The Bioscope (Oct-Dec 1931)

34 THE BIOSCOPE October 7, 1931 “Marie’s Millions” (Equity British) Slapstick Comedy (re-issue) In The Bioscopf for April 1, 1915, an article on the Keystone Comedies appeared in which “ Tillie’s Punctured Romance,” of which this offering is a reissue, was reviewed, and, with qualifications, commended. It apparently laid the foundations of three remarkable careers, and, taking into consideration that the period was one of the most depressing in our history, Marie Dressier, Charles Chapiin and Mabel Normand may be justly credited with aiding the -Allies by improving the spirits of British combatants. It is stated that even blase viewers roared with laughter, and Mack Sennett’s direction was much praised. It must be admitted that, in spite of oldfashioned technique, poor photography and some injudicious modern titling, at the trade show held recently it caused much amusement, and that not on account of its crudities, but because it is genuinely funny. The story concerns a clumsy country woman wooed by a young and acrobatic crook. Hearing she is entitled to great wealth under the will of a deceased uncle, he marries her. At a lordly mansion the couple behave in a manner the reverse of refined. The discovery that the uncle is alive, the slippery husband’s desertion and well merited punishment are all revealed with amusing detail. As a curio the film certainly deserves attention. ANALYSIS Story 10% Direction .... 15% Acting 18% Photography nil General Appeal .... 10% 53% out of 20% ,, ' 20% ,, 20% „ 20% „ 20% „ 100% THE CAST Marie Dressier Charles Chaplin Mabel Normand Chester Conklin Ford Sterling Offered by : Equity. Length : 5,500 feet. Release Date: Not fixed. Certificate: U. I J “End of the Rainbow” (British Lion) Fine Singing by Tauber A simple story, beautiful production, tuneful music and remarkable singing combine to make pleasing entertainment, in spite of the language difficulty — the dialogue is German. A Bavarian innkeeper is principal singer in the village choir. His talents and geniality make his house a popular one. Travellers are thrilled by his voice and he accompanies them to Berlin. At the Opera House he is received with enthusiasm. A rustic maiden, who admires him, follows him to the big city, but he does not see her. Afterwards she marries a persistent wooer and the great tenor sings at her wedding. This elementary story is so clearly unrolled that the entire absence of dialogue would be no bar to its comprehension. Needless to say, the magnificent singing by Tauber constitutes the picture’s charm. He not only sings in the church and on the stage, but many songs to his domestic c’rcle. The picture is rich in character studies, both rural and refined. In the Opera House scenes Maria Eisner, as prima donna, gives delightful support. The staging, camera work and Klangfilm recording is of a high order, and the picture is certainly one which should make a strong appeal to all music lovers. ANALYSIS Story and Dialogue Direction .... Acting Recording and Photography General Appeal .... THE CAST Toni Lechner Cora 10% out oi 20"; 15% 20% 15% ,, 20% 19% ,, 20% 10% „ 20% 09% „ 100% Richard Tauber .... Maria Eisner Leni Lucie Englisch Loisel Oskar Sima Offered by : British Lion. Directed by : Max Reichmann. Length : 8,000 feet. Release Date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. I J Short Product “HOW I PLAY GOLF’’ (Warner Bros.)-. Nos. 11 and 12 of this pleasing series. In the former Louise Fazenda introduces some facetiousness, and in the iatter Bobby Jones gives a summary of his previous lecturettes. Certificate : U. Release date : Not fixed. “ THE NAGGERS’ HOUSE WARMING ” ( Warner Bros.). 975 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. The squabbling couple find the legacy of a house a bone of contention. A piano smash should amuse the masses. “ ADVENTURES IN AFRICA ” ( Warner Bros.) 1,327 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. No. 10 of this most excellent series contains a pathetic episode of a tame lion. “ SMILE. DARN YE, SMILE ! ” (Warner Bros.). 642 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. Musical cartoon with dancing monsters. Fair average. One of the Merrie Melody series. “IN AND ABOUT CAIRO’’ (Equity). 800 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. Interesting and well photographed pictures of the streets, markets and environs of this ancient city. One of the “ Classic of Knowledge ” series. “ BOSCO’S SHIPWRECK ” (Warner Bros.). 631 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. Looney Tunes Comedy. Extraordinary adventures with savages. Excellent cartoon appeal. “ THE LONE STARVED STRANGER ’ ’ (Radio.). 1,862 feet. Release date: March 28, 1932. Certificate: U. Roscoe Ates as the star in a little Western comedy drama. Against his wishes and better judgment he is made Sheriff with the express intentions of the township to track down a dangerous bandit. The stuttering Roscoe is successful through a glorious fluke. Good popular stuff. “WAY OF ALL FISH” (Radio). 1,811 feet. Release date : March 21, 1932. Certificate : U. Gloomy Ned Sparks puts over a story of his own and supplies plenty of comedy while doing so. As an ardent disciple of Izaak Walton, he is horrified at various plebeian methods of handling trout. A most acceptable short. “ VIA EXPRESS ” (Paramount). 853 feet. Release date : April 4 th. Certificate : U. An argument between a couple of nincompoops regarding the despatch of a valuable vase falls rather flat. Tom Howard is the star. Fair average programme filler. “ AND THE GREEN GRASS GREW ALL AROUND ” (Paramount). (Musical Novelty.) 531 feet. Release date: April 11, 1932. Certificate : U. Chief interest lies in the very excellent drawings, the song itself being rather poor and indifferently rendered. “ GENTS OF LEISURE ” (Paramount). 1,714 feet. Release date : April 4, 1932. Certificate : U. Chester Conklin is the star who, with another hobo as his pal, has some exciting adventures over a dollar bill. Most audiences will find this amusing, particularly their trip on a freight train and the futile attempts of the authorities to arrest them. “ SVENGARLIC ” (United Artists). Krazy Kat Series. 744 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. A skit on the well-known novel and stage play “ Svengali.” After hectic adventures the Kat rescues his sweetie from the clutches of one whose influence over her tends to become tragic. Amusing. “THE STORK MARKET” (United Artists). Krazy Kat Series. 641 feet. Release date: Not fixed. Certificate : U. A most ingenious drawing in which the feline acts as baby packer in a celestial factory where the youngsters arc made and from whence they are delivered by the stork. A useful short, not, however, without a touch of vulgarity. “CHRIS CROSSED” ( United Artists). 946 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. Another Eddie Buzzell bed-time story, and a really good one at that. Christopher Columbus is the hero and the chief events of his life are presented on deliciously nonsensical lines. His sighting of the natives in the New York of 1931 rounds off an entertainment which everyone will respond to. “CURIOSITIES No. 222 ( United Artists). 833 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. This number maintains the high standard of the series, and though the commentator speaks rather too rapidly he, nevertheless, introduces considerable comedy element. Included are a vegetable barometer, monument to a traitor, a “ spooky ” crank handle which has apparently solved the question of perpetual motion, a family of gold beaters, an experiment with eggs, the graveyard of many prehistoric animals and an extraordinarily long-winded bugler. “ CURIOSITIES No. 223 ” ( United Artists). 844 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. Perhaps the most interesting item of this number is Judas, a goat who is employed leading countless sheep to the slaughter. A date farm in California, a dwindling Japanese race, the world’s record sitter (on eggs), geysers in New Zealand and African street cars are also included. “ SCREEN SNAPSHOTS No.9 ( United Artists). 866 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate: U Mickey McGuire here introduces a bevy of precocious youngsters to the audience, after which we attend a gathering in honour of Leo Carrillo. The big array of screen favourites here is bound to tickle the fancy of the fan. “ SCREEN SNAPSHOTS No. 10 ( United Artists). 833 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. After having seen Carole Lombard and her husband. Dr. Powell, off on their honeymoon trip to Honolulu, the camera lets us in on a big gathering of celebrities, whom Percy Rubin introduces in his own particular way. Bound to prove a favourite. “STRANGE AS IT SEEMS” No. 12 (Universal). 750 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. The most remarkable item of a very interesting number is that in which a five-year-old boy accomplishes most remarkable feats of strength, among them being the bending of iron bars with his teeth. Also included is the world’s loneliest penguin, New York’s fashionably dressed bootblack, a weird custom at Anopolis, in which the cadets toss pennies at a statue, and a horse with a human-like moustache. “ ONCE OVER LIGHT ” (Paramount). Comedy. 850 feet. Release date : March 14, 1932. Certificate : U. Burnes and Allen. Amusing chatter by a girl manicurist. Smart short for the masses. “ FAIR AND SQUARE WAYS ” (Paramount). 771 feet. Release date : March 28, 1932. Certificate : U. Eddie Miller. Pleasing golfing operetta. Smartly written and well rendered. Quite good anywhere. “FAST AND FURIOUS” (Universal). 1,713 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. Daphne Pollard, Walter Merrill. Amusing tribulations and complications of newly-weds, leading to big smash-up and fight. Excellent for the masses. “ ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ” ( Universal). 1,814 feet. Release date : Not fixed. Certificate : U. Charles Lawrence, Mildred Van Dorn. The absurd adventures of an insurance agent, with much rushabout business. Good popular house appeal. “MICKEY’S DIPLOMACY” (Radio). 1,686 feet. Release date: March 14th. Certificate: U. Plenty of fun is to be found in this latest venture of Mickey McGuire. With some pals he constructs a submarine on motor wheels, which, with many other articles, are borrowed from one of the unfortunate fathers. Their final mad race will please everybody. “ DANGEROUS TRAILS ” (Warner). “ Adventures in Africa” Series. Certificate U. Release : Not fixed. Another fascinating trek through the wilds of Africa, during which we meet all kinds of wild creatures, many in close up. The commentator is apt to put too melodramatic an emphasis on his talk, which goes on a breathless speed throughout the reel. “ SPORTS-SLANTS ” (Warner). Certificate: U. Release date : Not fixed. Another diverting reel introducing remarkable shots(some in slow motion) of wrestlers, crossbar athletes of both sexes, net ball players, etc. Extremely well photographed and supplied with good running commentary. “ RIPLEY'S SECRETS OF AFRICA ” (Warner). Certificate : U. Release date : Not fixed. Novel item introduced by Ripley of “ Believe It Or Not” fame. Opening with atmospheric shots during the arrival of the traveller by sea and air, the picture is then shown in a club, the comment forming a lecture on the peculiarities of uncivilised Africa. Animal shots and domestic scenes are amazingly good.