From the very prolific studios of the Fox Films comes “Wild Gold,” a flamboyant typical Hollywood concoction. The program at the Mayfair, where it is now playing, states that the picture is based on a story by Dudley Nichols who was some years ago one of this town’s best reporters. All I can say is that if his old city editor sees it he will be taken with a quick sharp pain.
Evidently Fox has attempted to capitalize the modern gold rush. If you are a newspaper reader you must know that since the depression set in many hopeful people have been going into the old gold fields of the West determined to dig a living out of the ground. These amateur miners have added color to our present scene and a picture about them was to be expected.
Fox, however merely toyed with the idea. Instead of a serious or even realistic story about this new crop of prospectors, “Wild Gold” turns out to be a melodramatic, somewhat silly story about a night club singer (Claire Trevor) and a dashing mining engineer (John Boles). It seems that the engineer has lost his job at the mines because of his infatuation for a night club singer who has been stranded at the camp. They go off into the wilds and put up at the cabin of a grizzled old-time gold miner (Roger Imhof). To make the plot move, Harry Green, in the role of a small time theatrical producer accompanying a bevy of chorus ladies on a tour, is shown selling his automobile and buying a worthless gold mine. His actions as a digger for the yellow metal, supply the much needed comedy relief.
There is more action and a deeper plot which occurs when the singer’s worthless husband (Monroe Owsley) discovers his wife and demands money. In a fight he kills the old prospector and is, in turn, conveniently swept away to his death by a dam burst, leaving the road clear for the night club lady and the engineer to unite in holy matrimony which I am sure will make all the censors very happy.
“Wild Gold” as the above might indicate is not a picture calculated to take you away from your fan and fly swatter. What few bright moments it possesses occur when Claire Trevor sings one of her numbers. “If I Were Free” is particularly tuneful but then you will be able to hear this same selection over your radio.
NOTES AND COMMENTS
After tomorrow night the only shows left on Broadway will be “Are You Decent?” “As Thousands Cheer,” “Sailor Beware,” “She Loves Me Not” and “Tobacco Road.”
The next Hugh Walpole novel to be made into a picture will be “Vanessa.” Helen Hayes and Robert Montgomery will play the leading roles and M-G-M will make the film.
Bobby Sanford’s “Show Boat Revue” continues on the S. S. Buccaneer, and Meyer Davis and his orchestra supply the dance music.
Rudy Vallee is the keynote of the floor show at the Pavilon Royal out at Valley Stream where the dinners are moderately priced but where the liquor comes high.
Shirley Temple in “Baby Take a Bow” finished a four-week run at the Roxy last week. The film will go directly to the neighborhood houses.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
