Dip Into M.G.M.'s 1939 Basket

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 27, 16 December 1938, Page 18

Dip Into M.G.M.'s 1939 Basket

["Three Loves Has Nancy." ™.G.M. Directed by Richard Thorpe. Starring Robert Montgomery, Janet Gaynor, Franchot Tone. First reiease, Wellington, December 23.] ("Fast Company." M.G.M. Directed by Edward Buzzell. Starring Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice. First release, Wellington, date indefinite.j Ss we announeed a week Or two ago, &@ very important deal was recently completed when M.G.M. made arrangements for the disposal of their 19389 product in New Zealand. Immediate result ‘was that last week about a dozen and a half assorted 1939 M.G.M. pictures arrived in Wellingion to be previewed, assessed and generally summed up by the trade and similar important people. I wags not able to see all of them, but I did see some which will be released in the near future. You'll probably be hearing a lot more of

them before losg, but in the meanfime here are some brief observations on "Three Loves Has Naney" and "Fast Company," which yen will soon be seeing. "Three Loves Has Nancy" is done after the style of ""Merriiy We Live," and is notable. for smart dialogue, happy-go-lucky action and polished performances from Robert Montgomery, Janet Gaynor and Franchot Tone. Typical Style ONTGOMERY, in typical style, plays the role of a popular author, and Tone is his publisher. Both these wealthy young men lead a pretty gay life, one’s speciality being wine, and the other’s, to put it bluntly, women, Escaping from the clutches of an actress, Montgomery is accidentally involved with a simple, honest little country girl-Janei Gaynor, as you may have guessed. But it’s not long before the simple jittle country girl has enslaved the hearts of both these playboys. Just another triangle, maybe, but it’s a very amusing one, Young Marrieds READ the other day that after quite a lot of salary trouble with Mr. William Powell, M.G.M have at last decided to make another "Thin Man" picture, starring once again Mr. Powell and Miss Loy. And it looks to me as if M.G.M., just to keep movie-goers in an appreciative frame of mind for thrillor-comedies of the "Thin Man" type, decided to fill in a gap with "Past Company."

"Fast Company" does not reach the standard of "The Thin Man" and its sequel, but it is on the same gay lines, concerning itself with a couple of bright young "marrieds" who are pitchforked into a murder mystery. I’ve always had an admiration for Melvyn Douglas, and here again he extracts every ounce of eniertzinment. Florence Rice is certainly 2a decorative young woman. . Somehow, though, I don’t imagine that "Fast Company" will ereate a couple of "Thin Man" characters. Perhaps it was not meant io.