Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

October i 9 a 9 1261 Opinions On Pictures Footlights And Fools Colleen Moore In Fine Musical (Reviewed by Walter R. Greene) (All Dialogue) " J7 OOTLIGHTS and Fools" not only * supplies substantial entertainment, but presents a new Colleen Moore to picture audiences. A Colleen who renders several songs with a distinct personality; and a Colleen who will rank high among tlie stars of the talkfilms and musicals in the future. Plenty of money has been spent on the production, but the results obtained provide a flue box office attraction in any spot. Miss Moore surprises with her French accent as the star of a musical show — and will delight audiences with the pep and vigor she puts behind her song numbers. Her portrayal is up to the excellent standard she has established in many of her best pictures of the past live years. The story is rather slow in developing; mainly because the first few reels present several numbers of the musical show with Colleen taking the center of the stage in song and dance bits. After that, the story gets under way — and what starts out to be a very hackneyed plot, takes a sudden twist to a most unusual finish. Colleen presents a fine impersonation of an Irish girl who assumes both a French accent and mannerisms when she is billed as "the sensation of Paris" in a Broadway musical. She is in love with Raymond Haekett, a youth who manages to make a comfortable living through gambling. Frederic March, wealthy stock broker, falls for the star, and vainly attempts to meet her. Colleen finally informs her boy friend that he must get an honest job; and March is tipped off that Colleen would be pleased to see the kid get placed. So the broker has his manager call the boy downtown to put him to work. Then the broker's offices are held up, and the boy is accused of staging the job. He runs to Colleen, claiming he was framed. The girl believes him, and the pair rush off to be married. March returns from an outof-town trip, and Colleen confronts him with the frameup. He protests his ignorance, and goes with the girl to her apartment to talk things over with the boy. March finally tells the kid the charges against him will be withdrawn, and Colleen follows him to the door, asking if the boy was guilty. March reluctantly tells her the truth; and she confronts the boy with the facts. He tries to laugh it off, but she finally sends him away for a final fade out. Colleen Moore delivered this production as the last under her contract with First National. On the strength of her performance in her initial talking musical, there is no question but what a new connection will be made immediately with one of the larger producing organizations. Miss Moore can be assured of not only holding, but increasing, her popularity in the new medium. Raymond Haekett, Frederic March, and Virginia Lee Corbin have prominent roles in support, and deliver most capably. Direction by William Seiter is excellent. Half Marriage Drama With A Wallop (Reviewed by Raymond Ganly) (100% Talking) A DRAMA of young love, with a tragedy -^* to bring the hero and heroine into the final clinch, is told in this vehicle for Olive Borden who fares very well before the mike. Her role is that of an impetuous girl who enters in a companionate marriage with a young architect in her father's office. They become separated when the boy grows jealous of her popularity with other men. When the seducer of the piece who has been particularly obnoxious to the young husband attacks her in her studio where she has gone to meet the boy, she runs out onto a ledge overlooking the court with the man after her. She struggles with him on the ledge and he slips and meets his end on the pavement below. The boy, learning of his wife 's plight, tries to assume the blame when the police and the girl's parents arrive. When the girl explains the facts and the fact that the boy is trying to shield her, the police depart satisfied with her innocence and the parents, after a brief bit of admonishment, also leave, leaving the boy and girl to realize that half marriage is not the real thing. Of course, the moral to be drawn is not one that would receive the approval of Judge Lindsey, but the idea of the story will get the attention of youth and folk who like a sex theme. It is a better-than-average talkie and is quite exciting in its high spots. Has been neatly photographed and directed, the recording being first-rate. Ken Murray adds fine comedy relief and Morgan Farley, as the young husband, is competent. The picture is a good talkie melodrama that should give exhibitors a good break. Produced and distributed by Radio Pictures. Directed by William J. Cowen. Story by George Kibbe Turner. Scenario and dialogue by Jane Murfin. Gus Arnheim and His Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors supplying music. To be released, Oct. 13. Footage, 6.4S1 feet. THE CAST Judy Page Olive Borden Dick Carroll Morgan Farley Charles Turner Ken Murray Ann Turner Ann Greemvay Tom Stribbling Anderson Lawler Sally Sally Blane Mrs. Page Hedda Hopper George Page Richard Tucker Poverty James Bradbury, Jr. Ruxy Jack Trent Matt/ James Eagle Mulhall G. Pat Collins The original song numbers credited to Ray Perkins, Norman Spencer and Herman Ruby are tuneful melodies Produced and released by First National. Screen play by Tom Geraghty. Dialogue by Carey Wilson. Directed by William Seiter. Photographed by Sid Hickox and Henry Freulich. Footage, 6,952. Release date, 'Nov. 4, 1929. THE CAST Mil. Fifi d'Auray Colleen Moore Gregory Pyne Frederick March Jimmie Willett Raymond Haekett Theatre carriageman Oscar Smith Theatre treasurer Fred Howard Claire Virginia Lee Corbin Joe, the maid Adrienn d'Ambricourt Stage manager Sidney Jarvis Call boy Mickey Bennett Chandler Cunningham Edward Martindel Frozen Justice ZVeje Star; Northern Scenes (Reviewed by Edwin Schallert) (.-/// Dialogue) HP HE personality of Lenore Ulrie, and 1 her marked talents as an actress, will prove a sustaining influence for her first venture into the talkies. This stage star never succeeded in causing any havoc in the old silents, although she made several attempts, but the odds are good that she can carve a niche for herself in the dialogue features. She has exotic as well as a human and pathetic appeal in "Frozen Justice," her first starring production. The picture itself does not as a whole rise above the program level, despite that it incorporates various sensational effects like a shipwreck and the splitting of a mountain of ice. It contains plenty of good movie situations, and has a finish that will win the more critical audiences. The locale is unusual in the talkies, for Fox has essayed to depict the home of the Eskimo in all its snowy desolation, and for contrast gives an impression of Alaska in the days of the gold rush. Miss Ulric portrays the role of a halfbreed Eskimo, who has a great yen to go to the world of the white man. She is married to a chieftain of the tribe, but is never quite happy with his people. Every ship that comes to the far northern region, she hopes, may bring some news of her father, a white sea captain. Then finally the Eskimo land is invaded by an unscrupulous trader, seeking what plunder he may obtain by cheating the natives, and also what entertainment may be afforded by their women. He succeeds in luring the girl, Talu (Miss Ulrie) aboard his ship, but during the raging storm that follows she is discoverd by her husband and dragged back to their igloo and flogged. The following morning she beseeches the captain who is a survivor of the storm, which wrecks the ship, to take her away. There is an encounter between the captain and the chieftain in which the latter is thought to be killed. Talu is no happier among the white men than she was among the Eskimos. She longs to return to her native heath, and is finally assisted to that end by an erstwhile associate of the captain's. But before their plan to escape can be carried out, the captain shoots her rescuer, and concealing from the girl his identity, drives away with her in the dog team in which she planned to escape. Her chieftain husband turns up about the same time, and starts in pursuit. Then occurs the break, and the captain's team falls into a crevasse. Talu is mortally injured. She dies in her husband's arms. The captain is crushed in the chasm of ice. Talu's final words are a pathetic expression of the half-breed 's fateful unhappiness. Outstanding performance in the film are given by Louis Wolheim, Ullrich Haupt and Robert Frazer in the order mentioned. El Brendel, Alice Lake and Gertrude Astor also fill important roles. Drawing Power: Strong as a novelty, but star ami idea of the film will have to be (Continued on page 1262)