Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

JiDu 24. 1^39 SHOWMEN'S I>1 A D E R V I !<: W Page 47 Dates Shown Are Release Dales This department is primarily intended to convey important information regarding product on which no press book or ad material are available. Showmen who run pictures pre-release will find it a valuable source. Listings will appear but once. STOP, LOOK AND LOVE 20th-Fox Drama Not Set Selling Names: Jean Rogers, Robert Kellard, Minna Gonibell, William Frawley. Director: Otto Brower. Producer: Sol M. Wurtzel. Story Idea: Minna Gombell, trying to make an impression on Robert Kellard, her daughter Jean Rogers' boy-friend, only succeeds in scaring the young man so that he leaves the house. Jean is crestfallen and starts to leave town, but Kellard catches up with her and young love comes together again. Catchline: "Young love couldn't be frightened bv words." MR. WONG IN CHINATOWN Mono. Mystery -Drama Not Set Selling Names: Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Marjorie Reynolds. Director: William Nigh. Producer: William T. Lackey. Story Idea: Boris Karloff tries to solve the murder of a Chinese Princess who was killed while here on a secret mission. He learns that William Royle, captain of the ship that brought the princess^ and Peter George Lynn had cashed one of the princess's checks for a large sum of money the day she died, but that Huntley Gordon, the manager of the bank, is really responsible for her death Catchline: "He solved her murder by uncovering her mission." MODERN CINDERELLA Univ. Drama Not Set Selling Names: Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Nydia Westman, Onslow Stevens. Producer and Director: John M. Stahl. Story Idea: L-ene Dunne, a waitress, meets Charles Boyer and he asks her to spend the following day with him. Caught in a storm, which turns into a hurricane, they seek shelter in a church, and, believing they will never again see the light of day, acknowledge their love for each other. Boyer tells Irene he cannot marry her and when he introduces her to his wife, who is a mental case, she agrees to let him go out of her life forever. Catchline: "Stars of 'Love Affair' together again." ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ Col. Drama Not Set Selling Names: Brian Donlevy, Jacqueline Wells. Director: Charles Barton. Associate Producer: Wallace MacDonald. Story Idea: Brian Donlevy, of the State Attorney's office, is sentenced to the penitentiary to secure evidence about a bank robbery, using the alias of Red Murray, a desperado slain in the line of duty. He is almost stumped when Murray's sister, Jacqueline Wells, arrives, but he enlists her aid. Donlevy trails the suspect, after a jail break, and arrives in time to save the day and the bank's money. Catchline: "An escape for the good of justice." A WOMAN IS THE JUDGE Col. Drama July 10 Selling Names: Frieda Inescort, Otto Kruger, Rochelle Hudson. Director: Nick Grinde. Producer: Irving Briskin. Story Idea: The first case to come under I^"rieda Inescort's jurisdiction on the criminal court docket is that of Arthur Loft, charged with heading a lottery racket. Loft has records and photographs proving that his hireling, Rochelle Hudson, is Miss Inescort's missing daughter, and when he tries to use the evidence for blackmail, Rochelle refuses, and in self defense kills Loft. Miss Inescort resigns from the bench, and clears her daughter. Catchline: "Her mother was the judge — and her attorney" DESPERATE TRAILS Univ. Western Aug. 4 Selling Names: John Mack Brown, Bob Baker, Fuzzy Knight, Frances Robinson Director-Producer: Albert Ray Story Idea: John Mack Brown comes to a small western town to help end the reign of the outlaws who browbeat the people. Keeping his identity a secret, he finds that Russell Simpson, the sheriff and Clarence Wilson, the banker, are the men behind the outlaw gang. With some clever tricks, he beats them at their own game; then turns them over to the marshal. Catchline: "He beat the rustlers at their own game." HAPPY ENDING Pa; a. Drama Not Set Selling Names: Pat O'Brien, Olympe Bradna, Roland Young. Director: Lewis Milestone. Producer: George Arthur. Story Idea: Pat O'Brien's wife leaves him the night of the opening of their play, because he and his friend Roland Young imbibed too much liquor and ruined the show, even though she was expecting a baby. Twenty years later he receives a note from his "unknown" daughter, telling him she would like to meet him. When she arrives she helps him get back his former standing in the theatre, just before he dies. Catchline: "Affluent . . . yet he couldn't fool his own daughter." COLORADO SUNSET Rep. Western Not Set Selling Names: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, June Storey, Robert Barrat. Director: George Sherman. Assoc. Producers: William Berke and Harry Grey. Story Idea: Gene Autry and his Texas Troubadours, buy a ranch and a contract calling for the daily delivery of milk and then find themselves involved in a milk war. When hoodlums attack their cattle and Robert Barrat, local veterinarian asks Autry to join the "Dairymen's Protective Association." Autry gets busy and breaks up the association and the milk war. Catchline: "Gene Autry goes from cowboy to milkman." SHOULD HUSBANDS WORK? Rep. Drama Not Set Selling Names: James, Lucille and Russell Gleason, Marie Wilson, Harry Davenport. Director: Gus Meins. Assoc. Producer: Sol C. Siegel. Story Idea: Lucille Gleason decides to keep her husband's appointment for him, during his absence, and give his sales talk for a job . . . but she gets the job instead. Then Gleason gets started trying to right the wrong and purposely gives Lucille the wrong formula for a shampoo demonstration. It all ends by Gleason getting the job for himself and Lucille going back home. Catchline: "She tried to get his job for him by proxy." CRIMINAL AT LARGE Col. Drama Not Set Selling Names: Jack Holt, Patricia Ellis, Stanley Fields, Arthur Hohl. Director: Lewis D. Collins Producer: Larry Darmour. Story Idea: Jack Holt, because of his resemblance, is mistaken for a bank robber and given a twenty year sentence for a hold-up job. A fellow prisoner succeeds in getting Holt to join him in an escape, but they are captured. He is being cross-examined by the district attorney, when news comes of his robbing a bank, so he assists in finding the guilty man. Catchline: "A double that caused him trouble." MOUNTED POLICE #2 Col. Western Not Set Selling Names: Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith, Stanley Brown. Director: C. C. Coleman, Jr. Assoc. Producer: Harry L. Decker. Story Idea: Charles Starrett, Sergeant of the Royal Mounted, is forced to arrest Stanley Brown, the brother of Iris Meredith, his sweetheart, for the murder of Dick Curtis. Kenneth MacDonald and Edmund Cobb, patners of Curtis, who were after their illgotten wealth, had done the actual killing with Curtis' knife. When Brown is permitted to escape, in order to get the Mounties out of town, Starrett immediately suspects the real culprits and manages to get enough evidence to convict them. Catchline: "Their proven alibis convicted them." ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES 20th-Fox Mystery-Drama Not Set Selling Names: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Ida Lupino, Alan Marshall. Director: Alfred Werker. Assoc. Producer: Gene Markey. Story Idea: Basil Rathbone has consented to solve the murder of Ida Lupine's father and brother. He finds that whoever killed the brother, did so from a great distance — so that when watching Ida, he suddenly sees a man step out of the bushes and begin to whirl a Bolas, he immediately recognizes the murder weapon. He captures the man and finds that his motive was revenge against Ida's father, for killing his father. Catchline: "Sherlock Holmes solves a mystery within a mystery." Novelty Promotion Piece .A circular novelty mailing piece in which a disk may be turned to i reproduce photographs of the various characters in "Five Came Back" is a unit in the sales promotion campaign for the aviation drama. The recipient may use the mail piece as a game and guess as to which of the trapped persons survive and return to civilization from the jungle. On the reverse side of the novelty card are dramatic scenes from the production. The unit was originated by Leon J. Bamberger, sales promotion manager for RKO Radio Pictures.