Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1938)

AUGUST 27th, 1938 5 'FOUR DAUGHTERS' FINE DRAMA SHOULD CLICK BIG Kates • • • generally. -Hollywood Preview Warners 90 Minutes Priscilla Lane. Rosemary Lane. Lola Lane. Gale Page. Claude Rains, John Garfield, Jeffrey Lynn, Dick Foran, Frank McHugh, May Robson, Vera Lewis, Eddie Acuff, Donald Kerr Directed by Michael Curtiz This is a moving and poignant drama of family life which more than lives up to the advance reports WB has given it. From Fannie Hurst's story, scenarists Julius Epstein and Lenore Coffee have turned out a screen play notable for its sincerity and human qualities. The dialogue is exceptionally natural. Lack of top names won't hurt this much at the boxoffice. It's the type of picture that catches on and gains momentum by word-of-mouth advertising, will be terrific. If exploited, FOUR DAUGHTERS is a cinch for handsome returns everywhere, with the possible exception of action houses. The three Lane girls and Gale Page are the daughters of Claude Rains, a small town music teacher, whose home is presided over by his sister, the kindly May Robson. Girls are all of the romantic age. First to succumb is Lola, who makes known her engagement to Frank McHugh. Shortly later Jeffrey Lynn, a young musician, comes to live in the house. His charm and captivating manner attract the sisters, but it is Priscilla whom he loves and plans to marry. On their wedding day, she discovers that Gale Page is desperately in love with Lynn, so Priscilla runs away with John Garfield, a talented composer who suffers from a fatalistic complex. Their life together is a hand-to-mouth existence. They return for a family reunion at Christmas time. Lynn is also a guest. Garfield, realizing he is a failure, commits suicide. Since Gale has married Dick Foran, there is no factor to disturb the renewal of the romance between Priscilla and Lynn. The Lane Sisters are not particularly good actresses, but in this instance their lack of polish is almost a virtue. The girls do have charm and personality and, since these are the prerequisites of their roles, their performances seem quite natural. Claude Rains is his usual expert self. Most interest is centered on newcomers Lynn and Garfield. The former has a pleasing personality which can be developed. Garfield is an accomplished actor, who handles his difficult role in a masterful and sincere manner. He shows great promise for character work and should not be burdened immediately with the stardom the studio is planning for him. Dick Foran and Frank McHugh are excellent. Michael Curtiz's direction is of the highest order. His story is simply, almost poetically, told with a rare quality of sincerity. This man's versatility is astonishing. AD TIPS: Feature it as an important story of young people. Plug Fannie Hurst. Give it your "personal" recommendation. HANNA (Hollywood). 'CAREFREE' A WEAKER AST AIRE-ROGERS Kates • • • — on star names. RKO Radio 82 Minutes Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ralph Bellamy. Luella Gear, Jack Carson, Clarence Kolb, Franklyn Pangborn Directed by Mark Sandrich CAREFREE is not one of the better AstaireRogers vehicles. Frankly, their incomparable dancing and one good Irving Berlin song are all it has to speak of. The plot idea is clever, but its development is dull, incomplete and most disappointing. Where most of the prior pictures with this couple had a clever comic or two and clever comedy to entertain us between dances, the gags in this one fall flat with a thud. The much-heralded "The Yam" is not all it's cracked up to be, but the golfing dance performed by Fred alone is one of his best numbers. So, a careless script spoiled CAREFREE. It should get good grosses generally on the strength of the Astaire-RogersBerlin names, but word-of-mouth won't be favorable. Fred plays a psychiatrist, who is asked to cure Ginger, fiancee of his pal, Bellamy. She promptly falls in love with her doctor. Not realizing he loves her, Fred puts her in a trance and proceeds to fill her subconscious mind with hatred for him. He soon finds he does love her, but encounters all sorts of difficulties in trying to get back to her subconscious mind to change its opinion of him. He accomplishes it just as she is about to marry Bellamy. Ginger sings "The Yam" like she has been neglecting her voice. On the other hand, Astaire's voice seems much improved, particularly in his singing of the good Berlin number, "Change Partners." Her excellent handling of the best comedy sequence in the picture— when she is put in a trance which releases her from all suppressed inhibitions — shows that Ginger is more interested in acting than singing. Ralph Bellamy has a rather dull role as the awkward suitor. Luella Gear, a fine comedienne, suffers from some awful material. Sandrich could have tightened up the script, but failed to do so. The idea of having the dream dance done in slow motion was clever, but much more could have been done with it by switching to normal speed, and back. As is, it makes the spectator feel sleepy. AD TIPS: Sell the "reunion" of the world's favorite dancing partners Feature the Irving Berlin music. BARTON. 'BREAKING THE ICE' BELOW BREEN STANDARD Kates • • as d nailer. Hollywood Preview RKO-Radio (Sol Lesser) 80 Minutes Bobby Breen. Charlie Ruggles, Dolores Costello, Irene Dare, Robert Barrat, Dorothy Peterson, John King, Charlie Murray, Billy Gilbert, Margaret Hamilton, Jonathon Hale, Spencer Charters, Maurice Cass Directed by Edward F. Cline This is the least entertaining of all the Bobby Breen musicals. The story concerns the Mennonite sect of Pennsylvania, a novel idea, but ineptly developed. Lack of production value necessary to allow the audience to comprehend the basis of the story, puts this in the below par division. Direction is weak, too. Excepting those spots where Breen has a following, this will have to take secondary dual billing. Breen and his mother, Dolores Costello, have been staying with relative Robert Barrat since the death of Breen's father. Barrat is a strict Mennonite, as are other members of the village. Miss Costello wants to return to her farm in Kansas, but lacks money to make the trip. Breen runs away one night and goes to the city with junk peddler Charlie Ruggles. Here he becomes successful and returns home with sufficient money for the fare to Kansas. He discovers that Barrat believes him a thief, due to the fact that $20 was missing from the home when Breen left. The youngster is disgraced and must return the money. He believes it to be stuffed away in some newspapers which he sold to Ruggles and which were used by him in creat ing springs for an antique chair. The chair is tracked down, the money returned and with Miss Costello he leaves for Kansas There they are reunited with John King whom Dolores loves. Star of the film is actually Irene Dare, the four year old ice skater, whose few appearances highlight the dull proceedings. Ruggles does an unusual role to perfection Breen warbles three or four songs effectively. Supporting members of the cast struggle to the best of their ability with the material at hand. Edward Cline's direction is slow paced and dull. AD TIPS: Sell Breen and little Irene Dare. Call her the baby Sonja Henie. Feature Rugg'es and Costello. HANNA (Hollywood) More Reviews <>n Page Six