American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1931)

PRICE COFYTtlCBT, 1»31. Il¥ VARIETY. INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED VOL. 104 No. 3 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1931 64 PAGES Riders of Purple Sage Fo\ production anil release. Features George O'Brien, Marguerite Churchill and Noah Beery underlined. Based on Zane (irey's novel of :ame name. Directed by Hamilton MacFadden. I holography, (ieo. Schneiderman; sound, Eugene Grossman. At the Roxy. N. Y., week Sept. 25. Running time, 58 min. I.assiter (ienrge O'Brien .lane Witliersteen Marguerite Churchill Judge Dyer Noah Beery Hess Yvonne Pellener Venters James Todd Oldring Stanley Fields Fay Shirley Nail This Zane Grey milestone is still a good western. Hardly for the de luxe houses, but the Roxy is dressing it up by giving it a wide screen all the way. For the B and C houses and all spots behind those classes this veteran of screen stories will make good. As far as Fox is concerned George O'Brien is Jim Lassiter, III, even though it's the first time the character has had his voice amplified for an audience. Back in '18 this company adapted the Grey tale and spotted William Farnum in it. Seven years later Fox tried it again with Tom Mix. Approximately another seven years and now O'Brien for the story's debut in sound. Those sevenyear lapses represent cycles in Hollywood, the studios generally figuring it suicide to remake a picture in any time less than that. Anyway, this certainly makes Lassiter the Peter Pan of the horse operas. Here the story gets dialog for the first time and that seems one of its nation LiuLa^^PB,^^^^^l^^iLnd i( conappy day fo when he penned 'Riders.' It marked the first time he hit the best seller class and Fox has presumably determined to keep it alive forever. O'Brien interprets Lassiter as of the familiar strong and silent type. It's a likeable performance by the featured player whose dexterity with a gun is noteworthy here. Marguerite Churchill is often in the embarrassing predicament of long and theatric speeches which won't help her impression in the better houses if Fox intends to send it through these spots embellished by enlarged projection. Noah Beery is in and out briefly the much discussed but little s menace. McFadden's direction has ently closely followed the trail predecessors. No unusual higi lights although the dramat up of a stampede by Lassi muffed for audence effect climaxing avalanche has cameraed. For those gotten the tale, perh that this avalanche and the girl to rest of their lives will recall the j Lassiter pushes, rock to chol the same t means of es tribution king been ugh a en well have forreminder ves Lassiter ly spend the uprise Valley which ends when >r the balancing ■ pursuers and at lose their own one Director's best con11 this is a workmanlike a secret mountain pasits entrance masked by matinee audience took it umoredly and found only micker over, the situation the girl gives Lassiter back his tin after berating his killer instinct. picture doesn't look expensive and for ;it reason, in addition to its scenic auty and action, it should finally le up as a refutation of the 'they n't come back' theory. It is entirely iid of comedy other than for the tics of the diminutive Miss Niles. Fox ads for the Roxy showing ran l the dailies without mentioning a ast name, and on the introductory 'screen wording the author is above the film's title. Lack of drawing power among the plavers is a handicap for the picture which won't figure so much for the subsequent runs. Sid, Write for complete in Bausch & Lom formation and prices. b Optical Co. 686 St. Paul St., Rochester, N.Y. BAUSCH 6 LOMB Please mention the American Cinematographer when writing advertisers.