The Film Daily (1940)

W*^ DAILY Monday, August 5, 194' :< :< REVIEWS OF THE REISI flLfflS tV ,\ "Mystery Sea Raider" with Carole Landis, Henry Wilcoxon and Onslow Stevens Paramount 75 Mins. (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) CORKING "WAR -AT -SEA" STORY CHARGED WITH TENSE MOMENTS SHOULD PLEASE PATRONS. Associate Producer Eugene Zukor presents one of the most authentic "war-atsea" stories ever filmed. Not an expensive film, "Mystery Sea Raider" is charged with tense moments and suspenseful situations. Almost the entire action of the film takes place afloat. Edward Dmytryk, director, has handled his cast masterfully. It's the sensible little touches, as much as the more than good work of the performers, that make for the picture's success. Henry Wilcoxon and Onslow Stevens, both away from pictures for some time, do excellent work in their respective hero and heavy roles. Carole Landis is lovely and competent. She hasn't much to do. Based on recent news stories, and the actions of a mythical German Sea Raider, the film is timely and exposes the operations of foreign agents in America. The Apache, a freighter tied up in New York harbor, because of lack of cargo, is chartered by Onslow Stevens, ostensibly an importer and exporter, to carry cargo and salesmen on a cruise to the Caribbean. Henry Wilcoxon, her master, gets his ship to sea only to have its command taken from him at sea, and the ship turned into a raider and supply ship for German Submarines. Carole Landis stumbles aboard before sailing and is taken along. After weeks of raiding, a ruse of Wilcoxon's and Carole, exposes the ship's operations to a British cruiser who steams to the rescue. Things look bad for the cruiser until Wilcoxon and a group of captured seamen retake their ship, foil the plans of its prize crew, and escape just before the raider is destroyed. Technical work on the picture is excellent. Harry Fischbeck and Dewey Wrigley, cameramen, have done a difficult task well. Edward E. Paramore, Jr., screenplay, based on Robert Grant's story, is an excellent job of research and writing. Patrons will like "Mystery Sea Raider." CAST: Carole Landis, Henry Wilcoxon, Onslow Stevens, Kathleen Howard, Wallace Rairden, Sven-Hugo Borg, Henry Victor, Roland Varno, Louis Adlon, Will Kaufman, Monte Blue, Matthew Boulton, Gohr Van Vleck, Jean Del Val, Kay Linaker, Reed Howes, Philip Warren. CREDITS: Producer, Eugene J. Zukor; Director, Edward Dmytryk; Author, Robert Grant; Screenplay, Edward E. Paramore, Jr.; Cameramen, Harry Fischbeck and Dewey Wrigley; Art Directors, Hans Dreier and Robert Odell; Editor, Archie Marshek; Musical Director, Andrea Setaro; Technical Advisor, Wallace Rairden. DIRECTION, Masterful. PHOTOGRAPHY, Swell. "Pride" Clicking "Pride and Prejudice" is proving its box-office value everywhere in its first key city showings, M-G-M reported over the week-end. Opening day at six new spots resulted in business far exceeding normal. "Golden Gloves" with Richard Denning, Jean Cagney, J. Carrol Naish Paramount 69 Mins. (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) EXPOSE OF AMATEUR BOXING RACKET WITH CAST OF YOUNGSTERS IS DIRECTED AT THE YOUNGER GENERATION. Something a little different because it is obviously directed at the younger generation, this film pleased the premiere audience very much. There are no names in the cast, but the group of youngsters headed by Jean Cagney, Richard Denning and Robert Paige, handle their assignments well under the guidance of Edward Dmytryk. Screenplay by Maxwell Shane and Lewis R. Foster, from Shane's original, holds together well, exposing throughout the show lines that speak well for his knowledge of the writers craft. A boy is killed in an amateur prize fight, leaving his sister (Jean Cagney) bitter against amateur fighting and all it stands for. Robert Paige, a sports editor, when his editor refuses to print the story behind the story — the exploitation of young boys by J. Carrol Naish, a rascally promoter— quits his job and goes to work for a smaller newspaper and vows to clean up amateur boxing and expose the graft and corruption which has held it down. He solicits the assistance of Richard Denning, Jean's sweetheart, but because of her feelings in the matter, Denning refuses. To win her over, Paige resorts to flattery and escorts her to swanky affairs until he has her consent to permit her boy friend to enter a coming "Golden Gloves" contest. Misunderstanding her interest in Paige, Denning breaks with the girl, but continues in the contest. J. Carrol Naish, kills a young fighter, and hires a ringer to fight Denning in an effort to save his racket, but eventually, of course, everything turns out well. The boy and girl marry, and the "Golden Gloves" go on to national fame. Associate Producer, William C. Thomas, has done an excellent piece of work. Camera work by Henry Sharp is excellent. CAST: Richard Denning, Jean Cagney, J. Carrol Naish, Robert Paige, William Frawley, Edward S. Brophy, Robert Ryan, George Ernest, David Durand, James Seay, Sidney Miller, Johnnie Morris, Frank Coghlan, Jr., Alec Craig, Thomas E. Jackson, Lorraine Krueger, Leona Roberts, John Gallaudet, Pierre Watkin. CREDITS: Associate Producer, William C. Thomas; Director, Edward Dmytryk; Author, Maxwell Shane; Screenplay, Maxwell Shane and Lewis R. Foster; Cameraman, Henry Sharp; Art Directors, Hans Dreier and William Flannery; Musical Director, Sigmund Krumgold; Editor, Doane Harrison. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Excellent. Master Photographers Signs Local 21314 Pact Master Photographers, Inc., of 443-445 West 41st St., through Prexy Samuel Stern, has signed a pact with Local 21314, American Federation of Commercial and Photo Employes Union (A F of L). Stern's company is one of the chief sources of supply to the local film industry of slides, ad photos, and copies. "Sing, Dance, Plenty Hot" with Ruth Terry and Johnny Downs Republic 70 Mins. (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) MUSICAL WITH PLENTY OF ACTION AND LAUGHS INTRODUCES CLEVER NEW COMEDY TEAM. This is a musical film with plenty of action and plenty of laughs. Robert North has done a good job as Associate Producer. A new comedy team, Billy Gilbert and Barbara Allen, (Vera Vague of the radio) make their debut and kept the preview audience roaring with their several skits together. Lew Landers, no newcomer to the ranks of comedy film directors, kept things moving at a fast and merry clip. Johnny Downs and Ruth Terry, as the "boy and girl," handle their roles nicely. They are a fresh, clean-cut couple. Lester Matthews, a rascally charity show producer, induces a couple of old spinster ladies, Barbara Allen and Elizabeth Risdon, to back a revue, the proceeds of which are to be turned over to an orphanage. Johnny Downs, the assistant director and leading man of the show, teams up with the spinster's niece, (Ruth Terry) and when it is discovered, is ordered out of the family mansion, and the show is called off. The intervention of a group of the orphans, headed by Mary Lee, who, by the way, is the possessor of one of the finest "blues" voices in town, puts the show back into rehearsal, only to have the entire show blow up when it is discovered that the promoter is a crook. Billy Gilbert, posing as a stage-struck business man, turns out to be a policeman, and after making love to one of the spinsters, posing as an East Indian Princess, and kidnapping the producer and his wife, brings back the money in the nick of time. The show goes on and the orphanage is saved. Outstanding is the comedy of Gilbert. He is given more footage than any other of the cast, and his hilarious antics should be good for a lot of ticket sales. Bradford Ropes, Vera Caspary, and Gordon Rigby, who collaborated on the script, did well. Songs by Jule Styne, George R. Brown and Sol Meyer are tuneful. Photography was good. CAST: Ruth Terry, Johnny Downs, Barbara Allen (Vera Vague), Billy Gilbert, Claire Carleton, Mary Lee, Elizabeth Risdon, Lester Matthews, Leonard Carey. CREDITS: Assocaite Producer, Robert North; Director, Lew Landers; Authors, Vera Caspary, Bradford Ropes; Screenplay, Bradford Ropes; Adaptation, Gordon Rigby; Cameraman, Ernest Miller; Supervising Editor, Murray Seldeen; Editor, Edward Mann; Art Director, John Victor Mackay; Musical Director, Cy Feuer; Songs, Jule Styne, George R. Brown and Sol Meyer; Dance Director, Larry Ceballos. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good. Chi. Erkmger to UBO Chicago — UBO, headed by Mark Heiman, has leased the Erlanger for another year, according to J. H. Kahane, RKO attorney here. Shuberts are reported taking over the Studebaker. "Dr. Christian Meets the Women" with Jean Hersholt, Dorothy Lovett, Edg Kennedy, Rod LaRoque, Frank Albertson RKO Radio 68 Min MILDLY EFFECTIVE DRAMATIC RC MANCE SPIKED WITH COMEDY; WJt DO ESPECIALLY FOR AVERAGE STANli "Dr. Christian Meets the Women" w | in turn meet audience approval chief through the capable acting by Jean Hershc; of a sympathetic role, the supporting effor of the cast, and such moments of comei as the vehicle offers. Otherwise it is i innocuous offering, earmarked more to me the season's product demand than to supp scintillating entertainment. Judging from examination of the opi and audience reaction, the picture, eve though a country doctor is the key figu J and exhibits all the solidity of his profe sion and sex, appeals not nearly as mu< to the male gender as to the femmes. Th is chiefly due to the character of the stor which discloses how a slick racketeer mule a small community's women of their go and health via appeals to their pride (ai whatever loose reasoning they possess) take his course on slenderizing. Rod LaRocque handles the assignment the "thinning man" with good dramat effect, playing against the conscientio legit medico role of Hersholt. The latt both crusades and pursuades among i patients to arrest their folly. Many ui heeding victims land near death's door, ii eluding the comely Dorothy Lovett who h the femme lead. Love interest is supplii via a shoddy romance 'twixt her and Frai Albertson, the racketeering physical cultu ist's assistant. While love triumphs in the end, as do justice, the script puts Albertson's role wishy-washy light, since it provides i him to "break" with his shady employ only after Miss Lovett has to be all b snatched from the arms of eternity, — a sta in which she was placed by the slenderizii methods. Technically the film is okay, b like the victims at the finale it's too th entertainment. CAST: Jean Hersholt, Dorothy Love Edgar Kennedy, Rod LaRoque, Frank Alber son, Marilyn Merrick, Maude Eburne, Ve Ann Borg, Lelah Taylor, William Gou Phyllis Kennedy, Bertha Priestley, Died Vale, Heinie Conklin. CREDITS: Producer, William Stepher Director, William McGann; Associate Pr ducer, Monroe Shaff; Story Editor, Dorot Barstow; Assistant Director, Gordon S. Gr fith; Director of Photography, John Altc Art Director, Bernard Herzbrun; Music C. Bakaleinikoff; Recording Director, John Myers; Film Editor, Edward Mann; S Dressings by Earl Wooden; Costumes, Mor Friedman. DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPH Good. Navarre to Operate House Seattle, Wash. — Guy F. Navarii formerly head of United Artists E \ change here, will operate a new 60 seat house in the University Di trict. Bjarne Moe is the archite for the $55,000 building bei) erected by Roy E. Meister.