Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

• REVIEW FLASHES • SCRIPTERS — Samuel Goklvv.vn JOHN BALDEliSTONE completes "Raffles,” to star David Niven. MALCOLM STUART BOYLAN to "Black Gold.” — Metro WILLIAM LUDWIG and DAVID HERTZ to "Blackmail,” the Edward G. Robinson feature. SHERIDAN GIBNEY to "Not Too Narrow, Not Too Deep” for Producer Joseph Mankiewicz. HAD BUCKLEY and BERTRAM MILLHAUSER to an untitled "Nick Carter” detective thriller. Lucien Hubbard is the producer. — Monogram MARION ORTH lo "Son of the Navy,” her original. — Paramount KEN ENGLUND to "The Star Maker,” Bing Crosby vehicle which Charles R. Rogers is producing. — Republic HARRY HAMILTON to "Seven Million Dollars,” a story by Sinclair Lewis. DERFY FREEMAN to "Abraham. Lincoln Boggs," which will star Edward Ellis. — RKO Radio DALTON TRUMBO to “Old Man Hod” for Producer Robert Sisk. — Eduard Small FREDERICK JACKSON to "The Life of Rudolph Valentino." — 20th Century-Fox WILLIAM ANTHONY McGUIRE to “The Life of Lillian Russell,” an Alice Faye starrer which McGuire wilt also produce. — Universal KURT SIODMAK to "The Invisible Man Returns,” -which Joe May will direct. W. P. LIPSCOMB to "The Invisible Man Returns,” sequel to "The Invisible Man.” — Warner llros. CLEMENT RIPLEY' to "John Paul Jones,” James Cagney starrer. KEN GAMET to the second in the "Hobby Family” series. Compromise of Two Claims Against Condor Allowed Expediting the reorganization of Condor Corp. and the establishment of its successor, Condor Pictures, Inc., as approved in federal court recently, Judge George Cosgrave has granted authority to Trustee Clinton E. Miller to compromise a pair of claims totaling $30,000 against the company. One claim, filed by M. W. Corum, charged he was due $4,500 for services as narrator on a series of short subjects, which Miller has settled for $800. The other is a $23,500 claim filed by the administrator of the estate of Amedee J. Van Buren, former head of the corporation, settled by Miller for $5,500. Miller is expected to turn over the old Condor’s physical assets, books, records and other data to the directorate of the new company by June 1, at which time present plans call for Condor to re-enter production as a means of facilitating payment of accrued debts and dividends on a new $140,000 stock issue. Condor has been in 77-B for the past 16 months. Grand National, enjoying an uptrend with the acquisition of four features for immediate release, is set for a production boom next week, Fine Arts Pictures being slated at that time to roll “Trouble in the Pacific” as the first in a batch of three for GN release. Franklyn Warner, head of FA, has signed Elmer Clifton to direct. This will be followed immediately by “Dead Man’s Cipher,” which Charles Lament will produce and direct, and “Wonder World.” GN itself has no immediate production plans other than cutting and scoring of “Miracle of Main Street,” recently completed in both Spanish and English versions. GIRL FROM MEXICO, THE (RKO)— Slapstick comedy which attains riotous proportions due to spirited work of Lupe Velez and Leon Errol. Should collar plenty of belly laughs from the gallery. Robert Sisk produced; Leslie Goodwins directed. GRAND JURY SECRETS (Para)— Pretty good entertainment is this story of two brothers, one a reporter and the other an assistant D. A., who vie against each other for honors, with the former trying to steal the latter's girl friend. John Howard, Porter Hall, Gail Patrick. James Hogan directed. HOUSE OF FEAR. THE (Univ) — A mysterythriller endowed with all those elements making for a first-rate shudder-shocker. Its attractiveness is heightened by a gentle sprinkling of comedy. William Gargan, delight of jitterbugs everywhere. Those with less itchy feet should receive their share of entertainment as delivered by the ingratiating Bob Hope and Shirley Ross. The elements provided in the script by Lewis R. Foster and Wilkie C. Mahoney were deftly blended by Director George Archainbaud. * * * A swaggering Australian Robin Hood is “Captain Fury,” acted to the hilt by Brian Aherne in a commendable outdoor melodrama which, despite its “down under” locale, possesses all the ingredients of the reliable, never-cloying western. Hal Roach, handling the megaphone, proved he has lost none of his directorial skill, painting an actionful picture from a lusty screenplay by Grover Jones, Jack Jevne and William DeMille. Aherne is supported by a competent cast headed by Victor McLaglen. * * * In the average-program class: “Panama Lady,” acceptable on all counts as solid entertainment, despite the low-budgeted production mounting accorded it by Cliff Reid for RKO Radio. Other than Lucille Ball, who delivers a strikingly sincere performance, the cast is unimportant. Jack Hively directed from a screenplay by Michael Kanin, based on an original story by Garrett Fort. “Boy Friend,” in which Jane Withers not only acquires her first romance, but involves herself with a police-training school. John Stone’s production mounting and brisk direction by James Tinling, should further enhance the boxoffice popularity of the gingery 20th Century-Fox moppet, while the scenario by Joseph Irene Hervey, Alan Dinehart. Joe May directed. ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (Col)— Intensely gripping and spectacular air adventure feature, for which there should be no ceiling as regards its popular appeal and revenue possibilities. The story is a sweeping masterpiece of action, suspense and crisp dialogue; the large cast, headed by Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, is strikingly superior; while production and direction by Howard Hawks are deft and effective. TELL NO TALES (M-G-M) — Knockout newspaper melodrama freighted with action and suspense and weaving an exciting story of kidnaping and amateur detection. Melvyn Douglas delivers an ace performance. Edward Chodorov produced; Leslie Fenton directed. Hoffman and Barry Trivers allows her to make full use of her standard bag of Thespic tricks. * * * * “Hotel Imperial,” debuting Paramount’s new star, the Italian actress, Isa Miranda. A world war story with a Russian background, it is slow-moving and dull, though well enacted. “Rookie Cop,” RKO Radio’s tale of a young policeman and his dog, will be most enthusiastically received by the juvenile matinee trade. Universal’s “For Love or Money” is a diverting comedy, in the screwball cycle and not to be taken too seriously. “Fixer Dugan,” in which Lee Tracy returns to the screen under the RKO Radio banner, is a wellhandled story of circus life, proving once again that Tracy is one of the screen’s more competent actors. * * * Off the beaten track — too far off, for. the most part — was “The Scorched Earth,” a B. V. Mindenburg production. Obviously intended as a scathing denunciation of Japan’s aggressive measures in China, it resolves itself into a meaningless endeavor because of careless cutting and a rambling commentary which arrives nowhere. The reel is made up of newsreel clips illustrating various stages in the SinoJapanese conflict and will probably be acceptable in only a few houses. Name Next "Torchy" “Torchy’s Invitation to a Murder” will be the next in Warner’s “Torchy Blane” series following “Torchy — Dead or Alive,” now in production. Jane Wyman and Allen Jenkins will head the cast. COMPLETE REVIEWS on the above pictures will appear in an early issue of BOXOFFICE. Spearheads (Continued from page 25) BOXOFFICE :: May 13, 1939 29