Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1930)

42 Motion Picture News July 5, 1930 Opinions On Pictures Bright Lights (First National — All Talker) Clicks, Despite Backstage Story (Reviewed by Walter R. Greene) EVEN though the backstage angle has been 1 worked unmercifully in talkers and the cycle is seemingly over, "Bright Lights" comes along to show that there is plenty of entertainment in a behind-the-scenes story. "Bright Lights" is not a special insofar as box-office rating is concerned, but it is, nevertheless, a fine piece of program entertainment that will hold up in the week runs and split weeks. The entire story is backstage, with a musical comedy production unfolding on the stage itself. Instead of going in for heavy dramatics in story development and interweaving song and dance numbers to slow up the story theme, the comedy angle is stressed, thereby obtaining a fast tempo that sustains interest from start to finish. Dorothy Mackaill and Frank Fay carry the feature billing spots, and the balance of the cast is of high calibre. The two featured leads fit into their roles perfectly, and turn in excellent performances. Frank McHugh, newcomer from the stage, puts over a drunk reporter comedy part for outstanding attention. Tom Dugan and Daphne Pollard are teamed for laughs, with Eddie Nugent, Inez Courtney, Jean Bary and Virginia Sale in comedy support, ftoah Beery is naturally the heavy, while James Murray is seen little playing a straight role. Story opens with Mackaill, star of a Broadway show, announcing her forthcoming marriage to a scion of wealth. With comedy predominant, the yarn moves along where family objections might halt the nuptials. Through a clever newspaper interview, the rise of Mackaill is shown by cut-backs from burlesque, honky tonks, etc., to her present spot. Fay, who has been through the mill with the girl, is secretly in love with her, but gets tongue-tied when he tries to explain. Noah Beery turns up in the audience, recognizes the girl and goes backstage to get even for a facial scar inflicted by Mackaill in a honky tonk years ago. Fay walks in on Beery and has Murray cover him while the show goes on. But Beery jumps Murray, there is a brief struggle, and Noah drops dead from a bullet fired by his own gun. The story waxes dramatic at this point, lightened by deft handling of direction and treatment, with Fay protecting Mackaill against expose of her former life. Fade out absolves everyone of suspected murder, but full explanation is left to the audience. The yarn, an original credited to Humphrey Pearson, is by far the most entertaining backstage yarn turned out in many months. Direction by Michael Curtiz gives a fast tempo, plus plenty of entertainment. Song and dance numbers are staged, but are brief enough individually to maintain fast pace of the picture. Dramatic sketches or cartoons should find a place here. Produced and released by First National. Story by Humphrey Pearson. Adaptation and dialogue by Humphrey Pearson and Henry McCarthy. Directed by ftichael Curtiz. Photography by Lee Garmes. Length, not set. Running time about 68 r-.inutes. THE CAST I>ou Dorothy Mackaill Wally Dean Frank Fay Mi pruel Parada Noah Beery Peggy North Inez Courtney "Windy" Jones Eddie Nugent Maine Avery Daphne Pollard Franklin Harris EdmUmj Breese Emerson Fairchild Philip Strange Connie Lamont James Murray Tom Avery Tom Dugan Violet Van Dam Jean Bary Dave Porter Edwin Lynch Fish, a reporter Frank McHugh "Sob Sister" Reporter Virginia Sale The Soul of a Thumb Hollywood — How does your thumbprint sound? As an experiment, Cecil B. DeMille recently had several of his "Dynamite" cast place their thumbprints on the "sound track" of this picture. It is well-known that sound is reproduced by light forced through a narrow "sound track" on the film. Naturally the reproduction is governed by what is on the sound track. If an extraneous image, even as lightly printed as a thumb mark, appears on this strip, it will be reproduced as an extra "noise." The results of the experiments were that the thumbprints of DeMille, Conrad Nagel, Kay Johnson and others all had just as distinct a "sound" personality as the prints themselves! Produced and released by Paramount Publix. Screen play by Percy Heath and Edward E„ Paramore, Jr. Directed by Otto Brower and Edwin Knopf. Photography by Mack Stengler. Length, 6,088 feet. Running time, 68 minutes. Release date, June 28, 1930. THE CAST Jim Cleve Richard Arlen Jack Kclls Jack Holt John Randall Fay Wray "Bunco Davis" Eugene Pallette Hack Gulden Stanley Fields Judge Savin E. H. Calvert George Randall Ethan Allen Shrimp Sid Saylor The Border Legion (Paramount — All Talker) Fine Western (Reviewed by Walter R. Greene) COMBINING a fast tempo, interesting story, capable acting and eyeful backgiounds, "The Border Legion" is an ideal attraction for the week run houses and following program bookings. The picture has fast action which is necessary to heighten interest in a western. Dialogue is not inserted to slow down the tempo, with a highly satisfactory piece of entertainment as the result. The story concerns the experiences of Richard Arlen, a cowhand, who is thrown in with the bandit gang headed by Jack Holt. The latter befriends Arlen, after the boy is accused of a murder. Then the gang plan to raid the mining town and decision is made to capture Ethan Allan, prominent citizen of the town, so that he will divulge where the gold is stored. Instead, the captors bring back Fay Wray, Randall's daughter, who immediately recognizes Arlen. Then Arlen decides to take care of the girl and guards her cabin during the night. Holt goes in to interview the girl and makes advancers to her. Jack Gulden tries to shoot Holt, but Arlen saves the leader. During the melee, Arlen discovers Holt's intended attack on the girl, and turns on the leader. Overpowered, Arlen is led off to be tied up, but escapes. He rides to town to get a posse to go after the girl, but leading citizens decide it is a trap so the outlaws can raid the gold safe. Arlen is placed under guard and Holt and his gang ride into the trap set for them by the citjzens. Again saving Holt's life, Arlen escapes and rides to the camp to rescue the girl, with Holt following. Gulden also escapes from the volley and starts back to the camp to capture the girl for himself. Holt intercepts him and is shot. Arlen gets Miss Wray off on a horse, when Gulden arrives. Holt, although wounded, takes a short cut to head Gulden off, with the pair riding hard towards each other for a pistol duel. Both fall dead, with Arlen and the girl riding back to town for the final fade. Jack Holt is a natural for pictures with a western setting. Although spotted as a "heavy" and leader of the outlaw gang, Holt darn near captures the entire sympathy of an audience. He walks far and away with the acting honors. Arlen is satisfactory as the young cowhand, while Stanley Fields "villains" capably behind a heavy black beard. Eugene Pallette is strong in producing the majority of laughs. Broad comedies and m-isicals might fit here. Pardon My Gun ' (Pathe—All Talker) Weird Cowboy Musical (Reviewed by Don Ashbaugh) THERE'S about everything in "Pardon My Gun" except a trained seal and a baby elephant. Perhaps they can add those before the film is released for general theatre consumption. It is one of the weirdest westerns ever conceived— looking very much like what a bookkeeper's conception of a motion picture should be. The kids will love it. It should get by great at junior matinees and will probably entertain a few adults if it is sprung on a double bill as an added attraction. Sally Starr succeeds in appearing lovesick enough while George Duryea passes muster as a musical comedy cowboy. Mona Ray, the half -pint blues singer, practices considerable optical gymnastics and buzzes around throughout the picture in much the same fashion as an excited bumblebee. Lee Moran plays a comedy role as the simple cowboy — and manages to get across laughs. One of the' highpoints of humor in this direction is caused by Moran polishing a cayute's feet with a manicure buffer. The horse objects and prods Moran with a hoof. You're supposed to laugh loudly. The two main highlights in the picture are the barn dance which precedes some sort of annual relay race in which the father of the two girls and the employer of Duryea bets his roll o,n his own horses. The villain of the piece, played by Harry Woods, runs the adjoining ranch, wears approved mustachios and is the one who has the wager against the genial ranch owner. Woods is in love with Sally and does all sorts of "dastardly" things to prevent Duryea winning the race, and incidentally the girl. Abe Lyman's band, with Abe himself in cowboy costume, and all the orchestra members resembling what Fifth Avenue thinks a cowboy looks like are seen frequently. During the barn dance the patrons are inflicted with all sorts of dire numbers inserted to entertain. Yodeling youths, some rather acceptable dancing, a song by Mona Ray, drum acrobatics by Lyman and a one-handed clarinet duet by one of the boys in the band. Maybe the picture was supposed to be a satire on sound. Maybe it's to be a straight western, but whatever it is don't bank on anybody tearing down the doors to get in. Kids are your best bet. Use good strong dramatic shorts with "draw" names. Produced and distributed by Pathe. Directed by Robert DeLacy. Story by Betty Scott. Adaptation by Hugh Cummings. Photographed by Edward Snyder. Edited by Fred Allen. Length, 5,654 feet. Running time, 63 mins. Release date, June 5, 1930. THE CAST Mary Sally Starr Ted Duncan George Duryea Peggy Mona Ray Jelt Lee Moran Dad Martin Robert Edeson Hank Hank McFarlane Tom Tom McFarlane Cooper Harry Woods "Lightnin" Stompie Denver Lew Meehan Tex Ethan L^idlaw Specialties by Abe Lyman and Band, Al Norman, Ida May Chadwick.