Word: screenplay
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...screenplay leaves nothing behind in its tour through the junkyard of old sports movies. When Rooney starts working in Thomas Mitchell's garage, that pulp-story fixture, the star driver with the mean streak, turns up every few minutes to trade bogus-looking punches with him. Some good dirt track races go sour because the drivers must constantly snarl, wave and shake their fists at each other. After winning a few big races, visualized with the weary device of flashing sports pages on the screen, Rooney's head swells, he hits the bottle, is ostracized for crashing into...
...Friend Irma (Paramount), as millions of radio fans know, is a dizzy, alluringly dumb blonde. Cy Howard, her CBS creator and co-author of the screenplay, has seen to it that in her first screen appearance, Irma (Marie Wilson) is just as her fans would have her. She keeps the butter in the oven, the egg beater under a sofa cushion; she short-circuits the plans of her boy friend (John Lund) and her roommate (Diana Lynn), and in general does everything in the least rational way possible. None of this is very funny and much of it is downright...
Given the sturdy talents of the two principals, there was a chance in this one for some bright comic touches. Unfortunately, Irwin Shaw, who wrote the screenplay, and Director Chester Erskine, who stumbled about in surplus dialogue and plot, failed to exploit the story's skimpy elements of suspense. Take One False Step sets out to be a sprightly whodunit. After the first reel, it turns into a sad case of who cares...
...Fountainhead (Warner), as titles go, is a stunning understatement. Based on the bestselling novel by Ayn Rand, who also wrote the screenplay, it is actually a geyser of emotional sounds and ideologically, signifying only that Author Rand-and possibly Hollywood-are uneasy about the state of the world...
...decent man caught in an indecent dilemma. Richard Hylton, in his first screen appearance, plays the difficult role of Carter's son with ease and assurance. Outstanding bit-player is the Rev. Robert Dunn, real-life rector of Portsmouth's St. John's Episcopal Church. His screenplay sermon on tolerance is a little masterpiece of low-keyed natural eloquence...