The Movies ... and the People Who Make Them (1939)

"The MOVIES • • • • 1939" PERIODICAL REFERENCE GUIDE April May June A listing of recent articles of interest to students of the movies (The titles here listed are all from general periodicals which publish only occasional pieces on the movies. Fan magazines, trade journals and other periodicals devoted exclusively to the screen are not included. The purpose is simply to provide a convenient reference to interesting and informative articles which the movie student might overlook in his regular reading.) Dean Wixby Roy Gordon lid Riggs Matty Kemp Egghead Jackson William Tracy Bunny Joyce Mathews Referee Russ Clark Light and lively little college comedy in which the campus cut-up, the rich man’s son and a racehorse help good old Middleton win the boat race. (Adults & Young People) (Running time, 63 minutes) For the first time the title fails to use the word, but Million Dollar Legs is Paramount’s 1939 addition to the series which has offered Collegiate, College Humor, College Rhythm, College Holiday. The pattern calls for mild co-ed romantics, lively campus antics and an athletic contest lor the climax. It provides an annual opportunity for the studio’s younger contract players to acquire screen experience and suggest future possibilities and it usually sums genial, unpretentious amusement. Despite advance ballyhoo and the name of Betty Grable atop the cast, the Million Dollar Legs are either masculine or equine — belong either to the crew members who stroke Middleton to victory or to the racehorse whose own victory makes the crew victory possible. It all begins when ingenious Freddie Fry is high-hatted by his co-ed girl friend because he can not sport an athletic letter. He dislikes the very notion of actual physical exertion and conceives the inspiration of being coxswain of a crew. But Middleton has had no crew for some years — financier Melton, whose money keeps the school going, is opposed to all sports except basketball. By devious and diverse schemes Freddie tries to put over his plan, challenging another school to a boat race, making Melton’s handsome son captain of the crew and at last persuading the student body to contribute all their cash to bet on a racing tip. The horse wins and Middleton has money for new shells and a coach. Then the day of the big race dawns — and Freddie is disqualified as coxswain. But his genius triumphs over even that obstacle and he brings in the boat by remote control for an hilarious finish. Betty Grable and John Hartley head the billing, she as the cutest co-ed and he as the financier’s son who worries whether his popularity is due to his athletic powers or his father’s money, and together they make campus romance pleasantly palatable. Peter Hayes as Freddie Fry appropriates the show with a breezy, cocky, comedy performance. Larry Crabbe is the coach and Jackie Coogan appears briefly in the college background. In addition to the horse race there are two crew contests, the first a straight comedy stunt, the second the film’s action climax. It’s flippant in mood and fast in pace and produced with modest competence. ADVENTURES OF A ROVING CAMERAMAN, by J. Bryan Popular Mechanics, June Episode of a continued account JL “ . . AND SO I’M MOVIE MAD . . ” by G. P. Smith and K. Riley Good Housekeeping, April Humorous drawings showing annoyances in the movies CLINICS IN CRIME, by B. J. Thompson Commonweal, April 14 “Subversive educational forces maintained under the guise of colorful and alluring entertainment.” DOUBLE MOVIES Popular Science, June Spectacular effects made possible by dual projection system EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATIONAL MOVING PICTURES, by A. W. Reitze Ind. Arts and Vocational Education, April Need of educational films for pre-vocational groups FILMS OUT OF BOOKS, by Maxine Block Wilson Bulletin, April, May & June Movies and their relation to books FIVE LITTLE STARS, by Jean Hersholt Woman’s Home Companion, June Making movies with the quints GERMAN FILMS Living Age, April Movies in Germany today GLAMOUR GIRLS: A FILM CAVALCADE, by Frank S. Nugent New York Times, Magazine Section, June 25 Changing styles in screen heroines HOLLYWOOD WAVES THE FLAG, by F. S. Nugent Nation, April 8 Hollywood has discovered that America has discovered democracy HUMAN SIDE OF HOLLYWOOD: HE-MEN, by E. T. Peterson Better Homes and Gardens, May Interesting stories about some of Hollywood's he-men JEAN RENOIR, by Richard Plant Theatre Arts Monthly, June A study of Jean Renoir’s films with emphasis on the influence of his father, the painter Auguste Renoir LET’S MAKE A MOVIE, by Marie E. King Woman’s Home Companion, April The mechanics of movie-making LIFE-LIKE MOVIE PUPPETS Popular Science, June Puppets replace cartoon figures in new animated movie MAN WITH A UNION CARD, by Quentin Reynolds Collier’s, April 1 Robert Montgomery and the Screen Actor’s Guild THE MOVIE FINGER WRITES, by Frank S. Nugent New York Times Magazine, May 21 Brief highlights of movie history NEWSREEL THEATRE IN BOSTON Architect’s Record, June Problems involved in construction of the theatre in an existing office building NO PART TOO TOUGH Collier’s April 1 5 John Garfield, his career to date PREVIOUS TO PREVIEWS, by F. C. Richardson Wilson Bulletin, May Work of the research department at 20th Century-Fox studios SCRIPT GIRL’S STORY, by F. Thomas Woman’s Home Companion, May Duties of a script girl on the set SECOND CHANCE, by Kyle Crichton Collier’s, June 17 Ellen Drew, the latest “movie Cinderella” SEEING THE WORLD IN TEN MINUTES Popular Mechanics, May Story of Pathe News men and how they get their pictures SHAW MAN, by F. Condon Collier’s, April 29 How George Bernard Shaw got into the movies SHORT ROUTE IO THE LIBRARY, by M. W Freeman Library Journal, May Value of historical shorts and how material is acquired UNREELING HISTORY, by J. MilletCurrent History. May The documentary film has stepped in where the entertainment film fears to tread VISUAL EDUCATION, by T. W. L. MacDermott Canada Bookmonth, April Visual education and the movies WHAT THEY MAKE; WHAT THEY TAKE: The Movies in South America Theatre Arts Monthly, May The state of the film industry in South America and its future WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? by Pamela Wayne Saturday Evening Post, June 3 Duties and worries of the technical adviser 180