Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1944)

Jimmy Lydon as Henry transforms the spoiled son of a friend of his father’s into a human being by ex £osing him to the Boy Scouts and their Good Deed a >ay slogan. Charles Smith is good, as usual, as Dizzy, Henry’s pal. (April.) \/HER PRIMITIVE MAN— Universal : A lot of fun and nonsense, with Robert Paige as an author who has sold the idea for a book about head hunters to Publisher Robert Benchley. When Louise Allbritton learns about the book she exposes it as a fraud and decides to bring a real head hunter back to civilization. So, of course, Paige poses as the primitive man and much comedy results. (June.) HI, GOOD LOOKIN’ — Universal: The people in this are very nice people, such as Harriet Hilliard, Eddie Quillan. Betty Kean, Fuzzy Knight and Roscoe Karns, but the story is that silly one about a girl who comes to Hollywood to crash the movies, ends up on a late radio broadcast and clicks. Mixed up in it are a lot of specialty numbers and Ozzie Nelson’s band. (June.) HOT RHYTHM — Monogram: A cute little budget musical with Robert Lowery and Sidney Miller as song writers who try to help singer Dona Drake land a job with an orchestra. Irene Ryan is the wacky secretary who takes credit for the recording Dona makes and from then on all sorts of complications arise. Tim Ryan is the studio boss. (May.) HOUR BEFORE THE DAWN, THE— Paramount: Franchot Tone deadpans his way through his role of an English conscientious objector who marries Veronica Lake and later discovers that she’s a German spy who’s married him in order to stay in England and keep on spying. Binnie Barnes and John Sutton strive bravely to make this good entertainment, but it turns out to be dull and unexciting. (May.) IMPOSTOR, THE — Universal: Despite the talents of Jean Gabin, Richard Whorf, Allyn Joslyn, Ellen Drew and Peter Van Eyck, this turns out to be a bore. The story has convict Gabin escaping from a bombed-out prison in France, working his way to a French seaport and taking a freighter to Dakar, where he eventually becomes regenerated through loyalty to the Free French. (May.) y'lN OUR TIME — Warners: The performances of Ida Lupino and Paul Henreid lift this story into a fairly engrossing tale. The first half which tells of their meeting is charming, but after their marriage that brings on a flood of social and family problems, it goes into the usual fare of war and its effect on the various lives of the characters involved. (May.) \/\ /IT HAPPENED TOMORROW— PressburgerU.A. : Dick Powell has never given a better performance than as the reporter who through the supernatural powers of a departed friend is able to predict tomorrow’s news today. The success and havoc it brings into his life provides sheer entertainment and the love story between Dick and Linda Darnell is especially tender and real. With J£ck Oakie. (April.) ✓ KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY — PCA-U.A.: The stage play has been lifted bodily to the screen and the results are pleasing but puzzling, although Nelson Eddy’s arresting presence and his voice keep the whole business intact. Charles Coburn as Governor Peter Stuyvesant has been more happily cast in the past but the idea behind the tale is fun and the music’s swell. With Constance Dowling. (May.) ^ LADIES COURAGEOUS — Universal: Glorifying the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, this picture has done all right by the WAFS. Loretta Young is steady and confident as the leader of the women fliers, Anne Gwynne is happily cast as the superstitious one, Geraldine Fitzgerald is the publicity seeker, and Evelyn Ankers, Diana Barrymore, Lois Collier and June Vincent are all good. (June.) LADY AND THE MONSTER, THE — Republic: A motor accident has provided scientist Erich Von Stroheim with a human brain which he keeps alive in his laboratory. This proves very upsetting to Richard Arlen who gradually comes under the brain’s spell and to Vera Hruba Ralston who almost loses her life on account of the brain. It’s a pretty good chiller-diller. (June.) y'^LADY IN THE DARK — Paramount: Technicolor triumph with the story taking second place to the rainbow riot of sets, clothes and accessories. Ginger Rogers is the editor of a swank fashion magazine who goes to a psychiatrist to solve her dreams and moods of depression. The solving carries her off into dream fantasies whierti are lovely. With Ray Milland, Jon Hall and Mischa Auer. (April.) \/LADY, LET’S DANCE! — Monogram: The story is ridiculous, but blonde newcomer Belita skates divinely, acts delightfully and looks well while doing both. The ice comics, Frick and Frack, handsome James Ellison, musical Henry Busse and Walter Catlett share the story with her but it’s Belita whose talent you’ll enjoy. (April.) ^LIFEBOAT — 20th Century-Fox: An exciting story which takes place entirely amid the cramped quarters of a lifeboat, with Tallulah Bankhead giving a magnificent performance as the hard-boiled writer and photographer. John Hodiak, tycoon Henry Hull, William Bendix, Canada Lee, Mary Anderson and Hume Cronyn are among its occupants, along with Nazi Walter Slezak, who tries to take command. (April.) THIS FRAGILE THING CALLED . . . nevertheless you may ask yourself, “Could I be Ellen?” THEY had started marriage with such high hopes . . . pretty Ellen and her handsome Don! They had known that love is as fragile as it is precious. They had promised that even the slightest misunderstanding would be frankly talked over and cleared up. And they had kept that promise until now! But now, here was Ellen, in misery and despair . . . Here was Don, aloof and silent . . . Something she couldn’t even understand had come between . . . Something Don stubbornly refused to discuss . . . 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