The Film Daily (1931)

10 "The Hot Heiress" with Ben Lyon, Ona Munson First Nat'l Time, 1 hr., 25 mine. A LAUGH FEST. CORKING COMEDY PLUS A CHARMING ROMANCE, WITH A FEW NEAT SONG NUMBERS APPROPRIATELY SPOTTED. Broad comedy and delightful romance are neatly blended in this lively yarn constructed on the Cinderella formula, except that here it's the girl who is the rich princess, while the lad is a poor but honest and handsome riveter. Ona Munson, the wealthy eyeful, spots the laboring Ben Lyon hammering away on the steelwork of a new skyscraper that is going up just across the way. She plays sick so she can stay in her room and be near him. After they get acquainted Qna invites Ben and his comic friend's to a house party, where their differences in stations and manners re/suits in the usual embarrassments afnd objections from the girl's parents/ winding up with Ben making his^exit. But; it's all fixed up in the end. Besides the excellent performances of Lyon and Miss Munson, who also sing a few catchy numbers, there is some swell comedy work by Tom Dugan and Inez Courtney. Should click nicely with any audience. Cast: Ona Munson. Ben Lyon, Tom Dugan, Etise Bartlett, Thelma Todd, Holmes Herbert, Nella Walker, Inez Courtney, George Irving, Joe Bernard. Director, Clarence Badger; Authors, Herbert Fields, Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart ; Adaptors, same ; Dialoguers, same ; Editor, Thomas Pratt ; Cameraman, Sol Polito. Direction, good. Photography, good. THE Jack Oa kie in "June Moon" Pat amount Time, 1 hr., 19 mins. SWEET LITTLE COMEDYDRAMA FROM STAGE PLAY GIVES JACK OAKIE SWELL PART WHICH HE GETS OVER STRONG. The popular stage play of the same name has been made into swell movie fare. The part of the lovable sap song-writer fits Jack Oakie down to the ground, and he puts it over in great shape. Frances Dee is a perfect type for the sweety . and wholesome girl from upstate who loves the song manufacturer. The story tells of an upstate youth who thinks he's a song writer and gels fixed up with a gold digger who takes him for the works while his little country sweetheart stands by helpless. Then the disclosure comes that he's just a punk, and can never make the grade as a song writer in the big town. The finale has him going back home with the country girl, licked but happy. The dialogue is up-to-the-minute, breezy, and carries a load of laughs. Characterizations well handled throughout, and that goes for the direction. A wholesome picture with tender sentiment and plenty of laughs. Cast: Jack Oakie, Fiances Dee, June MacCloy, Ernest Wood, Wynne Gibson, Harry Akst, Sam Hardy, Ethel Sutherland, e'ranK Darien, Harold Waldrige, Jean Bar ry, Eddie Dunn. Director, A. Edward Sutherland ; Authors, Ring Lardner, George S. Kaufman ; Adaptors, Keene Thompson, Joseph L. Mankiewicz ; Dialoguers, same ; Editor, not listed ; Cameraman, Allen Siegler ; Recording Engineer. Earl Hayman. Direction, smooth. Photography, okay. "The Great Meadow" M-G-M Time, 1 hr., 15 mins. MILDLY ENTERTAINING DRAMA AGAINST HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. OUGHT TO GO BEST IN THE SMALL STANDS. The frail, episodic story oi this piece has been garnished with stene after scene depicting the hardships and perils experienced by the Virginia settlers who pioneered into Kentucky in 1777. It's generally slow-paced and the Indian fight scenes seem unreal. After heartbreaking months of travel through the wilderness, the pioneers reach Kentucky. John Mack Brown's mother is scalped and he leaves his wife to kill the Indian who did the job. When he returns two years later, after getting his man, he finds his wife married to another settler, who generously steps out of the situation to allow them to resume matrimony. The acting is generally competent. Eleanor Boardman's visual performance is fine, but she occasionally drops her Southern drawl m»n T J'MhnTMa,c,k B'Own, Eleanor BoardPnrH Jr °re La » e^e' Anita Louise> Gavn S ,t i> £Tnn Williams, Russell Simpson, Sarah Padden, Helen Jerome Eddv ' Director, Charles Brabin; Author Eliza bfe F^f?0^ Adapt°rS' Charles Brabin, Edith Ellis; Dialoguer, Edith Ellis; Editor, George Hively ; Cameramen, William Daniels, Clyde De Vinna ; Recording Engl neer, Douglas Shearer. B Direction, weak. Photography, fine. Bebc Daniels in "My Past" with Ben Lyon, Lewis Stone Warner Bros. Time, 1 hr., 23 mins SMART AND SOPHISTICAT ED MODERN LOVE STORY* WITH DELIGHTFUL COMEDY TOUCHES THAT WILL WIN THE FEMMES. A delightful love drama finely act,ed by Bebe Daniels, Lewis Stone and Ben Lyon as the principals in a very modern and unusual triangle situation. The "past" in question is that of Bebe Daniels, a stage comedy star, who re-enters the life of an old flame, played by Lewis Stone. The latter is a playboy, while his serious young partner keeps their business going. On a yachting party, the junior partner v falls hard for the actress, although he is married. From then on the situations mesh into a suspenseful plot with the junior partner's wife returning from Paris, then deciding to get a divorce, leaving him free to marry his new love. But she feels under obligations to the elder man, who finds himself torn between devotion to the girl and to his young partner, who is like a son to him. A rather daring situation, and not made for the kiddies. But it is delicately handled^ and doesn't give offense. It lags in spots. Cast : Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon, Lewis Stone, Doree Macy, Bob Byrne, John Thornley, Marian Moore, Joan Blondell, Consuelo Byrne. Natalie Mooreliead, Lionel Reisch, Albert Gran, Virginia Sale, Daisy Belmore. Director, Roy Del Ruth; Author, Dora Macy; Adaptor, Charles Kenyon; Dialoguer, same ; Editor, Ralph Dawson ; Cameraman, Chick McGill. Direction, smart. Photography, very good. "Body and Soul" ivith Elissa Landi and Charles Fa rrell Fox Time, 1 hr., 10 mins. FAIR ROMANCE AND DRAMA OF THE WAR. WELL DIRECTED AIR-RAID SEQUENCES. STORY THIN IN SPOTS. This production starts out with a bang and carries on at a fair speed throughout although at times the dialogue becomes tiresome. Elissa Landi's debut in American made pictures is uneventful but not through any fault of this clever actress who was assigned a part that carried with it few , opportunities. Charles Farrell Ms satisfactory, except in the scenes when he becomes intoxicated. Then he is unconvincing. The story tells of Farrell, an American ace who falls in love with Elissa believing her to be his dead pal's sweetheart while in reality she was his wife. Elissa is believed to be a German spy and Farrell's infatuation for her brings him face to face with court martial proceedings. The tangle is straightened out in interesting fashion. The supporting cast is okay. Cast: Charles Farrell, Elissa Landi, Humphrey Bogart, Myrna Loy, Donald Dillaway. Craufurd Kent, Pat Somerset, Ian MacLaren, Dennis D'Auburn, Douglas Dray, Harold Kinney, Bruce Warren. Director, Alfred Santell ; Authors, Elliott White Springs, A. E. Thomas ; Adaptor, Jules Furthman ; Dialoguer, same ; Editor Paul Weatherwax ; Cameraman, Glen Mac Williams; Recording Engineer. Donald Flick Direction, good. Photography, good. "Way Down East" (Synchronized) Al Griffith-Grey Time, 1 hr., 30 mins. D. W. GRIFFITH MELODRAMA CLASSIC STILL HOLDS STRONG ENTERTAINMENT APPEAL PLUS GOOD EXPLOITATION ANGLES. The D. W. Griffith melodrama classic still holds a big entertainment appeal and should go strong on the basis of the sentiment attached to this famous melodrama the D. W. Griffith name, and the appeal of seeing such personalities as Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess and Lowell Sherman as they were in the early days of their careers. The wholesome story of the wronged girl, to whom true love comes after many trials and tribulations also still has its appeal. The musical score has been well synchronized including all the old-time melodies that should make a hit with the older generation. _ Sound effects are incidental to certain pieces of business. There is still a big kick in the final scene, where Lillian Gish is about to go over the falls on a cake of ice, with Dick Barthelmess rescuing her in the nick of time. Cast: Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Lowell Sherman, Burr Mcintosh, Kate Bruce, Creighton Hale, Mrs. Morgan Belmont, Mrs. David Landau, Josephine Bernard, Patricia Freun, Florence Short, Vivia Ogden, Porter Strong, George Nelson, Edgar Nelson, Mary Hay, Emilv Fitzroy. Director, D. W. Griffith ; Author, Lottie Blair Parker ; Adaptor, Anthony Paul Kelly ; Cameramen, G. W. Bitzer, Hendrik Sartov! Direction, fine. Photography, good. "River's End" Charles Bickford, Evalyn Rnapp Warner Bros. Time, 1 hr., 15 miL. a/^Ht^01^0 NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE STORY WITH CHARLES BfCKFORD TAKING HONORS IN A DUAL KULE. Charles Bickford's excellent portrayal of a double role is the highlight of this romantic and adventurous James Oliver Curwood yarn about the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police. The story itself has some weak stretches, both in action and dialogue, but interest is kept alive with fair consistency by the work of Bickford and his supporting players, principally Evalyn Knapp, Zasu Pitts and J. Farrell McDonald, as well as by the curiosity that inevitably rises over the clever double exposure photography and sound recording. Bickford is seen as the Mountie who goes to the frozen north to get his man, who is wanted for murder. WhileY/returmng with his prisoner, the officer dies, whereupon the prisoner, being a dead ringer for him, poses as the Mountie and returns to headquarters. A love affair develops between him and the Mountie's sweetheart. Since it was another man who committed the murder, a happy ending occurs. Cast: Charles Bickford, Evalyn Knapp, J. Farrell McDonald, Zasu Pitts, David Torrence, Junior Coghlan, Walter McGrail, Tom Santschi. Director, Michael Curtiz ; Author, James Oliver Curwood ; Adaptor, Charles Kenyon ; Dialoguer, same; Editor, Ralph Holt; Cameraman, Robert Kurrle. Direction, f.-uir. Photography, fine. "Ingagi" (Synchronized) Congo Pictures Time, 1 hr., 15 mins. THRILLING AFRICAN PICTURE WITH A GORILLA HUNT AMONG THE OUTSTANDING FEATURES. HAS SYNCHRONIZED DESCRIP TIVE TALK AND SOUND EFFECTS. For those who like pictures of big game hunting in Africa, this production should provide some choice moments of entertainment. Several rhinoceros, zebras and lions are trailed, shot and subsequently divided, the skins going to the hunters, the meat to the natives and the remainder to the vultures. The lion shots are particularly thrilling. The feature ends with a venture into the "Ingagi" or gorilla country, where hugh specimens are caught by the camera both in long shots and closeups. A 500-pound gorilla dragging a native woman through the jungle is particularly startling. Louis Nizer delivers the descriptive talk in a graphic and interesting manner. The film is synchronized throughout, with a musical background and also with effects simulating1 the animal roars and native sounds. Director, William S. Campbell ; Author, Adam Hull Shirk ; Adaptor, same ; Editors, Grace McKee, Adam Hull Shirk. Direction, good. Photography, fair.