The Movies ... and the People Who Make Them (1940)

"The MOVIES .... 1940” said of Buck Jones, who plays the part of a crooked sheriff. Ona Munson as Julie shares romantic interest convincingly, while George “Gabby” Hayes supplies comedy in spite of some soggy lines. TRAIL OF THE VIGILANTES: Produced and distributed by Universal Director: Allan Dwan Screenplay: Harold Shumate Photography: Joseph Valentine, Milton Krasner Art Director: Jack Otterson Editor: Edward Curtiss Kansas Franchot Tone Mark Dawson Warren William Swanee Broderick Crawford Meadows Andy Devine Bolo Mischa Auer Sheriff Korley Porter Hall Barbara Thornton Peggy Moran John Thornton Charles 1 rowbridge Delightful comedy-action western introducing Franchot Tone as a young marshal who invades Peaceful Valley to subdue the slick leader of rampaging Vigilantes. Wild brawls, hectic pursuits and forthright romance handled with a light farcical touch lift the proceedings far above the conventional level. (Adults 8C Young People) (Running time, 75 minutes) A swift-moving, rib-tickling travesty on formula westerns, Trail of the Vigilantes scuffles along at top speed successfully playing hilarity against a broad action pattern. Director Dawn has taken a set of time-worn cowboy-picture conventions and built them into a refreshing and continuously entertaining production. Franchot Tone, a somewhat naive Kansas City marshal, is dispatched to the wild ranges of Peaceful Valley to crack down on the smooth leader of cactus racketeers who exploit the rancher folk. He enlists the assistance of Swanee, a handy customer with gun and fist, finds himself on the receiving end of a romantic blitzkrieg launched by Barbara, a blue-eyed, petite and completely unabashed ranch owner's daughter, and soon becomes involved with Dawson, the dastardly villain who heads the blackmailing cattle men. Before the final wildfire pursuit through the streets of the town, there’s a whirling as sortment of crosscountry breakaway flights, violent brawls, farcical buffoonery scenes, etc. Novel insertions include a sequence in which Tone, on horseback, crashes into a savage saloon fight, a unique bull fight, and an all-out chase with the girl in the hands of the villain and all tarnation thundering along in pursuit. Allan Dwan sends the material along at a romping stride all the way, effectively emphasizing the mockery moments. Franchot Tone dons cowboy regalia like a rising star of the sagebrush lands, breezing through his assignment with persuasion and considerable finesse. Whether en meshed in romantic doings or purely muscular activity he maintains satisfactory poise. Peggy Moran, who plays the very decided prairie deb, acts natural and of course can’t help looking pretty. Broderick Crawford as Swanee, the good-natured but heavy-fisted aide to Tone, contributes solid, hard-driving support, while Mischa Auer as a chameleon-like clown handles some funny comedy characterizations. Warren William as Dawson provides conventional menace and Andy Devine as a clumsy bunkhouse cowboy is properly suppressed. It’s a superior blend of horse-play and horse-opera which no sterling western fan can afford to miss. Franchot Tone “TRAIL OF THE VIGILANTES” MURDER OVER NEW YORK: Produced by Sol M. Wurtzel for 20th Century-Fox Director: Harry Lachman Screenplay: Lester Ziffren Photography: Virgil Miller Editor: Louis Loeffler Charlie Chan Sidney Toler Patricia Shaw Marjorie Weaver David Elliott Robert Lowery George Kirby Ricardo Cortez Inspector Vance Donald MacBride Herbert Fenton Melville Cooper June Preston Joan Valerie Ralph Percy : Kane Richmond Jimmy Chan Sen Yung Richard Jeffery John Sutton Boggs Leyland Hodgson Butler Clarence Muse Hugh Drake Frederick Worlock Ramullah Lai Chand Mehra Charlie Chan mystery melodrama in the series groove. Bombing plane saboteurs murder a British Intelligence officer and several other luckless individuals but there is no escaping the Chinese mastermind. (Adults 8C Young People) (Running time, 65 minutes) Charlie Chan arrives in New York merely to attend a police convention, but a police convention won’t make a picture so before you can say “Sidney Toler” ten times backward Hugh Drake, the English intelligence official, lies dead of gas poisoning on the floor of a friend’s apartment and the chase begins. George Kirby, an airplane manufacturer, gets needled next and there’s a third murder before the redoubtable Oriental investigator nails the number one menace high up in a bombing plane which carries all the suspects over the city in a test flight. Meshed in the reels involving bombing plane blowups by foreign agents are the usual befuddled police efforts and the comic efforts of Chan’s son Jimmy, portrayed by Sen Yung. High in the support brackets are Marjorie Weaver, Robert Lowery, Ricardo Cortez, Melville Cooper and John Sutton. Miss Weaver provides agreeable decoration and the others handle standard roles trimmed to fit the material. Sidney Toler displays stoic suavity in the face of nasty proceedings, proving once again that a cool head and a calm hand can cope with just about anything, even including scriptwriter saboteurs. The story is exciting enough to overcome its improbabilities — which may not be noticed anyway until the lights go on. Novelty comedy musical featuring midwestern radio personalities. A group ot talented youngsters put on a barnyard show which nets enough money to pay off a debt which endangers their 4-H program. The picture is tailored especially for rural audiences. (Adults 8C Young People) (Running time, 68 minutes) Offering a novelty revue including various airwave personalities popular in the midwest, this rural program filler should prove at least mildly diverting in urban areas. Harry ‘Pappy’ Cheshire acts as the kindly manager of an orphanage Borrowing $5,000 of orphanage funds in order to establish a 4-H setup for the youngsters, ‘Pappy’ finds himself involved with two hard-shelled politicians who put on the pressure and try to take over the home. ‘Pappy’ then inherits a non-profit night club whose performers gather at the orphanage. After overcoming difficulties, BARNYARD FOLLIES: Produced by Armand Schaefer for Republic Director: Frank McDonald Screenplay: Dorrell and Stuart McGowan Story: Robert T. Shannon Photography: Ernest Miller Editor: Charles Craft Bubbles Martin Mary Lee Bucksaw Beechwood Rufe Davis Louise Dale June Storey Sam Jed Prouty Hiram Crabtree Victor Kilian Dolly Joan Woodbury Alfalfa Carl 'Alfalfa’ Switzer The Fire Inspector Robert Homans Queen of Dairyland .... Dorothy Harrison Pappy Harry 'Pappy' Cheshire Cackle Sisters Mary Jane De Zurik Carolyn De Zurik Announcer Jim Jeffries Themselves The Kidoodlers Jeff Ralph Bowman Mrs. Uppmgton Isabel Randolph 55