Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1940)

Page 14 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW February 17, 1940 (Contiiiiied from page 11) The Farmer's Daughter (Hollywood Preview) Para. Comedy 60 mins. (Prod. No. 3927, Nat'l Release, March 30) Cast: Martha Raye, Charlie Ruggles, Richard Denning, Gertrude Michael, William Frawley, Inez Courtney, William Deniarefet, Benny Baker, Tom Dugan, William Duncan, Anne Shoemaker, Paul Stanton, Pat West, Jack Norton and others. Credits: Screenplay by Lewis R. Foster, based on a story by Delmar Daves. Director of photography, Leo Tover. Art directors, Hans Dreier and Franz Bachelin. Film editor, Archie Marshek. Directed by James Hogan. Produced by William C. Thomas. Plot: A wealthy playboy, anxious to break "with an actress, finances producer Ruggles' new play, with the understanding that he must keep the show out of New York. He rents a barn on Duncan's farm and starts rehearsals. Martha Raye, the farmer's daughter, falls in love with Denning, the leading man; but Ruggles has to order him to center his attentions on their star, Gertrude Michael, to keep her happy. When she learns that her sweetheart has married a society girl, Gertrude leaves the show just before its opening performance. Martha substitutes, scores a success and is kept in the lead for the tour and the New York run. She marries Denning, also. Comment: This picture, outside of those in Martha Raye's personal following, is going to prove more or less of a puzzle to most audiences. It is short anyway, and its ending comes like a shot, leaving the impression that more of the story had been cut off. Only two musical numbers are shown, and one of these for little more than one chorus, so that it cannot be classed as a musical show. Charlie Ruggles tries valiantly to make the most of his comedy lines, and in smaller roles, Tom Dugan and Benny Baker stand out. Stage a "farmer's daughter" singing contest to find the girl able to offer a selected song most nearly like Martha Raye, either with a radio station or as a newspaper tieup. Tie up with a country weekly through a classified ad page campaign to arouse interest. (FAMILY) Catchline: "A country girl who made a side road of Broadway." AUDIENCE SLANT: MARTHA RAYE'S FANS WILL LOVE IT. THE SHORT RUNNING TIME AND ABRUPT ENDING OF THE STORY MAY SPOIL IT FOR SOME. BOX OFFICE SLANT: THE CAST NAMES ARE GOOD BUT THE PICTURE'S BEST SPOT WILL BE AS SUPPORT FOR A DRAMATIC FEATURE. Trusty Distributes Crykerchiefs to Local Women Plugging "Old Maid" A lavender tissue crykerchief was distributed to each feminine citizen in Greenfield, Tennessee by Manager Guido Trusty of the Palace Theatre as a plug for his engagement of "The Old Maid." Trusty's message read : "Be sure to bring this back with you when you come to see Betle Davis in 'The Old Maid,' starting next Tuesday. We promise you that you will need it to dry your eyes, because the millions who applauded her in 'Dark Victory' say that this, above all, is Bette's best." Ticket Serw^iee! • Headquarters for machine and roll MOTION PICTURE TICKETS Highest Quality Right Prices KELLER-ANSELL TICKET CO. Suite 608. 723 7th Ave., N. Y. C. Bryant 9-7532 [This Week: [Last Week: In Production — 41; Being Edited — 72] J— 74 J In Production — 36; Being Edited NOTE: Asterisk (*) indicates pictures on which Advance Dope has been published— see Booking Guide for dates of publication. COLUMBIA BEING EDITED BLAZING SIX SHOOTERS* FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AT HOME* TEXAS STAGECOACH* PASSPORT TO ALCATRAZ* BLONDIE ON A BUDGET* TOO MANY HUSBANDS* ' ESCAPE FROM THE BIG HOUSE* I MARRIED ADVENTURE— Travelogue Feature. Made by Mrs. Osa Johnson. PARAMOUNT (Cont.) \Nfi.R ALONG THE STAGE TRAIL* BUCK BENNY RIDES AGAIN* WOMAN FROM HELL* DOWN WENT McGINTY— Brian Donlevy, Akim Tamiroff. Director, Preston Sturges. UNITED ARTISTS BEING EDITED REBECCA (Selznick)* CRACKPOTS (Roach)* HOUSE ACROSS THE BAY (Wanger)* 1,000,000 B. C. (Roach)* MY SON, MY SON (Small)* THE WESTERNER (Goldwyn)* (In England) IN PRODUCTION DESTINY* GHOST BREAKERS— Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard. Director, George Marshall. THIEF OF BAGDAD (Tech.)— Sabu, Conrad Veidt, June Duprez. Producer, Alexander Korda. IN PRODUCTION DOCTOR TAKES A WIFE— Loretta Young, Ray Milland. Director, Alexander Hall. MAN WHO WOULD NOT DIE— Boris Karloff. Director, Nick Grinde. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER BEING EDITED STRANGE CARGO* MAN FROM DAKOTA* FLORIAN* NEW MOON* GHOST COMES HOME* RKO-RADIO BEING EDITED BULLET CODE* MILLIONAIRE PLAYBOY* LITTLE ORVIE* PRIMROSE PATH* IRENE* BILL OF DIVORCEMENT* AND SO GOODBYE* ISLE OF DESTINY* MY FAVORITE WIFE* THE RAMPARTS WE WATCH— March of Time Feature. IN PRODUCTION GREAT DICTATOR— Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard. Producer-Director, Charles Chaplin. OUR TOWN— Frank Craven, Fay Bainter, Thomas Mitchell. Director, Sam Wood. Producer, Sol Lesser. COURAGEOUS DR. CHRISTIAN— Jean Hersholt, Dorothy Lovett. Director, Bernard Vorhaus. IN PRODUCTION FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS* EDISON THE MAN* DR. KILDARE S GIRL* TWO GIRLS ON BROADWAY* WATERLOO BRI DGE— Vivien Leigh, Robert Taylor, Virginia Fields. Director, Mervyn LeRoy. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE— Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Mary Boland. Director, Robert Z. Leonard. IN PRODUCTION CURTAIN CALL— Barbara Read, John Archer. Director, Frank Woodruff. UNIVERSAL BEING EDITED RIDERS OF PASCO BASIN* (W) DOUBLE ALIBI* BLACK FRIDAY* ENEMY AGENT* HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES* ZANZIBAR* ROMANTIC MR. H I NKLIN— Lucille Ball, James Ellison. Director, Ray McCarey. SAINT TAKES O^ERGeorge Sanders, Wendy Barrie. Director, Jack Hively. IN PRODUCTION IT'S A DATE* ALIAS THE DEACON' MAI HE'S MAKING EYES AT ME— Tom Brown, Constance Moore. Director, Harold Schuster. MORTAL STORM— Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, Bonita Granville. Director, Frank Borzage. TOM BROWN'S SCHOOL DAYS— Jimmy Lydoii, Sir Cedric Hardwicke. Director, Robert Stevenson. SANDY IS A LADY— Baby Sandy, Mischa Auer, Nan Grey. Director, Charles Lament. AND ONE WAS BEAUTIFUL— Jean Muir, Laraine Day, Robert Cummings, Billie Burke. Director, Robert Sinclair. REPUBLIC BEING EDITED PIONEERS OF THE WEST* IF I HAD MY WAY— Bing Crosby, Gloria Jean. Producer-Director, David Butler. MONOGRAM BEING EDITED RHYTHM OF THE RIO GRANDE* CHEYENNE KID* IN PRODUCTION DARK COMMAND* FORGOTTEN GIRLS* RANCHO GRANDE— Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette. Director, Frank McDonald. LA CONGA NIGHTS— Hugh Director, Lew Landers. Herbert. IN PRODUCTION MIDNIGHT LIMITED — John Marjorie Reynolds. Director, Bretherton. King, Howard GHOST VALLEY RAIDERS— Donald Barry, Lena Andre. Producer-Director, George Sherman. {In England) LIBERTY RADIO— Diana Wynyard, Clive Brook. PARAMOUNT BEING EDITED SEVENTEEN* DR. CYCLOPS (Tech.)* UNTAMED (Tech.)* WOMEN WITHOUT NAMES* TYPHOON (Tech.)* SHOWDOWN' OPENED BY MISTAKE* LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS* ROAD TO SINGAPORE* BISCUIT EATER* AT GOOD OLD SIWASH* HIDDEN GOLD* WAY OF ALL FLESH* SAFARI* GOLDEN GLOVES* 20th CENTURY-FOX BEING EDITED SHOOTING HIGH* DANCE WITH THE DEVIL* I WAS AN ADVENTURESS* VIVA CISCO KID* WARNER BROTHERS BEING EDITED TEAR GAS SQUAD* GAMBLING ON THE HIGH SEAS* MURDER IN THE AIR* KING OF THE LUMBERJACKS* FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE* VIRGINIA CITY (Tech.)* IT ALL CAME TRUE* THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH* SATURDAY'S CHILDREN* IN PRODUCTION STAR DUST* LILLIAN RUSSELL— Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Henry Fonda.^Edward Arnold. Di SEA HAWK— Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, "~ ~~ " " • Director, Michael Curtiz. rector, Irving Cummings. IN PRODUCTION TILL WE MEET AGAIN* Donald Crisp. EARTHBOUND— Warner Baxter, Andrea Leeds, Lynn Bari. Director, Irving Pichel. SAILOR'S LADY— Nancy Kelly, Jon Hall, Joan Davis. Director, Allan Dwan. ALL THIS AND HEAVEN, TOO— Bette Davis, Charles Boyer. Director, Anatole Litvak. CHARLIE CHAN'S CRUISE— Sidney Toler, M ar jorie Weaver. Director, Eugene Forde. TORRID ZONE— James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Ann Sheridan. Director, William Keighley. ON THEIR OWN (T.T.) Directed by Otto Brower. -Jones Family. AN ANGEL FROM TEXAS— Eddie Albert, Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan. Director, Hay Enright.