The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1939)

oervisecijon * FOREIGN Dead Men Tell No Tales ;Alliance) Family Melodrama 77M. Emlyn Williams, Hugh Williams, Marius Gor¬ ing, Sara Seegar, Lesley Brook, Christine Silver, Cliee Morton, Anne Wilton, lack Vivian, Mar¬ jorie Dale. Directed by Dai'id MacDonald. This is 3 thriller worthy of the name. Story regards an English school matron who wins £10,000 in French lottery, is made victim of a hunchbacked money-lender. He entices her by offering to increase her money. Meeting her at the London station, he takes her to his eerie room, and strangles her. The plot is involved but uniquely worked out. Hugh Williams, fiance of Sara Seegar, is assigned to the case from Scot¬ land Yard. Seegar is the cousin of the head¬ master of the school, Emlyn Williams, who plays a restrained role. Leslie Brook, forced into crime by blackmailing pawnbroker, has disguised her¬ self as the matron, has collected the money in Paris. Her fiance, Clive Morton, is involved with her. A young schoolmaster, Marius Goring, after disclosing important information to Emlyn Wil¬ liams, is found hanged in the school garage. Later Clive Morton is burned to death in pawnbrok¬ er’s car. The climax: Sara Seegar discovers Emlyn Williams’ secret. A bloodcurdling por¬ trayal is Emlyn Williams’ metamorphosis from schoolmaster to pawnbroker. Determined to murder Seegar, he drives her to the garage where he had murdered Goring. Hugh Williams arrives in the nick of time. In a furious fight, Emlyn Williams is shot. Seegar, Hugh Williams, em¬ brace. Estimate: Tops for murder. New Horizons (Amkino) Family Drama 92m. Boris Chirkov, Vera Kibardina, M. Zharov, N. Uzhvi , M. Shtraukh, M. Gelovani, L. Lyubashevsky, Y. Tolubeyev, A. Christy akov, D. Dudnikov, A. Kuznetsov. Directed by Gregory Kozintsev, Leonid T rauberg. After giving Americans a taste of the Russian cinema at its best in Eisenstein’s "Alexander Nevsky,” the Soviet dips back into mediocrity with this zealous attempt to immortalize those who helped build the U. S. S. R. Houses cater¬ ing to Communists and their sympathizers should profit by exhibiting the film, but it wouldn’t be good business to show it elsewhere. It’s the story of Maxim (Boris Chirkov), commissar of the gov¬ ernment bank, and his wife, Vira Kibardina, in their struggle to make the struggling Soviet a better place in which to live. With rabble rousers as their opposition, the two fight side by side for the cause. Chirkov’s performance, as always, is superb. Estimate: For radical houses only. THE SHORTS PARADE SERIAL DARE DEVILS OF THE RED CIRCLE. Re¬ public — Serial, in 12 episodes. Charles Quigley, Herman Brix, David Sharpe, Carole Landis, Miles Mander, Charles Middleton. Directed by William Witney and John English. First episode, 2 8m.; others to be two reels. In this contribution to the screen’s chapter plays, Republic has started with a title from which anything might presume to come. The Dare Devils are three college athletes — Charles Quigley, Herman Brix, David Sharpe — who, when the brother of one is killed in a demonical plot, determine to ferret out the master mind of 39-0-13 (Charles Middleton), a convict, escaping after 1 5 years’ incarceration, swearing vengeance on his partner (Miles Mander) who is alleged to have been responsible for his embezzlement conviction. Intent on wrecking all Mander’s interests (the opening demonstra¬ tion being part of the scheme), 39-0-13, who holds Mander a prisoner while he impersonates the tycoon, takes as his next major destruction a vehicular tunnel. As Mander’s granddaughter (Carole Landis) starts through the tunnel, fol¬ lowing the dedication, Middleton’s men crack in¬ to the tube, with the opening chapter ending as the Dare Devils, Landis, big wigs are about to be engulfed in the on-rushing water. This serial has the makings of an interesting show, that should progress, with adding interest, from tough spot to tough spot until 3 9-0-13 shall have been brought to the end he will so richly deserve. GOOD. (871-1 to 871-12). W. W. TWO-REEL Color Musical QUIET PLEASE. Vitaphone — Technicolor Pro¬ ductions. 20m. Fritz Feld, Charley Foy, Kather¬ ine Kane, Larry Williams, Tom Kennedy, Fred Tozere. Directed by Crane Wilbur. Obviously a sequel to "Swingtime in the Movies,” "Quiet Please” goes the way of all sequels. In other words, it’s a nice piece of work, but lacks that certain something which made its forerunner so successful. The story has Fritz (Director Nitwitch) Feld, Charley Foy working on a film starring Katherine Kane. Gorillas, Molasses, sloppy slapstick work hand in hand to take away the good effect made by Kane’s vocalising of the catchy "So Ya Wanna Be in Pictures,” combination waltz and jitterbug finale. Despite our criticisms (they were based on the success of "Swingtime” and anything would suffer in comparison) this is nice entertainment. GOOD. (4006). L. S. M. Musical GALS AND GALLONS. Universal— Mentone Musical. 17y2m. East and Dumke, radio’s Sisters of the Skillet, hire sexy singer Rita Rio to drum up business for their gas station. Rita brings along an orchestra, singer Jan Peerce, dancers Deneet and Gay, Pansy the Horse to entertain the customers. Peerce’s delivery of "Martha” (operatic style) and the antics of Pansy the Horse lift this above the "fair” classi¬ fication. GOOD. (3232). L. S. M. SAGEBRUSH SERENADE. RKO-Radio— Western musical. 19m. Another of RKO’s vest pocket singing westerns, this follows the regular horse opera routine condensed into two swell reels. Jean Joyce comes to Ray Whitley’s ranch with her fiance and intended mother-in-law. The trouble is that she thinks her pop, Chester Conklin, is the boss, whereas his true status is that of cook. Whitley arranges things so that it appears Conklin is the big cheese, but the ruse is soon discovered along with the fact that Joyce’s fiance was a prize heel. Several familiar, unfamiliar range tunes are rendered by Whitley, his boys. GOOD. (93504). L. S. M. SWING SANATORIUM. Universal-Mentone. 18m. Colins and Stone. Roscoe Ates, Kathleen May are some of the acts appearing in this musi¬ cal filler with an operating room backroom. As such it will suffice. Where Ates’ stuttering is liked, it might make a difference, but not to this reviewer. FAIR. (3 23 1 ). H. M. WITH BEST DISHES. Universal-Mentone Musical. 17m. Slapping together a mess of varied performers, Universal dishes out this un¬ impressive celluloid vaudeville show. With the exception of Lillian Roth’s singing, there isn’t an outstanding act in the lot. Charles Kemper, comedian; Billy Reyes, juggler; Toy and Wing, dancers; George Roche, dancer; Pied Pipers, singers; the Philharmonicas round out the show. FAIR. (3233)'. L. S. M. YOU’RE NEXT— TO CLOSING. Vitaphone — Broadway Brevity. 18m. With Cross and Dunn delivering vocals in their familiar and popular vaudeville manner, this turns out to be a nicely done screen presentation of some of their fellow vaudevillians. Leota Lane, the operatic branch of the cinema Lanes, proves to be as comely and more talented than her Hollywood sisters. Gloria Day taps her way pleasingly from the beauty parlor to the stage. GOOD. (4027) L.S.M. ONE-REEL Color Cartoon BELIEVE IT OR ELSE. Vitaphone — Merric Melody. 7m. Leon Schlesinger’s creed of stray¬ ing off the beaten cartoon path results in this screwball takeoff on Ripley. At times it is superlative; at other times it sinks as low as some of the unfunny puns spoken by the narra¬ tor. GOOD. (4120), L. S. M. LUCKY PIGS. Columbia. — Color Rhapsody. 7 m. An indolent pig wins the sweepstakes’ grand prize, but an army of tax collectors take all the money, the hoss claiming the contents of the baby’s bank as his share. GOOD. (9510). W. W. SEA SCOUTS. RKO-Radio — Disney. 8m. Another rib-tickler from the brushes of Walt Disney’s artists, this has Donald Duck garbed in the uniform of an admiral while "teaching” the young sea scouts the rights and wrongs of seamanship. He gets involved in a scrap with a shark, but Donald comes out on top. EX¬ CELLENT. (9415). L. S. M. Cartoon BOLA MOLA LAND. Universal Walter Lantz Cartune. 6m. Supposedly a satire on travel cruises, this is six minutes too long. BAD. (3256). L. S. M. A BULLY ROMANCE. 20th Century-Fox — Terry Toon. 6m. Gandy Goose tells of his romance in Mexico. FAIR. (9515). H. M. THE SCARED CROWS. Paramount — Betty Boop. 7m. Betty is tormented by the crows, who annoy Pudgy and eat her provisions, but her friend, the scarecrow, comes to her aid and the crows are routed. FAIR. (T8-9). H. M. Comedy DARK MAGIC. Metro — Robert Benchley. 10m. By far the most entertaining of the Robert Benchleys, this daffy adventure into the realms of ' 'magic” had a projection room audience howl¬ ing with enjoyment. Benchley purchases a magic set for his young son and doesn’t do too well in explaining how the tricks work. He closes with an attempt to disappear — and succeeds! EXCELLENT. (F-95 6). L. S. M. Musical COMMUNITY SING, No. 9. Columbia. 10m. With Gene Morgan the master of ceremonies, the Sons of the Pioneers (without Charles Starrett and hoss) offer "The Old Chisholm Trail,” "Home on the Range,” "Wooppee, Ti Yi Yo,” "Take Me Back To My Boots and Saddles,” and "The Last Round-Up.” It is a good musical, but far from one to elicit spontaneous community singing all the way through. GOOD. (965 9). W. W. LARRY CLINTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Vitaphone — Melody Master. 10 m. Departing from its formula musical one-reelcr style, Vita¬ phone swings out this time with Larry Clinton’s boys’ cutting the rug with a variety of tunes and without the usual variety of variety acts to clutter up the allocated 10 minutes. Follow¬ ing his "Dipsey Doodle” theme number, Clinton gives out with "Chinatown,” "Old Folks,” "Shadrach.” GOOD. (4714). L. S. M. 322