Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1938)

ATES PICTURE WAS ONE OF THE F THE MONTH WHEN REVIEWED COLLEGE SWING-Paramount Rudy Vallee is back in film form again. Broadcaster and crooner supreme, he once more displays the third talent in his repertory — fine acting. The proof? That gay round of rhythm, romance and revelry — "Gold Diggers in Paris" • ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, THE-Warners The universal appeal of the reckless courage and chivalry of the philosopher-bandit of Sherwood Forest brought to the screen again (in Technicolor this time) by Errol (what a man) Flynn. You will happily enjoy Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian, Alan Hale as Lit lie John, Eugene Pallette as Friar Tuck, Claude Rains as Prince John and a host of others. Magnificent entertainment. (June) • BARONESS AND THE BUTLER, THE-20th Century-Fox A confused political satire built around a domestic's attempts to get elected to Parliament in Hungary. He succeeds and the havoc it creates in his social relationships is amusingly outlined by Bill Powell, Annabella, Henry Stephenson and Joseph Schildkraut. The actors are much better than the story material. (May) BATTLE OF BROADWAY, THE-20th Century-Fox A new team of gusty enemies, Victor McLaglen and Brian Donlevy, take over where Quirt and Flagg of yesteryear left off. The boys are Legionnaires attending the convention in New York City. Anything can happen, and does. Raymond Walburn aids in the comedy and Louise Hovick adds some snap too. (June) BELOVED BRAT, THE-Warners A sadly unconvincing story of a spoiled, rebellious child's transformation into a cherub through the kindness of a reform school superintendent. Bonita Granville, Dolores Costello and Natalie Moorhead are in the cast, but the picture is a yawn. (May) • BIG BROADCAST OF 1938, THE-Paramount Offering a diversity of entertainment, this elaborate vaudeville brings back W. C. Fields to the screen after a two years' absence. Kirsten Flagstad, the famous Wagnerian, sings Briinnhilde's "Battle Cry," Tito Guizar warbles Spanish ballads, Martha Raye and Ben Blue clown; Bob Hope and Shirley Ross duet, but the whole show belongs to Fields I (May) • BLOCKADE-Wanger-United Artists One of the most forceful pictures in the present Spanish Civil War cycle, this is a velvety mixture of romance and high adventure, superbly produced, superbly directed byWilliam Dieterle (of "Zola"). Madeleine Carroll and Henry Fonda are the lovers. (July) • BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE-Paramount Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper in a reckless, highly amusing comedy of no manners, directed by Ernest Lubitsch with his usual gay skill. Cooper, believe it or not, has had seven wives before he meets the penniless daughter of a nobleman, who thereupon becomes the eighth and leads him a merry chase. David Niven and E. E. Horton are able coplayers. Celluloid sex at its best. (May) • BRINGING UP BABY-RKO-Radio This chronicles the chase of a young heiress after a shy collector of bones for a museum, and their problem in hiding a baby panther on a Connecticut farm. Katie Hepburn and Cary Grant give their respective roles their best; May Robson as the eccentric aunt, Charley Ruggles as a big game hunter, and above all, the leopard and Asta of "Thin Man" fame, make this a magnificently funny picture. (May) BULLDOG DRUMMOND'S PERIL-Paramount This time it's diamonds that lead to a killing and subsequently to John Howard's rushing off from his wedding to Louise Campbell to Consult This Movie Shopping Guide and Save Your Time, Money and Disposition PICTURES REVIEWED IN SHADOW STAGE THIS ISSUE Page ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND-20th Century-Fox 44 BLIND ALIBI-RKO-Radio 45 COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN— Warners . . 89 GOLD DIGGERS IN PARIS— Warners .45 HOLD THAT KISS— M-G-M 89 HOLIDAY— Columbia 44 HUNTED MEN-Paranwunt 89 LADY IN THE MORGUE, THE-Universal . 45 LORD JEFF-M-G-M 44 MYSTERIOUS MR. MOTO-20th Century-Fox 89 ONE WILD NIGHT-20th Century-Fox ... 89 PRISON NURSE-Republle 45 PRIVATE LIFE OF MUSSOLINI, THE— Hullinger Productions 89 RAGE OF PARIS, THE— Universal ... 45 SWISS MISS— Hal Roach-M-G-M .... .48 THREE BLIND MICE— 20th Century-Fox . . 45 TROPIC HOLIDAY— Paramount 44 WHEN WERE YOU BORN?— Warners . . 89 WHITE BANNERS— Warners 44 YELLOW JACK-M-G-M 89 YOU AND ME-Paramount 89 trail Porter Hall. John Barrymore is the unco-operative inspector; Reginald Denny is Howard's man Friday. The players have had the same roles so long they're perfect. (June) CALL OF THE YUKON-Republic Love and adventure in the far North with doggies and humans sharing in the drama. Richard Arlen is the rough and ready trapper; Beverly Roberts, the novelist in search of local Arctic color. Waiter, pass the aspirin! (July) •k COCOANUT GROVE-Paramount This is a sort of musical comedy depicting the trials of a band leader (Fred MacMurray) who is down and thinks he's out. Of course he isn't — the members of Harry Owen's Royal Hawaiian Orchestra see to that, also Harriet Hilliard. (July) Those combustible comedians, Burns and Allen, Martha Raye, E. E. Horton and Ben Blue get together in this rah rah goulash which has some snatches of humor and some good loud hummable tunes but doesn't quite jell into a top-notch picture. (July) CONDEMNED WOMEN-RKO-Radio Though grim and pretty dreary, there's much interest and excitement in this picture which tells of the plight of women convicts who need help rather than punishment. Sally Eilers is the outstanding prisoner; Louis Hayward the forward-looking psychiatrist in love with her. A new slant on a social problem. (June) • CRIME SCHOOL-Warners Those "Dead End" boys are here again, and you'd better go to see them, as they lift a somewhat grim social-problem picture to fascinating entertainment. From slums to reformatory is the theme, with Humphrey Bogart as the understanding Police Commissioner. Very important. (July) • DOCTOR RHYTHM-Paramount Bing Crosby, Bea Lillie (funnier than ever), Mary Carlisle, Andy Devine, Rufe Davis and Fred Keating give you their best in this picturization of O. Henry's "The Badge of Policeman O'Roon," and it's all mirth and a yard wide. Bing, a surgeon mistaken for a cop, thereupon turns guardian to a goofy heiress. A success. (July) FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, THE-M-G-M This frothy domestic comedy revolves around a quarrel between newlyweds Bob Montgomery and Virginia Bruce over the question of their respective careers. Their attempts to bluff each other are confused by Binnie Barnes, who makes a run for Bob, and Warren William, who tries to play catch with Virginia. Very gay. (June) FOOLS FOR SCANDAL-Warners Only the bright presence of Carole Lombard saves this witless comedy from disaster. The action shuffles a cinema queen into a situation with a penniless Frenchman (Fernand Gravel), who then becomes a chef in her household. Ralph Bellamy is her woodenheaded lover, Allen Jenkins and Marie Wilson stooge. Just charge it up to the California flood! (June) • FOUR MEN AND A PRAYER-20th Century-Fox A striking drama directed with skill by John ("The Hurricane") Ford, this tells of four brothers who set out to clear the name of their father, an English general in India. They uncover plenty of chicanery among the munitioneers. Loretta Young is the heroine, and newcomer Richard Greene, David Niven, George Saunders, Bill Henry and Alan Hale contribute to your enjoyment. (July) •k GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST, THE-M-G-M In a vague version of David Belasco's old-time favorite. Nelson Eddy emerges as a Wild West Robin Hood, Jeanette MacDonald as the owner of a saloon (yes indeedy). Walter Pidgeon is the sheriff out after Nelson for hate, Jeanette for love. The lusty days of padres and Indians are beautifully photographed in Technicolor, and the duets of the two principals offer you a prize package. (June) GO CHASE YOURSELF-RKO-Radio It's Joe Penner again — sans duck, getting himself into tremendous trouble by winning a trailer and being mistaken for a bank robber. Lucille Ball, as Joe's wife, does nicely. (July) GOODBYE BROADWAY— Universal Everybody is very nice and performs excellently, but this is a tired, slow story of a pair of outmoded vaudevillians who buy a small-town hotel. Alice Brady and Charles Winninger are bright spots in a desert of dullness. (June) HAWAII CALLS-RKO -Radio The reedy, sweet voice of small Bobby Breen dominates this saccharine travelogue to the Islands. A San Francisco wharf waif, Bobbie stows away, outwits his police pursuers and aids Warren Hull in foiling a navy spy plot. Sourpuss Ned Sparks is amusing and you will like "Down Where the Trade Winds Blow." (May) HER JUNGLE LOVE-Paramount Alligators, apes and aviators adventure around in this latest meandering of Dorothy Lamour into the comic strip field. The aviators are Ray Milland and Lynne Overman, the ape belongs to Dorothy, whom they find in a jungle isle in the Pacific. The alligators have fun trying to eat everything in sight. (May) ISLAND IN THE SKY-20th Century-Fox A night club atop a skyscraper is the locale for this murder mystery. Michael Whalen, prosecuting attorney, and Gloria Stuart, his fiancee, do the snooping with earnestness and charm. Robert Kellard is the accused youth; Paul Kelly, his convict father. (June) • JEZEBEL-Warners Bette Davis' best performance — in one of the best pictures of the year. Beating the gun on "Gone With the Wind," Director William Wyler has moulded a brilliant, shocking story of a Louisiana flirt's consuming passion for one of her Southern kinsmen. The yellow fever epidemic of 1853 is absorbing background. Miss Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent and Richard Cromwell contribute glittering performances. (May) • JOSETTE— 20th Century-Fox Don Ameche and Robert Young attempt to free their papa from the clutches of a gold-digging night-club singer whom they think is Simone Simon. When Simone turns out to be all sweetness and light, both boys fall flat on their faces. Nutty but very nice. (July) (Continued on page 86)