The Film Daily (1928)

DAiLVL Sunday, August 12, 192 Colloii Moore //? "Lilac Time" First Xatiomil Lvuqth: 8067 ft. BOX OFFICE, DESPITE EXCESSIVELY SENTIMENTAL STORY OF THE WAR. FAMILIAR AFFAIR ARTIFICIAL IN ITS DEVELOPMENT. THE PUBLIC WILL LIKE IT. Cast CoUccn Moore, fine in lighter moments. Gary Cooper pleasing; others, Eugenie Besscrer, Burr Mcintosh, George Cooper, Kathryn McGuire, Emile Chautard, Cleve Moore. Story and Production. . . .Romance of war. A very light-weight story of love of Colleen and Gary Cooper, the latter an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps. Nothing particularly new about it. Cooper is shot down, carried to a base hospital. Colleen hunts for him frantically — although this is gotten over more by suggestion than by any other means — finds him only to be informed by his father that Cooper had died; then the reunion and finale. The early romances are full of comedy and are charming, especially that portion where Colleen is imprisoned in a runaway plane. The latter half is distinctive because of some notable air battle stuff and a general slump in the yarn to the not too strong finish. Direction, George Fitzmaurice, fair; Author, from play by Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin; Adaptation, Willis Goldbeck; Scenario, Carey Wilson; Editor, Al Hall; Titles, George Marion, Jr.; Photography, Sidney Hickox; good; aerial photography by Alvin Knechtel, gorgeous. "Forgotten Faces" Paramount ~ Lenpth: 7640 ft. VERY GOOD ENTERTAINMENT. A CROOK STORY WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT SLANTS THAT MAKE IT INTERESTING. Cast. . . .Clive Brook, very good indeed; Baclanova, a strong personality whose trouping is among the best Hollywood can offer; William Powell in another splendid characterization. Mary Brian, Jack Luden, Harry T. Morey, Fred Kohler and J. Barney Sherry have little to do. Story and Production Crook drama. Excellently handled. Clive Brook, gentleman crook, kills his wife's lover and, before going to prison, leaves his baby girl on the doorstep of a wealthy home. The baby is adopted. Brook's wife, hitting the toboggan on all eights, finally learns after seventeen years where the girl is. She visits Brook in prison, taunts him, after which he attempts to break prison, finally gets his parole, becomes butler in the daughter's home — she, of course, knows nothing about her parents — and finally outwits the wife who eventually kills Brook and falls to her own death immediateb' after. Direction, Victor Schertzinger, very good; Author, Richard Washburn Child; Adaptation, Oliver H. P. Garrett; Scenario, Howard Estabrook; Editor, David Selznick; Titles, Not credited; Photography, J. Roy Hunt, fine. Greta Garbo in "The Mysterious Lady" M-G-M Length: 7652 ft. RED HOT ENTERTAINMENT WITH PLENTY OF SEX APPEAL. DRAMA, LOVE AND THRILLS GALORE. ALTHOUGH THE STORY IS NOT PARTICULARLY NEW. Cast. .. .Greta Garbo in the type of role which has made her famous. Splendid performance. Conrad Nagel is her military lover but overdoes it at times. Others Gustav von Seyffertitz, Edward Connelly, Albert Pollet and Richard Alexander. Story and Production. . .PreWorld War spy yarn involving an alluring Russian agent, Garbo, of course, vvho falls in love with the young Austrian captain who has in his possession the usual plans. She gets 'em and the offi.cer, disgraced, is degraded and jailed. Escaping he goes to Russia and after a lot of excellent meller, learns that the girl loves him and gets the name of the "leak" in the Austrian army. The story, although not so original, has a number of unexpected twists. Its passionate love scenes will certainly shock highlyproper maiden ladies. It is well-acted and expertly produced. Altogether it's a beautifully-done production, such as you might expect from Fred Niblo. Direction, Fred Niblo, splendid; Author, Ludwig Wolff; Scenario, Bess Meredyth; Editor, Margaret Booth; Titles, Marion Ainslee, Ruth Cummings; Photography, Wm. Daniels, fine. Jack Holt in "The Vanishing Pioneer'' Paramount Length: 5834 /! STARTS OFF LIKE AN EPK OF THE WEST AND THE! DROPS INTO A BETTER-THAN AVERAGE PICTURE OF THI! TYPE. GOOD ENTERTAIN MENT FOR WESTERN FAN! ESPECIALLY. Cast. . . .Jack Holt does his usua hero stuff in okay manner. Sail; Blane plays the girl and provides th love interest. William Powell ani Fred Kohler excellent. Others in elude George Oliver. Story and Production. . .Deals wit! the fight of the settlers with th' water problem and then the fight ti retain their rights. A crook tries t( get control of the water privileges ti sell them to a nearby town. Holt i framed on a murder charge but es capes. His neighbors believe bin guilty and that he tried to sell the: out. Finally he frightens a confessioi out of the heavy and all ends wit! happiness prevailing. Although yoi always know what's going to happei the stuff is well done and well pro duced. The youngsters will get ; kick out of the production. :S i i Direction. .. .John Waters, good Author, Zane Grey; Scenario, J. Wal ter Ruben; Editor, Not credited Titles, Not credited; Photography, J Edgar Schoenbaum, fine. Tim McCoy in "Riders of the Dark" M-G-M Length: 5014 ft. SLAMBANG WESTERN WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS; FIGHTS GALORE WITH THE CALVARY TO THE RESCUE 'N EVERYTHING. Cast Tim McCoy does some heavy battling, hard riding and perfunctory love making quite convincingly; Roy D'Arcy good as the villain and Bert Roach injects comedy. Others, Frank Currier, Dorothy Dwan. Story and Production A tried and true formula is followed by McCoy in this picture which will get over nicely in houses showing westerns. McCoy, a cavalry officer, is detailed to aid in establishing law and order in a frontier village dominated by a gang of murderers and rustlers. His only help is a girl and her brother who are editing the town paper. They're after the gang for murdering their father. A cavalry troop finally mops up on the gang. There is the usual flag-waving and some exciting bits. McCoy's fist fight with a flock of the gangsters is laying it on pretty thick, but vour westtern gang won't mind that. Direction, Nick Grinde, his first effort, good: Author, W. S. Van Dyke; Scenario, W. S. Van Dvke; Editor, Dan Sharitz: Titles, Madeline Ruthven; Photography, George Nogle, good. "Midnight Life" Gotham Length: 6200 ft. ONE OF THE GANGSTERCABARET YARNS NOW SO PREVALENT. HAS B. O. STUFF AND IS FAIRLY GOOD ENTERTAINMENT. Cast. ... Francis X. Bushman and Gertrude Olmstead good in leading roles; Eddie Buzzell satisfactory as the hoofer; Cosmo Kyrle Bellcw and Monte Carter, satisfactory villains, though latter a bit theatric. Story and Production. .. .A story of the man higher up leading a mob of crooks who headquarter at a notorious cafe, where "coppers who interfere" arc bumped off in ingenious fashion. A summons to the private office, lights out, barking pistols, and the body found later at some faraway spot/ A dancer in the cafe, summoned by the manager, secretes herself in the office, and witnesses the killing of a detective. As a persistent detective is assigned the case, the gang fearful she may tell what she knows, prepares to take the girl for a ride, but is frustrated and captured by the detective's ruse. You can sell this on its crook atmosphere, and promise them some thrills and comedy. It's from the story, "The Spider's Web." Direction, Scott Dunlap, good; Author, Reginald Wright Kaufman; Scenario, Arthur Staffer; Editor, Scott R. Dunlap; Titles, K. Loew Sutherland; Photography, Ray June, very good. "The Way of the Strong" Columbia Length: 5752 ft. GOOD UNDERWORLD DRAMA WORTHY OF GENERAL FIRST RUNS. HAS EVERY ELEMENT OF GOOD ENTERTAINMENT. Cast. . . .Mitchell Lewis gives spleufdid performance as "Handsome," hijack gang leader. Alice Day good as blind violinist. Theodore von Eltz okay in part of loving pianist. Others Margaret Livingston and William Norton Bailey. Story and Production Inside dope on gangland. The story has been developed nicely with new twists injected. It tells how "Handsome" Williams, badly-scarred gang leader, falls in love with a blind violinist. When the girl wants to feel his face he uses his good-looking pianist as a double. A gang of bootleggers abduct the girl and holds her as a hostage while they run a load of liquor through. The plan is gummed up when the leader's girl, jealous over his attention to his prisoner, squeals to "Handsome." The two gangs go into battle, Louie, the bootleg king, is killed, and "Handsome." the girl and pianist make a getaway before cops arrive. The police take up the chase and "Handsome," realizing that the girl loves the piano-pounder rather than himself, lets them escape and then shoots himself. It's a picture with real thrills, love interest, suspense — everything. Direction, Frank Capra, fine; Author, William Conselman; Scenario, Peter Milne; Editor, not credited; Titles, not credited; Photography, Ben Reynolds, good. "Say It With Sables" Columbia Length: 6401 /l JUST MISSES BEING REA: B. O. STUFF. GOOD ENTEI TAINMENT AND A PRODU( TION WHICH HAS POSSIBII ITIES. Cast. ... Columbia has assembled, fine cast and all do good work. Fral cis X. Bushman outstanding wil Margaret Livingston, Helene Chad wick and Arthur Rankin giving gooi support. Miss Livingston does finj work as the gold digger. Alphonz Ethier gives a creditable performance Story and Production. . . .There's strong story in this of a father tryis to protect his son from his formt mistress, a gold digger who guns fo! big game — and usually gets it. Th( girl is killed and suspicion points t( father, son and the gold digger') maid. But the boy's step-mothe: really did the killing, which is a twis' that hurts rather than helps the story with the obliging detective checkinf off the case as a suicide. It's well done, despite the fact that it's pretty slow in developing, but onc< going it holds the interest. There': a natural in hook-ups with fur stores on this one, and even a fashion shov gag can be worked. Sell it on thi story's twist of son, falling for hi; father's former mistress. Direction, Frank Capra, good' Authors, I'Vank Capra, Peter Milne Scenario, Dorothv Howell; EditoB Arthur Roberts; Titles, Not credited Photography, Joe Walker, very good