The Film Daily (1929)

Sunday, December 15, 1929 THE jJSj^ DAILY "Marriage Playground" with Mary Brian, Fredric March (All-Talker) Paramount Time, 1 hr., 8 mins. SPLENDID DIRECTION OF EDITH WHARTON'S STORY OF CHILDREN. FINE CAST. CLASS PICTURE WITH POPULAR APPEAL. Drama of married life. Adapted from Edith Wharton's novel, "The Children." Lothar Mendes did a fine directorial job on this powerfully sympathetic story of modern marriage relations among American society people involving their children. The scenes are at the fashionable resorts on the Continent, and the sets are beautiful. Mary Brian gives a wonderful performance as the oldest child trying to hold the little family of kids together while the squabbling parents neglect them. The sort of story that makes women have a good cry. Fredric March is impressive as the friend of the family, and the three-cornered love story affords a dramatic climax. Here is class entertainment with a powerful theme that will go strong with women everywhere. Fine human interest touches. A draw anywhere. Cast: Mary Brian, Fredric March, Lilyan Tashman, Huntley Gordon, Kay Francis, William Austin, Seena Owen, Philippe de Lacy, Anita Louise, Little Mitzi, Billy Seay, Ruby Persely, Donald Smith, jocelyn Lee, Maude Turner Gordon, David Newell, Armand Kaliz, Joan Standing, Gordon DeMain. Director — Lothar Mendes; Author, Edith Wharton; Adaptor, Doris Anderson; Dialogues Not listed; Scenarist, J. Walter Ruben; Cameraman, Victor Milner; Monitor Man, Not listed. Direction, splendid. Photography, the best. Harrower Evelyn Brent in "Darkened Rooms" with Neil Hamilton, David Newell, Doris Hill (All-Talker) Paramount Time, 1 hr., 7 mins. FAIRLY ENGROSSING STORY WITH EXPOSE OF SPIRITUALISTIC MEDIUMS AND THEIR FAKERIES. OFFERS GOOD EXPLOITATION ANGLES. With the wide interest that exists in spiritualism, plus the curiosity which even many skeptics cannot resist, this should find a moderately generous audience for itself even though the story is just fairly engrossing and there are no outstanding qualities in any part of the job. A down-and-out chorine joins a photographer with a bug for extracting big coin from rich suckers who have a weakness for the hereafter stuff. After a few seances the girl renegs on the deception, and to discourage her partner from continuing in the shakedown racket, she frames a surprise seance on him, resulting in his conversion and a happy mutual return to the mug-snapping business. Has exploitation possibilities. Cast: Evelyn Brent, Neil Hamilton, David Newell, Doris Hill, Dale Henry, Wallace MacDonald, Blanche Craig, E. H. Calvert. Director, Louis B. Gasnier ; Author, Phillip Gribbs ; Adaptors, Patrick Kearney, Melville Bal;er; Dialoguers, same; Editor, Frances Marsh ; Cameraman, A. J. Stout ; Monitor Man, Not listed. Direction, fair. Photography, fair. Gillette Short Subject Reviews SOUND "Carolina Capers" Van Beuren — Rice Time, 12 mins. Novelty As usual, a darn good Grantland Rice Sportlight, this time featuring novelties in the sport field. First we have a ladies' pig race staged at Pinehurst, N. C, showing the society dames driving little pigs on leash as they race down the course. Then follows a polo game between men on mules and women on horses, with the contestants using brooms for mallets. A thrilling chariot race then shows a mule hitched to a buggy composed of a shaft, wheels and a hox. Has the pep and novelty they like. "Uppercut O'Brien" Educational Time, 10 mins. Big Laughs Harry Gribbon and Andy Clyde are rapidly assuming the proportions of a feature comedy team in shorts that are better than many feature comedies. This may sound like heavy praise, but these gentlemen of the funnybone fraternity have richly earned it. They can take a sweeping bow on this one, and that goes for Mack Sennett, Director Earl Rodney, and the wizards who turned out the story and dialogue — John A. Waldron, Rodney, Hampton, Del Ruth and Harry McCoy. We don't often list so many credits, but fair play demands in this case that all hands get a break. They certainly have given laugh-lovers a big break with this chance to indulge in hilarity in one of the funniest prize-ring themes ever screened. To tell you the gags would spoil the kick in seeing 'em. If we've steered you right before, then take this on our say-so and thank us by wire if you have a sense of gratitude. Pathe "Rubeville" Time, 15 mins. Hick Laughs A lot of old vaude comedy of the hick school has been worked into this Golden Rooster comedy, and it carries plenty of entertainment for the folks who enjoy the rube laughs. The scene is a typical old-time country store, and the characters are all well worked out. The village band — the constable — singing quartette — the city dude — the gosh durned fool — and the old cracker barrell — all are here, and how! The cast are all old vaude favorites, including Harry B. Watson, Reg Merville, Jere Delaney, Josephine Fontaine. Popular number that will click. "The Merry Dwarfs" Disney — Columbia Time, 11 mins. Snappy Cartoon Here is one of the Silly Symphony series that will cop the glory from a number of features. Synchronized splendidly the picture portrays the merry dwarfs in a series of dancing steps which trickle along with peppy rhythm. Don't consider it filler even though its short for many are the laughs it will register with any type of audience anywhere. Truly entertainment for children from six to sixty. "And How" Vitaphone Time, 9 mins. Color Knockout This is one of the most beautiful color shorts this reviewer has focused eyes on. Ann Greenway sings pleasantly enough but the gorgeous background and excellent chorus numbers, with the chorus in Indian costume, is the big kick. It's a splendid Technicolor short which ought to make 'em happy anywhere. Giovannia Martinelli Vitaphone Time, 6 mins. Excellent Opera Opera lovers will cheer over this short which offers the great Giovanni Martinelli, assisted by Livia Marracci, singing the aria "M'Appari" and a duet from the opera, "Martha." It is done in the stagey manner always associated with opera but the vocalizing is great, which, after all, is the draw. "The Suitor" R-K-O Time, 8 mins. Very Humorous Marc Connelly, as a lovesick swain trying to pop the question in a fiveminute period before catching a train, with the girl's relatives butting in at the rate of one every 30 seconds, stirs up a quantity of substantial humor. He shapes up great as a clumsy suitor and is given effective support by two unbilled women, as well as beautifully calculated direction by Richard Currier. Anybody will enjoy it. The sketch was directed by Murray Roth. "Mandalay" Van Buren Time, 10 mins. Good Song Sketch Though apparently produced as a prologue for "Hunting Tigers in India," this song sketch on the Kipling poem can be presented separately anywhere. The scene is an English "pub," where a group of soldiers are gathered, and James Stanley, baritone, does the chief vocalization. Oscar Lund directed with good taste. "The Hall of Injustice" Vitaphone Time, 8 mins. Excellent Travesty Burlesquing the court appearance of a swell looker who is on trial for the murder of her husband, this filler is sure to provide some hearty chuckles for any audience. It is fantastic nonsense, done in just the right tempo to lift it from slapstick to clever travesty. John T. Murray and Vivien Oakland are featured. Ernest Young feeds them with good effect. "Today and Yesterday" Talking Picture Epics Time, 32 mins. Engrossing Newsreel An impressive and engrossing array of newsreel shots, some of them dating back to 1903, affording a comparison of styles and customs, recalling important exents of history and showing many famous personiges now dead. The collection includes glimpses of the kaiser before and after the "ex" was prefixed to his title, the Czar's family, McKinley, Roosevelt, Wilson, Carnegie, World War scenes, the late King Edward of England, and other items of epochal importance, as well as a sprinkling of humor evoked by some of the obsolete manners. A valuable picture, with universal dramatic interest in addition to entertainment qualities. Van and Schenck M-G-M Time, 8 mins. Fair Van and Schenck are just fair in this short consisting of an Irish dialect song, "Everything Is Gonna Be All Right"; "I Ain't Got Nothing Now," and "I hate To See The Evening Sun Go Down" with a medley finish. However, there always is enough entertainment value in anything done by "the pennant winning battery of songland" to satisfy the mob. Pathe Audio Review No. 31 Colorful Here is a very peppy number, opening with scenes of trapping a leopard in the East Indian jungle. It certainly packs a thrill wallop. Follows a demonstration of the new electrical musical instrument, the Theremin, with the inventor offering a difficult musical composition simply by manipulating his hands over the instrument. The final sequence is "Dance of the Apache," as done by a famous Parisian dance team in the Montmartre. Good diversified offering. "The Song Writers' Revue" M-G-M Time, 19 mins. Swell Musical Melange Popular songsmiths appearing in this short are Gus Edwards, Dave Dreyer, Fred A. Ahlert, Roy Turk, Roy Heindort, Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed, Roy Egan, Fred Fisher and Dave Snell, with Jack Benny doing the master of ceremonies in top style. The boys offer some of their favorite pieces, a few of them augmented by the appearance of dancers and singers, and there is a chorus girl finish with some interesting camera angles. High degree of entertainment all the way and bound to click with its personages, diversity of songs and showmanly direction of Sammy Lee.