Broadway and Hollywood "Movies" (May - Dec 1930)

30 BROADWAY AND REDEMPTION,— ~An M. G. M. film starring John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Boardman and Tully Marshall. Jack Gilbert, as Fedya, a dashing and wicked officer of the Czar’s army, attends a gypsy festival. He catches the wreath of pretty Masha when she throws it across the fire and seizes her in his arms. At the moment that he bends to press a kiss on her avid lips, Fedya catches a, glimpse of Lisa, a gentlewoman attending the festival, with her fiancee, Victor, and her mother, Anna, and falls instantly in love with her. Victor gives Lisa up to Fedya when the latter succeeds in winning her affections. Our readers who have read Tolstoi’s “The Living Corpse” will recall the rest of the most interesting story. The motion picture version is most commendable. ALIAS FRENCH GERTIE — A Radio picture. Marie (Bebe Daniels), supposedly a French maid, is engaged in “cracking” her mistress’ safe when light-fingered Jimmy Hartigan (Ben Lyon), unaware that he is poaching on the territory of a fellow crook, enters the room. Marie snatches up her burglar’s tools, hides behind a portiere, and waits for developments. She is not kept long in suspense. Jimmy quickly manipulates the combination, acquires $10,000 worth of diamonds and emerald necklaces and starts for the exit, only to find a pair of merry brown eyes looking down the sights of a revolver. Marie, known in underworld circles as Gertie Jones, alias Gertie the Gun. demands the jewels. There’s quite an interesting plot which we don’t want to spoil for you, — but the picture’s swell. JOURNEY’S END. A Tiffany production from the stage play by R. C. Sherriff is directed by James Whale. In the cast are Ian MacLaren, David Manners, Billy Bevan, and Charles Gerrard. Laid in the trenches, the story concerns the effect of three years’ warfare on a sensitive, highstrung individual. Trying to avert a breakdown, Capt. Stanhope is virtually living on whisky to steady him through days and nights of horror. The brother of the girl he loves is detailed to his company, and for fear that the youngster will write home of the change in his idol, the Captain has the mail censored. An order comes through for a raid, and Lieut. Osborne, second in command leads it and does not return. In order to hide his sorrow the Captain gets drunk and beats young Raleigh. The big offensive starts and Stanhope leaves the dugout after a last glance at the dead Raleigh. THE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS. — The first Zane Grey thriller to reach the talking screen, “The Light of Western Stars,” the attraction at the New York and Brooklyn Paramount Theatres recently. Found featured in the cast are Harry Green as “Pie Pan,” the anecdote-telling cowboy-peddler; Richard Arlen. Mary Brian, Fred Kohler and Regis Toomey. Otto Brower and Edwin H. Knopf co-directed, and Grover Jones and William Slavens McNutt adapted Zane Grey’s story for the screen. It has sweet romance and is entirely devoid of any objectionable or “sexy” plot; a typical Arlen and Brian story. On the stage, Helen Kane, the original boop-boop-a-doop screen girl. Not one of the best, but, on the whole, delightful screen fare, and well worth the price of picture, “Come Back to Me” is one of the feature songs. YOUNG MAN OF MANHATTAN. Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky sprung a real one on the great American film public when they released this starring vehicle for Claudette Colbert. The picture is most praiseworthy, sincere, and carries a genuine appeal. Norman Foster plays opposite her as the shiftless but talented young writer who is always “going” to write a book. Claudette’s voice registers like a million dollars — her legs are as pretty as ever, and her smile just as winsome and sweet as they make ’em! Scenes from the Dempsey -Tunney fight — the Navy-Princeton football game, the six-day bicyele races, and other sporting events are worked into the plot in a commendable way and but add increasing interest to what is already a very fine picture. And you simply must see Ginger Rogers and Charles Ruggles; they alone are worth the admission fee!