Universal Weekly (1933-1935)

22 HEADLINES From Variety “Madame Spy,” Vaude , 11 G; Montreal Sees Some Biz “GLAMOUR ” OKE $15,000, /TV ST. L. KATE SMITH AND “HALF A SINNER ” $ 13,000 . S. F. Orpheum: (F&M) (2,400; 25-35-55) "Half a Sinner" "U" and stage show with Kate Smith unit. Radio performer a B.O. draw and $13,000 okay with picture more help than usual. Last week "Success at any Price" (Radio) with young Fairbanks and "Century of Progress Revue" on stage started lightly and built up to a pretty good $10,000. + + + San Francisco, May 7 Golden Gate (RKO) (2,844; 25-3540) — "I'll Tell World" (U) and vaude. Lee Tracy some draw, and $11,500 is much better than past few weeks. "This Man Is Mine" (Radio) getting slightly under $9,500 last week. + + + Washington, May 7 Rialto (U). (1,853; 25-35-40-50), "Uncertain Lady" (U) Looks like satisfactory $3,000. Last week "I'll Tell the World" (U) helped by bally in local UP sheet collected good $5,000. + + + Chicago, May 7 State-Lake (Jones) (2,700; 25-35-40) "Countess of Monte Cristo" (U) and "Keep ’Em Rolling" (Radio) okay at $ I 1,000. UNIVERSAL WEEKLY == “The Love Captive’’ Excellent Film Says Variety SCREEN version of Max Marcin's "The Humbug" neatly accomplishes what it sets out to do, presenting a suspenseful tale about a hypnotist whose uncanny works turn back upon him, and offering an hour's absorbing entertainment in dramatic novelty. It is throughout an excellent piece of craftsmanship, with Marcin as author, co-adaptor and director chiefly responsible. The technology of hypnosis is authentically shown without the hocuspocus usually ascribed to the powers of suggestion, in the plot which Nils Asther weaves about his patients and victims and eventually himself in the guise of the professional hypnotic practitioner. Gloria Stuart becomes his office nurse and his beloved after cutting off her engagement to Paul Kelly. Kelly, believing Asther has befuddled her with his powers, threatens to kill him, but is dissuaded by Alan Dinehart, his brother-in-law, who in turn goes gunning for Asther when he suspects he has transferred his spell to his own wife, played by Renee Gadd. Climax comes when Asther, seeking to save his reputation puts on a sort of clinic called by an investigating committee of doctors. Committee presents Dinehart, who is in a jealous rage, as his hypnosis subject. Test of the so-called charlatan's powers is the presumed inability of his subject to pull the hairtrigger of a loaded pis tol. But under the goad of seeing his wife with the hypnotist, as she is about to defend the latter, he shoots and kills Asther. Picture ends with question, propounded to the audience over the head of one of the characters. Was the man who killed the hypnotist in a state of mental and moral irresponsibility, or did he take knowing advantage of a prefect alibi provided by the victim himself? Principals give excellent performances, and rest of the cast is good in lesser parts. Photography is okay. Picture will hold to any audience. ■ ■ May 12, 1934 Novel Treatment of Fine Mystery Yarn -“Affairs of A Gentleman” BASED on the play, "Women in His Life," the Universal picture, "Affairs of a Gentleman," offers a novel way of presenting a murder mystery. Furthermore, it offers a highly interesting group of characters, each one of whom is believable, human and excellently drawn, and each unwittingly adds to the mystery. The film opens with a shot, and Gresham, a famous novelist (Paul Lukas) is found dead at his desk. The bewildered butler and Chinese chef finally pull themselves together sufficiently to phone the police and Gresham's publisher, Richard Carle. In the meantime, and quite naturally, the group of friends has gathered. The inspector gets nowhere rapidly, until a chance slip on the publisher's part leads to his decision: "Well, I'm going to keep you all here until each one of you tells all you know." Then the picture goes back and picks up the series of events beginning with the publisher's inadvertent remark. So many complications pile up that the perfectly simple solution for the murder (which looks like a suicide) is doubly effective, and the solution reaches the audience just before the inspector arrives, ending the picture exactly where it began. Whether or not the inspector ever solves the mystery is left to the audiences' imagination. Paul Lukas is polished, as usual; Dorothy Burgess turns in a good job as the girl with the jag; Sara Haden is uncannily fine as the secretary. Patricia Ellis, Lilian Bond, Leila Hyams, Joyce Compton and Dorothy Le Baire are good types for their parts. Richard Carle brings a callous, emotional shrug to his part that is stunning characterization. Onslow Stevens is the enraged husband, and Phillip Reed is Miss Ellis' fiance. —Hollywood Reporter