The Film Daily (1928)

THE I DAILY Sunday, February 19, 0^ "Four Sons" Fox Length: 9412 ft. FINE ATTRACTION. EMOTIONAL APPEAL OF STRONGEST KIND IN MOTHER LOVE STORY WITH WAR AS A BACKGROUND. NEEDS TRIMMING AT THE END. Cast. .. .Margaret Mann, hitherto an unknown comes through with flying colors as Mother Bernle; Albert Gran excellent as postman; Earle Foxe splendid as the major; James Hall, Francis X. Bushman, Jr., George Meeker and Charles Morton all fine as the sons; Others: June Collyer, Frank Reicher. Story and Production. .War drama, based on I. A. R. Wylie's story, "Grandma Bernle Learns Her Letters." A German mother is the central figure of this story, another drama with the Great War as a background. Carrying the war into German territory and showing how the ravages of the conflict left its mark there as it did elsewhere provides a rather new slant. One by one Mother Bernle's sons are taken from her. All hope seems gone when, with the end of battle, comes a message froin the boy who had gone to America calling for his mother to join him. Their speedy reunion should close the pictuse, but the ending is dragged out unnecessarily. The trimming should be made here. Direction . . .John Ford; very good Author I. A. R. Wylie Scenarist Philip Klein Photography .Geo. Schneidermann; excellent. "Rose-Marie" M-G-M Length: 7745 /•«. JUST FAIR. ALL THAT CAN BE SAID FOR PICTURE VERSION OF MUSICAL COMEDY. NOT ENOUGH ACTION IN TOO MUCH FOOTAGE. Cast. . . .Joan Crawford pleasing in title role. James Murray, satisfactory. House Peters splendid. Creighton Hale in nice characterization. Others: Gibson Gowland, George Cooper, Polly Moran. Story and Production. .. .Based on musical comedy of same name. Just a so-so entertainment. Best described as a picture that is "all right." The story thread is rather thin to be spread over the footage allotted to it. Which results in making the picture exactly what it is: An attraction of about average appeal, laid against a background of the Northwoods and painted drops. Rose-Marie, a loveat-first-sight situation, a murder, the man hunt, the girl's efiforts to save her lover, the impending attack by the villain and the clinch. There you have it. Nothing that fans haven't seen time and time again. Nothing in the development to make it stand out from dozens of other pictures which are basically exactly like it. Director Lucien Hubbard; satisfactory. Author .... Based on lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein. Scenario Lucien Hubbard Photography John Arnold; fine. *The Battle of Coronel and Falkland Islands" Artlee Pict. Length: about 8,500 ft. DRAMATIC PRODUCTION OF A STIRRING EPISODE IN BRITISH NAVAL HISTORY. WELL DONE AND OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO MEN. Cast. ... Principal actors the grim British sea dogs. They do their work well. Story and Production .... With the cooperation of the British Admiralty and Navy League, the only two decisive naval actions of the war have been reproduced. At Coronel, the German men-of-war sent the British to the bottom, but at Falkland Island, Britain ready to avenge her defeat caught the Germans in a trap and by superior gun fire and speed succeeded in sinking the enemy. The drama in this subject is real. The incidents are not fiction but fact and therefore sweeping in their hold on the spectator. The picture is a vivid reproduction of the battles and the events that led up to then\ expertly handled and engrossingly presented. It will appeal particularly to men and children. Likewise the picture has potentialities since it is vastly different from the average run of films. The fact that it is an unusual type of entertainment should be stressed in the handling. Direction. .Walter Summers; good Story British naval history Scenarist None credited Photography None credited; very good. Reginald Denny in "That's My Daddy" Universal Length: 60'; NOT A TYPICAL DENNY HICLE BUT GREAT AUDIEt FARE WITH SOB STUFF SA WICHED IN BETWEEN L ERS OF LAUGHS. Cast. . . .Star as entertaining a: ways. Jane La Verne, the oqifc child of the yarn, appealing therniore clever. Barbara right in a colorless lead. Tom O'Brien, Armand Kaliz. Story and Production Cod with farcical trimmings, creditei Denny as an original. Not par larly original, however, but dire by Fred Newmeyer and acted cap throughout. The situations ari amusing and the titles, insane as are, are distinct knockouts. The has Denny, in trying to avoid a; mons for speeding, tell the cop he is rushing to his little dauf who has been injured in an accii Of course he hasn't a daughten this is the fact that causes a % trouble when an orphan child hospital adopts him. The yo: gums up his forthcoming mat with a lady whose bankroll is i and paves the way for a love i with her nurse . It's an excellent ture for family audiences, whole,' and honestly funny. Director I meyer knows his comedy stuff. Direction Fred Newrai splendid. Author Reginald D Scenario Earl Photography. . .Arthur Todd; Richard Dix in "Sporting Goods" Paramount Length: 5951 ft. SILLY STORY MADE FAIRLY ENTERTAINING BY ST. CLAIR'S DIRECTION AND DIX'S ACTING. JUST A FAIR PROGRAM NUMBER. Cast. .. .Richard Dix lends an air of plausibility to a wildly improbable yarn. Gertrude Olmstead provides the feminine menace acceptably. Ford Sterling good business type. Others Philip Strange, Myrtle Stedman, Wade Boteler, Claude King, Maude Turner Gordon. Story and Production. .Light comedy. If they had made this a straight burlesque of the poor young salesman succeeding against terrific odds, it would have been a wow. Instead, they put it over as a legitimate story from the comedy angle. Hero impersonates a wealthy manufacturer at a California hotel in order to win the girl. All the time he is trying to put his invention of an elastic golf suit on the market. Without a jit in his pocket, he goes through the society stuff and collec'.s a lot of laughs in his frantic endeavors to avoid detection as an impostor A nice Horatio Alger ending, v. itli hero made general manager and winning the girl Star and director n-.ake a lot out of slim fare. Direction Malcolm St. Clair; good. Author Not credited Scenario. .Tom Crizer, Ray Harris Photography. ...Edward Cronjager; fine. Helene Costello in "Burning Up Broadway" Sterling Length: 5245 ft. LOTS OF PEPPY ACTION IN ROUGH AND TUMBLE STORY OF BOOTLEGGERS AND REVENUE OFFICERS. HELENE COSTELLO HAS CHARM. Cast. .. .Helene Costello is dainty and has personality. Robert Frazer given a colorless role as hero. Ernest Hilliard ditto, as the revenue chief. Sam Hardy a convincing gangster. Others Max Asher and Jack Rich. Story and Production. .. .Just a rough and tumble story, but it has punch and works up to good suspense. The title is misleading, for the ."Broadway" atmosphere is more like the Bowery, and so are the sets. If your crowd likes an underworld story, with gangsters, bootleggers and revenue officers all in a merry mixup, here it is. The suspense is worked up with a little mystery, for you don't know till the climax that the heroine is really a revenue agent getting the goods on the bootlegger who runs a cabaret for a blind. Good neighborhood house fare, if you want to give the male patrons a thrill. But it has little appeal for women and girls, except the charm of Helene Costello, which is considerable. Direction Phil Rosen; good Author Norman Houston Scenario Frances Guihan Photography Herbert Kirk patrick; fair. "Beyond London's Lights" FBO Length: 5583 ft. UNUSUAL LOVE THEME DEV ELOPED WITH CHARM, AGAINST FINE ENGLISH BACKGROUND. HUMAN, APPEALING STORY MAKES REAL ENTERTAINMENT. Cast.... Lee Shumway gives a fine portrayal. Gordon Elliott handles a difficult role well. Adrienne Dore and Jacqueline Gadsden as rivals both score. Herbert Evans does a good character bit. Others Florence Wix, Templar Saxe, Blanche Craig, Katherine Ward. Story and Production. ... Romance drama, from the story, "Kitty Carstairs," by J. J. Bell. Stamped by intelligent direction throughout. Director Terriss took a human story and handled it with restraint and understanding. The locale is an English village, later changing to London. The son of a proud English family is torn between his love for a village girl and his impulse to marry a titled lady who can help his career. T!ien Lee Shumway enters as the friend of all three, resulting in developing an unusual love story. It is grownup entertainment, that even the flappers can enjoy. Any patronage will welcome this sweet and wholcsoDie story told with a real dramatic punch. Direction Tom Terriss; splendid. Author.. J. J. Bell Scenario Jean Dupont Photography Bob De Grass; good. Buffalo Bill, Jr. in "The Valley of Hunte Men" Pathe Length: 452 LOTS OF ACTION ACR THE MEXICAN BORDER C WITTING BANDITS. NEW GLE AND GOOD WORK STAR GIVE PICTURE A PUJi Cast.... Buffalo Bill, Jr., has ; part matching his wits againsi border gang. Kathleen Collinsj nishes the heart throbs. Oscarf fel the polished outlaw. Others Ganzhorn, Alma Rayford, F Griffith, Frank Ellis. Story and Production We: from the story, "Ride 'Em Cow'i] by Harrington Strong. The J rides single handed into the out village across the Mexican be. As a revenue officer, his schet to get the gun runners to chase back to the American side wher! rest of the revenue force can" them. His method is original, gives the story a kick. He kid outlaws individually, and keeps uncertain whether he is an 0 or an outlaw like themselves. C twists keep the interest mour Works up to a sizzling climax, the dash across the border witi gang following him into the Unusual suspense, for you fef hero is in danger every minute. Direction Richard Th fine. Author Harrington S'l Scenario Frank L. In| Photography. ....... Ray Rie * K