The Film Daily (1929)

THE Way, December 1, 1929 |fc~— — —II ■ I ■%£k DAILY 11 Latest Reviews of New Short Subjects SOUND The Pat Rooney Family in "Marking Time" hiversal Time, 20 mins. Too Much Sentiment BExcept for Pat Rooney's overdone Bternal sentiment toward the youngIt Pat, who is a rival dancing inructor and grabs trade away from b indulgent father, this short is K>derately engrossing. There is one flgh-spot, a snappy dance by Pat the p in which he reveals pedal talent lual to the combined abilities of his vo preceding namesakes. The scene a duplex dancing school with Ither and son presiding over respec|-e sides. Dad is in the old-fashlied vein and cannot make ends ieet. Son goes in for the modern Lff and walks off with the cake. pr a harmonious finale a musical low producer signs a troupe of girls Ir each of them and winds up by freeing to include the Rooney's lemselves — the two Pats and Marion lent — in his Broadway production, rill get by generally and please the looney fans in particular. Liipino Lane in "Purely Circumstantial" Iducational Time, 18 mins. A Pip I One of the most laughably origlal shorts of the season. Lupino pic, the student of guffaws, has put rerything he had into this one. It Ikes place in a hotel, where he has pne to spend his honeymoon. But Ircumstances separate him most of le time from his wife, and it proves 1st one big laugh after another. Sevral novelty gags are introduced that lick a mile a minute. Lupino Lane fill knock up a big box-office score rith this one, or we don't know a pal comedy when we see it. "People Born in December" fitzPatrick Time, 8 mins. Popular Appeal Stuff I Movie horoscope series. Sets forth bine traditions, revelations and asronomical data concerning persons prn in December. Zanzimar, Indian Istrologer, is featured and does the bcitation, with occasional comedy by ther members of the cast. With he wide interest that exists in anyfiing along the lines of "fortune tellhg," this should have a popular apeal anywhere. Eddie Miller Vitaphone 4 in 1 Entertainment Billed as the one-man quartet Edie Miller sings in a pleasant voice, ■flering various familiar melodies, lie kick of the picture comes when, a. a quadruple exposure, Miller sings our parts at one time and sings them .11 well. The picture is okay — and novelty, too. "Little Friends of all the World" Columbia Time, 8 mins. Dandy Christmas Subject An interesting subject, produced by Bray, with the story told in Phototone accompaniment. Shows a little boy trekking among snow-covered hills to bring food to animals of the forest. These include a squirrel, a woodpecker, a rabbit, an owl, a raccoon, a bear and even a skunk, all of which are as docile as household pets. The dialogue relates the story of the boy going out to distribute holiday happiness to dumb animals. Fits in nicely with the Christmas spirit, and, in addition to promoting the idea of kindness to animals, will make a hit with the kids. "Lady of the Lions" Universal Time, 18 mins. Young-blood Capers One of the Universal Sporting Youth Series. Judy, the pep of the party of modern young bloods, is dared to enter the lion's cage at the circus. She does it, and what follows is a grand rush for the exits when the lion breaks out of the cage and goes for a three-ring stroll. After a regulation amount of excitement, Judy's boy friend conies to the rescue and induces the lion back into the iron wagon. The dialogue is good, and Ben Holmes, director, injected a generous amount of action into the proceedings. A suitable program filler anywhere. "Don't Get Excited" Tuxedo — Educ'l Time, 16 mins. Snappy Lloyd Ingraham develops as a firstclass short comedy player with a different slant. He has a very resonant voice ,and a serious manner that is very effective. As the middle-aged husband jealous of the young and pretty wife, he gets over some fine comedy. On board ship another young married couple get mixed in, and the bedroom farce material is done with a new twist. That's hard to believe, but true nevertheless. Directed by Charles Lamont with real distinction. Fast — funny — and food for intelligent people in the bargain. Bransby Williams in "The Miser" DeForest — Phonofilm Time, 10 mins. Class This is a study of the famous Charles Dickens character extraordinarily well done by Bransby Williams, the English actor, who has been doing the study for a long time in British theaters, and has made it famous. Doubtful if it will pull as a pop number, but for lovers of Dickens, this is a darb. Well staged and fine in every respect. Bobbie Nelson in "Dangerous Days" Universal Time, 20 mins. Good Juvenile Fare Western. Bobbie Nelson, hero of this two-reel short, is a youngster apparently not more than 10, and he is featured in a manner that will appeal strongly to juvenile movie fans without in any way hurting the value of the picture for adult intelligence. Playing the role of assistant to a staj^e coach driver, Bobbie effects the capture of a bad man who tried to kidnap the girl who is engaged to Bobbie's big pal. Jack Nelson directed in competent fashion. Other prominent principals include Edmund Cobb, Marjorie Bonner and Walter Shumway. Lloyd Hamilton in "Toot Sweet" Educational Time, 20 mins. A Wow Lloyd Hamilton is back with a bang, and in the talking field he looks better than ever. Alf Goulding directed this with a sure touch, and with two splendidly gagged sequences, knocks the customers for a row of raucous guffaws straight from the laugh boiler. First Lloyd buys a second hand car and takes a strange dame for a ride. Then she takes him for a ride to a night club — and how. Miss this, and do your patrons a big injustice. Buck and Bubbles in "Black Narcissus" Pathe Time, 13 mins. Fair Negro Comedy Buck and Bubbles, who made the grade in vaudeville as dancers, break into the acting line in this sketch about a colored boy who tried to extricate his pal from an impending marriage and almost got hooked himself by the Ethiopian vamp. Rather slow in action, but contains a fair amount of Negro comedy. Will do as a filler. "Studio Stunts" Hodge Podge — Educ'l Time, 8 mins. Fair The Lyman H. Howe Hodge Podge has gone synchronous along with the rest of the field, and the reel becomes quite a diverting novelty. The studio shows an operator who moves an indicator for "Forward," "Reverse," etc., and as he does so the animated figures and the scenics perform funny movements that are sometimes quite droll. Interesting, if somewhat unimportant. "Gridiron Glory" Grantland Rice — Pathe Time, 7 mins. Thrills Here is a pip, that will certainly get all the football fans. Finely produced, with Graham McNamee, the famous radio announcer, doing the talking. He describes the various plays as we see Yale meet Princeton. Then follows the highlights of the game between Notre Dame and the California Trojans. Good old college songs are sung, such as "Going Back to Old Nassau," "March Down the Field," and "When Irish Eyes are Smiling." This is a humdinger, and will score goals on every screen where shown. "Georges Bizet" FitzPatrick Time, 10 mins. Entertainment of Class One of the Famous Music Master series. Shows incidents from the life of the great French composer, with Nathaniel Shilkret and the Victor Concert orchestra providing the synchronized selections from the popular operas, "Carmen" and "The Pearl Fishers," and Countess Olga Albani singing "Habanera." As entertainment it's on the class order, the music being from the world's choicest and the biographical excerpts possessing unusual interest. Entire worth while. Krazy Kat in "Ratskin" Columbia Time, 8 mins. More Feline Fun That talented feline, Krazy, contributes another fun fest in this account of his hunting trip on Indian land. He is captured by the Redskins, who proceed to burn him at the stake, but the invincible cat escapes himself and turns the tables on his captors, whom he charms and soothes with music. Hits the intended spot. Universal "His Operation" Pathe — Variety Time, 22 mins. Fair Charles Kemper, the comedian, is featured as the gent who is forced out of a musical comedy show to undergo an operation for appendicitis. They give him the works in the hospital, although he insists that he is perfectly healthy and doesn't need any operation. Some pretty old gags are introduced, and it is only the good work of the comedian that enables the film to stand up. It will get laughs from not too critical audiences. Krazy Kat in "Farm Relief" Columbia Time, 8 mins. First-rate Cartoon Down on the farm offers a fertile field for the mirth-provoking tricks of Krazy Kat and his animal pals. After doing the barnyard chores by fantastic methods of efficiency, there is an animal quartet selection that stops the show. Synchronized score, sound and some dialogue are part of the works, Hits the bull's eye.