The Film Daily (1941)

<?ity DAILY Friday, May 9, 1!J .v .v Reviews of the new nuns > "Affectionately Yours" with Merle Oberon, Dennis Morgan, Rita Hayworth Warners 90 Mins. WACKY COMEDY HAS MANY LAUGHS, BUT NEEDS TIGHTENING; DENNIS MORGAN AND MERLE OBERON SCORE. An ambitious effort to achieve a knockout comedy success failed with "Affectionately Yours," mainly because the sure-fire comedy situations were not handled properly — gaps in the action were much too long and for once in his long career of hits, director Lloyd Bacon didn't get what he was after. However the film is not without entertainment, and if 15 or 20 minutes are shaved from the 90 minutes running time, the tightening might make it well worth the price of admission. Dennis Morgan is an effervescent highlight. His charm and sense of comedy are contagious and responsible for many grins, if not loud laughs. Merle Oberon, Rita Hayworth, Ralph Bellamy, George Tobias and James Gleason, laboring under script and dialogue difficulties, do as well as can be expected. "Rickey" Mayberry, (Dennis Morgan) is an ace foreign correspondent. He discovers his wife (Merle Oberon) has divorced him while he was covering a story in Lisbon. He hurries home to find Ralph Bellamy just about to step into his shoes as her new husband. He begins a campaign to win her back, and tries everything in the book, from kidnapping her every time she steps out of the house, to following through with a "phoney" auto accident to take her away from Bellamy at the very altar. Rita Hayworth, a fellow journalist, and James Gleason, his boss, are the villains in the piece and wind up with nothing more than a thorough ducking in a "false alarm" fire for their chicanery. When it reaches you, "Affectionately Yours" may be trimmed from its "top feature" length to a program picture dimension. If it has — your audience will enjoy it. CAST: Merle Oberon, Dennis Morgan, Rita Hayworth, Ralph Bellamy, George Tobias, James Gleason, Hattie McDaniel, Jerome Cowan, Butterfly McQueen, Renie Riano, Frank Wilcox, Grace Stafford, Carmen Morales, Murray Alper, William Haade, Pat Flaherty, James Flavin. CREDITS: Producer, Hal B. Wallis; Associate Producer, Mark Hellinger; Director, Lloyd Bacon; From the story by Fanya Foss and Aleen Leslie; Screenplay, Edward Kaufman; Cameraman, Tony Gaudio, ASC; Art Director, Anton Grot; Editor, Owen Marks; Dance Direction by Matty King; Music by H. Roemheld; Orchestral Arrangements by Ray Heindorf; Musical Director, Leo F. Forbstein; Dialogue Director, Robert Foulk. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Harry Ebert Leaves Para. Cleveland — Harry Ebert, Paramount booker for the past 10 years, has resigned, causing a realignment of the local booking personnel* Howard Roth continues as booking manager. Louis Van Baalen moves up into second position, with John J. Dugan being promoted from cashier to third booker. Robert E. Blitz has joined the organization to fill the cashier position. "Federal Fugitives" with Neil Hamilton, Doris Day, Victor Varconi PRC 66 Mins. SPY-SECRET SERVICE MELLER FALLS BELOW PAR DUE TO WEAK MATERIAL. The efforts of the secret service to unearth foreign agents in this country is the timeliest of topics today, but this offering has more timeliness than entertainment value due to weak story material. The story moves along at a rapid enough pace, but the material doesn't match the pace. Although no players are in the cast that rate as box office draws, enterprising exhibitors have an exploitable subject to work on. Picture is okay technically and the direction is adequate. Neil Hamilton capably fills the bill as a Government agent in the lead role. Doris Day, Victor Varconi and Charles Wilson have the other principal roles. Remainder of the cast is adequate. William Beaudine directed from a screenplay by Martin Mooney. Deaths of three military intelligence officers cause Frank Shannon, colonel of the general staff, to call in Hamilton, an intelligence officer, to investigate the whole matter. Hamilton gets a line on Varconi, identifying him as a spy who was believed to be dead. Varconi is working with a prominent lobbyist, Charles Wilson. Miss Day works for Wilson. Hamilton finally runs Varconi to earth after escaping plots on his life, and once again the Government triumphs as Varconi is killed. CAST: Neil Hamilton, Doris Day, Victor Varconi, Charles Wilson, George Carleton, Lyle Latell, Frank Shannon, Betty Blythe, la. 0. Smith, Frank Moran. CREDITS: Producer, John T. Coyle; Director, William Beaudine; Original Screenplay, Martin Mooney; Cameraman, Arthur Martinelli; Editor, Guy Thayer, Jr. DIRECTION, O.K. PHOTOGRAPHY, Competent. Anti-Discrimination Bill For D. C. Before Congress Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Sen. William H. Smathers (D., N. J.) has introduced a bill which would make theaters and other places of public entertainment in the District of Columbia liable to penalties for denying admission on grounds of race, religion or color. In addition to civil penalties in the form of recoveries from $50 to $100, violators of the bill's provisions would be subject to Police Court fines ranging from $10 to $100, or jail sentences from 10 to 100 days. "U" Switches Releases Universal will release "San Antonio Rose" on June 20, replacing "North of the Klondike." Release schedule for July includes: a Sandy picture, July 4; "Hello, Sucker," 11; "Raiders of the Desert," 18; "Hawhide Rangers," 18; "I, James Lewis," 25. "Shadows On The Stairs" with Frieda Inescort, Paul Cavanagh, Heather Angel Warners 63 Mins. PROGRAM OFFERING OF WHO-DUN-IT VARIETY IS CAPABLY ENACTED. Suspects galore cram the screen before the murderer is run to earth in this whodun-it set in an English boarding house. There is a fair amount of suspense, a good degree of mystery and plenty of plot complications, may be too many, as the story unfolds. A capable cast makes the characterizations believable and the direction is up to par. Lack of "names" that mean anything at the box office perforce puts the picture in the program classification as a supporting feature in nabe houses. Frieda Inescort, Paul Cavanagh, Heather Angel, Bruce Lester, Miles Mander and Lumsden Hare have the principal roles, with all of them turning in good performances. Smaller parts are also done competently. D. Ross Lederman directed from a script by Anthony Coldeway. Miss Inescort, owner of a boarding house, has some strange characters housed in the place. Her daughter, Miss Angel, and Miss Angel's friend, Bruce Lester, start a quiet investigation of some unusual happenings. Cavanagh, another boarder, has female complications in the persons of Miss Inescort and a maid, Phyllis Barry, and also is involved with a mysterious Indian, Turhan tfey. Shortly afterwards Cavanagh is murdered, with all the members of the household revealed as suspects when the police invstigation gets under way. Need it be said that Scotland Yard gets its man. CAST: Frieda Inescort, Paul Cavanagh, Heather Angel, Bruce Lester, Miles Mander, Lumsden Hare, Turhan Bey, Charles Irwin, Phyllis Barry, Mary Field, Paul Renay, Sidney Bracy. CREDITS: Produced by Warners; Director, D. Ross Lederman; Screenplay, Anthony Coldeway; From a play by Frank Vosper; Cameraman, Allen G. Siegler; Editor, Thomas Pratt. DIRECTION, Competent. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Interstate Purchases Luckie's 50% Interest Houston — Purchasing the 50 per cent interest of D. F. Luckie, Interstate now wholly owns the University theater here. Sale marks the departure from film biz of Liickie who at one time owned seven hcuses. Interstate will enlarge and modernize. Harry E. Thurston Dies Miami, Fla. — Harry E. Thurston, 67, former vaude performer and a brother of the late magician Howard Thurston, died here. Power Takes Film Post Indianapolis — Fremont Power is the new motion picture editor of the Times here, succeeding James Thrasher, who has joined Walt Disney's New York staff. "Country Fair" with Eddie Foy, Jr., June Clyde, Guinn (Big BoyJ Williams Republic 74 fv , BROAD COMEDY OF THE CORN VARIETY SHOULD BE OKAY IN V RIGHT SITUATIONS. ^ ' Aimed at the rural and backwoods tr this comedy has plenty of broad humo the cornfed variety for the edificatior the patrons who appreciate this type picture. And there are a large numbe the right situations. Picture is not ge, for city and upper crust suburban hoi There are a large number of laughs in i picture, the cast is more than adequate the direction is okay. Story is a hodge pc about politics with a number of mu: interludes rung in, but the continuity h | together fairly well. Eddie Foy, Jr., is highly amusing in leading role. June Clyde supplies the interest, and Guinn (Big Boy) Williams \ William Demarest provide a lot of lau ! Other members of the cast are compe I and a number of radio personalities | featured. Frank McDonald directed \ Dorrell and Stuart McGowan wrote j screenplay. Foy is campaign manager for Demai i who is running for governor against Ha j Peary. Complications are numerous I amusing from there on to the finish! the picture when Williams winds up' governor through several amazing fluk' CAST: Eddie Foy, Jr., June Clyde, G (Big Boy) Williams, William Demarest, I old Huber, Ferris Taylor, Maurice C) Lulubelle and Scotty, Harold Peary, Wr I Ford, The Vass Family, The Simp Broths CREDITS: Associate Producer, Arrr Schaefer; Director, Frank McDonald; Sen play, Dorrell and Stuart McGowan; Orig Story, Jack Townley; Cameraman, Er Miller; Editor, Ernest Nims. DIRECTION, O.K. PHOTOGRAPHY, G To Join Picture Pioneers Pete Smith, Hal Home, William R. Ferguson, Jack H. Levin and Max Lefkowitch will be among the Class of 1916 to be initiated at the Spring meeting of Picture Pioneers. Faro to Build 1,000-Seat Nabe Theater in Housto Houston — A new 1,000-seat ater will be opened in Houston J 20 for residents of the South I Albert Faro, owner of a site bou ed by McGowen, Bremond, Jack and Chenevert, said. Project be built on an entire block to mit plenty of parking space, cost $36,000 cash. Building will < $45,000 and equipment $25,000. Edward Lacour Crash Victim New Orleans — Edward P. Lac 24-year-old accountant for Dixie Theaters, Inc., was killed w his automobile crashed into a en route home from a dance, ccur, who was to enter Pensai Naval air school next month, become engaged the night of death to Miss Virginia Buck, I der, La. Roxy, Atlanta, Closing Atlanta — The Lucas and Jen! Roxy Theater will be closed for Summer months effective today.