Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1934)

36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD November 24, 1934 SHOWMEN*^ REVIEWS ■ j||P|ii|||i'[jill!!|||| This deparfmenf deals with new product |||||P'!ll!l'li|''li'll|!l!ii from the point of view of the exhibitor I who is to purvey it to his own public |{|| Marie Calante (Fox) Romen+ic Drama A romantic drama studded with the elements of entertainment, this film should have a wide popular appeal, and at the same time presents to the motion picture public a new personality, a blondly attractive French girl, Ketti Gallian, who has been the subject of much exploitation by Fox and demonstrates a sound ability on the screen. Her personality is appealing, her French accent rather entertaining and a buildup by the exhibitor seems to be definitely in order. The story is a screen adaptation of the highly popular novel of the same title by Jacques Deval, which has had a considerable sale over the country and offers a valuable selling point to the exhibitor. In support of Miss Gallian are players of popularity and unquestioned drawing power. Spencer Tracy plays the opposite lead, while the other good names are Ned Sparks, the vocal Helen Morgan, Leslie Fenton, who is extremely able in a Japanese characterization, and Stepin Fetchit for incidental moments of amusing comedy. There are exploitable features in the locale and atmosphere of the story, which centers about an attempted sabotage of the all-important Panama Canal by interests who look to benefit hugely by instigated war. Armament and arms manufacture are subjects very much in the public prints at the moment. The massing and passing through the Canal of the American battle fleet is an interesting and spectacular note in the story. The singing of several numbers, notably by Miss Morgan, and a flash of girl chorus work, adds an entertainment element, while Miss Gallian sings a French number in attractive fashion. Marie, a young, attractive and melodiously happy telegraph messenger girl in a French seacoast town, is virtually kidnaped by a drunken ship captain to whom she has delivered a telegram. To save himself, he reports the girl as a stowaway, and dumps her off at Yucatan, reporting her escape. Trying to get a ship for home, she makes her way to the Panama Canal zone, where, penniless, she attempts to earn money by singing in a cafe, from which point she is suddenly thrown into a criss-cross complication of international intelligence operatives, espionage and sabotage, centering about damage to the Panama Canal. Unwittingly, having difficulty with her English, the girl comes into contact with Siegfried Rumann, posing as a bazaar owner, actually an espionage agent ; Fenton, as a Japanese merchant, appearing also to be an agent ; Tracy, who is early revealed as an intelligence officer from Washington, and Robert Loraine, an English navy operative. They are concentrating, under the supervision of Arthur Byron as the general in command of the zone, on the capture of a mysterious agent who has been causing trouble. There is a thorough complication of driving suspicion, with the girl, approached by first one, then another of those involved, while Tracy seeks to help her, believing her kidnaping story and falling in love with her. The film moves at a rapid pace, with murder, romance and comedy moving against a background of militarism, fleet maneuvers and investigations. Eventually, in an active and suspense filled sequence, Rumann is revealed as the mysterious agent, and Fenton as a Japanese naval officer. Miss Gallian is free with home and Tracy in the future. Lively, entertaining and exploitable, the film abounds in showmanship assets. — Aaronson, New York. Produced and distributed by Fox. Produced by Winfield Sheehan. Directed by Henry King. Screen play by Reginald Berkeley. Based on novel by Jacques Deval. Photographed by John Seitz. P. C. A. Certificate No. 283. Running time, 88 minutes. Release date, Oct. 25, 1934. CAST Crawbett Spencer Tracy Ma rie Galante Ketti Gallian Plosser Ned Sparks Tapia Helen Morgan Brogard Siegfried Rumann Tenoki Leslie Fenton General Phillips Arthur Byron Ratcliff Robert Loraine Sailor Jay C. Flippen Ellsworth Frank Darien Tito Tito Coral Bartender Stepin Fetchit The President Vanishes ( Paramount-W anger ) Drama This is a showman's exploitation show as well as audience entertainment. Topical timeliness, made unusually significant by the daring novelty of its subject matter, qualifies it for the showmanship classification. It is entertainment not only because of the highly imaginative idea of its theme but because of its unique familiarity as contemporary history. "The President Vanishes" is present day drama of fictional, yet possible, current events. In character, the President of the United States is the hero. With the full force of every entertainment and exploitation value being smartly realized, the picture is based on one courageous idea. All Europe is at war. The president advocates a hands-of¥ policy. Because of his personal popularity and the soundness of his policy, the country is with him almost to a man. On the other hand, and to the tune of the pre-conceived slogan, "Save Our Honor," a group composed of industrialists, international bankers, newspaper publishers and politicians — the profiteers— fan the nation into a fury of fanatic patriotism. Under the leadership of Lincoln Lee, the Grey Shirts, counterparting the NaziFascist storm troopers, secretly financed and sponsored by the profiteers, use typical headline violence to aid the war hysteria cause. To forestall the cataclysm into which the nation is being rushed, the president vanishes. Ostensibly he is kidnapped. As the slogan "Save Our Honor" is drowned in the surging roar, "Find Our President," the enraged profiteers try everything to discount the president and bamboozle the public. Unable to force the vicepresident into assuming presidential prerogatives, the war-makers are helpless. Then, when the cause of the president's enemies is weakest, he reappears. The country is in the mood for a sane, sensible, fireside radio broadcast. War is averted and peace advocated. So powerful is the dramatic tenor of the picture that the accompanying theatric elements, romance, comedy, color of inserted newsreel shots, and so on, are merely sustaining and necessary contrasting qualities. While there have been other current history political pictures, none seems to have captured the psychological popular spirit as completely as this. The elements with which it deals are either actual newspaper headlines or the subject of more erudite but nevertheless well read editorials or special articles. As a matter of fact, during the past year and a half the question "What would happen if something happened to the president?" has been mouthed times without number. Here against a visionary situation, but one in which the lives and destinies of all in the country is concerned, the question is answered. That topicalness of kidnapping would lend vitality to the keynote of any interest-creating campaign. Approached from either a controversial or straight topical ciu'rent history angle, the job of arousing patron curiosity should not be difficult. The big value in exploitation or publicity is a convincing implication that the picture has a personal interest for all potential patrons, that in this picture they will be taken behind the scenes of history in the making as it effects each one of them. — McCarthy, Hollywood. Distributed by Paramount. Produced by Walter Wanger. Directed by William A. Wellman. Screen play by Carey Wilson and Cedric Worth. Adapted by Lynn Starling. Photographed by Barney "Chick" McGill. Musical director. Dr. Hugo Reisenfeld. Running time, when seen in Hollywood, 85 minutes. Release date, to be determined. Cast Wardell Edward Arnold President Arthur Byron Chick Mofifat Paul Kelly Alma Cronin Peggy Conklin Val Orcott Andy Devine Mrst. Stanley Janet Beecher Harris Brownell Osgood Perkins D. L. Voorman Sydney Blackmer Lincoln Lee Edward Ellis Mrs. Orcott Irene Franklin Richard Norton Charley Grapewin Sally Voorman Rosalind Russell Roger Grant Douglas Wood Drew Walter Kingsford Cullen DeWitt Jennings Judge Corcoran Charles Richman Kilbourne Jason Robards Skinner Paul Harvey Molleson Robert McWade Kramer Harry Woods Nolan Tommy Dugan Mrs. Delling Martha Mayo Babes in Toyland (MGM-Hal Roach) Fairyland Fantasy As a seasonal holiday feature this fairyland fantasy appears to possess one quality which most of its predecessors lacked in that while it is exceptional juvenile entertainment it also is a potential adult attraction. Fundamentallv and to the accompaniment of all the alluring spectacle and chdrming music that captivates the child mind, it is motivated by a comedy tinged melodramatic romantic story. Because of the characters who portray "Babes in Toyland," the Mother Goose nursery rhyme folk, the picture is a natural exploitation feature. Paraded are The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Mother Goose, Little Bo-Peep, TomTom the Piper's Son, Tweedle (Stanley) Dum and Tweedle (Oliver) Dee, Little Boy Blue, Jack and Jill, Jack Horner, Curly Locks, The Sand Man, the Bogeyman, Santa Claus, Red Riding Hood, King Cole, Little Miss MufTet, Barnaby and all the rest. All are part of the story, made charming by fantastic settings and the well-known Victor Herbert music and thrilling by the climactic spectacle in which, to the tune of "Babes in Toyland," the toy soldiers repel the menace of Barnaby and his Bogeymen. In the story. Mother Goose and her brood