Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1940)

front people who help Robert Fulton (Richard Greene) launch hi< invention, the steamboat, but the net result is an opulent masterpiece of banality about the days when Manhattan was young. (Apr.) LONE WOLF STRIKES, THE-Columbia Warren William plays the not-too-reformed crook who steps back into his nefarious practices t,, help Joan Perry recover a string of pearls — and gets mixed up in a murder for his pains. It's the old formula, but it's still good. (.Apr.) MAN FROM DAKOTA, THE-M-G-M There's a Civil War background for dr., ma. Wallace Beery and Donald Meek for riproanu^ humor, Dolores Del Rio and John Howard for romance, and an exciting dash through the Confederate lines for some bang-up suspense. It's all a bit mixed up, but undeniably interesting. (Apr.) MAN WHO WOULDN'T TALK, THE-20th Century-Fox In this remake of "The Valiant," Lloyd Nolan does excellent work as the confessed murderer who refuses to reveal either his name or his reason for the crime. Jean Rogers is svmp ithctic and appealing as the sister who tries to make him talk. {Apr.) ■k MARRIED AND IN LOVE-RKO-Radio This is the story of a married woman trying to get back an old sweetheart, and his struggle to keep faith with his unglamorous wife. Helen Vinson is the other woman; Alan Marshal the man. and Barbara Read the wife. It's unpretentious — and superior cinema. (March) • MEXICAN SPITFIRE-RKO-Radio Pure slapstick, with no compromise. Lupe Velez c >mes from Mexico as the bride of Donald Woods, scion of a rich family who give l.upe the lorgn >n treatment. Leon Errol is excellent in a dual role of an English lord and Donald's eccentric uncle. Elisabeth Risdon and Linda Hayes play the nasty aunt and previous fiancee. (March) MUSIC IN MY HEART-Columbia Tony Martin returns to star as a Broadway understudy who threatened with deportation just gets his big chance. He crashes into Rita Hayworth's taxi — comes lovr — and the result is a pleasant little musical with nice tunes and Andre Kostelanetz to play them. (Apr.) MY LITTLE CHICKADEE-Universal Mae West is the little flower of the frontier, and W. C. Field masquerades a ., bold bad bandit and shoots Indians with a sling shot. The result is just about what you'd expect — ribald but genuinely comic, with both stars at top form. (Apr.) NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE-M-G-M — or. Dime Xovel Hero Comes to the Screen at Last. Walter Pidgeon plays the title role and tracks down the missing rocket-ship blueprints, while Rita Johnson flies the plane for him, after a terrific gun battle in the desert. (Feb.) NIGHT OF NIGHTS, THE-Paramount Lugubrious Laugh-Clown-Laugh story with Pat O'Brien playing Paghacci so his little girl, Olympe Bradna won't know how low he's sunk. Pretty good until the last half, when it bogs down with its own pathos. (Feb.) • OF MICE AND MEN-Roach-UA John Steinbeck's wormwood-and-sugar story remains gripping despite censorship. Burgess Meredith is George, the wandering ranch worker who befriends poor Lemiie. (Lon Chaney, Jr.) — who doesn't know his own strength and winds up a murderer. They're swell, and so are Betty Field, Charles Bickford and Bob Steele. (Feb.) OH, JOHNNY, HOW YOU CAN LOVE-Universal A slap-happy little ditty in which traveling salesman Tom Brown gets mixed up with heiress Peggy Moran, gangster Allen Jenkins and a tourist camp. You'll remember Betty Jane Rhodes singing the title song. (March) • OUTSIDER, THE-Alliance Tearful but compelling is this story of the hopelessly crippled daughter of a brilliant London doctor who goes to an arrogant, publicity-mad bone specialist as a last resort. Mary Maguire is the girl, George Sanders the specialist suspected of quackery, and the interplay of character is beautiful to watch. {Apr.) • PINOCCHIO-Disney-RKO Collodi's fable of the wooden puppet who learns how to become a real little boy and a kind son to woodcarver Gepello comes to the screen as the finest animated cartoon feature ever made. Characterizations, from tiny voice-of-conscience Jiminy Crickel to enormous Monslro, the whale, compare favorably with the finest human talent. You can't afford to miss this! (Apr.) • RAFFLES-Goldwyn-U.A. It's the same old storv, but it's still swell drama. This time David Niven is the suave Raffles. Olivia de Havilland his fiancee, and Dudley Digges the inspector. You remember. Raffles decides to reform when he meets Olivia, but her brother (Douglas Walton) is in trouble, so Raffles goes on the prowl again. (March) REMEMBER THE NIGHT-Paramount Even Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck can't pull this out of the average class. He's a District Attorney. She's a wayward girl whom he exposes to an old-fashioned Christmas back home in Indiana with Mother, Beulah Bondi— after which the anticipated reform sets in. (Feb.) SAINT'S DOUBLE TROUBLE, THE-RKO Radio This latest in the modern Robin Hood series gives you plenty of excitement for your money — at least three murders, and George Sanders in a dual role (because a diamond-smuggler goes around impersonating him). Helene Whitney is the girl in the case. (Apr.) L-TORAl fSwpa GIRDLEs! •O-lhStSS.r* PANTIES up" dnj . °r "'kern Tea Rose teed rZ '* guar«nand White / JJ. no"-"«n. At d/| Size, U .0 38 'Cad,"9 stores. REALFORM GIRDLE CO., 3585th Ave., New York \ WANTED: Your Name for a Great AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION /"*HECK our registration cards for the ^*> past twenty-five years, and you will find, again and again, the signatures of many of the world's foremost men and women . . . one of the greatest autograph collections in the world. But we want your name on our registration card when you come to Boston. Distinguished visitors turn to us naturally . . . because The Copley-Plaza represents a New England interpretation of American hostelry at its best . . . because the Copley-Plaza was built and staffed as New England's finest hotel and has maintained that leadership for more than a quarter century. And you will be happy too to find that we offer you luxurious living — without pretension or extravagance — with rooms for as little as $4.00 a day. Illustrated folder on request. The COPLEY PLAZA BOSTON ARTHUR L. RACE, Managing Director • SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, THE M-G-M This is a gem, packed with the inimitable Lubitsch touch, it's a simple story — about a boj and girl (Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sulla van i who are working in a gift shop and find romance bywriting to an unknown sweetheart through a correspondence agency. Of course they discover they are writing to each other. Frank Morgan is superb in a straight role. (Manh) ir SIDEWALKS OF LONDON-Mayflower-Paramount Vivien Leigh is a Scarlett O'llura character (to Charles Laughton this time) in the story of a girl who, by ruthless determination, succeeds in rising above the lowly "busking" (those London sidewalk entertainers) profession. There are fine scenes between Leigh and Laughton. (Manii) • SLIGHTLY HONORABLE-Wanger-U.A. Murder and comedy all mixed up, this has Pat O'Brien as the attorney plotting the downfall of political boss Edward Arnold. When Arnold's sweetheart, and then Pat's secretary are killed, things look bad for Pat. You'll be mad about Ruth Terry, the little singer who pursues Pat. (March) SOUTH OF THE BORDER-Republic Popular singing cowboy Gene Autry breaks into the Big Time a a Federal agent who set out to f, il a foreign-inspired revolution in South America. It's the best picture Gene has ever made. (Apr.) • SWANEE RIVER-20th Century-Fox Here's the life of Stephen Foster, song writer, with Don Ameche playing the role of composer, Andrea Leeds contributing to romance and Al Jolson doing a grand minstrel man. (March) if SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON-RKO-Radio Towne-and-Baker's first production adds a new owning theme to the childhood classic, with Thomas Mitchell packing up his fami'y (Edna Best, Freddie Bartholomew, el al.) and moving them out < f the London of Napoleonic days. But their famous adventures on the desert island on which they're shipwrecked are here in toto. (Apr.) THAT'S RIGHT-YOU'RE WRONG-RKO-Ra Kay Kyser brings his College of Musical Knowledge to the screen with a better story and better support than radio stars usually get. The result is pleasant and Kyser proves to be a screenable personality as the band leader whose group goes Hollywood on him. With Adolphe Menjou. (Feb.) THOU SHALT NOT KILL-Republic Religion is usually taboo on the screen, but this deals with a minister who takes the confession of a murderer when a priest can't get there to do it. Charles Bickford plays the minister. (March) THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH— Warners Thomas Mitchell plays the blustering Irish cop, ready to fight at the drop of a pin. His beat is taken over by a young Scotchman, who falls for one of Casey's lovely daughters. A good homey comedy with plenty of laughs and a dig or two at the politicians. Dennis Morgan as the Scotty, Priscilla Lane as the daughter, and Alan Hale as Casey's righthand man take the other acting honors. TOWER OF LONDON-Universal English history turns out to be more gruesome than a modern horror film, with Basil Rathbone as King Richard, who spends his time killing off heirs to the throne, with Boris Karloff as his pet executioner. First-rate mellerdrammer. (Feb.) if TWO THOROUGHBREDS— RKO-Radio Fine writing and beautiful acting prove once more what this studio can do with a simple, unpretentious story. Jimmy Lydon gathers honors as an orphan who finds a foal, then has to struggle with his honor when he discovers it belongs to people who later befriend him. (Feb.) • WE ARE NOT ALONE-Warners Paul Muni is an English country doctor who befriends a young Austrian (Jane Bryan) at the outbreak of the last war. His wife (Flora RobsonJ dies, and Paul and Jane are accused of her murder. An uncompromising presentation of the James Hilton story, with fine direction, acting. (Feb.) HOW WELL DO YOU KNOV/ YOUR HOLLYWOOD? Check your answers to the statements on page 11 with these correct ones: 1 . Three times 2. Helen Parrish 3. Rudy Vallee 4. Ginger Rogers 5. Cesar Romero, George Raft 6. Dick Powell 7. The Squaw Man 8. Wuthering Heights 9. Pat O'Brien, Rosalind Russell 10. Miriam Hopkins I I . Joan Crawford 12. Olivia de Havilland, Jane Eryan I 3. Gene Raymond 14. Three years 15. Marion Davies, Carole Lombard 16. Jane Bryan 17. Warner Bros. 18. M-G-M, Selznick International 19. Gail Patrick 20. Linda Darnell MILITARY RED Don Juan— the lipstick that stays on, though you eat, smoke or kiss, now captures new honors with Military Red! A thrilling new shade that does what you want for all your springtime wardrobe colors. A real red red— gay, vivid and style-right. It's the newest of many exquisitely beautiful Don Juan shades. Try it today— In a plastic cameo case, $1.00. Refills, 60c. Trial Size, 10c. Rouge to match, $1.00. Prices slightly higher in Canada. Don Juan, Inc., Dept. 4, 205 W. 19th St., New York. DfliVJUM THE LIPSTICK THAT STAYS ON SEND US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS a penny post card and we'll explain how you l earn several dollars every week in your spare GRAY FADED HAIR France how to shampoo and col Ask famous expert from Fiance how to shampoo ; your hair the same time at home with "SHAMPO-KOLOR" Any shade. No lived look, iim-t lastinu. Pen wave. Free Book. Valligny Prod. Inc., Dept. 43-K 254W 31 St.N.Y. Of course they're young . . . these Betty Barrett Shoes . . . they're gay ami fresh and charming. They make your feel look young . . . ami what's more important, they make your feel /'<■<•/ young, too! You'll walk lightl>. happily uu the exclusive Betty Barrett insole ... a marvelous resilient cork mixture thai pillows your feet in restful comfort ill day long! Sjztfy @)CtMjrft MAY, I 940 101