Film Bulletin (1942)

PARAMOUNT ...Reviews ol 5 in Sixlh Block 'BEYOND THE BLUE HORIZON' TECHNICOLORED JUNGLE HOKUM Rates • • + where Lamour-in-sarong is Paramount 76 Minutes Dorothy Lamour, Richard Denning;, Jack Haley, Patricia Morison, Walter Abel, Helen Gilbert, Edward Fielding, Elizabeth Patterson, Abner Biberman, Ann Todd, Frances Gifford, Frank Reicher, Charles Stevens, Gerald Oliver Smith. Directed by Alfred Santell. Unadulterated jungle hokum, prettily colored and nonsensically directed and acted. While intelligent patrons will label it ridiculous, "Beyond the Blue Horizon," like "Aloma" and similar films, will have an undeniable box office pull for the Lamour fans and the youngsters. To the former it will be sufficient that their favorite is again sarong-clad and surrounded by her jungle pets, while the kids will not complain that the film is burdened with one of the most confused and fantastic plots of the season. Many of the characters introduced early in the picture are soon dropped. Jack Haley tries hard to get laughs and partially succeeds with some Rates • • — as supporting dualler Paramount 67 Minutes MacDonald Carey, Jean Phillips, J. Carrol Naish, Edward Ciannelli, Richard Lane, Joan Woodbury, Warren Hymer, Sidney Melton, Frank Bruno, Olin Howland, Mary Gordon, William Haade, Abe Dinovitch, Jack Norton, Themas W. Ross, John Gallaudet, Edward Earle, Charles C. Wilson, Spencer Charters, Phil Arnold. Directed by Anton Mann. "Dr. Broadway" is merely a 'true story' plot in film form, but it's fast-paced and entertaining. Lack of name strength is the picture's greatest handicap even though the two leads— IMacDonald Carey, personable young stage actor, and Jean Phillips, a sophisticated blonde double for Ginger Rogers — do highly satisfactory acting jobs. Patrons who discount the story's improbabilities and concentrate on the melodramatic excitement and numerous amusing character sketches of Broadway types, will find it enjoyable fare. The glitter of the White Way background, draw primitive comedy, but the dialogue is childish throughout and, appropriately enough, includes a line, "This will all sound very silly," which will have patrons howling. Selling Lamour in a sarong, the jungle settings in Technicolor and the songs will assure good box office returns in naborhoods and small towns. In first-runs, the picture may start out strong, but business will drop after the critical lambastings and unfavorable wordof-mouth. In the story, Richard Denning, handsome white boy from the jungle and now lion wrestler with a circus, believes that the much-heralded jungle queen (Dorothy Lamour) who is coming to America as heiress to the Chase millions, is a fake. Denning's press agent (Jack Haley) arranges a meeting and Lamour is revealed as a naive, mischievous sarong-clad girl. Although the millionaire Chase is satisfied that she is his long-lost grand-daughter, all concerned journey to Africa to find proof of her birth. In the jungle they have many adventures culminating in a wild elephant chase. Denning grows to love Lamour and when the proof is found, they sail back to America together. though exaggerated, is always fascinating. This will make good supporting fare, especially in the naborhood houses. There is a strong exploitation angle in the threat of a girl to jump from the high ledge of a midcity hotel. The title is the nickname for MacDonald Carey, young doctor who prefers a Times Square clientele to the security of a Park Avenue practice. Called upon to use the psychology method on Jean Phillips, show girl who is threatening to jump from the ledge of a Broadway hotel, Carey pulls her to safety and then discovers it was all a publicity stunt. Carey, however, likes her enough to save her from a disorderly conduct charge and give her a job as his receptionist. Carey next encounters Eduardo Ciannelli, a gangster just released from prison, who asks the doctor to find his long-lost daughter and deliver to her $100,00 now in a safety deposit box. A rival gangster (J. Carroll Naish) murders Ciannelli and then tries to palm off a pseudo daughter on Carey. The doctor tricks Naish, who then threatens him by Dorothy Lamour is attractive in Technicolor and Richard Denning makes a handsome figure in leopard-skin trunks. Neither is required to do any acting. Patricia Morison and Elizabeth Patterson are seen in the early scenes and then forgotten. Helen Gilbert, one of film-dom's most artificial-looking blondes, keeps her beautiful coiffure intact during the most harrowing jungle adventures. YORK <S> 1 REVIEWS IN THIS ISSUE Beyond the Blue Horizon Dr. Broadway Night in New Orleans Page 4 Sweater Girl Take A Letter, Darling Undercover Man Page 5 The Falcon Takes Over My Favorite Spy Mexican Spitfire Sees A Ghost Page 8 Powder Town Syncopation Mrs. Miniver Page 14 Broadway About Face Remember Pearl Harbor Page 24 Let's Get Tough The Girl from Alaska Home in Wyomin' Sunset on the Desert Page 26 kidnapping Miss Phillips. She escapes by again climbing out on a ledge high above Broadway. Eduardo Cianelli and J. Carrol Naish are familiar gangster types and both give firstrate performances. Richard Lane also registers in one of his customary wise-cracking detective roles. LEYENDECKER 'DR. BROADWAY' ENTERTAINING PROGRAMMER LACKS NAME STRENGTH 'NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS' MURDER MYSTERY IN AMUSING VEIN Rat( as supporting dualler generally Paramount 75 Minutes Preston Foster, Patricia Morison, Albert Dekker, Charles Butterworth, Dooley Wilson, Jean Phillips, Paul Hurst, Noble Johnson, Cecil Kellaway, William Wright, Henry Brandon, Yola D'Avril, George Chandler, Joseph Pope, Al Hill. Directed by William Clemens. A neat murder mystery in the lighter vein with numerous broad comedy moments and just enough melodramatics to keep patrons guessing as to the outcome. Deftly directed in "The Thin Man" tradition and employing a suave, cool-headed husband and his meddling young wife as crime-solvers, "Night in New Orleans" is amusing program fare. And with Preston Foster and Albert Dekker, as outwardly-friendly rivals for the post of captain of the police department, keeping up a running fire of smartly-sarcastic dialogue throughout the picture, the laugh quota is above average. Although the marquee value is just fair, this will make a strong supporting dualler in all but the small town spots. The story opens on a highly mysterious note as Preston Foster is seen stealing a package of letters from a New Orleans home where a notorious gambler is lying murdered. The mood soon changes to comedy as Foster returns home to his wife, Patricia Morison, and gives her the love letters with which the gombler had been threatening them. Foster, who is in line for the police captaincy, is visited by Albert Dekker. another choice for the same post, who is disappointed when the wife and butler both alibi his rival. When Dekker leaves, Foster, real izing he is in a tight spot, sets out to find the real murderer. That evening, at the Mississippi Inn, Foster encounters his wife and it is she who discovers another murder in the gambling joint. The action then becomes fast and furious with another killing taking place hefore the murderer is cornered during the Mardi Gras. With the clase closed. Foster and Dekker, now on the best of terms, learn that a dim-witted sergeant has been appointed police captain. Preston Foster and Albert Dekker give fine comedy performances, Paul Hurst and Dooley Wilson contribute to the merriment and Charles Butterworth also gets a few laughs with his apologetic manner before he plunges into the serious side of his role. Patricia Morison's portrayal o fthe feather-brained wife improves as the picture progresses. LEYENDECKER 4 FILM BULLETIN