Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1941)

^ Knute Rockne — All American (Warners) It's About: Bioyrapliical story of the great football coach. D ATIENTLY Hollywood actors await, ' year alter year, for that one perfect role. Pal O'Brien has found his as Knute Rockne, the understanding and kindly man who grew to be one of the greatest figures in the sports world. As football coach at Notre Dame, as father' to the famed Four Horsemen of football who played for him. as husband and All American, no better man has ever ed into the limelight than Knute Rockne. Pat O'Brien plays him that way. All the tenderness, strength, humanness of the man come to life through Pat's interpretation. The cast, long and impressive, fit into their special roles with ease and perfection. Ronald Reagan plays the late George Gipp, one of football's greatest stars. Gale Page is Knute s wife. But it's Pat's picture and his heart is in it. That's why, my friends, it's a fine film. Your Reviewer Says: A task beautifully clone. ** Third Finger, Left Hand (M-G-M) It's About: A businesswoman who creates an imayinary husband. The Shadow Stage (Continued jrom -page 86) IT'S hilarious. What's more, it has a basis of sorts for its fun and never lets down a moment, with Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas and Lee Bowman trying to get married and unmarried throughout the whole evening. Myrna is a smart New York magazine editor who invents a husband to keep the undesirable males (especially the boss) from cluttering up her desk with propositions of one sort and another. It all works too beautifully until Myrna meets Melvyn who sees through the farce and decides to become this misplaced husband. Of course, Myrna's father, Raymond Walburn, and her sister, Bonita Granville, welcome him with open arms. But not Myrna. And not Lee Bowman, who wants to be Myrna's husband himself. We suppose it coxdd happen. But anyway, who cares, with everyone, including you and me, having such fun. Wait until you see Myrna's version of a Tenth Avenue moll. Why Miss Loy! Naughty and very Your Reviewer Says: nice. " Hit Parade of 1941 (Republic) It's About: A television station and the people connected witli it. I IGHTHEARTED entertainment guaran* teed to make you forget your troubles is the basis of this merry little picture with practically no plot but a great deal PICTURES IN THE CUTTING ROOM Advance Tips on Tomorrow's Talkies METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER ■ FLIGHT COMMAND: In this timely naval aviation picture, Robert Taylor is the young cadet who joins a fighting squadron. Walter Pidgeon is the squadron's commander and Ruth Hussey his wife. With Paul Kelly, Shepperd Strudwick and some thrilling air maneuvers. PARAMOUNT ■ LOVE THY NEIGHBOR: Jack Benny and Fred Allen bring their famous air feud to the screen at last and fight it out for comedy honors. Mary Martin, Eddie Anderson, Veree Teasdale, Theresa Harris add to the laughs. ■ SECOND CHORUS: Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith, orchestra players, vie with each other for feminine adulation until they discover Paulette Goddard, secretary of Artie Shaw's band in this tuneful, dancing comedy of the backstage lives of a popular swing orchestra. RKO ■ LETS MAKE MUSIC: Elizabeth Risdon, small-town schoolteacher, writes a song that becomes a national hit through Bob Crosby and his band's playing it, so she and her niece Jean Rogers come to New York, with amusing results. ■ NO, NO, NANETTE: When Anna Neagle tries to keep her uncle, Roland Young, out of trouble because of his rash promises to girls, she finds herself playing the lead in Victor Mature's musical show. With Richard Carlson as an artist, Helen Broderick and Zasu Pitts. 20TH CENTURY-FOX ■ TIN PAN ALLEY: Alice Faye and Betty Grable are a singing sister act who join forces with song writers John Payne and Jack Oakie in this tuneful picture of the period just before the last war. With Allen Jenkins, Esther Ralston and the Nicholas Brothers. ■ HUDSON'S BAY: Paul Muni and Laird Cregar are French Canadian fur trappers who, along with John Sutton, form a company to barter for pelts from the Indians. With Gene Tierney, Virginia Field. Vincent Price and Nigel Bruce. UNIVERSAL ■ STREETS OF CAIRO: Mystery and intrigue in Egypt, with Ralph Byrd and Eddie Quillan as archeologists who discover fabulous jewels which a band of cutthroats plan to steal in order to soil to Sigrid Gurie and Lloyd Corrigan. With Rod LaRocque and Katherine De Mille. ■ GIVE US WINGS: Billy Halop, Hunti Hall, Bernard Punsly, Gabriel Dell and Bobby Jordan are youthful mechanics who accept an offer to work as pilots for Victor Jory's aeriol cropdusting company, although Wallace Ford, his foreman, knows the planes are unsafe. WARNER BROTHERS ■ SOUTH OF SUEZ: In this exciting picture of the African diamond mines, adventurer George Brent becomes the foreman of ruthless George Tobias, whose wife, Lee Patrick, is in love with Brent but later has him accused of murder. With Brenda Marshall, Miles Mander and Eric Blore. ■ HIGH SIERRA: When Humphrey Bogart, gangster, loaves prison, he becomes heod of a mob planning to hold up a resort in Southern California. With Ida Luplno as his loyal moll, Alan Curtis and Arthur Kennodv as his partners in the robbery attempt, Joan Leslie and Henry Hull. 88 of humor and melody. Frances Langford and Kenny Baker provide the romance as well as the musical numbers and Ann Miller's dancing is delightful. The sketchy plot hinges upon Hugh Herbert, who is very funny as the bewildered businessman who takes over a television station. Mary Boland. as a wealthy sponsor, Franklin Pangborn and Patsy Kelly contribute their own brands of specialized comedy. The music and dances are delightful and you'll go away whistling a specially melodious number, "Who Am I?" Your Reviewer Says: Gay and amusing ^ Angels Over Broadway (Columbia) It's About: Four drifters who meet for one night BEN HECHT has been permitted, thank heavens, to express himself on the screen and the result, while not boxofficey in appeal, is a rare bit of entertainment that haunts the memory like a musical refrain Or did Irving Berlin say that? From Mr. Hecht's gold-studded imagination emerge four characters — a weakling, John Qualen, bent on suicide; a young man, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. suffering from wrong values (a not uncommon disease) ; a young girl, Rita Hayworth, ready to give her soul for success; and Thomas Mitchell, a failure of a playwright. Incongruously they meet, merge in an exchange of thought and ideas, then separate, each strangely helped. Flashes of bright dialogue pierce the air like skyrockets. It's all Hecht in writing, production and directing, but it takes those four marvelous performers to give life and reality to his dreams To our notion every member of the cast outdoes himself. Your Reviewer Says: Only for the imaginative. ^Too Many Girls (RKO-Radio) It's About: A young heiress and her iour (count 'em) bodyguards at college. \A/ELL. for goodness sake, everything "Ms still whirling around and those black spots before our eyes must be Lucille Ball, Ann Miller and Frances Langford. And those bigger spots are bound to be Desi Arnaz (Desi has us dizzy), Hal LeRoy and Richard Carlson. Such singing, dancing, romping and gotl. It's wonderful. The story? Oh. why be finicky'' It's something about Lucille Ball's going to college with four bodyguards or nowait — does that sound right'.' Anyway, the stage show, complete with music, is riotous fun and if you're young and gay, you'll love it. The Conga fie. Your Reviewer Soys: A pinwhecl of music, motion, beauty. Diamond Frontier (Universal) It's About: The escape from a jungle prison of an innocent prisoner. (Continued o;i page 90) rnoTOPLAY comtiincrt with MOVH mirror