Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1941)

December 2 0, 194 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALD Blue, White and Perfect (20th Century-Fox) Topical Mystery This Michael Shayne detective story fits right into the Hawaii war headlines which will be fresh in the minds of every American for a long, long time. Part of the action takes place in Honolulu and most of it on a steamer bound there. The plot involves a private detective, enemy agents engaged in stealing industrial diamonds, an FBI man, the girl who is aiding the spies and another girl who is waiting, not too patiently, for Shayne to marry her. A good performance is given by Lloyd Nolan, as the private detective. But without the special attention created by today's headlines there would be nothing to distinguish this from other program pictures. Now with interest centered on the war, "Blue, White and Perfect" may be expected to compare favorably with others in its class and hold attention of the audience. Detective Shayne takes a job at an airplane factory and immediately the diamonds used for special instruments are stolen in what he suspects is "an inside job." The trail leads him to a dress manufacturer who is a German agent, smuggling diamonds to Hawaii in buttons. On the boat he finds that an old friend, played by Helene Reynolds, is working with the smugglers. There is some excitement when the FBI man, George Reeves, and Shayne chase each other and are trapped by the gang. Finally the case is solved and Shayne and his girl, played by Mary Beth Hughes, make peace. Herbert I. Leeds, director, did well with the material, though the script was uneven. Sol M. Wurtzel was the executive producer. Previewed at the home office before a small trade press audience that commented on the timeliness of the material and showed a bit of interest in the plot solution. — -Martin Quigley, Jr. Release date, Jan. 6, 1942. Running time, 75 minutes. PCA No. 7886. General audience classification. Michael Shayne Lloyd Nolan Merle Garland Mary Beth Hughes Helen Shaw Helene Reynolds Juan Arturo O'Hara George Reeves Steve Geray, Henry Victor, Curt Bois, Marie Blake, Emmett Vogan, Mae Marsh, Frank Orth, Ivan Lebedeff, Wade Boteler, Charles Trowbridge. West of Cimarron (Republic) Western This latest of the Three Mesquiteers series gives the impression of being hastily thrown together. _ The story could be at fault— it is a minor item concerned with "carpet-baggers" versus "bushwhackers" in a small Texas outpost town — but the impression in this corner is that the trouble lies in its handling. There is not enough of vim and vigor, not enough of the dramatic to hold one's attention. The scenes are all too stilted for a type of picture whose primary function is action. This time the Mesquiteers are caught between the two warring factions until, realizing that the Texans are being systematically robbed under the guise of taxes by the civilian aide at the army_ post and his chief henchman, an army captain, they enlist in the troop— but neglect to wear the uniform — so that they can bore from within. Their maneuverings are soon detected and it takes one of those "shootin" climaxes to straighten matters out. The Mesquiteers are Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, and Rufe Davis; the girl is Lois Collier, and the principal heavy, Hugh Prosser. James Bush is the head man on the "carpet-baggers" side of the fence. Louis Gray was associate producer and Les Orlebeck directed. Reviewed in a projection room in New York —P. C. M., Jr. Release date, Dec. IS, 1941. Running time, 56 minutes. PCA No. 7897. General audience classification. I'Tucsor." Smith Bob Steele Stony" Brooke Tom Tyler 'Lullaby" Joslin... . Rufe Davis Lois Collier, James Bush, Guy Usher, Hugh Prosser Cordell Hickman, Roy Barcroft, Budd Buster. The Royal Mounted Patrol ( Columbia ) Cowboys Join the Mounties There's enough action in this film about the Canadian woods and its guardians to please the patrons used to seeing Charles Starrett and Russell Hayden riding the range, and enough story and good production values to hold the interest of some who are not strictly western fans. William Berke has produced a simple story of the first assignments of three recruits to the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police with a bit of imagination and some excellent photography. The friends are separated in their duties, two going to open a new post near a lumber camp, and one joining the aerial scouting patrol. But a forest fire at the climax finds them working together to rescue the threatened villagers and bring the cheating foreman to justice. The fact that the foreman is a brother of the girl in whom both "Tom" and "Lucky" are interested is a complication never fully realized in the picture. Lambert Hillyer directed the film which should help answer the demand for action pictures. Seen at a Nezv York theatre where the audience was obviously interested and entertained — E. A. Cunningham Release date, Nov. 13, 1941. Running time, 59 minutes. PCA No. 7731. General audience classification. Tom Jeffries Charles Starrett Lucky Lawrence Russell Hayden Hap Andrews Lloyd Bridges Wanda McKay, Donald Curtis, Ted Adams, Harrison Green, Kermit Maynard, Evan Thomas. Law of the Timber (Producers Rel. Corp.) Melodrama Taken from James Oliver Curwood's story, "The Speck on the Wall," PRCs "Law of the Timber" is an outdoor melodrama replete with thrills and suspense for the derring-do trade. The plot deals with the efforts of several men to take over, through sabotage, a lumber mill engaged in filling a national defense order. Murders, fights, a forest fire and dynamite blasts are thrown into the story, along with items of comedy. The cast consists of Marjorie Reynolds, Monte Blue, J. Farrell MacDonald, Hal Brazeal, Earle Ebe, Sven-Hugo Borg, George Humbert, Milt Morani, Betty Roadman, Eddie Phillips and the dog, Zero. B. B. Ray, who produced and directed and George R. Batcheller, Jr., in charge of PRC production, executed surprisingly effective results within the budgetary limitations. Some of the acting and some of the dialogue, however, is right "off the cob." Use of infra-red film for the fire sequences gives excellent effect. Seen at a projection room showing in Hollywood.— Vance King. Release date, Dec. 19, 1941. Running time, 64 minutes. PCA No. 7858. General audience classification. "Perry" Lorimer Marjorie Reynolds Hodge Mason Monte Blue Adams J. Farrell MacDonald John Gordon Hal Brazeal Earle Ebe, Sven-Hugo Borg. George Humbert, Milt Morani, Betty Zoadman, Eddie Phillips, Zero. The Blonde Comet (Producers Rel. Corp.) Automobile Racing Picture "The Blonde Comet" is almost exclusively an automobile racing picture, and as such will appeal largely to action fans and those interested in this particular type of sport. The plot is of necessity incidental. Virginia Vale enacts the "Blonde Comet," who is shown making a name for herself as a racing automobilist in Italy, France and England, when those countries presumably had time for that sort of thing. Coming to America, she meets Robert Kent, another racing automobilist, and a state of rivalry is created. Between races, however, Cupid finds time to fling his arrows, and at the close of the picture, the Blonde Comet sacrifices a possible victory at a race, has Kent use her car, and he wins. His triumph also means a triumph for the carburetor which he had invented and for the tires manufactured by the Comet's father. Besides Virginia Vale and Robert Kent, the cast also includes Barney Oldfield, famous in automobile racing circles, and Vince Barnett, who supplies the film with a dash of comedy. With so much of the footage of the picture devoted to automobiles in action, there is plenty of opportunity for spills, thrills and chills, and they appear in abundance. George R. Batcheller was in charge of production and William Beaudine directed. Reviewed at the New York theatre in New York, where the audience appeared to react favorably.— I. S. Release date, Dec. 26, 1941. Running time, 67 minutes. PCA No. 7899. General audience classification. Beverly Blake Virginia Vale Jim Flynn Robert Kent Barney Oldfield Himself Curly Vince Barnett Cannonball Blake William Halligan Joey Ray, Red Knight, Diana Hughes Ships with Wings (Ealing Studios-United Artists) Naval Drama Made by Michael Balcom's organization, with the complete and enthusiastic collaboration of the Fleet Air Arm, this picture reconstructs many of the exciting and inspiring passages in the history of the navy's Aircraft Carriers, floodlights the routine and the mechanism of these hitherto more or less secret weapons of defense and attack. Many of the sequences were shot on the "Ark Royal" and the intimacy of the glimpses of the life and routines on the vessel, plus the dramatic gusto of the actual flying itself, make tip-top entertainment, with a flavour of actuality. There is a love story — two love stories in fact — and a dramatic thread running through, one strand in which is John Clements as an impulsive F.A.A. pilot who is drummed out of the service, but who returns to his ship and sacrifies himself in pancaking a fighter onto a Nazi bomber and blowing up a dam. For four or five reels these personal elements wander about indifferently. At no time do they reach the intense drama of the passage on the "Ark Royal." Here the work of naval fighters, the air combats above the ship, the bombing attack on the vessel, and the heroism of pilots ready to take off through a blazing ammunition dump, to meet the enemy, are stirringly handled. There is model work which the practised eye will spot with no apparent difficulty, but the film has been brilliantly edited, and the various elements laid together something more than skillfully. Camerawork throughout is lucent and crisp but Roy Kellino's work on the "Ark Royal'' and in the air is excellent. Leslie Banks as a naval father, John Clements as the erstwhile pilot who comes back with such heroic force, Edward Chapman as a Greek Air Line owner, are probably best of a capable cast. Serge Nolbandox has handled them as he has handled his material — with intelligence and zeal. A feature of the film is its sartorial flavour, many front rank dress designers having collaborated under the wing of Dorthy Broomham. A critical press preview audience was critical, but mainly of the romantic element and its lingering laziness. They paid high tribute by applause ami word of mouth to the naval and flying passages. Trade personalities present seemed to agree on the film's saleability on the "Ark Royal" angle. — A. F. Release date, not set. Adult audience classification. Lieut. Stacey John Clements Vice-Admiral Weatherby Leslie Banks Celia Weatherby Jane Baxter Kay Gordon Ann Todd Basil Sydney. Edward Chapman, Hugh Williams, Frank Pettingell, Michael Wilding, Michael Rennie, Cecil Parker, John Stuart, Frank Cellier, Morland Graham, Charles Victor, Hugh Burden. Product Digest Section 4 1 9