The Film Daily (1938)

hursday, December 1, 1938 wKlIuw :< :< REVIEWS Of THE flEUJ flLHIS v > 'Peck's Bad Boy With the Circus" with Tommy Kelly, Ann Gillis, Edgar Kennedy 78 Mins. h.Nc CIRCUS ATMOSPHERE IN JUVE JILE PRODUCTION WHICH SHOULD VOW THE KIDS. This production plays it up for the juvele angle throughout. The youngsters are eatured, and the action revolves around ommy Kelly as Bill Peck, and Ann Gillis is the little bareback rider of the circus. The story is pretty obvious and tenuous, and ias been strung together with all the old outine tricks for building this type of proluction. The most entertaining part of the ilm is to be found in the sequences showng the professional circus acts. But taken is a juvenile feature, it certainly holds jlenty of attraction for the youngsters. Tommy Kelly is very real and likeable as the ad who attends the circus with his gang, ind gets revenge on the circus people for naking him spend his railroad fare to the iummer camp after they are caught sneakng in without tickets. His revenge consists in feeding some sleeping tablets to the ions, and killing Edgar Kennedy's act, and ncidentally that of the lady lion tamer who s the villainness and has ousted the little bareback performer from the star spot on rhe bill. This part of the plot is pretty meller and far-fetched, but it serves to create the necessary sympathy for the young heroine. Later Kennedy takes Tommy on a wild ride in the chariot to get to the summer camp in time for the cross-country obstacle race, which he, of course, wins from his hated rival who has been pestering him all through the picture. You can play this up for its fine circus atmosphere, which is very well handled. It is surefire for the youngsters, has good comedy with the antics of Edgar Kennedy, but in trying to get the adults in you will have to use discretion in not promising too much on an obviously juvenile attraction. CAST: Tommy Kelly, Ann Gillis, Edgar Kennedy, Billy Gilbert, Benita Hume, Spanky MacFarland, Grant Mitchell, Nana Bryant, William Demarest, Wade Boteler, Harry Stubbs, Fay Helm, Mickey Rentschler, Louise Beavers. CREDITS: Producer, Sol Lesser; Director, Edward F. Cline; Screenplay, Al Martin, David Boehm, Robert Neville; Cameraman, Jack Mackenzie; Editor, Arthur Hilton. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Okay. "The Beachcomber" with Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester Paramount 80 Mins. SPLENDID PERFORMANCE BY CHARLES LAUGHTON IN TROPIC ISLAND DRAMA. This is a British Mayflower production, based on a story by Somerset Maugham, whose stories essentially are based on character delineation and psychological reactions. Charles Laughton does marvels with his role of the beachcomber. Elsa Lanchester is also excellent as the prim missionary who sets out to reform the beachcomber, and succeeds beyond even her expectations. However, some sequences are pretty draggy, with a lot of incidental action and considerable conversation among the principals — Tyrone Guthrie as the medico missionary and brother of Lanchester; Robert Newton as the controleur in the Dutch Indies islands; and Laughton as Ginger Ned, the drink-besotten Englishman gone to the dogs in the tropics. Stranded on a barren island one night as their small boat stalls its rudder, the missionary lady learns that the beachcomber really is a gentleman, as he treats her like a lady and does not take advantage of her helpless plight. From then on she starts to save his soul and body, and browbeats him into helping her as an epidemic breaks out on an island near the mainland. The climax shows the two of them married, and back in England running a pub tavern that he had had his heart set on years ago. Put this down as a fine exposition of Laughton's supreme acting ability. CAST: Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Tyrone Guthrie, Robert Newton, Dolly Mollinger, Rosita Garcia, J. Solomon, Fred Groves, Eliot Makeham. CREDITS: Producer, Erich Pommer; Director, same; Author, Somerset Maugham; Screenplay, Bartlett Cormack; Cameraman, Jules Kruger; Editor, Robert Hamer. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Loew Stockholder Suits Go to Trial in New York Horror Bill Grosses 10 Times Normal Opening Mankato, Minn. — Test engagement of the horrific dual, "Dracula" and "Frankenstein," at the Grand theater is credited with grossing nearly 10 times normal biz. As a result, John J. Friedl, prexy of the Minnesota Amusement Co., intends to give the dual a play in a number of important circuit spots despite the fact that singles are the rule. Trial of the nine consolidated stockholder suits against Loew's, Inc., and officers and directors of the organization opened yesterday before Supreme Court Justice Louis A. Valente. Suit charged excessive bonuses and salaries paid to officers, and alleged mismanagement and waste. No testimony was taken, the hearing being confined to preliminary statements made by Emil K. Ellis, attorney for the plaintiffs, and Joseph M. Proskauer, attorney for defendants. Proskauer, replying to the charges, stated that there was no scintilla of evidence of mismanagement. As a matter of fact, he said, from 1927 through 1937 the gross business of Loew's increased 54 per cent; the net profits 100 per cent; and that Thalberg, Mayer, Rubin, Bernstein and N. M. Schenck only received 17 per cent increases in salaries and bonuses. He attributed the unusual increase in business of Loew's to the directing genius of these men. Hearings will be resumed today. "The Headleys at Home" Standard 60 Mins. GAITED FOR THE SMALL THEATER TRADE WITH TYPICAL SMALL TOWN FAMILY ATMOSPHERE. Designed for the family trade in the nabes, this is the first of a series of family pictures featuring a stock group including father and mother and two daughters, around whom revolves the action and story interest in the series. This family named Headley lives in a small midwest town, with the head of the family (Grant Mitchell) the town banker, his wife (Betty Roadman) a social climber, the elder daughter (Evelyn Venable) romancing with her reported sweetie (Robert Whitney), and child interest represented by the baby of the family (Alicia Adams). The small town characters will no doubt prove one of the main attractions of this series of pictures, with the comedy work of Vince Barnett as the town druggist and Benny Rubin as the kibitzing doctor bringing the laughs at frequent intervals. The story details the efforts of Mrs. Headley to impress her social circle with the fact that her hubby banker is a great pal of a nationally known financier in New York, who is coming to visit the town of Archdale. The fact of the matter is that the banker only knew him slightly as a classmate in college. Events develop into a lot of amusing and exciting situations with a crook impersonating the great financier, stealing funds from the bank, and being trapped at the party that Mrs. Headley gives for the famous man. The complications come with the real celebrity showing up. The makings of a good family series are here for the small neighborhood spots, for this series with its small town people can be made very appealing with proper emphasis on the home life and playing down the gangster and thrill stuff which must always be kept minor in the family type of picture. CAST: Evelyn Venable, Grant Mitchell, Robert Whitney, Betty Roadman, Vince Barnett, Benny Rubin, Alicia Adams, Louise Beavers, Kenneth Harlan, Edward Earle, Jack Hatfield, Ethel Clark. CREDITS: Producer, B. W. Richards; Director, Chris Beute; Authors, Carrington North, William Miles; Screenplay, Carrington North, Nicholas Bela; Cameraman, Harry Forbes; Editor, Holbrook Todd. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, Okay. To Produce Commercials West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Lawrence Fox, Jr., heads the newly incorporated General Commercial Film Co. which will not only produce and distribute commercials but plans to finance other producers in the commercial field. Irving Starr of the "Crime Club" pix is chairman of the executive committee. Selznick-Birdwell, Partners West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Russell J. Birdwell is reported planning a public relations enterprise with David O. Selznick as a partner. Birdwell now heads S-I's publicity-advertising setup. "Bird Dogs" RKO 10 mins. Excellent Sport Reel An excellent short on every count, this reel will provide a real thrill for audiences and particularly for dog lovers. Printed on sepia, the film which was taken in the upstate New York hunting country, has been immeaurably enhanced. Three champion bird dogs and one triple champion are seen in the reel and anyone who doesn't get a tremendous kick out of watching these expert hunters go about their business can't be pleased by anything. An English Setter, a Pointer, an Irish Setter, a Springer Spaniel, the triple champion, and a Cocker, are the dogs seen. First we see the puppies being trained to work, groing through the training phases until they become finished performers in the field. Then comes the big thrill. The two Setters and the Pointer are sent out to get a bird and their swift quartering tactics and then their freezing to a point is beautiful to watch. The two Spaniels retrieve birds and the Springer also hunts. Andre Baruch gives an interesting commentary. Frederic Ullman, Jr. produced and Frank Donovan supervised. ■ "Costa Rica" (Paramount Color Cruise) Paramount 10 mins. Nice Scenic Done in Cinecolor, this subject presents the little known Costa Rica in South America. The film contrasts the modern city with the older civilization as exemplified in quaint customs of the natives and the life of the people away from the populous centers. Directed by Palmer Miller and Curtis Nagel. "Disobedient Mouse" (Walter Lantz Cartune) Universal 8 mins. Gangster Motive The gangster theme is used, with Baby-Face Mouse disobeying its mother and landing in the territory of Rat Enemy No. 1. The gangster starts to turn the little mouse into a member of the gang, till the recruit gets so tough he knocks the other cold and becomes a hero and wins the police reward. Back home though, he gets spanked for crossing the railroad tracks into bad territory. "You're an Education" (Merrie Melody) Vitaphone 7 mins. Just Fair The action in this cartoon takes place on various travel folders. The villain steals a diamond, and he is chased through a number of famous cities by assorted police departments. In Technicolor, pix was produced by Leon Schlesinger.