Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR '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 ( -f) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. (Hollywood Prei iev I SONS O'GUNS BOXOFFICE RATING MUSICAL COMEDY . . . Sure fire . . . Joe Brown's best comic effort to date . . . Swift moving, well acted, grand fun . . . Rates • • • for any type house. Warner Bros. Joe E. Brown . . . Joan Blondell . . . Eric Blore . . . Winifred Shaw . . . Beverly Roberts . . . Robert Barrat . . . Bert Roach Directed by Lloyd Bacon Joe E. Brown tops all previous performances in this fast, funny screen version of the popular Broadway stage musical. Taking the comedy aspects of war with Joe as a dumb cluck who becomes a hero in spite of himself, it is good for steady laughter all the way through. Chief comedy situation centers around the fact that Brown, as a befuddled doughboy in France, finds himself taking orders from Eric Blore, his former valet and now a hard-boiled sergeant. The romantic interest centers around three pretty girls all in pursuit of Joe, whom they find appealing in spite of his dumb antics. Joan Blondell, as the fetching daughter of an innkeeper, is simply swell, never more attractive, and made more so by a delicious French accent. Wini Shaw warbles a pash number, "In the Arms of an Army Man," in her role as an overseas entertainer, while Beverly Roberts registers in a brief bit as a lovely English girl. Two other songs by Warren and Dubin both hit the spot, these being "Over Here," as rendered stirringly by a soldiers' chorus, and "A Buck and a Quarter a Day," which Joe and Joan put over in fine style. There is also a very funny travesty on an Apache dance put over in slap bang fashion by Brown and Frank Mitchell. Lloyd Bacon goes himself one better in this, aided by first class production and superb photography, topped by some gripping night shots in the trenches during an engagement. "Sons o' Guns" looks like good money all around. PLOT: Brown, a wealthy young man, finds himself in France obliged to observe discipl ne for the first time in his life. To make matters worse his valet, now a tough top sergeant, is the one who puts him through his paces. After being condemned to death several times for various offenses committed w.thout intent and through sheer stupidity, Brown finds himself quite by accident leading a night patrol across No Man's land. Here he captures a machine gun nest single handed and is followed back to the allied lines by a good portion of the German army. Not realizing what he has accomplished, Brown steps up to the general expecting to hear his death warrant read and is much amazed when at the end of a long spiel in French he is decorated by the Croix de Guerre. AD TIPS: Yoii can sell this one to the limit to the rait Jot E. Brou u audience of fans as his finest picture. Songs are good for a tie-up. Feature fact that foe has three leading ladies this time, all known. HAR BLAIR (Hollywood). TILL WE MEET AGAIN BOXOFFICE RATING SPY DRAMA . . . Holds interest throughout . . . Espionage methods create suspense . . . Excellent work by entire cast . . . Not a war story . . . Rates • • + generally. Paramount 71 Minutes Herbert Marshall . . . Gertrude Michael . . . Lionel Atwill . . . Rod La Rocque . . . Guy Bates Post Directed by Robert Florey This should prove engrossing entertainment for all types of audience. While the story is certainly not original, it is handled with a fine sense of fast, suspenseful tempo by Director Florey. The suspense inherent in a situation in which lovers, who had planned to be married, find themselves engaged in espionage for countries at war, is capitalized to its fullest extent in "Till We Meet Again." And, when it is as capably played as this, it rates as above average entertainment. Herbert Marshall turns in another adroit and wholly sympathetic characterization, while Gertrude Michael is both alluring and emotionally competent as his fiancee and war enemy. Lionel Atwill is again the rather over-heavy Teutonic "heavy," but this will be overlooked in the swiftness and tenseness of the war spying background. It is not a war picture, but might be construed as a plea for the rights of human life as opposed to mass slaughter. "Till We Meet" should respond for slightly better than average grosses generally. PLOT: On the eve of their planned marriage, war breaks out and Marshall and Gertrude are torn apart, he to join the English spy system, she the German. Later, Marshall is ordered to enter Germany, where he succeeds in harassing the enemy. Gertrude is assigned by her superior officer, Atwill, to locate the spy. They meet and plan to escape to Holland to await the end of the war. Atwill becomes aware of Marshall's presence and capacity, but relents long enough to secretly aid them to escape and re-establish their love away from the scene of war. AD TIPS: This might be made to mean more than the usual spy film by presenting it as a preachment for human rights and the love of two people against the background of war hate and slaughter. "The Lives of These Two Young People Were More Important Thau All the Reasons for the World War!" — catchline. Marshall's superb work in "Dark Angel" should be recalled. BARTON. PANIC ON THE AIR BOXOFFICE RATING MELODRAMA ... Has speed plus and a grand performance by Lew Ayres . . . Improbable story will be overlooked by pop audiences . . . Rates • • in the nabes and rural spots. Columbia 54 Minutes Lew Ayres . . . Florence Rice . . . Benny Baker . . . Charles Wilson . . . Edwin Maxwell Directed by D. Ross Lederman Columbia has taken a snappy, if improbable, pulp yarn and worked it into one of the fastest moving little mellers of the season. It doesn't pause to argue its logic, but