National Box Office Digest (Feb-July 1941)

APRIL 26, 1941 7 Universal's 'Flame of New Orleans' Not So Hot UNIVERSAL The Digest’s Box Office Estimate 90% Producer .... Joseph Pasternak Director Rene Clair Written by Normal Krasna Stars Marlene Dietrich Featured: Bruce Cabot, Roland Young, Mischa Auer, Andy Devine, Frank Jenks, Eddie Quilan, Laura Hope Crews, Franklin Pangborn, Theresa Harris, Clarence Muse, Melville Cooper, Anne Revere, Bob Evans, Emily Fitzroy, Virginia Sale, Dorothy Adams, Gitta Alpar, Anthony Marlowe. Photographer Rudy Mate Art Director Jack Otterson Time 78 minutes "The Flame of New Orleans” is not such a brilliant flame. Of course, it has the advantage of one of those "hot” titles, and when you combine the title with Marlene Dietrich you have something that used to be called sex, but is now designated more modestly as glamour, you have something to sell. But the producers gave you little more than Jack Otterson’s exceptionally fine art direction, and a group of bewildered actors in search of a plot, and probably willing to sign clearance papers for the sake of a couple of lines of dialogue. 'Wagons Roll at WARNERS The Digest’s Box Office Estimate 85% Associate producer Harlan Thompson Director Ray Enright Screenplay Fred Niblo, Jr., Barry Trivers Suggested story by Francis Wallace Stars Humphrey Bogart, Sylvia Sidney, Eddie Albert, Joan Leslie Featured: Sig Rumann, Cliff Clark, Charley Foy, Frank Wilcox, John Ridgely, Clara Blandick, Aldrich Bowker, Garry Owen, Jack Mower, Frank Mayo. Photographer Sid Hickox Time 84 minutes About every circus picture that has been made, from "Polly of the Circus,” through a by-path to "Variety,” and a slight detour to Clyde Beatty’s Universal lion picture, and stumbling on the heels of "Chad Hanna,” can take a share of pride in "The Wagons Roll at Night.” They have all contributed. In fact, they were too generous with their contributions, to the extent that an eightyfour minute meller becomes so troubled in unravelling its plot that you feel you have sat through a minimum of two hours. Which is not to say that the picture will not have its welcome spots. Provided they do not charge you too much, or you do not Jack Otterson did his job, the players try their best, Joe Pasternapk fell down as producer when he decided this was a story, and all the folks in the executive office went boom-boom when they assigned a story that is supposedly of typical Americana to a recently arrived Gallic, Rene Clair, who probably should have been seasoned in the wood before approaching the cash customers of America. Of course, we all know that Rene Clair is the darling of the aesthetes. But those birds don’t pay off at the cash windows. It is pretty difficult to decide whether the producers actually started out with a story, or just felt satisfied to give Clair some acrobatics, while combining the alluring title with the Dietrich appeal. But about the time you figure that it is just designed to be a parade for Dietrich as a woman who always gets her man, you realize that Miss Dietrich has not been given a very well written characteriztion. And after that disillusioning feeling, you suddenly realize that all the other characters are walking around in a dream. Imagine having Andv Devin". Mischa Auer, Eddie Quillan, and Frank Tenks in a picture for comedy relief — gosh, how much relief was needed — -and finding those troupers playing parts that cou Id be called "extras.” Laura Hope Crewes struggles date it on the critical nights. There is always a safe value in circus flamboyancy, there is always a thrill to see the fellow who goes into the cage with the lions. And then there are other meat stock ingredients in the soup — the country boy who becomes a champ lion teaser, the semisiren of the circus who might almost win him except that no well-trained audience will ever expect that she will win, there is the gal of rustic purity sublime for whom, gol darn it, we are rooting. And there’s a villain. Humphrey Bogart tops the credit list, and tries to play this part, but he is the most wierdly drawn character — in an attempt to get a drop of sympathy while getting a ton of menace — that we have seen in some time. It’s a corny job for corny customers — and in that bracket may satisfy. Top honors, as we have mentioned, go to Humphrey Bogart, but the piece is held together by the ingratiating personality of Eddie Albert. He makes it almost human, even if the script tries its darndest to make him sub-dumb. Sylvia Sidney troupes with trouper skill through her siren role. That little known gal. Joan Leslie, is a name to write down in the book. The kid is good. Cliff Clark, Sig Rumann, Clara Blandick above the background for a few more lines than the rest, but she is still left gasping. The story is about a gal in New Orleans who starts to take a banker, hitches him to the marriage halter, and then gets in a mess of trouble. Trouble is right — we haven’t figured it out yet. Apparently, with the hypnotism of the Clair name, and that so-nice French touch. Universal set out to make a "different” picture. They sure did make it different. Exhibitor’s Booking Suggestion: For the spots where the title, the star, and the sexy posters can sell, worth just that; elsewhere, if you must face the customers as they come out, don’t get excited. Previewed April 23rd. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: "Expectations of exceptional entertainment in 'The Flame of New Orleans’ are due for a sharp disappointment. For a show produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Rene Clair, written by Norman Krasna and starring Marlene Dietrich, the picture doesn’t come off a: anticipated.” VARIETY: "Highly romantic fluff about a not too nice lady in the early days of New Orleans, 'The Flame of New Orleans’ should cut a capable swath through the hearts of the femmes who make up the larger portion of matinee audiences, mainly because of the elegance in which it is dressed and the many delightful moments that appear along its course.” and Charley Foy turn in good jobs. For that matter all concerned seem to have been hitting cn high, and that includes, with emphasis, Director Ray Enright. He cellophanes the job so that there are a dozen moments when you fee! that it is going to become a picture But the plot has a perfect telegraph system that always tells you too far in advance just what will happen, so that even players and director can’t help you muttering sotto-voice. "I wish it would happen and be over with.” Exhibitor’s Booking Suggestion: At a budget price booking has meller values and color above B grade for the audiences that want this sort; for the critical just one of those things. Previewed April 22nd. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: "Warners has a high-powered sales organization capable of impressively roFing 'The Wagons’ out to cop box office coin. While the attraction falls short of being completely satisfactory entertainment, its cast is headed by sound marquee names.” VARIETY : "Avoiding the pitfalls encouraged in numerous predecessor films dealing with circus life, 'The Wagons Roll at Night’ tells an absorbing, standard melodrama of big top and corny folk focused upon the handling of a dangerous lion act.” Night' Tells All Circus Stories