Screenland (Nov 1942-Apr 1943)

RECENT FILMS REVIEWED IN A FLASH MRS. MINIVER — M-G-M. Jan Struther's book about the British wife and mother who could "take it" has been made into a great motion picture. It's a masterful message of courage and a fundamental lesson in fortitude. Greer Garson rises to heights in a poignant performance. Walter Pidgeon, splendid as the husband. THE FRIDE OP THE YANKEES — Sam Goldwyn-U.A. This splendid screen tribute to a fine American has deep emotional appeal, stressing the private life of the Lou Gehrigs rather than the excitement of his public career, but the most rabid baseball fan will enjoy it. Gary Cooper gives a great performance as Gehrig. Teresa Wright, as Mrs. Gehrig, and Babe Ruth, as himself, also excellent. The great American sport glorified. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS — RKO. Orson Welles has made a fascinating film from Booth Tarkington's novel about the disintegrating family whose spoiled young heir wrecks his mother's romance. Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Tim Holt score. HOLIDAY INN — Paramount. This Bing Crosby-Fred Astaire musical romance is swell escape from the doldrums. It is a grand show with new Irving Berlin tunes and inimitable performances by co-stars and cast. Crosby plays a crooner who converts his farmhouse into an inn open only on holidays. Marjorie Reynolds sings and dances charmingly. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY — Warners. This story of George M. Cohan's life is a great screen show. A triumph for Jimmy Cagney, perfectly cast as the showman, coloring a clever role with his own inimitable zest and humor. Ail-American entertainment to stir you to tears and excite you to cheers. Walter Huston, Joan Leslie, Jeanne Cagney. Rosemary DeCamp, Irene Manning, Richard Whorf in cast. THE TALK OF THE TOWN — Columbia. A smart, sparkling comedy — not the usual silly slapstick stuff, with first-rate performances by its starring trio. Jean Arthur is seen as the girl who hides Gary Grant, a young man who escapes after he's convicted on an arson charge, and Ronald Colman as the law school professor who proves Cary innocent. Exciting. See it. TALES OF MANHATTAN — 20th CenturyFox. Tricky, but terrific. The tale of a top coat told in a series of short, punchy episodes with some of Hollywood's brightest stars — Charles Boyer, Rita Hayworth, Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton and Edward G. Robinson— at their best. THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR — Paramount. Don't miss this ! It's the gayest, most original comedy in months, with Ginger Rogers giving a grand performance as a wise gal who crashes a military academy disguised as a 'teenager and creates a sensation among cadets, not to mention the Major, Ray Milland. BAMBI — Disney-RKO. Young and old will love, laugh, and cry over Bambi, the deer, Walt Disney's latest cartoon character creation, in this beautiful full-length picture filmed from Felix Salten's famous story of animal life and love in the forest. ARE HUSBANDS NECESSARY? — Paramount. Based on the book, "Mr. and Mrs. Cugat," this foolish but very funny little comedy can't help but entertain you. It relates the wacky marital mix-ups of a giddy couple, played, fortunately, by Ray Milland and Betty Field. Patricia Morison and Eugene Pallette help the fun along. EAGLE SQUADRON — W anger-Universal. This timely drama, dedicated to those gallant men who have helped make recent history, will hold your interest in spite of disjointed plot and ineffective characterizations. Has exciting actual scenes of aerial combat. Cast has Diana Barrymore, Robert Stack, John Loder, Jon Hall, Leif Erikson. THIS ABOVE ALL — 20th Century-Fox. Here is a picture to tear your emotions to shreds. It's the film version of Eric Knight's best-selling novel about England in this war. Joan Fontaine gives a beautiful performance as the girl who joins the W.A.A.F. and falls in love with a Handsome Stranger, played by Tyrone Power. CROSSROADS — M-G-M. William Powell, after playing comedy parts for a long time, has a straight dramatic role and gives a suave performance as a French career diplomat who suf fers amnesia and is accused of being a petty criminal. Hedy Lamarr, stunning as the wife, does a nice acting job, too. THIS GUN FOR HIRE — Paramount. Lusty melodrama about a ruthless killer and how he atones by catching up with fifth columnists. Plenty of excitement. Its fast and furious action will have you on the edge of your seat. Veronica Lake does her best acting so far, but newcomer Alan Ladd steals the show. Don't miss it. TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI — 20th Century-Fox. Why the Marines have commanded the respect of the world, their training, responsibilities, recreation, and the high ideals of the Marine Corps are rousingly presented. Swell and exciting entertainment. John Payne, as the cocky private, Randolph Scott, as the sergeant, Maureen O'Hara, as the nurse, all excellent. DESPERATE JOURNEY — Warners. The adventures of five RAF flyers, who escape when they are shot down over Germany, are recorded in this exciting film. The cocky, amusing way the boys (Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Arthur Kennedy, Alan Hale, Ronald Sinclair) mow down the Nazis is great stuff. Kids (and a lot of grown-ups, too) will cheer them. All fine performances. MY GAL SAL — 20th Century-Fox. This picture, based on the career of the late Paul Dresser, ballad-writer, is an enchanting escape from today's troubles. Rita Hayworth, its star, gorgeously costumed as a Gay Nineties belle, is a vision in color ; Victor Mature, good as the song-writing hero. The star-studded cast also has Carole Landis, John Sutton, James Gleason, Walter Catlett, Mona Maris. REAP THE WILD WIND — Par/amount. Spectacular, thrilling Cecil B. DeMille melodrama. It has adventure, romance, and a lot of American history of a century ago when pirate wreckers ruled the Florida keys. Never a let-up in the breathless action and the love scenes are exciting. Paulette Goddard gives a fiery performance. John Wayne, Ray Milland, excellent as her two suitors. MY FAVORITE BLONDE — Paramount. This combination of Bob Hope better than ever and beautiful Madeleine Carroll will appeal to everybody. The plot involves Hope in a ring of Nazi spies with a gorgeous blonde British agent against a background of crazy and screamingly funny misadventures. Has suspense, too. TORTILLA FLAT — M-G-M. John Steinbeck's human and moving account of the vagabonds of Monterey, California. You must see the picture, for it is a cinema masterpiece. Spencer Tracy, John Garfield, Frank Morgan, excellent in their roles ; Hedy Lamarr, a fiery human being as the girl in the story. IN THIS OUR LIFE — Warners. The story of two sisters and the havoc wrought when the bad one steals her sister's husband, has Bette Davis at her most menacing and neurotic. Bette does a good job of making you loathe the bad sister, with Olivia de Havilland in the sympathetic role. George Brent, Dennis Morgan, the leading men. WINGS AND THE WOMAN — RKO-Radio. This biographical film, portraying the life of Amy Johnson, is a cavalcade of aviation from 1931 to January, 1941, when the noted flyer lost her life while ferrying bombers to the front. It shows what women are doing in the air to help win the war. Anna Neagle is excellent as Amy and Robert Newton is seen as Jim Mollison, her husband. THE GOLD RUSH — United Artists. Charlie Chaplin's film of "the little fellow" who goes prospecting and his comic misadventures. Everyone, young or old, who enjoys a good hearty laugh and those kids who have never seen Charlie, will want to see it. SABOTEUR — Universal. Latest Alfred Hitchcock production. Bob Cummings. exciting as the defense-plant worker who has to clear himself of a sabotage charge ; Priscilla Lane, charming as the girl who helps him run the saboteurs to ground ; Otto Kruger, fine as a suavely sinister spy. Fun and thrills. THE GAY SISTERS — Warners. The story of three sisters (Barbara Stanwyck, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Nancy Coleman) fighting for their inheritance. Plot has unusual twists and turns which even the smart guessers won't anticipate, and which atone for the tedium of some scenes. Girls are excellent ; but Gig Young, a newcomer, strolls away with the picture. LADY IN A JAM — Universal. Irene Dunne, as the wacky heiress who squanders a fortune, again proves what a fine comedienne she is. Its many chuckles, with some good hearty laughs and nottoo-deep plot, make this picture a real gloom chaser. Patric Knowles and Ralph Bellamy are in the cast. TAKE A LETTER DARLING — Paramount. This comedy romance which is gay and fastpaced reverses the order of male boss-attractive girl secretary, with Rosalind Russell playing the big business executive who hires Fred MacMurray as her secretary. Sparkling dialogue and clever situations make it good entertainment. ACROSS THE PACIFIC — Warners. Exciting, thrilling spy drama. Humphrey Bogart does a fine piece of acting as an Army officer who is dismissed from service so he may work for the Army Secret Service and heroically foils the enemy's plans. Mary Astor, good as the girl. KIPLING'S JUNGLE BOOK — Korda-U. A. For children of every age. Rudyard Kipling's fantasy, the story of Mowgli, the Indian boy who wandered into the jungle to be reared by the wolves, filmed in brilliant Technicolor. As Mowgli, Sabu's sincerity shines through his work and makes it refreshing entertainment. PRIORITIES ON PARADE — Pa ramount. A cheerful musical extolling the woman worker in defense plants. A group of unemployed musicians get jobs in an aircraft factory and become the Swing Shift Band. Johnnie Johnston, the band leader, and Betty Rhodes are the romancers ; gorgeous Ann Miller is the other girl. Ann does a trick blackout tap dance routine. Comedy by Vera Vague and Jerry Colonna. MOONTIDE — 20th Century-Fox. If you saw Gabin's French movies, or if you're curious to see the Gallic panic for the first time, you'd better catch this. Gabin's great magnetism dominates this dull story about a hard-drinking dockhand who is reformed by the waif he rescues. Ida Lupino, fine as the waif. THE GREAT MAN'S LADY — Paramount. Sentimental saga of the Early West. The story of Ethan Hoyt, founder of Hoyt City. Flashback method of telling the tale shows it up a bit, but splendid performances by Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea make it worth your while. I MARRIED AN ANGEL — M-G-M. MacDonald-Eddy fans will like this gay musical fantasy about a Budapest playboy who dreams he marries an angel. Jeanette and Eddy render lilting Rogers and Hart tunes in excellent voice. HER CARDBOARD LOVER — M-G-M. A dated farce which isn't the sophisticated type of filmfare it is meant to be. There isn't much that can be said in its favor, except that Norma Shearer wears stunning clothes and that it has a good fight between George Sanders and Robert Taylor. Norma hires Bob as her secretary to keep Sanders away and then falls in love with him. BROADWAY — Universal. Melodrama of the roaring '20's which follows the life of George Raft, with George, as himself, telling about the old days and how he became a Broadway hoofer. Janet Blair, talented newcomer, good as his partner. Has old favorite tunes and well-done dance routines. RINGS ON HER FINGERS — 20th CenturyFox. Trite, romantic comedy with Gene Tierney playing a shop-girl who is transformed into an attractive lure to help fleece wealthy men. Henry Fonda is one of her victims, but love sets in. Has some spicy dialogue, and Gene is positively disturbing in some of the bathing suit scenes. MAISIE GETS HER MAN— M-G-M. Red Skelton is Maisie's (Ann Sothern) man in the latest of this popular comedy series in which Ann plays a show girl who teams up with Red, amateur vaudevillian, who gets stage-fright on opening night. That scene alone is worth your time and money, but the rest is corny comedy. HI, NEIGHBOR — Republic. An amusing comedy about a college converted into a country club to give students summer work, featuring Jean Parker, John Archer, and such popular radio stars as Lulubelle and Scotty, the Smoky Mountain Boys and Girls and Barbara Jo Allen (Vera Vague). It's light-hearted — nothing serious. Just a fun-filled musical jamboree. TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE— M-G-M. Tarzan's latest adventures take him to the big city. In addition to the jungle animals and the usual swinging from treetops, Tarzan thrills you with leaps from skyscrapers and does a Steve Brodie off Brooklyn Bridge. Too fantastic for grown-ups, but good kid stuff. ONE THRILLING NIGHT — Monogram. A comedy about hick newlyweds that's good for many laughs. Their one-night hones-moon (groom reports to Army in A. M. ) is spent in a New York hotel where their room changes from a bridal suite to a Grand Central Terminal after they find a body in the bed. and the groom is abducted. John Beal, fine as the yokel groom and Wanda McKay, cute as the bride. 60 SCREENLAND