The Film Daily (1934)

THE -c&H DAILY Wednesday, June 13,1934 « « « REVIEWS of the NEW FEATURES « « « / ) Ann Harding, John Boles in "THE LIFE OF VERGIE WINTERS" with Helen Vinson RKO 82 mins. HIGHLY EMOTIONAL DRAMA-ROMANCE THAT IS SURE TO SATISFY. ANN HARDING AT HER BEST. Women will love this one from start to finish, and the men will find plenty to hold their interest. Ann Harding has a part much to her liking. Her portrayal of Vergie Winters, the hapless country girl, gives her a chance to display her sterling talents. Boles has of late played similar parts and is extremely satisfactory. The story, which is an adaptation of Louis Bromfield's novel, tells of a small town girl who, tricked out of marrying the man she loves, discovers the deception too late. The man, John Boles, marries Helen Vinson but continues to visit Vergie, who is the town milliner. Their love-child is adopted by Boles and his wife. Boles finally tells his wife that he is going to seek a divorce. She kills him and Vergie is accused of the murder but cleared before the final fade out. The musical score has been particularly well directed by Max Sterner, This one will make them cry, and like it. Cast: Ann Harding, John Boles, Helen Vinson, Betty Furness, Frank Albertson, Creighton Chaney, Sara Haden, Molly O'Day, Ben Alexander, Donald Crisp, Maidel Turner, Cecil Cunningham, Josephine Whittell, Wesley Barry, Edward Van Sloan, Wallis Clark, Edwin Stanley. Director, Alfred Santell; Author, Louis Bromfield; Screen Play, Jane Murfin; Editor, George Hively; Cameraman, Lucien Andriot; Recording Engineer, D. A. Cutler. Direction, Box Office. Photography, Excellent. Tim McCoy in "HELL BENT FOR LOVE" Columbia 64 mins. PLENTY OF THRILLS AND ACTION STUFF TO PLEASE. TIM McCOY AS A MOTORCYCLE COP DELIVERS. This one has Tim McCoy on the hop all the way in a very fast action meller of the motorcycle cops. Tim falls in love with a night club entertainer whose boss is a big racketeer on the side. Tim is after this gent, along with his gang. When his activities get too hot for the gang leader, he pulls a fast one that gets Tim discharged from the force for neglect of duty. Tim then starts out to get the gang leader in earnest. He lines up a bunch of ex-convicts he has befriended, and they start systematically to crab all the rackets of the gang. Tim's gang hijacks the trucks with the contraband, steals the jewels after the other mob has made a big haul, tips the race track authorities to the doped horse, and otherwise has the gang leader and his mob hanging on to the ropes and wcndernig who is spoiling their stuff. The windup is full of excitement, with Tim framing the gangster with the help of the girl and proving that his gang stole the jewels the police have been searching for. Cast: Tim McCoy, Lilian Bond, Bradley Page, Vincent Sherman, Lafe McKee, Harry C. Bradley, Wedgewood Nowell, Eddie Sturgis, Ernie Adams, Hal Price, Gloria Warner, Max Wagner, Guy Usher, Ed Le Saint. Director, D. Ross Lederman; Author, Harold Shumate; Screen Play, same; Editor, Otto Meyer; Cameraman, Benjamin Kline. Direction, Good Photography, Good. Joe E. Brown in "THE CIRCUS CLOWN" First National 63 mins. WEAK CIRCUS STORY THAT IS POORLY PRESENTED. JOE E. BROWNS CLEVER WORK HELPS. A very rambling story of circus life, evidently planned to give Joe E. Brown a chance to show his versatility, but missing the possibilities of this fine artist in the comedy that he really can do. The continuity is very ragged and the story does not build strongly to any clear-cut climax. Joe is the son of an ex-circus performer now running a small town hotel. Against the wishes of his dad, he joins a circus, and falls in love eventually with the aerial performer, played by Patricia Ellis. The circus atmosphere is the best part of the film, outside of the fine work done by the star. Throughout the footage Joe is trying to establish himself with the circus owner and get a contract as a regular performer and not just a handy man around the animals. When the girl's partner gets drunk before the aerial act as they open in the big town, Joe gets his chance and goes over big as the clown doing his stuff a la the man on the flying trapeze. Joe Brown scores strong in humor and his stunt stuff. Sell Joe, for the kids go for him big. Cast: Joe E. Brown, Dorothy Burgess, Patricia Ellis, Donald Dilloway, Charles Wilson, Poodles Hanneford, Wm. Demarest, Harry Woods, Lee Moran, John Sheehan, Tcm Dugan, Ronnie Cosby, Earl Hodgins, Gordon Westcott, Ernest Clark, Bobby Caldwell, William Davidson. Director, Ray Enright; Authors, Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby; Editor, Clarence Kolster; Cameraman, Sid Hickox. Direction, Good. Photography, Very Good. "BACK PAGE" with Peggy Shannon, Russell Hopton, Edwin Maxwell and Sterling Holloway General Pictures Exch. 64 mins. PLEASANT ROMANTIC MELLER WITH NEWSPAPER BACKGROUND OKAY FOR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSES. A neat tale of intrigue with virtue triumphant and a pleasant romance intertwined, this one should satisfy in neighborhood spots. Peggy Shannon is fired from her job on a New York daily when she upbraids the publisher for suppressing a yarn about a big advertiser. Russell Hopton, her sweetie on the sheet, recommends her for the editorship of th;small daily in his home town. She lands the job and through some smart maneuvers adds circulation and advertising. When the foreman of a crew digging for an oil well in which most of the townsfolk had invested money because the town's banker was interested, tells her that the well is being abandoned Peggy suspects a hoax. She is, however, forced to move carefully because the town banker, also the uncle of Hopton, who has arrived in town, holds a mortgage on the paper. How Peggy saves the well for the investors and the paper for its proprietor and also concludes her romance with Hopton is entertainingly unfolded. Cast: Peggy Shannon, Russell Hopton Edwin Maxwell, Sterling Holloway, Floyd Gillingwater, Bryant Washburn, Richard Tucker, Rockcliff Fellowes. Director, Anton Lorenze; Authors, Harry E. Chandlee, Douglas W. Churchill; Screen Play, F. McGrew Willis; Cameraman, James S. Brown, Jr.; Recording Engineer, Cliff Ruberg; Film Editor, Fred Bain. Direction, Okay. Photography, Okay. Landow Leaves Universal; Engel New Philly Manager (Continued from Page 1) pottery business. Engel was formerly assistant manager and city salesman. The changes bring Jack Engel from the Harrisburgh territory to handle New Jersey and William Doyle into the organization to succeed Engel at Harrisburgh. Holding Over "Men in White" The Capitol, New York, will hold over "Men in White" for a second week starting Friday. BIG NEWS AS SEEN BY THE PRESS AGENT Jack Durant of Mitchell and Durant admits without a blush that he has on more than one occasion been mistaken for Cary Grant. WORDS and WISDOM '""PHIS business of anticipating the public's taste is especially tricky because the general level of taste is constantly getting better." — DARRYL ZANUCK. "I always analyze my stories from their worry content." — AGNES CHRISTINE JOHNSTON. "Marriage should never interfer with individuality."— CARY GRANT. "I like to believe that the picture stars are like the .stars of the firmament — are like those meteors or shooting stars that come into our firmament perhaps once in a lifetime. So that when these performers have been broken by the wheel of bad stories or bad direction they may have another chance in another life."— JESSE L. LASKY. "The only chance I'd have of finding a girl to understand the situations pictures place me, is in a studio."— JACK OAKIE. "When I created the vogue for crooning I didn't expect it would gain much popularity. Sometimes I regret the whole thing." — GUY LOMBARDO. "Technically the screen is as perfect as anything can be." — EDWIN BURKE. "It is many years since the screen has developed a comedy star from its own ranks."— EDWARD SEDGWICK. Allied Forming; Two More N. E. Outfits (Continued from Page 1) work is being handled by Walter Littlefield, William McLaughlin, Ernest Horstmann, Harold Stoneman, Frank Lydon and Edward Ansen. all of Boston. Columbia May Make Own British Quota Pictures (Continued from Page 1) been having independent producers make its quota pictures. While abroad Seidelman will visit Columbia's continental offices. SHOWMAN'S REMINDER Tieup with school graduation exercises, perhaps through essay contest in connection with a forthcoming show.