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SHORTS REVIEWS<br />
Tex Beneke and His<br />
Orchestra<br />
(Martin Block's Musical Merry-Go-Round)<br />
MGM 10 Minutes<br />
Good. Second in the new series is an informal<br />
telling of a success story interspersed<br />
with the playing of several of the most popular<br />
Beneke and Glenn Miller records by Martin<br />
Block. Beneke, a broad-shouldered, likable<br />
guy, joined Glenn Miller's orchestra in the<br />
early part of the war. When Miller was reported<br />
missing v/hile entertaining the troops,<br />
Beneke took over and brought Miller's musical<br />
aggregation continued success.<br />
Freddy Martin and His<br />
Orchestra<br />
Very good. First of a new series starring<br />
America's No. 1 disk jockey is a lively and entertaining<br />
short with both band and film star<br />
value. Keenan Wynn, MGM comedy star,<br />
comes in to interview Martin Block as he sits<br />
at the turntable with a supply of records to<br />
play. Freddy Martin is then seen as well as<br />
heard playing "Cumana," "Tonight We Love,"<br />
based on the Tchaikovsky concerto, and<br />
"Come to the Mardi Gras."<br />
Jungle Closeups<br />
20th-Fox (Movietone Adventure) 8 Minutes<br />
Very good. Movietone's long-range camera<br />
gels some remarkable closeup views of South<br />
Africa's wild life in its natural habitat in the<br />
5,000,000-acre Kruger National Park in eastern<br />
Transvaal. This short has the best shots of<br />
giraffes, zebras, monkeys and lions seen in<br />
recent years. Ed Thorgerson adds some<br />
amusing narration.<br />
Olympic Class<br />
Swiss Cheese Family<br />
Robinson<br />
20th-Fox (Terryloon) 7 Minutes<br />
Good. Mighty Mouse again comes to the<br />
rescue of some unfortunate rodents in a novel<br />
cartoon subject. The victims of a shipwreck<br />
toss a bottle with a message into the sea.<br />
They land on a desert island and are almost<br />
devoured by cannibals before the message<br />
reaches the mouse relaxing on the sands of<br />
Miami Beach. Of course, he dashes to rescue<br />
and vanquishes the cannibals.<br />
Tex Beneke & Orchestra<br />
Univ-Int'l (Name Band Musical) 15 Minutes<br />
Good. A Number of old and new dance<br />
favorites make this a pleasant short. There<br />
is "Moonlight Serenade," long the identifying<br />
theme of the late Glenn Miller, who formerly<br />
headed the Beneke orchestra. In addition,<br />
there are: "Over the Rainbow" from the<br />
film "Wizard of Oz," "Too Late," "Sleepy Time<br />
Gal," "Blue Is the Night" and "Kalamazoo."<br />
Beneke and the Moonlight Serenciders handle<br />
the vocals.<br />
Opinions on the Current Short Subjeets-<br />
Snow Capers<br />
Univ-Int'l (Two-Reel Special) 19 Minutes<br />
Good. A little late for the winter season<br />
but still an interesting filler. There are striking<br />
scenes of the Canadian Rockies around<br />
Banff, Alberta, with beautiful shots of ski<br />
experts speeding down the mountainsides.<br />
There also are several scenes of midwinter<br />
swimming in an outdoor pool heated by natural<br />
springs. Mel Allen, radio sports announcer,<br />
handles the narration.<br />
A Feather in His Hare<br />
Warner Bros. (Bugs Bunny Special) 7 Minutes<br />
Hilarious. Bugs Bunny is in top form as he<br />
tangles with a not-so-bright Indian intent on<br />
capturing his scalp. Bugs is captured several<br />
times, but the Indian doesn't give up easily.<br />
He manages to lure Bugs into an improvised<br />
tepee barber shop for the purpose of scalping<br />
the rabbit. The carrot-munching rascal knocks<br />
the Indian unconscious and places a bunch<br />
of cigars in his fist. At the close the Indian<br />
complains to Bugs that he is the last Mohican.<br />
Bugs looks up to the sky to find a stork<br />
delivering a baby Indian. This stork is followed<br />
by a squadron of storks carrying miniature<br />
Bugs Bunnies. They chorus, "What's up.<br />
Pop?"<br />
The Friendship Train<br />
Warner Bros. (Documentary) 14 Minutes<br />
Good. The foreword to the reel by Harry<br />
Warner explains that the film was made as<br />
a gesture of thanks to the millions of Americans<br />
who contributed gifts to the Friendly<br />
Food train. The film follows the course of the<br />
train from its gala sendoff in Los Angeles,<br />
eastward across the U.S. Contributions of<br />
food are shown being piled into boxcars as<br />
the train lengthens in its journey to New York.<br />
Drew Pearson, originator of the Friendship<br />
Food train idea, is depicted at various stops<br />
the train makes, personally helping to load<br />
the boxcars and thanking food contributors.<br />
Dwight Weist and Andre Boruch are narrators.<br />
20th-Fox (Movietone Sports Review) lOMins.<br />
Good. A group of aqua queens demonstrate Teddy, the Rough Rider<br />
that they have what it takes to achieve<br />
Olympic class. The American girls, Ann<br />
Warner Bros. (Technicolor Special) 20 Minutes<br />
Curtis, Marilyn Sahner, Nancy Merki, Jeanne Good. Sidney Blackmer, who plays Theodore<br />
Roosevelt in the film, "My Girl, Tisa,"<br />
Wilson, Suzanne Zimmerman and Zoe Ann<br />
Olson, work at making top speed swimming portrays the feature role of the Rough Rider<br />
turns under the eye of coach Charlie Savage. in this rerelease. The film offers particular<br />
Other athletic events narrated by Mel Allen appeal to civic and school groups. The short<br />
are Robert Bennett of Brown university, for follows his career from 1895 when he became<br />
track and field; Bob Fitch, discus thrower, police commissioner of New York City to his<br />
and Dr. Steve Seymour of Los Angeles, javelin d'eath. There is a brief exciting scene of the<br />
expert.<br />
action in the Spanish-American War. Blackmer's<br />
portrayal of Roosevelt is effective. His<br />
speeches are a trifle over-long.<br />
Thanks, America<br />
Warner Bros. (Italian documentary) 27 Minutes<br />
Interesting. Incum, Rome, newsreel producer<br />
in Italy, has donated this documentary<br />
account of the distribution of the Friendship<br />
Food train gifts for showing in the U.S. to<br />
Warners. Footage concentrates mainly on<br />
shots of unloading of the food gifts and the<br />
reactions of the Italians when they ore told<br />
the food will go to children. Orson Wellse is<br />
narrator. The film is particularly suited for<br />
showing in Italian neighborhood houses.<br />
What's Brewin Bruin?<br />
Warner Bros. (Merrie Melody) 7 Minutes<br />
Amusing. The bear family decides to go<br />
to sleep for the winter. The baby bear is<br />
built like Garantua and speaks in a manner<br />
reminiscent of Finnegan on the "Duffy's Tavern"<br />
radio show. Papa bear spends the winter<br />
trying to stop a leak in the roof and attempting<br />
to prevent the baby bear from<br />
crushing him to death in his sleep. They<br />
share the some bed. When papa finally is<br />
prepared to get some sleep, spring downs.<br />
In the Newsreels<br />
Movietone News, No. IG: President describes '<br />
reactionaries as "lloogie birds"; American ,;<br />
flour arrives in China; helicopter tested; carni- i<br />
val in Rio; films of "Tokyo Rose" who enter- 9<br />
tained GIs in the Pacific; Ming leads a dog's 9<br />
life; navy wrestling; U.S. Olympic star takes '1<br />
ski jump. ^<br />
News of the Day, No. 250: Democrats open %<br />
presidential battle of 1948; starving China to- \<br />
day; quintuplets for the Leos; baseball in the<br />
|<br />
air; one-man helicopter; carnival time in Rio.<br />
Paramount News, No. 53: Joe Louis; Selassie<br />
attends Epiphany rites; Mountbatten calls on<br />
maharajah; fashions—spring and summer; political<br />
fireworks begin; Red Cross trailer.<br />
Universal News, No. 120: Truman keynotes<br />
1948 campaign; U.S. food arrives in China;<br />
spring rains flood Seville and other Spanish<br />
towns; colorful carnival in Rio; hill-climbing<br />
machine demonstrated at Seattle; billiard<br />
champ shows amazing skill at Barcelona-<br />
Gregory Peck appeals for Red Cross.<br />
Warner Pathe News, No. 55: Demonstrate<br />
plans for Turks; Mountbatten honored by<br />
maharajah- Democrats at Jackson day dinner;<br />
feeding China's needy; this was "Tokyo Rose";<br />
canaries in melodrama; London art show.<br />
• ^,<br />
Movietone News, No. 17: Atom bomb kills<br />
"<br />
i<br />
40, injures 100; United Nations faces a crisis;<br />
'>':<br />
first films aboard an illegal ship; Czecho-<br />
Slovakia taken over by Communists; President ,<br />
Truman's trip; General Eisenhower in civilian -;.<br />
life; Los Angeles Freedom Train; 15 to I long jj<br />
shot beats Assault. J<br />
News of the Day, No. 251: The Palestine *<br />
tragedy; explosion rocks Jerusalem; United 1<br />
Nations crisis; the Hagonah ship drama; new |<br />
look for General "Ike"; Czechoslovakians in •»!<br />
chains. 5<br />
Paramount News, No. 54: Communists con- sj<br />
trol Czechoslovakia; Truman the tourist; Eisen-<br />
|<br />
hower in civilian clothes; Palestine and the s<br />
United Nations.<br />
Universal News, No. 121: United Nations -t<br />
ponders Palestine crisis; bomb explosion in °<br />
Jerusalem; refugee ship seized by British;<br />
Truman tours the Caribbean; third pctrty candidate;<br />
General "Ike" dons civilian clothes.<br />
Warner Pathe News, No. 5B: U.S. rejects<br />
force in Palestine; Henry Wallace and Senator<br />
Taylor; Truman in the Caribbean; Eisenhower<br />
dons civilian attire; long shot wins<br />
Widc-ner cup race; Reds take over Czecho- ^<br />
Slovakia; Great Americans—Sam Houston. m<br />
Telenews Digest, No. 7: South boycotts Jack-l<br />
son day dinner; Bulgarian exile tells of fightl<br />
with communism; US. coins get treasuryl^<br />
check: tea imports put to U.S. taste test; should:*<br />
women be permitted to drink in bars alone?;-*<br />
Latin-American nations join to fight delinquency;<br />
the inauguration of President Ramon<br />
;<br />
Vallegos; Mexican rodeo shows off co-wboys i<br />
and tractors: Czechoslovakian cavern will be- j'l<br />
come national tourist spot; Samoan king pre- .1<br />
fers to be GI soldier; facsimile broadcasting,<br />
the women's world; Florida—the same old<br />
'.<br />
story; European wrestling championship; j<br />
Celebes ox fighting.<br />
All American news, VoL 6, No. 279: Howori<br />
graduate is new Notre Dame librarian; NegroJ<br />
minister elected head of Brooklyn church<br />
federation: 4-year-old Dayton, Ohio, boy composes<br />
and plays o-wn piano numbers: annual<br />
sports festival in Congo is great demonstration<br />
of skill; annual carnival held in New<br />
Orleans.<br />
All American News, Vol. 6, No. 280: Joe Louis<br />
and wile Marva sail on Queen Mary for exhibition<br />
tour of Europe; President speaks to-<br />
Jefferson day dinner; Thomas family of Jack<br />
sonville, Fla., rears triplets; Emperor Haile Se-jl<br />
lassie and Marshal Montgomery revie-w<br />
troops; All American news cameraman covers<br />
President Truman's Caribbean journey.<br />
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12<br />
BOXOrnCE BookinGuide :: Mar. 6, 1948,<br />
J