Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

November 29, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD -WORLD 33 the play was never more forceful than this and I prefer to think it was less so. Miss Hopkins has no difficulty in her role and creates a fine screen impression. Carol Lombard has less to do but, for a young woman who less than three years ago was atmosphere on the old Sennett lot, deserves a great hand for her excellent performance. Wadsworth is handicapped in that most of his scenes require him to portray a drunk. Nevertheless he gives a creditable show. The picture has been cropped to its shortest. The pantomime is there but the wordiness has been removed. There is much more of the former than there was in the play. That is well. — Douglas Hodges, Hollywood. ONE NIGHT AT SUSIE'S UNDERWORLD. Produced and distributed by First National. Directed by John Francis Dillon. From, the story by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan. Adaptation and dialog by Forrest Halsey and Katherine Scola. Camera, Ernest Haller. Editor, Frank Weare. With Billie Dove, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Helen Ware, Tully Marshall, James Crane, John Loder, Claude Fleming. Release date, October 19, 1930. Footage, 5769. BOTH HEROES H, LERE is another underworld picture, with a story which is somewhat different in certain of its aspects. Doug Fairbanks, Jr., playing a young theatrical press agent who goes to jail for a long stretch when he shoulders the blame for a crime committed by the chorus girl he intends to marry, is excellent as he always is. Therein the story conforms to a plot theme which has been done and done again. Billie Dove plays opposite Fairbanks as the chorus girl who sticks by until the inevitable conclusion and happy ending. The narrative is a bit different in the idea of an elderly woman, called Susie, who appears to be the big boss of two rival gangs, causing them to obey her orders without question. Helen Ware plays well, in the role of Susie, giving a sympathetic performance. Fairbanks is supposed to be the orphan son of a former crook, and Susie has raised the boy from childhood, during the entire time keeping him perfectly straight. Miss Ware is particularly good when she indicates the contrasting character of her nature, first in her stern rule of the gangs, then in her maternal feeling for the boy. As may be expected, there is the crook, by name Houlihan, who does his best to take the girl from the young publicity man and to finish him at the same time. At the conclusion, he is put on the spot in an approved fashion. James Crane is competent in the role. Billie Dove gives a performance which is intelligent and sincere, with an attainment on several occasions of real dramatic height in her acting. Tully Marshall, as the husband of Susie and a former burglar, makes an effective appearance in the part he portrays, though it is a minor role calling for practically no speech of any consequence. John Loder and Claude Fleming are capable, the former as the theatrical producer whom the girl is forced to kill in order to protect herself from his advances, and the latter as another producer, to whom the actress sacrifices herself as the only means of having her fiance's play produced on Broadway. The direction of John Francis Dillon is competent. The film indicates the capability of young Fairbanks in handling varied types of roles with ease and confidence. Photography is up to the mark throughout the picture, though there is no room for unusual effects. While in no way striking, this film is fairly good entertainment, from which audiences will in all probability derive a measure of enjoyment.—^Charles S. Aaronson, New York City. DOVCLAS FAIRBANKS, JR., and Billie Dove do excellent jobs of their roles in "One Night at Susie's," First National underworld picture. JUST IMAGINE UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT! Produced and distributed by Fox. Director, David Butler. Story, dialog and songs by DeSylva, Brown & Henderson. With El Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Garrick, Marjorie White, Frank Albertson, Hobart Bosworth, Kenneth Thomson, Wilfred Lucas, Mischa Auer, Sidney DeGray, Joseph Girard, Joyzelle, Ivan Linow. Release, November 23. Footage, 10,200. H, LERE is a novelty picture that will provide an evening's entertainment for anyone. The story is off the beaten path, and in addition to novelty it offers comedy, pathos and melody. Do not judge for a minute, however, that it is of the musical comedy variety for it is not. There are songs in it, and there is dancing, but these are but a minor factor in the film. An indication of the novelty of the story is the time — 1980 — when a noble experiment in marriage is being tested by the advanced people of that generation. Settings are unique and are a credit to the imaginative genius of someone on the Fox lot. It is the age of air travel almost exclusively and every roof is a landing field. El Brendel is outstanding in the cast although little Maureen O'Sullivan and John Garrick run him a close second. Brendel, who, according to the plot, died in 1930, is brought to life by a process invented by a noted physician. There starts the comedy which sets a continuous pace throughout the picture. Garrick is a likable juvenile with a very pleasant speaking and singing voice. Miss O'Sullivan is fascinating and should have many years of popularity ahead of her. The story takes Garrick, Brendel and Frank Albertson to Mars in a rocket plane, the trip being undertaken so that Garrick may distinguish himself and under the marriage regulations of 1980 win the girl he loves. On arriving on Mars the men find that each Martian has a double. One set of doubles is friendly to them, the other antagonistic, and this enmity almost results in keeping Garrick from appearing before the high tribunal in an appeal for the hand of the girl he loves. It is a novelty subject that will be appreciated.— Jay M. Shreck, New York City. J SEA LEGS JACK OAKIE. Produced and distributed by Paramount. Victor Heerman, director. Author, George Marion, Jr. Scenario by Marion Dix. Film editor, Doris Drought. Photographed by Allen Siegler. Cast: Jack Oakie, Lillian Roth, Harry Green and Eugene Pallette. ACK OAKIE has a delightful faculty of being entertaining on the set, in a picture or in a barber shop. Getting away to a good romping start, "Sea Legs" takes you to the Coast of France on ship board of the French Navy. It is a distinct surprise to find the star in the garb of a Frenchman. George Marion, Jr., has inserted many good laughs in the beginning and then fools you. He permits the interest of the story to depend so much on gags and gaglines that there isn't much of plot. The star takes good advantage of his dialog and pantomime opportunities. He does a song with Lillian Roth that gets a laugh or two. From that point on the strength of the picture is purely dependent upon comedy. It goes into a slapstick farce at one point where a great battle ensues inside a French pastry shop. Pies by the score are hurled everywhere. The American navy has bombarded the French navy in that manner. The final gagline is concerned with a young chap who boards the vessel but is slapsticked off into the water when someone remarks: "He thought this was a ferry boat." The audience at the preview (presumably a final and cut print) resented that and it is likely that the tag is no longer in. There is considerable to be said in behalf of the direction. It appears that Heerman has done everything that can be done with a picture that is wanting in a husky plot. His work as well as that of the photographer, the stage director and the many other craftsmen who have had a hand in it is commendable. The timing of the action and the cutting of each scene is workmanlike. — Douglas Hodges, Hollywood. THE RIGHT TO LOVE RUTH CHATTERTON. Produced and distributed by Paramount. Directed by Richard Wallace. Scenario and adaptation by Susan Glaspell and Zoe Akins. Photographed by Charles Lang. From original story "Brook Evans," by Susan Glaspell. Cast: Ruth Chatterton, David Manners, Paul Lucas, Oscar Apfel, Irving Pichel, Louise Mackintosh, Veda Buckland, Robert Parrish, Lillian West, Edna West, Ruth Lyons, George Baxter, William Stack and George Pearce. T, " HE RIGHT TO LOVE," produced by Paramount, is a Ruth Chatterton picture. It was selected for her, built around her, and she plays two parts in it — those of mother and daughter. She does both well and leaves the audience feeling that it has gotten rather well acquainted with her. The play, with a pastoral background which through sheer artistry of photography is in itself a poem, is filled with strong situations admirably handled by the cast and developed by Wallace. Chatterton runs through an entire scale of emotions, including the birth and the death of love. At times her grief is so strong that she needs only her eyes to tell her story and again her portrayal verges on hysteria. At times, she is silent in her grief and again screaming in her passion. The plot revolves first about the mother, who loves not wisely but too well. The man, David Manners, dies a ghastly death. If it had not been for objections on the part of both their parents, they might have married. Miss Chatterton, at her father's request, is married to Irving Pichel and moves from her brookside home to the rough country of Southern Colorado. Her daughter is born, and grows to love