The Film Daily (1930)

12 =^JXI^ DAILY Sunday, January 12, 1930 ^'No, No, Nanette" with Alexander Gray and Bernice Claire (All-Talker) First Nat'l Time, 1 hr., 37 otitis. SU REFIRE ENTERTAINMENT FOR EVERYBODY. MUSICAL FARCE THAT HAS ABOUT EVERYTHING. BERNICE CLAIRE A KNOCKOUT. Musical farce. Popular stage piece given modern trimmings and produced with pep and general high quality. Bernice Claire, the "Nanette" of the story, looks like starring material. She's got a lot of bigtime stuff. The plot deals with a Bible manufacturer who gets in all sorts of jams, innocently enough, when he sponsored an attractive femme in a musical show. The situations, although familiar, are the sort that can't miss, especially when given the brand of acting this picture sells to the audience. Color sequences for the most part are splendid but sometimes blurry. Altogether it's a talker which is mighty good entertainment from first to last reel. Cast: Bernice Claire, Alexander Gray, Lucien Littlefield, Louise Fazenda, Lilyan Tashman, Bert Roach, Zasu Pitts, Mildred Harris, Henry Stockbridge and Jocelyn Lee. Director: Clarence Badger; Author, Otto Harbach ; Adaptor, Howard Emmett Rogers ; Dialoguer. Beatrice Van; Editor, Frank Mandel ; Cameraman, Sol Polito ; Monitor Man, Not listed. Direction, okay ; Photography, generally fine. Eddy Ken Maynard in "Senor Americano" with Kathryn Crawford (All-Talker) Universal Time 1 hr., 5 min^. UNUSUALLY GOOD WESTERN OF OLD CALIFORNIA DAYS WITH LOTS OF ACTION AND A MEXICAN BACKGROUND FOR THE ROMANCE. Ken Maynard just about runs the gamut of superhuman feats as the hero of this Western, which is based on the conquest of California and the annexation of the territory by the United States. Maynard plays the role of a cavalry lieutenant who is sent on scouting duty right in the Mexican fold. Disguised as a cabailero, he not only rounds up the desired information but makes a mutual heart strike with a charming senorita (Kathryn Crawford) and gets the lowdown on the villain who is plotting to do the girl's father out of his properties. Every reel it packed with action, which comes fast and furious. There are plenty of assorted fights, dashing horsemanship and other appropriate activities. Also a couple of pleasing songs. Harry J. Brown directed with a punch. Cast: Ken Maynard, Kathryn Crawford, Frank Beale, Gino Corrado, Frank Yaconelli, J. P. McGowan, Tarzan. Director, Harry J. Brown; Author, Helmer Bergman, Henry McCarthy ; Adaptor, Bennett Cohen ; Dialoguer, Not Usted ; Editor, Fred Allen; Cameraman, Ted McCord ; Monitor Man, Not listed. Direction, hrstclass ; Photography, good. Gillette "Mexican Rose" with Barbara Stanwyck, Sam, Hardy, William Janney (All-Talker) Columbia Time, 1 hr, GENERALLY SATISFACTORY PICTURE ABOUT GAMBLING, LOVE AND INFIDELITY BELOW THE BORDER. Drama with a Mexican gambling resort background. The proprietor (Sam Hardy) kicks out his wife (Barbara Stanwyck) for cheating. To get even, she hikes up to a Cailfornia college and marries the gambler's nice kid brother (William Janney), who thinks the elder boy is in the goldmining business down below the border. The newlyweds pick the Mexican resort for their honeymoon, and the big brother has to swap his joint for a real goldmine in order to keep the innocent girl from getting wise. In the end, the promiscuous girl is driven to suicide by jumping off a cliff, a rather weak climax since it is only reported by word of mouth, and also because the alluring attractiveness of Miss Stanwyck is bound to walk off with the audience's sympathy. Otherwise nicely directed, and Janney acts promisingly. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Sam Hardy, William Janney, Louis Natheaux, Arthur Rankin, Harry Vejar, Louis King, Julia Beharano. Director, Erie C. Kenton; Author, Gladys Lehman; Adaptor, Norman Houston; Dialoguers, Gladys Lehman and Norman Houston ; Eklitor, Leon Barsha ; Cameraman, Ted Tezlaff; Monftor Man, John T. Livadary. Direction, okay; Photography, good. Gillette **The Racketeer" with Robert Armstrong, Carol Lombard (All-Talker) Pathe Time, 1 hr., 6 mins. RATES AVERAGE PROGRAM NUMBER WITH FAMILIAR PLOT OF UNDERWORLD. GOOD WORK OF ARMSTRONG: AND LOMBARD HOLD IT UP. Drama of the underworld. This ! is a rehash of several racketeer stories that have preceded it. It has nothing notworthy to pull it out of the rut. The action is rather thin, and it is overloaded with dialogue. Robert Armstrong is good as the rich racketeer who befriends the girl and helps her dope addict sweetheart to stage a comeback, for which the girl promises to marry him. She sticks to her promise, but the cops get the racketeer with their bullets, leaving her free to marry her sweetheart. Carol Lombard proves a real surprise, and does her best work to date. In fact this is the first opportunity she has had to prove that she has the stuff to go over. With looks, and a good trouping sense, she also has the personality. Cast : Robert Armstrong, Carol Lombard, Roland Drew, Jeanette LofF, John Loder, Paul Hurst, Winter Hall, Winifred Harris, Kit Guard, Al Hill, Bobbie Dunn, Hedda Hopper, Bub Fine. Director, Howard Higgin; Author, Paul Gangelin ; Adaptor, the same ; Dialoguer, A. A. Kline; E^tor, Doane Harrison; Cameraman, David Abel; Monitor Men, D. A. Cutler. C. M. Wiches. Direction, ordinary ; Photography, good. Narrower ^ "^ "Throw of the Dice" (Silent) Brit. Inst. Time, 1 hr., 10 mins, EXCEPTIONALLY FINE FOREIGN ROMANCE WITH ALLHINDU CAST AND AN "ARABIAN NIGHTS" STORY THAT OUGHT TO HAVE WIDE APPEAL. Adventurous romance with an allHindu cast and produced in native atmosphere. Story is like an "Arabian Nights" tale, depicting the conflicts of two rival kiggs, inveterate gamblers, who desire the same comely maid for their queen. In an allnight crap-shooting contest just before one of the chiefs is to marrv the fair one, the two sovereigns stake their crowns and kingdoms on a throw, and the villainous one wins through trickery. He is exposed in the end, however, and there is a fadeout in the approved fashion. Though fundamentally a simple story, there is an effective simplicity and smoothness in the way it is unfolded, while the natural scenery possesses such a compelling beauty that the picture ought to be welcomed as a rare treat by almost any class of audience. Seeta Devi, the heroine, is just about as attractive as the general run of her American sisters. Cast: Himansu Ray, Charu Roy, Seeta Devi. Director, Franz Osten; Author, Not listed; Adaptor, Not listed ; Titler, Not listed ; Editor, Not listed; Cameraman, Not listed. Direction, excellent ; Photography, ex cellent. Gillette "The Farmer's Wife" (Silent) Ufa East, Dist. Time, 1 hr., 7 mins. BRITISH LIGHT COMEDY OF RURAL LIFE HAS CHARM AND FINE CHARACTERIZATION. WILL PLEASE INTELLIGENT AUDIENCES. Light comedy, produced by British International. Adapted from the novel by Eden Phillpotts. Here is a delightful character study of English rural life of the present day. It moves with a grace and quaint charm that is refreshing But it does seem as if the director had missed some of the finer shadings of humor and droll touches that the famous novelist's work contains. As the conceited elderly farmer, in search of a wife, Jameson Thomas appears far too refined and intelligent for the role. It is surprising that he was able t( make the characterization very telling in spite of this obvious miscasting. Cutting from 11 reels to a short seven has spoiled some sequences. But allowing for all this, the quaint English scenes and customs, and the typical Devonshire characters are delightful. A fresh, charming offering that is real entertainment . Cast: Jameson Thomas, Lilian Hall-Davis, Gordon Barker, Maud Gill, Louise Pounds, Olga Slade, Antonia Brough. Director, Alfred Hitchcock; Author, Eden Phillpotts; Adaptor. Not listed; Editor, Alfred Booth ; Titler, same ; Cameraman, Not listed. Direction, satisfactory ; Photography, very good. narrower Dolores Costello in "Second Choice" Warner Bros. Time, 1 hr., 7 mins. (All-Talker) LIGHTWEIGHT STUFF. GENERALLY UNINTERESTING STORY ABOUT A COUPLE WHO MARRY TO SPITE THEIR FIANCEES. NOT SO HOT FOR SOPHISTICATED AUDIENCES. Drama. Based on a story by Elizabeth Alexander, this picture moves slowly along much-trodden paths. Its dialogue is considerably stilted. Dolores Costello, although as alluring as ever pictorially, doesn't click so well audibly, and Jack Mulhall's reading of lines is nothing exciting. Chester Morris scores as the unfortunate j'outh. The yarn tells of a gal marrying a millionaire to snite a lad who throws her over for a miss with a bankroll. The youth changes his mind but too late and when he tries to kidnap his exsweetie, learns she's fallen in love with her hubby. This talker's appeal will be principally in the neighborhoods. Cast: Dolores Costello, Chester Morris, Jack Mulhall, Edna Murphy, Charlotte Merriam, Ethlyne Clair, Jimmy Clemmons, Edward Martindel, Henry .Stockbridge and Anna Chance. Director, Howart Bretherton ; Author, Elizabeth Alexander; Adaptor, Josepn Jackson; Dialoguer, Joseph Jackson; Editor, Robert Crandal ; Cameraman, John Stumar; Monitor Man, Not listed. Direction, fair ; Photography, satisfactory. Eddy "Glorifying the American Girl" Paramount Time, 1 hr., 15 mins. (All-Talker) A TRADE PULLER ON ITS TITLE AND NAMES. SPOTTY AS ENTERTAINMENT. HAS SOME GOOD HIGHLIGHTS. Because it hangs on the wornout story of a dancing team and the customary professional and love affair difficulties they encounter on their road from small-time vaudeville to Broadway, this picture inevitably will be compared with other productions about backstage life. And it will suffer by comparison. Besides its familiar story, which is badly broken up to permit inserts of singing, dancing, posing ensembles, etc., the music is only so-so, while the comedy end has been neglected and the heart interest is mild. But there is a fairly long Eddie Cantor tailor shop sketch that is a comedy scream, and several girl tableaux in Technicolor that rank high as pictorial art. Rudy Vallee and Helen Morgan do only a brief number apiece. Though the picture as a whole may disappoint, the Cantor skit alone will make lots of folks feel that they got their money's worth. Cast: Mary Eaton, Edward Crandall, Olive Shea. Dan Healy, Kaye Renard, Sara Edwards, Eddie Cantor, Helen Morgan, Rudy Vallee. Director, Millard Webb; Authors, J. P. McEvoy and Millard Webb; Adaptors, Same; Dialoguers, Same ; Editor, Barney Rogan ; Cameraman, George Folsey ; Monitor Man, Frnest Zatorsky. Direction, fair; Photography, good. Gillette