Picture-Play Magazine (Mar-Jul 1929)

67 WHAT EVERY FAN SHOULD SEE "Broadway Melody, The" — MetroGoldwyn. An extraordinarily entertaining musical-comedy picture, human in its appealing story of stage life, with dialogue, song and spectacle. Concerning two sisters with ambitions to make Broadway, and a song-and-dance artist from their home town, and their careers and loves. Bessie Love, Anita Page, and Charles King top-notch. "Doctor's Secret, The"— Paramount. Talkie version of a stage play with Ruth Chatterton achieving distinction in her talking-celluloid debut. Oldfashioned story of bridge-building lover and frustrated elopement with dramatic situations. Excellent support by H. B. Warner, Robert Edeson, John Loder, Ethel Wales, Nanci Price. "Sins of the Fathers" — Paramount. Emil Jannings as devoted father, who falls into the clutches of a siren of the pavements and is led far astray, but retribution overtakes him. Characterization impressively genuine. Capital acting by Ruth Chatterton, Barry Norton, Zasu Pitts, Jack Luden, Mathew Betz, and Jean Arthur. "Redskin" — Paramount. Richard Dix in a dramatic role, pictured in color. Story of an Indian boy's yearning to find his place, and his disillusionment, but prospects of happiness in the end. Gladys Belmont effective as heroine;' also Jane Novak, Larry Steers, Bernard Siegel, Noble Johnson, Tully Marshall. "Weary River" — First National. Richard Barthelmess as a melodious convict, in a well-directed, well-acted ordinary story of a man who sings his way out of prison shadows, slips, and is saved by his old sweetheart. Betty Compson, Louis Natheaux, George Stone, Gladden James. "In Old Arizona"— Fox. An all-diapicture, most of it occurring in the open, it is in a class by itself — superlative. Story of a calico "Carmen," her passing love for a Portuguese cattle thief, and her betrayal of him to an American soldier. Gripping, picturesque, amusing, tragic; superb performances by Warner Baxter and Edmund Lowe, with interesting support from Dorothy Burgess, a newcomer. "Awakening, The" — United Artists. Vilma Banky's debut as individual star successful, but story not up to her artistic height. She is an Alsatian peasant who falls in love with a Prussian officer, is humiliated and disgraced by the villagers, and flees to a convent from which she is rescued Ly the soldier at the moment of her final vows. Beautifully produced. Walter Byron, as the soldier, handsome ; Louis Wolheim, a strong villain. "Shopworn Angel, The" — Paramount. Simple story of ingenuous soldier in love with sophisticated chorus girl who gradually responds to his idealistic logue worship, but hasn't courage to tell him truth about herself. Acted with rare feeling, delicacy and intelligence by Gary Cooper, Nancy Carroll, and Paul Lukas, with complete absence of the maudlin. Mr. Cooper heard for first time in talking sequence. He's there! "Barker, The"— First National. Exceptional picture of carnival life, moving, gripping, thrilling, with splendid dialogue sequences adding greatly to "punch" of the film. A veteran barker permits his innocent son to travel with the show, thus arousing the jealousy of the barker's girl, who bribes another girl to take the boy away from his father. Milton Sills, Betty Compson, Dorothy Mackaill, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. "Craig's Wife"— Pathe. Psychological study of a domineering wife, her passion for her home and determination to manage the lives and conduct of all who come within hailing distance. Quietly tense, beautifully produced, superbly acted by Irene Rich and Warner Baxter. Carroll Nye, Virginia Bradford, Lilyan Tashman, Ethel Wales, and Jane Keckley excellent. "My Man"— Warner. The Vitaphone debut of Fannie Brice, the famous comedienne, is successfully accomplished in a sympathetic picture that enables her to sing long and often as a seamstress who rises to musical-comedy fame, and whose lover is annexed by her wayward sister. Deserted at the altar, she sings "My Man !" in bridal array, and how! Guinn Williams, Edna Murphy, and Ann Brody are fine. "Interference" — Paramount. The first all-dialogue picture produced by this company is more polished and believable than any of the other talking pictures, though slow and only tolerably interesting. Story of a blackmailing adventuress and her tragic end at the hands of her former lover. Evelyn Brent, Willam Powell, Clive Brook, and Doris Kenyon. "Show People" — Metro-Goldwyn. Gorgeously entertaining satire on Hollywood and the movies, or a slapstick comedy with sentimental trimmings. Whichever way you accept it, it is riotously funny and is the best picture Marion Davies or William Haines has ever appeared in. Story of a goofy girl and what happens to her as a movie actress. Paul Ralli, Polly Moran, Harry Gribbon and numerous stars. "Alias Jimmy Valentine" — MetroGoldwyn. Expertly played story of likable young crook who reforms for love, routs detective who tries to break down his alibi, then sacrifices it all to open safe in which child is smothering to death. Capital entertainment, brilliant performances by William Haines and Lionel Barrymore. Leila Hyams, Tully Marshall, Karl Dane. Don't miss this! "Four Devils, The"— Fox. The glamour and excitement of the circus eleases superbly pictured. Film quite all it should be, and has moments of genius. Barry Norton, Nancy Drexel, Charles Morton, Janet Gaynor, with Mary Duncan in the siren role. "Wedding March, The" — Paramount. The long-awaited Erich von Stroheim story of the love of an Austrian prince and a peasant girl, told in the unique Von Stroheim style. Fay Wray plays with abandon and charm, Zasu Pitts has the tragic role of a lame heiress, and "Von" acts himself. "Singing Fool, The" — Warner. Al Jolson as singing waiter, with "Sonny Boy" the theme' song. Thin story, but the star's voice is excellently exploited. There are good speaking parts for Betty Bronson and Josephine Dunn. David Lee, a child newcomer, is nothing less than a sensation. "Patriot, The"— Paramount. A story of Russia in 1801. As magnificent and inspired a production as any that Emil Jannings has done. Shows masterly direction of Lubitsch. A perfect cast, including Lewis Stone, Florence Vidor, Neil Hamilton, Tullio Carminati. Harry Cording, and Vera Voronina. Sound effects are least commendable part of otherwise exceptional picture. "Mother Knows Best" — Fox. A picture that gives a side of mother love hitherto untouched by the movies — the loving domination of an ambitious parent. It is entertainment cut to the pattern preferred by many. Beautiful performance by Madge Bellamy, another by Louise Dresser, and Barry Norton's fan mail will grow. "Sunrise" — Fox. One of the best of the season. Skillfully directed tale of a farmer, his wife and a city vamp. George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, and Margaret Livingston. "Man Who Laughs, The"— Universal. No one should fail to be engrossed by its strange story, or fascinated by its weird beauty. Conrad Veidt's characterization is magnificent, Mary Philbin pleasing, and Olga Baclanova gives distinctive performance. Brandon Hurst, Josephine Crowell, Sam de Grasse, Stuart Holmes, Cesare Gravina, and George Siegmann. "King of Kings, The"— Producers Distributing. Sincere and reverent visualization of the last three years in the life of Christ. H. B. Warner dignified and restrained in central role. Cast includes Jacqueline Logan, Joseph Schildkraut, Victor Varconi, and Rudolph Schildkraut. "White Shadows in the South Seas" — Metro-Goldwyn. Filmed on authentic locations, and has much to offer in natural beauty and pictorial loveliness. Purports to show the corrupting influence of white men among the islanders. Monte Blue is capable in the lead, and Raquel Torres makes the native girl, "Fayaway," vital, naive and charming. Continued on page 96