The Film Daily (1928)

THE inday, June 17, 1928 "The Perfect Crime" i;() Length: 6331 ft. «Ne of fbo's best for idme time. corking cast /\id very unusual story ijilds up to strong mys'sry climax. Cast. . . .Clive Brook as a noted de t live involved in an unusual crime a fine characterization that ! .. Irene Rich as pleasing as Edmund Breese the head of ctives. Others Tully Marshall, licl Wales, Carroll Nye. Story and Production. ... Murder tery. Based on the story "The Bow Mystery" by Israel Zang Here is a film made from a kerjack story by a famous au , and in the hands of a very ble cast it becomes first class m entertainment. Clive Brook famous criminologist who de ^ to retire so he can marry the ; who objects to his work. He i|)sessed with the idea of a "per crime." He finally plans one. victim is a drunk, who is found til his throat cut in a locked room. ulence points to a j'oung man, lo is convicted. Brook finally .'es himself up as the murderer to va the youth, and proves to the tectives that they were all wrong d that there can be a "perfect" me. Ends with Brook having ;t imagined all this. Novel, and fries fine suspense. Direction, Bert Glennon, clever; ithor, Israel Zangwill; Scenario, irart Adamson ; Photography, James iwe, very good. -.%g>^ DAILV "Chicken A La King" Fox Length: 6417 ft. PERFECT SUMMER DIET. LIGHT AND FROTHY. FORD STERLING AND ARTHUR STONE A REAL COMEDY TEAM. 3 NIFTY PHRAILS FOR THE MALE VOTE. Cast. ... Nancy Carroll a knockout for looks, and she can troupe. Then there's Carol Holloway and Frances Lee making it a beauty threesome. Ford Sterling and Arthur Stone do the light comedy. Story and Production. .. .Light comedy, from the stage play "Mr. Romeo." It's all nonsensical fun and a lot of whoopee, but ideal hot weather entertainment for any house. Ford Sterling is a tightwad whose wife has a tough time getting money for a new dress every second season. But when Ford meets the dazzling chorus gal he just goes blooey and blows the works. He starts off with the honest intention of saving his sappy brother-in-law, Arthur Stone, who he believes is in the clutches of the fizz dame. But Ford falls hard for the chorus gal's pal. It's a scream as he kids himself into thinking he's only interested in "uplifting" the poor little gal. Then wifey frames a plot with the two wise babies to cure pa of his philandering. Corking light comedy stuff, done with class. They'll like it. Direction, Henry Lehrman, clever; Author, Harry W. Gribble; Scenario, J. Zola Forrester and Mann Page; Photography, Conrad Wells, fine. Tom Mix in "Painted Post" Fox Length: 4962 ft. A WEAK NUMBER THAT HAS ONLY TOM MIX AND HIS RIDING AND FIGHTING TO RECOMMEND IT. STORY SLOW AND RAGGED. Cast.... Tom Mix, as the sheriff is forced to do a lot of "acting" without action in the earlier reels, and he's not so hot. He's only good when he gets going in the final reels. Natalie Kingston a fair lead. Philo McCuUough the heavy. Al St. John supplied artificial comedy. Story and Production. .. .Western. This is the last Tom Mix for Fox, and judging by the story and general production they did not waste much time or efifort on the western star's final release. First two reels are very slow, with Tom as sheriff running the town's hotel which he has attached. He befriends a stranded troupe and the gals repay him by helping him run the hotel. Al St. John acts as cook, and attempts to supply the comedy, which is pretty sad, and very forced. His part was just dragged into the film. Gets going when a gang steals a payroll given to the sheriff to mind. After a typical Mix fight, they get away, steal the gal, and Tom is hellbent after them for the usual finish. Direction, Eugene Foird, weak; Author, Harry Sinclair Drago; Scenario, Buckleigh S. Oxford; Photography, Dan Clark, fine. Ramon Novarro in "A Certain Young Man" M-G-M Length: 5482 ft. OUT OF THE RUNNING. TWO YEARS OLD, AND LOOKS IT. NOVARRO MISCAST. HE FLOPS BAD TRYING TO DO A MENJOU ROLE. Cast. ... Ramon Novarro as an English bounder is sunk early and never comes up. He looks effeminate in a man-of-the-world part. Marceline Day sweet and decorative. Renee Adoree and Carmel Myers play the married flames of the hero. Others Bert Roach, Huntle}' Gordon, Ernest Wood. Story and Production. .. .Comedy romance. They shelved this two years ago, and for some unknown reason M-G-M decided to resurrect the ghost. It becomes real ghostly when you see Willard Louis, stepping around as a smiling butler, when all the fans know that he has been dead almost two years. In fact, it's downright bad taste to have a ghost walking through this frothy comedy. Novarro as the English lord with various affairs with married women is a total loss. He doesn't carry the blase roue stuff. The situations are artificial, the comedy forced, and it's a general washout from various angles. Besides, Adolphe Menjou did the same theme in "A Gentleman from Paris." Direction, Hobart Henley, script stopped him; Author, Doris Burell; Scenario, Donna Barrell; Photography, Merritt B. Gerstat, good. "The Scarlet Dove" ffany-Stahl Length: 5102 ft. AR BELOW TIFFANY STANDID. HOLDS NOTHING FOR .ASS HOUSES, AND WILL (VRELY RIDE AS FILLER FOR EIGHBORHOODS. Cast. .. .Lowell Sherman does his ual cynical role as Russian colonel, argaret Livingston does wonders ith an ineffectual part. Robert •azer as the gallant officer is there, thers Josephine Borio Shirley Paler, Julia Swayne Gordon. Story and Production. . . .Drama of ussia. There must have been some gical reason for Tiffany-Stahl proicing this one, but it appears nohere in the picture. The action is gged and of a very artificial brand, hich goes for the whole producjn. There is a lot of Russian "atosphere" worked in, but taken by id large it is very unimpressive. he theme' had a kick in it, but the rector failed to develop it. The rl from the convent is betrothed a Russian army officer who is a ranger to her. He is a gay blade, ith a dame on the side. He plans marry the little convent gal, colct her inheritance, and with it still ;ep his mistress on the side. Which ts it out for family trade. Then )mes the gallant young officer in ive with the girl, duel, real love, c. Direction, Arthur Gregor, poor; .uthor, Arthur Gregor; Scenario, )hn Francis Natteiord; Photogiphy, Ernest Miller, fair. Johnny Hines in "Chinatown Charlie" Fi)-st National Length: 6365 ft. ABOUT THE WORST HINES HAS DONE. OPENS SLOW, GAGGED POORLY, AND CRASHES INTO CHINATOWN MELLER THAT IS SAPPY. Cast. .. .Johnny Hines is sunk badly in material that does not even give him a fighting chance. Fred Kohlcr good in small part as gang leader. Louise Lorraine no asset as support. Harry Gribbon's comedy as hero's tough friend is often better than the comedian's. Sojin and Anna May Wong do their Oriental. Story and Production. .. .Comedy meller. From the play by Owen Davis. It was fair on the boards as an extravaganza, but never intended for the screen. The material simply wasn't there, and the gagmen did nothing to save the situation. Gags are pretty terrible in spots, and many so old that they creaked. A tough assignment for Johnny Hines, and he was helpless all the way. Nothing happens in the first reel but a trip in a bus to Chinatown which Johnny owns. Here the ancient gags were unloaded unmercifully. Then the meller, with the gal kidnapped for the mysterious ring that the Chinks hold sacred. The mandarin holds her for the white slaves, Johnny does the rescue amid thrills. Direction, Charles Hines, poor; Author, Owen Davis; Scenario, Johnny Gray and Roland Afeher; Photography, Wm. Miller and Al Wilson, ordinary. W. C. Fields and Chester Conklin in "Fools for Luck" Para mount Length: 5852 ft. MISSES PLENTY. WON'T STAND UP ON HEAVY BILLING. COMEDY STARS HANDICAPPED BY WEAK MATERIAL. NOT GAITED FOR FEATURE LENGTH. Cast W. C. Fields does a Wal lingford role as a slick oil promoter and gets all the comedy out of his line. Chester Conklin as the lovable goof makes it a good comedy team. Sally Blane and Jack Luden add the sentiment. Others Mary Alden, Arthur Housman, Robert Dudley. Story and Production. .. .Comedy. They must have had a tough time at the studio to string this out for a 60 minute play. Just heavy enough on gags for a two-reeler, and that's giving it a lot. The story is forced, and sags badly in spots. Fields and Conklin work heroically to keep it going, but the material simply isn't there. Fields does his pool table skit and strings it out for all it is worth. It's good, and gets the laughs. The film needed it, for it's the best it can show. Conklin is the big pool parlor and restaurant man in a small town. His family lives in a palace with liveried servants, etc. Pure, unadulterated hokc. Fields is the slick guy who hits town to clean U]) selling piioney oil stock. Direction, Charles V. Reisncr, tough assignment; Author, Harry Fried; Scenario, Sam Mintz and J. Walter Ruben; Photography, William Marshall, smooth. "Walking Back" Pathe Length: 5035 ft. FAIR ENTERTAINMENT OF YOUTH AND JAZZ. MADE FOR THE FLAPPER AND COLLEGE VOTE. SUE CAROL VERY ATTRACTIVE. Cast.... Sue Carol looks like a real comer, and makes the picture look better than it really is. Richard Walling does well as youthful hero, and creates really a fine part of the typical youth of today. Robert Edeson as the boy's father. Others Ivan Lebedeft', Jane Keckley, Florence Turner. Story and Production. . . .Drama of modern youth. From the story by George Kibbe Turner. They were making these two years ago along the same pattern. Nothing new has been added, but there is a certain freshness in the work of Sue Carol and especially Richard Walling that makes it fairly entertaining. Walling is the son of a banker who refuses to let him take his car to a dance because the boy has failed in his studies. The boy goes anyway, takes his girl, and gets mixed up quite innocently with a gang of yeggs who are using him as a blind to rob his father's bank. There is a good sequence where he battles his rival with their cars to see who will take the girl to the dance. Night club scenes give the usual jazz stuff witii youth running riot. Okay for smaller houses. Direction, Rupert Julian, good; Author, George Kibbe Turner; Scenario, Monte Katterjolin; Photography, Joe Mescall, nice.