The Film Daily (1934)

m A BIG TIME PICTURE! I A WOW ! Says the Press Funny Bone Gets Workout "In the Money" By MAE TINEE (Chicago Tribune) CALL "In the Money" anything but a bundle of nonsense and you'd be stretching half a dozen points. But characterize it as ingratiatingly amusing idiocy and you'll be telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. "In the Money" is the story of the iHigginbotham family — a collection of nuttier nuts than the Marx boys ever dreamed of being. Maybe all of this doesn't look funny written, but if the movie itself doesn't reduce you to a state of helpless laughter, I miss a guess. Warren Hymer is swell as Gunboat. All the other acting is just as it should be and direction is perfect. Apparently everybody connected with the piece took it in the spirit in which it was written — and the result is an hour of simple enjoyment for the observer. HOW simple you couldn't fathom without beholding "In the Money" for yourselves. State-Lake Crowd Roars as "In the Money" Shows Antics of Family By ROB REEL (Chicago American) Like another shot of "Three Cornered Moon"? "In the Money" is your prescription. The State-Lake screen offering unfolds a plot very similar to the Rimplegar family's ups and downs. Another screwy menage, motherless this time, featuring an inventor father who occasionally blows up the house by mistake, and a motley assortment of brothers, sisters, and in-laws, shepherded by Lambie, the big sister. Little sister goes in for nudism and eugenics and shows up one eventful day with a prize fighter for a prospective husband. Warren Hymer is the title challenger who decides to give up the manly art in favor of Shakespearean histrionics. His manager, played by Skeets Gallagher, doesn't take too kindly to this proposition and starts a campaign to change his pug's mind, if any. The situation is further complicated by a sister who has artistic leanings and a yen for the Left Bank, and who is married to a third-rate actor. Also by a young brother who takes joy in risking his neck on a motorcycle. The family finances fall suddenly and Lambie tries to make the others realize their plight. In an effort to bring home a little bacon, young brother, played rather self-consciously by Junior Coghlan, gets himself badly hurt in a motorcycle race. Five figured money then becomes a grim necessity if buddy is to have the important operation, which will restore the use of his legs. The only source of some quick cash is the championship boxing bout, which will net prize fighter "Gunboat" $65,000, win or lose. All that stands in the way is Gunboat's new-formed prejudice against fisticuffs. Smart manager Skeets finally takes care of that, just in the nick of time. Then Skeets and the good sister (Lois Wilson) — well, you know the rest. "In the Money" is amusing ... in fairness it must be chronicled that the State-Lake audience roared. // // IN THE MONEY Produced by MAURY M. COHEN AN INVINCIBLE PICTURE Directed by Frank Strayer Story by Robert Ellis CAST: Skeets Gallagher, Lois Wilson, Warren Hymer, Sally Starr, Arthur Hoyt. Distributed by CHESTERFIELD MOTION PICTURES CORP, 1540 BROADWAY, N. Y. C. ! A RIOT! Says the Critics THE NEW FILMS "In the Money" By CLARK RODENBACH (Chicago Daily News) '\ N THE MONEY" is the story of th* financial straits of a screwy family — much the same sort of folks you meet in "Three Cornered Moon," the Mary Boland, Claudette Colbert picture — and the manner in which they are solved by a yet screwier prize fighter and his quickwitted manager. It is, of course, comedy, with just a dash of near-tragedy for flavor. It concerns the household of the wealthy but woefully absent-minded scientist, Prof. Higginbotham; his daughter, Lambie, the eldest, who mothers the widely assorted sack of nuts; Babs, whose interest in biology is centered about a man with a capital M; Genie, whose head is in the clouds in art; her husband (who lives on the family), Lionel, whose motto is "Down With Capitalists"; Dick, a sane youngster in military school. Although this one is an "independent" picture, it packs a lot of laughs, with every one of the family contributing his share, and with just enough romance between Mr. Gallagher and Miss Wilson.