Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1934)

iff oneV ifl VARIETY MOTION PICTURE HERALD FILM DAILY Happiness Ahead Familiar in story, 'Happiness Ahead' becomes excellent entertainment through dialog and directorial treatment. Picture has speed and novelty, should land in the good grocsers. Noteworthy is the cinematic debut of Josephine Hutchinson. Despite the lightness of her part. Miss Hutchinson gives evidence of becoming a stellar screen bet. With a quality similar to that of Helen Hayes, she will be a femme favorite. As an heiress who is tired of the pomp of her surroundings and a domineering mother, Miss Hutchinson sneaks off, becomes acquainted with Dick Powell, a window-, washer. She finds Powell and his friends genuine. In an effort to help him better himself, she borrows money from her indulgent father. Powell, not knowing she is weathy and believing the father to be her boy friend, gives her the air. Dad squares things in time to save her from marrying a man her mother has chosen. Mervyn LeRoy has given the story a freshness that was necessary to lift it above commonplace. His fast direction keeps the yarn from dragging. Dialog is, above par, giving all the characters a naturalness often missing. Powell is himself as the window lassager. He sings four numbers, of them socks. 'Pop Goes "*—»«tl^will get a good recep£jndow Panes,' jas ex yd Happiness Ahead (Warner) Romance This picture is composed of popular entertainment and showmanship elements. It's a love story, chockful of human interest. The Cinderella theme is novelly reversed; a rich girl falls in love with a regular fellow poor boy. A spirit of gay romantic adventure motivates. Yet supplementing that quality there's plenty of comedy in dialogue and situations. There's action enough to give the show a tinge of realism. Occasionally comes a pulse-quickening thrill, Logical is the touching tinge of contrasting drama, made more potent by smartly controlled suspense. Music, both in song and accompaniment, fulfills a different function than in previous Dick Powell pictures. While it is a feature by itself, its primary purpose is to accentuate the romantic quality of the theme. In addition to its entertainment quality, it uncovers Dick Powell as a star not entirely dependent upon his singing ability. Also it introduces a new personality, Josephine Hutchinson, not an electric beauty but an actress of ability with the earmarks of potential popularity. While it covers much that is colorful and interesting, the story is simple and natural. Wealthy Joan finds no interest in the sham and foible of high society. New Year Eve, on an adventurous quest, she lands. in a Chinese restaurant. The people there thrill her; she is made one of a party, windowwashers and shop girls. Romance comes, quick, clean and appealing, for her and Bob Lane. To shield her identity, she rents a walk-up fiat. . All goes well until ambitious Dick, desiring to go into the window-washing game for himself, but not having the necessary dough, sees Joan get the money from her father. Not knowing the relationship, but accepting the sk^Jie thinks he is being two-timed id to the romance^ " "HAPPINESS AHEAD" with Dick Powell, Josephine Hutchinson First National 86 mins. CLICKS STRONG WITH WHOLESOME HUMAN INTEREST DRAMA AND SWELL ROMANCE THAT WILL GET THE FEMMES. Mervyn Le Roy comes through with a prand human interest document filled with delightful and natural touches that are 6cund to panic the fesnmes of high and low degree. But perhaps initial credit must be given to Harry Sauber for writing a dcwn-to-earth original without any Hollywood hoke and plenty of the stuff that brings a catch in the throat and a smile to the lips at the same time. And that's a type of writing very scarce on the screen. Josephine Hutchinson comes through as a great bet with an extremely natural and charming personality that grows on you. And how that girl can troupe! A grand team — she and Dick Powell, the latter doing the best work of his career in this one. It is a Reverse Cinderella story— with the rich girl playing at being a poor girl so she cat? get some real happiness and romance out of life. And Powell sings a couple cf songs — especially a sort of theme song throughout— that fits in perfectly to plot development and makes the lavish musicals Icok weak stacked against this production's swell human interest story. Cast: Dick Powell, Josephine Hutchinson, John Ha'iiday, Dorothy Dare, Frank McHugh, Alien Jenkins, Ruth, jorie Garesor to ,\Yc* „ ' H^o^ ,f hove aone sU9^ss *H ^ <*/> Jane Dai welT^H^J # / assignments. Photography, particularly^!^ Miss Hutchinson, is very goodT^^ gone " Bros.> "HAP*»V a cnSPSHBI IBjj^^BHeuished with the elements they" most appreciate, should go a long way. — McCarthy, Hollywood. iBnVExcellent. Photography, ciocd.