The Film Daily (1931)

THE 10 ■%*H DAILY Sunday, February 15, 1931 Charlie Chaplin in "City Lights" United Artists Time, 1 hr., 26 mins. SUPERB SILENT COMEDY SMASH WITH CHAPLIN AT HIS BEST IN A FINE COMBINATION OF SLAPSTICK AND PATHOS. BOUND TO BE A CLEANUP. Strictly on its merits, and aside from any controversy or curiosity over silents vs. talkers, Charlie Chaplin's new picture is a choice piece of entertainment. It is practically all Chaplin, of course, but that's what the fans want and expect, so from a b. o. standpoint it is a foregone natural. In with the riotous comedy there is the trend of a pathetic little love drama, a romance between Charlie and a blind flower girl, Virginia Cherrill. The tramp devotes himself to helping the girl. He strikes up an acquaintance with a boozing millionaire, Harry Myers, who recognizes the tramp only when in his drunken spells. From the rich man Charlie obtains money to help the flower maid out of her difficulties. But he also unwittingly gets himself in jail. Upon his release he again meets the girl, whose sight has been restored, and she learns that he is her benefactor. Myers' is a great feeder for Chaplin and Virginia Cherrill fills her part nicely. The picture has synchronized music, but no talk. Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Harry Myers, Hank Mann, Florence Lee, Allan Garcia, Eddie Baker, Henry Bergman. Director, Charlie Chaplin ; Author, same ; Adaptor, same ; Editor, same ; Cameramen, Rollie Totheroh, Gordon Pollock, Mark Marklatt. Direction, Aces. Photography, Fine. "Lonely Wives" with Edivard Everett H or ton Pathe Time, 1 hr., 27 mins. SWELL COMEDY PACKS LAUGHS RIGHT THROUGH THE FOOTAGE WITH EDWARD EVERETT HORTON IN A PIP DUAL ROLE. This is one of the cleverest and most entertaining comedies of the season. Russell Mack has done a fine directorial job, and Edward Everert Horton in a dual role gives one of the best performances. Taken from thq stage play of the same name, it tells of an attorney who is a high stepper, and arranges with an actor. who is an impersonator and a dead ringer for him, to take his place one night at home while he steps out. It so happens that his wife returns unexpectedly and that the attorney has stepped out with the impersonator's wife. The dilettante hubby returns to find his wife and a lot of explaining on his hands. The complications are very funny, even uproarious. It is quite sophisticated, and not for the kiddies. The bedroom stuff is delicately handled and floes not offend. Intelligent entertainment, with Esther Ralston, Laura La Plante and Patsy Ruth Miller furnishing plenty of charm. Cast: Edward Everett Horton. Esther Ralston, Laura La Plante, Patsy Ruth Miller, Spencer Charters, Maude Eburne, Georgette Rhoades. Director, Russell Mack; Author, Based on A. H. Woods' stage play; Adaptor, Walter' De Leon ;Dialoguer, same; Recording Engineers; Charles O'Loughlin, Tom Carman ; Editor, Joseph Kane ; Cameraman., F.dward Snyder. Direction, Very good. Photography, The best. "The Lady Refuses" with Betty Compson and Gilbert Emery RKO Time, 1 hr., 10 mins. WEAK LOVE DRAMA WITH BRITISH BACKGROUND AND MIXED ACCENTS. MISS COMPSON HANDICAPPED, With a weak story tu work on, Director George Archainbaud failed to inject a great deal of consistent entertainment in this production. Betty Compson, besides not being up to her usual standard of performance is hampered by the unconvincing portrayal of John Darrow, as a rich man's wayward son. The plot is laid in England and brings to the screen a great variety of accents, both Englisl. and synthetic-English. Gilbert Emery, as a titled English gentleman, befriends Betty, a disappointed miss about to lose her self respect. Emery hires Betty to save his son (John Darrow) with $5,000 as the reward if she is successful. F.mery falls in love with Betty. The wayward son gets mixed up in a murder mystery and is saved by Betty's testimony. She is paid the reward, but tears up the check and goes out into night. Emery's fine reading stands out. Cast: Betty Compson. Gilbet Emery, John Darrow, Margaret Livingston, Ivan l.ebedeft. Edgar Norton, Daphne Pollard, Reginald Sbarland. Director, George Archainbaud ; Authors, Robert Milton, Guy Bolton ; Adaptor, Wallace Smith ; Dialoguer, same ; Editor, not listed; Cameraman, Leo Tover ; Recording Engineer, John Tribby. Direction, poor. Photography, lair. "Bright Lights" with Dorothy Mackaill, Frank Fay First National Time, 1 hr., 12 mins. LIGHT MUSICAL WITH A BACKSTAGE LOVE STORY. GOOD CAST, FAIR AMOUNT OF COMEDY AND ATTRACTIVELY STAGED IN TECHNICOLOR. Between its agreeable musical numbers, beautiful stage effects, intermittent stretches of backstage love drama and comedy, this production manages to maintain a fair level of enltertainment. But it never gets above the mild point, partly because the backstage story is the outworn yarn of the mixed team threatened with separation by an outside third party, who in this case is a rich society man desiring Dorothy Mackaill, with Frank Fay as the goodhearted comedian with an idea that his own secret love for the girl is hopeless. In the end the wealthy suitor gets the gate and the real lovers do a happy fadeout. Comedy is supplied by Frank McHugh, Tom Dugan and Daphne Pollard. As a comedy team. Miss Mackaill and Fay give fine performances in a versatile vein and Noah Beery has some good moments as the menace. Cast: Dorothy Mackaill, Frank Fay. Noah Beery, Inez Courtney, Eddie Nugent, Daphne Pollard, James Murray, Tom Dugan, Frank McHugh, Jean Bary, Tom Irving. Edwin Lynch, Virginia Sale, Edwin Breese, Philip Strange. Director, Michael Curtiz ; Author, Humphrey Pearson ; Adaptors, Humphrey Pearson, Henry McCarty; Dialoguers, same; Editor, Harold Young ; Cameraman, Lee Cannes. Direction, Lively. Photography, Fair. "The 'W Plan" RKO Time, 1 hr., 27 mins. FAIR BRITISH WAR FILM WITH SPY BACKGROUND. MILD ENTERTAINMENT THAT FAILS TO DEVELOP ANY REAL PUNCH. An Elstree Production of the war, from the viewpoint of the British Intelligence service. The theme covers a unique idea, but fails to develop any great entertainment, neither is it sufficiently dramatic. It is lacking in action where action is most needed. The story is that of a British Intelligence officer who impersonates a dead German officer, and gets behind the German lines to spy out the secret in back of certain plans found on the German officer. The trail eventually leads to a system of underground lanes that the Germans have dug in the form of a letter "W." These lead directly to important towns on the British front, and the plan is to send German troops through the underground, and take the British by surprise in the rear. With the aid of British prisoners working in the tunnels the spy blows up the underground lanes. Cast: Brian Aherne, George Merritt, C. M. Hallard, Frederick Lloyd, B. Gregory, Mary Jerrold, Madeleine Carroll, Clifford Heatherley, Norah Howard, Cameron Carr, Milton Rosmer, Alfred Drayton, Charles Paton, Wilhelm Koenig, Gordon Harker, Gibb McLaughlin, Robert Harris. . Director, Victor Saville ; Author, Graham Seton ; Adaptor, Victor Saville ; Dialoguers, Miles Mallleson, Frank Launder; Editor, P. MacLean Rogers ; Cameramen, R. E. NeGuissart, Fred Young. Direction, Fair. Photography, Good. "The Single Sin" with Kay Johnson and Bert Lytell Tiffany Time, 1 hr., 13 mins. GOOD MELODRAMA. SOPHISTICATED STORY WITH PLENTY OF SUSPENSE. KAY JOHNSON FINE. Built around the old question of whether a girl should tell her intended husband of her past, this production is filled with tensely dramatic situations, cleverly lightened by the dry humor of Paul Hurst. Although draggy in spots and with a drawn out drinking scene that seems to be unnecessary, it should prove good program material. Kay Johnson gives one of her best portrayals as the bootlegging-stenographer who does 90 days in prison and reforms. She marries her millionaire boss, but her marital happiness is threatened by her former bootlegging partner, who later is hired as her personal chauffeur. Bert Lytell, who "knew her when", turns up in time to be of moral assistance, but the situation is finally saved by Paul Hurst, who carries on well as Lytell's helper. The cast is fine and the production satisfactory. Cast: Kay Johnson, Bert Lytejl, Paul Hurst, Mathew Betz, Holmes Herbert, Geneva Mitchell, Sandra Ravel, Charles McNaughton, Lillian Elliott, Robert Emmett O'Connor. Director, William Nigh ; Author, A. P. Younger ; Adaptor, Frances Hyland ; Dialoguer, same ; Editor, Charles Harris ; Cameraman, Max Dupont ; Recording Engineer, not listed. Direction, Good. Photography, Good. "Don't Bet On Women" with Edmund Lowe, Jeanette McDonald and Una Merkcl Fox Time, 1 hr., 10 mins. AMUSING SOCIETY COM EDY WITH EXCELLENT CAST AND CLEVER DIALOGUE. UNA MERKEL TAKES LAUGH HONORS. Edmund Lowe isn't handed any heavy stuff in this production, with the result that his light-comedy portrayal of a society lothario is reallx amusing. However, Una Merkel, in the part of a loquacious southe.n belle, delivers all the humor written into her role — and a lot more. Roland Young, a boasting and deliber ate lawyer, wages $10,000 that Lowe cannot kiss Young's wife within 4' hours. The wife, Jeanette McDonald, hears of the wager through Una Lowe and Jeanette fall in love, but it doesn't take. Lowe loses the bet, but Young tears up the winning check andt still boasting, walks out of the scene with his faithful Jeanette. Miss McDonald is beautiful and clever as ever. Young as the lawyer-husband is convincing. Cast: Edmund Lowe, Jeanette McDonald. Roland Young, J. M. Kerrigan, Una Merkel, Henry Kolker, Helene Millard. Director, William K. Howard ; Author, William Anthony McGuire; Adaptors, Leon Gordon, Lynn Starling ; Dialoguers, same ; Editor, Harold Schuster ; Cameraman, Lucien Andriot ; Recording Engineer, Albert Protzman. Direction, Good. Photography, Good. Nancy Carroll in "Stolen Heaven" with Phillips Holmes Paramount Time, 1 hr., 13 mins. BOX-OFFICE VEHICLE ON BASIS OF STAR TEAM AND TITLE, ALTHOUGH STORY NOT OF VERY FAVORABLE CHARACTER. Although the names of Nancy Carroll and Phillips Holmes, together with the intriguing title ot the picture, hold plenty of box-office .alue, the popularity of the story is oubtful. It's somewhat of an underworld theme. Miss Carroll, a abaret entertainer, picks up Holmes ust after he has stolen $25,000. She akes him to her room, shields him from the police, then enter into a uicide pact whereby they will get married, go on a glorious fling as • ng as the money lasts, after which hey are to take their own lives. In Florida they have their spree, with he police finally getting on their trail. After finding out how good it is to live, Miss Carroll, wants to enege on the suicide plan, but the lad is still set on going through with it. Finally they repent and decide to give up, take their medicine, and begin life with a clean slate. Cast: Nancy Carroll, Phillips Holmes, I.ouis Calhern, Edward Keane, Joan Carr, G. Albert Smith, Dagmar Oakland, Joseph Crehan, Buford Arinitage, Joan Kenyon. Director, George Abbott ; Author, Dana Burnet; Adaptor, George Abbott; Dialogue, same ; Editor, Emma Hill ; Cameraman, George Folsey ; Recording Engineer, Gordon New. Direction, fair. Photography, good.