Variety (Nov 1935)

16 VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Wednesday, November 20, 1935 THANKS A MILLION (MUSICAL) 20lh Century-Fox release of Barry' Znnuck production. Fentures Pick Powell, Ann Dvorak. Freil Allen. Patsy Kelly,^ 'Paul "WhlteTnim niia harnl, Kamona. Kubln- 6ft, Yacht Clul) Boys. Directed by Hoy Del Ri'th, ,Screenplay, Nunnally ,Tohn30.n; based on 'story by Melville Crossman (Zanuck)^ SonKS by Gus Kahn and Arthur .Tobn.'on. Carhern. Peverell Mrrley; art, Jack Otter- Bon' inuFlcal director. Arthur IianRp. At Center. N. T-.v week Nov. 13, '35,.-Running titnp. S.T mlns. Krlc T^nd," i... .Dick Powell Saliy Mnson..... Ann Dvorak Ned T>vman ,.Fred Allen Phoebe Mason ,., .Patsy. Kelly Paul Whlteman and Band with Hnmona Judpe f?iilllman. Rublnoft ,.., Yacht. "luU Boye. .^animahy^. llfr. Gmas"".';','.;,, Mr. KruKer. MajuvfiJL.. Mr. .Caacy. Mrs. T<riirer. . Gov. Wlldnicln... .Raynnond AValburn .'.. R'tblioft Yacht Cub P.ovs ......Benny Baker i V.'.'AtMi-cp/- '5\>-nbC!' Alan Dlnehart .....Ppul Harvev .'., i'l'ldwln MnxvVell ,., .Mflreare*. Tfvlnr .. .Charles RIchman Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo •Twehtletl^-li'ox. release of Darryl T. Zahuck production. Stars Ronald Colman. Featui-ea Joan Bennett, Colin Cllve, Nigel Bruce. Nunnally Johnson; assoclnto pro- duced. Directed by Stephen Roberts. Play, Ilia SurRUtchorr, Frederick ' Swann, .\unsJly.. Jahn:.-on, Howard BIIIb. Smith, screen play; Oscar Bradley, mualcal. direc- tor; Ernest Palmer, camera. At Radio City MUH!c-;KaU,.iI,.X.,..week;Np,.W. 'U5,, R.uii- nihK time, 08 inlns. Paul Ga'.lard ; .Ronald Colman Helen t>erkeley..i Joan Bennett Berlrsnd Berkeley.(.'oUn Cllve' Ivan. .w. Nlpel Bruce I'jlrector. ; Montagu Love Second As.slstnnt Director. ..Frank Relchcr Third Assistant Director .Lionel Pape 0 ffl-;;e ■ Men..; FerdIna lid Gottachalk Croupier. , Charles Fallon ;Th?.rkg A Million* is corlclnp entertalnmen.t for any type of screen audience. It is possessed of so many favorable attributes for public appeal It's a cinch for better thftn ayeragely good grosses down the line. or the trade the' picture Is an exajiiple of canny showmanship and presentation. It's ■ an affirmative llluntratlon of what to do with non- screen but radio-famed personali- ties; how to properly surround them ith film people who are known to the film.fans; arid how, In combina- tion, to make the microphonic added starters stand' out for future film values. Film unquestionably establishes Fred Allen for the screen. It also takes iPaul Whlteman eCnd his orchestra, including Ramona; the Yacht Club Boys; and Rubinoff and his violin and shows 'em at their best for the very good reason that the studio has striven hard to get away from the trite. That is, they're not sacrifice4 at the altar of a succession of vaudeville bits and specialties, but are written Into the story and thus made to stand up. Even Whlteman, who's more or less dragged in. is made plausible because the situation calls for the rival political parties to get name radio acts for pre-campaign bally- hoo, and as the wardheelers run down the list of sock radio names it's, natural that they pick out Whlteman. Thus, his specialty (the only shot made in the east, inci- dentally) is plausibly present. Allen's radio rep as a pungent con\edy deliverer is well capitalized here as the manager of the,,near- stranded unit which includes Ann Dvorak and Patsy Kelly as a sister team; "an anpnymoUs band, presum- ably maestroed by Dave Rubinoff who gets in a couple of violin solos (including a pash personality); the Yacht Club Boys, who, like Bubln- oft; also have lines besides two corking specialties (one of 'em, the 'NRA-ABC sorig got a spontaneous salvo at the (jentsr), and Benny Baker who's an Indeterminate stoogfe throughout the. footage. Nunnally Johnson's script de- serves some sort of an award as a sample of celluloid writing. It's made to order for .Allen's dead-pan comedy. Punchy, pithy, and punctu- ated with a flock of telling nifties, the comedy wordage doesn't sacrlflce the story. Title solely credits .John- son for the screen play but the press-sheet mentions Melville Cross- man (Zanuck'fl nom-de-plume) as authority for the basic story. Press- sheet also Included . Kalmar and Ruby for songs which seemingly were dropped as Gus Kahn-Arthxu" Johnston's five numbers are solely used. The title song la the best of the quintet a potential pop hit 'Pocket Full of Sunshine' and 'High on A Hill Top,' along with 'Thanks A Million,' are handled by Powell. Dvorak-Kelly take care of 'Sugar PlUm,' and the Whitemanltea make a poor 'New Cleans' number stand un. It's the wieake.st of the quintet of tune.o but is elaborately built up by Whiteman's King's Men (four- somel and Ramona. Latter inci- dentally has been given some sneclal camera angles by Peverell Marley anfl looks very good. 'Sing; .r'overnbr. Sing' was the working tr»'a of 'Thanks A Million' which former tag. telegraphs the plot ^situation. Dlfk Powell is a despara tlon alternative gubiernntorlal can- didate who wins the femme votes With his slnsrin.g. (Fred Allen in the script says that if the State of Wash Ington voted for a jazz bond lender for lieutenant-governor, Powell's a cinch. That reference is actuality as Vic Meyers, .Seattle picture house and nitery 'nnd .mae.stro, is now the lieut-i?bV. of the fltate.) •Dick Po'<v6H shows up at his cinomatfc tops here while Patsy Kelly has her comedy opportunitle.s and hoofs ok.^y with Ann Dvorak Later w.ould look better with some extra ptiundage but snfflces as the • romance interest with Powell. : Siiymond Walburn, aa the stewy .candidate,' Is a fine character comerliBTi • and more than rin^s the i^. ft role designed for thnnk- lewr'ieaii. • JWarTflfet Irvlnor *displayp vivid .potentialities as a llglit vamp. Ite'-t All okay. ' Marley'fl camera work, Arthur Lang^'s musical direction and Jack Otterson's .decor all excellent, Alel. ^timptuous production of a light walsted story which owes more to its acting, direction and camera work. , Ronald Colman does not qiiite inject .the dash which ho probr ably was expected to contribute, so It's not a 'Bulldog Drummond,' though it should do well enough with the piiblic. Colman at times seems to bo playing-under wraps. •The Man Who Broke the Bank at "Monte Carlo' Is probably the longest handle of any film produc- tion, nine words and 33 letters, which is better for the light com- pany than the exhibitor. Maybe some danger that the title will be cut by the latter to 'Monte Carlo,' which will suggest to many a sim- ilarly named production done by Ernst Lubitsch in 1930. There was. also an earlier 'Monte Carlo' done by Metro Ih 1926. This, is titled fi'om an Old song popularized by Bill Hoey, though that would add two more letters, the "song title starting with 'I'm.' Song is used as the main title; music, but is not worked into the story. ' Plot is simple; almost too sim- ple. Colman, a , Russian refugee working In a restaurant in Paris, has a system for beafmg tne oanKi System shown in the play id merely putting the colli down ana walimg for it to accumulate. He gets his compatriots to come in with him. He wins 10,000,000 franiis, pays off his backers and still has money enough to go to Switzerland tor u vacation. There he meets Joan Ben- nett, who has been told off by the Monte Carlo syndicate to bring him back to- follow the usual outline of beating the bank one day ana get- ting broke the next. The syndi- cate regards it as a bloi on the escutcheon to let him make his get- away. She contacts him, but falls In love and will not qarry through the plot with her brother. However, Col- man does go back and. loses every- thing. He goes back to ^aris and the front seat of a taxi. He sees the girl billed at a music hall, goes in evening dress to snub her and decamps. She follows, finds he is only a taxi driver so that makes It easy to marry him. In the Russ cafe he takes his place at the head of the table and the ^picture fades on no very definite note. In the Coast preview Miss Bennett gang a song, which is out as shown. The Monte Carlo sequence is hahd- ;somely staged, and there is some very pretty photographic work in the Swiss interval with two good sets In Paris. Productionally film Is ahove par, hut the story lacks the brecziness which might have saved it. Colman, looking a bit old, plays a little too seriously in most scenes and never gives his action the flair which would possibly have pulled this to the top. Miss Bennett chiefly looks pretty and plays with- out verve or histrionic distinction Colin Cliye makes a competent heavy and Nigel Bruce gives a de- lightful performance. Chic. Miniature Reviews 'Thanks a Million' (20th- Fbx). Socko fllmusical for big grosses. Marquee offers Dick Powell, Ann Dvorak, Patsy Kelly, Piaiul Whlteman, Fred Allen, Rubinoff, Yacht Club . Boys. 'Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo' (20th-:Fox). Nice production though lacks dash, Ronald Colman and Joan Bennett. Should fairly .well. 'Mary Burns, Fugitive' (Par). Fair-to-mlddling melodrama. Story the chief weakness. 'Stars Over Broadway' (WB). Moderately good musical with ditto b.o. potentialities. 'Crime and Punishment' (Lenauer). Adroitly conceived production in French of this Doistoevskl novel. Not to be confused with Col.'s forthcom- ing film (in English) of same subject, Pierre Blanchar gives a brilliant peirformance as the student-murderer. 'Music Is Magic' (Fox).Light comedy with some musical mo- ments. Lacks name^ draw. 'Confidential' (Republic). Commendable 'G' man picture, ..but weak on names. Rates as good supporting film. .'The Spanish Cape ystery' (Liberty). Fair detective drama with Helen Twelvetrees and Donald Cook. 'His Night Out' (U). E. E. Hortoni. comedy that makes good supporting feature. ances and the direction it'd be sumplp'' Paramount is hailing Alan Baxter as a screen find. He'is .from the Group Theatre of Broadway and there's strength in his face and in his style. Hollywood fancies the dlammy-cold hoodlum as a type and a whol6 list of stars and feat- ured players have specialized on sheer grlmness of physiogomy. Baxter adds one more to a standard line of cinema merchandise. It's a commanding job and Indi- cates that Baxter has sturdy stuff. It also suggests that he'll be hard to cast if Paramount anticipates groominrr hini for something more than —'.iumanized trigger-puller roles. As it happenig In this picture, he's run a close second In fascinat- ing half-cuckoo deadliness by Brian Donlevy, a frozen pan gent of con- siderable versatility and vogue. Plotty rather than actorish, 'Mary Burns' is routine maneuvers for Sylvia Sidney. She gives a nice ac- counting, biit has no memorable scenes. Role Is on the negative side. Things happen to the girl. She is given a tossing around by the police, the law, and the general breaks. iShe's just a paddle that fell out of a canoe on life's turbulent waters. In retrospective analysis the pic- ture Is replete -with phoney touches and short-of-convlncing character- izations, yet William Howard has made it move with a deceptive tempo that hides basic flaws. Picture was not well thought out in advance but it was ably worked out in the shoot- ing. V Land, Mary Burns, Fugitive Paramount relea.se of Walter Wanger production. Stars Sylvia Sidney; featuri'.s .Mclvyn - Douglas, Alan Baxter. Director, William K.. Howard. Story, Gone Towne, □ rahani Baker, Loula Stevens. C.-imera, Leon . Shamrny. Editor, Pete Frltsch. At Paramount, N. T., week Nov, '3,'). Running time, 80 mins, Mary Burns. Sylvia Sidney .Mcc MacDonald ..Melvyn Douglas noldle Gordon...;..............Pert Kelton Don 'Babe' Wilson '....Alan Baxter Harper ;, ,.,.. Wallace Ford 'Spike'..... i Brian Donli'vy Steve ;.Frank Sully Matron l^'rances Gregg District Attorney ..rhas. Waldron Judge ...... William Ingersoll ricd Martin..... Boothe Howard Joe... -...Norman Willis Willie. .Joe Twerp Mike. Wllllnm .Pawloy C-Men Kerman Cripps, Ivan Miller Crooks, jailbreaks, G-men, killers, gunfire—these are the trlmining.-s and the melodramic pace-setters of this story of a girl who is innocently involved with a killer and. there- after used by cr;,^s in sundry efforts to bait the ha,rd-to-get tough guy. On ' its story the picture will not stand up under the searchlight of logic, but as a piece of synthetic .studio slickness it has enough on the ball to qualify. Should rate as a moderate. In actual unreeling 'Mary Burns' avoids the triteness its plot Ingredi- ents suggest. For in addition to the cops and robberis stuff there is a Cinderella-like love sequence be- tween Melvyn Douglas and Sylvia Sidney that has been cleverly, woven . Into a narrative otherwise devoted to muggs, molls and cops. If the story were up to the perform- EDES MOSTOHA ('Sweet Stepmother') (HUNGARIAN MADE) Budapest, Nov. 4. Hermes production. Scenario Arthur Lakncr: directed by Belc Balogh; music, Sandor Szlatlnay. Cast: Glzy Pecsf, Maria Tasnady- Fekete, Antal Pager, Plroska Vaszary, HItzl Krdelyl, Julius Gozon, Qaro Maly, At Urania and Dccsl theatres. Stars Over Broadway (MUSICAL) Warner Bros, release of Sttm BIschoft production. Features Pat O'Brien, Jane Proman, James Melton, Jean Mulr, Frank .McHugh. Director, William KelehleV; story, Mildred Cram; adaptation, Jerry Wald,' Julius Epstein; additional dialog, Patoy Flick; miislcil numliers, Busby Berkeley, Hobby Connolly: uongs. Warren unrt DuUln; flliii editor, Bert L'Orle; cam- era, George Barnes. At §trand,^. _ Y^, commencing Nov, J4, 00 mIns. .4.1 Mo011Icvroy,..r... Jan Kln^., : Joan Garrett Norma Wyman Offkey Cramer i MInottI , .William Klcclardl Molly,,............;..Marie Wilson Announcer. ,,,, .Frank Fay Crane.',.E. E. Cllve Freddie.........',..Eddie Conrad '35. Kunning time, .,,1... ,\Pot .O'Brien James Meltb'n Jano Froman :... .Jenn Mulr .Frank McHugh Arthur Laikner, who has for the last ten years been' conducting a highly successful children's theatri- cal company, knows his public thoroughly and has concocted a screen ' story that will make kids, fathers and mothers laugh and cry to their . heart's content. Also he has' found a very clever child per- former in the person of six-year-old Gizy Pecsi; an attractive step- mother in the person of Maria Tas- nady-Fekete, and an able director in the person of Bela Bailogh, who did some remarkably good work In silent days and now makes .a prom- ising comeback. This is the first Hungarian talker which is not pure comedy but also banks on the tear glands, Plroska Vaszary. na.sty oldrmaid couslii vvho vainly hoped to marry little Glzy's widowed father, sets thi child against the prospective step- mother; When Maria Tasnady- Fekete (she Is the proposed step^ mother) finds- this out, she di.'3ai)- pears. only to turn up as a kind teacher at the schorl to which the rhild Is sent, and to win her heart In this roundabout way. Scenario Is reported to have been purchased for American' remake with Shirley Temple—a' first rate notion. Indoor shorts on 'Sweet Step- mother' were completed In six days, so cost was very low. It will cer- tainly be a money-maker. JacoH. Squaring a far froi Insplre^d backstage yarn, with pleasant .dialog and fancy trimmings, "Stars Over Broadway' emerges as a satisfac- tory musical of moderate money possibilities, in Jane Froman and James Melton it presents a couple of radio well-knowns On the screen for the first time, and through them may get some extra business. Beyond the immediate Importance of this one picture is the future effect of the acquisition by films of Melton and Miss Froman. Of the two the latter looks be^t in this initial caniera fling, but Melton totes .a brilliant .pair of pipes and more suitable casting may tell a different story. Herein Melton rises from hotel porter to radio, . star overnight through the deft manipulation of his manager, cleverly played by the hard-Working Pa;t O'Brien, As the air star Melton fits, but in the 'great, lover' aspect he's not quite at home, Fact he was directed into showing plenty of teeth by way of stralhirig to denote 'personality' may be the reason for his looking bad in spots. But it-would be a shame to toss away a voice like Melton's; with some polish and more care in pick- ing his parts he can be made into .something valuable for picture's. Miss Froman has had more stage experience than Melton^ and shows It. Held, down to two songs and without much time allotted her, she nevertheless makes a strong impres- sion. And she looks lovely besides. Jean Mulr has tlie femme lead but is no musical player and Is therefore oyershadpwed by Miss Froman, since this is a musical pic- ture. In straight acting moments Miss Mulr stands tip well, but in a singing, sequence she's too obviously just moving her lips. O'Brien plays an agent who shares 50-50 with the protege, and gets a.11 the sympathy plus the heavy coni- mish. Boy agpears to have an opera career ahead of him, but O'Brien cuts his training short In order to grab some quick radio coin. After Melton hits the skids and goes stew- bum, the agent repents and sends him to Italy for more lessons. That's the story, and It rambles precisely like that, being trite In formula and hovel only as a morality. plea for loyal 10-percenters. Frank McHugh, as a song plug- ger,. has most .of the comedy, and that puts him on top during much of the running time. Marie Wilson, a blondle, stooges for him. Songs by Warren and Dubln are tuneful and have the benefit of ex- cellent selling by Melton and Miss Proman. 'Broadway Cinderella,' •Where Am I?' and 'At Your Ser- vice, Madame,' all okay. Latter- serves as-themer for a well staged comedy production Idea by Busby Berkeley and. Bobby Connolly. Pic- ture has one other production item; both in a nitery setting. And some nltisry. Melton, however, goes beyond the props and Into opera, rriaking good on his big vocal chance with 'CTeleste Alda.' In the opera sequences Wil- liam RicciardI makes a singing teacher part stand out.. An amateur radio broadcast bit includes some m.c.'ing by Frank Fay. it ends with O'Brien beating Fay to the punch with a sarcastic topper. Out-boffirig Fay is some- thing else they can only do In pic- tures. " Biffc. Short Subject MARCH OP Tl 20 Mins. Center, N. Y. . Radio One of the weakest of the 'March of Time' serie :. Lacks the slgnifl, cancei and distinction of , its prede- cessors, "rhree clips. Mid-portion is virtually magazine stuff—that concerning J.. N, (Ding) Dariing'ef efforts in behalf of the con.servatlon of wild ducks. Opens with Pearl Lbuis Bergoff's career as a professional strike- breaker and the attitude of (Jov. Talmadge of Gep.rgia in ordering out the 76 'foreign' muscle-men 'who had been imported from N. Y. to protect, the Bibb.Mfg. Co. of Por- tfersdale, Ga. Last clip is the G.O.P. and. its suggestion of pro-Repub- lican propaganda, is at least niitl-. gated by the general interest In the parade of potential G.O.P. preslden-' tial nominees. The Bergol* strikebreaking clip Is fraught wlth the drama of Industrial strife and has its theatrical as well as Informative appeal. The Wild Ducks Is chiefly educa- -tlonal, and while "Maroh of Time' essays to Interpret game shooting as big business (quoting millions of dollars, in annual business for fire- arms and sports apparel). Its de- velopment, while Interesting, smacks too much of library and magazine stuff. This release isn't altogether nega- tive, but it's below its forerunners. It remains, however, a worthy sup- plementary short subject for the •better celluloid bills. Abel. lends a brilliant and forceful person- ality, is is a study in patho-psy- chology that deeply imbeds itself in the spectator's memory. The man's planning of the crime, its execution, the rehiorse and the catatonic fits which follow,, the fear of capture,, the return to the scene, of the axe- kUllngs, thO: sudden shift of his mental niood td one of defiance and nose tweaking of the authorities, and his confession are all keenly etched. Blanchar is a superb pantomlmlst. . Another fine characterization Is that contributed by Harry Baur as the examining magistrate who en- gages the murderer in a series of stirring verbal battles. This grap- pling between two minds provides fine touches of direction and is ef- fectively set off from the horror phases of the narrative. Other Im- pressive performances come from Madeline Ozeray, as the young pros- titute who. persuades the slayer to give himself up, and Alexandre Rig- nault as Raskolnikov's fellow stu- dent and friend, ' Production meets the background and mood of the narrative perfectly, the direction leaves little wanting, even though there are a few draggy moments, and the scoring intensifies the dramatic import of many a scene. Film also Includes English titles. Odec. Crime and Punishment (FRENCH MADk) Lenaiier 'production and release: Directed by Pierre Chenal, Stars Pierre Blanchar. Features Harry Baur, Paulette . Blunibert, From novel of same name by Dostoevski. Music, Arthur Horneger, At. Cinema de Paris, N. Y., week Nov. 13, '35. Running ttme, 103 mlns. RasUolnlkov.' Pierre Blanrttar Porphyre, .Harry Baur Sonia .Madeleine Ozeroy Rozoumlkhlnc. .Alexandre Rlgnault Catherine Ivanovna Sylvie Polla., ..Paulette Elambert Lieutenant^ Poudre. Paul Asselln (In French) In Its version of the Dostoevski novel France has sent over a dis- tinguished example Of cinema craft. For the houses that cater to the cul- tural strata this picture should register hefty takings. Premier of this film antedates by a week the slated unveiling of Columbia's ac- count of the same story ('Crime and Punishment") at the Radio City Music Hall, The coincidences may wot^k cut beneficially, with dual at- tendance stimulated for some'by the human quirk to see and compare. To the role of Raskolnlkov,. the student murderer, Pierre Blanchar MUSIC IS MAGIC (MUSICAL) -|: ' Fox production and release. Features Alice Faye, Bebe Daniels, Mitchell ond Dii- rant. Directed by George Marshall. Based on play by Gladys Unger and Jesse Lasky, Jr.; screen play by Edward ElIsou and'Lou Brcslow. Music, Arthur Johnston, Oscar Levant and Xlaul RouUcn; lyrics, Sidney Clare;, dance director. Jack Donohue; musi- cal director,- Samuel Ivaylln; camera, L. W. O'Conncll. At Globe, N. Y., week Nov. 10, '3,'i. Running time, 60 min.s, Peggy Harper ,..' ;. .AliceCayo Jack Lambert Ray Walker Diane De Valle Bebe Daniels Peanuts Harper Frank Mitchell Eddie Harper.... ...Jack Durante Shirley De Valle Rosina Lawrence Tony Bennett......'. .Thomas Beck Producer Pomeroy.....'.,.. Andrew Tonibcs Castellano.; Lula Albernl Amanda. .Haltlb McDanlcls. Jim Waters.,....., ,.Hnl K. Dawson Theatre Manager, Charles C. Wilson Despite some rare comic moments by Mitchell and Durant, neat work by Alice Faye and nice contribution by Bebe Daniels, 'Music Is Magic,' is one of those, flighty affairs that ■will have a struggle getting past the dual barricade. Flimsy story and lack of originality in treatment are apparent from outset. That well-known stage routine of Frank Mitchell and Jack Durant highlights the film. At times, perr haps their clowning Is a bit too ro- bust but It's always uproarious. Alice Faye is the voice and dancer of the piece, with Bebe Daniels in the unsympathetic role of fading :plcture actress. All four look wasted in this story. Hollywood scrlpters have taken a play called 'Private Beach,' credited to Gladys Unger and Jesse Lasky, Jr„ and tried to make screen fare of it. Turns out to be combination backstage story and take-off on hardships of aspiring picture thes- pians. It's been done so many tlmesi and with better effect.' Mitchell and Durant are male por- tion of dance act that Includes Alice Faye. Ray Walker, ne\y entry. Is combined orchestra leader, cbihposev and manager. Act's manager per- suades trio that they should try Hollywood. Bebe Daniels is the film star perspnal-appeaflng on same (Continued on page S9)