Talking Screen (Sep-Oct 1930)

SCREEIM REVIEWS MADAME SATAN (M-G-M) F IT isn't our old friend Cecil DeMille, bathtub hound, at it again. But this time the activities of the swanky DeMille social set take place in a Zeppelin. It's all about how Kay Johnson, one of the people in the Social Register, makes up her mind to save her husband from the clutches of a wicked actress, Trixie by name. How any man could fall for a girl named Trixie, we can't understand. But Reginald Denny does in this picture. Then things get mixed up nicely — or, rather, not so nicely. In fact, COMMON CLAY (Fox) IT'S JUST too bad about poor little Constance Bennett in this picture. She's pictured as the gay but innocent girl who just loves to dance and so gets a job in a night club. The place is raided — ah, but the judge is a kindly soul and lets little Connie go with gentle words of advice, brushing the tears from his pan meanwhile. And then, ah, worse yet, Connie gets a job as a maid in a wealthy home and there she meets what's usually known as the young-manof-the-house. But, also, Connie is not the same after she meets the young man. Indeed not! For she ups and has a baby, actually demanding that the young man of the house marry her! Can you imagine it! Of course, every time she tries to show she's just an innocent girl trying to get along on one betrayal no one will believe her, because she once worked in a night club. Honestly, Bill, it s just too bad. Considering the somewhat stale theme, Constance Bennett and Lew Ayres do brilliant work. It would be great to see them in a s'phisticattd show. Even seduction, they say, becomes dull when not pro[x''" handled. Perhaps the movies will do better in . time. RAFFLES (Untied Artists) THIS is Ronald Colman's third, and perhaps his best, talking picture. Colman is well suited to the suave Raffles, and his restraint in playing the part makes an unusual picture out of this more-or-less ordinary crook story. Somehow the talkies seem to have brought out Mr. Colman's ability to be suave and charming. His voice is one of his very best assets. Raffles is in love with The Lady Gwen, fascinating and beautiful. She has consented to marry him. And this makes Raffles decide never, never, never to steal again. But alas, Raffles' best friend has to go and get himself mixed up with a gambling outfit to the tune of several thou and there's nothing for it but stealing to get enough money to help the friend. Then the plot gets thicker and thicker — in fact, in spots, it's very thick indeed — but, nevertheless, it keeps the interest sustained until the final fade-out. Colman is superb as Raffles. The part is beautifully suited to him. Kay Francis, as Lady Gwen, is good but not very English. The rest of the cast is adequate, and the performance as a whole is very satisfying — good talkie entertainment. these nice people behave in a manner that's known as sophisticated. In fact they have affairs, or pretend to have affairs, or something. It's all rather confusing. The big climax is the Zeppelin Ball which could only happen on a DeMille set. All is going brilliantly when the old Zeppelin gets mad at the crowd (who could blame it?) and succeeds in breaking away from the mooring mast. This helps nicely in solving the tangles which the plot has reached. If you like DeMille's sumptuous affairs, see this one. And if you have a Zeppelin you'll strap it fast to its moorings from now on, absolutely. 57 i