Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1941)

'NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH" (Continued! and often she is funnier than Hope. Edward Arnold, as usual, enjoys his laughs more than the audience does. There's too little of dusky Willie Best. Glenn Anders returns to the screen with a bag of tricks picked up with the Theatre Guild that have no bearing whatsoever on his characterization. Absence from the screen has not enhanced the innocuousness of Lief Erickson, and, as always, Helen Vinson plunges into the role of a se ductive actress with too much verve and abandon. Catharine Doucet registers solidly in a zany bit and Leon Belasco is quite amusing considering the unfunny material with which he works. HANNA (Hollywood) 'BUY ME THAT TOWN' THE SLEEPER IN PARA'S FIRST BLOCK Rates • • +, or better, where sold Paramount 70 Minutes Lloyd Nolan, Constance Moore, Albert Dekker, Sheldon Leonard, Barbara Allen, Edward Brophy, Warren Hymer, Horace MacMahon, Olin Howland, Richard Carle Directed by Eugene Forde This is definitely not one of the "A" budget pictures in Paramount's first block of five, but it ranks well up from the entertainment standpoint. "Buy Me That Town" is thoroughly enjoyable fare for the masses of moviegoers. Telling the old tale of a gangster who is impelled by his new environment to reform, it tells it in fast and funny style This reviewer found it so engrossing that the 70 minutes running time seemed much less. While there are no outstanding names for the marquee, the casting is something to b3hold. E^^ery role is played to the hilt Yes, this is the "sleeper" in Paramount's first block and it deserves the best in showmanship from the exhibitor. Word-of-mouth response will benefit subsequent runs, where it should garner above average grosses Lloyd Nolan turns in a grand performance as the "reformed" mobster who buys an unincorporated town and sets out to cash in on a sweet racket for life — only to become imbued with the rural life and with Constance Moore. He is hard pressed for acting honors, however, by Albert Dekker, as his none too bright assistant; Edward Brophy, who becomes police chief because he knows everything about jails; Warren Hymer, arsonist deluxe, who becomes fire chief; Richard Carle, a hick justice of the peace; and Sheldon Leonard, who is splendid as the gangster who won't reform. In our credits should not be omitted Barbara Allen (Vera Vague of radio), who does a fine chore as a mob "fan," recognizing all the boys and helping them go straight. Eugene Forde has directed beautifully, getting a maximum of action and laughs. He has also captured the small town atmosphere to perfection. NONAMAKER 'NEW YORK TOWN' A GOOD CAST, BUT A MUDDLED STORY Rates • • + on name strength Paramount 97 Minutes Fred MacMurray, Mary Martin, Robert Preston, Akim Tamiroff, Lynne Overman, Eric Blore, Fuzzy Knight, Cecil Kellaway, Ken Carpenter, Iris Adrian, Edward McNamara, Sam McDaniel. Directed by Charles Vidor This can only be classified as a mild programmer, despite a cast abundant with good names. The fault lies with the script, which is neither fish nor fowl nor the bright comedy its authors intended. It stars very slowly as one of those kaleidoscopic studies of characters in teeming New York, but never clearly defines its characters, nor does it develop one real sympathetic figui'e. When the plot finally starts to follow a straight line, it is so obvious that the spectator is impatient for the inevitable conclusion. "New York Town" is another sample of Hollywood's flair for wasting valuable names in trivial stories. The cast of this will bring batter than average support in the early runs, but grosses will bog down in the subsequents. Fred MacMurray, carefree sidewalk photographer, shares an apartment with Polish refugee Akim Tamiroff, artist. Fred meets Mary Martin, a penniless small town girl, and invites her to share their place and earn her way by selling the portraits painted by Tamiroff. When she fails to sell any paintings, MacMurray decides that the only thing left for her to do is to mari-y a rich man. He directs her to millionaire Robert Preston, who promptly falls for her, although she loves Fred. The latter suddenly discovers that he loves her, breaks into Preston's home, bops him in the eye and walks off with Mary. Just as simply as that! Not one of the characters seems real. Lynne Overman floats in and out of scenes as a legless pencil peddler who is helping Tamiroff become a Citizen. Butler Eric Blore puffs and fumes at a poodle which barks at him. Ken Carpenter has the best scene in the picture as the imitator of a rad:o quiz questioner. Director Charles Vidor might have done something to tighten up the story, but he did not. M. W. M-G-M Review of 1 In First Block 'DOWN IN SAN DIEGO' THIRD-RATE ACTION QUICKIE FROM METRO Rates as secondary dualler in action spots M-G-M 70 Minutes Ray McDonald, Bonita Granville, Dan Dailey, Jr., Leo Gorcey, Charles P. Smith, Dorothy Morris, Robert O. Davis, Joseph Sawyer, Anthony Ward, Stan'.ey Clements, Henry O'Nefll, William Tannen, Ludwig Stossel, Connie Gilchrist, Al Trescony. Directed by Robert Sinclair We can, with complete confidence, recommend this little M-G-M offering for the Saturday matinee flock of kiddies. It is simply juvenile. Kids play it and it looks very much as though kids wrote the plot and dialogue. It certainly failed to hold the interest of the exhibitors present at the trade screening and there was a steady trickle to the exit throughout the showing. Metro might have some notion that it is creating another version of the "Dead End" Kids series, but the group of youngsters assembled for "Down in San Diego" lack the punch of the other gang. This is a very low ranking entry for M-G-M's first block. The story tells of Dan Dailey, Jr., who joins the marines to escape becoming more deeply enmeshed with a racket gang. He is assigned to San Diego, but the gang frames him with a fake murder and give him the alternative of facing the rap or doing spy work for them at the U. S. base. A gang WHAT THE NEWSPAPER CRITICS SAY of youngsters who are friends of Dailey's kd sister, Bonita Granville, follow him to San Diego because their suspicions are aroused. After some pretty superficial detective work, the kids expose the spy ring and, with the assistance of the marines and the police, bring about their destruction. The performances are uniform, nothing outstanding. Director Robert Sinclair uses the wild and woolly chase formula for a climax, with planes chasing the spies' freighter and bombing it, while the ex-racketeer marine chases in a mosquito boat and saves two of the kids held as hostages. NONAMAKER. MOON OVER MIAMI (20th Century-Fox) "... Breezy tuneful musical with a fresh cast, good tunes, amusing situations. .. Good summertime show." — Branson, Phila. Record. "...Doctors up an obvious and sentimental piece of claptrap with chamber-of-commerce dream settings... A hit... Does a noble job for the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the entertainment world." — Diana, N. Y. Herald Tribune. "...Saucy tunes. . .Swirling production numbers .. Isn't very bright in conversation, but it looks wonderful." — T. S., N. Y. Times. THEY MET IN BOMBAY (Mctro-Goldwyn-Mayer) "... Punch-packed action . . . Always suspenseful . . . Plenty of humor and a slight sense of patriotic pathos." — Thirer, N. Y. Post. "... You won't enjoy it . . . Plot is unoriginal . . . Dialogue is wretched stuff." — Boehncl, N. Y. World-Telegram. "...Red meat entertainment ... If you're not a crank on story credibility, you'll be more than satisfied." — Reel, Chicago Herald American. "...Genuine entertainment ... Funny, active and spirited ... Continually interesting." — Murdoch, Phila. Ledger. AUGUST 9, 1941 5