The Film Daily (1938)

Thursday, October 6, 1938 DAILY .v :< REVIEWS Of THE nEW FILfTIS .V .v "This'll Make You Whistle" with Jack Buchanan, Elsie Randolph, Jean Gillie, David Hutcheson Qtj^ M Pictures, Inc. 75 Mins. AMUSING MUSICAL COMEDY WITH ABLE CAST MAKES ENTERTAINING SCREENFARE. Adapted from a highly successful musical comedy of a few seasons ago, this English production has entertaining music, an able cast and numerous gag sequences that draw laughs. Leaning to the broad accents of slapstick for comedy has allowed the 1 introduction of scenes that are antedated by modern standards, but still pack laughs. The cast headed by Jack Buchanan, is able and well rounded out. Elsie Randolph can sing and dance and Jean Gillie is attractive as the love interest. Marjorie Brooks is amusing as a horsey Englishwoman. David t Hutcheson and William Kendall support I Buchanan in minor male roles, and An 1 tony Holies is amusing as a crotchety old I barrister who takes a new lease on life. I Herbert Wilcox gets credit for the produc I tion and direction. Buchanan is engaged I to Marjorie Brooks, and is wracking his i brains for some method to break it off. J He believes he has done so and gets en I gaged to Jean, but the picture is a rapid I succession of amusing gags from there on I until everything is straightened out after 1 a number of mixups. Buchanan and Miss I Randolph put over several musical numbers \ pleasingly. CAST: Jack Buchanan, William Kendall, David Hutcheson, Elsie Randolph, Jean Gillie, Maidie Hope, Antony Holies, Marjorie Brooks, Bunty Pain, Miki Hood, Scott Harrold, Irene Vare. CREDITS.: Produced and Directed by Herbert Wilcox; Screenplay, Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson; Cameraman, F. A. Young; Editors, Frederick Wilson and Richard Wotton. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Educational's Net $120,819; Stockholders Meet Oct. 21 {Continued from Page 1) the past have been greatly concerned over the problem presented by the double feature policy of motion picture exhibitors which detrimentally affected short subjects producers. Due to the acquisition of a national system of exchanges which presently distributes a full program of released feature motion pictures and which will distribute a full program of feature length pictures with fewer short subject specialties, it is the opinion of your officers that the problem of double features will be an asset rather than a liability to your company." Annual stockholders meeting of Educational Pictures will be held Oct. 21. "Racket Busters" with George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Dickson, Allen Jenkins Warners 71 Mins. FAST -MOVING GANGSTER STORY PACKS PLENTY OF PUNCH AND DRAMA. Packing plenty of action and drama, this new Warner release successfully follows in the footsteps of a long list of gangster and crime stories produced by this studio. The story is timely in its plot, and an able cast and good direction keep the film moving at a fast clip that should entertain any type of audience. Lloyd Bacon directs the picture and Robert Rossen and Leonardo Bercovici get credit for the screenplay. George Brent plays the role of the trucker neatly, and Humphrey Bogart is his usual menacing self as the gangster chief who attempts to take the trucking racket over. Gloria Dickson is attractive as Brent's wife, and Allen Jenkins is amusing as Brent's sidekick and partner. Walter Abel is good as the sincere district attorney who has made up his mind to rid the city of the gangster parasites, but is baffled by the intimidation of his potential witnesses. Brent, the owner of several trucks, is asked to join a new union run by the Bogart gang. He refuses, but finally joins when his wife is threatened. He is branded as a coward by the men he formerly was friendly with. However, when Bogart shoots Jenkins he leads the honest truck drivers in a concerted drive to lick the Bogart gang and they are cleaned up after a fine free for all. CAST: George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Dickson, Allen Jenkins, Walter Abel, Henry O'Neill, Penny Singleton, Anthony Averill, Oscar O'Shea, Elliott Sullivan, Fay Helm, Joe Downing, Norman Willis, Don Rowan. CREDITS: Produced by Warner Bros.; Director, Lloyd Bacon; Original Screenplay, Robert Rossen and Leonardo Bercovici; Cameraman, Arthur Edeson; Editor, James Gibbon. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. NEC Public Hearings May Not Start Till December {Continued from Page 1) the Hill that differences as to policy have developed within the NEC personnel. Showdown on procedure is said to be nearing. Operate on Collins Indianapolis — Kenneth T. Collins, manager of the Apollo Theater, was taken to the Methodist Hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Clyde Willard is in charge of the Apollo during Collins' absence. Mono, to Start Two West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Monogram starts "Gang Bullets" Monday and "I am a Criminal" on the 24th. "Fugitives for a Night" with Frank Albertson, Eleanor Lynn RKO Radio 63 Mins. MURDER MYSTERY DRAMA BRIGHTENED BY A SWELL NEW STORY IDEA. This murder mystery thriller is brightened by a swell new story idea, which might have been developed on its own rather than as an auxiliary. The Hollywood stooge system, authentic or fanciful, is a fresh theme slant, and it is treated with a certain lightness and cleverness that is very refreshing. Albertson is stooging for a Hollywood star (Bradley Page) who is on the skids, and the story shows interestingly the varied things a stooge must do to hold his job. It works right into the murder of a producer, and there are several people at the Hollywood party who have cause to dislike the victim intensely. But circumstances point strongly to the stooge, as he had just pulled a phoney murder stunt for a gag a short while before the real murder, and his gun is missing now. So he takes it on the lam with his girl, who is a publicity writer, and they hop a freight so as to give him a chance to work out a scheme to trap the murderer. Under pressure of danger, and the inspiration of the girl, he suddenly shakes off his stooge complex, and becomes a fast thinker, and a daring adventurer. The two rejoin the party being held informally by the police inspector at the home of the stooge's boss, and there the real murderer proves to be the boss. The girl, Eleanor Lynn, is a vivacious and refreshing newcomer. Frank Albertson does fine. CAST: Frank Albertson, Eleanor Lynn, Allan Lane, Bradley Page, Adrianne Ames, Jonathan Hale, Russell Hicks, Paul Guilfoyle. CREDITS: Producer, Lou Lusty; Director, Leslie Goodwins; Author, Richard Wormser; Editor, Desmond Marquette; Cameraman, Frank Redman. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Weigh License System for Canadian Itinerants {Continued from Page 1) ant exhibs. If adopted, activities of each itinerant would be restricted to about 12 towns, to be chosen by the showman. Plan is advanced as a solution of the problem arising from overlapping of territories and the squeezing out of established circuit exhibs. in the itinerant field. Jacob Schreiber Hurt Detroit — Jacob Schreiber, circuit owner who sold out his interest two weeks ago, received a broken left arm and other injuries in a 15-foot fall. He was inspecting the new Crystal Theater, being erected by Ben Cohn, when he fell in a dark passageway into the basement. He is now in Harper Hospital. * SHORTS * "Mother Goose Goes Hollywood" (Technicolor) Disney-RKO 7Vz mins. Amusing Satire In this Silly Symphony, Walt Disney steps into a slightly different realm, satirizing the movie folk. We recognize the well-known Mother Goose characters, but they are no longer themselves. They are Katharine Hepburn, Hugh Herbert, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, and dozens of others stepping out of the pages of the Mother Goose book. They are easily recognizable, though the foreword insists that "any resemblance to characters living or dead is purely coincidental!" Bopeep Katharine Hepburn runs through the pages like a musical theme with the plaint about "she can't find her sheep ... really she can't." It is packed with laughs and clever musical effects, and the only possible complaint is that it is all too "short." "Ferdinand the Bull" (Technicolor) Disney-RKO 8 mins. Rates with the Best "The Story of Ferdinand," the Munro Leaf-Robert Lawson bestseller, which already has thousands of readers, will add to its fans by the release of the Disney cartoon version. The story and the illustrations are followed faithfully, only real difference being color and animation. Ferdinand is the unusual bull who hates fighting and is by nature pacifistic. He spent his childhood just sitting under the cork tree and smelling the flowers, while the other little bulls went about butting their heads and acting fierce. Their sole ambition was to be chosen for the bullfights in Madrid. When five men came to choose the fiercest bull, they did their best to show their strength. Ferdinand wasn't interested. He started to sit among the flowers, but unfortunately a bumble bee had got there first, resented the intrusion, and speared Ferdinand in the rear parts. Ferdinand's antics won him the name of "El Toro Feroccio," or words to that effect. He was taken to the bullfights where everyone trembled at his name. When it came time to fight, a bouquet was thrown at him, and he just sat down and smelled the flowers. Fade-out shows Ferdinand back under his favorite cork tree . . . just smelling . . . and smelling. The cartoon is such a faithful reproduction of the book that that in itself is praise enough. It will be relished by children as well as the grown-ups who appreciate the satire.