The Film Daily (1935)

THE day, March 15, 1935 &IW DAILY 17 REVIEWS of the NEW FILMS i ■ i n GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935" Dick Powell, Gloria Stuart, Adolphe jou, Hugh Herbert, Alice Brady, Frank Hugh, Grant Mitchell, Glenda Farrell, Joseph Cawthorn. National 95 mins. OOD CAST, TUNEFUL MUSIC AND tiic^EDY SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THIS iENERALLY PLEASING MUSICAL, ntil it starts going in for those giganensemble numbers, this is a lively and rting affair. It is at its best when oced with the fooleries of Hugh Herbert, e Brady, Frank McHugh, Adolphe Menand Joe Cawthorn, or the romancing veen Dick Powell and Gloria Stuart. I when those massive production num;: open up, despite the awesomeness of ioj r proportions, the entertainment therieter takes a drop. As a whole, how II f, the picture has enough in the way itt}|:ast names, laughs and flash to please fans. And those who do care for ie big ensembles will find here the word in that line. Action of the in ntal story takes place at a summer rt hotel, where Alice Brady, a rich but gy dowager, is the center of a variety activities running from romances in 'ing her children to a milk fund benefit n put on by Menjou under her spon hip. last: Dick Powell, Gloria Stuart, Adolphe ajljijou, Glenda Farrell, Grant Mitchell, ipthy' Dare, Alice Brady, Frank McHugh, h Herbert, Winifred Shaw, Andre Ber eipr, Joe Cawthorn, Thomas Jackson, Mat Uj|<ing, Ramon and Rosita. l»irector, Busby Berkeley; Authors, RobLcrd, Peter Milne; Screen Play, Manuel f, Peter Milne; Music and Lyrics, Harry rren, Al Dubin; Cameraman, George nes; Editor, George Amy. (irection, Good. Photography, Fine. "TIMES SQUARE LADY" with Robert Taylor, Virginia Bruce, Helen Twelvetrees, Isabel Jewell, Nat Pendleton, Pinky Tomlin M-G-M 69 mins. GOOD AVERAGE ENTERTAINMENT HELPED BY EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES AND NICELY PACED ACTION STORY. Outstanding work by several members of the cast, chiefly Robert Taylor, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Helen Twelvetrees, and this newcomer, Pinky Tomlin, a likeable singer and comedian, is the chiefly enjoyable characteristic of this production. It also has a fairly suspenseful story that moves along at a good clip under the direction of George B. Seitz. Virginia Bruce, coming east from a small town to take over the estate of her late father, who ran a variety of sporting rackets, faces a group of his former associates who try to take the properties away from her by pretending they are running at a loss or too troublesome for her to handle. With the aid of a songwriter, Tomlin, who turns out "The Object of My Affections," and Isabel Jewell, his girl friend, Virginia eventually wins out and also annexes Robert Taylor, who turned straight and was about to be taken for a ride by the gang. Cast: Robert Taylor, Virginia Bruce, Helen Twelvetrees, Isabell Jewell, Nat Pendleton, Pinky Tomlin, Henry Kolker, Raymond Hatton, Jack LaRue, Robert Elliott, Russell Hopton, Fred Kohler. Director, Gecrge B. Seitz; Authors, Albert Cohen, Robert Shannon; Screen Play, Same; Cameraman, Lester White; Editor, Hugh Wynn. Direction, A-l. Photography, Good. EXPLOITING THE CURRENT FILMS {Continued from Previous Page) topper field" Previews or Indianapolis Leaders PREVIEWS were arranged with executives of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Board of Film Endorsers, Parent-Teach3rs, Church leaders, the press, he Humane Society and the Na ofture Study Club when "David Jopperfield" was scheduled to be shown at L. W. Farrar's Loew's Theater in Indianapolis, Ind. After the showing, the delejates were asked to comment on the picture. Farrar was assist3d by an M-G-M exploiteer. More than 1,000 letters were sent to teachers, women's clubs, ufministers and civic leaders, con lii 'taining the endorsements of their respective leaders. Bulletins were issued to all boy scout troops by Scout officials. A special screening was held al ' gl pr members of the Safety iflPaJljr from all the public schools. The Rev. Dr. F. S. Wicks, of All Souls Unitarian Church, gave a talk on the picture from his pulpit. Book displays were obtained in 12 stores. A contest was arranged for school children by distributing 1,000 grooved drawings of animals for tracing and coloring. Twenty-five tickets were offered as prizes. A letter, praising the picture, was received from the Indiana Board of Endorsers and blown up to 40 x 60 for display in the lobby. — Loew's, Indianapolis. Student Stunt for "Biography" Campaign TOE DI PESA, manager of the J State, Boston, Mass., had two students of the New England Art School paint oil heads of Ann Harding and Robert Montgomery, stars of M-G-M's "Biography of a Bachelor Girl," as part of his campaign. A tie-up was arranged with the Postal Telegraph for distribution of 10,000 flyers. Tire covers were used on 100 cabs. The ad mat was used on the same number of Carroll store bags. — State Boston. SHORTS "Hawaii" (Going Places, No. 8) Universal 11 mins. Swell Travelogue An excellent coverage of the less romantic side of the islands of Hawaii, with descriptive narration by Lowell Thomas. By showing Honolulu as a modern American city and the balance of the Hawaiian Islands in their more practical aspects this is made an interesting subject. Through well photographed scenes and dialogue by Thomas the Islands are presented as the future base of Pacific air service as an army air base, and as the possible 49th State of the Union. The romantic aspects of the Islands are not forgotten as shots show a brief bit of the hula dance and the usual surf riding by natives. "Stranger Than Fiction" (No. 8) Universal 10 mins. Interesting Ten subjects are covered in this entertaining/ reel including a 25mile forest being destroyed by moving sands, an automobile trailer for transporting pedigreed dogs, a headstone for a railway employee made of a car-wheel, shots of the fire rites of the Schingon sect in Japan, a church with a "ghost" which appears every 27 years, Red Cross dentists treating children in an automobile clinic, a gander guarding a hitching-post statue, Cleveland's novel oxygen hospital and young alligators being shipped from a farm. "Do a Good Deed" (Oswald the Rabbit Cartoon) Universal 7 mins. Good Cartoon Subject This one is especially good for kid showings. Oswald, as the head of a boys' camp, has taught his charges to do a good deed daily. When a bear attacks the camp the many birds and bees befriended by the boys go to the rescue and drive the bear to cover. "Stranger Than Fiction" (No. 9) Universal gi/2 mins. Entertaining Among the unusual subjects entertainingly covered herein are Woergle, in the Tyrolean Alps — the first town to use "depression" money, two-headed trout at the Mt. Shasta Fish Hatchery, an inventor who claims he is able to produce a motor fuel from sea water, a volcano in New Mexico from which the inhabitants extract salt, a 65-year old woman who stuffs fish for a living and a one-mile railway which connects New Augusta and Augusta, Arkansas. "Telephone Blues" Universal 19 mins. Vaudeville Turns Nothing unusual about this short built around the Tic-Toe girls at a hotel switchboard. As the calls come in the girls connect them with the rooms of the various artists who do their bits. Featured, are Olga Baclanova, Murray Lane and his Harmoniacs, Three Dodge Brothers and Henry Scott. "Two Little Lambs" (Oswald the Rabbit Cartoon) Universal 8V2 mins. Fast Cartoon Plenty of fun in this fast-moving cartoon relating the adventures of twin lambs who take Oswald's airplane and joy ride through an air meet. They soon drive the other contestants out of the race to win the meet for Oswald who has managed to get on board by lassoing the plane. "Obeah" Is Completed Final editing and cutting have been completed on the all-talking adventure picture, "Obeah," featuring Phillips H. Lord and made in the South Seas by Arcturus Pictures Corp., and the film is now being readied for distribution. Negotiation are under way and release will be announced soon. F. Herrick Herrick, who directed the film, is planning a new South Seas yarn to follow "Obeah." Would Drop Burlesque Code Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The burlesque theatrical code is among those that should be dropped because of the small number of persons employed in that field, according to the list submitted by Donald R. Richberg to the Senate Finance Committee in its probe of the NRA. In Charge of Masonic Show Harry Hershfield, Jack Dempsey and Nils T. Granlund will have charge of the program for the Masonic Charity Ball at the Hotel St. George on Saturday night. Jean Goldkette's music will play for the show and for dancing to follow.