National Box Office Digest (Jan-Dec 1945)

BOX OFFICE DIGEST 9 “Bring on the Girls” . . Money Musical Comedy (PARAMOUNT) The Digest’s Box Office Estimate: 160% Associate producer Fred Kohlmar Director Sidney Lanfield The Players: Veronica Lake, Sonny Tufts, Eddie Bracken, Marjorie Reynolds, Grant Mitchell, Johnny Coy, Peter Whitney, Alan Mowbray, Porter Hall, Thurston Hall, Lloyd Corrigan, Sig Arno, Joan Woodbury, Andrew Tombes, Frank Faylen, Huntz Hall, William Moss, Norma Varden, and Spike Jones orchestra. Photography . Karl Struss Time 91 minutes This should be a heavy money-maker. It has hefty musical comedy values, the title is good, the marquee names are good, the dressing is in Technicolor. “Bring On the Girls” has as lightly premised a plot as many of our best musical comedy memories, but delightful scripting, tight and steadily moving construction, when endowed with such playing, melody, and production backgrounding as is here present it wraps up as a show for anybody’s money. And it will get plenty of everybody’s money. The offering is easily the best directorial accomplishment on the Sidney Lanfield list for a long time. He has given able response to a cohesive script and secured full values from the talents of players and the values of top-notch production assistance. Eddie Bracken is our story. He is the guy with several million dollars who goes into the Navy because he seeks the uniform’s anonymity to be sure that when love comes he will be loved for himself and not for his dough. Sonny Tufts is the protector, joining the Navy by order of Bracken’s trustees so that he can keep an eye on him. Stir those two well, then add two piquant portions in the persons of Veronica Lake and Marjorie Reynolds. Veronica is cigaret girl at a night club who is wise to Eddie’s wealth, but almost captures him. Marjorie is a night club singer who — would you believe it? — also has money in the background that she is trying to hide. You have four people now to whom almost anything can happen. Plenty does. Particularly the fun growing out of Bracken’s pre tense as being deaf so that he can hear what the girls really think about him. This gag thought makes for a series of hilarious situations. The four top players are at their best, and the support is not far behind. The picture will be of particular advantage in advancing the career of Sonny Tufts in its evidence of his versatile talents, this being the occasion for some very pleasing singing along with his naive brand of comedy. Eddie Bracken is the worthy center of interest, and the girls, Miss Lake and Miss Reynolds deliver in acting form equal to the exceptional portraiture in Technicolor by Karl Struss. There is a youngster, Johnny Coy, dancer unique, who will be sought for more scene stealing moments on the screen. Songs are present in abundance, and of top quality. Exhibitor’s Booking Suggestion : A honey. . . . Previewed Feb. 12th. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: “Grand show . . . takes immediate rank as one of the top musicals of the year.” VARIETY: “Crisp package of entertain ment.” “The Chicago Kid” . . . Cops and Robbers (REPUBLIC) The Digest’s Box Office Estimate: 80% Associate producer Eddy White Director Frank McDonald The Players: Donald Barry, Otto Kruger, Tom Powers, Lynne Roberts, Henry Daniels, Chick Chandler, Joseph Crehan, Jay Novello, Paul Harvey, Addison Richards, Kenne Duncan. Photography William Bradford Time 68 minutes “The Chicago Kid” sets out to give you no more, and no less, than you want from such a title, and it does that in workmanlike fashion. The customers will get 55 minutes of gangster and black market stuff, crisply directed by Frank McDonald, adequately staged, and satisfactorily played. The mere fact that the plot is a hodgepodge of contriving, the characters synthetic creations only met in the pulp magazines, will not overly bother the ticket-buyers responding to the title. The action is there, and the pace. Donald Barry is seen as the center of a “vengeance shall be mine” theme. He believes that his father was railroaded to prison on testimony by Otto Kruger. The father died on the day preceding his release. Barry sets out for revenge — succeeds in worming his way into Kruger’s business, into the heart of his daughter, and is riding high on highjacking activities when he learns the truth — that his parent really had been guilty, and a cop-killer. He can’t turn back — so bing, bing, we go on to a shooting “crime does not pay” finish. Very contrived, but done by a group — Armand Shaefer, Eddy White, and Frank McDonald — who know their market and their meller. Exhibitor’s Booking Suggestion : Okay for any spot where you want the cops-and-robbers stuff. . . . Previewed Feb. 9th. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: “Republic has a pleaser here.” VARIETY: “Generally proves to be first rate melodramatic fare.” “Let’s Go Steady .... Introduces Youngsters (COLUMBIA) The Digest’s Box Office Estimate: 75% Producer Ted Richmond Director . Del Lord The Players: Pat Parrish, Jackie Moran, June Preisser, Jimmy Lloyd, Arnold Stang, Skinnay Ennis, Mel Torme, William Moss, Byron Folger, Gladys Blake, Eddie Bruce, William Frambes. Photography Benjamin Kline Time 60 minutes This is a pretty snappy little number to be in the program class. Columbia set out apparently to hit the jive trade, to discover the talents of a group of youngsters, and be perfectly satisfied if they gave entertainment modestly and without flash. The Ted Richmond production, with Del Lord directing, achieves its objectives. Lack ing, naturally, in marquee names, it will be a headache solution for many a booker who wants to be certain that the second number on the bill has sent ’em home happy, even if the top attraction was a problem. The music is good — hit songs plentiful — the youngsters are personable and talented, the direction by Del Lord keeps a story line going without affecting his pace or the proper spotting of his songs. The plot, if you wish to know it, is based on the inheritance by Pat Parrish of a song publishing business which turns out to have been a racket preying on ambitious would-be melody writers. She just gets settled in her inheritance when a horde of youngsters deluge her demanding their money back. Comes the springboard — June and these kids combine to put the proposition over on a legitimate basis. Neat excuse for a picture, and sparked by hot competition from a group of youngsters who really have youth on the ball. A newcomer, Mel Torme, with his Meltones, gets the highlights and scores solidly. Skinnay Ennis is in for a good spot. And the other youngsters, Pat Parrish, Jackie Moran, June Preisser, run a neck and neck race. Arnold Stang handles a comedy assignment capably. Exhibitor’s Booking Suggestion : Neat, light, fun and melody package for any supporting spot. . . . Previewed Feb. 2nd. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOW S SAID : REPORTER: “Knockout little entertainment destined to take its place among the best pictures Columbia will produce this year.” VARIETY : “Offers an amusing array of jive youngsters in songs and specialties and proves okay supporting material.”