Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1936)

MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST 99 "[It is] a confused murder mystery. Adults." h Nat Legion of Decency Jl 30 '36 "The production is hampered by a jerky and incoherent plot and the efforts of an expert cast are utterly wasted. Adults & young people." — Sel Motion Pict Ag 1 '36 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews Christian Science Monitor p7 S 5 '36 "A poor rewrite of 'The Maltese Falcon' that just stops short of a travesty on itself." — New Theatre p22 S '36 "The mad-hatter touch of 'Satan Met A Lady' almost reduces the picture to inanity, and the current vogue among film producers to outdo one another in smart detective fiction may soon reduce audiences if the new Strand offering, with its pseudo wit and artificial situations, is an example of entertainment. . . The strained humor and self-conscious sophistication becomes as exhausting as the effort to follow the addled plot. Nor does Mr. Williams's smirking and over-studied performance increase one's comfort, while Miss Davis walks through her lines languidly." Marguerite Tazelaar — NY Herald Tribune plO Jl 23 '36 "Had Bette Davis walked out on "Warner Brothers on reading the script of 'Satan Met a Lady,' her present policy might be at least understandable. She might even have rated sympathy from the general public, from the studio itself. As it is, the Strand feature appears to be, as one spectator expressed it — the Warners' vengeance on Bette Davis." Eileen Creelman NY Sun p22 Jl 23 '36 "If Bette Davis had not effectually espoused her own cause against the Warners recently by quitting her job, the Federal Government eventually would have had to step in and do something about her. After viewing 'Satan Met a Lady,' all thinking people must acknowledge that a 'Bette Davis Reclamation Project' (BDRP) to prevent the waste of this gifted lady's talents would not be a too-drastic addition to our various programs for the conservation of natural resources. A cynical farce of elaborate and sustained cheapness, it causes still other intelligent actors and actresses — including Warren William, Arthur Treacher and Alison Skipworth — to behave like numskulls, and deserves to be quoted as a classic of dullness in future press notices." B. R. C. NY Times p24 Jl 23 '36 "The important thing about 'Satan Met a Lady' is not so much what happened as a result of the meeting mentioned in the title but rather what happened to a swell Dashiell Hammett novel — 'The Maltese Falcon' — when it met a Hollywood scenario writer who evidently had seen all of the cinema's attempts to mix banter with homicide since 'The Thin Man.' The results of this impact, it must be mentioned at once, are pretty distressing — indeed, terrible. Hollywood has committed many major crimes when transferring plays and books to the screen, but seldom has it been guilty of such a misdemeanor as in this instance. . . Although Miss Davis' performance in 'Of Human Bondage' may have won her a delayed Academy prize for acting, her work as the blond killer will not, I fear, bring her any further awards. As for Mr. William — well, let's drop the whole matter." William Boehnel NY World-Telegram plO Jl 23 '36 "The 1936 version is vastly inferior to the 1931 version [of the film]. 'Satan Met a Lady' is a little turkey, though, if ever I saw one. For one thing, it suffers from a severe case of 'Thin Man' trouble — unbearably cute writing, directing, and acting. . . There's no use going into the thing any further, except to serve notice on Warner Brothers that if they pro duce 'The Maltese Falcon' a third time, under a third name, I and all my friends will be very much annoyed." Russell Maloney — New Yorker p39 Ag 1 '36 " 'The Thin Man' set a new style in detective pictures. . . 'Satan Met a Lady' is the thinnest imitation of it so far recorded, remarkable chiefly because Dashiell Hammett was author of the stories from which both pictures were adapted. A frayed tassel from Hollywood's lunatic fringe, it includes performances by Warren William as a ferociously whimsical detective and Bette Davis, last year's Academy Award winner, in the trifling role of a jewel thief." — Time p29 Ag 3 '36 Trade Paper Reviews "Even though the story is by the author of 'The Thin Man' this programmer fails to compare favorably with the former in entertainment value. Adults." 1 Box Office p29 Ag 1 '36 "This [is a] fairly amusing production. Getting off to a rather confused start and frequently deviating from its main course, the yarn holds interest chiefly by the work of a good cast, which for the most part is obliged to perform more or less goofy roles." H Film Daily p7 Jl 23 '36 "An absurd travesty murder mystery that has no rhyme or reason except to garner laughs, which it does at the expense of any shred of plausibility or clarity. Most of the players are involved in roles that multiply the general effect of insanity on the loose. . . The sole entertainment value of the picture is in its comedy lines, which are sometimes forced, occasionally lost in their delivery, but often genuinely comic. This is, however, not enough to save the opus from quick obscurity." h Hollywood Reporter p3 Jl 30 '36 "[It is] a dashing, frivolous, almost amazing mystery film, with a wild sort of comedy predominating. It is a picture which, in all probability, will be called utterly insane by some persons, and completely entertaining by others. It would seem that halfway opinions by audiences regarding the film are impossible." Motion Pict Daily p4 Jl 21 '36 "Weirdly amusing, that class mav only appreciate. Strictly metropolitan stuff for civilized, cynical, for some the comedy will be as mysterious as the mystery. Estimate: mild program." h Phila Exhibitor p38 Ag 1 '36 "This is an inferior remake of 'The Maltese Falcon.' . . Chances are an outright revision might have worked out better. . . Where the detective of 'Maltese Falcon' and his activities were natural and amusing, he and his satiric crime detection are now forced and unnatural. . . William tries hard to be gay as the eccentric private cop and his performance is all that keeps the picture moving in many lagging moments." h Variety pl4 Jl 29 '36 "[It] will have to do plenty to eke out a box office existence. It's nonsensical comedy, but something misses fire in dialog, action and direction. . . All players, including leads work enthusiastically, but at the same time appear to be under a handicap." — Variety (Hollywood) p3 Jl 30 '36 SECOND WIFE, RKO 60min Ag 21 '36 Players: Walter Abel. Gertrude Michael. Eric Rhodes Director: Edward Killy Based on a play All the King's Men by Fulton Oursler. This is a remake of an earlier film + + Exceptionally Good; +Good; -| Fail + Mediocre; — Poor; Exceptionally Poor