Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN REVIEWS {Continued from page 12) Hollywood Preview HIGH TENSION BOXOFFICE RATING ACTION COMEDY . . . Swift moving program entertainment . . . Slim plot dressed up with clever gags . . . Good performances, especially by Donlevy, but no big names to plug . . . Rates • • for action and rural spots; less for better class locations. 20th Century-Fox 63 Minutes Brian Donlcvy . . . Glenda Farrell . . . Norman Foster . . . Helen Wood . . . Robert McWade . . . Hattie McDaniel . . . Theodore von Eltr Directed by Allan Dwan Chief asset of this action programmer, built for dual bills, is its sustained action. It never lets down. But what happens is neither sensational nor very important, and for that reason "High Tension" will have to look to cheaper action and rural spots for its business. Brian Donlevy plays a fasttalking deep sea diver in grand style. He rolls off some nifty gags and swings a mean right on more than one occasion. There are several socko fights, in one of which a grand piano is brought into play with surprising results. Glenda Farrell is her usual wisecracking self as a writer of pulp magazine stories, and Norman Foster does well enough in the thankless role of the diver's slowwitted pal. Hattie MacDaniel, the huge colored actress, has several good comedy moments as Glenda's maid. While something is happening every minute, at no time is there any demand placed on the spectator's intellect. Thus, it should prove to be satisfactory entertainment for those who like their action undiluted. It will get fair returns in such spots. PLOT: Donlevy is a deep-chested deep-sea diver who makes his living repairing ocean cables. While off duty, he is very much the ladies man, his particular girl friend being Glenda, who writes stories for pulp magazines, in which she glorifies Donlevy. His pal is Foster and when the two quarrel over a girl, a series of incidents is built around their feud, until the final rescuing of Donlevy by Foster when the former's life is threatened. AD TIPS: Co-star Donlcvy and Tamil as a wise-cracking, loting team. Display of diver's suits, cable, etc. effective for the lobby. If you play it in the summer, bill if as being so full of continuous action it will make them forget the heat. HARRY BLAIR (Hollywood). SECRET AGENT BOXOFFICE RATING SPY MELODRAMA . . . Jerky, badly composed efforts at experimentation with tricky film technique . . . Parts will leave average spectator befuddled . . . Lorre's adroit performance helps . . . Rates • • generally; perhaps slightly better for action houses. G-B 83 Minutes Madeleine Carroll . . . Peter I or re . . . John Gielgud . . . Robert Young . . . Percy Marmont Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Alfred Hitchock, "England's greatest director," hasn't done quite so well by this spy story. In an effort to individualize the film he employed some dubious technical tricks to gain effect and turned out a jerky, halting job that will annoy many spectators, because it will befuddle them. Furthermore, it has particularly poor recording. Had the directorial and editing work been smoother, "Secret Agent" would have been a much more satisfactory film. As is, it has Peter Lorre in another of his phlegmatic killer roles. He can commit murder more nonchalantly than any other actor on the screen. Madeleine Carroll and a newcomer to these shores, John Gielgud, provide the romantic interest, which suffers from the same indecisive treatment as most of the other portions of the story. Purportedly adapted from spy stories by W. Somerset Maugham, "Agent" is a bit outdated and suffers from Mr. Hitchcock's unsuccessful experiments. It should get fair grosses in action houses and can do better with strong exploitation. PLOT: Gielgud and Madeleine Carroll, British secret service agents, are assigned to the job of locating Robert Young, a dangerous German spy. They are supplied with the assistance of Lorre, known as "The General," who kills those marked by the agents. Young, posing as an American, renews an old romance with Madeleine. He is taking her away with him, when Lorre finds out who he is. With Gielgud, they pursue and catch Young and are about to finish him off when the train is wrecked. Both Lorre and Young are pinned beneath the wreckage and the "General" kills the German while he is drinking from the flask Lorre handed him. We understand that Gielgud and Carroll are married after the war. AD TIPS: Action houses should sell Lorre strongly and recall his roles in "The Man Who Knew Too Much," "Mad Love" and "Crime and Punishment ." Better (law spots will get best results by plugging Carroll and Hitchcock, latter as director of "i9 Steps." L. j. Hollywood Preview SPENDTHRIFT BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY . . . Dual bill stuff . . . Will have to rely on Fonda's pulling strength and a catchy title . . . Hasn't much else . . . Just routine comedy, not very bright . . . Rates • • — generally. Paramount Henry Fonda . . . Pat Paterson . . . Mary Brian . . . George Barbier . . . J. M. Kerrigan . . . Richard Carle . . . Edward Brophy Directed by Raoul Walsh Just a passable comedy that has one good name and a fair supporting cast. "Spendthrift" is a story of the sporting set and a young man faced with the necessity of making his own way. It isn't told with particular brightness. The popular Henry Fonda is not at his best in the main role, but manages to turn in an interesting performance which should please the ladies. Pat Paterson, absent from the screen for some time, returns in a delightful role as the daughter of a stableman. Latter role is played with effect by J. M. Kerrigan. Surprise of the piece, however, is Mary Brian, in a flattering new make-up and playing an unsympathetic role to the hilt. As a matter of fact, the story and its treatment are not worthy of the cast. There are no really high comic points and the serious moments are few and subdued. There just doesn't seem to be much reason for it. Boxoffice returns will have to depend on Fonda's appeal in your location. It will make satisfactory fare for dualling with a heavy drama or action picture. PLOT: Left with a racing stable, expensive tastes, a pleasing personality, but no ready cash, Fonda finds himself in a difficult spot. He decides that the best way out of his predicament is to put up a bold front. By a certain degree of ingenuity he contrives to elude the advances of an ambitious little Southern gal, gain the good graces of his wealthy but crochety old uncle and win the hand of the stableman's pretty daughter. Horses figure in the story, but it is not a racetrack yarn. AD TIPS: Get behind Fonda, who has a fol lott ing. Exploit the "ucti" Mary Brian, playing a "heavy" for the first time. The title offers possibilities of bank and commercial tie-ups. The value of thrift might be the subject of a contest, will) the winners having free accounts opened for them in the naborhooi bank. HARRY BLAIR (Hollywood).