The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

Servisection 3 THE EXHIBITOR UNIVERSAL Danger on Wheels Family (405 5) 61m. Richard Arlen, Andy Devine. Peggy Moran, Herbert Corthell, Harry Bradley, Sandra King, Landers Stevens, John Holmes, Jack Arnold, Jack Rice, Mary Treen. Directed by Christy Cabanne. The Richard Arlen-Andy Devine combine forsakes its usual scheme of things this time to cavort around automobile testing grounds and race tracks to provide this exciting lower-half dualler entertainment. Dare-devil Arlen works for Landers Stevens as test driver for his cars. After Arlen and Jack Arnold get into a scrap, with the latter getting the worst of it, the test driver suddenly becomes a racing man. He loses his first race in which he is partly guilty for the death of another driver. However, he comes through in the big classic by driving Herbert Corthell’s oil burner home first. Devine handles the comedy, and Peggy Moran is more than satisfactory as the femme lead. Estimate: Okay Arlen-Devine entry. Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love (4021) Family Melodrama with Music 63m. Tom Brown, Peggy Moran, Juanita Quigley, Allen Jenkins, Donald Meek, Isabel Jewell, Horace MacMahon, Betty Jane Rhodes. Directed by Charles Lamont. Taking its title from the re-incarnated song hit of 20 years ago, Universal ups with this swing-fan festival which has enough action, comedy and lilt to it to satisfy all but the sourpusses. Naturally, it won’t set any box offices afire, but it is good stuff to supplement the main feature. Tom Brown’s truck smashes into Peggy Moran’s car. She was en route to New York to marry some drip, and continues on her way in Brown’s truck. Comes a business of bank robbers, with Allen Jenkins as the wackiest. There are a lot of happenings before the crooks are captured and purty Peg Moran realizes that Brown isn’t so hard to take. The catchy “Oh, Johnny, Oh” is sung effectively by Betty Jane Rhodes, and pops up every now and then during the picture. Brown and Moran sing a couple of cute ditties on their account. Estimate: Pleasing musical dualler. WARNERS-FN The Fighting 69th (451) Family Drama 90m. James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, George Brent, Jeffrey Lynn, Alan Hale, Frank McHugh, Dennis Morgan, Dick Foran, William Lundigan, Guinn Williams, John Litel, Sammy Cohen, Harvey Stephens, Charles Trowbridge, DeWolf Hopper, Tom Dugan, Frank Wilcox. Directed by William Keighley. Hal B. Wallis, executive producer. As powerful as war and as big as Father Duffy’s heart, “The Fighting 69th” is a never-to-be-forgotten visit with the Rainbow Division during the Irish outfit’s 1917 battling in France. A cast, top-heavy with important marquee names, enacts this thriller with such sincerity and force that it just can’t miss at the box office. At times, the war scenes may be a bit too gruesome for the more tender-hearted women, but they’ll come just the same. James Cagney is a Brooklyn toughie serving as a private in the company com manded by Colonel George Brent. Cagney’s toughness keeps him forever at odds with tough sergeant Alan Hale, but Pat (Father Duffy) O’Brien is always around to keep peace, give sage counsel. Comes war and comes the trenches, and Cagney proves himself the epitome of cowardice. He causes the death of several of his fellow soldiers and is doomed to execution. He escapes in time to become, and die, a hero. Cagney’s performance takes rank with his best and that’s the tops. O’Brien, Brent, and Hale are superb. As the Yiddisher who wanted to serve with the Irish, Sammy Cohen interjects one of the most outstanding incident jobs seen on the screen. All the players come through excellently. Director William Keighley’s megaphoning leaves nothing to be desired, especially in his handling of the battle scenes. Estimate: A blue-chip special. MISCELLANEOUS Phantom Rancher Family Western (Colony) 60m. Ken Maynard, Dorothy Short, Harry Harvey, Ted Adams, Dave O’Brien, Tom London, John Elliott, Reed Howes, Steve Clark, Karl Matthews, Sherry Tansey, Tarzan. Directed by Harry Frazer. Donning the domino of the Lone Ranger, Ken Maynard again brings justice to the wide open spaces, this time to clear his and his late uncle’s good names and to rid the valley of unscrupulous land grabbers. As the phantom Rancher, Maynard gives his own money to ranchers to save their properties, the next day, in propria persona, as the hated late uncle’s heir, foreclosing on the mortgages. By thus playing both ends against the middle, Maynard finally gets Villain Ted Adams and his gang. Dorothy Short lives up to her name in providing the accustomed amount of romance, and Harry Harvey makes a good character foil for Maynard. Estimate: Actionful Maynard. Son of Ingagi (Sack) Family Melodrama 66m. Alfred Grant, Daisy Bufford, Laura Bowman, Arthur Ray. Zack Williams, Earl J. Morris, Spencer Williams, Jr., Jesse Graves, the Four Toppers. Directed by Richard C. Kahn. Apparently remembering that “Ingagi” (1931) was a freak sensation, the producers of this Negro production equipped themselves with an interesting title that should be extremely valuable for exploitation purposes. The production, itself, is not in the better Negro film category, but should carry on the obvious angles. A couple just married find themselves befriended by a woman doctor who reveals to them, on their wedding night, that she once loved the bride’s father. The doctor after leaving a strange note, is killed by “the son of Ingagi,” an ape-man monster whom she keeps hidden in the secret cellar of her home. The couple are accused of the murder when it developed the doctor’s will leaves the bride all her money. From then on, two more murders, the monster’s periodic trips through the house, and his eventual kidnapping of the bride provide the highlights, with a comedy detective contributing the necessary balance. Windup finds the ape-man burned to death, the bride saved by the hero, and the detective finding some hidden gold in the cellar. Estimate: Exploitable for the Negro trade. FOREIGN Giovanni de Medici, The Leader Family Drama 88m. (Esperia) Luis Trenker, Loris Gizzi, Laura Nucci, Carla Sveva, Ethel Maggi, Giulio Cirino, Sandro Dani, Mario Ferrari, Tito Gobbi, Augusto Marcacci, Nino Marchetti, Lando Muzio, E. Nannicinni, U. Sacripante, C. Tamberlani, Gino Vitotti. Directed by Luis Trenker. Giovanni de Medici’s historic attempt to make the various individual Roman states one solid Italy provides the story about which was built this spectacular production. Unlike most of the Italian films Esperia has released here, this lacks the entertainment value of its predecessors. Luis Trenker who plays the lead, also produced, directed, and wrote the filmplay. His success in the various departments follows the order in which they were mentioned. English titles are adequate. Estimate: Okay for Italian audiences. Last Desire (Transatlantic) Adult Drama 77m. Raimu, Jacqueline Delubac, Pierre Brasseur, Tramel, Alice Tissot. Directed by Jeff Musso. Liam O’Flaherty’s “Mr. Gilhooley” makes its screen debut in the form of this Gallic free adaptation, the result being a fair-to-middling film which will have to be sold by advancing the sex angle. Raimu, one of this corner’s favorite French players, is cast as an aging gent who falls deeply in love with youthful Jacqueline Delubac. Naturally, it can’t last, hence the resultant tragedy. Raimu and Delubac give excellent portrayals, but they seem to be stymied somewhere along the trail. Estimate: Sell sex. Macushla (My Darlin’) (Transatlantic) Family Melodrama 80m. Pamela Wood, Jimmy Mageean, Max Adrian, Liam Gaffney, Kitty Kirwan. Directed by Alex Bryce. What with Eire’s squabbling making the headlines every day, this tale of smuggling on the Irish border should be a big seller in Irish nabes. Although it lacks the necessary ingredients that would make it good fare for regular run houses, “Macushla” is real Irish stuff and was appreciated by a fair-sized matinee audience. Pamela Wood’s father, Jimmy Mageean, is a smuggler. Her brother, Max Adrian, is a revolutionary. Her boy friend, Liam Gaffney, is a member of the border guard assigned to stop her pop from smuggling. Irish songs, Irish jigs, and Irish humor all come in for a share of attention. Estimate: Can be sold nicely to sons and daughters of Erin. Motel, the Operator (Cinema Service Corp.) Family Drama, with Music 80m. Chaim Tauber, Malvina Rappel, Seymour Rechzeit, Jacob Zanger, Yetta Zwerling, Maurice Krohner, Bertha Hart, Gertie Krause, Herman Rosen, Isidore Frankel, Cantor Leibele Waldman. Directed by Joseph Seiden. One of the feebler Yiddish efforts, “Motel the Operator” will have to depend on the allegiance of the regular Jewish fans if it is to reap a decent chunk of 457