Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1939)

Consult This Movie Shopping Guide and Save Your Time, Money and Disposition > I I W PICTURES REVIEWED IN SHADOW STAGE THIS ISSUE Page BLACKWEll'S ISLANO-Warners 48 COWBOY AND THE LADY. THE-Goldwyn Umttd Artists 88 DAWN PATROL, THE-Warnars « DRAMATIC SCHOOL-M-G-M 88 DUKE OF WEST POINT, THE— Smill-U. A. 48 EVERYBODY'S BABY-20th Century-Fox 88 FLIRTING WITH FATE-M-G-M 88 HEART OF THE NORTH-Warners 49 LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE-Colonial-Paramount 88 LITTLE TOUGH GUYS "IN SOCIETY" Universal 88 OUT WEST WITH THE HARDYS— MG-M 88 PARDON OUR NERVE— 20th Century-Fox 88 PECKS BAD BOY WITH THE CIRCUS-RKO Radio 88 PRISON WITHOUT BARS-Korda-Unlted Artists 88 PYGMALION-Pascal-M-G-M RIDE A CROOKED MILE-Paramount SAY IT IN FRENCH-Paramount . . SECRETS OF A NURSE-Universal . . SHINING HOUR, THE-M-G-M . . SPRING MADNESS— M-GM . . STORM OVER BENGAL— Republic 88 SWING THAT CHEER— Universal ... 88 THANKS FOR EVERYTHING-20th Century-Fox 49 THANKS FOR THE MEMORY— Paramount 88 THERE'S THAT WOMAN AGAIN-Columbla 49 TRADE WINDS— Wanger-United Artists . 48 UP THE RIVER-ZOtti Century-Fox .49 ~r /#' > / 9\ ~Jl • INDICATES PICTURE WAS ONE OF THE BEST OF THE MONTH WHEN REVIEWED Glorifying the transcontinental air derbies in 20th Century-Fox's "Tailspin," Alice Faye and Kane Richmond continue to float through clouds even when grounded ALWAYS IN TROUBLE-20th Century-Fox Jane Withers, of course, is always in hot water and gets in deeper mily who becomes rich overnight and can't When they become stranded on an island with smugglers. ual wit. foils the crooks and brings her Family back u . • • ANGELS.WITH DIRTY FACES-Warngrs uspense, pace and a magnificent c »-i in. ike tin by all odd the best crime picture since "Scarface." • uncompromising dory of two friends one a gangster Pit O'Brien) — and their n .luen r evil ■ in a gang of young toughs (The "Dead to !*• appreciated. (Jan. I • ARKANSAS TRAVELER, THE-Paramount With ■ mi. home. pun anecdote of an itinerant to Will Roger becomes even more apparcir tCf is the widow who-e new-pa[M-r BUTD8 saves . Parker and John Beal are heart to heart and Irving Cobb i» immense as the village constable. Family fare. (Dec.) • ARTISTS AND MODELS ABROAD— Paramount I multitude ol gag-. ndition and rnough story to keep things rolling. Jack Benny i -duccr who tries by hook and crook to keep bis troop of beauties in Paris one jump ahead of the p Bennett, Mary Boland and the Yacht Club Boys -upply the fun Jan.) BAREFOOT BOY-Monogram l>t Jui ■ r ! in Sawyerish mart-alec br.it-. as the vapid dialogue would make a parent laugh at the ur n^ n Jackie Moran, Mae Jones. Bradley Metcaff) arc happily chosen and do BLOCK HEADS— Hal Roach-M-G-M Laurel .ind Hardy spread on the slap ning m the trenches for twenty visit his pal ielL The lun ii immediately on I ■ BLONDIE-Coiumbia ■ d by millions. t be mildly important Penny Singleton is Blondu; Arthur I in. Dafssoo • .ill l.iugh Jan ) it BOYS TOWN -M-G-M Tl '■lunding ol mmunity for I Flanagan, • and • ' lion o Hollywood should be proud of such a picture. BREAKING THE ICE— Principal-RKO-Radio It helps tremendously to have five-year-ofd figure-skater Iren? Dare make her screen debut in this latest of Bobby Breen's singin; pictures. Bobby, at this point a Mennonite, runs away from the colony, joins an ice-skating troupe. Dolores Costello is nicely saccharine as Bobby's mother. {Nov.) • BROTHER RAT-Warners Made with fervor and frankness, this tale of three cadets at Virginia Military Academy departs from the usual style of campus drama. Wayne Morris, Eddie Albert and Ronald Reagan have three ideas — wimmen (Priscilla Lane, Jane Wyman and Jane Bryan) graduating, and winning the ball game. Everything is jake at the end. A honey. (Jan.) CAMPUS CONFESSIONS— Paramount Betty Grable, Eleanore Whitney and Bill Henry, perennial college -eniors, scamper around, but the plot centers abaut Hank Luisetti. basketball star, who proves that athletics belong in any college curriculum. (Dec.) • CAREFREE-RKO-Radio The team of Rogers and Astaire is back, as light on their collective feet as ever. Fred is a psychoanalyst, Ginger is his patient. Over all their antics, and the best dance routines the couple has ever ', soar the lovely lilting melodies of Irving Berlin's latest songs. Guaranteed to put you in a gay mood. (Nov.) • CITADEL, THE-M-G-M Made by the M-G-M unit in England, A. J. Cronin's touching novel emerges as a powerful study of an idealistic young doctor who stews in poverty until an easy way out presents itself, is later led by his best friend and his loyal wife. The sure finesse of Robert I3on.it. Rosalind Russell and Ralph Richardson makes it doubly important for you to see this. iVmi.) • DOWN ON THE FARM-20th Century-rox Having attained the eminence bf an .Waling, the Jones Family continue tin attempt to catch Americana on the screen and succeed admirably. The family's divertissements on Auni Ida's farm are enlivened by I cornlul-king. an election and various country that should amuse you no end. iThe caat is as u-ual.) (L>€C.) FIVE OF A KIND-20th Century-Fox. One cannot help feeling that Mr. Zanuck is resting on Papa Dionne'a laurels. The five little Quints toddle about, squc.il and bout a faked birth of sextupleta la stupid, ( lure I Romero and Jean llersholt make up the cast. {Jan.) FRESHMAN YEAR-Universal rUegc film bai U unusual twtflt — no football game! InLodcnt group who m-tituie "Hunk in mtmnoe," put on a ibow in order to pay off. Dixie l)uni> u chonist-rxirl co-ed, William Lundlgan, i leader, t£rne*i Trucx ih good a^ the profeatoi who tptt lltterbug. (Sov.) FUGITIVE FOR A NIGHT-RKO-Radio Derin ' J the weaker halt of a double bill, this rises no higher than its aims The story deal with a Hollywood stooge. Frank Albertson. who becomes embroiled in a murder, escapes with the aid of his love. Eleanor Lynn. Not much here to cheer over. GVo».) GIRLS ON PROBATION-Warners The lives of two girls, Jane Bryan and Sheila Bromley, run a close parallel as one lakes the straight road, the other the primrose path, yet both land in prison. Attorney Ronald Reagan finally unravels the web in which his sweetie becomes entangled. Human and interesting. (Sov.) GIRLS' SCHOOLColumbia A disappointingly heavy story of a poor sad girl (Anne Shirley) in a rich snobbish school. Nan Grey is the meanie. Noah Beery, Jr., the sympathetic plumber, Kenneth Howell the poet. Something slipped here. (Dec.) GLADIATOR, THE-Columbia This time Joe E. Brown wins $1500 in a bank night, goes to college, tries out for the team with the help of a professor who injects him with a new serum which gives Joe superman strength. Then the riot starts. June Travis and Man Mountain Dean help in the hilarity. For Brown fans. (Nov.) • GRAND ILLUSION-World Pictures Set in the grim background of German prison camps, this French film (with English subtitles) builds a tragically honest picture of the human side of war. Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay and Eric Von Stroheim are only a few of the superb character delineation^ Fascinating. (Jan.) • GREAT WALTZ, THE-M-G-M To the thrilling strains of Johann Strauss' best loved waltzes, the colorful story of the great Viennese composer's life is transferred to the screen with Fernand Gravel as Strauss. Luise Rainer as sis self-sacrificing wife. Miliza Korjus recent foreign import sings like the proverbial lark. Outstanding photography and direction. {Jan.) HARD TO GET-Warners No problem play this, but lair amusement provided by a new cinerornantic team. Dick Powell and Olivia de Havilland. Olivia is a madcap heiress, Dick a gas station attendant. Plenty going on of Icy \ariety and Dick scarcely sings a note — which is news. (Jan.) HOLD THAT CO-ED-20th Century-Fox The first of the fall football collegiate musicals, this is good if giddy entertainment. John Barrymore (swell) is the governor who wages his campaign on the gridiron; Coach George Murphy and Marjorie Weavei provide the romance; Joan Davis and Jack Haley add the comedy. (Nov.) • I AM THE LAW-Columbia "Give em Dewey" Il Hollywood's latest clarion call, Here you get .' film l' mslation of the N. V. attorney in the person of Edward G. Robinson, who take .in the job of cleaning up a city in hi usual cyclonic style. Otto Kruger i suave a the vice baron, Wendy Barrie top-notch as a "moll.' | (Continued on page 89) PH OTOPLAY