Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1943)

Babies cannot be kept under glass to avoid contact with harmful germs in the air. But you can help protect your baby's skin with antiseptic baby powder. Test above of leading baby powders reveals antiseptic superiority of Mennen. Width of black ring around center of round plates shows antiseptic effectiveness (Mennen extreme right). NEW BABY POWDER IS VITAL HEALTH AID Science has developed an improved baby powder that is a valuable health aid, not a mere "cosmetic." It is new Mennen Antiseptic Baby Powder. Being antiseptic, it helps keep your baby's skin free of many rashes in which germs play a part . . . diaper rash, prickly heat, scalded buttocks, impetigo. Being smoother than other powders, because made by new "hammerizing" process, Mennen Baby Powder protects the skin better against painful chafing. Delicate new scent keeps baby lovelier. Best for baby, also best for you. Pharmaceutical Div., The Mennen Co., Newark, N. J., San Francisco, Toronto. 74 Brief Reviews (Continued jrom page 62) Bonita Granville, and carries them through the conflict of New Order versus human decency. Both Tim and Bonita give good account of themselves in the tragic business. (Mar.) HI YA, CH U M— Universal: Trekking westward is a merry little party of small-time vaudevillians, the Ritz Brothers and a sister team. Jane Frazee and June Clyde. The girls keep on helping the Ritz fits out of the trouble they always get into. Robert Paige is the romantic lead. (May) HOWS ABOUT IT— Universal: The Andrews sisters play elevator operators who yearn to be heard before an audience — and need we say all their yearns come true? Another little plot involving a suit against songwriter Robert Paige by Grace McDonald wanders around among the Andrews. Buddy Rich's band plays sweet music and Mary Wickes is cute as a secretary. (May) \S\/HUMAN COMEDY, THE— M-G-M: One of the finest human documents ever to appear on the screen is this picture showing the effects of war on a small-town community. Mickey Rooney takes on the job of night telegraph boy to help his family when his older brother, Van Johnson, is called to arms. John Craven, James Craig, Jack Jenkins, Frank Morgan and the whole cast do wonderful work. (May) yiCE CAPADES REVUE— Republic: Thrills on ice, with Ellen Drew a farm girl who inherits her uncle's ice show and starts injecting new life into the performances. Several of the skating numbers are terrific. Richard Denning is the romantic lead, Vera Vague and Jerry Colonna furnish the nonsense, and skaters Vera Hru'ba, Mergan Taylor, Jackson and Lyman and Phil Taylor provide the thrills. (Mar.) \/IDAHO — Republic: We think you'll enjoy this Western about a reformed judge who is framed because he tries to rid his community of vice and gambling. Ona Munson runs the gambling house, and Roy Rogers is the hero who is engaged to Virginia Grey, the judge's daughter, and foils villains Dick Purcell and Arthur Hohl in fine style. Smiley Burnette provides the comic relief. (May) \/>SlMMORTAL SERGEANT. THE— 20th Century-Fox: The quiet heroism of a group of British soldiers lost in the Libyan desert is beautifully told in this heart-piercing story with Henry Fonda as the bewildered shy young corporal who upon the death of his hard-bitten sergeant, Thomas Mitchell, leads the remnant of his little band back to safety after a triumphant victory. (April i \/\/lN WHICH WE SERVE— V.A.: Noel Coward wrote, produced, directed and acted in what is probably England's finest war film to date. It tells the story of a British destroyer from its inception to its final death struggle at the hands of a Nazi sub. Clinging to a life raft the half-dead survivors remember their homes and the events that made up their lives. It's pure artistry. (Mar.) yiT COMES UP LOVE— Universal: Donald O'Connor starts squarely on the road to stardom as the young hep-catter who refuses to be taken in by debbie Gloria Jean, but in order to please his aunt, Louise Allbritton, he agrees to see Gloria — and it comes up love. Both Miss Allbritton and Frieda Inescort are out to land Ian Hunter, Gloria's father. (May) \/JOHNNY DOUGH BOY— -Republic: Jane Withers plays a dual role in this — a movie star tired of being cast as a child on the screen and a youngster who has won a contest as her double. When such former kid stars as Bobby Breen, Spankv McFarland and Cora Sue Collins yearn to put on a Junior Victory Caravan, they appeal to Jane to help. Patrick Brook is a juvenile worth watching. (April) ^KEEPER OF THE FLAME— -M-G-M: When reporter Spencer Tracy tries to write the life of a dead national hero, he finds himself blocked at every turn by the great man's widow, Katharine Hepburn. His investigations lead him to a startling discovery, but by this time love has entered to complicate the case. The first part of the picture is very good, but the rest is heavy-handed. (April) KID DYNAMITE— Monogram: The Dead End kids are here again, with Leo Gorcey playing the bully and Bobby Jordan the kid who eventually turns on Gorcey and beats him up. Gabriel Dell and Huntz Hall are all over the place and Pamela Blake and Benny Bartlett are mixed up in it, too. (April) LAUGH YOUR BLUES AWAY— Columbia: Isobel Elsom is a silly social-minded matron who tries to marry off her son to the daughter of a millionaire and hires twelve guests, among them Bert Gordon and Jinx Falkenburg as phony Russians, to impress her victim*. Jinx registers strongly and Douglass Drake 'in g 1 work. (April ) MADAM SPY— Universal: A silly, ridiculous story, this one. with Constance Bennett married to newspaper correspondent Don Porter, who suspects her of being a spy. She isn't, of course, but a lot of time and film are wasted on the whole thing before Don catches on. (Mar.) </ MARGIN FOR ERROR— 20th Century-Fox: Otto Prerainger is magnificent as the loathsome German prewar consul-general to this country, and Milton Berle is excellent as the Jewish policeman assigned to guard him. Through Berle, Carl Esmond, the German's secretary, and Poldy Dur, the maid, become imbued with Americanism. Joan Bennett is good as the German's wife who is suspected of his murder (April) ^MEANEST MAN IN THE WORLD, THE— 20th Century-Fox: In this shorter than usual movie, Jack Benny and his ever-faithful Rochester reap several healthy chuckles. Benny is a small-town lawyer in love with Priscilla Lane and honest to the point of starvation. When Rochester hits on the idea of publicizing Benny as the meanest man in the world, success promptly hits him on the head. (April) yy MOON IS DOWN, THE— 20th Century-Fox: About the Nazi invasion of a small Norwegian town, this is grippingly real and beautifully acted by Henry Travers as the mayor, Lee J. Cobb as the vil lage doctor, and Dorris Bowdon. Sir Cedric Hard wicke is the Nazi commander and Peter Van Eyck the Nazi lieutenant who succumbs to loneliness. i May; MOUNTAIN R HYTHM— Republic: The Weaver Brothers take a long-promised vacation to California and then forego the restful life to recruit the student body of a snooty boys' school to help harvest the land of a departed Jap. (Mar.) MYSTERIOUS DOCTOR, THE— Warners: John Loder, an Englishman loyal to his German ancestors, is the instigator of all kinds of trouble. Eleanor Parker and Bruce Lester, a young Army officer intent on reopening a mine, are the romantic leads. (May) NIGHT TO REMEMBER, ^—Columbia: Loretta \ oung and Brian Aherne are a young married couple who move into an aparment building that houses all the victims of one blackmailer. Of course someone has to get murdered and the place is full of strange characters wandering around mysteriously. (Mar.) \/NO TIME FOR LOVE— Paramount: Claudette Colbert is a high-powered magazine photographer who photographs sand hog Fred MacMurray and then can't get him out of her mind. When her pictures cause him to lose his job, she hires him as her assistant. The story tries very hard to be very funn) but is only fairly so. (April) \/ OUT LAW, THE— Howard Hughes: After twe years Jane Russell and Jack Beutel finally make their screen appearance in this story of Billy the Kid. with Miss Russell disappointing and Beutel showing great promise. Despite its many ludicrous moments, it holds attention. Thomas Mitchell is the sheriff and Walter Huston Billy's bad-man friend. (May) ^PITTSBURGH— Universal: John Wayne, an ambitious coal miner, goes overboard in arrogance, deserts Marlene Dietrich for social Louise Allbritton and finally meets his comeuppance in defense work. Randy Scott is Wayne's partner who finally gets the girl. It's all as familiar as an old shoe. (Mar.) y POWERS GIRL. THE— Charles Rogers-UA.: A good little musical this, boasting Benny Goodman's orchestra, Anne Shirley and Carole Land'is as sisters. Dennis Day and his songs, and George Murphy as the boy both girls want. For the story, there's the timeworn theme of the big sister who wants a career more than anything and the meek little sister who wants nothing but George Murphy. (Mar.) OUIET PLEASE. MURDER— 20th Centurv-Fox: George Sanders is a thief of rare editions which he reprints and has sold by his aide. Gail Patrick. A library' guard is murdered during the theft and when German agents enter the picture complications and more murders occur. (April) RHYTHM PARADE— Monogram: All about a singer about to debut in a big-time show who keeps a baby in her dressing room, which stirs up a terrific hornet's nest. Ted Fiorita's orchestra. Gale Storm. Robert Lowry and the Mills Brothers head the cast. (Mar.) SECRETS OF THE UNDERGROUND— Republic John Hubbard, district attorney, and his girl friend. Virginia Grey, rind a corpse in a trunk, which almost leads to Virginia's death. As if this weren't enough. Nazi agents forge War Stamps and the women's auxiliary defense corps jump in and helps clean up the Nazis. (May) \A/SHADOW OF A DO UBT— Universal: Under the brilliant direction of Alfred Hitchcock this beci Tiit--. a masterpiece of suspense. Between Teresa Wright and her uncle. Joseph Cotten. there exists a warm bond until slowly suspicion that he is a mur derer creeps into her mind. Both give wonderful performances, as does MacDonald Carey. (Aprill SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON — Universal: In this episode, the famous sleuth, played by Basil Rathbone, and his faithful friend Doctor Watson. Nigel Bruce, block Nazi agents in their attempt to steal the four separate parts that make up a secret British bombsight. Lionel Atwill, as usual, plays the enemy. (April) SILENT WITNESS— Monogram: Frank Albert son. a criminal lawyer for a Black Market, is in love with Maris Wrixon. a beautiful investigator for the District Attorney. But no sooner does Frank reform than he is accused of murdering the D.A, Bradley Page. When all else tails to clear him. a police dog steps in and exposes the killer. (Mar.)