Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1942)

24 SHOWMEN'STRADEREVIEW September 19, 1942 JOHNNY DOUGHBOY (Rep.) ComedyDrama. Principals: Jane Withers, William Demarest, Ruth Donnelly, Henry Wilcoxon, Pat Brook, Bobby Breen, Bobby Coogan. Plot: A famous sixteen year old child star runs away full of rebellion at the prospect of continuing "kiddie" pictures. Her agent, distraught at her disappearance, substitutes her double to placate the studio. In the meantime the child star has a "romance," but when her confidential-secretary pleads with her to come back for the sake of a Junior Victory Caravan, she returns without even remembering to be "heartbroken." Director, John H. Auer. SHADOW OF A DOUBT (Univ.) Drama. Principals: Teresa Wright, Joseph Gotten, Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge. Plot: Hounded by two men, Joseph Cotten decides to visit his married sister in California. There he is greeted with open arms, especially by his young niece who thinks him a man of wealth. But when two men show up evincing a tremendous interest in her uncle, she decides to investigate. She uncovers the fact that he is a murderer — has killed several wives for their money. When he finds out she knows his secret, he tries to dispose of her too, but loses his own life instead. Director, Alfred Hitchcock. UNDYING MONSTER (20th-Fox) Horror. Principals: John Howard, James Ellison, Aubrey Mather, Heather Angel. Plot: The legend of a monster at the sedate English estate of Hammond Hall, who kills humans in order to prolong his own life, attracts the attention of the police who come in to investigate. Their findings uncover the secret that all male members of this particular family suffer from lycanthropy — a werewolf. The plague disappears with the passing of the present son, but not before he has killed a young peasant girl. Director, John Brahm. CHEYENNE ROUNDUP (Univ.) Western. Principals: Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, Fuzzy Knight, Jennifer Holt, Harry Woods. Plot: A young outlaw leader takes over a town after a rich vein of gold had been found. Putting up a respectable front, he deals in investments, loans and real estate. When they finally catch up with him, he's critically wounded by a posse. He regrets his lawlessness before he dies and enlists the aid of his twin brother in bringing law and order to the community. Director, Ray Taylor. PRINCESS O'ROURKE (WB) ComedyDrama. Principals: Olivia De Havilland, Robert Cummings, Charles Coburn, Gladys Cooper, Julie Bishop, Jack Carson. Plot: A refugee princess meets a co-pilot while traveling by plane West. Fortified with sleeping pills, she awakens to find herself in his apartment and in his pajamas, because they couldn't awaken her when they landed. When he discovers that she's an honest-togoodness princess, he rebels at marrying her. He doesn't want to be a prince consort. She finally decides that she'd rather be just plain missus and marries him. Director, Norman Krasna. HENRY ALDRICH GETS GLAMOUR (Para.) Comedy. Principals: James Lydon, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Joe Brown, Jr., Diana Lynn. Plot: James Lydon, by mistake, sends his English theme to a contest in Movieplay Magazine, and wins a trip to Hollywood and a date with the sarong girl of filmdom. After his various experiences there, he gets back to his hometown to find that he has suddenly become of interest to the females who formerly ignored him. Director, Hugh Bennett. WEST OF THE LAW (Mono.) Western. Principals: Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, Raymond Hatton, Evelyn Cooke, Milburn Moranti. Plot: The western town of Gold Creek is in a turmoil due to the hi-jacking of gold and the killing of townspeople. A U. S. Marshal proves that the town's leading citizen is back of it all. Director, Howard Bretherton. OLD CHISHOLM TRAIL (Univ.) Western. Principals: Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, Fuzzy Knight, Jennifer Holt, Mady Correll. Plot: A young rancher learns that the pretty owner of range property is being driven out by an unscrupulous woman who wants to gain control of the range water supply. With the aid of the owner's self-appointed protector, the rancher tricks the woman; routing her gang and disposing of her cruel reign. Director, Ray Taylor. The Young Mr. Pitt {Continued from Page 13) common people on a platform of peace and security. Overcoming organized political opposition, he proceeded to rebuild Britain's Army and Navy, which had fallen to third rate proportions, and was ready to fulfill his nation's pledge to Holland and take arms against Napoleon when the Little Corporal was setting up the formula for Adolph Hitler's current atrocities. His refusal to be guided by generally accepted practice regarding military appointments, his total neglect of personal affairs — even his romantic inclinations being sacrificed to his devotion to national duty — bring about financial embarrassment and a decline in health which, together with reverses of English arms and the nation's cries for peace at any cost, result in his resignation. A few years later, when Napoleon's great Army was massed across the channel ready for invasion, he returned to office by public demand and again managed the organization of the nation's defenses — this time with the aid of old time political enemies. Nelson's victory at Trafalgar is the occasion of a dinner in Pitt's honor that serves as a climax to his public career. Comment: The period of history pictured here has its counterpart in the events and situations confronting England today. Undoubtedly this similarity accounts for the production since the substitution of Churchill for Pitt, modern dress for period costuming and current incident for historic data are the only essentials needed to make it up-to-theminute screenfare. The picture is definitely set along lines for reception by English subjects. It is solid and factual in the extreme with very few situations of the lighter vein to relieve the repetitious and cumbersome Parliamentary debate scenes, the household diplomatic conferences and the efforts of a faithful woman servant to make Mr. Pitt take his medicine and eat his gruel. All reference to Nelson's conquests in the Mediterranean and at Trafalgar are confined to terse oral statements and aside from a few shots of election enthusiasts, glimpses of Napoleon's soldiers and crowds celebrating victory news there is no attempt to treat with the manner of living or reactions of the common people — which history tells us was pretty spicy in the days of George III — who made Mr. Pitt a great public figure. Scenes of this nature and a few shots of the battle action that turned the tide in Britain's favor would enhance the entertainment value of the film which is dull and draggy in many places. It sems to this writer that Mr. Pitt lived a life that was a trifle too circumspect and lacking in colorful action to conform to the American hero idea. The pictures does point an excellent "quit bickering and get together" moral. It is advisable that your advertising be directed to student bodies and to class patronage. Contests on what Mr. Pitt would do were he alive today might serve to generate interest and promote reception by the ordinary run of patronage. Catchline: Is Winston Churchill England's modern counterpart of William Pitt? Girl Trouble 20th Century-Fox Comedy Drama 82 mins. (Prod. No. 309— Nat'l Release, Oct. 9) AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A light and frothy romance with plenty of laughs. Made to order for the bread and butter customers. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Star names guarantee an opening. Picture will completely satisfy and should do above average. Cast: Don Ameche, Joan Bennett, Billie Burke, Frank Craven, Alan Dinehart, Helene Reynolds, Fortunio Bonanova, Ted North, Doris Merrick, Dale Evans, Roseanne Murray, Janice Carter, Vivian Blaine, Trudy Marshall, Robert Greig, Joseph Crehan, Manton Moreland, Arthur Loft, John Kelly, Matt McHugh, George Lessey, Ed Stanley, Edith Evanson. Credits: Produced by Robert Bassler. Directed by Harold Schuster. Screenplay by Ladislas Fodor and Robert Riley Crutcher from an original story by Ladislas Fodor, Vicki Baum and Guy Trosper. Photography by Edward Cronjager. Plot: When the war freezes financial returns from her foreign securities a wealthy society lass is forced to release her servants and rent her ritzy apartment to a South American playboy who is trying to interest Wall Street brokers in South American rubber. An unlooked for happening at the time of renting makes it necessary for her to remain as maid giving a twice-Reno'd girl friend an open road to the affections of her attractive tenant. Her unfamiliarity with household duties are responsible for many humorous situations and rib-tickling complications result from her three-sided effort to fulfill her strange duties, maintain her social schedule to keep her embarrassment a secret from friends and protect her boss from the matrimonial snares of her doublecrossing girl friend. He discovers her true identity and romance is in the offing when the girl friend cattily breaks it up but the heroine manages to bring success to his financial mission and the climax indicates an early call on the preacher. Comment: This is a grade "A" comedy romance with an easy to follow story weaving in and out through situations that play hop, skip and jump with the human laughmaking machinery and uncover the silver lining of your worry clouds. There are no heavy dramatic incidents, no pathos, no tension— it's just engaging, willy-nilly romance and rib-tickling fun. It's escapist film fare of the highest order and offers enjoyable relief from the flood of war footage. This is the kind of attraction that puts no strains on the imagination, makes no demands upon the powers of concentration and, as a consequence, leaves the spectator totally relaxed and emotionally rested. Joan Bennett is delightful, and of course beautiful, in the heroine's part and Don Ameche portrays the Latin playboy with typical insouciance. Billie Burke contributes her inimitable brand of humor and Alan Dinehart and Frank Craven are responsible for many titters and giggles during their time before the camera. Catchline: She was a frightful cook and a punk housekeeper — but boy how she could love.