So's Your Aunt Emma (Monogram) (1942)

ZaSu Pitts Is Laugh Riot In Lively Comedy-Drama (Review) “So’s Your Aunt Emma,” the Monogram comedy-drama which opened an engagement at ee ere ey theatre last night, may safely be classified as top-ranking screen entertainment. It qualifies as a thoroughly enjoyable picture in every respect. The fact that ZaSu Pitts is starred in the principal role is sufficient | guarantee that the comedy element of the story is handled with assurance and telling effect. The wistful Miss Pitts is literally a riot of laughter as Aunt Emma, an old girl, who becomes a cyclone of action when she launches a \.one-woman war against the gangsters of a great city. Roger Pryor, aS a newspaper reporter, ably seconds her in the campaign, and the pair become the centre of an exciting series of events as the story mounts ttoward its climax. Warren Hymer, Gwen Kenyon, Douglas Fowley, Elizabeth Patterson, Bud McTaggart, Tristram Coffin, Lester Dorr, Wheeler Oakman, Gene O’Donnell and Irving Mitchell are other players who add to the enjoyment of the picture as a whole. Jean Yarbrough directed under the production guidance of Lindsley Parsons, and the two have combined to turn out a picture which is laughable and thrilling by turns, and full of action from first to last. “So’s Your Aunt Emma” is a picture which fills the screen’s first requirement: It is solid entertainment. The original story was written by Harry Hervey, and adapted for filming by George Bricker and Edmond Kelso. Max Stengler was in charge of the thoroughly satisfactory photography. Fine Comedy Cast in Film An exceptional cast appears in “So’s Your Aunt Emma,” the Monogram comedy-drama which comes ZaSu Pitts is starred in the title role, while the principal male part is enacted by Roger Pryor, and other important roles are played by Warren Hymer, Gwen kenyon, Douglas Fowley, Bud McTaggart and Elizabeth Russell. The picture was directed by Jean Yarbrough under the production supervision of Lindsley Parsons, with Barney Sarecky as associate, and the original story by Harry Hervey was adapted for the screen by George Bricker and Edmond Kelso. HERE’S THE STORY LOVE INTEREST 4 Roger Pryor and Gwen Kenyon provide the romantic interest in the hilarious ZaSu Pitts comedy, ‘So’s Your Aunt Emma,” at the ......... theatre. It’s a travesty on underworld melodramas. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 1 Expressive Hands The hands are those of ZaSu Pitts, who comes:-bothee aaa theatre on screen’s most expressive Ue en ee in the title role of the comedy-drama, “So’s Her restless, questioning hands have become a Monogram Your Aunt Emma.” veritable screen trade mark, and often convey a more accurate index of her emotions than the ‘‘lines” she speaks. Is She Blue! ZaSu Pitts is so partial to blue that she wears clothes of this color constantly, and her personal wardrobe does not include a dress which is not of some shade of blue. Miss Pitts is now appearing on the screen OLR THe rts ioc theatre as the star of the Monogram comedy-drama, “So’s Your Aunt Emma!”’ OF “AUNT EMMA” (Not For Publication) Aunt Emma Bates, spinster, visits the “big town” to witness a boxing match participated in by Mickey, son of an old tiance who was himself formerly a boxing champion. At the fight stadium Aunt Emma sits next to Terry, reporter, who is trying to track down Crenshaw, lawyer for gangster Henderson, who has been kidnapped by Hammond, rival gang leader and manager of Mickey. Atter the tight Aunt Emma is mistaken for a notorious gunwoman called Ma Parker, henchmen of working in the and suspected by Hammond's interests of Henderson. The young prize fighter is shot during an altercation at Hender son's night club, and later, Hammond, is kidnapped from suspected of double-crossing the hospital by his manager's men and taken to an East Side hideout. Anxious to free Mickey, Aunt Emma decides to pose as the real Ma Parker, and with Maris, Terry's fiancee, goes to Henderson and convinces him that she can find the kidnapped lawyer, Crenshaw. At this moment Hammond and his henchmen invade the oftice, killing Henderson and taking the two women to the same hideout where Mickey and Crenshaw are already imprisoned. Terry, who sees the party enter the hideout, calls the police, who arrive in time to apprehend Hammond and his gang and rescue their prisoners. Aunt Emma returns to her home in the country, glad that Mickey can pursue his career underworld. free from the influence of the THE CAST Aunt Emma....ZASU PITTS Terry........ROGER PRYOR Joe....... WARREN HYMER ... GWEN KENYON Gus Hammond .... ees DOUGLAS FOWLEY Zelda .ELIZABETH RUSSELL Henderson. . eis TRISTRAM COFFIN Mickey... BUD McTAGGART Duke... LESTER DORR Blackie WHEELER OAKMAN Steve....GENE O’DONNELL Crenshaw .... es IRVING MITCHELL Maris... ZaSu Pitts As Crusading Gun Moll in New Comedy (Advance) “So’s Your Aunt Emma,” one of the season’s most hilarious ccmedy dramas, opens an engagement at with ZaSu Pitts starred in the title role. The wistful Miss Pitts, top-ranking comedienne of the screen, is seen in a characterization whicn gives full scope to her talents, and makes her ‘the center of a series of events which are by turns thrilling and laughable. In the story Aunt Emma, a bashful old maid, goes to the city to see a prize fight in which one of the participants is Mickey © Bannon, whose iather she knew many years before. At the stadium she learns that a nctorious gangster has taken over the management of the young boxer, and has recently kidnaped the attorney for an underworld rival. To her amazement, Aunt Emma is suspected of being Ma Parker, a notorious gunwoman, and of working in behalf of the rival gangster. When the young prize fighter also becomes involved with the warring fac‘tions, Aunt Emma resolves to pose as Ma Parker in order to rescue him from a threatening situation, and joins forces with Terry, a reporter, in a finish battle with the underworldworld. Her thrillingly comical adventures finally culminate in a surprising climax. Roger Pryor is seen in the role of Terry, and other players supporting Miss Pitts in ‘“So’s Your Aunt Emma’ are Warren Hymer, Gwen Kenyon, Douglas Fowley, Elizabeth Russell, Bud McTaggart, Irving Mitchell and Gene O’Donnell. Jean Yarbrough directed for producer Lindsley Parsons, and the original story by Harry Hervey was adapted for the screen by George Bricker and Edmond Kelso. Name Trouble Noted By Mime ZaSu Pitts came out flatfooted recently and settled, once and for all, the correct pronunciation of her most unusual name—‘made up,” it so happens, from parts of the names of her aunts Eliza and Susan. Irked by continual new-fangled methods of pronouncing the name, Miss Pitts finally resolved to set the world straight on the matter. “Some people merely mumble my name,” she said, “and others attempt to sneeze it, while the great majority just make very hard work of it. The name is pronounced ‘Zay-Soo,’ with the accent on the first syllable. It may be simvly awful, but it’s awfully simple, too.’’ Miss Pitts is now appearing on the SCreeN sOfmGhe 25-0 ae theatre in the starring role of the Monogram comedy, “So’s Your Aunt Emma,” with Roger Pryor featured in the leading male part. **S$o’s Your Aunt Emma’? Is Top Screen Entertainment (Review) There is a high degree of enjoyment in “So’s Your Aunt Emma,” the Monogram comedy-drama which opened an encaopment at tae ce theatre last night. Though the basis of the story is in large dominant note is comedy. Prime reason for the happy results¥* obtained is ZaSu Pitts, who plays the title role, and who is literaliy in a class by herself as a comedienne. As a shy old maid who literally “goes to town” in an all-out battle against the underworld of a great city, she is given one of the most deliciously funny roles of her career, and she makes the most of it. In the story, Aunt Emma g0es to the city to see a young man perform in the boxing ring, for the reason that many years before she had been enamored of the boy’s father. She finds that the youth is the pawn of gangsters, and is herself suspected of being a notorious gunwoman allied with “the opposition.” Accepting this characterization because it may result in freeing the young boxer from the clutches of the underworld, she launches a onewoman battle against the gang element and becomes the center of a series of adventures which are by turn thrilling and uproariously funny. Roger Pryor, as a young newspaper reporter who aids her in her campaign, is a fine running mate for the rejuvenated Miss Pitts, and others of the large cast who do especially good work are Warren Hymer, Gwen Kenyon, Douglas Fowley, Bud McTaggart and Gene O’Donnell. ““So’s Your Aunt Emma” was directed by Jean Yarbrough under the production supervision of Lindsley Parsons, and the original story by Harry Hervey was adapted for the screen by George Bricker and Edmond Kelso. Barney Sarecky was associate producer, and camera work was in charge of Max Stengler. From the standpoint of rol.icking entertainment which constantly moves at a fast clip, this picture rates a definite “A” classification. Odd Jobber Several years in a wide variety of odd jobs preceded the theatrical debut of Douglas Fowley, who comes SOAtHee Passe theatre on in “So’s Your Aunt Emma,” the Monogram comedy-drama starring ZaSu Pitts. Among other things, he was a Singer in a chop suey restaurant, a letter sorter in the New York post office, a magazine salesand man, a backyard singer “barker” with a small carnival. part thrilling drama, its pre ZASU'S TRAVELS Funny ZaSu Pitts wanders into the underworld and becomes embroiled in a gun-streaked gang battle in “So’s Your Aunt Emma” theatre. her protector. One Col. Cut or Mat No. 2 Thwarted Sleuth ZaSu Pitts’ laughable experience with gangsters as the star of the Monogram comedy-drama, “So’s Your Aunt Emma,” and her activities as a volunteer sleuth in tracking down a band of kidnappers, recalls the fact that when she was a young girl she was ambitious ‘to become a private detective, and really went to Los Angeles to seek a career along these lines. This hilarious picture comes to the theatre: On: 33 Sie: at the Roger Pryor is Tragedy to Comedy Though she is known to _ the younger generation of theatregoers solely as a comedienne, ZaSu Pitts was repeatedly characterized by the famous Erich von Stroheim in the days of silent pictures as the screen’s greatest tragedienne, and was starred in powerfully dramatic roles in such pictures as “Greed’’ and “The Wedding March.’ Miss Pitts is now apDearing on the screen Of thes ci ee theatre in the title role of the Monogram comedydrama, ‘“‘So’s Your Aunt Emma.” AUNT EMMA PAINTS THE TOWN She learns to handle a highball, a six-gun and a man and then life really begins for ZaSu Pitts in “So’s Your Aunt Emma” with Roger PryOr ab. the = 22 e ek theatre now. Two Column Cut or Mat No. 20