The Film Daily (1929)

THE Sunday, July 21, 1929 j2^ DAILY A Cornerstone I ontintied from Page 1 ) objective, it extends in the right direction. A hopeful sign. To encroach on a Hays maxim, it is advisable to remember that it is not the length of the step, but its direction... It was a Ioiim road the F. and R. deal traveled before ending in Publix pastures. Less than two years ago, bets to any amount were easj to secure that Fox would nab Northwest Theaters, ["hen, if we remember, Bill Fox did some extended vacationing in Georgia and William Ilannn became a bit impatient. So ended that deal. Then came the Warner negotiations for First National. F. and R's stock— at two hundred smackers a share — was needed to round out the holdings gathered in by Harry. Abe and Jack before their F. N. acquisition was set. That closed, much talk ensued about the entire F. and R. circuit. Finally. Publix entered the joust as an active bidder. Both proups already were partners in Twin Cities first runs, but beyond that each went his own way. Now the tale is ended. Publix is the owner and boss. . . . Hard At It Tuesday: Scoffers nut withstanding, the big companies are bending much serious thought and long hours toward development of a court of adjustment, created specifically to relieve the small exhibitors of many of their sound picture burdens. National distributors realize full well what a severe plight confronts the little man. Payments on equipment, score charges, added overhead in the booth, rentals hovering somewhere between heaven and earth and much nearer the former — these are among tintroubles crying for adjustment It is realized this is an industry matter, not a localized situation and, as such, is being approached with a broad and sympathetic understanding.... Changing Times Wednesday: Abe Sablosky, with the Stanley Company since the begirning, is about to pull up stakes In Washington, Harry Crandall, active in exhibition there more years than we can remember, is soon to turn over the reins to Johnny Payette. his general manager. You can now count the original Stanley-ites lett in the Stanley organization on the fingers of one hand. Shades of Jules Mastbaum!. . . . Hollywood informs Equity's mandate against producers has been extended to silent pictures. Wonder where Frank Gillmore discovered any were being made?.... That new equipment combine — General Theaters — includes Grandeur which, you may not knovv, is the name of the wide film on which the Fox forces have been working for months past. One of the seven companies embraced by General, Grandeur's presence in tthe consolidation has cieated considerable comment about Newspaper Opinions Fox and bis possible connection with the whole move .... Excitement Thursday: An industry held its breath. Over the ticker flashed word of an auto smash-up with Hill box the central figure. Mergers, pictures and all else sidetracked. Fox played center stage and down stage all at OIK time. First reports looked bad. Out to Mineola on the triple quick went Jimmy Grainger and Jack Leo. Much excitement until late in the day. Then it was learned Fox had been badly bruised and terribly shaken up. but that was all. No danger. The sighs of relief were audible all over I nies Square. Fox, as a major figure within the industry, of course, occupies an unchallenged spot But it took this incident to demonstrate how importantly he figures in the public eye. Early editions of afternoon papers ribboned the accident story clear across the front page. Every morning paper in New York carried the yarn prominently displayed on page one.... Full of funny twists, this business. It took three months for Gene Richards to get set with Paramount. Saenger Theaters would go to Publix. Taken for granted everywhere. Then. blooey, all over. Six million in the price separated them, so the stor) ran. Then with nary a warning, the confabs were resumed and toda_\ closed .... Did you take a slant at Paramount's earning statement for the first half of 1929? A mere $5,112,000 and onlj 58 per cent ahead of the corresponding period of 1928.... The Warners Friday: No end to the ambition ot these Warner brethren. Producers, distributors, exhibitors, they now enter the theater accessory business as well. What next?. . . . Signs of the age we move in. Educational is finishing up its silent program and will make only talkers next \ < ar. . . . An adding and subtracting problem at Universal. Houses that dip into tie red are being disposed of. At the same time plans for expansion in more thriving locales are being developed. In Canada, Famous figures on wiring 100 of its 155 houses by the end of this year. Day by day the invasion t; kes firmer hold. ... Several exhibitors in Southern Illinois have recently passed through interesting experiments with sound and silent pictures. In three specific instances, silents have captured laurels from sound. In some other spots, the experience has been the same. \ et, taken by and large, the impetus to box-offices which is traceable directly to sound is convincing argument of why the industry has taken talkers so whole-heartedly to its ample bosom K A N N "Broadway" Universal Globe, New York AMERICAN ' " No situation in tbe play lias been overlooked, none omitted. ,, additions, which are not especially helpful. But gleaming through this padding the original lines burst with nerve lh and the searing drama of the play burns through the picture's tmselul trappings t<' hold onlookers in hypnotic thrall. DAILY MIRROR ' ' ' It's a honey • * ■ Here's dandy movie entertainment with thrills, pathos, crime and romance in art inside story of the I tlegging and night club 0D ,,1,1 Broadway. Splendidly acted Magnificently produced. And one of the mo t Stupendous 'sellings. the "Paradise Night Club" ever built in Los Angeles. 1 he story i~ absorbing. The atmosphere is colorful. Glenn Tryon, Evelyn Brent and the sup,t do great work. , DAI \.\ NEWS Broadway in i. .nil entertainment which reaches above average. It has its many thrilling moments and plenty of mam stem atmosphere. Hut there is absolutely no doubt as I,, the fact thai the picture suiters io comparison to the play. I VENING rOURNAL • ■ has .ts share of entertainment, the highlights being is rackson's performance and the stun set.. Direction of the action is adt quate even though, since comparisons are inevitable when a film is based on a sue tagi production, it is too slowly timed, „ . , I \ ENING WORLD * ' You can fool in it, of course, and most of them in to the accompaniment of sound and ue as is the case with so many recent neral effect of this daddy of the night club things is of such a ^high litj thai it deserve, unstinted praise. _ GRAPHIC * * * Technically, the Uni: pi,,, is a praiseworthy product of an industrialized art. Camera work is excellent recording is fairly good, even though doubling for the principals is obous. but this .s a Budapest impression of tulai street, and while I'al reins is a or, he is a stranger on Broad * * HERALD-TRIBUNE To cut the drama to the conventional length of the current feature films and still retain a slight semblance of cinema movement and effects the nd i "Broadwaj have been edited devastating and. though the plot is faithfullj i, Unwed, characterization and at„.. nhere 5Uffer to a greater degree than elaborate production ran atone for ORNING TELEGRAPH-* * * adheres closely to the original dialogue, though t has been rather strenuously edited; in tact ,,, such an extent that some of the more moments lose the thrilling punch of the legitimate production. However, when one considers the numerous liberties that the screen has taken with legitimate successes .•Broadway" presents a rather accura e and intriguing transcription of the original play. POST— Certainly the ingenious Paul Fejos has ,l,„,e everything he could with rte now »u.ch <,,,,: "Broadway Vnd while the , liama is perhaps not quite as tight not quite as tense and breathless in he film as it wa the stage. think the t-.ll.-in.' nieture * * * IS well worth a visit. *.$ Fe os has introduced so much fantastic decoration in "Broadway" that your at ent on s constantly being hauled away from he characters to look at .dancing numbers. SPY— * * * In short. "Broadway represents an entirely acceptable, meltingly pho og aphed. and "rather well-recorded ta king nieture Often it S quite exciting— if never as exciting as the original producton-often it is moving enough. Certainly whatever its shortcomings from the perfection of the stage production, it is a sufficient evenine for the sound box shows. TFTFr.RAM— * * * I' vou can sPend,al exulting evening inspecting' one million dollars' worth of ilegant and exclusive scenery you will doubtless enjoy "Broadway But °f TIMES-* * * Some of the subtle touches of the play have been missed and the authority or subservience of the various characters is by no means as well drawn as in the stage effect. .Nevertheless, Dr. Paul Fejos, who directed this film under the supervision of Carl Laemmle, Jr., has done a good job. * * * WORLD—' * * Mr. Fejos, the director, has shown in other films that he is expert with camera angle and photographic ingenuity. Here he indulges in a number of episodes which are bizarre and also impressive. His treatment of the photography inside the Paradise Cafe is singularly well done. Here his camera seems to float in midair over and about the great, glistening hall, dipping now and again to pick up and emphasize by proximity the individual work of the dancers and singers. The planning and design of the cafe itself is a remarkable piece of work. "Broadway" is an extraordinary example of interior decoration. * * » "The Betrayal" Paramount The Paramount, New York AMERICAN—* * * one of those dramas that is apt to leave you as low as the traditional snake's hips. * * * What's wrong with this picture is the story. Strangely enough, its other features are excellent. There is, for instance, the stunning performance of its star DAILY NEWS—* * * decidedly an effective piece of silent drama * * * Certainly nobody, on seeing "Betrayal," can accuse Jannings of having worshiped the box-office in his final American movie. For these isn't the slightest smack of dollar bills in this one. It is a thoroughly artistic production. EVENING JOURNAL—* * * depressing ' * * the star contributes a distinguished performance since he is a distinguished performer. * * * Lewis Milestone, the director, handled the story with dignity, and good characterizations are offered by Esther Ralston, as the wife, and Gary Cooper, as the other man. EVENING WiORLD— Jannings' work is up to standard, and that of Gary Cooper and Esther Ralston is also excellent, but the deficiencies of the story take all the sparkle out of them. GRAPHIC— We dislike to admit that it is not Mr. Jannings' finest portrayal. He has done much finer things — probably because he has been given finer material to work with. Most of the photography was excellent. HERALD-TRIBUNE—* * * the last American appearance of the mighty Emil Jannings, the most illustrious exile banished by the coming of screen audibility. * * * it has some admirably effective dramatic moments; it is exceptionally well directed, and, of course, it is almost perfectly acted. On the other hand, it never quite captures the drama that should be inherent in its ideas. * * MORNING TELEGRAPH— The story is tensely dramatic, but does not permit the wide variety of character delineation that one necessarily anticipates from a Jannings vehicle * * * However. Jannings is such a finished artist that nothing he does could be called even mediocre, his dominating personality oversteps trivialties and surmounts all irregularities. . POST While Lewis Milestone s direction is dignified, deliberate and well founded, it lacks that something which makes the characters real people. Both Miss Ralston and Mr. Cooper are killed off and you never notice SUN— It is an intensely morbid picture, despite an enforced happy or resigned and contented ending. ., , TELEGRAM—* * * while I cannot foiecast for it any particular hox office favor it strikes me as being an >mPress,ve,.a"dJt „^ clasp to the chain of finely wrought fiuns that Tannings has already bequeathed us. TIMES—* * * a well-acted picture, but at the same time one that loses , .great deal artificiality of its scenic ettects. mings does not distinguish himself taction, but he does give a good th many of his familiar screen through the in this prodi performance wit raavVORLD-A story of neither conviction nor coherence, a turgid, rumbling tragedy