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

"The MOVIES 1940” the entertainers combine with the kids, headed by Bubbles Martin — Mary Lee — and put on a show which straightens things out. The release leans heavily on hillbilly hokum, but the musical moments and madcap cast cut-ups will please audiences for which they were concocted. Precocious little Mary Lee handles her meatiest role to date with aplomb, sings songs in smooth style, the best being "Big Boy Blue.” Other cast members: Rufe Davis, The Kidoodlers, Ralph Bowman, June Storey, Mrs. Uppington, etc., carry on in the correct vein. THE BANK DICK: Produced and distributed by Universal Director: Edward Cline Screenplay: Mahatma Kane Jeeves (W. C. Fields) Photography: Milton Krasner Editor: Arthur Hilton Egbert Souse W. C. Fields Agatha Souse Cora Witherspoon Myrtle Souse Una Merkel Elsie May Adele B. Souse.. ..Evelyn del Rio Mrs. Hermisillo Brunch Jessie Ralph J. Pinkerton Snoopington Franklin Pangborn Joe Guclpe Shemp Howard Mackley Q. Greene Richard Purcell Og Oggilby Grady Sutton J. Frothingham Waterbury.... Russell Hicks Mr. Skinner Pierre Watkin Filthy McNasty A1 Hill Cozy Cochran George Moran members, Una Merkel, Cora Witherspoon, Jessie Ralph, etc. The final Mack Sennett ride down the mountainside is a sure-fire laugh-getter, as are several other sequences. As fun fare, pure and simple, it’s entirely adequate. ONE NIGHT IN THE TROPICS: Produced and distributed by Universal Director: A. Edward Sutherland Screenplay: Gertrude Purcell, Charles Grayson Adaptation: Kathryn Scola, Francis Martin Story: Earl Derr Biggers Music Score: Jerome Kern Photography: Joseph Valentine Editor: Milton Carruth Jim Allan Jones Cynthia Nancy Kelly Abbott Bud Abbott Costello Lou Costello Steve Robert Cummings Aunt Kitty Mary Boland Roscoe William Frawley Mickey Peggy Moran Escobar Leo Carrillo Rudolfo Don Alvarado Nina Nina Orla Mr. Moore Richard Carle Frothy comedy with music employing an improbable plot to feature humor situations; a young man takes out “love insurance” to be collected if he fails to marry the girl, but the agent himself finally falls tor the lady. (Adults 8C Young People) (Running time, 82 minutes) Jim Moore, learning that Steve Harper's love affair with Cynthia seems to be lapsing, sells his friend a million dollar love insurance policy to be paid if the marriage doesn’t come off. Roscoe, a tough night club owner, agrees to assume half the insurance risk, sends two of his stooges, Abbott and Costello to the Caribbean to watch over the lovers. Jim however, who also goes along, falls in love with Cynthia himself. Steve, meanwhile, meets Mickey, a former girl friend, and at length marries her in San Marcos. With the insurance voided, Jim and Cynthia fall into each other’s arms and everybody’s contented. The story, fortunately, is incidental to songs and comedy antics. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, the Kate Smith hour comedians, liven things up considerably with some neatly staged vaudeville nonsense routines, while Jerome Kern's five songs fit tunefully enough into the proceedings. Robert Cummings as Steve leads a cast including Allan Jones as Jim, Nancy Kelly as Cynthia and Peggy Moran as Mickey. Singing honors are shared by the latter three. It’s a somewhat loosely assembled production, but fans who relish lightlaugh films should be appeased. Caricature comedy serving as a framework for W. C. Fields’ broad brand of humor. The hero becomes a bank guard after accidentally catching a bandit and thereafter undertakes an embezzling scheme resulting in hilarious complications. (Adults) (Running time, 69 minutes) In The Bank Dick W. C. Fields falls back on the farce formula which has served him so well in the past. Guided by Eddie Cline, a veteran of the Keystone Kop era, Fields clowns and gags his way through a series of comic routines which still draw a good number of laughs. The story is a ragged but incidental affair linking together the various improvised amusement situations. Fields, Egbert Souse (pronounced Soo-zay) the towns most notorious tippler, becomes a bank policeman when he is credited with the apprehension of an escaping robber. After persuading the bank clerk engaged to his daughter to swipe enough money to purchase oil stocks, he finds himself on a spot when the bank examiner shows up without warning. Stalling off the gentleman, Egbert again becomes involved in a bank robbery. This time he accompanies the crook on a wild ride which ends in his being honored the second time as a crook catcher. He is also the recipient of sudden riches vhich make him one of the town's honored citizens. Fields, with his sly pantomimes and barbed insinuations, dominates the picture, aided only slightly by the other cast Allan Jones Nancy Kelly “ONE NIGHT IN THE TROPICS” 56