Love and Pearl Smuggling
Blend in Keith’s Feature
; By Jay Carmody
It is a routine package of melodrama that Universal-International
has put together in “Singapore,” new attraction at Keith’s. The
participants, principally Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner, are the
suave type engaged in romance touched here and there with some
restrained dashes of pearl smuggling. The suspense element is developed
to a greater extent than in some melodramas you may have seen. It does
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yond the stature of a program
picture, the equivalent of a piece of
summer fiction you might have idled
through a month ago.
This is nost war Singapore that
is being talked about, although there
is a flash-back to relate its theme
to the days when the Japs were
coming, and finally came.
Seton I. Miller is the author who
Imagined the whole thing, and Mac
Murray plays the character who is
major in the composition. MacMur
ray’s man is an oid Singapore hand
who has two reasons for flying back
there as soon as he is discharged
from the American Navy.
; The first of these is to find the
girl played by Miss Gardner. They
were to have been married the night
the first bombs fell. The indications
are that one of these killed Miss
Gardner, but MacMurray has wisps
of doubt on this score. His other
reason for coming back is that he
hid $250,000 worth of smuggled
pearls in his hotel room. He is a
gambler who plays long shots, you
see, and he is betting that he might
even find both the girl and the
pearls he left behind that night five
years ago.
* * * *
Author Miller, and his director.
John Brahm, are not the types to
rush violently into a decision on
their hero’s long-shot bets. In order
to take their time, they resort to
the device of using subordinate
characters who are urbane and un
hurried in deportment. There is a
British customs inspector chief, a
perfectly mannered chap played by
Richard Haydn, with whom Mac
Murray can stage an icy duel of
wits. This is diverting, and not with
out its humor, for both are actors
who like to throw a bright line away
in the interest of a slow, but sound,
laugh.
Another cool character worthy of
MacMurray’s talent for verbal fenc
ing in a soft-spoken, gravely dis
ppm Hpnlpr nlavpri bv Thomas
Gomez.
As gem smugglers go, “Singapore"
takes care to keep its hero from
being classified as unworthy of the
audience's sympathy. It makes the
point that he is a good sort who is
merely in that business for the ex
citement of it, an American who
J_ikes nothing better than outwitting
the British, especially his friend, the
inspector.
It is while the three-cornered
Where and When
Current Theater Attractions
* and Time of Showing
Stage.
National — “Lady Windermere’s
Fan”; 8:30 p.m.
Screen.
Ambassador—“Life With Father”;
1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:25 and 9:40 p.m.
Capitol—“The Unfinished Dance”;
10:45 a.m., 1:35, 4:25, 7:10 and 10
p.m. Stage shows: 12:50, 3:40, 6:30
and 9.15 p.m.
Columbia—"Mother Wore Tights”;
11 a.m., 1:05, 3:10, 5:20, 7:25 and
9:35 p.m.
Hippodrome—“How Green Was
My Valley”; 2, 3:55, 5:55, 7:50 and
9:50 p.m.
Keith’s—“Singapore”: 11:55 a.m.,
1:50, 3:50, 5:50, 7:50 and 9:50 p.m.
Little—“Fantasia”; 11:05 a.m„
1:05, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20 and 9:30 p.m.
Metropolitan—“Badmen of Mis
souri”; 11 a.m., 12:45, 2:35, 4:20
6:10, 8 and 9:45 pm.
Palace—“Desert Fury”; 10:45 am.,
12:55, 3:05, 5:15, 7:25 and 9:40 p.m
Pix—“I’ve Always Loved You”;
2:15, 4:40, 7:05 and 9:30 p.m.
Trans-Lux—News and Shorts.
Continuous from 10:15 a.m.
Warner—“Life With Father”;
11 a.m., 1:10, 3:15, 5:25, 7:35 and
9 45 p.m.
AMUSEMENTS
TWO BIG HITS!
OPEN 7:30
LAST NIGHT
RONALD DOUGLAS
COLEMAN FAIRBANKS
"PRISONER OF ZENDA"
At 7:30 & 10:40
2ND BIG HITI
"CLUB HAVANA"
at 9:30
} Adm. Adults .50 Child. 25
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/ to 5 I I SEATS
1 ACADEMY AWARD
WINNER
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WITH CHORAL SINGING
BY THE WELSH SINGERS
OPEN l.M NOW
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“SINGAPORE,’’ a Universal-Internation
al Picture with Pred MacMurray, produced
by Jerry Bresler, directed by John Brahm,
screenplay by Seton I. Miller and Robert
Thoeren, based on an original story by
Miller. At Keith’s.
THE CAST.
Matt Gordon-Pred MacMurray
Linda - Ava Gardner
Michael Van Leyden_Roland Culver
Chief Inspector Hewitt_Richard Haydn
Mrs. Bellows-Spring Byington
Mr. Mauribus-Thomas Gomes
Mr. Bellows - Porter Hall
Sascha Barda_George Lloyd
Ming Ling_ _ . Maylia
Rev. Barnes—__Holmes Herbert
Miss Barnes- Edith Evanson
Cadum -Frederic Worlock
Mr. Hussein-Lai Chand Mehra
Sabar-H. T. Tslang
battle for the jewels is on that Mac
Murray discovers that the girl is
providentially still alive and that he
is as madly in love with her as be
fore the war. The ironic twist in this,
however, is that the bomb which
exploded near her that night left her
with a complete loss of memory.
Their tender romantic past, their
plan to wed as the Japs were coming,
,and all else have left her mind and
she is the wife now of a planter who
has been devoted to her since they
met in a Japanese prison camp.
“Singapore” audiences are not be
trayed in their conviction that Mac
Murray is going to win both ends of
this double-header, the recovery of
his cached gems and the girl after
she ,has recovered her memory.
This takes an ending that the pro
PURSUED—Not because she
is charming, which she is, but
because she is in possession of
a dark, dangerous secret is
Deborah Kerr in “The Adven
turess.’’ The melodrama opens
Saturday at the Hippodrome.
ducers of "Singapore” seem to fancy
as more tricky than it actually is on
the screen.
None of the players in the melo
drama have to work very hard to
achieve the ends for which they were
selected. They all do quite glib jobs,
especially MacMurray as the rugged
American. Haydn as the velvet
voiced British inspector with the cal
culating mind, and Gomez as the
rapacious gem dealer who remains
smooth only so long as he does not
seem to be losing.
Miss Gardner again gives a per
formance which makes you feel she
is turning out better than you ex
pected.
The slick production leaves Singa
pore looking as if it was coming
along fine with its reconstruction.
AMUSEMENTS AMUSEMENTS
Today, H‘n*" *^uc yiEST • •
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of tf»« Morion*
k 10tt«ler Br0^®rS.
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k ond oul-rode
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;<'4n Al% AAKM ■ Re-Release Starring
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WAYNE MORRIS
JwPrP*ffwnWI ARTHUR KENNEDY
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Hollywood:
Magician Role
Lands Orson
Hands Down
By Sheilah Graham
Orson Welles is flying to Italy to
play the lead in “Cagliostro” for
Edward Small! Orson has only just
returned from Europe. But he’s a
boy who loves to travel. fThe role
of Cagliostro — a magician — suits
Orson to a “T.” .
Howard Hawks tells me that he
definitely is going to do “the sun
also rises” as his next movie. The
star will be Montgomery Clift. Mar
garet O’Sheridan will be tested for
the leading lady. Both are com
parative newcomers. But that has
never scared Mr. Hawks. He gave
Lauren Bacall her first big oppor
tunity, if you remember.
* * * *
Ingrid Bergman triumphs! Every
body who was competing with a
Joan of Arc movie has given up. |
Michele Morgan is out of the French
Joan of Arc; David Selznick has
abandoned his plans to star Jen
nifer Jones as Joan; and Gabriel
Pascal has shelved Shaw’s "St.
Joan” for two years. The reason?
They don’t want to compete with
Ingrid. That’s being very sensible.
Dana Andrews has a unique
clause in his contract with 20th Cen
tury-Fox. If he is called into the
; studio during the six weeks’ rest
that follows each of his movies, his
contract is void. You can imagine
how careful they are not to call him.
Bing Crosby has whittled his
transcribed radio show beginning
next month to 36 weeks only. This
gives him four months of rest. I
still think that Mary Hatcher will
grab the lead opposite Bing in
“Connecticut Yankee.”
* * * *
Robert Montgomery beat Lee
Bowman to the punch when he
bought “Come Be My Love.” Lee had
his heart set on doing the Robert
Carson magazine serial.
Rita Hayworth’s 17 dresses bought
(See HOLLYWOOD, Page A-25.)
AMUSEMENTS_ AMUSEMENTS
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G&uuttctSlkuix.,/ Of Pl^3
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The Picture That Couldn’t Be Stopped!
CHARLES CHAPLIN. ,*#!
presents W#" 7
in
MONSIEUR VERDOUX*
!
The Strangest Man of
the Century—in a Bold
and Daring Comedy—
with Drama, Pathos,
Even Slapstick!
He's Absurd, Funny,
Diabolical, Dramatic.
But Remember — A
Warning — Come Pre
pared for the Most
Startling Experience
You Have Ever Under
gone in a Motion Pic
ture Theater!
CHARLES CHAPLIN m "MONSIEUR VERDOUX"
(man MARTHA RAYE «nd ISOBEL ELSOM • ROBERT LEWIS
■ad introducing for the first time MARILYN NASH
Written and Directed by CHARLES CHAPLIN
Associate Directors Robert Florey and Wheeler Drydea
Released thru United Artists
DOWNTOWN
STARTS TOMORROW! '!* STARTS TOMORROW!
' Cent.'U AM. to 2 AM.
-And Also at the K-B Neighborhood Theaters
APEX NAYLOR SENATQR ATLAS
4813 Most. Ay*. N.W. 28th & Alabama Ay*. S.E. Benning Rd. b Minn. Ay*. S.E. 1331 H St. N.E.
aTkV 1™*? 1 PLENTY OF FREE PARKING AT K-B THEATERS |
* \
_AMUSEMENTS _AMUSEMENTS_ AMUSEMENTS
,SEE Margaret CBrien*^
talented dancer!
BRIGHTNESS!
BIGNESS!
M-G-M PRESENTS . . . GORGEOUS
GIRLS...EXQUISITE DANCING...RAP
TUROUS MUSIC...DAZZLINGLY RICH
TECHNICOLOR
ALL THIS ... AND DRAMA. TOOI
CYD CHARISSf • KARIN BOOTH... Mm DANNY THOMAS * A Henry Koster Prgdiictiiff
Saw by MYIES CONHOllT. BmdN'Ut Mil Oil CY6NE by MU IWWNO • Doicttf by HENRY KOSTIR • Nfoced by JOf PASHWAA • » M«tr« S*>*bUyo *hn
J I GEORGE M. COHAN, JR. \\\\,
j Li THE SON OEJYANKEE DOODLE DAWDY Y%JvV
JOHNNY MCLAUGHLIN at the piano \|q5
W THE D’lVONS • GARY MORTON
DESIGNS IN DANCING. LATEST FASHION IN COMEDY
JACK HOLST & MILADY Olympic Champion. onjTho Horlaontal Bar. ^(J"L
IQEW’S CAPITOLS
il
Screenplay by ROBERT ROSSEN • A Paramount Picture
tOLOR CARTOON “Undo Tom's C»bsaaue Poto Smith's “I tov« My Wift BufeM.B.M. M«»l
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