Detroit evening times., 1945-06-11
O'Rourke'
Fast Film
BY CHARLES GENTRY

NO MATTER if your favorite
comes in first in the Derby today,
film bettors can't lost with Salty
O'Rourke," the racehorSe entry in
the cinema sweepstakes which got
an early start at the Michigan
yesterday.
Track fans may take exception
TO this Milton Holmes story. but
screen addicts. particularly those
who like Alan Ladd, will un-
doubtedly eat il up.
This time the Stoical Ladd PLAYS
a gambler who finds himself in
debt 10 a crooked "bookie" for
twenty grand. To get out from
under, he buys a spirited horse
for two bars of a song and then
smuggleS a disbarred Jockey into
the saddle as his brother, because
this youngSter, Stanley Clements,
is the only one who can ride this
temperamental nag.
Since Clements is posing as
Ladds kid brother, he has to
attend a track school and teacher
happens to be Gail Russell, an at
tractive miss with whom all the
under-age jockeys are only to will
ing TO stay after school.
The blackboard glamour girl,
Gail Russell, however, happens to
have crush on Ladd and for that
reason strings along with the
Jockeys crush, although the odds
are against her getting even
around the far turn.
DOUBLE-TIMER
The jockey, Clements. wakes up
TO reality the night before the big
race and dickerS with the crooked
"bookie" in order to get even with
his frustrated romance.
Miss Russell however. makes
one of those starting post pleas
and Clements has a change of
pace at the last minute. bringing
his mount in the winner, although
it costs him his life.
It's a faSt-moving melodrama
with Ladd in his usual on-the-
loose type of role. He and William
Demarest make a realistic pair
and fans will undoubtedly go for
him again, although the best per-
formance in the picture is turned
in by the tough "Dead-End"
Clements, who doesn't miss a
trick even when he isn't reading
the Racing Form.
ALAS. TOO YOUNG
Miss Russell is too inexperienced
for the role and while she is quite
charming she can't, for a minute
convince you that she can hold
the reins over the kind of school
she keeps.
Spring Byington. as the teachers
mother, Is Just as sweet as ever,
but the sacccharine touches are
easily removed by the few drops
of humor in the piece. -
One of the features we liked
best is that the crucial race is run
without the movie audience hav-
ing to stand up in the grandstand
to look at it.
AT PALMS-STATE
There is no doubt that some
thing lacking in our humor depart
ment. bQt Fred Allen isn't very
funny TO us on the screen. Maybe
he should have stood in radio. but
once he gets in front of a camera.
as in It's in the Bag" the current
exhibit at the Palms-State, we
stop laughing.
This is a parody on murder
mysteries with Mr.. Allen sur
rounded by many mysterious char
acters and some radio comics
whose gags are even more.
frightening.
A barker for a flea circus. Allen
finds himself the sole heir to y
million dollars which disappear
the minute he tries TO claim them. /.
The Swindle has been performed /.
by the same little clique which did
away with his rich uncle, so Allen, |
pursued by nagging wife, fret
ting daughter and a Quiz Kid of
son, tries 10 SOlNe tne puzzle.
MORE COMEDIANS
His various exploits bring him
in contact with Jack Benny, Vic
tor Moore, Rudy Wallace, Don
and almost anybody you
can hear from by tuning in to
your favorite station.
There are some amusing situa-
tions. like the night club sequence. .
but for the most part, they should
have kept this one in the bag and
never let il out.
AS a matter of fact. Brew
ster's Millions" the latest version
of this annual laugh hit, which is
on the same bill is a much funnier
picture. We haven't seen it, but
we saw Its in the Bag" so il /