The Film Daily (1942)

Monday, October 5, 1942 %*F* *. DAILY .V V R€VI€UIS Of THE H€UJ FlLfllS \ :< "You Were Never Lovelier" with Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth Columbia 97 Mins. u! JUICE BLEND OF ROMANCE, MELODY ]\C-a HUMOR SHOULD PUT THIS MUMS. JL OVER BIG AT THE BOX-OFFICE. Romance worked out to the accompani,',\ ment of melody and whirling feet gives this ..J musical assurance of success at the boxoffice. "You Were Never Lovelier" is light ..and gay and utterly irresponsible — a perfect antidote for the war blues. It is ar\ tention-holding entertainment heavily but. ! tered with comedy. \ The film offers several audience-pulling Jnames. First there are Fred Astaire and . .( TCita Hayworth in the leading roles. Then ', Vwe have Jerome Kern, a guarantee of tunefulness beyond the ordinary. A third .. strong drawing card is the presence of .! Xavier Cugat and his orchestra, who are ■ I responsible for some excellent musical mo. Jments that should delight the band leader's followers no end. Astaire and Miss Hayworth team delightfully, joining their very large talents to put over several dance numbers with a sock. To ^augment their work done in partnership with A/liss Hayworth the Astaire limbs beat out a snappy rhythm in several solo dance routines which, though they may not be 'itl any too fresh, still manage to be hugely " Effective. The scene of the action is Buenos Aires. 'Astaire is a visiting dancer from the States. l:a 'Miss Hayworth is the daughter of a wealthy i* 'hotel owner (Adolphe Menjou). Her coolness toward men has her younger sisters very much disturbed as custom forbids •their being married until she is. The fact that the gals are desperately in love and are aching to be married makes matters Worse. In an attempt to defrost Miss Hayworth 'her dad devises an imaginary suitor ablaze '^j'with passion, sending her orchids and mash ■"•('notes to sustain the illusion. The trick '{ backfires when the girl, thinking Astaire lis the ardent swain, falls for him. Menjou, 's|who heartily disapproves of Astaire, gets '-''the dancer to agree to change the girl's '-opinion of him in return for a contract to » I dance at the hotel. Astaire is in a tough I spot when he finds himself in love with the gal, who eventually finds out the truth. •a -A happy ending is achieved for all coni [ cerned after everything has been explained id to the satisfaction of everyone. jj Astaire and Miss Hayworth are topnotch. <er Menjou gives a highly humorous perform! ance. Gus Schilling is a standout in a role HY, which makes it possible for him to steal j every scene in which he appears. Leslie — Brooks, Adele Mara, Isobel Elsom, Barbara j Brown, Douglas Leavitt and Catherine Craig | are others whose work is good. ' | Produced with plenty of showmanship by Louis F. Edelman, "You Were Never Lovelier" has been given lively direction by William A. Seiter, who worked from a ■I screenplay by Michael Fessier, Ernest Pagano ' and Delmar Daves which makes good use of comedy. Carlos Olivari and Sixto Pondal j Rios did the original. Johnny Mercer wrote j the lyrics to the Kern music. He and Kern have supplied the film with some firstrate tunes. Deserving of commendation are the photography of Ted Tetzlaff, the "Bowery At Midnight" with Bela Lugosi, John Archer, Wanda McKay (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) Monogram 63 Mins. RIGHT DOWN THE ALLEY FOR MYSTERY AND HORROR ADDICTS. Mystery and horror film followers will find much of interest in this effort. Director Wallace Fox has done a swell job of maintaining interest and suspense. Sam Katzman and Jack Dietz served as producers and Barney Sarecky as associate producer. Bela Lugosi has been ideally cast as a college professor of psychology, who spends his nights posing as the head of a Bowery mission house. In reality, this is only a "cover up" and he is a relentless killer. He finds convicts, down on their luck, and when their usefulness to him is over, he kills them or has one of his aides do the slaving. Wanda McKay, a social worker, and John Archer, one of Lugosi's day-time pupils, provide the love interest. One of Lugosi's early victims is John Berkes. He is followed by Wheeler Oakman, with Vince Barnett's a subsequent victim. John Archer uncovers Lugosi's crimes and is shot down. Lew Kelly, a derelict doctor, employed by Lugosi to dispose of the "murder" victims, brings them back to life, and in the end they turn on Lugosi and slay him. CAST: Bela Lugosi. John Archer. Wanda McKay, Tom Neal, Vince Barnett. Anna Hope, John Berkes, J. Farrell MacDonald, Dave O'Brien, Lucille Vance, Lew Kelly, Wheeler Oakman, Ray Miller. CREDITS: Producers, Sam Katzman, Jack Dietz; Associate Producer, Barney A. Sarecky: Director. Wallace Fox; Author, Gerald Schnitzer; Screenplay, Same; Cameraman, Mack Stengler; Art Director, Dave Milton; Editor, Carl Pierson; Musical Director, Edward Kay. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Adequate. Rites for Mrs. Donegan Funeral services for Mrs. Marv E. Doneg-an, producer of advertising1 films for the Loucks & Norlinsc S+udios. were held Saturdav in the Church of Notre Dame. Mrs. Donf>p-an. who was 48, died Thiirsdav in the Fifth Avenue Hospital after a hrjpf illness. dance direction of Val Raset and the musical d;rection of Leigh Harline. CAST: Fred Astaire Rita Hayworth, Adotohe Menjou, Leslie Brooks, Adele Mara, Isobel Elsom, Gus Schilling, Barbara Brown, Douglas Leavitt. Catherine Craig, Kathleen Howard, Mary Field, Larry Parks, Stanley Brown, Xavier Cugat and his orchestra. CREDITS: Producer, Louis F. Edelman; Director. William A. Seiter; Screenplay, Michael Fessier, Ernest Paeano, Delmar Daves; Based on story by Carlos Olivari, Sixto Pondal Rios: Cameraman, Ted Tetzlaff; Film Editor, William Lyon; Art Director, Lionel Banks; Dance Director, Val Raset; Musical Director, Leigh Harline; Songs, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Street of Chance" with Burgess Meredith, Claire Trevor Paramount 74 Mins. ENGROSSING AND SUSPENSE-PACKED FILM IS GOOD ENTERTAINMENT FOR MELODRAMA LOVERS. Unraveled simply and directly, "Street of Chance" is a first-rate little melodrama given excellent treatment, acting and direction. The sound screenplay of Garrett Fort, as guided by the directorial hand of Jack Hively, works up tremendous suspense. Melodrama addicts will find the production a gripping bit of entertainment definitely demanding their attention. Fort's script, devised from a yarn by Cornell Woolrich, tells the story of an innocent chap hunted by the police for a murder committed while he was living in a state of amnesia. The fellow has no recollection of the crime. Most of the film is devoted to his efforts to get at the truth. By a clever bit of sleuthing he gradually works out the solution. The guilty party turns out to be the person whom suspicion hardly touches — the girl to whom he was married while in the grip of amnesia. The story has been acted out quietly by a cast that, thanks be, resorts to underplaying to gain effect. The amnesia victim is played in splendid fashion by Burgess Meredith. The girl is acted by Claire Trevor in good style. Sheldon Leonard appears to fine advantage as the dick assigned to shadow Meredith. Jerome Cowan and Frieda Inescort handle nicely the roles of the persons suspected by Meredith of engineering the crime pinned on him. They fool the audience just as completely as they do Meredith. Another topnotch performance is that of Adeline De Walt Reynolds as the bedridden paralytic through whom Meredith learns that Miss Trevor is the culprit. Other good performances are by Louise Piatt and Arthur Loft. Hively's direction keeps the film constantly engrossing. Sol C. Siegel is down as producer, with Burt Kelly as associate. To Theodor Sparkuhl goes a bow for photography that contributes much to the mood Of the story. CAST: Burgess Meredith, Claire Trevor, Sheldon Leonard, Jerome Cowan, Frieda Inescort, Adeline De Walt Reynolds, Louise Piatt. Arthur Loft. CREDITS: Producer. Sol Siegel; Associate Producer, Burt Kelly: Director, Jack Hivelv; Screenolav. Garrett Fort; Based on story by Cornell Woolrich; Film Editor, Arthur Schmidt: Art Directors, Hans Dreier, Haldane Douglas; Cameraman, Theodor Sparkuhl. DIRECTION, Excellent. PHOTOGRAPHY, Excellent. "Land Is Bright" to be Wood's First for Col. "The Land Is Bright," the George S. Kaufman-Edna Ferber play of last Broadway legit season, has been purchased by Sam Wood, producerdirector, who will make it into his first independent feature for release through Columbia, under an agreement which calls for at least one picture a year. The company, with several top-flight story properties now on tap, will probably make some of these available to Wood. "The Yanks Are Coming" with Henry King and his Orchestra, Mary Healy, Jackie Heller (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) PRC 65 Mins. AMBITIOUS MUSICAL IN MODEST BUDGET FIELD HOLDS PLENTY OF POP APPEAL. Here is an ambitious musical in the modest budget field, which reflects much credit on Producer Lester Cutler's showmanship. It has tuneful music, pleasing performers and, of course, an attention-winning title. It has been given good direction by Alexis Thurn-Taxis. William Roberts, newcomer, has an ingratiating personality and sings well. Mary Healy handles her vocal assignments effectively. Little Jackie Heller, a night club entertainer, teams up well with attractive Dorothy Dare. Henry King, the orchestra leader, has an imporant role, while Maxie Rosenbloom and Parkyarkarkus furnish most of the comedy. Jane Novak, the silent screen star; Charles Purcell, Forrest Taylor, David O'Brien, Lynn Starr and Lew Pollack are among the capable principals. Roberts, soloist with King's orchestra, joins the army, and when Jackie Heller, whose musical arrangements have been responsible for most of the outfit's success, also joins up, King's musicians quit in a body. King upbraids the men and declares they are foolish to enlist. However, when he gets word that his brother is "missing in action" he loses no time in getting into an army uniform. King and the others put on splendid entertainment for fellow soldiers and then get the call to march off to war. "I Must Have Priorities On Your Love" is the best of the four numbers by Lew Pollack, Tony Stern, Sidney Claire and Herman Ruby, while Kay Crothers and Dr. Arthur Garland furnished "Don't Fool Around With My Heart." Chris A. Beute functioned as associate producer. Marcel LePicard's photography is very praiseworthy. CAST: Henry King and his orchestra, Mary Healy, Jackie Heller, Maxie Rosenbloom, William Roberts, Parkyarkarkus, Dorothy Dare, Lynn Starr, Jane Novak, Charles Purcell, Forrest Taylor, David O'Brien, Lew Pollack. CREDITS: Producer, Lester Cutler; Director, Alexis Thurn-Taxis; Associate Producer, C. A. Beute; Authors, Tony Stern, Lew Pollack, Edward Kaye; Screenplay, Arthur St. Claire, Sherman Lowe; Cameraman, Marcel Le Picard; Added Dialog, Edith Watkins; Editor, Fred Bain; Musical Director, Lee Zahler; Music by Lew Pollack and Tony Stern; Lyrics by Herman Ruby and Sidney Claire. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Praiseworthy. Patricia Ellis' Brother Killed in Plane Crash Detroit— Joseph W. O'Brien, II, Army Air Forces, brother of Patricia Ellis, was killed in an airplane crash near Plant City, F)r. Body was returned to his home here for burial.