Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1938)

Record Details:

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^ AFFAIRS OF ANNABEL, THE-RKO-Radio Hollywood points an amused finger at itself with Jack Oukie (lighter in physical weight but just as heavy on the humor) playing press agent to a falling star, Lucille Ball. Ruth Donnelly and Fritz Feld manage to make some of the situations highly amusing. {Oct.) • ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND-20th Century-Fox Mr. Zanuck calls this an American Cavalcade told in music. That's what it is — and perfectly swell, too! The story back-tracks thirty years to bring Tyrone Power, a rich renegade to ragtime, Alice Faye, a honky-tonk singer and Don Ameche, a song writer, through love, war and success. Irving Berlin's old and new songs will delight you. (Aug.) ■k ALGIERS— Wanger-United Artists Directed by John Cromwell, this is a magnificently photographed, if slow-paced melodrama of the life and loves of a jewel thief in the underworld of Algiers. Charles Boyer, Gene Lockhart, Sigrid Gurie are splendid, but it's the sheer lovely sex appeal of Hedy Lamarr which will get you ga-ga. (.Sept.) ALWAYS GOODBYE-20th Century-Fox Though overly sentimental in spots, Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall and Ian Hunter manage to make this modern story of illegitimacy believable and human. Johnny Russell, the little boy who awakens his mother's love after years of separation, steals the show and emerges a child star who will bear watching. Women will go for this. (Sepl.) • AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE, THEWarners Though Eddie Robinson ostensibly is a Park Avenue physician, he doesn't lose touch with the underworld. To obtain data for a medical treatise, he joins a gang of crooks headed by Humphrey Bogart, sinister as ever. Director Litvak, Robinson himself, Claire Trevor and the whole cast deserve credit for a film crammed with tense moments. (Sept.) ARMY GIRL— Republic Madge Evans is the love interest and justifies the title of this film. Otherwise it is not too accurate a picture of the boys in khaki at a military post. Jealousy between Preston Foster, Neil Hamilton and Guinn Williams leads to the murder of (Colonel) H. B. Warner. Who done it? (Oct.) BLIND ALIBI-RKO-Radio Into this emaciated yarn, Richard Dix manages to inject a wholesome atmosphere. Posing as a blind sculptor, he outwits a gang of museum thieves with the help of Ace, the Wonder Dog, and blonde Whitney Bourne. Eduardo Ciannelli grimmer than grim. (Aug.) • BOY MEETS GIRL-Warners This cinema plug for, and satire on, Hollywood is as happy and hilarious a diversion as the stage play of the same name. Marking the return of Jimmy Cagney to the home roost, it tells of two screwball writers (Pat O'Brien is the other) who utilize the baby of a dumb waitress (Marie Wilson) to build up a Western star. The millennium is herel (Oct.) CHASER, THE-M-G-M A swift minor comedy based on the ambulance-chasing racket. It's a pretty sordid plot but the situations are so funny you'll laugh anyway. Dennis O'Keefe is the shyster, Lewis Stone his drunken stooge doctor; John Qualen, Nat Pendleton and Ann Morris support. (Oct.) CITY STREETS-Columbia There are a few chuckles in this hokum story of a crippled orphan (Edith Fellows) befriended by the local grocer (Leo Carrillo). She regains the use of her legs in time to totter to his sickbed — the picture's a bit sick, too. (Sepl.) COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN-Warners A rib-tickling take-off on the lads from Brooklyn who croon a mean lullaby, but can't ride a horse. Dick Powell is the hobo musician who stops off at a Wyoming dude ranch, lands in Hollywood with the help of Pat O'Brien, a theatrical producer. The laughs roll in like tumbleweed in a wind storm. Priscilla Lane is Powell's heart's delight. (Aug.) • CROWD ROARS, THE-M-G-M Well, kids, here it is! Bob Taylor comes through — a champion — ■ in this lusty tale of the prize ring which surrounds him with crooked managers, a drunken father (Frank Morgan), who sells him down the river, and Maureen O'Sullivan for whose love he finally gives up his fistic career. Darned fine. (Oct.) DESPERATE ADVENTURE, A-Republic There's a lot of fuss made when Marian Marsh turns up in Paris and is the image of the "ideal girl" painted by Ramon Novarro. The picture is sold by mistake and everyone fights to get it back. Margaret Tallichet is lovely as Marion's sister; Novarro is as sincere as ever. Don't break your neck. (Oct.) • DRUMS— Korda-United Artists An amazingly dramatic story of a British regiment on the Northwest Frontier, beautifully photographed in Technicolor. Sabu (of 'Elephant Boy") appears as the little Indian rajah whose friendship for a Scotch drummer saves the day for England. Raymond John Garfield — because i a cross between Cagney i Robinson, and a star oven Massey, Roger Livesey, Desmond Tester; "Valerie Hobson are all exceptional. (Oct.) v FAST COMPANY-M-G-M A wabbly imitation of the gay-banter-Thin-Mannish school of mystery with Melvyn Douglas and his wife, Florence Rice, tracking the murderer of a fence who purloins their first editions. Excuse us for yawning. (Sepl.) • FOUR DAUGHTERSWarners In Fannie Hurst's touching, dramatic story of the four Lemp girls' search for romance, three new stars are born — John Garfield, whose characterization of the dour musician who marries Priscilla Lane is a high spot of the year; Priscilla, who does the finest work of her career; and Jeffrey Lynn, who is emphatically a "discovery." Important. (Oct.) * FOUR'S A CROWD-Warners Errol Flynn emerges from his romantic cocoon to turn into a fine comedian (hoo-ray) as a press-relations counsel, whitewashing millionaires. Rosalind Russell is a top-flight newspaper woman on Pat Knowles' paper; Olivia de Havilland is a giggly daughter of Wall Streeter Walter Connolly. You'll find out who loves whom and, in the interim, you'll find crack entertainment. (Oct.) Consult This Movie Shopping Guide and Save Your Time, Money and Disposition SHADOW STAGE THIS ISSUE Page ALWAYS IN TROUBLE-20th Century-Fox . . BAREFOOT BOY-Monogram BLOCK-HEADS-Hal Roach-M-G-M .... 8 BOYS TOWN— M-G-M * BREAKING THE ICE-Principal-RKO-Radio CAREFREE-RKO-Radio FRESHMAN YEAR-Universal FUGITIVES FOR A NIGHT-RKO-Radio . GIRLS ON PROBATION— Warners ... 88 GLADIATOR, THE-Columbia 8f HOLD THAT CO-ED— 20th Century-Fox 8! I AM THE LAW-Columbia 88 MAN FROM MUSIC MOUNTAIN-Republic 89 MISSING GUEST, THE-Universal ... 88 MY LUCKY STAR-20th Century-Fox ... 49 RICH MAN, POOR GIRL-M-G-M ... 88 ROAD DEMON-20th Century-Fox .... 88 ROAD TO RENO, THE-Universal . ... 88 SAFETY IN NUMBERS-20th Century-Fox . . 89 SPAWN OF THE NORTH-Paramount 89 TENTH AVENUE KID-Republie 88 THREE LOVES HAS NANCY-M-G-M 88 VALLEY OF THE GIANTS-Warners 45 WHILE NEW YORK SLEEPS-20th Century-Fox 88 YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU-Columbia 49 GARDEN OF THE MOON-Warners The real Garden is the famous Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, but the resemblance between that supper room and this picture is slight. It involves Pat O' Brien as the hard-boiled manager and John Payne as the bandleader whose love for Margaret Lindsay precipitates many a battle. Good comedy, good music. Good. (Oct.) GATEWAY-20th Century-Fox Starting out as a sincere portrait of various types of immigrants who land in New York, this gets sidetracked into a shipboard hash someplace. Arleen Whelan is the Irish lass traveling to America, Don Ameche is a war correspondent, Binnie Barnes, a grass widow and Gregory Ratoff , a phoney Russian prince. They do get to Ellis Island though! (Oct.) * GIVE ME A SAILOR-Paramount Martha Raye's first film as a glamour girl turns out to be very hilarious — the funniest scene being Martha's efforts with a mud pack. She is not getting away from slapstick very fast. She loves Jack Whiting, but Jack loves Betty Grable, and Bob Hope loves Martha. They all get somebody. (Oct.) GOLD DIGGERS IN PARIS-Warners The latest of the "Gold Digger" musicals deserves your attention by having Rudy Vallee and the Snickelfritz Band in it. The slim story is built around a Frenchman's mistake in thinking the Club Bali swingsters are the American Ballet Group, but it all works out in gay Paree. Rosemary Lane makes eyes at Rudy. (Aug.) * HAVING WONDERFUL TIME-RKO-Radio Revised considerably from the play of the same name, this remains a highly amusing human story. Dramatizing the desire of the business gal for summer romance, it takes Ginger Rogers from the Bronx to a mountain camp where she meets Doug Fairbanks, Jr., a lawyer-to-be waiting on tables for his tuition. Cupid takes a hand then. (Sept.) ■k HOLD THAT KISS-M-G-M Maureen O'Sullivan, dress model, and Dennis O'Keefe, clerk in a travel agency, meet at a swank wedding. Both pretend to be something they're not until one awful day — but go see this charming picture for yourself. Mickey Rooney, as Maureen's brother, swipes every scene he's in. (Aug.) * HOLIDAY -Columbia Cary Grant and Katie Hepburn top their best efforts in this remake of Philip Barry's play. Cary is the idealistic businessman in love with Doris Nolan, daughter of millions; Katie is the rebellious older sister who helps him to escape too much money. (Imagine I) LewAyres is miraculous as the drunken young brother. (Aug.) HUNTED MEN— Paramount The story of a killer racketeer (Lloyd Nolan) who finds regeneration and a new life through the influence of a kindly family consisting of Lynne Overman (father), Dorothy Peterson (mother), Mary Carlisle (daughter) and Delmar Watson (son). Pleasant and entertaining. (Aug.) I'LL GIVE A MILLION— 20tli Century-Fox Warner Baxter is a rich man fed up with false friends. He becomes a tramp hoping to be loved for himself. Marjorie Weaver, an American member of a French circus, takes him under her wing. She gets the million. Not so good for the audience, fine for Marjorie. (Oct.) I'M FROM THE CITY-RKO-Radio Joe Penner is none too funny in this silly story of a fellow who is afraid of horses, yet is a marvelous equestrian when hypnotized by the circus manager. Richard Lane and Lorraine Krueger are in the cast. Some of the complications are amusing enough. (Oct.) KEEP SMILING-20th Century-Fox Jane Withers escapes from her snobbish girls' school, hitchhikes West, discovers her favorite uncle, a Hollywood director, has taken to the bottle. With the help of secretary Gloria Stuart, Jane reforms uncle, crashes the movies. Children can safely take their parents. (Sept.) LADIES IN DISTRESS-Republic Imagine Alison Skipworth as Mayor in a racketeer-ridden city. Imagine Polly Moran as her sister-secretary. Then imagine what (Continued on page 89) PHOTOPLAY