Picturegoer (Jul-Dec 1936)

REVIEWS— Contmwed loves her and whom she consistently refuses. She meets in a small South American town, Umberto Malla and Martan Pontes, who both become her suitors. Umberto is mysteriously murdered and once again Marion is under suspicion and flees to Paris, followed by the faithful PhiUip. She appears in a caf6 chantant and later PhilUp is mysteriously murdered. Pontes had also arrived in Paris and is susf>ected of both crimes by David Roberts, PhiUip's elder brother, who beUeves Marion is ruining his brother and has been trying hard to get him to leave her. PinaUy, the real murderer is discovered and a romance develops between David and Marion. The big crab in the plot is the fact that the least likely man commits the murders and successfully covers his tracks like a hardened criminal. On the other hand, some of the acting is worth noting. Alan Mowbray is excellent as Umberto and John HaUiday suave and polished enough to lead yon into the behef that he is the criminal. Guy Bates Post as the maestro whose sole object in Ufe is to see Marion an operatic star, is also clever. Light relief is afforded by Samuel Hinds as the producer of a touring company and Ruth DormeUy as his wife. Walter Pidgeon is inclined to over-draw the character of David and make his pigheadedness too incredible. **NOT SO DUSTY KaJio. British. " V " certi/iaUe. Comedy Runs 60 wnrnda. Wau y Patch Dusty Grey Gus McNacghtoii Nobby Clark Phil Ray Dan 6tevens HuuEL Gkokck Mrs. Clark John Singck Johnny Clark IsoBKL ScAm Mary H. F. Maltbv Mr. Armstrong Ethel Griffies Miss Miller Raymohd Lovelx Mr. Holding Nancy Pawley BCrs. Holding Heathek WnrrE Margery Leonard Bulleh Edward Aubrey Mallaliec Bookseller DirecUd by P. MaeLemn Rogers, from an original story by Walter Patch and Kathleen Bntler. Anew team which shows considerable promise is the mainstay of this bright comedy of working-class life. It consists of our old friend Wally Patch and Gns McNanghton. They give sterling performances and "fe«i" each other most effectively. They are cast as Dnsty Grey and Nobby Clark, two dustmen, and while at work, the former finds a brooch and is rewarded by its owner. Miss Miller, with a few pence and an old book. A rumour soon gets round that the book is of value, but by this time Nobby's son has sold it to a dealer. Dusty and Nobby, however, retrieve it by unconventional methods, and others interested are Miss Miller's worthless nephew and his scheming wife, Dan Stevens, a jwrter. and Mr. Armstrong, a gen nine collector. The fight for possession covers a good deal of ground included in which are high jinks at the Dustman's Annual Dinner, and it is accompanied by plenty of fun until a surprise ending sees romance and easy money come Dusty's way. The plot is quite a good one and it gets sound treatment from the direction of P. MacClean Rogers. The gags, which are generally original, are well timed and the dialogue is bright. Ihe supporting cast is a strong one and the characterisations generally are as amusing as well as convincing. ♦•DEVIL'S SQUADRON Columbia. American. " A " certificate. Aviation melodrama. Runs 78 minutes. Richard Dix Paul Redmond Karen Morley Martha Dawson Lloyd Nolan Dana Kirk Shirley Ross Eunice Henry Moixison Forrester Gene Morgan Barlow Gordon Jones Tex William Sterling Ritchie Thurston Hall Major Metcalf Gertrude Green Lulu Boyd Irwin Colonel Dawson Billy Barrud , Butch Cora Sue Collins Mary Directed by Erie C. Henton, from a story by Richard V. Grace. Good hearty melodrama rendered more intriguing by the clever detail work and the spectacular aerial sequences which are admirably executed. The theme of the plot emphasises the call for speed and shows the endurance required in test pilots in their efforts to attain it. It is exaggerated at times, but is logically developed and full of stirring action. Martha Dawson and her brother. Ritchie, take over an aeroplane works when their father is kiUed testing a 'plane designed to secure a War Office contract. Then another pUot is killed and one cruelly injured in tests, and the chapter of accidents strains Martha's spirit almost to breaking-point. Later, when Ritchie loses his nerve and commits suicide, Paul Redman, an ace flyer, who had been discharged from the Service under a cloud, takes up the dead man's body, sets the 'plane alight and then bails out, thereby making Ritchie's death appear to be an accident. Ralph Lynn in " In the Soup." Paul's great deed, howrever, is misconstrued, and he loses his licence, but he, nevertheless, subsequently straightens matters out with Martha and the authorities by putting a new 'plane through its paces and ' winning a government contract. Richard Dix as Paul is not much in evidence at the beginning, but he does sterling work in the concluding reels. Karen Morley makes a sympathetic and womanly character of Martha, while Gene Morgan, Gordon James and Henry MoUison all show to advantage as test pilots. The remainder of the supporting cast also comes in for praise. ♦•IN THE SOUP Twickenham Film Distributors. British. " U " certificate. Farce. Runs 71 minutes. Ralph Lynn Horace Judy Gunn Kitty Morton Selten Abemethy Ruppershaw Michael Shepley Paul Hemming Olive Melville Delphine Nelson Keys Emile Moppert Bertha Belhore Madame Moppert Geraldine Fitzgerald in " Debt of Honour." Morris Harvey Bates Margaret Yarde Mrs. Bates Directed by Henry Edwards, from a farce by the late Ralph Lunsley. Typic£illy English humour characterises this new Ralph Lynn vehicle, which belongs to the same category as The Private Secretary and presents a wildly involved plot with rather more dialogue than action. The king of "asininity" is cast as Horace GUlibrand, a briefless barrister, who is forced, through lack of funds, to sub-let his flat. His friend, Paul Hemming, finds him tenants in his prospective in-laws, while Horace's wife. Kitty, ignorant of the deal, lets the flat to his peppery uncle, Abemethy Ruppershaw. Complications start when the tenants overlap, and Horace, now acting with Kitty as butler and servant respectively, has to keep his marriage a secret from Uncle Abemethy, trustee to his father's will, which states that he must not marry until he is over forty. To smooth temporarily the troubled waters, Kitty puts a sleeping draught in the soup, but the results are unexpected and lead to Uncle Abemethy being compromised. At this juncture, Horace does his stuff, and in getting Uncle Abemethy out of a jam. he has his marriage to Kitty condoned. It is all quite unsophisticated material, but it Ls very funny at times and the star is definitely in his element. Morton Selten tums in a good study as Abemethy and Judy Gunn makes an appealing Kitty. The supporting cast, most of whom have wide stage exf)erience. use it to advantage and enter fully into the fun of the familiar farce formula. ••HIS BEST MAN First National. American. " A " certificate. Social Comedy. Runs 62 minutes. Warren William Vic Arnold June Travis Beth Calhoun Barton MacLane Casey Gene Lockhart P. H. Bancroit Kathleen Lockhart Lottie Bancroft Dick I'vrcell Wally Calhoun Craig Reynolds Joe Roberts Granville Bates Mr. Calhoun Dorothy Vaughan Mrs. Calhoun Directed by William MeCann, from the play " The Home Towner," by George M. Cohan. Music and lyrics by M. K. Jerome and Joan Jasmyn. A conversation piece which {joints out the trouble that can be caused by suspicion and mistrust, in a humorous and human manner. Warren WUham. always def)endable in light or heavy roles gives a sound performance as Vic Amold. a successful middle-aged financier who is engaged to be married to Beth Calhoun, an actress, and brings Bancroft, his boyhood chum, from the country to act as best man. When Bancroft finds that Beth, her brother, father and mother have to thank Vic for their prosperity, his narrow small-town mind immediately become suspicious and he finishes up by branding them all as gold-diggers. He soon, however, has painful evidence of his mistake, but by this time Vic and Beth are estranged and it is only by subterfuge that he is able to hand out wholesale apologies and so right a grievous wrong. J une Travis is capable and attractive as Beth, but the acting honours go to Gene Lockhart, who plays Bancroft. It is a part with opportunities and the artiste makes the most of them. The dialogue is good and helps to conceal the paucity of action, whUe there are several ingenious twists in the plot which sustain interest in the characters. DEBT OF HONOUR General F.D. British. " A " certificate. Regimental melodrama. Runs 82 minutes. Leslie Banks Major Jimmy Staunton, D.S.O., M.C. Geraldine Fitzgerald Peggy Mayhew David Horne Lt.-Col. Mayhew, C.M.G., D.S.O. Stewart Rome Major Purvis, M.C. NiALL McGinnis Lt. Peter Stretton Phyllis Dare Bdrs. Stretton Garry Marsh BiO, the Barman Reginald Purdell Pedro Salvas Eric Cowley Richard Denman Joyce Kennedy Lady Bracebury William Kendall Paul Martin Randle Aybton Captain Turner Kathleen Davis Kamara Will Fyfpe Feigns HcAndrews Directed by Norman Walker, from an original story by " Sapper." LesUe Banks strives his utmost, and occasionally succeeds, in enlisting S3rmpathy as a self-sacrificing major in this unsophisticated and extremely naive story built on a too hearty "stout fellar" tradition. In order to save Peggy, the Colonel's daughter, from the clutches of a slick society crook, Peter, a young subaltern in love with her, discharges her gambling debts with regimental funds. Major Staunton's name is on the cheque, and when he is acquainted with the facts, he nobly takes the blame. After sending in his papers he goes to Africa, but some time later, Peggy, who really is in love with him and he with her, leams of his sacrifice, and sets out to join him. A half-caste, nursing a hatred against Staunton, kidnapts her. but Staunton saves her at the cost of a fatal wound. He persuades her to return to Peter, however, before he dies. There arc several unintentional laughs owing to the out-nioded nature of plot and treatment, but Will l''yffe does manage to provide some genuine light relief at times as an African trader. 30