National Box Office Digest (Feb-July 1941)

8 BOX OFFICE DIGEST 'Footsteps In the Dark' Presents New Errol Flynn Current Reviews We Est. Foofsteps in the Dark WAR 110 Lady Eve PAR 105 A Girl, A Guy, and a Gob RKO 90 Blondie Goes Latin COL 80 Melody for Three RKO 75 Flying Wild MONO 65 WARNERS The Digest’s Box Office Estimate 110% Executive Producer Hal Wallis Associate Producer Robert Lord Director . Lloyd Bacon Screenplay Lester Cole, John Wexley From the Play by Lazio Fodor, Bernard Merivale, Jeffrey Dell Stars Errol Flynn. Brenda Marshall Featured: Ralph Bellamy. Alan Hale. Alien Jenkins, William Frawley, Lee Patrick, Lucile Watson, Roscoe Karns, Grant Mitchell, Maris Wrixon, Noel Madison, Jack LaRue, Turhan Bey. Photographer Ernie Haller Time 93 Minutes Lloyd Bacon takes Errol Flynn over the comedy hurdles in ''Footsteps in the Dark.” and merrily, too. It would seem to be a picture which Flynn played with his tongue in his cheek, while Bacon used all th“ wiles of his long experience to be certain that not a possible laugh was lost. The general effect is that everybody seems to be having a good time, and it is a safe bet that audiences will too. Even if it is not a swashbuckling epic of the conventional Errol Flynn offerings. "Footsteps in the Dark” is in the "Thin Man” classification of mysteries, which puts the accent on the laughs, and doesn’t worry any too much about the plot. As a matter of fact, they could have given Director Bacon a little more strength in plot to hold COLUMBIA The Digest’s Box Office Estimate 80% Producer Robert Sparks Director ....... Frank R. Strayer Screenplay Richard Flournoy, Karen DeWolf Original Quinn Martin Based on Comic Strip bv Chic Young Stars Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Sims Featured: Ruth Terry, Tito Guizar, Jonathan Hale, Danny Mummert, Irving Bacon, Janet Burston. Kirby Grant, Joseph King, Eddie Acuff, Daisy. Photographer Henry Freulich Time 68 Minutes They have backed up the standard — and popular — gags of the Blondie series in Blondie Goes Latin” with song and dance. The result is a pretty good hour or so of entertainment for those welcome customers we call "the family audience.” Producer Robert Sparks and Director Frank Strayer are in full stride now in the handling of this series. They are not bashful about using hoke, when hoke will get a laugh; and by this time they know their players, and the comic strip characters they represent, so well that they seldom miss aim when gunning for that laugh. The cast is also happily at home, with Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake more and more welcome as assurance of a bushlebasketful of screwy laughs. And, of course, we still have Larry Simms and Daisy, Andy the second half of the picture up to the early reels. The script goes a little too haywire thus putting the burden entirely on the director. The yarn finds Flynn a full-fledged member of Society’s Who’s Who, with a penchant for dabbling in crime detection. Fie actually writes detective stories, but must lead a double life because he couldn’t let his blue-blooded relatives know his shame. That’s a simple, and very excellent springboard for a lot of fun. You don’t need us to tell you that murders start happening, that there are dumb cops involved, that Flynn is in continual hot water trying to lead his double life while relatives ponder his eccentricities. Brenda Marshall has the role opposite Flynn, playing capably, but not looking her Mummert, and capable Jonothan Hale as the fuss-budget boss. A supporting cast somewhat above the grade of previous episodes adds to the values of "Blondie Goes Latin.” Ruth Terry and Tito Guizar give value to the songs, Eddie Acuff is on hand for good comedy moments. Incidentally, Miss Singleton also does a little vocalizing and dance stepping, and right well she does it. too. The events of this chapter all happen because the boss invites Dagwood and Blondie for a yachting vacation, and the trouble starts when Dagwood fails to go ashore to close a business deal and must hide himself here, there and everywhere about the yacht. That’s skeleton enough, the rest is gags and music. Exhibitor’s Booking Suggestion: Top quality for the series, with the music giving it added appeal. Previewed Feb. 19th. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: "The film is better produced and more expertly and expensively cast than any of its predecessors. It combines good story, action, excellent music — and good old corn.” VARIETY: "Followers of the screen adventures of Chic Young’s Blondie, Dagwood, Baby Dumpling and Daisy are in for some surprises. They will chuckle and roar at the familiar mishaps that befall the Bumpstead family, but whether they will like the mixing of the swell gags with song and dance numbers which are allowed to run too long remains to be seen.” best even with Ernie Haller on the camera. Lucille Watson and Allen Jenkins top the support, with Rosco Karns, Ralph Bellamy and Jack La Rue getting good moments. Exhibitor’s Booking Suggestion: Not a Flynn million dollar epic, but a good audience bet that his fans will welcome. Previewed Feb. 26th. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: "This is just about the most entertaining tongue-in-cheek mystery affair of the new order yet made. It is hilarious satire which takes all the sacred cows of the old-time film detective varn formula and manhandles them unmercifully via the laugh route.” VARIETY: "This is a farced murder mystery, which means it’s played for laughs instead of suspense. As such a whodunit, 'Footsteps in the Dark’ rings the bell it aims at.” and Dance ALL MAJOR FEATURES RELEASED IN 1941 Philadelphia Story . MGM .181 Kitty hoyle R K< ). 143 This Thing Called Love COL..... ..i:o Back Street UNIV 128 Strawberry Blonde WAR .123 Mr. and Mrs. Smith RKO .123 Flight Command ..MGM . .115 High Sierra WAR 112 Hudson’s Bay FOX .... . 109 Come Live With Me MGM .107 Cheers for Miss Bishop UA .105 Son of Monte Cristo ... UA. .. 95 Tall, Dark and Handsome FOX .. 90 You’re the One PAR .. 87 Victory PAR .. 87 Maisie Was a Lady ... MGM ... .. 86 Buck Privates UNIV 86 Mad Doctor PAR 81 Three on a Honevmoon WAR .. 80 Ellery Queen, Master Detective COL ... .. 80 Six Lessons from Madame LaZonga UNIV . . . 80 I* light from Destiny WAR . 80 Texas Rangers Ride Again .... PAR . 78 Invisible Woman UNIV . 78 Road Show UA 76 Life With Henry PAR . 75 Romance of the Rio Grande FOX . 73 Girl in the News . FOX . 73 Lucky Devils UNIV 72 Phantom Submarine COL . 72 Holden Hoofs FOX . 72 Keeping Company MGM ... . 71 Ride. Kelly, Ride FOX... . 71 Where Did You Get That Girl UNIV . 70 Convoy RKO . 70 She Couldn’t Say No WAR . 70 Michael Shayne, Private Detective ...FOX . 70 Let’s Make Music RKO .... . 70 Land of Liberty ..MGM . 70 The Case of the Black Parrot ..WAR . 70 Devil’s Command ... COL . 70 Barnvard Follies REP . 69 Bowery Boy REP .. . 68 Saint in Palm Springs RKO . 67 Phantom of Chinatown MONO 67 Her First Romance MONO . 66 Pride of the Bowery MONO . 63 The Old Swimming Hole MONO . 60 'Blondie Goes Latin'— With Song