Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1938)

50 MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST MAD ABOUT MUSIC— Continued "[It] will delight a vast audience so completely that they will happily overlook the absurdity of plot and artificiality of scenic setting. Family." Nat Council of Jewish Women "Family." Nat Soc of New England Women "A most delightful unsophisticated and clean picture which should appeal to all ages. Family. (Note: As the plot is based on a fabrication, adult explanation may be necessary.)" S Calif Council of Fed Church Women "Only an inveterate grouch could resist its charm. Adolescents: delightful; children: needs adult explanation. Family." Women's Univ Club, Los Angeles Fox W Coast Bui Mr 26 '38 Reviewed by Harold Turney Motion Pict & Family p5 Mr 15 '38 "A, Y & C: excellent." -f + Parents' M p64 My '38 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "Family." Christian Science Monitor pl7 Ap 2 '38 "A picture to make everybody feel happy." + Film Wkly p23 Mr 26 '38 "Deanna Durbin, launches a film even finer than her previous ones (and they were both honeys, as you probably recall). Everything in 'Mad About Music' — the settings, the casting, the situations — is as fresh and sparkling as its star." (4 stars) Ruth Waterbury Liberty p45 Ap 9 '38 "The story is sincere, ingenious, and most likeable. The acting is as gracious as any seen hereabouts, and the general effect is one of smart, pleasant fun. . . It comes off with definite success and will be playing around for many months. That's fine, because I want to see it again." Katharine Best + + Stage p56 Ap '38 THE MAIN EVENT. Columbia 55min My 5 '38 Cast: Robert Paige. Jacqueline Wells. Arthur Loft. John Gallaudet Director: Danny Dare A prizefight story in which the champion is kidnapped and held for ransom. Audience Suitability Ratings "General patronage." Nat Legion of Decency Je 9 '38 Trade Paper Reviews "Adequate in all details, this stacks up as satisfactory action drama for the subsequent spots. All the events occur within one evening and there is enough excitement crammed into the film to serve its purpose. The picture is kept moving at a good pace by Director Danny Dare. Family." + Boxoffice p27 My 14 '38 "Pleasant lower-half dualler, with good blend of comedy, action, excitement." H Phila Exhibitor pl33 My 15 *38 MAKING THE HEADLINES. Columbia 66min Mr 10 '38 Cast: Jack Holt. Beverly Roberts. Craig Reynolds. Marjorie Gateson Director: Lewis D. Collins Original story: Howard J. Green Screen writers: Jefferson Parker. Howard J. Green A mystery story. Formerly released as House of Mystery. SEE ALSO issue of April 4 Audience Suitability Ratings "It is an old-fashioned mystery thriller with a mediocre plot and somewhat forced humor. Adults and young people." E Coast Preview Committee h Fox W Coast Bui Ap 2 "38 "A & Y: poor; C: no." — Parents' M p80 Je '38 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "The pulp story formula in 'Making the Headlines' is given great leeway and becomes too twisted for its own good. It starts out in conservative, slick-story fashion, but with few of the action thriller's noble features." R. W. D. \ N Y Herald Tribune pl2 Ap 1 '38 "When great stars and great directors go haywire, we can take it as a matter of course, but when Jack Holt becomes irresponsible, and when the beautiful and business-like Beverly Roberts aids and abets him, we are — to quote Jimmy Durante — mortified." B. R. C. — NY Times pl7 Ap 1 '38 Trade Paper Reviews "Jack Holt gives his usual dependable performance in a mystery programmer that will entertain general audiences." + Film Curb p6 Ap 9 '38 "Minor studio effort rates low even for Class B production in the melodrama division." — Film Daily p8 Ap 1 '38 THE MARINES ARE HERE. Monogram 60min Je 8 '38 Cast: Gordon Oliver. Ray Walker. June Travis Director: Phil Rosen Original story: Franklin Adreon, Jr Screen writers: Scott Darling. J. Benton Cheney. Jack Knapp An adventure story. Audience Suitability Ratings "General patronage." Nat Legion of Decency Je 2 '38 Trade Paper Reviews "There may be plenty of action, gunplay in this one but it scores a dual bill rating for general appeal. Better leatherneck stories have been screened. This one faces that handicap." h Phila Exhibitor pl40 Je 1 *38 "Here is a second-place dualer that probably will delight those who crave action plus gunplay, but considered from the standpoint of general audience appeal it misses fire. Its draw possibilities lie in the fact that many a better picture has been filmed with Uncle Sam's leathernecks as story basis." f Variety (Hollywood) p3 My 19 '38 MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS. Warner 7075min My 21 '38 Cast: W^ayne Morris. Priscilla Lane. Humphrey Bogart. Penny Singleton. Hugh Herbert Director: Busby Berkeley Screen writers: Norman Reilly Raine. Horace Jackson Based on the novel of the same title by Faith Baldwin. A tale of marital discord brought about by trying to mix a bride's business career with marriage. After the wife intimates that she is going to Paris for a divorce, her husband returns and is reconciled. Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "Poor production has sapped the vitality of two potential screen artists, [Wayne Morris and Priscilla Lane], and squandered the efforts of established performers. The film is occasionally brightened by smart dialogue, but young love and domestic bickering become extremely nauseous in less time than we like to remember. . . [It] may prove a tonic to moonstruck youngsters, but it is disappointing as adult entertainment." R. W. Dana — NY Herald Tribune pl4 Je 16 '38 "Familiar figures of the Warner Brothers stock company — that is to say, stock figures — walk unflinchingly through the sad and aimless chapters of 'Men Are Such Fools.' . . For the benefit of those who like to know what a picture is about, we can only say that 'Men Are Such Fools' is about an hour too long." B R C ' — ' N Y Times p21 Je 16 '38