Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1936)

100 MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST SECOND WIFE— Continued which starred Conrad Nagel. "Abel, [the father of] a young son, marries Miss Michael and fearing the youngster will not understand, sends him away to school in Switzerland. She is about to have a child when word comes of the boy's illness, and he, without thinking of his wife, goes to his son's bedside." (Motion Pict Daily) Audience Suitability Ratings "Altho lacking in subtleness and variety, the direction is adequate and the photography interesting. Socially, it is constructive in that love and fairness win over selfishness and jealousy; technically, it is a great improvement over the earlier version of the same picture." Calif Cong of Par & Teachers "Its vindication is intelligently handled and dignified by the wife's lack of pettiness when she might still continue to take advantage of the situation. It is a particularly well chosen cast. Mature." Calif Fed of Business & Professional Women's Clubs 'Good. Adults. DAR "An appealing social drama ably handled by an excellent cast under skilled direction. Audiences over 14." Nat Soc of New England Women "Family." S Calif Council of Fed Church Women Fox W Coast Bui Ag 22 '36 "Adults & young people." Gen Fed of Women's Clubs (W Coast) Ag 10 '36 Jt Estimates Ag 15 '36 "Family." Nat Council of Jewish Women S 1 '36 "Adults." Nat Legion of Decency Ag 13 '36 ' 'Family-mature. ' ' Sel Motion Pict S 1 '36 "Handled calmly and without melodramatic flourishes, it treats a frequent problem sympathetically if not too profoundly." H Wkly Guide Ag 7 '36 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "Domestic drama which in long scenes of dull talk ponders the tribulations of the second wife in her efforts to take up domestic duties under the shadow of the first spouse." f Christian Science Monitor pl3 Ag 29 '36 "The problems that confront the young bride of a widower with a child are set forth in listless fashion. . . Although the new film is a ponderous adaptation of 'All the King's Men' it does manage to build sympathy for the optimistic bride. . . The principal roles are capably performed by Gertrude Michael and Walter Abel." T. M. P. 1 N Y Times pl6 Ag 29 '36 "[It] is related in a tedious manner. '. . Although the characters are identifiable as types and the problem which almost ruins their marriage is a logical one, the film has an irritating quality about it for the simple reason that instead of presenting its drama in a forthright and entertaining manner it does so ponderously and in a deliberate assault on the heart strings." William Boehnel h N Y World-Telegram p31 S 2 '36 "On the sentimental side, but better than average." + News-Wk p29 Ag 22 '36 Trade Paper Reviews "Mildly entertaining domestic drama with cast doing its best against story odds." h Film Daily p6 Ag 14 '36 "Meant to be a serious study of the stepmother question, this picture is so bad that the preview audience tittered, hissed, roared and applauded in derision throughout. The basic idea is sound dramatic material but its handling in almost all departments is so ineffective that it wTill scarcely get by as a support number in the lesser neighborhoods. . . [It] is filled with trite situations and unbelievably dull platitudes. And what merits of exposition the story has are lost in the draggy and inept direction of Edward Killy." Hollywood Reporter p3 Ag 31 '36 "A more or less routine effort . . . this picture is satisfactory entertainment of the type which usually has its greatest appeal to the feminine contingent. . . The selling should concentrate on the thematic material and be designed to attract women specifically." H Motion Pict Daily p7 Ag 4 '36 "This is drama with few highlights. . . With few surprises, program all the way, it shapes up as usual-run-of-the-mill fare. Estimate: fair program." -1 Phila Exhibitor p36 Ag 15 '36 "Domestic piece enacted by a good cast, but retarded through flat story telling and unreeled at a sluggish pace. Very little punch to marital snags as jelled into film, with players themselves much too chic and sophisticated for the trite motivations and no lustre to the names for. marquee spread. For the duals." — Variety pl7 Ag 19 '36 SECRET AGENT. Gaumont British 85min Je 15 '36 Players: Peter Lorre. Madeleine Carroll. Robert Young. John Gielgud Director: Alfred Hitchcock See issue of June 29, 1936 for other reviews of this film Audience Suitability Ratings "Adults & young people." E Coast Preview Committee Fox W Coast Bui Jl 18 '36 "Adults." Nat Council of Jewish Women Jl 15 '36 "A and Y: fair spy drama; C: not recommended." Parents' M p48 Ag '36 "A production which is somewhat marred by jerkiness in development and an occasional lack of smoothness in the screen narrative has, nevertheless, great merit as entertainment because of a cleverly contrived plot, developed with flashes of brilliant direction, in an atmosphere of mounting terror and excitement. Adults & young people." + Sel Motion Pict Jl 1 '36 "Recommended to the Committee on Exceptional Photoplays." + + Wkly Guide Jl 18 '36 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "The film is not so successful as the roster of distinguished names associated with its production seems to guarantee. It appears to drag when it should move swiftly. Its changes of mood tend to be disconcerting. The acting in general and the presence of Mr. Gielgud in particular are its most appealing attributes." E. F. Melvin -| Boston Transcript p6 Jl 11 '36 " 'The Secret Agent' ought to be a better picture than it is. . . Alfred Hitchcock, who directed 'The 39 Steps' also made 'The Secret Agent,' and there is a great similarity about his treatment and direction in these two." Laura Elston H Canadian M p30 S '36 + + Exceptionally Good; + Good; -\ Fair; (-Mediocre; — Poor; Exceptionally Poor