JUST AROUND THE CORNER is a rather lavish commercial for General Electric appliances, circa 1933-4. Not only was the print we saw in pristine condition, but the subtle casting of Warner Brothers players in a fairly commonplace tale of the little homemaker impressing the boss's wife and then the boss himself provides enough delight to recommend this short subject to anyone. Ruth Donnelly portrays the impressionable wife to boss Warren William, and both become deeply convinced of the superiority and efficiency of GE appliances, as ably demonstrated by non-other than Bette Davis as the dedicated homemaker. Bette is so confidently persuasive, as she calmly demonstrates each unique feature that she manages to sell the boss on both a new kitchen and promoting hubby Dick Powell to the coveted office manager position! More amazing than this achievement, Bette Davis effortlessly convinces the audience that she loves and adores her husband and that she will stop at nothing to promote and encourage his career.
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tashman17 October 2012
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I first saw "Just Around the Corner" in 1960 when I was a film producer for the Film Production Section of GE in Schenectady. The movie was kept in a safe and not many people had an opportunity to see it. After leaving GE I learned that the only print GE had was thrown away because it had damaged sprocket holes. I've searched for the complete version ever since.
A misleading statement I've see recently suggests General Electric produced the movie and Warner Bros. distributed it. However, I have learned from senior management people at GE that the movie was made as a payback by Warner Bros. to GE who had provided train transportation for a Warner Bros. group from the West Coast to the East Coast. I never learned anything more about the event, but I know that General Electric was a major producer of electric trains(see "king of the Rails" (1915). -
bkoganbing1 August 2018Although Bette Davis and Dick Powell never made a feature film together they are husband and wife in this short subject which is an almost quarter of an hour commercial for the latest products from General Electric. Reason enough to see this short subject.
There's an opening in Powell's office about to happen and boss Warren William sees Powell showing pictures and bragging about how his summer place on a lake is really modernizing. Powell invites William and his wife Ruth Donnelly for a weekend and they spend it bragging on the modern marvels GE is bringing to their home. Even the lake is illuminated with GE floodlights, the better for night fishing.
Curiously enough the actor most identified with GE had not yet been signed by Warner Brothers. Ronald Reagan was 3 years away from his studio contract. If he and the brothers Warner only knew. -
Horst_In_Translation19 August 2015"Just Around the Corner" is a short-film from over 80 years ago. It is a little promo movie in black-and-white and you have to give a huge thumbs up to the casting director as he included several people in here before their big breakthrough in Hollywood including their star on the Walk of Fame. However, even the big names in here including Bette Davis do not really make this an interesting watch, possibly because the script is simply not interesting enough, even for such a short runtime. The version I watched was roughly 13 minutes and not 18 as listed on the IMDb title page here. In any case, this was certainly not the brightest or most creative moment from everybody involved. Thumbs down, unless you really are a big fan of any of the actors in here.