The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

THE EXHIBITOR Servisection 2 a young man, struggling in a backwoods community to make a living and educate himself. He falls hopelessly in love with Ann Rutledge, is brokenhearted when she dies. His friends launch him on a political career during the course of which he meets the over-ambitious Mary Todd. He runs away from his wedding with her, wanders around, eventually returns and marries her. She goads and prods him to get ahead, makes him hate her and even insult her on the eve of his election to the presidency. The last scene, as Lincoln boards the train for the White House, is a stirring sight and superbly photographed— something that will not be soon forgotten. Memorable, too, is his inspired speech against slavery, delivered during a debate with Douglas, well played by Gene Lockhart. Estimate: A great picture , to be exploited to the limit. Isle of Destiny (Cosmocolor) (017) Family Melodrama 83m. William Gargan, Wally Ford, June Lang, Gilbert Roland, Etienne Girardot, Katherine De Mille, Grant Richards, Tom Dugan, Harry Woods, Ted Osborne. Directed by Elmer Clifton. A trite story, weak acting, and poor color photography gang up on this film, leaving it to the lower spot on a dual program. Wealthy adventuress June Lang, sister of the marine commandant on the island of Palo Pango, is making a flight around the world in her amphibian plane. She lands on the island, where marines William Gargan and Wally Ford begin to vie for her favor and where villain Gilbert Roland gets the notion to kidnap her to safeguard his gun-running enterprises from marine interference. Gargan and Ford trail Roland to his jungle hideout, have a battle against the usual tremendous odds, save the gal. Roland is killed by his native wife (Katherine DeMille). Cosmocolor, a cheaper color process, proves itself markedly inferior, being grainy and not true in tone. Estimate: Weak dual offering. The Saint’s Double Trouble (021) Family Mystery Drama 67m. George Sanders, Jonathan Hale, Helene Whitney, Donald MacBride, Thomas N. Ross, Elliott Sullivan, John F. Hamilton, Bela Lugosi, Byron Foulger, Pat O’Malley Directed by Jack Hively. Leslie Charteris’ fictional character suavely continues foiling the police, capturing the criminals, and providing grand entertainment for the paying customers in this latest offering of the popular “Saint” series. Corking dualler entertainment, the Saint can be top-spotted in the smaller situations. As the Saint, George Sanders is faced with the problem of proving himself innocent of crimes committed by a jewel thief, also played by Sanders. After almost getting himself wiped out on at least a half dozen occasions, the Saint finally puts the screws on his double. Jonathan Hale and Donald MacBride do grand jobs in prominent cop parts. This time its Helene Whitney who is left holding the romantic ruins. Estimate: Good Saint entry. REPUBLIC Heroes of the Saddle Family Western 56m. The Three Mesquiteers ( Robert Livingston, Raymond Hatton, Duncan Renaldo), Patsy Lee Parsons, Loretta Weaver, Byron Foulger, William Royle, Vince Barnett, Jack Roper, Reed Howes, Ethel May Halls, Al Taylor, Patsy Carmichael. Directed by William Witney. Not quite up to the usual Three Mesquiteers’ standard, “Heroes of the Saddle” is okay stuff for the horse-opera regulars, but we fear it won’t go a long way toward making converts of the regular run of movie-goers. When little Patsy Lee Parsons is left orphaned, the Mesquiteers (Bob Livingston, Raymond Hatton, Dime Renaldo) take a paternal interest in her. They leave her with Byron Foulger’s orphanage until they can raise enough cash to purchase their own home. On a visit to the asylum, they discover that Foulger and William Royle are embezzlers. Then comes the action: the entire mob of kids in the orphanage are kidnapped; ditto for the govern *r’s committee; the crooks are brought to justice; and all is well. Loretta Weaver has little to do with her femme lead. Estimate: Sub -par Mesquiteers. 20«h CENTURY-FOX Charlie Chan in Panama (035) Family Melodrama 68m. Sidney Toler, Jean Rogers, Lionel Atwill, Mary Nash, Sen Yung, Kane Richmond, Chris -Pin Martin, Lionel Royce, Helen Ericson, Jack La Rue, Addison Richards. Directed by Norman Foster. A much better Chan than several previous efforts, this has spy activity in the Canal Zone as its plot basis. Charlie poses as a Panama hat merchant, but is forced to make known his identity when his dumb son keeps botching up his efforts. The authorities learn that a plot to bomb the locks when the fleet passes through is in the making, so it becomes a race against time. After a few murders (an American and a British agent are victims), Charlie eventually brings the showdown in one of the electrical plants operating the locks, and lo! and behold, the foreign agent responsible is Miss Finch, the Chicago school-teacher. Romance is slight, supplied by Kane Richmond, as an officer, and Jean Rogers, as a Czecho-Slovakian refugee, who is forced to sing in spy Jack La Rue’s cafe for a living. All in all, it holds interest from the start. Estimate: High rating Chan, The Jones Family in "Young as You Feel” (032) Jed Prouty, Spring Byington, Russell Gleason, Joan Valerie, Ken Howell, George Ernest, June Carlson, Florence Roberts, Billy Mahan, Helen Erickson, George Givot. Directed by Malcolm St. Clair. Back in 1931, a sly talking cowboy named Will Rogers did okay by himself in a picture entitled “Young as You Feel.” Twentieth Century-Fox resurrected the work and we find Jed Prouty and his Jones Family falling a bit flat on it. The Joneses still give out fairly good nabe entertainment, but they will have to be provided with better stuff than this if they are to continue as one of the better series. A chain outfit buys out Prouty’s drugstore and the family goes to New York to take in the World’s Fair. Instead, the family gets taken in by George Givot and Helen Erickson. Prouty rebels and gets himself pleasantly plastered, a condition which gets him mixed up with the law. Having had a lesson, the Joneses Family Comedy Drama 58m. return to Maryville, where Prouty returns to the drug business. As in other of the Jones Family pictures in general — as it was with the Rogers version (in 1931, of the same screen play) in particular— the homely, down-to-earth angle can be profitably played. The Rogers aspect, too, has possibilities. Estimate: Weaker Jones Family effort. UNITED ARTISTS The Lion Has Wings Family ° Documentary (Korda) 73M. (English-made) Merle Oberon, Ralph Richardson, June Duprez, Flora Robson, Robert Douglas, Anthony Bushell, Derrick deMarney. Explanatory running narrative by Lowell Thomas. Directed by Michael Powell . Brian Desmond Hurst, Adrian Brunei. Filmed with the collaboration of the British Royal Air Force and made with the sole intent and purpose of giving the English confidence in their air defenses and assurance of the righteousness of their cause, “The Lion Has Wings” is too obviously propagandistic to amount to any great shakes at the American box office. However, with the right handling and selling efforts, it can be sold to the public on the basis of its timeliness. Lowell Thomas carries the burden of the commentary as he explains the various maneuvers of the R.A.F. and the reasons for Britain’s war against Hitler. The Thomas narrative is new to the picture, which originally featured a distinctly British newscaster. Merle Oberon and June Duprez do their bit by showing and telling of women’s parts in the war. Ralph Richardson and the rest of the men go up in planes or direct the fight against the Nazis. There are moments of excitement, but for the most part it is a glorification of England’s ideals. Estimate: Propaganda piece; will need selling. Slightly Honorable (Wanger) Family Melodrama 80m. Pat O’Brien, Edward Arnold, Broderick Crawford, Ruth Terry, Alan Dinehart, Claire Dodd, Pyhllis Brooks, Eve Arden, Douglas Dumbrille, Bernard Nedell, Douglas Fowley, Ernest Truex, Janet Beecher, Evelyn Keyes, John Sheehan, Addison Richards, Cliff Clarke. Directed by Tay Garnett. Too rapid-fire for complete clarity, the plot of this murder meller finally disentangles itself and leaves a reasonably entertaining picture. Best feature of the film is the dialogue which is snappy and often hilariously funny. Ruth Terry, a pretty newcomer, also furnishes a great deal of the comedy relief as the dizzy sweetheart of lawyer-sleuth Pat O’Brien. Broderick Crawford and O’Brien are law partners who try to smash a crooked political hierarchy in their state. Edward Arnold is, of course, the big boss they are after, and Claire Dodd is the sophisticated lady who is murdered. Arnold tries to pin the murder on O’Brien, and O’Brien and Crawford try to pin it on Arnold, who really looks like the guilty party. Accusations, counter-accusations and framings, including the murder of Eve Arden, O’Brien’s secretary, follow in quick succession. Just as the murders are about to be laid at Arnold’s doorstep, Crawford bobs up as the real culprit, and is killed in a fight with O’Brien. A good cast and director saved this one; give their names, and Wangers’, exploitation. Estimate: Not too strong murder yarn; play up cast. 456