Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1936)

62 MOTION PICTURE HERALD July 25, 1936 SHOWMEN'S REVIEWS This department deals with new product from the point of view of the exhibitor who is to purvey it to his own public MARY OF SCOTLAND (RKO Radio Production) Drama and Romance It was a land and time for tragedy, the dour Scotland of the day when Mary Stuart returned in 1561. Greystone castles frowned down, their dark corridors reeking with intrigue, clanking with the stride of men at arms and echoing by night with whispers. North and south the clans were fighting as the warring, scheming lords sought to tear the nation apart. And below the border was Elizabeth, redheaded virgin queen of England, jealous, fearful, ruthless, greedy of power. Into that Scotland came Mary Stuart — to be the martyred Mary Queen of Scots of history, song and story — bringing beauty, femininity, daring and romance. It is that Mary Stuart, Queen of Romance, who comes across the screen and this page now, in the person of Miss Katharine Hepburn in the title role of "Mary of Scotland," as vivid as a gypsy's scarf dropped in the heather. When Mary Stuart went to the block her troubles had but begun. Partisan historians have worked their will with her annals. Tradition and rumor and the gossip of backstairs and drawing room have been at work nearly four centuries. Then not so long ago Maxwell Anderson did a play for the stage about her, and took up where the historians left off, and now Hollywood has been at the matter with the screen play from Mr. Anderson's stage play, this time by Dudley Nichols, and subsequent attentions by John Ford, director, and Pandro S. Berman, producer, all for RKO. No matter what has happened to Mary Queen of Scots in the process — and the liberties are no more considerable perhaps than the screen generally has been taking with biography of late — the motion picture audience is to have a rare, poignant Hepburn, in a setting of thrill, adventure, suspense — and debacle. The picture is dominantly Hepburn. One comes away from it remembering her vivid Mary Stuart and little else. And that, however, is not to be construed as adverse to the very considerable and capable supporting cast. It is, by the Hepburn dominance, made entirely into support. Maybe Mary Stuart was like that. The stories say she was. The billing co-stars Fredric March, in the role of Bothwell, suitor, defender and, lastly, husband of Mary. He is brave in kilts. And up and down the long array of players are several who have known the fame of the marquee lights, and some the triumphs of the screen before the movies ventured to have marquees. Striking impression of directorial discretion and control pervades the piece. Mr. Ford had rampant, desperate, knifefighting melodrama to make. His materials were love and hate and bloody plot, daggers in the dark and poisoned purpose. But ever, it seems, he had them in control, painting them on the screen with restraint and within the limits of the dramatic effect. The melodrama of Mary of Scotland is queenly melodrama. The picture is rich with settings, pretentious even for these abundant days in Hollywood. There is much of music, the pipers and marching men, with occasional interludes of happy relief that the grim tale may be the grimmer as Fate and Elizabeth close in upon Mary of Scotland. Extraordinary opportunities for sequences of sadism, which all so often have figured in kindred historic material, have been passed with commendable judgment. The bitter, bitter story is told without tortures, and it gains in the artful simplicity of its telling. Nothing and no one comes between the audience and Miss Hepburn's Mary of Scotland. It is as boxoffice as The Hepburn. The religious phases of the story, while handled for the screen probably as lightly as history permits, will be nothing for _ the showman to present with emphasis. It is to be observed that the RKO press book limits its attentions to the role of John Knox, preacher, to a one column cut. The story is Hepburn. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio. Producer, Pandro S. Berman. Director, John Ford. Screen play by Dudley Nichols. Based on play by Maxwell Anderson. Photographed by Joseph H. August, A.S.C. Art director, Van Nest Polglase. Associate, Carroll Clark. Musical director, Nathaniel Shilkret. Costumes bv Walter Plunkett. Photographic effects by Vernon Walker, A.S.C. Recorded by Hugh McDowell, Jr. Assistant director, Edward Donahue. Set dressing by Darrell Silvera. Production Code Certificate No. 2,052. Runing time, 123 minutes. Release date in August. CAST Mary Stuart Katharine Hepburn Bothwell Frednc March Elizabeth Tudor Florence Eldndge Darnley Douglas Walton Rizzio John Carradine Morton. Robert Barrat Leicester Gavin Muir Moray Ian Keith John Knox Moroni Olsen Ruthven William Stack Randolph Ralph Forbes Throckmorton Alan Mowbray Mary Beaton Frieda Inescort Huntly Donald Crisp Lindsay David Torrence Mary Livingstone Molly Lamont Mary Fleming Anita Colby Mary Seton Jean Fenwick Burghley Lionel . Pape Donal Alec Craig Nurse Mary Gordon Messenger Monte Blue Maitland Leonard Mudie Airan Brandon Hurst Lexington.'.'.'.' Wilfred Lucas Kirkcaldy D'Arcy Corrigan Douglas Frank Baker Faudoncide Cyril McLaglen Fisherman's Wife Doris Lloyd Sir Francis Knollys Robert Warwick f Murray Kinnell | Lawrence Grant JUDGES \ Ivan Simpson I Nigel de Brulier t Barlowe Borland Walsingham Walter Bryon Sergeant-at-Arms Wyndham Standing Earl of Kent Earle Foxe du Croche Paul McAllister Fisherman Lionel Bellmore Fisherman Gaston Glass Nobleman Neil Fitzgerald To Mary— With Love (20th Century Fox) Romance Drama No one should find it necessary to struggle in search of showmanship angles with which to sell this picture. The essentials are all out in the open for anyone to recognize and adapt. The title suggests the play's character, dramatic and not without pleasing comedy contrast romance. In the leading roles two highly popular players, Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy, are presented. The two principal supporting players, Claire Trevor and Ian Hunter, are also favorably known. Even those spotted in minor roles are name values of more than ordinary worth. The story, a topical visaged study of the problems of modern life and marital romance, is well conceived. Given production values commensurate with its merit as not too serious entertainment, the picture is one abounding in elements of appeal to feminine patronage. Yet it is of the quality to interest general adult audiences. Essentially the yarn is a quadrangular romance drama. The locale is New York and time the decade of 1920-30. The spirit of the play preserves the mood and spirit of those years. Jock and Mary are married. A definite bond of friendship and affection exists between them and Bill Hallam. Struggling for business success, Jock forgets Mary, who seeks comfort in the companionship of Bill and relaxation in a mad round of social and sporting diversion. Wise Hallam, seeing the romance going on the rocks, suggests the couple have a child. Death of the baby, a tragedy to Bill, sends him off on a hectic career of money making and reckless diversion with Kitty Brant. Faithfully and patiently, Mary waits for him to come to his senses. Great business success is followed by the market crash, an event which widens the rift between husband and wife. Building to its climax as Mary contemplates divorce, Bill, in a sequence expertly handled by Hunter, forestalls her attempt and by talking good sound common sense into the ears of both shows them the error of their ways and points out the manner in which they can find happiness. The atmosphere of the show is always humanly real. While the theme is essentially a serious study of a modern problem, yet its delineation is not somber. Many times playing upon the more sentimental emotions, its comedy contrast sparkles with dialogue and action humor which should account for more smiles than tears. An intelligent show, it calls for equally intelligent marketing. The things most (.Continued on pape 64)