The Film Daily (1931)

THE WHAT N.Y. CRITICS SAID ABOUT "CITY LIGHTS" "City Lights" George M. Cohan Theater New York City AMERICAN— From the beginning the picture is buoyed with the elfin humor of its star ... the ihow is Chaplin — and Chaplin is the show. To appreciate the merit of his art and his vehicle, you must see it for yourself. To detail its thousand laughs would be unfair. ... , DAILY MIRROR— There are laughs in picture. Sure fire ones. Charlie's deft kid of refined boxing is one. Charlie's delicately vulgar problem as a white wing is another.. DAILY NEWS— Perhaps the most important thing to say about the new Chaplin offering is that, on viewing it, you react exactly the way you did to Charlie's films some ten years ago. He's still the wholly ingratiating, wistful, mischievous, mad, intellectual clown. He's spontaneous. He's fresh. He's— well, he's thoroughly human. He is the clown as Mr. Chaplin portrays him; not an actor enacting a role. Here the clown is all-important. HERALD-TRIBUNE— In it Chaplin is so perfect and his comedy inventions are so distinguished that even those of us who are enthusiasts for the speechless manner will realize that its success is due to its .star's perfection in his medium. . . . "City Lights" is important because it is a very brill. ant film, a genuinely hilarious comedy which shows the Great Man of the Cinema in his happiest and most characteristic moods. JOURNAL — "City Lights" is entertaining, and entertainment is a quality that is not limited to any one medium. Therefore the absence of dialogue in this production raises no argument on the subject of speech versus silence. . . . The picture is a series of diverting gags, and Chaplin puts them over with the consummate artistry that is his. POST— From the simple st.pry of a tramp who fell in love with a blind flower girl Charlie Chaplin has woven a dazzling pattern of comedy and pathos in his latest picture, "City Lights," which had its premiere last night at the Cohan before an audience that tried hard to hang onto its reverence even when spasms of laughter made it choke and turned its collective face blue. SUN — Old gags may be in it, old slapstick may be its undercover aim, but Mr. Chaplin comes through it as the artist, the one indisputable one that the screen has produced in its brief history. . . . what "City Lights" will do will be to put Chaplin among the welcoming shades of immortal comedians. See for yourself! TELEGRAM— "City Lights," then, is an hilariously funny picture full of some of the most side splitting antics I have ever seen, and touched here and there with moments of genuine pathos . . . none of his pictures is more typically Chaplines_que than "City Lights." I had a grand and glorious time at the opening last night, and if you can show me anything on the screen funnier than the prize fight sequences I should like to know where it can be seen. TIMES — It is a film worked out with admirable artistry, and while Chaplin stoops to conquer, as he has invariably done, he achieves success. ... He has the same antics, the same flip of the heel, the same little cane, mustache, derby hat and baggy trousers. WORLD — For no other reason than that it is! a familiar Chaplin pattern, "City Lights" is superb. And for the same reason, the fact that "City Lights" is told by pantomime rather than by spoken dialogue goes practically unnoticed in witnessing the picture. A C L# FILM FACT ir^ ■ju ' A DAY There are 1,327 picture houses in Japan. jSStl DAILY • • • THINGS WE Never Thought Worth Mentioning Till Now that damage suits brought against various producers since pictures started run into the billions, and if onequarter of them had been successful most of the producing organizations would be out of biz long ago that R. A. White, who was general sales manager for Fox Films seven years ago, is now a prosperous realtor on Longisle and wouldn't come back for anything and can you blame him? that the only person to receive three shiny dimes from Jawn D. Rockefeller all at once is Kay Hush, the gal who plays opposite Johnny Farrell in Pathe's golf series oh, Kay, Hush money? okay that Hy Daab is shooting a newspaper campaign on "Cimarron" with full page spreads in red and black which are bound to put the pix out of the red that a tear produced by anger has an entirely different salt crystal formation than that produced by laughter or joy or don't you care a whoop? that Sam Oppenheim, projectionist extraordinary for Arkayo, looks at about) 9,475,000 feet of film each year that Maury Asher sez a contradiction in terms can still be truthful, as for instance, his company's Trailers which are still in AdVance or should he be shot?. that ten years ago there was just as much adverse legislation pending against this film biz as there is right now, and that ten years from now there'll be just as much more, proving it's just a politicians' racket to ride the industry that nowadays when registering at a hotel in this hamlet you must put your street address on the register in case — that Weinberg is alleged to be the real cognomen of George Coxey, insurance ambassador to the industry that Friday is an unlucky day to get married, and lots of guys who have tried 'em don't think so much of Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, either • • • COMING UP slightly dazed and groggy after that Tenth Annual Empey Ball of the Paramount Pep Club at the Astor last Friday nite, we find nothing but fond memories to those gentlemen of the press who have to dress and attend all the ticket affairs, this affair stands out as the BIG blowout of the season in fact, it's the best' racket the Pep Club boys have thrown and that's SOME statement Eddie Brown, heading the entertainment committee, should take his gang and turn professionals they sure delivered a boucoup performance all the way and smooth classy and the announced stars SHOWED UP and a grand feed and up in box 35 Ginger Rogers \ Claudette Colbert Charlie Ruggles wot a time they had! Claudette laughed all her eye makeup off ..and there was the Mystery of Room 244 anyone who takes a room on the second floor of the Astor on such an occasion and expects to sleep won't Lou Holtz made the customers howl and Jack Benny's emceeing was immense Frank Wilstach wandered all over the ballroom looking for a key Vincent Trotta and his party had a gorgeous time but so did everyone else, for that matter Some Party! 'uifnui ^,,n°AVely was staged Fnday nite with the t i J c w J* ? e Air aboard the "Conte Grande" of the Lloyd Sabaudo line. as usual, Mark Luescher was head man the hst of guests looked like the Blue Book |wanl5 Mllton Schwartzwald and his Arkayolians were' in ,hne shaPe -so was beautiful Dolores Cassinelli, if you fol 1™ US ^m?"* Roland an* Guisepp'e Di Bene de"0" and Nl<* Lucas and Dr. Rockwell.. and wot a supper Joe Punkett and Amedee Van Beuren ZZtT fkmg S?^.. Will S. Guard almost kissed S Benedetto for singing his favorite piece Maxine Lewis ?h? narT-mble timC finding B°b Sylvester and now Si? again . amebb^er' ^ "" **** d0W" t0 mundane work Monday, February 9, 1931 HOLLYWOOD FLASHES \By RALPH WILKi £LIFF REID is directing William J. Burns in "The Strange Death of Mr. Ramsay." which will be released by Educational. Reid is directing and producing a series of 26 one-reel subjects, starring Burns. Charles R. Rogers has purchased the screen rights for RKO of "Put On the Spot" by Jack Lait. Production will start immediately with Lily Damita and Ricardo Cortez in the leads and Harry Joe Brown directing. Effective with the release of "Riders of the North," starring Bob Custer, all Syndicate western productions will be made under the personal supervision of Trem Carr. He has assigned T. P. McCarthy to direct the next Tom Tyler release, "A Rider of the Plains." "Kick In," Willard Mack's dramatic success of a few seasons ago, will be the basis of Clara Bow's next picture. Direction has been assigned to Lothar Mendes. Albert Warner has arrived at the Coast to remain for three weeks. Walter Huston's first picture under his starring contract with First National will be "Upper Underworld," which Roland V. Lee will direct. William Collier has been selected to play the juvenile lead in "Broadminded," First National feature starring Joe E. Brown. William Blakewell has been cast opposite Helen Twelvetrees in "The Registered Woman" to be produced by RKO. John P. Medbury has been signed by Walter Futter to write the offstage talk for a forthcoming "Curiosities" on Columbia release. « « « » » » Universal has signed Mildred Van Born in "Iron Man," starring Lew Ayres. MANY HAPPY RETURNS Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays : February 9 Ronald Colman James Murray Dan Mason Richard L. Smith