The Film Daily (1939)

12 3*fc Tuesday, April 4, 1939 -r REVIEWS OF THE n€UI flLRIS^ "Broadway Serenade" with Jeanette MacDonald, Lew Ayres, Ian Hunter, Frank Morgan Metro 114 Mins. (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) LAVISH EYE-FILLING MUSICAL RATES WITH THE BEST AND SHOULD PUT EXHIBS. IN CLOVER. Here is one of the most lavish, eye-filling musicals to come to the screen in many moons. Robert Z. Leonard functioned in the dual capacity of producer and director and turned in praiseworthy work. In her initial solo starring assignment, Jeanette MacDonald does splendid acting and has never been in better voice. Lew Ayres gives an unusually fine performance as the husband of Jeanette, who encourages her rise to stardom, but who walks out on her when he believes newspaper stories regarding her and Ian Hunter, backer of the show. However, there is a happy ending. Frank Morgan is an important member of the cast, while Al Shean, William Gargan, Wally Vernon, Rita Johnson, Virginia Grey and Katharine Alexander are among the principals who do good work. One of the highlights is the finale, an elaborate musical number conceived and directed by Busby Berkeley. Seymour Felix's staging of the "Madame Butterfly" and "Flyin' High" numbers was effective. Herbert Stothart, Edward Ward, Gus Kahn, Bob Wright, Chet Forrest and Walter Donaldson supplied the songs. Charles Lederer wrote the screenplay based on the original story by Lew Lipton, John Taintor Foote and Hans Kraly. Oliver T. Marsh's photography is exceptionally good. Ian Hunter, who is backing Morgan's musical, persuades Morgan to give Jeanette a chance in the show. This splits up Jeanette and her husband, Lew, as a team. While Jeanette soars to stardom, Lew, who is a composer, is encouraged in his work by Al Shean. Lew reads gossip columnists' stories regarding Jeanette and Hunter being in love. Lew quarrels with Jeanette, and she gets a divorce from him. On the day she is to sail to England to marry Hunter Lew comes to her with the news that he has sold his score. Morgan is to be the producer and Morgan induces Jeanette to star in the musical. Hunter withdraws in favor of Lew, and a happy reconciliation follows. CAST: Jeanette MacDonald, Lew Ayres, Ian Hunter, Frank Morgan, Wally Vernon, Rita Johnson, Virginia Grey, William Gargan, Katharine Alexander, Al Shean, Esther Dale, Franklin Pangborn, E. Allwyn Warren, Paul Hurst, Frank Orth, Esther Howard, Leon Belasco, Kitty McHugh, Kenneth Stevens. CREDITS: Producer, Robert Z. Leonard; Director, same; Authors, Lew Lipton, John Taintor Foote and Hans Kraly; Screenplay, Charles Lederer; Art Director, Cedric Gibbons; Associate, Joseph Wright; Cameraman, Oliver T. Marsh; Montage effects, John Hoffman; Editor, Harold F. Kress; Musical Director, Herbert Stothart; Music and Lyrics, Herbert Stothart, Edward Ward, Gus Kahn, Bob Wright, Chet Forrest, Walter Donaldson; Vocal and Orchestral Collaboration, Leo Arnaud, Leonid Raab; Dance Director, Seymour Felix; Finale Number, Busby Berkeley; Musical Presentation, Merrill Pye. DIRECTION, Praiseworthy. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. "The Kid from Texas" with Dennis O'Keefe, Florence Rice, Anthony Allan M-G-M 70 Mins. (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) ENJOYABLE COMEDY DRAMA SHOULD PROVE HIGHLY ENTERTAINING TO ALL AUDIENCES. A very enjoyable comedy drama is this story of the polo playing cowboy in society. As top grade program fare, it should prove highly entertaining to all audiences. As an outdoor athletic fellow, Dennis O'Keefe is a very likeable person. Under S. Sylvan Simon's direction O'Keefe turns in his best work to date, he is far more limber than he has been and more sure of himself, and he handles his comedy in splendid style. Jessie Ralph is very good, as is Jack Carson, Buddy Ebsen and Florence Rice. They all take part in the situations that furnish some good solid laughter, which is due in a large measure to the excellent direction of Simon. The picture shows a lot of directorial touches that put over scenes, it moves fast, and everything possible is gotten from the material. The screenplay was written by Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf and Albert Mannheimer from a story by Milton Merlin and Byron Morgan. Edgar Selwyn, the producer, invested the production with characteristic M-G-M class mountings. As for plot, O'Keefe, a cowhand, meets Florence Rice and her brother, Anthony Allan, while they are in Texas buying polo ponies. O'Keefe wants to be a polo player so he follows them back to Long Island. Too, he likes Florence a great deal. He is a cock-sure sort of fellow, but in a comical way. He gets himself disliked by a lot of people including Florence. However, Jessie Ralph, Florence's aunt, thinks he's all right and sponsors him. A situation arises where even his horse thinks he has made a heel of himself, with that, O'Keefe gives up society for the circus, putting on polo matches between cowboys and Indians. Florence discovers she really loves the fellow and after a misunderstanding in which a girl with the show figures, he and Florence finally get together. CAST: Dennis O'Keefe, Florence Rice, Anthony Allan, Jessie Ralph, Buddy Ebsen, Virginia Dale, Robert Wilcox, Jack Carson, Helen Lynd, J. M. Kerrigan, Tully Marshall. CREDITS: Producer, Edgar Selwyn; Director, S. Sylvan Simon; Authors, Milton Merlin, Byron Morgan; Screenplay, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, Albert Mannheimer; Cameraman, Sidney Wagner, ASC; Art Director, Cedric Gibbons; Associate, Stan Rogers; Editor, Frederick Y. Smith; Montage Effects by Peter Ballbusch; Musical Score, Dr. William Axt; Song: "Right in the Middle of Texas," by Ormond Ruthven, Milton Merlin and Albert Mannheimer. DIRECTION, Able. PHOTOGRAPHY, Very Good. Golden Boy Is Found Columbia yesterdav found its Golden Boy. Signed for the title role in the film version of Clifford Odet's stage hit was William Holden, a "find" of Rouben Mamoulian. It will be his first screen role; Holden has had brief stage experience with the Pasadena Community Playhouse. "The Night Riders" with The Three Mesquiteers Republic 58 Mins. SPLENDID WESTERN EQUIPPED WITH TOP-FLIGHT STORY AND STRONG AUDIENCE APPEAL. Featuring the actionful John Wayne, Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune, here's a Jamup western which throbs from start to finish with all those ingredients which spell entertainment to prairie pix addicts. Story has a solidity rarely found in the cactus drama realm, and, had Republic elected, the script might easily have furnished a base for a feature of true epic proportions. Right off the first reel comes an innovation as far as sagebrush sagas are concerned, — a sequence filmed aboard a river boat in the still of night which is broken promptly by flying fists. This episode, growing out ot an argument over a card game, sets the pace for all the pulsating events which are to follow, and which present the Wayne-Corrigan-Terhune trio riding furiously in cape and mask to smash the cruel dictatorship set up by the card-sharp cheat of the aforementioned river boat incident. This villain is raised to power over a vast area in the Southwest via the forging by a fellow crook of a land grant which the U. S. innocently declares genuine. Gouged by the dictator, who imposes excessive land rent, the ranchers are forced either to vacate their homes or clear out of the district. Even President Garfield is powerless to aid until evidence is found which will prove the dictator a law-violator. In true Robin Hood fashion, the Three Mesquiteers clean up the situation but not until horses are ridden to a froth, and audience is lashed to a lather of excitement. Cast is capable; Jack Marta's photography excellent; and George Sherman's direction skillful. CAST: John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, Max Terhune, Doreen McKay, Ruth Rogers, George Douglas, Tom Tyler, Kermit Maynard, Sammy McKim, Walter Wills, Ethan Laidlaw, Edward Peil, Sr., Tom London, Jack Ingram, William Nested. CREDITS: Associate Producer, William Berke; Director, George Sherman; Screenplay, Betty Burbridge, Stanley Roberts; Cameraman, Jack Marta; Editor, Lester Orlebeck. DIRECTION: Skillful. PHOTOGRAPHY: Excellent. IATSE District Conclave Set for Akron June 4-5 Akron, 0. — Arrangements have been completed for a two-day IATSE convention at Portage hotel here June 4-5. More than 100 delegates from the eighth district, comprising Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky, will be here for the sessions, and in addition there will be at least 150 visitors. At least three international officers are expected to attend the convention. Asher on His Own Boston — Harry Asher is distributing independently following _ his resignation as GN eastern divisional manager. South Australia Weighs Film Legislation — Hake Possibility that South Australia will soon have legislation passed similar to the recently enacted films bill in New South Wales was foreseen yesterday by Clay V. B^ke, managing director in AustraliaJ^i 20th-Fox, who arrived in New York over the week-end after breaking his trip from the Coast by attending the company's convention in Chicago. Hake told The Film Daily that a movement for legislation in South Australia has gained considerable momentum recently, and in all probability it would be passed in the near future. He also said that an amendment calling for licensing of theaters, with several other clauses possibly being added to it, was being talked of in Victoria which already has a statute covering the film industry. Addition of South Australia law would give three of the six states of the Commonwealth of Australia film laws. He said that the general economic condition of the country was good and that company business last year was the best on record. He expects to be here several weeks for conferences with Walter J. Hutchinson, director of foreign distribution for the company, before he starts his return trip to Sydney. Some 78 films, including the studio lineup, the company's British program, and other pictures purchased for the market, will be handled by 20th-Fox in Australia during the coming season, 12 less than last year, Hake said. Weatherford, Bell to See France as Metro's Guests Six winners in Metro's "Marie Antoinette" contest, including two theater managers and four patrons whose prizes will be all-expenst round trips to France, were announced yesterday by Howard Dietz ad-publicity director. More thar 10,000 entries were submitted fron throughout the U. S. and Canada. Sextet embraces Frank Weather ford, Worth Theater, Ft. Worth Texas, and Ray Bell, Loew's The ater, Washington. Winning movie goers, who submitted the best 300 word essays on "Why I Should Liki to Visit the Country of Marie An toinette," are Miss Mary M. Canak Mount Mary College, Milwaukee Miss Helen Virginia King, Denver Miss Effie Burkhalter, Amarillo Tex., and Mrs. Helen Szold, Chicago The six winners will sail from Nev York on the Normandie, on May 3. Five judges were Count Henr d'Ornano, director of the Frencl Government Tourist Bureau; Ed ward F. Knight, publicity directo for the French Line; William Lewir Department of Secondary Educatio of the National Educational Ass'n David Blum, of M-G-M's Interna tional Department, and William I Ferguson, Metro's exploitation hea<