Picturegoer (Jul-Dec 1936)

PICTUREGOER Weekly ~ REVIEWS-Contmu«f Jean Muir in "Star: Over Broadivay " The plot is conventional enough but the fire sequences give it added zest and jxjpular thrills. •KING OF THE CASTLE General Film Distributors. British. "U " eertificau. Romantic Comedy. Runs 69 minutes. June Clyde Marilyn Bean Billy Milton Monty King Claude Dahpier PuUen Cynthia Stock Elise Wally Patch Trent Arthur Finn Henry Bean Paul Blake Sir Percival Trellis H. F. Mattby Mr. Crow Mavis Villiers Billie Jimmy Godden-> gaiUrs Men Hiram Martin/ QuiNTON McPBERSON->„g3j„ Le^^^ 4 Leaj.^ Cecil Bevan / Johnny Singer The Page Directed by Redd Davis from a story by Frank Atkinson. June Clyde and Billy Milton both give good performances in this unpretentious romantic comedy ■which contains a fair share of slapstick, but they are unable to make much of the trite story. It deals with Monty King, a clerk employed by Trellis & Co., who rescues Marilyn, daughter of Henry Bean, wealthy American representative of his firm, from a watery grave, and becomes the rival of the asinine Sir Percival Trellis, his boss, for her hand. Sir Percival and Bean decide to get rid of Monty by sending him to America, but he gets wise to their plot and turns in his job. At this juncture, Ptillen, a butler, recognises Monty as Lord Drone, the missing heir to a r. istle and estate, and he, Monty, an^l Marilyn then set to work to substantiate his claim. Brokers' men make their task diflficult by commandeering the castle, and putting up for auction the desk containing evidence of Monty's noble birth, but they buy it in the nick of time, and with it a happy ending. Claude Dampier is amusing as PuUen and the supporting cast gives a good account of itself. c'WHAT THE PUPPY SAID Butcher. British. " U " certificate. Canine Study. Runs 39 minutes. Moore Marriott, Wally Hatch, Stan Paskin. Herbert Lancley, Joe Hayman, John Milton, Sidney Monckton, Frank Stevens, Holland Bf.snett, Margaret Yarde, Elsie Wacstatfe, Dorthv Vernon and Vera Shfuburne, and " Woccles " the mongrel. Directed and ttritten by Widgey R. Newman. This sentimental study of a foundling puppy is simple and rather naive but it has an app>eal for dog lovers and juveniles. "The picture opens with a collie 34 being discovered in a park with a litter. Woggles, one of the puppies, is passed on to a rascally dealer, is bought from him by a Society woman, but is cast adrift when she discovers that his p>edigree is forged. Finally Woggles comes to rest in a fcirm, and he consolidates himself in his young mistress's affections by ending a feud between her father and a young neighbour with whom she is in love. The director by becoming melodramatic tends to spoil the simplicity of the theme, which is its main charm. •EXCUSE MY GLOVE AJ.F.D. British. "A" certificate. Boxing melodrama. Runs 73 minutes. Len Harvey Don Carter Arch-e Pitt Bill Adams Betty Ann Davixs Ann Olive Blakeney Aunt Fanny Wally Patch Hurricane Harry Ronald Shiner Pat Arthur Fink Madigan Vera Bocgetti Lucille Bobbie Comber Bivex Don McCorkincdale Williams Famous Boxers appearing in the film : — Billy Wells, Benny Caplan, Dave McCleave, Frank Hough, Gunner Moir, George Daly, Harry Mizler, Ted BroadRiBB, John? y Rice, Jimmy Wilde, Mr. Hughes Jimmy Butler, Maurice Strickland, Syd Hull, John McAdam, Tommy Farr, Pancho ViLijiR, Andre Lenglet, Moss De Young and Matt Wells. Directed by Redd Davis from a story by F. Howard Alexander. Conventional story which introduces Len Harvey, who, while no great actor, has a pleasing manner and gives a good display with the gloves. The plot deals with a bespectacled country youth who is taken up by the manager of a fair ground booth and becomes a champion. His progress is beset by crooked promoters and all the usual p>araphemalia of stories of its type. Archie Pitt is broadly humorous as the manager but Betty Ann Davies is weak as the heroine. Good comedy supjwrt comes from Bobby Comber and Wally Patch, and Arthur Finn is sound as the crooked manager. Settings are adequate and the fight climax between Len Harvey and Don McCorkingdale provides an exciting finish. •THE MAN WHO PAWNED HIS SOUL Wardour. American. "A" certificate. Matrimonial drama. Runs 68 minutes. Edward Arnold Frank Rodie Dorothy Revier Mrs. Rodie John Miljan l. Wilson Maidel Turner Mrs. Parker Clarence Wilson Kiebel Arletta Duncan Judith Barry Norton Robert Also — Barbara Barondess, Helen Jerome Eddy, Leila Bennett, Claude Gillingwater, Walter Catlett, Franklin Pangborn, Esther Muir and Arthur Hoyt. Directed by Henley Hobart from the novel " Collusion " by Theodore D. Irwin. Edward Arnold g^ives an extremely good performance as a divorce lawyer in a story which tilts at the lax divorce laws in America. It is mechanical in development and is none too convincing. On the verge of bankruptcy through his wife's extravagance, Frank Rodie, hitherto scrupulous la%N'yer, acts as paid co-respondent for a client wishing to obtain a divorce for his son. He is surprised in the hotel bedroom by his wife, who, having an affair with her stockbroker, uses the incident to divorce him. Frank continues to love his wife and pays her dress bills after her marriage to the stockbroker, but the daughter, Judith, will have nothing to do with her father. The stockbroker, believing his wife has a lover, asks Frank to arrange a divorce. The Rodies remarry, and then. unknown to Frank, Judith becomes the wife of a lad still at college, whose mother employs the lawyer to arrange yet another divorce. In court, Frank eidmits his action in the case was a "frame-up." He is struck off the rolls, but wins Judith's affection. Dorothy Revier is fair as Mrs. Rodie. SERVANTS ALL Fox. British. " U " certificate. Social Comedy. Runs 34 mtnutes. Robb Wilton Watkins Ian Colin ; Gale Eve Lister PriscUla Edie Martin Mrs. Watkins Arthur Young Sir Phineas Grant Viola Comptok Lady Agatha Esme Church Mrs. Horton-Pratt Alan d'Egville Mr. Horton-Pratt Billy Shine Jerry Francesca Bahrle Gloria Cyril Chosack Billy Dorothy Vernon Mrs. Bean Hyde White Mr. Mifiin Peter Popp Grand'pa The Dutch Sheep Doc ' Tuff de Lyle " Directed by A lex Bryce. Out moded humour, dull dialogue and crude handling make it impossible for the cast to get any worth-while entertainment Eve Lister and Ian Colin in "Servants All." out of this story dealing with life above and below stairs. THE BROWN WALLET First National. British. "A" certificate. Crime drama. Runs 67 minutes. Patric Knowles John Gillespie Nancy O'Neil Eleanor Henry Caine Simmonds Henrietta Watson Aunt Mary Charlotte Leigh Miss Barton Shayle Gardner Wotherspoone Edward Dalby Minting Bruce Winston Julian Thorpe Jane Millican Miss Bloxham Eliot Makeham Hobday Louis Goodrich Coroner Dick Francis Detective George Mills Detective Directed by Michael Powell bated on a story by the late Stacy Aumonier. This is not a very satisfactory adaptation of the Aumonier's crime story dealing with a penniless publisher who steals some money by finding and keeping and later, when his aunt dies of poisoning, is in danger of a murder charge becaus'* he is unable to answer questions satisfactorily owing to his theft. The opening is unduly prolonged and there is a surplus of dialogue but one or two situations are neatly handled and some detail work is effective. Patric Knowles is fair as the publisher and Nancy O'Neil effective as his 'vife. Actually the acting honours go to the minor characterisations. THEY DIDN'T KNOW M.-G.-M. British. "A" certificate. Farce Runs 67 minutes. Eve Gray Cntie Leslie Perrins Duval Maidie Hope Lady Charfield C. Denier Warren Padre Kenneth Villiers Basil Conway Patrick Ludlow Charles Rockwav John Deverell Lord Budmanb Diana Beaumont.... Ursula Hope Davy Pamela Fred Withers Sam Tickel A. Scott-Gatty Sir George Cbarteld Hal Walters Partridge Directed by H. Smith. Avery old-fashioned, conventional farce with unoriginal jokes put over in a highly indifferent manner. The cast is handicapped by its material and is unable to show to any cidvantage. I refrain from any obvious wisecrack on the title. STRANGE CARGO Paramount. British. " A" certificate. Maritime melodrama. Runs 68 minutes. MooRE Marriott Captain Burcb Kathleen Kelly Sonia George Saunders Roddy Burch Richard Norris Traven George Mozart Horace Geoffrey Clark Rev. Mr. TwideB Kenneth Warrington Mandara Julian Vedey Customs Official Harry Lane Garcia Conway Palmer Whitemore Directed by Lawrence Huntingdon. This attempt to present a story of gun running in South American waters has httle punch or pep and is so cramped in its settings that it carries no con\'iction and b sometimes unconsciously funny. The character drawing is negUgible and as a whole the picture lacks the polish of present-day productions. ••GIRL IN PAWN (Re-Issue) Paramount. American. ''A" certificate. Sentimental comedy-drama. Runs 77 mtnutes. .-Kdolphe Menjou Sorrowful Jones Dorothy Dell Bangles Carson Charles Bickford Big Steve Shirley Temple "Little Miss Marker" LvNNE 0\'erman Regret Warren Hyver Sore Toe Sam Hardy Bennie, the Gouge John Kelly Canvas Back Frank McGlvnn. Sen Doc. Chesley Jack Sheehan Sun Rise Tammany Young Bug? Frank Cosray Dr. Ingalls Directed by Alexander Hall from the story by Damas Runvan. Pre-viewed July 14, 19S4. Released criticism, December 29, 1834. Shirley Temple steals this picture, which is adapted from a fairvlike story from the pen of the author of Lady For a Day. She radiates childish charm, and even on occasion "emotes" w^ithout appearing artificial or showing signs of being directed. -As a gambler, Adolphe Menjou is good, in spite of the fact that the cynical skin-flint character is not one which suits him too well. The late Dorothy Dell gi\es an excellent performance, which definitely shows that the promise of fame which was prophesied for her would have been fulfilled, but for the tragedy which befell her at the early age of nineteen. YOUR ONLY j OPPORTUNITY I 'TURN to pages 2 and 3, : •' post the Re.'iervation Forms for j the Fictlregoer's f/iri//ing new j Presentation — -ti beautiful twenty \ one-piece Tea Set. This is a once \ anc< once only opportunity. The j Reservation Formf will not he i published next u<eek. Don't delay, j Turn to pages 2 and .3 and act j to-day.