Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' AS I SEE THEM . . • REVIEWS OF NEW FILMS By ROLAND BARTON 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 pictures 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 ( + ) a"d minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. LADY CONSENTS, The BOXOFFICE RATING DRAMA . . . Pleasant drama of marital mixup . . . Harding has her most sympathetic role in two years . . . Will draw the ladies, but has little to offer the action lovers . . . Rates • • + in better class spots; • • — in action houses. on which woman he loves, seemed to brittle. Edward Ellis is outstanding in the supporting cast and Margaret Lindsay is properly hateful as the scheming "other" woman. Stephen Roberts direction is spotty. Heavy on dialogue and light on physical action, "The Lady Consents" will do its best in class houses. PLOT: Lindsay, a scheming wench with a desire to crash high soc.ety, purposely injures herself so that she may be treated by medico Marshall. Although happily marred to Harding, he falls for his patient, divorces his spouse and marries Margaret. Within a short time, Marshall's life has been made into what is commonly known as a "hell" by his new wife. Marshall takes it all in silence, but Ellis, his father who is very fond of Ann, forsakes his son's home for a hunting lodge. There he is mortally wounded when a rifle accidentally explodes and dies in the presence of Ann and her former husband, Marshall admits his marriage is a fiasco, professes his love for Ann and asks Margaret for a divorce. She refuses. Whereupon Ann reveals that Marshall's property is still in her name and threatens to take it away from him. Margaret agrees to grant Marshall his divorce and step out of their lives. AD TIPS: Sell this to the women. Use all the questions like: "Must at man lose a woman to realize that he really needs her?" Notify women's clubs, bridge societies, etc. Impress that this is Harding's finest, her most human role to date. RUDY. public has brought him back to the screen, not as the celebrated safe-cracker, but in the comparatively unexciting role of a respectable banker who is the object of a nationwide hunt. The title is really a misnomer, for Valentine does not return and a slick newspaper reporter replaces him as the central figure in the story. For three quarters of the film, we have an interesting plot, rather brightly comic, pleasantly romantic and tinged with just enough mystery to give it suspense. When "The Return of Jimmy Valentine" drops its guard and goes frankly, cheaply melodramatic in the last two reels one feels a sense of disappointment. Because of this compromise, apparently intended to satisfy the action customers, the picture will have to be content to creep through to fair grosses generally. Roger Pryor's flip reporter role is well done, but he is not our idea of the ideal hero. Charlotte Henry, surprisingly grown up and looking like Margaret Sullavan's twin, is very pleasing in her comedy and romantic parts, but looks weak in the few dramatic spots handed her. Edgar Kennedy and James Burtis have several protracted comedy sequences that bring quite a few laughs, but are far too long and retard the action. Poor cutting is evident during the time they are on the screen. Robert Warwick is a pleasing Valentinegone-straight. RKO 8 0 Minutes Ann Harding . . . Herbert Marshall . . . Margaret Lindsay . . . Walter Abel . . . Edward Ellis . . . Ilka Chase . . . Hobart Cavanaugh . . . Directed by Stephen Roberts Except for its basic plot, which is routine and has been done too often before, this is an intelligently written and capably acted domestic drama. It will hardly do any nip-ups at the boxoffices of the land, but women will find much in "The Lady Consents" to entertain and interest them. One of the principal reasons for the mild success of the film is the performance of Ann Harding. The blonde star has dropped some of that cold austerity that has alienated her from a vast portion of her possible audience and delivers what can almost be termed a warm, appealing role as the wronged wife. Marshall's performance, as the husband who can't make up his mind Return of Jimmie Valentine BOXOFFICE RATING .... COMEDY-DRAMA ... Not a crook story, but concerns hunt for Valentine, who has become respectable banker . . . Holds interest throughout . . . Comedy stretched too long and action is retarded . . . Will stand on own . . . Rates • • Republic 65 Minutes Roger Pryor . . . Charlotte Henry . . . Robert Warwick . . . Edgar Kennedy . . . Lois Wilson ... J. Carrol Naish . . . James Burtis . . . Directed by Lewis D. Collins A mildly amusing comedy, with slight mystery angle and a melodramatic climax. The name of Jimmy Valentine is one of the most revered in crook fiction, and Re PLOT: As a circulation stunt for his paper, Pryor conceives the idea of inaugurating a search for Jimmy Valentine, the famed cracksman, who had disappeared years before. Cleverly tracing him to a small midwestern town, Pryor discovers that Valentine is a banker and respectable citizen — the father of the girl who has fallen in love with him and is eager to help him find Valentine in order to get the $ 5 000 reward for an orphanage. Realizing that the reporter has penetrated his disguise, Robert Warwick (Valentine) tells his daughter the truth. She goes to his hotel to urge him not to send the story to his paper, but he tells her that he must perform his duty and disclose her father's identity. Gangster J. Carrol Naish enters the scene to kill Valentine for the double-cross he erroneously believes was given his father by Valentine. Forcing Pryor to aid him, he plots to kill Warwick after compell ng him to rob his own bank. Pryor sets off the alarm, however, and fights oft Naish and his henchmen until the police arrive. Pryor decides that he owes a greater debt to Warwick and the girl he loves and tears up the story. AD TIPS: The name jimmy Valentine should In plastered all oier your town or neighborhood . Teaser lack cards