The Film Daily (1938)

SThursday, Jan. 27, 1938 1ME< DAILY ik ft R€VI€UIS Of TH€ n€UJ flLfflS ft ft "The Goldwyn Follies" with Adolphe Menjou, The Ritz Brothers, Zorina, and Edgar Bergen and "Charlie | j McCarthy" Special new york preview) United Artists 120 Mins. POWERFUL, EXPERTLY PRODUCED MUSICAL GEARED TO PLEASE EVERY TYPE OF AUDIENCE. From the very first flow of footage, — specifically the unique and ingenious fashion in which the characters are introduced, via their likenesses on a series of magazine covers, — to the final fadeout, 'which depicts the love triumphant of a , girl, Andrea Leeds, and a boy, Kenny Baker, both of whom have come their separate ways to Hollywood to succeed, this absorbing, tuneful, tastefully wrought musical is entertainment of patent power. Heralded 1 as the initial feature to bear the Goldwyn name, both from the standpoint of presentation and in the photoplay's title, the entire proceedings are worthy in every respect. Appraisement of its value to exhibitor and public is predicated upon its all-around solidity; its direction, supplied so skillfully by George Marshall; the talent and versatility of the cast; the quality of the expertly fashioned musical score, cre ' ated chiefly by the late George Gershwin; , the lyrics of his brother, Ira Gershwin; the t|j brilliance of the ballet numbers; and the excitingly realistic Technicolor. This latter element has allowed Mr. Goldwyn and i his production staff to effect settings of beauty which rise at frequent intervals like cameos. The compactness of these settings is one of the striking elements of the film, and, in color, they are far more haunting i than their grandiose predecessors in the "big picture" Hollywood formula. Comedy galore by the Ritz Brothers, Phil Baker, Edgar Bergen and "Charlie McCarthy" blends perfectly with the more serious portions of the story which has its locale in Hollywood, where Adolphe Menjou, playing the role of a film producer, and parenthetically giving one of the finest performances of his career, is guided in his production judgment by Andrea Leeds, who is the symbol, being an average young lady, of public taste in screen entertainment. She falls in love with Kenny Baker, a striving, youthful lad whose efforts to gain screen recognition are temporarily frustrated, landing him be ' hind the counter of a white-tiled lunch room. While the story is not pretentious, it is decidedly adequate. Patrons of all types will receive "The Goldwyn Follies" with enthusiasm. It is for the average audience, and, too, it is for the most discriminating, so splendidly blended is it in all departments, from, for example, ballet to hot stepping, and from opera to pop songs. Standout among the latter is "Love Walked In." Sets, decorations, dance routines, costumes and photography are joys to behold. Deserving of special mention is the Water Lily Ballet. CAST: Adolphe Menjou, The Ritz Brothers, Zorina, Kenny Baker, Andrea Leeds, Helen Jepson, Phil Baker, Ella Logan, Bobby Clark, Jerome Cowan, Nydia West "Kathleen" with Sally O'Neil, Tom Burke, Jack Daly, Sara Allgood J. H. Hoffberg Co., Inc. 72 Mins. REALISTIC SETTINGS AND HARD WORKING CAST MAKE THIS IRISH PIX ENTERTAINING. "Kathleen" will please the Irish audiences as well as others in the proper spots. Sally O'Neil is attractive and pleasing in tne title role and she receives adequate support from Jack Daly and Tom Burke, who has a fine Irish tenor voice, which ne uses frequently during the film. The rest of the cast is capable, and it includes the talented Sara Allgood among its members. The story has been worked out tairly smoothly and certain technical faults in the film can be credited to limited production facilities. The beautiful Irish countryside is used to advantage, and a race meet and horse fair contribute a natural touch. The direction of Norman Lee is adequate, and he keeps his characters well in hand, with only fault a slight overemphasis in a couple ot dramatic spots. Sally O'Neil returns to Ireland wnere she stays at the home of her aunt, Sara Allgood. She falls in love with Jack Daly, a wealthy landowner, but feels she must marry Burke, who has helped her over some rough spots. Daly's aunt attempts to prevent the marriage, but the proper solution is provided when Burke is ottered a chance to become a singing star and the aunt's schemes go haywire. CAiT: Sally O'Neil, Jack Daly, Tom Burke, Sara Allgood, Jeanne Stuart, Ethel britties, Pat Noonan, Baby Brenda, J. F. Kobertson, Denis O'Neil, tred Duprez, TalDot O'Karrell, J. A. ORourke, Terry Coni.n, Mark Stone, Fred Withers, Frank Cranshaw. CkEDITS: Produced by John F. Argyle; D. rector, Norman Lee; Story, John Gien; Screenplay, Marjorie Deans; Editor, F. H. B.ckerton; Cameraman, Brian Langley. DIRECTION, Adequate. PHOTOGRAPHY, O.K. n< man, Charles Kullman, Frank Shields, The American Ballet of the Metropolitan Opera, The Gorgeous Goldwyn Girls, and Edgar Bergen and "Charlie McCarthy." CREDITS: Producer, Samuel Goldwyn; Associate Producer, George Haight; Director, George Marshall; Author and Screenplay, Ben Hecht; Art Director, Richard Day; Cameraman, Gregg Toland; Musical Director, Alfred Newman; Music, George Gershwin; Lyrics, Ira Gershwin; Film Editor, Sherman Todd; Recording Engineer, Frank Maher; Ritz Brothers Specialties and Songs, by Sid Kuller, Ray Golden; Additional Comedy Sequences by Sam Perrin, Arthur Phillips; Orchestrations, Edward Powell; Ballets Conceived and Staged by George Balanchine; Music for Ballets and "Spring Again" by Vernon Duke; Assistant Director, Eddie Bernoudy. For the Technicolor Company: Photographic Advisor, Ray Rennahan; Color Art Director, Natalie Kalmus; Associate, Henri C. Jaffa. Color Harmony Make-up Ensembles, Max Factor. DIRECTION, Expert. PHOTOGRAPHY, Splendid. "A Yank at Oxford" with Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) M-G-M 100 Mins. REFRESHING ENTERTAINMENT WITH DELIGHTFUL COMEDY MAKES EXCELLENT TAYLOR VEHICLE. This is refreshing entertainment and is an excellent vehicle for Robert Taylor, who does fine work in the title role. Director Jack Conway has caught the spirit of Oxford and has also introduced many delightful comedy touches. Michael Baicon rates many bows as the producer. An exceptionally good cast has been assembled, with Lionel Barrymore playing the role of Taylor's proud father. Maureen O'Sullivan, an English girl, is the love interest opposite Taylor, while Vivien Leigh is the flirtatious wife of Bookseller Noel Howlett. Edmund Gwenn and C. V. France enact the roles of Deans at Oxford, and Griffith Jones, Maureen's brother, is Taylor's chief rival at school. Robert Coote, a student, supplies most of the comedy, while Edward Rigby, valet for the students, is a loveable character. Claude Gillingwater, Tully Marshall and Walter Kingsford are among Barrymore's townsmen. Leon Gordon, Sidney Gilliatt and Michael Hogan wrote the original story, based on an idea by John Monk Saunders, and Malcolm Stuart Boyian, Walter Ferris and George Oppenheimer furnished the screenplay. Harold Rosson's photography is high-grade. Taylor, star athlete at a small Mid-western college, gets a chance to go to Oxford, when Kingsford, his Dean, a former Oxford student, arranges matters. Taylor has good qualities, but his boasts regarding his athletic prowess, get him disliked by fellow students at Oxford. Jones leads the opposition to Taylor, and when Taylor, against instructions, takes Jones' place in a relay race, the entire student body turns against him. Howlett follows his wife, Vivien, to Jones' quarters at school, but to save Jones, Taylor makes an appearance and takes the blame. Barrymore, who has come over to see his son in the Oxford-Cambridge boat race, and Maureen induce Vivien to tell the true story to Dean Gwenn and Taylor is exonerated in time to enter the race. CAST: Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Vivien Leigh, Edmund Gwenn, Griffith Jones, C. V. France, Edward Rigby, Morton Selten, Claude Gillingwater, fully Marshall, Walter Kingsford, Robert Coote, Peter Croft, Noel Howlett, Edmund Breen. CREDITS: Producer, Michael Balcon; Director, Jack Conway; Story idea, John Monk Saunders; Story, Leon Gordon, Sidney Gilliatt, Michael Hogan; Screenplay, Malcolm Stuart Boyian, Walter Ferris, George Oppenheimer; Cameraman, Harold Rosson; Art Director, L. P. Williams; Supervising Editor, Margaret Booth; Editor, Charles Frend; Musical score by Hubert Bath, Edward Ward; Recording Engineers, A. W. Watkins, C. C. Stevens. DIRECTION, Splendid. PHOTOGRAPHY, Very Good. "Dynamite Delaney" with Weldon Heyburn, Eve Farrell, Walter Gilbert Imperial Pictures 77 Mins. PLENTY OF ACTION MAKES THIS ONE OKAY AS A FILLER FOR PROGRAM SPOTS. Strictly a programmer, this new film produced by Principal Pictures will do okay as a filler in the program spots for neighborhood houses. The picture as a whole however, is slipshod in production, has a weak story, spotty photography and sound, but the action goes far to save it. Weldon Heyburn, a hot-headed prize fighter, loses his temper and after a free for all brawl leaves the fight game. He is kidded into joining the highway patrol. Still a swell head and aggressive, he falls in love with Eve Farrell. However, he gets mixed up with another girl, Jane Steele, and he gets cashiered from the patrol. He discovers that Jane has been kidnapped and after some good action he rescues her, gets the reward, wins his girl back, is made a corporal, and vows to lead a better life. The action fans will accept this one, but it doesn't have much value otherwise. CAST: Weldon Heyburn, Eve Farrell, Donald Dilloway, Walter Gilbert, Jane Steele, Jack Squires, Harlan Briggs, Clyde Franklin, Millard Mitchell, Jack Sheehan, Frank Otto, Frank McNellis, Richard Abert. CREDITS: Produced by Principal Pictures; Director, Joseph Rothman; Original Screenplay, Charles Beahan and Joseph Rothman; Cameraman, William J. Miller. DIRECTION, Fair. PHOTOGRAPHY, Spotty. "Snow White" Concessions Will be Asked by ITOA ITOA plans to protest against RKO's demand for a 50 p.c. contract on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". At a meeting yesterday, the members instructed their business manager, John Manheimer, to confer with RKO sales heads regarding a reduction. The organization also opposes the distributors' insistence that the picture will not be double-billed. It is understood that the 50 p.c. clause is printed on the contract. A number of exhibitors declared that they could not make money on a 50 p.c. basis, despite the popularity of the picture. Even 35 p.c, they said, was too high for a satisfactory return. ITOA also decided yesterday to take no official stand on the March of Time Nazi reel, leaving its showing strictly up to the discretion of its members. 20th-Fox Forms Quint A basket-ball team has been formed by employees of 20th-Fox home office. Booking of games is being handled by Bob Tigner of ad department.