Warners

Opinions on Current Productions; Exptcitis for Selling to the Public
FEATURE REVIEWS
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(FOR STOT SYNOPSIS ON EACH PICTURE, SEE REAHBRSE SIDE)
Champagne for Caesar
United Artists ( ) 99 Minutes =tel.
Producer Harry M. Popkin shot the banloU on this and
hit the jackpot for as refreshingly differe:, dehghtful a
comedy as has rolled off of Hollywood's .•.mor assembly
line in many a month. It's one of those rai scripting job;?,
a picture that specializes in satire and =-jl!ety but still
manages to keep its fun on a level where -.vill appeal to
every taste. The master theme—and it is .-ell-laced with
two threads of romance—subjects to a thorcgh ribbing the
current craze for radio shows with fantastic iveaway prizes.
The topicality of such subject plus the m;nty magnetism
of the star-studded cast makes the film a naral for exploitation
worthy of its merits. And in performcres, production
values and on all other counts the offerin 3 equipped to
justify the best booking and salesmanship t.ieatreman can
give it. Directed by Richard B. Whorf.
Ronald Colman, Celeste Holm, Vincent Price, iarbara Britton,
Art Linkletter, Byron Foulger, Ellye larshall.
Outside the Wall
I
' """"
Univ.-Int'l ( ) 80 Minutes Rel. Mar. '50
Devotees of hard-boiled, action-cramme.. :rooks-and-cops
drama will have a field day when they hv tickets to this
one—and contemporary business being enu'ed by pictures
of similar theme indicates that is sufficie; to assure the
offering a profitable reception in all situatics. Furthermore,
the film should have considerable appec to the general
patronage customers—those who are not o choosy about
subject matter but are appreciative of so:i scripting, substantial
production, convincing performance and intelligent
direction, assets which the feature offer: ;n large doses.
Richard Basehart's delineation of a man sudenly freed after
spending all of his adult years in the penita:iary establishes
him well to the forefront of the current cro of screen tough
guys and he is given sterling support by ccarefully chosen
cast, sufficiently name-heavy to common the top spot on
the marquee and in exploitation. Directed v Crone Wilbur.
Richard Basehart, Marilyn Maxwell, Sign Hasso, Dorothy
Hart, Joseph Pevney, John Hoyl, Hen/ Morgan.
Conspirator
^ """"
MGM (21) 87 Minutes Rel. Mar. 24. '50
To make this one—and, parenthetical! to utilize frozen
credits in Britain—Leo sent a top team 1 England, to wit.
Producer Arthur Hornblow, Director Vict^ Saville and the
starring Taylors—Robert and Elizabeth, n related. That he
availed himself of a goodly chunk of i~h iced bankroll
manifests itself in the lush manner in v;.ch the picture is
mounted. Resultantly it is a blend of Horwood talent and
know-how and characteristic English reseiv and authenticity
as concerns backgrounds, character-castin and atmosphere.
Nonetheless, it will be the Taylor name upon which the
offering must pin its hopes for success and pon which should
be hung its merchandising approach. Tc story is a combination
of romance and intrigue and iraht be considered
too meager and too meandering suspenseiUy and excitingly
to support those dual subjects. Performnces are all that
could be expected considering the literar material.
Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Floiing, Harold Warrender,
Honor Blackman, Marjorie Fielmg, Thora Hird.
The Third Man
SRO (108) 105 Minutes Rel. Feb. '50
When two picturemaking perfectionists—one British and
one American—get together it projects the entirely reasonable
expectancy that the results should approach perfection. As
concerns suspenseful, exciting, hair-raising gendarme-andgangster
pictures, this dual elfort by England's Carol Reed
and Hollywood's David O. Selznick easily fulfills such expectancy.
Filmed in its entirety in postwar Vienna, the feature
is not only a top-bracket thriller and a thoroughly praiseworthy
venture for its excellence in acting and every other
productional detail, but it has the additional asset—and an
obviously exploitable one—of giving the spectator a highly
interesting, authentic picture of lives, loves, crime and crime
detection in the rubble-strewn capitals of Europe. The picture
should score solidly in critical acclaim and general patronage.
Reed directed—and masterfully—as well as produced.
Joseph Gotten, Valli, Orson Welles. Trevor Howard, Bernard
Lee, Ernst Deutsch, Erich Ponto, Paul Hoerbiger.
Young Man With a Horn
Warner Bros. (916) 112 Minutes
F
F
Drama
Willi Music
Rel. Mar. 11, '50
Because toplined Kirk Douglas, fresh from his triumph in
"The Champion," still is hotter than Fourth of July in Kansas,
this one should do top business in its initial bookings, which
commercial aspect should be enhanced by the co-starring
duo of femmes. Whether the early buyers will like the story
will depend upon individual tastes, thus making it regrettable
that a vehicle of more general appeal was not chosen to
capitalize on Douglas' popularity. It's a character study
and not a too clearly defined one—of a trumpet player, a
man whose first love is his horn. The disciples of hot licks
in the realm of music will find much in the film to their
liking, but it is doubtful that there are enough of such
hepsters to guarantee capacity subsequent runs. Others will
be critical of the formula aspects of the story and its slow
pace. Directed by Michael Curtiz.
Kirk Douglas. Lauren Bacall, Doris Day, Hoagy Carmichael,
Juano Hernandez, Jerome Cowan, Mary Beth Hughes.
!^ The Eagle and the Hawk F ";;::"
Paramount (4916) 103 Minutes ReL May '50
Herein are a couple of firsts for those widely publicized
Bills-^Pine and Thomas, that is—who started their productional
career some years ago by making supporting features
for Paramount's program. It is their first experience with
Technicolor and it is easily their most ambitious and expensive
venture to date. The upped bankroll manifests itself
in several of the picture's many assets—cast and production
values being the most obvious. Filmed against the rugged
and natural beauties of New Mexico, the tint photography
alone is worth the price of admission. What matter it that, in
search of scope, spectacle, action and suspense, it apparently
was expedient to jettison story consistency? Those who seek
de luxe sagebrush fare—and it is that for all its historical
framework—will overlook such shortcomings and vote it
good he-man entertainment. Lewis R. Foster directed.
John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, Dennis O'Eeeie, Thomas Gomex,
Fred Clark, Frank Faylen, Eduardo Noriega.
The Tattooed Stranger
REG Radio (018) 64 Minutes Rel.
More evidence that good pictures can fc made away from
Hollywood is this engrossing, lightning-peed mystery which
was filmed in its entirety in New York an utilizes the streets
of that teeming metropolis for backgrounc and atmosphere.
Because of its length and the absence opstablished names
in its cast, the picture obviously is ear.arked as a companion
piece. And it will serve so susfactorily in that
niche that no one will mind the pauci' of familiar faces.
On the contrary, the discriminating ticket uyer will welcome
and laud the offering for its meticulous oDntion to type casting
and natural characterizations. The Hl gives an exciting
and apparently authentic insight into crini detection methods
of a modern police force, in which phasa f its many praiseworthy
assets lies possibilities of merchodising which can
make the picture an additional drawincard on any dual
program. Directed by Edward J. Montagr,
John Miles. Patricia White, Walter Einseo, Frank Tweddell,
Rod McLennan, Herb Holcomb, JDory Lasko.
F
S MIK
Itr)
1116 BOXOFnCE
-)
Bodyhold
Columbia (216)
65 Minutes Rel.
Many pictures are described as featuring the woman's
angle, but this one goes after the men. However, there is
romantic interest, and the brutality of the wrestling ring is
held to a minimum, so wives can accompany their husbands
or boy friends and find entertainment. Willard Parker does
a capable job of playing the husky plumber who gets into
the wrestling racket by tossing an interfering wrestler on
his ear, and both Hillary Brooke and Lola Albright are
easy on the eyes. Exploitation possibilities aie many though
of a limited nature. There are no guns and the violence is
confined to the padded mat for the most part. This makes it
an action picture that can be seen by family audiences without
criticism, since much is made of the necessity for keeping
sports clean. Rather better than average for the lower
half. Seymour Friedman directed.
F
Action
Drama
Willard Parker, Lola Albright, Hillary Brooks, Allen Jenldns,
Roy Roberta, Gordon Jones, Sammy Menacker.
February 11, 1980 1115