Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1942)

Page 28 S H O W M E N ' S T R A D E REVIEW May 9, 1942 LUANA WALTERS , ^ AND FEATURING ^ m m m DISTRIBUTED BY: Atlanta — Astor Films Boston — North Eastern Buffalo — Pam-0 Chicago — Special Attr's Cincinnati — Popular Cleveland — Imperial Dallas — Acme Denver — Commercial Detroit — Allied Indianapolis — Monogram Kansas City — Select Los Angeles — Majestic Milwaukee — Aster M inneapolis — P. R.C. New Haven — Northeastern New Orleans — Astor New York — Astor Omaha — Liberty Philadelphia — Astor Pittsburgh — Crown St. Louis — Variety San Francisco — All Star Seattle — Principal Washington — Peerless Toronto — Superior PACIFIC RENDEZVOUS (MGM) Spy. Principals: Lee Bowman, Jean Rogers, Carl Esmond, Mona Maris, Russell Hicks. Plot: The Navy discovers that one of its lieutenants is a code expert. He decodes an enemy message showing that the enemy have the Navy's code. The originator of the code is killed by his secretary, an enemy agent. Then the lieutenant is trapped and forced to give the rendezvous location of the fleet, but it is a trick and the spy ring is captured. Director, George Sidney. MOONLIGHT MASqUERADE (Rep.) Comedy-Drama. Principals: Dennis O'Keefe, Jane Frazee, Betty Kean, Eddie Foy, Jr. Plot: Two young people, unknown to each other, must marry within a designated time in order to receive an interest in their fathers' business. The refusal of one means the relinquishing of the interest to the other. In the general mix-up, each one tries to marry off the other to someone else. But love prevails; they get each other as well as the inheritance. Director, John H. Auer. THE DEVIL WITH HITLER (UA) Comedy-Drama. Principals: Alan Mowbray, Bobby Watson, George E. Stone, Joe Devlin, Marjorie Woodworth. Plot: The Devil is threatened with dethronement. Hitler, the world's worst meanie, is slated for the job. In the role of valet, the Devil schemes to discredit the Fuehrer, but is double-crossed. Hitler takes out insurance on Mussolini and Suki Yaki, who are visiting him, but they return the compliment, and each tries to bomb the other. Disguised as Hitler, the Devil is about to free a condemned couple, when the Axis partners appear. In the chase which follows, the Fuehrer's pals desert him. He has to give in, and the Devil reigns supreme. Director, Gordon Douglas. WHERE TRAILS END (Mono.) Western. Principals: Tom Keene, Frank Yaconelli, Joan Curtis, Donald Stewart. Plot: A U. S. Marshal is sent to aid a boy, whose father was hung by enemy agents who were terrorizing the ranchers in order to buy control of the land where secret Tungsten mines had been discovered. He sends the youngster for help, while he goes into the ganghideout. Help arrives in the nick of time and the crooks get their just end. Director, Robert Tansey. CYCLONE KID (Rep.) Western. Principals: Don "Red" Barry, John James, Alex Callam, Joel Friedkin, Lynn Merrick. Plot: Conflict between homesteaders and an unscrupulous cattle king reaches a climax when one of the ranchers is murdered. The Cyclone Kid and the local judge break away from the gangster's rule in an effort to end the trouble. The judge is killed and the Kid framed. Just in time to prevent a lynching, the real culprit is apprehended. Director, George Sherman. PARACHUTE NURSE (Col.) Drama. Principals: Marguerite Chapman, William Wright, Kay Harris. Plot: Two nurses join a paranurse corps for excitement and romance and fall for two of the men in the unit. They tangle with a snob in the same corps who causes them plenty of trouble, but she is found out and forced to resign. On the day of the first jump, the lead nurse gets cold feet, so the others make believe that her boy friend has cracked up. This causes her to rise to the occasion, make a safe landing and find the boy friend unhurt. Director, Charles Barton. BUY WAR SAVINGS BONDS and STAMPS JACKASS MAIL (MGM) Comedy. Principals: Wallace Beery, Marjorie Main, J. Carrol Naish, Darryl Hickman. Plot: A rascal of the West pals up with a bartender who helped him out of a jam. They stick around, helping with the mail, so that they can rob it at their leisure. When a reform movement starts, the bad element turns on the old rascal, so he is forced to head the reform movement. He ends up becoming the symbol of law and order. Director, Norman Z. McLeod. HIGHWAYS BY NIGHT (RKO) Comedy. Principals: Richard Carlson, Jane Randolph, Jane Darwell, Barton MacLane, Ray Collins. Plot: This is the story of a millionaire, j'oung, unworldly and shy, whose entire life is changed by imbibing a few zombies. He becomes involved with gangsters, a murder and a girl. He succeeds in double-crossing the racketers; moving a hotel overnight and then winning the girl. Director, Peter Godfrey'. SUMMARY OF BLOCKS Paramount No. 6 BEYOND THE BLUE HORIZON, Drama. 76 mins. Dorothy Lamour, Richard Denning, Jack Haley, Walter Abel. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Technicolor. Dorothy Lamour and some excellent scenery make this a sure audience hit. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Should be a box-office success; has all necessary elements. DR. BROADWAY, Drama, 67 mins. Macdonald Carey, Jean Phillips, J. Carrol Naish, Edward Clannelli. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) Should hold patron's interest. A bit unusual in some respects. BOX-OFiFiCE SLANT: Good supporting feature for a program headlined by a strong drawing affracflon. TAKE A LETTER, DARLING, Comedy, 92 mins. Rosalind Russell, Fred MacMurray, Macdonald Carey. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) One of those smart, sophisticated comedies, with Inuendoes and hilarious situations to make It just what the doctor ordered. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Type of picture most ticket buyers are seeking these days. SWEATER GIRL, Mystery-wlth-MusIc, 77 mins. Eddie Bracken, June Prelsser, Fhlllip Terry. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) Swell mystery with catchy musical numbers for appeal to those interested in this type of entertainment. BOX-OPFICE SLANT: Should prove a huge success, not only because it's entertaining, but because of its already popular musical numbers. NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS, Mystery, 75 mins. Preston Foster, Patricia Morlson, Albert Dekker, Charles (Butterworth. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) A "Whodunit" that follows the familiar pattern of the "Thin Man" series, with little success. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Okay for supporting spot. RKO-Radio No. 6 MY FAVORITE SPY, Comedy with Music, 86 mins. Kay Kyser, Ellen Drew, Jane Wyman, Robert Armstrong, Helen Westley. AUDIIBNCE SLANT: (IFanvily) Kay Kyser adherents as well as those who appreciate music, comedy, quite a bit of exciting light drama and a thrill or two In their entertlnment should like this. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Plenty of ticket selling angles in personalities, story idea and exploitable supplementary features. THE FALCON TAKES OVER, Comedy Drama, 63 mins. George Sanders, Lynn Bari, James Gleason, Allen Jenkins. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) A smooth blend of comedy and semi-mystery drama. Good production and direction technique as well as convincing acting accentuate elements audiences like. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Previous numbers have established the series as front-running attractions, and this may well serve as top feature on many programs. SYNCOPATION, Musical Romance Drama, 88 mins. Jackie Cooper, Bonlta Granville, Adolphe Menjou, George Bancroft, Connie Boswell. AUDIENCE SLANT: Family) Principal appeal iprobably will be to the younger element and those who get a thrill out of modern hot musical rhythm. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: An exploitation show. One that's wide open for such tactics which, as exemplified by Benny Goodman a few years ago, are used to have the jitterbugs tumbling over each other In the aisles of theatres he played. POWDER TOWN, Drama, 79 mins. Victor McLaglen, Edmond O'Brien, June Havoc. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Will satisfy those who like McLaglen's usual tyipe of characterization. Action Is good but performance and plot just so-so. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: Title and McLaglen may draw. Give it good support. MEXICAN SPITFIRE SEES A GHOST, Comedy, 70 mins. Lupe Valez, Leon Errol, Charles (Buddy) Rogers. AUDIENCE SLANT: (Family) Very good laugh medicine for average patronage. BOX-OFFICE SLANT: You can promise them lots of giggles and a few loud guffaws.