The Film Daily (1929)

THE * 12 DAILY Sunday, September 15, 1929 "In Old California" with Henry B. Walthall, Helen Ferguson, George Duryea, Ray Hallor (All-Talker) Audible Pictures Length: 5,500 ft. STRONG AUDIENCE FEATURE GETS OVER WITH COLORFUL STORY, FINE ACTING AND DIRECTION. RECORDING GOOD THROUGHOUT. Drama of old California. Burton King directed this with intelligent understanding of the romantic and colorful atmosphere, and succeeded in turning out an independent production that rates well up the list with the best of its type. It is an approach to "In Old Arizona," but in no way encroaches on the plot of this outdoor masterpiece. It has the same tense story interest and Mexican color, and moves smoothly, building to a touching and tense climax. The story hinges around old Don Pedro, played by Henry Walthall, a Spanish grandee whose wife had been lured away from him by an unknown man, taking their little girl with her. Years later we see Don Pedro in the clutches of a gambler, and events develop rapidly. Cast: Helen Ferguson, Henry B. Walthall, George Duryea. Ray Hallor, Orral Humphrey, Larry Steers, Richard Carlyle, Harry Alien, Lew Stern, Paul Ellis, Carlotta Monta, Gertrude Chorre. Director, Burton King ; Author, Fred Hart ; Adaptor, Arthur Hoerl ; Dialoguer, the same ; Editor, Earl Turner; Cameraman, Charles Boyle. Direction, very good. Photography, excellent. "Side Street » with Owen, Matt and Tom Moore (All-Talker Version) RKO Length: 6965 ft. GETS OVER AS POPULAR FARE WITH THE IRISH ATMOSPHERE WELL HANDLED BY THE THREE MOORE BOYS. Drama. The idea is not bad at all, and was rather pleasingly handled by director Mai St. Clair, although he showed little originality in treatment. It plays up the Irish family atmosphere with all the attendant sentiment, and will no doubt exert a wide appeal with the popular crowd who like this type of stuff. It concerns the history of three Irish brothers, a detective, a bootlegger and a hospital doctor. Opens with scenes of the Irish family, and develops the fact that one of the brothers is rather out of the family life for the moment. Later we see Owen as the racketeer, running his roof garden joint and surrounded by his underworld gang. A row occurs, somebody is injured, and this brings the detective brother and the doctor. It results in a scene where the racketeer's own gang get their boss, mistaking him for the detective. Cast: Owen Moore, Matt Moore, Tom Moore, Emma Dunn, Frank Sheridan, Katherine Perry, Arthur Houseman, Mildred Harris. Director, Malcolm St. Clair ; Authors, George O'Hara, Mai St. Clair; Scenarist, John Russell ; Dialoguer, Eugene Walter ; Editor, Not listed ; Titler, Not listed ; Cameramen, William Marshall and Nick Musacara. Direction, satisfactory. Photography, good. "Looping the Loop" with Werner Kraus, Warwick Ward (Silent) Paramount Length: 6676 ft. GOOD STORY OF CIRCUS LIFE WITH INTERESTING LOVE TRIANGLE AND SENSATIONAL LOOP THE LOOP SCENE. POP ENTERTAINMENT. Drama of circus life. Produced by Ufa in Berlin. Werner Kraus plays the part of the circus clown, in love with a girl from whom he conceals the fact that he is a clown, as he believes no woman can really fall in love with a man of his calling. Later the girl meets the circus performer who does the daredevil circus loop and after a quarrel with his sweetheart, goes with the other to London as his partner in the act. Botto. the clown, follows, and gets a position in the circus where he can be near the girl he loves. He befriends her in his clown disguise, and she does not suspect he is the man she really loves. At the opening performance, the stunt performer does his sensational loop, but misses his grasp, and falls to the floor of the circus, badly injured. Then the girl discovers that the clown is her old sweetheart and a reconciliation follows. Cast : Werner Kraus, Jenny Jugo, Warwick Ward, Gina Manes. Director, Arthur Robison ; Authors, Arthur Robison, Robert Liebmann ; 'Scenarists, Arthur Robison and Robert Liebmann ; Editor, Julian Johnson; Titler, same; Cameraman, Carl Hoffman. Direction, satisfactory. Photography, fair. "Honor" (Silent) Amer. Relief For Armenia Length: 6,300 ft. DREARY RUSSIAN PRODUCTION FILLED WITH TRAGEDIES IS OUT FOR THE FILM TRADE. AGONY, MURDER AND SUICIDE. SUBJECT FOR MORBID PEOPLE ONLY. Drama of old Russia. Sovkino production. A typical example of the old Russian school of dramatics with grief, tragedy and horror running wild. In a little Russian village the story opens with an earthquake, poorly done, showing the victims in their agonies. Then into the draggy story of a young boy and girl betrothed, and growing up with a lot of difficulties confronting them The old man, the gal's father, thinks she has been intimate with her youth because they met secretly. In those days in Russia young engaged couples were evidently never supposed to meet alone. So another betrothal is arranged for the gal, and they are married. The husband hears a lot of gossip about her first love, and kills his wife. The young lover rushes in too late, and commits suicide alongside the gal. Cast: H. Appe'ian, Elsie Hasnick, Tatiezan Shandoodakian, L. Hajinian, Mme. Maysoorian. Director, A. Shirvanzada ; Author, Not Listed ; Scenarist, Not Listed ; Titler, Not Listed ; Editor, Not Listed ; Cameraman, Not Listed. Direction, poor. Photography, poor. "Spy of Mme. Pompadour" with Fritz Kortner (Silent) Amer-Anglo Corp. Length: 8500 ft. GERMAN PRODUCTION WELL ACTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED TELLS INTERESTING COSTUME STORY THAT WILL APPEAL WHERE THEY LIKE THIS TYPE. Drama. Produced by Emelka of Munich. This is a story of the mad Czar, Paul of Russia. It is based somewhat on the theme of "The Patriot," although treating it from an entirely different angle. It shows in detail the operation of the mad Czar's court, and the events lead up to his assassination. The film follows quite closely the historical highlights and has been produced with thoroughness, sincerity and no little expendi ture of trouble in the quite handsome sets on a large scale. Photography is good throughout, and the costumes colorful. The acting of Kortner as the crazy ruler is impressive throughout, and the rest of the cast, especially Countess Esterhazy as Madame Pompadour, very appealing. There is a spy, a girl in man's clothing, played by Liane Haid, also good, but her constant disguises are sometimes confusing. A little ole1 fashioned in subject matter. Cast: Liane Haid, Countess Esterhazy, Kriiz Kortner, Mona Maris, Dene Morel, Karl Graumann, H. Malikoff, Dr. Manning. Director, Karl Grune ; Author, Max Fliner; Scenarist. -Not listed; Editor. Not listed; Titler, Not listed ; Cameraman. Arno Wagner. Direction, very good. Photography, okay. "Three Loves" (Silent) Moviegraph Length: 7000 ft. FALLS FLAT AS POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT WITH DRAGGY LOOSELY KNIT STORY THAT RAMBLES AND GETS NOWHERE. Drama. Produced in Berlin by Terra. This one was directed in the typical heavy German manner and carries a sense of depression and morbidness throughout. The story is poorly constructed, and the continuity even worse. Fritz Kortner israted as an excellent German actor, but he shows little in this. He moves through the film with one set expression which becomes very monotonous. The story is that of a youth, on a train honeymooning with his bride, when he meets the young wife of another man, and becomes infatuated. The other husband, it develops, has murdered his wife's former husband because he was cruel to her. But it seems that he had a hypnotic influence over her, and now she is trying to get away from him and flee with the young man she has just met. So the film drags boringly, showing the unsuccessful attempts of the lovers to beat it. At last the cops get the murderer, who turns and shoots his faithless bride. Heavy dull tragedy. Doesn't click. Cast: Fritz Kortner, Marlene Dietrich, Uno Henning, Edith Edwards. Director, Kurt Benhardt; Author, From Novel by Max Brod; Scenarist, Not listed; Editor, Joseph R. Fliesler : Titler, same; Cameraman, Not listed. Direction, draggy. Photography, fair. "Seeds of Freedom" (Silent) with L. M. Leonidoff Amkino Length: 7,000 ft. RUSSIAN FILM MARKED BY SOME FINE PHOTOGRAPHIC EFFECTS AND CHARACTERIZATIONS BUT MARRED BY USUAL PROPAGANDA AND LACK OF CONTINUITY. Drama. Produced by Belgoskino It is not a film for the average picture house, for which its popular appeal will be very scattereJ. For art houses and foreign elements it will click strong. It is a very sincere production, and the camera work in spots is outstanding. There is an original technique in this production which should be studied by every Hollywood director, and it is just possible that the best of them will learn something. But the spotty and propagandistic story licks it for popular film house fare. It is dedicated to the Jewish fighter, Hirsch Lekkert. The story deals with historical incidents in the life of the old Jewish Ghetto in Russia. It shows how the younger Jewish element step out for freedom, opposing the czar and his rule, as well as their own orthodox teachers. L. M. Leonidoff is immense. Fine character studies. Cast: L. M. Leonidoff, J. Undershlak, T. Adelgeim, A. Sandel, M. Sinelnikova, A. Neshkov, A. Grinfield. Director, G. Roshal ; Authors, S. Roshal, V. Stroevoy ; Scenarists, the same ; Titler, Shelley Hamilton; Cameraman, P. Kovlovski. Direction, good. Photography, splendid in spots. "Should A Girl Marry?" (Part-Talker Version) Rayart Length: 8058 ft. SLOPPY MORALIZING FILM THAT TRIES TO PUT OVER SEXY STUFF BUT FALLS PRETTY FLAT WITH RAMBLING STORY. Drama. Here is one of those heavy moralizing films that pretends to teach parents how to protect their daughters from the ways of sin. while feeding the old sex buncombe in large gobs. But the sizzly scenes are poorly handled, and fail to give a kick to the folks who want to get same in their sexy pictures. So it is pretty much of a foozle on all counts, including the direction, acting and story. Big sister shoots the guy who betrayed little sister, stands one of those long court trials, and is acquitted. She goes to another town to forget her past, and is befriended by the stepson of a big banker, who gets her a job in the bank. Then up pops the detective who has been hounding her, spills her past to the president of the bank who turns out to be the guy who is stealing the depositor's funds. So on and on and on. Cast: Helen Foster, Donald Keith, William V. Mong, Andy Clyde, Dot Farley, George Chesebro, Dorothy Vernon. Director, Scott Pembroke; Author, Arthur (Hoerl ; Dialoguer, Terry Turner ; Scenarist, same; Editor. J. S. Harrington; Titler, Not listed ; Cameraman, Hap Depew. Direction, weak. Photography, good.