Motion Picture (Feb-Jul 1932)

Featured Shorts THE BEST BIG LITTLE PICTURES OF THE MONTH HALF-HOLIDAY Somewhere in your block, there's a man who never has Saturday afternoons off. If he isn't working somewhere else, he's working at home, taking orders from his wife. This little Mack Sennett comedy is about him — with Andy Clyde the worm who turns (temporarily). All dated up with his wife to clean the house and mow the lawn, Andy is introduced to a couple of cuties by a big factory pal, who arranges a date with them for the afternoon. Andy keeps the latter date, instead of the former — though he's hard put to do so — and they head for the beach. And then the ex-boy-friends of the girls overtake them, attracting the riot squad. Amusing — and, what's more, human. (Educational) ONE MORE CHANCE Back on.PaSe Sh you discovered what Bing Crosby is like in person. And here's one more chance to see what he's like on the screen. It's one of the series of singing comedies he's making for Educational — and this particular one kids a certain radio program. Bing takes the part of a cheerful salesman of electric washers, who beats down sales resistance by singing to his prospective feminine customers. Some of them misunderstand, of course. And on top of that, he has trouble holding his wife — but does, finally, by singing to her also. The comedy you witness suffers from advanced age, but Bing does all that can be done with it — and you'll go for his singing in a big way. (Educational) COME CLEAN "^ you're one of those fans (and there are plenty!) who go to see a Laurel and Hardy comedy, no matter what the feature picture is — here's one you can use to convert your friends, also. Always reasonably funny, the pair are insanely funny this time. While the Laurels are calling on the Hardvs for a quiet, homey evening, Laurel suddenly develops a craving for ice cream. The two husbands go out for some, and that's where the fun really gets going. They see a girl jump off a bridge, and Hardy struggles to rescue her, while the blank-faced Laurel, who is later to get ail the credit, stands by. In gratitude, the girl follows them home — and they have a time getting rid of her. You'll lose some buttons at the ending. (M-G-M) apeing Hollywood And sti11 the kiddmg °f Hollywood goes merrily on — with even Tiffany's gifted chimps joining in the fun. This tells you anew, and with broad strokes, that movie stars are made, not born. Fanny Applesass, a country lass, has the usual yearnings for the cinema city — and practices love scenes with John, her father's farmhand. Pa misunderstands, spanks her and locks her in her room. You guessed it. She escapes, and runs away to Hollywood, where she vamps a studio doorman, gets inside the studio, breaks into tears, and is immediately starred. And that isn't all. John follows her and becomes a great screen lover. The chimps' voices may remind you of some film folks you know. (Tiffany) TRAVEL HOGS ^ travelogues have to be clever — like "Around the World in 80 Minutes'' — to hold you, you'll probably get a kick out of this burlesque of the kind that aren't. You know the kind — in which the scenery is fake, the adventures are fake, and the adventurers themselves are fake. Hugh Cameron and Dave Chasen mount a lecture platform to recount their astounding adventures while circling the globe, with only a can of sardines for food. Cameron does all the talking, but you'll find yourself watching Chasen's gestures. As the lecture goes on, you see the adventures that are being described — and the contrast between these scenes and Cameron's description may give you some snickers. ( Yitaphone Varieties) The Wall Street mystery ^;arne^s had a gTl *dt when they persuaded S. S. Van Dine to write a series of mystery shorts — but somehow, the series falls short of your expectations. This isn't the fault of writer, producer or cast. You can place the blame on their necessary brevity. There just isn't time enough to build up any real suspense, or to develop any real sympathy for the characters. However, they do add novelty to a program— and Donald Meek is a satisfactory eccentric detective. This time he solves the double murder of a Wall Street broker and a client, finding the killer innocent in short order — beating you to picking the guilty party. And is that fair? ( Vitaphone Varieties) O k| (" F A I— I P R O ^ y°u ''ke t° see chases in your comedies — and who doesn't, now and then? — here's a laugh number that is chock-full of running. The day before his wedding, a young bank clerk unconsciously sets off a burglar alarm, which causes the capture of a would-be bandit. Hailed as a hero, the clerk is scared silly by thoughts of revenge by the bandit's gang. He goes to the police station to ask for a guard, and while waiting for one, is put in the same cell with the bandit — even handcuffed to him. Not recognizing his cell-mate, the bandit breaks out of jail to run to the station to "get even" with the bank clerk. Their little run — with the bandit dragging the other in and out of tight places — amuses. (Educational) A MELON DRAMA The title tells you that here's a satire of old-fashioned melodrama — but it doesn't tell you that the laughs tumble over each other, they come so fast. And if you have never seen Clank and McCullough, who are featured, how can you know what you're missing? The two Broadway comics — as famous as a stage team, as Laurel and Hardy are as a screen team — play a couple of private detectives. They find business so lax that they spend most of their time playing pranks on the fruit man across the street — at last stealing a watermelon from him (McCullough tucks it in his belt). The melon contains a time-bomb intended for one of their clients, but they don't detect it until they can't help it. (RKO) 72