The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 192 The Educational Screen Diamond Jim (Edward Arnold) (Univ.) Arnold gives notable characterization of Jim Brady, colorful figure of New York in gay nineties, super-salesman, railroad pioneer, sportsman, big spender, gourmand. Dramatic and romantic story of his career and eccentricities. Some- what overdrawn and fictionized. 9-3-35 (A) Interesting (Y) Interesting (C) Little int. Don't Bet on Blondes (Warren William) (Warner) Suave, sophisticated, natural-born gambler hero turns ta'ents from racetrack to insurance. One freak policy entangles him fa- tally in romance. Reverses hit him but gam- bling triumphs. Breezy comedy smoothly played, but ethics dubious to some. 8-20-35 (A) Good of kind (Y) Doubtful (G) Better not Eight Bells (Ann Sothern. Ralph Bellamy) (Colum) Sensational sea stuff, record-break- ing storm, etc. Story is artificial melodrama about yellow-livered captain, his blonde heiress- fiancee, and hero first-mate who complicates everything and saves everybody. Thrilling un- less absurd. 6-11-35 (A) Hardly (Y) Perhaps (C) No Escapade (Wm. Powell, Luise Rainer) (MGM) Clever, well-sustained Viennese cos- tume comedy from German original, present- ing sophisticated romance and intrigue without offense. Among fine cast, new Viennese actress, Rainer, does outstanding role. Done in exactly right spirit and tempo. 7-30-35 (A) Fine of kind (Y) Mature (C) No interest Evensong- (Evelyn Laye) (British-Gaumont) Wistful, poignant story of Irish girl with great voice, giving up love for operatic career, learning her mistake only in twilight of life. Cast not perfect and lovely music deserves better sound reproduction, but picture has much charm, 7-2-35 (A) Unusual (Y) Mature (C) Beyond them Every Night at Eight (George Raft, Patsy Kelly) (Para.) Lively, flimsy farce about brag- gart jazzband leader and would-be candidates for fame on the air. Dialog funny, stale, or stupid, action absurd, music passable to crude, and Raft simply silly. Attempt to cash in on radio craze. 8-27-35 (A) Mostly dull (Y) Perhaps (C) No Farmer Takes a Wife (Janet Gaynor, Henry Fonda) (Fox) Rural comedy of Erie Canal in 1840, well acted, beautifully set, and with genuine historical flavor. Fistfights and liquor, no wisecracks or profanity. Heroine, for canal vs. railroad, hero, for farm vs. canal, make engaging human and dramatic material. 8-13-35 (A)Very good (Y)Excellent (C)Probably good Flame Within (Ann Harding, Herbert Mar- shall) (MGM) Strong, clinical romance of woman psychiatrist who cures and saves another woman's lover, but gets so seriously involved with patient as to threaten her own fine romance. Not wholly convincing but tense and splendidly acted. 7-23-35 (A) Very good of kind (Y)Mature (C)Nointerest The Florentine Dagger (Donald Woods, M. Lindsay) (Warner) Murder mystery of distinc- tive flavor of medieval Italy, cleverly combin- ing modern stage life and the deeds of the Borgias. Characters human, atmosphere eerie, acting convincing, and only one murder! Only flaw is Barrat's overacting. 9-10-35 (A) Good of kind (Y) Good thriller (C) No Front Page Woman (Bette Davis, George Brent) (Warner) Engaging hero and heroine are rival newspaper reporters, in love, but al- ways scheming to beat each other on scoops. Absurdities nullified by fast, breezy action. Dialog is chiefly a continuous stream of wise- cracks. 8-6-35 (A) Good of kind (Y) Mostly good (C) Little int. Ginger (Jane Withers) (Fox) Little slum waif plays truant, breaks windows, steals to bail old uncle out of jail, lands in wealthy home for "reform." Instead succeeds in "humanizing" family. Parts amusing and human, but whole overdone and glorification of slangy little hero- ine hardly ideal example for children. 7-9-35 (A)Hardly (Y)Probably amusing (C)Doubtful Glass Key. The (Geo. Raft, Edward Arnold) (Para) Strong melodrama of political intrigue and mystery. Political boss gets implicated in a murder but is cleared when his loyal aide exposes murderer. Involved plot with many grim, violent scenes and unpleasant charac- ters. Waste of able cast. 7-9-35 (A) Unpleasant (Y) No (C) Certainly not Going Highbrow (Guy Kibbee. Zasu Pitts) (Warner) Farcical "society" comedy, about bungling attempts of comic family "manager" to marry off son of impoverished family to pseudo-daughter of dizzily rich, social climb- ing couple. More or less amusing in typical Kibbee and Pitts style. 7-30-35 (A) Feeble (Y) Passable (C) Hardly Hard-Rock Harrigan (George O'Brien, Irene Hervey) (Fox) If a hard-rock man can whip his boss, he takes the boss' job ; but this man's boss has a weak heart! A cave-in. some he- roics, fine shots of tunneling, and the hero ' wins the heroine and the job without even a fight. 8-6-35 (A) Perhaps (Y) Good (C) Good if not too strong Headline Woman, The (Roger Pryor, Heather Angel) (Mascot) Lively jumble of ordinary newspaper comedy and romantic melodrama. Snappy hero-reporter and his crowd, talking only wisecrack English, get the news despite hostile Police-chief, solve crime and protect aristocratic heroine. Improbability high. 6-25-35 (A) Hardly (Y) Fair (C) Hardly Here Comes Cookie (Gracie Allen, George Burns) (Para.) Hilarious nonsense, funny or silly according to taste for Grade's absurd blunderings and crazy proceedings growing out of her efforts to aid wealthy father's scheme of feigning poverty to dispose of sister's mere money-seeking suitor. 9-3-35 (A) Depends on taste (Y and C) Prob. amusing High School Girl (Crane Wilbur) (Foy Pro- ductions) Feeble and boring presentation of trite theme. Aims to show that innocent girl's seduction by classmate is the result of busy mother's failure to instruct her daughter about life. Poor acting except by Crane Wilbur. 6-18-35 (A) Weak <Y) Worthless (C) Certainly not Hooray for Love (Gene Raymond, Ann Sothern) (RKO) Typical musical play, with tuneful songs sung none too well, agreeable cast, some fine dancing, and much hokum. Heroine's hopelessly crooked father involves hero with crooks producing new play. Impos- sible obstacles, and final rescue. 6-11-35 (A) Dep. on taste (Y| Fairly good (C) Djubtful Hopalong Cassidy (Bill Boyd. Jas. Ellison) (Para) Mulford's book made into above-average western with more action than fidelity. Crooked, cattle-rustling foreman makes trouble between two ranches in order to steal from both. Heavy heroics and fine scenery. Some real character interest, for a change. 9-10-35 (A) Dep. on taste (Y)Good (C) Gd. if not toostrong In Caliente (Pat O'Brien, Dolores Del Rio) (Warner) Illiterate editor, irresistible to wom- en, flies with chum to Mexico to escape drink and New York gold-digger. Promptly wins dance- heroine and gold-digger gets chum. Some danc- ing and comedy good. Rest mere spectacle, clap-trap, sexy innuendo, stale humor. 6-18-35 (A) Stupid (Y) Unwholesome (C) No Irish In Us. The (Jas. Cagney, Pat O'Brien) (Warner) Sentimental story of Irish family with familiar O'Brien-Cagney formula of riv- alry over same girl, serious hard-working elder brother of course losing out to light-hearted jobless younger. Some human appeal but oft- en over-sentimental and humour obvious. 9-3-35 (A) Hardly (Y) Prob. good (C) If it interests Jalna (Kay Johnson, Ian Hunter) (RKO) Intelligent realism in vivid picture of joys, woes and wranglings of large Canadian family in old homestead, dominated by erratic, vigorous, centenarian grandmother. Three romances cause trouble till one accidental death solves all. Real entertainment. Refreshingly lifelike. 9-10-35 (A) Interesting (Y) Mature (C) Beyond them Java Read (English cast and Anna Mae Wong) (1st Div.) Picturesque portrayal of old New England life in days of clipper ships. Tense romantic complications, when hero brings home Chinese princess as his wife, solved by her suicide. Notable in acting, dia- log, diction, and genuine historical flavor. 8-6-35 (A) Interest'g (Y) Mature but gd. (C) Little int. Keeper of the Bees (Neil Hamilton. Betty Furne.ss) (Monogram) Sentimental, homespun Gene Stratton Porter story well screened. Ex- soldier, given but six months to live, finds health and happiness in rural village. Plot a bit complex and mature, but very appealing. Fine shots of bees at work. 7-16-35 (A) Pleasing (Y) Very good (C) Probably good Laddie (John Beal, Virginia Weidler) (RKO) Delightful filming of Gene Stratton Porter's homespun story of people on Indiana farm and English family coming to live nearby. Notable for remarkable acting of new child star as "Little Sister." Homely sentiment and humor throughout. 6-11-35 (A) Excellent (Y) Excellent (C) Good Ladies Crave Excitement (Preston Foster, Evelyn Knapp) (Mascot) Unoriginal story of high-pressure news-reel-cameraman hero, his hectic doings and romance with rich heroine identity unknown. Much hokum, trite incident, mediocre acting, but manages to get speed, thrill, and exciting amusement. 8-20-35 (A) Hardly (Y) Passable (C) Doubtful Lady Tubbs (Alice Brady, Alan Mowbray) (Univ) Light, human, laughable farce-comedy unworried over probabilities. Alice Brady, as dominating railroad-camp cook, has to save her niece from snubs of English aristocracy, and succeeds by extraordinary, elaborate and comical methods. 8-13-35 (A) Amusing (Y) Very good (C) Good Life of St. Anthony of Padua (Italian pro- duction) Elaborate portrayal of history and legend in St. Anthony's life, against careful 12th Century backgrounds, sincerely done. Distinctly illuminating on life of period.' Bi- lingual titles, the Italian much better than the English translation. 7-23-35 (A) Interesting (Y) Good of kind (C) Hardly Little Friend (Nova Pilbeam) (British-Gau- mont) Fine, effective drama with familiar tri- angle situation. Poignant, psychological study of tragic reactions of sensitive young heroine to parents' estrangement. Remarkable per- formance by child actress and engaging role by her friend Jimmie. 6 11-35 (A) Very good (Y) Perhaps too mature (C) No Lost City, The (William Boyd, Claudia Dell) (Krellberg) Preposterous, silly mess. Hero's expedition discovers African "Lost City", operated by pseudo-scientific inventions. From then on he is busy rescuing himself, inventor and daughter from city's power-mad ruler, giants, etc. 6-18-35 (A) Waste of time (Y) Stupid (C) No Love» of a Dictator (Clive Brook, M. Car- roll) (Brit.-Gaumont) (Finely acted, fairly ac- curate picture of events in 18th Century Den- mark under weak-minded King Christian VII. But licentious, scheming Struensee of history is made idealist, devoted to people and unsel- fishly loving Queen Caroline. 8-6-35 (A) Good of kind (Y) Very mature (C) No int. Love Me Forever (Grace Moore, Leo Carillo) (Columb) Fine musical film, with superb solo and ensemble singing, including almost entire two acts of "La Boheme." Heroine's fine love, for ex-gambler responsible for her suc- cess, is hardly plausible but provides enter- taining drama and humor. 7-16-35 (A)Fineofkind (Y)Ex'lent (C) Yes, if it interests Mad Love (Peter Lorre)(MGM) Unpleasant, irrational concoction of horror and morbidity, plot preposterous, hero repellent. Mad sur- geon, infatuated by and offensive to heroine and to audience, daes fantastic operation to do away with rival husband. Revolting and gruesome. Lorre's acting fine. 8-20-35 (A) Offensive (Y) No (C) No Make a Million (C. Starrett, Pauline Brooks) 'Monogram I Young college teacher of eco- nomics is charged with unsound theories and proceeds to disprove charges by making a mil- lion from the gullible public by an amusing swindle, aided by gang of crooks. Ethics dubious. 8-27-35 (A) Hardly (Y) No (C) No < Man on the Flying Trapeze (W. C. Fields) (Para) Meaningless title for feeble domestic farce, with typical Fields pantomime in good measure but too little plot or action to stretch to feature length. Thoroughly funny in spots with Fields as henpecked husband, low-pay clerk, and surreptitious drinker. 8-13-35 (A) Hardly (Y) Not the best (C) No Manhattan Moon (Ricardo Cortez, Dorothy Page} I Univ.) Slow-moving night-club back-) stage story of self-made rich sophisticate whoi falls in love with light-opera star, whose double (for publicity purposes) causes com- plications. Glamorous hodge-podge of poof- music, small minds, and much money. 8-27-35 (A) Feeble (Y) Waste of time (C) No Man Who Knew Too Much (Peter Lorre. Nova Pilbeam) (Gaumont - British) London melodrama on kidnapping theme, distinctive for restrained acting, tense action, sinister atmosphere. Effects are skillfully derived from character more than from mere violence and peril. Dialog hard to follow. 6-18-36 (A)Good of kind (Y)Prob. good (C)Too mature Mary Jane's Pa (Aline MacMahon. Guy Kib- bee) (Warner) Well acted, human story of tramp printer who deserts family, sees world, ■ returns to find wife a power in publishing and politics. How he wins back family and saves day for clean politics are convincingly and interestingly shown. 7-16-36 i (A) Very good of kind (Y) Excellent (C) Fair' Maybe It's Love (Gloria Stuart, Ross Alt-x- ander) (1st Nat) Trials of young couple ami interfering relatives. A screening of the fa- mous stage-play. Saturday's Children, ratlu-r lacking in deftness, subtlety and charm "f original, and not helped by "modern" touihos attempted in dialog. "-It'-'i:"* (A) Fair (Y) Perhaps (C) Little intonst