Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

54 .1/ o t i o n P i c t it r e X e w s October 4 , 10 3 0 Opinions On Pictures The Dancers I I OX ) Pleasing {Reviewed by Don Ashbaugh) FOX has turned out a program picture in "The Dancers." It will satisfy the seeker of ordinary entertainment, but both Lois Moran and Phillips Holmes are too intelligent young players for such hackneyed material. •'"I'll marry Irwin. I'd like to do him a dirty trick," reflects Miss Moran in this and some1.1. certainly did her a mean one when they cast her for the 'steenth time as a dance-mad hey-hey girl who consumes gallons and gallons of champagne in an effort to forget her unfaithfulness to a childhood sweetheart. Some day she may be given a chance to show the talent that glimmers through her performance. Holmes as the lover, Tony, does his best bit when he becomes intoxicated at a night club and gets into a brawl. This situation comes about because once upon a time he and Diana, played by Miss Moran, promised that there would be no one else in their lives. He has remained true, resisting the advances of Maxine, a dance hall girl in the lumber camp where he works. Back in Canada, Tony receives word that he is to enter the peerage through the death of an uncle and wires Diana to meet him upon his arrival in England. She refuses to answer because she has broken the vow, but a scheming relative cables and accepts for her. After Diana's attempted avoidance, Tony gets drunk in the same club where Maxine, who has followed him, is doing an act. It is through Maxine that Diana and Tony are finally reconciled, Diana revealing that it is the latter's sudden wealth that caused her to turn him down. The final fadeout is in France where she has been teaching school, for no apparent reason. The story is jerky and jumps back and forth between England and Canada with a speed that dazzles. The motivation is not always entirely clear. Mae Clark does some good emoting in her role of Maxine. She is pursued throughout the picture by Tyrell Davis, playing the regulation silly-ass Englishman. Mrs. Patrick Campbell is well cast as the aunt. Walter Byron is the sleek Irwin who has designs on Diana and with whom Tony has his fight in the night club. He gives a smooth impersonation, the character being summed up in a remark by Diana, "I'd have been disappointed in you if you hadn't been somewhat of a cad." The audience felt the same way. The picture needs strong comedy shorts to balance it. Produced and distributed by Fox. Directed by Chandler Sprague. Adaptation and dialogue by Edwin Burke. From the plav. "The Dancers." by Gerald Du Mauier and Viola Tree. Edited by Alexander Troffey. PTiotocraphed by Arthur Todd. Length not set. Release date, Nov. 9. THE CAST Diana Lois Moran Tony Phillips Holmes Berwin Walter Byron Maxine Mae Clarke Archie Tyrell Davis Aunt Emily Mrs. Patrick Campbell Office Wife ( Warners') Great Box-Office (Rezncwed by BUI Crouch) HERE'S a talker that has plenty of what's needed to bring customers to the theatre. Tn the larger cities this should do splendid business, and smaller theatres will find the picture has plenty of pull for them also. Good for popular priced week run spots and subsequent bookings. The title has plenty of drawing power and the picture warrants heavy exploitation. Dorothy Mackaill, as the attractive office Service! Reviews of the majority of features reaching Broadway's screens appear in MOTION PICTURE NEWS many weeks before their initial appearance on New York's main stem. Theatre owners keeping a close touch on new product, particularly New York premiers, will find the chart below an aid in ascertaining dates of issues in which THE NEWS reviewed productions in the group of current openings: REVIEW PRODUCTION DATE Africa Speaks Sept. 27 Bad Man Aug. 3 Her Man Sept. 13 Her Wedding Night Sept. 27 Lady Surrenders Sept. 27 Liliom Sept. IS Love in the Rough Aug. 16 Madam Satan Aug. 30 Office Wife This issue Once a Gentleman June 21 What a Widow Sept. 20 Whoopee July 12 Young Woodley This issue Consult the Release Chart, last section in this issue, for complete list of features released in current months, together with MOTION PICTURE NEWS review dates and other important data. wife, does very good work, and Lewis Stone as the employer is excellent. To those who have read the novel the picture may not prove entirely satisfying as a number of changes have been made. The film story, however, is very well handled. The whole thing concerns a business man whose secertary becomes a more important factor in his life than his wife. Lewis Stone, when he had an unattractive secretary — Dale Fuller — found his love interests outside his office, but when Dorothy Mackaill becomes his secretary he neglects the wife, Natalie Moorhead, who has her own lover and doesn't care anyway, and becomes vitally interested in Miss Mackaill, who returns the affection. Things are finally settled when Miss Moorhead seeks a Paris divorce and Stone and Mackaill plan to marry. Miss Mackaill makes one requestthat she be allowed to choose the new secretary. The picture is rather short in footage and many of the incidents that could have been enlarged upon are of necessity very brief. Lloyd Bacon has told the story in a straightforward fashion, and it has plenty of punch. Clever comedy scenes are injected throughout. Joan Blondell, as the sister of Miss Mackaill, is outstanding and is due for bigger and better roles. Blanche Frederici plays an eccentric role well and Dale Fuller and Walter Merrill are ably cast. Long comedy shorts and musicals ivill balance here. Produced and distributed by Warners. Directed by Lloyd Bacon. Based on the novel by Faith Baldwin. Adaptation and dialogue by Charles Kenyon. Edited by Georgie Marks. Photographed by Wm. Rees. Length, 5,220 feet. Running time, 58 minutes. Release date, Aug. 23. THE CAST Anne Dorothy Mackaill Fellnwes Lewis Stone McGowan Hobart Bosworth Mrs. Fellowes Natalie Moorhead Katherine Joan Blondell Authoress Blanche Frederici Jamison Brooks Benedict Secretary Andrews Dale Fuller Ted Walter Merrill The Boudoir Diplomat { Universal) Just Fair {Reviewed by Bill Crouch) «"TrIE BOUDOIR DIPLOMAT" is a story J of intrigues in the imaginary kingdom of Luvaria, by which the various leaders get what they want politically. The wives have a good deal of influence with department heads, ambassadors and ministers, so the wives are the center point of all diplomatic struggles. Lawrence Grant, playing the ambassador, orders Ian Keith, his attache, to win the interest of Mary Duncan, the wife of the war minister, Lionel Belmore, who opposes a treaty Lawrence Grant very much wants signed. Ian Keith has done this sort of diplomatic workunder orders before and complications arise due to the fact that Betty Compson is extremely jealous of every woman he meets. Betty, as the wife of Lawrence Grant, is responsible for getting Ian his appointment as attache. Ian is very much in love with and engaged to Jeanette Loff, who won't marry him until he proves worthy of her trust. Many narrow escapes from exposure and discovery of the personal intrigues are averted with a few humorous incidents. Keith does win Mary Duncan's interest and she persuades Lionel Belmore to agree to the signing of the treaty. For his work, Keith is given an appointment as ambassador to Peru and wins Jeanette as his wife. The best performance of the cast was given by Andre Beranger, who plays the secretary to the attache. A little overdrawn possibly, but at least well played. Lawrence Grant also gave a good performance, but the rest of the cast were not up to their individual work. The film is not the type to interest the smaller houses and is not up to standard for the larger ones. As a screen story, "The Boudoir Diplomat" falls rather flat. The few moments that are amusing are lost in the many dull stretches. Use strong name shorts with this talker. Produced and distributed by Universal. Directed by Mai St. Clair. Authors, Rudolf Lothar and Fritz Gottwald. Adaptation and dialogue by Benjamin Glazer. Edited by Maurice Pivar. Length and release date not set. THE CAST Helene Betty Compson Mona Mary Duncan Baron Belmar Ian Keith Ambassador Lawrence Grant War Minister Lionel Belmore Greta Jeanette Loff Potz Andre Beranger Renegades (Fox) Strong Stuff; Tragic Ending {Revinvcd by Dick Crenshaiv) AS a picture of war, hate and suffering, this film stands out and in setting and theme strongly suggests "Beau Geste." Warner Baxter is seen in a new role, that of the soldier, in "Renegades" and gives a good performance. The picture was well received in preview form and looks like good box-office. The story is laid in Morocco and centers ahout a French fort commanded by the Foreign Legion. The type of fighting men that belong to the Legion and their intense patriotism form the theme of the story. Some fair battle sequences are to be seen in the picture, which features action and adventure. As the loved and hated spy, Myrna Loy supplies the only feminine touch to the film, the story dealing mostly with hard living men who have crime to the desert post to escape punishment in other countries. Her self-sacrifice in order to wreak vengeance on her former lover makes the picture rather depressing. The story ends as a tragedy when both leads die. The story deals with Baxter's disgrace through his trust of a paid woman spy, his efforts to avenge himself and her attempt to do the same. The story becomes rather far