Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1939)

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Brief Reviews EXILE EXPRESS— United Players-G.N. Another helping of Americanism, with Anna Sten playing the r61e of a girl whose hope for citizenship is dashed when she is implicated in a murdei case. A crazy-quilt series of events climax in a fade-out of Anna taking her oath, flanked by hero reporter Alan Marshal. (August) FOR LOVE OR MONEY— Universal This sort of routine program picture is doomed. A horserace bet gets into the wrong hands, that of a servant girl who rushes around spending the money. Robert Kent, playing a bookie, seems dazed by it all. (.August) FIXER DUGAN— RKO-Radio Melodrama in a circus— with Lee Tracy doing a good job of keeping Lion-tamer Peggy Shannon's props from being attached, and Virginia Weidler out of an orphanage. (August) • GIRL FROM MEXICO, THE— RKO-Radio Lupe Velez comes roaring back in this wild comedy, when Radio Agent Donald Woods finds her in Mexico and brings her to New York. His troubles start when Lupe finds he plans to marry Linda Hayes (screen newcomer). There's plenty of slapstick, a good story and able direction. (August) • GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS— M-G-M James Hilton's beautiful and moving novel has lost none of its charm, with Robert Donat giving a great performance as the old English schoolmaster who disciplines his boys without kindness until his beloved Kathie teaches him tolerance. Greer Garson is charming and altogether believable as Chip's wife. Entire cast is excellent. A Must. (August) GORILLA. THE— 20th Century-Fox This is the picture which the Ritz Brothers didn't want to make. The result of it all is a somewhat funny opus in which light is made of horror, and you laugh at what made you shudder in the former version. (August) GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE, THE— Paramount When a murder-mystery turns out to be an hysterical farce, you can be certain that Gracie Allen is lurking in the continuity. With deft hand and numb brain Gracie sees to it that the hero goes to jail, the police go berserk and the villain goes free. No wonder Investigator Warren William wears a dazed look. Kent Taylor and Ellen Drew furnish the romance. (July) HARDYS RIDE HIGH, THE— M-G-M Another delightful Hardy picture, in which Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone and the other lovable members of the family go berserk en masse when they almost fall heir to two million dollars. You'll get a howl out of Mickey's run-in with a chorus gal and mousey Aunt Milly's romance. Good addition, Virginia Grey. (July) HOTEL IMPERIAL— Paramount Isa Miranda makes her American bow in this weak war melodrama as a femme fatale who must carry on as a hotel chambermaid when the RU"i.in^ invade disputed territory. There's an attempt at suspense, but somehow you know handsome Ray Milland will win out. (July) HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, THE— 20th Century-Fox There is disappointment in this Conan Doyle crime puzzle, in which everyone lives under the shadow of an old legend. It drags at the beginning, works up to good suspense and then comes to climax without letting us in on Sherlock's methods. Basil Rathbone is a bored Sherlock Holmes, Nigel Bruce, Watson. Richard Greene and Wendy Barrie supply romance. (June) I'M FROM MISSOURI— Paramount You may not care if the Missouri mule is replaced by the tractor but Bob Burns does and goes to England in defense of the animal. Gladys George plays Bob's wife. Bill Henry and Gene Lockhart do good jobs in small roles. Full of Burns' homely humor. (June) • INVITATION TO HAPPINESS— Paramount Don't let the prize-fighting background fool you in this story of a charming aristocrat, Irene Dunne, who marries a man whose background is beyond her understanding. Fred MacMurray is splendidly right as the would-be champ and Billy Cook is excellent as the ten-year-old son whose unhappiness precipitates his parents' divorce. Adult and intelligent. (July) • IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD— M-G-M Claudette Colbert's at her best, which is very good and very funny, in this gay comedy in which Jimmy Stewart, as a private cop assigned to watch out for millionaire playboy Ernest Truex. gets mixed up as an accomplice in a murder. Jimmy escapes on his way to jail and kidnaps Claudette, a poetess on the loose. The action is fast, the story has plenty of new twists. You'll have fun. (July) JONES FAMILY IN HOLLYWOOD. THE— 20th Century-Fox Papa Jed Prouty is nominated to represent his hometown American Legion post at the California convention. While he parades, the entire brood, including Mother Spring Byington. poke around the studios. Gags funny. (August) (Continued jrom page 6) • JUAREZ— Warners Warners have drawn a close parallel here between the present political world struggle and the original story of Mexico's big revolution. This epic tells two stories — that of the Indian, Juarez, who believed in democracy; and that of Maximilian and Carlolla, dupes of Louis Napoleon's dreams of conquest. Bette Davis' performance is restrained and Muni's fine. (July) KID FROM KOKOMO, THE— Warners The lid's off on this boisterous comedy in which Wayne Morris plays a yokel who can fight like a whiz, and who has a sentimental yen to find his long-lost mother. Things get complicated when Fight-Manager Pat O'Brien bails drunken May Robson out of jail and passes her off as the kid's Ma. Joan Blondell and Jane Wyman add feminine interest. Plenty of laughs. (August) KID FROM TEXAS, THE— M-G-M A trite story keeps this from A rating, altnough its cast and performances are excellent. It's about a cowhand who wants to play polo, gets his chance, but ends up in a rodeo. Dennis O'Keefe, the cowhand who falls in love with Florence Rice, deserves a better assignment. Buddy Ebsen gets the laughs. (June) KING OF CHINATOWN— Paramount There's plenty of action and a lot of mystery in this chilling mellerdrammer, wherein Akim Tamiroff is the King of Chinatown and Anna May Wong, a doctor trying to get money for Chinese war refugees. Akim takes a beating throughout. (June) • LADY'S FROM KENTUCKY, THE— Paramount "Kentucky" was responsible for this cycle of prop bluegrass. Southern accents and blooded stock. George Raft is the dam' Yankee who makes short work of a little Kentucky gal's prejudices. Ellen Drew is the attractive Southern belle. Hugh Herbert and ZaSu Pitts carry the comedy. This has some swell races and plenty of action. (June) • LOVE AFFAIR— RKO-Radio A delicately wrought love story, with several fragrant episodes, plenty of comedy and much pathos. It begins aboard ship when playboy Charles Boyer falls in love with ex-cafe singer, Irene Dunne; crystallizes in Madiera when they visit Boyer's aged grandmother. Maria Ouspenskaya; has a temporary set-back when Irene is crippled by an automobile accident and Boyer thinks he's jilted. A picture you won't forget. (June) LUCKY NIGHT— M-G-M U'e thought the mad-mad-fun stories were out — ■ but. no. Here's a galloping case of whimsey with Myrna Loy and Robert Taylor. She's a rich girl who goes out on her own to try for a job, isn't successful, meets Taylor on a park bench, gets married. Myrna develops the Little-Woman complex, they both get bored. No more mad fun — but don't relax, it starts all over again. (July) • MAISIE— M-G-M There's humor in this, depending upon the way you observe it. Ann Sothern takes the rap when Rancher Robert Young's wallet is stolen. Complications ensue, and Bob is accused of murder. Ann rushes to his defense. Young carries on happily, but it's Miss Sothern's picture. (August) • MAN OF CONQUEST— Republic Richard Dix, memorable for "Cimarron," is at his best in such a r&le as this of Sam Houston, that grand old American who fought for freedom. You'll have a fine time watching the great drama unfold, with the Alamo and the battle of San Jacinto as high lights. Romance is taken care of by Gail Patrick. (July) NAUGHTY BUT NICE— Warners A classic composition by staid music prof. Dick Powell, is modernized into "Hurray for Spinach!" The high-brow's personality also gets renovated by a screwy Tin Pan Alley gang. Among the funsters are Ann Sheridan. Allen Jenkins, Maxie Rosenbloom. The film has pace, laughs, good swing arrangements of classic bits. NIGHT RIDER, THE— Republic The best of the excellent Three Mesc-uiteers series, in which John Wayne. Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune continue their Robin Hoodish career in fighting the land grab in the early '80's. (July) • ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS— Columbia Cary Grant and Jean Arthur are as ingratiating as ever in this thrilling aviation film, but the laurels go to Richard Barthelmess for his magnificent performance as an embittered pilot who gets one last chance to prove himself. With exciting photography, suspenseful story and great work from every player, what more could you ask? (July) RETURN OF THE CISCO KID, THE— 20th Century-Fox Warner Baxter, again in the rdle of the Mexican Robin Hood, is believable and charming in this fast-shooting, hard-riding moom-pitcher. Cesar Romero is wonderfully mean as the Kid's lieutenant. Henry Hull and Lynn Bari have minor roles. (July) • ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE^ 20th Century-Fox Tyrone Power turns villain in this story of the prohibition era, when the theater great rubbed elbows with gangsters. Everything might have been all right for Vaudevillians Alice Faye and Al Jolson in their climb to success, if Ty hadn't c.mie along. Jolson sings memory-strumming music and Alice gives a touching performance as the ambitious star. Joyce Compton garners the laughs. (July) 6000 ENEMIES— M-G-M Walter Pidgeon, suave as usual, plays a politically ambitious prosecutor, who convicts on evidence that is often faked. When he is railroaded to the pen himself, he takes a terrific beating from his enemies, but Rita Johnson is in the jaUhouse, too. to show him the error of his ways. (August) SOCIETY LAWYER— M-G-M This was called "Penthouse" in 1933 and starred Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy. Now, Walter Pidgeon makes love to Virginia Bruce. Pidgeon, a lawyer, is first in love with Frances Mercer, but this cools when he disgraces himself by saving gangster Leo Carrillo. Miss Bruce looks beautiful and Pidgeon is suave. (June) SOME LIKE IT HOT— Paramount Not even Gene Krupa's drums, at work with Bob Hope, Shirley Ross and Una Merkel, could turn this into anything but a disappointment. The story: a midway barker tries to outrun the proverbial doorstep wolf. There are a couple of good songs, and Hope tries hard throughout. (August) SORORITY HOUSE— RKO-Radio This offers a sccial message to those high-school girls who intend to go to college. It's the business of being rushed, or standing miserably by while other gals get the bid. Anne Shirley shows you how to take whatever comes. Oh, yes, she makes a big sorority — and number-one-campus-man, Jimmy Ellison. (July) SOS— TIDAL WAVE— Republic Remember Orson Welles' Mars invasion? That gag has been put together with current interest in television, to make a film with novelty and entertainment in it. Ralph Byrd, Kay Sutton and George Barbier are the principals. (August) • STOLEN LIFE— Paramount This might have been "just another picture," but it has Elisabeth Bergner to lift it into the triumph class. It's the story of twin sisters who love the same man — Michael Redgrave. He marries the ruthless one. When she is drowned, the generous one takes her place as his wife, only to find that she must assume her sister's personality. Miss Bergners performance is flawless. (July) • STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, THE— 20th Century-Fox It's no easy job to make fast-moving, emotional entertainment of a technician's life, but Mr. Zanuck tried it with edifying success. Don Ameche plays Bell, whose love for his lovely wife (Loretta Young) and his interest in deaf-mutes leads to his invention of the telephone. It's a superlative production, with perfect support by such troupers as Henry Fonda. Elizabeth Patterson and Charles Coburn. (June) • STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE, THE— RKO-Radio This is a sweet picture that will have enormoilj appeal. It's the true story of those glamorous dancers of the pre-war days — Vernon and Irene Castle — their life and love together until Vernon's plane crash during the war It has the inimitable Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire playing the Castles, recreating their dances — and it sparkles like polished crystal. (June) STREETS OF NEW YORK— Monogram Even Jackie Cooper can't lift this out of the routine class of an underprivileged kid's regeneration. The moral is: live a clean life, help your neighbor. Jackie does, even if brother Dick Purcell doesn't. Marjorie Reynolds lends a feminine touch. {July) STRONGER THAN DESIRE— M-G-M Melodrama — that settles around Walter Pidgeon and his wife, Virginia Bruce. They're in love, but he gets compromised, and she goes indiscreet. Lee Bowman turns blackmailer. Ginny shoots. But it's Ann Dvorak, Bowman's wile, who is accused . >t the murder. Suspense holds well throughout. (August) SUDDEN MONEY— Paramount Don't go out of your way to catch this little number. It deals with a family who win a sweepstakes and goes berserk. Charles Ruggles. Marjorie Ranibeau, Broderick Crawford, Billy Lee and Evelyn Keyes do their part. (June) SUN NEVER SETS, THE— Universal Basil Rathbone and Douglas Fairbanks play brothers who belong to a family famous for its service to the Empire. Basil carries on the tradition, but Doug is engaged to Virginia Field and wants to enjoy life — that is. until Lionel Atvyill plays merry ned with a secret radio station in Basil's district. Then, Doug rallies to the cause. Impressive, but overlong. (August) • TARZAN FINDS A SON!— M-G-M Oh, boy. another Tarzan! This time Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan cavort through the jungle with young John Sheffield. The sole survivor of a plane crash, the boy is brought up as their own, until relatives arrive to claim him — but Tarzan has taught the child his own tricks to keep him. Gorgeous underwater swimming scenes. A thriller! (August) 94 PHOTOPLAY