BORROWING TROUBLE

Tommy and Roger make plans

BORROWING TROUBLE (aka The Jones Family in Borrowing Trouble/1937). Director: Frank R. Strayer.

As Bonnie Jones (Shirley Deane) nervously prepares for her wedding to florist Herbert (Russell Gleason), her father, now Mayor Jones (Jed Prouty), becomes a "Big Brother" to a troubled boy from the wrong side of the tracks named Tommy (Marvin Stephens). Mayor Jones is none too thrilled to have the boy among his household, but his wife (Spring Byington) and mother (Florence Roberts) importune him to give Tommy a chance. Part of Tommy's problem is that his older brother, Lester (George Walcott), who works in a pool room, has fallen in with a bad crowd. And then the safe in Mayor Jone's drug store is robbed ... Borrowing Trouble, in which Papa Jones learns not to judge people by their appearance (although his wife's "no bad boys" attitude is quite unrealistic), the seventh entry in the Jones Family series, is, as usual, well-acted with its sentimental aspects never becoming too cloying. Bonnie and Herbert finally get married even if the ceremony is interrupted in riotous fashion. The Jones get a new addition in this installment -- a dog. Oldest son Jack (Kenneth Howell) has little to do in Borrowing Trouble, as he only shows up for the wedding at the end. Roger (George Ernest) gets the lion's share of the footage and gives a very ingratiating performance; Stephens is also notable. His character of Tommy McGuire was carried over to future Jones films, such as The Jones Family in Hollywood, becoming Lucy Jones' (June Carlson) boyfriend. The ever-mediocre Cy Kendall, who plays Chief Kelly in this and other Jones' films, was in a number of serials [Jungle Queen] and "B" movies [The Shadow Strikes].

Verdict: Another amiable evening with the Joneses. **1/2.

HOT WATER

Jed Prouty and Spring Byington as Mr. and Mrs. Jones

HOT WATER (1937). Director: Frank R. Strayer.

Mr. Jones (Jed Prouty) is up in arms over a place called the Red Mill, which has illegal gambling in its back parlor and sells liquor to the under-aged. But will the mayor shut it down, or does he have an interest in the place himself? Jones is importuned to run for mayor himself, with son Ralph (George Ernest) both helping and hindering him by putting out his own newspaper and promoting his dad. Oldest son Jack (Kenneth Howell) is waylaid by a pretty singer who works at the Red Mill in a frame up which has him accused of paralyzing a pedestrian, but Ralph comes to the rescue with a bunch of bees. Bonnie (Shirley Deane) and Herbert (Russell Gleason), who seemed to get engaged at the end of the last Jones Family film, Big Business, still aren't married. The acting is as good as ever. Spring Byington and Florence Roberts play Jones' wife and mother respectively.

Verdict: Amiable and entertaining if minor. **1/2. 

BIG BUSINESS

Jack (Kenneth Howell) races to town to save the day

BIG BUSINESS (1937). Director: Frank R. Strayer. 

In this very entertaining installment of the Jones Family series, oldest daughter Bonnie (Shirley Deane) is a little disgusted with her fiance, Herbert (Russell Gleason), because he's dragging his feet regarding marriage until he thinks he's saved up enough money. Bonnie thinks she's come up with the answer when former football hero Ted Hewett (Allan Lane of King of the Mounties) shows up in town selling stock in the Eureka oil well. Hewett importunes Father Jones (Jed Prouty) and many other townspeople to buy stock  -- Herbert drags his feet on this as well --  and gets Jones to invest money he really can't afford in a new oil well. But will the Eureka well gush oil or just mud and water? In the meantime oldest son Jack (Kenneth Howell) has invented a super-charger that will make cars go super-fast. As usual, Granny Jones (Florence Roberts) has a lot to say, and at one point even manages so steal a kiss from young Herbert. Well-acted by all, Big Business has some genuine suspense and zips along under Strayer's brisk direction. Strayer also directed Manhattan Tower and Lane starred in King of the Mounties. 

Verdict: Fun and charming. ***.

MANHATTAN TOWER

Mary Brian in a pensive moment

MANHATTAN TOWER (1932). Director: Frank R. Strayer.

Inside the high stories of the Manhattan Tower the lives of several people begin to intersect. Mary (Mary Brian) and her boyfriend Jimmy (James Hall) are saving up to get married and buy a home in Kew Gardens. Mary is secretary to the lecherous and all around unpleasant Kenneth Burns (Clay Clement), whose wife, Ann (Irene Rich), has finally had enough and wants her freedom to marry lawyer David Witman (Hale Hamilton) -- whose office is also in the Tower. Whitman has a dizzy secretary who unwittingly causes a run on the bank in the building because of something she overhears. Then there's Marge (Noel Francis), another rather sluttish secretary who is not unwelcoming of Burns' oily advances. Mary asks Burns to invest some money for her, which does not sit well with Jimmy. It all culminates in a horrifying confrontation in Burns' office. The film is well-directed and edited and has an interesting cinematic technique in that the camera turns into film strips that go higher or lower depending on which floor the next scene occurs. There's a morally ambiguous ending in which one brash character pretty much gets away with causing another's death. While the victim may not have been an especially nice person, even he didn't deserve the awful fate he endures [and the other characters are much too blase about it all]. The only familiar faces in this are Wade Boteler as Jimmy's boss and Walter Brennan in a small role as Jimmy's stuttering co-worker. [Ironically, Brennan went on to fame while the others were all forgotten.] The film is full of more than competent actors who never achieved any kind of lasting fame. Mary Brian, who started in silents, had quite a few credits both before and after this film. Hall also started in silents; this was his last film credit and he died 8 years later at age 39.

Verdict: Entertaining trifle with some good actors and interesting developments. **1/2.