Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

June 10, l'^S9 S 1 1 O W M 1-: N ' S '1^ \^ A I ) V. R \i V I w Page 19 tlu cafe of Donald McBridc where he puis on a swell party aiul huys witie for the house and tries to get The Dove to come to his table for a drink. She, stalling for time, turn to a young ganihlcr, Tim Holt, for help and during a fight at his dice table, in selfdefense shoots Carrillo's henchman who used loaded dice on him. Through a ruse the bandit has his men help Holt escape jail and take him to the border, but in the morning Holt shows up at Carrillo's hacienda and as he is about to be shot, Carrillo, seeing how much in love The Dove i^^ with the boy, releases them both, and after collecting his bet tells them to go to the Mission and have the Padre marry them at his command. SUMMARY: Nicely directed, this modestly produced remake of the stage hit "The Dove" with the help of the Carrillo name should make this a strong bottom half of a double bill. Leo Carrillo, in one of his easy-for-him-to-portray Robin Hood roles, shares top honors with Steffi Duna, who playing the title role, acts, sings and dances delightfully. The rest of the cast is well balanced and exceptionally good performances are turned in by Tim Holt and Donald McBride, under the well paced and even direction of Lew Landers. The screenplay is modernized and the production of Cliff Reid is worthy of mention. Dress house staff in Mexican outfits and get the loan of large bird cage with doves from your local pet shop. Play up the name of the stage hit "The Dove", with Leo Carrillo in all advertising. OUTSTANDING: Leo Carrillo and Steffi Duna. Catchline: "Still the Best Dam' Caballero in all Mexico— Leo Carrillo." (FAMILY) Man Aboui Town Para. Comedy 86 mins. Excellent Entertainment, Good Clean Comedy Should Score at Box Office (National Release Date, July 7) Cast: Jack Benny, Dorothy Laniour, Edward Arnold, Binnie Barnes, Monty Wooley, Isabel Jeans, Phil Harris, Betty Grable, E. E. Clive, Eddie Anderson, others. Screenplay by Morrie Ryskind. Based on a story by Morrie Ryskind and Allan Scott. Directed by Mark Sandrich. Produced by Arthur Hornblow, Jr. Plot: Jack Benny gets tangled up with titled society in London and society comes out second best. "Rochester," acting as an ebony cupid, helps Benny plunge from one scrape into another, in an effort to attract Dorothy Lamour's attention. Eventually Jack wins out. SUMMARY: It shouldn't be difficult to make money with this picture, because it is excellent entertainment. It definitely proves Benny's right to his position as a top ranking comedian on the airwaves and is the first picture in which he gets an opportunity to register his famous personality. There is plenty of good clean comedy and some beautifully staged musical numbers and in addition to his usual brand of humor, two specialty numbers by Rochester which will convulse the audience. Dorothy Lamour, Edward Arnold, Binnie Barnes and the rest of the cast turn in flawless performances. Producer Arthur Hornblow, Jr. and Director Mark Sandrich have given the picture every known showmanship angle aimed right for the box office. Spot announcements before and after Benny's regular Sunday evening broadcast. Arrange a popularity contest to select the local "man about town." Stores selling Jello, the product that sponsors Benny's radio program, should cooperate with you on window and counter displays. OUTSTANDING: Jack Benny. Catchline: "When Jack steps out in society, society steps down." (FAMILY) Undercover Doctor Para. Drama 65 mins. Average Drama of Gangsters vs. G-Men Suitable As Second Feature on Dual Bill (National Release Date, June 9) Cast: Lloyd Nolan, Janice Logan, J. Carroll Naish, Heather Angel, Broderick Crawford, Robert Wilcox. Screenplay by Horace McCoy and William R. Lipman. Based on a story from J. Edgar I^Ioover's book "Persons In Hiding." Directed by Louis King. Plot: Because his nurse leaves him, Naish, a doctor, takes to drink. An emergency call sends him to a secluded country spot where he is forced to operate on a wounded gangster. He resists accepting remuneration, but they force it on him. Later he changes his mind and offers to become their undercover doctor. His method of making incisions and sewing up wounds of fallen gangsters soon brings him to the attention of the G-Men, headed by Nolan, who rely on these characteristics to get their man. Naish, who has meanwhile become fabulously wealthy, moves around in social circles and becomes engaged to a socialite. Heather Angel, who knows nothing of his undercover activities. Finding he wants to devote more time to his social life, Naish tries to break away from his shady duties. But he doesn't carry out his ]>lans, for Nolan catches up with him. SUMMARY: Just an average melodrama of gangsters vs. G-Men, this will get by as the second feature on a double bill or, perhaps, may stand alone on a week-end booking where this type of film is the desired entertainment formula. At times there are lapses of movement in the plot which will cause those who expect a maximum of gunplay to fidget in their seats waiting for something to happen. J. Carroll Naish is fairly satisfactory as the doctor, although his dramatic moments with Janice Logan fail to ring true. Lloyd Nolan is a G-Man, while Broderick Crawford, of the stage play, "Of Mice and Men," turns rat in this film as a typical gangster leader. Richard Carle and Heather Angel are adequate. Since the picture was adapted from Hoover's book, sell its thrills by placing an open copy in the lobby and having streamers running from it to stills from the film. Use doctors' prescription blanks for your teaser giveaways. Use an ambulance for street ballyhoo, with someone shouting through a loudspeaker, "Get out of the way of 'Undercover Doctor.' He's dangerous." Catchline: "His diamond-sharp scalpel was more deadly than a tommy-gun." (ADULTS) Clove Makers Design Glove In Connection With "Dark Victory" Gloversville, N. Y., the home of the National Association of Glove Manufacturers, Inc., is also the home of that splendid exploitation put on by Manager Frank Boucher for attractions playing the Glove Theatre. Recently Boucher played "Dark Victory", and in conjunction tied up with the Glove Manufacturers whereby members were to design a glove in keeping with Miss Davis' charming beauty, or in keeping with the fiery dramatic highlights of the picture. The sketches, and wherever possible, working samples of the glove were placed on display in the Glove Theatre lobby during the showing of "Dark Victory". Sketches were then mailed direct to Miss Davis for her selection and approval. We don't know whether the contest has been completed and the winner announced, but we do know that it's just another fine sample of Boucher's first-class showmanship. Beauty Contest During Cotton Week Staged at Waco Theatre In conjunction with the celebration of National Cotton Week, an amateur and bathing beauty contest sponsored by the Junior Association of Commerce was held on the stage of Waco Theatre, Waco, Texas, recently. From the dozen or so girl entrants, one was chosen to be Miss Waco and was crowned Cotton Queen later at the annual Cotton Ball at the Cotton Palace coliseum. According to Manager Rex Bodoin, the contest was given plenty of space in the newspapers for a week. And to prove it, he forwarded us the front page of The Waco News-Tribune where the event commanded a top headline. What a swell tiein for the theatre ! Congratulations, Rex. Selznick Infernafional presents FREDRIC MARCH -JANET GAYNOR A STAR IS BORN wHh ADOLPHE MENJOU • Produced by DAVID O. SELZNICK Directed by WILLIAM WELLMAN • IN TECHNICOLOR RELEASED THRU UNITED ARTISTS