Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

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74 Motion Picture News October 25 , 1 930 Opinions on Pictures New Moon (M-G-M) Tibbett Scores Again (Reviewed by Bill Crouch) DESPITE the fact that filrausicals are on the wane, the enthralling voice and engaging personality of Lawrence Tibbett enables him to make "New Moon" great entertainment. This song treat surpasses "The Rogue Song" with its beautiful numbers convincingly rendered by the voices of Tibbett and Grace Moore. This talker is worthy of consideration in the long-run houses and great for the better weekrun houses. If musicals are any draw where this talker plays it should do smashing business. The story is nothing out of the ordinary and serves merely as a background for the singing of Tibbett and Miss Moore. The first scenes are aboard a ship bound for Russia. Aboard it are Grace Moore, a princess, and a burly, blustering lieutenant, Tibbett. They both manage to fall in love with each other and all goes well until the boat reaches port, where Adolphe Menjou, a nobleman to whom Miss Moore is betrothed, makes his appearance. The fickle princess departs, assuming, evidently, that the ship romance was a passing fancy. Tibbett, however, thinks otherwise and plans for revenge. At Menjou's ball for his bride-to-be, Tibbett appears and in a song brings down his scorn for the princess. Menjou then orders him to command a desert military post, as assignment from which no man has returned alive. Tibbett assumes the post. One day the princess appears and, meeting Tibbett in his office, flays him with a horsewhip across the face— announcing that this is her avenging of his insult at the ball. As she starts to leave a messenger arrives, announcing that the Riffs are attacking the outpost. The princess — forced to remain — ■ breaks down and confesses her love for Tibbett. They go through a hastv marriage and the new husband, spurred on by love, leads his men to victory over the enemy in a night attack on their camp. When the survivors of the battle return they find Menjou has arrived with aid, but they are too late — and so is he. Tibbett has won Miss Moore for his bride, and the picture closes with another song. The singing of Miss Moore and Tibbett is almost unsurpassable, and the songs, while plentiful, are always pleasing. Adolphe Menjou as the suave nobleman does admirably in an unsympathetic role. Roland Young is well spotted in a comedy role. Others who give fine performances are Gus Shy and Emily Fitzroy. Jack Conway has directed this talker in an able manner, carefully inserting the song numbers where thev will do the most good. Use comedy or dramatic shorts here. Produced -and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed by Jack Conway. Based on the musical operetta. "New Moon." Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein 2nd, Frank Mandel and Laurence Schwab. Music by Sigmund Romberg. Adaptation by Sylvia* Thalberg and Frank Butler. Dialogue by Cyril Hume. Edited by Margaret Booth. Photographed by Oliver T. Marsh. Length and running time not set. Release date, Dec. 13. THE CAST Lieut. Michael Petroff Lawrence Tibbett Princess Tanya Strogoff Grace Moore Governor Boris Brusiloff Adolphe Menjou Count Strogoff Roland Young Potkin Gus Shy Countess Anastasia Strogoff Emily Fitzroy Maybe It's Love (JJ'anier's) Raw! Raw! (Rcvicived by Robert Hage) THEY sure messed up the possibilities in this one. Take Joe E. Brown, a football story and the whole AU-American team of 1929 thrown in and you'd expect a ripsnorting com edy. Good old Upton wins the crucial game in the last moment, as per formula, but Joe doesn't get into the game. His role is such a small one that the audience forgets he's in the picture and is not set to laugh when he does appear. And then they release a picture containing all of last year's football stars after the opening of the new season, when the public's forgotten them and is engrossed in the feats of the present crop of footballers. Maybe it's love, but it looks as if it may be a case of poor judgment all around. But there are compensations, and they're all packed into Joan Bennett. Whenever she is on the screen it's mighty easy to forget the feeble yarn and its unprecedented triteness. She and James Hall as the leads carry most of the burden, and it appears as if Joe's part was written in at the last moment to inject some sadly needed comedy. Laura Lee, who had a fat role with Joe in "Hold Everything," appears for only a few feet. Maybe that isn't a boner of some kind ! Joan, the daughter of the president of Upton, learns that he will lose his job unless the team licks the hated rival, Parsons. The author went the limit in exercising his writer's license and had Hall, the greatest football player of them all, and the eleven immortals of 1929 walk past the campus in a casual way, fall in love with Joan and decide to die for dear old Upton on the gridiron. Of course, she pretends that she has palpitation of the heart for each. They discover her treachery before the big game, but, being loyal sons of their Alma Mater, pitch in and win the fray. Hall gets the love touchdown. That's no way to treat All-American players. The theme song, "Maybe It's Love," is tuneful and heard often. The direction is haphazard, but the settings are truly collegiate. Bill Banker of Tulane ought to be signed up if for no other reason than his Southern accent. It's the warmest we've ever heard and it evoked a chuckle whenever he spoke. It does not seem possible to write a football story without resorting to the stereotyped formula, and Warners, on seeing the script for this, should have pitched it out of the window and provided Brown with a slapdash burlesque of the gridiron. Musicals and nezvsreels to balance. Produced and distributed by Warners. Story by Mark Canfield. Screen play and dialogue by Joseph Jackson. Directed by William Wellman. Length, 6,568 feet. Running time, 72 minutes. Release date, Oct. 4. THE CAST Nan Sheffield Joan Bennett Speed Hanson Joe E. Brown Tommy Nelson James Hall Betty Laura Lee Mr. Nelson Anders Randolf Whiskers Sumner Getchell President Sheffield George Irving Professor George Bickel Coach Bob Brown Howard Jones Bill Bill Banker "Racehorse" Russell Russell Saunders Tim Tom Moynihan Schoony W. K. Schoonover Elmer E. N. Sleight George George Gibson Ray Ray Montgomery Otto Otto Pommerening Ken Kenneth Haycraft Howard Howard Harpster Paul Paul Scull Brown of Harvard Stuart Erwin story, which deals with a happy-go-lucky French -Canadian who is accused of stealing gold from a Canadian mine. He falls in love with the daughter of the mine owner, rescues both the girl and her father from a snowslide, saves the life of the Canadian mounted policeman who is pursuing him for the theft, and is finally vindicated. Rather a trite story, but fairly well acted and directed. The snow scenes are beautiful, and the blizzard is realistic. The snow slide miniatures are not so good, and in photographing these scenes the audience first sees a peaceful snow shot with the sun shining, then rather faky storm scenes in the mountain country, then back to the original meadow shots. In other words, the miniatures do not match the long shots in lighting or terrain, making it quite apparent even to the layman that it is fake stuff in the snow slide scenes. Gilbert Roland does very well in the leading role. Robert Elliott dominates the picture with his "mountie" characterization. The rest of the cast is ordinary. Musical, cartoons and comedies are suitable here if they are strong. Produced by M-G-M. Directed by Hal Roach. From the story "Monsieur Le Fox," by Willard Mack. Adaptation and dialogue by Richard Schayer. Edited by Tom Held. Photographed by Ray Binger. Running time, 80 minutes. Length, 7,200 feet. Release date. Sept. 27. THE CAST Louis Gilbert Roland Nedra Barbara Leonard Sgt. Rooney Robert Elliott John Ruskin Arnold Korff Wollie Woolie Nina Quartero Corp. Graves George Davis Priest Robert Davis, Jr. Men of the North (M-G-M) Not Unusual (Rcviezved by Bill Crouch) THIS is a fairly good program picture that has nothing outstanding or novel about it, yet will probably meet with approval from kids and those who like the outdoor stuff. Is okay for the split-week spots and other short runs. For neighborhood and small-town houses should meet with fair success. There is nothing startling or unusual in the Today (Majestic Pictures) Looks Like a Bet (Reviewed by Charles F. Hynes) THERE is plenty of action and punch in this, the first offering of Majestic Pictures, and it should click generally. The climax packs a real wallop, presenting an unusual situation which will put this over and send them out talking. The theme has delicate moments, but these are offset by the dream ending, showing that all the action was part of the wife's nightmare. Majestic has made this with two endings, one straight and the other the dream slant. While the former is stronger dramatically, the latter is preferable because it will forestall criticism of the picture's more daring moments. Conrad Nagel is pretty much the picture, turning in an exceptional performance, probably his best to date. He is called upon for plenty, and he puts it over in splendid fashion. Catherine Dale Owen is a pretty and pleasing heroine, Sarah Padden and John Maurice Sullivan are effective as Nagel's parents, and Judith Vosseli is good as the villainous friend, who leads the young wife into the trap. Others in the well-balanced cast are Julia Swayne Gordon, William Bailey, Edna Marion, Robert Thprnby and Drew Demarest. William Nigh has turned in a good job of direction, building up to a smash climax. You need comedies with this. Produced and distributed by Majestic Pictures. Directed by William Nigh. From the play by Abraham Schomer and George Broadhurst. Scenarist, Seton I. Miller. Photographed by Jimmie Howe. Length. 6,660 feet. Running time, 74 minutes. Release date, Nov. 1. THE CAST Fred Warner Conrad N age] Eve Warner Catherine Dale Owen Emma Warner Sarah Padden Henry Warner John Maurice Sullivan Marian Garland _. Judith Vossclli Mrs. Farringdon Julia Swayne Gordon Gregory William Bailey Gloria Vernon Edna Marion Telka Robert Thornby Pierre Drew Demarest