Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1936 7 PRE-VIEWS By WIRE From Har Bliar (Hollywood) " 'SHOW BOAT' SURE FIRE MUSICAL HIT FOR ALL CLASSES . . STOP . . IRENE DUNNE SUPERB . . ROBESON'S SINGING MASTERFUL . . SHOULD BE A REAL CLICKER . . " "SHOW BOAT" — Universal— Irene Dunne, Allan Jones " 'KING STEPS OUT' NOT UP TO PREVIOUS MOORE VEHICLES . . STOP . . DISAPPOINTING, BUT HAS MANY WORTHWHILE ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES . . STOP . . TONE SHOULD HELP BOX OFFICE GREATLY . . " KING STEPS OUT" — Columbia — Grace Moore, Franchot Tone this is rather a virtue. Dealing with the adventures of a fast-talking radio sports announcer, who finds himself involved in a murder, a romance with the suspected lady and several exciting narrow escapes, "Panic On the Air" just seems concerned with keeping on the go — and that it does. Lew Ayres hasn't delivered a shrewder portrayal in the past few years. He gets the most out of the role, never indulging in that raucous blatancy which makes most movie radio commentators so damned annoying. Benny Baker brings a fair number of laughs and Florence Rice is attractive as the romantic interest, of which there isn't much. "Panic" is devoted to speed and excitement and provides more than a fair share in its brief 54 minutes. Is shouuld get average returns in the naborhoods and country spots. PLOT: Ayres is a radio sports commentator, who usually beats the newshawks and cops to every important story. He meets Florence while she is trying to recover part of the ransom money paid by her father to effect her brother's release from kidnappers. The wife of the kidnapper is found dead and evidence points to Florence's guilt. Ayres, having found one of the bills with a secret code on it, believes that Florence is innocent and takes her to his place. He finds more of the bills and finally has the code deciphered. Ayres, Florence and his secretary-stooge are taken prisoners, but make a getaway. Ayres gets to a phone booth, where he broadcasts the story of the kidnapping and names the gang. They are captured and Florence receives the money that is found on them. Ayres and she plan to marry. AD TIPS: Sell it as Ayres' greatest role since "All Quiet.'' If your patrons go for the mystery angle, use a herald or small card with a "code" of jumbled letters, offering free admissions to those who work out the catch-line on "Panic On the Air;" use ad copy on the reverse side. L. J. PRIDE OF THE MARINES BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY-MELODRAMA . . . Entertaining mixture of many elements that should satisfy pop audiences . . . Heavy on sentiment and sacrifice . . . Rates • • — for action and rural spots. Columbia 64 Minutes Charles Bickford . . . Florence Rice . . . Billy Burrud . . . Robert Allen Directed by D. Ross Lederman Definitely mass entertainment, this should get best results in cheaper nabe and rural theatres. The story, dealing with a hardboiled Marine's affection and sacrifice for an orphaned boy, is thickly coated with the type of sentiment less sophisticated audiences like. In addition, there should be a great deal of flag-waving interest in the Marine-life activities, which are pictured engrossingly in detail. There is no actual war stuff, the only fighting being done in a sham-battle sequence. Comedy is fair and the romance is played down. Bickford handles his role impressively, varying nicely from the toughened leatherneck to the man who gives up the kid he has learned to love, because he knows it is best for the child. The boy, Billy Burrud, is just good enough to hold the spectator's sympathy. PLOT: Bound for new quarters at San Diego with his regiment of Marines, Bickford befriends Billy, an orphan, who is on his way there to live with an uncle. Bickford takes him to the house, but learns from Florence Rice that the child's uncle had moved and left no address. He arranges to keep Billy in the barracks. Meanwhile, he falls in love with Florence and hopes to marry her. During a sham battle, Billy is hurt while trying to warn Bickford of danger. Florence asks to take care of the boy, but Bickford refuses when he learns that she is engaged to Robert Allen. However, he is asked to take an assignment of secret service work in some far-off island and, after first refusing, decides that it will be better for Billy to live with Florence, so he accepts. AD TIPS: Sell the angle of the tough Marine's sacrifice for a little boy. Get a couple "join the Marines" signs from local headquarters for your lobby and tie in uith copy on the picture. L. J. FEUD OF THE WEST BOXOFFICE RATING WESTERN . . . Mystery angle complicates it, but plenty of riding and a pitched gun battle in a formula galloper with Hoot Gibson will satisfy. Rates • • for hoss opera houses. First Division 60 Minutes Hoot Gibson . . . Buzz Barton . . . Joan Barclay Directed by Harry Fraser This one will pass as an okeh Gibson altho the plot is messed up in the telling and there is too much talk retarding the action. Title is the tip-off on the whole story and there is riding and shooting in plenty. Starts off with some good shots of a rodeo with bronco busting, steer riding, etc. Shot midst scenic grandeur, enacted fairly enough, it will do where they are suckers for westerns. There is no romance at all and the mystery is not too deep and somewhat muddled due to criss-crossing of plot. PLOT: Ranch owner, who has feud on with horse-thieves and land crooks who occupy adjoining property, notices Hoot winning most of prizes at rodeo. Gives Hoot job of ferreting out person who is crossing him. This proves to be his foreman, altho kid Barton is suspected for awhile. A half-crazed, but harmless, old horse trader seems to have it in for both sides, until it is proven, after a pitched gun battle between the two sides, that the girl, living with him, is actually the ranch owner's grand-daughter. Gibson sends Barton back to his home in another state. Since there has been considerable argument over who owned a beautiful white horse, Hoot says it is OUR horse for the fade-out. AD TIPS: Sell Gibson. Mention the mystery angle. NONNIF. COUNTRY BEYOND, The BOXOFFICE RATING MELODRAMA . . . Old-fashioned Northwest Mountie meller adapted from Curwood's novel . . . Good dog fight is action highlight . . . OK for action and rural houses, where i: rates * * — . Needs strong dual support elsewhere. 20th Century-fox 67 Minutes Rochellc Hudson . . . Paul Kelly . . . Robert Kent . . . Alan Dinehart . . . Alan Hale . . . Buck Directed by Eugene Fordc "The Country Beyond" was fashionable screen fare some fifteen years ago. Telling a tale of the great outdoors, w here Motilities (Continued on page 10)