Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1936)

MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST 101 Audience Suitability Ratings "You've seen 'Old Hutch' before, under several different names. As a matter of fact, all Mr. Beery had to do to play this role was to let his beard grow. . . The picture is not even slightly unusual but it will provide good family entertainment." T. J. Fitzmorris + America p624 O 3 '36 "A: rather good; Y & C: very good." Christian Century pl479 N 4 '36 "Supported by an excellent cast, this picture is good entertainment for the family." Am Legion Auxiliary "Adults & 14-18: excellent; 8-14: fair." Calif Cong of Par & Teachers "Excellent direction, the restrained acting of Wallace Beery, and interesting detail • of settings add materially to the slight story. Family." Calif Fed of Business & Professional Women's Clubs "Mediocre — family." DAE "This is a diverting comedy. Family." Nat Soc of New England Women "[It is a] thoroughly entertaining and wholesome picture for the family." S Calif Council of Fed Church Women "A homely, wholesome characterization. [There is] little story value, small significance, but with the beloved Wallace Beery as the touseled town loafer, there is a warmth of appeal and chuckles enough to please any audience." Mrs T. G. Winter Fox W Coast Bui S 19 '36 "The sympathetic insight of the director has enabled him to make the most of every situation, and the fine ability of a well chosen cast, gives to this picture exceptional entertainment value. Family." 4 Gen Fed of Women's Clubs (W Coast) S 8 *36 "Family." Jt Estimates S 15 '36 "For the most part, the film is a pleasantly amusing comedy. The situations arising out of the finding of the money are extremely plausible and well-contrived and interest is carried right on to the conventionally happy ending. Suitabilitv: adults & adolescents." -f Mo Film Bui pl75 O '36 "Very good. Family." -f + Motion Pict Guide D '36 "The supporting cast is excellent, and the director has knitted a flimsy plot into an interesting and sometimes, touching play. A-dolescents, 12-16 & children, 8-12: yes." + Motion Pict R p8 O '36 "A lively and interesting picture of the homey kind. Family — juvenile." + Nat Bd of R M S '36 "A sentimental story which suits admirably the talents of Wallace Beery, and because of excellent direction, a fine cast, and good suspense develops into interesting entertainment. Family." + Nat Council of Jewish Women S 9 '36 "A chuckling comedy that keeps us guessing. General patronage. ' ' + Nat Legion of Decency S 24 '36 "A, Y and C: pleasing homespun yarn." Parents' M p44 N '36 "Family." Sel Motion Pict p5 O 1 '36 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "A typical Wallace Beery role in a wellwritten human interest comedy with the usual allotment of laughs, thrills and romance. Family." + Christian Science Monitor pl5 O 24 '36 "[It is] insignificantly homey melodrama of extremely thin plot and a single emphasis on the central character of Wallace Beery." J. P. Cunningham h Commonweal p560 O 9 '36 "Shiftless, lazy, lovable ne'er-do-wells have been favorite characters on the stage from Rip Van Winkle to Lightnin' and onward. . . Maybe the fact that Wallace Beery does not interest us is due to our general dislike for Rips, Lightnin' s, and Hutches. Unsanitary philosophers are not our dish. Beery is heavy and unwieldy. But, as we have intimated, we are a prejudiced observer." (2% stars) Beverly Hills Liberty p31 O 24 '36 "Genial, bucolic 'Old Hutch,' which like a Christmas tree or the distributor of income tax blanks, has something for everybody, is again on the screen, this time with Wallace Beery. Sixteen years ago it was the late Will Rogers who played it. . . Wallace Beery throws himself wholly into the part of the indolent up-State Izaak Walton, and we can't imagine any one better suited to the role of the longsuffering wife . . . than Elizabeth Patterson." J. T. M. + NY Times p27 D 7 '36 "[It is a] cheerful and amusing little comedydrama. . . Although its narrative sags from time to time, 'Old Hutch' is a first rate anecdote that becomes satisfactory entertainment because of the ease and charm and facility with which it is related by Mr. Beery and a company of persuasive actors, among whom are Elizabeth Patterson — who is excellent as Hutch's longsuffering wife." William Boehnel + NY World-Telegram p27 D 7 '36 "Cinemaddicts who have felt that Wallace Beery' s specialty of pawing at his chest, wrinkling his forehead, scuffing his toes and wiping his rubbery face with the palm of his hand, received too little footage in his previous pictures should be delighted by 'Old Hutch.' It contains practically nothing else." Time p30 O 5 '36 Trade Paper Reviews "As the first feature of a double-bill, this picture is obviously out of its class, for it is a Class A production in every way. . . The picture is splendid entertainment for the whole family, with Beery' s performance as Hutch, the outstanding feature of the production." -4 Canadian Moving Pict Digest pl4 N 14 '36 "Good entertainment for the Beery fans in pleasing mixture of human interest, humor and incidental romance." + Film Daily p8 S 22 '36 + Motion Pict Daily p3 S 16 '36 "Depending on Beery's draw, this is an interesting character study, not too strong at the box office. . . With an adequate cast for support, Beery turns in a nice performance but the picture reaches no particular heights." H Phila Exhibitor p34 S 15 '36 "It looks as though somebody was dozing when they put this feature through the hopper because obviously the film hasn't the backbone usually associated with Wallace Beery starring vehicles. 'Old Hutch' makes a nice, light comedy which doubtlessly will garner fair box office, but the secondary interest to this main character is not decisive enough nor carries the sympathy or contrast to make the production measure up to Beery's recent efforts. This accounts for the film having been kept out of New York for so long after having been out on release in the hinterland. . . The picture will not disappoint Beery fans if only for the reason that it is fluff v and laughable." -| Variety pl3 D 9 '36 -f + Exceptionally Good; +Good; -| Fair; \ Mediocre; — Poor; Exceptionally Poor