Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Sep 1932)

40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD July 2, 1932 other important factors and situations in the story. However, you are supposed to know your own patronage and how they should be sold. If you must play that slant up, do it with extreme caution and diplomacy. If, on the other hand, your community takes exception to such stuff, you can very easily forget about it in your selling campaign. Remember, you must build up interest by injecting good ad copy. The title must shift for itself without the aid of strong names. To inject the necessary interest use the background of the story. Every character in the cast is understandable and can probably be found in many average American homes. The audience value is the picture's best asset. No question about most of the customers going out and talking about it. The word-ofmouth advertising should insure a well-patronized engagement, but to get a lot of people talking you must get a pretty good opening day crowd. So better buckle down and use your head. If you can screen the picture at your nearest exchange before you start selling it, all the better, because it will open up many fine slants that ought to appeal to you for your particular community. Lacking such a screening you can find out plenty in advance by getting the press book. Not suitable for children or for Sunday showings in smaller towns, but nevertheless charged with plenty of ticket-selling ammunition for any theatre with a manager who knows how to sell something worthwhile to his patrons. We predict 'way above average receipts for this picture and we'll be disappointed if this prediction fails to come true. — Lewis. Produced and distributed by MGM. Directed by Charles F. Brabin. Author: John Van D'ruten of the play "After All." Additional dialogue by Zelda Sears and Wanda Tuchock. Photography by John Mescal. Film editor, William S. Gray. Release date, June 4, 1932. Running time, 76 minutes. CAST Ralph Robert Young Phyl Margaret Perry Mr. Thomas Lewis Stone Mrs. Thomas Laura Hope Crewes Myra Myrna Loy Duff David Newell Hallett Jean Hersholt Estelle Ruth Selwyn Zoe Kathryn Crawford Mrs. Warburton Louise Closser Hale Bodvin Mitchell Lewis Aunty Doe Elizabeth Patterson Maid Lillian Harmer Bachelor's Folly (World Wide) Comedy-Drama Here is an able piece of comedy-drama, which, to the American exhibitor, especially in the smaller situation, will perhaps present an obstacle to ready audience appreciation, the British English production and consequent dialogue accent. Gainsborough, British producer, made the film, distributed in this country by World Wide. Herbert Marshall and Edna Best, who share the lead, are acknowledged as two of the most capable performers on the English stage. They execute their work here with a smoothness and finish expected of them, but it is unfortunately true that their names are considerably unknown to the great body of the American motion picture audience. The supporting cast is, with few exceptions, effective, but the lack of name value in the film is even further emphasized in this regard. You may well pay some little attention, however, to Gordon Harker, who as Marshall's pugnacious and illmannered butler, and one-time burglar, supplies the comedy with an impertinent assurance which is vastly amusing. The bachelor who was double crossed by a married woman in whom he had put his faith, and who finally turns to the other girl who quietly put her faith in him, conveys an idea of the plot theme. That is perhaps the best line to tie in with the title. One name which should have a certain amount of selling value is that of the late Edgar Wallace, from whose play, "The Calendar," the film was adapted. Be careful, however, that your advertising does not imply a mystery, thriller angle, because of the Wallace origination. This is not one of the author's melodramas. It is straight comedy drama, withal carrying a reasonable amount of suspense and interest of the stage play variety. The film technique has permitted an excellent and rather effective broadening of the background. The story concerns the complications in which Marshall involves himself on the race track, and the opportunity has not been neglected to picture, panoramically and in detail, the race itself, and the fashionable English society crowds at England's famed track, Ascot. The women in your audience should appreciate the style show thus afforded. It would perhaps be better to emphasize the racing element and the romantic-dramatic angle in the copy and steer away from the British side for the best results. This is an entertaining, well-turned film, ably adapted, ably performed, and should give satisfaction where the British element is not a great obstacle, but it would be well not to oversell the picture. — Aaronson. Produced by Gainsborough. Distributed by World Wide. Directed by T. Hayes Hunter. From the stage play, "The Calendar," by Edgar Wallace. Release date, June 12, 1932. Running time, 69 minutes. CAST Garry Anson Herbert Marshall Jill Panniford Edna Best Samuel Cuthbert Hillcott Gordon Harker Lady Panniford Anne Grey Sir Win. Panniford Nigel Bruce John Dory Alfred Drayton Henry Lascarne Leslie Perkins Edmund Garth Allan Aynesworth Wayne Melville Cooper The Office Girl ( RKO-Gainsborough) Comedy with Music A thoroughly enjoyable, light, musical and generally pleasing offering which seemed to tickle the fancy of everyone in the audience where it was caught. Its chief drawback consists of portions of dialogue which are not clear and some accents which at times are particularly jarring. But gauged strictly in accordance with entertainment standards we unhesitatingly recommend this as a decidedly pleasant diversion from many of the present-day American pictures. The story, briefly, deals with a girl who comes to Vienna to get a position as a typist. She gets the job in one of the larger banks and "fate" throws her with the bank's director for an evening in a beer (lovely word that) garden. Of course, she does not know he is a bank director until the following day. Then the action maintains a good rapid pace until the final kissing fadeout. Excellent performances by the four main characters do much to make this a good picture. Miss Renate Muller, as Susie, is good to look at and can sing to any audience's satisfaction. The song, "I Don't Know Why I'm Happy" is a typical Viennese number which has the entire audience humming as they leave the theatre. The title can hardly be classed as strong box office material except where you build up your campaign to support it. Then it can become very much magnetic. The theme back of the picture has an appeal for any American audience ivhich should make the selling of this attraction quite simple. Of course, you have no names to play around with, but you can still make much of it as entertainment by merchandising it the right way. Sell it for what it is. That would be my suggestion regardless of your community 's likes or dislikes for foreign-made pictures. We can almost assure you that they will get as much enjoyment out of it as we did. Audience value is O.K. In spite of its slow start your patrons will wonder how this impetuous girl will get along in her quest for a job. As previously mentioned, it gathers momentum and takes a stronger hold until it completely captures you. The songs come in at good spots, tying right in with the story. One scene in particular was novel and certainly well handled. It showed a large room lined with typewriters which beat out a tune to the tempo of the music. It was very effective and must have taken plenty of time to work out. For theatres where something really different is appreciated we heartily recommend "The Office Girl." Play it where you please but keep in mind that there is little of interest for children. — Lewis. Produced by Gainsborough. Distributed by RKO Radio. Directed by Victor Saville. Story by Frank Schulz. Music by Paul Abraham. Lyrics by Desmond Carter. Release date, April 8, 1932. Running time. 83 minutes. CAST Susie Renate Muller Herr Hasel Jack Hulbert Herr Arvay Owen Nares Klapper Morris Harvey Million Dollar Legs ( Paramount ) Comedy Don't let the critical reviews on this picture affect you too much. Some of them are not likely to be very complimentary. But from a showman's point of view, Paramount has tried an experiment with "Million Dollar Legs" that may set a new note in the production of talking pictures. Here's what they've done : They have gone back into the dark ages of motion picture production and adapted in this picture all those great laugh-creating ideas that made motion pictures the fourth greatest industry in the country. Slapstick, belly-laughs, damnfool nonsense, chases ; they're all there, plus a load of gags that can't fail to provoke howls of laughter. They make a monkey of the hero and Jack Oakie does one sweet job in a part that many another star would be afraid to tackle for fear of injuring his reputation. In short, Paramount lifted a whole book-full of pages from the "Triangle-Keystone Cop" days, when nobody knew what a script was — when they made pictures as they went along and where everyone's craziest ideas were incorporated in the film, if it looked as though they had any possible chance of bringing a laugh. Paramount has worked out its experiment in highly successful fashion. It has given you just what you've been clamoring for during the past few months — something from the "good old days." Take a look at the cast. Oakie, Lyda Roberti and little Dickie Moore are about the only moderns listed. All the rest, W. C. Fields, Andy Clyde, Ben Turpin, et al, are veterans of hilariously glorious days. As an excuse for its experiment, Paramount has used an Olympic Games atmosphere. But don't get too enthusiastic about that. Don't play it up too strongly in your advertising and exploitation as anything like a preview of this year's Olympic Games, although at the climax of the picture you get a maze of shots of keen athletic competition. The background is a little European country where everyone is a born athlete. Where infants can leap 30 feet ; boys run the 100 yards in about six seconds and old men run the mile in nothing flat. Never for one minute is it serious. In fact its absurdity is really so fine that we warned you in the beginning not to pay too much attention to critics, who in their enthusiasm to review the picture in line with the present day trend, may miss the real point of the whole nonsensical farce. Don't try to be serious in selling this one. Shout about those comedy stars. Shout about the old idea that made pictures great. About the nonsense, the foolishness. Tell your patrons that it's all in fun. Concoct the most fantastically funny advance campaign you can. Get as big a crowd as possible in for the first showing and you can be reasonably certain the word-of-mouth advertising will go a long way towards packing them in at every succeeding show. You don't have to worry about selling this to anyone at any time. It will be a great treat for the youngsters, and if you have prepared your audiences for what to expect