Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

^kott SulfSect Alpine Grandeur Vitaphone 10 Minutes A Colortour Adventure which will prove a welcome addition to the average program especially during the summer months when the gorgeous views of the Swiss Alps will have a cooling effect on audience members. E. M. Newman’s cameramen have photographed the blue-tinted lakes and towering snow-covered peaks and also accompany the tourists on a cable car ride up the dizzy slopes of the mountain. The climax shows three expert climbers risking life and limb to reach the top where the view is unsurpassed. Narration, Alan Kent. Bars and Stripes M-G-M 11 Minutes A snappy and laugh-provoking Tabloid Musical introducing two youthful personalities, Vyola Von and Dick Winslow, whose charm and singing talent compensate for a lack of “names.” The ridiculous but amusing story concerns a worried young orchestra leader who lands in jail on the eve of an important radio broadcast and the frantic efforts of the members of his band to join him there for a prison broadcast. All succeed except the comic tuba player, with his unsuccessful attempts furnishing much of the comedy. Miss Von’s swingy vocalizing during the action is a standout. The juvenile members of any audience will rate this “swell stuff.” Cocktail Party Universal 10 Minutes The talent in this Mentone subject has been recruited from night clubs and radio programs where they are clever performers in their own fields. Despite an attempt to give the short continuity by employing a make-shift story background, the specialists remain individual acts. Lucille Page in her fast tumbling dance is the standout, and the others, including Mary Iris Dooley, daughter of Johnny Dooley and Yvette Rugel, former vaudeville headliners; Ginger Snap, young comedienne formerly on a children’s radio program, and the Six Balabanows, a dancing and accordion turn, are lively and youthful players. Lew Parker appears as master of ceremonies. Colorful Bombay M-G-M 8 Minutes As the title suggests this is a splendidly variegated scenic containing the clear photography and informative and interesting narration common to all the Fitzpatrick Traveltalks. The spectator is taken on a tour of India’s greatest city, witnessing all levels of human life from the filthy street beggars to the richly robed maharajahs. Many of the natives’ unusual customs and age-old buildings and temples are shown. Suitable for a spot on any program. < I €HORT <^4^ OF THE WEEK Double Talk Vitaphone 10 Minutes In the past few months Charlie McCarthy, mischievous and impertinent little dummy, and his patient mentor, Edgar Bergen, have attained great popularity on the radio, and picture audiences will undoubtedly welcome another short featuring this hilarious ventriloquist act. Charlie, the rapscallion of Dr. Bergen’s orphanage, is fearful of being selected for adoption by a wealthy, and extremely ugly woman visitor. When Charlie meets a lovely southern girl he discourages the woman, hoping the girl will adopt him herself. To his dismay he learns that the girl is employed as nurse by the older woman. Charlie’s flirtation with the southern lass is the high spot in the merriment although the laughs are practically continuous throughout the action. Virginia Reed and Florence Auer capably appear on opposite ends of the beauty scale, but it is Charlie, with the expert manipulation of Bergen, who places this short among the laugh leaders. New News Columbia 18 Minutes The blundering efforts of Tom Kennedy and Monty Collins to secure a scoop interview for their paper bring about considerable laughter, enough to satisfy the average slapstick fan. Credibility, of course, is tossed out the window at the start as the pair manage to get jobs as cook and butler in the Vangage mansion in order to be on the scene when Mrs. V. announces her engagement to a bogus prince. Notwithstanding their atrocious service, Mrs. V. overlooks their mistakes until a false step pulls off her train at the height of her reception. Low comedy of the cheapest sort, and it will come as a shock to some patrons to witness Clara Kimball Young, silent-day favorite, parading about in the unmentionables. A fairly amusing tworeeler. Penny Wisdom M-G-M 10 Minutes Pete Smith has enlisted the expert services of Prudence Penny, noted home economist, in filming a Technicolor short which, in addition to considerable amusement value, offers many helpful hints to the young housewife. Miss Penny’s kitchen secrets are simple and designed to make cooking quicker and easier. Smith supplies his usual witty and wisecracking commentary during the action which pictures a helpless, slightly goofy bride who ruins the dinner on the night her husband is bringing the boss home. The frantic lady calls up Miss Penny who arrives in the nick of time, removes the burnt taste from the soup, makes the entree and dessert in only a few minutes and otherwise proves herself a good Samaritan. Gertrude Short gives a realistically dumb performance as the little wife and Miss Penny herself acts her part with ease and charm. Suitable for any program. Porky's Duck Hunt Vitaphone 9 Minutes The grown-up kiddies, as well as those of school age, will doubtless find enjoyment in this first-rate Looney Tune produced by Leon Schlesinger. 'The little stuttering pig decides to go duck shooting and, although well equipped with bullets, decoys and a complete hunting outfit, he has difficulty locating the elusive ducks. When he finally finds one it proves to be entirely too smart for him, so much so that it even shows Porky the proper way to fire his gun. After many more mishaps Porky returns home empty-handed where the scornful ducks outside his window give him the “bird.” Deserving a spot on any program, this cartoon is lacking in only one element, that of color. Rhythm on the Rampage RKO Radio 19 Minutes Ted FioRito, whose dance orchestra is one of the leaders in popular favor, attempts some slapstick acting during part of the footage of this nonsensical but fastpaced two-reeler. Although he manages to garner a few laughs, audiences would be better satisfied if he had been permitted to play a few more of his rhythmic orchestrations. The story concerns one of his orchestra who poses as Ted in order to impress a celebrity-hunting blonde. The girl, however, has a sweetheart who escapes from prison in time to interrupt their little tete-a-tete and the action winds up with the convict back in jail announcing a broadcast by the FioRito orchestra. Barbara Pepper excels in another hardboiled prisoner’s moll characterization. BOXOFFICE :: June 5, 1937. 33