Box office digest (Dec 1938-Dec 1939)

8 THE BOX OFFICE DIGEST ‘First Love’ Again Presents Deanna Durbin In Hit UNIVERSAL (The Digest Estimates 135%) Producr .Joe Pasternak Director Henry Koster Screenplay: Bruce Manning, Lionel Houser. Star Deanna Durbin Featured: Robert Stack, Helen Parrish, Eugene Pallette, Lewis Howard, Leatrice Joy, June Storey, Frank Jenks, Kathleen Howard, Thurston Hall, Marcia Mae Jones, Samuel S. Hinds, Doris Lloyd, Charles Coleman, Jack Mulliall, Mary Treen, Dorothy Vaughan, Lucille Ward. Photographer Joseph Valentine Art Director Jack Otterson Film Editor Bernard Burton Time 84 minutes Straight, unadulterated. and even accented Cindere 1 1 a. “First Love'’ takes rank with the best of the Deanna Durbin pictures, and continues that remarkable young lady’s consistent record of successes. Joe Pasternak, her screen god-father, and producer of all her pictures, maintains that sensational thousand per cent batting ful that a reviewer just feels tempted to go on. To wind it up quickly, we will tell you that Cinderella— pardon, Deanna — views her love from afar, falls heavily, goes through misunderstandings, and eventually gets her man — er. pardon again, we mean her Prince Charming. We have given an indication of our liking for the cast supporting the star, we can conclude with a word for veteran Joe Valentine, who handled the photography. Valentine, who has consistently scored with his handling of the star, had no easy task, because Deanna is growing day by day, and no pre-conceived plans of lighting and angle-selection will work from one picture to the next. Suffice it to say, that the photography gives us a new. but just as sweet, Deanna. The song numbers given the star are on the classical and semiclassical side, in keeping with the taste of the production, and delivered by Miss Durbin as one might expect. There was no legitimate spot for a “pop" number, so wiley Joe Pasternak did not attempt to make one. Jack Otterson’s art direction gives the picture a glittering atmosyhere of quality. Exhibitors Rooking Suggestion : joyous entertainment that will safely hit your standard figures on Deanna Durbin. Previewed October 3 lit. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: “The parade of Joe Pasternak, Henry Koster and Deanna Durbin continues its onward march, further and further up the ladder of entertainment, striking pay dirt for Universal and the picture business with each step. Certainly a winning combination in all its pictures, which now include ‘First Love’.” VARIETY: “For the sixth successive time Deanna Durbin and the creative talents which shape her film destiny click with a smash piece of money entertainment. And ‘First Love’ is probably the most crucial of all the vehicles this brilliant Universal singing star has graced in that it marks the transition from the adolescent state to that of young womanhood involved in a first semi-grownup heart affair.” ‘Remember?’ More Entertaining Than Title Suggests average. As indicated by its title, "First Love” marks a step into nearmaturity for Deanna. But it is a gentle step, and a sweet one, there is no shock. Deanna’s first “serious” romance is played opposite a very pleasing, and wholesome, newcomer, Robert Stack ; it is guided, directed, written and played by people who know their Cinderella-lovers. In shorter phrases, Deanna takes the important hurdle in stride, all her aides are really aides. Bruce Manning, associated with so many Durbin successes, and this time teamed with Lionel Houser, unblushingly give us Cinderella— even to the slipper — and then writes it with such charm that the world seems better as you emerge from the theater. Deanna is an orphan — maybe you guessed that — and on her graduation from one of those finishing schools, takes up residence at the home of the wealthy uncle who has absentmindedly financed her education. Eugene Pallette is the uncle, seen in a repressed snort and grunt part that is one of the best jobs he has done. Leatrice Joy — what a treat to see her again — is Pallette’s flibberty-gibbet wife. Helen Parrish, a “Cinderella-steosister” old meanie, and Louis Howard a very effective Greek chorus who is so indolent he can hardly move his left leg to get out of the way of his right appendage. Robert Stack enters the scene. Oh, it is all so simple that we should not bother repeating it, we suppose. But it is all so delight MGM (The Digest Estimates 110%) Producer Milton Bren Director Norman McLeod Story and screenplay: Corey Ford, Norman McLeod. Stars: Robert Taylor, Greer Garson, Lew Ayres. Featured: Billie Burke, Reginald Owen, George Barbier, Henry Travers, Richard Carle, Laura Hope Crews, Sara Haden, Sig Rumann, Halliwell Hobbes, Paul Hurst. Photographer George Folsey Musical Score Edward Ward Film Editor Harold Kress Time 82 minutes The sappy title is going to hurt the box office draw of this picture, which is a shame, because it is a prize package of entertainment. The critics may hurt it too. because it is too healthily on the zany side for the fellows who think in terms of anything but audience values. The title you cannot help; and forget the highbrow critics. “Remember?” kept a preview audience laughing its head off while the critics griped; it will do the same for you. Sell the stars, and Leo the Lion; sell anything, but give your audiences a chance to see and hear it. Norman McLeod, who brought “Topper” to the screen, together with his producer chief, Milton Bren, ha’ e again given us laughs. That’s what we need in these days. Robert Taylor, playing with elastic freedom in a light part, does one of the smoothest jobs of his career. Lew Ayres is his usual personable self. Greer Garson. who scored for American audiences in “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” proves herself a comedienne of ability. The gal cannot be blamed for the foolish profile angles that are injurious, nor for introductory scenes in a make-up that is far from pleasant. Some of the critics harp on the phrase that Miss Garson was miscast; your reviewers’ sole query is whether they expect a talented artiste to go on playing Mrs. Chips for the rest of her life. The story is slow in getting under way, to establish a basis for farce hilarity that builds the later reels up to high points. Starting out as a typical triangle yarn, with Lew Ayres losing his fiancee to his best friend. Robert Taylor, on the eve of his own wedding, the note of originality comes in a reverse triangle twist. Instead of becoming the embittered wrong corner of the triangle, Ayres remains the sardonic best friend, and when he sees the Taylor-Gar COLUMBIA (The Digest Estimates 80%) Producer .Robert Sparks Director Frank Strayer Based upon Chic Young’s comic strip. Screenplay: Gladys Lehman, Richard Flournoy. Story: Robert Chapin, Karen De Wolf, Richard Flournoy. Stars: Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, Daisy. Featured: Danny Mummert, Jonathan Hale, Robert Middlemass, Olin Howard, Fay Helm, Peggy Ann Garner, Roy Gordon, Grace son marriage going on the rocks, puts to work a chemical discovery that destroys all memory of recent happenings. Thus, for the second half of the picture. Taylor and M iss Garson go through a fantastic reiteration of their original love scenes, their elopement, etc., with farce complications galore growing out of the fact that, though they don t know it. they have actually been married for six months. Support is excellent, with troupers who responded nobly to Norman McLeod’s skill at building up and timing the topper on gags. Billie Burke gets the standout opportunity in the support, with McLeod taming her ebullience to a bit more repression than usual — and welcome it is. Exhibitors Booking Suggestion : If ith that title, you will have to (Continued on Page 11) Stafford, Helen Jerome Eddy, Irving Bacon. Photographer Henry Freulich Music Director M. W. Stoloff Film Editor Otto Meyer Time 67 minutes Col umbia is well into its stride with this “Blondie” series, with the result that “Blondie Brings Up Baby" rates as top hole entertainment. Many will list it as the best of the series, because the blend of legitimacy in story and (Continued on Page 10) Latest ‘Blondie’ Maintains Pace of Series