Parks heads for Reno
where Barbara had gone to divorce him and marry Parker.
There, after a series of mixups, Parker is the one who shows
a jealous streak, thus provoking Barbara into deciding to
remain Park's wife.

Nat Perrin produced it and collaborated on the screen-
play with Claude Binyon, based on a story by Dalton
Trumbo. It was directed by Edward Buzzell.

Unobjectionable morally.

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION TWO

HARRISON'S REPORTS

Vol. XXXII NEW YORK, N. Y., SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1950 No. 46

(Partial Index No. 6 — Pages 158 to 180 Inclusive)

Titles of Pictures Reviewed on Page

Across the Badlands — Columbia (54 min.) . . .not reviewed
American Guerrilla in the Philippnes —

20th Century-Fox (10? min.) 179

Blazing Sun, The — Columbia (70 min.) not reviewed

Blues Busters — Monogram (67 min.) 170

Breakthrough — Warner Bros. (91 min.) 174

Cherokee Uprising — Monogram (57 min.) . . .not reviewed

Deported — Univ.-Int'l (89 min.) 167

Harriet Craig — Columbia (94 min.) 170

Harvey — Univ.-Int'l (104 min.) 164

He's a Cockeyed Wonder — Columbia (77 min.) 171

Hit Parade of 195 1— Republic (85 min.) 170

Holiday Rhythm — Lippert (60 and 70 min.) 176

Hot Rod — Monogram (61 min.) 171

Jackpot, The — 20 Century-Fox (85 min.) 158

Kansas Raiders — Univ.-Int'l (80 min.) 178

Last of the Bucaneers — Columbia (79 min.) 167

Law of the Panhandle — Monogram (55 min.) .not reviewed

Lightning Guns— Columbia (55 min.) not reviewed

Mad Wednesday— RKO (77 min.) 178

Madness of the Heart — Univ.-Int'l (91 min.) 167

Milkman, The— Univ.-Int'l (87 min.) 162

Miniver Story, The — MGM (104 min.) 159

Missourians, The — Republic (60 min.) not reviewed

Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone — MGM (69 min.) 175

Never a Dull Moment — RKO (89 min.) 174

North of the Great Divide —

Republic (67 nun.) not reviewed

Paper Gallows — Eagle-Lion (68 min.) 178

Prelude to Fear — Univ.-Int'l (78 min.) 179

Raiders of Tomahawk Creek —

Columbia (55 min.) not reviewed

Rio G rande — Republic (105 min.) 176

Rocky Mountain — Warner Bros. (83 min.) 158

Rustlers on Horseback — Republic (60 min.) . .not reviewed

September Affair — Paramount (104 min.) 162

Southside 1-1000 — Allied Artists (73 min.) 163

State Secret — Columbia (97 min.) 160

Surrender — Republic (90 min.) 162

Sun Sets at Dawn, The — Eagle-Lion (72 min.) 175

Texan Meets Calamity Jane, The —

Columbia (71 min.) not reviewed

Three Husbands — United Artists (78 min.) 175

To Please a Lady— MGM (91 min.) 158

Trail of Robin Hood — Republic (67 min.) . . .not reviewed

Tripoli — Paramount (95 min.) 162

Trio — Paramount (91 min.) 164

Two Flags West — 20th Century-Fox (92 mn.) 164

Two Weeks — With Love — MGM (92 min.) 163

Under Mexicali Stars — Republic (67 min.) . . .not reviewed

Undercover Girl — Univ.-Int'l (83 min.) 174

Woman on the Run — Univ.-Int'l (77 min.) 159

Wyoming Mail — Univ.-Int'l (87 min.) 159

RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR FEATURES
Allied Artists Features

(1560 Broadway, N.eu> Tor\ 19, H- T.)
(Distribution through Monogram)

17 Southside 1-1000 — DeFore-King Nov. 12

18 Short Grass — Cameron-Downs Dec. 3

Columbia Features

(729 Seventh Ave., T^ew Tor\ 19, K T.)

1949-50

264 Streets of Ghost Town — Starrett (54 m.) . . . .Aug. 3

207 Beware of Blondie — Lakc-Singleton Aug. 10

249 Indian Territory — Gene Autry (70 m.) Sept.

262 Across the Badlands — Starrett (54 m.) Sept 14

239 The Fuller Brush Girl— Ball-Albert .Oct.

246 The Blazing Sun — Gene Autry (70 m.) Nov.

241 Killer That Stalked New York — Keyes-Korvin . . .Dec
(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

324 Convicted — Ford-Crawford Aug.

317 The Petty Girl — Cummings-Caulfield Sept.

304 When You're Smiling — Courtland-Albright. . Sept. 21

341 Last of the Bucaneers — Henreid-Ooakie Oct.

311 Rookie Fireman — Williams-Reynolds Oct. 12

362 Raiders of Tomahawk Creek — Starrett (55 m.)Oct. 26
328 Between Midnight and Dawn — Stevens-O'Brien-
Storm (formerly "Prowl Sar") Oct.

323 Harriet Craig — Crawford-Carey Nov.

332 Emergency Wedding — Parks-Hale Nov.

342 Pygmy Island — Weissmuller Nov.

303 The Texan Meets Calamity Jane —

Ankers-Ellison (71 m.) Nov.

313 Chain Gang — Kennedy-Lord Nov.

340 He's a Cockeyed Wonder — Rooney-Moore Dec.

The Tougher They Come — Morris-Foster Dec.

361 Lightning Guns — Starrett (55 m.) Dec.

Eagle-Lion Classics Features

(165 West 46th St., Hew Tor\ 19, H- T.)

026 Destination Moon — Archer-Anderson Aug.

025 The Torch — Goddard-Armendariz Aug.

045 Eye Witness — Montgomery-Banks Sept.

044 High Lonesome — Barrymore-Wills Sept.

Naughty Arlette — British cast Sept.

071 I Killed Geronimo — Ellison-Heirick Sept.

Paper Gallows — British cast Sept.

The Taming of Dorothy — British cast Sept.

One Minute to Twelve — Swedish cast Oct.

So Long at the Fair — British cast Oct.

The Second Face — Raines-Bennett-Bruce Oct.

The Kangaroo Kid — Borg-Malone Oct.

Two Lost Worlds — Laura Elliott Oct.

Prehistoric Women — Luez -Nixon Nov.

They Were Not Divided — British cast Nov.

Rogue River — Calhoun-Madison Nov.

Mr. Universe — Carson-Paige-Lahr Nov.

046 The Sun Sets at Dawn — Reed-Parr Nov.

Golden Salamander — British cast Dec.

The Kid from Mexico — Rooney-Hendrix Dec.

Tinderbox — Cartoon feature Dec.

White Heather — Milland-Roc Dec.

Lippert-Screen Guild Features

(255 Hyde St., San Francisco 2, Calif.)

1949-50

4931 I Shot Billy the Kid— Barry-Neal Aug. 25

4907 Return of Jesse James — Ireland-Dvorak .... Sept. 8

4934 Train to Tombstone — Barry-Neal Sept. 15

4933 Border Rangers— Barry-Neal (57 m.) Oct. 6

4911 Holiday Rhythm — All-star cast Oct. 13

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5011 Bandit Queen — Britton-Parker Dec. 1

5009 Desperate Men — Foster-Grey not set

5006 The Steel Helmet — Evans-Edwards not set.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Features
1949-50

(1540 Broadway. Hew Tor\ 19, X- T.)

36 Three Little Words — Astaire-Skelton -Ellen Aug.

37 Lady Without Passport — Lamar-Hodiak Aug.

38 Summer Stock — Garland-Kelly Aug.

39 Annie Get Your Gun — Hutton-Keel Aug.

40 Stars in My Crown — McCrea-Drew not set

(End of 1949-50 Season)
Beginning of 1950-51 Season

103 Toast of New Orleans — Grayson-Lanza-Niven . . Sept.

102 Devil's Doorway — Robert Taylor Sept.

101 A Life of Her Own— Turner-Milland Sept.

106 The Miniver Story — Garson-Pidgeon Oct.

104 Right Cross — Powell -Allyson-Montalban Oct.

105 To Please a Lady — Gable-Stanwyck Oct.

(Continued on next page)

November 18, 1950 HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index

Page B

110 The Next Voice You Hear — Whitmore-Davis . . . Oct.

107 Dial 1119 — Thompson-Brasselle Nov.

108 Two Weeks with Love — Powell-Montalban Nov.

109 King Solomon's Mines — Kerr-Granger Nov.

111 Mrs. O'Malley & Mr. Malone — Main'Whitmore.Dec.

112 Pagan Love Song — Williams-Keel-Montalban . . . .Dec.

Grounds for Marriage — Johnson'Grayson Jan.

Watch the Birdie — Red Skelton Jan.

Kim — Flynn-Stockwell Jan.

The Magnificent Yankee — Calhern-Harding Feb.

Cause for Alarm — Young'Sullivan Feb.

Vengeance Valley — Lancaster-Walker Feb.

Monogram Features

(630 Hinth Ave., Hew Yor\ 19, H- T.)

1949-50

4943 Silver Raiders — Whip Wilson (55 m.) Aug. 20

4908 Big Timber — McDowall-Donnell Sept. 10

4953 Law of the Panhandle — J. M. Brown (55 m.)Sept. 17
4906 Bomba and the Hidden City — Sheffield Sept. 24

4944 Cherokee Uprising — Whip Wilson (57 m.) . .Oct. 8

4918 Hot Rod — Lydon- Winters Oct. 22

4916 Blues Buster — Bowery Boys Oct. 29

4954 Outlaw Gold — J. M. Brown

(formerly "Massacre Valley") Nov. 26

4945 Outlaws of Texas — Whip Wilson Dec. 10

4920 Call of the Klondike— Kirby Grant Dec. 17

4904 Blue Blood— Williams-Nigh-Long Jan. 7

4946 Abiline Trail— Whip Wilson Feb. 4

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5199 A Modern Marriage — HadleyField Oct. 15

5117 The Squared Circle — Joe Kirkwood Nov. 5

5125 Fathers Wild Game— W alburn Dec. 3

5107 Trail Dust — Wayne Morris Dec. 24

5120 Navy Bound — Neal-Toomey Jan. 21

5101 Cavalry Scout — Rod Cameron Feb. 11

Paramount Features

(1501 Broadway, Hew Tor\ 18, H T.)

1949-50

4926 The Furies — Stanwyck-Huston Aug.

4927 Sunset Boulevard — Swanson-Holden Aug.

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5001 Fancy Pants— Hope-Ball Sept.

5002 Union Station — Holden-Olsen Sept.

5003 Copper Canyon — Lamarr-Milland Oct.

5004 Dark City — Heston-Scott Oct.

Going My Way — reissue Oct.

5008 Cassino to Korea — Documentary Oct.

5006 Let's Dance — Hutton-Astaire Nov.

5005 Tripoli — Payne-O'Hara Nov.

5007 Mr. Music — Crosby-Coburn-Hussey Dec.

Branded — Ladd-Freeman Jan.

Samson & Delilah — (general release) Jan.

The Goldbergs — Molly Berg Jan.

September Affair — Fontaine-Cotten Feb.

The Great Missouri Raid — Corey-Carey Feb.

RKO Features
1948-49

(1250 Sixth Ave., Hew Yor\ 20, H T.)
(No national release dates)

023 The White Tower— Ford-V alii

024 Where Danger Lives— Mitchum-Domergue

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

191 Treasure Island — Driscoll-Newton

151 Our Very Own — Blythe-Granger-Evans

101 Born To Be Bad — Fontaine-Ryan

104 Bunco Squad — Sterling-Dixon

152 Edge of Doom — Granger-Andrews-Evans

103 Outrage — Andrews-Powers

102 Walk Softly, Stranger— Valli-Cotten

105 Border Treasure — Tim Holt (59 m.)

Mad Wednesday — Harold Lloyd

Joan of Arc — (general release)

Never a Dull Moment — Dunne-MacMurray

Story of a Divorce — Davis-Young

Vendetta— Dolenz-Domergue

Tarzan and the Amazons — reissue

Tarzan and the Leopard Woman — reissue

Republic Features

(1790 Broadway, Hew tor\ 19, H T.)

1949-50

4925 Lonely Heart Banditti — Patrick-Rockwell ... Aug. 29

4967 Frisco Tornado — Allan Lane (60 m.) Sept. 6

4953 Redwood Forest Trail— Rex Allen (60 m.).Sept. 18
4929 Prisoners in Petticoats — Perkins-Rockwell. . .Sept. 18

4943 Sunset in the West — Roy Rogers (67 m.) . .Sept. 25

4968 Rustlers on Horseback — Lane (60 m.) Oct. 23

4944 North of the Great Divide — Rogers (67 m.) .Nov. 15

4954 Under Mexicali Stars — Rex Allen (67 m.) . .Nov. 20

4974 The Missourians — Monte Hale (60 m.) Nov. 25

4946 Trail of Robin Hood — Rogers (67 m.) Dec. 15

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5001 Surrender — Ralston-Carroll Sept. 15

5002 Hit Parade of 1951— Carroll-Macdonald Oct. 15

5003 Macbeth— Orson Welles Oct. 20

5004 Rio Grande — Wayne-O'Hara Nov. 15

5005 California Passage — Tucker-Mara Dec. 15

Rough Riders of Durango — Alan Lane Dec. 20

Twentieth Century-Fox Features

(444 W. 56tH St., Hew Yor\ 19, H T.)

1950

018 Stella — Sheridan-Mature-Wayne Aug.

020 The Caribou Trail — Randolph Scott Aug.

014 Broken Arrow — Stewart-Paget Aug.

019 The Black Rose— Power-Aubrey-Welles Sept.

021 My Blue Heaven — Grable-Dailey Sept.

022 Panic in the Streets — Widmark-Douglas Sept.

028 Farewell to Yesterday — Documentary Sept.

023 The Fireball— Rooney-O'Brien Oct.

024 Mister 880 — Lancaster-Gwenn-McGuire Oct.

025 No Way Out— Widmark-Darnell Oct.

027 I'll Get By— Haver-Lundigan-De Haven Oct.

029 Two Hags West— Darnell- Wilde-Cotten Nov.

030 All About Eve — Davis-Baxter Nov.

031 The Jackpot — Stewart -Medina Nov.

032 American Guerrilla in the Philippines —

Power-Prelle Dec.

033 For Heaven's Sake — Bennett-Webb-Blondell Dec.

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1951 Season

Halls of Montezuma — Widmark Jan.

The Mudlark — Irene Dunne Jan.

The Man Who Cheated Himself — Cobb-Wyatt. .Jan.
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain —

Hayward-Lundigan Feb.

The Scarlet Pen — Boyer-Darnell Feb.

Sword of Monte Cristo — Montgomery-Corday . . .Feb.

United Artists Features

(729 Seventh Ave., Hew Jor\ 19, H- T.)

Iroquois Trail — Montgomery-Marshall June 16

Once a Thief — Romero-Havoc-McDonald July 7

The Underworld Story — Duryea-Storm (reviewed

as "The Whipped") July 21

The Admiral Was a Lady — Hendrix-O'Brien . . . .Aug. 4

The Men — Brando- Wright Aug. 25

If This Be Sin — Loy-Cummins-Greene Sept. 8

Three Husbands — Williams- Arden-Warrick Nov. 3

The Sound of Fury — Ryan-Lovejoy Jan. 15

The Second Woman — Young-Drake

(formerly "Ellen") not set

New Mexico — Ayres-Maxwell-Corey not set

Cyrano de Bergerac — Ferrer- Powers not set

Universal-International Features

(445 Par\ Ave., Hew Tor\ 22, H T.)

1949-50

924 Abbott & Costello in the Foreign Legion Aug.

925 The Desert Hawk — De Carlo-Greene Aug. ■

926 Louisa — Coburn-Gwenn-Byington Aug.

927 Madness of the Heart — English cast Aug.

928 Saddle Tramp — McCrea-Hendrix Sept.

929 Shakedown — Duff-Donlevy-Dow Sept.

930 The Sleeping City — Conte-Gray-Dow Sept.

931 Wyoming Mail — McNally-Smith Oct.

932 Woman on the Run — Sheridan-O'Keefe Oct.

905 Tight Little Island — British cast not set

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Page C

HARRISON'S REPORTS Partial Index November 18, 1950

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

101 Hamlet — Laurence Olivier Nov.

102 The Milkman— O'Connor-Durante Nov.

103 Deported — Toren-Chandler Nov.

104 Kansas Raiders — Murphy Donlevy Nov.

105 Undercover Girl — Smith-Brady Dec.

106 Mystery Submarine — Carey-Toren Dec.

Warner Bros. Features

(321 W. 44th St., Hew Tor\ 18, N.. T.)

1949-50

928 Bright Leaf— Cooper-Bacall-Carson July 1

929 The Great Jewel Robbery — David Brian July 15

930 The Flame and the Arrow — Lancaster-Mayo. .July 22

931 50 Years Before Your Eyes — Documentary. . .July 29

932 Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye- — Cagney Aug. 19

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

001 Tea for Two— Day-McRae Sept. 2

002 Alcatraz Island — reissue Sept. 9

003 San Quentin — reissue Sept. 9

004 Pretty Baby — Morgan-Drake-Scott Sept. 16

005 Breaking Point — Garfield-Neal Sept. 30

006 Three Secrets — Parker-Neal-Roman Oct. 14

007 The Glass Menagerie — Wyman-Douglas Oct. 28

008 Rocky Mountain — Flynn-Wymore Nov. 11

009 The West Point Story — Cagney-Mayo Nov. 25

010 Breakthrough — Brian-Agar-Lovejoy Dec. 9

011 Dallas — Cooper-Roman-Massey Dec. 22

SHORT SUBJECT RELEASE SCHEDULE
Columbia — One Reel

3951 Korn Kobblers — Favorite (reissue) (11 m.) . Sept. 21

3801 Snow Fiesta — Sports (9 m.) Sept. 28

3851 30th Anniversary Special —

Screen Snap. (11 m.) Sept. 28

3901 Stars of Tomorrow — Novelty (10 m.) Sept. 28

3602 Land of Fun — Favorite (reissue) (7 m.)....Oct. 5

3551 Candid Microphone No. 1 (11 m.) Oct. 12

3852 Fun at Shadow Mountain —

Screen Snap. (9J/2 m.) Oct. 19

3802 King of the Pins — Sports (9 m.) Oct. 26

3651 The Versailles— Cavalcade of Bway (10 m.) .Oct. 26

3603 Peaceful Neighbors — Favorite (reissue)

(8J/2 m.) Nov. 9

3853 Hollywood Goes to Bat — Screen Snapshots

(10 m.) Nov. 16

3952 Drug Store Follies — Variety (reissue)

(10j/2 m.) Nov. 23

3501 The Popcorn Story — Jolly Frolics Nov. 30

3803 Mat Masters — Sports Nov. 30

3604 The Foolish Bunny — Favorite (reissue)

(8 m.) Dec. 7

3552 Candid Microphone No. 2 (10 m.) Dec. 14

3953 A Night at the Troc — Variety (reissue) Dec. 21

3702 Bungled Bungalow — Mr. Magoo Dec. 28

3652 The China Doll— Cavalcade of Bway Dec. 28

3751 Prince Igor — Music to Remember (9J/2 rn.)

3752 Nutcracker Suite — Music to Remember

3753 Piano Concerto in B^Flat Minor —

Music to Remember

3754 Peer Gynt Suite — Music to Remember

3755 1812 Overture — Music to Remember

3756 Swan Lake Ballet — Music to Remember

(Editor's Hote: T^o specific release dates have been set for
the "Music to Remember" series. Exhibitors may boo\ a
particular subject at any time.)

Columbia; — Two Reels

3401 Three Hams on Rye — Stooges (15^ m ) • .Sept. 7

3411 A Blunderful Time-

Andy Clyde ( 16l/2 m.) Sept. 7

3431 Shot in the Escape- —

Favorite (reissue) (19 m.) Sept. 14

3402 Studio Stoops — Stooges (16 m.) Oct. 5

3412 Foy Meets Girl— Eddie Foy (16j/2 m.) Oct. 5

3421 Two Roaming Champs — Baer-Rosenblum

(16l/2 m.) Oct. 12

3120 Pirates of the High Seas— Serial (15 ep.) . . .Nov. 2

3403 Slap Happy Sleuths — Stooges (16 m.) Nov. 9

3422 A Slip and a Miss— Hugh Herbert (16 m.) .Nov. 9

3432 Free Rent — Favorite (reissue) (18^ m.)..Nov. 16
.3404 A Snitch in Time— Stooges (16|/2 m.) Dec. 7

3433 Taming of the Snood — Favorite (reissue). . .Dec. 14

3423 Innocently Guilty— Bert Wheeler Dec. 21

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One Reel

W-232 Garden Gopher — Carton (6 m.) Sept. 30

W-261 Zoot Cat — Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) Oct. 7

W-233 The Framed Cat— Cartoon (7 m.) Oct. 21

S-253 Table Toppers — Pete Smith (8m.) Oct. 21

W-234 The Chump Champ — Cartoon (7 m.) . . . .Nov. 4

S-254 Curious Contests — Pete Smith (8 m.) Nov. 11

W-235 Cue Ball Cat— Cartoon (7 m.) Nov. 25

W-262 The Early Bird Dood It— Cartoon

(reissue) (9 m.) Dec. 2

W-236 The Peachy Cobbler— Cartoon (7 m.)...Dec. 9

Paramount — One Reel

R10-1 Desert High Jinks — Sportlight (10 m.) Oct. 6

El 0-1 Quick on the Vigor — Popeye (7 m.) Oct. 6

K10-1 Just for Fun — Pacemaker (10 m.) Oct. 6

R10--3 Glacier Fishing— Sportlight (10 m.j Oct. 6

ZlO-1 Her Honor, The Mare — Popeye (reissue)

(7 m.) Oct. 6

Z10-2 We're On Our Way to Rio — Popeye

(reissue) (7 m.) Oct. 6

B10-1 Casper's Spree Under the Sea — Casper(8m.)Oct. 13
PI 0-1 Voice of the Turkey — Noveltoon (7 m.) . . .Oct. 13
R10-2 Outboard Shenanigans — Sportlight (10 m.) .Oct. 16
K10-2 The City of Beautiful Girls-
Pacemaker (10 m.) Oct. 27

Z10-3 Popeye a la Mode — Popeye (reissue) (7 m.)Nov. 3

El 0-2 Riot in Rhythm — Popeye (7 m.) Nov. 10

P10-2 Mice Meeting You — Noveltoon (7 m.) Nov. 10

X10-1 Fiesta Time — Screen Song (7 m.) Nov. 17

ZlO-4 Shape Ahoy — Popeye (reissue) (7 m.) . . . Nov. 17

XlO-2 Fresh Yeggs — Screen Song (7 m.) Nov. 17

R10-4 Targets on Parade — Sportlight (10 m.) . . .Nov. 24

E10-3 Farmer ii the Belle — Popeye (7 m.) Dec. 1

K10-3 Country Cop — Pacemaker (10 m.) Dec. 8

R10-5 Dobbin Steps Out — Sportlight (10 m.) Dec. 8

B10-2 Once Upon a Rhyme — Casper (8 m.) Dec. 15

PI 0-3 Sockabye Kitty — Noveltoon (7 m.) Dec. 22

Paramount — Two Reek

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

T10-1 The New Pioneers — Special (20 m.) Sept. 1

FF10-1 Mardi Gras — Musical Parade

(19 m.) (reissue) Oct. 6

FF10-2 Caribbean Romance — Musical Parade

(19 m.) (reissue) Oct. 6

FF10-3 Showboat Serenade — Musical Parade

(20 m.) (reissue) Oct. 6

FF10-4 You Hit the Spot — Musical Parade

(18m.) (reissue) „..Oct. 6

FF10-5 Bombalera — Musical Parade

(19 m.) (reissue) Oct. 6

FF10-6 Halfway to Heaven — Musical Parade

(19 m.) (reissue) Oct. 6

RKO — One Reel

14101 Hook, Lion ii Sinker — Disney (7 m.) Sept. 1

14201 It's Only Muscle — Screenliner (9 m.) Sept. 8

14801 The Costume Designer —

Industry Short (9 m.) Sept. 15

14301 Crocodile Hunters — Sportscope (9 m.) . . . .Sept. 22

14102 Camp Dog— Disney (7 m.) Sept. 22

14202 Fairest of the Finest — Screenliner (9 m.) . . .Oct. 6

14103 Bee At the Beach — Disney (7 m.) Oct. 13

14302 Football's Mighty Mustang — Sports (9 m.) .Oct. 20

14701 The Moth fcV the Flame— Disney

(reissue) (8 m.) Oct. 27

14104 Hold That Pose— Disney (7m.) Nov. 3

14702 Donald's Golf Game— Disney

(reissue) (8 m.) Dec. 29

RKO — Two Reels

13301 Beaver Valley— Special (32 m.) Aug. 25

13501 Act Your Age — Edgar Kennedy

(reissue) (18 m.) Sept. 1

13601 Fits in a Fiddle— Clark 6* McCullough

(reissue) (15 m.) Sept. 8

13101 Pinkerton Man — This Is America (16 m.) .Sept. 15
13701 Texas Tough Guy— Leon Errol (18 m.) . . .Sept. 15
13401 Waiting for Baby — Comedy Special (l7m.)Sept. 22

13502 'Tain't Legal — Edgar Kennedy

(reissue) (16 m.) Sept. 29

13001 You Can Beat the A-Bomb — Special (20m.)Scpt. 29
13201 Pal, Fugitive Dog— My Pal (21 m.) Oct. 6

13102 Seven Cities of Washington —

This Is America (15 m.) Oct. 13

13503 Kennedy the Great — Edgar Kennedy

(reissue) (19 m.) Oct. 27

(Continued on next page)

November 18, 1950 HAKKISON'S KJSrUKTo Partial Index

Fage D

13602 Hey, Nanny, Nanny — Clark 6? McCullough

(reissue) (21 m.) Oct. 20

13402 Night Club Daze — Comedy Special (16 m.)Nov. 24

13603 Alibi, Bye, Bye — Clark & McCullough

(reissue) (21m.) Nov. 17

13504 Mutiny in the County — Edgar Kennedy

13901 Football Headliners of 1950 — Special Dec. 8

(reissue) (17 m.) Dec. 22

13604 Jitters, the Butler — Clark McCullough

(reissue) (20 m.) Dec. 29

Republic — One Reel

4978 Sweden— This World of Ours (9 m.) Aug. 30

4979 France— This World of Ours (9 m.) Oct. 15

4980 Sweden— This World of Ours (9 m.) Nov. 30

Republic — Two Reels
1949-50

4984 The Invisible Monster — Serial (12 ep.) Sept. 30

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

5081 Desperadoes of the West — Serial (12 ep.). . .not set

Twentieth Century-Fox — One Reel

3008 Football Payoff Plays— Sports (10 m.) Sept.

5015 If Cats Could Sing— Terrytoon (7 m.) Sept.

5016 Little Roquefort in Mouse & Garden —

Terrytoon (7 m.) Oct.

3009 Circus on the Campus — Sports (10 m.) Oct.

5017 Beauty on the Beach (Mighty Mouse) —

Terrytoon (7 m.) Oct.

7004 The Fontaine Sisters — Melody (8m.) Oct.

5018 Wide Open Spaces (Gandy Goose) —

Terrytoon (7 m.) Nov.

3010 Tee Girls — Sports (10 m.) Nov.

5019 Sour Grapes (Dingbat) — Terrytoon (7 m.) . . . .Dec.

5020 Mother Goose's Birthday Party (Mighty Mouse) —

Terrytoon (7m.) Dec.

Twentieth Century-Fox — Two Reels
Vol. 16 No. 5 — As Russia Sees It —

March of Time (16 m.) Aug.

Vol. 16 No. 6— The Gathering Storm-
March of Time (17 m.) Sept.

Universal — One Reel
1949-50

5388 Feast of Songs — Cartoon Melody (10 m.) . . .Oct. 2
5333 Ski for Two — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.) Oct. 16

5347 Brooklyn Goes Hollywood — Variety Views

(9 m.) Oct. 16

5348 In the Shadow of the Andes —

Variety Views (9 m.) Oct. 23

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

6321 Life Begins for Andy Panda — Cartune

(reissue) (7 m.) Nov. 6

6322 Three Lazy Mice — Cartune (reissue) (7 m.). Dec. 4
6341 Battle of the Bulge — Variety View (9 m.) . .Nov. 13
6351 Puny Express — Cartune (7m.) Nov. 13

6381 Brother John — Cartoon Melody (10 m.) . . .Nov. 20

6382 Peggy, Peg & Polly— Cartoon Melody (10 m.)Jan. 22

Universal — Two Reels
1949-50

5358 Ready to Ride — Musical Western (25 m.)..Oct. 5

5313 Music By Martin — Musical (15 m.) Oct. 11

5202 The Tiny Terrors Make Trouble —

Special (17 m.) Jan. 18

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

6201 Fun at the Zoo— Special (18 m.) Nov. 8

6301 The Harmonicats & Miguelitos Valdes' Orch. —

Musical (15 m.) Nov. 8

6302 Jerry Gray d the Band of Today —

Musical (15m.) Dec. 20

Vitaphone — One Reel
1949-50

6718 Canary Row — Looney Tune (7 m.) Oct. 7

6726 Bushy Hare — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Nov. 11

(End of 1949-50 Season)

Beginning of 1950-51 Season

7502 Grandad of Races — Sports Parade (10 m.).Sept. 2
7301 Fagin's Freshmen — B. R. Cartoon

(reissue) (7 m.) Sept. 16

7401 So You Want a Raise — Joe McDoakes

(10 m.) Sept. 23

7801

7302
7601
7701
7503

7702
7303
7602
7703
7402

7704
7304

7501

7719
7802
7603
7705
7305
7720
7403

7504
7604
7706

7001
7101

7002
7102

7003
7103

When Grandpa Was a Boy —

Hit Parade (9m.) Oct. 7

Slightly Daffy — Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.) . . .Oct. 14

Slap Happy — Novelty (10 m Oct. 14

Stooge for a Mouse — Merrie Melody (7 m.) .Oct. 21
Paddle Your Own Canoe —

Sports Parade (10 m.) Oct. 21

Pop 'Im Pop! — Merrie Melody (7 m.) Oct. 28

The Aristo Cat — Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.).Nov. 11

Those Who Dance — Novelty (10 m.) Nov. 25

Caveman Inki — Merrie Melody (7 m.) Nov. 25

So You're Going to Have an Operation —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Dec. 2

Dog Collared — Merrie Melody (7 m.) Dec. 2

The Unbearable Bear — Cartoon

(reissue) (7 m.) Dec. 9

Wild Water Champions —

Sports Parade (10 m.) Dec. 9

Rabbit of Seville — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Dec. 16

The Old Family Album— Hit Parade (9 m.) .Dec. 16

Blaze Busters — Novelty (10 m.) Dec. 30

Two's a Crowd — Merrie Melody (7 m.) . . . .Dec. 30
Duck Soup to Nuts — Cartoon (reissue) (7 m.)Jan. 6

Hare We Go — Bugs Bunny (7 m.) Jan. 6

So You Want to Be a Handyman —

Joe McDoakes (10 m.) Jan. 13

Ski in the Sky — Sports Parade (10 m.) Jan. 13

Animal Antics — Novelty (10 m.) Jan. 20

A Fox in a Fix — Merrie Melody (7 m.) Jan. 20

Vitaphone — Two Reels

Wish You Were Here — Special (20 m.)... July 29
Wagon Wheels West — Featurette

(reissue) (20 m.) Sept. 9

Royal Rodeo — Special (20 m.) Nov. 4

Barbershop Ballads — Featurette

(reissue) (20 m.) Nov. 18

The Wanderer's Return — Special (20 m.) . . Dec. 23
Ace of Clubs — Featurette (reissue) (20 m.. .Jan. 27

NEWSWEEKLY
RELEASE
Paramount News

26 Sat. (E) Nov. 18

27 Wed. (O) . ..Nov. 22

28 Sat. (E) Nov. 2?

29 Wed. (O) . . .Nov. 29

30 Sat. (E) Dec. 2

31 Wed. (O) Dec. 6

32 Sat. (E) Dec. 9

33 Wed. (O) Dec. 13

34 Sat. (E) Dec. 16

35 Wed. (O) Dec. 20

36 Sat. (E) Dec. 23

37 Wed. (O) ... .Dec. 27

38 Sat. (E) Dec. 30

39 Wed. (O) Jan. 3

40 Sat. (E) Jan. 6

NEW YORK
DATES
Beginning of 1951
Season

1 Friday (O) ..Dec. 29

2 Tues. (E) Jan. 2

3 Friday (O) . . .Jan. 5

Warner Pathe

27 Wed. (O) ...

(O)

(E)
(O)

28 Mon.

29 Wed.

30 Mon. (E)'

31 Wed. (O)

32 Mon.

33 Wed.

34 Mon. (E)

35 Wed. (O)

36 Mon. (E)

37 Wed. (O)

38 Mon. (E) .

39 Wed. (O)

40 Mon. (E)

41 Wed. (O)

News

Nov. 15
Nov. 20
Nov. 22
Nov. 27
Nov. 29
.Dec. 4
.Dec. 6
.Dec. 11
.Dec. 13
.Dec. 18
. Dec. 20
.Dec. 25
.Dec. 27
.Jan. 1
.Jan. 3

News

222 Wed.

223 Mon.

224 Wed.

225 Mon.

226 Wed.

227 Mon.

228 Wed.

229 Mon.

230 Wed.

231 Mon.

232 Wed.

233 Mon.

234 Wed.

235 Mon.

236 Wed.

of the

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Fox Movietone

93 Friday (O) . .Nov. 17

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103 Friday (O) . .Dec. 22

104 Tues. (E) ...Dec. 26
(End of 1950 Season)

Universal

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News

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Bntered as »©cond-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of Hareh 3, 1S?9.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1950 No. 47

COMPO APPROVES AMBITIOUS
PROGRAM

Meeting in New York on Thursday and Friday of
last week, the executive board of the Council of
Motion Picture Organizations accomplished much in
the way of approving a well rounded public relations
program for the industry, but the main issue — that of
resolving the Theatre Owners of America's demands
for "fairer representation" on the COMPO board as
the price for its continued membership — remained
unsettled at the close of the two-day conclave.

According to reports, the TOA's demands were the
subject of much heated discussion, with several of the
charter members insisting that there be no change in
the present COMPO set-up, but the only action taken
was the designation of COMPO president Ned E.
Depinet as head of a committee to meet with the TOA
committee headed by Ted Gamble for a conference
on the matter. It is expected that this conference will
not take place for at least a week or two, pending Mr.
Depinet 's return to New York from a business trip.

Despite the indecisiveness of TOA's future mem-
bership in COMPO, however, the COMPO board
went full speed ahead in the formulation of a program
which, at the close of the meeting, was termed by
Depinet as "the most ambitious year's program in in-
dustry history," one that could provide the answer to
many of the industry's ills.

Among the actions taken was approval of a nation-
wide "Starmaker's Contest," based on an idea
broached several months ago by Leonard H. Golden-
son, head of United Paramount Theatres, and recom-
mended by COMPO's Program and Planning Com-
mittee, of which Nathan Yamins, the New England
Allied leader, is chairman.

This contest provides for the eight major studios to
nominate twenty-four young players (three from
each studio), with six to be nominated by the inde-
pendent producers, making for a total of thirty nomi-
nees. These players will be presented to the public in
a series of six 10-minute shorts, with five players doing
a bit in each short. The entire series of shorts will be
played off by the participating theatres within a period
of two months, and during the exhibition of each short
the ticket buyers will be given ballots to vote for the
player they like best. The winner of each short will be
announced after completion of its national exhibition.
Finally, a seventh short subject, made up of clips
from the winners' appearances in the other shorts,
will be exhibited nationally with the usual ballots pro-
vided to the movie-goers to determine the ultimate
winner and the final standings of the others. As
planned, the final results would be made public at a
gala affair in Hollywood, patterned more or less after
the Academy Awards.

It is estimated that the cost of this project, including
9,000 prints at the rate of 1,500 for each subject,
ballots, music rights, radio, television, magazine and
newspaper advertising and promotion, and adminis-
trative salaries, will be in the neighborhood of
$500,000. While no details were worked out for the
financing of this project, it was felt that the cost could
be covered easily through film rental charges for the
shorts. Mr. Goldenson was appointed chairman of a
committee to give further study to the plan.

Approved also was the Program and Planning Com-
mittee's recommendation for a nation-wide film festi-
val, suggested by Max E. Youngstein, Paramount's
national director of advertising and publicity. Based
on the theme, "Movies March On," the plan calls for
a festival period of from sixty to ninety days, during
which production, distribution and exhibition will
coordinate their promotional activities in connection
with the best pictures each distributor has to offer,
supported by a national advertising campaign.

In proposing the festival plan, Youngstein said that
the idea was influenced by the 20th Century-Fox
"Movies Are Better Than Ever" campaign, for which
he had high praise, but he pointed out that the prin-
cipal defect of that campaign was that the promo-
tional efforts of the exhibitors were too widely scat-
tered. Depinet appointed Youngstein to head a com-
mittee to explore the festival plan further.

Another public relations project that was taken
under consideration but not voted upon was a mam-
moth nine-day motion picture exposition to be held
around next Labor Day at the Grand Central Palace
in New York City and duplicated in other key centers
where desired by the local picture people. This project,
suggested by Fred J. Schwartz, head of Century
Theatres, would include an actual sound stage in com-
plete work to give the public an idea of what goes
into the making of a motion picture, a cross-section of
a theatre, daily appearances by Hollywood stars, and
different exhibits tracing the history of the industry.
As outlined by Schwartz, such an exposition, in addi-
tion to being a public relations builder, could be a
profit-making venture for COMPO. He figured that
the receipts from admissions (60c for adults and 40c
for children) and from rentals of booth space to con-
cessionaires and numerous manufacturers of such
items as clothes, shoes, theatre equipment, cosmetics,
etc., can give COMPO a profit of $91,000 over and
above the cost of $103,000 to stage the exposition.
Schwartz, too, was appointed as chairman of a com-
mittee to explore further the possibilities of this plan.

The board approved also a new system of collecting
dues, as proposed by Robert J. O'Donncll, COMPO's
treasurer, because the present method of billing ex-
( Continued on bac\ page)

186

HARRISON'S REPORTS

November 25, 1950

"Born Yesterday" with Judy Holliday,
William Holden and Broderick Crawford

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 103 min.)
An excellent adult comedy. It should prove to be an out-
standing box-office attraction, not only because of the fame
of the highly successful stage play on which it is based, but
also because of the favorable word-of-mouth advertising it
will deservedly receive. What really puts the picture over is
the brilliant performance of Judy Holliday as the beautiful
but dizzy blonde "girl-friend" of an unscrupulous, uncouth
multi-millionaire junk dealer, whose downfall is brought
about when he makes the mistake of deciding that she needs
an education. One has to see and hear Miss Holliday to fully
appreciate the superb delivery of her lines and the fine
shadings of her artful mannerisms. What she says and does
is so uproariously funny at times that many a line of the
witty dialogue is drowned out by the audience's hearty laugh-
ter. For all her dizziness, however, Miss Holliday is a sym-
pathetic and appealing character, especially so in the last
half when she learns moral and democratic values and
decides to put an end to the dishonest activities of her tough
boy-friend. Although none of the other players stands a
chance next to Miss Holliday, highly effective performances
are turned in by Broderick Crawford, as the boorish junk
magnate; William Holden, as a crusading newspaperman
who undertakes to educate Miss Holliday and wins her love
in the process; and Howard St. John, as a conscience-stricken
lawyer, who helps Crawford set up his dirty political deals.
The action, which takes place in Washington, treats the
spectator to an interesting tour of the capitol's historic land-
marks and great monuments.

Briefly, the story has Crawford and Judy, a beautiful but
incredibly ignorant ex-chorus girl, checking into a swank
hotel in Washington, where Crawford had come to manipu-
late an international cartel in junk with the help of a
crooked Senator. When the Senator comes visiting with his
wife and Judy's total ignorance of social amenities results in
embarrassing situations, Crawford engages Holden, an
idealistic newspaperman, to put a social polish on her.
Though resentful at first, Judy takes a liking to Holden and
from him learns, not only the importance of speaking prop-
erly and reading worthwhile books, but also to think in terms
of moral values, democratic ideals, and regard and compas-
sion for her fellow men. She falls in love with Holden and,
beginning to despise Crawford's crooked dealings, refuses to
sign documents in connection with his corporations, of
which she was the nominal head. Enraged, Crawford beats
her up. Determined to put an end to his shady dealings,
Judy helps Holden to obtain incrminating papers exposing
Crawford's crookedness. Crawford's efforts to retrieve the
papers through violence and bribery are unavailing, and in
the end Judy leaves him for a life of marriage with Holden,
promising the beaten and dejected Crawford that she will
return his corporations at the rate of one a year providing
he conducts himself decently.

It was produced by S. Sylvan Simon and directed by
George Cukor from a screen play by Albert Mannheimer,
based on the stage play by Garson Kanin.
Strictly adult fare.

"Vendetta" with Faith Domergue,
George Dolenz and Hillary Brooke

(RKO, no release date set; time, 84 min.)

A slow-moving, somber melodrama, one that has a de-
pressing effect on the spectator. Being a story of revenge
that deals with a primitive code of vengeance followed by
the natives of Corsica in the post -Napoleonic days, it is
hardly the type of entertainment that movie-goers want to
see today, for it is completely cheerless and void of comedy
relief. Moreover, the bleak island backgrounds, though
pictorially effective, heighten the oppressive mood of the
piece, and the heroine's fanatical determination to avenge
her father's murder in accordance with the island's barbaric
traditions verges on the morbid. The story itself is not very
substantial and, despite several tense scenes, lacks an ap-
preciable dramatic punch: —

When her father, a land arbitrator, is murdered, Faith

Domergue rightfully claims that the crime had been com-
mitted by a rival family headed by Joseph Calleia, who
sought control of their Corsican town. Calleia, however,
produces evidence that convinces the court that the murder
was the work of Donald Buka, a political outlaw, with whom
Faith was in love. Determined to extract vengeance in accord-
ance with the island's code of "vendetta," which called for
the eldest son of each family to duel to the death, Faith
summons home George Dolenz, her brother, who lived in
France. Dolenz, absent for ten years, arrives with Hillary
Brooke, an attractive Englishwoman he planned to marry.
His romance with Hillary, his acceptance of the court's
verdict, and his refusal to stick by the code of "vendetta,"
disturbs Faith. She enlists Buka's aid and, in a daring
scheme that brings the French judge and Calleia and his two
sons to her home, proves to Dolenz that their father's murder
had been committed by Calleia's sons. Dolenz immediately
challenges the eldest son to a duel, despite Hillary's pleas
that he leave the matter in the hands of the law. On the
morning of the duel, Faith learns that Calleia's younger son
had secretly joined his brother in an attempt to ambush
Dolenz in the woods. She rushes to warn Dolenz, and in the
ensuing fight she loses her life along with both of Calleia's
sons. Dolenz, heartbroken, determines to devote himself to
abolishing the code of "vendetta."

It was produced by Howard Hughes and directed by Mel
Ferrer from a screen play by W. R. Burnett, based on the
French novel, "Colombo," by Prosper Merimee.

Adult fare.

"Watch the Birdie" with Red Skelton,
Arlene Dahl and Ann Miller

(MGM, January; time, 70 min.)
A good slapstick comedy. Cast as a bungling photographer,
a role that is suitable to his brand of clowning, Red Skelton
romps through the part in a way that should delight his
fans. In fact, they will get an extra dividend, for Skelton also
portrays his own father and grandfather, with all three
characters appearing at once by means of expert trick
photography. The story, as in most slapstick comedies, is
far-fetched and somewhat nonsensical, but it is fast -moving,
has comical situations, and should provoke hearty laughter.
One situation that will make an audience roar with laughter
is where Skelton and another man, visiting a doctor's office,
attempt to undress in a compartment big enough for one.
There is a highly amusing and novel chase at the finish in
which Skelton wildly drives a huge hydraulic lift truck as he
tangles with the villains: —

Skelton, owner of a camera supply store on the verge of
bankruptcy, tries to get out of debt by doing free-lance
newsreel photography, but his bungling efforts always end
in failure. His luck changes when he is rescued from drown-
ing by Arlene Dahl, a wealthy young lady, with whom he
falls madly in love. Arlene, feeling sorry for Skelton, in-
structs Leon Ames, her lawyer and business manager, to buy
enough merchandise from Skelton's store to get him out of
debt. She then engages Skelton to photograph the ground-
breaking ceremonies in connection with a huge housing
project financed by her. In the course of the assignment,
Skelton unwittingly photographs Ames and a building in-
spector and records on the sound track their crooked scheme
to make the housing project a failure for their personal gain.
When the film is developed and shown to Arlene, the re-
cording of Ames' conversation comes out backwards. Ames
sets out to steal the film before Skelton can correct the con-
dition, and engages Ann Miller, a sexy beauty, to accom-
plish the robbery, but her efforts fail. Eventually, Skelton
learns of the crooked scheme and informs Arlene. Just as
they prepare to go to the district attorney, Arlene and Skel-
ton are captured by Ames and his confederate, who threaten
their lives. But Skelton, in his bungling way, manages to
gain his and Arlene's freedom and, after a hectic chase,
delivers the criminals to the police.

It was produced by Harry Ruskin and directed by Jack
Donohue from a screen play by Ivan Tors, Devery Freeman
and Mr. Ruskin, based on a story by Marshall Neilan, Jr.
Fine for the family.

November 25, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

187

"Double Crossbones" with Donald O'Connor
and Helena Carter

(Univ.'lnt'l, January; time, 76 min.)

Although it has been given a fancy production dress and
Technicolor photography, this comedy about the misadven-
tures of a would-be pirate in Colonial days has little to
recommend it. At best, it may prove amusing to the young-
sters. The story is complicated and rambling, the situations
trite, and the comedy, which is preponderantly slapstick, is
too forced to be genuinely funny. Donald O'Connor, a tal-
ented young comedian, works hard to make something of
his role, but the inept script and its unimaginative handling
are too much for him to overcome: —

Employed as clerks in a shop in Charleston, O'Connor
and Will Geer are arrested when they inadvertently discover
that their employer is actually a fence for pirate loot ob-
tained by John Emery, the English governor. They escape
from the gendarmes and purchase passage on a ship cap-
tained by Charles McGraw. At sea, they learn that they are
on a pirate ship and that McGraw planned to toss them
overboard. But when O'Connor suddenly develops a rash,
the pirates think that it is the dreaded pox and jump over-
board themselves, leaving O'Connor and Geer in sole pos-
session of the ship. Seeking aid from a passing merchant
ship, O'Connor fires a cannon and accidentally shoots off its
main mast. The captain, believing himself attacked by
pirates, surrenders his ship to O'Connor, who acts the part
of a bloodthirsty pirate when he notices Emery among the
passengers. He demands the release of a number of men
headed for debtors prison, and they gladly become his crew.
O'Connor then heads for the island of Tortuga, a pirate
rendezvous, where he is welcomed into an organization of
famed pirate leaders. In the events that follow, O'Connor
learns that Helena Carter, the Governor's ward, was being
forced into a loveless marriage with her crooked guardian.
He sails back to Charleston to go to her aid and, after many
complications, including a battle between Emery's forces
and O'Connor's pirate friends, it all ends with Emery's
death and with O'Connor winning Helena for himself.

It was produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by
Charles T. Barton from a story and screen play by Oscar
Brodney.

Harmless for the family.

"Mystery Submarine" with Marta Toren
and Macdonald Carey

(Univ.-Int'l, December; time, 78 min.)

Even if one accepts the fact that the story is extremely
far-fetched, "Mystery Submarine" shapes up as no more
than a routine, mildly interesting spy melodrama. It is rather
slow-moving and lacking in action for a picture of this type.
Moreover, the flashback method of presenting the story
serves to diminish the suspense, for one knows in advance
that the principals had overcome the dangers they face. The
most interesting and exciting parts of the picture are where
the submarine, a renegade U-Boat supported by hostile
foreign powers, undergoes depth charge attacks by the U. S.
Navy. The direction is just fair, and the acting, considering
the stereotyped characterizations, passable. All in all, it does
not rise above the level of program fare: —

The story opens at a Government hearing with Marta
Toren, a widow and naturalized citizen of German origin,
charged with treason for having attempted to deliver Ludwig
Donath, a famed refugee scientist, into enemy hands. Under
questioning, Marta reveals that, while employed as a secre-
tary to a wealthy family entertaining Donath as a house
guest, she had been approached by Robert Douglas, who had
identified himself as the commander of the U-Boat in which
her husband died when it was reportedly sunk. Douglas, in-
forming her that the U-Boat was secretly in operation and
that her husband was still alive, had tricked her into aiding
an elaborate scheme whereby the family yacht had been
boarded by the submarine's crew and blown to bits after she
and Donath had been taken prisoner. She then learned that
her husband was dead, and that she had been used as a dupe
to get Donath, who was to be delivered to an enemy power.

Macdonald Carey next takes the stand and reveals that the
Navy, after establishing that the yacht had been destroyed
by a U-Boat torpedo, had assigned him to track it down
because of his ability to speak German. He had located the
sub in a cove along the South American coast and, after
allowing the crew to take him prisoner, had become one of
them by proving that he was an escaped U-Boat medical
officer. He had learned the location at which Donath was
to be transferred to another ship but Douglas had dis-
covered his true identity before he could transmit the in-
formation, and had put him under guard. Under his
(Carey's) instructions, Marta had released one of the sub-
marine's flares, enabling naval units to locate and attack it
with depth bombs. And when Douglas had ordered debris
sent to the surface to make it appear as if the sub had been
destroyed, Carey had painted a message on a life preserver.
This was found by the Navy and ultimately brought about
their rescue and the sinking of the sub when it kept the
rendezvous with the transfer vessel. Convinced that Marta's
heroism in releasing the flare made the rescue possible, the
hearing board drops the charges against her.

It was produced by Ralph Dietrich and directed by Doug-
las Sirk from a story and screenplay by George W. George
and George F. Slavin.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Dallas" with Gary Cooper, Ruth Roman
and Raymond Massey

(Warner Bros., Dec. 30; time, 94 min.)

This Technicolor western undoubtedly will prove to be a
fairly successful box-office attraction because of the popu-
larity of the stars and of the above-average production values.
But judged solely on the merits of the screen story, it is only
a fair entertainment, with an appeal mostly to those who are
partial to western melodramas regardless of story values, so
long as there are plenty of chases, hard riding, gun battles
and fisticuffs. Those who demand something more than fast
movement will find that the picture is hampered by a plot
that wanders all over the lot to a point where it becomes so
muddled that one doesn't know what it is all about. Another
defect is that the many characterizations are not clearly
defined. As the fearless, quick-on-the-trigger hero of the
piece, Gary Cooper handles the role in his usual expert
manner. The romantic interest is of the usual triangle
variety: —

Set in the post-Civil War days, the story has Cooper, a
Confederate colonel wanted by the Government for guer-
rilla activities, heading toward Dallas for a showdown with
Raymond Massey, Steve Cochran and Zon Murray, three
brothers who had ruined his family and fortune in Georgia.
En route Cooper meets Lief Erickson, a fopishly dressed
Bostonian just appointed U. S. Marshal, who was headed
for Dallas to take up his duties and to marry Ruth Roman,
daughter of Antonio Moreno, owner of the largest ranch in
the vicinity. Cooper convinces Erickson that it would be
advantageous for them to switch identities, and upon their
arrival in Dallas he finds himself attracted to Erickson's girl.
With Cooper masquerading as the Marshal in Erickson's
fancy clothes, the evil brothers fail to recognize him and
continue a scheme to fleece Moreno of his cattle and lands.
Cooper, waiting his chance at revenge, plays the brothers
against each other and eventually kills Murray when he
attempts to ambush him. In the complicated events that fol-
low, the two remaining brothers discover who Cooper really
is and, in a gun fight, Cooper kills Cochran. Massey, after
notifying the authorities that Cooper is a fugitive and seeing
to it that he is put in jail, invades Moreno's ranch home and
threatens to kill Ruth unless her father raises $25,000 for
him at once. Meanwhile Cooper escapes from jail and traces
Massey to the ranch. There, he subdues him and turns him
over to a posse. It ends with Cooper gaining a pardon for
aiding the law, with his winning Ruth's love, and with
Erickson graciously stepping out of their live-.

It was produced by Anthony Veiller and directed by
Stuart Heisler from a screen play by John Twist.

Unobjectionable morally.

188

HARRISON'S REPORTS

November 25, 1950

hibitors on a monthly basis is proving impractical.
Under the new system, the exhibitors dues will con'
tinue to be based on the formula of one-tenth of one
per cent of his film rentals, but instead of the billings
being based on current film rentals they will be based
on the rentals paid during the 1949 calendar year,
with the exhibitor given the option of paying quar-
terly, semi-annually or annually during the ensuing
year. In other words, the dues for 1950 will be based
on the 1949 film rentals, and the 1951 dues will be
based on the 1950 film rentals. Payment of dues is, of
course, voluntary, and all monies collected from the
exhibitors will be matched dollar for dollar by the
distributors.

Other actions taken by the board included :
Approval of a revised Motion Picture Industry
Council plan for cooperation with the Government
in the production of films connected with the defense
effort.

Authorization to Depinet to appoint a permanent
legislative comittee to function on a national level in
connection with all legislation affecting the industry,
and to help out on the local level wherever invited
to do so.

Approval to proceed without delay on the holding
of industry seminars.

Authorization to Depinet to name a delegate to the
Mid-Century Youth Conference at the White House.

Authorization to the research committee to work
out details of a survey to be conducted by theatre
managers on the attitudes of theatre patrons on such
subjects as admission prices, the conduct of stars, the
length of features, early or late shows, etc.

Adoption of a press relations plan to insert thirteen
full-page institutional advertisements in Editor &
Publisher to acquaint newspapermen with the eco-
nomic and cultural importance of American motion
pictures.

Authorization to Arthur L. Mayer, COMPO's
executive vice-president, to negotiate with the Asso-
ciation of Motion Picture Fan Magazines to come
into COMPO as an associate member without voting
privileges.

Adoption of a resolution offered by a group of
Texas exhibitors calling for COMPO to work toward
elimination of inequities in the Federal excise tax laws
on admissions for children and soldiers, so that the
admission tax hereafter will be based on the actual
ticket prices and not on the normal adult admissions.

The two-day meeting of COMPO's executive board
has been a fruitful one, for out of it has come a public
relations program that is indeed progressive and cer-
tainly vital at this time. But this program, to be effec-
tive, requires a united industry front.

There is no dodging the fact that today, with our
public relations at a low point, and with the competi-
tion from free home television becoming more for-
midable with each passing week, the motion picture
industry is at a crossroads and its future will be deter-
mined by the course it now adopts.

Fortunately, the combined industry has in COMPO s
leadership men of experience, integrity and tact who
are willingly giving of their valuable time to guide the
industry on a proper course, formulating programs
that are designed to enable the industry to develop to
its largest capacity to the ultimate benefit of every
branch. Their work, however, is being retarded and
COMPO's growth stunted because of the fact that the
TO A issue remains unresolved.

There is some talk to the effect that COMPO is
prepared to continue functioning without TOA as a
member. This, of course, is possible, but it certainly
is not desirable, first, because it will materially reduce
COMPOs strength and prestige as an "all-industry"
organization, and secondly, because the lack of finan-
cial support from a theatre organization as vast as
TOA will leave COMPO with funds that will be in-
sufficient to carry out a successful, worthwhile public
relations program.

HARRISON'S REPORTS does not suggest that
the other members of COMPO bow to TOAs de-
mands at any cost, but it does urge that both sides
make a speedy and sincere attempt to iron out their
differences on a fair and equitable basis. So long as
the TOAs demands do not have the effect of putting
COMPO under its influence and domination, there
should be no difficulty in arriving at an amicable
agreement. And the sooner such an agreement is
reached the better, for the industry can no longer
afford to delay the important work of COMPO.

"Experiment Alcataraz" with John Howard
and Joan Dixon

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 58 min.)

A minor program murder melodrama that will just
about squeeze by on the lower half of a mid-week
double bill. The story is poorly written, the action is
developed in an artificial manner, and matters are not
helped much by the performances, which are uncon-
vincing, mainly because of the inept dialogue. The
action arouses a spark of excitement here and there,
but this is not enough to hold one interested in the
proceedings: —

To test a new radioactive isotope in treating radia-
tion victims, five Alcatraz convicts volunteer for treat-
ment, with the understanding that they will be set
free when the experiment is over. While the convicts
are apparently sleeping under the effects of the treat-
ment, one of them, Robert Shayne, snatches a pair of
scissors dropped by Joan Dixon, a nurse, and fatally
stabs Sam Scar, the convict in the adjoining bed.
Shayne, at the subsequent investigation, insists that he
does not recall the killing and that he and Scar were
close pals. As a result, the treatment is declared un-
reliable, and Joan is relieved of her duties for care-
lessness. John Howard, the doctor who invented the
isotope, refuses to believe that it could possibly make
a patient violent, and decides to investigate. He visits
Shayne, now owner of a prosperous gambling joint,
and asks for his cooperation, but the ex-convict refuses
and has Howard beaten by thugs when he persists.
Together with Joan, Howard goes to Alcatraz to
check on the backgrounds of Shayne and Scar, and
finds a clue that leads them to Lynne Carter, Scar's
step-daughter, a cashier in a Lake Tahoe cafe. There,
Howard is beaten and finally killed by Shayne when
he discovers that Lynne is Shayne's wife, and that she
and Shayne had planned her step-fthers murder to
obtain possession of $250,000 in stolen cash. Upon
Howard's death, Joan, working with Walter Kings-
ford, an army doctor, sets a clever trap that unmasks
Shayne as a wilful killer and proves Howard's isotope
a success.

It was produced and directed by Edward L. Cahn
from a screen play by Orville H. Hampton, based on
another screen play by George W. George and
George F. Slavin.

Adult fare.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the poci otfioe at New York, New York, under the a*t ei Marofa 3, 1*79.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1950 No. 48

LET US STOP DAWDLING

One year and three months have slipped by since some
sixty delegates representing all branches of the motion pic-
ture industry met in Chicago for the purpose of formulating
a public relations program that would raise the motion
picture to a position of esteem as the greatest medium yet
devised for entertainment and education, and would win for
the industry the good will of the American people. Through
such a program, it was hoped to stimulate public interest
in motion pictures so that our industry could grow stronger
and more prosperous.

Three and one-half months after the meeting in Chicago,
a committee representing the ten industry groups involved
in this undertaking met in Washington, D. C, and formed
COMPO (the Council of Motion Picture Organizations),
thus achieving, according to the statement handed out at
that time, "the individual and joint purposes of the members
of the Chicago Conference to establish a national policy-
making authority to plan, organize and supervise a compre-
hensive, continuous public relations program representing
maximum co-ordination of the member organizations which
represent all branches of the motion picture industry."

But five more months slipped by before the ten charter
member groups that comprise COMPO ratified the actions
taken by their delegates in Washington, and thus the new
all-industry organizatoin was not launched officially until
early in May of this year — eight months after the urgent
call to arms in Chicago.

In the meantime, a special COMPO Committee on Tax-
ation and Legislation, under the chairmanship of Abram F.
Myers, Allied's general counsel, carried on a most effective
campaign to rid the industry of the burdensome Federal tax
on admissions, an effort that did not succeed only because
of the emergency created by the war in Korea.

In the seven months that have passed since COMPO was
established officially, there have been numerous meetings
by different COMPO committees that were appointed to
study the different phases of the unified public relations pro-
gram, and the recommendations of these committees were
duly considered and voted upon at the several meetings held
by COMPO's executive board.

Yet, for all these meetings, and for all the careful study
that has been given to the aims and purposes of COMPO,
here it is December of 1950 — fully fifteen months since
COMPO was first conceived in Chicago- — and the work of
the organization insofar as it relates to public relations is
still in the talking stage.

If there had been a vast improvement in business since the
meeting in Chicago in August, 1949, one might be inclined
to forgive the slow progress made by COMPO, but with
business on a steady decline, and with today's box-office
receipts sharply below what they were in 1949, COMPO's
failure to get into action with a positive public relations
program is indeed a sad disappointment, particularly be-
cause of the time and effort that has been expended.

For a contrast in attitudes and action when faced with a
drop in business, the motion picture industry can take a
lesson from the television industry, as weekly Variety so
aptly pointed out in this week's issue in commenting upon
the current advertising campaign of the American Television
Dealers and Manufacturers.

The article points out that the dealers and manufacturers
of television sets found that, with the approach of the Christ-
mas season, when their sales of TV sets should be best,
they were faced with a serious loss in business because of
three factors: (1) The controversy over TV color broad-

casts, which has caused many a potential buyer to hold off
on the purchase of a black-and-white receiving set lest it
become obsolete; (2) the drastic Government-regulated
credit restrictions on time-payment purchases; and (3) the
imposition of the new excise taxes on TV sets.

To combat these factors, the ATDM held an emergency
meeting and, within ten days, raised $2,000,000 to launch
a vast institutional advertising campaign extolling the ad-
vantages of television and its beneficial effect on family life,
wtih full-page ads appearing in 1,100 newspapers throughout
the country, and with radio commercials broadcast over 250
key radio stations.

Aside from the fact that the first advertisement was in
bad taste and was roundly condemned by parents, educators,
newspaper editors and others as stooping to a new low in
advertising because of the copy's negative fear appeal, the
fact remains that the TV set manufacturers and dealers
wasted no time in taking cooperative action to overcome a
crisis that threatened to hurt their business.

HARRISON'S REPORTS does not know how much
money is invested in the companies that are members of the
group calling itself the American Television Dealers and
Manufacturers, but it is quite confident that their combined
investment does not come anywhere near the approximate
three billion dollars invested in the motion picture industry.
Yet that group, when faced with a crisis, speedily raised
$2,000,000 to combat that crisis with a large-scale coopera-
tive campaign, while the motion picture industry, despite its
greater investment and vaster resources, is still lagging along
with an undeveloped all-industry organization that is short
of funds and that is without a concrete accomplishment
fifteen months after it was first conceived for the purpose
of proceeding with plans to protect and safeguard the busi-
ness.

And what is even more disheartening is that, after all
these months, COMPO's growth remains stunted and its
progress retarded because of differences within the organiza-
tion, caused by the Theatre Owners of America's demands
for a reorganization of the COMPO set-up so that it will
have greater representation on the COMPO executive board.

Just how much time will elapse before the TOA-COMPO
dispute will be resolved, if ever, is any one's guess, but in
view of the fact that any change in the COMPO set-up
will require extensive deliberations, not only by the COMPO
board, but also by the boards of directors of the different
groups that make up COMPO, many more months may slip
by before the issue is settled.

The motion picture business, however, cannot afford to
waste any more time on intramural differences. Hardly a
day goes by without an announcement from some territory
about theatre closings due to poor business, and in the face
of such a condition it should become obvious to all who have
the industry's welfare at heart that the time has come for
acts and deeds rather than conversation.

COMPO was conceived in Chicago in a spirit of unity
and sincerity that surprised even the most skeptical industry
leader present, and this was accomplished at a time when
the need to work together in the common interest was great.
That need is even greater now, and the industry leaders,
instead of quibbling over the division of power in COMPO,
should follow through on the unanimity that prevailed when
the organization was born. They must, without further delay,
rise to their responsibilities with courage and with all the
financial and other resources within their control in a united
effort to assure, not only the industry's survival, but also its
progress.

190

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 2, 1950

"The Goldbergs" with Gertrude Berg

(Paramount, January; time, 83 min.)

"The Goldbergs," based on the highly popular radio-tele-
vision program of the same name, comes to the screen as an
exceptionally good human comedy-drama, one that is as
heartwarming as it is funny. Dealing with the affairs of a
Bronx Jewish family, their friends and neighbors, the comedy
is provoked and the human interest awakened by the natural,
realistic way in which the simple story is developed. More-
over, all the characters are likeable and sympathetic. As on
the radio and TV programs, the pivotal character is "Molly
Goldberg," the sagacious wife and mother played by Ger-
trude Berg, who is excellent in the part. All the other players
are fine, too, acting with realism and feeling: —

When Molly learns from Philip Loeb, her husband, that
Eduard Franz, her former suitor, is in town, she invites him
to a family dinner. Franz, a middle-aged prosperous baches
lor, brings along Barbara Rush, his intended bride, a beau-
tiful girl many years his junior. Molly privately frowns
upon the May-December romance, but she insists that Bar-
bara remain as her house guest to prepare for the wedding.
Meanwhile Franz offers to help Loeb establish himself as a
dress manufacturer if he will give up his work as a con-
tractor. Complications arise when Barbara, through Molly,
meets and falls in love with Peter Hanson, a young music
teacher. Franz blames Molly for disrupting his intended
marriage and, angered and hurt, he breaks relations with the
family and withdraws the support he promised to Loeb, a
move that results in Loeb finding himself in considerable
financial difficulties. Unabashed by this turn of events,
Molly goes to see Franz and convinces him that the break-up
of his romance with Barbara was to the best interests of
both of them. Franz establishes relations with the family once
again and Molly shrewdly steers him into a more suitable
romance with Helen Brown, a young widow next door.
Eventually, through Molly's well-meaning manipulations,
the problems of all concerned are resolved happily with
Franz marrying Helen, Barbara announcing her engage-
ment to Hanson, and Loeb's business troubles overcome.

It was produced by Mel Epstein and directed by Walter
Hart from a screen play by Gertrude Berg and N. Richard
Nash. The cast includes Eli Mintz, Larry Robinson, Arlene
McQuade and others who appear with Miss Berg on the
TV show.

Fine family entertainment.

"Frenchie" with Joel McCrea, Shelley Winters
and Paul Kelly

(Univ.-Int'l, January; time, 81 min.)

Bolstered by an impressive cast, this Technicolor western
should go over pretty well with most movie-goers, in spite
of the fact that the plot follows an obvious pattern that will
not tax anyone's mind. Joel McCrea, as a fearless sheriff,
and Paul Kelly, as leader of the lawless element, provide
the film with the usual slambang ingredients demanded by
the avid action fans, while Shelley Winters, as the sultry
operator of a plush gambling hall, furnishes enough glamour
and punchy dialogue to satisfy the other customers. Worked
into the gusty proceedings are some good comedy touches
and a romantic triangle: —

Accompanied by Elsa Lanchester, her partner, Shelley,
famous operator of a New Orleans gambling house, returns to
the frontier town of Bottleneck to avenge the death of her
father, who had been murdered by two business associates
fifteen years previously. Shelley knew that one of the mur-
derers was Paul Kelly, who now operated a gambling joint
in a neighboring town, but the identity of the other mur<
derer was unknown to her. Her first move is to by a defunct
saloon, which she turns into a lavish gambling emporium
with pretty women dealers. She then proceeds to ruin Kelly's
business by winning over his customers, McCrea, the sheriff,
keeps a close eye on Shelley to make sure that she remains
within the law, and in due time she falls in love with him
and reveals her motive in returning to town. The town's

solid citizens, led by John Emery, the local banker, are
furious over the influx of undesirables attracted by Shelley's
operation, but she shrewdly beats back their efforts to pass
an anti-gambling law. In the complicated events that follow,
Shelley learns that Emery is the unknown man who had
helped murder her father, and that he was still a silent
partner to Kelly. Before she can move against Emery, how-
ever, he is murdered mysteriously under circumstances that
point the finger of suspicion on McCrea, because Marie
Windsor, Emery's wife, was his former sweetheart. McCrea,
in turn, suspects Shelley. The mystery is finally cleared up
when Marie, to save McCrea from a lynching, confesses that
she had killed her husband. Meanwhile word comes that
Kelly and his henchmen were headed for town to take over
Shelley's gambling joint by force. McCrea stops the attack
and, in a final gun duel, disposes of Kelly. With law and
order restored, McCrea and Shelley plan to marry.

It was produced by Michael Kraike and directed by Louis
King from a story and screen play by Oscar Brodney. The
cast includes George Cleveland, John Russell, Regis Toomey
and others.

Adult fare.

"The Mudlark" with Irene Dunne,
Alec Guinness and Andrew Ray

(20th Century-Fox, January; time, 99 min.)

Made by 20th Century-Fox in England, "The Mudlark"
is a heart-warming tale about a ragged urchin, whose inva<
sion of Windsor Castle because of his strong desire to see
Queen Victoria creates an incident that almost results in a
national crisis. The picture rates high praise for its produc-
tion quality, direction and acting, and its mixture of
comedy, human interest and some excitement should have
wide appeal. Discriminating audiences in particular should
enjoy the meaningful dialogue. The action fans, however,
may find it much too talky and slow-moving to suit their
tastes. Andrew Ray, as the inquisitive urchin, is outstand-
ing in his part. The scene where he and the Queen finally
meet will tug at one's heartstrings. Irene Dunne is dignified
as the Queen, and Alec Guinness is distinguished and elo-
quent as Disraeli. An appealing and highly amusing char-
acterization is turned in by Finlay Currie as the Queen's man
servant, an outspoken Scotsman who enjoys his drink: —

Andrew, an orphaned 10-year-old waif who eked out an
existence from scrap objects he found on the muddy banks
of the Thames, finds a cheap plaque of Queen Victoria and,
because she looked motherly, feels a strong urge to see her.
He goes to Windsor Castle and, in the fog, stumbles into
an open coal chute and lands in the cellar. Discovered in
the castle, the youngster is suspected of being connected with
Irish plotters in a scheme to harm the Queen and, despite
his protests that he merely wanted to see the Queen, he is
arrested and placed in the Tower of London. The Queen,
who for fifteen years since the death of her husband had
been leading a life of voluntary seclusion, refuses to see the
lad. The newspapers play up the story of the lad's imprison-
ment, with the result that the Irish party in the House of
Commons, resenting the false implication that the Irish were
involved in a plot against the Queen, uses its numerical
strength to block a program of social reform introduced by
the government. Disraeli, however, seizes on Andrew's case
as a symbol of the plight of underprivileged children in
England, and his oratory succeeds in selling the House on
the needed social reforms. Young Andrew becomes a na'
tional hero, and Disraeli places him in the care of two
school teachers. But the youngster, still determined to see
the Queen, breaks away from his guardians and invades the
castle once again. This time the Queen consents to see him.
Deeply touched by their meeting, she agrees to come out of
her life of seclusion to appear in public.

Nunnally Johnson wrote the screen play and produced
it, based on the novel by Theodore Bonnet. It was directed
by Jean Negulesco.

Excellent for the family.

December 2, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

"Highway 301" with Steve Cochran,
Virginia Grey and Gaby Andre

(Warner Bros., Jan. 13; time, 83 min.)

A tense crime melodrama. Given a semi-documentary
treatment, the story is supposedly a factual account of the
rise and fall of the notorious Tri-State gang, which carried
on a series of sensational holdups and murders in Virginia,
Maryland and North Carolina. Despite its factual basis,
however, the story has all the earmarks of a conventional
gangster-film plot, with the chief points of excitement being
the reenactment of the gangsters' daring crimes, their es'
capes, and their eventual capture by the police. It is a
swiftly-paced film, with the usual crime-does-not-pay lesson,
and should give ample satisfaction to those who go in for
pictures of this type. The title, incidentally, has no con-
nection whatever with the story : — •

Aided by four henchmen (Robert Webber, Wally Cassell,
Richard Egan and Edward Norris), Steve Cochran, a sadistic
and ruthless gangster, masterminds a series of daring bank
robberies, during which several murders are committed.
Their bold exploits alert the police of three states, but under
Cochran's shrewd direction the gang manages to elude cap-
ture. Aline Towne, Cochran's girl-friend, fears that he will
be caught, and when she becomes tipsy one day and talks too
much about the gang's affairs to Gaby Andre, Webber's
new girl-friend, Cochran kills her. In the events that follow,
Webber is slain by the police, following which Cochran
decides to make Gaby his girl-friend. The terror-stricken
girl refuses to have anything to do with him and, when she
attempts to escape, Cochran shoots her down and leaves her
for dead. Later, he learns that he only wounded her, and
that she was in a hospital with a good chance of survival.
To stop her from talking to the police, Cochran, aided by
Egan and by Virginia Grey, Egan's wife, goes to the hospital
to finish Gaby. The police, however, are prepared for such
a move, and trap them when they arrive at the hospital.
Using several nurses as shields, Cochran and Egan make a
daring escape from the hospital, but their freedom is short-
lived when, with the police in hot pursuit, they die in a
crash of their getaway car.

It was produced by Bryan Foy and written and directed
by Andrew Stone.

Adult fare.

"The Great Missouri Raid" with Wendell Corey,
Macdonald Carey and Ellen Drew

(Paramount, February; time, 85 min.)

A good big-scale Western, photographed in Technicolor.
The story purports to show how Frank and Jesse James and
their pals, the Younger brothers, became outlaws through
force of circumstances. Just what license, if any, has been
taken with historical facts, this reviewer does not know;
nevertheless, the action is fast-moving, exciting and inter-
esting all the way through. It should more than satisfy those
who go in for melodramas of this type, for it has more than
a fair share of thrills in the way of gun battles, bank and
train robberies and chases. The production, direction, pho-
tography and acting are first-rate: —

The story has Wendell Corey, as Frank James, Macdonald
Carey, as Jesse James, and Bruce Bennett and Bill Williams,
as the Younger brothers, deciding to give up their guerrilla
activities at the close of the Civil War when they are offered
amnesty under a Presidential proclamation. They make ar-
rangements with Ward Bond, a Union Army major, for an
honorable surrender, but Bond, embittered because his
brother had died in an altercation with the James gang, sees
to it that a drunken lot of cavalry troopers ambush the
gang as they ride into town under a flag of truce. They
manage to escape, but Bond determines to have his revenge
and proceeds to make all members of the gang the subject
of a relentless pursuit. He sets fire to their barns and homes,
and even cripples Anne Revere, the mother of the James
boys, by throwing a bomb into her house. The James boys

kill several of the soldiers in self defense and, as a result,
are forced .into outlawry. They commit many spectacular
train and bank robberies, and in the course of events Jesse
marries Ellen Drew while Frank weds Lois Chartrand.
Meanwhile Bond retires from the army, establishes a detec-
tive agency, and is retained by the Bankers' Association to
capture the James gang. The gang in turn makes a specialty
of robbing banks protected by Bond's agency. In due time
Bond succeeds in either capturing or killing most of the
gang, but the James boys continue to elude him. Frank
eventually reforms, but Jesse elects to continue his outlaw
career. Ellen pleads with Jesse to give up his maurauding
and to leave Missouri to start with her anew. He finally
gives in to her pleadings but, before they can depart, one
of Jesse's own henchmen, secretly in league with Bond, kills
him for the reward.

It was produced by Nat Holt and directed by Gordon
Douglas from a story and screen play by Frank Gruber. The
cast includes Edgar Buchanan, Barry Kelley and others.

Unobjectionable morally.

"For Heaven's Sake" with Clifton Webb,
Joan Bennett, Robert Cummings
and Edmund Gwenn

(20th Century-Fox, December; time, 92 min.)

This is an imaginative and amusing fantasy, dealing with
two mature angels who come down from heaven to help a
child angel get born to a couple who are too busy to con-
sider having children. Utilizing the "Here Comes Mr.
Jordan" idea and treatment, the story has many comical
situations, some of which are»highly hilarious. Clifton Webb,
as one of the angels, is vastly amusing, particularly when,
to accomplish his mission, he materializes as a Texas rancher
and acts and talks like Gary Cooper. There is high comedy
in Webb's unangelic behavior as a mortal when temptation
presents itself in the form of Joan Blondell, causing no end
of consternation to Edmund Gwenn, the other angel, who
had been assigned to keep an eye on Webb. For all its
comical moments, however, the picture as a whole probably
will be received with mixed reaction because of its fantasy
theme. Childen in particular will no doubt be puzzled by
the action in which the heavenly messengers mix with mortals
but cannot be seen by them.

Briefly, the story has Webb and Gwenn descending to
Earth to aid Gigi Perreau, a child angel, who for seven years
had been waiting to be born to Robert Cummings, a play-
wright, and his wife Joan Bennett, an actress. Both were
so wrapped up in their theatre work that they refused to
consider having children. When Webb overhears Cummings
say that he needed a backer for his next show, he decides
to materialize as a human being — a wealthy rancher. He
manages to meet Cummings and Joan, and becomes their
house guest when he expresses an interest in the theatre and
indicates that he might be willing to invest. Cummings also
invites as a house guest Joan Blondell, a close friend, and
asks her to use her charms on Webb to induce him to back
the show. From then on the story deals with the numerous
escapades experienced by Webb as he tries to resist the
temptations of Miss Blondell's charms, and as he attempts
to set up a romantic atmosphere that would induce Cum«
mings and his wife to start thinking about babies. Among
other things, he gets into a scrap with Jack La Rue, Miss
Blondell's jealous boy-friend; innocently wins a $10,000
wager and goes on a lavish spree while shadowed by a
suspicious internal revenue agent; and ends up in the psychi-
atric ward at Bellevue when he becomes intoxicated and
insists that he is an angel. It all ends on a happy note,
however, when Webb's superior in heaven forgives his in?
discretions, and when Cummings and Joan are blessed with
a baby daughter.

It was produced by William Pcrlberg and directed by
George Seaton, who wrote the screen play from a play by
Harry Segall.

Unobjectionable morally.

192

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 2, 1950

"The Bandit Queen" with Barbara Britton
and Philip Reed

(Lippert, December 1; time, 68 min.)

A fairly good program melodrama. William Berke's di-
rection is effective, for the action keeps the spectator's eyes
glued to the screen. There is considerable human interest
in many of the situations, and the spectator follows atten-
tively the efforts of the heroine to avenge the death of her
parents. Barbara Britton, as the masked, whip-cracking hero-
ine, is very good, and Philip Reed, although he is not given
much to do as a Robin Hood type of outlaw, is pleasant.
The story takes place in the lawless days following the dis-
covery of gold in California. The photography is clear: —

When Barton MacLane, at the head of a gang, raids her
family's hacienda and murders her parents, Barbara, wit-
nessing the atrocity at a distance, takes refuge in the San
Sebastian Mission, under the protection of Martin Garralga,
the priest. There she meets Reed, who was sought by the
authorities for aiding the Spaniards who were overtaxed by
the government and driven from their homes by greedy
Americans. Barbara goes to the Sheriff's office to report the
murders and is shocked to discover that the sheriff is none
other than MacLane. Concealing her identity, she pretends
to be a visitor from the East, seeking friends. She is intro-
duced to Willard Parker, the regional attorney and real
leader of the gang, who planned to set up an empire in
California. Reed teaches Barbara how to use a bullwhip,
and she eventually organizes a band of Spaniards to avenge
the murder of her parents and to aid the oppressed. Wearing
a mask and dressed as a cabellero, Barbara, known as "Zara,"
raids the many haciendas taken away by Parker's gunmen,
recovers the gold they had stolen, and returns it to the
rightful owners; and, when she comes across one of the
gang who had murdered her parents, she has him hanged
and deposits his body on MacLane's doorstep. Unaware that
she is "Zara," Parker proposes marriage to Barbara and
reveals his ambitious plans to her, thus disclosing that he
was the man behind the murders and robberies. With this
information on hand, Barbara steps up her secret activities,
but Parker eventually learns the truth and sets out to cap-
ture her, as well as Reed and the priest. All are saved,
however, but the timely arrival of the military, sent by the
governor to restore order. Parker and MacLane are removed
from office, and Barbara and Reed, after being married at
the mission, are permitted to ride away.

It was produced and directed by William Berke from a
screen play by Victor West and Budd Lesser, based on a
story by Mr. West.

Good for the family.

"The Killer That Stalked New York"
with Evelyn Keyes and Charles Korvin

(Columbia, December; time, 76 min.)

Seventy-six minutes of decided unpleasantness, for it
deals with a smallpox epidemic. Because of the fact that the
picture has been produced, directed and acted with skill,
the horror most patrons will feel while watching the action
will be more intense. In the opinion of this critic, there is
no reason why a picture based on such a harrowing and
grisly theme should have been produced. In addition to the
unpleasantness of seeing a horrible disease take effect, the
picture offends good taste in another way: it is clearly im«
plied that a sister had illicit relations with her sister's hus-
band. Before booking the picture, an exhibitor should see
it for himself to determine whether it is entertaniment or a
nightmare: —

Arriving from Miami with smuggled diamonds from
Miami, Evelyn Keyes telephones Charles Korvin, her hus-
band in New York, to inform him that she had mailed the
gems to him. She reaches New York feeling ill, unaware
that she was a victim of smallpox. She telephones Korvin,
who was secretly living with Lola Albright, her sister, and

for this reason he advises her to hide out at a hotel for
several days. Treasury agents trail her to the hotel, but
she manages to elude them. Ill, she collapses on the street
and is taken to a clinic, where William Bishop, the doctor,
gives her a sedative but fails to recognize her ailment. In the
events that follow, Evelyn learns that Korvin had disap-
peraed with the diamonds and that he had been carrying
on an affair with her sister, Lola, deserted by Korvin, com-
mits suicide. Enraged, Evelyn determines to track down
Korvin to avenge both herself and Lola. Meanwhile a child
Evelyn had embraced in the clinic comes down with small-
pox, and Bishop establishes that Evelyn is the carrier of the
disease. An intense police search is started for her, while she
in turn continues to hunt for Korvin, innocently endanger-
ing everyone she contacts. To protect New York's millions,
the health officials resort to mass vaccinations. Evelyn
eventually trails Korvin to the shop of Art Smith, a gem-
cutter and fence for stolen goods, arriving just as Korvin
strangles Smith to death in an argument. She holds Korvin
at bay at the point of a gun and telephones the police.
Korvin, attempting to escape, falls to his death from a high
window ledge. Evelyn, now aware that she is a carrier of
smallpox, crawls out on the ledge to commit suicide, but
Bishop shows up in time to persuade her to desist.

It was produced by Robert Cohn and directed by Earl
McEvoy from a screen play by Harry Essex, based on a
Cosmopolitan Magazine article by Milton Lehman.

Strictly adult fare.

"Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle"
with Joe Kirk wood, Jr. and James Gleason

(Monogram, N.ov. 5; time, 64 min.)

As good as most of the pictures in this series. As in all
of them, there is an exciting, well-staged boxing bout at the
finish, and as always it holds the spectator in suspense even
though he knows that the hero will win. The story, which
has Joe Kirkwood, Jr., as "Palooka," involved in a murder,
has been developed in an interesting way and holds one's
attention throughout. It should give ample satisfaction to
the action fans: —

Hearing shos and seeing two men run out of the woods,
Kirkwood and John Merrick, his trainer, find the body of a
murdered gambler. They notify the police, but the body
disappears by the time they arrive. In the absence of the
corpse, the district attorney drops the investigation, but
charges of murder are placed against Greg McClure and
William Haade when Kirkwood identifies them from police
photographs. The two murderers alibi their way out of the
charges and, once released, they determine to kill Kirkwood
and Merrick to stop them from searching for the missing
body. They kill Merrick and send threats to Kirkwood, but
the champ is undaunted. Robert Coogan (as Humphrey)
joins the search and fishes the missing body from a lake.
Haade and McClure go into hiding. Meanwhile Dan Sey-
mour, their gangster boss, contacts James Gleason, Kirk-
wood's manager, and offers to dispose of Haade and Mc-
Clure if Kirkwood will throw his forthcoming championship
fight with Hal Fieberling, on whom Seymour had bet heavily.
Gleason refuses. On the night of the fight, Seymour kid*
naps Gleason and sends Robert Griffin to Kirkwood's dress-
ing room with a phony message that he had been sent there
by Gleason to take care of him until Gleason arrives. During
the fight, Griffin dazes Kirkwood by dousing his face with
a doped sponge. Fieberling is winning the fight until Gleason
manages to escape and reach the ring. He disposes of Griffin,
counteracts the drug, and thus revives Kirkwood in time to
win the battle. Back in his dressing room, Kirkwood is at-
tacked by McClure, but the champ is able to best him. He
then leaves with Lois Hall, his wife, on a vacation.

Hal E. Chester produced it, and Reginald Le Borg directed
it, from a screen play by Jan Jeffrey and a story by B. F.
Melzer, based on the comic strip by Ham Fisher.

Suitable for the family.

Entered as second-class matter January i, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1950 No. 49

NSS ANTI-TRUST SUIT UNPOPULAR WITH
INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS

Independent exhibitors throughout the country have re-
ceived recently a circular from a group calling itself the
National Independent Motion Picture Exhibitors Protective
Committee, which is soliciting their participation in an anti'
trust suit brought against National Screen Service in the
U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania.

This "Protective Committee" was formed several weeks
ago by a group of Eastern exhibitors, following the filing
of the anti-trust suit by Max M. Korr and Leon W. Koer,
who operate six theatres in and around Allentown, Pa.

The suit, which charges NSS wih monopolistic practices
and alleges that agreements between the company and twelve
distributors had the effect of fixing a uniform and unrea-
sonably high price to exhibitors for trailers and other adver-
tising accessories, is technically classified as a "class action,"
which means that other independent exhibitors with addi'
tional claims may join the suit as plaintiffs as the case
progresses.

The circular letter, which urged the exhibitors to join in
the action in order to recover damages for themselves, was
accompanied by an authorization form which, if signed by
the exhibitor, would empower the Committee to institute
suit against NSS in the exhibitor's behalf, or intervene for
him in any pending litigation or subsequent action. The cir-
cular pointed out that the Committee was not soliciting
funds, and that the cost of the action would be borne by
the Committee itself with no expense assessed against the
exhibitor, except that the attorneys handling the case are to
receive 40% of the damages recovered, plus an additional
fee to be fixed by the court and paid by NSS in the event
the exhibitors win the case.

Lest this circular influence any exhibitor into thinking
that he has nothing to lose and everything to gain by join'
ing this suit, HARRISON'S REPORTS wishes to call atten-
tion to the fact that exhibitor organizations throughout the
country are not in sympathy with the exhibitors who have
started this action against NSS, and that they have issued
warnings to their members against joining the suit lest they
find themselves, not only inconvenienced by required attend-
ance at the trial, but also liable for court costs in the event
that NSS wins the case and asks the court for recovery of
the expenses entailed in defending the suit.

Pete J. Wood, secretary of the Independent Theatre
Owners of Ohio, had this to say in part in an organizational
bulletin issued this week:

"The measure of the damages which it is hoped to re*
cover is the difference between the prices paid by the ex-
hibitors for trailers and accessories purchased from Na-
tional Screen and the reasonable prices which would have
prevailed but for the monopoly.

"In the event that the case is contested by National
Screen to the bitter end (and this, I am told, it will do),
each exhibitor joining therein would have to prove his own
individual damages. That he could do only by appearing as
a witness at the trial and subjecting himself to cross-
examination. It is not represented that the Committee will
defray the expenses of going to Philadelphia for that pur-
pose, so that intervening exhibitors may be subjected to
considerable expense.

"Again, it is apparent that National Screen in defending
the case will incur heavy expense, much of which will be
taxable as costs in case that company wins the case. Such
costs will be taxed against the plaintiffs and will have to be
paid by them and they can have no protection against such
costs unless the 'Protective Committee' is willing to in-
demnify them and post an adequate indemnity bond.

"Aside from being called as a witness and risking lia-
bility for costs, it might be said that an exhibitor has nothing
to lose and something to gain by intervening in the suit.
However, they are asked to put their cases wholly into the
hands of these volunteer attorneys with full authority to
make any compromise or settlement they see fit. If 3,000
exhibitors should sign the authorizations, and National
Screen should cave in and settle for $1,000,000, the attor-
neys would be assured of a fee of $400,000 and the remain-
ing $600,000 would be distributed among the exhibitors,
making $200.00 each.

"Thus whenever an offer of compromise reaches a point
which will insure a handsome attorneys' fee, there will be
a temptation to settle however much the exhibitor's claim
may be curtailed. Whatever the outcome, whether there is a
recovery following a trial, a compromise or a dismissal of
the suits, the rights of the intervening exhibitors will be
adjudicated and they cannot later file suits for the additional
amounts which they may feel are due them.

"Based on a conference with National Allied's General
Counsel, A. F. Myers, we cannot recommend that our mem-
bers authorize this Philadelphia law firm to implicate them
in this litigation. Undoubtedly the action will be assailed
by preliminary motions testing whether it is legally and
ethically sound, and pending the determination of those
issues our members can afford to wait and observe. If the
case should survive these early tests, it will then be time
for exhibitors to decide whether to join in the present pro-
ceedings or to join in other actions over which they will
have some measure of control. It is not generally regarded
as sound policy to commit one's affairs to the uncontrolled
discretion of strangers."

The Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana, which is
headed by Trueman T. Rembusch, who is also president of
National Allied, had these words of caution for its members
in an organization bulletin dated November 30:

". . . It is not our practice to urge any member one way
or another in a matter of this kind but we do feel that we
should not encourage any mass action of such a nature from
our ATOI members.

"The reason for our feeling is that we in Indiana have
always been able to take our problems and complaints to
NSS officials and get their serious consideration. We cans
not forget that men like George Dembow and William
Brenner traveled to Indiapanolis and sat around the table
and discussed complaints with an ATOI exhibitors' com-
mittee. Secondly, we believe that we were met at least half
way on those things that most needed attention and that
there has been a continuing effort to compromise on the
problems that have been brought to NSS since that time.

"And last there is the National Screen Service survey
that is just being initiated by a committee appointed by
National Allied . After the facts are accumulated tin's Allied
committee will seek an interview with NSS to try and work
(Continued on bac\ page)

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 9, 1950

"Short Grass" with Rod Cameron, Cathy Downs
and Johnny Mack Brown

(Allied Artists, Dec. 3; time, 82 win.)

This is not an ordinary western, for the story is substan-
tial and it has been produced on a pretty big scale. It holds
one's interest all the way through, and most of the situations
are gripping. There is considerable shooting, and Rod
Cameron, as the hero, wins one's sympathy as well as one's
admiration for risking his life to battle the lawless element.
Johnny Mack Brown, as the marshal, is his typical fearless
self. The acting of all is good. The outdoor scenery is, as the
title suggests, sunburnt country, with plenty of rocks and
sage brush to boot. The photography is good : —

Shortly after his arrival at Willow Creek, a trading post
center controlled by two ruthless brothers (Morris Ankrum
and Riley Hill), Rod Cameron becomes involved with an
outlaw, who had killed his partner-in-crime after holding
up and knocking unconscious Jonathan Hale, owner of the
trading post. The outlaw, who tries to make it appear as if
he had shot a holdup man, befriends Cameron and invites
him to ride along with him. A short way out in the barren
hills Cameron realizes the truth about the outlaw and sus-
pects that he will attempt to kill him. But Cameron, being
alert, is faster on the draw and kills the outlaw when he
attempts to shoot him in the back. He then recovers the
money stolen from Hale. Wounded, Cameron is found by
Cathy Downs, whose father (Stanley Andrews) owned a
rundown ranch nearby. There she nurses him back to health,
and both fall in love. He uses the stolen money to help
Andrews buy a better piece of land on a partnership basis.
The land, however, is coveted by the two vicious brothers,
and Cameron, unsuccessful in his efforts to oppose them,
offers to sell them his share. In the discussion that follows,
Cameron kills Hill when he pulls a gun on him. He then
goes to Hale and returns the money stolen from him by
means of an assignment of his half ownership in the ranch.
Impressed by Cameron's honesty, Hale asks him to go to
Silver Spur, a thriving town, to buy property for him so
that he might open a saloon. He does so, and then goes
away. Cameron returns to Silver Spur five years later and
finds Hale doing a thriving business. He learns that Cathy
lived in town as the wife of a drunken newspaperman, and
that Ankrum and his gang were encroaching on the grazing
land. He joins Raymond Walburn, who headed the forces
determined to keep town free from Ankrum's influence.
This results in open war, which ends with the death of, not
only Ankrum, but also Cathy's husband, thus leaving her
free to start life anew with Cameron.

It was produced by Scott R. Dunlap, and directed by
Lesley Selander, from a screen play by Tom W. Blackburn,
based on his book of the same name.

Good for those who like pictures with virile action.

"One Too Many" with Ruth Warwick,
Richard Travis and Ginger Prince

(A Hallmark road show attraction; time, 110 min.)

(Editor's Hote: In view of the fact that this picture will
be handled individually as a roadshow attraction, it is doubt-
ful if this review will have any effect on the sale of it to the
exhibitors. But it is presented here for the record.)

This picture has much merit, but it has also serious de-
fects. The chief fault is that the story is synthetic — the
characters seem to obey the will of the author rather than
do things that they would do in life naturally. Rhys Wil-
liams, for example, is a fine bartender, a member of Alco-
holics Anonymous, but it is hard for the spectator to believe
his refusal to sell drinks to those who had one too many,
for not many bartenders in life are like him. Ruth Warrick
does not awaken sympathy because of poor characterization.
There is no cause for her to take to drink, and the abandon-
ment of her musical career does not ring true. Had she been
induced to take her first drink at some aff?ir on the ground
that it would not hurt her, and then shown taking another
and another until she becomes a dipsomaniac, she would

have had audience sympathy with her. The acting is so^so.
Thurston Hall is presented as a bigoted person, and the
fact that he is eventually won over to the cause does not
help erase the bad impression of him. Ginger Prince is a fine
little actress and does well in several song-and-dance num-
bers, but she lacks the looks that might have made her
another Shirley Temple: —

Ruth, a promising concert pianist, gives up her career to
marry Richard Travis, a reporter. The change to housewife
and motherhood is too much for her, and in time 6he takes
to drink and becomes a dipsomaniac. Searching around for
news, Travis goes to Rhys Williams' saloon where he finds
Frank Emery, his neighbor and candidate for Mayor, in-
toxicated. The incident makes Travis unhappy, for his story
destroys Emery's chances of election. Returning home,
Travis finds Ruth highly intoxicated. He calls in the family
physician who is able to effect a temporary cure, but in
time Ruth has a relapse and her condition becomes worse.
Travis is embarrassed when Thurston Hall, his publisher
and a severe teetotaler, sees Ruth drunk. He takes her to a
sanitarium, but she escapes and hides out in a cheap room-
ing house with a bottle. Meanwhile Emery kills himself, and
Travis, busy searching for Ruth, loses his job for missing
the story. When the bottle is empty, Ruth returns home
and, to buy more liquor, robs the piggy bank of her
daughter, Ginger. She then takes the child for an auto-
mobile ride, but her driving is so erratic that the police
arrest her and place her in a psychopathic ward. Shocked,
Travis appeals to civic leaders to help establish a hospital
for alcoholics, and cites the fine work done by Alcoholics
Annonymous. When Ruth sobers up, she realizes how close
she came to killing herself and her daughter. The climax is
reached when a benefit show is staged for funds for the
hospital, and Travis, to restore Ruth completely, arranges
for her to play the piano. This gives her courage to face
the world again, and she plays like the great artist she
once was.

Kroger Babb produced it, and Earle C. Kenton directed
it, from a screen play by Malcolm Stuart Boylan, based on
Mr. Babb's original story.

Adult fare.

"Revenue Agent" with Douglas Kennedy,
Jean Willes and Onslow Stevens

(Columbia, no rel. date set; time, 72 min.)

A passable program melodrama, with enough action and
intrigue to serve its purpose as the lower half of a double
bill. Produced on a modest budget, the story, as indicated
by the title, deals with the exploits of an Internal Revenue
agent who gets on the trail of income tax evaders. It is a
routine cops-and-robbers plot that offers few surprises and
is, in fact, somewhat choppy and confusing. But the semi-
documentary treatment and the fast-moving pace should
make it acceptable to the undiscriminating action fans. The
acting is fair, but there is no marquee value in the names
of the players: —

When Lyle Talbot, an accountant, discovers that Jean
Willes, his wife, is carrying on an affair with Onslow Stev-
ens, his employer, he telephones the Department of In-
ternal Revenue and offers to give evidence of a large
income tax evasion racket if an agent is sent to meet him.
By the time that Douglas Kennedy, the agent, arrives, Talbot
is murdered by William Phillips, one of Stevens' henchmen,
who had overheard the phone call. Kennedy follows up
several clues and soon discovers that Stevens and Archie
Twitchell, his partner in a mining company, were smug-
gling gold bullion from their mine to Mexico, where they
sold the gold and deposited the money under assumed names
in Mexican banks, thus evading payment of income taxes.
Needing evidence to make an arrest, Kennedy informs the
partners that he is a revenue agent, that he knows of their
tax evasion scheme, and that he will hound them into
prison unless they cut him in on the deal. Suspicious, they
put him through a number of tests to judge his loyalty
to their cause and finaly accept him. He soon learns that

December 9, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

195

they smuggled the gold by concealing it in a compartment
welded to the bottom of a car, in which they drove to
Mexico as tourists. Kennedy joins them on one of the hauls,
but first makes careful arrangements with the highway police
to pick up the car at the border. The arrangements, how-
ever, backfire, and the crooks get wise to Kennedy's scheme.
He is knocked unconscious and, after crossing the border,
the crooks take him to an isolated spot. There, Phillips and
Twitchell prepare to murder him while Stevens gets rid of
the gold. But Kennedy manages to overcome his captors
and, after a wild chase, succeeds in capturing Stevens with
the money just as he is boarding a plane for a getaway.

It was produced by Sam Katzman and directed by Lew
Landers from a screen play by William Sackheim and Arthur
A. Ross.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Storm Warning" with Ginger Rogers,
Ronald Reagan, Doris Day
and Steve Cochran

(Warner Bros., Feb. 10; time, 93 mm.)

"Storm Warning" is a powerful melodrama, finely di-
rected and acted, but it is a grim, unpleasant picture that
leaves one depressed because of its realistic depiction of
mob volence and stark brutality. Set in a Southern town,
the story throws a spotlight on Ku Klux Klan terrorism and
the prejudice and fear spread by that bigoted organization
when its members take the law into their own hands. The
action is charged with suspense throughout and, by reason
of its realistic handling, its dramatic impact is potent, but
its vivid depiction of the ugliest aspects of murder, intimida'
tion, attempted rape and man's inhumanity to man is much
too horrifying to be classified as entertainment. Like "The
Sound of Fury," which is reviewed on the back page of this
issue, the picture may do considerable harm to the national
interest if the Communists should play it up as an example
of uncivilized doings that exist in a democracy: —

Ginger Rogers, a model, arrives in a small Southern town
to visit Doris Day, her newly-married sister. As she hastens
to meet Doris, Ginger sees a band of hooded men drag a
man from inside the county jail and murder him. Terrified
but unnoticed, she sees two of the men remove their masks
before she darts away. She tells Doris of her frightening
experience, and learns that the murdered man was a Northern
reporter who had been framed into a jail sentence following
his expose of Klan activities in the town. When Steve Coch-
ran, Doris' husband arrives home, Ginger is shocked to
recognize him as one of the hooded men. Slightly intoxi-
cated, he confesses that he had been at the jail but babbles
that the murder was unintentional. Despite her disgust
with him, Ginger, for the sake of her sister, an expectant
mother, promises to say nothing to the authorities. Mean-
while Ronald Reagan, the district attorney, who suspected
the Klan, starts an investigation but is unable to get any
information from the town's fear-stricken people. He eventu-
ally picks up Ginger, after establishing that she had been
near the scene of the crime. Although she protects Cochran,
Ginger, by stating that she had seen the crime committed
by men with hoods, furnishes Reagan with the testimony
he needs to indict the Klan; he orders her to appear as a
witness at the inquest. When Hugh Sanders, Cochran's boss
and head of the Klan, learns of this development, he in-
timidates Ginger by threatening to throw the guilt on Coch-
ran. Ginger recognizes Sanders as the other man who had
removed his mask, but at the inquest she denies having seen
anything, thus enabling the Klan-controlled coroner's jury
to return a verdict to the effect that the reporter had been
killed by an unknown assailant. Reagan, disgusted, gives her
a tongue-lashing. While the town goes on a drunken spree
in celebration of the verdict, Ginger, ashamed, prepares to
leave town. Cochran, drunk, finds her alone in the house
and attempts to rape her. Just then Doris arrives, and Coch-
ran knocks her unconscious when she comes to Ginger's
defense. Ginger, infuriated, tells Cochran that she will now
tell Reagan the truth so that Doris may be rid of him.

Cochran floors her with a punch and drags her to a meeting
of the Klan in the hills, where she is flogged before a blazing
cross. Reagan, summoned by Doris, rushes to the meeting
with armed deputies to rescue Ginger. In the dispute that
follows, Cochran, fearing that Sanders is about to place the
guilt on him, shoots at the Klan chieftain. The shot goes
wild, hitting Doris and killing her. Cochran in turn is shot
down by the deputies while Sanders and the other Klan
leaders are arrested.

It was produced by Jerry Wald and directed by Stuart
Heisler from a story by Daniel Fuchs and Richard Brooks.

Strictly adult fare.

"Kim" with Errol Flynn, Dean Stockwell
and Paul Lukas

(MGM, January; time, 112 min.)

This technicolor screen version of Rudyard Kiplang's
famous novel is a fine adventure melodrama, one that will
surely thrill the youngsters and please their elders. It has a
few slow spots here and there, and the story is fanciful and
episodic, but one overlooks all this because it has consid-
erable melodramatic action, comedy, picturesque back-
grounds and an exotic atmosphere. The main asset, how-
ever, is the wonderful preformance by young Dean Stock-
well, who walks away with the picture as "Kim," the or-
phaned British-born youngster who poses as a Hindu urchin;
the characterization is a fabulous one, and this talented child
actor puts it over in a manner that is highly entertaining.

The story takes place in India in the 1880's, and it de-
picts young Stockwell as the orphaned son of an Irish soldier,
who had been stationed with the British army in India. The
youngster, by coloring his skin, lived among the Hindus
like one of them, and by hanging around the bazaars he had
learned all their sly tricks in trade. He becomes friendly
with a kindly Lama priest (Paul Lukas), and appoints him-
self as a guide to the holy man, begging and stealing for
his welfare. In the course of their travels together, Stockwell
meets and makes friends with Errol Flynn, an Afghan horse
trader who secretly worked with British Army Intelligence
to thwart a Czarist Russian plot to seize India. Flynn gives
the youngster an important paper to deliver to Robert
Douglas, head of British Intelligence, who eventually dis-
covers that the boy is the orphaned son of a British soldier.
Douglas decides that the lad must go to school. Stockwell,
objects, but the Lama priest induces him to go. School makes
him very unhappy, but he cheers up when summer vacation
arrives, and once again dons the clothes of a ragged Hindu
boy and goes in search of the Lama. En route, he learns
of a plot against Flynn's life, and his quick-thinking saves
the horse-trader's life. Impressed, Flynn urges Douglas to
make use of the boy in their work. The youngster is put
through an extensive spy-training course and, in due time,
becomes an important member of British Intelligence be-
cause his knowledge of the country and its people enabled
him to do his work without creating suspicion. He is then
assigned to a most important mission in the Himalaya mouna
tains, where he attaches himself to two Russian spies posing
as geologists in order to prepare maps and charts in prepara-
tion for an invasion. He manages to gain possession of the
valuable documents, but not before he is found out and
saved from a violent death by Flynn.

A brief synopsis cannot do justice to the plot's many
intrigues, nor to the fantastic escapades of the young hero.
Errol Flynn, though he is overshadowed by Stockwell, is
good in his incredulous role, as is Paul Lukas, as the kindly
Lama, and Cecil Kellaway, as an Intelligence officer of many
disguises. Laurettc Lucz looks fine in the few scenes in
which she appears. Much of the action was shot on actual
locations in India, and the backgrounds, the streets and
bazaars, all enhanced by the Technicolor photography, are
a treat to the eye.

It was produced by Leon Gordon and directed by Victor
Saville from a screen play by Mr. Gordon, Helen Dcutsch
and Richard Schayer.

Very good for the entire family.

196

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 9, 1950

out any inequities and grievances that are revealed as com'
mon. So we would first like to see what the facts are and
then have an opportunity of a meeting with NSS to see if
something can't be done before we think in terms of law
suits.

"But if any of our members do want to join in the Penn-
sylvania suit we at least think they should know exactly
what they are signing. They had better inquire as to whether
it might mean that they could be called to Philadelphia as a
witness in the case. While the attorney's fees are contingent
upon a successful case, we also wonder if, in the event of
a decision in favor of NSS, those who joined in the litiga-
tion might be liable for court costs."

Charles Niles, who heads the Caravan Committee of Al-
lied Theatre Owners of Iowa and Nebraska, has cautioned
his members against signing the agreement with the "Pro-
tective Committee," stating that he, too, was acting on the
advice of Mr. Myers.

The strongest condemnation of this anti-trust action,
however, comes from the Independent Theatre Owners As-
sociation, headed by Harry Brandt, which, at a special meet-
ing called to discuss the litigation, unanimously adopted the
following resolution:

"WHEREAS an anti-trust action has been instituted
against National Screen Service in the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Civil Action
11540) by a group which has assumed the name of 'Na<
tional Independent Motion Picture Exhibitors Protective
Committee,' and

"WHEREAS independent exhibitors all over the coun-
try are being solicited to join in this suit, which seeks to
destroy National Screen Service, and

"WHEREAS members of ITOA have enjoyed many years
of amicable relations with National Screen Service, which
company has performed and continues to perform neces-
sary services of benefit to independent exhibition, and

"WHEREAS the membership of ITOA believes this
action to be harmful to the best interests of independent
exhibitors,

"NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the ITOA
go on record as disapproving of this action and that inde-
pendent exhibitors be informed that the membership of
ITOA will not participate in such suit, and

"FURTHER, that counsel for the Association be author-
ized and empowered to explore all legal means for the
protection of the best interests of the members of this Asso-
ciation and to take all the necessary steps to carry out the
purposes of this resolution."

Without meaning to prejudge the litigation, HARRI-
SON'S REPORTS is in full accord with the feelings of the
organized independent exhibitors that the aforementioned
lawsuit against National Screen Service is a big mistake.

That the organized independent exhibitors, who are al-
ways ready to battle against injustices, are not in sympathy
with this action attests to the fact that, throughout its long
and honorable history, National Screen Service, aside from
the great work it has done for charitable and patriotic causes,
has served the exhibitors and the industry well with pro-
gressively good screen advertising, and it has never failed
to right a wrong to an exhibitor whenever its attention has
been called to one.

There is a good reason why the responsible exhibitors of
this country hold NSS in such high esteem, for, instead of
trying to get all it could from the exhibitors, it has always
tried to adjust its charges on a reasonable basis so that its
service will be within the reach of every exhibitor's pocket-
book.

HARRISON'S REPORTS has said it before and takes
pleasure in saying it again: If there were not in existence
a company such as National Screen Service, the industry
should have created one, for through such a highly special-
ized company the concentration of trailers and accessories
in one source has been productive of improved service and
lesser cost to the exhibitor.

The record shows that throughout the years National
Screen Service has always given the exhibitors fair treat-

ment and, whenever the exhibitors had a complaint, Herman
Robbins, president of the company, and George Dembow,
vice-president, have always been ready and willing to sit
down with the complainants to find a reasonable solution to
their differences. In view of this fine record, HARRISON'S
REPORTS feels confident that the responsible theatre own-
ers of the country will see the wisdom of not lending their
support to this suit.

"The Sound of Fury" with Frank Lovejoy,
Lloyd Bridges and Richard Carlson

(United Artists. Jan. 15; time. 90 min.)
This melodrama is a masterpiece insofar as story, direc-
tion and acting are concerned, but, not only is it an un-
pleasant and unhappy picture, but it may also do to the
national interest great harm at this time, for the Communists
may grasp at the opportunity to show the picture far and
wide to discredit us. The Nazis used "Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington" to show that our democratic system is cor-
rupt; the Communists may use this picture to show how
uncivilized we are. The story appeals to the passions of
lawlessness and savagery. The action is so realistic that one
feels as if being present in a real scene of mob rule and,
even though the actual lynching of the two criminals is not
shown, one feels the effect of it. The penitence of the news-
paper columnist portrayed by Richard Carlson seems real,
and one feels sorry for his inability to stop the lynching.
The only false note seems to be the inability of the authori-
ties to prevent the mob from breaking into the jail. In real
life, the mob would have been dispersed by tear gas bombs
and even by shooting and killing a few. The acting is ex-
cellent. Frank Lovejoy, the victim of circumstances, is con-
vincing, as is Lloyd Bridges, as the nonchalant but vicious
murderer: —

Frank Lovejoy, an ex-GI, settles down in a California
town with his wife and child (Kathleen Ryan and Donald
Smelick), but though he tries hard he is unable to obtain a
job. He has a chance meeting with Lloyd Bridges, a smug,
well-dressed young man with plenty of money and, in a
moment of weakness, agrees to drive Bridges' car while he
holds up a gas station. One crime leads to another, but
Lovejoy manages to keep his complicity from his wife. Art
Smith, a local publisher, sees in the petty robberies an op-
portunity to boost his paper's circulation, and he assigns
Richard Carlson, his ace columnist, to write a series of artw
cles sensationalizing the robberies as a crime wave. Renzo
Cesana, an Italian scientist and close friend of Carlson's, is
disturbed by the tone of Carlson's articles, for he felt that
they were an invitation to violence, an appeal to mob rule.
Lovejoy, a misfit in his career of crime, wants to quit, but
Bridges induces him to go along on a final job — the kid-
napping of Carl Kent, scion of the town's wealthiest family.
The kidnapping is successful, but Lovejoy is horrified when
Bridges, in a moment of psychotic rage, brutally murders
the young man. Suffering from shock, Lovejoy is unable to
face his wife. Bridges, worried about him, takes him on a
round of night-clubs with Adele Jergens and Katherine
Locke. In the morning, Lovejoy, drunk and on the verge of
nervous collapse, unwittinginly blurts out the part he played
in the crime. Katherine notifies the police and, in short order,
both Lovejoy and Bridges are apprehended. The brutal
murder, coupled with Carlson's inflammatory articles,
arouses the townspeople, and Lovejoy's wife, fearing for her
husband's safety, appeals to Carlson to temper his writings.
Her pathetic appeal moves Carlson, but before he can offset
the damage the people, driven to violence, storm the jail,
haul the two guilty men from their cells, and lynch them.
When the fury of the mob is spent, Carlson, heavy with
shame, vows that he will never let the people forget their
vicious display of mob violence.

It was produced by Robert Stillman (associates of Stanley
Kramer in the production of "The Champion" and "Home
of the Brave"), and directed by Cyril Endfield, from a
screen play by Joe Pagano, based on his own novel, "The
Condemned." Strictly an adult picture.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING

Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1950 No. 50

MORE EXHIBITOR SUPPORT FOR
NATIONAL SCREEN SERVICE

Two additional Allied regional units have joined
other independent exhibitor groups in urging their
members not to accept the invitation of the so-called
National Independent Exhibitors Protective Com-
mittee to join in the anti-trust action instituted against
National Screen Service in the United States District
Court for Eastern Pennsylvania.

The Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey told
its members that "our general relationship with Na-
tional Screen has been good," and suggested that, be-
fore making any move, they communicate with the
organization so that their position, if they decide to
join the suit, will be fully explained.

The New Jersey Allied bulletin suggested further
that, if any member was having difficulty with Na-
tional Screen, the trouble could be straightened out
by discussion and negotiation.

The Allied Theatre Owners of Texas indicated its
coolness toward the suit by advising its members to
"keep hands off."

The writer has had an opportunity to question sev-
eral veteran exhibitors about their feelings in regard
to this suit, and the consensus of opinion is that
Heaven help the exhibitors if there were no National
Screen Service, for it would mean that trailers and
advertising accessories would have to be obtained
from about twelve separate companies, a condition
that would, not only inconvenience the exhibitors
greatly, but would also result in higher costs.

REALISTIC ADVICE

In a recent bulletin to his membership, Wilbur
Snaper, president of the Allied Theatre Owners of
New Jersey, had this to say:

"The perilous uncertainty of our situation in New
Jersey today brings to the fore the fact that grave
decisions must be made, if any exhibitor is to remain
in the business. Changes of policy in running time,
closing down mid-week, playing time gimmicks for in-
creasing admissions and eyes on operating costs — all
these things must be weighed and conclusions drawn
as to your specific theatre. You just can't lay down
and throw your hands up. You must keep punching
and check very carefully on anything that might
have an effect on your boxoffice.

"One most important element is film. Today the
exhibitor must show the best film produced, if he is
to keep his audience. To do this, equitable deals with
the film companies must be made. There is no such
thing as buying a picture cheap today, as, in many
instances, film for nothing would still produce losses.
However, taking a realistic view, distributors must
be willing to accept the greatly reduced rentals, if
they are to keep customers on their books.

"Don't allow pressure salesmen to sell you bad

film or in any way to make tie-in sales.

"Do buy film as close to the proper price as you
can.

Don't spend all your time on adjustments with
neglect to your theatre.

"Do try to give the best program possible to your
public.

"Don't accept the answer that is so prevalent, 'the
home office says.'

"The do's and don'ts above are a few of the ele-
ments that may keep you operating."

The "perilous uncertainty" that exists in New
Jersey exists also in other film territories throughout
the country, particularly in areas where television
has caught on like wildfire.

The trade's leaders are, of course, deeply con-
cerned over the decline in theatre attendance, and
are seeking ways and means to overcome it. But until
the industry's leaders come up with a practical solu-
tion, no one can help the exhibitor as much as he can
help himself; he must rely on his own business acu-
men to keep his theatre in operation, and he will do
well to give careful consideration to the suggestions
made by Mr. Snaper.

SOME INTERESTING COMPARISONS

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Canadian Tele-
vision Conference in Toronto, Paul Raibourn, Para-
mount vice-president in charge of television, budgets
and planning, pointed out that the average expense
per family in connection with buying, installing and
maintaining a television set is about $100 a year. This
cost, he said, is about three times the annual family
expenditure for motion picture entertainment and
radio, which was approximately $30 for each of these
mediums in 1946 and 1947.

The $100 spent for television, said Raibourn, rep-
resents about 7% of the average family's income,
which is approximately $1,500 a year in the United
States.

Raibourn also pointed out that television consumes
about 10 hours of the 30 hours leisure time the typi-
cal wage earner now has each week, as compared to
the six or seven hours that was taken up by radio
each week when it came along. Motion pictures, he
said, accounted for one or two hours each week, and
the same figure applied to newspapers and magazines.
The rest of the time was spent on cards, conversa-
tion, etc. In other words, Raibourn indicated, some
of the leisure hours formerly devoted to other pas-
times are now given over to television.

Harrison's Reports does not know the source of
Mr. Raibourn 's figures, but, assuming that they are
fairly accurate, they should serve to wake up those
industry die-hards who still maintain that television
is not serious competition to the motion picture
theatres.

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 16, 1950

"Halls of Montezuma" with Richard Widmark
and Reginald Gardiner

(20th Century-Fox, January; time, 113 min.)
This Technicolor war melodrama is a superior picture of
its type, one of the best ever made. It is a stirring account
of the exploits of a battalion of U.S. Marines who invade
a Japanese-held island in the South Pacific during World
War II, but it is by no means a pretty picture, for its real-
istic depiction of men fighting their guts out on a bloody
battlefield points up the horrors of warfare with such tre-
mendous dramatic impact that many of the scenes leave the
spectator trembling with excitement and terror. Whether or
not movie-goers will be receptive to a picture of this kind
nowadays is something the individual exhibitor must deter-
mine for himself, but he may be sure that those who will
6ee the picture will find it a memorable war film, fascinating
from beginning to end, grim and tragic though it may be.
Some of the sequences are so thrilling that one feels the
feverish excitement that grips the Marines themselves. The
color photography is superb. The landing on the beach;
the booming naval guns; the shrieking shells and rockets; the
rattle of the death-dealing machine guns that mow down
men like wheat; the flame throwing tanks; the hand-to-hand
combats — all these scenes show war at its worst, and all are
depicted with such realism that they make one's blood
tingle.

The story itself is intriguing and highly suspensive, cen-
tering mainly around a platoon of Marines commanded by
Richard Widmark, whose group is assigned to locate the
secret site of a Japanese rocket launching base, which halted
the initial advance and which had to be found and destroyed
within twenty/four hours lest it wipe out a general attack
scheduled for the next day. When it is found out that Jap
soldiers and officers are holed up in a cave in the hills,
Widmark and his men are ordered to capture the cave and
bring back prisoners for questioning. The assignment proves
to be a most treacherous one, but after many spine-tingling
incidents, in which several of the men lose their lives, the
cave is captured and prisoners brought back to headquarters.
The captured Japs, however, prove wily when questioned
about the rocket site and, with only ninety minutes left
before the general attack begins, the situation becomes des-
perate. But Widmark, through clever interrogation of the
prisoners, and with the aid of a torn map found in the
cave, finally works out the location of the rocket battery.
The information is flashed to Navy airmen who, with only
a few minutes to spare, demolish the rocket battery and
enable the general attack to get underway.

In between the melodramatic incidents the story concerns
itself with the personal problems of the men and their rela-
tionships with each other. The acting is fine, with an out-
standing portrayal turned in by Widmark as the Marine
lieutenant who feels an almost paternal fondness for his
men and who hides his own fear and suffering to give them
encouragement.

It was produced by Robert Bassler and directed by Lewis
Milestone from a screen play by Michael Blankfort.

It is an inspiring picture, suitable for all.

"Grounds for Marriage" with Van Johnson,
Kathryn Grayson, Paula Raymond
and Barry Sullivan

(MGM, January; time, 91 min.)
"Grounds for Marriage" is distinctly lightweight stuff,
but it offers one and one-half hours of chucklesome enter-
tainment that is easy to take. The comedy is provoked by
the complications that enter into the life of a young doctor
who, engaged to his associate's daughter, suddenly finds
himself pursued by his ex-wife. Van Johnson does good
work as the pursued male, and Kathryn Grayson is pretty
and pert as the ex-wife. The farcical situations that arise
because of her determined efforts to win him back are highly
comical. Besides a goodly quota of laughs, the film offers
music to please all tastes, for it ranges from several operatic
classics sung by Miss Grayson to a hot "Charleston" played
by the Firehouse Five Plus Two, with Johnson doing a most
amusing "Charleston" dance routine. A high spot in the

hilarity is a dream sequence in which Johnson joins Miss
Grayson in a satirical rendition of "Carmen," while Milton
Cross does the narration. Barry Sullivan, as Johnson's toy-
manufacturing brother and woman-chaser, adds much to
the comedy: —

Upon her return from a trip abroad, Kathryn, an opera
singer, realizes that her divorce from Johnson was a mistake
and wants to marry him again, but she finds her path blocked
by the fact that he is engaged to Paula Raymond, daughter
of Lewis Stone, his associate. Johnson rebuffs her efforts to
win him back, and the nervous tension aroused in her causes
her to lose her voice on the night of her theatrical debut.
Johnson treats her for the affliction and, on the advice of
Stone, tries to effect a cure by pretending that he is still
in love with her. Meanwhile he has considerable difficulty
keeping his association with Kathryn a secret from Paula.
He calls upon Sullivan, his brother, to aid him, and that
worthy loses no time making a play for Kathryn himself.
In the course of events, Johnson, while lecturing to a wo<
men's group on the common cold, catches one himself.
Kathryn, learning that he is ill, rushes to his apartment to
nurse him and, in the process, regains her voice. Just as
she is cured, Paula and Sullivan burst into the apartment
and find them together, clad only in pajamas. Johnson, ex-
cited, loses his voice and is unable to explain why Kathryn
had spent the night at his place. The mixup results in a
reconciliation between Kathryn and Johnson, while Sullivan
sets his cap for Paula.

It was produced by Samuel Marx, and directed by Robert
Z. Leonard, from a screen play by Allen Rivkin and Laura
Kerr, based on a story by Mr. Mane.

Suitable for the family.

"At War With the Army" with Dean Martin
and Jerry Lewis

(Paramount, Jan. 17; time, 93 min.)

Although this "screwball" comedy deserves no more than
a fairly good rating as entertainment, it probably will go
over very well at the box-office because of the current
popularity of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The story,
which casts the two comedians as soldiers in a training camp,
is nonsensical, but it is loaded with gags and situations that
are funny enough to keep one laughing throughout most of
the action. The chief laugh-getter, of course, is Lewis, who
is highly comical as a not-too-bright private, a bungling
"sad sack" who gets into everyone's hair and who is con-
stantly being taken advantage of by Martin, who plays the
part of a conniving first sergeant. Several song numbers
have been worked into the proceedings to good effect, es-
pecially the number in which Martin and Lewis imitate the
characters played by Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald in
"Going My Way." The production values are extremely
modest, with most of the action confined to a few sets:

What there is in the way of a story has to do with Martin
trying to avoid Jean Ruth, a former girhfriend, who was
about to have a baby and who was trying desperately to see
him. When the commanding officer learns of Jean's condi-
tion, he assigns Martin to find the man responsible. Martin
decides to pass off Lewis as the culprit, unaware that Lewis
himself had just received word from home that his wife
had given birth. When Lewis is brought before the com-
manding officer and is given a two-weeks pass to "fix things
up," the commander assumes that Lewis will marry Jean
"to make an honest woman out of her," while Lewis assumes
that the commander merely wanted him to visit his wife
and new-born child. Just as Lewis is about to depart on his
leave, Jean shows up and the commander learns of the
frame-up. Martin is even more shocked when she reveals
that she is a married woman and that she wanted to warn
him to stay away from her because her husband was jealous.
As a result of his machinations, Martin loses his sergeant's
stripes and is compelled to carry Private First Class Lewis'
gear as the company prepares to embark for overseas duty.

Fred F. Finklehoffe wrote the screen play and co-produced
it with Abner J. Greshler, based on a play by James B.
Allardice. It was directed by Hal Walker.

Unobjectionable morally.

December 16, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

199

"The Redhead and the Cowboy" with Glenn
Ford, Edmond O'Brien and Rhonda Fleming

(Paramount, March; time, 82 min.)

The action fans should find this western fairly satisfac
tory, despite the story's shortcomings, for it has all the
gunplay and hard-riding they expect to see in a film of this
type, and romantic interest to boot. The trouble with the
formula plot, which takes place during the closing days
of the Civil War, and which is embellished with a spy angle,
is that it has been developed in so obscure a manner that
one does not understand the motivations of the principals
until late in the proceedings. Moreover, some of the situa-
tions place a strain on one's credulity. On the whole, how
ever, it has enough excitement and intrigue to get by with
the undiscriminating devotees of western adventure fare: —

Glenn Ford, a cowboy whose sympathies were with the
South, is attracted to Rhonda Fleming, a redheaded dance'
hall girl, when he visits a saloon in the New Mexico terri'
tory. Rhonda becomes mixed up in a backroom killing, and
Ford, coming to her aid, finds himself charged with the
crime while she escapes. Edmond O'Brien, a Union intel-
ligence officer posing as a cattle buyer, helps Ford to escape.
To clear himself, Ford goes in search of Rhonda and trails
her to a mountain cabin, where he learns that she is a Con-
federate spy on an important mission. As they converse,
O'Brien approaches the cabin and Ford goes out to meet
him. Rhonda grasps the opportunity to escape once again.
O'Brien tells Ford that he, too, is a Confederate agent, and
that he had been ordered to obtain a message that she carried
for delivery to Alan Reed, a supposed Confederate colonel.
Both set out after Rhonda and, after many complicated
events, finally catch up with her as she is being abused by
two opportunists who were secretly in O'Brien's pay. Ford
rescues her while O'Brien pretends to kill his two agents.
O'Brien and Ford then escort Rhonda to Reed's secret
mountain hideaway, where she gives him information about
a Union gold shipment passing through the territory — gold
that was needed to help the Confederacy. Reed, a shrewd
fellow, unmasks O'Brien as a Union intelligence officer, but
O'Brien in turn proves to Rhonda and Ford that Reed was
a renegade, hated by both the North and the South, and that
he planned to steal and keep the gold for himself. To make
sure that nothing goes wrong with his scheme, Reed im-
prisons both O'Brien and Ford, and makes plans to abduct
Rhonda across the border to Mexico. O'Brien, to foil the
robbery and save Rhonda, sacrifices his life so that Ford can
escape to warn the Union forces. Forewarned, the Union
soldiers ambush Reed and his men and take them prisoners.
Set free, Rhonda joins Fred to resume their romance.

It was produced by Irving Asher and directed by Leslie
Fenton from a screen play by Jonathan Latimer and Liam
O'Brein, based on a story by Charles Marquis Warren.

Unobjectionable morally.

"Under the Gun" with Richard Conte
and Audrey Totter

(UnivAnt'l, no tel. date set; time, 84 min.)

This gangster-prison melodrama is not cheerful enter-
tainment, and the plot is on the improbable side, but it is
fairly gripping. Its appeal, however, may be directed more
to men than to women, for the story, which revolves around
a heartless racketeer who shrewdly brings about the death
of two fellow convicts in order to gain his own release from
prison, may prove too harrowing for them. The action for
the most part is slow-moving, but it keeps one tense. The
closing reels offer a highly exciting chase by car and fast
motor boat. The acting is good, but Audrey Totter has
relatively little to do in her part: —

Richard Conte, a big-time racketeer visting Miami, in-
duces Audrey Totter, a cafe singer, to accompany him to
New York to sing in his night club. En route north, they
stop for dinner in a small Southern town where, years previ-
ously, Conte had been a suspect in an unsolved murder.
The victim's brother, learning that Conte is in town, comes
after him. Conte shoots him dead and is arrested by John
Mclntyre, the sheriff. Shepperd Strudwick, Conte's lawyer,
builds an air-tight defense around Audrey, the only witness,

who had been intimidated. But once on the stand, Audrey
cracks and her testimony results in a 20-year prison sentence
for Conte. At the prison, Conte is assigned to a road gang
guarded by convict Royal Dano, a trusty called the
"shooter," who, if he shot an escaping prisoner, would win
a pardon. Conte shrewdly induces Richard Taber, a weak-
minded convict, to attempt an escape. Dano shoots Taber
dead and, as a result, is granted a pardon. When the warden
seeks a new "shooter," Conte volunteers and gets the job.
He then makes a deal with Sam Jaffe, a fellow-convict, to
send $25,000 to his destitute wife and children if he will
attempt an escape. Jaffe agrees and, when the money is
paid, Conte gives him thirty days to make a dash for free-
dom. Conte tries desperately to outwit Conte but to no
avail; Conte shoots him dead when he makes the break. In
keeping with the prison rule, Conte receives his pardon.
He returns to Miami and, at gunpoint, forces Audrey to
accompany him to New York. Meanwhile Mclntyre, the
sheriff, discovers a diary kept by Jaffe in which he set down
the details of the deal with Conte. Orders for Conte's re«
arrest are issued and roadblocks thrown up. Conte smashes
through one of the road barriers in a desperate attempt to
escape, but after a wild chase by fast car and motorboat he
is caught by the police and killed, while Audrey is rescued.

It was produced by Ralph Dietrich and directed by Ted
Tetzlaff from a screen play by George Zuckerman, based
on a story by Daniel B. Ullman. Adult fare.

"The Second Face" with Ella Raines,
Bruce Bennett and Rita Johnson

(Eagle-Lion, October; time, 77 min.)

Handicapped by an unconvincing plot, weak direction,
and so-so performances, "The Second Face" shapes up as
no more than ordinary program fare. Its "soap opera" type
of story, which deals with the trials and tribulations of a
homely but intelligent girl whose unattractiveness leaves
her frustrated romantically and serves to impede her progress
as a designer in the fashion world, is not only unbelievable
but also lacking in imagination; one gusses in advance just
how the plot will develop. Ella Raines, who dons a putty
nose in this role to distort her facial features, but is later
made into a beautiful woman by means of plastic surgery,
tries hard to make something of the part, but the artificiality
of the characterization doesn't give her much of a chance: —

Ella, secretly in love with novelist Bruce Bennett, her
employer, studies dress-designing to distract herself from
what she considers is a hopeless love. Bennett loves her,
but he does not admit it because of a previous marital failure.
In order not to suffer her nearness, he secures a dress-
designing job for her in Los Angeles and arranges for her
to live with Rita Johnson, another designer. When Ella
reports for work, she is turned down because of her unat-
tractiveness. Rita, feeling sorry for her, obtains a job for
her as secretary to Roy Roberts, her fiance, owner of an
advertising agency. John Sutton, associated with Roberts,
learns of Ella's designing talents and, by playing up to her
with flattery and attention, uses her work to his own benefit.
She eventually discovers his callousness and breaks off their
relationship. Completely unhappy over her "ugliness," she
is pleased when Bennett comes to visit her, but when he
proposes marriage she turns him down in the belief that he
merely felt sorry for her. Soon thereafter Roberts jilts Rita
to elope with another woman, and Rita sets out to kill him.
Ella, in a frantic effort to stop her, is injured seriously in a
motor accident. Her smashed face is restored through plastic
surgery and she becomes a beautiful woman, but the surgeon
refuses payment, informing her that the bill had been taken
care of annonymously. Before long many men seek her
favor, particularly Sutton, but she is intent only on finding
the man who had paid for her face, for she felt that she
was truly beloved by him for herself. Certain clues errone-
ously lead her to believe that Sutton was her benefactor,
and he accepts the credit, but he is soon unmasked as a
fraud when Jane Darwell, Bennett's housekeeper, reveals
that it was Bennett who had paid for the surgery. Ella rushes
to Bennett.

It was produced by Edward Lcven and directed by Jack
Bcrnhard from a screen play by Eugene Vale. Adult fare.

200

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 16, 1950

"Father's Wild Game" with Raymond Walburn
and Walter Catlett

(Monogram, December 3; time, 61 mm.)

A pleasing program picture. It is a light comedy
and, though it does not provoke side'splitting laugh-
ter, it does put one in a fairly happy frame of mind.
The outdoor scenery helps the picture very much,
for most of the action takes place in the woods. It is
a sort of family affair, in which Raymond Walburn
and Walter Catlett act as "friendly enemies," quar-
relling most of the time but harmlessly. The direction
is pretty good and the photography fine: —

Refusing to pay highway-robbery prices for meat
any longer, Walburn decides to go on a hunting trip,
and induces Catlett, the Mayor, to accompany him.
They take along their sons, Gary Gray and George
Nokes. Jane Darwell, an elderly busybody, learns
that Walburn had closed his account at the butcher
store and attributes it to financial difficulties. But
Barbara Brown, Walburn 's wife, assures Miss Dar-
well that they had closed the account only because
they were going on a vacation. To make good the
white lie, Barbara, accompanied by M'liss McClure,
her daughter, heads for a dude ranch owned by young
Fred Libby, whom M'liss liked. Meanwhile Walburn
and Catlett hunt in the woods nearby using guns,
while their sons hunt with bows and arrows. Fred
shoots and kills a deer and, as he heads for the dead
animal, he hears a shot; he investigates and finds
one of his cows shot and killed. He comes upon Wal-
burn and Catlett and compels them to pay him two
hundred dollars for their mistake. When he goes back
for the deer, Fred finds it gone; it had been found
and taken to camp by the two youngsters. Walburn
makes a deal with the two lads whereby they agree,
for a consideration, to say that he shot the deer so
that he might collect a fifty-dollar bet from Catlett.
Arriving home, Walburn finds Fred there as a dinner
guest, invited by his daughter, and learns that the
young man had told about the two "stupid1'' hunters
who had killed his cow, and about the loss of the deer
he had shot. Barbara puts two and two together and
explodes her husband's plan to pose as a great sports-
man. At the same time, she figures out that the cost
of the hunting trip had far exceeded the inflationary
prices of meat.

Peter Scully produced it, and Herbert I. Leeds di-
rected it, from a screen play by D. D. Beauchamp,
who based it on his own story, "A Hunting We Will
Go," published in Woman's Home Companion.

Suitable for the entire family.

"Sierra Passage" with Wayne Morris,
Lola Albright and Alan Hale, Jr.

(Monogram, Dec. 31; time, 80 mm.)
A good outdoor melodrama. Although the action
takes place in what may be called "western coun-
try," it is not a western. The theme revolves around
a son's determination to avenge the death of his
father by three killers, who had robbed him of his
savings, funds that had been set aside for the educa-
tion of the son. Although Wayne Morris does good
work, the acting honors are won by Roland Winters,
who acts and looks the part of an ace sharpshooter.
There is natural sympathy for Morris because of his
determination to find the murderers. The action holds
one in suspense, particularly towards the finish,
where Morris corners the culprits and joins their

poker game. The ending, in which Morris shoots at
his father's murderers, not to kill him, but to shatter
his hands so that he may never again be able to cheat
at cards, is highly suspensive: —

At the age of thirteen, motherless Wayne Morris
(impersonated by Billy Grey) sees Alan Hale, Jr.,
Paul McGuire and Richard Karlan rob and murder
his father. Lloyd Corrigan, owner of a minstrel show
featuring Winters, an ace sharpshooter, adopts
Morris. For the next ten years, while working in the
show as Winter's understudy, Morris maintains a
relentless search for Hale to avenge his father's death.
He remembered Hale as a big man with a missing
finger, and with a piercing, explosive laugh. Corrigan
and Winters advise Morris to forget his revenge, but
the young man cannot be swayed from his purpose.
Winters runs across Hale in one town and, to save
Morris from committing murder, warns the outlaw
to leave. Instead, Hale hires another gunman to kill
Winters. Slowed down by drink, Winters is unable
to defend himself and is wounded. He quits the show
and goes to Morns' ranch to recuperate. Corrigan
hires Lola Albright to work in the show, hoping that
a woman's influence might induce Morris to forget
his revenge, but, even though the two eventually fall
in love, Morris sticks to his determination. When
Hale and his partners hold up the train on which the
show is traveling, Morris gives pursuit and, after
several months, trails them to Silver Springs, where
the show was playing. Morris takes his old part in
the show and, during the performance, he hears the
piercing laughter and recognizes it as Hale's. He cuts
short the performance and follows Hale to a saloon,
where he joins him and his partners in a tense poker
game. When Morris reveals his identity, Hale and
his accomplices draw their guns, but Morris shoots
the weapons out of their hands. With Hale at his
mercy, Morris, bowing to Lola's influence, spares the
outlaw's life, but he shatters his hands so that he will
never again be able to deal from the bottom of the
deck. It ends with Morris and Lola resolving to start
life anew.

It was produced by Lindsley Parsons and directed
by Frank McDonald from a screen play by Warren
D. Wandberg, Sam Roeca and Tom W. Blackburn.

Good for those who like action melodramas.

APPRECIATION FROM THE READERS

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Bldg., Ardmore, Pa.

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which helped me so much. In this country we have no
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often amazed by my knowledge of the material adver-
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Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1950 No. 51

RUSSIA NOW USING "MR. SMITH"
AS ANTI-U.S. WEAPON

The Associated Press reported last weekend that Russia
is currently using for anti-American propaganda purposes
Columbia's 1939 production of "Mr. Smith Goes to Wash'
ington," which dealt with the fight of a naive but honest
Senator against the control of the U.S. Senate by some dis-
honest Senators, owned body and soul by a crooked poli-
tician.

According to the report, the picture is now being played
before capacity crowds in a first-run Moscow theatre to show
that the American people are being governed by a crooked
legislative body.

Columbia, it should be said, has not sold the picture to
the Russians. Its exhibition in that country is unauthorized
and in violation of international copyright conventions.
There is no information on just how a print got into Russian
hands.

This is not the first time that this picture has been used
as an anti-U.S. weapon. The Nazis made wide use ot it in
their heyday, not only in Germany, but also in other coun-
tries throughout the world, employing every means possible
to facilitate its showing as an example of the "decay of
democracy." Japan, too, used the picture as an example of
the "degeneration of American democracy."

That communist Russia is now using the picture for a
similar purpose does not surprise Harrison's Reports, for
when the picture was first released in 1939 this paper ex-
pressed resentment in no uncertain terms at the reflection
cast on the U.S. Senate by the theme, and predicted that
our enemies would use it to malign the people of the United
States and injure the prestige of our country.

Harrison's Reports was criticized severely for its stand,
not only by some exhibitors, but also by some fellow-pub-
lishers. Subsequent events, however, proved the justification
of this stand. That the Russians have now pounced upon
this picture with glee is understandable, for they themselves
could not have produced a more effective propaganda film
against us.

A PRODUCER TAKES EXCEPTION

ROBERT STILLMAN PRODUCTIONS, Inc.
7324 Santa Monica Boulevard
Hollywood 46, Calif.

December 12, 1950

Mr. Pete Harrison
Harrison's Reports
New York, N. Y.
Dear Pete Harrison:

Thank you for the many flattering things you said about
"The Sound of Fury" as a motion picture included in your
recent review. Naturally, we would be the last to disagree
with your complimentary statements anent the acting, pro-
duction, direction, etc.

We find ourselves unable to agree, however, with your
estimate of the effect of this film on the public. In this we
have a distinct advantage. All your conclusions were based
upon your good judgment. Ours are predicated upon an
actual testing of the picture in five cities last November 1?.
We were pleased to learn then that this picture is consid-
ered as an important contribution to the American way of
life.

In one of the cities, Wheeling, W. Va., Carl G. Bachman,

Mayor of the community, presented an award to Robert
Stillman for producing "The most courageous film of the
year, 'The Sound of Fury,' for its recognition to America's
democratic tradition of due process and trial by jury. And
as a vital message against totalitarianism and for the preser-
vation of the American Way.'

The Rt. Rev. Edmund J. Yahn, Pastor of Saint Joseph's
Cathedral, in Wheeling, has this to say:

"A direct and most forceful appeal to all those who make
or influence public opinion, but any adult may live to see
the day when he desperately needs to remember the lessons
taught by this picture."

Clyde W. Malone, Executive Secretary of the Urban
League of Lincoln, Nebraska, commented:

"Without preachment or repetitious argument the evils
of an attempt to render justice by Mob Action are proven.
I sincerely hope that this picture will be seen by every op-
ponent to the Democratic Way of Life."

Clarence Derment, head of Actors Equity Association,
said:

"I sincerely feel that pictures of this kind, which carry on
an impressive lesson without making any sacrifice to the
screen's first purpose, which is to entertain, will be the means
of holding audience interest against the encroachments of
Television. The final mob scenes certainly surpass anything
I have ever seen on the screen."

The Young Men's Christian Association of Wheeling
commented thusly:

"In these days of world strife when it is exceedingly
necessary for cool, calm and collective thinking of all peo-
ples, the production of 'The Sound of Fury' is without
challenge in its beneficial aspects for the American public.
It is our opinion that this picture be a MUST for all who
are interested in protecting the American Way of Life,
freedom of the press, and a fair trial for all."

The Ohio Valley Press Club cited the picture for its
"Recognition of the honesty and integrity of the working
newspaperman and as a bulwark against yellow journalism."

James K. Trevey, Chief of Police of South Bend, Indiana,
said:

"A remarkable picture which portrays the violence of
mob rioting, also the use of unwise newspaper reporting."

Chief Lou Whitten, of Huntington, West Virginia, was
so enthusiastic about the film he arranged a special screen-
ing for police, city and county officials.

Finally on the international scene, Benjamin Cohen, As-
sistant Secretary General of the United Nations, described
"The Sound of Fury" in this manner:

"I was greatly impressed with this picture and only wish
that more thought-provoking pictures of this kind would
reach the public. It is a fit companion for the high caliber
of your previous productions; a powerful document against
mass violence and the condemnation of man without a hear-
ing or due process of law."

There are many more reactions from responsible public
officials which would be of interest to you I know.

Having received these reactions we are confident that
our picture can, as we intended it should, make an im-
portant contribution to respect for our American democracy
and the principles which have made it the wonderful thing
that it is.

Sincerely,

(signed) Robert Stillman

RS/pm

HARRISON S REPORTS extends to its subscribers and readers Greetings of the Season

202

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 23, 1950

"The Man Who Cheated Himself"
with Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt and John Dal!

(20th Century-Fox, January; time, 81 min.)
An engrossing melodrama, one that is a credit to the
ability of Jack M. Warner (son of Jack L. Warner), who
makes his debut as a producer with this picture. Revolving
around a detective who finds himself in a heap of trouble
when he tries to cover up a murder committed by his mar-
ried sweetheart,, the story itself is fashioned along conven-
tional lines, but it is made gripping and exciting by the
semi-documentary technique, the intelligent direction, and
the competent acting, particularly the performance of Lee J.
Cobb, as the erring detective. The fact that both Cobb and
his younger brother, a rookie detective, are assigned to the
case heightens the suspense, for Cobb, to keep the truth
from his brother, constantly seeks ways and means to steer
him away from clues without arousing his suspicions. The
tracking down of Cobb by the younger brother, after he
learns the truth, makes for an exciting chase in the closing
reels: —

Harlan Warde, about to be divorced by Jane Wyatt, his
wealthy but spoiled wife, plans to kill her on a night he is
supposed to be flying to Seattle. Jane, discovering the plot,
notifies Cobb, her secret lover. Shortly after Cobb arrives,
Warde slips back into the house. Jane discovers his presence
and, in an hysterical outburst, accidentally shoots him dead.
To protect her, Cobb takes the body to the airport to make
it appear as if Warde had been the victim of a holdup. As
he pulls away from the airport, Cobb's blue coupe is spotted
by Charles Arnt, who also sees the body. Arnt, however,
tells the police that the color of the car was green. John
Dall, Cobb's brother, just promoted from patrolman to de-
tective, is assigned to the case along with Cobb. Jane makes
out that she does not know Cobb when he arrives with Dall
to "break" the news about her husband's death. Cobb does
everything he can to throw Dall off the right track, but
Dall, determined to make good on his first assignment, dis-
covers flaws in Cobb's holdup-murder theory. When Dall
sees Cobb becoming friendly with Jane, he assumes it is a
budding romance, but he soon becomes suspicious when he
finds out otherwise. Taking Cobb's blue coupe, he goes to
Arnt, who proves to be color blind when he identifies it as
the "green" getaway car. Heartbroken, Dall bluntly accuses
Cobb of the murder. Aware that he was now trapped, Cobb
knocks Dall unconscious and heads for the airport with
Jane to flee the country. Dall regains consciousness and
notifies headquarters to set up roadblocks. Unable to get
through the blockade, Cobb and Jane hide out in an
abandoned fortress, but Dall traces them there and arranges
for the police to pick them up. It ends with the couple being
brought to trial, and with Jane ignoring Cobb to carry on
a flirtation with her defense lawyer.

It was directed by Felix Feist from a screen play by Seton
I. Miller and Philip MacDonald, based on a story by Mr.
Miller.

Adult fare.

"Stage to Tuscon" with Rod Cameron,
Wayne Morris and Sally Eilers

(Columbia, January; time, 81 min.)

Although the Technicolor photography is a definite asset,
as entertainment this western does not rive above the level
of routine program fare. Its chief defect is a far-fetched,
complicated plot, which revolves around the hijacking of
stage coaches in Arizona for shipment and sale to the Con-
federates in Atlanta. One is asked to believe that this con-
dition is seriously affecting the Union Army's western supply
line. The best that can be said for the picture is that it
should get by with the avid western fans, for what it lacks
in plausibility is made up for in fast action, with plentiful
shootings, chases and hard-riding. The direction and acting
are no more than adequate: —

Worried over the constant hi-jacking of stagecoaches be-
tween Apache and Tuscon, the Union military authorities
assign Rod Cameron, a veteran driver, to take over the stage-
line's management. Cameron sets up headquarters in Apache,
and appoints Wayne Morris as his assistant. When the

two men are not busy trying to solve the mystery of the
disappearing stages, they fight each other for the affections
of Kay Buckley, a stageline employee. While foiling an
attack on one of the stages, Cameron and Morris discover
that the ringleader of the band is Roy Roberts, debonair
owner of a rival stageline. Roberts, playing on the anti-
Yankee sympathies of some of the local men, enlisted their
help by leading them to believe that they are helping the
Confederacy. Unknown to Cameron, Roberts was the hus-
band of Sally Eilers, a local salonkeeper, who was his former
sweetheart. Sally had not lived with Roberts for years, but
she had continued to cover up for him out of pity. Morris
is captured while spying on the hijackers at Roberts' ranch,
and he escapes death by claiming that he had split with
Cameron in order to join the hi-jackers. Roberts dispatches
Carl Benton Reid, head of the town's Southern sympathiz-
ers, to check on Morris' story. Sally tells him that Morris
did not quit Cameron, but also convinces him that Roberts
is working for himself and not for the South. Angered,
Reid informs Cameron about the departure of Roberts'
wagon train carrying stolen coaches. Accompanied by the
sheriff and a posse, Cameron swoops down upon the wagon
train and captures it, rescuing Morris at the same time.
Roberts is killed during the battle. With the shooting over,
Morris wins Kay, while Cameron resumes his romance with
Sally, now free. The picture ends with both men going off
to the war in blue uniforms.

It was produced by Harry Joe Brown and directed by
Ralph Murphy, from a screen play by Bob Williams, Frank
Burt and Robert Libbott, based on a novel by Frank Bon-
ham.

Harmless for the family.

"California Passage" with Forrest Tucker
and Adele Mara

(Republic, Dec. 15; time, 90 min.)

Good photography, an interesting story, and capable
acting lift this western far above the average pictures of
this type; it should more than satisfy the action fans. The
story, which deals with the eminty between two business
partners and with their desire for the same girl has some
interesting twists, for the villainous partner leads the hero-
ine to believe that the honest partner is a crook and a killer.
A good deal of shooting and a number of fist fights keep
the action moving at a pretty fast and exciting pace. The
period is in the 1850's: —

Heading for California, Adele Mara and Peter Miles,
her young brother, become separated from their wagon
train and are rescued from an Indian attack by Forrest
Tucker. They meet again some weeks later in a California
mining town, where Tucker operated a gambling casino in
partnership with Jim Davis who, to cover up his gambling
losses to Tucker, secretly robbed stagecoaches of gold ship-
ments. Adele discovers that Bill Williams, her brother, had
been killed by Tucker, but is unaware that the killing had
been committed in self-defense. Williams had been one of
Davis' henchmen, and Davis, to fan Adele's hatred for
Tucker and win her for himself, tries to convince her that
Tucker had killed Williams without cause. But she changes
her attitude toward Tucker when Charles Kemper, the
sheriff, and Estelita Rodriguez, Williams' sweetheart, inform
her that Williams had first attacked Tucker. Undaunted by
this turn of events, Davis frames Tucker for a stagecoach
robbery that he himself had committed, forcing Tucker to
flee from a mob of angry vigilantes. Adele, disilusioned,
accepts Davis' proposal of marriage and prepares to return
East with him. Just before their departure, however, she
and Peter discovers that Davis is the holdup man. Lest they
give away his secret, Davis goes after them with a gun.
They flee up the side of a mountain hotly pursued by Davis,
who traps them on the summit after an all-night chase.
Tucker, hiding in the hills, sees their predicament and comes
to their rescue. Davis dies in a fall off a cliff, and Tucker,
exonerated, wins Adele.

It was produced and directed by Joseph Kane, from an
original story by James Edward Grant.

Suitable for the family.

December 23, 1950

HARRISON'S REPORTS

203

"The Company She Keeps" with Lizabeth Scott,
Jane Greer and Dennis O'Keefe

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 81 min.)

Competent performances by the capable cast, and a story
that has considerable human appeal, make this a good dra-
matic offering for most situations. It should appeal particu-
larly to the distaff side, for it is a story of self sacrifice and
devotion to duty, revolving around two women, one a
parolee and the other her parole officer, who fall in love
with the same man. Jane Greer is effective as the emotionally
unstable parolee who resents her lack of complete freedom,
and though her characterization is tinged with malevolence
she shows enough sparks of decency to win some measure
of sympathy. Lizabeth Scott is a bit too idealistic as the
parole officer, but audiences will be warm in their sympathy
for her sacrificial efforts to save Miss Greer from being
returned to prison so that she might find happiness and a
new life with Dennis O'Keefe, whom both loved: —

Paroled after serving two years of a five-year sentence
on a bad-check charge, Jane reports to Lizabeth, her parole
officer in Los Angeles, who had gotten her a job as a nurses'
aid in a hospital. Jane is displeased, for she had hoped for
more freedom and a more exciting job. To cheer her up,
Lizabeth takes her out to dinner and, during the meal, she
greets Dennis O'Keefe, a newspaper man, who had long
sought to marry her. Recognizing O'Keefe when he comes
to the hospital to visit a friend, Jane makes a play for him
and maneuvers him into a date. A romance soon blossoms
between them, despite Jane's reticence about her past. Jane
triumphantly tells the hurt Lizabeth that she intends to
marry O'Keefe, and is shocked to learn that she must have
Lizabeth's permission and the approval of the parole board.
Learning that O'Keefe wanted to marry Jane despite her
prison record, Lizabeth recommends that the board approve.
The board, however, votes to withhold its decision for a
month, and Jane, convinced that Lizabeth had caused the
delay out of jealousy, becomes bitter. At the hospital one
night, Jane impulsively tries to help another parolee escape
arrest for stealing narcotics. Both girls land in jail, and
Jane finds herself faced with return to prison for breaking
her parole. While Lizabeth pleads with the judge for
clemency, Jane, waiting in an ante room, decides to escape
and heads for the railroad station. O'Keefe follows Jane and
induces her to go back and take her medicine. She accepts
his advice reluctantly, and upon her return to the courthouse
learns from Lizabeth that the judge had granted her plea.
Expressing her gratitude and promising to stay out of trou-
ble, Jane sets off with O'Keefe to make their wedding plans.

It was produced by John Houseman and directed by John
Cromwell from a story and screen play by Ketti Frings.

Adult fare.

"Hunt the Man Down" with Gig Young,
Lynn Roberts and Mary Anderson

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 68 min.)

A moderately interesting program murder mystery melo-
drama, centering around the efforts of a public defender
to clear an innocent man charged with murder. Given more
to talk than to action, the picture drags along at a slow
pace, despite a spurt of excitement here and there, and,
even though the guilty person is not uncovered until the
closing sequences, the story is so complicated that one's
interest in the proceedings wanes. The direction and acting
are fair, and the production values modest: —

Innocent, but faced with overwhelming circumstantial
evidence, James Anderson, charged with murder, had es-
caped from custody during the trial and had evaded cap-
ture for twelve years. Picked up by the police, he claims
poverty, and Gig Young, a public defender, is assigned as
his counsel. Anderson tells Young that on the night of the
murder he had struck up an acquaintance in a cocktail bar
with Carla Balenda and Gerald Mohr, her escort; John
Kellogg and Mary Anderson, his wife; Willard Parker and
Cleo Moore, his fiancee; and Christy Palmer. All had gone
to Kellogg's home. Christy's husband had arrived intoxi-

cated, and he had pulled a gun on Anderson for dancing
with her. Anderson had disarmed him with the threat that
he would have been killed if not for his friends. Later,
Christy's husband had been found shot dead, and Anderson
had been arrested for the crime. To prepare his defense,
Young, accompanied by Harry Shannon, his father, a re-
tired cop, sets out to locate the seven witnesses. He finds
Parker, now blind from war wounds, mourning Cleo, whom
he believed to be dead. Kellogg, now a drunkard, had sep-
arated from Mary. Mohr had married Christy. Carla, Cleo's
former roommmate, had become insane. In a lucid moment,
Carla claims to know who committed the murder, but she
is in no condition to testify. Later, Kellogg is shot dead by
two gangsters who prove to be associates of Paul Frees, a
notorious racketeer. By chance, Young learns that Cleo is
not dead, but is married to Frees. He brings the case to
trial and calls Cleo to the stand. She successfully wards off
Young's attempts to pin the guilt on her, but, when Young
has Carla brought into the courtroom, Cleo, thinking that
Carla had regained her mind and is waiting to denounce her,
confesses that she had killed Christy's first husband because
he was blackmailing her.

It was produced by Lewis J. Rachmil and directed by
George Archainbaud from a screen play by DeVallon Scott.

Adult fare.

"Operation X" with Edward G. Robinson

(Columbia, February; time, 79 min.)

This British-made drama offers a fine performance by
Edward G. Robinson, and lavish production values, but as
entertainment its appeal to American audiences is doubtful,
for it is handicapped by a story that is obscure and by char-
acterizations that are not clearly defined. As a ruthless
financial wizard with a passion to become the most powerful
man in the world, Robinson is outstanding, but his talents
are wasted in much elusive talk about a mysterious "Opera-
tion X" by which he hopes to gain mastery of the world,
and which is never made clear to the audience.

Briefly, the story depicts Robinson as a powerfully rich
business tycoon who started life as a bootblack in London.
He pays little attention to Nora Swinburne, his wife, but
lavishes all his affection and wealth on Peggy Cummins,
his daughter, a capricious young woman who had been
spoiled and pampered all her life, despite the objections of
her mother. Robinson takes no notice when Peggy an-
nounces her engagement to Richard Greene, a young jour-
nalist, for he had become accustomed to Peggy having a
new fiance periodically. As a house guest, Greene gathers
information that enables him to write a denunciatory article
about Robinson's lust for greater power than any other
man in the world. This leads to a quarrel and separation
between Greene and Peggy. Meanwhile Robinson, to sur-
mount the last obstacle to the fulfillment of his scheme to
master the world, plans to marry Peggy to the son of a
Sultan, whose small country was rich in a rare mineral
deposit needed to complete "Operation X." After a visit
with the Sultan, Robinson returns home to find that Peggy
had become reconciled with Greene, and that she planned
to marry him. He rejects the proposed marriage and insists
that Peggy follow his wishes. Nora, determined to insure
her daughter's happiness, bluntly tells Robinson that Peggy-
is not his daughter after all, but the daughter of a former
lover to whom she had turned because of his neglect.
Shocked by this disclosure, Robinson becomes insane.

Miss Swinburne is sympathetic as the suppressed but de-
termined wife, and Richard Greene adequately fills the role
of the young journalist, but Peggy Cummins is far from
satisfactory as the daughter; she is much too theatrical.
Gregory Ratoff, who produced and directed the picture,
has a major supporting role as Robinson's bungling aide.
Robert Thocren and William Rose arc responsible for the
inadequate screen play, which they based on the novel
"David Colder," by Irene Nemirowsky.

Adult fare.

204

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 23, 1950

"Prehistoric Women" with Laurette Luez
and Allan Nixon

(Eagle Lion Classics, T^ov.; time, 73 min.)

Although 'Prehistoric Women," photographed by the
Cinecolor process, was conceived primarily as an exploita-
tion picture, it has turned out a very good entertainment
because of the skillful direction, of the fact that the story is
different, and of the lack of gabbing. The dialogue consists
of single words, and even though these words are strange
no one will fail to grasp what the characters mean. For in-
stance, when Laurette Luez, an attractive, spirited young
woman, beats up another female who had tried to take
away her man, she faces the other women who were watch-
ing the fight and asks: "Alios?" No one will fail to under-
stand that she means, "Anybody else?" There are many
comedy situations. The one where the men try to free them-
selves from the women's bondage and the women hit them
on the head with a club will provoke the audience into up-
roarious laughter. There are also many thrilling situations.
These occur where the prehistoric animals threaten the
lives of the humans, and where Yohan Peterson, a giant,
attacks the camp and threatens to exterminate all. The
women are attractive in their sarongs. The color is beautiful
and the photography fine: —

During the Stone Age, about twenty thousand years ago,
a Wise Old Woman rebels at the enslavement of her sex
by the males and, assisted by several other women, breaks
loose. Peterson, a giant of a man living alone in the forest,
captures and kills all the tribe except six little girls and the
old woman. In time the six girls (Laurette Luez, Mara
Lynn, Kerry Vaughan, Joan Shawlee, Judy Landon and Jo
Carroll Dennison) reach the marriageable age, and the old
woman sends them out on a hunt for men. Having been
brought up to hate males, they go on the hunt without kindly
feelings. They come across a party of cave dwellers (Allan
Nixon, Tony Devlin, Jim Somers and Dennis Dengate)
and overpower the amazed men by use of sling shots and
clubs. Nixon, however, manages to escape into the forest
and, when his wounds heal, he sets out for the mountain
lair of the women. On his way, he accidentally discovers
how to make fire with flint and rotted wood, and by making
a torch he is able to beat off huge animals. Nixon finally
comes upon the women as they bathe in a pool, and they
capture him by a sudden flanking movement. In camp the
men serve as slaves while the women wait for the full moon
to marry them. But led by Dixon, the men turn the tables
on the women when the camp is attacked by a huge dragon
and the girls seek their protection. Nixon chases the dragon
by using his mystic torch. He is also able to cower the girls'
pet panther, and thus they become the slaves of the men.
All is serene until the giant attacks the camp, but Nixon and
his tribe-mates battle him to death by means of the torch.
Love springs up between Nixon and Laurette, and both
are united in a primitive wedding ceremony.

It was produced by Albert J. Cohen and directed by
Gregory G. Tallas, who collaborated on the story with
Sam X. Abarbanel.

Harmless for the family.

"Pagan Love Song" with Esther Williams
and Howard Keel

(MGM, December, time, 76 min.)

What will please the majority of those who will see
"Pagan Love Song" is the fascinatingly beautiful scenery,
which supposedly represents real Tahiti, the Technicolor
photography, and the few songs. The story itself is thin and
unoriginal, but it serves well enough as a vehicle for the
Polynesian scenery, the beauty of the color photography,
and the several production numbers, which center around
Esther Williams' ability as a swimmer. Howard Keel, who
played the leading male role in "Annie Get Your Gun,"
does well enough in this picture in a part that does not
demand too much from him. The scenes where Keel adopts
three native children possess human interest: —

Arriving in Tahiti to take over a coconut plantation in-
herited from his uncle, Keel, an American schoolteacher,
meets Esther Williams, a half-Tahitian beauty, and tries
to hire her as his housekeper, unaware of the fact that she
speaks English and is one of the island's wealthiest residents.
Esther plays along with the novel situation but turns down
the job. But Charles Mauu and Rita Moreno, twd of her
friends, "adopt" Keel as their employer and guide him to

his plantation. Expecting a luxurious place, Keel is disap-
pointed to find the plantation run down and badly in need
of repairs. The happy-go-lucky natives, led by Mauu, soon
put the place in order and Keel begins to see his dream of
a lazy life come true. Meeting Esther near her luxurious
home, Keel believes that she works there as a servant and
accepts her invitation to attend a party there that evening.
He comes to the party in native dress, all set to enjoy a
real Polynesian celebration, but is embarrased to find him-
self surrounded by a finely dressed continental crowd, the
most fashionable among them being Esther. He leaves in a
huff, but when Esther runs after him to apologize he see6
the ludicrousness of the situation and is able to laugh at it.
In the events that follow, Keel learns that it is the custom
of natives with many children to share some of them with
persons who do not have any. Before long, he finds him-
self with three adopted children. Esther and Keel fall in
love and she accepts his proposal of marriage. But a mis-
understanding breaks out between them when Keel unjustly
reprimands Mauu for neglecting a new crop of copra. Keel
realizes his mistake, but the breach between him and Esther
remains. In the end, however, Mauu and Rita put into
execution a plan that brings the lovers together again.

Arthur Freed produced it, and Robert Alton directed it,
from a scren play by Robert Nathan and Jerry Davis, who
based the material on the book "Tahiti Landfall," by
William S. Stone.

Fine for the family.

"Rogue River" with Rory Calhoun,
Peter Graves and Frank Fenton

(Eagle Lion Classics, T^ov.; time, 82 min.)

A good program melodrama, founded on a story that is
considerably different from the ordinary run of melodramas.
It was photographed by the Cinecolor process in and around
Rogue River, in Oregon, and the outdoor scenery is most
beautiful. The action holds one's interest fairly tense
throughout. A most interesting and at times thrilling sight
is the riding of the rapids. Rory Calhoun is natural in his
part, and Peter Graves, a newcomer, may go places if given
good story material. But the best work by far is done by
Frank Fenton, as the Chief of Police; it is said that he has
been around Hollywood for a long time but has gone un-
noticed. He should now have no trouble getting strong
parts: —

Peter Graves, a state policeman, returns to Rivers Pass
for a month's vacation with Fenton, his father, the local
police chief, and Rory Calhoun, his happy-go-lucky cousin,
whose latest love is Ellye Marshall, a voluptuous blonde
recently arrived from San Francisco. When the local bank
is robbed of $50,000 in gold dust and a small bag of gold is
found in the shack of a wizened old prospector, Fenton
arrests him despite his protests of innocence. Despondent,
the old prospector commits suicide, but he leaves a will re-
vealing the location of some buried gold dust, and the will
stipulates that, if the gold is linked to the robbery, all except
that portion stolen from the bank is to go to Calhoun; but
if no such evidence is found, all the gold is to to Fenton,
provided he erects and publicly dedicates a monument to
him. The gold dust, worth $73,000, is found, and the theory
that part of it was stolen from the bank falls to pieces. As
a result, Fenton keeps the gold, but he is dismissed as police
chief for refusing to admit that it is part of the bank loot.
In the events that follow, Calhoun discovers that Ellye, his
girl-friend, had been connected with the holdup, and forces
her to admit that the gold found in the shack is part of the
loot. Calhoun confronts Fenton with this information and
demands the return of the gold as provided by the will.
Fenton refuses to believe him. Calhoun, angered, taunts
Fenton so viciously that Fenton shoots him down. Before
he does, Calhoun succeds in informing Graves. Fenton take?
to the woods, and Graves goes after him to persuade him to
give himself up. Just as he finds his father, a stranger ap-
pears on the scene and, at gunpoint, demands the gold.
Fenton overpowers the man and gains from him a confession
that he is Ellye's husband and that the gold inherited by
Fenton is part of the bank loot. Infuriated, Fenton kills the
stranger. By this time a posse arrives. Fenton, feeling that
life is now not worth living, refuses to surrender and is shot
to death.

It was produced by Frank Melford and directed by John
Rawlins from a screen play by Louis Lantz.
Suitable for the family.

Entered as second-class matter January 4, l'J'Zl, at the post office at New fork, New York, under the act of March 3, 1S79.

Harrison's Reports

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A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1950 No. 52

COMPO BOARD TO CONSIDER
TOA PROPOSALS JANUARY 11

A meeting of the executive board of the Council of
Motion Picture Organizations to be held on January 11-12
in New York City has been called by Ned E. Depinet,
COMPO president.

The most urgent organization problem to be discussed at
the meeting, said Depinet, will be the proposals made by
the Theatre Owners of America relative to its request for
greater representation on COMPO's board.

The text of these proposals, submitted by a TOA com-
mittee headed by Ted Gamble, is as follows:

"Theatre Owners of America is made up of a number of
representative state and regional units, having complete
autonomy, covering every section of the country. In order to
enlist the widest possible support of these organizations to
membership in the Council of Motion Picture Organizations,
the Theatre Owners of America's committee on participa-
tion in COMPO recommends that each of these units be
given the same voting rights and privileges as each present
charter member of the Council of Motion Picture Organ-
izations. It is assumed that all other members of COMPO
would be given this same consideration on an equitable basis.

"Further, it has been the understanding of the members
of TOA that the principal objective for which the Council
of Motion Picture Organizations was formed was to enlist on
a national basis all the members of the industry to improve
the industry public relations. We would like an understand-
ing that any departure from the purpose for which COMPO
was formed would take place only with the unanimous con-
sent of the Board."

In recommending that each of its state and regional units
be given the same voting rights and privileges as each present
charter member of COMPO, the TOA has come forth with
a proposal that promises plenty of fireworks at the forth-
coming meeting, even though "the same consideration on
an equitable basis" is recommended also for the other mem-
bers of COMPO.

With the TOA presently comprised of 28 regional units,
it would, under the proposal, have greater voting power than
any of the other four exhibitor groups in COMPO, namely,
National Allied, which is comprised of 20 regional units, the
Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners,
which is made up of six regional units, and the Independent
Theatre Owners Association and the Metropolitan Motion
Picture Theatres Association, each of which would be en-
titled to only one vote. It is doubtful if any of these exhibitor
organizations will approve a plan that does not give each of
them an equal voice.

To be considered also is the number of votes that may be
demanded, under this proposal, by the Motion Picture As-
sociation of America (the producer-distributor organization)
and the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers.
Both associations are comprised of about 50 individual mem-
bers, and since these members are being asked to match dollar
for dollar the contributions made by COMPO by the ex-
hibitors, it follows that each member that meets this request
will be entitled to ask for a vote under the TOA proposal of
"consideration on an equitable basis."

It would seem, therefore, that the TOA proposal would
entitle the ten original charter members to have approxi-
mately 110 representatives on the COMPO executive board,
each with the right, not only to vote, but also to veto. And
therein lies the proposal's greatest weakness, for, while it is
always possible to obtain a unanimous vote when only ten
votes are involved, it is virtually impossible to do so when
there are more than 100 votes involved, particularly when
the interests of those voting are so diverse. There is bound
to be one or more recalcitrants who will not see eye-to-eye
with the majority. And since only one veto, under COMPO's
by-laws, is enough to kill off any proposal, it is doubtful if
the organization, under the set-up proposed by TOA, will
prove to be anything more than a debating society.

There is a feeling in the trade that the TOA proposal is
merely a "feeler," sent out to determine the attitude of the
other COMPO members, and that it will not press too hard
for its adoption if a reasonable alternative is proposed. Har-
rison's Reports sincerely hopes that an attitude of con-
ciliation and compromise will prevail at the meeting, other-
wise it may lead to a final break between TOA and COMPO,
with the result that the industry's efforts to establish a uni-
fied public relations program will be weakened considerably.

EDWARD G. ROBINSON'S FINE PUBLIC
RELATIONS WORK

Edward G. Robinson, the popular actor, did a great ser-
vice to the motion picture industry last week when he, tired
of being branded either as a Communist or a fellow traveller,
went to Washington and appeared voluntarily before the
House Un-American Activities Committee and asked that
he be heard, under oath, so that he may once and for all clear
himself of the whisperings that have branded him as a Com-
munist. He produced records that should clear him of the
accusation and stop the whisperings.

The Committee was so impressed that Representative
Francis E. Walter, Democrat of Pennsylvania, one of the
leading members of the Committee, commented favorably
on the manner in which Mr. Robinson conducted himself on
the stand, and stated that the actor "definitely" gave him the
impression that he was neither a Communist nor a fellow
traveller.

The effect that Mr. Robinson's frankness has had on the
Committee may cause the reopening of the investigation of
alleged Communism in Hollywood. Representative Walter
declared that he favors a full and complete investigation to
find out who is responsible for the charges of Communism,
who is and is not a Red, and to give every one who has been
accused in whispering campaigns an opportunity to appear
before the Committee to clear his or her reputation.

The reopening of the probe no doubt would be on a
friendlier basis, as a result of Mr. Robinson's straightforward-
ness, and it cannot help doing much good for the motion
picture industry, which has been accused of harboring
Communists.

The press has already been influenced favorably by Mr.
Robinson's voluntary appearance beloie the Committee, and
by the fine impression that he created among all it> members.

Well done, Mr. Robinson!

206

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 30, 1950

"Korea Patrol" with Richard Emory

(Eagle Lion Classics, ]an.; time, 57 min.)

A mediocre program war melodrama. Produced on
a very low budget, it is a shoddy job of picture-mak-
ing that is obviously being rushed into release to
capitalize on the current headlines. Even though the
running time is only 57 minutes, the producer has
resorted to considerable padding to give it that length.
A good deal of the footage is made up of newsreel
clips that have been tied in with the staged action,
but the manner in which this has been done is un-
skillful. What there is in the way of a story is an
extremely thin affair that barely holds one's attention.
Keen observers will notice that a number of action
shots are duplicated several times in the course of the
proceedings. The direction is poor and the acting so
amateurish and mechanical that hardly any effect is
produced on one's emotions. The best that may be
said for it is that there is plenty of action : —

While on maneuvers with Al Eben, Danny Dav-
enport, Wong Artarne, Harold Fong and Benson
Fong, a five-man patrol of South Korean and Ameri-
can soldiers, Lieut. Richard Emory receives word that
the North Koreans had crossed the 38th Parallel.
Emory finds himself cut off from headquarters, but
shortly thereafter Li Sun, a South Korean scout, ar-
rives with orders for Emory to blow up a strategic
bridge to halt the Red onslaught. Benson Fong recog-
nizes Sun as a weakling and suspects him of being a
Red sympathizer. Pushing its way through dangerous
enemy territory, the patrol has several skirmishes
with Red patrols, during which Davenport and
Harold Fong are killed. On the way the men pick up
Teri Duna, a native girl, who offers to lead them to
their objective. Eben and Artarne lose their lives
while holding off the enemy so that the others may
reach a hill overlooking the bridge. Sun, panic-striken,
tries to run away but he is knocked out by Fong who
accuses him of cowardice. Emory and Fong continue
to make their way to the bridge but both are wounded
trying to get through the Red fire. Sun, now ashamed
of his fear and anxious to redeem himself, gets through
the enemy fire, plants the dynamite under the bridge,
and helps Emory and Fong to safety before the ex-
plosive goes off, thus delaying the Red advance.

It is a Jack Schwarz production, produced by
Walter Shenson and directed by Max Nosseck from
a story and screen play by the producer and Kenneth
G. Brown. Unobjectionable morally.

"Gambling House" with Victor Mature,
William Bendix and Terry Moore

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 80 min.)
A fairly interesting if not exceptional gangster-
type melodrama, with a message on Americanism.
The story, which is the old one about the reforma-
tion of a gambler, offers little that is novel and is
fashioned along familiar lines, but it manages to hold
one's attention to a fair degree. There are some good
moments of excitement in some of the gangland ac-
tivities depicted, but on the whole the action is not
brisk; it is, in fact, draggy in spots because of exces-
sive talk. Victor Mature is colorful as the gambler
whose imminent deportation makes him realize the
value of citizenship, but William Bendix, as a big-
shot racketeer, and Terry Moore, as the social worker
with whom Mature falls in love, are no more than
adequate. On the whole, the picture will have to de-
pend on the marquee value of the player's names: —

Having killed a man in a gambling game, Bendix,
to avoid trouble with the police, offers Mature
$50,000 to take the rap for the killing and claim self-
defense. Mature agrees, but to protect himself against
a double-cross he snatches from Bendix a little note-
book containing a record of his illegal activities.
Mature is acquitted at the trial only to be picked up
by the immigration authorities. As he enters the Im-
migration Service building, Mature manages to slip
the little book into the pocket of a pretty girl in the
lobby. The immigration inspector informs Mature
that, since he was born in Italy and was not natural-
ized, the Service felt that he should be deported as
an undesirable alien. He is released on bail, pending
a hearing, and begins a search for the pretty girl. He
discovers that she is Terry Moore, a socialite member
of a league that helped newly-arrived immigrants. He
makes her acquaintance and retrieves the book. They
fall in love and, through her work, he gains a new
appreciation of the value of American citizenship.
Bendix, seeking to get away with the $50,000 he had
promised Mature, has two henchmen beat him up and
recover the book. Mature avenges himself by staging
a holdup of Bendix's gambling joint. Terry, who had
driven Mature to the club without realizing his mo-
tive, is furious with him. On the day of the hearing,
Mature arranges with a friend to turn the $50,000
over to Terry to help immigrants. Mature, making
his plea before the judge, acknowledges that he owes
a debt to society and the United States, and pleads
that he can best pay that debt by becoming a citizen.
Moved by his plea, the judge releases him. Bendix,
seeking revenge, catches up with Mature on a de-
serted street and orders two of his gunmen to shoot
him. Mature tells the gunmen not to shoot because
Bendix, to save his own skin, will "rat" on them.
Realizing the truth of his words, the gunmen shoot
Bendix instead just as a police car arrives on the
scene and takes them into custody. Mature sets off
to meet Terry.

It was produced by Warren Duff and directed by
Ted Tetzlaff from a screen play by Marvin Borowsky
and Allen Rivkin, based on a story by Erwin Gelsey.

Adult fare.

"Double Deal" with Marie Windsor,
Richard Denning and Taylor Holmes

(RKO, no rel. date set; time, 65 min.)

A weak program melodrama, produced on a modest
budget, but it has enough action and excitement to get
by as a supporting feature in small-town and neigh-
borhood theatres where patrons are not too fussy
about story details. Revolving around an unemployed
oil-rigger who becomes involved in a complicated
maze of events, including several murders, the plot
has a touch of mystery, but it is so lacking in logic
that those who are the least bit discriminating will find
it painful. The stilted direction and the ordinary per-
formances do not help matters: —

Hunting around for a job, Richard Denning ar-
rives in an Oklahoma oil town, where Carleton
Young hires him to do a rush job on a "wildcat" well
he is trying to sink before his lease expires. Denning
learns from Marie Windsor, Young's protege, that
Fay Baker, Young's sister, who controlled most of the
oil lands in the territory, was determined to delay
the drilling job since the land would revert to her if
her brother failed to bring in the well. Fay attempts
to win Denning over to her side by vamping him, but

December 30, 1950

he turns her down. She then arranges for thugs to
beat up Denning, but he sticks to the job despite his
injuries. Young is killed under circumstances that
point to Denning as the killer, but he manages to
clear himself with the sheriff. Marie, having inherited
Young's estate, persuades Denning to stay on the job.
When Fay sees to it that the drilling rig is sabatoged,
Marie goes to see her in the hope of making a deal.
Fay is shot dead mysteriously while Marie is with
her, and Marie is taken into custody by the sheriff.
Taylor Holmes, an alcoholic old lawyer who had be
friended Marie and had been taking care of her
affairs, persuades the sheriff to release her to see if
the mysterious killer will make an attempt on her
life, too. The killer, however, proves to be Holmes
himself; he had once owned all the oil lands in the
area, and he hoped to get them back by disposing of
the present owners. Holmes kidnaps Marie and takes
her to his ranch to kill her. Denning, seeking legal
advice, goes to the ranch and discovers Marie's
predicament. He rescues her in the nick of time while
the sheriff shoots down Holmes.

It was produced by James T. Vaughn and directed
by Abby Berlin from a Screen play by Lee Berman
and Charles S. Belden, based on a story by Don Mc'
Guire. Harmless for the family.

"Two Lost Worlds" with Jim Arness,
Laura Elliott and Bill Kennedy

(Eagle Lion Clasics, Oct.; time, 63 min.)

The value of "Two Lost Worlds," which has been
produced on a fairly large scale, lies in the fact that
it lends itself to extensive exploitation. It will un-
doubtedly arouse the interest of those who will look
at it, although its entertainment values are spotty.
The clipper ship being attacked by pirates; the battles
between prehistoric animals; and the eruption of the
volcano with its earth-shaking effects, which remind
one of "Green Dolphin Street," should thrill the
spectator. The volcano scenes are highly realistic.
There are, however, whole stretches that are slow and
boresome; nevertheless, it should go over fairly well
as part of a double bill. The action takes place early
in the 19th century: —

Convinced that he had built a ship that would
revolutionize the shipping industry, Jim Arness sets
out in his clipper for a South Pacific island to pick up
a prize cargo and thus establish a franchise. En route,
the clipper is attacked by a pirate ship. In the running
battle, Arness is wounded, and the clipper, captained
by Tom Monroe, puts into a small port, where Arness
is left behind for convalescence. There, Arness falls
in love with Laura Elliott, daughter of Pierre Watkin,
the local magistrate, thus disrupting her engagement
to Bill Kennedy, owner of a sheep ranch. Raiding
the town, the pirates kidnap Laura and Jane Harlan,
and kill Laura 's father. Arness and a small group of
survivors, including Kennedy, Tom Hubbard, Gloria
Petroff and Bob Carson, chase after the pirate vessel
in Carson's sloop and, after a fierce all-night battle,
board the pirate ship and rescue Laura and Jane. On
the voyage home, the ship is wrecked on an uncharted
island inhabited by prehistoric animals. After en-
counters with the monsters, the group finds itself en-
dangered by a violent volcano eruption. The hot lava
and falling rocks kill Jane and Kennedy. Meanwhile
Monroe had returned to the colony where he had left
Arness and, not finding him, had sailed for home.
During the voyage he passes near the uncharted
island and is attracted by the eruption and by signals

from shore. He moves into shore and finds Arness,
Laura, and Hubbard and Gloria, and takes them
aboard. The clipper ship then sets sail for Salem,
with Laura and Arness deciding to marry.

It was produced by Boris Petroff and directed by
Norman Dawn from a screen play by Tom Hubbard.

Harmless for family audiences.

"The Flying Missile" with Glenn Ford
and Viveca Lindfors

(Columbia, January; time, 93 min.)

The fact that this is the first picture dealing with
the work of the Navy with guided missils makes it a
film of timely interest, one that lends itself to exploi-
tation. As entertainment, however, it does not stack
up as much, for it is bogged down by a cliche-ridden,
unimaginative script that is overlong and unconvinc-
ing. The film is at its best when it centers around the
workings of the rocket propelled missiles, its value as
a war weapon, and the activities of the Navy at the
Missile Test Center at Point Magu, California, but
it becomes most ordinary when it gets into the melo-
dramatic and romantic phases of the story. For in-
stance, the audience is asked to believe that the Navy
would tolerate the antics of the hero who, beset
by regulations and eager to prove that missiles
launched from submarines can wipe out a large fleet,
steals strategic materials and supplies to secretly build
his own missile launching platform. That the direction
and performances are less than inspiring is due mainly
to the poor script material : —

Glenn Ford, commander of a submarine ,is bitterly
disappointed when his ship is theoretically sunk dur-
ing a Navy war game. He believes that if submarines
were equipped with deck launching platforms to
loose the Navy's new guided missiles, submarines
could then stay out of the range of destroyers. To
test his theory, he receives permission to take his ship
to the Missile Test Center at Point Magu for special
training with guided missiles. There, Ford reports to
Henry O'Neill, the admiral, and meets Viveca Lind-
fors, O'Neills' secretary. It is a case of love at first
sight, and he sees her as much as possible in between
the missile lessons. The lessons prove too slow to suit
Ford and, impatient, he arranges with his crew to raid
a warehouse on the base for materials, which they use
to secretly build their own launching platform. Just
as the project is completed the Admiral walks in on
them and reveals that he had been aware of their ac-
tivities. He then informs Ford that the work had been
in vain because the base was out of missiles. When
Viveca inadvertently reveals that missiles were avail-
able at an Army Ordinance Depot nearby, Ford takes
a flying trip to the depot and persuades the command-
ing general to let him have several of the weapons
for his experiment. In his haste to fire the missile.
Ford accidentally kicks a safety switch, causing an
explosion that kills one of his crew and that leaves his
legs paralyzed. The death of the crewman so affects
Ford that he develops a mental block that retards his
recovery. All efforts to rouse him out of his lethargy
fail until Viveca accuses him of being a quitter. Af-
fected by the accusation, Ford snaps out of his mood
in time to join the fleet in new exercises and to par-
ticipate in a new missile test that proves his theory.

It was produced by Jerry Breslcr and directed by
Henry Levin from a screen play by Richard English
and James Gunn, based on a story by Harvey S
Haislip and N. Richard Nash. Suitable for the family.

208

HARRISON'S REPORTS

December 30, 1950

THE READERS HAVE THEIR SAY

TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX FILM CORPORATION
444 West 56th Street
New York 19, N. Y.

November 28, 1950

Mr. P. S. Harrison
Harrison's Reports •
New York, N. Y.
Dear Pete:

I am writing to you in connection with the editorial which
appeared in the November 18 issue of "Harrison's Reports,"
regarding exploitation of feature pictures in newsreels. Per'
sonally, I feel that the industry needs this, as it needs support
from every direction at this time.

My feeling still is, as I wrote to the Allied Independent
Theatre Owners of Kansas Missouri, Inc., that the ex-
hibitors who complain at this stage about the content of the
newsreel that happens to promote the motion picures are in
effect "fiddling while Rome burns."

Never was there a time when a greater need existed for an
aggressive, forward-looking, unified step forward to cope
with really major problems. Yet, we have one branch of the
industry complaining to another about what seems to me to
be a minor issue.

While I can understand the contention that an exhibitor
does not like to be charged for a certain footage of news that
contains material regarding a coming attraction, I do not
believe this objection is a serious one. The use of the news-
reel for advertising our industry has been most moderate and
I have not heard that the public has complained.

The complaint that advance advertising of a particular
picture puts the exhibitor at a disadvantage as to terms on
such a picture is not, in my opinion, an insurmountable one
because exhibitor and distributor can certainly talk out a
question of this kind. The benefit that can come from an all-
out endeavor to promote motion pictures through the power-
ful medium of the newsreel, one of the greatest instruments
on earth for reaching the public, should easily outweigh any
anxiety that might be felt on this subject.

Just look at what television and radio are doing, combining
and uniting in an attempt to keep themselves afloat and to
woo the American public away from the motion picture-
going habits they have formed over the years. A $2,000,000
sales and advertising campaign has been instituted. Not a
word is mentioned about price, or shortages or color, but
only strongly worded newspaper and radio advertisements,
designed simply to "sell television," to keep receivers in«
stalled in the people's homes. These campaigns are for the
purpose of offsetting any possible trade slump. This is the
idea behind the cooperative institutional advertising cam-
paign launched by the combined chiefs of advertising of
leading TV manufacturing companies.

Ads are full-page ones of 1000 lines in 1100 newspapers
in TV areas, and it started November 17. Besides this, spots
on 250 radio stations in non-TV areas started November 6.

I have been told that $2,000,000 budgeted campaigns will
run indefinitely for as long as they are needed.

They have already approached educators and editors, em-
phasizing educational value of TV and its importance in the
lives of children, as well as its influence on the family group.
The emphasis is: Stay home and be entertained free.

Therefore, in my opinion, we must use every means at our
command to prove to the public that our proud slogan,
MOVIES ARE BETTER THAN EVER, is not just idle
boasting, but actually a fact. What better medium can there
be to prove this than our own screens? Certainly, the use of
the newsreel occasionally for this purpose cannot be con-
strued as "exploitation," when the exhibitor has every whit
as much to gain as the producers and distributors, if not
more.

When we talk about a unified industry and tackling our
mutual problems together for the common good, I think this
is exactly what we mean. Anything else is bickering and

definitely detrimental to every effort that has been made so
far to unite our industry to fight shoulder-to-shoulder for
betterment. The newsreel is a very important and influential
medium and its occasional use to promote interest in a forth-
coming attraction is beneficial to all concerned.
Kindest regards.

Sincerely,

(signed) Spyros P. Skouras

FANCHON 6? MARCO, Inc.
6838 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, Calif.

December 22, 1950

Mr. Pete Harrison
Harrison's Reports
New York, N. Y.
Dear Pete:

I read with a great deal of interest your article in the
December 16, 1950 issue entitled "More Exhibitor Support
for National Screen Service."

It isn't my purpose to take any sides in any law suit, and I
shall not try in this one.

However, the efforts of others to get all exhibitors to join
in a suit against National Screen seems to me completely
inconsistent with the spirit of our Government.

As you well know, it is deemed improper under the anti-
trust laws for parties to combine for certain purposes.

It seems to me the combination of parties in a suit against
National Screen is covered by the same moral or philosophi-
cal prohibitions that lie behind the anti-trust law.

I am no lawyer and I do not profess to know whether any
one else's conduct in a particular matter is legal or illegal, but
so far as I am personally concerned it would not appear
proper to me for me, as an exhibitor, to join in this suit.

As I have indicated, I do not profess to know anything
about the facts, or the law in connection with the suit of
these exhibitors against National Screen, and I offer no
opinion in that connection.

So far as I am personally concerned, my experience has
been that for many years National Screen has rendered a
real service to exhibitors generally. According to my per-
sonal knowledge, our theatres have been served well and
reasonably.

One need only compare the prices and method with which
exhibitors were confronted before National Screen devel-
oped its service to its present point of efficiency in order to
realize what a constructive service National Screen has con-
tributed to the motion picture industry.

Many exhibitors will remember when the film companies
had their own trailer service, and in my opinion, this was
more of a burden upon the theatres than any supposed bur-
den that may have been exerted by National Screen.

In closing I want you to know that I have refused to join
any suit against National Screen for the two reasons I have
indicated above.

Briefly summing them up, the first is because of my dis-
inclination to "combine in law suits." If I have a claim
against anyone, I believe I should proceed to litigate my
claim, and if anyone else has a claim it is up to him to proceed
according to his own discretion. I think this apparent effort
to secure "numbers" for plaintiffs is akin to the mob psychol-
ogy of adding to the crowd, and it somehow does not seem
consistent with the basic idea of our judicial system that each
man should be heard on his own.

And, finally, National Screen has served us well, has
served us reasonably, and, therefore, whatever one may think
about joining with others in certain kinds of law suits cer-
tainly we have no reason to join anyone in this particular
matter.

Kindest personal regards.

Sincerely

(signed) Harry Arthur

i

Scanned from the collection of the

Karl Thiede

Coordinated by the
Media History Digital Library
www.mediahistoryproject.org

Funded by a donation from
Matthew Bernstein