The Film Daily (1930)

xo DAILV Sunday, March 23, Charles "Buddy" Rogers in "Young Eagles" icith Jean Arthur and Paul Lnkas (All-Talker) Parumoiint Time, 1 hr., 10 mitis. SATISFACTORY P R O G R AM OFFERING. COMEDY RELIEF BY STUART ERWIN AND JAMES FINLAYSON DOING MUCH TO AID FAIR STORY. Charles "Buddy" Rogers' fans will 1)0 satisfied with his latest picture. Grover Jones and William Slavens McMutt fashioned a script, which treated air war fairly lightly. The comedy relief was assigned to Stuart Erwin and James Finlayson and they ring up many laughs. The story is also rather intriguing, with Mary Gordon (Jean Arthur), the hero's sweetheart being forced to pose as a German spy for a few reels. In the end, of course, she proves to be an American spy, who was brave enough to venture into the enemy territory with Von Baden, the German ace, capably played by Paul Lukas. The air scenes were well done. Cast: Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Jean Arthur, Paul Lukas, Virginia Bruce, Stuart Krwin, James Finlayson, Gordon DeMain, Frank Ross, Jack Luden, Freeman Wood, Xcwell Chase, George Irving, Stanley Blystnjie, Lloyd Whitlock. Director, William A. Wellman ; based on "The One Who Was Clever" and "Sky High", by Elliott White Springs; Adaptors, (irover Jones and William Slavens McNutt ; Dialoguers, Grover Jones. William Slavens McXutt; Editor, not credited: Cameraman, A. J. .Stout; Monitor Man, not listed. Direction, fair. Photography, good. Richard Dix in "Lovin' the Ladies" RKO Time, 1 hr., 5 mins. SOPHISTICATED COMEDY PROVIDING GOOD ENTERTAINMENT. FULL OF LIFE AND HILARIOUS SITUATIONS. CAST GOOD. Adapted from William Le Baron's play "I Love You," this production proves good mature entertainment. Chief among its assets is a fine strain of humor. The film boasts any number of engaging situations and brightly-turned Hnes. In its direction Melville Brown reveals a keen understanding of comic values, and he has kept the comedy consistently fast and light in tempo. The picture also gains much by fine photography and splendid settings. Heading a well-balanced cast, Richard Dix is engaging enough, though his humor is at times too broad and he sometimes overdoes the part. He plays an electrician who is hired to make love to a blase society girl. Instead he falls in love with a friend of the lady he has been engaged to woo and ends by marrying her. Cast: Richard Dix, Lois Wilson, Allen Kearns, Rita La Roy, Renee Macready, Virginia Sale, Selmer Jackson, Anthony Bushell, Henry Armetta. Director. Melville Brown; Author, William Le Baron ; Cameraman. Eddie Cronjager; Monitor Man, L. E. Day. Direction, fine. Photography, fine. "Wise Girls" (All-Talker) M-G-M Time, 1 hr., 37 mins. WHALE OF A DOMESTIC COMEDY FULL OF REFRESHING HUMOR AND HELPED ALONG BY A STERLING CAST. J. C. and Elliott Nugent's "Kempy " has been made into a film that is really satisfying. There have come to the screen few productions full ot such provoking humor. What makes Its comedy so delicious is its refreshmg quahty and the keen sense ol human nature that it reveals. The word "human" perhaps best describes the picture. Every one of the characters is extraordinarily true to life and full of the warmth of life. There is no trace of artificiality to destroy Its humaneness. The film owes much to its cast, which has among its players both the Nugents. They are a pair of sterling actors. J. C. gives a portrayal of a plaintive, irritable small-town family man that is positively a gem. The story is about the daughter who marries a penniless youth with architectural ambitions only to have the marriage later annulled. The husband, who is really in love with a younger sister, is tickled at the idea. Cast: Elliott Nugent, J. C. Nugent, Roland Young, Norma Lee, Clara Blandick, Marion Shilling, Leora Spellman, James Donlan. Director, E. Mason Hopper; Authors, J. C. and Elliott Nugent; Editor, Margaret Booth; Cameraman* William Daniels. Direction, fine. Photography, good. Ken Maynard in "Lucky Larkin" (Synchronized) Universal Time, 1 hr., 4 m GOOD WESTERN CHO( FUL OF EXCITEMENT A, FAST AND THROBBING PACE. FIRST-RATE ENTI TAINMENT. Ken Maynard is starred in a ern that provides exciting entertJ ment. For sheer blood-stirring qi ity this picture can stand its grw with the best of them. Few w erns can boast of such consistencj action and such heedlessness of p; The result is a production of mendous popular appeal. This makes use of all the devices li have been tried in the action fi and found successful. Not satis: with a thrilling fire and a ter? hand-to-hand struggla, the produi have devised as a climax a horse i across the desert wastes that is ! of the finest things of its kind t; on the screen. The story, whitt laid in Arizona, has to do wit! transplanted Kentucky horsebrc* whose whole fortune depends i^ the outcome of the race. Of cob Ken Maynard rides the colon horse (Tarzan's his name) to victc The cast is good. Cast: Ken Maynard, Nora Lane, B Todd, Charles Clary, Paul Hurst. James ^ ley. Blue Washington, Tarzan (horse). Director. Harry J. Brown ; Author, lb Jackson; Titler, Lesley Mason; E^tor, !, Allen ; Cameraman, Ted McCord. Direction, good. Photography, good. "The Strange Case of District Attorney M" ( Synch ronized) Unusual Photoplays Time, 1 hr., 22 miw5. POOR FOREIGN SCREEN DRAMA CARRYING A LIMITED APPEAL AND PROVIDED WITH A CAST THAT OVERACTS BADLY. With finer direction this Derussa production might have turned cut far better entertainment. The picture has been poorly put together, with the consequence that it makes for dullness. Not that the film is wholly lacking in suspense and dramatic appeal. What it does lack conspicuously is the firmness whicli should have gone into the handling of its incidents. Also on the debit side is a cast that in its earnestness generally overacts. Marie Jacobeni is particularly guilty of this fault. The players represent a number of nationalities. Furthermore, the lighting is at times unusually harsh. The central figure is the wife of a Russian district attorney who kills her lover by accident when she is threatened with blackmail. The case is assigned to her husband. When suspicion points to his wife, he resigns his post, at the same time ordering her prosecution out of a sense of duty. She is acquitted, and husband and wife return to each other's arms. Cast; Gregor Chmara, Warwick Ward, Je.Tn ;\ngelo. "Marie Jacobeni. Director. Rudolph Meinert; Titler, Don Bartlett ; Cameramen, Farkas and Borsody. Direction, f.iir. Photography, fair. Tom Tyler in "The Canyon of Missing Men" (Syn ch ronized) Syndicate Time, 51 mins. PASSABLY SATISFYING WESTERN WITHOUT DIALOGUE. BEST SUITED FOR A DOUBLE-FEATURE PROGRAM. Tom Tyler and Sheila Le Gay, an unusually likable western love team, are the center of interest in this story of cattle rustlers and kidnappers. Tyler plays the role of a member of the gang who decides to go straight after meeting the nice daughter of a ranch owner. For revenge his former pals kidnap the girl, obtain a ransom, then hold both the girl and her father and are about to engage in more dirty work when the hero comes riding to the scene and climaxes the action. Though it is not so original, the story and its handling should prove fairly satisfactory for western fans, and the picture ought to get by all right as part of a double bill. Cast : Tom Tyler, Sheila Le Gay, Tom Foreman, Bud Osborne, J. P. McGowan, Cliff Lyons, Bobby Dunn, Arden Ellis. Director, J. P. McGowan ; Author, George H. Williams: Adaptor, Not Listed; Editor, Not Listed; Cameraman, Hap Depew ; Title Writer, Not Listed. Direction, okay. Photography, good. "Dark Red Roses" (All-Talker) Int. Photoplay Dist. Time, 1 hr., 12 mins. FAIRLY ENTERTAINING BRITISH-MADE DRAMA OF DOMESTIC COMPLICATIONS. HAS SUCCESSFUL PLOT, HANDLED TO SUIT AMERICAN AUDIENCES. As one of the first British sound productions made in Wembley, thit; is not a bad piece of entertainment, even from the American standpoint. It has a pretty good dramatic plot, dealing with a jealous sculptor who wants to get even with a musician who he suspects of being involved in a love afTair with the former's wife. The sculptor arranges a ruse whereby he plans to cut off the musician's hands on the pretext of mak ing a plaster cast of them, but fails to go through with it. There are a few tense scenes, as well as some pleasing lighter sequences in which a couple of clever children take part, and some musical interpolations that are enjoyable. Also has a philosophical touch that would find its best appreciation among arty audiences. Cast: Stewart Rome, Frances Doble, Hugh Eden, Kate Cutter, Sydney Morgan, Jack Clayton, Jill Clayton. Director, Sinclair Hill ; Author, Stacy Aumonier ; Adaptor, Not Listed ; Editor, Not Listed ; Cameraman, Not Listed ; Monitor Man, Not Listed. Direction, good. Photography, good. "Back From Shanghai General Pictures Corp. Time, 50 rn ROUTINE PRODUCTI WITH ENOUGH EXCITEME! TO REDEEM IT. LEONAJ ST. LEO DOES GOOD WOM If this production were not j| tunate in having a generous mear' of excitement, there would be ! to recommend it to audiences. 1 certain to make more of a hit ' young people than with adults, si it contains many of the attrib; that youngsters look for in films, action involves gunplay, furl villain-chasing, a fair amount of pense and no end of personal counters. Finally there is Leon St. Leo, who is pretty successful carrying on in the Douglas Fairba style. His acrobatic ability will si ly captivate young film-goers. Hai capped by a thoroughly hack stc the film has been treated with li distinction. The plot concerns sacred vase stolen from a Budd temple by an American curio dea who is trailed to America threatened with death if he does return it. When he cannot bu3 back from the man to whom he ' posed of it, he tries to steal it ; is caught. Cast: Leonard St. Leo. Vera Reym Sojin, Joseph W. Girard, Henry Sedley. Director, Noel Mason. I Direction, routine. Photography, fair.