Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

22 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD December 27, 1930 acting or overacting the pan assigned him. Gaynor proves in this, more than in anything heretofore, that she is a great actress. She proves she is as well suited to a Clara Bow role as she is to a Seventh Heaven one. There is a lot to the moral and the story of "The Man Who Came Back." Other authors have never been able to take from it the essence that makes it a great story and at the same time put it on the screen. The scenes between father and son in New Y'ork before the youngster is disinherited; the scene of his debauch in San Francisco; the scene of the Captain shanghaiing him: all these are well done and well acted. Then the drama in Farrell's meeting with Gaynor in the opium den in Shanghai is unexcelled. The entire story brings in scenes and movement that combine to make the picture one of excellent merit. — Douglas Hodses. Hollvwnnrl THE ROYAL FAMILY OF BROADWAY SPARKLING COMEDY! Produced and distributed by Paramount. Directors, George Cukor and Cyril Gardner. Author. Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman. With Ina Claire, Fredric March. Mary Brian, Henrietta Crossman, Charles Starrett, Arnold Korff, Frank Conroy. Royal C. Stout, Elsie Esmond, Murray Alper, Wesley Stark. Release, January 31, 1931. Footage, 7105. OPARKLING dialog and clever acting com bine to make this one of the finest sophisticated comedies of the new season. Fredric March, Ina Claire and Henrietta Crossman share acting honors, their work being of a brilliant character through the picture. March, as the eccentric son of the royal family of the stage, is at his best. There is feverish hilarity ever minute he is on the screen. He is a comedian of high rank. Henrietta Crossman, the proud mother to »hom the stage is the supreme thing in life, gives a beautiful performance, as does Ina Claire. Mary Brian does her part. "The Royal Family," generally understood to have been written around the Barrymore family, is in no sense a backstage picture. Rather, it presents the problems of the second and third generations in endeavoring to divorce themselves from the dominance of the theatre in their lives. The story proceeds as a comedy until the end when it takes a tragic turn in the death of the mother just before the curtain goes up on the second act of the play in which she is appearing. The daughter, ready to forsake the stage and marry a non-professional, goes on in the mother's role. The spirit of the theatre in her has won. The picture represents an excellent job of direction. — Jay M. Shreck, New York Cilv. THE CRIMINAL CODE GREAT! Produced and distributed by Columbia. Directed by Howard Hawks. From the play by Martin Flavin. Adaptation and added dialog by Fred Niblo. Jr. Edited by Edward Curtis. Photography by James Howe. With Waller Huston, Phillips Holmes, Constance Cummings, Mary Doran, DeWitt Jennintis. John Sheehan, Boris Karloff, Otto Hoffman. Clark Marshall, Arthur Hoyt, Ethel Wah-s. Nicolas Soussanin. Paul Porcasi, James Guilford, Lee Phelps, HukIi Walker, Jack Vance. Release date. Januury 15, 1931. Footage, 9006. HEROINE OF THE WEEK C, -OLUMBIA PICTURES and Howard Hawk*, director, v.itli the masterful assistance of Walter Boston, Phillips Holmes and Constance Cummings, have woven a remarkably fine, hough lengthy, prison drama from the vtagc CLARA BOW does her part capably In "IVo Limit," Paramounl's excellent vehicle which mixes humor and pathos In reach a clev*» ending. play, "Criminal Code," which was a high spot in last season's Broadway legitimate offerings. There is no letup in the tense dramatic story of a boy who has been confined to San Quentin prison for an accidental slaying through the skill of a brilliant and hard district attorney, played magnificently by Walter Huston, who again indicates his remarkable versatility as an actor. When an attempted jailbreak fails because of the "squeal" of a "stool pigeon," the convicts "get" the welcher, and Graham (Phillips Holmes) is accused. In order to save his own political skin, the warden, who is the same district attorney of the conviction, tries to force the boy to reveal the name of the man who did the job. Graham refuses and is confined to the dungeon. All this after the warden's daughter had fallen in love with Graham and had succeeded in persuading her father to obtain a parole for the boy. Eventually, Graham is saved through the intervention of the real murderer of the "stool," who kills the principal keeper and is himself killed by guards. This is the bare outline of a fast moving, attention gripping drama of character, selfishness on the part of a man eager for power and a fascinating picture of the actions and reactions of men in prison, whose code of ethics and ideas of honor are portrayed as fine according to their lights. Too much cannot be said for a cast which not only includes top star names, but is excellent down to the last man or woman. Huston, as the district attorney and then as the warden. is dramatically powerful; Phillips Holmes gives a flawless portrayal of a character which bends, straightens and comes close to breaking under the strain of six years in a prison jute mill. Constance Cummings does well as the warden's daughter, giving her part just enough drama without overacting. DeWitt Jennings as the cruel and merciless principal keeper, a part he has taken before, makes his part intensely realistic. Clark Marshall, playing the -tool pigeon, is conspicuous in only one scene, that in the warden's office just before he is given passage out, by means of a knife. The manner in which he portrays helpless, cowardly fear by facial expression is noteworthy. Boris Karloff, Mary Doran, Otto Hoffman as well as the other minor players are all decidedly capable in their respective roles. The direction is powerful and complete, though it might have been well to have added a note of humor now and again to relieve the intensity of the drama. Photography is equally fine, with several especially good shots of thf interior of the prison and the dungeon cells. The conspicuous quality of story, cast, and adaptation, makes this rank far and above the usual category of prison pictures, with an appeal which should be universal due to the man ner in which the production has been handled — Charles S. Aaronson, New York City. AUDIO REVIEW NO. 50 Pathe-Sound Lotta Van Buren, musical instrument authority who has appeared in previous Reviews, describes the octavina, a forerunner of the piano, and plays a selection on it, to open thir number of the Audio. "Design" is another ex ample of the excellent camera work of Nicholar Cavaliere, Pathe photographer. He picture* the unusual pattern made by a group of dust blowers on top a large factory building. A number of flickering lights on the marquees of Broadway houses make an interesting pic ture. The Sue Hastings marionettes are amus ing and colorful in a skit called "Marriage Made Easy." "Inferno" produces some remark ably fine effects in the interior of Postumia Grotte, sunken caverns in the Italian Alps. The light from burning torches brings out the peculiar rock formations in weird shapes. Fine photography makes this more than interesting Usual appropriate music forms a good background to the Review. — Running time, <> minutes. THE SPIRIT OF THE SHO-GUN VAGABOND ADVENTURE SERIES —NO. 18 Pathe-Talking Japan is the scene of this particular motion picture voyage of Tom Terris, the "Vagabond" director. The Shinto priests parade in their fantastic dress in honor of the Sho-guns who were rulers of Japan for some 250 years. Terris takes his audience inland on what looks like a miniature of the old horse cars of thie country, then shoots down a winding and rapid flowing stream aboard the flat bottom boat* which are expertly handled by the native oarsmen. Geisha girls, looking like pictures in books, do their peculiar dances in the streets, and vendors of various items from dancing mice to flowers call their wares in the streets. Scenic effects in the subject are excellent, which is usual with the numbers of this series. Costumes, scenery and the indication of the customs of the people of Japan, should appeal to picture audiences. Terris accompanies the picture with an interesting running fire of descrip tion. — Running time, 10 minutes "SEEIN' INJUNS" A WHOOPEE COMEDY Pathe-Talking The youngsters probably will gel a real kick and a great laugh out of this Daphne Pollard comedy, but the adults cannot be expected to get particularly enthusiastic over it. Miss Pol lard plays a newly arrived Englishwoman, who pays a visit to a wild west show with her son. Harold, played by Ginger Connelly. The boy joins the Indians and the mother gets into al) sorts of difficulties with the ticket taker, and a bull in the ring. There's a good deal of slap stick in the comedy, but the kids should enjn* it.