Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1939)

48 MOTION PICTURE HERALD January 14, 1939 (Continued from page 46) seems destined for the same fate in the San Francisco Grand Prix. But the picture's comedy relief character, a dumb mechanic, solves the riddle which blinded the drivers and caused their death. Saving "Jerry" from being a victim and pinning guilt on "Delano's" avenging old friend, "Doc Heath," "Jerry" finds romance with "Jane," and with "Delano" plans new speed triumphs. The story and production effects are the exploitable elements in "Burn 'Em Up O'Connor." There's a plethora of thrills for the action addicts, a liberal quantity of romance for women and dabs of comedy to please both. Names aren't of any great importance, although Dennis O'Keefe, who has come along pretty consistently the past year, and Cecilia Parker, the "Judge Hardy" daughter, are featured. Such experienced players as Harry Carey, Nat Pendleton, Addison Richards and Charley Grapewin have important parts, but novitiates Tom Neal and Tom Collins are merely sent through the training school paces. For a Saturday afternoon attraction for juvenile audiences and on nights when excitement is called for on the program, "Burn 'Em Up O'Connor" should prove a suitable booking. Previewed in the Uptown Theatre, Hollyzvood. A jew walked out during the first reel and there was a little tendency on the part of a jew who remained to tell the players what to do, but generally the Friday night audience seemed to think the show pretty jair average entertainment in which the element oj mystery was more expertly cloaked than usually. G.M. Produced and distributed by MGM. Directed byEdward Sedgwick. Screen play by Milton Merlin and Byron Morgan. From the book "Salute to the Gods" by Sir Malcolm Campbell. Ben Lewis, film editor. Photographed by Lester White. P. C. A. certificate number 4920. Running time, 65 minutes when seen in Hollywood. Release date: January 13, 1939. General audience classification. CAST Jerry O'Connor Dennis O'Keefe Jane Delano Cecilia Parker Buddy Buttle Nat Pendleton P. G. Delano Harry Carey Ed Eberhart Addison Richards "Doc" Heath Charley Grapewin Jose "Rocks" Rivera Alan Curtis "Hank" Hogan Tom Neal "Lefty" Simmons Tom Collins Tim McElvy Frank Orth Chasing Danger (20th Century-Fox) Melodrama There isn't much that can be done about "Chasing Danger." Below standard as an item of entertainment, the picture provides little, other than a name or two, that might constitute the basis of a legitimate exploitation campaign. The story is melodramatic, with the elements of romance, comedy, action, excitement and adventure. The background is unique. But for some unaccountable reason, remembering that the picture is a major company product, the elements are not combined to make the whole effective. The picture is promising at the outset. Two American newsreel camera men are assigned to cover an Arab revolt in the desert. But once the pair, "Mitchell" and his comedy assistant, become involved with exotic and mysterious "Renee," everything that happens thereafter is either known by any intelligent audience or can easily be anticipated. "Mitchell", in addition to covering the pictorial news, sets out to discover who is fostering and financing the revolt. That brings in a character, "Duvac," similar to the match king who disappeared from a plane a few years ago. After everyone watching the picture learns that "Duvac" is the man behind the goings on and that "Renee" is his undercover agent, "Mitchell" finds it out. Previewed in the Uptown Theatre, Los Angeles. Patrons oj this house, long accustomed to looking at previews, good and otherwise, were not slow to demonstrate their opinion that "Chasing Danger" was in the second classification. However, jor a Saturday ajter noon attraction to audiences composed tnainly oj youngsters, the show might prove of some worth. — G.M. Produced and distributed by 20th Century -Fox. Directed by Ricardo Cortez. Screen play by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. Story by Leonardo Bercovici. Norman Colbert, film editor. Photographed by Virgil Miller. P. C. A. Certificate No. 4938. Running time: 60 minutes when seen in Hollywood. Release date: to be determined. General audience classification. CAST Steve Mitchell Preston Foster Renee Claire Lynn Bari Waldo Wally Vernon Andre Duvac Henry Wilcoxon Hazila Joan Woodbury Carlos Demitri Harold Huber Teeda Jody Gilbert Gurra Din Pedro de Cordoba Captain Fontaine Stanley Fields Corbin Roy D'Arcy The Mysterious Miss X (Republic) Mystery Melodrama Michael Whalen and Chick Chandler move over from Twentieth Century-Fox to Republic to be teamed in "The Mysterious Miss X," formula type mystery melodrama flecked with comedy. The story concerns their adventures when as stranded actors they are mistaken by American police for Scotland Yard officers during depredations of an unknown killer. Supporting them are Mary Hart, Mabel Todd, Frank M. Thomas, Regis Toomey, Don Douglas, Wade Boteler, Dorothy Tree, Eddie Acuff, Pierre Watkin and Harlan Briggs. Gus Meins directed from a screenplay by Olive Cooper, based on the original story idea by George W. Yates. Herman Schlom was associate producer. Highspots of the picture are the situations created by Miss Todd and Chandler, who had an enthusiastic response from the audience for his antics. Throngs in the Neighborhood Theatre welcomed the fare. "Keith Neville" is mistaken for an inspector of Scotland Yard and "Casey" for his assistant, during a murder investigation in a small town. They let the mistake ride, to prevent their being made suspects in the killing, during which $50,000 disappears. "Neville" falls in love with the daughter of the chief suspect and agrees to aid in the investigation. The solution comes after an automobile chase, another murder and a knock-down-drag-out fight, while mysterious figures in black veils flit about. Previewed at the Forum Theatre in Los Angeles.—V. K. Produced and distributed by Republic. Associate producer, Herman Schlom. Director, Gus Meins. Screen play, Olive Cooper. Original story idea by George W. Yates. Production manager, Al Wilson. Photographer, Ernie Miller. Supervising editor, Murray Seldeen. Film editor, Lester Orlebeck. Art director, John Victor Mackay. Musical director, Cy Feuer. Costumer, Irene Saltern. P. C. A. Certificate, No. 4924. Running time, when seen in Hollywood, 60 minutes. Release date, January 10, 1939. General audience classification. CAST Keith Neville Michael Whalen Julie Mary Hart Dan Casey Chick Chandler Miss Botts Mabel Todd Ross Frank M. Thomas Jack Webster Regis Toomey Fredericks Don Douglas Chief McDougal Wade Boteler Alma Dorothy Tree Policeman Eddie Acuff Winslow Pierre Watkin Graham Harlan Briggs Novelty that gets out of the trodden formula paths highlights the story. "Texas Dan," an outlaw waging war on outlaws, is wanted in many communities. When he decides to go straight, members of his own gang doublecross him, first by robbing a bank and then holding up a stage. "Texas," wounded, is found at the scene of the stage holdup by his faithful henchman, "Cashaway." Dressed in the murder victim's clothes, "Tex" loses his old identity. In a frontier town, "Texas," whose story is known only to "Cashaway," is soon a prominent citizen, a bank official, in love with "Evelyn" and posing as the father of "Mary Ruth." He is nominated for mayor, and, following a typically conducted singing campaign, is elected. Thereupon "Max" makes his reappearance and all is set for the big thrill action scene. Forcing "Tex" to help them rob his own bank, he turns the tables on them and following a wild fight in which "Cashaway" sacrifices his life, the bandits are slain. The climax has "Sheriff Wade" reading the obituary of bad man "Texas Dan" and the prospect of a happy domestic life for the new found character "Evelyn" and waif "Mary Ruth." In addition to the exploitation value of the Ritter name there is the well produced and understandable outdoor adventure production. Showmen have an opportunity to create further interest by publicizing the unique piano playing talents of the child prodigy, "Mary Ruth." For Saturday afternoon showing or any time the youngsters predominate in attendance, "Song of the Buckaroo" looks like a feature that will prove highly satisfactory. Previewed in the Monogram studio projection room in Hollyzvood. — G. M. Produced and distributed by Monogram. An Edward Finney production. Director, Al Herman. Story and screen play by John Rathmell. Photographer, Francis Corby. Sound, Glen Glenn. Film editor, Fred Bain. Technical director, E. R. Hickson. Musical director, Frank Sanucci. P. C. A. Certificate No. 4864. Release date, December 7. 1938. Running time, when seen in Hollywood, 60 minutes. General audience classification. CAST Texas Dan Tex Ritter Evelyn Jinx Falkenberg Mary Ruth Mary Ruth Sheriff Wade Tom London Rev. Bayliss Frank LaRue Max Groat Charles King Neal Bob Terry Cashaway .• Horace Murphy Perky Snub Pollard Tex Allen Dave O'Brien Anna Alden Dorothy Faye Song of the Buckaroo ( Monogram ) Western Here is a picture full of the ingredients that interest audiences that like action. Given better than average production, fast moving, counterbalancing dialogue with rapid-fire movement and making good use of vocal and instrumental musical interludes, "Song of the Buckaroo," first 1939 release for Tex Ritter, promises to do much towards increasing the player's standing in the ranks of western stars. Boy Slaves (RKO Radio) Child Labor Melodrama This is a powerful presentation of the case against child labor, specifically as practised in Southern turpentine camps under the system of economic enslavement lately legislated against with less than wholesale success. The conditions depicted have been described eloquently in the lay press and by magazine feature writers, a circumstance favorable to the box office prospects of a film light in marquee personalities, but the description here achieved by a wellpointed camera is more eloquent and likely to be more effective in arousing public interest than any written account has been or can be. Produced and directed in somberly realistic style by P. J. Wolfson, the screen play by Albert Bein and Ben Orkow tells a straight story about a group of boys who progress from a state of nomadic vagabondage into the brutal service of a turpentine camp where a technically legal type of peonage goads them to resistance which ends tragically for one of their number and for a guard. Up to the point of their ultimate surrender to an honest policeman, the picture is gripping and forceful. It closes in a courtroom episode which give a kindly judge an opportunity to address the audience on the evils of the system, but it has made its points before that. Anne Shirley gets top billing and performs