Showmen's Trade Review (1939)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

Page 20 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW August 26, 1939 The Star Maker Para. Musical Comedy 94 mins. Crosby Clicks Again in Human Interest Film Presenting Clever Young Performers (National Release Date, August 25) Cast: Bing Crosby, Louise Campbell, Linda Ware, Ned Sparks, Laura Hope Crews, Walter Damrosch, juvenile performers and many others. Screenplay by Frank Butler, Don Hartman and Arthur Caesar, suggested by career of Gus Edwards. Directed by Roy Del Ruth. Produced by Charles R. Rogers. Plot: Crosby is a music composer with ambitions to be a stage producer, which he realizes after many struggles in which his wife, Louise Campbell, stands by him through days of very short rations. The idea that inspires him is giving talented youngsters a chance to star on the stage. He assembles a big show by a trip across the country signing up clever kids who can dance and sing, but the intervention of the children's society closes his hit show. His discovery of a young singer, Linda Ware, and her success in a concert conducted by Walter Damrosch is his greatest source of happiness. Then, just as it appears that he is washed up, radio makes its appearance and the closing shows him putting on an air show starring his youngsters. SUMMARY: A procession of interludes featuring young performers of infectious personality and ability supplies Bing Crosby with material for putting over his easy, casual and entertaining brand of singing and acting. Bright star of the show is Linda Ware, girl soprano with a remarkably pleasing voice and personality. The cast is especially good, with Ned Sparks registering many laughs with his dead-pan comedy, and Louise Campbell adding charm as Bing's wife. The audience participation stunt, in which Bing asks the onlookers to join in singing the old time songs, plus some new tunes of catchy stamp, and the kid performers all combine to make this entertainment that will please generally. The story stumbles here and there, but is not important anyway since the show is a series of individual acts. Not much in the way of elaborate scenery or spectacle, but the simplicity helps the effect of the various numbers. Appearance of Walter Damrosch and symphony orchestra is an added attraction. It's Bing the way his fans like him. For exploitation see Showmanalysis in this issue on page 18. OUTSTANDING: Linda Ware. Catchline: "Thrill to the tunes of yesterday and today, and the stars of tomorrow." (FAMILY) The Under-Pup (Scranton Premiere) Univ. Comedy 90 mins. joe Pasternak Discovers Another Star; Swell BuildUp for New Screen Luminary (National Release Date, Sept. 1) Cast: Gloria Jean, Robert Cummings, Nan Grey, C. Aubrey Smith, Beulah Bondi, Virginia Weidler, Margaret Lindsay, Ray Legion of Decency Ratings: (For Week Ending August 26) SUITABLE FOR GENERAL PATRONAGE Conspiracy Quick Millions Smuggled Cargo Oklahoma Terror Death of a Champion Gantry the Great SUITABLE FOR ADULTS ONLY Fifth Avenue Girl OBJECTIONABLE IN PARTS I Demand Payment The Man They Could Not Hang mond Walburn, Ann Gillis, Paul Cavanaugh, Billy Gilbert and others. Original story by I. A. R. Wylie. Screenplay by Grover Jones. Directed by Richard Wallace. Produced by Joe Pasternak. Plot: Gloria Jean, product of the New York slums, wins a trip to the summer camp of an exclusive girls' club. While in camp she is snubbed by all the girls because of her environment with the exception of Virginia Weidler who befriends her. Gloria learns of Virginia's unhappy home life and writes to her grandfather, C. Aubrey Smith, to visit Virginia's parents, Margaret Lindsay and Paul Cavanaugh, and try to bring them together again. Because of this deed as well as several other kind acts on her part she finally wins the friendship of all the girls and is elected a member of their club. SUMMARY: Hello to Gloria Jean, new singing personality, catapulted to stardom in one film. She was discovered by Joe Pasternak, who also brought Deanna Durbin to the screen. The escapades in which Gloria invariably gets involved as well as her excellent renditions of "Annie Laurie", and "Shepherd's Lullaby" will win audiences to her side in much the same manner as she wins friendship in the picture. Produced with an excellent cast this picture turns out to be a delightful warm comedy although it does have one or two heart throbs which will assuredly have all your women patrons leaving the theatre wiping their eyes. C. Aubrey Smith as the cane-brandishing, swaggering grandfather turns in a bang-up performance. Billy Gilbert, aided in this picture by two little brats, Billy Lenhart and Kenneth Brown, accounts for many of the laughs. Nan Grey and Robert Cummings adequately take care of the love angle. The audiences at the two Scranton theatres, where the picture premiered, vigorously applauded the film. Play up Gloria Jean as a new singing personality. Tie up with music stores for display of the various songs that Gloria sings. Arrange for a local choral group to offer a selection from your stage. Conduct a 50-word essay contest on "Trees" and play up the point that Gloria Jean's essay on this subject won her a trip to a summer camp. Offer a prize to the little girl or boy bringing the greatest number of Uncles and Aunts to the theatre. OUTSTANDING: The new star. Catchline: "The Under-Pup — there's one in every family! (FAMILY) Full Confession RKO-Radio Drama 73 mins. Victor McLaglen's Name May Help This One Though Story Drags in Beginning (National Release Date, Sept. 20) Cast: Victor McLaglen, Joseph Calleia, Sally Eilers, Barry Fitzgerald and others. Screenplay by Jerry Cady. Original story by Leo Birinski. Directed by Jack Farrow. Produced by Robert Sisk. Plot: McLaglen, attempting to rob the store where Fitzgerald is the night watchman, slugs him and shoots and kills the pursing cop with Fitzgerald's gun. Then far from the scene of the crime he breaks a window and is arrested and sent to prison. Calleia, a priest takes an interest in him and when McLaglen is hurt in an accident, and he thinks the end is near, he confesses his crime to Calleia. The latter, his lips sealed by his profession, attempts to get McLaglen to confess since Fitzgerald is about to be electrocuted for the murder, his fingerprints having been found on the gun. McLaglen strikes the priest and the latter is in a serious condition when McLaglen finally tells him he will give himself up to the police, which he does after saving the priest's life through a transfusion. SUMMARY: The beginning of this story is badly mixed up but after the first 15 minutes the end is obvious. Although to those of Catholic persuasion, it may seem perfectly obvious, other people will wonder why the priest would not himself drop some kind of hint to save the innocent man's life. There is a lot of psychology in the picture and as a result a few incongruities, and the obviousness of the plot somewhat injure it. The outstanding performance is that of Joseph Calleia as priest. Never have we seen a picture in which an actor captured the religious spirit of a priest so well as Calleia does in this. Have a private showing for local priests, who will undoubtedly endorse the picture for their congregations. A column of anonymous true confessions (not necessarily involving law breaking) could be run in the newspaper for a swell publicity break and real human interest. Tie up with True Confessions Magazine. OUTSTANDING: Joseph Calleia. Catchline: "He confessed to a priest — but the law still awaited him." (ADULT) Conspiracy RKO-Radio Drama 58 mins. Half-Dull, Half-Exciting Drama With An Unknown Cast Headed For Lower Duals (National Release Date, Sept. 8) Cast: Allan Lane, Linda Hayes, Robert Barrat, Charley Foy, Lionel Royce, J. Farrell MacDonald, Lester Matthews, Henry Brandon, William Von Brincken. Screenplay by Jerome Chodorov. Directed by Lew Landers. Produced by Cliff Reid. Plot: Nearing harbor at an unnamed European port, Lane, American radioman, is forced by an oiler to send a mysterious message. Von Brincken, second mate, who re(Continued on page 27) For Additional Exploitation Ideas on These Pictures Consult the Encyclopedia of Exploitation — See Page 35