The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], February 16, 1945, Page ELEVEN, Image 11

About The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
"' ' 11 ■■ I —.1
Promising Pictures Feature Programs Of Local Theaters
One of those striking photographs that cameramen dream about is this photo showing a “long shot” scene
from Deanna Durbin’s new Hollywood musical, “Can’t Help Singing.” The picture, showing some 40 covered
wagons, was made on the short of Navajo Lake, Utah, where numerous scenes were filmed for Deanna’s frst
Technicolor production. Note the remarkable composition, obtained by placing the camera close to the trees
in the foreground.
STRAND THEATER
OFFERS ROMANCE
“Lake Placid Serenade”
Impresses First Night
Audience With Theme
An adroit story of plausible ro
mance on the screen at the Strand
theater, “Lake Placid Serenade,”
seiwes a fourfold purpose which
appeared to strike home to the
first night audience.
It is excellent entertainment,
which ordinarily, is purpose enough
for a picture. Second, it provides
a novel medium for the blonde Vera
Hruba Ralston to demonstrate her
abilities as a dramatic actress and
at the' same time to perform her
spectacular figure skating in a role
which presents her as a champion
on the ice.
'Hill'd, it is enhanced by a su
perb music score and a fourth rea
son for its general excellence is
the fact that story and spectacle
combine to open up rats opportun
ties for an exceptionally fine cast.
Hebert Livingston appears op
posite Miss Ralston. Ponderous
Eugene Pallette is her genial uncle.
Walter Carlett and William Frawley
are In prominent roles with Vera
Vague. Ruth Terry, Stephanie Bach
elor, Lloyd Corrigan and others.
Harry Owens and Ray Noble, the
famous band men, appear with
brilliant musical accompaniment,
McGowan and Mack, the figure and
speed skaters, Felix Sadovsky, of the
pre-war Warsaw Opera and her
partner, Janima Frostova, ballet
dancers, Twinkle Watts, the juvenile
marvel of the rinks, Roy Rogers,
"King of the Cowboys.” and beau
tiful Janet Martin, the singer.
The companion feature Ls ' Thor
oughbreds,” featuring Tom Neal and
Adele Mara
Cold Comfort
Helmet "wash basin,” snowbank
“table” and melted snow to wash
her face with add up to something
a lot different than Marlene Diet
rich knew in her Hollywood dress
ing rooms. Sliev8 pictured at artil
lery observation post near Mal
medy, Belgium, where she's enter
taining troops.
SCREEN SLAUGHTER
Hollywood got away ^ith mur
der during 1944. Three hundred
twenty-six stars were killed olf for
story purposes in dims produced
by eight major studios. Universal
topped the list in gleeful disregard
for human life. Charles Laughton
ran the studio's killing up to 89
when he murdered his wife in "The
Suspect.” High score for a single
Universal film was in "The House
of Frankenstein" when 10 assorted
stars and monsters bit the dust
of whatever else they landed on.
Least bloodthirsty of the studios
was Paramount, with only 12 slay
.ngs to Its discredit. They chopped
off the heads of executives, in
stead.
STAR GAZING
Joan Fontaine predicts tliat Don
DeFore, her new leading man in
Slal B. Wallis’ "The Affairs of Su
nn ” will be one of the major film
liscoverles of the new year.
k
Austin West
Here Sunday
Austin West, pho^rapher-lectur
er will show his fascinating film in
natural color motion pictures en
titled “South Africa—Land of To
morrow,'’ at the Second Churdh
Forum on Sunday everting, February
13 at 7:30 p ,m. Austin West, photo
grapher of Africa, comes to the
United States after almost four
years of active service in the South
African Army. When invalided out
of the army, he had to make a new
world for himself. People at home
knowing his film wrrk suggested he
come to show us the real South
African of today. Permission was
sought and found and he arrived
AUSTIN WEST
here last May on a Liberty Ship.
The natural color movies which he
brings are all of his own taking. The
ones of the Union of South Africa
are of very recent m: king; others
were made up and down the contin
ent as duty permitted. He had rid
den, motored and flown over the
great part of Africa from Abyssinia
south.
This South African film is a new
picture interpretation of this great
country where exciting events are a
daily' happening. It is a pictorial
record of a land where the white
man has built a great nation. The
Capetown of Cecil Rhodes and Gen
eral Smuts, unbelievably beautiful
flowers, Johannesburg, fantastic El
Dorado where man first burrows
down, then builds skyscrapers. South
Africa's fertile "desert", the Karroo
Her "Rockies" with magnificent wa
terfalls. Durban with its teeming
Indian population and a unique
showing of the story of odd. colorful
native tribal life which will thrill,
not offend you. This is the work of
a man who was born and raised in
South Africa, who grew up with it,
worked its soil, fraternized in its
cities, served in its army, recognized
its problems, was fascinated by its
contraditions and began taking pic
tures as a hobby. His parents came
from Surrey, England, to settle in
Natal, South Africa, where lie was
born After attending school at Port
Elizabeth lie studied law. But the
career of barrister did not appeal
to him so he became sheep rancher
anci farmer in Southwest Africa or
eight years.
Austin West has appeared on the
National Geographic and other
famous lectures courses and series
and is one of the most sought after
lecturers today.
Joseph H. Lewis, honorably dis
charged after two years of Army
service, is directing Tom Conway
in "The Falcon In San Francisco
. . Ellen Drew is playing her third
•ole in recent months at RKO in
'Man Alive." The others were in
China Sky" and "Isle of the
Jead."
i,ant 'rings Ton a v
“TilK SKVUVIH < HONS"
Silencer Trney
— Plus —
“I.OI'ISI A \ A II AVHIItK"
Judy Cnnntii
HflmiLTon
|l7r.!S Hnal
1 Miiln SI.
Jfiiini a-tmsn
TOD.% V - SAT.
Kny Keywrr - Ann Miller
'*< \MOM\A IIM US”
Alan llonlln lirauvllle In
“VOITH HliNN
Hey Klila! Another SpeHal
Program Sat. Aft. at Hi.’IO
12 picture**-a Sloopea
Weateru - Cartoon*)- Kte.
GINGER ROGERS IN
CURRENT CLASSIC
“I’ll Be Seeing You” at
Loew=Poli’s Theater; One
of Season’s Best
Tiie Leew-Poli Theatre, currently
is showing a film that goes far In
bringing to theatregoers one of the
so-called post-war problems. The
name of the film is “I’ll Be Seeing
You", and it co-stars Ginger Rogers
and Joseph Cotten. and with them
in supporting roles are Shirley
Temple, Tom Tully and Spring By
ington.
It has everything, ar.d then some
and the critics and reviewers are
unanimous in proclaiming it one of
the best films that they have seen
in a long time.
Ginger and Joe Cotten are cast
as tl'.e first pair of lovers, and then
Shirley is also cast in a romantic
role, you have to see this young
lady, to appreciate the way that she
is coming to the fore as a dramatic
actress in her own right. She is
one of the real few, child stars that
have been able to coine bock, after
they have been cast as juveniles or
“kid" stars, and then to make films
that will rank them wiLh perform
ers of the Rogers and Cotten type.
On the same program there is one
jf the ever popular mystery thrillers.
This one bears the title of “Grissly’s
Millions” and it features a star that
excels in this type of entertainment,
Paul Kelly.
--. I
HOLLYWOOD
GOSSIP
TUFTS TWITS
Set Scene: Barbara Britton ar
rives in a western town for a scene
in ‘The Virginian," and Sonny
Tufts carries her four suit-cases
from the train lo a hotel. After
the fifth "take". Sonny wipes liis
brow and cracks:
"This picture should be re
titled. Bundles for Britton'."
Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom went
Lo one of tlio.se swanky Beverly
Hills restaurants and, pointing to
tile menu, told the waiter to bring
him some of that. “Sorry,” said
the waiter, “but the orchestra is
playing it now."
Esther Williams will warble on
file screen for the first time in
"Early to Wed." The song. "Can t
1 Do Anything but Swim?" was
written especially for her by Har
riet Lee. tile M-G-M vocal coach.
Perry Como will introduce
Virginia Weidler’s latest tune,
‘Let's Plan a Life Together," on
a coast-to-coast air show. . .
Hal Peary starts his last Gilder
sleeve film for RKO next week.
He will then produce them him
self, probably with a United Art
ists release.
Street Scene: Woman driver
tents fender of Ted Lewis’ car.
Ted jumps out. bawls out woman.
Woman recognizes Lewis, smiles
ind says:
"Is everybody happy?"
Lewis laughs, gets back into
ar and drives off.
ALHAMBRA
North IIiiIii St. Tel. .'t-S.'KS.*
I.AST IIA V
“Till: IILACK SWA V*
Tyrone Power - Maureen O'llitrn
•‘lir.LLO ritlNCO. HIXMI"
A lire Pay e - John l*ii>ne
New* - — - Short*
— Snfiiriliiy —
“Somethin*;' To Shout About'*
•ml “StraniferN In The ftlitliC*
We Sell HoihIm Anytime—
IftftuliiK A Kent*
Servicemen
Ordnance Men
Invited To
OPEN HOUSE
(Sunday), February 18
3 to 7 P. M.
HOTEL ELTON
U.S.O. Junior Hoatesses
t
At Slate Wednesday! Errol Flynn who is starred in the new Warner
Bros.’ production “Objecltve Burma" coming Wednesday next to War
ner's State theater with William Prince, George Tobias and Henry
Hull in featured roles.,
BY ERHKINE JOHNSON
NEA Staff Corrc" "'ondent
Hollywood, Feb. 1(5—Milt Crandall,
the Barnumesgue press agent, who
once “planted” a whale on top of
Pike’s Peak. 'Inally has arrived
where he belongs—In Hollywood.
•‘And I’m glad I look dumb," he
savs. "That helps in Hollywood.”
Milt Crandcll Is as fabulous as
movietown itself.
For 33 years he has been on the
road, dreaming up gorgeous, color
ful, sensational, super-colossal ideas
for publicizing .notion pictures. Some
of Milt’s ideas are pretty wacky,
like the itme he wanted to paint
the Washington monument black
as an air raid precaution.
"But most o f’em,” he says, "have
real value .I’ve worked for only three
companies in 33 years and that’s a
record in the film business."
At 52, Milt is bald and paunchy
but. like a kid. he lives for fun.
He’s all over the room when he
talks—acting cut everything from
the way the gals walk ir Atlantic
City Beauty Pageants to murderous
impersonations of film stars with
whom he has worked.
SIGHT LOST, RESTORED
But there's pathos to the story,
too. At 7. he was an orphan, living
at a Baltimore, Md., institution. At
eight, he was building a boat, using
a hatpin for a tool. The phi snapped
and Milt was blind for eight years.
A famous surgeon finally iiaerd of
his case, operated and restored his
sight.
Milt started publicizing motion
pictures in 1911.
“We always had to make a tie
up with an undertaker in those
days," he recalls. "Pictures were
being shown In storerooms and we
had to have the undertaker’s chairs.”
Working on one movie, Milt
was trying to dream up an idea in
a New oYrk City lioel room. The
noise of streetcars, elevated trains
and automobile brakes disturbed
him. But the noise gave him an
idea. He went to Mayor John S.
Hylan and said :
"The noise in this town is driv
ing me nutty. Why don’t you de
clare a nantl-noise we.k. Call it
Hush Week." The mayor thought
it was a brilliant idea and forth
with proclaimed a city - wide
"Hush Week." As his contribution.
Mill •’accidentally" found a photo
graph of a beautiful woman with a
linger lo her lips.
First day of Hush Week a movie
IIkI WATERBURY SHOWING ■
- Vara Hruba
| RALSTON 1
HIKE PIKIID
I
SEREIMDE
i
Ray NOBLE & HIS BAND
Hariy OWENS t Royal Hawaiian:
_ 2nd KIT —
THOROUGHBREDS
i NIAl-Adele
■| Urn HlAl-Adelt MARA ||
■ --THUHMDnV li n fv w|
■ Jiatitllt MatDONALD-Nth§n IttDY |
■ NAUGHTY MARIETTA §
ML ito WI'WIKIi W
CAMEO
314
llalilnin Si
3-3085
'I'OIIA 1 - SAT.
•• I. A I It A **
Uene Tierney - Dana Aiiilrmu
••six «ji \ oospeia**
Johnny >lu«*K llnmn
S »*rln I ...... Short*
Today mill Snt.
ShiH kliift! He\ ollliiK!
“THE MASTER HACK”
Roy l(OK<*rH
HANDS ArilOSS IIORDKK'
CARROLL
Toduy iiimI Sul.
Ann Sothern - John llodlnk
“\f\isii: does to kkno”
Chnrlea Stnrrett
“KA(iK IIIUSII II Kit OKS**
Cartoon - Serial - Comedy
Today and Sat.
Fat 0*flrlen - llulh lluMney
••MAIIIAK H AIDERS’*
Hols Steele - Pat O’llrlen
‘•WEHTWARD HOI !XD’*
Cartoon - Serial - Comedy
|OI T OK VAVKTS OF FAME! |
STARTS SUNDAY
Hell. Da via • Pal O'Hrlra
“HELL'S HOUSE”
|AIso "LET 'KM HAVE IT” |
CARKOI.I. ami Pl.AZA
IUY WAR BONDS AND STAMPS
M1U was working on conveniently
opened In New York. It was ‘ Hush”,
starring Clara Kimball Young." the
girl in the photograph with the fin
ger to her lips.
While Clara Bow was making
personal appearances in Oregon.
Milt topped himself by having the
chimes of a church play, ' Oh, What
a B.autiful Doll."
“That was easy,” Milt said. “The
chimes player was a Bow fan. I just
told him 1 twas her theme song.”
IT EVEN SPOUTED
Milt put the whale, made of wood
and leather, atop Pike’s Peak to
ballyhoo the movie, "Down to the
St a in Ships. The whale even
spouted—Milt hired a fellow to sit
inside working a seltzer bottle. The
story left the entire country laugh
ing.
Milt just completed a publicity
chore for Andrew Stone's movie,
“Bedside Manor" and now has gone
to work for Producer Jules Levy for
the Randolph Scott starrer, “The
Homesteaders.”
Witli Milt Crandall in town any
thing can happen. It'll be funny,
you can count on that. It will be
Mill being himself.
Hollywood—When Lieut. Col.
Matthew Thompson of the United
States Army Air Forces visited
Humphrey Bogart on the set of
Warner Bros'. ‘To Have and Have
Not," accepting an invitation the
star had extended in Italy, he felt
right at home.
Bogart was shooting it out with
a couple of actors, portraying Vichy
Frenchmen, as the colonel arrived.
“Seems quite natural,” Col.
Thompson remarked to director
Howard Hawks, “the last time I saw
Bogart I was rushing him to a the
ater in Italy—trying to beat an air
raid.”
William Frawley, Vera Vague
and Waiter Catlett in a hilarious
scene from Republic's "Lake
Placid Serenade."
Vera Ifruba Ralston is the star
and Roy Rogers appears as guest
star. It is the current attraction
at the Strand tvhcrc it Is having
it's first Waterbury showing.
BING CROSBY TOPS
COMEDYPROGRAM
“Here Conies the Waves”
Also Features Betty Hut*
ton, Sonny Tufts
The maddest, merriest mixup of
comedy, songs and romance is cur- 1
rcntly at Warner's State theater i
where “Here Comes The Waves", is ,
playing to capacity attendance at ,
all performances.
Starring Bing Crosby. Betty Hut- j
ton and Sonny Tufts the new film r
glorifies the work being done by the 1
Waves in this war. It's a powerful 1
trio of singing, dancing, loving char
acters. Bing's crooning finds compe- t
tition in the mellow tones of Son- i
ny'x concert-trained voice. i
Bing's perforamnee will rate the 1
same kind cf orchids as his "Going i
My Way" role although the picture -
is tlie reverse kind of story, accord
ing to reports. He abandons his
priest’s garb for a Navy uniform
but the same warm, human quality
persists, critics stat.\ Better than
that, lie's the idol of the bobby socks
brigade in the picture causing a j
flood of laughs from every side. Ax |
his amiable but confused sidekick, j
Sonny Tufts equals Ills performance I
in "So Proudly We Hail."
Irrepressible Betty Hutton, is said
to be twice as potent in a dual role.
She plays herself and her twin, red
head and blonde, respectively, thus
causing double the fun and double
the commotion.
The Waves are the honored group
in this saga of songs and comedy
and tile action brings in some ex
cellent shots of the training schedule
which, of course, Betty must under
go. Bing, as the singing idol of the
nation and Sonny are Navy gobs,
thus making it possible to bring tlit?
trio together in the eternal triangle.
The picture is choc!: full of music
■in v Bonds!
Held Over thru TUES.
( bing CROSBY
hktty HUTTON
SONNY XUFXS
£
-liu IliK llil. . % f **•
lliMly 'l'»o >laiiyM 1 i' ■ £
.luck llnl«*> 1 L t*- Vi. :
■ «*»it I'lirkcr I I v
IIHii I.iikonI I 1 I?* ■■
One
Attend the
Matinees . . .
I void Crowds!
-CAPITOL
8.VI fin Ilk HU mill n-KHIO
Toil % I -S %T.
'•MOT’S FK IO IT”
Kol» llclly IIu( Ion
••81 hma him: \li«:iit”
llh'haril Arlrn - V\>mly lliirrlo
Tout, 'lodn, I to II |». in.
FUN
FELLOWSHIP
HEALTH
Join The
Y. M. C. A.
Dine and Dance
At PATSY IIIIOWM'S
SILVER CHALET
Ori'heklrn—Kvrry Snliirdny IS llr
I'Iddir IIo.r or mid II In llnnd
Moynihan's
AT
Lake Hitchcock
Now Feature*
(■OLDIE AND HISORK.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
NIGHTS
FINES! FOCI) A LIQUORS
PUONE - 4-074)
Jo* Stop* at Yard
PICCADILLY INN
MERIDEN ROAD at HITCHCOCK LAKE
BOB RADASSO and ENTERTAINERS
Dancing Every Friday and Saturday Evening
• LOBSTERS
• CHICKEN
DINNERS
• STEAKS
• CHOPS
PHONE 3-9738 — OPEN DAILY
WE CATER TO BANQUETS.
Joseph Cotton and Ginger Rogers in one o fthe scenes from "I’ll Be
Seeing You” now showing at the Loew-Poli Theater, the cast also in
cludes Shirley Temple. On the same program is ‘‘Grissly's Millions”
with Paul Kelly in the title role.
ti numbers giving Bing and Betty
miple opportunities to display their
ersatility. Highlighting th: hit
uues is ‘ Ac-cen-tchu-ate tire Posi
tive” while others include "Let's
Adte The Long Way Home.” "I
’romise You” and "There’s a Pella
Vatutin’ in Poughkeepsie.”
In addition to the three stars the
ast includes such favorite personal
ties as Catherine Craig, Neel Neill,
mn Doran and other Paramount
ovelles who add a decorative touch
/bile a chorus cf beauties lend their
talents and charm to the produc-’
tioiv
' One Body Too Many,” a delight
ful comedy-drama with Jack Haley.
Jean Parker and 3ela Lugosi is the
second hit of the current program.
Coming Wednesday next to the
State is Warner Bros.’ new lilt “Ob
jective Burma" starring Errol Flynn
with William Prince, George Tobias
and Henry Hull. The film is termed
as Warner Bros.’ successor to “Ser
geant York” and is said to surpass
P.s predecessor for thrills and ex
cil: ment.
Both living a
secret.. each
V afraid to tell! /
pSELZNICK INTERNATIONAL
presents
' GINGER ROGERS
challenging her unforgettable "Kitty Foyle"
JOSEPH COTTEN
[from his triumph in "Since You Went Away*
'SHIRLEY TEMPLE
in her first really grown-up glamour role j
J 1 in *,tr first real,y grown-up glanio
to Seeing Y<
9*1
ftElFASLD THRU UNlTtO aRIISTS
US —' „
Thrill, eh;,,,
Gnsslys Millions
grey
-1 Al L KELLY
THUD „ MARGARET O’BRIEN - JOSE ITURBI In MUSIC BOR
I nun ° MILLIONS - Pint - SELECTED SHORT SUBJECTS
For The Holiday — Dinner
And Cocktails At
SAL’S
RESTAURANT
SAL" BORRELLI, Prop.
East Main At Cherry St. Tel. 3-9770
BUY WAK STAMPS AND BONDS