Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1937)

How to Use the Motion Picture Review Digest Sample Entry THE GOOD EARTH. MGM i30min F 2 without the whole thing being good; and that '•37 is what any work of art is expected to be. . . I 0 had the uncomfortable feeling throughout that Cast: Paul Muni. Luise Rainer. Walter Con I was present at a classic, and no performance nolly. Tilly L.osch. Charley Grapewin. in a theater, least of all in a movie theater, Jessie Ralph ought to permit such feelings. I mean, of Director: Sidney Franklin course, a classic that someone has not under .-„, ., ^.,,0 ^ +u~ o«,w,^ +;*i^ K,r stood how to translate." Mark Van Doren Based on the novel ot the same title by 1 __ wa+inn nioi tp 19 >q7 Pearl S. Buck and on the play of the same "*" ""ion P*»* * u u title by Owen and Donald Davis. "The story "Once again Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has enstarts on Wang's wedding day, describes his riched the screen with a superb translation of joy and his terror, follows him to the Great a literary classic. . . [It] is one of the finest House where he meets his bride O-Lan for the things Hollywood has done this season or any first time. . . Then it is Wang and O-Lan other. While it has taken some liberties with whose fortunes we follow, rejoicing with them the novel's text, it has taken none with its at the birth of their sons, starving with them quality or spirit. The performances, direction during the great drought, following them and photography are of uniform excellence, and through terror and revolution in the south." have been fused perfectly into a dignified, (NY Sun) beautiful and soberly dramatic production. . . The picture does full justice to the novel, and Audience Suitability Ratings that is the highest praise one can give it." "Adolescents, 12-16: very fine; children, 8-12: F' 2; xYvTimP* n?7 tt 1 •«* too heavy and too mature." + + N Y Times p27 F 3 37 + + Motion Pict R p5 Mr '37 Trade Paper RevieW8 "Outstanding. Both as entertainment and " 'The Good Earth' rightfully bears the digas art it ranks among the greatest pictures nity of an epic. It is picture making at its ever made. Mature." finest, technically and in dramatic force and -j + Sel Motion Pict p3 Mr 1 '37 proportion. Exploitation — based on its source, the widely read novel, on the names to adorn Newspaper and Magazine Reviews tne marquee and on the other box-office assets— cannot oversell its excellence for audiences in " 'The Good Earth' fails in almost every any land or any theatre. It would be underconceivable way to be either as interesting as stood among any folk without words, so eleMrs. Buck's novel or completely interesting in mental and penetrating is its appeal." itself. There are several 'good things' in it . . . -f Variety (Hollywood) p3 Ja 29 '37 Starting at the beginning, the title of this picture is The Good Earth. The producing company is Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is 130 minutes in length. It was released on February 2, 1937. The list of principal players and the director will require no explanation. Next comes a brief note describing the picture, its nature, and plot. Sometimes these notes are written by our staff. In other cases they are quoted from a published source. In such cases the source is given, as (N Y Sun) in the above instance. Following the descriptive note, the excerpts from reviews begin. Following each review the source is given, with date of issue and number of the page on which the review appears. It will be noticed that plus and minus signs sometimes precede the sources. These indicate the degree of favor or disfavor of the review as a whole (not just of the quoted excerpt). The meaning of the various combinations of these signs is as follows: + -f Exceptionally Good ; + Good; -\ Fair; JMediocre; — Poor; Exceptionally Poor The signs are omitted when a review merely reports on a film without expressing a definite critical opinion. In interpreting these signs, it will be well to remember that their precise significance will vary somewhat according to the source. In general there are three types of sources represented in the MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST: (1) audience suitability ratings by special reviewing organizations (women's clubs, religious groups and the like) ; (2) general newspapers and magazines; and (3) trade papers. The purpose of the audience suitability ratings by the special reviewing organizations is chiefly to pass on questions of morality and propriety and to report on suitability for children of various ages. The purpose of the reviews in general magazines and newspapers is to inform the adult patron of artistic and entertainment qualities. The purpose of the trade paper reviews is to inform the exhibitor of probable commercial value.