Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1936 9 therefore unsuited for this role. Josephine Hutchinson renders another dignified and modest performance as his wife. Guy Kibbee, Louise Fazenda, Ross Alexander and the balance of the cast handle their roles more than adequately. "Doctor" is strictly an adult movie. It should do its best in rural sections, but may get fair returns in the naborhoods. PLOT: Josephine marries Pat, a small town doctor, and they come to his home town to live. Josephine eagerly plunges into her duties as the wife of one of the community's more important citizens, only to find that she is regarded with distrust and disdain by the women. Her attempts to beautify the town are looked upon as an effort to intrude and show her sophistication and she is blocked at every turn. She takes a fancy to Ross Alexander, an aspiring young artist. Their friendship is regarded suspiciously by the townspeople and, when the youth dies, she is accused of causing his death. Weary of the struggle against the bigotry of her neighbors, Josephine leaves her husband. After a while, she realizes that she needs her husband and the friendship of the people she must live among, so she returns to the town to win their affection. AD TIPS: Sell it as a serious drama of bigotry am! misunderstanding, a study of human nature. Tie up with book stories and libraries. Unless O'Brien happens to be a favorite in your spot, sell Hutchinson above htm. Give Alexander, Kibbee and Fazenda equal billing with the two top names. L. J. UNGUARDED HOUR, The BOXOFFICE RATING MYSTERY DRAMA . . . Illogical story saved by good acting . . . Very talky and lacks action . . . Must rely on drawing strength of Tone and Loretta Young . . . Rates • • at best. M-G-M 80 Minutes Franchot Tone . . . Loretta Young . . . Lewis Stone . . . Roland Young . . . Dudley Digges . . . Jessie Ralph . . . Henry Daniell . . . Aileen Pringle . . . E. E. Clive Directed by Sam Wood Only the excellent work of the cast rescues this from complete boredom. Given drab, actionless direction by Sam Wood and a highly verbose script, they have no small job on their hands to keep "The Unguarded Hour" entertaining and the fact that it is mildly engrossing is a tribute to the smart acting of Franchot Tone, Roland Young and Loretta Young, principally. The plot, concerning a young barrister, candidate for the attorney generalship of England, who innocently finds himself faced with a charge of murder and is slowly enmeshed in a web of damning evidence, sounds exciting in the reading, but on the screen it is hampered by a talkativeness that defeats the drama inherent in the situation. Tone, however, makes the role of the young lawyer real and convincing as a character. Roland Young has some of his most comic moments in many films. Loretta Young's actions are often unbelievable, but she does the best possible with a difficult role. "Unguarded Hour" will get fair boxoffice results on the strength of the cast. It will not prove wholly satisfactory entertainment, but not altogether dull. Call it so-so. PLOT: Tone is in line for the office of attorney general. Daniell, husband of Aileen Pringle, an old flame, blackmails him, and his wife, Loretta, goes to meet the blackmailer in a lonely spot. On her way, she overhears a remark made by Dudley Digges to his wife as they walked along a cliff. Some time later, Loretta learns through the newspapers that the man is being held for the murder of his wife. Her testimony could free him, but she would be forced tc disclose the reason for her mission to the spot and thus harm her husband. Aileen is found dead and a web of evidence accusing Tone of her murder enmeshes him. A shrewd and daring trick engineered by Loretta and Roland Young forces Daniell, the real murderer into a trap and he confesses to killing his wife. Loretta testifies at Digges trial and proves that her death in falling from the cliff was an accident. AD TIPS: Ask the question: "Is Circumstantial Evidence Enough to Semi a Man to the Chair?" Sell the cast above the title and overcome the impression given by the title that it is just another spooky mystery. BARTON. FIRST BABY, The BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY-DRAMA . . . Family complications yarn that is human, if inconsequential . . . Lack of names pushes it down into dual classification . . . Best for rural spots, where it should do • • — ; less elswhere. 20th Century-Vox 63 Minutes Johnny Downs . . . Shirley Deane . . . Dixie Dunbar . . . Jane Darwell . . . Gene Lockhart . . . Taylor Holmes . . . Marjorie Gateson Directed by Lewis Seller Mildly interesting and frankly family fare about a couple of married kids and their trials and tribulations with their "first baby" and the inevitable in-laws. The picture begins with their romance, leads into the less glamorous realities of trying to keep a home together. There isn't much in "The First Baby" to get coin for the average theatre. It's unexciting and the story is far from novel, although it is done in down-to-earth manner and can boast some clever trouping on the part of the full cast. However, there is not one name in the cast that means anything to the b. o., with the possible exception of Dixie Dunbar, whose face will be familiar to those who saw "King of Burlesque." Best chances for this lie with the rural spots, but city first runs, and even the nabes, won't get to first base with it. Mark it down for the dual bills, unless you are ready to step out with a strong selling campaign along the lines of hailing "Baby" as a Preachment Against Family Interference! PLOT: When Johnny and Shirley suddenly get married, the girl's mother immediately barges in and wants to run the works. The boy puts up with it for a while and then rebels, backed by his own folks. He makes mother-in-law takt^ a back seat. Dixie works at Johnny's office and several innocent situations lead the wife to be jealous. This almost causes a break, but a better understanding finally results through the youthful parents mutual love for their baby. AD TIPS: Play up the in-law angle, which most married people have experienced; it will get both young and old. Use Dixie Dunbar's face in all copy, since she is the only one they may know. Sell it as a "problem" and "moral" story. HAR BLAIR (Hollywood) Murder On A Bridle Path BOXOFFICE RATING MURDER MYSTERY . . . One of the season's dullest attempts at mixing mirth and murder . . . The GleasonBroderick team fizzles because of its material . . . Rates • + RKO 6 5 Minutes James Gleason . . . Helen Broderick . . . Leslie Fenton . . . Owen Davis, Jr. . . . Sheila Terry . . . John Carroll . . . Louise Latimer . . . Christian Rub . . . John Arledge Directed by William Hamilton RKO substituted Helen Broderick for Edna May Oliver in this series of amiable murder mysteries with James Gleason. Now, Miss Broderick is one of the really funny ladies of the stage and screen when she is given the proper lines to speak, but it is asking too much of any actress to make something of the stupid, witless stuff that was handed her in "Murder On A Bridle Path." This is one of the season's least effectual murder comedies and neither a Jimmy Gleason nor a Helen Broderick nor {Con finite J on page 10)