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Cineminds at Work

"What good is money, anyhow, but to buy leisure?  To work yourself to death getting money is to defeat its whole purpose."
--Barry Fitzgerald

Reviews

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NATIONAL VELVET--  (2 hrs. 4m. MGM. '44) Pleasant, very amusing, finely photographed (Technicolor) comedy-drama of a British small-town girl , a boy and their racehorse.  Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Anne Revere, Donald Crisp.

NAUGHTY MARIETTA -- (105m. MGM '35).  Excellent MacDonald-Eddy musical.

NOTHING BUT TROUBLE -- (69m. MGM '45) Typical Laurel & Hardy slapstick.  They're butler and chef this time.  Mary Boland, Philip Merivale.

*NOTHING SACRED -- (75m. Selznick. '37). Riotously funny comedy.  F. March, C. Lombard, Walt Connolly, Chas. Winninger.

ONE DANGEROUS NIGHT-- (77m. Col. '43) Passable Grade-B detective thriller. Warren William, Eric Blore, Marguerite Chapman.

OUR HEARTS WERE YOUNG & GAY--  (75m. Par. '44)  Nice, pleasant, chuckling comedy about two girls and their trip to Europe in 1920's; based on Cornelia Otis Skinner & Emily Kimbrough's amusing novel.  Gail Russell, Diana  Lynn, Chas. Ruggles.

*OUR TOWN-- (89m. United '40) Beautifully produced version of Wilder's play.  Frank Craven, Martha Scott, Wm. Holden.

OUT OF THIS WORLD-- (96m. Par. '45) Fast, funny comedy..  Eddie Bracken as a messenger boy who zooms to fame as a Sinatra-style crooner (with Bing Crosby's voice); Diana Lynn and Veronica Lake as the girls who fight over him.  Excellent songs. 

PASSAGE TO MARSEILLE-- (112m. WB. '44)  Overlong talky melodrama about convicts escaping from Devil's Island to fight for France.  Humphrey Bogart, C. Rains, V. Francen, Sidney Greenstreet, Michele Morgan.

PATRICK THE GREAT-- (89m. Univ. '45)  Good, if thin, juvenile comedy, about a boy actor.  Lively, amusing, tuneful songs, well played.  Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, Donald Cook, Frances Dee.

PEPE LE MOKO-- (85m. Hakim. '37)  In French, Eng. subtitles.  Jean Gabin in an excellently produced melodrama about a thief in Algiers. (The original from which the Chas. Boyer film "Algiers," was made).  Mireille Balin.

PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY-- (2hrs. MGM. '45)  Overlong, static and interminably talky version of Oscar Wilde's 1891 novel; about a beautiful young man of London and the synthetic sins that found him out.  Elaborately produced, artistically photographed, but dull.  Hurd Hatfield, George Sanders, Angel Lansbury. Dir. Lewin.

PILLOW TO POST-- (94m. WB. '45)  Thin little comedy, only occasionally amusing; familiar marital misunderstandings in a "motel" near an Army camp.  Ida Lupino, Wm. Prince.

POWER OF THE WHISTLER-- (66m. Col. '45)  Weak mystery drama; with Richard Dix as homicidal maniac.  Janis Carter, Jeff Donnell.

PRINCESSS & THE PIRATE-- (94m. RKO. '44)  Fast and funny comedy with Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, Walter Brennan, Walter Slezak.  Dir. Butler.

*PRISONER OF ZELDA--  (110m. U.A. '37)  Splendid re-creation of Hope's swords-and-romance novel.  R. Colman, M. Carroll, D. Fairbanks, Jr.

QUIET, PLEASE, MURDER-- (70m. 20th Cent. '42)  Good mystery; Geo. Sanders, Gail Patrick.

RAINS CAME, THE-- (103m. 20th Cent. '39)  Spectacular drama about British India.  M. Loy, T. Power, G. Brent.

RAVAGED EARTH-- (68m. '42)  Dramatic, stirring record of Japan's bloody war in China.

RESURRECTION-- (85m.) 1935 revival of "We Live Again."  Good dramatic version of Tolstoy's

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tragedy.  Frederic March, Anna Sten, Sam Jaffe.

ROGER TOUHY, GANGSTER-- (66m. 20th Cent. '44)  Melodramatic record of the gangster's career.  Fast, murderous, pointless.  Preston Foster, Victor McLaglen.

ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQ.-- (90m. 20th Cent.) Moderately entertaining, dramatic musical with hit songs of the 1920's.  Not terribly good; Al Jolson steals the show;  with Alice Faye, T. Power. Dir. Ratoff.

ROUGH, TOUGH & READY--  (66m. Col. '45) Routine, second-rate, action comedy-drama; two engineers and a girl.  Chester Morris, Victor McLaglen, Jean Rogers.

ROUGHLY SPEAKING-- (125m. W.B. '45)  Overlong, only occasionally funny version of Louise Pierson's biographical best seller.  Some good moments, but too many lags.  Rosalind Russell, Jack Carson, Donald Woods.


*SAHARA-- (59m. Col.'43)  Thrilling drama of lost U.S. patrol in African campaign.  One of the best.  Humphrey Bogart, Rex Ingram, J. Carrol Naish.


SALTY O'ROURKE-- (99m. Par. '45) Typical reformation drama; pretty schoolma'am reforms race-track mobster.  Familiar, trite, corny.  Alan Ladd, Gail Russell, Stanley Clements, Wm. Demarest.

SEE MY LAWYER-- (67m. Univ. '45) Confusing, but sometimes funny melange of Olsen & Johnson lunatic fringe fun, set in a nightclub.  For O. & J. fans only.  Alan Curtis, Grace McDonald.

SHE'S A SWEETHEART-- (69. Col. '44) Poor comedy about a canteen "Mother."  Jane Darwell, Jane Frazee. Larry Parks


SIGN OF THE CROSS-- (122m. '33) Spectacular drama of early Christian martyrs.  F. March, C. Laughton, E. Landi, C. Colbert.


SILVER QUEEN-- (80m. UA. '42) Elaborate, but routine western.  Geo. Brent, Priscilla Lane, Bruce Cabot.


SONG FOR MISS JULIE-- (60m. Rep. '45)  Elaborately produced, but generally undistinguished farce musical; enhanced by good ballet sequence with A. Dolin, A. Markova; some tuneful songs.  Shirley Ross, Cheryl Walker, Barton Hepburn.

SONG OF THE SARONG-- (65m. Univ. '45)  Mild little Grade-B comedy, mixing in some South Seas romance.  Wm. Gargan, Nancy Kelly, Eddie Quillan, Fuzzy Knight.


SONG TO REMEMBER, A.-- (110m. Col. '45)  Prettily romanticized, fictional "life story" of great composer Chopin; largely compensated for by excellent Technicolor romantics, 23 Chopin compositions (many dubbed in by Jose Iturbi); uneven performances by Cornel Wilde, Merle Oberon, Paul Mini. Dir. Chas. Vidor.

[[*]] STAGE DOOR – (83m. RKO. '37) Splendid comedy-drama of young actress who makes good. Kath. Hepburn, Ginger Roger, A. Menjou.

STANDING ROOM ONLY – (88m. Par. '44) Fairly funny comedy about crowded wartime Washington. Fred McMurray, Paulette Goddard, Roland Young.

[[*]] STARS LOOK DOWN – (99m. MGM. '40) Absorbing, gripping British-made drama of Welsh coal miners from Cronin's novel. M. Redgrave, M. Lockwood.

STRAIGHT, PLACE AND SHOW – (75m. 20th Cent. '38) Good Ritz Bros. comedy; E. Merman.

SUN VALLEY SERENADE –(85m. 20th Cent. '41) Elaborate, tuneful musical. Sonia Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller's band.

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SWING HOSTESS – (76m. Prod. '44) Mild, unexciting little comedy with music. Martha Tilton, Iris Adrian, Chas. Collins.

THERE GOES KELLY – (61m. Mon. '45) Low grade murder mystery; a couple of radio singers get killed, and a couple of page boys trap the killer. Jackie Moran, Wanda McKay.

THEY ALL KISSED THE BRIDE – (86m. Col. '42) Good if familiar, comedy. Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas.

THIN MAN GOES HOME – (100m. MGM. '45) Myrna Loy & Wm. Powell together again in Nick Charles mystery. Fair of its type, but rather coy, involved, and pretty thin.

THIS IS THE LIFE – (85m. Univ. '44) Lively, tuneful, juvenile romantic comedy, with Donald O'Connor, Susanna Foster, Peggy Ryan Ray Eberle's orch.

THOUSANDS CHEER – (2 hrs. MGM. '43) Pleasant technic colored romantic comedy, military background, with all-star camp show added. Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly, John Boles, Mary Astor.

THUNDER ROCK – (90m. Eng. '42) Extraordinarily interesting, deeply moving British-made drama preaching hope of a better world to come out of the lessons of the past. Splendidly acted by Michael Redgrave, Barbara Mullens, James Mason. Dir. Boulting.

★ THUNDERHEAD - (78m. 20th Cent. '45) Beautifully photographed in Technicolor; dramatic sequel to "Flicka," story of a western ranch boy and a wild horse. Magnificent outdoor settings, excellent juvenile, first rate for adults as well. Roddy McDowal, Preston Foster, Rita Johnson.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE - (99m. UA. '42) Frequently very funny comedy-melodrama. Nazis outwitted by actors' troupe in Warsaw. Carole Lombard, Jack Benny.

TOM BROWN'S SCHOOL DAYS - (81 m. RKO. '40) Good entertainment; well-made version of Thos Hughes' novel of schoolboy life in England a century ago. With C. Hardwicke, J. Lydon. F. Bartholomew, B. Halop. Dir. R. Stevenson.

★ TOMORROW THE WORLD - (90m. UA. '44) Excellent drama based on B'way play about a Nazi boy in an American home. Splendidly produced, acted by Fredric March, Betty Field, Skippy Homeier, Agnes Moorehead.

TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT - (80m. Col.'45) Lavish Technicolored musical, set in a London music hall during the blitz. Pleasant but not outstanding music, revues, dancing, singing, romance. Lee Bowman, Rita Hayworth, Janet Blair, Leslie Brooks.

TOO MANY HUSBANDS - 80m. Col.'40) Generally amusing farce. Fred MacMurray, Jean Arthur, Melvyn Douglas.

TOPPER - (95m. MGM.'37) Original, witty screen adaptation of ribald Thorne Smith fantasy. Constance Bennett, Cary Grant, Roland Young, Billy Burke.

TORRID ZONE - (87m. WB.'40) Fast, lively, well-done melodrama of Central American banana plantations. Jas. Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Pat O'Brien.

TOWN WENT WILD - (80m. Prod.'45) Generally amusing little comedy of mixed identity and juvenile romance. Freddie Bartholomew, Jas. Lydon, Edw. E. Horton, Tom Tully.

★ TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN - (2 hrs.8m. 2oth Cent.'45) Beautifully produced, wonderfully acted version of Betty

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Smith's best seller. Tender, touching, heartwarming drama, among the finest of the year. Don't miss it. Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, Peggy Ann Garner, Jas. Dunn, Lloyd Nolan, Jas. Gleason, Dir. E. Kazan.

TRUE TO LIFE - (94m. Par. '43) Mild comedy, sometimes funny, about two radio writers and a crackpot family. Dick Powell, Franchot Tone, Mary Martin, Victor Moore.

TRUE TO THE ARMY - (76m. Par. '42) Broad slapstick musical; third rate. Judy Canova, Jerry Colonna, Allan Jones.

TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE - (66m. RKO.'45) Mild Grade-B melodrama, mixing amnesia, romance and murder detection. Tom Conway, Ann Rutherford, Richard Lane.

UNINVITED, THE - (93m.Par.'44) If you don't mind real live ghosts, you may like this real live ghost story. Some of it is excellent, some of it downright silly. Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Cornelia Otis Skinner.

★ VALLEY OF DECISION - Excellently written, beautifully played version of Marcia Davenport's novel about an Irish housemaid and her romance with a steel tycoon in 1880 Pittsburgh. Greer Garson, Gregory Peck, Donald Crisp, Gladys Cooper. Dir. Garnett.

VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE - (109m. Artkino.'41) Soviet-made musical. Eng. subtitles. Entertaining. Orlova.

★ WATERLOO BRIDGE - (102m. 20th Cent.'45) Beautifully written, sensitively played drama of war, love, renunciation. Vivian Leigh, Robt. Taylor.

WAY AHEAD, THE - (115m. 20th Cent.'45) Gripping and deeply moving drama of typical Tommies, and how they took up arms against tyranny. Humor and tragedy are nicely balanced, and the all-British cast is excellent. With David Niven, Raymond Huntley, Billy Hartnell, John Laurie, Stanley Holloway. Dir. Red Reed.

★ WESTERN UNION - (90m. 20th Cent.'41) Elaborate Technicolor pioneer melodrama. Rand. Scott, Robert Young, Dean Jagger.

WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE - (90m Col.'37) Grace Moore filmusical, not her best, but amusing. Cary Grant, Aline MacMahon.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE - (75m. 20th Cent.'45) Generally an entertaining little comedy about a 4-F who meets a playful genie and gets four wishes. Good fun, good music. Fred MacMurray sings; Joan Leslie, June Haver, Gene Sheldon.

WINTER CARNIVAL - (91m. UA.'39) Slow, rather tedious romance. R. Carlson, A. Sheridan.

★ WINTERSET - (78m. RKO.'36) Revival. A magnificent film version of Maxwell Anderson's poetic play. Burgess Meredith, Margo.

WITHOUT LOVE - (110m. MGM.'45) Thin, unreal, lengthy, only occasionally amusing comedy of platonic marriage. Slightly based on Barry''s play. Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Keenan Wynn, Lucille Ball.

★ WUTHERING HEIGHTS - (103m. UA.'39) Stirring, hauntingly lovely version of Bronte's tragic novel. M. Oberon, L. Olivier.

YELLOW CANARY - (85m. RKO.'44) British-made espionage melodrama; some good moments, but obvious throughout. Anna Neagle, Richard Greene.

YOU'RE IN THE ARMY NOW - (79m. WB.'41) Rowdy, generally funny burlesque. J. Durante, J. Wyman, P. Silvers. Dir. Seiler.

ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY - (68m. RKO.'45) Wild, juvenile comedy-thriller, about a night club operator who looks for real zombies and gets Wally Brown, Alan Carney and Bela Lugosi instead.

ZOYA - (Sov.'45) Russian film drama, biography of martyred girl guerrilla. Some interesting shots, but uneven, not up to usual Soviet film standard; English subtitles. Galina Vodianitskaya.

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