Hollywood Motion Picture Review (1937-1940)

Page 6 HOLLYWOOD MOTION PICTURE REVIEW September 28, 1940 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 If 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 CARIBBEAN HOLIDAY Universal Rating: ***. ft fllf §§• xx. oo Catchlines: "He had to choose between parting with his money or his honey." "He was caught between two fires — his latest love and her ex-flame." THE STORY: Cummings is having difficulty with his girl friend, Nancy Kelly, so his friend, Jones, sells him a million-dollar "love insurance" policy which practically guarantees his marriage to Nancy. The romance is hindered by Peggy Moran, who is in love with Cummings, and Jones, while trying to patch up the trouble with Nancy, falls in love with her himself. They all go to a Caribbean island and in the mix-up, Peggy marries Cummings which leaves Nancy free to marry Jones and all are happy. CREDITS: The Cast: Allan Jones, Robert Cummings, Nancy Kelly, Peggy Moran, Mary Boland, Leo Carrillo, William Erawley, Barnett Parker and others. Associate Producer Leonard Spigelgass. Director A. Edward Sutherland. Screenplay by Charles Grayson. Based on a story by Earl Derr Biggers. FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS Republic Rating: **. ftt Hi §§• xx. oo* Catchlines: "They used drastic measures but got results." "Love gave him a new slant on life." THE STORY: The Weavers, obliged to leave their home because of the drouth, make the acguaintance of a group of tramps led by Hartley, former law student. After a brawl the gang hides out in the home of Lois Ranson and her blind grandmother. The town needs a levee to restore it to its former prosperity so the Weavers and the gang get busy. They finally induce the governor to appropriate funds and it becomes a real town. CREDITS: The Cast: Leon, Frank, June and Loretta Weaver, John Hartley, Lois Ranson and Spencer Charters. Associate Producer Armand Schaefer. Director Nick Grinde. Original screenplay by Dorrell and Stewart McGowan. GALLANT SONS M.G.M. Rating: **. ft HH §§■ xx. oo. Catchlines: "They stood by a friend in time of need." "His pals turned detectives and saved the day." THE STORY: When Cooper's father leads a raid on Hunter, a big time gambler, he escapes and goes to the home of a rather disreputable woman. The officers trail Hunter and find him standing over the woman's dead body. He is convicted and sent to prison. Hunter's son, Reynolds, and Cooper are school chums so the student body decide to investigate. They find clues that lead to the real criminal and Hunter is freed and goes into a legitimate business. CREDITS: The Cast: Jackie Cooper, Gene Reynolds, Ian Hunter, Bonita Granville, June Preisser, El Brendel, Gail Patrick, and Edward Ashley. Producer Erederick Stephani. Director George Seitz. NOBODY'S CHILDREN Columbia Rating: **. ft. HH. §§• xx. oo Catchlines: "A new and brighter life stretched ahead of her." "She forgot her own troubles in making others happy." THE STORY: Edith Fellows has been in the orphans home for years. Nobody wants to adopt her because she is a cripple, unable to leave her wheel chair. One day Mary Currier and her husband come to the home for a child and decide to take Edith. A specialist operates on Edith and she is soon able to walk. Her happiness is complete when her foster parents adopt her brother also. CREDITS: The Cast: Edith Fellows, Billy Lee, Georgia Caine, Lois Wilson, Ben Taggart, Walter White, Jr., and others. Producer Jack Fier. Director Charles Barton. Original story by Doris Malloy. Adapted from a radio program. KITTY FOYLE RKO Radio Rating: **. ft HH §§§■ xx. oo* Catchlines: "She learned to take what life had to offer." "Love brings happiness to her troubled heart." THE STORY: As a young girl. Ginger Rogers admired the people of society and had visions of someday being one of them. She completes a business course and gets a job with Morgan, wealthy young socialite. They fall in love and are married but the family don't approve and the marriage is annuled. Ginger becomes a successful career woman. On the eve of her marriage to Craig, young interne, she meets Morgan and believing she still loves him promises to sail with him for Europe. Einally Ginger realizes it is a memory she loves and real happiness will come with her marriage to Craig. CREDITS: The Cast: Ginger Rogers, Dennis Morgan, James Craig, Ernest Cossart, Eduardo Ciannelli, Gladys Cooper, Odette Myrtil, Katharine Stevens and others. Producer David Hempstead. Director Sam Wood. Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and Donald Ogden Stewart. From the novel by Christopher Morley. GIRLS UNDER 21 Columbia Rating: **. ft HH §§■ xx. oo Catchlines: "The girls proved worthy when put on their honor." "He had the courage to fight for his convictions." THE STORY: Rochelle Hudson, Kelly's girl friend, suddenly marries Cabot, a neighborhood gangster. He is arrested and Rochelle leaves him. The other girls in Kelly's school set Rochelle up as a model and when she gets a job in a store the girls take the opportunity to steal. Rochelle is arrested but Kelly influences the girls to confess. He and Rochelle find happiness. CREDITS: The Cast: Bruce Cabot, Rochelle Hudson, Paul Kelly, Tina Thayer,. Roberta Smith, Lois Verner and others. Producer Ralph Cohn. Director Max Nosseck. Original story and screenplay by Jay Dratler and Eanya Eoss. BLONDIE PLAYS CUPID Columbia Rating: **. ft HH §§■ xx. oo Catchlines: "Their efforts at aiding Cupid brought near disaster." "True love overcame all obstacles." THE STORY: Penny Singleton and Lake, enroute to a ranch, get lost and are picked up by Luana Walters and Ford who are eloping. Luana's father, Wright, overtakes them and spoils the wedding. Penny and Lake decide to help the lovers. Baby Dumpling throws a lighted stick of dynamite into an old well. The explosion brings oil gushing forth. Wright gives his blessing to the lovers. CREDITS: The Cast: Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms, Glenn Ford, Luana Walters, Will Wright, Danny Mummert and others. Producer Robert Sparks. Director Frank R. Strayer. Screenplay by Richard Flournoy and Karen DeWolf. Story by Karen DeWolf and Charles M. Brown. SOUTH OF SUEZ Warner Bros. Rating: **. ft. HH §§■ xx. oo. Catchlines: "Her faith gave him strength when things looked blackest." "Her beauty was a mask for the evil in her heart." THE STORY: Tobias, the cruel, cowardly owner of a diamond mine, is hated by everyone including his wife, Lee Patrick, who married him for his money. She attempts to carry on an affair with Brent, who works for Mander, another mine owner. Tobias murders Mander and throws the blame on Brent. However, he escapes with the jewels and goes to England where he finds Brenda Marshall, Mander's daughter. The two fall in love but Brent is finally arrested. Lee tells of seeing Tobias commit the crime and Brent is free to marry Brenda. CREDITS: The Cast: George Brent, Brenda Marshall, Lee Patrick, Miles Mander, George Tobias, James Stephenson and others. Producer William Jacobs. Director Lew Seiler. Screenplay by Barry T rivers. PASSAGE WEST Columbia Rating: ***. ft HH §§■ xx. oo Catchlines: "His fear turned to courage in the face of danger." "Their heroism erased all past misdeeds." THE STORY: Logan, captain of a freighter, takes on a number of passengers anxious to escape the rumblings of war in Europe, and the ship puts out to sea. On board are Constance Bennett and O'Brien, both Americans, who fall in love. War is declared and a submarine fires on the ship. It Is crippled by gunfire and the wireless is wrecked. O'Brien attempts to fix it but is foiled by Kaiser, a German who is still loyal to his country. The ship and crew are saved when three of the men go out in a small boat and release a depth bomb on the submarine. CREDITS: The Cast: Pat O'Brien, Constance Bennett, John Halliday, Melville Cooper, Alan Baxter, Marjorie Gateson, Stanley Logan, Erwin Kaiser and others. Producer Sam Bischoff. Director John Brahm. Screenplay by P. J. Wolfson. Story by Sidney Biddell and Fredric Frank. WESTERN UNION 20th Century-Fox Rating: ***. f + t. Hlj. §§. xx. oo* Catchlines: "Their courage and daring broke through the wilderness to a new frontier." "A reckless young stranger walked into her life." THE STORY: Scott finds dagger, engineer for Western Union, seriously injured and takes him to the nearest settlement. A few months later while stringing cables across a wild country, « dagger again meets Scott who has fallen for // Brenda Joyce, dagger's sister. Another of her admirers is Young. The camp is raided by white renegades, posing as Indians, and many of the men are killed. When guestioned by dagger, Scott admits the leader is his brother. In a gun duel with the outlaw. Scott is killed. The Western Union goes through and Brenda is waiting for Young at the end of the line. CREDITS: The Cast: Robert Young, Randolph Scott, Dean dagger, Brenda Joyce, Slim Summerville, Laird Cregar, John Carradine, Minor Watson and Chill Wills. Producer Harry Joe Brown. Director Fritz Lang. From the original story by Zane Grey.