The Film Daily (1927)

DAILV Sunday, July 10, 1927 "The Poor Nut" First National Length: 6897 ft. STAGE PLAY DOESN'T SUPPLY THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF LAUGHS. SEVERAL FAIRLY AMUSING SEQUENCES BUT NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO CARRY IT THROUGH. Cast.. Jack Mulhall miscast. Charlie Murray the one hope of the picture. He does his usual stuff and pulls the laughs when his role gives him a chance which isn't half frequent enough. Jean Arthur the prety heroine and Jane Winton the college vamp. Glenn Tryon in a minor part. Story and Production. .. .Comedy romance. The Nugent family enjoyed no little degree of popularity with the play but for some reason or other it does not come through in picture form with a contrasting comedy value. The idea is good, but either the adaptation or direction failed to realize the most of the possibilities. There are good comedy sequences. However, the general tone throughout is an attempt to secure laughs with a maximum of effort and a minimum of results. The college chap suffering from "inverted ego" comes 'round to acting nearly human about clinch time but "the poor nut" is likely to have outworn the patience of his audience ere that. Direction Richard Wallace; missed it this time. Authors.. J. C. and Elliott Nugent Scenario Paul Schofield Photography David Kesson ; good. Ed Wynn in "Rubber Heels" Paramount Length: 5614 ft. NOT GEARED TO GET THE LAUGHS. UNFORTUNATELY, STAR'S WINNING STAGE PERSONALITY DOES NOT RADIATE ON THE SCREEN. Cast.... Ed Wynn's humorous lisp and his spontaneous expressions are missed and while his clowning is easily as good as that which he puts over on the stage, there is something lacking in his work on the screen. Chester Conklin in a minor part. Story and Production. .. .Comedy. The comedian didn't have the breaks with him this time, which is all the more unfortunate since "Rubber Heels" marks Wynn's debut on the screen. The story has a rather weak series of gags, good for only occasional laughs. They have endeavored to give the star the sort of things to do that won for him a degree of popularity on the stage. _ His quick change stunt is brought in and other tricks with which Wynn usually manages to pull down a ton of laughs. The percentage runs shy here. There is a sequence serving for a climax that is about the best of the film. It takes Wynn to Niagara, where he rolls over the falls in a steel trunk, lives to tell the tale and saves the crown jewels. Direction Victor Heerman; hasn't realized many laughs. Authors Ray Harris, Sam Mintz, Tom J. Crizer Scenario J. Clarkson Miller Photography J. Roy Hunt; good. Reginald Denny in "Fast and Furious" Universal Length: 5684 ft. HEALTHY GOOD HUMOR IN DENNY'S LATEST. RATES WELL UP ON THE LIST OF GOOD B. O. ATTRACTIONS. AUTO RACE CLIMAX EXCELLENT. Cast. .. .Reginald Denny scores iq this one, the best of his recent vehicles. Barbara Worth is the mighty attractive prize for the race and Claude Gillingwater first rate as her father. Story and Production. .. .Comedy. Good wholesome comedy with the laughs landing in steady succession puts "Fast and Furious" in the box office class. The picture caters td each and every patron who seeks good light comedy of the wholesome order. Here they get a breezy yarn, a pleasant little romance all trimmed up with fast action, and amusing incidents galore. The mistaken iden tity gag supplies an almost unlimited number of happy situations which cause hero Denny many a worried moment but send the laugh thermometer soaring. A well founded aversion to autos causes hero to seek the advertised quiet of California. How he ends up by winning an auto race all for the love of a girl makes good entertainment. Direction Melville W. Brown; very good. Author Reginald Denny Scenario Raymond Cannon Photography Arthur Todd; good. Col. Tim McCoy in "California" M-G-M Length: 4912 ft. HISTORIC BACKGROUND AND PATRIOTIC FLAVOR MAKE THIS ENTERTAINING. BATTLE SCENES REALISTIC AND THRILLING. Cast Col. Tim McCoy the handsome soldier hero, gallant and courageous at all times. Dorothy Sebastian the beautiful Carlotta. Marc MacDermott the striking enemy leader. Others Frank Currier, Fred Warren, Lillian Leighton, Edwin Terry. Story and Production Drama. The American conquest of the territory of California in 1846 provides a highly colorful and historic background for the heroics of the star; who plays the role of a young marine officer. Thiere is abundant action with some mighty realistically staged skirmishes offering fine thrills; there is romance of a thoroughly pleasing nature and there are comedy interludes which make the bill complete. The introduction of the renowned Kit Carson is of particular interest and the part the character plays in the story is important for it is Carson who eventually saves hero from the enemy's firing squad and reunites him with the senorita he loves. Direction W. S. Van Dyke; satisfactory. Author Peter B. Kyne Scenario Frank Davis Photography. .. .Clyde de Vinna; excellent. Leo Maloney in "Two Gun of the Tumbleweeds" Pathe Length: 5670 ft. MALONEY AND HIS ALWAYS RELIABLE WESTERNS CAN GO DOWN ON ANY EXHIBITOR'S LIST. DEPENDABLE FAST ACTION AND GOOD STORIES. Cast.... Leo Maloney appears in another of his own making and does very well. Peggy Montgomery and Josephine Hill vie for hero's favor while Joe Rickson is the notorious rustler. Story and Production. .. .Western. It isn't the easiest thing in the world to supply new slants to the western but Leo Maloney manages to provide consistently a degree of variation to his entertainments which make them outstanding in their class. The current release is based on a rustler feud but new twists and good treatment make the yarn thoroughly interesting. There is always a dependable lot of good action, — fast riding, smart gun play, clever intrigue and suspense to be found in the Maloney output. This time he has two girls under his wing, both of them subject to the deviltry of the outlaw Darrel. Hero rounds up the bandit and supplies plenty of excitement while he's at it. Direction Leo Maloney; first rate. Author Robt. J. Horton Scenario Ford I. Beebe Photography Ben White; good. "Not for Publication" F. B. O. Length: 6140 ft. CONSIDERABLE GOOD DRAMATIC ACTION IN STORY OF POLITICAL INTRIGUE AND THE POWER OF THE PRESS. MYSTERY ELEMENT WILL PLEASE THE PUZZLE FANCIERS. Cast. .. .Ralph Ince, who directed the picture, is his own star actor. First rate as the big boss. Rex Lease the good looking and clever cub reporter. Lola Mendez the boss' young sister. Others Eugene Strong, Roy Laidlaw, Thos. Brower. Story and Production Drama; from "The Temple of the Giants." The story contains some effective dramatic situations into which director Ralph Ince has injected a good deal of force even though they are not always wholly convincing. To the spectator watching the development of the story, it does not seem essential that the big boss should have taken his own life as a means of evening the score. He was suspected of murder but the occurrence, as presented, gave no indication that he was responsible for the man's death. Fear that a jury would convict him was offered as the reason for suicide. There is good acting, effective dramatic moments and romance to recommend it. Direction Ralph Ince; usually good. Author Robert Wells Ritchie Scenario Ewart Adamson Photography Allen Seigler; good. "Riding to Fame" EllbeeS. R. Length: 5Z61 ft. THE FIRST GUESS IS RIGHT —RACE TRACK MELODRAMA WITH ALL THE TRIED AND TRUE AUDIENCE PULLERS WORKING OVERTIME. Cast. . . .Geo. Fawcett owner of the favorite and Gladys McConnell his pretty crippled daughter. Arthur Rankin the ridin' hero and others, Raymond Turner, Dora Baker, Robert Tansey. Story and Production. .Melodrama. While there are audiences for them, there probably will be racetrack melodramas and, strange as it may seem, most of the time the crowd is satisfied even though they know every inch of the ground by heart. There is the owner out to clean up on the big race, the difficulty in entering the horse, a riding jockey for a hero and a crook out to see that the old man's horse doesn't win. Added to this one there is the owner's crippled little daughter whose operation depends upon the success of the race. Obstacles galore, suspense _to the last minute and then the grand and glorious finish with hero dashing on to ■the track a second late, catching up with the riders, passing them and then on to a finish first. It has pep, good action and plenty of reliable hokum. Direction A. B. Barringer; suitable. Author Same Scenario Same Photography. .... .K. C. McLean Robt. Cline; good. "The Shamrock and the Rose" Chadwick — S. R. Length: 6700 ft. TITLE GIVES IT ALL IN A^ NUTSHELL. THE IRISH-JEWISH YARN AGAIN. EFFECTIVE AUDIENCE APPEAL FOR ALL ITS FAMILIARITY. Cast. ... Olive Hasbrouck the Jewess in love with a Kelly, played by Edmund Burns. Wm. Strauss and Rosa Rosanova the Jewish papa and mama; Mack Swain and Dot Farley the "Irishers." Others Leon Holmes, Otto Lederer, Maurice Costello. Story and Production. .. .Comedy drama. The Cohens and the Kellys have returned to town. This time the Jewish family's business card reads: "Ice Cream Cohen" and the Kellys have a hot dog stand. The plot remains the same. The Cohen girl and the Kelly boy fall in love and while they spoon the old folks carry on a miniature warfare which supplies a good many laughs sure to register with the average crowd. The threatened marriage of a Cohen and Kelly lends a degree of heart interest in the sorrow of the Jewish mother, but there is a happy ending which evens the balance, although the creed barrier is not solved so far as the spectator is concerned. The picture, to all appearances, pleased a neighborhood theater audience. Direction Jack Nelson; good. Author Jas. Madison Scenario Not credited Photography Ernest Miller; good. .!(