The Film Daily (1940)

"Ji* DAILY: Friday, April 5, 194( ^< ^ REVIEUJS OF THE REUJ flLffiS ^ i^ "It All Came True" with Ann Sheridan, Humphrey Bogart, Jeffrey Lynn Warners 97 Mins. INTERESTING STORY AND GOOD CAST MAKE PICTURE SOLID ENTERTAINMENT FOR AUDIENCES GENERALLY. Exhibs. should do first rate business with this picture. It is highly entertaining, peopled with able and exploitable characters, well paced and effectively written for the screen. The story, based on a novel by Louis Bromficld, is interesting in plot material and the continuity is good. Special mention must be given Ann Sheridan. Her performance is realistic, her singing voice is highly effective and, on the bass of this picture, she should loom much larger as a box office attraction. Humphrey Bogart turns in his usual capable performance and Jeffrey Lynn is effective in the other top male role. Excellent characterizations by such fine performers as ZaSu Pitts, Una O'Connor, Grant Mitchell and Jessie Busley help to contribute to the picture's caliber. Lewis Seiler's direction is grade A and Michael Fessier and Lawrence Kimble contribute a smooth screenplay. Ann returns home to a boarding house for old people run by her mother, Una O'Connor, and her partner, Jessie Busley, after another unsuccessful stage venture. Shortly, Lynn, son of Miss Busley, also returns after a five-year absence. However, he brings Bogart, a gangster fugitive with him as he must protect Bogart to protect himself in a framed murder case. Life at the boarding house spruces up, and finally Bogart decides seeing the people in the house is better than being cooped up in his own room. As a relief from his boredom he decides to back the two women in turning the house into a night club. Everything works out fine with the exception of differences between Ann and Lynn over his mistaken interpretation of her attentions to Bogart. The police catch up with Bogart the opening night of the club, but in gratitude to the kindness shown him by the two old ladies and other members of the menage he clears Lynn, leaving him with Ann, and a rosy future in prospect for the whole family. Miss Sheridan sings two numbers with a bang, "The Gaucho Serenade" and "Angel in Disguise." Picture as a whole is appealing, entertaining and can be safely recommended as a film that any audience will thoroughly enjoy. CAST: Ann Sheridan, Humphrey Bogart, Jeffrey Lynn, ZaSu Pitts, Jessie Busley, Una O'Connor, John Litel, Grant Mitchell. Felix Bressart, Charles Judels, Brandon Tynan. Howard Hickman, Herbert Vigran. CREDITS: In charge of production, Jack L. Warner; Executive Producer, Hal B. Waliis; Director, Lewis Seiler; Screenplay, Michael Fessier and Lawrence Kimble; Cameraman, Ernie Haller; Editor, Thomas Richards. DIRECTION, Expert. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "The Showdown" with William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Britt Wood Paramount 65 Mins. WELL FASHIONED, ACTION PACKED WESTERN WITH STRONG APPEAL TO OUTDOOR FANS. Several factors make this latest Harry Sherman-produced drama of the cactus country a treat for the devotees of Westerns. The story is unusually good; action is unflagging from start to finish; and there is both substance and logic to the pulsequickening happenings. Further, the Sherman "touch" is omnipresent via backgrounds of scenic magnificence, while Howard Bretherton's direction of a thoroughly adequate cast, and efficient photography by Russell Harlen, are in the best traditions of the "Hopalong" Cassidy series. Added appeal is injected by the original story of Jack Jungmeyer, based on characters created by Clarence E. Mulford. initially must be cited the fact that William Boyd as "Hopalong" is a hard-riding, straight-shooting hero who uses his head for something beside a rack for a ten-gallon chapeau. This is evidenced in the exciting poker game wherein his chief antagonist is the villainous Morris Ankrum. The latter, Boyd knows, is dealing from a phoney deck, but Ankrum's machinations are spiked by Boyd's strategy when he finds that four aces have been dealt to him. Knowing that Ankrum expects him to stand pat, so that the latter can get the two cards from he deck, which will be a straight flush, Boyd breaks up the four-ace combo and calls for two cards, thus wrecking Ankrum's crooked plans. The subsequent feud 'twixt Ankrum and Boyd is fast and furious, with Boyd preventing the villain from making off with valuable blooded horses from the ranch which rightfully belong to comely Jane Clayton, who, with Russell Hayden, supplies the romantic interest. Film has a rousing climax to top off the consistently exciting material. Cast: William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Britt Wood, Morris Ankrum, Jane Clayton, Wright Kramer, Donald Kirk, Roy Bancroft, Kermit Maynard, Walter Shumway, and "The King's Men." CREDITS: Producer, Harry Sherman; Director, Howard Bretherton; Original Story, Jack Jungmeyer; Screenplay, Harold and Daniel Kusel; Sound Mixer, Charles Althouse; Editor, Carrol Lewis; Art Director, Lewis J. Rachmil; Cameraman, Russell Harlen; Music Score, John Leipold. DIRECTION, Tip-top. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. Thomas Gaffney Dead Taunton, Mass.— Thomas B. Gaffney. owner of the Casino Theater and pioneer operator of motion picture theaters in this city is dead. He was a member of the city planning board. Atlas and Curtiss-Wright Merger Meets Opposition "Considerable" opposition to the proposed merger of Atlas Corp. and Curtiss-Wright Corp. has developed, according to Wall St. sources yesterday. Meanwhile, reports as to the use of the funds the merger would make available to CurtissWright differ. One insists CurtissWright contemplates the formation of an aviation "General Motors"; another suggests the possible use of the money to retire the new 5 per cent Curtiss-Wright preferred. "Black Friday" with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Stanley Ridges, Anne Nagel Universal 70 Mins. CLEVER THRILLER YARN WHICH SHOULD SATISFY FANS THRIVING ON SCAREY" SCREEN FARE. Built against a background of medical science, or, more exactly, pseudo-science, for the reason that the story is fantastic, this meller represents the current perpetuation of the chiller-thriller type of screen fare, and as such will find a niche in theaters whose audiences relish that sort of thing. To lure the patrons who like to shudder, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, each of whom is a screen symbol of the "scarey" school of Hollywood acting, are in the top roles. The yarn itself is an ingenious affair, which recounts the transplanting of the brain of a gangster into the cranium of a professor. The astonishing transfer is effected via the surgical genius of Karloff, an arch-criminal medico. The man with the "switched" brain is Stanley Ridges, who commits overt acts of horror and murder, as a result of the transplanting. The other arch-criminal in the proceedings, aside from Karloff, is Bela Lugosi. Action is swift, stirring, and . . . impossible, but nevertheless it's all entertaining. The cast members give good accounts of themselves, and the direction by Arthur Lubin and photography by Elwood Biedell are impressive. "Black Friday," title of the opus is derived from the fact that upon that day of the week the daring surgical experiment on the part of physician Karloff is undertaken successfully. The latter lands high and dry in the "hot seat" for his ruthlessness. CAST: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Stanley Ridges, Anne Nagel, Anne Gwynne, Virginia Brissac, Edmund MacDonald, Paul Fix, Murray Alper, Jack Mulhall, Joe King, John Kelly. CREDITS: Associate Producer, Burt Kelly; Director, Arthur Lubin; Original Screenplay, Kurt Siodmak, Eric Taylor; Cameraman, Elwood Bredell. DIRECTION, Ditto. Okay. PHOTOGRAPHY, Metro's 20-Mule Team Starts Across Country H'est Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Los Angeles — M-G-M's coast-tocoast exploitation tour, the 20-mule caravan, left here yesterday on its transcontinental trek. Wallace Beery, star of "20 Mule Team," members of the cast and Mayor Bowron officiated at the sendoff from City Hall. The stunt is the company's biggest since the trackless train and the traveling studio. The caravan includes the original wagons used to bring borax from Death Valley in the 1880's and are hauled by carefully selected animals. Howard Dietz originated the idea, which is being carried out by William R. Ferguson and Frank Whitbeck. Co-operation of 20-Mule borax dealers has been obtained in exploiting the picture. The tour will cover 37 cities. "20-Mule Team" is scheduled for May release. "Adventure In Diamonds" with George Brent, Isa Miranda, John Loc Paramount 76 Mi[ CRIME MELLER HAS GOOD L' ~M SUSPENSEFUL ACTION AND A tf^.A CAST. ^' Diamond thieves, the fabulous Kimberl mines, in South Africa, suspense, romam comedy and acton have been rolled up I gether in "Adventure In Diamonds." P, ture has good marquee possibilities a lends itself readily to exploitation as it entertainment for all types of audienc George Brent, Isa Miranda, Nigel Bru' John Loder, Elizabeth Patterson and M. thew Boulton headline a well balanced Co Loder is a particularly good bet for bet roles in the future on the basis of his pi formance. George Fitzmaurice direct from a screenplay by Leonard Lee and Fra, Schulz. A slight tightening of several quences might have increased the tenof the picture as a whole. Brent, an Er lish army flier, meets Miss Miranda board ship. When she lands, she and I confederate, Loder, who are planning make a getaway with a haul of diamoi cached at a mine by another accompli plan to use Brent as a stooge. Howev he gets away with the diamonds himsi He turns them over to his police comm sioner friend, Bruce, and they plan to r Loder who has been the object of the pol for a long time. Plans go astray and M Miranda gets caught and goes to jail, fi other jewel gang turns up and she promi to help Brent trap them after Bruce I agreed to her release. Their impersonaM of a couple supposedly delivering jewels' the gang is pierced by the jewel thieves i they are trapped. Bruce comes to the resc though, and everything is straightened with her help winning her unconditio release. CAST: George Brent, isa Miranda, Jcj Loder, Nigel Bruce, Elizabeth Pattersi Matthew Boulton, Rex Evans, David Clyi Rex Downing, Douglas Gordon, Harry Stuli* Guy Bellis, Norman Ainsley, Nikolayeva, Roberts, Walter Kingsford, Ralph Fortjj Gerald Rogers. CREDITS: A Paramount Production; rector, George Fitzmaurice; Screenpl Leonard Lee and Franz Schulz; Based oi|i story by Frank O'Connor; CameraiW' Charles Lang; Editor, LeRoy Stone. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPfj Good. Roach's "1,000,000 B.C." j Bowing in at LouisviR I Louisville, Ky. — Hal Roach's "'\ 000,000 B.C." opens in a special piij release premiere here tonight, t( first of an extensive national ca< paign. Victor Mature, star of t| picture, will make a p.a. Mayor J. D. Scholtz and GovernI Johnson will participate in the gs festivities arranged for tonigh' j event. United Artists is launching large nation-wide campaign on t, picture, leading up to the nation release date on May 3. (