Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

8 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON SPECIAL AGENT BOX-OFFICE RATING MELODRAMA . . . T men vs. gangsters . . . Shows in detail how the income tax checkers work . . . Moves swiftly for the most part building for fast action finish . . . Has sufficient names in cast to pull them in; although most of stars lend little to proceedings histrionically . . . Rates • • — and • • + for action houses. Warner Bros. 78 Minutes Bettc Davis . . . George Brent . . . Ricardo Cortez . . . Jack LaRue . . . Directed by William Keighley Hearst-Cosmopolitan production. Fastmoving "inside" on how the Treasury Department agents work to ferret out income tax evading gangsters. But we are under the impression that this type of film has about played itself out; that the cycle has about been completed, and that enough is plenty. In an effort to portray in detail just how these Federal agents work, much time is taken up with seemingly endless talk of an explanatory and banal nature. Plenty of action gets going toward the shots-in-the-courtroom finish. Wisely, from a box-office angle, the cast has been peopled with stars who doubtless carry sales weight. Brent and Davis, while capable do not exert themselves to any extent Brent, the hero, coming through without SO much as a ruffle. Cortez as the "head man" of the gangsters, walks away with what acting honors found herein, while i.. te is capable, as always, in a smaller part, as another gangster. Direction satisfactory, but ordinary. PLOT: Brent, a T-Man posing as a newspaper reporter, trails Cortez, gangster, who has in his emplo) Davis, who keeps his only set of bookkeeping records. Failing to get Cortez to stick in jail on any other charge the income tax boys working with local cops are determined to pin the "evasion" charge on him. Falling in love with Davis makes it easy for Brent to enlist her in the scheme and she double-crosses her boss. From this point on things begin happening with melodramatic rapidity; with plenty of shooting, chasing and what not right up to the fart fade-out clinch with Brent and Davis in a phone booth. AD TIPS: Sell as a T-Man picture . . . Successor to G-Man thrillers . . . For lobby displays drag out the old machine-gun stuff and add some income tax data that you might be able to unearth. Explain what a T-Man is; and back up poster cut-outs with newspaper headlines of gangster crimes and income tax invasion items. It's still timely stuff, but no longer front page. NONNIE. THUNDER IN THE NIGHT BOX-OFFICE RATING MURDER MYSTERY . . . Just another one . . . Entertaining and with fair suspense, but has no claims to distinction . . . Can Edmund Lowe put it over for you? . . . Rates • • — . Fox 67 Minutes Edmund Lowe . . . Karen Morley . . . Paul Cavanagh . . . Directed by George Archainbaud Done in the recently popularized gaymystery mood, this latest attempt to follow the "Thin Man" pattern results in a mildly amusing and suspenseful film. Were the mystery a bit more mysterious and the comedy a bit funnier, "Thunder in the Night" might have been worthwhile. As it is, it will have to pass as just another one of those things. Edmund Lowe carries his role of the carefree Budapest detective in his familiar style. His drawing power, on the decline for the past two or three years, is at low ebb right now and cannot be counted on to pull this up to average grosses. There are no other marquee names in the cast, although Cavanagh and Morley are competent enough performers. PLOT: Lowe, chief of the Budapest detectives, delves into a murder which leads him directly to the home of Cavanagh, diplomat and his friend. Developments point strongest suspicion at Cavanagh's wife, Karen Morley, who was formerly married to the dead man. She married Cavanagh after she had learned of her first husband's "death." Forced into the position of arresting his friend's wife or proving someone else guilty, Lowe gathers all the suspects together and reconstructs the crime to prove that a girl, the partner of the deceased, killed him in a fit of jealousy when he threatened to leave her. AD TIPS: Mention the "Thin Man" type of mystery. "Laugh while you try to solve it." R.B. RETURN OF PETER GRIMM BOX-OFFICE RATING DRAMA . . . Too heavy and spiritual for average audiences . . . Deals with return of spirit after death . . . No physical action whatsoever . . . Barrymore splendid in what amounts to a one-man performance . . . Rates • • — . Radio 80 Minutes Lionel Barrymore . . . Helen Mack . . . Donald Meek . . . Edward Ellis . . . George Breakston . . . Directed by George Nicholls, Jr. Spiritualistic spook stuff given a sombre, gosh-awful serious production of almost religious dignity. But believe it or not, it gets you. This is probably the first time that an actor gives an oustanding performance during half of which his features are blurred so that he is seen only through his voice. It is also one of the numerous times that Lionel Barrymore, in portraying any given character, turns that character into Lionel Barrymore. In this case Peter Grimm becomes Barrymore, grunting, stomping, snarling and chuckling in the true Barrymore tradition. Even the ghost is more Barrymore than spectre. Has been carefully produced, and supporting cast are adequate. But it's mighty heavy for the naive moral melodrama it is. PLOT: Barrymore, old-fashioned dictatorial Dutchman, whose business is raising flowers, arranges the lives of his pretty ward, his clerk, whom she loves, and his villainous nephew, whom he wishes her to marry. Everything arranged, he dies. Realizing his mistake he "comes back" to set things a-right and has a pretty tough time before "contact" is made and he can "return to the hereafter" once again — taking with him Pip, the dying boy, through whom he spoke his word to the others. AD TIPS: It's all Barrymore — so sell him first. Try the spiritualistic tie-up the theme obviously suggests; but be careful how you handle it. NONNIE. GIRL WHO CAME BACK, The BOX-OFFICE RATING MELODRAMA . . . Routine gangster stuff about girl accomplice who tries to go straight . . . Not bad for action spots, but n. g. for elsewhere . . . Rates • • — . First Division Release 66 Minutes Sidney Blackmer . . . Shirley Grey . . . Noel Madison . . . Mathew Betz . . . Directed by Charles Laniont "Girl Who Came Back" was obviously made for those houses where anything involving gangsters, regardless of how farfetched or loosely produced, will find a C Continued on Page 6) BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many exhibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some picture* are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating.