The Film Daily (1934)

THE >, » » » REVIEWS of NEW FEATURES and SHORTS « « « « "MURDER ON THE BLACKBOARD" with Edna May Oliver and James Gleason RKO Radio 72 mins. AMUSING AND SUSPENSEFUL MURDER MYSTERY IN SCHOOL BACKGROUND THAT SHOULD PLEASE GENERALLY. This is a follow-up to the "Penguin Pcol Murder" and has Edna May Oliver taking honors again in the role of a senior school teacher with a detective instinct. The victim in the case is a school teacher, Barbara Fritchie, secretly married to the physics instructor, Bruce Cabot, who has transferred his affections to another teacher, Gertrude Michael. Suspicion falls on the lovers and on the school principal, Tully Marshall, who had been thrusting his attentions on the girl, and on Fredrik Vogeding, the janitor, who knew her secret and had been blackmailing her. The official investigation is led by James Gleason, a typically over-confident dick, but Miss Oliver's hunches actually lead to the solution, which is accomplished after a good deal of comically flavored suspense. Cast: Edna May Oliver, James Gleascn, Bruce Cabot, Gertrude Michael, Regis Toomey, Edgar Kennedy, Tully Marshall, Jackie Searle, Fredrik Vogeding, Barbara Fritchie. Director, George Archainbaud; Author, Stuart Palmer; Screen Play, Willis Goldbeck; Cameraman, Nick Musuraca; Recording Engineer, John L. Cass, Editor, Archie Marshek. Direction, Fine Photography, A-l. Jack Perrin in "RAWHIDE MAIL" Marcy Pictures 59 mins. WESTERN WITH SLIGHT STORY AND NOT MUCH ACTION. BEST FOR KIDS. A slight tale and not distinguished by much action, this pleasantly performed western is best for kid audiences. Perrin and two fellow bandits, after driving off a couple of other holdup men robbing a stage they had marked as their prey, are effusively thanked by Lillian Gilmore the sole passenger, for saving her life. Lillian is en route to Rawhide to take over the town's saloon which was willed to her. The boys ride in with her. When Lillian is tricked by Richard Cramer into selling the saloon for little money, Perrin opens an opposition spot stealing the other saloon's liquor. Cramer kills the local express agent and leaves a tag incriminating Perrin. He flees and finds an abandoned cabin which proves to be the hideout for Cramer and his cohorts. With the aid of one of his pals, Perrin subdues the bandits and rides them into town where he unmasks himself as a detective. Cast: Jack Perrin, Nelson McDowell, Lillian Gilmore, Richard Cramer, Lafe McGee, George Chesebro, Jimmy Aubrey, Robert Walker and Lew Meehan. Director, Bernard N. Ray; Author, Ben Cohen; Screen Play, Rose Gordon; Dialoguer, Betty Burbridge1 Cameraman, Henry Kruse; Recording Engineer, Oscar Lagerstrom; Film Editor, Fred Bain Direction, Okay. Photography, Fair. FOREIGN DIALOGUE "GEHETZTE MENSCHEN" ("Hunted Men"), in German with some English titles; produced by Deutsches Lichtspiel Syndikat; directed by Fredrich Feher; with Hans Feher, Camilla Spira, Eugene Kleopfer, Friedrich Ettel, Emilia Unda, vVladimir Sckoloff, Hugo Fisher-Koeppe, Fritz Odemar, Joseph Schmidt, Magda Scnja, Ferdinand Hart, Fr. W. Kaiser. At the 79th St. Theater. Generally entertaining drama about an escaped convict and his young boy. Fine acting and good handling all-around. "IZA NENI", in Hungarian with English titles; produced by Hunnia Film Co.; with Sari Fedak, Ella Gombaszogi, Irene Agay, Jeno Torzs, Oscar Beregi, Paul Javer, Reszo Harsanyi, Puffy Huszar. At the Tcbis Theater. Fairly pleasing story about a Hungarian school teacher who becomes a famous singer in Paris. Sari Fedak, former wife of Ferenc Molnar, wrote and produced the story as well as being the star. "DOS MUJERES Y UN DON JUAN" ("Two Girls and a Don Juan"), in Spanish; produced by J. Mier; directed by Jose Buchs; with Mapy Cortes, Consuelo Cuevas, Joaquin Bergia, Rosario Reys, En riqueta Palma, Gaspar Campos, Antonio Gil, Luis Llaneza. At the Teatro Variedades. Enjoyable romantic comedy about a Spanish lady killer and two girls between whom he divides his amorous attentions. SHORTS Buster Keaton in "Allez Oop" Educational 21 mins. Swell Comedy Here is a nifty comedy that is crowded with the fine comedy technique of that sterling comedian, Buster Keaton. Throughout the footage the material shows that the director and the comedian put plenty of time and brain work into the gags and business. Buster runs a watch repair shop. He falls for a girl who brings a watch in to be repaired. She in turn falls for the trapeze performer at the circus Where Buster takes her on passes. Finally Buster rescues her from a fire caused by the Trapeze guy who turns out to be a villain. Buster's efforts to imitate the trapeze performer by 'practicing on clothes lines in the backyard is a classic wow. Directed by Charles Lamont. Story by Ernest Pagano and Ewart Adam?on. As fine a comedy as any showman needs to put the laughs into the customers — or bring 'em out of the customers, rather. "The Fuller Brush Man" with Walter Catlett RKO-Radio 19 mins. Amusing Nonsense This is out and out nonsensical stuff, with Walter Catlett calling at a house in which the entire family N-E-W-S OF THE DAY North Platte, Neb. — Fox has renamed the Luna and reopened it as the State under the management of Dave Davis, city manager. Denver — Jap Morgan, manager of the local National Theater Supply, reports the sale of Simplex sound and projection to C. L. Canda, Jr., for the newly opened Westcliffe theater, Westcliffe, Colo.; a new theater at Rocky Ford, the El Centro at Mogallon, N. M., to be operated by Cora B. Hay, and the reopened Isis, Aspen. Cleveland — Sanford Gottlieb of New York is here as an M-G-M student booker. Jack Mundstock, M-GM booker is on vacation. the Broadway, Springfield, is now in charge of the Paramount in North Adams. Patten, Me. — The New theater has opened under the operation of Mrs. Ira Howes. Boston — Sanka Barr, booker for American Pictures, Inc., will be married to Hyman Grossman on June 10. Salem, Mass. — Part-time vaudeville is being retained all summer at the M. & P. Salem theater, managed by Leonard Dunn. Nantasket, Mass. — The Apollo theater has reopened with Floyd Bell, independent Boston publicity man, in charge of exploitation of Cleveland— Nat Holt RKO dis the house am] of the entire Paragon trict manager, has cancelled Mr. ana park Mrs. Jesse Crawford, twin organists, as an added feature since vaudeville was discontinued. Franklin, Va. — Despite failure of the legislature to liberalize blue laws, many Virginia theaters, inNorth Adams, Mass. William ' eluding the Franklin here, are giv Cook, formerly assistant manager of ing Sunday midnight shows. behaves in goofy style. The lady i the house answers all of Waltei questions with some unrelated r mark. The old man's sartori adornment consists of bathing si and spats without shoes or soclA hired man comes in to rid tl house of flies by feeding the crushed steel, drawing them up the ceiling with magnets, then shoe ing them with a shotgun. No rhyn or reason to anything, but it's fum in its way. I Tin 1!n h Ml The Untl Bert Lahr in "Henry the Ache" RKO-Radio 19 n Rowdy Comedy A take-off on "Henry VIII", tl is a rather broad farce about Queen cheating on Henry, who turn gets a crush on a blonde ai has his wife beheaded so he Cli marry her, only to discover th she's just a gold-digger. Bert La is quite amusing as Henry, wi , Janet Reade playing the blonc The comedy is for adults rather th; family audiences. Van Beurei Meyer-Davis unit produced it. Tom Howard and George Shelton "A Good Scout" Educational 18 mil Good Goof Comedy These two comics are hired by old pioneer of the western fronti to go out and kill Indians at $50 head, in order to revenge the dea of his wife in a covered wagon years ago. So Tom and Geor start out to the scene of the mj sacre, and proceed to knock the 1 dians unconscious in their own or: inal manner. It is a lot of goo nonsense, and will get the laug where they like this style of co edy. Produced bv Al Christie. "Paradise of the Pacific" (Romantic Journeys) Educational 10 mi Picturesque A Romantic Journey with Gay Whitman to Hawaii, where a trip taken on a novel railroad, the c being an old flivver that runs special wheels on the steel rails and down the mountainside thro very gorgeous scenery. The pic ial highlights of the island are ered, as well as the surfboard letes on the beach. Done in col nu "The Lion's Friend" (Terry-Toon) Educational 7 Clever Cartoon A mouse is the hero, and i the lion from capture by the hunter in a most ingenious man; for which the lion is duly grate The story is told by the school tei er to all the other animal schol The mouse and the lion are seen picture frames above the teach desk, and they come to life to over the action as the teacher fe the story. Nice animated techni< *l ! /■I ' 10 :■ [': i Hi I* Oil