The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (Jul 15, 1941)

‘Page 4 PARACHUTE BATTALION Head Office: FOX ACCENT ON LOVE A surprisingly good picture, considering its modest setup. The names aren’t stickouts but there’s a fair measure of laughs, action, drama and tears. George Montgomery is, by virtue of being married to rich Cobina Wright, Jr., a pampered young man. He tires of it, takes a pick-and-shovel job, goes to live with fore’man J. Carrol Naish and falls in love with daughter Osa Massen. His plush past spoils the change but he squares himself with the proletarians by overhauling their tenements. Will fill most needs. MAN HUNT A simple but strong story about a man who stalks Hitler with a rifle. Walter Pidgeon plays the man admirably and Joan Bennett, as an English moll type, helps him get away from the counter-attack. George Sanders is the cool and crisp villain who is aided by John Carradine.. Enough suspense and drama to make it a worthwhile top-of-the-bill attraction. RKO A highly-instructive and rather thrilling drama, of one phase of American defence. The plot is somewhat creaky, being about a soldier son of ia soldier who has to be won to the tradition by overcoming fear and winning the girl. Harry Carey plays the same gruff and kindly role the customers like. He’s the instructor whose daughter, Nancy Kelly, upsets Edmond O’Brien and Robert Preston. Buddy Ebsen, with a haircut, provides the comedy as a hillbilly who carries his feud into the army. Paul Kelly, Richard Cromwell and Robert Barrat help the subject display its natural excitement. FATHER TAKES A WIFE This is the one with Gloria Swanson’s much-heralded comeback. Curiousity will draw many and they’ll see a funny domestic comedy. Miss Swanson looks her old self in many shots but Adolf Menjou does the brunt of the work. A good thing he does. Desi Arnys, who intrudes on the Menjou-Swanson honeymoon, and John Howard and Florence Rice, as stuffy relatives, play capably. R.C.A. “High Fidelity” Sound Systems Northern Electric ‘“Mirrophonic” Sound Systems Motiograph Projectors Century Projectors Ashcraft Are Lamp Equipment {mperial “Stedypower” Generators Forest Rectifiers R.C.A. Hurley Screens Celotex Acoustical Materials Also Other Miscellaneous Booth Supplies. DOMINION SOUND EQUIPMENTS LIMITED 1620 Notre Dame Street West, Montreal Brancues at: HALIFAX TORONTO WINNIPEG REGINA CALGARY VANCOUVER A NATIONAL THEATRE SERVICE Exhibitor July 15th, 1941 REGAL THE BIG STORE This is: supposed to be the last film effort of the Marx boys. It’s a sort of-musical romp with plenty of rip and roar to it. The story is about a singer who inherits a department store and how he is kept from being cheated out of it. Dumont is back with the Marxes for this one. shares the bumper crop of laughs. and Douglas Dumbrille. BARNACLE BILL The Amazonic Margaret Henry Armetta Tony Martin, Virginia Grey Wallace Beery goes for one of his infrequent trips to the water in this rough and robust offering. It’s the best kind of straight Beery, a popular beverage, with Marjorie Main for a chaser. fishing rivalries. add to its tangy flavor. BLONDIE IN SOCIETY ' Virginia Weidler, as his daughter, tries to take the barnacles off Bill with mild success. Donald Meek, Barton McLane and Leo Carillo It’s an easy-going story about COLUMBIA This edition keeps up the good standard of this sure program series. The story revolves around a Great Dane, brought into the house by Mr. Bumstead, who gets himself into the usual funny situations but comes out okay. It all ends up in him getting the usual contract for his firm. Added to the regulars for this one are Edgar Kennedy and William Frawley. Miss Singleton anes a couple of songs too. COMMUNITY SING This sing-song short, with Don Baker at the orgian, seems to get more voice support than most things of: the sort. The songs, of course, are the big thing—‘‘There’ll Always be an England,” “IT Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby” and more proven heart-warmers. Just the thing to sweeten the evening. PRODUCERS RELEASING CORP. PAPER BULLETS A punchy melodrama with a good story that’s well-acted. Comes close to being top entertainment. It’s unusual to see a girl carry a racket drama but Joan Woodbury, convicted of a crime she did not commit and seeking revenge, plays it to the hilt. Among the supporting players are Jack LaRue, . Linda Ware, Vince eeu and Philip Trent. Going After qT hem! By LLOYD M. MILLS Robert Brown, the wide-awake manager of. the Vanity Theatre in Windsor comes forth with. a few good stunts that certainly increased his grosses away above expectations. On the “Dictator” Brown did this: He ordered a Charlie Chaplin dress contest amongst the Liberty Sales boys, and over eighty boys up to the age of 15 walked around the town, stood on the street corners, and marched in one big parade, all dressed up as the old master himself. This gave Brown a tremendous amount of publicity with the total cost of about ten dollars for prizes. Of course, Brown had many other good ‘stunts on this outstanding hit. On “Penny Serenade” ‘Brown came forth with a campaign for collecting pennies for the Windsor Police Spitfire Fund. First he distributed over 5,000 small envelopes to the stores and homes, with copy attached plugging the idea: of putting their spare pennies in. to be sent in to the theatre or to the Police Station. He got publicity, plus goodwill, and netted over $300 in pennies for this worthy cause, and I might say Brown just about had the police force in the palm of his hand — along with this stunt the police painted a thin white line for many blocks along the main street and requested the public to put their pennies on the line for the fund. Two small standee signs in each block right’ along the line on the sidewalk plugged the picture and the theatre. Good work, Bob, and I jam sure Bob will have more in for next issue. Incidentally he has some good gags over the ‘‘Pot O’ Gold’, with window guessing contests and a swell ‘co-operative tie-in with Kresge’s on a Suridae, where every patron can get a pot of golden ice cream for half the price providing they get a ticket from the Vanity and see Pot O’ Gold. ‘They gave him two windows for four days plugging the idea them for the Fund, which were | with stills and copy, etc.