Motion Picture Reviews (1939)
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MOTION PICTURE REVI m WOMEN'S UIIIWMirmUB LOS ANGELES CALIE Vo l. XIII 1939 MOTION PICTURE REVIEWS JANUARY 19 3 9 CONTENTS A Christmas Carol The Dawn Patrol Exposed The Girl Downstairs Going Places Heart of the North His Exciting Night Kentucky Little Orphan Annie Little Tough Guys in Society Pacific Liner Paris Honeymoon Pygmalion Ride a Crooked Mile Secrets of a Nurse Sweethearts Swing That Cheer Thanks for Everything Tom Sawyer, Detective Trade Winds Zaza THE WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY CLUB LOS ANGELES CALIF ORNIA 10c Per Copy $1.00 a Year Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 with funding from Media History Digital Library https://archive.org/details/motionpicturerev00wome_8 — MOTION PICTURE REVIEWS Three MOTION * PICTURE * REVIEWS Published, monthly by THE WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY CLUB LOS ANGELES BRANCH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN Mrs. Palmer Cook, General Co-Chairman Mrs. John Vruwink, General Co-Chairman Mrs. Chester A. Ommanney, Preview Chairman Mrs. Thomas B. Williamson, Assistant Preview Chairman Mrs. Francis Poyas, Subscription Chairman Cooperating Branches Long Beach Glendale Santa Monica Whittier EDITORS Mrs. Palmer Cook Mrs. J. Allen Davis Mrs. George Ryall Mrs. John Vruwink Address all communications to The Women’s University Club, 943 South Hoover Street, Los Angeles, California 10c Per Copy - - $1.00 Per Year Vol. XIII JANUARY, 1939 No. 1 Copyright 1938 by Women's University Club of Los Angeles FEATURE FILMS A CHRISTMAS CAROL O O THE DAWN PATROL O O Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Errol Flynn, David Niven, Basil Rathbone, Lockhart, Terry Kilburn, Barry Mackay, Donald Crisp, Melville Cooper, Barry Fitz- Lynne Carver, Leo G. Carroll, Lionel Bra- gerald, Carl Esmond. Original story by John ham, Ann Rutherford, D'Arcy Corrigan, Monk Saunders. Screen play by Seton R. Ronald Sinclair. Direction by Edwin L. Marin. Miller and Don Totheroh. Direction by From the story by Charles Dickens. Screen Edmund Goulding. Warner Brothers. play by Hugo Butler. M.-G.-M. Filmed for the second time, “The Dawn In a preface to an early edition of “A Patrol” justifies the contention that a good Christmas Carol,” Dickens said: “I have story can be successfully retold. It brings endeavored, in this Ghostly little book, to back a phase of airplane warfare in the days raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not of 1916 when a handful of veteran flyers of put my readers out of humor with them- the Fifty-ninth Squadron of the Royal Flying selves, with each other, with the season, or Corps, with replacements of pitiably young with me. May it haunt their houses pleas- and inexperienced aviators, were sent out antly and no one wish to lay it." To trans- against the coldly cruel Von Richter (pre- late this “Ghostly little book” to the screen sumably Von Richtofen) and his efficient and have this foreword none the less ap- patrol. It is tense drama of brilliant, high- plicable to the picture was no mean task for strung men, whose exploits in the sky hold M.G.M., but they have succeeded admirably. one spellbound by their skill and daring and The picture is just as unpretentious as the flair for perilous adventure. But there is book and equally charming. It is delight- also the somber side which comes very near to fully acted by a very able cast, and its en- us now that thunderheads of war again dearing qualities easily overshadow its few threaten the world, the appalling tragedy flaws. and futile waste, the heart-rending sacrifice of Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 youth because it is ordained by “criminal Excellent Excellent idiots who sit around a table” and plan to Four MOTION PICTURE REVIEWS remake the map. Errol Flvnn takes the part sporting-goods house masquerades as a fa- of Courtney with keen understanding and mous Australian steeplechase rider to adver- judgment; David Niven, Basil Rathbone and tise his firm, you will recall that the gentle- Donald Crisp are almost equally convincing; man’s riding experience had been confined in fact, every actor in the film seems to live to mechanical horses, and that when circum- his part. Edmund Goulding’s direction is stances forced him to mount Jeepcrs Creep- powerful. It is a picture which will be re- ers, a man-killing horse, the results were membered not for a day but for a long time. hilarious and thrilling. The story has been Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 modernized with highly effective musical in- Strong fare Too tense terludes, notably the swing number, “Mutiny in the Nursery,” in which Louis Armstrong, his colored band and chorus, and Maxine EXPOSED O O Sullivan are starred. “Jeepers Creepers,” Glenda Farrell, Otto Kruger, Herbert Mun- the theme song, is a high light. Armstrong din, Chas. D. Brown, Richard Lane, Lorraine as Gabe, the groom and trainer, has found Krueger. Based on an idea by George R. that the vicious horse has one vulnerable Bilson. Original screen play by Chas Kauf- point, a weakness for a song composed for man and Franklin Coon. Direction by Har- him. The scenes in which Gabe, then Peter old Schuster. Universal. Mason (Dick Powell), and then the band Click, the girl photographer of a modern use this song to soothe the animal are ex- pictorial magazine, is sued for taking views tremely funny. Dick Powell, Walter Catlett, of a once-famous prosecutor who has fallen Alan Jenkins and Harold Huber are very upon days of poverty and wretchedness. In entertaining when they compose “Oh, What trying to extricate herself from a bad situa- a Horse Was Charlie.” The comedy is good, tion—she gets into more trouble and eventu- the music catchy, and the steeplechase effect- ally lands in the toils of gangsters. In the ively thrilling. end the same prosecuting attorney comes to Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Excellent Good her rescue. While somewhat complicated in © construction, it is a fast-moving film with some good acting. Otto Kruger is excellent HEART OF THE NORTH O O in his portrayal of the various stages of his Dick Foran, Gloria Dickson, Gale Page, Allen regeneration. Jenkins, Patrick Knowles, Janet Chapman, Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 James Stephenson, Anthony Averill, Joe Too mature No Sawyer, Joseph King, Russell Simpson, Ar- thur Gardner, Garry Owen. Screen play by THE GIRL DOWNSTAIRS O O Lee Katz and Vincent Sherman. Direction by Lewis Seiler. Warner Brothers Franciska Gaal, Franchot Tone, Walter Con- Stirring melodrama with the Royal Mounted nolly, Rita Johnson. Direction by Norman Police of Canada tracking their man through Taurog. M.-G.-M. terrific physical difficulties. It is a lusty tale Comedy at its best is presented in “The of adventure set in magnificent country and Girl Downstairs.” Franchot Tone is cast photographed in technicolor. If some of the as a gentleman in disguise, and Franciska action is faked it is so cleverly done that no Gaal, piquant Hungarian actress, plays a hint is given the audience who sit breathless Cinderella role as a scullery maid whose through scenes of violent action and cheer charms are more availing than those of her when the “mounties” get their men. Very mistress. The cast is excellent and the pic- entertaining of its type. ture is beautifully directed. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Entertaining Depends on taste Entertaining Mature © © HIS EXCITING NIGHT O O GOING PLACES O O Charlie Ruggles, Ona Munson, Maxie Rosen- Dick Powell, Anita Louise, Allen Jenkins, bloom, Marion Martin, Stepin Fetchit, Ray- Ronald Reagan, Walter Catlett, Harold Hu- mond Parker. Direction by Gus Meins. Based ber, Thurston Hall, Minna Gombell, Louis on a play by Katherine Kavanaugh. Uni- Armstrong Maxine Sullivan. Screen play versal. by Sig Herzig, Jerry Wald and Maurice Leo. Charlie Ruggles is amusing in the role of Based on the play "The Hottentot" by a timid bridegroom who is kidnapped on his Victor Mapes and William Collier, Sr. Di- wedding day, and Stepin Fetchit contributes rection by Ray Enright. Musical direction some laughable scenes. Otherwise this is a by Leo Forbstein. Warner Brothers. below-average, slapstick farce. If you remember “The Hottentot,” that Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 breezy farce in which a salesman from a Poor No MOTION PICTURE REVIEWS Five O KENTUCKY O O LITTLE TOUGH GUYS IN SOCIETY O Mischa Auer, Mary Boland, Edw. Everett Loretta Young, Richard Greene, Walter Horton, Helen Parrish, Jack Searl, Frankie Brennan, Douglas Dumbrille, Karen Morley, Thomas. Original screen play by Edward Moroni Olsen, Russell Hicks, Willard Rob- Eliscu Mortimer Offner. Direction by Reed, Bobs and ertson, Charles Waldron, George Erie C. Kenton. Universal. Watson, Delmar Watson, Leona Roberts. Tain- Screen play by Lamar Trotti and )ohn It is to be hoped that the New Year will Twen- tor Foote. Direction by David Butler. draw the curtain on the cycle of boy gang Century-Fox. tieth films, for anyone who has seen one knows of Kentucky. Close your eyes and think them all, and they are getting no better very Civil War and Start with the period of the fast. This one differs from its nredecessors to the present. hurry your imagination along in its would-be comical approach to the your mind, you All the scenes that come to problem of youth delinquency, but it features “Kentucky.” will find in the picture called the same rowdy types of hoodlums with their with the breed- You will see plantation days, same crudeness and bravado. The story tells Kentucky s ing of thoroughbred horses in how six boys from the East side of New Derby bluegrass.