Picturegoer (Jan-Jun 1938)

PICTUREGOER Weekly REVIEWS— continued •♦SHE'S NO LADY Paramount. American. "A" certificate. Crook comedy. Runs 62 minutes. Ann Dvorak Jerry Brown John Trent Bill Mallory Harry Beresford "Uncle John" South Williams Jeff Aileen Prixgle Mrs. Douglas Arthur Hoyt Mr. Douglas Paul Hurst Policeman Thomas Jackson Detective Directed by Charles Yidor. A somewhat novel crook story, in which all the characters appear to be trying to double-cross each other. Trie end is a conventional one, with the hero and heroine turning out to be on the side of law and order. The suspense element is, however, generally well maintained and the acting is good. Ann Dvorak shows what a clever comedienne she can be as the heroine and John Trent is effective as the hero. The remainder of the cast is also well up to standard. "THE SKY'S THE LIMIT General Film Distributors. British. "U" certificate. Jack Buchanan Dave Harber Mara Losseff Madame Isobella William Kendall... Thornwall D. Beamish David Hutcheson Teddy Carson H. F. Maltby Lord Beckley Athene Sevler Miss Prinney Sara Allgood Mrs. O'Reilly Antony Holles Marillo David Burns "Ballyhoo" Bangs Charles Stone Orchestra Leader Andrea Malandrinos Head Waiter Wally Patch Commissionaire Barry Lupino An Inebriated Gentleman Morris Harvey Baltavian Ambassador C. M. Hallard Lord Morgan Sam Wilkinson A journalist Rawicz and Landauer, and the Four New Yorkers. Directed by Jack Buchanan and Lee Garmes. Screen play by Ralph Spence. While it is all pretty thin stuff, Jack Buchanan's admirers will doubtless find this comedy to their liking. The star breezes through it gaily as an aeroplane designer who falls in love with an opera star and succeeds both in becoming famous and winning the lady. The latter is played by a newcomer, Mara Losseff, who is fair and sings tunefully. The PICTUREGOER'S quick reference index •••THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA •••IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER ••MADAME X "SHE'S NO LADY ••THE SKY'S THE LIMIT •THAT'S MY STORY •THE GIRL IN THE TAXI •cWINDJAMMER •LARCENY ON THE AIR •WIFE, DOCTOR AND NURSE THE SCHOONER GANG SLAVES IN BONDAGE TWIN FACES What the asterisks mean — •••• An outstanding feature. • • • Very good. ** Good. * Average entertainment. c Also suitable for children. David Hutcheson supplies somewhat laboured comedy as the star's friend, a composer, whose song Jack Buchanan tries to sell to his operatic conquest. Two good character studies are given by Athene Seyler as a secretary and Sara Allgood as an Irish landladyJack Buchanan sings and tap dances in a rather over-prolonged cabaret sequence. •THAT'S MY STORY General Film Distributors. (Universal) American. "U" certificate. Newspaper mclotlrnma. Runs 62 minutes. Claudia Morgan Janet Marlowe William Lundigan Howard Field Eddie Garr Jenks Hobart Cavanaugh Sheriff Otis Ralph Morgan City Editor Carter Bernadene Hayes Bonnie Rand Charles Wilson Editor Cummings Harland Briggs Sheriff Allen Edward Gargan John Charles Trowbridge Martin Murray Alper Blackie Jerry Mandy Eddie Directed bv Sidney Salkow. Based on the story "Scoop" by Vee Terrys Perlman. Conventional newspaper story, dealing with the rivalry of a reporter and a sob-sister and their subsequent romance. It is a mixture of inconsequential comedy and melodrama, and can hardly be called convincing. It has its amusing moments, however. Acting generally is quite sound. •THE GIRL IN THE TAXI A.B.F.D. British. "A" certificate. Musical farce. Runs 71 minutes. Frances Day Suzanne Henri Garat Rene Boislurette John Deverell Emil Pomarel Lawrence Grossmith Baron des Aubrais Helen Haye Delphine Jean Gillie Jacqueline Mackenize Ward Hubert Ben Field Dominique Lawrence Hanray Charency Joan Kemp-Welch Suzanne Dupont Albert Whelan Alexis Directed by Berthomieu. Adapted from the musical comedy by George Okonhowsky. Music by Jean Gilbert. Frances Day does her best to infuse an up-to-date note in this somewhat out-moded farce, which ' relies for its theme on the assumption that Paris is a very "naughty" city. It has its moments, but its main attraction is the tuneful music, which still carries the charm for which it was noted in pre-war days. Lawrence Grossmith is quite good as a hypocritical moralist and Mackenzie Ward is sound as his son. Neither Henri Garat nor Jean Gillie is called on to do much. c*WIND JAMMER Radio. American. " U " certificate . Sea drama. Runs 38 minutes. Georcf. O'Brien Bruce Lane Constance Worth Betty Selby William Hall Captain Morgan Gavin Gordon Forsythe Brandon Evans Commodore Selby LalChand Mehra Wiley Ben Hendricks Dolan Lee Shumway Yacht Captain Stanley Blystone Peterson Frank Hagney Slum Sam Flint Bishop Alberto Baffert Monk Jack Cheatham McNeil Jerry Frank Bilgey Ted Stanhope Piper Kernan Kripps Roberts Warren Jackson Janscn Taylor Woods, Bob Butt Yacht Crew Directed bv F.wing Scott. From an original story by Major Raoul Haig. A thin sea story, in which George O'Brien acquits himself well as a state attorney who is trying to serve a subpoena on a commodore on his yacht, and is forced to stay aboard and work his passage. He falls in love with the commodore's pretty daughter, and later is useful in dealing with a gun runner who sinks the yacht and takes the party aboard. Constance Worth is weak as the heroine. There are some good comedy touches and occasional thrills, but as a whole there is not a lot to it. •LARCENY ON THE AIR British Lion. American. "A" certificate. MeldHrama. Runs 61 minutes. Robert Livingston Lawrence Baxter Grace Bradley Jean Sterling Willard Robertson W. MacDonald Pierre Watkin Kennedy Smiley Burnette Jimmy Granville Bates Professor Sterling William Newell Andrews Byron Foulger Pete Wilbur Mack F. J. Thompson Matty Fain Burke Josephine Whittell Miss Nelson Charles Timblin Swain Directed by Irving Pichel. Frotn an original story by Richard English. An exposure of the patent-medicine racket in America provides sensational melodrama of a not too convincing but, nevertheless, popular order. Robert Livingston is sound enough as a doctor who crusades against dangerous patent cures and is finally able to nail down the crook who exploits them. This latter role is vigorously played by Pierre Watkin, while Grace Bradley is effective as the heroine, the daughter of a professor, who aids the doctor in his selfimposed task. There is a fair amount of suspense and a thrill climax. •WIFE, DOCTOR AND NURSE Twentieth Century-Fox. American. "A" certificate. Triangle drama. Runs 84 minutes. Loretta Young In* Warner Baxter Dr. Judd Lewis Virginia Bruce Steve Jane Darwell Mrs. Krueger Sidney Blackmer Dr. Therberg Maurice Cass Pompout Minna Gombell Constance Margaret Irving Mrs. Cunningham Gordon Elliott Bruce Thomas Elisha Cook, jun Glen Wylie Brewster Twins Speciality Bill Dr. Hedges Red Nick Uncle Miss Farrell Chauffeur Chef ...Delivery Man Doorman Supt. of Nurses Screen play by Paul Hurst Hal. K. Dawson George Ernest Georges Renevent Spencer Charters... Claire de Brey Lon Chaney, jun Charles Judels Stanley Fields Olin Howland Jan Duggan Directed bv Walter U Warner Baxter finds himself in this picture in the position of wanting two women to make him really comfortable — his wife and his extremely capable head nurse. He is cast, as a doctor and, in spite of his magnetic personality, is unable to make much of the extremely trite story which deals with the relations between the two women concerned. Loretta Young is attractive as the wife and Virginia Bruce good as the nurse, but they can make little headway with the banal material at their command. THE SCHOONJER GANG Butchers. British. "(/" certificate. Nautical melodrama. Runs " Vesta Victoria Percy Honri Betty Norton Mary Truman Basil Broadbent Jack Norris Iris Terry Francis Davne John Rowal The Weasel Ralph Rawson Roper Tubby Hayes Zeke The Gerhard Quartette Directed by W. Devenport Hackney. Somewhat old-fashioned music-hall acts are interspersed in this very artless melodrama, dealing with an ex-convict who steals a necklace and proceeds to double-cross his associates. He hides the jewels in an aspidistra February 26, 1938 belonging to his sister, proprietress of a waterfront inn, and when he has been killed by the gang she finds it, and is able to claim the reward for the benefit of her daughter and her fiance. Vesta Victoria, as the proprietress of the inn, puts over a song or two well, but the acting generally is poor, and the whole production mechanical and out-moded. SLAVES IN BONDAGE B.I.E.D. American. "A" certificate. White slave melodrama. Runs 66 minutes. Lona Andre Dona Donald Reed Philip Miller Wheeler Oakman Jim Murray. John Merton Nick Richard Cramer Dutch William Royale City Editor Edward Piele, sen Detective Captain Louise Small Mary Lou Matty Roubert. ..."Good Looking Freddy" Suzanna Kim Fan Dancer Directed by Elmer Clifton. Cheap sensationalism of an unpleasant order, which mistakes suggestive ness for entertainment. It deals with white slavery, and the characters are as unpleasant as the incidents they are called upon to enact. TWIN FACES Paramount. British. " A" certificate. Romantic melodrama. Runs 67 minutes. Anthony Irri and / Jimmy the Climber Anthony Ireland ^ Michael Wentworth Francesca Bahrle Judy Strangeways Frank Birch Ben Zwegi Ivan Wilmot Levenstein Paul Neville Asst. Commissioner Strangeways Frank Tickle John Cedar Victor Hagen Inspector Coates George Turner Maurice Directed by Laurence Huntington frotn a story by Douglas Reekie. A tedious plot of mistaken identity, in which Anthony Ireland plays the roles of a cat-1>urglar and the nephew of a famous art dealer on whom he tries to cast suspicions for his thefts. It is all very naive and obvious, with the camera work as practically its onb asset. RELEASES FOR THE | PAST TWO MONTHS j ; Number of stars awarded in brackets : — • ■ Action For Slander (2) ... Jan. 22 i ■ Another Dawn (2) Jan. 15 : ! Big Business (2) Jan. 1 j i Big Fella (2) Jan. 1 : ! Blazing Sixes (2)c Dec. 25 : : Blonde Trouble (2) Feb. 5 i | Broadway Melody o/19:W (2)... Jan. 8 ! : Cafe' Metropole (2) Jan. 1 i : Captains Courageous (4)r ... Dec. 25 j j Double Wedding (2) Feb. 12 : ! Dr. Syn (2) Feb. 12 i ; Easy Living (W) Jan. la j | Edge of the World, The (A) ... Jan. 8 : ! Firefly, The (2) Feb. 19 i ; Footlight Heiress (2) Feb. 12 ; i Forlorn River (2)c Feb. 5 : : Go-Getter, The (2)e Jan. 8 i ; Good Earth, The (3) Jan. 1 ; I High Wide and Handsome (2) Jan. 22 S : Hit Parade, Tlie (2) Jan. 15 : ! It's All Yours (2) Feb. 5 • ■ Keep Fit (2)e Feb. 1!) ! : Kid Galahad Jan. 22 : i Knight Without Armour (2) ... Jan. 8 j i Let's Make a Night of It (2) Jan. 29 : : Lovely to Look At (2) Feb. 5 : i Man Betrayed, A (2) Feb. 19 • • Midnight Madonna (2) ... Jan. 8 ! : New Faces of 1837 (2) ... Feb. 5 • ! North of the Rio Grande (2) ... Jan. 8 i i Oh, Mr. Porter (3)r Jan. 1 '. ! One Mile from Heaven (2) ... Jan. 8 : i Rustler's Valley (2)c Feb. 19 | • Sing and Be Happy (2) ... Feb. 19 : ! Souls at Sea (3) Feb. 12 : i Squeaker, The (2) Feb. 12 j | Star is Born, A (3) Jan. 15 '• ] Stella Dallas (2) Feb. 5 : i Sunset in Vienna (3) Jan. 15 j • Super Sleuth (2)c Feb. 12 : ! Thirteenth Man, The (-1) ... Feb. 19 : i Victoria the Great (4) Dec. 25 • j Walter Wanger's Vogues of ! 1938 (2) Feb. 19 : i Way Out West (2) Jan. 15 • i Wee Willie Winkle (2)r ... Dec. 25 | : Who's Your Lady Friend } (2) Dec. 25 : i Wild and Woolly (2)c Feb. 12 • i Wild Money (2) Jan. 1 j : You Can't Have Everything (2) Jan. 22 : 24