The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

ON-THE-SET REVIEWS A usefuS page to help you pick the movie you want to see. P THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1935 • PARAMOUNT By BARBARA BARRY New Movie's studio scout ARAMOUNT is in the throes of a radio movie to end all radio movies. But from the fun they're having on the lot, all we can do is cross our fingers and hope fervently that somebody will decide to make another one just like it! For instance, the days we were there, Charlie, Jack O a k i e , shining light of a one-lung radio station, stands behind the desk in his private office, utterly resplendent from the tips of his miniature moustache to the buttons of his tailor-made spats. Outside the closed door George Burns and Gracie Allen wait to be admitted. Gazing soulfully into space, Oakie murmurs : "Lochinvar ! " thumping his knuckles on the desk for emphasis. Still outside, Gracie says: "Come in!" Startled out of his pose, Jack looks around suspiciously and thumps the desk again. Again, Gracie calls: "Come IN!" As Jack knocks for the third time, Gracie opens the door. "Well, either come in or stop knocking!" she says. "You're a silly man!" And so it goes, with Director Norman Taurog having more fun than anybody on this George Marion, Jr., story. With such artists as Bing Crosby, Amos 'n' Andy, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, Ethel Merman, Helen Jepson, Jessica Dragonette, Ray Noble and his band, Lyda Roberti, Sir Guy Standing, Gladys Swarthout, Gail Patrick, David Holt and Willie West and McGinty in the cast, the plot needn't have been such a cracking good one. Oakie and Henry Wadsworth are proprietors of the struggling radio station when George Burns moves in on them with a television and radio invention that is supposed to pick up action in any part of the world, both audibly and visibly. When they try to get the backing of a foreign princess, Lyda Roberti, the gal takes a fancy to both of them, shanghais them on her palatial yacht and carries them off to her kingdom. Lots of possibilities, eh? Well, Lyda's prime minister is so jealous of the interlopers that he tries all sorts of ways to have them executed, but (shades of Scheherazade!) as long as Oakie can keep the princess entertained by bringing in famous radio personalities, the execution is put off. Exhausting every possibility, the kids finally send a frantic message to the United States, and what do you think? Why, a contingent of the Coast Guard climb into their gondolas and get there just in time to save our heroes! Surprise! WE'RE IN THE MONEY • WARNERS HERE'S a s n a p p y yarn that should be good for a lot of laughs. George Gilson wrote it and it's all about a pair of female THE RETURN OF PETER GRIMM RKO Lionel Barrymore thinks spiritualism is bunk, but from the great beyond he tries to repair h i s earthly mistakes. THE LAST OUTPOST Paramount Cary Grant and Claude Rains in a tale of adventure in the African jungles, modelled on "Lives of a Bengal Lancer." SHANGHAI Paramount Charles Boyer, half Chinese, falls in love with American Loretta Young. Are mixed marriages good or bad is the question? BIG BROADCAST OF 1935 Paramount More nonsense from Burns and Allen, Jack Oakie, Ruggles, Boland, Ethel Merman, Helen Jepson, Jessica Dragonette. f PETER IBBETSON Paramount The story of a supernatural love which joins Ann Harding and Gary Cooper though prison bars keep them separated. . ■ml THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE Paramount This time W. C. Fields is a clerk who wants to go to a wrestling match, and does, with horrific consequences. process servers (Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell) who stop at nothing to "get their man." In love with what she thinks is a handsome chauffeur, Joan is mad as hops to discover that her Big Moment is none other than a famous millionaire playboy and a bachelor at that. Funny what some gals get mad about! On top of that Hugh Herbert, the absent-minded attorney for whom the girls are working, assigns them to serve papers on the boy friend on account of he's the leading man in a half-million dollar breach of promise suit! When the lad (Ross Alexander) attempts to escape aboard his yacht, Joan and Glenda hop into a speed boat, determined to follow the fellow to the ends of the earth. The following scene takes place in Joan's cabin on the yacht. She is wearing a man's dressing gown and big slippers and has her hair pinned up on top of her head. Ross enters holding a tray of food before his face and wearing a steward's cap. "What are you doing with that tray?" Joan yells. "I told you what to do with it — don't you intend to pay any attention to my orders?" "No, mum . . ." Ross assumes a cockney accent. "Hit 'appens Mister Courtney's lord and mawster his hon this bloomin' ship." "Ho, 'e his — his 'e?" Joan mocks him. "Yes!" Ross sets the tray down, revealing his face to the astounded Joan. "Well . . ." she says finally, "I'm surprised you didn't sneak in disguised as an avocado salad!" "Ah-ah!" Ross wiggles a finger at her coyly. "I wouldn't try to fool an old fooler like you!" "You certainly go for uniforms, don't you!" Joan gives every evidence of being plenty exasperated. "I'll bet when you were a little boy you wanted to be a fireman when you grew up!" "With a nice red and braid uniform? I'll have to try that!" Joan starts around the table after him. "Why don't you just try growing up?" she shouts. Eventually they iron everything out, admit they're in love, and Joan magnanimously tears up the subpoena. But when they land on shore Glenda pops up with another paper and, thinking Joan has framed him, Ross tells her off and goes away in a huff planning to marry the complainant just for (Please turn to page 57) BEST BETS OF THE MONTH THE BIG BROADCAST, with Burns and Allen. THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE, with W. C. Fields. THE RETURN OF PETER GRIMM, with Lionel Barrymore. THE LAST OUTPOST, with Cary Grant and Gertrude Michael. MAD LOVE, with Peter Lorre and Colin Clive. JALNA, with Peggy Wood and David Manners. PETER IBBETSON, with Gary Cooper and Ann Harding. The New Movie Magazine, September, 1935 31