Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1939)

Uctohcr 14, 1939 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 15 The Flying Deuces (Continued from page 6) pal Laurel to drown with him to forget their troubles. They are told a better way to forget is to join the Foreign Legion for a few days. They do and there they meet Hardy's love, Jean Parker, who is now married to Reginald Gardiner, the officer in the Foreign Legion, who got them to join. They are assigned to all the hard labor tasks of the Legion and when they set fire to the piles of laundry they are court-martialed to be shot at sunrise. But they escape prison through a tunnel. They get hold of an air,ship, which after a crazy chase, they wreck. Hardy is killed, but is reincarnated and comes back' as a horse to keep Laurel company. Comment: Laurel and Hardy fans will welcome this picture with open arms; although a little additional cutting, to bring the laughs closer together, would help considerably. The comedy antics of the pair are on a par with their best past efforts and with better story material, would top most of their previous films. The script is loaded with plenty of gags, topped by a symphony l)layed on bed springs — a swell noveltj'. The supporting cast, headed by Jean Parker and Reginald Gardiner, turn in good performances. Fine direction by Edward Sutherland threads the piece together in an able manner. The production of Boris Morros is grand, but it is too bad he did not have better story material for his first try. Dress house staff in Foreign Legion attire and lobby like outpost. Give prizes for best essays on "Do You Believe In Reincarnation?" (FAMILY) Catchline: "Reincarnation brought him back as a horse." AUDIENCE SLANT: O.K. FOR THE LAUREL AND HARDY FANS; CUTTING WOULD BRING THE LAUGHS CLOSER TOGETHER. BOX OFFICE SLANT: BEST SPOT ON DUAL BILLS WHERE COMEDY WITH SOME DRAW IS NEEDED. Fast and Furious ( Hollywood Preview) MGM COMEDY DRAMA 71 mins. (Prod. No. 6— Nat'l Release, Oct. 6) Credits: Franchot Tone, Ann Sothern, Ruth Hussey, Lee Bowman, Allyn Joslyn, John Miljan and others. Original screenplay by Harry Kurnitz. Directed by Busby Berkeley. Produced by Frederick Stephani. Plot: When his secretary-wife, Ann Sothern, makes his office hotter on a hot day, amateur-sleuth and bookseller Franchot Tone decides they should go away for a vacation, and accidentally on purpose Seaside City is selected not only because college pal Lee Bowman has borrowed $5,000 to invest in a Beauty Pageant there, but also l)ecause Tone is to be one of the judges. He finds out that Bowman's partner, John Miljan, is going to run a.\v3.y with the receipts and one of the bathing beauties and that Bowman becomes involved in the murder of the latter two. Tone almost loses his wife, is thrown into jail and into the midst of a lion act and finally finds the stolen money and the murderer just before the big pageant is to go into its finale. Comment: Directed at a fast and furious pace and backed by a production that would do credit to an "A" picture, this will more than hold its own in the top spot of double bills. Tone is more easy-going than in any of his past pictures and he is helped along by Ann Sothern in as good a role as her last big hit, "Maisie." Director Busby Berkeley gets many hilarious and tense moments from both and also the splendid supporting cast headed by Lee Bowman, Ruth Hussey, John Miljan, Frank Orth and Mary Beth Hughes. Harry Kurnitz has supplied a fresh, fast and up-to-date screenplay and deserves an extra hand for the lion-taming bit which affords a two minute belly laugh. Make a tie-up with a resort bureau. Run a bathing beauty contest and if possible borrow a cage and lion from the zoo for lobby display, dressing the house staf¥ in circus uniforms. (FAMILY) Catchline: "He tried to shape things up at a beauty pageant and had his wife thrown in for good measure." AUDIENCE SLANT: PLENTY OF GOOD LAUGHS AND FAST ACTION. BOX OFFICE SLANT: GOOD FOR TOP OF DOUBLE BILLS. DRAWING POWER NOT SUFFICIENT TO STAND ALONE. Sabotage Republic DRAMA 69 mins. (Prod. No. 913— Nat'l Release, Oct. 13) Credits: Arleen Whelan, Gordon Oliver, Charley Grapewin, Lucien Littlefiekl, Paul Guilfoyle, J. M. Kerrigan, Dorothy Peterson, Don Douglas, Joseph Sawyer, Maude Eburne, others. Original screenplay by Lionel Houser and Alice Altschuler. Directed by Harold Young. Associate Producer, Herman Schlom. Plot: When a new bomber is sent up on a test flight, it crashes and three men are killed. Since motors in other ill-fated planes had come from the same factory. Government men come to the small town for an investigation. Oliver, an employe, is arrested on circumstantial evidence. Immediately his fiancee Arleen Whelan, and his father, Grapewin, set about gathering evidence that will free him. With the aid of his veteran cronies from the Veterans' Home, Grapewin succeeds in rounding up the conspirators. The sabotage ring is broken, and Oliver is free to marry Arleen. Comment: "Sabotage" is a pleasing programmer, well acted by a competent, if not too well known cast, and capably directed by Harold Young. In dealing with a menace that becomes all the more important during these troubled European days, the film is especially timely if not too significant. Arleen Whelan is lovely to look at as the Broadway showgirl who decides to marry and settle down in a small town, but her assignment is not one to put much of a strain on her acting talents. Gordon Oliver, in the featured male role, is satisfactory. It is Charle)^ Grapewin, as the former army major, who stands out with a sincere and believable characterization. In selling "Sabotage," make up a display of headlines about the European conflict for your lobby and front. Have an inquiring reporter question pedestrians concerning the origin and meaning of the title-word. For feminine appeal, arrange women's shop tieups on Arleen Whelan fashions. (FAMILY) Catchline: "Spies invade America — as power-crazed governments extend their ruthless drive for domination of the world." AUDIENCE SLANT: IT WILL PLEASE AVERAGE AUDIENCES AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. BOX OFFICE SLANT: BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE OF "NAMES," IT WILL NEED ANOTHER FEATURE FOR SUPPORT. IF SOLD HEAVILY, HOWEVER, IT MAY GET BY ON THOSE DAYS WHEN MELODRAMATIC AND ACTION FILMS ARE MOST POPULAR. Marx Bros. "At the Circus MGM COMEDY 87 mins. (Prod. No. 8— Nat'l Release, Oct. 20) Credits: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Kenny Baker, Florence Rice, Eve Arden, Margaret Dumont, Nat Pendleton, Fritz Feld, James Burke, Jerry Marenghi, Barnett Parker. Screenplay by Irving Brecher. Directed by Edward Buzzell. Produced by Mervyn LeRoy. Plot: When Margaret Dumont learns that her nephew and heir, Kenny Baker, has forsaken society to buy a circus, she disinherits him. Not discouraged, Kenny seeks to modernize the circus and borrows $10,000 from Burke, his general manager. Certain the show will be a success, Burke contrives to steal the money, thus preventing Kenny from being able to meet his obligations and permitting Burke, himself, to take over a good thing. Kenny has hidden the money in the man-eating gorilla's cage. Chico, handyman, engages Groucho, self-styled "legal eagle," to handle Kenny's legal affairs. The money is stolen, and Groucho, with the assistance of Chico and Harpo, conceive a hilarious method to recover it and bring Burke to justice. Kenny wins the hand of Florence Rice, one of the circus performers. Comment: Full of Marxian gags, offset by a romance between Kenny Baker and Florence Rice and a plot to take away Baker's circus, this is a comedy that should have packed houses roaring with laughter. When the brothers are not taking advantage of every situation to get across their inimitable brand of buffoonery, they are displaying their talents in other ways — Chico at the piano, Harpo playing the harp and Groucho singing and dancing as only Groucho can sing. The story, what there is of it, takes a back seat as the gags pile on each other in rapid succession. Baker has opportunities to sing several songs while Florence Rice listens with rapt attention. As the harassed society matron Margaret Dumont is again at the mercy of Groucho, much to the delight of the audience. Your front should be circus style using canvas and sawdust. Members of the house staff might be dressed as clowns and if possible a couple of girls in dance costume might swing on a "flying trapeze." Have a barker, peanut vendor and balloon man for added atmosphere. Tie up with music shops on the songs as well as the musical instruments featured. (FAMILY) Catchline: "A three ring circus of hilarity with the Marx Bros, at their funniest." AUDIENCE SLANT: THOSE WHO LIKE THESE COMEDIANS WILL LAUGH LONG AND LOUDLY. THE PICTURE WILL GO OVER BEST WITH A FULL HOUSE. BOX OFFICE SLANT: THE POPULARITY OF THE MARX BROS. ALONG WITH A GAG-FILLED CAMPAIGN SHOULD INSURE SATISFACTORY GROSSES. Field's Footprint Stencil J. P. Field, manager of Warner's Grove Theatre in Chicago has created a simple yet efifective bit of exploitation that can be used for any picture, although he used it for "Gracie Allen's Murder Case." He made a footprint stencil by the simple expedient of buying a sponge from the local five and ten. This was cemeted to a shoe and cut to shape of the foot. By dipping this in a pan and walking on the sidewalk an impression was made. The footprint led to a sidewalk stencil with playdate and theatre name. For Additional Exploitation Ideas on These Pictures Consult the Encyclopedia of Exploitation