National Box Office Digest (Dec 1938-Dec 1939)

JULY 17, 1939 7 '“Spring Fever” Upholds Andy Hardy CURRENT REVIEWS 1 Over 100% 5 Okay .... . ...4 Weak We Est. 1. Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever. MGM 135 2. 1 Stole A Million UN IV 95 3. Naughty But Nice WAR 90 4. Hell’s Kitchen WAR 85 5. The Magnificent Fraud PAR 80 6 Blondie Takes A Vacation COL 80 7. News Is Made At Nigrt FOX 75 8. Unexpected Father UN SV 75 9. Mr. Wong in Chinatown MONO 75 10. Should Husbands Work? ... REP. 70 MGM (The Digest Estimates 135%) Director W. S. Van Dyke II Screenplay Kay Van Riper Based on the characters created by Aurania Rouverol. Featured: Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden, Ann Rutherford, Sara Haden, Helen Gilbert, Terry Kilburn, John T. Murray, George Breakston, Charles Peck, Sidney Miller, Addison Richards, Olaf Hytten, Erville Alderson, Robert Kent. Photographer Lester White Musical Score. Edward Ward, David Snell Film Editor Ben Lewis Time 87 minutes MGM is doing so well with these Andy Hardy pictures that, for the sake of quick revenue, they rush them to the key city houses almost before the sacred group of previewers have a chance to see them. This latest episode in the Andy Hardy tribulations has already set its box office figure in Los Angeles and numerous other key cities, so nothing remains for a reviewer but to consider the subject from the exalted position of a critic. In such a capacity, we report that "Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever” is one of the best of the series. The adult plot is kept in its proper place, the spotlight is centered on Mickey Rooney. The result is all-satisfying. W. S. Van Dyke directed this episode in the Andy Hardy career, after the character had been fully established by George Seitz. Van Dyke keeps to the key, both in his handling of Mickey and Lewis Stone, while the writers must be so well acquainted with this family’s entertaining internal problems by now that they dash off a scene or two between the orange juice and the cereal in the mornings. This time the family gets itself in really good pictorial spots, because the basement of the plot concerns an amateur play in which Andy is to appear with sweetie Ann Rutherford, while the second flight concerns some financial headaches that are brought on, and which need adult assistance to solve. It is all great audience stuff, particularly good small town family fare. They can keep on making them for the next hundred years without disappointing small town families who are happy to see how happy they are. Exhibitors’ Booking Suggestion : You know Andy Hardy. This is close to tops in the series— alongside "Love Finds Andy Hardy1” — so you can be guided accordingly. Previewed July 7th. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: “Andy Hardy forges on to new adventures in the seventh and latest MGM treatise on the popular family. And this one, ‘Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever,’ continues to advance the steadily growing prestige of the series, exerting the same hilarious and hearttugging forces which is this group’s unerring purpose and premium.' " VARIETY: “The b. o. value of the Hardys has been established. This one will thoroughly delight the confirmed patrons and will add its share of the steadily increasing customers.” ”Aews Is Made At Aight” Routine Meller TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX (The Digest Estimates 75%) Executive Producer Sol M. Wurtzel Producer Edward Kaufman Director Alfred Werker Original Screenplay John Larkin Stars Preston Foster, Lynn Bari Featured: Russell Gleason, George Barbier, Eddie Collins, Minor Watson, Charles Halton, Paul Harvey, Richard Lane, Charles Lane, Betty Compson, Paul Fix, Paul Guilfoyle. Photographer Ernest Palmer Film Editor Nick DeMaggio Time 70 minutes This is one for those newspaper-reporter mystery story pictures. It will fill the bill nicely as the supporting feature on most any theater’s marquee. Unfortunately, it has neither the cast, nor the story, to merit any higher rating but, after all, the picture was not aimed at any but the supporting spots. The yarns follows the tried and true path in narrating the adventures of a "Front Page” managing editor of a big town newspaper who is never seen managing or editing his paper. He spends most of his time tracking down a gangster-murderer in order to save the life of an innocent man. Preston Foster handles the straightforward characterization in a smooth manner. Lynn Bari, the girl from back home in the midwest, is an aspirant to a job on the newspaper. Eddie Collins, Foster’s butler, gets more than his share of laughs as is his usual wont. Russell Gleason, the son of the paper’s owner, is amusing, too, in his owl-eyed way. Paul Guilfoyle, Minor Watson, and Paul Harvey are also seen in the competent cast. Alfred Werker’s direction is O.K., getting all the suspense and laughs possible out of the whodunit story. He keeps the film moving along at a good steady clip. John Larkin wrote the original screenplay and Edward Kaufman produced. The story itself deals with the attempts of Foster, through the use of his paper, to save the life of Paul Guilfoyle, sentenced to die in the gas chamber. In his wanderings, Foster and Lynn Bari, his self-appointed assistant, break into houses, land in jail and force their unfortunate allies to enact fake deathbed scenes. Eventually, however, all is saved, with Preston rescuing Lynn from the nasty ’ole villian in the brink of time. Exhibitors’ Booking Suggestion : Can be billed as a supporting feature unde'r any epic and will likely please. Previewed July jth. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: “ ‘News Is Made At Night’ emerges as a fast and furious newspaper melodrama that will more than hold up its end of a double bill and in some spots will hold up as the top feature.” VARIETY: “An amusing comedy drama, only weakness of ‘News Is Made At Night’ lies in efforts of its makers to stretch a 60-minute story into a 70-minute feature.” Latest "Mr. Wong” Best in Series monogram (The Digest Estimates 75%) Executive Producer Scott R. Dunlap Producer William T. Lackey Director William Nigh Screenplay Scott Darling Based on stories by Hugh Wiley Star ..Boris Karloff Featured: Grant Withers, Marjorie Reynolds, William Royale, Peter Lynn, Huntley Gordon, James Flavin, Lotus Long, Bessie Loo, Lee Tong Foo, Little Angelo, Richard Loo, Guy Usher. Time 70 minutes The election votes can be counted and the report delivered: Monogram is holding up on this "Mr. Wong” series. In our opinion "Mr. Wong in Chinatown” is the best of the series. That may be a matter of opinion only, but at least exhibitors buying Monogram product can take our word for it that the picture offers a good piece of meller. Producer Bill Lackey and Director William Nigh combined to give audiences what they probably want when they respond to a marquee sign that reads, "Boris Karloff in 'Mr. Wong’.” With a fast-stepping script by Scott Darling they go to town. This time the plot starts right on Mr. Wong’s own doorstep, for it concerns a Chinese princess murdered in his own home. There are suspects aplenty, and even dangers for Mr. Wong before he unravels the mystery. Oh, yes, there is a timely element, because the princess was in this country to purchase airplanes for her suffering compatriots. Karloff is turning in a good job as the hero (Continued on Page ii)