The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1939)

IN THIS ISSUE: 6-POINT REVIEWS, THE SHORTS PARADE, PRODUCTION NUMBER ANALYSIS and the ALPHABETICAL GUIDE 6-POINT REVIEWS COLUMBIA Only Angels Have Wings (9001) Family Drama 122m. Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Richard Barthelmess, Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell, Sig Rumann, Victor Kilian, John Carroll, Allwyn Joslyn, Don¬ ald Barry, Noah Berry, Jr., Melissa Sierra, Lucio Villegas, Forbes Murray, Cecilia Callejo, Pat Flaherty, Pedro Regas. Directed by Howard Hawkes. With the names, the director, this should have emerged as a top box office entrant, but it is not with its length a handicap. Yarn has Cary Grant operating an air line, with its base at a South American seaport, for Sig Ruman. Showgirl Jean Arthur drops in, falls in love with Grant. Rest of the yarn concerns the romance between Arthur and Grant, the attempt of the line to obtain a government franchise over the tough route, the appearance of Richard Barthelmess to replace flier (Noah Berry, Jr.) killed in line of duty. Barthel¬ mess is not received in friendly fashion because of a yellow streak before, but he shows his real heroism when the crisis comes. It also develops that Barthelmess is an old flame of Arthur. Wind¬ up has Grant saving the franchise, winning the girl. Show has a saleable title, names, an interest¬ ing melodramatic background, but it does not seem to make the most of its assets. Estimate: Sell the names. Spoilers of the Range (9206) Family Western 5 8m. Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith, Dick Curtis, Kenneth MacDonald, Hank Bell, Bob Nolan, Edward LeSaint, Forbes Murray, Art Mix, Edmund Cobb, Edward Piel, Sr., Sons of the Pioneers. Directed by C. C. Coleman, Jr. In a western with the traditional amount of fisticuffing and shooting, and more hard riding than in three, Charles Sarrett here (again) pol¬ ishes off the big bad men who would by hook or crook corner the water rights of the valley to force cattlemen to pay huge sums in tribute. Paul Franklin’s original permits Iris Meredith a bigger part than merely to supply femininity for the final fade-out. Here she takes an active part in convincing the ranchers to take the law into their own hands, much against the better judg¬ ment of Starrett, sheriff-pal Hank Bell. It all winds up satisfactorily, with the key crooks — saloonkeeper Edmund Cobb, henchman Dick Curtis being killed in the climactic gun fight. The sons of the Pioneers after several action¬ stopping songs (providing, however, a chance for the audience to catch its breath). Chalk this one up as one of the better Starretts. Estimate: One of the better Starretts. METRO It’s a Wonderful Family World (93 6) COMEDY DRAMA Claudette Colbert, James Stewart, Guy Kibee, Nat Pendleton, Frances Drake, Edgar Kennedy, Ernest Truex, Richard Carle, Cecilia Callejo, Sidney Blackmer, Andy Clyde, Cliff Clark, Cecil Cunningham, Leonard Kibrick, Hans Konried, Grady Sutton. Directed by W. S. Van Dyke, II. Ever since "It Happened One Night” sneaked in, kept the cashiers busier than the proverbial hornet, critics have been comparing every half¬ way decent, sophisticated screen comedy with it. "It’s a Wonderful World,” we unhesitatingly preditt, will open up a new avenue of compari¬ son. This Claudette Colbert-Jimmy Stewart comedy approaches the Colbert-Gable triumph on many counts, although the story similarity seems more than merely co-incidental. Instead of having a girl trailed by cops, this time it is the man. Private detective Stewart escapes from the police while en route to the state pen. His crime was conspiracy against the law; his con¬ spiracy was an attempt to keep his client, Ernest Truex, from getting first-hand experience on the electric chair. While the law pursues Stewart, he meets Colbert. Then Colbert pursues. To¬ gether, they outwit police, pin the crime charged to Truex on Frances Drake, Sidney Blackmer. The two leads are played to perfection by Stew¬ art, Colbert; Guy Kibbee clicks as Stewart’s partner, Nat Pendleton, Edgar Kennedy are — of all things — priceless, as the two dumb dicks. We can’t explain the myriad humor-packed situations running rampant for almost an hour and a half. Estimate: Big money comedy. MONOGRAM Boy’s Reformatory (3820) Family Melodrama <lM. Frankie Darro, Grant 'Withers, David Durand, Warren McCollun, Albert Hill, Jr., Bob McClung, George Offerman, Jr., Frank Coghlan, Jr., Ben Welden, Lillian Elliott, Tempe Pigott, John St. Polls, Jack McHugh, Kathryn Sheldon. Directed by Howard Bretherton. When it comes to making photoplays featur¬ ing youngsters, we doubt whether any company has a higher batting average than Monogram. The fact that the company has done more -with Jackie Cooper, Frankie Darro than any of the majors more than bears it out. Here, with Frankie Darro starring in another juvenile delinquency yarn, Monogram provides the exhibitor with a topnotch supporting six-reeler for dual bills. Darro is sent to the reformatory when he takes the rap for Frank Coghlan, Jr., on the promise that the latter will go straight. Once at the school, Darro becomes a model inmate, is ap¬ pointed trusty to aid doctor Grant Withers. He gets involved with a group breaking out of the "school," but helps the police round up Ben Welden’s mobsters, the toughies responsible for the youngsters going wrong. Estimate: Swell support on duals. PARAMOUNT Gracie Allen Murder Case Family Comedy Mystery 75 m. Gracie Allen, Warren William, Kent Taylor, Ellen Drew, Donald MacBride, Horace MacMahon, Jed Prouty, Jerome Cowan, H. B. Warner, Wil¬ liam Demarest, Judith Barrett, Al Shaw, Sam Lee. Directed by Alfred E. Green. With Gracie Allen driving Warren (Philo Vance) William and the rest of the cast batty, the audience to tears from an overdose of laugh¬ ter, this screwy takeoff on mystery yarns is des¬ tined to create a surprise flurry at the boxoffice. Word-of-mouth comment will be the best advertising medium for the film. At times, direc¬ tor Al Green allowed some commonplace slap¬ stick to sneak in, but the onlookers will be too busy laughing to notice those weak five minutes. Gracie’s date, Kent Taylor, is tossed into a jail on a murder charge invented by his consort. Wil¬ liam enters the case, takes Gracie with him be¬ cause she’d be tougher to handle if she were on the other side. After one screwy sequence fol¬ lows another, William solves the murder mystery; Gracie’s accidental discovery uncovers H. B. War¬ ner as the master-mind behind it all. Gracie Allen’s screwball antics dominate the action, al¬ though William’s suave Philo Vance is a definite standout. Taylor, Ellen Drew make a nice ro¬ mantic team in their brief appearances. The late S. S. Van Dine scripted a great story for the zaniest of comediennes. Estimate: High-rating comedy programmer. Family Grand Jury Secrets melodrama 68 m. John Howard, Gail Patrick, William Frawley, Jane Darwell, Harvey Stephens, Porter Hall. Di¬ rected by James Hogan. A fast-moving newspaper yarn with a dash of "ham” radio operators, this minor Paramount bit can neatly serve its purpose in the supporting role on duallers. John Howard, whose amateur radio tinkering is only second to his reportorial job, gets involved with a group of spurious stock promoters. His brother, Harvey Stephens, being the assistant district attorney investigating the promoters, Howard gets himself in a bit of a jam. By posing as a priest, he gets a true confession from a murder suspect, and brings down upon his own head the wrath of his mother (Jane Darwell) , imprisonment for withholding informa¬ tion from the grand jury. He talks his way out of jail in time to talk himself into a "ride” by the crook chieftain. Before he has a chance to taste lead poison, his fellow radio “hams” gang up on the would be assassin. Estimate: Pleasing d nailer with a novel twist. Invitation to Happiness Family Drama 95m. Irene Dunne, Fred MacMurray, Charlie Ruggles, Billy Cook, William Collier, Sr., Marion Martin, Oscar O’Shea, Burr Caruth, Eddie Ho¬ gan. Directed by Wesley Ruggles. This one has about everything to appeal to both class and mass. Definitely in the hit class, it should register some nice profits at the box of¬ fice. Story concerns an egotistical prize fighter, whose ambition to become a champ is temporarily stymied through a hasty marriage to Irene Dunne, a socialite who adjusts herself to the new mode of living after a regretful divorce to stand by May 17, 1939 311