GIRLS ON THE SPREE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22466, 29 July 1938, Page 5

GIRLS ON THE SPREE

There are said to be stars enough, laughs, tunes, and gags enough for a dozen big musical films in "Sally, Irene, pnd Mary," which is coming to the Civic. Alice Faye and Tony Martin sing the tuneful songs as only they know how. With Fred Allen, of radio's "Town Hall To-night," twice as funny on the screen, they lead a whole troupe of brilliant stars. Joan Davis learns some new gags from the famous Schnozzle Durante. Marjorie Weaver, the sensation of "Second Honeymoon," and Louise

Three Stars in "Sally, Irene, and Mary"

Hovick set their caps at Gregory Ratoff, who has plenty of money and a gleam in his eye. The cast also includes Barnett Parker and J. Edward Bromber£. Eight sparkling dance tunes keep things moving. They include "Half Moon on the Hudson," "I Could Use a Dream," "This is Where I came In," "Help Wanted—Male," and "Who Stole the Jam?" by Walter Bullock and Harold Spina, and "Got My Mind on Music" and "Sweet as a Song" by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel. Three dancing girls in search of social security, "Sally, Irene, and Mary," find themselves involved in love, laughter, and song. ' The three girls, played by Alice Faye, Joan Davis, and Marjorie Weaver, are looking for theatrical work, but the best their agent, Fred Allen, can do is to get them jobs as manicurists in a swanky hotel. They are fired for putting on their act for a rich and high-powered eccentric, Gregory Ratoff. Their agent, Allen, lands them in a second-rate dance club, where Alice meets and develops a romantic interest in Tony. Louise Hovick, who keeps Reno busy, falls for Tony, and Allen gets her to finance a show for Tony and the girls. When Louise discovers the Alice-Tony entente, she withdraws her support. Allen's offices are thrown into the street. He meets Jimmy Durante, who dreams about the good old horse-and-buggy days. Jimmy invests in Fred's business just when Marjorie inherits an ancient Hudson river side-wheeler. Fred has the inspiration to turn the relic into a showboat. William A. Seiter directed the film, with Gene Markey associate producer. Suggested by the stage play by Eddie Dowling and Cyrus Wood, the screen play was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen from the original story by Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger.

The G.B.D. attraction, "Owd Bob," from the novel which ran to 19 editions, is doing very well both in England and America. Will Fyffe's performance of "Adam McAdam" is ranked amongst "the finest characterisations seen on the screen."

Madeleine Carroll had to engage a second secretary to answer the thousands of letters which came to her dressing-room at United Artists' studios after she was marooned for three days in her Malibu Beach home by the California flood, which took more than 100 lives. She was engaged in Walter Wanger's "Blockade" at the time, costarring with Henry Fonda.

Because she read two words with so much expression, June Johnson's role was built up from just one line to an important comedy part in RKO Radio's "Vivacious Lady," in which Ginger Rogers and James Stewart are starred.

Joan Fontaine, the blonde RKO Radio actress, has been given the feminine lead opposite Chester Morris in her studio's new Richard Dix film, "Ground Crew," which is soon being produced.