Variety (Aug 1939)

20 VARIETY Wedaeeday, August 23, 1939 Film Reviews ISLAND OF LOST MEN Chan At Treasure Island (Continued from page 14) . I ).>■ l-:;irl Doit DlKk'na: camera, Vlr- lill .Minor; <"lllor. Norman Cnlliprl. I'lv- vii\v*cl lit I'plimn. I.. A., Aug. JO, oO. Kjiinhii; Unit', 'li AIINS. Oli: rllc ch.in.. SMney Toler rili:i(llnl I'psnr Iloimfo Bie .Paulino Moore .I'mitny Chun.. >^on YunK rote I^wls. i UoilKlns Fowloy Mvra lOilnlinl Juro i;ale ■rhonm." (.IrOKoiy ..DouKlna Diimbrllle siolla KssoT ^ally Iilano H'"!«le Slliloy. nilllo SownrJ Klinor Kolnor '. ;..\Vnlly Vornnn I'hlor J. J. Kuiuiiiv Donnlil .MnoUrlOo Ho<lloy. Charlo« Ilnllon .Mi.liil : Trevor Ilardollo I'aul Kbse.^ LouIb Jean HeyOt Hollywood, Aug. IC. 50;h romiiry-Vux relenii(> of .svl M. Wiirl- •A* 1 v'iut!iK'tivn: iiKsocliue protliK-er, J-Mwanl . Kaii.'i'iaii. I'riuiiroa .siiluey Toler. DIroi'led tal mannerism and mcnncinR e\eiy|,,j. y.Miniin i-.i.-ior. oriKinai ami «.-reen- Joot of the wav, Naish plajs ihe role ; i.i.n .i„hn i.arkin. uasoii on ehara.'ior to the hilt. He hates and despise? cvcrybooy, iiiciuuint; hiniseil, una counts on his eternal cleverness to outwit the law and remain king of bis jungle domain. Into his clutches fall a variety of -white and native lawbreakers, ail seeking safely in the jungle. Naish sweats and labors them all to his personal enrichment. Anna May Wong, daughter of a Chinese gen- eral, who had iBed his country when falsely accused of absconding with a huge sum of money, plots to .clf'J her father's name. She succeeds in this with the help cf a countryman and several of the •white men • bold enough to defy Naish. Latter's cruelty, exceeding all bounds, is responsible for his ultimate downfall. Natives finish him •with spears and the jungle, reclaims Its own... Writers have attempted to put enough twists in the tale to differen- tiate it from its predecessor, but their efforts leave the final result as Improbable and moth-eaten as the «riginal. , , . ,^ Anna May WonR and Anthony Quinn turn in dignified, capable per- formances, and Eric Blore, Ernest Truex and Broderick Crawford stand out with well-etched character de- lineations. Crawford is especially dominating and surefire in his han- dling of lines. Setting and artistic dressing of production .and scenic high-lights achieve high excellence. Principal faults are the trite story and slow pace of the first half in which omi- nous events, leading un to the pitch of real excitement of the climax, do not provide enough action to sustain audience interest up to that point. Behind Prison Gates Colombia release and produi-llon. Feat- ■nres Brian Donlevy. Directed by Cbarles Barton. Original Boreenplay. Arthur T. Hormon. I.eslle T. White; camera, Allen O. Slesler; editor. Richard Fantl. At Clobe. N. T.. week Aug. 10, '30. nunning time, «3 MI>'S. Jled Murray ....Brian Donlevy Sheila Murray Jacquclipe 'Wella •Warden O'Nell Joseph Crehan iPeley Ryan % PnuVFIX Marly r^onroy ^ Georwe Llo.vd <^apt. Simmons nick Onrils layman RIcbard Fiske Prison drama fare not exhausted yet apparently. Usual threadbare convict stufi this time has enough •twist to groove it for- fair support rating on dual progratvimers. Brian Donlevy is the only one in caet Etrong enough to lure boxoffice trade. Story is tightly directed with sus- pense and melodramatic snan to hold Interest for the most part. Donlevy Is the center of all the action and, •with camera trained oh him almost 90% of the picture, does more than his share of acting. On the whole, he turns in an expert job, Opus is grim and humorle.es. It's a manhunt, and wastes ' little time , getting down to tacks in a prison ' yard where, posing as a yegg with a tough record. Donlevy, in reality a secret operative of the State attor- ney's office, seeks to uncdver where a pair of bank robbers and cop kill- ers have hidden stolen loot. Donlevy cleverly plants suspicion of each other in the minds of the two cons, with the object of getting a squeal from one or the other. Evert the prison warden (Crehan) is un- aware of his identity uijtil a prison break, engineered by Donlevy, ends In disastrous failure for the cons. When the information he wants Is about ready to break. Donlevy- simu- lates two more escapes, breaking out the men he.expects will lead him to the dough. This finally happens, but Donlevy is nearly bumoed oft when they discover his itjentity. Another operative, covering him u i.. arrives In the nick of time to save Donlevy's life, and he gets the gal and the inone'y. Despite plausible attemot at olot treatment, the mechanics have been •worked out -too patly to be able to convince a bunch of wise cons or the fans, who ordinarily would know better. Why the attorney general's office should" constitute itself a col- lection agency for stolen money is »]^o a mystery. Yarn has usual -amount of ma- chine gun rat-tat-tat, attemoted knifings, a mysterious cell killing, dining-room f nd workshop incidents •to-keep the continuity movinr with steady pace and suspense right up. to final scenes. Careful mounting of sets and sub- stantial production values are evi- dent despite moderate negative cost. Camera work and editing also good. Paul Fix and George Lloyd, as the two cons; and Crehan, the warden, turti in straightforward' perform- ances, Jacqueline Wells supplies mild romance in a few scenes to- wartjs Uie end of ihe film. In this onci Charlie Chan bumps into a murder mystery involved with" the psychic and astrological rackets, and proceeds to unravel the. affair at a performance in a Treasure Island <San Francisco Fair) theatre: With Chan's gumshoeing abilities now well known to film audiences after about 25 episodes, solution is secondary to the story unwinding through maze of weird and spooky ep)so<les. Picture is rather slow In spots, but holds up generally to pace set by previous Chan adventures to satisfy the whodunit fans in the subsequent runs as supporting feature. Only reason for the Treasure Island tab in title is to tie into topical situa- tion. Aside from a few stock shots of the western fair, theatre sup- posedly on the grounds, could be anywhere. When fiction writer friend of Chan is suicide on Clipper plane bound for Frisco, Chan interests himself in uncovering the reasons. Trail leads him to Zodiac, racketeer- ing my.itic, who-holds clients in his power through threats of blackmail. Chan is assisted by Cesar Romero, operating illusionist theatre at the Fair, and Douglas Fowley, reporter exposing rackets of the mystics and astrologists. After usual confusing trails presented to the audience, with Douglas Dumbrllle pointed as most likely suspect. Chan discloses the identity of Zodiac during per- formance on the theatre stage. Romero, Dumbrille, Donald Mc- Bride and Fowley are most promi- nent in support Chan's No. 2 son. Sen Yung, does much to confuse things with amateurish display of detecting abilities. . Production background Is up to standard set by previous releases in the series. clicks off a few solid laughs In a deputy (.herilT bit. Narrative revolves around the runaway escapes of a laboratory as- sistant who innocently gets entangled in the murder of her chemist-boss by a spy gang. Because she cap fill in the ncid-bOrned parts of a pur- loined formula, the ^:ang frame her escape from the train and attempt to get her married oft to an Ameri- can citizen. The plot becomes more complex and the romantic by-play more inten.se when Marshal sups himself into the bridegroom assign- ment. After that it's a lot of chase in which the damsel in distress rarely elicits any fear from the cus- tomers, and then comes the unmask- ing of the spies and a scene in which the heroine is admitted to U^. citi- zenship. Odee. Riders of the Frontier (WITH SONGS) XfonOKram release of E.lwafd Finney pro- .lu^-llon. .stars Tex IlHter. Directed by S|vencer nennef. .Story and »jroenplay, Jesse Puirv. and Joseph F-everlnK; camera, Miircrl U-Picani; e.lllor, Krod Uain; ;«ng8. l-'i-ank Jlarrord; hul.-Ical 'llrecfor, tranK Saniiccl. M Arena, N. 1f.. Aug. 18, 30, dual. ItunnlnK time. «0 .MINE. Tj, ;.... .Tex nitter Uino"". Jnik Rutherford Kiiol, Hal Taliaferro Olen Francis ^ju. Nolan Willis • •nrl'oV.V.V Roy Barorpft Honey Bl" McCormlch I'ooUle... i Mantan Moieland D<,rior Edward Cecil .Marshall Bruce .Mitchell Martha ..Jean Joyce Surnh Marlon Sals Goldle Maxina Leslie Tex Hitter's latest starrer Is a cheapie that'll have to depend on the kids for b.o. It fails to awaken any adult interest with its puerile story, inferior acting, direction and story. It deals with a crooked foreman who's fleecing Marion Sais oiit of her cattle. Posing as a western badman, Ritter is actually a law of- ficer who ultimately frustrates the plot and aids in the capture of the ^^Even the inferior productional ef- forts shroud the performance of the star. He croons a couple of songs, sell-accompanied - on the mandolin, but none is distinctive. For a ro- mantic touch there's Jean Joyce, a newcomer and a pleasant looker, but she has little enough to do to indicate any acting ability. Inside Stuff-Pictiires Financial executives of Universal are studying the possibility of some sort of payment around the first of the year on dividend arrearages, ori the preferred stock of the company. Arrears total around $50 a share at the present time. Reduction of $5 per share on the first preferred; ot which there are-17,864 shares outstanding of an authorized 30,000 shares, 8% cumulative, would not entail a payment of more than $100,000. There are also 20,000 shares of second preferred 1% cumulative stock outstand- ing, of an authorized 40,000 shares. Possibility of a refunding operation to effect a lower interest rate .<;e- curity, or an exchange for bonds is also being considered, according to Wall Street sources. Anxious to get into pictures, smart Broadway legit producer is said to have dropped $9,000', loaned to Hollywood cafe man.. Xiatter a clo.se a.<:soci- ate of a filrn studio e.\cc, is said to have inferred in conversation with the guy from firoadway that he had terrific influence with the picture exec which he could \ise in bringing them together. Easterner fell for the comeon, and when a little coin was needed by the cafe operator, the legit producer, who is noted in show biz for his shrewdness, proved easy vic- tim. Now he's reported wanting his money back. Demands made by Philippine, government for deletion of certiin scen^.s from "The Real Glory' have been met with refusal by Samuel Goldwyn to alter a sequence which the producer claims is a mattter of historical record. Scene objected to show's Moros running amuck with bolos and routing the Filipino constabulary. Philippine commissioner in Washington contends such action portrays hi.s-people as cowards.' Goldwyn, however, says all accounts are squared in the final battle scene,, in which the Filipinos emerge as heroes. Irving Trust Co., as RKO's trustee, Monday (21) filed notice in the N. Y. federal court to the holders of unsecured allowed claims of RKO, that it they desire an increase in these claims imder Article 6 of the plan of re- organization, they must file their notice of seeking such increase by Sept 15. . The plan allp\ys creditors who have seittled certain claims for pai-t of what they eventually are to receive, interest on the full amount, dating from Jan. 27, 1933. Merle Potter, Minneapolis Times-Tribune film critic, reveals that the salary of his protegee, Suzanne -Larson-;-professionally Susannah Foster- signed by Paramount for the film ''Victor Herbert' starts at $300 a \yeelc She's a 14-year-old singer taken to Hollywood more than a year ago by Metro 'which dropped her from its contract players before a single screen ajppearahce. Her parents recently were on relief, EXILE EXPRESS Orand National release of Eugene Frenke production, .stars Anna Sten and Alan Marshal. Directed by Otis Garrett. Screen- play by Edivln Justus Mayer, Ethel La- ninn<-he; music, Ceorxe Parrl»:h; at RIalto, -N. If., i-ommenclng Aug. 10, '30. Running time. *0 MItiS. Nadino Nikolas Anna Sten Steve Reynolds Alan Mnr.shnl Paul niandt ...i.Jerome Cowan Hanlcy Jed Prouty Ous •Walter Cailelt Tonv Kas.«an Stanley Fields David.. Leonid Klnsky Victor Irving Plchel Dr. Hlle ; Harry Davenport Piirnell Addison RUhanls Ki-lshev-sky roo<lor Ch.allapln .lustIce ot I'eace Spencer ^'barters SerKo nyron Foulger ''aroial-oi •. tienne Glrardot Mulllns ■..' Don Bro<lle Oonst.'»l)le Henry Ror'iuomore M-s. .Smith Mauds Eburne Dpiioiy "Vlnce Rnrnett Judge Charles Rlchman SMUGGLED CARGO Republic release of John H. Auer produc- tion. Features Bai-ry Mackay, Rocbelle Hudson, Ueorge Barbler. Ralph Morgan. Directed by John H. Auer. Screenplay, Michael Jacoby and Earl Felton; camera, Jack Marta: editor, Ernest NIms: musical director, Cy Feuor. Pi-evlewed In Projection Room. N. y., Aug. IS, 'ao. Running time, Gerry Barry Mackay Marian .Rochelle Hudson Franklin George Barbler Clayton ;Ralph Morgan Professor Cliff Edwards Chrl!< ;..John 'R'ray Maatnrron Arthur Loft Dr. Hamilton .; ■Wallls Clark Klncald Robert Homans Anna Sten and a competent sup porting troupe are tossed together for a grime of I-spy-you and the re suits make for a minimum of excite- ment. The film has one asset and that's the hoke comedy churned up by such specialists as Waltpr Cat- lett 'Vince Barnett and Jed Prouty, While the spy story may have topical pull, this sample runs such a loose and phlegmatic course, and it.? int-'redients are so apparent, that it won't satisfy even the most indul gent of meller fans. 'Exile Exoress' tries to follow Ihe oattern of its type predecessors, but both Ihe story and the direction take it up all .sorts of dull and impossible alleys. There's one sequence that's surefire for snorts. Cornered by pur suing cops, the escapee from a de- portation train qiiick-wittedlv oroves that she is anything but an alien by flinging herself Into a torrid exhibi tion of rug-cutting. To add to the incredulity of the occasion the scriot has one of the cops join her in the tero.sy jitters. Linked with M.'ss Sten for the ro- mantic comn'ications is Alan Mar- .<:hal. A.s the devil-may-care re- porter assigned to cover the train ciirryin'g a grouth of deportees- east f'-om Srn Francisco, Marshal .shows (hat he hns at least what it takes to perk un femme interest. Two other rharactprs on the train who succeed in carving out a bunch of interest for themselves are the sentimental ex-mob-leader, a.9 played by Stan- ley Fields, and the anarchist, even ♦hoi"'h unlmajrinatlvel.v' overdressed bv the director, as done bv Feodor Chalinoin. Prouty and Catlett do an amusin" editn' anrl drunk re- porter routine, while 'Vince Barnett Discounting several Implausibill- ties in what is a better-than-average story. Republic's 'Smuggled Cargo' has the added advantage of an ex- cellent cast that'll help it get by on the duals. Direction paces the film nicely, camera is standard though dialog in spots lacks credence. An- other drawback is the title, a mis- nomer. J Headinff- the cast are Barry Mackay. British player In his Amer- ican debut: Rochelle Hudson, with whom Mackay is paired for the ro- mantic interest; George Barbier, Ralph Morgan and Cliff Edwards. Yarn concerns the flght forced on a California orange growers associ- tion by the unscrupulous Arthur Loft, who gets the growers, headed by Morgan, into a situation that de- mands they sell to him at a ridicu- lously low figure. Mackay, whose Mayfair accent is somewhat out of pilace in this typical American setting, plays Morgan's s'on, who ultimately nips the plot which is further complicated by a murder in which Morgan innocently is involved when the ruthless Mas- terson is slain. He holds his role well otherwise, with Edwards, as his sidekick,' supplying. somewhat ques- tionable'-comedy. Miss Hudson, as Barbier's daugh- ter; Barbier, as a millionaire backer of the fruit growers, and Morgan round put the capable cast ROLLIN' WESTWARD (WITH SONGS) ■ Monogr.'^m release of Edward Finney pro- diK-t'on. Stars Tex Hitter. Directed by Al ITonn.nii, Story and screenplay, Fred Afylon; cam#-ia. Marcel IMcard; editor, Fro'l Hail. At Times Square. N. T., dual, Auk. it. '30. nuiinlng time, tS MINK. Tex .. .Tex nitler .MlnsouH Horace Murphy Holly Dorolhy Fay Rait Slim Whitnker I.aw.eon • Herbert rorthell Watklni* Harry Harvey llnlnes I'hnrle.s King .Slim Hank Wnnlen lt(-4l i Dave O'Brlet^ -Shorlff < Tnm London Dancer Extrelltu Novarro and 'White Flash' Western sagebrush formula worn pretty thin. This concoction has been brewed up in too rhanv Tex Ritter roving Romeo romances to carry any Interest or novelty. Will Just about Neil S. McCarthy, the Coast attorney. Is also a breeder and trader in thoroughbred horse.s. Many of filmdom's horse enthusiasts enlist Mc- Carthy's aid in purchasing likely looking nags, and he Is reported to have bought 16 race horses for Louis B. Mayer in the past seven months. McCarthy often visits Kentucky to attend auctions of thoroughbreds. Is also said to have fostered and written California's horse racing law, which awards winning horses, born and bred in that state, an extra lO'-i to the purse. Mexico is going Hollywood, under a new plan by PresMent Laznro Car- denas, who has asked Leo Carrillo's technical advice in the establishment ot a motion picture studio and training school near Tiajuana. Both studio and school will be financed by the government with Hollywood directors, talent scouts, actors and technicians aiding in the education of young Mexican thesps. C. J. Oswald won $50 as first prize for best solution to an official Detec- tive magazine article on a crime that occurred. Head of the Investigation Dept. of Paramount, he is also a member ot the Chiefs of Police of America, the FBI and other police organizations. Edwaird Small is the third United Artists producer to sign with the Buchanan advertising agency. Others are Hal Roach and Walter Wanger. Switches were engineered by John Hertz, Jr., executive v.p. of the Buchanan outfit Forthcoming publication of 'The Pressure Boys,' by Julius Me.ssner. will hand the picture industry a jolt. Kenneth Crawford's expose of Washing- ton political and industrial lobbies reveals that the Hays organization main- tains the biggest organization of lobbyists in the national capital. Grand National studio is about to get a $75,000 overhauling with the help of Uncle Sam. Money is part of a $400,000 loan by the Reconstruc- tion Finance Corp. get by, but won't arouse any en- thusiasm in or out of the boxoffices, even where outdoor metiers are everyone's meat. The trouble is not with Tex or his strumming and humming of senti- mental western ballads such as the four he sings in this one. What does hold the opus back is the stock situa- tion of land-grabbing gang, corraling water supply, driving cattlemen out through seizure of forces of law and order; murdering off those who resist or forcing them to sell out. - 'Rollin' Westward' is short on plot twist, countcr-Dlot or mass gun fights. Scenically, also, there is lit- tle to recommenti. Dorothy Fay gets by as the romantic interest but like- wise is handicapoed by limited scope of formula. Charles King, chief heavy, has worn the welcome mat threadbare in westerns and could benefit by variety of casting. Ritter does oleasing work as al- ways. Horace Murphy, as his homey, tobacco-squirting, side-kick, is good; Harry Harvey, as a crooked lawyer, also a stereotyped role, only so-so. Lure of the Wasteland (WITH SONGS, IN COLOR) Ifonogram release of. Al T.ane production. Features t'.rant Withers. Directed by Harry Fra.iier. Original and adaptation by Muni-o Talbot; raniora, Francis Corhy; edi- tor, Charles V. Honkol, Jr. At Crnlral, N. y., dual, week Aug. ID, '30. Kunolng time, S^.MINS. .Smitly Oram 'U'liherfl Parker.. Karl llackett Heroine Marlon Arnold nutch... Leltf-y Mason Judge Oarloton Henry Roriiiemore Ranch Forma n Tom Tendon Cookie .Snub - I'ollard Chief attempts at distinction of this western are the photography tin Telco color) and the grandeur of the rugged 'scenic backgrounds. The color results are poor, but the scenery shots are good. Directed without imagination and, aside from Grant Withers, without any name draw, oat opera is destined as a fiUer-in with slim b.o. pickings. Color is of little assistance to the production as a whole. General ef- fect is muddy and not clearly de- fined although without any notice- able txinge ot color registration. Ex- teriors at times take on a completely reddish hue and other tirncs a blue- green, the streaks being plainly evi- dent in panoramic camera shots. Withers, a U. S. marshal, detailed to discover hiding place of $250,000 in stolen bonds, poses as a convict and helps leader of bad men to es- cape from prison, hoping to close in on the loot by gaining confidence of Leroy Mason and his cohorts. Action thereafter centers mostly on cattle raids by Mason's gang and Withers' outwitting the criminals when stolen securities are located in the safe of a cattle rancher, having been placed there by Snub Pollard, reformed chuck wagon cook for the rancher and former member of the gang. Loot Is regained by Withers after several rough-and-tumble fights and gun battles, ending with the marshal taking his prisoner back to the peni- tentiary. Situations at crucial mo- ments are too pat and worked out in formula fashion, e'asily foretold by the audience. . „Mason tries hard to be a real bad- man but toys with the part. Withers' role calls for him to remain in the background of the action for the most part and consequently is-given little chance to dominate the story. Marlon Arnold is dragged into the yarn without motivation. She is ju.st a part of the scenery. Picture has been scored .skillfully with . western romantic strains and cowhands sing 'Home on the Range' and another roundelay of the plains with telling effect