Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

16 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 2, 1943 Always a Bridesmaid Universal Comedy-With-Music 61 mins. (Nat'l Release, Sept. 24tli) AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Pleasing entertainment for the whole family, especially the jitterbugs and the Andrews Sisters fans. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Should do as well as others in the series. Cast: Patty Andrews, Maxene Andrews, Laverne Andrews, Patric Knowles, Grace McDonald, Charles Butterworth, Billv Gilbert, Edith Barrett, Addison Richards Walter IBaldwin, Eddy Waller, Charles Williams, Matt Willis, The Jivin' Jacks and Jills. Credits: Directed by Erie C. Kenton. Original story by Oscar Brodney. Screenplay by Mel Ronson. Director of photography. John W. Boyle. Associate Producer, Ken Goldsmith. Plot: An assistant district attorney and a woman detective are individually assigned to investigate a widely-advertised professional get-together club run by the Andrews Sisters. Each suspects the other of being in league with the members, two of whom are notorious swindlers. The woman gets the lead, causing the man's arrest, only to discover that both were working on the same side of the fence. Comment: This is another in the Andrews Sisters series with considerable jitterbug sequence, song and dancing added. In those situations where the Andrews Sisters or the adolescent jitterbug type of film has been well received, this should be quite satisfactory. The familiar comedy antics of Billy Gilbert and Charles Butterworth enliven the picture and separate the numerous singing and dancing parts. Grace McDonald and Patric Knowles carry the romantic leads and handle their parts well, giving the story some continuity. Direction by Erie C. Kenton keeps the dancers and the singers from an over expression of their parts and rounds out a pleasing little musical. Sell this like any other Andrews Sisters picture, since it was made especially for their followers. Plug the jitterbug trade by tying up with dancingschools, high school clubs and any other youthful musical organization. A Scream In The Dark Republic Mystery 54 mins. (Nat'l Release, Oct. 15th) AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) Enough murders and screams in the dark to give the most rabid whodunit fan a run for his money. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Good offering wherever mysteries have a following. Cast: Robert Lowery, Marie McDonald. Edward S. Brophy, Wally Vernon, Hobart Cavanaugh, Jack LaRue, Elizabeth Russell, Frank Fenton, William Haade Linda Brent, Arthur Loft, Kitty McHugh. Credits : Produced and directed by George Sherman. Screenplay by Gerald Schnitzer, Anthony Coldewey. Based on the novel, "The Morgue Is Always Open," by Jerome Odium. Director of photography, Reggie Lanning. Plot: A police reporter turns private detective to clear up the case of the millionaire killed in a plane crash. By investigating the man's heirs he meets the man's brother-inlaw, who hires him to find the dead man's sister, who had vanished five years before. There are quite a few murders before he breaks the case. Comment: A satisfactory whodunit for the mystery fans with enough comedy relief to give many a chuckle in between the goingson. There are four murders, eerie atmos Legion of Decency Ratings (For Week Ending Oct. 2nd) SUITABLE FOR GENERAL PATRONAGE Corvette K-225 'Raiders of Red Gap Silver City Raiders Whistling In Brooklyn Man From the Rio Grande SUITABLE FOR ADULTS ONLY Spotlight Scandals Unknown Guest Hostages Gildersleeve on Broadway pheres with screams in the dark (as per title promise) enough to give the most rabid follower of whodunits a run for his money. Robert Lowery, as the police reporter turned private detective, delivers a good job. Marie McDonald is his fiancee and Edward S. Brophy is his partner, both of them doing their share in well-portrayed roles. Brophy and Wally Vernon take care of the comedy relief, while the villains are portrayed by Hobart Cavanaugh, Elizabeth Russell and Frank Fenton. Jack LaRue makes the part of the police detective stand out. ProducerDirector George Sherman has presented the picture with a tongue-in-the-cheek attitude, making it a top offering for the smaller budget class. Followers of whodunits will find entertainment in this one, so use the usual mystery ballyhoo to attract their attention. Arrange tieups with book stores on the Jerome Odium novel, "The Morgue Is Always Open," from which the picture was taken. . Outlaws of Stampede Pass Monogram Western 54 mins. (Nat'l Release, Oct. 15) AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Another outdoor action number in the accepted mould. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Standard western draw. Cast: Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, Ellen Hall, Jon Dawson, Harry Woods, Charles King, Edmund Cobb, Sam Flint, Mauritz Hugo, Art Mix, Herman Hack, Artie Ortego, Milburn Morante, Eddie Burns. Credits: Directed by Wallace Fox. Screenplay by Jess Bowers. Original story by Johnston McCulley. Director of photography, Marcel LePicard. Produced by Scott D. Dunlap. Plot: The nephew of a U. S. Marshal brings a herd of cattle into town and then proceeds to lose his money in a crooked poker game. Two other U. S. Marshals, who have witnessed the proceedings, get hold of the fixed deck of cards with which they played. They use these with other evidence to dispose of the crooks. Comment: This latest Johnny Mack BrownRaymond Hatton oater will not only please their host of fans, but is just what the Saturday matinee crowds are looking for. Being a routine western of the type of their predecessors, both Brown and Hatton are again U. S. Marshals on the trail of the badmen. There's riding, shooting and fisticuffs with a little comedy thrown in by Hatton's pose as a dentist. Brown and Hatton deliver the sort of performances expected of them, aided by the villainous work of Harry Woods, Charles King, Mauritz Hugo and others. Wallace Fox directed, capably, and Scott R. Dunlap gave it standard production values. Sell like other offerings in this series. Whistling In Brooklyn MGM Comedy 87 mins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) If they liked the other Skeltons they'll probably say this is best yet. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: With the Brooklyn Dodgers in the picture for an added draw it looks like extra money in the till. Cast: Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, Jean Rogers, Rags Ragland, Ray Collins, Henry O'Neill, William Frawley Sam Levene, Arthur Space, Robert Emmet O'Connor, Steve Geray, Howard Freeman, Tom Dillon and The Brooklyn Dodgers. Credits: Director, S. Sylvan Simon. Producer, George Haight. Screenplay by Nat Perrin. Additional dialogue by Wilkie Mahoney. Photography by Lester White. Plot: Red is mistaken for the perpetrator of a number of murders, and when followed by police is driven to Brooklyn along with Ann Rutherford and Jean Rogers — respectively his fiancee and a newspaper reporter — by Rags Ragland, his publicity man and general shadow. The gang that really was responsible for the killings want Red out of the way in order to throw police off their scent. Therefore, both police and gangsters are after Red. The chase goes through a warehouse and then shifts to the Brooklyn baseball park, where Red takes the place of a pitcher on the Beavers team so he can hide behind a beard. Here he finally reveals the real mastermind to the police. Comment: The body of this picture does not vary much from the usual Skelton formula. The half-comedy, half-slapstick technique continues to build up situations that are amusing in themselves, with Skelton's antics working them out effectivelj^. The long sequence of the elevator is especially good for combination laughs and thrills. Incidentally, the Misses Rutherford and Rogers deserve mention for their ability to take it in this film. Even with doubles working, the girls still get slammed around plenty. When the story gets around to Ebbett's Field the picture offers something special. Members of the Dodgers appear in various shots, with small speaking parts for Manager Durocher, Dixie Walker, Mickey Owen, and Dolf Camilli. They are a part of the story, for the crazy game in which Red pitches for the Beavers brings about the denouement. The exhibitor's home run can be hit by playing up the Dodgers heavily. If you are a baseball fan you needn't be told that, but if you aren't just remember that the Dodgers have become a sort of national institution, with folks all over the country following the team daily in the papers. They'll go out of the way to see the picture if they know the Dodgers are in it. It is a ten-strike for Skelton. 92 mins. Sahara Columbia Drama (Nat'l Release, Oct. 14) AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) An excellent and tense war drama, giving a bird'seye view of a small segment of the present struggle, which will entertain the entire family. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: With the Bogart name for draw on your marquee and the very exploitable title, this picture should do well. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Bruce Bennett, Lloyd Bridges. Rex Ingram, J. Carrol Naish, Dan Duryea, Richard Nugent, Patrick O'Moore, Louis T. Mercier, (Continued nn Page 34)