Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1936)

MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST 73 " 'King of the Royal Mounted' . . . says nothing that we have not heard before, but it is a friendly voice in a troubled year, a cinematic town crier who notes that the Mounties are abroad and bawls 'All's well.' Sol Lesser, who produces these outdoor films tor Twentieth Century-Fox, has moved his cast to the Sierras and let nature take its photogenic course. Nature passes her screen test quite well. . . The players, slightly less effective, fulfill their modest requirements with commendable restraint, it being almost impossible to do any scenery-chewing m the presence of authentic boulders. . . Does the picture end with a hand-to-hand struggle on the brink of a cliff? It does, indeed." F. S. Nugent _j NY Times p35 S 29 '36 " 'King of the Royal Mounted' [is] a fast, exciting, colorful out-of-doors item which is recommended for Western fans who relish hard riding, quick shooting and who like to see the young lovers clinch at the final fadeout, after the villain has been properly brought to justice." William Boehnel -j NY World-Telegram pl8 S 29 '36 Trade Paper Reviews "This production is based on the adventure strip of the same name which is syndicated throughout the nation by King Features. With thousands of youngsters following this strip daily in all parts of the country, it should not be hard to fill your theater when this feature shows." + Film Daily plO S 29 '36 "Employing colorful backgrounds and armed with a script from Earl Snell that contains better than average dialog, Sol Lesser has turned out another with the mounties that will serve the duals trade satisfactorily. In Robert Kent, Rosalind Keith, Alan Dinehart and others he has rounded up a group of capable players." + Variety p!7 S 30 '36 LADIES IN LOVE. 20th century-Fox 90min O 9 '36 Cast: Janet Gaynor. Loretta Young. Constance Bennett. Simone Simon. Don Ameche. Paul Lukas. Tyrone Power, Jr. Alan Mowbray Director: Edward H. Griffith Based on a play Three Girls by Ladislaus Bus-Fekete. "Three young working girls come to live together in Budapest. All are yearning for romance. Each of the girls has a love affair, the stories of which are told concurrently, in short episodes, presented in rotation. All the love affairs are flops, but each finds compensation in another direction." (Hollywood Reporter) Audience Suitability Ratings "A: hardly; Y & C: no." Christian Century p!406 O 21 '36 Mature & 14-18. Good." "Excellent cast. DAR "Adults & young people." E Coast Preview Committee Fox W Coast Bui O 24 '36 "Interesting for those who follow their favorite actresses, while the older audiences will admire the clever manipulation of such diversified characters. Adults." Am Legion Auxiliary "Janet Gaynor, Loretta Young and Constance Bennett are happily cast as the three girls and give excellent performances. Simone Simon is disappointing after the wide publicity given her. Excellent entertainment of the sophisticated type. Adults." Calif Cong of Par & Teachers "Sophisticated social drama. Smartly done in a continental manner, this social drama will prove entertaining fare for mature audiences. Adults." Calif Fed of Business & Professional Women's Clubs "Well cast and amusingly put over, this comedy is in a sophisticated vein, which makes it adult cinema fare." Nat Soc of New England Women "This sophisticated picture, ablaze with many stars, falls short of what one expects from such a galaxy. Mature." S Calif Council of Fed Church Women Fox W Coast Bui O 31 '36 "The cast is large and notable, each of the four feminine leads gives pleasing and convincing interpretations, with Alan Mowbray excellent as the egotistical actor. . . An excellent picture pervaded by a spirit of rare understanding." + -f Gen Fed of Women's Clubs (W Coast) O 17 '36 "Good. Adults & young adults." -) Motion Pict Guide D '36 "The story is not very deep, but it is done in a charming manner. Adolescents, 12-16: too mature; children, 8-12: no." + Motion Pict R p7 N '36 "The continuity remains surprisingly intact in spite of the fact that there are three separate themes developed. Suitable for mature + Nat Council of Jewish Women O 21 '36 "When three girls from different walks of life assemble and discover that their objectives point to the same goal you may prepare yourself for a few laughs. Adults." + Nat Legion of Decency O 15 '36 "A: sophisticated; Y: little interest; C: no." Parents' M p32 D '36 "A very sketchy plot with little story value is so splendidly cast that it commands attention. The fine photography and excellent direction help to embroider the frail frame of the plot. . . The out-of-the-ordinary cast deserves a more weighty story. Adults & young people." H Sel Motion Pict pll N 1 '36 "Mature." Wkly Guide O 10 '36 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "It might be expected that such a dazzling cast was intended to distract the attention from a weak story. Such is not the case, however, as the plot, familiar enough in its essentials, is refreshingly astringent." M. E. P. + Boston Transcript p3 O 31 '36 "There is something rather unusual in this story of the love affairs of an ill-assorted trio. . . With such a galaxy of feminine talent, the men might so easily have been subordinate. As a matter of fact, however, it is the admirable balance of the male parts that accounts in no small measure for the play's quality. . . This is an admirable picture for those who delight in real comedy." Laura Elston + Canadian M p38 D '36 "Occasionally, this tale of a man-hunt by a quartet of females in Budapest is casually amusing. More often it is romance a la Hollywood, divided four ways — but not four times better than average. Alan Mowbray as a conceited magician provides much of the comedy. Adults & young people." h Christian Science Monitor pl5 N 7 '36 "Thoughtful presentation of a story that is different, a collection of performances outstanding for the evenness of their excellence, direction worthy of the greatest praise, a production pictorially glamorous and beautifully photographed, 'Ladies in Love' will go down on the + + Exceptionally Good; + Good; -\ Fair; [-Mediocre; —Poor; Exceptionally Poor