The Film Daily (1930)

10 DAILY Sunday, August 31, I 10 Walter Huston in "Abraham Lincoln" United Artists Time, 1 hr., 37 mins. DISTINGUISHED AND HUMAN NARRATIVE OF A GREAT PRESIDENT AND THE CIVIL WAR DAYS. ENTERTAINMENT PLUS HISTORY. A GRIFFITH ACHIEVEMENT. An intimate picture of the Great Emancipator, episodically covering outstanding incidents in his career, is provided in this Griffith masterpiece. Lincoln is treated as a human being rather than a god and yet his greatness is not dimmed. Walter Huston, in the name role, contributes a performance which may be listed as one of the 10 best of the year — or any talker year. His Lincoln always looks and sounds authentic. Una Merkel, as Ann Rutledge, his sweetheart who dies early in the narrative is captivating and sweet. The rest of the players are excellent without exception particularly Helen Freeman, who plays Mary Todd Lincoln. The story traces Lincoln's life from birth to death. Cast: Walter Huston, Lucille La Verne, W. L. Thome, Helen Freeman, Otto Hoffman, Edgar Deering, Una Merkel, Russell Simpson, Charles Crockett, Kay Hammond, Helen Ware E. Alyn Warren, Jason Robards, Gordon Thorpe, Ian Keith, Cameron Prudhomme, Tames Bradbury, St., Jimmie Eagle, Fred Warren, Oscar Apfel. Frank Campeau, Hobart Bosworth, Henry B. Walthall. Director, D. W. Griffith; Dialogue Director Harry Stubbs ; Author, Stephen Vincent Benet; Adaptor, Stephen Vincent Benet; Dialogue^ Stephen Vincent Benet; Editors, Tames Smith, Hal C. Kern ; ■ Carrier arnan, Karl Struss; Sound Recordist. Harold Witt. Direction, outstanding. Photography, marvelous. "Monte Carlo" tvith Jeanette MacDonald, Jack Buchanan Paramount Time, 1 hr., 30 mins. DELIGHTFUL COMEDY WITH MUSIC, MARKING ANOTHER TRIUMPH FOR ERNST LUBITSCH. FINE WORK BY CAST AND MANY TREATS IN PHOTOGRAPHY. Coming through again with the ultimate in finesse that has made him a master hand in polished screen entertainment, Ernst Lubitsch turns out another of his highly delectable comedies with song. It is a smart piece that swings along to the tune of steady and keen enjoyment. Dialogue is of the sparkling variety, romantic scenes are eye-filling as well as touching, broad humor is well sprinkled, the songs are part of the action and mostly in a comic vein, the photography is marked by beauty as well as ingenuous conception, and the whole affair is replete with enjoyable developments. Story concerns a. rich count (Jack Buchanan) who poses as a hairdresser in order to court a countess without money (Jeanette MacDonald), who has run away in negligee from an unwelcome suitor (Claude Allister). Miss MacDonald is a treat again. Buchanan, Allister and Zasu Pitts also score. Cast: Jeanette MacDonald. Jack Buchanan, Claude Allister, Zasu Pitts, Tyler Brooke, Lionel Belmore, John Roche, Albert Conti, Helen Garden, Donald Novis, David Percy. Director, Ernst Lubitsch ; Authors, Hans Mueller, Booth Tarkington, Evelyn Sutherland ; Adaptor, Ernest Vajda ; Dialoguer, Vincent Lawrence ; Cameraman, Vincent Milner. Direction, superb. Photography, excellent. Milton Sills in "The Sea Wolf" with Raymond Hackett, Jane Keith Fox Time, 1 hr., 27 mins. GRIPPING AND REALISTIC PRODUCTION OF JACK LONDON STORY. GREAT PERFORMANCE BY MILTON SILLS. FINE SUPPORT AND DIRECTION. Jack London's famous character, "Wolf" Larson, brutal and unbeaten schooner master, is portrayed to the hilt by Milton Sills in this vivid and powerful talker version under the able direction of Alfred Santell. Human drama in the raw combines with elemental forces to make this a compelling entertainment, with Sills dominating the action throughout. In an Oriental dive the "Wolf" comes across a girl (Jane Keith) who spurns him for a down-and-out lad (Raymond Hackett). Later they meet again on Larson's schooner, the boy having been shanghaied and the girl following to protect him. The clash between "Wolf" and the boy over the girl, together with various scenes of brutality inflicted on members of the crew who cross the master, supply the main action, which should satisfy the most avid appetite for rough stuff. Love scenes also are good. Cast: Milton Sills, Raymond Hackett, Jane Keith, Mitchel Harris, Nat Pemdleton, Tohn Rogers. Harold Kinney, Sam Allen, Harry Tembrook. Director, Alfred Santell ; Author, Jack London ; Adaptor. Ralph Block ; Dialoguer, S. M. Behrman : Cameraman, Glen McWilliams ; Sound Recordist, Frank MacKenzie. Direction, excellent. Photography, fine. "Top Speed" with Joe E. Brown, Bernice C First National Time, 1 hr., 20 ? LIGHT MUSICAL COM! PRODUCTION WITH JOE BROWN'S WORK SPREAD SOME LAUGHS. This adaptation of the stage carries with it the technical w nesses of musical comedy cons tion. In the middle of action s the players stop for a song, or a little tap step. This doesn't the atmosphere of realism mud taken as mere entertainment, rej less of plausibility, it affords amusement. Joe E. Brown w hard to score the laughs, anc succeeds well. The love intere too far fetched. Brown and hi; are two Wall Street clerks puttin the dog at a ritzy summer h where they meet two rich girls throw the bull. Joe's partner I the motor boat race for the f; I of his girl, so all is hotsy totsy I the sheriff who has been after n boys on a supposed theft of st I gives them a clean bill of he h Rather flimsy material, with Bro work as the principal appeal. Cast: Joe E. Brown, Bemice Claire, Whiting, Frank McHugh, Laura Lee, mund Breese. Rita Flynn. Edwin Ma Cyril King. Wade Boteler. Director, Mervyn Le Roy; Authors, 1 _ Ruby, Bert Kalmar, Guy Bolton ; Ada?"S. Humphrey Pearson, Henry McCarty; j.a loguers, the same : Editor, Harold Y< Cameraman, Sid Hickox. Direction, ordinary. Photography, ok Jack Oakie and Jeanette MacDonald in "Let's Go Native" Paramount Time, 1 hr., 3 mins. RIOTOUS AND CUCKOO FARCE COMEDY MIXTURE WITH MUSIC. GRAND ENTERTAINMENT FOR ANYBODY'S THEATER. Whatever story has been inserted into this picture is inconsequential. The gags — rapid-fire ones — are the ingredients that make it audience stuff. Leo McCarey, in directing this laugh opera, hasn't missed any. Chief honors are split between Oakie and Miss MacDonald and the rest of the troupers are troupers in an accurate sense. .Oakie plays a dumb taxi driver who, after a flock of grief, finds himself stoking aboard a ' ship bound for South America, along with a show company and other human odds and ends. Comes a shipwreck and the gang is cast upon an island kinged over by a former master of ceremonies, who has trained his . hula femmes into chorus ladies. The king gives the inland to Jeanette, who sells it to the grandpop of the youth she loves and then the island, getting tricky, submerges. Cast: Tack Oakie, Jeanette M-'cDonald. Skeet<i GalWher. James Hall William Austin. Kav Francis. David Newell. Charles S'-'I'Mi and Eugene Pallette. Director. Leo McCarey : Authors. George Marion. Tr., and Percy Heath; Adaptors, same: Dia'wi'ers, same Music and Lyrics, Rirtiard Wliititv', and George Marion. Tr. : VM*t*t, Merrill" White; Cameraman, Victor Milner. Direction, swell. Photography, fine. "The Lottery Bride" United Artists Time, 1 hr., 20 mins. LAVISH AND COLORFUL MUSICAL MELODRAMA THAT SPELLS BOX-OFFICE THROUGHOUT. ACTING AND MUSIC HIGHLIGHT GREAT PICTURE. Fine performances by a swell cast and beautiful and inspiring music by Rudolf Friml are the highlights of this melodrama. The production has been made lavishly, the acting and singing are effective and the direction is well engineered by Paul Stein. Arthur Hammerstein produced it. Comedy and dramatic action are well balanced and the picture has an even swing throughout. It is well-knit, telling of a student in Oslo, Norway, who leaves his sweetheart in a huff on finding her in another man's arms. As a result she becomes a lottery bride and is shipped to Spitzbergen. The hero, who has won her, gives the ticket over to his brother without looking at the picture but doesn't keep the girl from the lover when he learns that they have had a misunderstanding and they both still care for each other. The producer has gone to considerable expense in this one. Cast: Jeanette MacDonald, John Garrick, Joe E. Brown, Zasu Pitts, Robert Chisholm, loseph Macaulay, Harry Gribbon, Carroll Nye. Director, Paul Stein ; Author, Henry Stothard ; Adaptor, Horace Jackson ; Dialoguer, Howard Emmett Roberts ; Editor, Robert J. Kern ; Cameraman, Ray Tune ; Sound Engineer, P. P. Reed ; Sound Recordist, Frank Maher. Direction, very good. Photography, effec "Outside the Law" with Mary Nolan, Edward G. Robinson, Owen Moore Universal Time, 1 hr., 21 mins. CORKING UNDERWORLD DRAMA THAT SHOULD STAND UP AS WELL AS ITS FORMER SILENT VERSION. ACTING AND DIRECTION VERY GOOD. Universal has brought another of its former successes to the sound market — except for a few changes — for a choice morsel of underworld entertainment. The names of the cast not only spell box-office but can be counted on for splendid showings. The title is another advantage the exhibitor can bank on to get the customers. Tod Browning has done a good job in the direction and the picture, as a whole, is there for entertainment. Edward G. Robinson dominates the cast with his suave performance, and Mary Nolan does good work. Owen Moore is cast as the hero and does very well. The plot concerns two underworld leaders with one encroaching on the other's territory when he robs a bank of $500,000. In the end one of the crooks gets plugged by the captain of the police when he least suspects it and two others, including the girl, are sentenced to jail after they confess. They also fall in love. Cast: Mary Nolan, Edward G. Robinson, Owen Moore. Rockliffe Fellows, Delmar Watson. Eddie Sturgis. John George. Director, Tod Browning; Authors, Tod Browning. Garret Fort ; Editor, Milton Carruth ; Cameraman, Roy Oberbaugh ; Sound Engineer, C. Roy Hunter. Direction, good. Photography, good. "The Thoroughbred" Tiffany Time, 57 r NICE LITTLE PROGR MER WITH RACETRACK MOSPHERE CARRIES GOjE COMEDY SLANT Al THRILLS IN RACING }l QUENCE. One of those unpretentious i I bers that should go well in I neighborhood houses. It brings Afs ley Barry back in a grown-up It as the jockey hero. As he begitip win races, success goes to his fw he falls for a fast dame's wiles N is framed in a gambling joint jic loses at a crooked game. To rja up the loses he agrees to throw'" race so the crooked gambler M cash in. Overnight he repents v I he learns his sweetheart, the ip horse owner's daughter, is still i t ing for him and believes he ; "thoroughbred." So even thoug ' means going to jail for the phi | check he has given the gambler goes out and wins the race, climax is well worked up and ries good suspense. A lot of ural comedy is worked in thrc the constant bickerings of two 1 trainers. Also some real Soutl darky stuff and singing by hangers-on around the racetracl Cast: Weslev Barry. Nancy Dover, P; Garon, Larrv Steers, Robert Homans, \\ Perry. Onest Tonly, Mildred Washin Mine. Sul Te Wan. Director. Richard Thorpe; Author, Francis Natteford ; Adaptor, the same: loguer, the same ; Editor, Clarence Ko Cameraman. Max Dupont ; Monitor Dean C. Daily. Direction, good. Photography, clear.