Motion Picture Reviews (1935)

Six Motion Picture Reviews story. The plot, although somewhat overdrawn, adheres to a pattern which has long been popular in children’s books and which contains enough humor and sentiment to hold the interest of adults. The Shirley of the picture lives in the household of some impossibly hard-hearted, vulgar rich. Their enfant terrible is an amusing contrast to the angelic Shirley, and their crochety rich old uncle is the fairy godfather of the happy ending. Delightful sequences of the film show Shirley as the pet of the Glendale airport where she goes daily to see her father’s aviator pal. The tragedy which makes Shirley an orphan may be too realistically presented for emotional children but we believe that for others the winsome gaiety of the little heroine will obscure the sadder incidents and leave a happy impression. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Excellent Excellent except perhaps too sad for emotional children THE BAND PLAYS ON » » Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Ted Healy, Leo Carrillo, Betty Furness. From the story "Backfield” by Cyron Morgan and J. Robert Brem. Direction by Russell Mack. M-C-M. This is a good, ethically sound football story which follows the careers of four boys from the day they are paroled by a wise and sympathetic juvenile court judge, through high school and college, when they are under the guidance of a splendid sportsman who is their coach and friend. The plot, if somewhat involved at times and a little tiresome (for adults), bases its sequence of events upon the emotions of the characters in a way that seems logical and plausible. This is an agreeable change from the many stories which depend entirely upon chance. The boys are well cast, and the authentic football scenes which are fitted into the action should give the picture special interest to followers of the sport. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Good Good v THE CHURCH MOUSE » * Laura LaPlante, Ian Hunter, Edward Chapman. Direction by Monty Banks. Warner Bros. (British studio.) Laura LaPlante, as a plump, serious minded, unadorned little typist out of work, introduces herself, by an amusing ruse, into the employ of a bank president, a man who is a human dynamo at business and equally intensive in his play time. She becomes indispensible to him as secretary and learns how to attract his attention otherwise as well. There are interesting directoral touches to show the development of business efficiency during the passing years, and the opening scenes are clever and entertaining. But on the whole it is only a fair program film, slow and unoriginal in its unfolding. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 slothing to recommend No interest -w THE CURTAIN FALLS » * Henrietta Crosman, Dorothy Lee, Holmes Herbert, Natalie Moorhead, John Darrow. Karl Brown, author. Direction by Charles Lamont. Chesterfield. A passee actress, sorely pressed for funds, masquerades as a noblewoman and straightens out the domestic troubles of the family she visits. While her methods are not always ethical, there is an air of humaness about the role Miss Crosman so admirably plays which disarms criticism. The theme is not hackneyed, and the picture is entertaining in a quiet way. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Mature Not suitable or interesting ■w COUNTY CHAIRMAN » > Will Rogers, Evelyn Venable, Louise Dresser, Barton Churchill, Stepin Fetchit. From the play by George Ade adapted by Sam Hillman and Gladys Lehman. Direction by John Blystone. Fox. Here is jolly, wholesome entertainment which we like to think typical of Will Rogers. It tells the story of county politics of thirty years ago, ridiculing the methods of that day and giving Mr. Rogers a role in which he gets the most out of the amusing lines of the play and adds a few of his own bits of humor. An exciting pursuit provides an hilarious climax to a film which should have great appeal to family audiences. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Good Yes yr DAVID COPPERFIELD » » Freddy Bartholomew, Frank Lawton, W. C. Fields, Roland Young, Maureen Sullivan, Edna May Oliver, Madge Evans, Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone. From the novel by Charles Dickens, adapted by Hugh Walpole. Direction by Ceorge Cukor. M-C-M. If Charles Dickens himself had supervised every rehearsal, it is doubtful if the book could have come to life more authentically than it does in the film version of “David Copperfield.” Perhaps all the people in the cast are lovers of Dickens; surely it would seem so. Little Freddy Bartholomew is quaintly English; he carries one with him so