Boxoffice-December.24.1949

. . Who
. . When
. . . Tells the World's Most Wonderful Story . . . Aglow
. . . Exciting . . . Human
. . Unforgettable
. . and
FEATURE REVIEWS Story Synopsis; Adl'mes for Newspaper and Programs
THE STORY:
"Twelve O'Clock High"
In the faleful days of 1942 when men and materiel were
scarce, the morale of the Eighth air force's 918th bomber
group is at a low ebb. Losses of men and planes are heavy
in the overwhelming task of daylight bombing of Nazi positions
and the commanding officer, Gary Merrill, is near the
breaking point when he is replaced by Gregory Peck. Peck
is a powerful, dynamic and tough leader, basically as sympathetic
toward his men as was his predecessor, but on
the surface he is a man of iron discipline, following orders
blindly without regard to human frailities. Unrelenting, he
leads his men to devastating raids on German targets and,
although ultimately suffering a nervous collapse, has the
satisfaction of a job well done.
CATCHLINES:
You'll Be Spellbound by This Stirring Story ... of Heroes
and Cowards . . . Braggarts and Fighters . . . Whose Daring
Deeds Amid the Horror of War Will Long Be Remembered
by a Grateful Nation.
THE STORY:
"East Side, West Side"
The marriage of Barbara Stanwyck and James Mason,
wealthy socialite, is constantly threatened by Ava Gardner,
since for years Mason has been fatally fascinated by her.
Despite many promises to end the affair. Mason breaks a
date to take Barbara to a party, and instead meets the other
girl. Going alone to the party, Barbara meets the guest of
honor. Van Heflin, former policeman, now a noted writer.
Mason again begs forgiveness, suggests he and Barbara
take a vacation trip, and again stands her up. This time
Barbara locates him at Ava's apartment—but Ava has been
murdered. Barbara enlists HelUn's help and he clears Mason,
but Barbara now realizes her love for Mason is dead
and knows true happiness can be hers with Heflin.
CATCHLINES:
Get Set for Romantic Fireworks . Two Gorgeous
Gals Clash Over One Guy . Isn't Worth It . . . Seldom
Has the Screen Dared to Present So Tempestuous a
Story of Flaming Love.
THE STORY:
"Ambush"
Diablito, cunning Apache, is on the warpath again, and
Robert Taylor, veteran guide, is summoned to Fort Gamble
to lead an expedition ordered by a high army ofhcer to
rescue his daughter, captured by the Indian warrior. Taylor
discovers the post commander, John Hodiak, is ignorant of
Indian fighting; meets Arlene Dahl, sister of the captured
girl, but refuses to lead the expedition on the grounds it
would cost the lives of too many men, despite all Arlene's
attempts to persuade him. Subsequently Taylor changes his
mind, although he and Hodiak have become bitter enemies,
and leads an attack on Diablito's camp. In a bloody ambush
almost everyone is wiped out, but Taylor kills Diablito, rescues
the captive girl, and returns to Arlene.
CATCHLINES:
A Thrill-Flamed Masterpiece of Conquest and Revenge
... as a Raw Frontiersman and a Gallant West Pointer
Clash for a Woman's Love ... in the Fiery Glare of an
Apache Onslaught.
THE STORY:
"Paid in Full"
Two sisters, Lizabeth Scott and Diana Lyrm, are both in
love with the same man, Robert Cummings, and' conflict
arises between them when Cummings marries Diana, whose
selfish interests come first in her life. Robert and Diana have
a baby, but the child dies under the wheels of Lizabeth's
car when she accidentally runs over the infant. Determined
to make amends, Lizabeth sets out to compensate for her
deed by having a child of her own, although she is well
aware that she will die in childbirth. This fate does befall
her, but Lizabeth dies secure in the knowledge that her
baby will be adopted by Robert and Diana and that she thus
will have "paid in full" for the death of the other child.
CATCHLINES:
The Year's Most Daring Personal Story ... of Two Sisters
in Love With the Same Man . . . and of a Woman's Courage
That Dared Defy Certain Death ... as She Paid in Full for
Her Sin.
(t sto
THE STORY:
"Cinderella"
Cinderella is the much-abused drudge in the household
of her stepmother while her three stepsisters spend their
time attending fine balls. On the evening when the handsome
prince is staging a ball, Cinderella's fairy godmother
appears, turns the girl's rags into a beautiful gown and a
pumpkin into a coach, but makes Cinderella promise that
she will return from the ball at midnight. Hastening home
on the stroke of twelve, Cinderella is in such a hurry that
she loses one of her glass slippers', her gown turns back to
rags, the coach back to a pumpkin. The prince, struck by
her beauty, searches wide for the girl whose foot can wear
the glass slipper. In this way he finds Cinderella again,
and they live hapjaly ever after.
CATCHLINES:
The World's Most Wonderful Story Teller . . . Walt Disney
With
Bewitching Beauty .
Entertainment for All
Ages.
THE STORY:
"Mrs. Mike"
Sergeant Dick Powell of the Canadian northwest mounted
police and Evelyn Keyes, comely miss from Boston, fall in
love. She marries him despite his warnings that life will
be tough in the sparsely populated, freezing northwest. As
his wife she experiences the hazards of loneliness, fear and
unexpected epidemics; imbibes wisdom and courage from
the new friends she meets; and inner happiness in her role
as the wile of a man whose work is so important. But
when her infant daughter dies of diphtheria, Evelyn decides
she cannot stand it any longer and plans to return to Boston.
Powell does not try to stop her and has himself transferred
to another post; but when he arrives, there is Evelyn
—who has decided to stick it out.
CATCHLINES:
A Great Book Becomes a Greater Picture . . . the Compelling
Love Story of a Man ... a Woman .
a
Wilderness . . . It's a Memorable Motion Picture Triumph
. . Lovable.
THE STORY:
.
"Sands of Iwo lima"
Those U.S. marines destined to make World War II history
at Iwo Jima learn to fight the hard way under Sergeant
John Wayne, seasoned campaigner, whose tactics make it
a ca.';e of hate at first sight. His particular enemies are Corporal
Forrest Tucker and Private John Agar, son of a marine
officer killed at Guadalcanal, who himself does not want
to be a marine. Wayne proves his own courage at Tarawa,
and during a brief leave in Hawaii his bitterness is revealed
to have stemmed from an unhappy marriage. He is somewhat
softened as the squad reaches Iwo Jima; in that desperate
fighting Agar redeems himself in Wayne's eyes, and
by heroic efforts the island is captured, although Wayne is
killed by a last-minute Jap bullet.
CATCHLINES:
Here Is the Glorious, Incredibly Thrilling, Human Story . . .
of the Marines' Greatest Hour ... a Sweeping, Surging,
Smashing Saga of Heroism That Will Never Be Forgotten.
THE STORY:
"The Man on the EiUel Tower"
Burgess Meredith, a Parisian knife-grinder, agrees for
1,000,000 francs to murder the rich aunt of Robert Hutton,
who wants her money so he can pay off his wife and run
away with another woman. But when Meredith enters the
aunt's apartment he finds her already slain. Police Inspector
Charles Laughton, convinced the crime was committed by a
clever man who framed Meredith, permits the knife-grinder
to escape and has him shadowed. Meredith contacts Franchot
Tone, a mysterious fellow, once a brilliant medical
student, now a derelict. Next on the murderer's list is Hutton.
Laughton sets a trap; Tone, falling into it, flees to the Eiffel
tower, climbs it but ultimately capitulates and confesses.
CATCHLINES:
Suspense That Makes Your Nerves Scream Out ... a
Killer's Cunning Pitted Against a Detective's Skill . . Lead-
.
ing to the Most Breathlessly Amazing Climax the Screen
Has Ever Seen.