The Film Daily (1941)

cnvLiw Thursday, June 26, 1941 3 A R6VKUJS Of TH€ lt€UJ flLftlS & ti< "Puddin'head" with Judy Canova, Francis Lederer, Raymond Walburn, Eddie Foy, Jr. Republic 80 Mins. AMUSING COMEDY SHOULD GO OVER SOLIDLY WITH CANOVA FANS. Judy Canova and her hillbilly antics are featured in this amusing comedy, and it should score with the Canova fans and audiences that like this type of hillbillyslapstick comedy. There are plenty of laughs, the story has a basic situation that is funny and the gags are rolled out one after another from beginning to end. The cast is good and technical work and direction are first-rate. Miss Canova sings and capers in her own inimitable style with a cast of top flight comics that give her support. Raymond Walburn, Eddie Foy, Jr. and "Slim" Summerville score solidly. In the remainder of the cast are a number of seasoned players who are helpful, including Astrid Allwyn, Alma Kruger, Hugh O'Connell, "Chick" Chandler and Vince Barnett. Francis Lederer provides the romantic interest. Joseph Santley directed, making the most of the material at hand and guiding the players smartly. The screenplay was written by Jack Townley and Milt Gross. Miss Kruger, boss of a big broadcasting company and a terror to her brother, Walburn, is at the opening ceremonies of the company's new building. Foy discovers his father, Walburn, about to shoot himself and learns that the building is one foot across the property line of some broken down property next door belonging to Miss Canova. Walburn and Foy try to get the property and there are plenty of laughs and skullduggery before everything is ironed out. CAST: Judy Canova, Francis Lederer, Raymond Walburn, "Slim" Summerville, Astrid Allwyn, Eddie Foy, Jr., Alma Kruger, Hugh O'Connell, "Chick" Chandler, Paul Harvey, Nora Lane, Gerald Oliver Smith, Wendell Niles, Vince Barnett, The Sportsmen. CREDITS: Associate Producer, Albert J. Cohen; Director, Joseph Santley; Screenplay, Jack Townley and Milt Gross; Original Story, Jack Townley; Cameraman, Jack Marta; Editor, Ernest Nims. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, God. Will Hold Public Hearing Of Buffalo Drive-In Plan Buffalo — Pending a hearing, the Erie County Board of Supervisors Tuesday tabled action on the application of Paul Wintner, Cleveland promoter, to build a Drive-in theater on a 20-acre county-owned tract in Harlem Road, Town of Cheektowaga, just East of Buffalo. A board committee recommended a five-year lease at $2,000 a year, with an option to buy at $750 an acre. Bishop Macdonald Ties Knot Karl Macdonald of the Warner Bros, foreign department performed his first wedding ceremony this week. Macdonald is a bishop in a Long Island congregation of the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon). "Ku Kan" Adventure Epics, Inc. 97 Mins. STIRRING DOCUMENTARY FILM; INSPIRATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL. This film is an amazing testimonial to the indomitable will of the Chinese in continuing their bitter and lengthy struggle against Japanese aggression; at the same time, rebuilding their own country into a modern nation at a fast pace despite seemingly insurmountable handicaps. Filmed in Kodachrome by Rey Scott, who used a small hand camera on four different trips through China, the picture graphically depicts the China of today and its vast multitudes of inhabitants; guerillas, who are farmers when not fighting, regular troops, factory workers, engineers, countless women working at a variety of trades, and endless scores of coolies determinedly repairing roads, bridges, buildings and snuffing out fires as fast as Japanese planes un.eash wanton destruction from the air. The film presents some amazing paradoxes, which could only have occurred in a nation solidly behind one leader and one effort. It depicts many factions who have never agreed for hundreds of years bending fheir backs in united effort, which is one of the most important benefits China has derived from the war, its tremendous forward surge into modern methods being another. Scott also provides the commentary, and like the footage, it is absorbing at all times. The climactic sequence showing a bombing of Chungking is a highlight for sheer drama. Exhibitors throughout the country should be able to use this picture advantageously. It is readily exploitable, and now, with a Chinese drive being conducted throughout the country and world events drawing China more sharply into focus, it is timely, educational and inspirational. Lucas Heads Defense Stamps Drive In Ga. Atlanta — Arthur Lucas, president of Lucas & Jenkins, has been named state chairman of the defense savings staff to aid in pushing sales of defense savings bonds and stamps in Georgia. Announcement of the appointment of Lucas was made by Marion Allen, collector of internal revenue of Georgia, who is state administrator. Lucas during the first World War took active part in helping to sell Liberty Bonds. He is a veteran of the Spanish-American War. Lucas has served as chairman of the board of control of eleemosynary institutions and as vice-chairman of the Federal public works administration in Georgia. He also served as chairman of the state Board of Public Welfare. 150 Dates for "Dragon" RKO will send off Walt Disney's "The Reluctant Dragon" to its first playing time this week-end with engagements now set for 150 key situations for the closing week of June and the first week of July. The first Canadian run is set for Loew's Montreal, starting July 4. "For Beauty's Sake" with Ned Sparks, Marjorie Weaver, Ted North 20th -Fox 62 Mins. FARCE MURDER MYSTERY FARES POORLY PRINCIPALLY BECAUSE OF WEAK STORY. This offering has some value as a filler for nabe bills, but that lets it out. The story is weak, the players with a couple of exceptions overact all over the screen and the direction is just adequate. The original Clarence Budington Kelland story had a lot of laughs and lots of suspense, mystery and action, but any resemblance seems purely accidental in this case. Technical aspects of the film are up to snuff. The cast is headed by Ned Sparks, Marjorie Weaver and Ted North, one of 20thFox's new masculine hopes. Joan Davis, Pierre Watkin, Richard Lane, Glenn Hunter, Lois Wilson, Isabel Jewell and Tully Marshall are also in the cast. Shepard Traube directed from a screenplay by Wanda Tuchock, Ethel Hill and Walter Bullock. North inherits a beauty salon from his aunt. Hating women and preferring astronomy, he finds himself in quite a predicament, but takes over. Miss Weaver, who has fallen for North at a lecture he gave, gets Sparks, a crack press agent, to publicize the place, and he does with great success. Then blackmail, intrigue, murder and confusion reign until the murderer of North's aunt and head of the blackmail ring is unmasked. CAST: Ned Sparks, Marjorie Weaver, Ted North, Joan Davis, Pierre Watkin, Lenita Lane, Richard Lane, Lotus Long, Glenn Hunter, Lois Wilson, John Ellis, Tully Marshall, Phyllis Fraser, Olaf Hytten, Isabel Jewell, Nigel De Brulier, Janet Beecher, Helena Phillipps Evans, Margaret Dumont. CREDITS: Associate Producer, Lucien Hubbard; Director, Shepard Traube; Screenplay, Wanda Tuchock, Ethel Hill and Walter Bullock; Based on a story by Clarence Budington Kelland; Cameraman, Charles Clarke; Editor, Nick de Maggio. DIRECTION, Adequate. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Daylight Time May Force Milton Theater to Close Wilmington, Del. — The first protest against the adoption of daylight saving time heard from lower Delaware towns came from Milton on the eve of the adoption of the advanced time by Seaford by an overwhelming majority. Milton businessmen, led by E. M. Scott, manager of the Milton Theater, owned by the volunteer fire department, protest that their business has been seriously hurt by the adoption of the new time. Scott declared he would have to close the theater on all but Friday and Saturday nights unless there was a return to standard time. He said there was a drop of several hundred dollars in his business the first week of advanced time. Milton adopted new time on a vote of 82 to 76. Seaford this week voted 303 to 57 for new time. * SHORTS * "Army in Overalls" National Defense Committee, ' Film Unit 7 mins. Interesting CCC Subject An insight into the defense work being done by the Civilian Conservation Corps that will be of considerable interest to film patrons. Highlighting one of their recent jobs, that of clearing timbered land for a parachute troop training field, the reel shows how the CCC boys have been trained to cut down the trees, mill the logs and to store the resultant lumber for future use. Stumps are blasted from the ground and the land graded under the supervision of Army engineers. George Gercke produced for the Office of Production Management. Consultants were Robert W. Horton and A. A. Mercey. "Farming Out Defense Contracts" National Defense Committee, Film Unit 8 mins. An OPM Appeal A longer version of one of the three-minute Defense subjects currently showing in theaters, this film is primarily an appeal to small factories and shops to apply for manufacturing work in the National Defense setup. Film shows how a small plant can make a part which is assembled with larger pieces, made in another plant and finally moved on to be an integral part of an airplane, tank, or gun. Produced for the Office of Production Management by A. A. Mercey with Robert W. Horton and George Gercke as consultants. "Men and Ships" National Defense Committee, Film Unit 21 mins. Merchant Marine Training Produced by the U. S. Maritime Commission, this subject details the merchant marine training course offered by the Maritime Service under Coast Guard administration. Highlights in the half-year course are shown including scenes at land training stations and at sea on a sail ship and a model freighter. Picture should inspire confidence in the country's future merchant marine. George Gercke produced for the Commission. : Three Slot Machine Pix Companies Consolidate West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Techniprocess, Featurettes and Songograph, three coinin-slot producers, have merged and will be known as Associated Producing Distributors, Inc. They are producing 3-minute musicals for automatic projector use.