Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1936)

MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST 29 cidents. They are apprehended by a clever district attorney who joins the legal department of an insurance company." Wkly Guide EDUCATING FATHER. 20th century-Fox. 58min Jl 10 '36 Players: Jed Prouty. Shirley Deane. Dixie Dunbar. Spring Byington. Kenneth Howell Director: James Tinling Audience Suitability Ratings "It is well acted, directed with a keen sense of the dramatic and its vivid and exciting scenes hold interest throughout. Adults & young people." E Coast Preview Committee + Fox W Coast Bu! Ag 1 '36 "General patronage." Nat Legion of Decency Jl 9 '36 "A and Y: interesting and timely; C: doubtful." Parents' M p69 S '36 "Adults & young people." + Sel Motion Pict Jl 1 '36 "[It is an] interesting and timely picture. Family." + Wkly Guide Je 27 '36 Trade Paper Reviews "Satisfactory entertainment for the average double-bill house. A not too pretentious effort that is saved from being just another 'quickie' by the honest attempts of its cast to make a sincere showing. Family." H Box Office p23 Jl 11 36 "Taking a subject which is of current timely interest, the bilking of insurance companies through the medium of fake accidents, a generally satisfactory melodrama exposing the practice has been turned out here. It is a good job from a production standpoint, as well as in the writing, directing and acting." -f Film Daily p3 Jl 11 '36 "When it comes to reading — and anticipating — the headlines, some of the independents are right up with the majors. Invincible' s 'Easy Money' . . . ties right in with the current insurance racket trial in the local courts, makes use of the upholstery-cord murder clue of New York's Tiverton murder, and introduces enough murders, maimings and similar innocent activities to make a first class horror film, if it only had Lugosi. It will satisfy the theaters and audiences at which it necessarily is aimed because of its low budget. . . The Perez and Adamson original plus the Horman screenplay provide a smooth foundation, although possibly piling on all the stock dramatic tricks to change the balance of power too thickly at the end." Hollywood Reporter p3 Je 27 '36 "This film has a ready-made break with the fake injury racket making headlines all across the country. . . [It] is a creditable effort in the low budget class and should do nicely for the exhibitor who stresses the timely angle." -| Motion Pict Daily pl6 Je 30 '36 "Very interesting, if still familiar, this is good fare for the neighborhood houses." H Phila Exhibitor p6S Jl 1 '36 "There is sufficient entertainment value in 'Easy Money' for the not too demanding fan to insure satisfaction." H Variety p31 Jl 15 '36 "Sufficient production, direction and acting along with a sincere and honest screen play makes 'Easy Money' satisfactory film fare for neighborhoods, particularly those with [juvenile matinees] and those anxious to build up with proper exploitation. . . It's a good independent with all its qualifications. Maury M. Cohen has given this film a little more than usual production." + Variety (Hollywood) p3 Je 27 '36 See issue of June 29, 1936 for other reviews of this film Audience Suitability Ratings "Family." Am Legion Auxiliary "Amusing dialogue and situation makes good film fare of the familiar. Adults: good; 14-18: good; 8-14: good. Family." Calif Cong of Par & Teachers "Entertaining, but rather thinly convincing in spots, it will furnish an evening's amusement to the entire family." Calif red of Business & Professional Women's Clubs "Suitable for family & junior matinees." S Calif Council of Fed Church Women + Fox W Coast Bui Je 13 '36 "Family & junior matinee." Jt Estimates Je 1 '36 "Here is light, wholesome comedy with plenty of suspense and good acting. . . [It] should please family audiences. Adolescents, 12-16: good; children, 8-12: entertaining." + Motion Pict R Jl '36 "A: light domestic comedy; Y and C: wholesome." Parents' M p47 Ag '36 "Family & junior matinee." Sel Motion Pict Jl 1 '36 "Family." Wkly Guide Je 27 '36 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "[It is a] mildly agreeable piece." — + Christian Science Monitor pl3 Ag 1 '36 "[It] presents entertainment, possibly a little dull because of the subject matter, but still humorous, matter-of-fact, and realistic. . . Mr. Prouty is fine as a somewhat dyspeptic father, and Spring Byington is too in the role of the devoted mother. In fact, the whole cast is fine." Marguerite Tazelaar -\ NY Herald Tribune plO Je 22 '36 "The suburban Joneses, who made their screen debut a few months back in 'Every Saturday Night,' present the further adventures of what we sincerely hope is not the typical American family in 'Educating Father.' . . A shade or two more melodramatic than the first episode, but still relying for its appeal upon its humorous reflection of small-town domesticity, the picture is tolerably amusing in an entirely inconsequential way. . . [The cast] strive, and rather successfully, to catch the spirit of a small-town tribe; but that, in itself, is not too important an enterprise." F. S. Nugent -i NY Times p22 Je 20 '36 "[It is] a likeable but slightly old-fashioned farce about a typical American family . . . designed especially for that large public that likes and enjoys homely, humorous, folksy American films. . . The members of a large cast contribute to make 'Educating Father,' amiable and pleasant, if unimportant entertainment." William Boehnei + NY World-Telegram p8 Je 22 '36 Trade Paper Reviews "Agreeable entertainment for the family trade, but sadly out of place in the de luxers. Just a quiet little domestic story with no love interest other than one sequence, where a determined young flirt is brought in to create H — [-Exceptionally Good; -4 Good; -| Fair; Mediocre: Poor; Exceptionally Poor