The Film Daily (1930)

Sunday, December 28, 1930 -. &&* DAILV 11 Ken Maynard in "Fighting Thru" Tiff cm i) Time, 1 hr., 11 mins. ABOUT THE BEST WESTERN SINCE TALKIES STARTED. HAS EVERYTHING, WITH A NEW TECHNIQUE BY DIRECTOR NIGH. A CLEAN-UP ANYWHERE. Here was one slipped to the trade reviewers without any ballyhoo, and it proved a surprise package. Contrary to their usual hardboiled custom, these gents went out raving about it. It has everything possible to crowd into a western, and on top of this some original directorial touches by William Nigh that are going to be copied plenty. He has proved that it is possible to get new angles from the old hokum situations. The story is the usual one of the '49 gold rush period, old mining town atmosphere and all the tiimmings. Credit Francis Natteford with the original story twists, that are darbs, and the director with the class handling. Ken Maynard gets his first chance to prove that he can act as well as stunt ride and fight. Dialogue has been softpedaled. It's action, and more action. One surprise after another that keeps you on tension. A pip rough-house fight for a finale. Cast: Ken Maynard, Teanctte Loft, Wallace Ma<"T)onaId, Carmeiita Geraghty, William L. Thome, Charles L. King, F. Burns. Director. William Nigh ; Author, John Francis vntteforcl : Fditor, Ear! Turner; Adaptor. Not listed ; Dialoguer, Not listed ; Cameraman, Arthur Reed. Direction, aces. Photography, excellent. "Under the Roofs of Paris" (Sous Les Toits De Paris) (Distributor Not Set) Time, 1 hr., 25 mins. ALL-FRENCH PRODUCTION AND DIALOGUE A NATURAL FOR FRENCH AUDIENCES. NOTABLE FOR UNUSUAL DIRECTION THAT MAKES DIALOGUE SECONDARY TO PANTOMIME. Here is a modest little production of the tenements of La Villette in the slums of Paris. Produced by Rene Clair Productions, who probably spent about 20 grand on it, but the director put real brains in his work, and uncovered a really new technique. A simple story of the love of two tenement boys for the same girl, and following the usual Parisian tradition, one boy placed his friendship for his pal above his love, and relinquishes her to make him happy. A beautiful story, told with fine humorous touches. But director Clair's work is the notable achievement. Dialogue has been cut to about 25 per cent of the usual. Pantomime gets over everything graphically. One trick is a darb, with the players talking the other side of glass doors, not a word being said but everything perfectly understood by the audience. American audiences can grasp it easilv. Ca-t: Albert Prejean, Pola IHery, Edmond Oreville. Gaston Modot, Bill Bocket, Paul Ollivier. Director, Rene Clair; Author, same; Dialoguer, same ; Adaptor, same ; Cameraman, not listed. Direction, expert. Photography, very good. Lawrence Tibbett and Grace Moore "The New Moon" M-G-M Time, 1 hr., 18 mins. HIGH GRADE OPERETTA WITH RUSSIAN BACKGROUND. SPLENDID SINGING AND CLEVER, SOPHISTICATED DIALOGUE. If your patrons go for operettas they ought to like this one. It provides the usual, implausible and thin story which is inevitably a characteristic of operettas. Its vocal work is distinctly usual, with both Tibbett and Miss Moore singing with smash success. The picture is a somewhat curious combination of drawing room Muff and exciting action. According to the story, a young lieutenant falls in love with a Russian countess on shipboard and is disillusioned when he learns she is engaged to a military governor. The governor, wishing to eliminate his competitor, puts him in charge of a dangerous outpost. At the finale the girl arrives to horsewhip the lieutenant, does this and then marries him. He and his men attack the enemy and eventually he returns after reported dead. Roland Young is corking as the counter's uncle and Adolphe Menjou comes through with flying colors Cast : Lawrence Tilibett. Grace Moore, Adnlphe Menjou, Ruland Young, Gin Sliy, Emily Fitzroy. Director, Jack Conway ; Authors. Oscar Hammerstein, II, Frank Mandel, Laurence Schwab; Adaptors, Sylvia Thalherg, Frank Butler; Dialoguer, Lyril Tlume ; Editor, Margaret Booth ; Cameraman, Oliver T. Marsh ; Recording Engineer, D. Shearer. Direction, Good. Photography, Fine. "The Dream Waltz" (Sag Det I Toner) Swedish Biograph Time, 1 hr., 25 mins. SWEET LITTLE LOVE STORY GOOD FOR AMERICAN AUDIENCES WITH ENGLISH TITLES. CATCHY MELODY IN THEME SONG. This Swedish film has a small percentage of Swedish dialogue, and the rest runs silent with English titles. But the story is so well directed that it would be possible to follow it intelligently if it was all dialogue in the foreign tongue. There's a pip i if a little waltz song running through it, tied up very definitely with the plot. It is one of those melodies that sends you out of the theater humming it. The story tells of a young composer forced to take a job as a street car conductor, who meets the daughter of a music publisher. The girl does not realize till she falls in love with him what his menial occupation is. From there it works out into a very well developed love story with lots of human int touches and genuine sentiment. The waltz song he has written becomes a part of the dramatic material, and this is handled verj i ly by the director. Cast: Ilakan Westergren, Stina Berg. Eli?abeth Frisk, Tore Svennberg. Jenny Il.-mrlquilt, Margit Manstad. Edvin Adolphson. Directors, Edvin Adolphson, J. Julius; Author, Paul Mer7bach ; Adaptors, the same; Cameraman, not listed. Direction, Good. Photography, Okay. 16 MILLIMETER PROJECTOR PART OE NEW RADIO SET "Visionola," designed to reproduce the sight and sound of motion pictures, plays phonograph records and serves as a radio is one of the latest innovations in combination receiver designs to be marketed by Charles Izenstark, Chicago radio manufacturer. The new instrument has, in addition to the unusual radio tuner and ampl'fier, a novel 16 mm. film projector and a synchronized turntable for eproducing the accompanying sound. This is contained in a panel immediately above the radio tuning unit. Projection is not accomplished on a screen separate from the instrument, but is reflected on an adjustable miror, which again reflects the projected images on a ground glass screen contained under the top cover of the instrument. Sound accom>animent is produced through the 'oud speaker and amplifier of the radio. The record disc, which is driven with a synchronous motor, may be adjusted for speeds of either 33 or 70 revolutions per minute, which conforms to the speeds for sound film ecords and phonograph records, re-pectively. The projector is equipped with lutomatic devices to prevent damige to the films should something 'o wrong with the mechanism. If •he film breaks, the motor driving the film through the projector is hut off automatically by means of i light tension spring guide for the film. Rewinding of the films is also ueomplished by setting a switch, vhich reverses the film motor. Four German Talkers Being Distributed Here {Continued from Paqe 1 ) s now playing in several spots. "The Song is Ended," also a Superfilm product, will also soon be released. Titles on the other two talkers have not yet been selected, Max Goldberg said yesterday. More Musical Shorts Planned by Vitaphone (.Continued from Page 1) out, with (ieorge Jessel in "With Pleasure" as the fore-runner. The next of the group will be Joe Penner in an original A. Dorian Otvo> script, directed by Alf Goulding. Fox Certificates Forged A warning of forged temporary certificates of several hundred shares oi Fox Film stock, discovered in deliveries through a Chicago office oi a Xew York Stock Exchange firm, is being broadcast by the Better Business Bureau The temporary certiorates an no longer a good delivery in Wall Street, since the permanent Certificates have been issiiccl and listed on the Exchange. A great mam of the temporaries, however, have not been exchanged yet. Presentations ,By JACK HARROW ER. ELABORATE XMAS SHOW PRESENTED AT THE ROXY The Roxy stage is given over to Holiday spectacles with the Christmas atmosphere. The short stage bit is titled "Merry Christmas," with Harold Van Duzee as Santa Claus and other leading members of the Roxy players posing as various Toys. The Stanley Brothers do some clever acrobatics, with one as the jack-inthe-box keeping the kids in the audience in constant merriment. The spectacular presentation is very elaborate, a fairy spectacle in four scenes arranged by Leon Leonidoff. Two girls, Snow White and Rose Red, go on an adventure through the forest accompanied by a Good Fairy to protect them. This simple "plot" gives opportunity to introduce some of the most elaborate spectacles the Roxy has ever staged. The most beautfiul number is a Rose Petal dance, with half the Roxyettes carrying a red petal, and the other half white petals. With these they form some dazzlingly beautiful tableaux. The finale has giant figures of royal guardsmen raising immense gold flags to reveal a staircase down which the girls in various flower costumes troop. Up to the usual standard of the Roxy Christmas presentations. "Sbepper Newfounder," current picture at the Roxy, was reviewed on Xov. 30 under the title of "The Part Time Wife " John McManus to Kansas City Kansas City — John McManus, who formerly managed the State in St. Louis, has been transferred to the Midland here, succeeding Charles Raymond, now with Fox in Buffalo. ITHE SIMM VI Ik Of IIIMIOM All Till II Ml INI IIMI IWWS] IIMI Congratulates: RUTH CHATTfRTON who rises to new heights in her screen career through her double role pefor mance in Paramount's "The Right to Love" No. 42 of 1930 "Good Deeds" Series