Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

32 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD December 20, 1930 finds her crumpled, lifeless body on the sidewalk. Again, Robert Montgomery and Miss Garbo walk into the woods. They have loved, they still love, and they realize that their love is hopeless. Autumn is in the air so strongly that one can feel it. The trees are almost bare, and dried leaves fall into still water, symbolic of the mood of the two players. The story deals with two characters only. The others in the play do things, but do them only for effect they have on Montgomery and Miss Garbo. The theme is one which is necessary to the Garbo personality — it is the tale of a woman tremendously in love who is willing, because of that love, to sacrifice. Montgomery is the boy — the student — who meets Garbo, the model, the demi-mondaine, and loves her almost at sight. He sees life and love through the eyes of youth. Garbo, on the other hand, has fascinated many men, but has loved none. Love, which is quite unexplainable to her, attracts her to the student and away from all of the sophistication of artistic Paris. Montgomery learns that there have been other men — men who have exacted the utmost from her, and the shock disillusions him but does not shatter his love. He turns from her. She sacrifices those things which have been hers, nearly starves to death, and finally wins him back — but not for long. He follows the accepted, conventional course, becomes engaged to his childhood sweetheart, and is about to marry her. The death of Lewis Stone's mistress frightens him and he flees to Garbo. He falls asleep in her arms by her fireside. At the dawn, she slips away from him to go to Paris and marry, as he will marry, someone she does not love, because she realizes the futility of loving him. The contributions of Stone, Tucker, Judith Vosselli, Marjorie Rambeau and others cannot be overlooked in estimating the value of the product. Brown in shaping a smooth picture had ample first rank material with which to work. Deft touches and shadings of sound and camera also contribute to the making of "Inspiration," a study in gray. — Douglas Hodges. Hollywood. A CAUGHT CHEATING SIDNEY AND MURRAY. Produced and distributed by Tiffany. Directed by Frank Strayer. Story by W. Scott Darling. Dialog and screen play by Frances Hyland and Darling. Cast: Charley Murray, George Sidney, Nita Marfan, Robert Ellis, Dorothy Christy, Bertha Mann. HERO OF THE WEEK G, rEORGE SIDNEY and Charlie Murray appear together in as laughable a comedy as Tiffany has turned out in many years. Its humor is spontaneous and the story contains enough fresh incident to carry it along rapidly. The two comedians appear in most of the scenes and show to great advantage that their Jewish and Irish characterizations are as suitable to the microphone as to the camera. The director has taken some liberties with the Irish characterization. It is well that he has. Instead of Murray appearing as a broad spoken, exaggerating son of Erin, he is a successful business man with a million dollar contract to be let. Sydney wants the contract and agrees to entertain his prospect in high fashion. That develops the big situation of the story. It is that of two gentlemen masquerading at a costume ball and becoming involved with the wife of a gang leader. The gang leader, a jealous one, orders the two to be taken for a ride. It ends in a shooting match in a warehouse where all the gangsters are killed and the comedians escape. It's light, of course, and it is at the same time wfll worth the money that apparently has been spent on it. It has good dialog throughout and has a snappy, breezy style that adds greatly to its entertainment. — Douglas Hodges, Hollywood. DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, mho again excels in "Reaching for the Moon," an all-around good production from United Artists. FIGHTING THROUGH FAST WESTERN! Produced and distributed by Tiffany Productions. Directed by William Nigh. Story by John Francis Natteford. Editor, Earl Turner. Cameraman, Arthur Reed. With Ken Maynard, Jeanette Loff, Wallace MacDonaid, Carmelita Geraghty, William L. Thome, Charles L. King, Tom Bey. Release date, December 16, 1930. Footage, 5200. Hi . ERE'S an action Western from the word go. Plenty of good oldstyle gun play, fast riding, the villain, and the hero with the girl who misunderstands the situation but learns the truth at the end, are all in the film. The youngsters, and probably a number of youngsters not so young, will devour this one and ask for more. Ken Maynard, the star, makes a fine appearance as the hard riding, fast shooting cowpuncher who has gone to California to dig for gold with his partner. The owner of the town saloon and his unscrupulous henchman have designs on the mine, and attempt to acquire a half interest by beating the partner in a crooked poker game with the half interest at stake. Maynard breaks up the game just in time. The partner's sister arrives to find her brother shot, and is led to believe Maynard is the murderer. The remainder of the film is concerned with the latter's finally successful effort to prove his innocence, and at the same time, revenge the death of his partner. Incidentally, he is more than slightly interested in the girl. He accomplishes all he attempts, and before he does, the audience is treated to some riding, shooting and a finish scrap in the saloon between the owner and Maynard, after the former had killed his employe for double crossing him, that is apparently the real goods. They seem to make no effort to "pull their punches" and it puts a real finishing kick into a Western that has plenty already. Tarzan, Maynard's white horse, really should have a place in the cast. He is not only a beautiful animal, but is perfectly trained, which enables Maynard to pull some tricks which, though not necessarily new in Western pictures, should nevertheless give the youngsters something to talk about for a few days. Jeanette Loff plays the sister of Maynard's partner, and is quite competent and decidedly attractive in her role. The partner is played by Wallace MacDonald, who handles his part well in the few opening scenes in which he is seen. He is particularly good during the poker game, where he is supposed to be intoxicated and in danger of losing his half of the mine in the crooked game. Carmelita Geraghty, in a minor part as the dance hall girl in the saloon, is capable. William L. Thorne as the saloon owner and Charles L. King as his double crossing employe are both good, particularly Thorne. The entire film is of course Maynard, but that is no hardship on the audience, since he performs well, looks the part and has a pleasing voice. Photography is excellent, with advantage being adequately taken of the possibilities for Western scenic shots. Direction is good, holding the action to a fast pace throughout. The small boys particularly, and perhaps the adults as well, should get a real thrill out of this Western.— Charles S. Aaronson. New York City. A REDUCING COMEDY AND PATHOS! Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed by Charles F. Riesner. Dialog and continuity by Willard Mack and Beatrice Danyard, with additional work by Robert E. Hopkins and Zelda Sears. Photographer, Leonard Smith. Cast: Marie Dressier, Polly Moran, Anita Page. William Collier, Jr., Lucien Littlefield. Sally Eilers, William Bakewell, Billy Naylor and Jay Ward; TOLLY MORAN and Louise Dressier follow "Caught Short" with "Reducing," and give the customers an evening of laughs and tears, one right after another. The action revolves mainly about a beauty parlor which Polly operates, but the story itself has very little to do with the efforts of either Polly or Marie to get thin. There is plenty of plain, homely humor, plenty of slap-stick, and a tear or two in the product. Polly falls into a mud bath with her clothes on, Marie hits her in the face with a chocolate pudding, and Billy Naylor gets his foot stuck in a cuspidor. Polly's characterization is that of a small town girl who went to New York and made good as the proprietress of a beauty parlor. She feels her importance and her success. She sends for her sister, Marie, who has been living in South Bend with her husband, a mail clerk, her daughter, and two impish youngsters. Marie and her family represent middle class Mid-westerners who haven't traveled and for that reason wreak havoc in a pullman. Polly and Marie have their differences, most of them centering around their daughters. Polly's daughter has been going with William Collier, Jr., a wealthy young man, and Marie's daughter, Anita Page, takes him away. Polly's daughter, Sally Eilers, loves not wisely but too well. The tangle is all straightened out finally. Polly and Marie making up, Anita Page finding happiness with William Bakewell, and young Collier marrying Sally Eilers. Two scenes reveal Miss Dressier as an artist