Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1941)

38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD February 2 2, 1941 SHOWMEN'S REVIEWS OF PRODUCT (.Continued from page 36) publishers in a frantic effort to get material for their next issue. Directed by Busby Berkeley, the film is somewhat slow in part but is spiced with puns and gags, both old and new. Albert Dekker and Charles Butterworth as the magazine publishers, Donald Meek as the inebriated pulp author and Reginald Owen as the kind hearted uncle strive to make this an enjoyable film. Reviewed at the MGM exchange in New York at a screening for daily newspaper critics and trade paper reviewers who watched the film without comment. — G. S. Produced and distributed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Directed by Busby Berkeley. Produced by B. P. Fineman. Directors of photography, Sidney Wagner and Oliver T. Marsh. Musical score Branislau Kaper. Recording director, Douglas Shearer. Art director, Cedric Gibbons. Associate Howard Campbell. Set decorations, Edwin B. Willis. Film editor, Gene Ruggiero. P. C. A. No. 6970. Running time, 71 minutes. Release date, February 7, 1941. Adult audience classification. CAST Jonathan Briggs John Shelton Margie Blake Virginia Grey Phil Hendricks Albert Dekker "Bittsy" Conway Charles Butterworth "Dusty" King Donald Meek Reginald Reginald Owen Victoria Alma Kruger Regina Rita Quigley Wanda Marion Martin C. V. Hutchins George Lessey The Devil Commands (Columbia) Horror Melodrama Concurrent with his starring Broadway stage appearance as the mad doctor in "Arsenic and Old Lace," a murder comedy which Warners purchased last month for motion picture production, Boris Karloff is seen also in a similar role in "The Devil Commands." Produced by Columbia under the directorial guidance of Edward Dmytryk the picture, if somewhat slow, contains the necessary continuity to make it an interesting melodrama of horror and suspense. Karloff portrays a doctor whose pseudoscientific research enables him to communicate with the dead. His ultimate purpose is not attained, however, until various associates have suffered m the doctor's efforts to perfect his experiments. Aiding Karloff in a characterization that has typed him with audiences throughout the country, are Richard Fiske and Amanda Duff lending romantic interest as the ex-associate in research, and the daughter of the doctor, respectively, Anne Revere and Ralph Penney as the faithful assistants, and Kenneth MacDonald as the local sheriff. Each portrayal, aids and abets the unfolding of the screen story. Reviewed at Broadway's Rialto theatre in New York, known for its policy of chills and thrills. An after-lunch audience watched with interest and unfolding of the story. — George Spires. Produced and distributed by Columbia, directed by Edward Dmytryk. Produced by Wallace MacDonald. Assistant director, George Rhein, Photographed by Allen G. Siegler, A.S.C. Film editor, Al Clark. Art director, Lionel Banks. Musical director, M W. Stoloff. Sound engineer, Phil Faulkner. P.C.A. No. 7003. Running time, 65 minutes. Release date, February 3, 1941. Adult audience classification. CAST Dr. Julian Blair Boris Karloff Dr. Richard Sayles Richard Fiske Anne Blair Amanda Duff Mrs. Walters Anne Revere Karl Ralph Penney Mrs. Marcy. Dorothy Adams Seth Marcy Walter Baldwin Sheriff Willis Kenneth MacDonald Helen Blair Shirley Warde Ridin the Cherokee Trail (Monogram) Western, with Songs Nineteenth of the westerns starring Tex Ritter which Monogram has released, this concerns the capture of an outlaw operating in the Cherokee strip before that territory became a part of Oklahoma. The capture is effected by Ritter and his fellow Texas Ranger, "Arkansas Slim" Andrews, through a ruse forcing the outlaw and his band to cross the state line into Texas. Forrest Taylor portrays the leader of the gang, in a somewhat overdrawn characterization which has him appear a megalomaniac with a love for playing chess and the "Moonlight Sonata." Betty Miles, Jack Roper, Fred Burns and Bruco Nolan are principally in support, along with the "Tennessee Ramblers," a five piece cowboy music band heard over Charlotte, North Carolina Radio Station WBT. Eight songs in all are accounted for by the band and Ritter, four written by Jack Gillette and Harry Blair, one by Slim Andrews, one by Johnny Lange and Lew Porter, one by Ritter and Andrews and one by Jack Smith. Produced by Edward F. Finney, the picture was directed by Spencer G. Bennet. Seen in a studio projection room. — Walter Selden. Produced and released by Monogram. Producer, Edward F. Finney. Director, Spencer G Bennet. Songs written by Jack Gillette, Harry Blair, Slim Andrews, Johnny Lange and Lew Porter and Jack Smith. PCA No. 6918. Running time when seen in Hollywood, 62 minutes. Release date, February 25, 1941. General audience classification. CAST Tex Ritter, Slim Andrews, Forrest Taylor, Betty Miles, Jack Roper, Fred Burns and Bruce Nolan. In Old Colorado! ( Paramount-Sherman) Sherman Western This picture contains all the ingredients sought for by action western fans in their fare, and is expertly fashioned in the best Harry Sherman production style to give a maximum of entertainment in its particular classification. About 36th in the "Hopalong Cassidy" series based on the Clarence E. Mulford character, "In Old Colorado" again presents in the lead William Boyd, number two money making western star in the last several Motion Picture Herald-Fow^ Exhibitor Poll. With him, as in the last few of the series released by Paramount, are Russell Hayden as "Lucky" and Andy Clyde as "Arizona." This diverges from the usual run of "Cassidy" pictures in that it has a greater content of comedy than any of the prior pieces. Sherman and Director Howard Bretherton built up the role of "Arizona" even to the extent of overshadowing "Lucky," and for more comedy relief used double-talking Cliff Nazarro. Others in the cast are Margaret Hayes, Morris Ankrum, Sarah Padden, Stanley Andrews, James Seay, Morgan Wallace, Weldon Heyburn and Eddy Waller. The story deals with a fight between cattlemen and nestors over land and water. In the end, peace is made as the real criminals, connected with neither side, are exposed. Seen in projection room. — V. K. Produced and released by Paramount Pictures. Producer, Harry Sherman. Director, Howard Bretherton. Sound mixer, Charles Althouse. Film editor, Carrol Lewis. Art director, Lewis Rachmil. Photographer, Russel Harlan. P. C. A. No. 7020. Release date, February 28. Running time, 67 minutes. General. CAST "Hopalong" Cassidy William Boyd "Lucky" Jenkins Russell Hayden "California" Andy Clyde Joe Weiler Morris Andrum Myra Woods Margaret Hayes "Ma" Woods. Sarah Padden "Nosey" Haskins Cliff Nazarro One-Tenth of Our Nation (Mary Warner) Plea for Race Rights It is the business of this pictorial plea to review some of the conditions prevalent among the negroes, particularly on the subject of inadequate housing, feeding and education, particularly in rural regions. The film ends with the sounding of an appeal for better and more equal fields of opportunity for the Negroes. The work was produced by Film Associates for the American Film Center Production. Mary Warner, independent distributor, is scheduled to handle distribution and the film is intended as an offering for regular run theatres, especially those in smaller sectors. The film in its portrayal, particularly camera portraits of the young negro children, carries pictorial appeal. The nature of miniature will be most interesting to audiences of a socially conscious makeup. — Running time, 26 minutes. British Production^ Will Continue, Says David Rose In London recently, David Rose, managing director in England for Paramount, upon his return from the United States, said Paramount intended to continue to produce pictures in England designed for world market. He talked tentatively of a modern version of "The Admirable Crichton," and said the script was ready on "Hatter's Castle," but explained that he was not sure whether it is appropriate for the mood of today's public. Review Policy Changed Jack Moffitt,, motion picture critic of the Kansas City Star, has inaugurated a new policy of printing reviews on Friday morning instead of on Sunday as in years previous. This is to catch Friday openings, which is the regular opening day, or pictures that open earlier in the week. In addition, Mr. Moffitt hereafter will print advance reviews of pictures he considers notable, on Sunday. Interboro Suit Dismissed N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Hofstadter has dismissed a minority stockholders' suit against Samuel Strausberg, head of the Interboro Theatres, Inc. The suit was instituted in 1937 and alleged that certain changes in stock ownership had been brought about through fraud. Justice Hofstadter pointed out that the plaintiffs, Abraham Werbelovsky, Samuel Small, William Small, August Small, Mendel Lerner and Harry Gross, had apparently been "satisfied with the result, but now that the financial prospect of the new corporation has become brighter, due in great part to the effort and attention of Strausberg, they seek to undo what they had previously consented to and acquiesced in."