Hollywood Motion Picture Review (1937-1940)

Page 6 HOLLYWOOD MOTION PICTURE REVIEW July 31, 1937 ANALYZING IMMEDIATE PRODUCT PICTURES NOW BEING FILMED BUDGET *** High Budget ** Medium Budget * Low Budget PRODUCER ttt Top Average ft Medium Average t Low Average STORY Great Prospects Ordinary Prospects ^ Doubtful Prospects DIRECTORIAL §§§ Highly Recommended §§ Favorable § Inconsistent STAR VALUE XXX Pretentious XX Attractive X Weak BOX-OFFICE PREDICTION * Means 25% greater ooo A Record Breaker oo Holds Its Own o Undervalue A LOVE LIKE THAT RKO-Radio Rating: ***. ft 1HI §§§• x»>‘ °°* Catchlines: "A girl with a mind and a fortune taught a lesson to the man she loved." "He let business flounder on the rocks while he played polo — and the game of love." THE STORY: Marshall takes no interest in the affairs of his steamship line but prefers night life, while the lines are going into bankruptcy. Barbara Stanwyck, an heiress, meets him and discovers he is practically engaged to Glenda Farrell, a gold-digging actress whose career he is financing. Barbara decides to make a man of him and buys control of the lines. Penniless and in no position to fight back, he is made vice-president of the company. But he still intends to marry Glenda. Barbara concocts a scheme and Glenda confesses her true golddigging nature. Marshall and Barbara are married and depart on a honeymoon. CREDITS: The Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Her bert Marshall, Glenda Farrell, Eric Blore, Donald Meek, and others. Producer Edward Kaufman. Directed by Alfred Santell. Screenplay by Charles Kaufman, Paul Yawitz and Viola Brothers Shore. Story by David Garth. THE RIVER OF MISSING MEN Columbia Rating: **. ttt Hlf §§■ xx. oo. Catchlines: "A G-Man lands the criminals Into the trap they had set for him." THE STORY; Going to prison as a public enemy, Holt, a G-man, hopes, with the help of prison authorities and Wynne Gibson, a G-woman, to be led to the criminals' secret hiding place. Holt ancf Pawley escape and go to an old Spanish mine. He cannot get to the authorities with the necessary information because of close watch by the other criminals who think Holt has his bank robbery loot hidden away and they Intend to cash In on It. He finally manages to escape and the gangsters are rounded up. CREDITS: The Cast; Jack Holt, Wynne Gibson, C. Henry Gordon, William Pawley, Jack LaRue, Arthur Hohl, Ed Brophy and others. Produced by Larry Darmour. Directed by Lew Collins. Screenplay by Tom Kilpatrick. Story by Bernard McConville. ATLANTIC FLIGHT Monogram Rating: **. ft 1HI §§§• xx. oo. Catchlines: "Two daring aviators who made history — take a flyer in the movies." "Once again aviation Is proven to be invaluable to humanity." THE STORY: Merrill, aviator, flies his plane with a sick child aboard, to a doctor, while his pal, Heyburn, is testing a new plane Merrill is to fly In a cup race. Paula Stone, rich heiress interested In aviation. Is one of their competitors. On the eve of the race, Heyburn has to fly the plane, which is wrecked and Heyburn announced in critical condition. Merrill is found a victim of Lebedeff who wanted to get him out of the race. Merrill flies to England, obtains the serum that saves Heyburn's life. Paula consents to marry Heyburn. CREDITS: The Cast: Dick Merrill, Weldon Hey burn, Jack Lamble, Milburn Stone, Paula Stone, Ivan Lebedeff and others. Associate Producer William Berke. Directed by William Nigh. Story and Screenplay by Scott Darling and Erna Lazarus. LIFE BEGINS IN COLLEGE 20th Century-Fox Rating: ***. ft Hi §§§• xx. oo*. Catchlines: "After seven years working their way thru college— $10,000 a day fell In their laps." "They were a triple threat to the other team — but a pain in the neck to the alumni." THE STORY: After befriending Pendleton, the only Indian student to attend Lombardy college In years, he gives the Ritz Brothers full access to $10,000 daily, royalties from his oil properties. The alumni demand Coach Stone's resignation and since the dean depends upon endowments from some of the alumni, consents to the dismissal. Baldwin, handsome football captain, very much taken up with Stone's daughter, Gloria Stuart, tries in vain to save the coach's job. The Ritz Brothers place a big endowment before the dean and he agrees to let Stone keep his job, but also must let the Brothers play on the football team. It is only thru them that the big game is won. Pendleton finds a sweety in the person of Joan Davis and Baldwin and Gloria continue their romance. CREDITS; The Cast: Ritz Brothers, Fred Stone, Gloria Stuart, Dick Baldwin, Nat Pendleton, Joan Davis, Tony Martin, Joan Marsh, Dixie Dunbar, Jed Prouty, and others. Associate Producer Harold Wilson. Directed by William A. Seiter. Screenplay by Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger. From a series of stories by Darrell Ware. WESTERN GOLD 20th Century-Fox Rating: **. ftt HH §§§■ xx. oo. Catchlines: "He sent his song on wings of lead and fists of dynamite!" "Smashing drama of a new empire, as hardened men carry the law to a raw frontier." THE STORY: President Lincoln entrusts Ballew, scout adventurer, to the task of clearing the western trails for the gold coaches. He meets Heather, daughter of the express agent, and the two are attracted to each other. Ballew volunteers to take the gold coach through the dangerous country, but his plans are revealed to Mason and his henchmen who give chase and capture the coach. Ballew follows with a posse and the bandit groups are vanquished. His mission fulfilled, Ballew marries Heather. CREDITS: The Cast: Smith Ballew, Heather An gel, Leroy Mason, Howard Hickman, Alan Bridge, Bud Osborne, Victor Potel, Frank McGlynn, Sr., Ben Alexander and others. Produced by Sol Lesser. Directed by Howard Bretherton. Screenplay by Earle Snell and Forrest Barnes, from the story by Harold Bell Wright. SH-H-H! THE OCTOPUS Warner Bros. Rating: *. ft HH §§■ xx. oo. Catchlines: "The world's dumbest detectives sent on a chase for something — but couldn't remember it." "Master minds at solving mysteries — but what to do when a frightened young lady faints?" THE STORY; Herbert and Jenkins, the world's dumbest detectives, find themselves sent on a chase after a mysterious murderer known as the Octopus. They have Marcia Ralston faint in their arms and the three hurry to an old lighthouse. Mystery and thrills follow in breathless succession as Herbert and Jenkins discover a murdered man and attempt to solve the crime. They find many visitors to the lighthouse and also doors that open revealing hidden stairs, octopus tentacles and poison gas, and suspect everyone of being the dread Octopus. A stranger appears and introduces himself as Police Commissioner and all concerned confess their true identities. It then develops the stranger is not the Commissioner and the plot shows less promise of solution than ever. CREDITS: The Cast: Allen Jenkins, Hugh Her bert, Marcia Ralston, John Eldredge, Brandon Tynan, George Rosener, Eric Stanley and others. Produced by Bryan Foy. Directed by William McCann. Screenplay by George Bricker. Original play by Ralph Murphy and Donald Gallaher. I MET MY LOVE AGAIN United Artists Rating: **. ftt HH §§• xx. oo. Cafchllnes; "He discovered he could dance, laugh and sing for the moment like anyone else." "She called it a romantic idyll — he attributed his mood to an awaking sense of humor." THE STORY: After a whirlwind courtship, an elopement and ten years married life to a writer, Joan Bennett, after the death of her husband, returns to her old home and her jilted sweetheart, Fonda, who has now become a lonely, dignified professor. Louise Platt, a student who thinks she is madly in love with Fonda, finally has his promise he will attend the annual faculty dance but he must escort an alumni. He invites Joan and she is happy thinking it is his old love reviving. Joan and Fonda confess their old love for each other. Louise learns of the plans tor an immediate marriage and makes trouble. Joan tricks her into forgetting her love for Fonda. At last Joan and Fonda leave on their ten-year-delayed honeymoon. CREDITS: The Cast: Joan Bennett, Henry Fon da, Dame May Whitty, Alan Marshal, Louise Platt, Alan Baxter, Florence Lake and others. Produced by Walter Wanger. Directed by Arthur Ripley and Joshua Logan. Screenplay by David Hertz. Novel by Allene Corliss. MERRY-GO-ROUND OF 1938 Universal Rating: ***. ft HH §§§• xx. oo*. Catchlines: "They posed as royalty to help a bright young gal get her man." "Vaudeville experience came in handy and helped to climax a perfect love-match." THE STORY: Feeling that their adopted daugh ter, Joy Hodges, is refusnig to marry King, a rich young man, because they are penniless and thinks she cannot leave them, Lahr, Auer, House and Savo, a vaudeville team, fake a screen offer and leave for California. Joy meets King's aunt, Alice Brady, who causes their engagement to be broken because there is no royal blood in Joy's family. The four boys go to Alice's home posing as Joy's feminine relations. Everything is progressing favorably until unforeseen circumstances turn up and the deception is revealed. Eventually things are straightened out; the marriage is performed and the boys receive the movie, offer that evaded them for so many years. CREDITS: The Cast: Mischa Auer, Bert Lahr, Billy House, Jimmie Savo, Alice Brady, Louise Fazenda, John King, Joy Hodges and others. Produced by B. G. DeSylva. Directed by Irving Cummings. Original screenplay by Dorian Otvos and Monte Brico.