Variety (Dec 1928)

Wednesday, December 5, 1928 FILM REVIEWS VARIETY Caught in the Fog : (Continued from page 12) Hiere when the prosses start »sn t there ^^^^^^ ^^ere '^^^ fast becoming sound-wise. Plenty cheap. Has a couple ^harbbr miniatures and numerous. Affiles to pad out the synchvon- i^ed score. ;.' , ^tory is one of tlibse family Jewel inS in which ■ the young he r ^v?f^n surprises a crook and his lS^Siem?'fe'"^he"act; is In turn fi?en inawares by further arrivals ^J^f the initial, threesome fake a f hv saving they are the newly M^I'd servants-^the son allowing the ?eal thief and girl to think as they will ' raderly phoney guests, supposed to be friends of the houseboat's «nprs are also after the gems and TaT?r come the two: comedy detec- tives Sth the heir folding the girl orook (May McAvoy) in his arms the finish. IIow she .became tengfed uS with J'Silk Shirt Hat-ry" S Sever explained. Audience hjts in take her verbal and title. word Jor ifthat it's her first Job and that She's "going; straight" hereafter. Tie that for a love story, and who cares? - ^ \ Dialog is a throw-back to the first talkers and never threatens to be- come smart or get much on delivery despite the presence ,of Hugh Her- bert who had much to do with Vitaphone shorts. Cast work is Just ordinary, as ia,re the/settings and photography—the rush . for dialog having so far dropped back the cameraman a couple of grades so that. they're again in grammar school. . ■ . And nothing seems able to square Jiiss McAvoy'a voice. Not even Conrad Naigers resonant bass. Pic- ture opens with the crook and his femmiB partner-whispering as they approach the parlor, safe. She's afraid but that can't offset how silly this stage whispering sounds as a Btarter, plus all the resultant s's. Dialog films shouldn't whisper, not for a while anyway. Nor should they directly address the audience at the finish. Fox did it With "The River pirate' 'and they laughed and razzed it at the Empire,, in Syracuse, N. T. No one .thought it was par- ticularly cute at the Strand Sunday when Nagel told the house, "Well, folkg, that's all there is." It ruins every illusion and the picture Is Blmply ytoking the best means by which to^ defefit its dwn purpose. "Fog" has enough trouble without adding anything. Given normal silent speed, tech nique and camera work, "Caught In the Fog" might have made a fair program picture. Slowed up to al- low for dialog it just won't do. In this in.stance a Jackson title, oc-. caslonally catches a snickoi' and the bit of Mack Swuln insisting upon telling of one o£ his captures, is killed off. by repetition instead oC building after a good enough start. A burlesque fight between Nagol anil Gorrard, on an awning, over a roof, to make the s.truggle inipress as , a trampoline act, has, its mbmerit,. Warners 'will get their money back on "Fog" because they h,;xven't got. mtich in it and bocausie the wired houses will play it.. But the theatres aren't' going to be-.\sappy with it and will soon start dodging any more than . tbroatcn .a rescm blance. The diiilog pushover period can,t and won't last forever. RILEY THE COP (SOUND) Fox production aiid'reieftse. Directed by, John Foi-J. Story and .adnptaHon-by . J.ames Gruen dnd Fred Stanley. Supervised by jTames K. McGulne.ss. . Photusiaphy by Charles Clark. . At Roxy. New York, Dec. 1. Running time, 00 mins dered. supervised or directed by the German Government. It is merely a compilation, gruesome and ' for- biflding in its dismal picturlzatlon of scones beliind the German front, repelling in its, intense, blobd- dienchod reality, yet grimly fascin- ating and olovatlng in its great le.s- sc>n to humanity. This is the kind of picture every^ one should see, yet eomparatlycly very fow will want to see it. It is the type of picture which, best serves as mighty .and most efCective propa- ganda aKii,Inst militarism. In It stand.^ revealed war in. its aotiial ghastljness, stripped of the niadness of patriotism, wild flag-waving and bombastic oratory! It Is war in its bomplete. regalia of living horrors, a far more convincing aiid awesome spectacle than the most .diabolical brutality eonceivable by iariy direc- tors of fictiohized war pictures. The sight of arrris, legs, faces, bodies; torn by shell and fire; too obviously real camera records to. be question- able. They form a story no con- cbuid tell. bui>l^ ;^illi aiUuniii.>v i<- \\o' i'.\\ aril.-;.. It is ii'^e ci i! sia'.'.i . I!. . Farrcll M.-irDonald X.oui.sc Fazenda ..■Nancy Piexel , i . David Rollins ..irarry f<chultz ...Mildred Boyd James Riley.. Jjdna. Kruusme.ver. Mary Coronelll i. . . Joe Smith........ Hans Krausmeycr. Caroline. I. Julius Kuchcndorf ,^ . , Ferdinand Shumann-HeinK Judge Coron'elll. Del Hondcrfion crook.....-.....:: • • -l^ilte ■ npnlln Mr. KucKendort. Sergfsant.,.. • •• •. Munich Cabman. Paris Cabman,.. Wi'.liam O l)o.^ii^.>> !-. >v UK n. .'.'V, in >i :u.-*. Whilo ii i>r .\ '••■ a si n satidui'.l .umssiM-. it's a lli;i. ' ratot! Oommernhiii>in. J-.'itrl. j CARRY ON SERGEANT (CANADIAN MADE) , ! Tormuvi. Xoy. 1"^. ; l-SiM . i>;».luiti"i\ >'f iMu 1 l;H'iiv;,j ii„ii i; KilMiiJ. l.io. • K.'l.MM'.i t.> ,_.=...iiu-' o;>. I luriv. Wiilli-li ^vnil ,liu-i.-nvl by v.n't. ' i;;virt)...-,itii; r.. riiM.mi;i.>;:i>-i V;' '''!.,';'; OnliVlK. g>.VVri.UU>llt,, . IKMUAMI. V't' I'nnn.' .In •cisl. N.ui.-y .l.nr.o Jl->-y , ■ i.cms;- .-..yiii. .jin>m\ .)lui;l> nu.K .i:. At .Kofri'ii!^ i.^v-.m,... .N..n 111. Himi;:ni; timo, 1 li..iir .n ,ii>.J~a':^'^ Thov spiMit a; huit: niilliott ilol';H'« LUuV iisfiV a;.v.oar. to inaU<' .tlii.r?. lif^-l Oaiiaili;Vi» pivtiirO.- It Is Hot \vorii.l that,- but it is no. tlop. U I'lo .sior> was thoro.it would be.tt.l'H'liiiv. luit as it stands they havi> to Uopoutl on quota.s, patriotic hallyjuto, i:uilosUy and that sort of thing IQ I'ut .itmvr Opens with factory .sroiios in loi-o. tinuity i;ouia len. .i vi"-"-- '■••■^y-. -: , , Scenes shot behind the.lines.were, motive plant. I'air of lir<>m<-i Vii"--'.' evidently taken'at' the firing front, BuckK-r' and Jiniiny- S.avo) iKira at The pictures in these instances are. Avork on boilers., ,Knior l ie .m>: natural, the- action tb(? istrong and Bilsitiess of .exiiminm^ siMn-i-l papei too swift to allow .for posing. War of plant. Then comes tho war .am scenes showing actual conflict are the two riremon enlist m a, i, anauian limited; Picture hais been built up highland roglmont. JUii.>Ui«'r n\aini>~j with maps to fill the want of film Kancy HarKroavps in utuMrm, ami of what actually happened, padded Ualls. Usual trainiiit; ■ D'-iMod siiou. with newsreel shots of armies being fair on comedy,- then i,t;oo\)s^Ko tip mobilized and marching, while the une. Plenty of tivncU stuif.. .wuii entire production Is immeasurably action cutting brtck . fictu.iontiy to ■ T?„««pn pbweii strengthened by a set of powerful, estaminet behind line. ,,,, ••^"fonJ ^Sn exper written, titles. They, carry : Here Hash dame (Louise C,a di Otto n. Fries the burden of telling a coherent trips to make liuoUlcr, who has i im ii , .Billy Bevan story without too much verbiage, to top sergeant, lie gives hcr^ tnc and help gloss over the-.slim skele- ,iir, but months .latei\ in inul.st ot an , „u^,t f. ton of actual war footage. raid, falls, and much , film is usihJ 3Iildly amusing comedy^a^l)out :a courtesy of the German up showing them going up to tho cop on the force for 20 yea^^ to. which attention. Is Uiri's. room^and .coming down big town, without making^ a the screen billing, seemsl^pain. Sergeant thinks of wile at r bfs St" nS' ttle °rgnd" 1 1 to^consist malnly^x^d^^c«n | h.me.-goes up the line in; remo..o ■ I on ill uhicli the eamlalate of • \.. party oC inieni-4ence and ■V.iiral'tv i-,maHmivrreil into a dis- a-;:-..!,~' poliiiiMl position by the ■ •;ii-.Vi!.i!-' 01' \ •.'■e ;uul (■■orruiUion, II i\'ii :v I'V b.ls stm y ruineil thi> vir- I'.iuiis''r.iiHl ii.r,e aiitl ilis.sii'.ief.-il the .la-,i-.;iii<-f. tiiv Noiiiu; repKitt-r, upon- nu-.-iiuii the ila:u;;hf r si.ei.'Hy,, goe» . iVli-r ihe hiihlrn ;ispeeLs of. 1 he seiiij- ■ a.\l.ai,..l envls 1>>' oxposinj; the whole i.;al.>i.ioi!Ie. ' . , '■ - [ AinTiein'e^ in vroii.Tal shoiili] like . 1 a/is vanv. U i--' iol<l simply with.no ' i'|-<-';nL;- .iViiimr'nis for vaNviiinj,'. The 1 prediii'-lio.n is . .!;>'.nl. east oxeellent,. I ;iiTd Kr.iiil^ . (■•a.pfi/s .ilii;e.\torial JOt>. ; i\i>ove averaV.e.', ■■ ■ . I Youim l-'alrbanUs improves rnpla- ' ly its a 1 i;ht .eoineilitin. In oa>se and eoniiilenei- he alreaily belies his age aiViV takes ai'ter h;is faiuotis, pop,, never ;ut.. iiitrovert. iii thi;matler. Of . seit'-assurnnee. .Miss HaVstou is at-, trai tivfv as the iTirl: . A' very suave and ot^M-b'iooilod bene.hman of eor- niption is ably played, by Wheeler Oakmaii. Milili.-etl lliu-ris,^ was done dirt iiv a. cinnMo iU' shots by the caiiuefa but looked .i;ood in general ■ as the 11. i;. candidate's dame. . ., . • "'.Tower Of I'he.-rres.s" is one o£ Columbia's best, and okay for a lot of.ibo fnll week stands. /.fiiii/.; :u », II. conHbt withH records and., abstracts from ofllclal and gets killed. There Is also a spy those he co_mes i"^^^"*^^^^^'^^:, military sources and reproductions hunt that is . alic le ana minor Cl: ^ .^^A -nntaa -mo^ia hv tho cnmo . Congratulatiofls lan On Your Wonderful Stay in Chicago I'm Pretty Steady, Too LOEW'S WARFIELD SAN FRANCISCO Rube Wo' BATTLE OF< SOMME • ■ : (3ai.Ti.SH r(fl;ADE) N.-w Kii\-(l!l•lll^;hV.'(^). im>.liu-il'i" atyl re- VoiiM-. Dii-orl.Ml by .M. -\V.-lh.M-.)U .ll;>.xod, ■on lil.-lori.- r.ivoiMs .|f fiiiiious _ ),>;i11 0. Ul- elrtrv uih-i.-^M, ' Huy«l Cablo. Ko.-i'.UtOiV for Ani.>.rlc!in ' i.i-i';<.'nliUi(m : by-' Au-:*!/'"' (\mifi-amin>, Kyilnoy , nlytho.^ U <'ok .Nov. •j-l ill .Crniicii, .New York, UunnlnK .llm«,, TT inliViuoA.' , ■ —_ „^^.,„ ^„A Wiinnr ef- l military sources anu i:cijruuuvi.iv"s> munt inai: la , imcn to the, stoi y Synchronized sco e^ """viim should of orders and notes madd by the proper, and some expltinr.tion as to fects but no dialog. .I' llm shoma ^^^^^^ lords during the con- I Fw„'.^r».^ Amovlcan troon.-v arc going prove a fair program leaiure oil any - . , .. .. . ^ screen. Piftunj^ is:^vei^ai^ vvgi actual war dcehes are also titles. n^o'^Vy . added studio sequences. ,: These are As.a fe%v of them hold^hea^t^^ title writer deserved a Dieaic in me | ^^^^ ^^^^f,,, ahntn which are not credit list Farrell MacDonald a:s Riley, aftei long service and in line for a pen- sion, is sent to Germany to bring back one of the neighborhood boy.s accused of . embezzlement. In a Munich beer garden he meets up with Louise Fazenda and falls for her, hook, line and sinker, only to The'(Tffect American troop.-v are going to- have W'heh thpy swing into ac- tion. . . : . ' -, . ' 11 . The photography is tcclinically smart; in many cases .hoautifu . e true to hie anu iMv- pas attack in'th(v first bat- aruwn, inuus" unci., vii«*<*vvc-..* . of cypres, in which the frenciy tions of the few people used for Kige^ian troops fell back, is a great this purpo.se. : ^<?*^- bit of picture* . , — ■ — ' Bairn.sfather bring.^ to the direc- ^ m^tr, wmrww^w^ ttlon an intimate knowledge of th? . CRAIG'S WIFE , ; war as it wa.s, and.liad he ^throw^ Pat«e production and ^^^^^^ ^^1"^^^^^ long, careful shots which are not rpj^g ^j.pnch scenes an tisuai in. nfewsreelg, and the <>ver- L,^yj(j the gas attack in drawn, though brief, characterlza-' - . -.r_..-_ 4„ her, hook, line ana 5'"^*=^;. Patlie production and roleM«. Featuring uyu ' „„LA„V tbroiich iTiore he-man discover later that she is the sister J^.^^^ warner Baxtar. Bafled on his sergeant througn moie ^« of Krausmever, the cop on the ad- George Kolly's play. Directed by WUUam UtufC would have . had a natuiai. ^ -^^t his friendly eneiny. G. DeMiiie. Cast include, vinpinia Bra<J- Bucklor.. who plays the sergeant, ts joining beat ^nd nis inenaiy '-Li'; ? (.j^^roli Nye. Ethel Wales, Liiyan i"^^!"\„ V{„ fij-U effort. He also lias Minor love interest htis ,^3:^10 George Irvlns, - Ralda R^e. good In his nrsv enor^^^ Rollins wrongfully accused of lift- charlea Hickman. Jan. Kockley. At H p- U good voice and 1"^^,^^^^^^ J ^^d ine his emDltDyer's dough, that way purome. Now York, week Dec. Z Running talkers. Jimmy Savo was a go.Qd about NancV Drexel. ^ time. C2 mlnutea. , ■ comedian in vaudeville ^ut Miss Fazenda is an excellent (:om- ;—— seems camera shy ,and _ forced edy foil for MacDonald, who looks George Kelly's drama of the worn- Nancy Hargreaves, who_ plays ^ne the part of an Irish cop at home and. .,^^6 cared only for her house and sad wife,, is, pretty, and tl^J^t ,^,^4 abroad .and plays it nicely. ..^ her physical ;posse83ions has: been out, I^o"'^®,^^'"*^^ '^^^^ John Ford's direction and the ^rQught to the screen with.an Intel- lure. Wpuld appeal ^"y,,^^*-^^*;^'^; photography arc all that the "Bht- jj^^^^^^ .^^^^j faithfulriesa to. the orlgl- that ever wore a kllt-^anu tnis weight script merited. nal that Is unusual in HoUywood. writer was one who did. . "Graig'd Wife" is well adapted for Balrnsfather has had p enty ai Now Im-v, Ih-itisii niin roncern, at •llie C.'ihieo. ' Used . the byline: .. "The. llritish -Big IMradcV Thar^ a; preity strong t.ai; as tlic ,"lhg Pa- rade" was a robust romance whilo, there .isn't'a single pliaso of a lpve story in '.'The Uattle of . Somme. .\nd not a woihan iirinoipal.. A war. i)ictui'p and as sueh; must be con- iiid'orod.' ' ' (irnn warfare, modern m .every i)hase; on -water, by air and on :land. , Sordid; even glia.-^tly ;!ispects there; All ibe. methods used in the,late, imissacre. Daring rescues by I'^ng- lish and Canadian war. hero.e.s re- produced in colorful .'ind exciting .screen a.rriVngenvont.;. Picture-Inlcrosting, as a huge war ddcuinent. ' - , -. . Some of the captions are typically I^hglish; others Americanized; dash of huhior here and there despite the hellish environments .; , « i_ "The Battle of the Somme im (Continued on page 24); . ■ , - ^ f . the better grade-cinemas, more so, trouble with this thing and Mc pro^- Behind the German Lines j^deed. than to the sub-strata of Ubly hasn-t heard the oml. of it, yet /rPRMAN MADE) second runs and grinds. It Is a Class but give the^ boy credit tryln^ (GERMAN MADE) production backed up by a chal-. hard. For Canada the ans%ver on (Sound) lenging human situation fairly fa- this one Is yes. For the nnti.sn by Paramount. _,iiinr tn all Americans. The repu- Rmnlre a Ufa production, released by Pa^-amount. I ^jjjg^^. ^^jj j^nig^icans. The repu- Kmplre a yes not so omphatic. J-01 •compiled- by..-Ufa through -the^wurtesy^f | of the nlay, combined with | u. S. A. not much of a chanco.^^^^^. BROOKS TRIO SINGING BAN JOISTS Now with FANCHON and MARCO'S "UP IN THE AIR" IDEA r5irecto?^''nSt tatlon of the play, combined with ^?^dlter'a"lle''"iHtyr'and fllm'eSuo'r nSM the theme, offers smart exploitation credited'. At Rlvoll, New York, on run. Ummunitiori for the house p. a. that grind policy, Dec. 1. nun"'"? knows his Mencken. - minutes. , jrehe Rich Is Mrs. Craig to the drives a guy cuckoo. . , r T„v. Interest and ne-wa- The story Is simple, hardly more ^''5™»il J d«Dltrits dramatic than a character sketch, with a cl - rn?int 7he n^ctoe rincapable ol maxlns Incident that Impels CralB Xr?"Ssel" lc»rln. ot average Untly^bjln^lnc Tht^" is not an official war pic- attitude toward another person. tuS"fn IhrlcS that It was | „ P->''-„<"rn,mTnly"°l!ave''h.en phonies, cheap devices, to drag In sensationalism, sex stuff, ana jf point bogus morals. Th« writers, directors and producers were Insin- cere, and all but the-very low grade audience accepted the flickers^ for what they were worth, which wasn t "^"Craig's Wife" Is a sterling exam pie of a clean, pulsating, cerebral drama m-aklng no concessions to Power of the Press Colum-Dla profluctlon '^^^''''1^''^,.^^^ ing JoDyna llalaton and DnuKlas ybanks, Fred <;. ThompHon. CatmTntn.in, :!'.;^;.,^'„>', rloff rast tnoludf.-H Ilobcrl KdfsMon, Mildn-d 1 f/rrl«: )'h 110' McCn 1 lou«h. U.l 1 n.'-n'lorHon. Whooler Oakman. At Hroadway, N<'W ,Yorlt, week Nov; •^. Running lime, OJ mlna. JOE and WILUE HALE PUTTING THE LAUGHS IN FANCHON and MARCO'S "SAXOPHOBIA IDEA" Direction: WILLIAM PERLBERG WM. MORillS AGE>fcr Kxdting and insistently engaging melodrama with a light touch that lifts it out of the stencil cl;>ss. While theatricalizing to an extent the,newspaper atmosphere is RXfM>p- tionally restrained and reasonable for Hollywood. . , Douglas Fairbank.s, Jr., is a cub reporter a newspaperman m,ight he- lleve In: Robert Kdoson,- as a c t> editor. Is more than a caricature of journalistic enterprise. It i.s^a moving ' picture newspaper rcfr<>s.i- ingly, plausible If not 100 pcrcp.nt authf^ntlc. , . Story hinges about a mayoralty BERT "FIVE O'CLOCK GIRL" Starrmg ion In Production for M-G-M Release Direction E. Green Broadway Theatre Portland Or6. FKATl/KKI) IN FANCHON and MARCO'S "MOTHER GOOSE IDEA" MEET SS MAMA SOMETIME THIS WEEK AT THE PARAMOUNT, NEW YORK Soloing for Mr. Niggenieyer^* "BUBBLES" Just Completed World Trip with ADAM and AMELIA GATANO