The Film Daily (1929)

. DAILY Sunday, December 1, 1929 ^* Rudy Vallee in "The Vagabond Lover" (All-Talker) RKO Time, 1 hr. WHOLE THING IS PURE HOKUM BUT GOOD BOX OFFICE. VALLEE NAME SHOULD BRING 'EM IN. MARIE DRESSLER UPROARIOUSLY FUNNY. DIRECTION OF MICKEY NEILAN GOOD AND RUDY TO KNOCK 'EM OVER WITH SAX AND SONGS. This one does not amount to much as far as story material is concerned. Rather it serves only the purpose of fitting into the background for Vallee and his orchestra to play several pleasing numbers and Rudy to croon a few sentimental melodies in his own characteristic style. It is all about the leader of an amateur orchestra, who, in order to make good finds himself in the situation of having to pass himself off as a great band leader. In order to keep from Lewis sailr'Vihft ;S JgtcedJp-JteeD .Uo now on will be introduced to the screen in minor roles and advanced to more prominent parts according to the public's reaction, duti in "ure *ciid-:eve1ryiuTn-g-Tb"ja"ifer Cast: Rudy Vallee, Sally Blane, Marie Dressier, Charles Sellon, Norman Peck, Danny O'Shea. Director, Mickey Neilan ; Author, James A. Creelman ; Cameraman, Leo Tover. Direction, typical Neilan comedy. Photography, good. Alicoate Joan Crawford in "Untamed" with Robert Montgomery, Ernest Torrence (All-Talker) M-G-M Time, 1 hr., 12 mins. JOAN CRAWFORD AT HER VERY BEST IN TYPICAL ROLE THAT WILL PLEASE HER FANS. ORIGINAL ANGLE OF LOVE STORY. SUREFIRE. Here is a production made to order for Joan Crawford that is bound to click without any "ifs." Joan is seen first as an untamed girl fresh from the wilds of South America, meeting a ritzy boy on the liner coming to New York. Joan has inherited a fortune through her uncle, and the boy is proud, and will not marry the girl to be supported on her income. From this slight situation is built up a very intriguing love story that holds the interest tense throughout. Joan Crawford has an ideal role for her talents, and never looked or acted better. Ernest Torrence is immense as the old crabbed Scotch uncle, and incidentally voices the best Scotch dialect ever heard in the talkers. Cast: Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, [Ernest Torrence, Holmes Herbert, John Mil;jan, Gwen Lee, Edward Nugent, Don Terry, ^Gertrude Astor, Milton Farney, Lloyd Ingram, Grace Cunard, Tom O'Brien, Wilson Benge. Director, Jack Conway; Chaues t. 3coggins; Dialoguer, Willard Mack; Adaptor, Sylvia Thalberg, Frank Butler ; iScenarists, the same ; Editor, William S. Gray ; Cameraman, Oliver Marsh. Direction: box office. Photography, the best. Harrower Dolores Costello in "Hearts in Exile" (All-Talker) Warner Time, 1 hr., 20 mins. BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE PROGRAM FARE. DOLORES COSTELLO HEADS A GOOD CAST IN A SWEET LITTLE RUSSIAN MELODRAMA. WILL APPEAL TO ALL AUDIENCES. Melodrama. Dolores Costello got the better of this story. With the aid of some effective dialogue and hef usual sincere portrayals, she easily helped to lift this film out of the average class. While the story has been seen time and again, the use of dialogue prove to be a considerable advantage. The splendid acting of Grant Withers, James Kirkwood and George Fawcett, coupled with the clever direction by Michael Curtiz easily overcomes this weak story. While the picture does not boast of any spectacular settings, miniature camera work and Hollywood snow combined to add considerable naturalness to many of the outdoor scenes. Some effective camera work resulted in scenes showing the prisoners tramping through the snow to prison camps. Cast: Dolores Costello, Grant Withers, James R. Kirkwood, George Fawcett, David Torrence, Olive Tell, William Irving, Tom Dugan, Rose Dione. Director, Michael Curtiz; Author, John Oxenhan ; Dialoguer, Harvey Gates ; Scenario, Harvey Gates; Adaptor, Same; Editor, Thomas Pratt; Cameraman, Bill Rees. Direction, good. Photography, excellent. Berg Jack Hoxie in "The Forbidden Trail" (Silent) Cosmo Films Time, 54 mi STRONG MELLER OF TH WEST HAS GOOD PUNC SCENES AND PLENTY OF ACTION AND FIGHTING. JUST RIGHT FOR THE DAIL CHANGE. Melodrama of pioneer days. Th: goes back to the days of the cover wagon, and has all the good ho that the western fans like. It is do with broad, heavy strokes, but it effective just the same. Jack Hoxi is a he-man type who knows his stu and does not spare himself. He working all the time, and keeps 1 action pepped up every time h shows. The story follows the beatei track, but succeeds in being interes' ing because of the constant fightin: and action. Jack goes west to I venge the murder of his father bj the gang leader, who had killed hi in a raid on a wagon train, ani stolen a baby girl. The latter hs^ grown into womanhood, Jack falls i: love with her, and she, believing tb gang leader is her father, is suspicio of the hero. Works out in stro: climax. Cast : Jack Hoxie, Evelyn Nelson, Joe M< Dermott, Frank Rice. Tom Lingham, Vv Ham Lester, Steve Clemento. Director, Robert North Bradbury ; Auth< the same; Editor, Robert North Blackberry; Titler, Robert North Blackberry; Cameraman, Jack Brown. Direction, satisfactory. Photography, fair. Harrowi b i» j mi E r i p i * in H It :• "Wall Street" with Aileen Pringle, Ralph Ince (All-Talker) Columbia Time, 1 hr., 30 mins. FAIRLY ENGROSSING MELLER ABOUT A STOCK MARKET PLUNGER AND HIS ONE WEAKNESS — WOMAN. TIMELINESS GIVES IT GOOD BOXOFFICE VALUE. Melodrama of the stock market, with a woman the principal stake, as usual. Ralph Ince plays the role of a rough but all-wool former steel mill worker who has turned the trick on ticker lane. He is as invincible as the hard metal in his financial conquests, but just so much putty when he runs up against the austere and refined wife of his chief enemy. The husband commits suicide after being wiped out by the plunger, who then turns his efforts to winning the widow and succeeds. There are times when it all seems unrealistic and illogical, due in part to the fact that Miss Pringle is a bit too stiff and Ince fails to create the traditional glamour of his character. Nevertheless the story gets under the skin, carries suspense and winds up with passable satisfaction. Timeliness of subject should give it pretty wide box-office value. Cast: Aileen Pringle, Ralph Ince, Philip Strange, Sam De Grasse, Ernest Hilliard, Freddie Burke Frederick, Andy Cairn. Director, Norman Houston ; Authors, Paul Gangelen, Jack Kirkland ; Dialoguer, Norman Houston ; Adaptor, not listed ; Editor, Roy Snyder; Cameraman, Teddy Tezlaff ; Monitor man, John Livadary. Direction, spotty. Photography, good. Gillette Werner Krauss in "The Treasure" (Silent) Time, 56 mins. GERMAN PRODUCTION IS HEAVY AND MORBID, AND WILL PROVE OF LITTLE INTEREST TO THE AVERAGE FAN. KRAUSS DOES FINE WORK. Drama, produced by Roval Films in Germany. It is directed by G. W. Pabst, who did the German production "Secrets of the Soul" that aroused widespread comment. It has some fine directorial touches, and is very artistically conceived, and well acted. But the entire atmosphere of the story is morbid and tragic, in the German manner, and rates poor fare for the average American house. Just an arty subject. Story tells of an incident after the Turkish invasion of Hungary, with an old man and his wife searching for a treasure which is reported to have been buried by the Turks in his house. There is a thread of a love story worked in with the old man's daughter and her sweetheart, who typify true love opposed to greed. The treasure is discovered under a pillar of the house, and a half-wit servant tears down the column and causes tragedy. Krauss is excellent in this part. Cast: Werner Krauss, Albert Steinruecker, Llka Gruening, Lucie Mannheim, Hans Brausweiter. Director, G. W. Pabst; Author, Not listed; Scenarist, Oscar Pucian; Editor, John Richards ; Titler, John Richards ; Cameraman, Albert Honin. Direction, clever. Photography, fair. Harrower "The Forward Pass" with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Loretta Young (All-Talker) 1st Nat'l Time, 1 hr., 18 mins. POPULAR YOUNG LOVER TEAM AND THEIR FINE ACTING SHOULD MAKE THIS A GOOD BOX OFFICE BET ANYWHERE, DESPITE FAMILIAR STORY. Notwithstanding its familiar story of the football hero who, after specious misunderstandings with his sweetie and others, jumps in and turns defeat into victory in the last 30 seconds of the big game, this college picture should be a good box office bet anywhere on the basis of its popular young lover team, their fine acting, and the ace direction by Eddie Cline, who certainly extracted a lot more from the story than the author put into it. Young Doug climbs several more notches by his work in this opus, and Miss Young tags along at a nice clip. Together they make about as likeable a team as the fan fraternity could wish for, and it's a oretty safe bet that they will eat this up. Some good musical numbers are included. Cast: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Loretta Young, Guinn Williams, "Peanuts" Byron, Phyllis Crane. Bert Rome, Lane Chandler, Floyd Shackleford. Director, Eddie Cline ; Author, Harvey Gates ; Adaptor, Howard Emmett Rogers ; Dialoguer, Howard Emmett Rogers ; Editor, Ralph Holt ; Cameraman, Alfred Todd ; Monitor Man, Not listed. Direction, aces. Photography, good. Gillette "Figaro" (Silent) Franco Film Time, 1 hr., 10 mi FRENCH PRODUCTION^ ADAPTED FROM "BARBER OF | SEVILLE" IS QUAINT BUT LACKS FILM HOUSE APPEAL. [ Here is a typical French produc j tion produced by Franco Films, j Originally it ran to some twelve reels , or more, so that cutting to American film requirements has botched it terribly and made it very choppy. It covers two of the plays of Beaumar chais, namely "The Barber of Seville" and "The Marriage of Figaro." It goes back to the old days of powdered wigs, court ladies and courtiers, with a lot of light bedevilment of gents chasing ladies around with no good intentions. But it is quaint and beautifully done pictorially, and for the art houses no doubt an ideal subject. But the average American fan will yawn and feel he has been left out in the cold. Figaro as the barber gets into the palace, and lends a hand in the love intrigues. Done in the typical French manner, but very stagey and artificial. Cast: Arlette Marchal. E. Van Duren, Tony d'Algy, Marie Bell, Jean Weber, Gennica Missirio. Director, Gaston Ravel; Author, Beaumarchais ; Adaptor, Not listed ; Editor, Not listed; Titler, Not listed; Cameraman, Not listed. Direction, stagey. Photography, good. Harrower it x t «