Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

8 %dependent EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN AS I SEE. THEM . . . reviews or new films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING:— • Means POOR; • • Means AVERAGE; • % • Means GOOD; • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and Minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. At best this "point" system 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 cri.icism. Hollywood Pre lieu FOLLOW YOUR HEART BOXOFFICE RATING MUSICAL-ROMANCE . . . Ranks with the better filmusicals produced in the past few years . . . Marion Talley and Michael Bartlett compose a grand singing and romantic team . . . Rates • • • + for class spots and slightly less generally. Republic 8 5 Minutes Marion Talley . . . Michael Bartlett . . . Nigel Bruce . . . Luis Alberni . . . Henrietta Crosman . . . Walter Catlett . . . Vivienne Osborne . . . Ben Blue . . . Eunice Healy . . . Hall Johnson Choir Directed by Aubrey Scotto This sets a new standard for Republic and producer Nat Levine, who here demonstrates that he ranks with the foremost film makers when provided with a more flexible budget. "Follow Your Heart" is a handsome production, pictorially beautiful and with high entertainment value. Unquestionably, it will click to excellent grosses. Marion Talley, sensational young prima donna of the Met, before she suddenly retired several years ago, finally makes her long awaited film debut and reveals a ravishing charm and remarkably fine voice. Singing with effortless range, a thrill for all music lovers, she proves herself equally facile in the classical numbers and the popular melodies. Paired with her in the singing and romance is Michael Bartlett and they comprise a team that should make the MacDonald Eddy combination look to its laurels. It was little less than a stroke of genius on the part of l evine to have thrown these two attractive and capable performers together. The story swings along in carefree style, disregarding the conventional plot devices. Marion is the gifted member of an impoverished theatrical family, determined to marry a simple man and settle down to a simple life. Bartlett happens along and makes her change her mind. It is happily studded with comedy, chiefly supplied by the temperamental Luis Alberni and bewildered Nigel Bruce. The plot has many unique twists that make it always surprising and engrossing. Thruout, the supporting cast is excellent. Director Scotto has contrived to keep the action flowing at an attention-holding pace. AD TIPS: Sell this great new smging-romant:c team of Talley and Bartlett. Compare them favorably with the MacDonald-Eddy duo. Step out on this — it is worthy of your best efforts. HANNA (Hollywood). Hollywood Preview HIS BROTHER'S WIFE BOXOFFICE RATING DRAMA . . . Fair story with too much plot . . . B. O. wallop in Robert Taylor's name . . . Rates • • • or better, depending on what Taylor means to the spot. M-G-M 70 Minutes Robert Taylor . . . Barbara Stanwyck . . . Jean Hersholt . . . Joseph Calleia . . . John Eldredge . . . Jed Prouty . . . Samuel S. Hinds . . . Pedro de Cordoba Directed by W. S. Van Dyke This looks like boxoffice dynamite, principally because of the presence of Robert Taylor in the cast. Otherwise, it would be hardly more than an ordinary program offering. The plot is too involved and drags noticeably in several spots. However, there are a few dramatic high points and the picture has the advantage of intelligent direction by W. S. Van Dyke. Starting in lively mood, when Taylor, a young doctor, meets Barbara Stanwyck in a gambling house and goes on a gay ten days spree with her. Scheduled to go to the tropics for research work, Taylor is induced by his older brother, Eldredge, to drop her and go away, which he does. The plot then thickens, Barbara marrying Eldredge only to spite him, never living with him. Taylor returns, finds Barbara has covered a bad gambling check for him, takes her back to the jungle with him, not knowing that she is his brother's wife. There is the expected break when he does learn, but it is all straightened out by Barbara's heroic act in offering herself as a human guinea pig to test the serum Taylor has discovered. Stanwyck offers her usual flat dramatic performance. Eldredge, Jean Hersholt and Joseph Calleia are effective. Where Taylor counts strongly, especially in neat docto: 's white, this will click. AD TIPS: Sell Taylor to a faretheewell and show him in plenty of stills. Present the triangle angle, asking the women all sorts of questions about the right of a woman to love even if she is married. HANNA (Hollywood). Hollywood Preview SING BABY SING BOXOFFICE RATING MUSICAL-COMEDY . . . Grand cast of comics has loaded this with laughs . . four good musical numbers help . . Hasn't much story . . . Rates ••• — where they like comedy. 20th Century-Fox 87 Minutes Alice Faye . . . Adolphe Menjou . . . Gregory Ratoff . . . Patsy Kelly . . . Ted Healy . . . Michael Whalen . . . Ritz Brothers . . . Montagu Love Directed by Sidney Lanfield This is almost strictly a laugh picture. Packed with one of the best comedy casts of the season, it provides a corking good time that is maintained at a fast pace right down to the finish line. Where they like fun, "Sing Baby Sing" will hum a lively tune at the cashier's window. It isn't much on story, a thin love yarn featuring Alice Faye and Mike Whalen only making a feeble pretense at being plot. But, the script writers and Director Sidney Lanfield have stocked the picture with a flock of gags that make the story seem an annoying intrusion. Adolphe Menjou walks off with the acting honors, doing an inimitable job as the actor sop. Patsy Kelly, Gregory Ratoff and Ted Healy are all involved in funny situations and deliver their particular brands of comedy. There are four songs, a couple of which hit us as hits. The central comic