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SHORTS REVIEWS<br />
Opinhas on the Current Short Subjeets-<br />
Hugs and Mugs<br />
Columbia (Stooges Comedy) 17 Mins.<br />
Fair. Those mayhem experts, the Three<br />
Stooges, again practically murder each other<br />
to get laughs. This time a trio of shoplifters<br />
use their wiles on the boys to get possession<br />
of a package containing a pearl necklace. The<br />
Stooges gouge out each other's eyes, sit on hot<br />
irons and are bopped on the head by Iron<br />
weights during the course of the rough-andscramble<br />
action.<br />
Miguelito Valdez<br />
Columbia (Thrills of Music) 10 Mins.<br />
Fair. Loud, fast and exciting music is the<br />
motif of an average short. Miguelito Valdez,<br />
who specializes in Latin rhythms, and the<br />
De Castro Sisters, three torrid little ladies,<br />
contribute their specialties while Barry Gray,<br />
disk jockey, comments on their work. The<br />
sisters are best in "Sicote de Cato," which<br />
is roughly translated as "The Cat's Whiskers."<br />
The younger fans wUl enjoy this more than<br />
their elders.<br />
Motion Picture Mothers,<br />
Inc.<br />
Columbia (Screen Snapshots) 9 Mins.<br />
Good. The real movie fans will get a kick<br />
out of seeing their favorites' mothers cavorting<br />
at a dance with their children. Among<br />
those glimpsed are Pat O'Brien, who handles<br />
the Introductions, and Fred MacMurray, Donald<br />
O'Connor, Cesar Romero, John Howard,<br />
Gary Cooper, Robert Sterling, Tom Brown<br />
and Bud Abbott, aU with their mothers. Jane<br />
Powell is about the only feminine star who<br />
came with her mother, the latter looking<br />
almost as young as Jane.<br />
Barnyard Skiing<br />
BKO (Sportscope) 8 Mins.<br />
Fair. How to ski when there isn't any<br />
snow around is shown in this sports film<br />
and Erling O. Wilig, ski-joring expert, demonstrates<br />
the technique. He is hauled over<br />
water, grass, gravel, sand and a macadam<br />
highway in the various sequences by horses,<br />
boats and cars. He is assisted by an attractive<br />
girl throughout the film. A few thrills<br />
are provided by his dexterity in avoiding<br />
obstacles and ski fans will marvel at some<br />
of his tricks despite the absence of snow.<br />
Pluto's Hearthrob<br />
RKO (Disney Cartoon) 7 Mins.<br />
Fair. Pluto meets Dinah, a pert little dog.<br />
and decides he is in love with her. Butch, the<br />
ugly bulldog, has the inside track with the<br />
young lady and resents Pluto's attentions.<br />
The two rivals carry on a battle royal which<br />
results in a near drowning for Pluto. When<br />
he recovers, he finds out that Butch has<br />
replaced him in the affections of Dinah. He<br />
manages to reverse this when he rescues her<br />
from a fate worse than death at Butch's<br />
hands.<br />
Dream Dust<br />
(Sing and Be Happy Series)<br />
Univ.-Int'l<br />
g Mins.<br />
Good. In a dreamy mood the King's Men<br />
offer some of the favorite song hits of yesteryear.<br />
Tliis short has been specially arranged<br />
for community singing and should be popular<br />
dt theatres where folks like to exercise their<br />
vocals. "Girl of My Dreams," "Goodnight,<br />
Sweetheart" and "Put on Your Old Grey<br />
Bonnet" are the songs. Clever cartoons form<br />
the baclcgrounds.<br />
Fargo Phantom<br />
Unlv.-Int'l (Musical Western) 24 Mins.<br />
Good. Tex Williams and his pard, Smokey<br />
Rodgers, round up the bandits in a short<br />
that has loads of action, three new songs,<br />
love interest and some beautiful shots of<br />
western scenery. It should appeal to all types<br />
of audiences. The bandits have been holding<br />
up the stagecoaches of a line owned by<br />
Shirley Allard until Tex steps in to remedy<br />
the situation. The story is plausible and the<br />
picture moves swiftly.<br />
Mother Goose on the Loose<br />
Univ.-Int'l (Lantz Cartune) 7 Mins.<br />
Very good. A cartoon containing some fresh<br />
gags, excellent animation and two very furmy<br />
characters. Simple Simon and Bo Peep. It is<br />
aimed at the Easter audience, but should fill<br />
in nicely on any program. The story is a<br />
switch on Mother Goose rhymes with the<br />
various jingles given a new twist and humorous<br />
treatment. Practically all the Mother<br />
Goose characters are in it and it should be<br />
enjoyed by young and old alike.<br />
Ethel Smith & The Henry<br />
King Orchestra<br />
Univ.-Int'l (Name Band Musical) 15 Mins.<br />
Good. Ethel Smith at the electric organ<br />
and the Henry King band provide the music<br />
on a background of handsome sets. Others<br />
in the film are; the Mayo brothers, precision<br />
tap dancers; Betty Black, singer, and Jon<br />
and Edna Torrence, dance satirists. The<br />
songs featured are : "Chinatown," "Paran Pan<br />
Pin," "El Cumbancheo," "Give Out" and "Dos<br />
Grillitos." It's a musical that should be a<br />
crowd pleaser.<br />
A'Speed on the Deep<br />
Warner Bros. (Vitaphone Novelty) 10 Mins.<br />
Very good. A fast-moving and exciting<br />
novelty short dealing with the different varieties<br />
of water sports. Some magnificent and<br />
breath-taking shots of daredevils who ride<br />
the rapids and go water-skiing at break-neck<br />
speed are included. Other men anxious to<br />
risk their necks go riding the breakers In<br />
the roughest surf in the world—off Australia.<br />
A cute sidelight is a grandmothers' shell race<br />
in which 20 ladies, whose ages total over<br />
1,000 years, race down the river with the<br />
strength of coUegiates.<br />
At the Source of Truth<br />
(Russian Production)<br />
World Documentary Films 3 Mins.<br />
Fair. This shows the laboratory experiments<br />
which led Pavlov to discover the conditioned<br />
reflex in animals, and how the phenomenon<br />
operates under natural conditions<br />
in the forest. Its appeal will be limited to<br />
budding scientists and naturalists. The experiments<br />
with dogs, though clearly painless,<br />
could raise the objections of antivivisectionists.<br />
The best scenes are those of forest animals.<br />
The distributor's address Is 18 West<br />
55th St., New York City.<br />
Birth of the Ballet<br />
Oxford Films (Featurette) 30 Mins.<br />
Very good. The rapidly increasing interest<br />
in ballet in all the larger cities of the U.S.<br />
should make this a strong added feature in<br />
the art houses and in many downtown spots.<br />
Robert Helpmann of Sadler Wells Ballet (now<br />
touring the U.S.) and one of the stars of<br />
"The Red Shoes" is shown as he describes<br />
the various steps and formations used in the<br />
ballet form. The dancers are shown rehearsing<br />
an dthen a complete short ballet is given.<br />
Muir Matheson directed. Oxford Films is at<br />
1819 Broadway, N. Y. C.<br />
In the Newsreels<br />
Movietone News, No. 16: Exposition hails<br />
Haiti's 200 years; Long Island railroad crash<br />
kills 29; carnival parade in New Orleans;<br />
Cardinal Spellman sails on pilgrimage; Truman<br />
talks about taxes; atomic energy sold<br />
(over the counter) at U.S. apothecary; national<br />
AAU track meet; world downhill skiing<br />
champions.<br />
News of the Day, No. 250: Doctor on trial<br />
in mercy killing; railroad crash; $100-plate<br />
dinner for 5,300 Democrats; atomic drugstore;<br />
cardinal sails on Holy Year pilgrimage;<br />
downhill ski title won by Italian ace; diving<br />
capers.<br />
Paramount News, No. 53: World's fair in<br />
Haiti; Long Island railroad wreck; atomic<br />
energy for scientific uses; Democratic dinner;<br />
AAU track meet.<br />
Universal News, No. 328: Long Island railroad<br />
crash; Jackson Day dinner; cardinal<br />
leads pilgrimage; Haiti bicentennial; Times<br />
Square brownout; Santa Anita derby; downhill<br />
ski thrills.<br />
Warner Pathe News, No. 55: Train wreck;<br />
Jackson Day dinner; New York City brownout;<br />
atomic energy; Dr. Sander; air crash<br />
survivors; Cardinal Spellman; glove fashions;<br />
ski race.<br />
•<br />
Movietone News, No. 17: Masons honor<br />
George V/ashington; mercy killer goes on<br />
trial; Korean president sees MacArthur;<br />
Boston "T" party over excise taxes; New<br />
Orleans Mardi Gras; V-2 rocket films millions<br />
of square miles of earth; sports—golden<br />
gloves slugfest; motorcycle thriller; Red<br />
Cross trailer.<br />
News of the Day, No. 251: Rocket camera<br />
films earth; Windsors join in Mardi Gras<br />
revel; Truman dedicates Washington memorial;<br />
Boston "T" party; jet plane crash<br />
fires oil tanlcs; golden gloves finals; dogsled<br />
derby; Red Cross appeal trailer.<br />
Paramount News, No. 54: Canadian cyclist<br />
wins 200-mile beach classic; "T" party; rocket<br />
camera; Windsors win crowds at Mardi Gras;<br />
when two glovers meet; Red Cross trailer.<br />
Universal News, No. 329: Ghandi honored;<br />
Boston "T" party; rocket camera; icy<br />
weather; motorcycle race; soaring skiers;<br />
golden gloves; Red Cross trailer.<br />
Warner Pathe News, No. 56: Jap Diet; Mac-<br />
Arthur welcomes Korean president; Boston<br />
tax party; rocket camera; Truman urges<br />
atomic energy control; sports^—motorcycle<br />
race, motor ski race, golden gloves ; Red Cross<br />
trailer.<br />
•<br />
Telenews Digest, No. 8A: Mercy killing trial<br />
opens in New Hampshire; Long Island train<br />
disaster; Pennsylvania miner speaks; Czechoslovakia—new<br />
ski thrill.<br />
Telenews Digest, No. 8B: Sander's trial;<br />
England's election; coal rationing in New<br />
York; U.S. aid welcomed in Korea; carnival<br />
time in New Orleans, Nice, France and<br />
Viaroggio, Italy.<br />
14<br />
BOXOFFICE BookinGuide March 4, 1950
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