The Film Daily (1929)

THE -;g5^ DAILY Sunday, February 3, 1929 Emil Jannings in "Sins of the Fathers" Paramoimt Length: 7761 ft. JANNINGS SUPERB IN A CHARACTERIZATION TIED UP TO HODGE-PODGE PROHIBITION YARN FILLED WITH GOOD OLD HOKUM. Cast.... Emil Jannings again creates a vivid and outstanding role as the German-American father tangled in a coil of circumstance. Ruth Chatterton in first screen appearance is a treat. Zasu Pitts fine as the mother. Others Barry Norton, Jack Luden, Jean Airthur, Matthew Betz. Story and Production Drama. It looks like a sop to the prohibitionists and bluestocking elements in the outlying districts who believe the big city is a very wicked place. Jannings is shown in pre-prohibition days rearing his family and a nice business as a saloonkeeper with a restaurant on the side. Then comes the temptress. His wife dies of a broken heart, he marries the other dame, then becomes a big bootlegger after prohibition kills his business. Heart interest centers around his love for his boy, who is blinded by his dad's poison liquor. Winds up with Jannings broke and back to a waiter's job but happy with his boy again. Has undoubted popular appeal. Sound effects vry ordinary. Direction, Ludwig Berger, satisfactory; Author, Norman Bernstine; Scenario, E. Lloyd Sheldon; Editor, Frances Marsh; Titles, Julian Johnson; Photography, Victor Milner. okay. Richard Dix in "Redskin" Paramount Length: Silent 7402 ft. Syn. 7643 ft. CHIEFLY NOTABLE FOR NATURAL COLORS. DIX HAS TOUGH TIME TRYING TO SCORE IN A WEAK STORY THAT NEVERTHELESS HAS POPULAR APPEAL. Cast. . . .Richard Dix makes a passable Indian and gives the most convincing performance in a meller yarn full of holes and generally weak construction. Others Gladys Belmont, Jane Novak, Larry Steers, Tully Marshall, Bernard Siegel, George Rigas, Augustine Lopez, Noble Johnson. Story and Production. . .Melodrama of Indian life. A sentimental and unconvincing story of the poor Indian and what our white civilization has done to him. It is kindergarten in plot construction and the cognoscenti and sophisticates will curl a supercilious lip at its childishness. For the pop crowd it has lots to recommend it, chiefly the Technicolor sequences which are practically three-quarters of the picture and are an eye smash. Shows off the colorful Indian costume and desert scenery splendidly. Good peppy climax with Dix in a foot race over the cliffs to beat the claim jumpers in their auto. Dix as the Indian ostracised by his tribe is away ahead of weak story. Sound effects only. Direction, Victor Schertzinger, ordinary; Author, Elizabeth Pickett; Scenario, the same; Editor, Qtho Lovering; Titles, Julian Johnson; Photography, not listed, splendid. "Smoke Bellew" First Division Length: 6605 ft. PLEASING NUMBER HAS POPULAR APPEAL WITH STIRRING YARN OF FROZEN NORTH THAT IS WELL DIRECTED AND ACTED. Cast. .. Conway Tearle as Kid Bellew the tenderfoot in the frozen North gives a strong performance. Barbara Bedford lends fine support. Others Mark Hamilton, J. P. Lockney, Al Ethier, William Scott, Alaska Jack. Story and Production. ...Melodrama of Alaska in gold rush days. Adapted from Jack London's novel. All hands did well by this production that rates a good break in any of the popular houses, for it has genuine entertainment due to the fine story of the old master, intelligent direction, acting, and the fine scenic shots of the snow country. Dates back to the gold rush days, with the tenderfoot hero going up through Chilkoot Pass and braving all the usual hardships. The atmosphere is well built up, and the suspense well sustained, with all kinds of deviltry mixed in to keep the customers steamed up. The hero, of course, saves the new gold claim location for the gal and her dad against the crooks. Direction, Scott Dunlap, very good; Author, Jack London; Scenario, Fred Myton; Editor, Charles Hunt; Titles, Fred Myton; Photography, J. O. Taylor, Joe Walters, fine. George Bancroft in "The Wolf of Wall Street" Paramount Length : 6810 ft. BANCROFT SCORES IN ALLTALKER WITH OUTWORN WALL STREET PLOT SLOWED UP BY DIALOG. NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. Cast. .. .George Bancroft as the roughneck engineering a pool in Wall Street to get the suckers is immense, as usual, but the lack of action and weak story cramp his style. Baclanova is strong femme contrast with her Russian accent and exotic style. Nancy Carroll handles dialog fine. Cast includes Paul Lukas, Arthur Rankin, Brandon Hurst, Crauford Kent. Story and Production. . Melodrama of Wall Street. They have resurrected one of the good old standbys of the old melodrama days for this one. The Wolf organizes his pool to trim the suckers all over the United States, which he does, then his partner trims him out of his wife's affections, followed by the grand coup wherein the Wolf ruins himself in another manipulation in order to also ruin his rival for revenge. Some good spectacular bits are handled by Bancroft effectively, but the action is very slow in spots and some dialog stuff dragged out to weary length. Direction, Rowland V. Lee, satisfactory; Author, Doris Anderson; Scenario, Doris Anderson; Editor, Robt. Basseler; Dialogue, Doris Anderson: Titles, Julian Johnson; Photography, Victor Milner, good. i "Broken Barriers" Excellent Length: 6000 ft. DIRECTOR KING MAKES ENTERTAINING FILM FROM A RATHER UNCONVINCING STORY. GOOD PROGRAMMER FOR SMALL HOUSE. Cast. . . .Helene Costello acts rather awkwardly and fails to impress. Gaston Glass makes the picture seem more convincing than it really is. Others Joseph Girard, Frank Beal, Carleton Stockdale, Frank Hagney. Story and Production Drama. The theme concerns a crooked politician in a small town who is trying tQ elect his man mayor in order to foist on the city his canyon property for a reservoir. Hero is the reporter on the local paper who with his editor starts to check up on the plot and spoil the financier's game. Some very good situations are worked up ', by director Burton King, who manages to cram a lot of suspense and action along with a few surprises into the footage. The love interest is neatly intertwined with the plotting of the conspirators, and interest added by the fact that the girl is the daughter of the crook. Works out to plausible ending. This number will register nicely at the smaller stands for which it was intended. Direction, Burton King, good; Author, Caroline F. Hayward; Scenario, Isadore Bernstein; Editor, Lee Anthony; Titles, Isadore Bernstein; Photography, William Miller, Joseph Walters, fair. "Outlawed" FBO Length: 6057 ft. FLOPS BADLY WITH SLOPPY STORY THAT RATES VERY POOR MATERIAL TO HAND TO A STAR LIKE MIX. JUST ANOTHER WESTERN WITH MIX SHOWING NOTHING. Cast.... Tom Mix proves in this one that he is a director-made star, for without proper handling he is just ordinary. Sally Blane the usual gal. Others Frank M. Clark, Al Smith, Ethan Laidlaw, Barney Furey, Al Ferguson. Story and Production. .. .Western. Chalk this up as the usual lineup of western meller material, directed in just the usual way. Even the juvenile fans will prove too hardboiled to be fooled by this production simply because Tom Mix is in the hero role. Tells the old formula of the hero framed for a bank robbery, his escape in an attempt to run down the guilty party, the gal of course misunderstanding him at first and then realizing he is on the level after all. The gang who did the bank job are also after the money concealed in the ranch of the gal's dad. Here the climax is staged, with Tom Mix fighting heavy odds, saving the dough and also exposing the real bank robber. It has been done hundreds of times before, and just as indifferently. Direction, Eugene Forde, poor; Author, Geo. W. Piper; Scenario, Geo. W. Piper; Editor, Henry Webber; Titles, Herman Gregg; Photography, Norman Davol, fair. "Behind the Altar" Affiliated European Length: 6200 ft. IMPORTED FILM A FINE EXAMPLE OF WASTED FILM THAT WEARIES YOU WITH ITS DREARINESS. BELONGS IN THE AMATEURISH CLASS. Cast. . . . Wilhelm Dieterle stars as well as directs, and flops at both, proving it takes more than good looks to make an actor or director. Marc'ella Albani as the femme lead is very attractive, but her acting undistinguished. Story and Production. .Melodrama, with mystery angle. This was done by a German producer in an Italian locale, and the scenery around the Italian villa is gorgeous. But this beautiful setting only serves to make the amateurish story, acting and direction all the more noticeable. Seems the supposedly drowned husband of the heroine has a twin brother, an abbe, who comes in his priestly robes to visit his bereaved sister-in-law. Meanwhile an impoverished count on a neighboring villa is scheming to marry the rich widow. She eventually marries him to save herself from her hopeless love for the handsome young abbe. The priest turns sleuth, uncovers the count as murderer. Latter is drowned. Abbe goes back to Rome. Just blah. Direction, Wilhelm Dieterle, amateurish; Author, not listed; Scenario, not listed; Editor, not listed; Titles, J. W. McConaughy; Photography, not listed, good. "Escaped From Hell" Affiliated European Length:?? WEIRD MELLER WANDERS AROUND AIMLESSLY AND GETS NOWHERE WITH POOR DIRECTION AND S H O D D Yv CONTINUITY. ANOTHER IMPORTED FLOP. Cast. . . .Jean Murat is much better than the story and the rest of the cast, who are either amateurish or poorly directed or both. Others Louis Ralph, Countess Agnes von Esterhazy, Paul Heidman, R. Van Kiel, Leo Penkert, W. Kaiser-Hayl, Harry Frank, Lewis Brody. Story and Production. .Melodrama. Made in France by Derussa Prod. It is a weird affair concerning the hero who is in love with the lady married to a cruel monster and who is sent to a penal colony on circumstantial evidence when the husband is killed in an accident. Escaping from the penal prison, he returns to his love. Murat does some good work in the penal colony sequences, which carry quite a little entertainment value. But the rambling nature of the story, lack of proper continuity and general amateurishness in direction make this a very tedious six reels to sit through. It is all much ado about nothing with the players acting all over the sets but accomplishing little. Direction, George Asagaroff, poor; No other credits given.