Several Twists In "Road To Reno"

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 30, 6 January 1939, Page 14

Several Twists In "Road To Reno"

("The Road To Reno.’’? Direct. ed by S. Sylvan Simon. Starring Randolph Scott, Hope Hampton. Release: Date indefinite.] NE of the points of interest about ‘‘Road to Reno’’ is that it features what Hollywood is pleased to term a new sereen personality. Whether there is any difference between,a, new. screen per: sonality and a new star I don/t

know, but at any rate, in "Road to Reno," Universal introduce one of the former. She is Hope Hampton, who sings well, acts fairly well and contrives to look as though she had just come off the lid of a chocolate-box. Miss Hampton sings just enough to make one wish she would sing some more. What she does sing is well varied, and includes an excerpt

from "La Boheme" and that tuneful western song, "I’m Riding the Trail te My Home." Perhaps it’s a low-brow confession to make, but I must admit I like her in the western better. Married In Haste THE story throws still further light on the great American institution of divorce, and just how the city of Rene has brought divorce within the reach of everyone. Miss Hampton, married in haste to a Nevada rancher (Randolph Scott), who objects to her stage eareer, plans to divorce him, but is thrown into his company just long enough to make her decide he is a desirable husband after all. Then Mr Scott, to teach his wife @ lesson, decides to divorce her, and from then on things develop as Hollywood thinks they should deyelop in a Hollywood comedy. Not So Useless RANDOLPH SCOTT, big and out-door-looking, might have stepped straight from "High, Wide and Handsome," Several scenes are stolen hy blonde Glenda Farrell, who knows how to get the most out of every situation, and by Alan Marshall as the city dude who isn’t at all such a useless sort of guy on 2 ranch, That was one point I liked about "Road to Reno." For once the handsome, rugged rancher doesn’t win out ali the time. Far from it. Mr. Marshall takes Mr, Scott up in an aeroplane and loops and zooms until Scott’s stomach is in a very bad way. And when it comes to a swimming race in the icy waters of a creek, Mr. Marshall turns on a very pretiy crawl stroke, and simply walks-or rather, crawls-away from his rival. The final scene is treated with a levity which should once again impress the unsophisticated with the fact that it’s easy come, easy go in Reno. I liked the final shot, the judge pounding his bench with a gavel and crying, "Order! Order! Order! You can’t make: a, fool out of: this court. Or can you?" |. rea