Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1934 - Aug 1935)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1934 AS I SEE THEM... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON SHE LOVES ME NOT With Bing Crosby, Miriam Hopkins, Kitty Carlisle, Lynne Overman Paramount — 85 Minutes 1 offer a raucous razzberry to Paramount! It seemed inconceivable that anyone coma possibly fail to make a knockout picture from this hilarious stage success, but apparently they were equal to the job! Look at this material: a cabaret dancer witnesses a gang killing and escapes to avoid being involved. She lands at Princeton and is taken into the dormitory by two students who dress her up in their clothes. The publicity genius for a film producer decides that the girl's free advertising has made her a sure-fire film attraction. He comes to si^n her up. The gangster who did the killing arrives at old Nassau to get her out of the way. Then, there's a dean, and the dean's daughter, who is in love with one of the protecting students!!! What a grand story idea! The play moves across the stage with lightning speed, but the film crawls along, and occasionally stops altogether while Bing Crosby sings his songs. By the way, the ladies will probably concentrate more on Crosby's newly acquired bay window than on his crooning. Miriam Hopkins and Lynne Overman are the only ones who seem to realize the thing is all in fun. Direction is miserable. Crosby will probably bring them in, but this won't help his next picture. HIDEOUT With Robert Montgomery, Maureen O'Sullivan, Edward Arnold Metro — S2 Minutes A genial, wholesome, unpretentious film done somewhat in the mood of "It Happened One Night", but with inferior material. W. S. Van Dyke, who directed "Thin Man" did this job, and if you have any doubts about the theory that the director makes or breaks a film, here is an excellent case in point. The story is exceedingly meagre. Robert Montgomery, is a racketeer who "takes" an interest in legitimate businesses by threatening the owners if they refuse to make him a partner. Detective Edward Arnold finally catches up with him, but Montgomery escapes, wounded. Driving out of New York, he faints near a farmhouse in Connecticut. The kindly farm people take him into their home and nurse him back to health, unaware of his "business". The slick city boy falls in love with the farmer's beautiful daughter (Maureen O'Sullivan). The detective again picks up the trail and comes to take Montgomery back to serve his term. The boy tells the girl all and promises to return when his stretch is up. Old stuff, hut Van Dyke's original and skillful direction pervades the whole film with a certain naturalness and charm. Cast is excellent. Practically all takes place on the farm. Should please everyone . . . excite no one. Give Edward Aronld notice in this. He established a following by his work in "Sadie McKee". GIRL FROM MISSOURI With Jean Harlow, Franchot Tone, Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone Metro — 74 Minutes What price purity! Thib story was very bad material to use just when all films had to come thru the Breen Cleaner, but since Metro had already made an investment in it they decided to wash the story behind the ears and let it go at that. The "washing" was done by having Jean Harlow yell every so often, "I'm a good girl". She is the daughter of a disreputable woman. She is determined to land herself a millionaire at any price. She gets cockeyed drunk and frames her intended father-in-law. BUT, SHE'S A GOOD GIRL! It is a tawdry, ridiculous mess that evoked laughter from the audience during its supposedly serious scenes. I believe that even the least discriminating audiences will feel their intelligence insulted. Franchot Tone, as usual, smirks thru his role. Barrymore and Stone are satisfactory. From the box office viewpoint you must judge this solely by what Harlow means to your theatre. BELLE OF THE NINETIES With Mae West, Roger Pryor, Johnny Mack Brown, John Miljan Paramount — 75 Minutes La West's latest opus emerges from the dry cleaning imposed by the Legion of Decency and other reform bodies a more sedate, but far less entertaining movie than her previous ones. There are a few typical Western lines in "Belle of the Nineties" and these were greeted with roars of laughter, but you can count them on the fingers of one hand. Merely for the record, here is the plot: Mae, stage favourite of the 1890's, falls for Rogers Pryor, and up-and-coming prizefighter. His manager wrecks the affair, and Mae leaves for New Orleans, where she is ensconced in luxury by the villianous owner (John Miljan) of the gambling house in which she entertains. Pryor comes to town for a championship fight and is bribed by Miljan to rob Mae of her jewels. He does it without realizing who she is. Mas squares £.ccounts by drugging Pryor during the fight, and Miljan, having bet everything on him, plans to avoid paying his debts by burning down his joint and making a getaway with Mae. She learns of Pryor's innocence, traps the villain in his own machinations, and finally ends up before a preacher with her pugilist lover. West sings several very tame numbers. Leo McCarey's direction is fair. This should do business on the West name, but it will fail to satisfy SHOWMAN'S TIPS REMEMBER: People must be brought into your theatre. GO OUT AND GET 'EM! How often have you ached to make up a special display on a picture, but found it too expensive for your budget? Why not make arrangements with another exhibitor who is not competition, yet not too far away, to share the expense with you. The one who is the more capable advertising man could prepare the ideas, or you could alternate the work. A display will cost you each half of the price and both will get 100 per cent value from it. Circuit theatres use this plan and that is why their small houses so often are able to have attractive front and lobby displays. Take the initiative. See another theatre owner today and make such arrangements with him. It's the simplest sort of co-operation and will pay you well. If you use window cards, and play three or more pictures weekly, consider carefully if it is wise to list the entire week's program on them. People do not generally stop to read such ads. They are either walking or riding past, and it seems to us that large type is necessary to catch the eye of the passerby. Try the plan of plugging only one or, at the most, two pictures each week on your window cards. Bring them into the theatre on those shows, and perhaps your trailers or other advertisements around the house will bring them back to see the other pictures. * * * * Long intermissions between subjects or shows are generally annoying to audiences. Everyone is made uncomfortable and a partially empty house is certainly not a good advertisement for anyone. Think this over! GENERAL RELEASE RECORD (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) COLUMBIA Title Star Release Date Minutes Defense Rests, The Jack Holt — Jean Arthur Aug. 11 70 Beyond the Law Tim McCoy Aug. 20 58 Blind Date Ann Sothern — Neil Hamilton Aug. 31 75 Lady is Willing Leslie Howard Aug. 29 76 Name the Womon Richard Cromwell — Arline Judge Sept. 26 63 FOX Pursued Victor Jory — Rosemary Ames Aug. 10 68 Cat's Paw, The Haro'd Lloyd — Una Merkel Aug. 16 100 Servants' Entrance Janet Gaynor — Lew Ayres Aug. 31 84 METRO-GOLD WYN -MAYER Hideout Robert Montgomery — Maureen O'Sullivan Aug. 28 82 Chained loan Crawford — Clark Gable Aug. 30 74 Have a Heart Jean Parker — James Dunn — Stuart Erwin Sept. 12 82 Barretts of Wimpole Street Norma Shearer — Charles Lough ton — Fredric March Sept. 15 Death on the Diamond Robert Young — Madge Evans Sept. 21 72 PARAMOUNT She Loves Me Not Bing Crosby — Miriam Hopkins Aug. 11 85 Cleopatra Claudette Colbert — Warren William Aug. 17 101 You Belong to Me Lee Tracy — Helen Mack Aug. 29 65 Now and Forever Gary Cooper — Carole Lombard — Shirley Temple Aug. 31 83 Crime Without Passion Claude Rains Sept. 8 70 Scarlet Empress Marlene Dietrich — John Lodge Sept. 8 100 RKO Their Big Moment Zasu Pitts — SMm Summerville Aug. 12 68 Hat, Coat and Glove Ricardo Cortex Aug. 14 64 Down to Their Lost Yacht Sydney Fox — Sidney Blackmer Aug. 25 64 Fountain, The Ann Harding — Brian Aherne — Paul Lukas Aug. 30 84 Richest Girl in the World Miriam Hopkins — Joel McCrea — Fay Wray Sept. 14 76 Bachelor Bait Stuart Erwin — Pert Kelton Sept. 12 74 UNITED ARTISTS Last Gentleman, The George Arliss — Edna Moy Oliver Aug. 9 72 UNIVERSAL One More River Diana Wynyard — Colin Clive Aug. 13 90 Romance in the Rain Roger Pryor — Heather Angel Aug. 21 72 Human Side, The Frank Morgan — Elizabeth Young Sept. 10 87 There's Always Tomorrow Adolphe Menjou — Doris Kenyon Sept. 7 60 WARNER BROS. FIRST NATIONAL Side Streets Aline MacMahon — Ann Dvorak Aug. 15 63 Housewife Bette Davis — George Brent — Ann Dvorak Aug. 17 69 Dames Dick Powell — Rubv Keeler — Joan Blondell Aug. 25 90 Dragon Murder Cose Warren William — Lyle Talbot Sept. 1 65 Desirable Jean Muir — George Brent Sept. 7 69 British Agent Leslie Howard — Kay Franc's Sept. 12 75