Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1938)

40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD March 5, 1938 (Continued from page 37) to this are a well constructed story which wisely does not revolve entirely around Bobby, the peculiar and popular humor of Ned Sparks, some appealing acting by a young Hawaiian boy who is Bobby's orphan companion, singable and lingering melodies, the music of Raymond Paige's orchestra, and outstanding scenic photography. The story is simple but well proportioned and kept in its place. A young orphan and his Hawaiian companion, determined to find a home with the Hawaiian's relatives on the island of Maui, stowaway on a passenger liner leaving San Francisco for Honolulu. Discovered and befriended by a member of the ship's orchestra, they escape at Honolulu with his help and are welcomed by the native family. They are instrumental in the capture of an international spy ring whose members have stolen naval plans from an officer who, as a consequence, clears up their difficulties with the steamship officials and the police. The boys' adventures end with adoption of the American youth by the officer. Through this straightforward plot comedy, song, suspense and scenic beauty are interspersed in agreeable proportion. The musical numbers assigned to Bobby are introduced without strain and are not so numerous as to appear the sole reason for the production. Previewed in projection room. — James D. I vers. Produced by Principal Productions for distribution by RKO Radio Pictures. Sol Lesser, producer. Directed by Edward F. Cline. Screen play by Wanda Tuchok. Photographed by Jack McKenzie. Art director, Lewis Rachmil. Musical supervisor, Abe Meyer. Dance director, Aggie Auld. Wardrobe by Waldron Johnson. Film editor, Arthur Hilton, Assistant director, John Sherwood. Sound technician, Hugh McDowel, Jr. Adapted from the novel "Stowaways in Paradise" by Don Blanding. Songs "Hawaii Calls" and "Down Where the Trade Winds Blow," by Harry Owens, "That's the Hawaiian in Me," by Johnny Noble. Running time, when seen in New York, 72 minutes. P. C. A. Certificate No. 4007. Release date, March 11th. General audience classification. CAST Billy Coulter Bobby Breen Strings Ned Sparks Captain O'Hare Irvin S. Cobb Commander Milburn Warren Hull Mrs. Milburn Gloria Holden Doris Milburn Juanita Quigley Hina ....Mamo Clark Pua Pua Lani Raymond Paige Raymond Paige Harlow Herbert Rawlinson Mrs. Harlow Dora Clement Julius Philip Ahn Raymond Paige and His Orchestra Dangerous to Know {Paramount) Melodrama "With "The Buccaneer" adding daily to his fame for his performance as the cannoneer, Akim Tamiroff 's name is an ascending box office value. Here he is listed second to Anna May Wong, also on the upswing just now, but his part is the principal one and the story is built around him. These two are, just now, perhaps the best names available for use in exploiting this melodrama, although Gail Patrick and Harvey Stephens are the pair happily married in the final closeup and other names include Roscoe Karns, Lloyd Nolan, Hedda Hopper and Anthony Quinn. Mr. Tamiroff plays "Stephen Recka," polished gangster in control of the city's politics and finances. Social ambitions lead him into trouble when he seeks to force socialite "Margaret Van Kase" to marry him by framing her sweetheart, "Philip Easton," as an embezzler. "Lan Ying," the gangster's household hostess (it is emphasized), commits suicide and a police inspector, unable to convict "Recka" of eight known murders, arrests him on what he knows to be the false but provable charge of killing her. The young folk fly away to matrimony. The picture is from a play by the late Edgar Wallace, whose pen was both prolific and bloody. The treatment, in screen play by Wil liam R. Lipman and Horace McCoy and the direction of Robert Florey, is unique. Edward T. Lowe is associate producer. (An interpolated gramophone rendition of "Thanks for the Memory" is a nice ad for "The Big Broadcast of 1938," another Paramount picture, but stops this one in its tracks for longer than is good for it.) Previewed at the Stadium theatre, Los Angeles, to an evidently satisfied audience. — William R. Weaver. Produced and distributed by Paramount. Associate producer, Edward T. Lowe. Directed by Robert Florey. Assistant director, Stanley Goldsmith. Screen play by William R. Lipman and Horace McCoy, based on a play by Edgar Wallace. Photographed by Theodore Sparkuhl. Film editor, Arthur Schmidt. P. C. A. Certificate No. 3989. Release date, March 11, 1938. Running time, 68 minutes. Adult audience classification. CAST Madam Lan Ying Anna May Wong Stephen Recka Akim Tamiroff Margaret Van Kase Gail Patrick Inspector Brandon Lloyd Nolan Phillip Easton Harvey Stephens Nicholai Kusnoff Anthony Quinn Duncan Roscoe Karns Mayor Bradley Porter Hall Butler Barlowe Borland Mrs. Carson Hedda Hopper Harvey Greggson Hugh Sothern John Ranee Edward Pawley Crouch Eddie Marr Hanley Harry Worth Councilman Murkil Robert Brister Senator Carson Pierre Watkin Sally, Irene and Mary (20th Century-Fox) Musical Comedy It would be pretty hard to find a place where the title of this production doesn't possess box office strength. It would be harder to find one where less than six of the names available for marquee display are of known pulling power. Adding title to cast to score, and mixing well with appropriate adjectives, the showman disposed to break out a full spread of sail would seem practically doomed to make some money with the picture. It's built that way. No doubt a good many communities where Fred Allen's radio program is strong will turn out in force to see the comedian on the screen, where they'll probably see much more of him later on. There are Jimmy Durante communities, too, and there's been quite an increase in thfe Joan Davis-conscious population the last several months. The Gregory Ratoff public has checked in importantly at various box offices on occasion, and there is of course, a substantial Louise Hovick bloc, now that Minsky's has been liquidated. The Raymond Scott Quintette has its own allure for the college crowd, of all ages. These are the persons who support Alice Faye and Tony Martin in the leading roles, "leading" being used here in the sense that they are the two who marry at fadeout time. Actually, although both have plenty of singing to do, and the lady also does some varied stepping, their romance just goes on quietly between production numbers and comedy sequences, never impeding the practically continuous activity of the assorted entertainers also involved, however lightly, in the narrative. Gene Markey, who learned his musical comedy inside and out before Broadway went 5 & 10, whipped up the new "Sally, Irene and Mary" with an eye and ear to today's tastes. The play of the title was by Edward Dowling and Cyrus Wood. The story of the picture, by Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger, was suggested by this play. Then Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen wrote the screen play from that. That would have been about the point at which Mr. Markey and director William A. Seiter came in and decided to just go ahead and make the picture. Whether or no, the work bears the Markey imprint, the light tough and the suave manner acclaimed by the cinema public as displayed in "On the Avenue," a 'directly comparable offering. Music is from three sources. Raymond Scott, of the Quintette contributed "Minuet in Jazz," the best single item in the picture. Gordon and Revel turned in two song numbers, and five more were had from Walter Bullock and Harold Spina. The radio is now in the process of determining the best of these, with "I Could Use a Dream" leading at the moment. Previewed at the Alexander theatre, Glendale, Cal., where a picture-wise audience seemed to like it quite well. — W. R. W. Produced and distributed by 20th Century-Fox. _ Associate producer, Gene Markey. Directed by William A. Seiter. Stage play by Edward Dowling and Cyrus Wood. Original story by Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger. Scren play by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. Music and lyrics by Walter Bullock and Harold Spina, Mack Gordon and Harry Revel, and Raymond Scott. Dances staged by Nick Castle and Geneva Sawyer. Photography, Peverell Marley. Film editor, Walter Thompson. P. C. A. certificate, 3937. Release date, March 4, 1938. Running time, 85 minutes. General audience classification. CAST Sally Day Alice Faye Tommy Reynolds Tony Martin Jefferson Twitchelt Jimmy Durante Gabriel Green Fred Allen Baron Zorka Gregory Ratoff Irene Keene ; Joan Davis Mary Stevens Marjorie Weaver Joyce Taylor Louise Hovick Oscar Barnett Parker Pawn Broker J. Edward Bromberg Raymond Scott Quintet Themselves Captain Eddie Collins Judge Andrew Tombes Specialty Brian Sisters Miss Barkow Mary Treen Cafe Manager Charles Wilson The Port of Missing Girls (Monogram) Melodrama The chief exploitation assets are the title and the locale of most of the action — Shanghai and upper China. The plot is strictly formula and the performance of a kind. Judith Allen, the feminine lead, sings "Dream Cargo" and "One Night One Kiss" (music by Charles Rosoff and lyrics by Eddie Cherkose), and the oldtime favorite, "Long, Long Ago," in pleasing voice, but the singing hit is made by Jane Jones, local night club entertainer, in the presentation of "I Changed My Routine," by Rosoff and Cherkose. Others in the cast are Milburn Stone, Harry Carey, Betty Cornpson, Matty Fain, Eddie Kane, George Cleveland, William Costello, Sandra Karina, Lyle Moraine and Louis Vincent. Judith Allen has the role of a San Francisco night club entertainer, who is implicated, although innocent, in a gang murder. She stows away on the boat of a woman-hating captain, played by Harry Carey, who agrees to take her to Shanghai, "the port of missing girls," so she can hide from the authorities. She falls in love with the ship's radio operator (Milburn Stone), and agrees to stay at the combination boarding house night club in Shanghai while the captain takes his ship up the river with a cargo of guns for the Chinese government. Hearing of a plot of enemies of the Chinese to seize the vessel, the stowaway gives herself up to the American consul so that he can warn the ship of the peril. In a gunfight the enemies are vanquished, American authorities solve the slaying and the girl is freed. — Vance King, Hollywood. Produced and distributed by Monogram. Producer, Lon Young. Directed by Karl Brown. Original screenplay by Karl Brown. Photography by Gil Warrenton. Assistant director, Mike Eason. Sound, W. C. Smith. P. C. A. Certificate No. 4055. Running time, 65 minutes. Release date, February 23, 1938. General audience classification. CAST Delia Judith Allen Jim Milburn Stone Captain Storm Harry Carey Chicago Betty Compson Duke Matty Fain Minnie Jane Jones Clinton George Cleveland Manoel. Wm. Costello Sonya Sandra Karina Granville Lyle Moraine (Continued on page 42)