Variety (Oct 1937)

■VARIETr FILM REVIEWS Wednesday, October 6, 1937 STAND IN United kind of a splash in the dualSj where it'll directly go. ^ ^. . . Wnilvwood Oct 5 I Tim Bart (Richard Dix) is a cow- Joan'BIondoU; fcatqrea Humphrey BoRart. qualify for SOUnd. HlS leading laOV Directed by Tiiy Garnett. Story by Clar- ^ jigy Wray) dOes get in. Rather" than fnce' BudlniTton Kelland: • screenplay by oppgnt other roles, the COWboy- *dt ese: S^Lp'^o^^ and otho T.overine nnd Dorothy Spencer: musi- gfadually goes broke. He s painted cnl dlroqtor, Heinz Rocmheld; osst. dlrcc- gg a good,-Ijig-hearted guy tryin;g tO Thl^ot^^^^t a Bl^T'k^'^lS livfe V hara-ridin^ clean life his time no minV, ]uve fans think he does. Conse- Atterhury Dodd.; Leslie Howard quently he won't play gunman roles /Qi;ra.n^T::::::::.\\\Humnhr\y ^Kr'l when the gangster-plx become. pop- Bjmmg away from ws former Nftisau. c. Henry Gordon leading lady; they lose touch with Potts........... ...Jack Carson another, are finally brought to- ponnypfldcer. Jr. ^;.J;,,Sr*?"'v.?. eether bv iointlv attending' to: th« P«nnypacker, Sr Penny packer William V. '.Tuny Marshall gether by jointly attending to. the - MonB plight of a little crippled kid'(Billy ; Butrud), who continues to idolize Hollywood studios and the people the cowboy even after he had faded who make^fllms recede som^^^^^^^ ending, plot has Miss natured ribbing in Stand In, Walter I y^^.^^ g^^^jg^jj^ announce she's out Wanger's production for United Art- ©f filrtis- because she can't, act, with ists. It le^ns far to the comedy side, conviction withput the bronco-buster and is good entertainment, chiefly m^t^^ because Leslie Howard and Joan shoots down three bank-robbers BlondeU mix up spine very fiinny and, because of the nation-wide pub- roughhouse with a . dash of solid licitg. hj^old studif, P^?,,^™^^^^^^^^^ logic. ' One sequence near film's fadeout He may be Hamlet on Brpadway, introduces a group of doubles of but in his last two films Howard has prominent film stars—Chaplin, Mae reversed hi, field and *ewn him- W^.^Oerbo,^ete. . So^^^^^ self a touchdown comedian. In It s faithfiil. Doubles are rung in via a liOve I'm After' (WB) he plays a party scene. Presence in cast can be stage star who cures a young woman used as an exploitation angle, of an infatuation. In 'Stand In' he I None in the cast does particularly is a bespectacled representative of distinguished work. Pix and Miss New York bankers who control a Wray are oke enough, Victor Kilian, Hollywood film producing company, as a pal of DiX's* gets in some good Howard comes west with a brief moments, as do Granville . Bates is a case, ti college education, high re- pic producer and Franklih Pangborn spect for balance sheets and a total as a dialog director.. . ignorance of motion pictures. He : Direction is good, helping . the volunteers to straighten out the pro- weak, wavering story a great deal: duction difficulties and save Colossal camera and production par- ^e di Films for the stockholders^ What 1 rection. Bert, happens when he gets to Sunset f)oulevard provides plenty of fun, While the girls and boys around the studio judge his intelligence ..by JtfnSS'^^/thp iSwf?' A \ Century-Pox release ol Samuel O., Standm for-tbe big star, takes nlm jg„ge| pi.o4uctlon. Features Dolores Del to one side and gives him the low-. RIo, George Sanders, Peter liorre, Joseph down on what it's all about. He .Schlldkraut. Directed by qergory Batoff. lenveq hi'« iswankv hntel suite -for a Story by Marthe McKenna;. screenplay by leaves nis swaiwy notei suue/lor a pun,p Dunne; camera, Barney ItfcGllI: film Toom to a ooaraing house where ne editor, touis LOenier: musical direction, shares accommodations with- a Arthur . LaHRe. Previewed at the Alex- trained seal, a character actor who ander Sept. 29, '37. Runnlns time. 78 mlns. has waited for years to play Abra- Praulein Dolores Darla.'...Dolores Del Bio «!!rr,,,{« A* tk/Ifri/IJ^ c;„.i««r.^^ Major SiKfrlea Qrunlnp .Peter Lorro penguin. At the studio his SUrroima- prfnce F«rdl Zu Schwarzwald ; • )n.gs are less comical, but equally be- Joseph Schiidkraut wildering. The pl^nt is being run v:-i-ivv,'-"^'lF'"i? *r y-. . — o . ivieut. Col. GoCterfrled HolIen..Sl|7 Kumann LANCER SPY Glendale, Oalif., Oct.-5. by a dizzy woman stair. There is a smart producer who has cracked un der amorous disappointment and taken to the 'bottle. A foreign di Miniature Reviews 'StandIII* (Wanger-UA). What* happens in a Hollywood studio when a New York banker .takes charge. Leslie Howard, Joan Blondell and Humphirey Bogart provide plenty of laughs. 'It Happened In Hollywood^ (Col). Sentimental story ,of what happened to a western star who passed put with silent pix. Won't particularly satisfy 'em in the duals. Richard Dix Xancer Spy' (20th). War meller of b.o. potentialities. Launches <3eorge Sanders aus- piciously. •->. . '52nd Street'' (Wanger-UA). jProgram film about the lane of niteriea in New York. , 'Over the Goal' (WB). Mote rah-rahs for the adolescents. Also-runner for the duals.. 'Annapolis Salute' (RKQ). For the dualers .with no one' in the cast who means anything to the b.o. 'My Dear Miss Alifrlch' (MG). . Nifty little newspaper comedy geared for. double program con- sumption; Edna May Oliver, Maureen O'Sullivan and Walter Pidgeon in cast. 'Forlorn River' (Par). Tepid glorified western with Larry Crabbe and jSyd Saylor; for after-half, of twin bills. . 'The Westtond Case' (U). Crime Club story that lacks punch; Preston Foster, Carol Hughes and Barbara Pepper ■featured. .' General von Melntaardl. .Maurice Moscovlch Colonel Fenwlok I,iIonel AtwlU .Schrn,tt .\......; Luther Adler Prlta^ueller Fritz Feld rector'is spending too much,money I grptiTNe^iViel-IIitllllh^s^'eT^^^^ and altogether more is going out Von Klln^ren .Carlos Da Valdez than coming in. , Oapt.aln Freymann Gregory Gaya With Miss Blondell as his secre- ^^^^^ v.J?,^" tary Howard tackles the job as if he HoS.X"r;dant::-:::::v.::::;icinnl^^^^^ were running .a. shipbuilding plant. Admiral Frank Helcher Finally, when things go from bad I statesman Leonard Mudle to worse, he bucks up and pulls the . _^ , ^ . . studio out of its difficulties, in the Melodrama that is sometimes ex- course of which he gets a hlackeye, citing, almost absorbing, and played a lesson from Miss ^ Blondell in with serious intensity, 'Lancer Spy' rassling and his discharge by the ^^i, t^,- +;™». .,f«^„ Wall street bankers. time story of ,Film is from a Satevepost story. espionage behind the German lines by Clarence Budington Kelland Although somewhat reminiscent of (author of TWr. Deeds Goes' to Three Faces East' type of enter- Town'), and a screenscriot possessing " . lorpc ./^ .T; . . much originality by Gene Towne tainment, there is much in it that is and Graham Baker. Tay Garnett di- new, and the direction by Gregory rects ^and gets all the fun possible Rat off arrests the attention through from the narrative. Humphrey Bogdrt plays the pro- , . , , « ducer who turns teetotaler: Alan „ FUm serves also to bring George Mowbrav does the foreign director; Sanders to the front as a dramatic Maria Shelton is the vampy film star. At the. end of the film Darryl star, and C. Henry Gordon is the ^- Zanuck has attached a short trail- menacing stock joliber who tries to «r vouching an important screen get control of the studio. Casting career for Sanders. For his per- of TuUy Marshall, J. C. Nugent and fprmance in this picture he earns William V. Mone as three genera- the opportunity which the 20th-Fox tions of New York bankers provides invocation would indicate. He is a mi'oh merriment. giant of a man, stands more than six General production is first class, I ^ee* ;^two and is proportionately lends a tang of impending danger to his performance. .. . Dolores Del Rio has the only im- portont femme ^pot in the cast. She is the prbprietress of a Berlin nitery and is a German agent. She helps the Englishman, with, whom she hais fallen in love to escape. Her char- acterization is good, her enunciation distinct. Men players haVe been carefully chosen for their respective roles. At- will is head of the British espionage office and does a fine job. Joseph Schildkr&ut impersonates a German martinet with comedy results. Peter Lorre does a slick under officer, and Maurice Moscovlch and Sig Rumann are. ferocious opponents in the Ger man war oifice. There is a good bit by Fritz Feld as a subaltern. Lacking big star names, film will need plenty of advance umph, but will please wherever shown. Audi- ences will go out talking about San- ders. Flin. _ staccato beats of horse hoofs for- merly signalized the movements of the Snobs. There is no doubt about t: things do change with the years. .• So far as '52d Street,' the film, is concerned, the transition neither Is for the better or the Worse. Such entertainment as is. shown on the screen as being typical of present ni^t life in the area is as dull and uninteresting as the' spat betweeti the brother and sisters of long years ago. A programmer for the double bills. FUn. OVER THE GOAL (WITH SONGS) Warner Bros, production and release. Features June Travis, William Hopper, Johnnie Davis. Directed by Nael Smith. Adopted by William Jacobs and Anthony Coldftwny from story by William Jacoby; sonf^s, M. K. Jerome and Jnck. SchoU; as-, socljate producer. Bryan Foy:. Asst. direc- tor, Marshall Hakenian; camera, Warren Lynch; nim editor, Frapk Dowar; dlalop director. Harry Seymour. Reviewed In Projection • Room. N. Y., Sept. 30,, '37, Huni^Ingr time, 08 mlns. '■.' ' Lucine Martin , June Travis Ken Uionins William Hopper Tiny Waldron....' Johnnie Divls Bee. Mnbel Tddd Bentoln Gordon Oliver Jim Shelly William Harrlfiran Duke Davis .Wlllard Parker Dr. Martin Eric .Stanley Abner i ,. Uaymond Hatton Stanley .Short Herbert RawUnson Dr. Marshall................Douplas Wood William Eddie Anderson Hannah ; Hattle McDanlela Clay Fred MoKaye Peters Eddie Chandler' Teddy George OfTerman. Jr. Pinky ,' Jack Chapln Lnrkln .Kobert Hoover KlixK ...Tohn Craven Membei-s - of the XT. S. C. football squad. My Dear Miat Aldrich * Mett6 proOvitlon and release.- Features Edna May Oliver, Walter Pldseon, Maureea O'Sullivan. DIreoted by George B. Selts. Original an screenplay, berman J. Mank'le« Wlcz; . musical score. David Snell: flint ^editor, WllUam S. Gray; camera; Charlea liawton, Jr. At Metropolltah, Brooklyn, dual, week Sept, SO, '87. Running time! 78 mlns, ■. I Mrs. Atberton... ...Edna May Oliver Martfia AldFloh.l......Maureea O'Sullivan Ken Morley......Walter Pldgcoa Ellen Warn^ld.,,.., Rita Johnson Mrs. Sinclair ,.' ....Janet Beecher Mr, Sinclair '..',... .Paul Harvey Mr. Warfleld; Cfiarle's Waldron Mi;. Talbot.'.;...«••......Walter' ^Ingstord Ted Martin. .'Rog^r Converse Ai> Attendant. ...Gulnn Willlama A Walter ..i..Leonid. Klnskey .Gregory i Brent Sargeant 'Doc' Howe.J. Farrell MncDonald The Major Domo Robert Grelg and the film will be-well received by audiences that like to laugh. Flin. It Happened in HVood Columbia production and rplease. Stars RU.'hnrd Dix. Features Pny W\-ay, Victor KUlan, FrnnUlln PanRborn. Directed by Hnrrv Lnchmnn. Screenpla.v by l^thol Hill. Hnrvpy ForKUsson, Sam Fuller, from orlp- Innl by Jlyles Connolly; camera, .Toacph Walker. At RIalto. N. T., week Oct. 1, 'HI. Running time. 07 mlns. Tim Bart RMiarrt Dix Gloria Gay Fay AVrny Rllm. . Victor Klllan Mr. T'or.iythe. Franklin Pflngliorn .Ted Reed.......... ....OhPrllo Arnt Snnr< Rennntt Gl-nnvIIle B.ntea AI Howard , .William B. Davidson Pe(e Arthur I.oft Stevens Edgar Denring Shorty JnWes Dnnlan Blll.v Blllv Buirud Mks Goi'don. Zeflle Tilbury. Wu'k , Hnrotrt Goodwin Pappy Charles Brlnley In being neither a full-blown west- ern nor a back-of-the-cameras story of film-making, 'It Happened in Hollywood' will have difficulty fitting in. The predominantly femme au- diences which cotton to backstage yarn.-! puffed with pathos won't whoJly find it. to their liking, nor will the fans addicted to oats operas. Film wavers between the two cate- gories and never topples into either. Not only has the story of the pic star washed up when films found voice, been done before, but it has been done so much better. That robs this one of originality, and with a treatmetit that Is neither bright nor sHck, the pic will- have tough going trying to please. It won't make any broad. He dominates his scenes with fierce physical vehemence, and con- veys the impression of being a younger Emil Jannings. He may go far and become a real box office puller. Exhibitors will hope the Zanuck prophesy proves true. Story is a war incident told In retrospect by Lionel Atwill. whose own acting throughout the film is tlie best he has done in months. A German officer captured with his company is spirited away to British secret service headquarters when Englijsh operatives see a striking re- semblance between the prisoner and an English naval officer. This man- euver, intent of which is kept hid-' den from the audience, has a sur- prise twist when the Britisher Is apprised that his Job is to study every move, inflection of speech and manner of the enemy captive. Thus he prepares himself to change places with the German. His escape from prison is arranged and the English- man, in his weird and dangerous masquerade, returns to Germany for the purpose of learning war plans of the high command. ^ In Berlin he is accepted ns a pub-, lie hero, is feted and received hy the war office. From the fir.st. however, his identity is suspected by the Ger- man secret service agents, and the melodramatic incidents of his es- cape after obtaining details of the 1917 advance, comprise the thrills of the story. Sanders plays the dual characters of Briti.sher and German. Becau.'je he is one in both parts, it would ap-^ pear a simple task, but the subtle inclusion, of British chara.cteristlcs, while impersonating the German, 52ND STREET (WITH SONG^l . Hollywood, Oct. 5. ttnlled Artists release of Walter Wanger production. Directed by Harold Young. Sci-eenplev by (irovcr Jones; additional dialog, Sid Silvers; dances. Danny Dare; .songs, Harold Bullock and Harold Spina; musical direction, Alfred Newman; cam- era, George Schnelderman; film editors, Otho Lovering and William Reynolds; asst. director, Chorles Kerr. Previewed at the Uptown, L. A„ Oct. 1, '37. Running time. 80 mlns. ••, Rufus Rondell .......lii Ian Hunter FiorellO' Zamn relH Leo Carrlllo Margaret Rondell.............Pnt Puterson Betty '.....Ella Logan Letltla Rondell.. ZaSu Pitts Adela RondoII -x TDorothv Peterson Sid Sid Silvers Evelyn Macy Maria S'helton .Tack .Tack White Minnie Collette Lyons Lawyer , Roman Bohnen Butler ■ Wade Boteler Klnuber Al Shean Porky .Tack Adair Benjamin fSnonarelU TCennv Baker Sppolaltles: (Seorgie Tann.s, Dorothy Saul- ter, Mpiirlce Rocro. AI Norman, Jerry Co- lonna, Pat Harrington. Another pigskiii opry for the. fall trade. Pic is based nn the amiable theory that Whether Siwash wins the big game is stop-press stuff. Prob- ably it is and probably ".Over ' the Goal' will consequently get its share as a bottom-deck dualei: in the nabes. This version of the usual football epic is concerned with the hero's promise to his girl not to fight any more grid wars leist ;another injury to his bad knee will cripple him for life. -But it turns out that dear old alma- mater will lose a huge legacy tmless the boys make it three straight against hated Squeedunk. What makes it all pretty sinister is the added complication that the hero's family stands to collect some of the coin if the college loses it. And there's a conniving lawyer who has the hero heaved in the brig to prevent him from welshing on his promise. . But Richard Merriwell gets to the game on time and comes through with the needed points as the whistle blows. It's all pure rah-rah stuff, without too much emphasis on the logic. Johnnie Davis is lively and insistent as a fresh frosh, while William Har- rigan, Raymond Hatton and Douglas Wood are satisfactory in character parts. June Tra-vis and William Hop-, per are harmless as the incredibly- written leads. As usual in football pix the long shots of actual college games are convincing and exciting, but the action closeups are pretty dreadful. 'Over the Goal' is lightweight stuff, but it should do the trifiing job required. Hobc. It may have been a good idea to make a film about the metamorphos- ing of Manhattan's West 52d street from a lane of stolid dwellings, where re.spectability. once resided, into an emblazoned row-'of niteries, but for some reason tKe conception doesn't come through in the finished picture. Filmgoers are likely to wonder what it is all about, and why. It's that ol' debbil story again which creates the confusion. Trouble is that Grover Jones tells a long-winded yarn about a brother and two sisters who own a couple of houses on the thoroughfare and haven't spoken to each other in years because the brother married an actress. She was a very good actress, too, atid was quite as re- spectable as the sisters. This was way back in 1912, the Bustanoby era. Society and stage folk didn't mingle in those days, according, to the film. Maybe stage folk were a little smarter than they are now. Time and the montages bring 52d street through the speakeasy years of the 20's, the depression,' and the social levelings of the 30's. The row of brownstones is now a string of night clubs, and swing music re- verberates from curb to curb "where ANNAPOLIS SALUTE RKO release of Slsk production. Features Jame<) BlUson, Marsha Hunt, Harry Carey. Direction and stor.v by Christy Cabaiine. Adaptation, John Twl.st; fllm editor, Ted Cheesman; camera, Russell Metty. At Palace, N. T., dual, week Oct. 1, '37. Running time, 05 mlbs. Bill Martin James Ellison Julia Clemmens .....Mnrsha Hunt Chief Martin Harry Carey Clarke Parker ^..V.m Heflln Bunny Oliver Ann Hovey Tex Clemmons Arthur Lake When Metro goes oUt to make a Class B picture, they give, it plenty of production, steady • direction and a certain amoimt of class. It may hot have big draw stars and- the / situation may be overdone, but it certainly will stand up on the second picture shelf in the theatres for which it was designed. 'My Dear Miss Aldrich' apparently fits intb this category. It malces .no pretense at being more than a light, fluffy com- edy. And that's what it is. This one is a farce- comedy built on broader lines. Said lines come close to burlesque at times. Motivat- ing theme is the desire of a Nebraska schoolmarm to prove that women deserve a spot on the staff of a big : T. Y. daily. This idea is kept to the fore through the lengthy, series of misadventures .as the Western teacher ' (young .and .pretty) asserts herself as owner of the publication through inheritance. Edna May Oliver, vet legit itrouper, comes through with one of the fun-; niest performances' as the aunt of the- youthful newspaper boss. Mau-.. reen ■ O'Sullivan is pert and enjoys . able as Ae.w head of the Manhattan ■ daily, who decides the managing editor should change his ideas on feniihe scribblers. Walter Pl^geon makes a fairly . genuine managing editor. Rita Johnson, Janet Beecher, Paul Harvey, J. Farrell MacDonald and Giiinn Williams contribute the best support. . George B. Seitz directed with an eye for hearty laughter even if the moving dumbwaiter gag, a fake am- bulance crew and several other slap« sticky touches had to be injected. They were not essential, but accel- erated the pace. Oddly enough, sev- eral of the working press fraternity looked and acted like members of the Fourth Estater* Herman J. Mankiewicz put several original twists into the -writing plot, but his best effort is in the comed.y dialog. . Picture should do okay in most places played dual. Wear.' FORLORN RIVER Paramount production and release. Fea;> tures Larry. Crabbe, June .Martel, Joh^ Patterson, .Syd Saylor, Harvey Stephens. Directed by Charles Barton. Screenplay by Stuart Anthony and Robert Tost from novd by Zane Grey; ,fllm editor, John Link] camera, Harry Hallenbergnr. At Strand, Brooklyn, double bill, -week Sept. 20, '37, Running time, 63 mlns. Nevada '. Larry Crabb* Ina Blaine June Martel Ben Ide John Patterson Lea Setter Harvey Stephen! .Sheriff Grundy Chester Conklln Sheriff Jim Warner Lew" Kelly 'Weary' Plercp Syd Saylor Blaine William Duncan Bin HhU....'. , Raphael Bennett MUUe Moran Ruth Warren Duke.. Lee Powell Sam ; Oscar G. Hendrian Jeff Winters..... .....Robert Homan» David Ward.. ..Pumell Pratt Ed ' .T.,iirry Lawrenc* Cashier. Barlowe Borland Barber Tom Vug Chet Parker Merrill McCormlck Hank Gordon .....Vester Fegg An unabashed 'B- on which the complaint against Christy Cabanne goes double since he wrote the story as well as directed.. Adaptation oj; the Cabanne' yarn by John Twist doesn't help it any and the dialog is no fresher than last summer's roses. Production is headed for the spots -wjhere they buy two at a time and trust to luck that one of tl-ie pic tures will keep the patrons from fly ing the coop. A strong No. 1 feature is advisable with this one. Sisk produced on a short budget, it is obviou.s. Back,?round:hg the story in cadet life and surroundings at Annapolis, with a newsre€l.y boat race included, film has sbu.sht to instill as much color as possible to dress up an ordinary story but it hasn't been enough, Nor d'>es a cast headed by James Ellison, Marsha Hunt, Harry Carey and Van Heflin help lift a commonplace naval ro- mance out of the rut it fell into when it Was written. Ellison and Miss Hunt are paired On top, with Heflin as a midshipman rival and Carey as the hero's sea-dog father.- A flasliier performance than by any of these is provided by Arthur Lake, whose good-looking sister is played by Miss Hunt., Lesser parts ave done acceptably but not impressively by Ann HOvey, Dick Hogan nnd Marilyn Vernon. Given belter opportunities than provic'ed by 'Salute,' Miss Hunt may have the makings to scale heights. She is Jin inteiT.'^ting screen t.ype who reminds .somewhat of Loretta Young and in love scenes appears to advantage in spite of the poor dialog handed her on this occasion. Char. This glorifled western suffers in early passages through tepid direc- tion and story impediments. Several nice performances later on help to make it measure up with previous Zane Grey actioners. But 'Forlorn River' turns out to be a weak B pro- duction, geared for such dual spots where this type of film is needed. It's handicapped, too, by the absence of cast names. Unbelievable situations and jumpy continuity dot preliminary proceed- ings. There is a very meller bank holdup, followed by some hijacking of the loot by Nevada, the daredevil hero, who is a cross between a ban- dit, a crack sharpshooter, and a hard- workin.tj cowboy. Cameraman Harry Hallenberger has bagged some picturesque out- door shooting of the rugged country in which the plot is laid. He's done a bang-ub job. Stuart Anthony and Robert Yost have not been so for- tunate in translating the Grey yarn. Not only have they scatte^^ed the in- terest buf they have failed to de- velop the character of Nevada prop- erly. Had this been done, the Ih- numerrble other characters and -po.<?- sibly the story develooment might have chimed truer. Dialog is about western average. Larry Crabbe makes a commend- able figure as the sturdy Nevada. Syd Saylor chins in with a skillful nerform?nce of the always hungry 'Weary' Pierce, pal of Nevarta. John Patterson is sati.«!factory p."? the fore- man in love with the cattle owner's dau.Thter. June Martel nlay."! the lat- ter in so-so fashion. Ruth Warren's nortrayal of the camp cook is the i^est femme thespian bit. Chester Conklin, as a sheriff: Harvey Stenhen."?. as the ou+lpw bos,":: Pur- nell Pratt •'nd Lew Kellv ar«» best in support. Charles Barton's .ci'>ection is haphazard. Weor.