Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1938)

44 MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST LADY IN THE MORGUE— Continued "The story proceeds at a lively pace and the dialogue is bright and amusing. Unfortunatelv this is not enough to offset an unwieldy plot in which too many characters and too many possible solutions result in confusion. Adults and young people." E Coast Preview Committee h Fox W Coast Bui Ap 30 '38 "Mildly entertaining program picture for those who like the type with the interest well sustained throughout and gruesome details deftly smoothed over. Mature -family." Am Legion Auxiliary "A murder mystery, not outstanding in any way, but interesting to the mystery-minded, as the suspense is sustained to the end. Adults." Calif Cong of Par & Teachers "Fairly suspenseful murder-mystery played with a whimsical air and commendable restraint. Adults." Calif Fed of Business & Professional Women's Clubs "Mediocre. Adults." DAR "Mildly interesting, aptly titled and fairly well produced mystery yarn. The members of the cast do their best with material at hand. Entertaining if you like the type. Adults." Gen Fed of Women's Clubs (W Coast) "Dull, involved. A good cast, poorly directed. Mature." Nat Council of Jewish Women "Unconvincing, flimsily constructed mystery with gruesome details. Strictly adults." Nat Soc of New England Women "Tense and complicated crime club story. Fast moving and quite confusing at times. Mature." S Calif Council of Fed Church Women Fox W Coast Bui My 7 '38 "It is complicated and confused and will entertain only those who thrill to violent and bewildering situations. Adolescents, 12-16 & children, 8-12: no." — Motion Pict R p7 Je '38 "General patronage." Nat Legion of Decency Ap 28 '38 "A: good of kind; Y & C: no." + Parents' M p52 Jl '38 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "These Universal Crime Club mysteries are the outstanding whodunits of the screen. I go for them, and in a big way. The last one I saw, 'The Case of the Black Doll,' had me on my mental toes every minute of the going. But 'Lady in the Morgue' moves so fast and with such absorbing interest that I did not even have time to stay on my toes." Robert Joseph + Hollywood Spec pl2 My 14 '38 "Overloaded with dialogue and other complicating factors and ending with explanations more baffling, on the whole, than the original mystery, 'The Lady in the Morgue' may be tolerantly classified as a Crime-Club sandwich, of the unmanageable three-decker variety. (Three corpses seem to be the minimum entrance requirement at the Crime Club.)" B. TO Q ' — ' + N Y Times pl3 My 9 '38 Trade Paper Reviews "Here is a meaty mystery-comedy, easily ranking as the best so far in the 'Detective Crane' yarns under the Crime Club label. It can be shown on any type of bill with complete satisfaction and should be a source of joy to thriller-addicts everywhere. Family." + Boxoffice p25 My 14 '38 "A baffling murder mystery brightened by some delightful comedy touches." + Film Curb p8 My 21 '38 "One of the Crime Club series, and a pippo, from the typewriter of that ace murder mystery author, Jonathan Latimer. The production is done with a light, deft touch, never gets too serious, although it involves several murders." + Film Daily p6 My 12 '38 + Motion Pict Daily p6 My 20 '38 "Exceptionally well made, this has directorial touches, smoothness of continuity that are especially notable. Plot moves with a pace familiar in pulp magazine detective stories. Estimate: snappy crime thriller." + Phila Exhibitor pl21 My 1 "38 "Crime Club mystery is easily superior to the average run of film. It has in addition to capable acting and directing a substantial number of well timed laughs. It misses distinction, however, in that the story is so complicated that the guilty party becomes too obscure and has been overly forgotten by the audience. Picture should, with good exploitation, do a fair business." H Variety pl6 My 11 '38 "In an era when exchange vaults are cluttered with mystery stories, too many of which provide shabby shrouds for insipid or trashy stories, 'The Lady in the Morgue' comes forward as a rather refreshing breeze. Newest in Universal series of Crime clubbers, this one will serve to fill out dualers regardless of the type of audiences to which the exhibitor is catering." + Variety (Hollywood) p3 My 6 '38 LAND OF FIGHTING MEN. Monogram 53-55min Mr 11 '38 Cast: Jack Randall. Herman Brix. Louise Stanley. Dickie Jones Director: Alan James Original story: Stanley Roberts Screen writer: Joseph O'Donnell A western melodrama. Audience Suitability Ratings "General patronage." Nat Legion of Decency Ap 21 '38 Trade Paper Reviews "With a good action, salable title, a story to back up those attributes, this latest Jack Randall can not but add to the esteem in which exhibitors already hold Monogram's singing Western star. Estimate: top-notch Western." + + Phila Exhibitor pll5 Ap 15 '38 "Handsomest of the boot-and-saddle Dochinvars, Jack Randall's first Westerns weren't much to rave about, but with this one they emerge and begin to look as strong as many of the others. Wisest move they've made is to minimize the singing which was the detracting factor for Randall." + Variety pl3 My 18 '38 LAST STAND. Universal 56min Ap 1 '38 Cast: Bob Baker. Constance Moore. Fuzzy Knight Director: Joseph H. Lewis Original story: Harry O. Hoyt Screen writers: Norton S. Parker. Harry O. Hoyt A western melodrama. Audience Suitability Ratings "Run-of-the-mill Western, amateurish and unconvincing in development, but with good riding and some attractive settings. Family." Calif Cong of Par & Teachers "Routine Western, mediocre production values with the blowing up of a canyon for drama. Family." Calif Fed of Business & Professional Women's Clubs "Mediocre. Trite. Mature-family." DAR "Lightly entertaining Western with beautiful scenery, fast action and expert riding its chief assets. Enjoyable if you like the type. Family." Gen Fed of Women's Clubs (W Coast) "An average Western with a trite story, lovely photography and a good cast. Family." Nat Council of Jewish Women "Beautifully staged Western with a fairly well acted, definite plot and some good singing. Its motivation of revenge makes it undesirable for juveniles. Mature." Nat Soc of New England Women "A not unusual Western. A great deal of shooting. No drinking. Family." S Calif Council of Fed Church Women Fox W Coast Bu! My 14 '38