Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1939)

FAST AND FURIOUS-M G-M 00 they pulled Franchot Tone out of his sickbed and hauled him all the way from New York for this. It's a murder mystery built around a beauty pageant, and what with girls in bathing suits, a lion-taming act in a bedroom, and mysterious villains busily bumping people off, it's supposed to hit all types of audiences as entertainment. Whether or not it will is a moot point. Ann Sothern, playing Franchot's wife, chews her gum in a cheery manner and Tone does try quite hard to give a breezy performance. You'll feel sorry for him, in the slapstick sequences. There are two murders. Lee Bowman, Ruth Hussey, and sundry beauties co-operate fully, with John Miljan being villainous and, incidentally, playing the first corpse. DISPUTED PASSAGE-Paramount nITH its appeal somewhat limited, "Disputed Passage" is a forceful and rather gory melodrama dealing with the struggle of a young doctor to choose between the hard facts of science, and love for Dorothy Lamour. Akim Tamiroff plays an older physician whose entire existence has been dedicated to science following an unhappy romance, and he steps in to ruin the setup. Easily convinced that she is jeopardizing a great career, Dotty marches off to China and John follows her. There is an air raid — and Howard gets a brain injury. Tamiroff and Lamour thus are called upon to decide whether they'll stick to their illogical guns or ... In ?' case Tamiroff has a good part. Howard is qi':' quate. It's a lot for a lay audience to grar KID NIGHTINGALE-Warners I HIS relatively new John Payne, who sings, really looks extremely promising. In this he's a prizefighter who warbles when he isn't fighting, and his voice not only is good but he has the physique for his role. Of course, Kid Nightingale is not just a run -of -the -ring pug. Walter Catlett, broke manager, gets him in a nitery where the boy is singing, after a tussle in which John emerges victorious. The idea eventually evolved is that Payne shall burst into song whenever he knocks his opponent cold. This idea seems to be successful and at last there is a chance at the championship. Well, aside c" all this there are some pretty good laughs and '• ish, and Payne does a fine job. The q fancv »»o* too. SAVES YOUR PICTURE TIME AND THE BEST PICTURES OF THE MONTH The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex The Cat and the Canary Hollywood Cavalcade The Roaring Twenties Intermezzo; A Love Story The Challenge Honeymoon in Bali The Day the Bookies Wept Espionage Agent What a Life • th; BEST PERFORMANCES OF THE MONTH Bette Davis in "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" Errol Flynn in "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" Paulette Goddard in "The Cat and the Canary" Bob Hope in "The Cat and the Canary" Alice Faye in "Hollywood Cavalcade" Don Ameche in "Hollywood Cavalcade" J. Edward Bromberg in "Hollywood Cavalcade" James Cagney in "The Roaring Twenties" Leslie Howard in "Intermezzo; A Love Story" Ingrid Bergman in "Intermezzo; A Love Story" Luis Trenker in "The Challenge" Madeleine Carroll in "Honeymoon in Bali" Fred MacMurray in "Honeymoon in Bali" Will Fyffe in "Rulers of the Sea" Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., in "Rulers of the Sea" Joe Penner in "The Day the Bookies Wept" Jackie Cooper in "What a Life" IF nothing startle yot Those days mad, prosp now — anoth put them finesse, and Chief Bootle hibition, of i the premise War had no . cause no jobs you will acce, sympathize wi , and come to N' include Hump story really st has been wr year-old Pri taxicab. Cii racket, theno mob stuff. Pr. become a chor while Cagney. b. through the mai on into the depres piness with Jeffrej as real as yesterday insanity of the pen excitement in it. Gi have supporting roh