Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1936)

MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST 61 Trade Paper Reviews "A heart-warming program comedydrama that is among the best of this year's crop of minor offerings from the Warner lot. It is a successful remake. . . The new version well justifies itself by keen character drawing, a rational appeal to the emotions and a worthwhile theme, well pointed but not overstressed. It also adds to the laurels of Pat O'Brien, playing an Irish cop in New York and doing it with such conviction, feeling and restraint as to lift the sentimental story into something near distinction. The offering will be popular and profitable on its level." + Hollywood Reporter p3 D 3 '36 + Motion Pict Daily plO D 4 '36 "That which is necessary to make a picture spell box office has been poured into 'The Great O'Malley' in generous quantities. The picture should do plenty of business on the big runs and crowd them in when it hits the neighborhood houses. . . Director William Dieterle has not missed in his efforts. Every scene shows the touch a good director can give a picture." + Variety (Hollywood) p3 D 3 '36 GREATER PROMISE. Amkino 83min O 7 '36 Cast: M. M. Blumenthal-Tamarina. A'. L. Zuskin. L. A. Schmidt. L. M. Taits Director: T. Korsh-Sablin Russian dialogue film with English sub-titles produced in Birobidjan, Russia. The plot is built around the life of a Jewish family who migrated to Birobidjan from a foreign country, and there formed with the help of neighbors a Collectivist Soviet unit. Nexospaper and Magazine Reviews "[It] offers the warm-hearted wholesome optimism of the Russian films on national minorities. . . Zuskin . . . figures in several of the most genuinely comic episodes films of recent months have provided. On the filmic side, however, it must be said that 'A Greater Promise' is rather elementary. Film estimate: you're doing all right." -\ New Theatre p22 N '36 "With the aisles jammed and a waiting line of patrons, the new picture at the Cameo yesterday morning appeared to be in for a long run. . . [It] is an interesting and humorous account of the transplanted individuals' achievements and failures. Indeed, it is this excellent characterization which results in the picture's absorbing human interest, while the story is mellower in its point of view and more talented in its performance than earlier films issuing from the Soviet Union." Marguerite Tazelaar + NY Herald Tribune pl8 O 9 '36 "Beautiful photography, excellent woodland scenes and a picturization of the conquest of the Siberian wilderness are combined with a mildly interesting romance in 'A Greater Promise,' a fairly entertaining film record." ' + '— N Y Times p27 O S '36 "Melodrama and propaganda are mixed with dubious results in A Greater Promise.' . . Although the narrative is obvious and jerky, there are a lot of good things in the film. The characters are full of vitality and humor and the acting is of a decidedly superior quality. But on the whole the film does not come off with any great distinction." William Boehnel H NY World-Telegram p33 O 8 '36 Trade Paper Reviews h Motion Pict Daily pl3 O 9 '36 "[It] is artistically meritorious, but cold emotionally. It is a propaganda film which makes a deliberate appeal to race and to class, and Jews, whom this film would indicate the Soviet is befriending, may object to it. . . Obviously the film, on behalf of the Soviet, is inviting Jews outside of Russia to settle and develop the wild Birobidjian country, which in case of war with Japan could become among Russia's first lines of defense. . . The picture doubletalks, condemning those whom it pretends to help." Variety p23 O 21 '36 H HAPPY GO LUCKY. Republic 6Smin D 1-i '36 Cast: Phil Regan. Evelyn Tenable. Jed Prouty. William Xewell Director: Aubrey Scotto Music: Sam H. Stept. Ted Koehler. Xed Washington. Cliff Friend Music director: Harry Grey "Basic plot is the standardized double identity one. An American aviator with secrets of a new aviation mechanism is reported lost at sea. His sweetheart believes she discovers him singing in a Shanghai theater. Loss of memory is accepted as the reason why the singer does not recognize her." Hollywood Reporter Trade Paper Reviews "A very pleasing, although unpretentious musical production, which will do well by Regan, Republic and Mr. John Q. Exhibitor. The singing of Regan is strictly class A, and he handles his comedy role with ease. Family." + Box Office p21 D 5 '36 "This comedy mystery, with music, makes good program fare. Phil Regan, playing a dual role, gives an excellent performance and handles three songs very effectively. . . Aubrey Scotto did a very good job of directing. Colbert Clark rates credit as associate producer." -f Film Daily p7 D 5 '36 "This is a mixture of melodrama, farce and music, well knitted together for satisfactory program fare. It is strictly hokum, but it is apparent that its makers never took the yarn too seriously and built it with a tongue-incheek routine to get a maximum of laughs. It will have its chief appeal in the secondary situations, where it will be a good bolsterer for any bill. . . It is apparent that the picture was made in short time and on a limited budget, but the direction by Aubrey Scotto and treatment of the hokum, plus acceptable work from Evelyn Tenable, the romantic interest, Jed Prouty, her father, and the remainder of the cast, help to round out a pleasing programmer." -1 Hollywood Reporter p3 N 30 '36 -| Motion Pict Daily p7 D 3 '36 "Smartly concocted comedy melodrama with music, 'Happy Go Lucky' is one of Republic's most entertaining offerings, having sufficient production quality, story interest and melody to rank well in the program class and justify substantial box office expectations. . . Once the audience is beguiled into accepting the idea that two total strangers can be so nearly identical that even the aviator's beloved can't tell them apart, the semi-farcical narrative is on its way for a session of light amusement and excellent music. . . Regan's personality gets over impressively and in song he is comparable to several of the more highly touted names." + Variety (Hollywood) p3 X 30 '36 + + Exceptionally Good; + Good; -\ Fair; J Mediocre; —Poor; Exceptionally Poor