Murphy’s Town Hall Cinema Athenry 25 1st September 1940 – King of the Underworld, a 1939 Warner Bros Gangster Film starring Humphrey Bogart, Kay Francis, Jessie Busley and John Eldredge was screened by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). NB: This is a remake of the 1935 film Dr Socrates, starring Paul Muni and Mayo Methot, which was in turn based on a short story by WR Burnett. Dr Socrates, had actually been screened in the Hall on 2nd March 1939 by Daniel Ryan, see above. Talking Pictures TV synopsis: “A crook is implicated in blackmail, greed for emeralds, a secret formula and murder.” 10th September 1940 – Nancy Drew: Reporter, a 1939 Warner Bros Comedy Mystery movie was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). Bonita Granville stars as Nancy Drew, with a supporting cast of John Litel, Frankie Thomas, Mary Lee, Dickie Jones and Larry Williams. NB: This was the 2nd film in the Nancy Drew series released by Warner Bros between 1938 and 1939. 27th September 1940 – They Made Me a Criminal, a 1939 Warner Bros Crime Drama starring John Garfield, Claude Rains and The Dead End Kids was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). 29th September 1940 – Torchy Runs for Mayor, a 1939 Warner Bros Comedy Mystery movie starring Glenda Farrell as Torchy Blane, with a supporting cast including Barton MacLane, Tom Kennedy, John Miljan and Frank Shannon was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). NB: Torchy Blane is a fictional reporter believed to have been the inspiration of Lois Lane in Superman. This is the 8th movie in Warner’s 9 film Torchy Blane series. 10th October 1940 – Pygmalion, a 1938 MGM big screen adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play of the same name was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). It stars Leslie Howard (as Professor Henry Higgins) and Wendy Hiller (as Eliza Doolittle). NB: It was adapted for the screen by GB Shaw himself, for which he won the 1939 Best Screenplay Academy Award. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Howard) and Best Actress (Hiller). This screenplay was later adapted into the 1956 stage musical, My Fair Lady, which in turn led to the 1964 film of the same name, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn in the lead roles. 13th October 1940 – A film titled The Trial is documented as having been screened in the Hall on this date by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). Unfortunately we have been unable to identify this movie. 20th October 1940 – Orphan of the Ring (aka The Kid from Kokomo), a 1939 Warner Bros Comedy starring Pat O'Brien, Wayne Morris, Joan Blondell, May Robson, Jane Wyman and Stanley Fields was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). 29th October 1940 – Blind Alibi, a 1938 RKO Radio Pictures Drama was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). It stars Richard Dix, Whitney Bourne, Eduardo Ciannelli, Frances Mercer, Paul Guilfoyle and Ace the Wonder Dog. 5th November 1940 – Go Chase Yourself, a 1938 RKO Radio Pictures Comedy was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). It stars Joe Penner, Lucille Ball, Richard Lane, June Travis, Fritz Feld and Tom Kennedy. 12th November 1940 – Torchy Blane in Chinatown, a 1939 Warner Bros Comedy Mystery movie starring Glenda Farrell as Torchy Blane, with a supporting cast including Barton MacLane, Tom Kennedy, Patric Knowles and Janet Shaw was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). NB: This is the 7th Warner’s film in the Torchy Blane series. 17th November 1940 – Wings of the Navy, a 1939 Warner Bros Drama starring George Brent, Olivia de Havilland and John Payne was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). 26th November 1940 – Hard to Get, a 1938 Warner Bros Romantic Comedy was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). It stars Dick Powell, Olivia de Havilland, Charles Winninger, Allen Jenkins, Bonita Granville and Penny Singleton 1st December 1940 – Carefree, a 1938 RKO Radio Pictures Musical Comedy starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Ralph Bellamy was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). 10th December 1940 – Sky Giant (aka Ground Crew and Northern Flight), a 1938 RKO Radio Pictures Aviation Drama starring Richard Dix, Chester Morris, Joan Fontaine, Harry Carey and Paul Guilfoyle was screened in the Hall by Leo Caslin (source: Hall Journal). 38 NB: Joan Fontaine’s real name was Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland and she was a younger sister to fellow screen star, Olivia de Havilland. 38 RKO Pictures is an abbreviation of Radio-Keith-Orpheum Pictures
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