Variety (May 1933)

FILM REVIEWS VAXIETY IT I Talking Shorts RUTH ETTINQ ^Along Came Ruth' 20 Mint. Strand, N. Y. _ Vitapltone No. 1492-3 . . Another In Huth Etting'a serled for Warner Bros., directed by Joseph Henaberry, with Burnet Hershey and A; y Dorian Otvos credited for the scripting. Some of the supporting cast's , billing not caught, excepting Gharles Althoff; Starts 6tt showing a schedule of Miss Bttlng's dally chorea starting 'With Yltaphone shorts, records,, radio and finally the theatre, on ah a. m. to p. in. grind. Choruses ot 'Harvest Moon' are dovetailed, from one sequence to another^ skllltully getting over the Idea of iin Inten- elve professional life. That'd a build-up for the hide- away rest in. a mountain camp un^^ der a pseudohym . until fihd. ls im-., pressed Into service for the reisort'B usual weekly . entertainment. Same eoes for her miald, who becomes h^r companion for the vacash, A braggadocio' soiplal' dlrectdr inalntalnd what plot sketch th^r© l"? through, bragging what a Btatr maker he is; mentioning, among' others, that he discovered .Ruth Et-; ting. (She's" up there under ia, nbm- de-hldeiawasiO. The denduepipnt. Is his ultimate discovery of her true Identity, biit the aihat6Ur'show af- fords some more songaloging. In all she doea three isonga. Miss Etting looked exceptionally well m this short. The fluaUty of her vocalizing has been commented lipon before. A tip-top short, Abel. HAL LeROY and MITZI MAYFAIR The Way of All Freshmen' MusicarSkit 15 Mine. Strand^ N. Y. VitiHihone 7119 An okay sketch' with . niuslc. Cleverly fashioned by the Vitaphone FlatCush studio artificers, with some of the credits including Cliff Hess on the music and Joseph Heh- aberry, director. Hal I^eRoy and Mltzl Mayfair are a natural piEiir .for' this undergraduate romance. The nearby military sqluadroh comes over from, a . .prom at the: girls' school, of which Miiss Mayfair Is a student, LeRoy, of cOursie, be- ing ia frosh at the visiting school. The prom set permits for Some concerted numbers by the mixed chorus,. 'the boys in ' West. Point- style uniforms making a great flaahi ' Jeainnle liang,' Ben 'DOva' and 'the^ Four Admirals tire among the. sUp- .porting principal^, all fitting in well. 'Doya'does his entirs vaude routine 'on the teetering lamppost; Miss Lang Is a riit'» interlude, but it's.the stellar pair's short. In toto, with their clever legmanla;., Sklt holdis comedy, song, dajice and . general' :talQnt; and, what's more., jells well' ; A::better than average brlefie. Abel. BOBBY JONES (No. 2) 'Position and Backswing' 12 Mins. , Strand, N. Y. Vitaphone 7^ Second in WB's second series titled 'How to Break 90.' The posi- tion and backswing is the subject of this short, with Guy Klbbee Coiling for the position. As with the first series, the the- 'atre entertainment requisites are never lost sight of by the Warners In making technical subjects such as these, hence* the presentation Is ever showihanly and embellished with a little story for general ap- peal. Kibbee is the stooge this time. He flounces Into the house, ibreaks his clubs, throw 'em into the fire and flings himself oh a fiettee in dire disgust with , himself and his game. His wife enters, turns on the television receiving set, .which thus brings- in—super-lm- iposed on the television screen—an expositlph of Joneij on how to pirop- erly address the ball. , . ■ From Impatient disinterest In the broadcast Kibbee expresses keen Interest as Jones makes his pseudo- television broadcast over KFWB Xthat's actually the Warner Bros fetation in Hollywood). • Jones, with his usual natural iease and. poise, goes in^o the ex- planation of the niceties- of the ■proper stance, dwelling on the even distribution of one's weight, the necessity of the free hip play for power behind the drive, the. urgency ^or ease and ho tension, along with other technical but. readily under- istandable explanations for all. Its dual appeal to the golfer and non- player alike in undeniable. A couple of theatrical liberties are also indulged In. auch as dress- ing Jones in a semi-black and semi- white sports' outfit so that the con- trasting halves of his body, in the motions of addressing, the pHl. are further hel&htenend. -A corking new wrinkle. In this series also Is the dialogic explana- tions; which the- Interested patron can obtain from the ushers to take home and digest: It thus becpmte a practical course in the ancient Scot landscape billiards which the tee-off addicts will probably digest. That means a certain: quota of clhcih theatre trade once that gets arbund; In fact this aspect alon^ may become the shorts' series best selling point, and do lots for the general gate. l .. _.. _._.Ao?Ji— SCREEN SOUVENI Novelty 10 Mins. Rialto, N. Y. Paramount Up to standard, which Is. high.ln novelty entertainment. A clip caUed 'The Prince and Barmaia, travestying 'Old Heldleberg,' fea- tures. It Is comedy of the old school in accbrdaince with the sou- venir policy, and audiences are en- joying it. . ^ -^"^Old^ussia7^th^Kalser-and=^ome more rtiaterlal from the early news- reels are Included In the 10 min- utes. 'W<^^v- •ON THE BLUE PACIFIC' Zane (irey Trayeloo 1d Mins. Loew^s New York Principal Nothing spectacular in this one. And It closes with a sunset. Formfil views of CocosLsland and a camera trip through a Mexican village. TValy. ♦THE POOR-FISH' With Leon Errol Comedy 17 Mtns. RKO Roxy, N. Y. Columbia One of the 'Lanibs ClUb series pror. duced. in the ea&t. for pol i^elease ahd- better than some of this group released .to date'. This "may be be- cause LieO Errors Swell'stew, raises ,the siibject to a higher averagrie of laughs than it otherwise might bat. out. Houses getting first choice of "jpr'oduct in any situation can uise this near two-reel item. As In . prior Lambs shorts, this one takes.- the audience to one' of the Lambs' gambols, though not staying around for more than a matter of a few mlnutea. Idea is to .plant Lynn Overman In skirts, something the. Lambs boys .have to. .do to get femme parts into . their' sketches. Female - Impersonator angle was worked In another short Of the series somewhat similarly as in this one, where Errol's wife, mistakeis his "honest intentions for cheating. Actor who's- to do. the gal at the club show loses his part, carrying a girl's name, at Errol's home, and the wife discovers It, going with a de- tective to the station from. which Brrol Is planning to leave on a. fish- ing trip. Wife thinks it's anything but, and when the actor. In women's clothes, which he didn't have time :to doff in making the train -with his friend, her suspicious seem cpn- 'firmed. , There's nothing particularly orlg-. Inal or exciting-about the plot-of the short, but what it lacks in get- ting over averaige attentloni Errol makes up in difficulties he has as. a perfect drunk. ^ Subject received good direction from Joseph Santley. in addition to Brrol and Overman, cast includes liuela Gear, good wlfey type, . Chat. Miiuatare Remws 'Warridr'e Husband' <Fox). Novel farce will need astute exploitation aide. Griven that, ought to puil satisfactorily. V The Barbarian*. (Metro). Ramon l^ovarro and the Pic- ture both stand up In the early moments, but sudden awltch from good light comedy re- suits In a maudlin^ doubtful^ desert melodrama.' ^The Big Cage' (U). George :^es^ty from the RlngUhg show and his big cats :■ breed exclte- jnent Inside the cage, but too few of such moments, for! fea- ture length quality. •Ex-Lady' (WB). Will have to be sensationalized to mean anything. Weak, and not a key first run choice. iWore for the ©ne-dayers. Bette Davi3 I's the ■Ex;'.' ;" : fBreed oif the Border' (Mohoi) BQb' Steel in.. an ambitlpus western .^hich offers some novelties; ' Good -bet in any '•*(resterri' spot.-' 'Pootstepa in tlie Night' (Asr sbciated). Old-fashioned story with some pretty ecenery but p6or Interior work. Bad direc- tion. —.For smalt houses/only and iiiilikely even there. 'Forgotten Men» (Jewell). Official war material excep- tlCnaily , well assembled. A certain money maker if rightly exploited. Outstanding In Its 'Jungle Br! » .(Mon). Emer- ; gency stuff for the twins- Has --^the weakness of inipellingL laughter at the wrohfe tlmea; •KiSs Before Wirror* (U). Direction and , adaptation, lift thia one Into passable enter- talhment..' More for B than A houses with , fair name Value. *Eagle and the Hawk' (Par). Carefully* produced v?ar story which will make good with those It attracts, but handl- ca:pped by mass of earlier flight/pictures. WARRIOR^S HUSBAND THE BARBARIAN JMse liftaky prodoc^loo and Fox release. Features Sllssa l^aiKli, Harjdrle Rambeau, Ernest Truex and David Mannets. Di- rected by Walter lAng; adaptation and dialog, Ralph Spence, From play by Julian Thompson; conUnnlty. Sonya LeVlen; cam- era, Hal Mohr;-muBlcal direction. . li.. P> D^Francesco. At R. O. Hxislo Hall. N. x., WQOk May 11> Ruhnlns tikne, 76 mins. Antlope........V. i .EUssa Ijandl Hlppolyta................ arjorle Rambeau Sapiens. ■. vj'^'^H't '^'^^^ Theseus.................... .David Manners Pomposla....i V •«• ..Helen Ware Burla. Maude ttburne Pokos.i......... .John Sheehan Homer. ? • J'^'i^'*'! Hercules.,..... *. .'Tiny Sandjord Captain ot the Guards,....Hel^ne Madison together with a bear hunt game, the Indians, play with One. of their num- ber as the bear. Fred Weller Is credited as the' director. Char. 'TERRORS OF THE AMAZON' Adventure 25-Mins. Transtux, N, Y. Beverly Hill* Some exceptional - and Unusual .situations hot found in the average short in this class are dwelt upon, to the b.bw mierlt of the subject. These have to do with a species of crocodile indigje'nuous to the Ama zbn. The. suggiB^tlon that ohe of the reptiles has devoured several native childl-en serves to promote ;a round- up of the craWlerd.. This'is fast artd exciting, huge jstws enapping by the hundred^ as ?i handful of natives Virork'their lariats. Interesting btudir of the river's birds and Insects also Included. ' Watv- Jesse laasity's second for Fox Is a pretty good comedy that ought to command better than average b.o without ireaching the heights. Be turns probably will be sporadic, de- pending much on the local cam palgn. Picture can be sold/ but needs selling, •Warrior's Husband' Could have been an . exceptional picture Trouble is thit Its preriiise Isn't sus- tained throughout. When the farce is slapped on, It's uproarious, fun, But they :ineist oh playing it down In spots. It goes straight for spells, and then It is boring. In the last analysis it's an'idea'picture. Marjorie Rambeali 13 QUeen of the AiUa^ons,' and Ellssa Landi is her sister. Ernest Truei is a violet young man taken by the ..Queen as husband befcause his mother is gen- erous to the official treasuryr David Manners, as head of the Greek army, breaks' into' the country to declare watr. • He tsJces Miss Landi, his men conquer the Amazon wemen, and-that gives Truex a chaince to become mannish^ and' dominate his queenly wife. Idea, originally,'was a satirical one. Balph Spence being assigned tO! dialog and jadaptation Indi- cates that Lasky intended to turn It Into strsught farce; And the^ por tlons will hold up the picture; Miss Rambeau and Miss liandl are excellent, Miss Landl making It her best screen wortc to date, Truex leaves something to . be . desired. Either he's not effeminate enough, or he takes- too many comedy falls in the wrohg spots. Manners, as the handsome soldier, Is a fine choice. Film gives the appearttnce. Of a big production. Sets look sumptu- ous and the extras are maneuvered to seem like thousands. Photogra- phy is ofC, some of the scenes being actually blotched. , . Helen? Madison, the swimming champ, is In for a bit. Doesn't mean anything to the picture, but. is an .exploitation angle. Kauj (With Music) Metrt>-Goldwyp-Mayer production and re« lease. Ramon. Novarro starred. Directed by Sam Wood^ DIalos and adaptatjlon .b; Anta liOOB and Elmer Harris from Story or Edkar Selwyn. Score, Herbert Stothart} theme song, 'Love Songs of the Nile,' by Naclo Herb Brovm and Arthur Freed.- Harold Rosaoii, phOtoir. At. Capitol, N.X„ week May-M. Running time, 82 mins. , Jamil.. >......;....Ramon N.ovarr*. I Diana .; .Myrna lioy Gerald •...;... ^ .. .Reginald. Denn^ P6\ver8....,;..........I^ulse Closser Hale. Ci?tIl..;..,.......4.'.i.....C. Aubrey. Smith Achniedt...-..^..........Edward Arnold Mrs. Hume i.....,.,,.. ,. lanche Frederlcl_ An abrupt switch to melodramat- Ics at the halfway mark takes the wind out of this one after a delight-, ful start. It nnishes'^as a faint echo of 'The Sheik' and an unsuccessful attempt to recapture, the one-time lure of desert romsince. .Ramon No- varro's flair for romantic light icom- edy has its opportunity during the first half hour, and it makes for en- tertainment . in . the early footage* But when the story turnsi Novarro must turn with it. They both go wrong together. 'SPAZIERGANG DURCH Wl 'Stroll ThrougK Vienna' Travelofl 22 Mins. Vanderbilt. N. Y. General Foreign Film An exceptionally ifine travel short. With nothing more than a,new title, sheet it can fit into any program, although it could stand a bit of trimming. Robert. Stoles .wrote the musical accompaniment and, .aj-. though not a well known name qti this side of the ocean; his 'Zvtrei Herzen' and 'Mona Uad.* miy mean an added quarter at the b. o. Jiere and there.. No' titles or lecture needed or used. It's a quick .and continuous kaleidoscope bf Vienna shots; most- ly silent. They dissolve, fade, and lap into each other in every Con- ceivable way. Willie Goldberger, Jlermany'a J)£at^phQtQgraphfir,._han::_ died the camera and Unrolled his entire ba^ o£ tricks. OffsAage musir cal score accompanies and, In. one spot, breaks into song. Sohg is 'Das Ist Wlen' ('This .IS Vienna), a iStolz honey. It won't bother, any one that It's in Germain because thie whole thing is laid in Vienna, and it's in the moOd. Kauf. •WALPI* Scenic 9 Mins. Roxy, N, Y. ROADHOUSE QUEEN' Walter Catlett 20 Mins; . Rialto, N. Y. .Pairamount There are. enough pertain laughs in this to make it worthy of book Ing in all houses using shorts. Un like some of Catlett's previous works for Sennett,''l^ueen' is compara- tively wholesome, although them- atlcally familiar. . The old Bioty of the rich son who wants to ttiarf y a; night-club hostess, and of the stew dad who takes her to the altat Itistead, Is retold With a few hew gags. The . pie is burfed in the second reel this tipie. Waly. HARMONY ROW (AUSTRALIAN MADg) • Sydney, April 12, . Produced by Efftee,; Melbourne; trom a story by George . Wallace. Directed by F, W. Thrlng. ; Photography by Arthur. Hlgglns. RCA Bound. Peaturee . George Wallace and Marshall' Crossby. At Capl tol, Sydney; Running- time, 80 mln$. -PrrrtcipaH A brief .visit with the Hopi In- dians at a place.known as Walpi in the Painted Desert. Takes its audience through a, iserles of cere- monial songs and dances, with an offscreen spiel by Freeman Lang as buildup. Moderately worthy filler. Done entirely In Clnecolor, sub- ject applies itself favorably to tints but now ahd then the photography Is duller than desired, Eagle, butterfly and victory dances, as they're known to the Hopis, are included in the action, Picirford Scans Award Leiters for Pic Yam . ._-Holly woQdr-May 16 Mary Plckford hopes to secure the thenie and plot mailerlal for a scrieoii story dealing -with the prob- lems of the .young married woman who helps earn the family liyell- hood, out of the l^ecrets^ contest now under way. in 16 cities. First of the contest -winners are Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Turceil of Cin- cinnati,,, whose letter revealing 'secrets' of their o-wn marital happU ness entitles them, together with P ther jyin nerg.jfco a th P^^id •Harmony ROW' Is In the-main a vaude act between W*W*ce and Crossby made into a fejatui'e-lerigth picture. For local audiiences who like their comedy undertone 'Row' is a solid • wowj Wallace Is the fun- niest comedian In Austrialia today, and with his undoubted talent would click anywhere in the world. With either an American or Eng lish director back of him, Wallace would be a knockout for any audi- ence anywhere. Picture deals with experiences of Wallace When ..he Joins the .Melbourne police—that's all there is to It, but the comedy Is rough, honest, and good for strong local laughs. Gags anywhere, else would not reglstjen In Australia •Row'^ will get plenty dough on the Wallace name. Outside of Crossby, who Is an excellent feeder, the pic- ture is all Wallaee for 80 minutes and becomes somewhat tiresome be- fore final fade-out. Thrlng has han- dled the direction in a fairly ca- pable manner, probably keeping in mind that 'Row' was being made mainly for local consumption. RiCk. Hadj. the script been on a .: grade with the pictorial arid prod'uctional quality accorded, and the perform- ances 6f .Novarro and -his leading lady, Myrna Loy, the results would have been different. But the play- ers and the incidentals can't over- come the literary hi^ndicap, which places the drawing burden entirely on Novarro. The results aj-en't likely to be happy. It'a all well and good as lohg ag NoVftrro remains a fresh but agree- able young dragoman (Egyptian guide) who seeks to win, the tourist lady from her white man fiance. That's because Navarro plays It so well, and Miss Xby helps him so much. Then the boy; reveals *his true statlbnr^he's a prince^^nd a lot of desert pash stuff, InCludlns beatiogs, draigglngs and kidnap- pings.-arElye8i,_^at. the girl finally succumbs Is a slap , at the character , rather than vindication for the script. Nbvarro has always had a flair fpr light comedy. But Metro has gen^^'ally succeeded in keepi it a secret. ' ■ ■ The impression is that most of It couldn?t have happened. . It would have worked but okay^ perhaps, haji •.. the original light comedy strain oi; playing and writing continued. BUt 'The Barbarian'. gets^ very serious and becomes unbelievable, borlngf and overlong. The 82-minute'runr ning time for a scenario that doesn't warrant such length has'a. lot t6 do with It. ■ ' Miss Loy, looking extremely well, is back at the halfrbreed business again after a long string of straight drawing-room parts.. There's no one who does half-caste in pictures bet-, tier than Miss Loy, and the reason is them there eyes. This time she's the Amerlcanlzied daughter of an Egyptlany woman and white husr band. She wears continental clothed at-first,, native costumes on the des- ert, and carries both fashions well. There,is noticeable restraint In her playing of a part that could easily have been overdone. A musical background throughout, and numerous reprisals of a theme" song, 'Love Song of the Nile/ .bf Novarro, whose vocalizing builds up hlis generally good conduct to the point of excellence.. Some comedy worked Into the plot doesn't fill the. order because It's crudely constructr ed. Louise Closser Hale does most of it. Bige. THE BIG CAGE Universal production and release.. Clyde Beatty teaturcd. ;Dlrected. by Kurt Neu- . man. Adapted by ISdward Ahthttny ahd Ferdinand Reyher from book -by Beatty and AQthony. Dialog by Clarence.'Harks. George Roblno6n, photog. . At Mayfair, New Tork, -week May 10. Ruahing time, 71 mins. Clyde Beatty ..Clyde BeaUy IjllUan Lahgley. ; Anita Page 'Scoops' . ;...Andy Devlpp 'Soupmeaf ..yirtce Parn?.tt Timothy O'Hara... ..Raymond -Hattdn 1 BUSS. Penny;... .. i,. .-Wallace .Ford Jimmy .....................Mickey .Roojiejf. John WT^lpple.............Reginald Barl&w Ciydfe Beiatty being not much pf an actor outside of the cage, he's (Continued on page 21) up visit at Chicago Wprld^s "'Fair. King Divvies Credit Hollywood, May 15. . Fox has agreed to Henry King's request that the directorial credit on 'I Loved Tou Wednesday' shall co-credit William Cameron Menzies. Latter handled the ballet se- quences, which were originated and stasod by Sammy Lee, who also gets billing. 'Warrior's Husband' (Fox). Lavish production for a,.comedy Idea that wears thin before the finish. .Its potential femme audience diminished by its burlesque which Isn't sufficiently broad. No femme draw names. ig Cage' (U). Dramatic bulldrup for Clyde Beatty's circus ani- mal act, thinned by an inept, halfhearted story; Limits femme appeal to mothers seeking film fare for the kiddles. 'Eagle And the Hawk' <Par)r Incere and credible study, of a sens^^^^^^ tive man's reactions to war. But war background again and hone.st lack of romance precludes femme attention. iss Before the Mirror* (U). Murder motivated by marital infidelity; treated psychologically 'instead, of m<>iodra.matically.= Too cerebral an approach for the average femme audience. 'The. Barbarian' (M-G). Ramon Navarro changes, to suit the. rambling* indecisive yarn, from charming: rogue to routine caveman sheik; - Notthd type for the latter phase, so the ladies will remain quite calm. •Ex-Lady* (W;B). Belies title's hot promI.sc In a, series of befuddled, repetitious debates on marrifigo. Furthor confused by cons6r cuts, an<i Iall delivered on the horizontal, stardom. ]nausi)k-lou.s start for Bette Davis*