Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1940)

42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD April 6 , 940 (Continued from page 39) many Hollywood scenes which have considerable exploitation value per se, such as the Grauman's Chinese theatre forecourt, and it has Sid Grauman himself. Linda Darnell receives her first starring credit in "Star Dust," in the role of a young college girl who, despite adversity, stays _ on in Hollywood after her failure in her initial screen test. John Payne, as a conceited college lad also trying to get a screen contract, enacts his role so well that some persons will wonder where he has been previously. Excellent support is given by Roland Young, in the role of the silent film star turned talent scout; Charlotte Greenwood, as the studio drama coach ; William Gargan, as the head of the studio; Donald Meek, casting director, and Mary Beth Hughes and Mary Healy, other young hopefuls. Robert Ellis and Helen Logan, prolific writing pair, have imparted pathos and comedy to the story by Jesse Malo, Kenneth Earl and Ivan Kahn. Walter Lang directed ably under associate producer Kenneth Macgowan. Previeived at the Alexander Theatre, Glendale, Cal., to an audience which cheered and applauded.— -V '. K. Produced and distributed by 20th Century -Fox. Associate producer, Kenneth Macgowan. Directed by Walter Lang. Screenplay by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. Based on a story by Jesse Malo, Kenneth Earl and Ivan Kahn. Photographed by Peverell Marley. Art direction by Richard Day and Albert Hogsett. Edited by Robert Simpson. Songs, "Secrets in the Moonlight" and "Don't Let It Get You Down," music and lyrics by Mack Gordon. Musical director, David Buttolph. P. C. A. Certificate No. 6047. Running time, when seen in Glendale, 90 minutes. Release date, April 5, 1940. General audience classification. CAST Carolyn Sayes Linda Darnell Bud Borden John Payne Thomas Brooke Roland Young Lola Langdon Charlotte Greenwood Dane Wharton William Gargan June Lawrence Mary Beth Hughes Mary Andrews Mary Healy Sam Wellman Donald Meek Bird Man Harry Green Miss Parker Jessie Ralph Napoleon Walter Kingsford Ronnie George Montgomery Bell Boy Robert Lowery Wellman's Assistant Hal K. Dawson Maid Jody Gilbert Announcer Gary Breckner Lab Man Paul Hurst Clerk Irving Bacon Cameraman Billy Wayne Secretary Fern Emmett Bus Driver Tom Dugan Girl Lynne Roberts The Life of Ciuseppi Verdi ( Esperia ) Musical Romance The private life of the composer is presented in the Italian-made production, from his first yearnings to become a student of music, through the numerous hardships and tragedies that befell him before fame summoned him. With beautifully staged excerpts from operas, from sketches, photographs and actual sets borrowed from the Scala museum, the story is presented as the operas were presented in Italy in the nineteenth century. The picture also relates a heart-warming love story of Verdi's first wife and, later, the two prima donnas who inspired his works. Scenes are from "Rigoletto," "Don Carlos," 'II Trovatore," "La Traviata," "Aida" and others. The musical direction is handled by Tullio Carafin and Luigi Ricci. From Verdi's works they have arranged the musical accompaniment, and the producers say that unpublished and forgotten fragments have been added. Contributing also are more than a hundred members of the orchestra of the Teatro Reale dell'Opera, a chorus of almost 200, and solos by Beniamino Gigli, Pia Tassinari Maria Cebotari and others of the Italian opera. The picture, with English title superimposed by Armando Macaluso, was made by the Great Historical Films, Inc., at the Cinecitta Studios in Rome. Carmine Gallone directed and as sisted Lucio D'Ambra, of the Italian Academy, in preparing the screenplay. The inclusion of Verdi's best known music helps to lift the picture out of the limited audience appeal range of operatic subjects. Reviewed at the Fine Arts theatre in Nezv York at a trade screening. — George Spires. Produced by Great Historical Films, Inc.. at the Cinecitta studios in Rome, Italy. Released in the United States by Esperia Film Co. Director, Carmine Gallone. Tullio Serafin, musical director. Assistant musical director, Luigi Ricci. Screenplay by Lucio D'Ambra and Carmine Gallone. English titles edited by Armando Macaluso. Massimo Terzano, photographer. Scenic designer, Guido Fiorini. Assistant directors, Ivo Illuminati and Emanuele Caracciola. Sound by Giovanni Bittman and Ettore Forni. Montage effects, O'svaldo Hafenrichter. Camillo Parravicini. technical director of Opera scenes. Costumes designed by Titina Rota and executed by the Casa d'Arte of Rome. Running time, 111 minutes. Release date, April 3, 1940. No. P.C.A. number. General audience classification. CAST Giuseppi Verdi Fosco Giachetti Giuseppina Strepponi Gaby Morlay Margherita Barezzi Germana Paolieri Teresina Stolz Maria Cebotari Verdi's Mother Maria Jacobini Antonio Barezzi Camillo Pilotto Verdi's Father Cesco Baseggio Solera Temistocle Carlo Duse Cammarano Salvatore Gustavo Serena Piave F. M Guido Celano Ghislanzoni Antonio Augusto Di Giovanni Impresario Massini Eugenio Duse Marelli, director of La Scala Febo Mari Gaetano Donizetti Lamberto Picasso Victor Hugo Henri Rollan Honore de Balzac Gabriel Gabrio Alexandre Dumas fils Pierre Brasseur Maestro Mariani Enrico Glori Countess Maffei Clara Padoa Actress in "Dame aux Camelias" Carla Sveva Tenor. Beniamino GigU Claudine (French Motion Picture Corp.) Gallic Glimpse of Young Love The title character of this production by the Parisian penwoman, Colette, is an adolescent and will remind Americans of the wholesome and appealing "Willie Baxter" of Booth Tarkington's immortal "Seventeen." The young French miss is a year younger than her American prototype. However, outside of some extremely picturesque outdoor photography of rural scenery, and brief character demonstrations of a few of the minor players, the study of the young school girl, more clinical than natural, is inept and tedious. "Claudine," more precocious than her tender years warrant, knows all about the amours of Casanova and has introduced to the greedy girl readers the naughty but not nice work, "Aphrodite." In between getting into and out of school scrapes, little "Claudine" is the object of an unnatural passion from the school's headmistress. The arrival of another woman teacher starts a shift in the amatory situation. Then a new doctor comes to town and his appearance apparently releases "Claudine" from the evil spell of the lady "schoolmarms." When she is introduced to the medico's fiancee, she just laughs through her tears and soliloquizes that at her elastic age nothing really matters. Seen at a midafternoon performance at the Little Carnegie Playhouse art cinema showshop, in New York, where a fair sized audience was non-committal except during the more normal and appealing comedy moments. — Joseph F. Coughlin. Produced by Jacques Haik for Les Films Regent. Released by the Phoenix Film Company in association with the French Motion Picture Corporation. Director, Serge de Poligny. Based on the novel "Claudine at l'Ecole" by Colette. Music, Paul Misraki. English titles, Oliver Levy and Rose Tapernoux. No P. C. A. Certificate number. Release date, March 30, 1940. Running time, 82 minutes. Adult audience classification. CAST Claudine Blanchette Brunoy Claudme's Father Max Dearly Mtss Sergent Margo Lion Armee Suzet Mais Doctor Dubois Pierre Brasseur Mouloud le petit Mouloudji Miss Griset Jeanne Fusier-Gir Rabastans Leon Larive Juno Ketty Pierson Duplessis Marcel Charvey Doctor Lebarbu Boverio Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (MGM) Round Four of Kildare-Gillespie Bout The semi-professional, semi-platonic bickering between senior "Dr. Gillespie" and the young medico, "Dr. Kildare," enters its fourth stretch, with attentive audiences assured, even if a newcomer may see in the present offering more talk than action. Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore again are the two professional principals and Laraine Day is again the romantic and pulchritudinous asset. Other faithful "Kildare" players are Samuel S. Hinds, Emma Dunn, Alma Kruger, and the comedy team of Nat Pendleton and Marie Blake. Harold S. Bucquet again directed. The case concerns a brain operation patient who loses his mind. It is the business of "Dr. Kildare" to bring the sufferer back to normalcy. Seen in New York at a trade press showing. — J. F. C. Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Director, Harold S. Bucquet. Screen play, Harry Ruskin and Willis Goldbeck. Based on an original story by Max Brand and Willis Goldbeck. Musical score, David Snell. Recording director, Douglas Shearer. Art director, Cedric Gibbons. Associate. Eddie Imazu. Set decorations, Edwin B. Willis. Director of photography, John Seitz. Film editor, Gene Ruggiero. P.C.A. Certificate No. 6095. Running time, 77 minutes. Release date, April 12, 1940. Adult audience classification. CAST Dr. James Kildare Lew Ayres Dr. Leonard Gillespie Lionel Barrymore Mary Lamont Laraine Day Dr. Gregory Lane Shepperd Strudwick Dr. Stephen Kildare Samuel S. Hinds Mrs. Martha Kildare Emma Dunn Wayman Nat Pendleton Dr. S. J. Carew ..Walter Kingsford Molly Byrd Alma Kruger Henry Adams John Eldredge "Nosey" Nell Craig Conover George H. Reed Antonio Paul Porcasi "Fog Horn" Horace MacMahon Sally Marie Blake Florence Marcia Mae Jones Dr. Squires Charles Waldron Mike Frank Orth Mrs. Cray Margaret Seddon Lights Out in Europe ( Mayer-Bur styn ) Documentary on War After difficulty with foreign censors, Herbert Kline, producer-director of the Czechoslavakran documentary, "Crisis," has returned to the United States with additional film, here chiefly on the Polish Corridor. James Hilton, author of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," wrote the commentary, which is recited from the screen by Fredric March, stage and screen star. Showing England's preparation for war and the occupation of the Corridor by Nazi Germany, "Lights Out in Europe" is an interesting and revealing study of the effects of conflict on various peoples of Europe. In England are depicted the training of citizens in the use of gas masks, assignment to medical groups and the drafting of men for the army. From Poland's gallant fight come many gruesome scenes, including a machine-gunned young girl, a farmer's bullet-ridden body attended by his wife and child, cattle burned to death. Included also are scenes from the last World War. All this makes the picture suitable only for adult consumption. Lupino Lane, one of England's foremost stage and screen entertainers, leads a lighter side with his interpretation of England's new marching song, "We'll Hang Out the Washing on the Sigfried Line.'' Alexander Hackenschmied was again the cameraman. Rosa Harvan Kline was production manager. Reviewed in a New York projection room at a screening for the trade press. — G. S. Produced and directed by Herbert Kline and to be released by Mayer-Burstyn. Peter Mayer, associate producer. Rosa Harvan Kline, production manager. Alexander Hackenschmied, photographer. P. C. A. No. 6138. Release date. April 13, 1940. Running time, 66 minutes. Adult audience classification.