Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1937)

46 MOTION PICTURE HERALD MARCH 13, 1937 (Continued from page 43) Cornered Moon" atmosphere. Adapted from a stage play which met with considerable success, it blends its characterizations, dialogue and situations in that manner which is the essence of good domestic comedy. Because of the repute that things British labor under, it might seem that "Call It A Day" would be a difficult piece for winning popular interest, but such folk are in for a surprise. In fact, although the production offers worthy names for marquee and advertising purposes, it might not be amiss to label the film as a surprise that has much better than a fifty-fifty chance of surprising. In any event, word of mouth comment should carry it a long way. Previewed in the Warner Hollywood Theatre. If the audience was inclined to be skeptical, it did not show it. On the other hand, the crowd seemed to feel that the show was just as American as Barney Google, Mr. and Mrs. Jiggs or Maine and Vermont. — G. M. Produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Executive producer, Hal B. Wallis. Associate producer, Henry Blanke. Directed by Archie L. Mayo. Assistant director, Jack Sullivan. Scren play by Casey Robinson. From the play by Dodie Smith. Photographed by Ernest Haller. Film editor, James Gibbons. Art director, John Hughes. Musical director, Leo F. Forbstein. Gowns by Orry-Kelly. P.C.A. Certificate No. 2872. Running time, when seen in Holly wfe«s(L 90 minutes. Release date, April 17, 1937. Generalj&udience classification. CAST. Katherine Hilton Olivia de Havilland Roger Hilton Ian Hunter Joan Collett Anita Louise Muriel West Alice Brady Frank Haines Roland Young Dorothy Hilton Freida Inescort Ann Hilton Bonita Granville Ethel Francis Peggy Wood Beatrice Gwynn Marcia Ralston Paul Francis Walter Woolf King Martin Peter Willes Mrs. Wilson Una O'Connor Cook Beryl Mercer Vera Elsa Buchanan Elsie Lester Mary Field Elephant Boy (London Films -United Artists) Jungle Drama With unusual entertainment values, Robert Flaherty, with Zoltan Korda as co-director, has put on the screen, with altogether praiseworthy fidelity, a Rudyard Ripling story, "Toomai of the Elephants." The picture is so far from being conventional screen material that it does not contain a single woman character. Paradoxically, however, the result appears to be a picture with considerable woman appeal on top of very obvious features reaching the male's liking for the outdoor and the primitive and, with even greater force, the young patron's love of adventure and delight in a boy hero. Boy is certainly 75 per cent of the film's appeal, with Elephant claiming most of the remaining 25. In 13-year-old Sabu there is presented an exceptionally well formed, delightfully unspoiled youngster who, sitting loinclothed on the head of his giant elephant friend and slave, Kolontai, surely should captivate the women ; the elephant, also, registers personality forcibly and likeably. The boy-and-elephant friendship, a big selling point, is epitomized in scenes in which the youngster is seen sleeping safely beside his huge pet, taming the beast by love when cruelty has set him running wild, riding him in triumph as a proved hunter. There are also the obvious angles of the roundup of a huge herd of hill elephants, with a maximum of realism in thunderous trumpetings from stampeding tons, and an even more original feature in a picture of the traditional "elephants' dance." The story is simple : Sabu, son and grandson of elephant riders, succeeds in persuading a white Sahib to let him go along on a trip into the hills in search of wild elephant. His father is killed by a tiger. The new keeper of Kolontai, elephant beloved by Sabu, ill-treats him. The elephant mauls his tormenter, runs amok. Sabu's appeal tames him, but his life is forfeit. To save him Sabu rides away into the jungle, discovers the herd which has eluded the white man for many weary months, sees the famous Dance of the Herd, takes the news back to the camp. The elephants are rounded up, Sabu is acclaimed a great hunter by cheering men and trumpeting elephants. The picture bristles with selling angles. Sabu is a story in himself. The original story is well known. The elephant stampedes, the authentic Indian backgrounds — the unit was close on two years on location — are assets to hand. Essentially, it is a family picture which all the family can enjoy. Trade shown at the Piccadilly Theatre, London, it was obvious that handsome young Sabu had got the women, while the virile story of adventure held the men. The elephant scenes impressed. — Bruce Allan. Produced by London Film Productions and distributed by United Artists. Directed by Robert Flaherty and Zoltan Korda. From the story "Toomai of the Elephants," by Rudyard Kipling. Screen play by John Collier, with collaboration of Akos Tolnay and Marcia de Silva. Photographed by Osmond Borradaile. Recording director, A. W. Watkins. Recordist, H. G. Cape. Running time, 100 minutes. General audience classification. CAST Toomai of the Elephants Sabu His father w. E. Holloway Petersen Walter Hudd Muchua Appa Allan Jeayes Rham Lahl Bruce Gordon Hunter D. J. Williams Commissioner Hyde White Paradise Express (Republic) Comedy-Drama The contemporary country-wide competition between motor truck and steam railroad for supremacy in the short-haul freight field is treated in miniature and decided in favor of the railroad here named the Moon Valley. But the decision is not set up as establishing an economic truth; the trucks and the railroad are shown to be capable of rendering practically identical services. However, the villainous characters in the story are cast in the trucking business and the virtuous folk defend the railroad, a circumstance advantageous to the showmen along the nation's various rail systems and clearly a mentionable item in the exploitation sense. The Moon Valley is a California road in receivership because of oldfashioned management and the Armstrong Trucking Company is operated against it by racketeers who have had a hand in selection of the young man named as receiver of the road. The young man does not know this, strangely enough, and he puts the railroad on its feet by introducing modern methods, incidentally falling in love with the aged president's daughter. The racketeers wreck his trains and commit other offenses _ intended to discourage him, finally acquainting him with the circumstances of his appointment, but he makes a deal with the fruit-growers' cooperative whereby a race between train and truck will determine the placement of the annual contract which means success or failure to both companies. The train wins the race and the receiver wins the girl. Reviewed in New York projection room. — William R. Weaver. Produced and distributed by Republic. A Nat Levine production. Associate producer, Sol C. Siegel. Directed by Joseph Kane. Original story bv Allan Vaughn Elston and Paul Perez. Screen play by Jack Natteford and Betty Burbridge. Photographed by Jack Marta. Release date, February 22. Runningtime, 58 minutes. General audience classification. CAST Larry Doyle Grant Withers Kay Carson Dorothy Appleby Trotter Arthur Hoyt Maggie Casey Maude Eburne Jed Carson Harry Davenport Armstrong Donald Kirke Glover Arthur Loft Tom Wilson Lew Kelly Stymie Anthony Fawley Proprietress Fern Emmett Gus Tohn Holland Harmonica player Bob MrClung Conductor Bruce Mitchell Skinny Smith Guy Wilkerson Reasley George Cleveland Dispatcher Ralph McCollough The Man Who Found Himself (RKO Radio) Romantic Drama For the most part telling a story of a man's regeneration, the film injects a bit of novelty into its production background and dramatic content by demonstrating the part an air ambulance plays in a railroad disaster. Of average entertainment and commercial quality, the theme follows a familiar formula. Well staged, acted and directed, the show also introduces in Joan Fontane a promising screen newcomer. "Dr. Jim Stanton" seeks relaxation from his medical activities by flying. The hobby is frowned upon by his father, though encouraged by his friend, "Dick Miller." Involved in a crash that precipitates a scandal, "Dr. Jim" resigns and hits the hobo trail. He encounters many amusing and dramatic adventures ere he reaches the Pacific Coast, where, under an alias and through the influence of "Miller," he lands a mechanic's job at an airport. Falling in love with "Doris," hostess nurse, who quickly learns his identity and history, he becomes a licensed pilot in charge of the ambulance ship. A train on which his father and former sweetheart are riding is wrecked. News is flashed to the airport and "Jim," "Doris" and a group of nurses take off in the air ambulance for the scene of the disaster. Finding his father at the point of exhaustion from ministering to the injured, "Jim" reverts to his profession of surgeon to perform a delicate operation. Restored to the respect of his father, who understands that "Doris" has made a new man of his son, the romance between the young folk is consummated. Previewed in the RKO Hillstreet theatre, Los Angeles. The audience, satisfied with the straight dramatic-romantic story, was also considerably interested in the equipment and manner of operation of the flying ambulance. — G. M. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio. Produced by Cliff Reid. Directed by Lew Landers. From the story by Alice B. Curtis. Screen play by J. Robert Bren and Edmund L. Hartman. Adapted by G. V. Atwater and Thomas Lennon. Photographed by J. Roy Hunt. P. C. A. Certificate No. 3026. Running time, when seen in Hollywood, 65 minutes. Release date, April 2, 1937. General audience classificacation. CAST Jim Stanton John Beal Doris King Joan Fontaine Dick Miller Philip Huston Barbara Reed Jane Walsh Dr. Stanton George Irving Roberts Frank M. Thomas Nosey James Conlin Helen Diana Gibson Inspector Stanley Andrews Fat Hobo Billy Gilbert Hobo Alec Craig White Bondage (Warner) Drama The drama of life and labor without reward, as they are known to share croppers in the cotton belt, is the subject. Because of the topical value of its social and economic theme, which deals to a large extent with conditions currently important in political discussion, the picture may be of some interest to residents of urban sections, but its particular field seems to be the rural areas where persons are closer to the elemental theme. It is the practice of "Trent," plantation owner, and "Sarah," his sister, to defraud their tenant farmers out of their just share of the cotton crop. The resentment of the share croppers smoulders as they await a leader. "Cal Sanders," farmer, takes the bit in his teeth, just at the moment when "David Grayson," a "foreigner," appears to become interested in "Cal's" girl, "Betsy Ann." When some of the harvested cotton is destroyed by fire, circum