The Film Daily (1939)

53 ^Thursday, July 6, 1939 9( 11 DAILY »& -V REVIEWS Of THE flEUJ FlLfllS :< -V 'Black Limelight" with Raymond Massey, "AlliiM Films Joan Marion 63 Mins. AU^BING MURDER MYSTERY INTELLIGENTLY DIRECTED AND ACTED CARCRIES FINE SUSPENSE. I A very absorbing murder mystery intelei ligently plotted with some surprise twists j|. and an abundance of suspense. It is com«: petently acted by the entire cast, especially fa in the work of Joan Marion, whose role ml outshines that of Raymond Massey, who is plays the part of her husband. A murder of a girl at a beach bungalow occurs, and the evidence all points strongly to Massey, : who has disappeared right after the crime. gi Even the wife is almost convinced that he ij] is guilty, yet she loyally sticks by him. ■•' When he sneaks back to their home, she hides him. Meanwhile it develops gradually that there is a very sinister side to the affair with other murders all done under the same circumstances of a full moon. The wife cleverly pieces wisps of evidence together to pin the crimes on her attorney, and it works up to some great suspense as the criminal tries to do away with her to conceal his other crimes. Selling angles: swell murder mystery; the killer working under moon-madness. CAST: Raymond Massey, Joan Marion, Walter Hudd, Henry Oscar, Elliot Mason, Dan Tobin, Coral Brown, Leslie Brady, Dian Beaumont. CREDITS: Director, Walter Mycroft; Author, Dudley Leslie; Screenplay, same; Cameraman, Claude Friese-Greene. DIRECTION, Excellent. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. Expect Ascap Confabs Soon On Establishing Tele Rights It is expected that Ascap will soon hold conferences with broadcasting companies — RCA-NBC, CBS, Don Lee and others — on establishing its rights to music used in television performances. First conference is expected soon after the National Association of Broadcasters' convention. At a recent luncheon tendered Ascap officials by Lenox R. Lohr, president of NBC, the Ascap execs, expressed the opinion that tele had shown great advances in recent months and that reception was now at a high peak. Ascap will again meet with the negotiating committee of the NAB copyright group this afternoon — the final confab before the negotiators report to the full NAB committee on Sunday. Scott Adds Fifteenth Pittsburgh— Vernon F. Scott, of the Ideal Amusement Co., has added the Rosy Theater, Clearfield, to his chain of houses, which now numbers fifteen in the Western Pennsylvania territory. Bundsman for NBC Tele Anton Bundsman, stage and screen director, has been added to NBC's television staff. * SHORTS * "The Movies March On" (March of Time) RKO Radio 19 mins. Strong Audience Picture Very fine presentation of the history of the motion picture industry in Hollywood as seen through clips from important productions down through the years. The film should prove very entertaining to all types of patrons, for it carries a lot of sentiment in the depiction of old favorites in their classic pictures. It has the earmarks of a plug for the industry in general, but that is all right, too, for there are millions of fans deeply interested in the subject matter. There is also a plug for the Museum of Modern Art Film Library, and the film cleverly contrives to build its contents around the activities of the organization by showing film cans labeled with the name of the picture and the name of the library before the various shots are reproduced. Then there are presentations of industry leaders, oldtimers who were pioneers and are still active in production in Hollywood, such as Harry Warner, Jack Warner, Cecil B. DeMille, Walt Disney, Mack Sennett, Charlie Chaplin, Darryl Zanuck, George Schaefer. Also presented are Will Hays and Joe Breen. The oldtime shots of the early silent favorites will go great with all the elder generation. Such as "The Great Train Robbery." Mary Pickford in "The New York Hat." Bill Hart in "The Fugitive." Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand in "Tillie's Punctured Romance." Lilian Gish in "Birth of A Nation." Theda Bara in "A Fool There Was." Mary Garden in "Thais." Doug Fairbanks in "Robin Hood." Other old favorites seen are Valent'no, Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Renee Adoree. So much for the outstanding silents. Then into the talkies, starting with a scene from "The Jazz Singer" with Jolson singing "Mammy." Then "All Quiet On the Western Front" showing application of the new sound technique to a war spectacle. Will Rogers, Paul Muni in "Zola," and then into the current productions, showing the modern trend. Then come the industry execs, previously noted, all done with fine editing and crisp presentation, so that the film moves very fast. It is the sort of reel the public will talk about, for it recalls a lot of old favorites in their standouts that are seldom available today for screen presentation. "Death Valley Thrills" (Grantland Rice Sportlight) Paramount 10 mins. One of Year's Best Theaters should go out of any accustomed way to grab this short which is easily one of the most unique of the current season, — or any ether. Producer Jack Eaton has taken a camera crew into California's Death Valley and filmed the Wilhelm Brothers and their magnificent police dog who dwell together in hot, lonely, but withal picturesque wastes of this desert area. The trio go riding in a car which the ingenious Wilhelms have built for tough desert driving, and Detroit's automobile manufacturers could take a profitable lesson from the Death Valley boys en how to make a car durable. It has tr> be, for it does what no other automobile could do, and even the spectacular plunge of the runaway car over a cliff fails to put it out of commission. The car serves as a tow for aquaplaning on dry lakes, as well as a transport for skiing on sandy slopes. Footage is loaded with laughs plus thrills, and is enhanced by Ted Husing's excellent narration. This is a "must book" attraction, since it will delight patrons everywhere. "How to Eat" (Robert Benchley) M-G-M 10 mins. Very Funny The current topic discussed by Benchley is how various emotions affect one's eating and digestion. He illustrates the lecture personally, showing the man Benchley under the emotion of being informed that he is going to lose his job just as he sits down to a beautiful dinner of spaghetti. Then the emotion of love, and how the man Benchley sits staring solemnly at his inamorata, unable to touch a mi uthful of delicious food at a night club. Then Benchley discusses the art of eating in bed, and finally gives it up as something that only women can do gracefully. Then the picnic problem with food, and finally the banquet where he expects to be called upon to speak, and that kills his appetite. "A-Hunting We Will Go" (Walter Lantz Cartune) Universal 1 1-3 mins. Diverting Reel Shortly after climbing into bed in his diminutive cabin, Little Eight Ball, Walter Lantz' new and appealing cartoon character who is a little Negro boy, receives a visit from a baby ghost to whom he avers that he is not the least bit frightened. Whereupon the baby ghost transports him to a haunted mill where the adult ghosts, informed that Little Eight Ball is impervious to fright in the best fashion of modern children who don't believe in ghosts, put their visitor through a test, at the end of which Little Eight Ball is certainly scared, but steadfastly will not admit it. The Lantz character bids fair to become a future institution in pix houses. This short is diverting and well fashioned. Filmarte Books Re-opener Filmarte Theater will reopen for the season early in the Fall with "The End of a Day," French film, which will be distributed in this country by Juno Films. What were you YESTERDAY What are you TODAY What will you be TOMORROW