Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1941)

'THE INVISIBLE WOMAN' GOOD GENERAL AUDIENCE COMEDY Rates • • • — generally HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW Universal 72 Minutes Virginia Bruce, Jolin Barrymore, John Howard, Charlie Ruggrles, Oscar Homolka, Edward Brophy, Donald MacBride, Margaret Hamilton, Shemp Howard, Anne Nagel, Kathryn Adams, Maria Montez, Charles Lane, Mary Gordon, Thurston Hall, Eddie Conrad. Directed by A. Edward Sutherland. Mighty clever, this Universal, to keep its "invisible man" series running so long and successfully. "The Invisible Woman" is the latest addition to the family and an engaging one, at that. This is mostly comedy with just the right amount of action. It moves along briskly, has a clean looking production and the performances by tthe principals, keyed for laughs, are splendid. A first rate picture for general audiences, business won't be outstanding, but it is bound to be above average in the majority of locations. John Barrymore is a screwball scientist financed by John Howard, young playboy. Howard loses his money when Bari-ymore has just perfected a device that makes people invisible. Virginia Bruce, a model, answers his ad to experiment for him. She becomes invisible and Howard falls in love with her. although he hasn't the faintest idea of what she looks like. A gangster, hiding out in Mexico, hears of the invention and orders his henchmen to procure it so he can return for a visit to New York. They forget one important item, so Barrymore and Bruce are kidnapped and driven to Mexico. Here she becomes the heroine by drinking alcohol and automatically becoming invisible. The gangster and his men are quickly disposed of as Howard and Charlie Ruggles, his butler, drive up for the rescue. Barrymore, of course, is grand as the scientist. Virginia Bruce is delightful in the title role and John Howard contributes a good performance. Ruggles amuses and Oscar Homolka, Edward Brophy and Donald MacBride capably enact the heavies. Director Sutherland has done a neat job. HANNA (Hollywood) INDEX OF REVIEWS PAGE 4 Flight from Destiny Play Girl Go West Keeping Company PAGE 5 The Invisible Woman Dr. Kildare's Crisis Let's Make Music PAGE 6 Kitty Foyle Chad Hanna Fantasia PAGE 8 Romance of the Rio Grande Behind the News Lone Star Raiders Misbehaving Husbands with moods which range from exaltation to despair, splendidly. Lew Ayres and Laraine Day play their unhappy scenes and their romantic moments equally well. Alma Kruger, Nell Craig and the other regulars are convincing in hospital roles. Lionel Barrymore's few comedy scenes, and those of Nat Pendleton as the dumb ambulance driver, furnish the films only light moments — and welcome ones they are. LEYENDECKER 'DR. KILDARE'S CRISIS' INTENSELY DRAMATIC FILM Rates • • as dualler generally MGM 75 Minutes Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day, Robert Young, Nat Pendleton, Alma Kruger, Walter Kingford, Bobs Watson, Nell Craig, Horace MacMahon, George Reed, Franli Orth, Marie Blake, William Haade. Directed by Harold S. Bucquet. Dr. Kildare encounters his most tragic medical case in the seventh of MGM's series — an intensely dramatic programmer with few relieving touches of humor. The film is serious and absorbing for the greater part of its length, but a subject, which treats of an hereditary disease threatening Dr. Kildare's forthcoming marriage, is scarcely suitable for all types of family audiences. The principals, particularly Robert Young in a guest role as the suspected epileptic, are all effective, and Harold Bucquet's dir ection is above par. Although above the average for the series, both in respect to story and marquee values, "Dr. Kildare's Crisis" is very heavy fare and should be coupled with a comedy or musical feature on duals generally. This plot finds the wedding plans of Dr. Kildare Ayres and Nurse Laraine Day halted by the arrival of her brother, who has developed a mental state whhich Ayres is forced to diagnose as epilepsy. This disease is hereditary and, although he keeps it from his fiance for a time, her discovery of it compels her to refuse to risk marriage. After much unhappiness and mental anguish for all three concerned, it is wise old Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) who discovers a clue which reveals Young's erratic actions to be due to a head injury. Thus an operation restores him to normalcy, solves the problem and the marriage is set for the near futui'e — or until the next Kildare film. Robert Young handles his diflBcult role, 'LET'S MAKE MUSIC MILD PROGRAMMER WITH BOB CROSBY BAND Rates • • — as a dualler in naborhoods ■HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW RKO-Radio. 83 Minutes. Bob Crosby, Jean Rogers, Elizabeth Risdon, Joseph Buloif, Joyce Compton, Bennie Bartlett, Louis Jean Heydt, Bill Goodwin, Frank Orth, Grant Withers, Walter Tetley, Benny Rubin, Jacqueline Nash, Donna Jean Dolfer, Bob Crosby's orchestra. Directed by Leslie Goodwin. "Let's Make Music" is a slapdash little programmer that introduces Bob Crosby to the screen and it seems a pity that the talented young band leader couldn't have had a better vehicle for his initial appearance. "Let's Make Music" suffers because of weaknesses in writing, direction and editing. Crosby and his orchestra, familiar to the radio fans, should make the picture a fair dualler in neighborhood houses. The stoi-y shows Elizabeth Risdon as an elderly public school music teacher who, much to her own amazement, sells a football fighting song to a New York publisher. Crosby's arranger, Joseph BulofT, converts the corny ballad into a hot number which makes a big hit. Miss Risdon comes to New York, chaperoned by her niece, Jean Rogers, and .sings the song as a solo number with the band, but when the song's popularity NEWSPAPER CRITICS runs its course, the teacher is given the gate. Crosby has fallen in love with Jean Rogers, so he gives her aunt credit for a song of his own writing, which wins the girl's heart. Bob Crosby, playing himself as a singing band leader, is easy and confident and has a swell screen personality and a voice enough like brother Bing's to charm the fans. Elizabeth Risdon's performance is very persuasive and she steals the acting honors. Jean Rogers looks lovely and tries valiantly with .some stupid lines. Joseph Buloff does a corking comedy job as the cynical arranger and Frank Orth is excellent as the music publisher. HAMILLS (Hollywood) DR. KILDARE'S CRISIS (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) "...Looks like the Kildare stock company is flourishing." — Boehnel, N. Y. World Telej-ram. ". ..Even more far-fetched than usual, very thin as to plot, but somewhat amusing withal." — Crowthcr, N. Y. Times. " . . . The scries improves a bit with this number." — Dana, N. Y. Herald Tribune. "...Kildare series concludes its downward glide with a nosedive." — Winsten, N. Y. Post. SOUTH OF SUEZ (Warner Bros.) "...Complicated and preposterous. . .Only a miracle man could have made good movie out of the film's story." — Finn, Phila. Record. "...Better than average ... Adept direction ... Good entertainment." —E. f. S., N. Y. Herald Tribune. "...Comes off without any punch, and a.s a result the whole f.ills rather flat."— T. M. P., N. Y. Times. "...Actors alone can't make a picture ... Doesn't amount to nuicli." —Winslen, N. Y. Post. JANUARY II, 1941 5