The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

first time, they have the unenjoyable feeling one experiences when seeing a movie for the second time. I noticed this particularly when I viewed the really funny "Ruggles of Red Gap" at my local theater. Somehow the funniest incidents of the picture did not get a normal amount of laughter from me — the gags seemed stale — and I decided definitely that the trailers of this picture which I had been "treated" to the week before were entirely responsible for my finding the picture not as funny as I otherwise would have. Therein lies what I believe is the real objection to trailers in their present form and I personally believe it would be worth the additional expense involved to movie producers to prepare with each new movie, some sort of very short advertising picture, employing the cast, but not in any way showing actual scenes or costumes or wordings from the picture itself. And I think it could be done with an eye to better returns for the producer and exhibitor alike, as well as for the increased enjoyment of their audiences. — Mrs. Ruth Bracker Stone, 555 Edgecomb Avenue, New York City, N. Y. We only hope they take this good advice. Dietrich At last someone got the nerve! Bravo ! It has looked as if no one found any fault with Marlene Dietrich, because there has never been anything but praise written about her. with the exception that she was a Trilby. But Chalmers Talsey spoke for us all when he said that too much film had been wasted showing close-ups of Marlene "wearing" a blank expression and her mouth open. That was putting it mildly, don't you think, Mr. Talsey? In my opinion Miss Dietrich has made but two good pictures, "Morocco" and "Dishonored," and since then has been resting on her laurels and von Sternberg, neither of which were very strong. Mr. von Sternberg has evi dently thought that the close-ups of Mai lene with her eyes rolling and her lips parted as if she were gasping for breath supplied the acting for his pictures and the action, if I may be permitted this added thrust, while his gorgeous settings and magnificent mob scenes made up for whatever else the film might lack. Paramount thought so too, for a while. Didn't the team rate reams of publicity? And why not keep a good thing while you have it? Even though it may endanger the career of a great actress, who has more authentic glamour in her little finger than a dozen American gals, who only wrap the cloak of glamour about them when they walk onto a set. Her fans have known all along that Miss Dietrich was a talented artist, but, I am sure, hesitated to complain about the awful things her director had her do because they admired her so much. While a bit of howling might have dissolved this yon Sternberg-Dietrich thing long ago. My pen seems to be dipped in vitriol but it has been a near crime to waste such talent as Miss Dietrich's on inferior pictures. We are looking for great things from Marlene now. Let us hope that old papa Paramount will do right by our Nell. Give her a Van Dyke or a Capra to direct her and we surely will stand up and cheer. — Mrs. Harold Bowers, Box 57, Childress, Texas. • a wmnmt emit tgu^m to* uuJU^ On-the-Set Reviews (Continued from page 31) PARAMOUNT spite. He is very hurt by the incident. There is another wild chase, with Joan sliding home just in time to hold up the nine-o'clock curfew, and, believing her at last, Ross takes her in his arms and leads her to the old park bench where they first met. Snappy direction by Ray Enright. From what we THE MAN ON THE can g a t h e r by FLYING TRAPEZEr e a d i n g t h i s Charles Bogle story, this should be one of W. C. Fields' funniest. After twenty-five years of faithful services to the company for which he works, Fields tells the boss that his mother-in-law has died, in order to get a day off to go to the wrestling matches. Grady Sutton, his wife's lummox son by a former marriage, swipes his ticket. Driving to the stadium Fields gets ten tags, uses his last dime for admission, and gets a heavyweight right in his lap the minute he sits down at the ringside. Knocked out cold Fields is carried outside and propped up against the curb where Grady sees him and runs home with the news that papa is dead drunk and lying in the gutter. Furthermore, W. C.'s story of his mother-in-law's passing has gotten around and, when he finally gets home that night, the house is full of flowers, wreaths and plenty of R.I.P's! Entering the living-room, Fields looks around in surprise. "Somebody must be dead," he says. "Your perfidious brain is dead!" his wife (Kathleen Howard) snorts. Mary Brian puts a hand on his arm. "Dad . . ." she says gently, "did you tell Mr. Malloy and the newspapers that Mrs. Neselrode died from drinking poisoned alcohol and was to be buried in a drunkard's grave?" Fields: "I swear I did not tell the newspaper that Mrs. Neselrode died of alcohol poisoning and was to be buried in a drunkard's grave." Miss Howard: "Did you take your secretary to the wrestling matches this afternoon?" Fields: "No, dear — I did not." Mary: "Oh, but . . . you did see the wrestling matches this afternoon?" Fields: "No, dear, I did not." "Is that the truth?" Miss Howard demands ominously. "Honey," W. C. raises his right hand, "I swear I was not drunk and lying in the gutter." Miss Howard claps both hands over her ears. "Oh-h-h . . ." she wails, "don't say anything more! I know everything! Don't lie to me! My poor brain can't stand it!" "I wasn't drunk," he insists stolidly. "There!" Mary slips her arm through her dad's. "I knew it!" "What are you talking about?" Grady interrupts. "I saw you at the wrestling matches and you were drunk and lying in the gutter and your secretary was with you and she was drunk too!" "Listen, young man . . ." Fields steps forward. "I've had more trouble in the last twenty-four hours than I can stand. Now, I did ask for the afternoon off, which I admit was wrong. And I did tell the boss that my mother-in-law died, and I apologize . . ." ". . . and you were drunk, and you were lying in the gutter, and you did take your secretary!" Grady horns in again. "You keep quiet!" Mary flares up. (Please turn to page 58) to attend to her looks. And here's another reason for the daily enjoyment Of DOUBLE MINT gURI. It will help form a wellshaped mouth. The New Movie Magazine, September, 1935 57