Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1932)

November 19, 1932 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 31 office material that will give you every opportunity to demonstrate your belief. It has the stuff to give America a new grip on itself. It also has the stuff to make new box office records. Get your patrons to appreciate the first point and their interest will take good care of the second. — McCarthy, Hollywood. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio. Executive producer, David O. Selznick. Directed by William A. Wellman. From the story by Howard Estabrook. Screen play by Robert Lord. Musical director, Max Steiner. Art director, Carroll Clark. Sound recordist, John Tribby. Film editor, William Hamilton. Cameraman, Edward Cronjager. Assistant directors, James Anderson and D. M. Zimmer. Release date, Nov. 18, 1932. Running time, 80 minutes. CAST Roger Standish Richard Dix Caroline Ogden Standish Ann Harding Matilda Blake Edna May Oliver Dr. Daniel Blake Guy Kibbee Warren Lennox Donald Cook Benson Richard "Skeets" Gallagher Mr. Ogden Walter Walker One of the twins Wally Albright One of the twins Marilyn Knowlden Frances Standish Julie Haydon Stubby Harry Holman Lane Jason Robards Manhattan Tower ( Remington ) Drama Modeled basically on the theme wherein the lives and activities of numbers of people center in one location with occasionally dramatic interludes, "Manhattan Tower" carries that idea over into the realm of the skyscraper office building. The action remains in its entirety within the confines of the building, and direction has employed with rather telling effect the technique of the long angled shot from various unusual perspectives much in the manner of the European production. It serves nicely here to create an impression of massiveness, the power of brick and steel and the continuity of the related bits of action taking place on various floors. The production is entertaining, having its touch of romance, its bit of comedy, its rather straightforward drama, and it is performed with reasonable effectiveness, even though the work lacks complete finish in certain instances. The exhibitor, in his effort to sell the picture to his public, lacks the advantage of strong box office names though several of the players are known to be dependable performers. The best marquee names to be found in the cast are Mary Brian, Irene Rich, James Hall and Hale Hamilton. The showman, then, must rely for the most part on the type of story, its unusual and exclusive setting and the dramatic situations. In the building, and the story, are Miss Brian, private secretary to Clay Clement, stock market gambler with the money of his firm ; Hall, electrician working in the building's plant, her sweetheart ; Miss Rich, estranged wife of Clement, seeking a divorce ; Hamilton, attorney, in love with Miss Rich, and urging her to get that divorce. In a rushing series of events which cover a period of only a few hours during the business day, Miss Brian draws the savings of herself and Hall, giving it to Clement to invest, Miss Rich has a final scene with her husband, Hamilton by an appeal saves large deposits about to be withdrawn from the important banking institution which occupies the street floor of the building. Hamilton's secretary, overhearing and misconstruing a statement made within the private office, rushes downstairs spreading the word of a run on the bank. High above, Miss Brian asks Clement to return her money. He refuses. Hall arrives on the scene and the fight which follows results in Clement's plunge through a window to his death in the street far below, thus straightening what appeared to be a highly tangled situation. The brief idea of the story's content should indicate to the exhibitor the manner in which he may draw the attention of his patronage. The thought of the teeming life, drama, death and comedy which daily goes on within the ;walls of any huge office structure should cer tainly suggest innumerable angles for a hard hitting campaign, which in turn should bring a reasonably satisfactory result at the box office. There's nothing here for children. — Aaron son, New York. Produced and distributed by Remington Pictures. Directed by Frank Strayer. Story by David Hempstead. Adaptation and Dialogue by Norman Houston. Edited by Harry Reynolds. Photographed by Ira Morgan. Sound recording by Earl Grain. Release date, December 1, 1932. Running time, 67 minutes. CAST Mary Harper Mary Brian Ann Burns Irene Rich Jimmy Duncan James Hall David Witman Hale Hamilton Marge Lyon Noel Francis Kenneth Burns Clay Clement Miss Wood Mydia Weslman Mr. Hoyt Jed Prouty Crane Eaton Billy Dooley Mr. Ramsay Wade Boteler No More Orchids ( Columbia) Gay Drama This rather gay domestic drama is made romantic by the rich girl, Carole Lombard, who wants to marry the poor boy, Lyle Talbot ; whimsically comic by the ultra-modern and very young but white-haired Louise Closser Hale and the good fellow, pal-father, Walter Connolly ; dramatic by the crabbed C. Aubrey Smith, who wants his granddaughter to marry a prince and also refuses to loan her father the money that would save his bank from crashing. All of it is made more punchy by some exceptionally clever and well delivered dialogue. Colorful in story and elaborately mounted, it is probably a feature that will appeal more strongly to women than to men. At the same time, it may be too deep for any but the older youngsters. Starting when Anne falls for Tony, only to have that boy rebuff her, the story provides some zippy fun aboard an ocean liner bound for New York. Home, the girl tells her hopes to her father, who is more of a' pal than a dad. Aided by Grandma, he tries to bring the youngsters together. Offsetting their efforts is Uncle Cedric, who controls the money bags and has his heart set on Anne wedding a titled foreigner. An odd angle enters into the story, as Bill's business associates urge him to appeal to Cedric for funds to save their bank from crashing. The suspense is heightened as Anne tells Cedric she doesn't want to marry the prince, but when he threatens ruin for her father she agrees to it. Before the marriage can come off, however, Bill and Grandma lure Anne off to their country house where she is joined to Tony and her father, gay to the end, flies off to crash against a mountain, knowing that his insurance policies will take care of the bank as well as Anne. While the rich girl-poor boy plot is far from new, there is a line of novelty and suspense in "No More Orchids" that gives its presentation here a unique freshness. The picture can be sold as catch entertainment. The lack of big star names does not hurt it any. The many gowns that Carole Lombard wears make it possible to stage a fashion show in connection with the feature. Also the angle of inquiring who is the best dressed actress on the screen should help to boost the feminine interest. Go after matinee business strongly. Get the women enthusiastic about it and they should do the kind of talking that will take care of night business. — McCarthy, Hollywood. Produced and distributed by Columbia. Story by Grace Perkins. Screen play by Gertrude Purcell. Adaptation by Keene Thompson. Directed by Walter Lang. Photographed by Joseph August. Release date, November 25, 1932. Running time, 74 minutes. CAST Anne Holt Carole Lambard Bill Holt Walter Connolly Grandma Louise Closser Hale Tony Lyle Talbot Dick Allen Vincent Rita Ruthelma Stevens Cedric C. Aubrey Smith Burkhart William V. Mong Merriwell Charles Mailes Prince Carlos Jameson Thomas Modiste Harold Minjir Holmes Sidney Bracey Captain Ed. LeSaint You Said A Mouthful (First National) Comedy Exciting comedy, dished up in hectic fashion that should tickle the funny bones of any kind of audience, is the keynote of this newest Joe E. Brown jamboree. It is full of those things in action and dialogue that first provoke broad grins and then turn loose gales of laughter. Also included is a lot of the typical Joe E. Brown type of romance, plenty of suspense and the delineation of an ocean marathon swim that presents novel underwater photography. Brown is ably assisted by Farina of original "Our Gang" fame and Harry Gribbon. Romance is provided by Ginger Rogers. In the three ramifications which the plot permits — first, the office gang headed by Gribbon egging Brown on to the most preposterous ambitions ; second, the discovery that Brown's million dollar inheritance amounts to only $5.80, and lastly the preparations for and the running of the great Catalina Island Channel swim give Brown every opportunity to demonstrate the kind of comedy in which patrons best like him. The real fun starts when Brown and Farina embark for Catalina to get jobs as bus boys. Mistaken for a world champion swimmer, but deadly afraid of any kind of water, he is received as hero as his name (Flolt) is the same as that of the favorite swimmer. Disregarding all the folishness before the swim, in which Ginger Rogers makes him her hero, the race starts with Brown clad in what he thinks is a non-sinkable bathing suit which he has invented. Then the race. Sometimes swimming, sometimes walking along the bottom of the ocean, towed at blinding speed by a shark, he's seized with panic as he finds out that he is not wearing the nonsinkable suit. Finally comes the dash to victory after running into a mess of seaweed. Brown in the role of an innocent fakir is continually "on the spot." Trapped into an exhibition of speedy aqua-planing, this sequence has Joe doing tricks that the most expert riders never dreamed of. As a great lover, he opens the doors wide for torrents of laughter. With the title, "You Said a Mouthful," as a basis, there should be no difficulty in creating a campaign of fun and foolishness that should intrigue the curiosity of every kind of patron. The adults who want a good laugh will get a mouthful out of this one and it should be just what you want to show to the youngsters. — McCarthy, Hollywood. Produced and distributed by Warner-First National. Directed by Lloyd Bacon. Original story by William B. Dover. Screen play by Robert Lord and Bolton Mallory. Photographed by Richard Towers. Release date, Nov. 26, 1932. Running time, 72 minutes. CAST Joe Holt Joe E. Brown Alice Ginger Rogers Ed Dover Preston S. Foster Cora Sheila Terry Sam Farina Champion Swimmer Guinn Williams Armstrong Oscar Apfel Harry Daniels Harry Gribbon Dr. Vorse Edwin Maxwell Tom Brandon Walter Walker Colby William Burress Announcer Harry Seymour Messenger boy James Eagles Elliott Arthur Byron Armstrong's secretary Mia Marvin From Kashmir to the Khyber (Fox) Unusual Carrying the audience into far-flung places on the globe, the Magic Carpet series of Fox has recorded with remarkable selective valuation salient features of a little-known life in a manner which brings it to America in sharp relief. In this particular subject, the camera roves about the frontier of India, picturing caravans of mules and camels moving across wild, rolling country infested with brigands, and at the same time stunning in its panoramic sweep. Ably has the camera recorded the scene, and interesting are the pictures of England's famed native India Army and the regiments of Tommy Atkins stationed there. A notable subject. — Running time, 9 minutes.