The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

THE EXHIBITOR Servisection 4 THE SHORTS PARADE FOUR-REEL Dramatic LIGHTS OUT IN EUROPE. Kline. 39m. It will take a powerful feature to top this magnificently produced short dealing with the days just before and just after the start of World War II. With marquee names Fredric March, narrator; James Hilton, author; and Werner Janssen, composer, there is even a substantial credit list for the ads. This is a cut version of the feature now showing in New York City, but none of the effectiveness seems to have been lost by the deleting. EXCELLENT. J. M. SERIAL WINNERS OF THE WEST. Universal. Dick Foran, Anne Nagel, James Craig, Tom Fadden, Harry Woods, Charles Stevens, William Desmond, Edward Keane, Trevor Bardette. Directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. 12 episodes, first two 21 and 20 minutes respectively. Universal’s top serial effort to date, “Winners of the West,” moves along at a speedy clip and contains enough fast-shooting, slugging, riding, and all-around action to satisfy the most avid Saturday matinee fans. With Dick Foran carrying off the hero’s chores with great aplomb, this chapter play has a headstart as far as star value is concerned. Anne Nagel is more than adequate as the gun-shooting daughter of a railroad magnate. Foran is employed by Nagel’s father as the “trouble-shooter” assigned to see that his railroad is built through the pass running across Harry Woods’ feudal domain. Woods is only one part of the trouble. A mean mess of Injuns take care of the rest. Foran, teamed with sincere James Craig, finds himself in and out of more trouble than Henry Aldrich on a bad night. EXCELLENT. L. S. M. TWO-REEL Comedy MONEY SQUAWKS. Columbia — Andy Clyde. 17m. Teamed with Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges, Andy Clyde gallivants bravely through this so-so comedy. As a railroad station agent, Clyde receives a payroll shipment to be picked up by some mining company. Three bandits have different ideas as to who should pick up the money, but Clyde takes care of them. A matinee audience showed no symptoms of laughter. FAIR. (1432) L. S. M. MUTINY IN THE COUNTY. RKORadio — Edgar Kennedy. 17m. It’s still the same Edgar Kennedy and his explosive temper in this one. While playing baseball with a bunch of neighborhood kids, Kennedy slams a ball through a police car windshield, thus conking a cop. He has to appear in court the same day the kids he was playing with have taken over the government of the town for one day. What happens to Kennedy shouldn’t happen to a dog. The kids may like it, but their elders will adjourn to the smoking room. FAIR. (03404) . L. S. M. Musical FOLIES PARISIENNE. Universal. 18m. Nothing extraordinary in the way of musical shorts entertainment, this rambles through a few songs and several dance routines supposedly in a dive on the Left Bank of Paris. Vyola Vonn sings “Love Has a Way with Me” and “Ooh, La La!” — and a male quartet chimes in with a heroic little ditty named “C’est La Guerre.” Others featured are the Sterner Sisters who do an acrobatic tap specialty; Peppy and Peanuts, a pair of swing eccentrics; Lafayette and La Verne, apache dancers; and the Mercer Brothers who burlesque the apache. A brace of CanCanettes finish off the short with a flurry of legs and petticoats. FAIR. (4228). D. O. ONE-REEL Color Cartoon THE BILL POSTERS. RKO— Walt Disney. 7V2m. Donald Duck and Goofy set out to plaster the countryside with advertising posters and meet with their customary misadventures. A windmill’s whirling sails baffle Goofy and give him a buffeting about, while Donald gets involved with a goat who eats the posters and paste. The goat gets angry and butts the two of them all over the landscape. This is typical Disney, but not exceptional. GOOD. (04105). D. O. THE GREYHOUND AND THE RABBIT. Columbia — Color Rhapsody. 71/2 m. Wherein a mess of anemic greyhounds chase a cocky mechanical rabbit around the track only to be beaten out by a mischievous mutt. The cartooning is fairly good, but the subject matter is mediocre. The kids may find it to their liking. FAIR. (1509) . L. S. M. HARDSHIPS OF MILES STANDISH. Vitaphone-Merrie Melody. 7m. Another of the bright Schlesingers, this gives Grandpa’s version of the courtship, and how through “Singing Messenger” John Alden, an Edna May Oliverish type of Priscilla finally fell, but not before the usual assortment of belly laughs. GOOD. (5317). H. M. MR. DUCK STEPS OUT. Walt Disney— RKO -Radio. 8m. The Disney outfit, expert as they are, cannot be expected to turn out a killer-diller every time. This one is apparently one of their “breathers,” for although it is well executed from a technical standpoint, it lacks originality and misses out on laughs. Donald Duck goes calling on a girl friend and is heckled by his three little nephews. There is a jitterbug dancing sequence that is fairly amusing. FAIR. (04106). D. O. 100 PYGMIES AND ANDY PANDA. Universal — Color Cartoon. 8m. Andy gets a magic wand, runs into trouble with the jungle magic man, is attacked by the pygmies but beats them off, all of which includes some good gags, excellent color and a good cartoon all told. GOOD. (4268). H. M. Cartoon ME FEELIN’S IS HURT. Paramount— Popeye. 7m. The Popeye series no longer holds to the excellence of a few seasons back. Popeye has trouble out in the open spaces, routs the rattlesnake and the bad ’uns with the aid of his trusty spinach, but it all winds up as a fair cartoon. FAIR. (E9-5) . H. M. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. Columbia— Scrappy. 6m. A pretty feeble film fable, this tells the story of Scrappy’s attempt to practice the piano while his kid brother and dog are wrecking the house. Perhaps the youngsters might find something to laugh at, but the adult projection room audience sat through it stoically. BAD. (1753). L. S. M. SLAP HAPPY PAPPY. Vitaphone— Looney Tune. 7m. Though not the funniest of the lot, this has enough laughs to give it a good rating. The Eddie Cantorish type of rooster has many girl chicks, while the Bing Crosbyish type has all boys. When the latter tells the former the secret of his success, he follows it, and “Junior” arrives. This should please generally. GOOD. (5611). H. M. WHAT’S ALL THE SHOOTING FER. 20th Century-Fox — Terry Toon. 7m. The Hatfields and the McCoys are at it again in this mountain feud, but when the cats of both sides fall in love and have kittens the feud ends. A couple of gags stand out but generally this is in the familiar groove. FAIR. (0512). H. M. Comedy LIFE’S LITTLE PROBLEMS. Harper. 11m. This short apparently produced some time ago with the co-operation of the old Life Magazine, has Raymond Knight as a host entertaining his unhappy guests with a quiz via the movies. Gags that must have seemed awfully, awfully funny years ago seem awfully, awfully stale now. This may meet some success on account of the present interest in quizzes, however. FAIR. J. M. THE NEW PUPIL. Metro— Our Gang. 11m. The new pupil (a cute little girl) attracts Spanky and Alfalfa, with Darla pretty much upset, but the two lassies combine to ridicule the two boys, teaching them a lesson. The kids may like it, but the children are growing up. FAIR. (C-137). H. M. RAYMOND KNIGHT’S CUCKOO NEWS REEL. Harper. 9m. Apparently produced several years ago, and showing its age, this short is an attempt to pull off gags in newsreel style. Unfortunately, not one of the laughs gets over, and the net result is pretty sad. BAD. J. M. Dramatic THE HIDDEN MASTER. Metro— Passing Parade. 10m. Just what luck means, with three striking examples for people who think the law of averages eventually catches up with you. How Clive of India escaped death by suicide when a flint failed to explode; how an accident brought forth the X-ray, and how a drunk twirling the dials rang a wrong number and saved three people from death — these are shown —and the audience can make up its own mind. EXCELLENT. (K-123) . H. M. 520