Variety (Sep 1932)

14 VARIETY F I M. S4 IVIEWI Tuesday, September 20, 1932 Talking Shorts 'STRANGE AS IT SEEMS' Color Novelty 8 Mins. New York, New York Universal No. 20 This is one of the John Hix of£- screen talker series, is not theatre matter and has the added disadvan- tage of being in bad color stuff. Altogether,- four clips are projected. These are serious camera studies of uncommon items. Includes a badly colored clip de- picting: 'water cow boys of Hawaii,' meaning cow wranglers that swim cattle to lighters, which serve the regular shipping vessel. Finale clip is on the Braille system for the blind and how it's made is most interesting. Shows how the Braille books are printed and set up. Also shows J. Robert Atkinson, the blind sponsor of the Braille Institute for the Blind. For Just color effect, the clip showing how vegetables crystalize under polarized light through a strong microscope, is the best, but still hard: on the eyes. Another shows'a couple of scenes in a.Mor- roccan town, where Christian wom- en.are barred altogether and Chris- tian men can only travel through in daylight. Freak stunters among natives get closeups, such as a glass eater and other, torture bearers de- scribed as religious fanatics. Bhan. 'RADIO GIRL 1 Terry-toon Series Cartoon 10 Mine. Academy, N. Y. Educational 2869 Just a cartoon filler, and not too good, though It starts off like a new idea. Begins as a kid on. radio, with the morning exercises sent out by a decrepit old man, a nance an- nouncer. Good that far, but veers quickly to goofy and unoriginal stuff of the central character falling in love with the voice of the radio singing girl. Fire breaks out in the studio, so he jumps Into his radio set, swims through the ether and saves her, all the time singing- 'My Radio Girl/ Sounds like a pop tune, though may have been written, specially for the short. Kauf, THE MUSICAL DOCTOR' Rudy Vallee Subject 10 Mins. Rialto, N. Y. Paramount Rudy Vallee is the 'musical direc- tor* who prescribes a croon, a hot tune, a waltz or a tango to cure certain ills as he does his stuff in the Vallee hospital. Mae Questel, the 'Betty Boop' girl, is given bill- ing as first assistant. She pouts and talks like Helen Kane, Miss . Questel being the winner of a Kane Imitator contest. Sammy Timbery arid Sammy Ler ner are billed for the somewhat laborious plot. They also wrote the songs. Ray Cozine directs. 'Keep a Little Song Handy' is one of the thematic numbers. A fairish one-to-flll. Abel. MAGIC CARPET SERIES 'Ricksha Rhythm' 10 Mine. Embassy, N. Y. Fox Movietone With the thousands of feet that have been taken of the Bund and inner corners of Shanghai, even during the past year, it would seem .difficult, to get a fresh 10-minute subject on the town. .'Rhythm,' however, records anoth- er accomplishment for the Carpet series. It. gets into the spirit of Shanghai days. and nights as few Chinese travel shorts have. It makes of the. Far Eastern center fully as good a job as it made of Manhattan. Waly. BETTY BOOP FOR PRESIDENT Cartoon Comedy 10 Mins. Rialto, N. Y. Paramount 'Max Fleischer Nominates* is the Introductory title to this 'Betty Boop' short, with the cartoonic non- sense very funny and withal ef- fective. 'Miss Boop' does Hoover, Coolldge and Al Smith impressions, the thread of plot illustrating what she would do 'If I'm the President.' That's the theme s6ng. Lots of funny business and the usual Fleischer ingenuity on the cartoon animation. Abel. «l LOVE A PARADE' Merrie Melodies series. Cartoon. 10 Mins. Orpheum, N. Y. Vitaphone No. 5383 Nice cartoon built around the pop tune. Line drawing is satisfactory and there are several fairly hearty laughs, plus a few good tricks. In this series some of the animals do some singing, riot always a good Idea, but bke as handled here to build up a song. ' Words of the lyrics are not thrown on the scree: for the audience, as in other similar oborts. Kauf. 'YOO HOC With Jimmy Gleason Comedy 22 Mins. Cameo, N. Y.. Jimmy Gleason saves this short. But even with him it's secondary entertainment for the straight film subsequents. On a combo bill the average vaude skit would outshine it. It's a mediocre attempt at com- edy drama. Photography and re- cording okay. , Has to do with Gleason as a line- man . bumping into a runaway orphan. He adopts the kid and keeps him against all odds, with the girl friend falling for the infant also, to make' a happy ending. The kid is good. Hollywood Idea at comedy is injected in the opening sequence by showing a tough-look- ing hombre do a pansy wrist wave at Gleason. That's the only clue in the film for the title it bears; That first laugh is well enough, but trying to build on it and on other stuff by. stretching it" out makes the piece lag. Looks like bad handling of an idea that has possi- bilities. Shan. MOVIE CRAZY Harold Lloyd production and Paramount release etarrlng Lloyd j Constance Currf- mlngs featured. Clyde Bruckman directed from story by Agues Christine Johnson, John Grey and Felix Adler; "creen play and dialog-by "Vincent Lawrence. Camera, Walter Lundln; assistant director, Gaylord Lloyd. Running time, 85 mins. at the Rialto, N. Y., commencing Sept. 14 lor e, run. .' Harold Hall...,.............. Harold Lloyd The Girl. ConBtance Cummlngs The Gentleman..... Kenneth Thomson The Director Sidney Jarvls An Asst. Director Eddie Peatherstone The Producer Robert Mcwade Producer's Wife.......Louise CloSBer Hale Spencer Charters, Harold Goodwin, Lucy Beaumont, DeWitt Henninge, Mary Do- ran, Noah'Young, Constantino Romanoff, •Movie Crazy* is a 100% click. Sure-iflre belly laugh-getter any- where, and if It's laffe they buy, Lloyd'll get plenty of box-office at- tention. It's his first in two years, which, in tne case of a Lloyd or a Chaplin, is no deterrent, where otherwise it would dim the public's memory as regards almost any other star. While still of the familiar syn- thetic school of Lloyd cinemania, with its cannily constructed bits, gags and business, there's more plot to 'Movie Crazy' than heretofore. Vincent Lawrence as scenarist and dialog -writer,, insures that although there aire still three mechanical laff contributors in Agnes Christine Johnson, John Grey and Felix Ad- ler (the latter a Lloyd comedy stay), not to mention the several others who must have donated bits and biz. •Movie ■ Crazy* wisely skirts the Merton of the Movies' motif (re- talkerlzed recently by Par as 'Make Me a Star'), although it -almost leads into the same hokum as Stuart Erwin's dead-pan ambish to make good in Hollywood: Lloyd's resourcefulness not only circumvents any suspicion of same- ness, but develops along a new tan- gent—although this must have been an lntra-studlo headache right through production—and emerges with some brand-new comedy wrin- kles. The film starts a bit slow in the Kansan locale of the Lloyd family group, but once the screen-struck tyro gets off,the Chief at the Santa Fe station In L. A. and messes up a location scene, the rest rides on a crest of comedy waves. The rorhantlc element Is well planted, with Constance Cummlngs doing an effective job as the girl who is smitten with this new oddity —a male who hasn't made a pass at her in the first five minutes. Har- old's too naive for that, but he's otherwise a complicated mess, well sustaining the nickname of'Trouble' which she gives him.. Kenneth Thomson is the light heavy and again discloses himself as a player who possesses that something which the ferrirries go for. He's orie of those semi-sinister male brunets who, if more sympathetl cally cast, has a good chance for femme appeal. Action isn't all in the studio, There's a big formal party scerie in a Los Angeles hotel which Lloyd gums up through the hired magi- cian's props being erroneously donned by Lloyd as their coats are exchanged in the washroom. That's a succession of wows. The big dramatic punch' Is the fight on the set which Is not in the script, but which intrigues the pro- ducer regardless. It ultimately gets him a contract. Against this back- ground is Lloyd's complications with the studio manager. The star comic's celluloid artifices have given him a series of cork- ing., situations which he mllkB to the utmost. The answer Is that the 90 minutes' running time doesn't seem as long. It's another picture that holds so much it'll get a modi- cum of repeat trade, which about tells everything. Abel, Miniature Reviews 'Movie Crazy' (Par). Harold Lloyd in a corking comedy, replete with wow belly laffs. Sure-fire. •Lily Christine' (Par-B. & D.). Paramount quota feature starring Corlnne Griffith. A poor, slow, and therefore tedi- ous unwinding of a Michael Arlen triangle story. A second selection for minor double-bill houses over here. 'The Painted Woman' (Fox). Weak story and not much pull in the cast. Routine south sea isle material that registers neg- ative. 'Night of June 13' (Par). Murder trial motif absorbingly worked out with fascinating character study and a touch of satire. Mary Boland in a comedy character role that will make her talked about. 'Dynamite Denny' (Mayfair). Fairiiliar pattern railroad story best suited for double bills. Light weight. 'Beyond the Rockies' (Pathe). Tom Keene in a familiar story which is given material help by author and director. Should please. 'Midnight Morals' (Mayfair). Unimportant. night club story that is best as the lower half of a double bill. Sub-standard in its class. 'Cruiser Emden' (Emelka), How the German cruiser sunk half a dozen enemy ships. Well done, though subject is problematic for this country. German, customers will go for it strong. ., 'The Vanishing/) Frontier' (Far). If first line ,associate producers turn out stuff like this one, the lowlier grinds will have a surfeit of product. 'Goona Goona.' (First T>iv.). Originally released in Europe as 'The Krlss* this feature, a little late In the Bali cycle, must be exploited by all booking it in the U.S. 'Two Fisted Law* (Col.). Tim McCoy in stereotyped western of stencil plot. Poorest of the recent lot In the Col. series. 'The Last Man' (Col.). Ex- pensive and highly pictorial production with not enough plot to back the other angles. In the money but not a big grosser. > Those We Love' (W-W). Good program picture for the lesser first runs and beyond. Some capital bits and a win- ning finish. LILY CHRISTINE (BRITISH MADE) Paramount British production and release Stars Corlnne Griffith; features Margaret Bannerman and Colin Cllve. Directed by Paul Stein. Based on Michael Arlen's novel r r "";;„ Z. v v., »«•- of same name; dialogby. Arlen. At the I tractlveness which is hers cannot Playhouse, Mamaroneck, N. Y.'.-as halt, of double bill. ■ Lily Christine........ .Corlnne Griffith Rupert Harvey Colin Cllve Mrs. Abbey.. Margaret Bannerman Ambatrladl.. Miles Mender Ivor Summerset.... Jack Trevor Muriel Harvey .Anne Grey situation, and this Is what will drive audiences to audible irrita- tion. The blarho can and should be accepted by Paul Stein, the director, and Michael Arlen, the author, who did the dialog. Both men. have ap- parently tried'to imply more , than the camera could register. Result is a series of sequences which merely hang in the air, with no definite objective in view. It will make wit- nessers wbrider what it's all about. So, In trying not to be too obvious, those in charge have leaned so far the other way that they've almost succeeded in evolving a mystery pic- ture from a simple enough triangle story, said to have been thoroughly enjoyable in book form. Holding dialog which is produc- tive of little or nothing, and unre- lieved by action, the cast method- ically emit Just so many words in a continuity of unfinished scenes. And they talk so slowly. This complete Ignoring of pace is a barrier for the entire cast to the point where it re- flects credit on no one. Colin Cllve is not without reputation on both continents as an actor—his 'Jour- ney's End' performance was enough —but they've managed to keep his ability a dark secret in this instance; Likewise Margaret Bannerman, a prominent name in the British the- atre, who nevertheless doesn't even come to mind for what she does in this film. Jack Trevor screen as a No. 2 Ralph Forbes and plays unin- terestingly, while Miles Mander may be said to have salvaged more than the others in a secondary part as the roue friend of the tiffing mar- ried couple. Trevor is the husband and Miss Griffith the wife. Cllve and' Miss Bannerman are the 'other people' in the case. Anne Grey, portraying Clive's wife, is a sure bet to lose him to Miss Griffith, which happens. Even the direction has been incapable of disguising this despite the dilly-dallying on the way. It all starts oyer a pair of broken glasses while Miss Griffith is out driving. She can't see without them, Cllve can't pilot a car and it forces her to an overnight stop in his house with the wife "away. Of- course, Miss Griffith is lady-some- thing-or-other. • Arlen wrote it. * The night's lodging is Innocent enough, although Stein has at least had sufficient perspicacity to flash Miss Griffith in scanty attire, but the incident Is enough for Ivor to intend Paris divorce proceedings against Miss Griffith. He'd been looking for an out for four reels, and this seems the big opportunity, regardless- of what It does to his wife's good name. Hence, that places Ivor on the shady side of being a gentleman, and the final presumption is that there's a double divorce after Miss Griffith has walked in front of truck as one, if not successful, way out of it all, but leading to . the presumed eventual marriage of the Lady and Cllve. Miss Griffith has -obtained two fa- vorable breaks from this picture, Irrespective of its texture as a feat- ure. First is that the camera work is favorable to her, for she is beautiful woman. Second is that few if any of the first line Yankee dally critics will apply their fingers to 'Lily Christine,' for the simple reason that over here it -will hide away. But even the physical at- PAINTED WOMAN Fox production and release. Directed by John Blystonr. Adaptation by Guy Boltoq from A. C. Kennedy's 'After tho Bain. Dialog by Loon Gordon. Peggy Shannon, and Spencer Tracy featured. At the Boxy, Now York, week of Sept. 15.. 'Running time, 73 minutes. Tom Brian Sponccr Tracy Klddo, Peggy Shannon. Boynton William Boyd Robert Dunn..... Jim... overcome in this day the flatness of voice and inept delivery that also remain with Miss Griffith in this film. Bid. i Irving PioheJ , ........Raul Roulien With a story that offered small possibilities in the first place and, : a production and casting follow-up that couldn't cope -with such a liter* ary handicap, 'Painted Woman' was doomed before the first turning of the camera crank. It's hard to see) how the studio figured a good. pic* \ ture would result from the material at hand. Beyond flattering scenic and pro* -' Auction effects, this story received, little help, although It needed plenty* : ' As far as cast is concerned the?! players deliver in the acting way, - ■ but the best the list has to offer in ' names are Peggy Shannon, Spencer •; Tracy and William (stage) Boyd. • The picture, with a big story handl- > cap to begin with, called for much stronger marquee representation. It's a white girl on a. south sea isle again, and she goes through the usual paces. She's as near to Sadie ' Thompson as it is possible to get without being a duplicate, and that", goes also for other characters, be- - sides the locale and the phonograph.' She conks a guy in. a, Singapore ' dive, accepts a hardbolled sea captain's proposition for a getaway,' and Is dropped off on a pearl fishing isle, with the Capt. making a com-' blnatlon promise and threat to pick: her up on the return trip. Her marriage to an ex-marine who's in the pearl bz is based on real love, which is a novelty for this lady, and the complications that, follow result from her attempts to. keep the burning Capt. away from friend husband after the Captain finds out that she crossed him by getting married. They just won't let a girl go straight in the tropics. Sadie had the same trouble. Tracy, Boyd and Miss Shannon try hard to make the story almost believable and don't succeed, de- spite creditable work on their part. Their respective roles were walks for the two men. Although showing; an improvement in looks, Mies Shannon is basically much too In*, genue for the roughhouse part. Irv- ing Plchel does more than anyone to keep things moving by convinc- ingly playing the No. 2 vlllian through most of the footage. Raul Roullen as a native diving boy is as impressive as Coolldge in an Ijidlan, suit. The makeup and dialect don't fit. They dragged in—and dragged 1st the word—several side issues that have little or nothing to do with the> plot In an effort to bolster up the) story's Inherent weakness, but noth* ing helped. The pearl diver's bout"' with an octopus should thrill but doesn't, while a native girl with lung trouble dies at the half-way' mark for no reason. Wheri the occasion calls for smart repartee, Leon Gordon's dialog la okay. Otherwise the talk isn't above* the groundwork In quality. Bige. This Is the picture which reput edly convinced Paramount last spring that, for itself, making Alms in England Is a waste of a good many things, including money. The deduction, if based upon this result, can hardly be said to be misplaced The Woman 9 s Angle 'Strange Interlude' (MGM). O'Neil. interpreted by Norman Shearer and her three Hollywood men. Adaptation preserves the psycho-analytic/ There is no compromise here, for I novelty of the original and enlarges upon basic box office situations Lily Christine' is a bad picture Even British audiences have prob ably stamped it as a bore, and there's . nothing tolerant about American patrons where their screen fare is concerned, regardless of the source. A Westchester sub- urban gathering. grew very impa tient with it. Besides marking a detour point for Paramount, 'Christine' is other wise notable for defining Corlnne Griffith's return to the talking screen and her first effort abroad. with principal players who have great popular appeal. A significant matinee entrant that will be discussed, but not rouslngly acclaimed^ over ribbon' counters and bridge tables. 'Bird of Paradise' (U). Melodramatic make-believe, diverting but too obvious to occasion great concern over the welfare of its characters* Entertainingly spiced with naive, primitive love scenes and an ingrati* atlng performance by Joel McCrae, as a civilized Tarzan of the South* Seas. • \- ■ % '. The Crash'. (FN). Fanettes, eagerly patronizing the first co-starring „„„„ release of Hollywood's publicized newlyweds, are bewildered by unsym.< Of the "film's ^edeemrng^attrTbutes. I Pathetic performances and a much-adb-about-nothing, stock market plot.- Miss Griffith's appearance is the most Important. The other, though minor, is a splendidly orchestrated and rendered conception of a popu lar song used as a musical back- ground to some of the scenes. How ever, it is the star's lens Impression which will mainly Miss Chatterton's lavish but recklessly unbecoming wardrobe merits only adverse comment. American trade and be the intrigu- ing factor for the limited public it will reach over here. Miss Griffith remains very lovely of face and fig' ure. But not so her ability to han- dle dialog. She has yet some way to go before the microphone ceases to be an Impediment to her. Still, that appearance continues so cap tivating that few will argue that 'Movie Crazy' (Par). Hilarity riding rough-shod over the glamor of Hollywood, with Harold Lloyd as the calamitous bull in a movieland china shop. Evokes no sympathy for a stolid-faced hero whose excel- interest D ^th^ I lently developed predicaments are solely the result of his own insane blundering. Awfully funny in spots, but primarily for matrons who shop for clean fare for the kiddles. .'Painted Woman 1 (Fox). A cabaret girl wins redemption and likeable Spencer Tracey in the. South Seas. Tale has been told too many timed to arouse interest in a starless cast and a disjointcdly routine recital. 'The Night of June 13th' (Par). . A lesser 'Grand Hotel' wherein mur- der slowly involves the residents of one street in a suburban town, further study on Miss Griffith's part I Drawless beyond a piquant title and all-around, utility cast, and vague can deny her a place in the ranks of the film players should she wish to prolong her screen career. The picture's screaming deficiency I is a complete disregard of tempo. It drags and it drags. No effort in direction or cutting to relieve theI in love interest, program rating. Relics on tardily presented comedy to earn average 'Big City Blues' (WB). Joan Blondell,, Eric Linden, and a pungent title, sacrificed to a hysterical description of New York's recklessness and depredation. Even country cousins will discredit its exaggerations.