The Film Daily (1939)

Monday, July 10, 1939 u R€VI€UIS Of new fums DAILY "Bad Boy" with Johnny Downs, Rosalind Keith, Helen MacKellar Gateway Prod. 70 Mins. (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) SUPERIOR INDIE WITH MOTHER LOVE THEMV«?ACKS HEART THROBS AND PUNCf This is a mother-love story that is better than the usual independent output. It has fine performances by Johnny Downs, who surprises with his dramatic work in the title role, and by Helen MacKellar as his doting, sacrificing mother. Herbert Meyer turned in an excellent job of directing, showing the influences that affected the central character, Johnny Downs. Richard C. Kahn supplied a human and realistic screenplay, based on his original story. James Robbins does splendid work, while other good performances are contributed by Rosalind Keith and Spencer Williams, Jr., the latter, a colored actor, who supplies most of the comedy. Young Downs, devoted to his mother leaves his small town, and gets work with an engineering company in a large city. He works hard and sends his weekly savings home. Robbins, a fellow draftsman, who is a playboy, induces Johnny to play the races, and Johnny soon finds himself in debt to the bookies. Robbins persuades Johnny to take funds from his employer to cover the debt, but Johnny is caught. Robbins gets Helen MacKellar to sell her home to save Johnny from jail and return the money to his employer. Through Robbins, Johnny had met and fallen in love with Rosalind Keith, a night club singer, who is a "gold digger." After getting out of the scrape, Johnny tries hard to get work but without success. Discouraged, he joins up with Robbins, who is working for a big racketeer. Money comes easy and Johnny marries Rosalind, who is anything but a faithful wife. Johnny buys a fine home for his mother, and this so enrages Rosalind that she starts to run away with Robbins and take Johnny's funds. They are stopped by Johnny, who is wounded in a gun duel with Robbins. Critically ill, Johnny reaches the home of his mother and dies in her arms. CAST: Johnny Downs, Rosalind Keith, Helen MacKellar, James Robbins, Holmes Herbert, Matt Moore, Bobby Clark, Jr., Clem Wilencheck, Spencer Williams, Jr., Clarence Brooks. CREDITS: Director, Herbert Meyer; Author, Richard C. Kahn; Screenplay, Same; Cameraman, Jack Greenhalgh. DIRECTION, Excellent. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Ask Prison Term for Kindler on Contempt of Court Charge Order was submitted in the Bronx County Supreme Court Saturday by Nathan H. Elman, attorney for Joseph Kimmel, in re Kimmel vs. Kindler, asking that Abraham I. Kindler, Empire State Motion Picture Operators' union prexy, be punished for contempt by incarceration for six months, and further that Kindler be fined the sum of $630, which is owned to Kimmel in part and in part for counsel fees. Action by Judge Levy is expected today. * SHORTS * "Help Wanted" (Crime Does Not Pay) M-G-M 21 mins. Strong Drama Exposing dramatically the racket of the employment agency. Showing how this racketeer set up an agency, and then sent his henchman out to line up the foremen in establishments employing unskilled labor. The foreman is promised a cut on each new man he hires, all hinging on the fact that he deliberately discharges old hands to make way for the new men. These in turn are discharged after a month's service, and another hired. And so on. The d. a. steps in, and with the help of a young man who has been tricked, finally runs the gang to earth when they commit a murder. The story is very well told, convincing and does not sound overdrawn. In fact it is one of the best of this fine series. Featured are Tom Neal, Jo Ann Sayers, Arthur Hohl, Truman Bradley. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. "Jamaica" (Paramount Color Cruise) Paramount 10 mins. Pleasing Travel Short Renowned beauties and the romantic atmosphere of this West Indian isle, one of the most enchanting of Britain's overseas possessions, are effectively photographed and, additionally, made true to the original by the use of Cinecolor. Producers Palmer Miller and Curtis F. Nagel have selected their material well, and with eye to artistic angles as well as best subject matter. There are highly interesting shots of Kingston, the capital; the government buildings; old Spanish forts; plantations; seascapes and native life, among other views. Reel is pleasing and will be welcomed by those who like to glimpse foreign strands from the comfort of an auditorium seat. "Bird on Nellie's Hat" (Walter Lantz Cartune) Universal 7 mins. Silly But Satisfactory The old-time meller is taken for a sleighride in script of this one, which recounts the drama, and amusingly, of the village blacksmith, Dan, and his girl friend, Beautiful Nellie. While the beau is having his vicissitudes selling proper shoes to a coy young mare customer, the Desperate Villain of the opus is riding along the nearby highway in his automobile. Along comes Nellie, bound for the smithy to deliver her beloved Dan's lunch. She grabs a hitchhike from the villain, whose advances she rebuffs. Latter ties her to a railroad track, but at the finale she is rescued when the bird on her hat brings Dan to the rescue, hard riding atop the coy mare whom he has urged to carry him to the scene of the near tragedy. It's all silly, but good humor. Fans will like it. Connecticut Independent Exhibitors Protest! The trend of falling grosses at the theatres and rising profits to distributors generally, as evidenced by a few among hundreds cf headlines. "U" GROSS UP $2,000,000 IN LAST YEAR.— M. P. Daily. "FILM BIZ DOES NOSE DIVE; 1ST MARCH SLUMP IN 5 YRS."— Variety. B b K RECEIPTS FOR 1ST 14 PARA. SECOND QUARTER EARN WEEKS NEW YEAR SHOW DROP OF 4'/2%."— Film Daily. INGS ARE UP.— Box Office. "LOEWS 12 WEEK NET ABOVE 1937."— M. P. Herald. DOG-DAYS AND SUMMER DOLDRUMS AGAIN FIND CIRCUITS WORRYING OVER FLOW OF $$FILMS.— Box Office. Connecticut Independent Exhibitors Act! Whereas theatre grosses have been constantly falling for the past year and now dropped to an alarming degree, and Whereas, the prices of film rentals have been constantly rising contrary to the business trend, and Whereas, said film distributors are forcing the sale of shorts nnd newsreels, contrary to the spirit of the code they offer to the trade. NOW THEREFORE, be it RESOLVED, that we, the independent exhibitors of Connecticut, in meeting assembled this 27th day of June, 1939, at the Hof-brau, New Haven, demand decreases in film rentals for the ensuing year, commensurate with the drop in grosses, and be it further resolved, that we will not be coerced, directly or indirectly, into the buying of shorts and newsreels. IRVING C. JACOCKS, JR., Pres. M.P.T.O. MAURICE SHULMAN, Pres. ALLIED