Boxoffice-December.24.1949

Opinions on Current Productions; Ixphitips for Selling to the Public
FEATURE REVIEWS
(FOR STORY SYNOPSIS ON EACH PICTURE, SEE REVERSE SIDE)
Cindeiella
RKO Radio-Disney ( ) 75 Minutes
F
Feature-Lenolh
Cartoon
Rel. Mar. 11. '50
Here is Walt Disney at his all-time best—and Charles
Perrault's immortal, fabled heroine is such a natural subject
for the cartoon-maker's artistry that showmen and patrons
alike probably will wonder why he didn't do the story of
Cinderella long since. But the thousands of the former who
will profit from its exhibition and the millions of the latter
who will thrill to its limitless charms will be unanimous in
deciding the film was well worth waiting for. The Disney
technique has progressed considerably since he made cartoon
history with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and
on almost every count the new venture is superior to its
illustrious predecessor. The music, an outstanding asset,
contributes to the film's vast overall exploitability, and such
ultimate in entertainment values and tremendous merchandising
possibilities odd up to a stratospheric commercial
potential. Ben Sharpsteen was the production supervisor
and the directors were Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske and
Clyde Geronimi.
Mrs. Mike
United Artists (G21) 99 Minutes Rel. Jan. 15, '50
Masterful is an adjective greatly overworked in the appraisal
of motion picture entertainment—but in this instance
no other description can suffice. As a book the subject long
occupied a high place on the best-seller lists', as film entertainment
the screen version of the Benedict and Nancy
Freedman tome can hardly fail to exert the same widespread
appeal, with satisfied audiences and profitable
bookings an almost foregone conclusion. Expertly written,
produced and directed, the film boasts an array of compelling
performances and deftly combines warmth and
humor, pathos and melodrama, in the story of a rugged
northwest mounted policeman (Dick Powell) who brings his
bride (Evelyn Keyes) to a desolate north country outpost
where she battles loneliness and fear and ultimately gains
inner happiness and contentment in her life. Samuel Bischofl
and Edward Gross produced and Louis King directed.
Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, J. M. Kerrigan, Angela Clarke,
John Miljan, Nan Boardman, Will Wright.
Sands of /wo Jima
F
F
War
Drama
Republic (4905) 109 Minutes Rel.
If consideration given the popularity of John is Wayne,
the subject matter and, above all, the limitless exploitation
possibilities of the latter, there is no apparent reason why
this should not garner its share of the patronage the ticketbuying
public is prepared to devote to the current cycle of
top-budget features dealing with World War II. While it
follows the previously set pattern of many such epics, the
film is substantially produced, impressively delineated and
understandingly directed. First of the war films devoted
to the marine corps, which branch of the armed services cooperated
in its making, it is accorded an aura of spectacle
through the judicious and carefully edited interpolation of
combat footage filmed during the battle of Iwo Jima and
leading up to the thrilling and widely publicized climax, the
planting of the Stars and Stripes on Mount Suribachi. Directed
by Allan Dwan.
John Wayne, John Agar, Adele Mara, Forrest Tucker, Wally
Cassell, James Brown, Richard Webb.
The Man on the Eiiiel Tower F
BKO Radio ( )
96 Minutes Rel.
"City of Paris where this was filmed in its entiretygets
billing along with the stars on the main title because
it was that fabulous metropolis which furnished locale and
backgrounds and, thereby, supplied the feature with one of
its more engrossing facets. Incidentally, and as a natural
development of such furnishing, it supplied the actors with
plenty of scenery to chew, in which mastication the starstudded
cast indulged with great gusto and abandon. Inasmuch
as most of them are expert scenery nibblers—as a
gander at the stellar lineup will reveal—the overall effect
should prove reasonably acceptable to average audiences.
There are movement, suspense and some excitement in the
man-hunt mystery which veers toward the horror play; and
its unusual setting should prove an added attraction and
certainly a substantial peg upon which to hang exploitation.
Burgess Meredith, one of the stars, directed for A.&T. Films.
Charles Laughton. Franchot Tone, Burgess Meredith. Robert
Hutton. Jean Wallace, Patricia Roc. Belita.
n|^
1102 BOXOFTICE
Twelve O'Clock High
War
Drama
20th-Fox (- -) 133 Minutes
As concerns performances, direction and productional details
this undoubtedly ranks high among the best of the
large cycle of current and upcoming features finding their
genesis in various facets of World War II. And certainly
because of its authenticity and the blessing accorded it by
the AAF— it is as prime a subject for merchandising as any
of them. Whether such two top assets—and there are otherswill
establish the feature as a record grosser probably will
depend upon just how much war stuff the public is prepared
to buy. Because of its praiseworthy refusal to compromise
tacts, the picture is often on the grim side. There are only
a few spots of comedy relief and no romance. But the
paucity of such more-or-less standard ingredients is mora
than offset by the excellent performances of an all-male
cast and the sharp, severe direction of Henry King.
Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill, Millard Mitchell,
Dean Jagger, Robert Arthur, Paul Stewart.
East Side. West Side
MGM ( ) 108 Minutes ReL Jan. 20, 'SO
Super-charged sex in the rarified atmosphere of Gotham's
cafe society makes of this lush, sophisticated brittle drama
a jet-propelled parcel of entertainment that should penetrate
deeply the ticket-buyers' collective bankroll. Romances,
mostly of the clandestine variety, are the keynote; with one
murder tossed in for an added fillip. Everybody loves everybody
else's vrife, husband or girl friend; but, despite such
somewhat vertiginous pattern of not-so-tender passions, it
all ads up to exciting, engrossing screen fare. For the lady
customers, the femme stars' wardrobe alone are vrorth the
price of admission and the keen showman will readily
recognize the exploitation possibihties of this facet, which,
augmented by the inherent magnetism of the star-encrusted
cast, will take care of opening attendance. After that, word
of mouth should do the trick. All performances, under Mervyn
LeRoy's expert megging, are exceptionally impressive.
Barbara Stanwyck, James Mason. 'Van Heflin, Ava Gardner,
Cyd Charisse, Nancy Davis, Gale Sondergaard.
Ambush
_. T 1 Tp Western
MGM ( ) 90 Minutes Rel. Feb. 3, '50
An' another redskin bit the dustl Just to prove that he
can get back to fundamentals when upon rare occasions
he decides to make a western epic, Leo produced this one
in the best tradition of the cavalry-and-Indians thrillers
which down through the years have always been considered
prime entertainment by the devotees of action. That
such fans will patronize—and praise—the picture in large
numbers is elemental. And to further assure business—
from those who are indifferent towards films of the great
west—there is the appeal of the storslrong cast. The combination
should add up to profits in all bookings, most
especially if the theatreman takes full advantage of its
merchandising possibilities. Rugged and rough in story and
performances, the picture has countless productional assets,
prominent among which is the photography of natural desert
backgrounds. Directed by Sam Wood.
Robert Taylor, John Hodiak, Arlene Dahl, Don Taylor. Jean
Hagen, Bruce Cowling, Leon Ames.
Paid in Full
Paramount (4915) 104 Minutes ReL March '50
In trade parlance this will be called a woman's picture,
which is another way of saying that the producer and distributor
believe that its appeal to the femme customers will
be sufficiently great to offset any aversion the mere male
ticket buyers may have to participating in an emotional
marathon. And if there be soundness in such commercial
analysis, the film doubtlessly has a strong chance to succeed
despite its somewhat confusing, too plentiful and
overdrawn story threads. The screenplay stemmed from a
_. widely publicized case history of sister-love and sacrifice,
depai first recorded in the Reader's Digest, a fact which could be
as m'
made potent exploitation ammunition. It is mounted with
the authenticity of atmosphere and the lushness expected
in a Hal Wallis picture. The impressive cast, under William
Dieterle's direction, delivers everything that could be expected
from the situations and dialog.
Robert Cummings, Lizabeth Scott. Diana Lynn. Eve Arden<
Ray Collins. Frank McHugh. Stanley Ridg»s.
December 24, 1949 HOI
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