Variety (Oct 1938)

TTeduesday, October 12,1938 PICTURES VARIETY 19 Film Reviews MEET THE MAYOR (Continued from page 15) eventually turns the tide in the mayoralty campaign and both of their lives, is a typical Meeker por- trayal. Ruth Hall is satisfactory as the girl both fall for without having much to do. Berton Churchill and Hale Hamilton, ias rival candidates, manage to breath some life into their characters, despite stilted lines and situations. Heading the support are Eddie Nugent, Franklin Pangborn and Nat Pendleton in typical roles. Lighting and photography is weak while scripting and dialog is mighty thin "'excepting Where Fay is con- cerned. Wear. UTAH TRAIL (WITH SONGS) Grand National release ot Edward Finney production. Stars Tex Rltter. Features Horace Murphy, Snub Pollard' and Adelo Pearce, Directed by Al Herman. Story, Llndsley Parsons and ISdmond Kelso; screenplay, Edinond Kelso; songs, Bob Pal- mer, Franlt Harford and Rudy Sooter. At Arena, N. T., dual. Oct. 7, '38. Running time, 00 mlns, Tex Lawrence Tex Rltter Ananias.,.* Horace Murphy Pee Wee Snub Pollnrd Sally Jcffers A4ele Pearce Slaughter Karl Hackett Badger, Charles King Sheriff Edward Cassldy Idnson David O'Brien Hank Bud Osborne Cheyenne Lynton Brent Orchestra Leader Rudy Sooter Poor oat opera that will lean heavily on the Ritter namie for a crutch. Much of it's laughable, even to kids, and none of. it's plausible. Thought that some new scenery might be seen, from the title, is mis- leading. It's same old trip through California badlands with the familiar' 'let's beat 'em to the border' (maybe they mean Canada ior a change) and *head 'em ott at Eagle gulch.' Ouch! Ritter is a dick in disguise, hired to thwart rustlers who use their own private railroad to hijack beef on the hoof. Use part of a regular line and add their own spur which leads into •Hidden Valley' where none can And it, the^cattle, the thieves or the loco- emotive. Double ouch! When not shooting Ritter is sing- ing or strumming, songs (five) being thrown in whenever there's a lull. All of" the same school of western clelTing and all none too good. When he puts down his pipes and picks up his pistol Ritter is a miracle man, letting loose untold volleys from only two guns. When he puts down his guns, he- picks off the gal who didn't believe him, She's not alone, though. Hurl. La Femme Du Boulanger ('The Baker's Wife') (FRENCH-MADE) Paris; Oct. 1. Marcel Pagnol release and production. Stars Ralmu: features GInetto Leclerc and Charpin. Directed by Marcel Pngnol, from Btory of same name bj' Jean Glono; music, Vincent Scotto; camera, G. Benolt and I^edrii. At Marlvaux, Paris. Running time, 00 mlns. Cast: Ralmu, Glnette Leclerc. Chorpln, Robert Vattlcr, Delmont. Maxlmlllenne^ Bassac, Maupl. Dullao, Blavette, Odette Roger, AUda Roufte, Charles Moulin, Cas- tan, Maffre, Charblay, Merle. Carrying a simple story with im- plicit force, 'La Femme du Boulan- ger' marks u*^ another hit for Mar- cel Pagnol. Always out in front with productions showing life in the French provinces, Pagnol has out- done himself with this picture, while Raimu proves definitely he's one of the best character actors in France today. But because it's typically French, success in other countries is doubtful. Pagnol allows his usual flair for dialog too much play in this film. It has a pungency because of its true ring, but tempo could be stepped up with some competent scissoring. Picture deals with a small village in the south of France. A new baker (Raimu) with a pretty wife (Ginette Leclerc) has installed himself. Char- pin, the marquis owning the district, comes to introduce himself, bringing his shepherd, who will collect the bread. One look and socko, the shep- herd (Charles Moulin) and the wife know with beast-like ferocity what each wants. That very night the baker's wife disappears with the shepherd. Raimu, first unbelieving, but finally convinced, first takes to drink, creates a scandal in the vil- lage and refuses to make any bread as long as his wife is gone. A coun- try-wide search is organized, the "Wife is found, the shepherd flees, the Wife returns and bread is again made. Extremely simple. But in this case simplicity emphasizes its force. Raimu is given every chance to show nearly every emotion a man in his station of life might have. And he does so with conviction. Ginette Leclerc, as the' young erring wife, is overshadowed by Raimu, but does ^ell, though Charpin has turned in oetter performances, but Robert Vat- iier gets in some good licks. Good support comes from Maximilienne, as the village spinster, while Moulin does, well, tqo. Hugo. A ROYAL DIVORCE (BRITISH-MADE) London, Sept. 21. Paramount release of Herbert Wilcox- Imperator Film Production, StaTs Ruth Chatterton, Pierre Blanchar. Directed by Jack Raymond. Adaptation, Mllos Malle- son, from story by Jacques Thery. Camera, George Stretton. At the Carlton, London. Running time, 85 mlns. Josephine I Ruth Chatterton Napoleon Pierre Blanchar Talleyrand Frank Celller Madame TalUen Carol Goodner Napoleon's Mother Aurlol Lee Barras George Curzon Metternlch Lawrence Hanray Joseph John Lourle Capt. Charles Jack Hawkins Hortense , Rosalyn Boulter Murat , Alan Jeayes Eugene Moran Capiat Junot Romllly Lunge De Tracy ....Hubert Harben 'A Royal Divorce,' starring Ruth Chatterton and Pierre Blanchar, is an impressive film, based on the lives of Napoleon and his Josephine. Screenplay by Miles Maileson, adapted from a story by Jacques Thery, is an outspoken, alive account of the French general's love for France's famous courtesan and her subsequent acceptance of his mar- riage proposal when, ambitiously, she realizes the power lying before him. Film, too, tells of Josephine's struggles through widowhood with her two children and her subse- quent rise to social position through ^he use of her wiles. There's the meeting with Napoleon, their mar- riage; later, their divorce and his iibsequent marriage to Marie Louise so that he might have the heir Josephine was unable to bear him. The screenplay has drawn a merci- less portrait of the Empress Jose- phine. Every scene is vivid and every character authentic. Dialog, however, is inclined to be ovejwrit- ten. Napoleon, played by Blanchar, a Frenchman, who looks and acts the role with all the mannerisms of the Latin race, is played sincerely and stands out effulgently. Miss Chat- terton looks the buxom Josephine, but lacks .ihe Latin temperament, and wKile she gives a good por- trayal, isn't entirely the personality for the role. Rest of cast is=««i,de- quate. Jack Raymond's direction Is smooth, Jolo. Paroled from the Big House J. D. Kendls production and release. Fea- tures Jean Carmen, Richard Adams, George Eldredge, Gwen Lee. Directed by Elmer Clifton. Original- screenplay by George Plympton; camera, Eddie Linden. At Chal- oner, N. T., one day. Sept. 80, '88. Run- ning time, G7 mlns. Pat Mallory Jean Carmen 'Slicker' Nixon Richard Adams 'Red' Horron .....George Eldredge Blnnle Bell Gwen Lee Dlst. Atty Downey Mllbournc Stone Joe 'Killer* Brltt Walter Anthony 'Torchy* Ole Olesen Hoke Curtis alias 'Tha Duke' Earl Douglass 'Gunner* Garson ; Eddie Kaye Jed Cross.'. Joe Devlin Rita Eleanor De Van One of the many built recently around the parole evil this is mediocre entertainment. Release hasn't a thing to recommend it or keep it out of the five and dime dual- ers. Cast is studded with unknowns, the emoting of several of whom is painful to watch. The lead- femme, Jean Carmen, attempts at registering various moods brought guffaws from the shelf when caught. Milbourne Stone as the crusading d. a. who would clean up the parole racket stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. Direction and story allow so many unbelievable twists to creep in that it isn't even funny. For instance, in the first reel the mob is gathered for a round-table discussion. Gang is composed of a recently sprung con man, pickpocket, arsonist, and a trigger man, all admittedly small time and in conference to plan grad- uation to 'protection' racketeering. Yet the leader has the chairman of the parole board under his thumb and controls the release or further incarceration of pals or enemies. Jean Carmen is the daughter of a storekeeper erased' for refusing pro- tection, and she • spends the rest of the film's 57 minutes catching up with his killer. It's eventually ac- complished with the aid of a police lieutenant who joins the pang to get the goods on the leader for knock- ing oft a cop pal of his. Sound, photography and dialog just as amateurish as the story and direction, dialog allowing numerous unintended grammatical errors. FLASHBACKS London, Oct. 1. C. B. Cochran presentation. At the Pal- ace, London, Running time, 1-0 mine. a whole run of sequences, from the lantern slide to the landslide of 1914, but from that time nothing of par- ticular merit is shown. It still leaves to be explained why the advent of talkers, surely the greatest development of pictures, just didn't happen as far as 'Flash- backs' was concerned. Still the film as a whole, bears naturally the touch of the showman, expected of C. B, Cochran; the years' varying gifts to pictures, from The Continental spectacles to American silents, Bernhardt to John Bunny, et al., and an array of oldtimers once as familiar as today's stars. For two hours 'Flashbacks' gives all these, a real panorama, if you like your en- tertainment that long. March of the Movies Associated British Pictures release. At the Regal, London, Running time, 45 mlns. 'March of the Movies' is obvipusly not intended to be anything more than gaily entertaining propaganda for pictures. This includes the coming of sound and talkers. It's in thejcoverage of the technical side of films that 'March' scores. You are told how, when, and why in smaft patter. You see the old films; you can listen to the first talkers. The student is not left to browse—he's hurried along, perhaps a little too rapidly, for those who take their 'March of the Movies' too seriously. On Kiddie Bandwagon Hollywood, Oct. 11. Beverly Jane Stillwagon, 13, makes her film debut in 'Star Maker,' first Charles R. Rogers production pro- duction to be made at General Ser- vice studio. Her screen name is Linda Ware. Young singer's aunt, Mrs. A. C. Stillwagon, appointed her guardian by superior court, signed a term con-: tract with Rogers. Picture is based on the career of Gus Edwards. This was intended as a full-length feature. There is nothing simple or retiring in its assembly; it has been carefully hitched and publicized as a history of films. But in this it fails to jell because 'Flashbacks' is not thoroughly representative of the de- velopment of films. True, it includes STUDIO CONTRACTS Hollywood, Oct. 11. Jack Carleton inked player pact with Metro. Columbia signed Don Beddoe to player contract. RKO contracted Paul White, mop- pet. Charles R. Rogers asked court Ap- proval of minor's pact with Linda Ware, 13. Metro signed Dorothy Yost to a writer ticket. 20tti-Fox lifted Joan Davis' player option. Endre Bohem handed writer pact by Metro. Richard Harlan inked contract to direct series for Dario Farralo at Grand National for Paramount re lease. Metro renewed Kay Van Riper's writer ticket. Tom Neal penned player contract with Metro. Metro signed William Trummel as assistant director. Samuel Goldwyn handed Stuart Heisler a director pact. Christina Wells inked player ticket at Metro. * RKO contracted Roger Daniel, moppet, 20th-Fox lifted Joseph Schild kraut's option. RKO picked up Chester Morris' player option. Warren William signed by Colum- bia. 20th-Fox handed writer tickets to Erwin Gelsey, Peter Milne, Jack Vernon and Camerop Rogers. George. W. Sayre inked writer ticket at Columbia. Metro picked up Melvyn Douglas' player option. STORY BUYS Hollywood, Oct. 11. Columbia purchased 'Repaid,' orig inal by Harvey Thew and Manny Seff. Warners bought Jerome Odium's original, 'It Might Happen to You.' Paramount acquired film rights to 'Disputed Passage,' the new Lloyd C. Douglas novel. Guy K. Austin and Earl Johnson sold their story, 'The G-Dog,' to RKO. Samuel Goldwyn purchased an original, 'The First Co-Ed,' by Mary McCall, Jr., and Stanley Rauh. 'I'll Take the High Road,' by Robert Andrews, acquired by Repub- lic. Inside Stuff-Pictures TITLE CHANGES Hollywood, Oct. 11. 'It's Spring Again' is third title for 'Zenobia's Infidelity' at Hal Roach. Second was 'This Time It's Love.' Release title for 'Thoroughbred' at 'Columbia is 'The Little Adventuress.' Hockey Across the Border Hollywood, Oct. 11. Robert Taylor and James Stewart co-star in 'Hands Across the Border,' an international hockey story which gets the gun at Metro as soon as 'Stand Up and Fight' is finished, Harold Shumate and Harvey Hais- lip are doing the screenplay for Sam Ziinbalist production. Newsreel executives who have gone over the original rough draft of the wage-hour agreement that comes up for settlement soon believe that the tilt in the daily scale to $50 per day for meq working on a day basis will mean considerable trimmings of. correspondents in smaller cities. These correspondents now get enough work, even with one and two-day jobs, to be classed as regular newsreel operatives, but newsreels do not think it economically feasible to maintain many such special cameramen on piece work if the scale'is to go up from $35 to $50 per day. Newsreel officials also are inclined to look askance at the plan of plac- ing regular photographers on an eight-week arrangement which makes a 320-hour period the basis for laying off. .They claim it will prevent stag- gering of cameramen and fear it may increase operating costs. Old plan, now in use, provided a two-week base as -medium for rest period .of cameramen. Youngster whose picture appears in recent issue of Liberty along with' Father Flanagan, titular head of Boys Town, Omaha, to illustrate Metro's smash picturization of the venture, is Johnny Walsh, son of Jack Welch, for many years general manager with Cohan & Harris, and later Selwyn attractions. Youngster was written into 'Boys Town' at the last minute, but due to overfootage was given only a brief scene.- This se- quence, however, created such a favorable impression that studio has placed the lad under a term contract. Lad's name does not appear in the billing, but despite this his work is receiving comment in the film colony. He's appearing with Father Flanagan in 'The City of Little Men* as well as in a short, 'The World is Yours,' made as bally for 'motion- pictures are your best entertainment' campaign. George Abbott will not get screen credit for the film version of 'What a Life,' which Paramount recently bought. It is the first time the producer has not put a clause for such billing into the contract of sale. He re- ceived screen credit for 'Boy Meets Girl' (WB), 'Room Service' (RKO) and will get it in the forthcoming 'Brother Rat' (WB). Reason Abbott is receiving no billing on 'Life' is that he made no pro- vision for it when the contract for the sale of the screen rights were drawn. Producer's idea is that too many screen credits merely bore an audience and he's so much in favor of the current, effort to cut down the excessive listing of such credits that he's willing to be eliminated from the billing. Wider. use of color in pictures within the next year Is predicted by technical engineers in touch with new two-color processes. They claim the two-tihter method will be satisfactory for modeirate budget pictures, par- ticularly those carrying a lar^e amount of exterior fdotage. Two of the bi-pack systems, it is asserted, can easily add a'third tint to bring the quality up close to that of the tri-color process. One of, tjie new two- color methods, now in its final research stages, may be able to turn out prints for about 2c. a foot—only slightly higher than the present cost of black and white. Mary Pickford, in Columbus until Buddy Rogers recovers from auto accident injurieis, burned plenty at a story in one of the afternoon rags which she felt reflected on her orchestra leader-husband." Story in the Citizen stated that reporters were kept waiting while Rogers had makeup applied before facing the flashlights. Understood that Miss Pickford called the city desk and told off the newshawks in no imcertain terms. Rogers is convalescing from a shoulder injury suffered Monday (3) when his auto overturned north of Columbus. Ralph Staub is mulling the idea of producing a three-reeler, 'Jimmie Fidler at the World's Fair.' Staub has a contract with Fidler running through 1939 and combined forces with him on 'Fidler's Personality Pa- rade,' which is hanging up some kind of a record for a novelty short. Made at a cost of $4,000, it has already grossed $54,000. Metro is figuring on an additional $20,000 before the prints are withdra-wn. Briefie has been shown in 8,400 theatres and for foreign distribution has been dubbed -in 10 different languages. A deal for a George M. Cohan screen biog for Metro Is not entirely cold. Jack Curtis, who is agenting, has been running between Cohan and Al Lichtman, Metro exec. Curtis expects to huddle with Cohan fn Philadel- phia this week on details, when and if, as the actor-manaiger is currently playing there in 'I'd Rather Be Right.' Metro, likewise, lis "virtually set on a George Gershwin cavalcade. The Cohan film would utilize his songs and life-story, sans any personal appearance. Exhibitors are being checked now to see if they want 20th-Fox to con- tinue with the Charley Chan series in which the late Warner Oland was starred. Unless there is an insistent demand, company probably will con- centrate on-'Mr. Moto* series rather than try to get a new actor to play Chan role production on these pictures. • Meantime Sidney 7pl^.r.gQd Charles Coburn are being tested at 20th-Fox for Chan rqle. Thirty other candidates also in the running. New kind of trailer, nine and a half mhiutes long and based oh the Idea of entertaining as well as selling forthcoming films, was turned Out at Warners under the title, 'The Smiths Take a Short Trip.* The Smiths, played by Joe Cunningham and Lois Cheaney, plan a trip around the world, so Larry Williams, in the role of a theatre manager, shows them scenes from locations of 11 pictures on the fall and winter schedule. Candid camera Interviews of picture personalities by the Associated Press is leading all Hollywood features in newspaper space in America, Canada and England. Hubbard Keavy, Interviewer, invades the homes of players with a candid cameraman, who shoots while the actors answer questionsi Facial expressions and gestures coincide with the words' of the interview. Keavy is doing two a week. Editor of a major company's house organ, published In New York, is the subject of a loud beef by the studio production head. Complaint is that ye ed refuses to consult the studio about deals to borrow stars from other companies. Instead, he prints the chatter wired, to a Manhattan daily by one of Hollywood's coliunnists. Production head claims the chatter often ruins impending player deals. Dictatorship by a foreign-born assistant director on a major studio lot backfired when the star of the picture handed him a good old American bawling out and was backed by exces of all departments. Not only the star but 200 extras rebelled against the autocratic treatment. When news of the uprising reached the front office, the assistant director was ordered to soft-pedal his tactics. Employes of the Warner studio have been asked to contribute, on a graduated scale, to the plant's quota of $55,000 for. the Commimity Chest H. M. Warner suggested a donation of one day's pay by those earning less than $100 a week; two days by those making from $100 to $300, and three days by those in the $300-to-$500 class. A committee will fix the allot- ments for the higher brackets. Big Philly guessing game now Is what does Lewen Pizor, prez of United Motion Picture Theatre Owners, do in his recently-annoujiced position as an 'executive of the Comerford Circuit.' No one's been able to figure it out, including Pizor, who just shuns the query. Pizor released the story about his being made an exec after he sold his Hollywood, Pottsville, tt» Comerford.