The Film Daily (1938)

HI I 5 Wednesday, Feb. 16, 1938 1HE DAILY I .V :< REVIEWS Of THE REUI FILMS :< :< "The Invisible Menace" with Boris Karloff, Marie Wilson, Regis Toomey, Cy Kendall al [Warners 55 Mins. 4 sl,;!3nseful murder mystery vill-keep the nabe who-done it ans on edge. A mysterious murder with plenty of sustense will keep the neighborhood wholone-it fans on edge till the last shot has >een fired. Boris Karloff, Warners' thrill md chill man, is a hero in this one, alhough we doubted his innocence up to he fast minute through force of habit. Marie Wilson, Regis Toomey, Cy Kendall md Henry Kolker capably speed the action ilong, with the whole cast adequate. The rory is provided with an extra touch of chilling atmosphere by concealing the scene nf the crime in drifting banks of fog that :ioak the killer. Eddie Craven, a private it an island army post, returns to the stand with Marie Wilson, whom he married hat afternoon. Women are forbidden, and Craven hopes they can spend their wedding light safely in an experimental building, nut a murdered man is hanging to the wall. Vn investigation is immediately launched ind Commandant Henry Kolker calls in Cy I (endall, a government investigator, to handle the case. Kendall recognizes Karloff, a , civilian contractor working on the island, is being the same man who was convicted ome yearsago of theft on evidence testiied to by the murdered man. Karloff is :ircumstantially guilty, but Marie Wilson, n attempting to hide, has seen Regis Toomey, a lieutenant at the post, in a position away from his post that he can't explain. Toomey turns out to be the killer md Karloff is cleared in a fast moving .limax. There are some good laughs that lighten the story and director John Far:ow has given the pix a nice pace. ecfb CAST: Boris Karloff, Regis Toomey, vlarie Wilson, Henry Kolker, Eddie Craven, iddie Acuff, Cy Kendall, Charles Trowiridge, Frank Faylen, William Haade, Harand Tucker, Phyllis Barry. CREDITS: Producer, Bryan Foy; Director, John Farrow; Screenplay, Crane Wil>ur; Adapted from play by R. Spencer link; Editor, Harold McLernon; Cameranan, L. W. O'Connell I DIRECTION, Well Paced. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. ieligman to Distribute ICI Cinema Italian Pix Leo Seligman, associated with Jine Pix Co. of New York, has been lamed sole distributor, for all terriories East of Chicago, of the fea;ure films produced in Italy by ICI Cinema Industries, it was announced 'esterday. ICI's "II Destino" is iow current at the Broadway Cine Ionia, and, following its run there, vill be succeeded by two other imports, "Contessa Di Parma" and 'Cavalleria," Seligman states. Fifth for "Victoria" Minneapolis — "Victoria the Great" s now in its fifth week at the World Theater here. * S € R i n L * "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" (Serial — 15 Episodes) Universal 20 min. episodes The first three episodes seem to indicate that here is the last word in imaginative, sensational serials, that will not only have the kids whooping, but the older males as well. Based on Alex Raymond's newspaper strip, "Flash Gordon," which is syndicated all over the nation by King Features, here is a pre-ballyhooed serial that should be a cleanup. The convincing sets that simulate the unknown regions of Mars are extremely well done, and carry a great punch with their bizarre and weird effects. In the first episode, Flash Gordon and his fiance, and Dr. Zarkov, the scientist, along with a newspaper reporter, reach Mars in a rocket ship. Their purpose is to destroy a mechanism that is drawing all the nitrogen from the earth, the Martians requiring the nitrogen to fight their enemies, the Clay People. The second episode shows Azura, Queen of Magic and ruler of Mars, along with her ally, the Emperor of Mongo, through their electrical wizardry forcing the ship of the Earth adventurers down in the Valley of Desolation. Here the Martian troops attack them, but the Clay Men in the caves come to their rescue. The Clay King sends Flash and the Doctor to capture Queen Azura, telling them how this can be accomplished by depriving her of her magic jewel. They capture the queen, and as they make their escape to the flying platform, the Emperor of Mongo starts a giant oscillator machine in motion that destroys the great steel landing platform, and Flash and Azura and the Doctor crash to earth. This serial is weird and sensational and highly imaginative, having all the qualities that a serial requires to bring the customers back each week for more. Produced by Barney Sarecky. Directed by Ford Beebe and Robert Hill. International Projector Gives Dinner Tonight International Projector Corp. will tender a dinner tonight at 7:30 o'clock in the Hotel Pennsylvania to introduce its new Simplex E-7 Mechanism to the heads of projection departments of leading circuits and theaters. Herbert Griffin, IPC vice-president, will demonstrate the new projection unit and answer question dealing with the technical advances embodied in it. Some 20 film executives will attend the dinner, in addition to officers of General Theaters Equipment, IPC and National Theater Supply Co. A SHORTS -u "Head Hunters and Baby Dolls'* (Lowell Thomas' Going Places) Universal 9 mins. Fine Human Interest Native practices among the Malay natives on the west coast of Sumatra, once known as the headhunters. Now they only go through the performance in their dance ritual. The novel class system of these Nias Island people is explained, consisting of five classes: chief, magician, noble, commoner and slave. The industry that turns out millions of dolls made of dough every year, up at Clinton, Mass. It is a wood pulp and starch process, with a trip through the doll factory making everything clear. Here is an enormous business, as made clear to the audience as they see skilled hairdressers turning out the doll's tresses; the materials used for the dresses, and all the different operations required to turn out the complete dolls that retail from 10 cents to $10. Lowell Thomas does the narration. "Himber Harmonies" (Headliners) Paramount 11 mins. Smart and Snappy A day in the life of a busy orchestra leader, showing the rehearsals and the routine for the day. Opens with the band at morning rehearsal, playing the novelty number, "Sound Your A." Then to the. phonograph record recording studio, as they make a disc of the fox-trot ballad, "True Confessions." Alice Marion sings the lyric. Then to a broadcasting station, where the boys play "St. Louis Blues." They are accompanied by the Selinsky String quartet and the Adrian Rollini Trio. The day finishes at dawn of the next day, with Himber and his band in a night club spot, with Stuart Allen vocalizing "Blossoms on Broadway." Very smart and snappy. "Down On the Barn" (Mentone Series) Universal 17 mins. Lively Dance Material An old-fashioned barn dance, sponsored by Billy Jones and Ernie Hare, but done with modern trimmings. Charles Althoff, an old-time fiddler, arrives for the rehearsals. An extensive cast goes through the routine. The talent includes besides Jones and Hare, the following: Tom Emerson's Mountaineers, D a n z i Goodell, Clair St. Martin, Mac's Boys and Girls. A lively number that should go good in the small theaters. "Riding the Rails" (Betty Boop Cartoon) Paramount 7 mins. Subway Fun The exciting adventures of Betty Boop's dog, Pudgy, who insists on following his mistress when she goes downtown in the subway. He gets on the train, and then his troubles begin. After almost disrupting the train service, he is flung off, and is forced to walk the tracks back to the station, with trains whizzing down on him from all directions. When he finally arrives safely back home, he is cured of wanting to trail around town with Betty. "Good Looking Winners" (Sportlight) Paramount 10 mins. Smart Femme Athletes An attempt to show that the athletic gal is very often a good looker. Starts with views of the sporting types of the Gay Nineties. Then into the current numbers. The good looking girl champs are seen doing their stuff at hurdling, bowling, tennis, golf, trap shooting, horseback riding, game fishing, swimming and diving. Ted Husing does the narration on a very smart reel with excellent photography. "You Took the Words Right Out of My Heart" (Screen Songs) Paramount 7 mins. (Novelty Cartoon) First a cartoon section, showing kidding newsreel style shots of a lion tamer, a tight-rope walker, an actor, a sweepstake winner, all caught through a candid camera. There is a gag tied up with each shot. Then the title song is put over by Jerry Blaine and his Streamline Rhythm ork, with Phyllis Kenny vocalizing. A Max Fleischer cartoon with trimmings of reallife artists. Peppiatt Named Manager of UA N'Orleans Branch New Orleans — With the promotion of G. Richard Frank to the Indianapolis exchange, Cecil (Pep) Peppiatt has been appointed manager of the United Artists branch here. Peppiatt, who has been with Paramount, Vitagraph and United Artists, came here from Atlanta and assumed his duties this week. Frank, who was known for his ability to keep sales up and enjoy excellent relations with independent exhibitors, flew to New York Sunday and will proceed from there to Indianapolis. "Snow White" Big In Va. Richmond, Va. — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is expected to go a third week at the Byrd.