The Film Daily (1940)

Tuesday, January 23, 1940 9( DAILY & Ik REVIEWS OF THE IIEUJ flLfTlS & £■ "Wolf Of New York" with Edmund Lowe, Rose Hobart, James Stephenson RepuHx 69 Mins. Fl! •§ RATE CRIME YARN WITH FINE CAST WILL GREATLY ENTERTAIN ANY TYPE OF AUDIENCE. This picture is first rate entertainment for any type of audience. It has an extremely well paced and well knit story which keeps the action moving and suspenseful throughout, and an able cast neatly fills the parts. Direction by William McGann is expert, and Gordon Kahn and Lionel Houser deserve plaudits for their snappy screenplay. Here is a picture that is an excellent example of what can be done with a comparatively modest budget if thought and care are put behind it. Exhibitors should do very nicely with it everywhere. Edmund Lowe is just as suave and pleasing as ever, doing a neat job as a criminal lawyer who turns district attorney to square a debt. Rose Hobart is able and attractive in the complementing female role. James Stephenson is a smooth article as a crooked investment broker, and William Demarest, Andrew Tombes, Jerome Cowan, Edward Gargan, Maurice Murphy and Charles D. Brown ably abet the principals with good characterizations. Lowe gets Murphy a job with Stephenson after he gets out of jail as he was a friend of the boy's father. Although he handles Stephenson's legal work, Lowe is unaware that he heads a ring of crooks. Brown, Miss Hobart's father and a police inspector, is murdered by the ring and Mason is electrocuted on a framed rap despite Lowe's fight to save him. He takes the district attorney's job when evidence proves Mason innocent and the political ring is in hot water. Stephenson and his gang fall victim to Lowe's fiery crusade in a fast finish, end he and Miss Hobart make up for lost time by getting married. CAST: Edmund Lowe, Rose Hobart, James Stephenson, Jerome Cowan, William Demarest, Maurice Murphy, C. D. Brown, Ed. Gargan, Roy Gordon, Andrew Tombes, Ben Welden, Ann Baldwin. CREDITS: Associate Producer, Robert North; Director, William McGann; Screenplay, Gordon Kahn and Lionel Houser; Orignal Story, L. T. White and Arnold Bel;ard; Cameraman, Reggie Lanning; Editor, Ernest Nims. ^ DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Columbia and UA Will Take deCourville Pix Two pictures directed by Albert ieCourville in England will be distributed by American companies. Dne, "An Englishman's Home," will )e released by Columbia, while the )ther, "The Lambeth Walk," goes ;o M-G-M. United Artists is hanging the former picture outside the J. S. DeCourville, who is here from England, is the brother-in-law of Yrthur Kelly, head of United Arists' foreign department. "Sued For Libel" with Kent Taylor, Linda Hayes, Lilian Bond, Morgan Conway RKO Radio 66 Mins. ROUTINE MURDER MYSTERY MELLER HANDICAPPED BY LACK OF PLAUSIBILITY AND DIRECTNESS. It's natural for a murder mystery meiler to have a practical amount of complications, making for drama and suspense, but it's unnatural for such a type pix to be over-complicated, and that is one of the liabilities of "Sued For Libel.'' Further, the footage deals fantastically with newspaper folk, and is scarcely calculated to dispel belief among some segments of the public that journalists are a pretty wacky crew. It is no fault of the principal players that this attraction doesn't click, tor generally they move in an atmosphere which is lacking in plausibility. Kent Taylor and Linda Hayes, on the staff of the fictitious evening Bulletin of the story, do their best with the material at hand, as do Morgan Conway and Lilian Bond, the "heavies" in the opus. The former duo not only set their figurative teeth toward the goal of determining the source of a series of murders, but also furnish the romance via the apparently permanent flare Hollywood has for "teaming up" a male and female reporter on every news story assignment. Their prime objective in bagging the killer is to rid their newspaper of a libel suit which grows out of an incredible bit of bad judgment on the part of the gal "journalist," — merely the imparting of false information, on an important murder trial verdict, to one of her fellow reporters on the newspaper. The film rarely rises out of the routine channel. Direction is firm, photography tip-top. CAST: Kent Taylor, Linda Hayes, Lilian Bond, Morgan Conway, Richard Lane, Roger Pryor, Thurston Hall, Emory Parnell, Roy Gordon, Keye Luke, Edward Earle, Jack Arnold, Leona Roberts. CREDITS: Producer, Cliff Reid; Director, Leslie Goodwins; Author, Wolfe Kaufman; Screenplay, Jerry Cady; Production Executive, Lee Marcus; Musical Director, Roy Webb; Cameraman, Jack MacKenzie; Art Director, Van Nest Polglase; Associate Art Director, Feild Gray; Recording Engineer, Richard Van Hessen; Editor, Desmond Marquette. DIRECTION, Firm. PHOTOGRAPHY, Tip-Top. Center Staff for "Pinocchio" Press offices for Walt Disney's "Pinocchio," which opens at the Center theater, Radio City, Feb. 7, have been established at the house. Richard Condon is directing exploitation, with John McGeehan assisting. Douglas Whitney is in charge of publicity, assisted by Toni Spitzer, of the RKO-Radio Pictures offices, and Robert Baral, handling trade coverage. Sydney Goldman is house manager. For "Pinocchio's" run, John K. Hyatt, Center's managing director, is adding 50 ushers, and 10 cashiers, likewise engaging four additional doormen for the Rockefeller Center Garage which he also manages. "The Man Who Wouldn't Talk" with Lloyd Nolan, Jean Rogers 20th-Fox 72 Mins. STRONG MELLER HAS PLENTY OF SUSPENSE AND SWELL SURPRISE CLIMAX. Well cast and suspensefully presented, a slightly improbable story has been made highly entertaining in this new 20th-Fox release. Audiences will have their attention riveted to the screen from the time the picture opens until its surprise climax. The very able Lloyd Nolan does full justice to his role. Jean Rogers is attractive and capable and good supporting roles are contributed by Richard Clarke, Onslow Stevens, Eric Blore and Mae Marsh. Director David Burton should get much credit for his fine job in keeping the picture absorbing right to the end. Picture starts off with a bang when Nolan walks in on a murder trial and confesses to the crime to save an innocent man. His alias is obvious and the case attracts wide attention throughout the country due to its unusual turn. Finally, Jean Rogers, is certain that Nolan is her brother who disappeared 20 years before. However, he refuses to admit his identity or show any indication of breaking down in his story. Jean and his attorney start out in search of evidence to discover the story behind his strange confession. Nolan is brought to trial and still refuses to answer any questions. At the proper time a fine climax is worked up to with the true story of Nolan and the murdered man revealed by Jean's investigation. CAST: Lloyd Nolan, Jean Rogers, Onslow Stevens, Eric Blore, Mae Marsh, Richard Clarke, Joan Valerie, Paul Stanton, Douglas Wood, Irving Bacon, Lester Sharff, Harlan Briggs, Elizabeth Risdon, Renie Riano. CREDITS: Executive Producer, Sol M. Wurtzel; Director, David Burton; Screenplay, Robert Ellis, Helen Logan, Lester Ziffren and Edward Ettinger; Based on a play by Holworthy Hall and Robert M. Middlemass; Cameraman, Virgil Miller; Editor, Alexander Troffey. DIRECTION, Fine. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. "Sidewalks of London" To Play New York Rivoli "Sidewalks of London," Charles LaughtonVivien Leigh English pix produced by Mayflower, will follow "Grapes of Wrath" into the Rivoli, New York, and will have a general release on Feb. 16, Neil Agnew, Para, sales chief, said yesterday. About 30 playdates in the South have already been set. Harlan Funeral Today Martinsville, Ind. — Funeral services for Otis Harlan, 75, screen and stage veteran, will be held here today. "Bad Little Angel" with Virginia Weidler, Gene Reynold*, Guy Kibbee, Ian Hunter, Henry Hull M-G-M 72 Mins. ENTERTAINING AND AMUSING, FILM IS GOOD SCREENFARE FOR NABE AUDIENCES. Going back a few decades to the 1880's Metro has filmed an unusual theme in this release with pleasing results. It always requires finesse to deal with religious angles of any description, but certainly this job will be approved. Picture has plenty of comedy as well as serious moments, neatly woven together under the hand of director William Thiele. Virginia Weidler, Gene Reynolds, Ian Hunter, Guy Kibbee, Henry Hull and Reginald Owen are all talented players. Virginia, an orphan, looks to her bible for guidance, and turning the pages at random reads "Flee to Egypt," forthwith deserting the orphanage for Egypt, New Jersey. She meets Gene Reynolds, and his boss, Ian Hunter, gives her a home. From there on the story is lively and human; Hull, the town drunk, is reformed; Kibbee, the crusty millionaire, is softened up; Hunter gets his job back for heroism, and Virginia gets a home as the millionaire's adopted daughter. Not a pretentious picture, the story should do well in nabe and suburban houses as it has a very human and heart-warming story, and is ably cast and presented. CAST: Virginia Weidler, Henry Hull, Gene Reynolds, Guy K bbee, Ian Hunter, Lois Wilson, Elizabeth Patterson, Reginald Owen. CREDITS: Produced by Metro; Director, William Thiele; Screenplay, Dorothy Yost; Based on a book by Margaret Turnbull; Cameraman, John Seitz; Editor, F. Sullivan. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Cinecolor Plant Working Double Shifts Six Days West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Cinecolor's Burbank plant is currently working two 8hour shifts a day and a six-day week compared to company's former single shift and five-day week schedule Result has been considerable increased employment for technicians. Increased activity is due to print orders in quantity in Cinecolor process for two features — RKO's "Isle of Destiny" and Monogram's "Gentleman from Arizona" — and an unusual volume of short subjects. Current orders and new business schedule for immediate future will require running the plant at this rate for some time to come. Hadfield Rites Held Chicago — Funeral services were held here yesterday for Harry H. Hadfield, 66, dean of B & K managers, at his death in charge of the Belpark theatre. Burial was in Emblem cemetery. His widow and a brother survive.