The Merry Frinks (Warner Bros.) (1934)

“The Merry Frinks”’ Proves Best Laugh Of Current Season Genuine comedy is about the rarest thing to be found either on the screen or elsewhere, so special honors are due the First National Pictures, which has taken a simple, homely subject such as “The Merry Frinks” and injected into it more laughs than has been furnished by a screen play in a month of Sundays. its intial showing locally, snickered, chuckled, roared and laughed until the tears rolled down their cheeks. For sheer, unadulterated fun, for rare and genuine humor with a touch of pathos and some romance thrown in for good measure, “The Merry Frinks” takes front rank in sereen comedy. The picture concerns _ itself with the everyday life of a thoroughly individualistic family of seven who are crowded into a small Bronx flat and who are forever in each other’s way at odd purposes. The Merry Frinks are not in themselves merry. In fact it is their constant clashes that cause the merriment for the spectators, these clashes leading to situations so utterly ridiculous as to be sereamingly funny. Aline MacMahon does a superb piece of acting as Mom Frink, the only sensible member of the family, who wears her nerves to a frazzle trying to keep peace and order. Miss MacMahon has-done many fine character portrayals, but in no picture has she caught the spirit of the role more thoroughly than she does that of this harassed housewife with a drunken husband, three erratic and somewhat worthless children, a gossipy and_ hypereritical mother-in-law and a erabbed brother-in-law. There is a quartette of four of the best comedians of the screen in Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins and Helen Lowell, the latter a veteran of the stage, but recently come to pictures. Kibbee is good for any number of laughs as Uncle Newt, the eccentric New Zealander who foists himself on Mim’s good nature as free boarder and who nearly eats her out of house and home before his gastronomic feats finally end his earthly existence. Hugh Herbert as the shiftless, drunken, although good natured husband, strolls in and out in his more or less silent manner, injecting into the piece some of the quaintest and most unusual humor. In contrast, the blustering Allen Jenkins declaims loudly against the government and brings his bewhiskered Bolshevik friends into the tiny apartment to add to the general confusion. Helen Lowell is unusually clever in her portrayal of the role of the aged grandmother who has an unappeasable ear for gossip and an insatiable thirst for Scotch, and who eriticizes everything and everybody. Joan Wheeler, as the selfish and temperamental daughter who thinks she is set apart for fame and free love, and Frankie Darro, a younger son, would-be prize fighter and pool room habitue, complete the family. Darro, long known to the sereen as a youthful actor is excellent in his part, while Miss Wheeler, recently from the Broadway stage, shows great promise of future stardom. The story and screen play have been unusually ably handled by Gene Markey and Kathryn Seola while the direction by Alfred E. Green is superb. “The Merry Frinks” Make Merry Fun at Sa Theatre Today AME aieleton ia avg chet ner gee Soke UREN an. of the: Ses promises the biggest laugh of the season when “The Merry Frinks,” a First National comedy, opens there today. This is the story of a family of six obstreperous individuals and Hugh Herbert at the Strand in “The Merry Frinks.”’ Mat No.9 ——10¢, a most loveable mother, who are cooped up in a small Bronx apartment and are forever at each others’ throats. The father is a shiftless sot, the daughter a temperamental crooner, the older son a Bolshevik and the younger a would-be prize fighter, while the grandmother is a gossipy old harridan. To complicate matters, and to make for more hilarity, a crabbed old unele drops in from New Zealand and fastens himself like a leech on the family, already too large for its home and not overburdened with money. There is a talented cast headed by Aline MacMahon as Mom Frink, while other members. of the household inelude four sterling comedians, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins and Helen Lowell, as well as Joan Wheeler, the Broadway star, and Frankie Darro. The large supporting cast includes Harold Huber, Ivan Lebedeff, Harry Beresford, Charles Coleman and Ethel Wales. The picture, based on the story by Gene Markey and Kathryn Scola, carries a touch of pathos in addition to its riotous comedy as well as an interesting romance. Markey and Miss Scola adapted their own story for the screen while Alfred E. Green directed it. Aline MacWiahon’s Only Hobby Except Work, Is Walking Aline MacMahon, who has the stellar role -in “The Merry Frinks,” the First National picture, now showing at the....... Bes er Theatre, has just one hobby—walking. It is practically the only form of exercise she takes and enjoys, or that she uses to keep in condition for the strenuous business of making motion pictures. For this reason she lives in a is located close to the Hollywood mountains and to house that Such a _ loecation is, of necessity, a long way from the studio so that the actress must drive fifteen the Pacifie ocean. miles each morning to work and fifteen miles again at night when she goes home, Most of her free days are spent in walking clothes, heavy, short-skirted suits, in which the tall, long-legged actress looks particularly smart. With the aid of a special walking stick, which can also serve as a weapon of defense if necessary, and in company, generally, with one or more feminine companions, she frequently covers as much as ten miles a day. ‘She is afraid of horses so doesn’t ride. She is not an enthusiastie golfer. She thinks bridge is a waste of time. So she walks for exercise and talks and listens to others talk, for amusement. And seems to enjoy life thoroughly. Even while working in “The Merry Frinks,” she walked miles every day. In the picture she plays the part of a household drudge whose family impose on her at every turn. It is a hilarious comedy by Gene Markey and Kathryn Scola. Others in the cast include Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins, Helen Lowell, Joan Wheeler, Frankie Darro, Ivan Lebedeff and Harold Huber. fred E. Green directed. Al “Aw, My Ears Are Clean” Honest they are, Ma! Frank Dato does a bit of pleading with Aline MacMahon in “The Merry Frinks,” the First National comedy at the Strand. Cthers in the cast include Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins, Joan Wheeler, Helen Lowell, Ivan Lebedeff and Harold Huber. The story reveals the inner-doings of a loony family from the Bronx. Mat No. 1—20c. pRESSING ROOM FRENK FACTS... IN HIS FIRST PLAY "BELLS OF HAZELMERE” HAD TO SHARE HIS DRESSING ROOM WITH A COW WHO HAD A PART IN THE snow / é . . . ABOUT FILM FAVORITES {Ore OAOM REFUSES TO OWN THINGS-pe LIVING IN A RENTED HOUSE-AND § RIDING IN A RENTED CAR ~~ : PLAYED THE TITLE ROLE OF "MRS. WIGGS a OF THE CABBAGE PATCH 3114 TIMES IN SEVEN YEARS | The above stars are appearing in First National’s comedy, SS PLAYED ROMANTIC LEADS ON THE STAGE > BEFORE HE LOST HAIR-AND GAINED on “The Merry Frinks,”” now at the Strand. Mat No. 23—.20c Bed Slams Kibbee And Gets Laugh Guy Kibbee had a rough experience with a temperamental folding bed during the filming of the First National comedy, “The Merry Frinks,” which comes to GUO Aired Sant On ees Theatre on The bed folded up on Guy striking him in the head and making a lump as big as a walnut. The joke was on Guy, for he had just remarked to Director Al Green that there might be a laugh in the bed folding up with him. Al rejected the suggestion because the folding bed gag was too old to get a laugh. It got a big one. Aline MacMahon Nearly Became a Reporter Aline MacMahon, First National star, who has the role of Mom Frink in “The Merry Frinks,” which comes to the.... Theatre on Ee cn rar Ba a oe , just missed being a newspaper woman _ instead of an actress by one day. She had made up her mind to accept a newspaper position obtained through the influence of her aunt, Sophie Irene Loeb, New York’s best known feature writer for the World. The day before she was _ supposed to start the new job, she was called for rehearsal of Edgar Selwyn’s production of “The Mirage.” Joan Wheeler Uses Cat for Pillow There was one big laugh in the First National comedy, “The Merry Frinks,” which comes to [Aas Meee okt tec sae a eee Theatre on ., that was not written in the seript. Joan Wheeler, one of the merry Frink family, retires in one of the scenes. She lays down gracefully enough on the bed, but the moment her head touched the pillow she sereamed. Joan leaped out of the bed in one direction and the pillow in another. A stray cat on the set had decided to take a nap under Joan’s pillow. Kibbee Doesn’t Like This Scotch Joke In one seene of the First National comedy, “The Merry Frinks,’ which comes to the.... MMe Miramar ae Theatre “oni jie: Rial CaP i ., Guy Kibbee stuffs himself with roast beef, potatoes, salad and coffee. There were several retakes and from nine in the morning until noon, Guy was eating. He was so full, he could hardly walk. As he came off the set, Hugh Herbert, a fellow player called: “Come on, Guy, ll buy you that lunch I owe you.” “That’s the Scotch of it,” was Guy’s only comment. Frankie Darro Clever With Paint Brush Frankie Darro now playing in the First National comedy, “The Merry Frinks,’ now showing at .Theatre, has always dabbled in painting. It is his only hobby. Recently on location, he sketched a_ landseape and later completed it in oils. It must have been good for a loeal art dealer paid him $65 for: tt. Helen Lowell Bitten by Stuffed Crocodile Helen Lowell can beat the one about a man biting a dog all to pieces. She was bitten by a stuffed crocodile. It happened while Miss Lowell was working in “The Merry Frinks,’ the First National picture which comes to ...Theatre on She was for a ottle:: of searching Seotch that Hugh Herbert had hidden in the reptile’s mouth, which operated by a _ spring. Helen accidentally touched the release and the _ teeth clamped on her fingers. A bad half-hour resulted. Aline MacMahon has the stellar role in this hilarious comedy while other important roles are taken by Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins, Joan Wheeler and Frankie Darro, Page Seventeen