The Bioscope (Jul-Sep 1931)

August 26, 1931 THE BIOSCOPE 33 BOX OFFICE FILM REVIEWS Sound and Dialogue Subjects “ Night Nurse ” ( Western Electric Film and Disc.) Offered by: Warner Bros. Directed by: William A. Wellman. Length: 5,667 feet. Release Dates : London, January 4, 1932 ; Provinces, January 18. Certificate: A. Type: Melodrama, from the novel by Dora Macy. Cast : Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell, Blanche Frederici, Charles Winniger. IN BRIEF : Engrossing story of a nurse’s experiences, with humour, pathos, a little love, and many tense situations. Brilliantly acted and lavishly staged. Suitability : Sound general appeal. Selling Angles : The chain of exciting incidents, Barbara Stanwyck’s delightful impersonation of the nurse, and the strong child interest. Plot : After overcoming initial difficulties, Lora Hart becomes a probationer nurse at a big hospital. While on night duty she attends to a young bootlegger, and wins his love by concealing the fact that he has received a bullet in the arm ; a matter w'hich should be reported to the police. But guessing his occupation, she keeps her admirer at arm’s length. Fully qualified, she attends two ailing little ones in a private house, and is horrified to discover that they are being deliberately starved and neglected. She confronts the shady practitioner who is in league with the dipsomaniac mother, anxious to get possession of trust funds. A dying child is saved by the exertions of the nurse’s young bootlegger, who obtains much-needed milk. The cure is completed by an infusion of blood from the nurse’s arm. These events draw the lovers together. Comment : In many ways a remarkable film ; not only noteworthy for originality, for the high standard of acting and beautiful presentation, but for the fact that, though the story depends on incidents in the life of a nurse, yet never for an instant is there any slackening of interest. Doubtless the extraordinary variety of life-like types introduced is a potent factor in the picture’s success. Next there is much delightful humour, which cleverly camouflages the gravity of the hospital scenes. Last, but not least, is the baby and child interest, certain to make a pleasing appeal to feminine patrons. Throughout events are enlivened by witty dialogue, much being contributed by the nurse’s girl friend and fellow worker at the hospital. Acting : Barbara Stanwyck’s young nurse is charming and intelligent in the early hospital scenes. After being engaged at the private house and witnessing the neglect of the children, her righteous wrath is expressed in some splendid outbursts. Very touching is her womanly devotion to the little ones. The love interest is not so strong as it might be, yet Ben Lyon is excellent as the facetious young bootlegger. At the conclusion it is understood he has succeeded in getting the inhuman mother’s paramour, who arranged the children’s ill-treatment, bumped off. Joan Blondell, as the girl friend, causes much laughter, Blanche Frederici and Charlotte Merriam are splendid in small tyrannical parts, and Charles Winniger delightful as an old doctor. Production : This is realistic and artistic, especially impressive being the hospital scenes. The photography is beautiful. Sound : The recording is of perfect quality. “ Black Coffee ” (R.C.A. on Film) Offered by : W. and F. Produced by : Twickenham Films, Ltd. Directed by: Leslies. Hiscott. Length: 7,189 feet. Release Date : Decem ber 14, 1931. Certificate: U. Type: Mystery drama. Cast: Austin Trevor, Adrianne Allen, Elizabeth Allan, Richard Cooper, Ditto Galvani, Philip Strange, Michael Shepley, C. V. France and Leila Page. IN BRIEF : Screen interpretation of Agatha Christie’s stage play, which concerns the mysterious murder of Sir Claud Amory, the inventor of a new high explosive formula. The solution of the crime by Hercule Poirot, the famous French detective character, well sustained mystery and another splendid performance by Austin Trevor, make this film a more impressive booking proposition than several other mystery successes from the Twickenham studios. Suitability : Where mystery subjects are popular this should achieve marked success. Selling Angles : Austin Trevor’s splendid characterisation of the French detective ; attractive sets designed by James Carter. Plot : Sir Claud Amory (C. V. France) has invented a high explosive which, one feels, might have been usefully employed in his own extermination. Miserly and irritating to all his friends, there is little mourning among them when he meets a strange and sudden death. This occurs during a search for a document bearing a valuable formula which has been stolen from his safe. The old man insists that, as the thief must be amongst his guests, he will have the lights lowered for a moment, during which the missing document must be placed on the drawing-room table. When the lights are turned on again he is discovered in his study dead and an empty envelope only has been placed on the table. Thereafter interest centres on the efforts of Poirot to unravel the mystery ( a ) of the missing formula and (b) of the murder of Claud Amory, who, it is discovered, has been poisoned by hyoscine unmistakably administered in his coffee. Poirot discovers that Lucia (Adrianne Allen), the old man’s daughter in-law, apart from her dislike of the murdered man, has herself been blackmailed by Dr. Carelli (Dino Galvani), who alone knows that she is the daughter of a famous Italian spy. Lucia has, in serving coffee, prepared a poisoned cup, which she had intended to drink in order to escape bv suicide from the conditions encompassing her, and she is genuinely under the impression that by mistake her father-in-law has been given the fatal cup. Further complications arise when her husband, Richard Amory (Philip Strange) also confesses to having poisoned his father. But Poirot knows better. In the last reel he succeeds in a remarkable way in tricking the real criminal (up to the moment entirely unsuspected) into betraying his guilt. Raynor, the murdered man’s secretary', has not only stolen the formula which Dr. Carelli had hoped to secure, but in order to cover his tracks has himself added poison to the old inventor’s coffee. Comment : This work of Agatha Christie is on sternly' stereotyped lines, which, following the production of her “ Alibi,” left little new material upon which to build an original my’stery' film. The Twickenham unit has, however, undoubtedly' succeeded in surpassing the success which it achieved with that story'. There is little doubt, however, that the film could have been made more convincing had all the actors been equal to the task. It is to be regretted that the performances of Austin Trevor, Adrianne Allen and Richard Cooper were not augmented by consistently good support from the other play'ers, several of whom certainly' overacted. At times things go dangerously' near to creating an air of complete artificiality, and the plausibility of the story is not in any case too marked. Although this is by no means Hiscott’s best directorially, he has, however, succeeded in concealing the identity of the murderer, but for which the film would fail. False trails are emphasised, but even so there is very slight danger that even the most intelligent patron will, by the process of elimination, arrive at the finale in advance of the projector. The very best has been made of a thrilling sequence just before the final fade-out, when for some time it seems that the criminal has succeeded not only in escaping, but in actually poisoning Poirot, the hero detective. As becomes a story' of this type, however, Poirot, to borrow the words of his quarry, is a “ cunning swine ” and has not taken the poison, but merely pretended to do so. Acting : Too much emphasis cannot be laid on the brilliant work of Austin Trevor, which makes the film. Adrianne Allen does well in a part which might with advantage have been developed, and Richard Cooper as the silly' ass friend of Poirot is remarkably restrained in his behaviour, which lends strength to his performance. C. V. France gives a cameo performance and makes the best of his opportunities, but Dino Galvani, Philip Strange and Elizabeth Allan, if their past work is any' criterion, were clearly neglected by the director. Production : Settings, mainly interiors, are decorative and “ arty ” in an attractive way. Photography is a credit to Sidney' Blvthe and Wm. Luff. Sound : Recording satisfactory in every way. “A Handful of Clouds” ( Western Electric Film and Disc.) Offered by : Warner Brothers. Directed by : Archie Mayo. Length : 6,829 feet. Release Dates : London, December 28, 1931 ; Provinces, January 11, 1932. Certificate: A. Type: Underworld drama, from a story by Rowland Brown. Cast : Lewis Ayres, Dorothy Mathews, Leon Janney, James Cagney. IN BRIEF : Enthralling story of young bootlegger and his ineffective attempts to retire. Much villainy and treachery, with didactic undercurrent. Pathetic brother-love interest and tragic conclusion. Suitability : Gripping entertainment for the masses. Selling Angles : The performance of Lewis Ayres, the y'oung brother’s death, continuous chain of thrilling situations, and prison scenes. Plot : Louis Ricardo is not only a successful bootlegger but an efficient organiser. Having made his pile he plans marriage and retirement. In both he fails. The woman to whom he is devoted marries him for his money, but gives herself to his false friend. His absence from the gang causes chaos, and as he declines to return an attempt is made to kidnap his young brother from a military school. The little cadet is killed. Louis determines to revenge him, shoots one of the men, is sent to prison, but escapes. The gangsters decide on his death. Hemmed in he goes out to meet his doom. Comment : Many on seeing this picture will agree with Falstaff that “ there is nothing but roguery to be found in a villainous man.” Indeed, with the exception of the love between the gangster and his little brother neither of the characters seems to be actuated by7 anything but the basest motives. Perhaps the cynical detective may be credited with disinterestedness when he repeatedly' warns Ricardo that his career can have but one ending. This may be accepted as an excuse for the presentation of pictures of this class. A gangster’s path leads to the chair, or he receives “ a handful of clouds ” from the weapons of his rivals, or, as in this case, treacherous companions. The final scene, when the poor hunted, but still jaunty, creature meditates self-destruction, but in the end goes out to meet his fate, is extremely dramatic, accompanied as it is by the roar of guns. Acting : The bumptious but efficient Ricardo is splendidly impersonated by Lewis Ayres as an amiable and diplomatic fellow' who considers himself a Napoleon, and constantly attitudinizes before a picture of the great Emperor. He also has literary aspirations and after leaving the gang proceeds to write his autobiography. Dorothy Mathews is excellent in the unpleasing part of the treacherous blonde. The same