Cinema Quarterly (1934 - 1935)

TREASURE ISLAND (American. M.G.M.). As we might have anticipated from the film's origin, Stevenson's story has been transformed, if carefully, to provide a starring vehicle for Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper, late of The Champ. This Hollywoodian Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins have a stronger personal attachment than Stevenson depicted and the film makes him connive at Silver's escape and suggest in the end that they may one day return to the island for the remainder of the treasure. Jackie Cooper is not equal to the complexities of Jim's character but his performance has the merit of stolid consistency. Beery as Silver is almost all of the film. Stevenson might not have immediately recognized this smooth, smiling villain with a merciless streak craftily concealed, but he would have loved him. Faithfulness to R. L. S. apart, the film is, until the maudlin final scene comes, a lively record of swashbuckling adventure, broad in its sweep (Victor Fleming of The Virginian directed) , exciting in its photography and, curiously, distinguished by a more stirring sense of British patriotism than most of our own films. F.H. CES MESSIEURS DE LA SANTfi (French. Film Society). Engendered doubtless, by the Stavisky scandal, this satirical comedy of high finance is amusing and well made. Its satire is not cinematic, but lies in the script and acting. Raimu who plays the part of a financier who builds a moribund corset shop into a modern finance corporation, carries the film on his skilful shoulders. Pierre Colombier's direction holds the balance neatly between fantasy and comedy. Skilful and successful rather than brilliant and inspiring. DAWN TO DAWN (American. Cameron Macpherson). A moving little pastoral film which relates in sombre but not depressing terms the story of a jealous invalid father, his repressed and work-laden daughter and a young man who wanders by chance into her life and out again — a short story whose length (3,000 feet) is exactly appropriate to its theme. The sincere direction of Josef Berne, the imaginative photography of Paul Ivano and the finely economical dialogue give the film distinction. Julie Hayden is the girl, Ole M. Ness the father and Frank Eklof the youth. BLOSSOM TIME (British. B.I.P.). This lyrical romance of the music of Franz Schubert, with Richard Tauber as the composer, is the finest film that has come from B.I. P. for years. Under Paul Stein's direction, Tauber has lost the fussy affectation which spoilt his previous screen appearances; he sings superbly Schubert's more popular compositions and his impersonation of the composer as a naive and forlorn figure has considerable emotional appeal. Skilfully the film is filled with music — orchestra, choral and solo singing. Photography is finely in mood and there is a lovely sequence of schoolboys singing in a meadow. LITTLE MAN, WHAT NOW? {American. Universal). This adaptation of Hans Fallalda's novel is faithful as far as it goes. Inevitably it omits the deeper intimacies of the original and unfortunately it leaves out also some of the sterner qualities from the character of the husband which made more comprehensible his young wife's unfaltering devotion. The emphasis of the film is more idyllic than economic : Frank Borzage is still in his Seventh Heaven. The story is told with extreme simplicity and sincerity and if it is emotionally a little strenuous the natural acting of Margaret Sullavan and Douglass Montgomery keeps it clear of sentiment. 54