Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Page 8 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW May 13, 1939 Invitation to Happiness Para. (HoUywood Freviezv) Drama 95 mins. Skillful Direction And Acting Plus New Prize Ring Theme Puts This In Hit Class (National Release Date, June 16) Cast: Irene Dunne, Fred MacMurray, Charlie Ruggles, Billj' Cook, William Collier, Sr., Marion Martin and others. Based on story by Mark Jerome. Screenplay by Claude Binyon. Produced and directed by Wesley Ruggles. Plot: Fred MacMurray is an arrogant prize-fighter, obsessed with the idea of becoming heavyweight champion. He meets Irene Dunne, a socialite, when Charlie Ruggles, his manager, sells a half interest in his contract to William Collier, Sr., Irene's father. They fall in love and marry, and Irene is forced to be alone a great deal, while 7.IacMurray pursues his ambitions. Their youngster, Billy Cook, is ten years old when MacMurray finally gets a chance at the championship — but by that time the marriage has gone on the rocks and Billy lives with each parent six months of the year. Instead of going to training camp before the fight, MacMurray stays with the boy and trains in town, but vows to win the fight so that the boy might learn to love him. It is only after MacMurray loses the fight gamely, that he wins back' his wife and son. SUMMARY: A new and unique theme makes this latest picture of the prize-fighter and the lady story, bid for hit grosses. It is excellently acted and Wesley Ruggles, the producer-director, has skillfully directed it, so that it plays on every emotion and should have a tremendous audience response. Irene Dunne and Fred MacMurray share top acting honors with portrayals that are unusually fine, giving the picture its charm and humanness. Very close behind, and also splendid, are Charlie Ruggles, William Collier, Sr., and ten-year-old Billy Cook, a youngster who displays exceptional talent. The production values given the picture are very good. Boxing gloves and other gymnasium paraphernalia should be used for lobby dressup. Your local newspaper will cooperate with pictures of well-known fighters, past and present. Use teaser heralds reading "A Knockout For You." OUTSTANDING: Irene Dunne, Fred MacMurray and direction and production. Catchline: "The fight that won him the championship ... of his home." (FAMILY) Hotel Imperial (Hollyzvood Previezv) Para. Drama 70 mins. Milland Earns Picture Honors As Isa Miranda Again Misses Boxoffice Fire (National Release Date, May 12) Cast: Isa Miranda, Ray Milland, Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, the Don Cossack Chorus and others. Screenplay by Gilbert Gabriel and Robert Thoeren, based on Lajos Biro's play. Directed by Robert Florey. Plot: Isa Miranda, touring company leading lady, leaves her company at a small border village alternately occupied by Aus Legion of Decency Ratings: I For Week Ending May 13) SUITABLE FOR GENERAL PATRONAGE Panama Patrol Singing Cowgirl Six Gun Rhythm Tell No Tales Grade Allen Murder Case Nancy Drew, Trouble Shooter SUITABLE FOR ADULTS ONLY Dead Men Tell No Tales Invitation to Happiness Rose of Washington Square Torchy Blane Runs For Mayor CONDEMNED Wages of Sin Indiscretions trian and Russian troops, in order to try and solve the mystery of her sister's "suicide". She aids Milland, trapped Austrian officer, to pose as a waiter and falls in love with him. Naish, a Russian spy posing as an Austrian officer, returns with news of a proposed Austrian attack. Milland kills him in a fight, and she covers his escape by accepting blame for the shooting. He warns the Austrians in time, then returns with his troops to save her facing a firing squad. SUMMARY: Here is an attempt to create a major piece of entertainment which fails mainly because Isa Miranda, in her second picture, stills falls short of that something we call boxoffice lure. Several illogical spots in the plot are also contributory factors. Ray Milland as the star's leading man earns top honors, with Reginald Owen offering his customary fine performance as the amateur painter, Russian commander. Also outstanding are Gene Lockart and Curt Bois as hotel employes. Musically effective, but not helping the plot or speeding up action any, is the Don Cossack chorus. Heavy, and effective production costs, will hardly be apparent in boxoffice returns. Possibility of military encounters between Russia and middle Europe may add exploitation value. Sell the new star as you'll be playing her again. OUTSTANDING: Ray Milland's performance. Catchline: "She played a chambermaid to save an army." (FAMILY) Only Angels Have Wings (Hollywood Preview) Col. Drama 122 mins. Powerful Drama, Stark and Grim In Its Reality, Makes Potential High Grosser (National Release Date, May 25) Cast: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Richard Barthelniess, Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell, Sig Rumann, Victor Kilian, John Carroll, AUyn Joslyn, Donald Barry, Noah Beery, Jr., others. Original story by Howard Hawkes. Screenplay by Jules Furtliman. Produced and directed by Howard Hawkes.. Plot: Jean Arthur arrives in Barranca, a small South American seaport, where a commercial airline is operated by Grant. She falls in love with him, but her love is not reciprocated because Grant feels that women and the sky do not belong together. During a treacherous fog, one of the pilots. Beery, Jr., is killed, and Grant assigns Barthelmess, a renegade, to take his place. The brother of Mitchell, also employed by Grant, had been killed because of Barthelmess' carelessness. To complicate matters further, Barthelmess is married to Rita Hayworth, who had jilted Grant in the States. In another hazardous flight, Mitchell and Thomas crash in their plane, and Mitchell is killed, meanwhile praising the heroism of Barthelmess, who takes off again and saves the franchise. Grant discovers he loves Jean. SUMMARY: A powerful drama, stark and grim in its reality, makes this a picture that should definitely be one of those legendary smash box office successes. It has a romance rich with human quality, magnificent trouping, good marquee names and nothing short of superlative direction by Howard Hawks. There are many hazardous flying stunts that wrill win raves from your audience, among which are a landing and takeoff on a narrow strip of land overhanging a 1,000 foot precipice and the tailspinning of a tri-motored plane in flames. Grant and Jean Arthur each seem to live the roles they portray. Thomas Mitchell, Richard Barthelmess and Sig Rumann are outstanding in supporting roles. The title is excellent for tieups with banks, travel bureaus and for cooperative newspaper ads from local merchants. Conduct a photography contest for candid camera fans, in which they are required to submit shots of anything with wrings. Get your patrons to act as amateur ad-writers and submit catchlines on the picture. Large heads of Jean Arthur and Cary Grant, plus action backgrounds, should dominate your front. OUTSTANDING: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur and the direction. Catchline: "Devil-may-care romance in a mighty setting." (FAMILY) Some Like it Hot (Hollywood Preview) Para. Comedy 62 mins. Bob Hope For Fans, Krupa For Jitterbugs Only Draw Found In Plot-Shy Musical Film (National Release Date, May 19) Cast: Bob Hope, Shirley Ross, Una Merkel. Gene Krupa, Bernard Nedell, and others. Screenplay by Lewis R. Foster and Wilkie Mahoney from play by Ben Hecht and Gene Fowler. Directed by George Archainbaud. Produced by Bill Thomas. Plot: Hope, a carnival barker with managerial ambitions, and his pickup band, headed by Krupa, keep just a hair's breadth ahead of financial ruin. He meets Ross, ambitious but unknown singer and they agree to a partnership. His fourflushing loses a ring she gave him to pawn and a new song, also the band and the girl who, minus Hope, go into the money. She still cares, so he is taken back' after sharp hardship. SUMMARY: What could have been one of the year's better small promotional pictures loses its chance, since the writers failed to give Hope, rising comedian though he is, enough to sell the film as a hit and the cutting room used so little of Krupa that word-of-mouth advice among the jitterbugs will keep their trade down to the opening For Additional Exploitation Ideas on These Pictures Consult the Encyclopedia of Exploitation — See Page 17