The Film Daily (1931)

10 Maurice Chevalier in "The Smiling Lieutenant" Paramount Time, 102 mins. SOPHISTICATED AND GAY PRODUCTION, TYPICALLY LUBITSCH. ESPECIALLY APPEALING TO CLASS TRADE. rhis lavishly-made comedy, with a few sentimental touches, bears the subtle and clever Lubitsch imprint all the way through. It's somewhat on the style of "The Love Parade." Songs are frequently injected in the amusing proceedings via the star and his charming sweethearts. Chevalier does an Austrian lieutenant whom the Kmperor compels to marry the somewhat unsophisticated princess of a neighboring country. This interferes with his affair with a violinist, who eventually meets the wife and, being big-hearted, teaches her how to attract her husband. She goes sexy and, in the final bedroom sequence hubby finds he loves wifey. Outstanding in the cast which supports Chevalier is Miriam Hopkins, who plays the princess. Others, including llaudette Colbert, do competent work . Cast : Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins, Charlie Kuggles, Hugh O'Connell, George Barbier, Con MacSunday, Robert Strange, Elizabeth Patterson, Harry Bradley, Karl Stall, Werner Saxtorph, Janet Reade and Granville Bates. Director, Ernst Lubitsch ; Authors, LeoJacobson, Felix Dormann, Hans Muller ; Adaptors, Ernest Vajda, Samson Raphaelson ; Dialoguers, same; Editor, Merrill White; Cameraman, Geo. Folsey ; Recording Engineer, Ernest Zatorsky. Direction, expert. Photography, fine. -. SEE* DAILV Sunday, May 24, 1931 Elissa Landi in "Always Goodbye" with Lewis Stone Fox Time, 66 mins. SLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT IN THIN STORY WHOSE CHARM LIES IN WORK OF ELISSA LANDI AND LEWIS STONE. One of those in-between films that is just passable screen fare, and won't make much of an impression, nor will it fail to afford entertainment to the average audience. Elissa Landi is alluring and gets an opportunity to show what she could do in a really strong part, although her acting is sometimes a little unconvincing. But then the role she plays is not altogether convincing, either. Lewis Stone does his usual finished and polished part of the elderly gentleman befriending a lady in distress. The tale tells of a girl involved with a clever crook through no particular fault of her own. Posing as his wife in a purely innocent way for certain reasons, she discovers he is an impostor and after a valuable diamond owned by Stone, whom they are visiting at his Italian estate. Then the development of a love affair between Stone and the girl, and the usual happy ending. Cast: Elissa Landi, Lewis Stone, Paul Cavanagh, John Garrick, Frederick Kerr, Herbert Bunston, Lumsden Hare. Directors, Kenneth McKenna, William C. Menzies ; Author, Kate McLaurin ; Adaptor, Lynn Starling; Dialoguers, same; Editor, Harold Schuster ; Cameraman, Arthur Edeson ; Recording Engineer, Joe Aiken. Direction, fair. Photography, very good. Clara Bow in "Kick In" Para mount Time, 69 mins. OUTWORN CROOK THEME FALLS RATHER FLAT, WITH CLARA BOW OUT OF HER ELEMENT IN DRAMATIC ROLE. This adaptation of Willard Mack's play is about a year or so behind the trend of modern underworld stories. It harks back to the old stage technique of 1920 when crooks were just crooks and not clever underworld characters, and the cops were just dumb dicks addicted to third degree methods. So with this handicap to start, the film doesn't get very far. Clara Bow and Regis Toomey, the young couple trying to go straight after the police have marked him for his former police record, and all the rest of the familiar formula follows per schedule. They are caught with the stolen necklace which was pinched by another crook, and have the devil's own time trying to square themselves. But at last the police chief's bard heart relents, and he gives them another chance, on hearing that there is a baby about to be added to the family. Pretty old stuff, and stagey, with Clara Bow lost in a serious and dramatic part. Cast: Clara Bow, Regis Toomey, Wynne Gibson, Donald Crisp, Leslie Fenton, Juliette Compton, James Murray, Paul Hurst, Wade Boteler. Director, Richard Wallace; Author, Willard Mack; Adaptor, Bartlett Cormack ; Dialoguer, not listed; Editor, not listed; Cameraman, Victor Milner; Recording Engineer, M. M. Paggi. Direction, fair. Photography, good. Robert Montgomery in "Shipmates" M-G-M Time, 73 mins. LAUGH-FEST WITH A THRILL FINISH. ROBERT MONTGOMERY GREAT IN FIRST STARRING VEHICLE. FINE CAST. There is a treat in store for audiences in this really funny comedyromance. Robert Montgomery has been given a part that fits him to a "T" and he never misses a trick or an opportunity to "top" every gag. The story is built around U. S. Navy activities and is a clever little tale of a gob who falls in love with the Admiral's daughter, who in turn falls in love with him. Montgomery gets into some bad scrapes and smashing fights with Ernest Torrence, a petty officer. There are laughs all the way through and a wow of a finish. Dorothy Jordan is sweet and Cliff Edwards contributes some of the biggest laughs with his droll humor and "mugging." Cast: Robert Montgomery, Ernest Torrence, Dorothy Jordan, Hobart Bosworth, Cliff Edwards, Gavin Gordon, Joan Marsh, Edward Nugent, E. Allyn Warren, George Irving, Hedda Hopper, William Worthington. Director, Harry Pollard; Author, Ernest Paynter ; Adaptors, Lou Edelman, Delmar Daves, Raymond L. Schrock, Lt. Commander Wead ; Dialoguers, Malcolm Stuart Boylan, Delmar Daves; Editor, William Levanway; Cameraman, Clyde DeVinna; Recording Engineer, Douglas Shearer. Direction, fine. Photography, good. Robert Woolsey in "Everything's Rosie" with Anita Louise, John Darrow RKO Time, 67 mins. FAIR GAG AND SLAPSTICK VEHICLE BUILT CHIEFLY FOR LAUGHS, WITH LOVE INTEREST SECONDARY. WOOLSEY AND ANITA LOUISE FINE. For his first solo starring picture Robert Woolsey has been provided with a flimsy story and a lot of vaudeville material, new and old. It is largely a gag affair, with the wisecracks registering a fairly consistent stream of laughs. Woolsey plays the role of a medicine showman and carnival grifter who adopts a little waif and brings her up in best fatherly style, only to lose her in the end to the young scion of an elite family. Anita Louise, as the girl, is strikingly pretty and acts her part well, while John Darrow handles his romantic role nicely. Woolsey works hard all the way through the picture and does a good personal job, but the nature of his light material precludes his registering any strong hit. [t*s just an amusing little show with enougli robust laughs to satisfy folks who ask for nothing more than to be entertained for an hour or so. Cast: Robert Woolsey, Anita Louise, John Darrow, Florence Roberts, Frank Beal, Alt red P. James, Lita Chevret, Clifford Demusey. Director, Clyde Bruckman; Author, Al Boasberg ; Adaptor, Tim Whelan ; Dialoguers, Ralph Spence, Al Boasberg; Editor, not credited; Cameraman, Nick Musuraca ; Recording Engineer, Hugh MacDowell. Diroction, fast. Photography, good. "Le Million" ("The Million") Tobis-Forenfilm Time, 80 mins. EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE FRENCH FARCE. PACKED WITH LAUGHS, BRIGHT MUSIC AND MERRY SITUATIONS. DIRECTION EXCELLENT. Here is a smart, snappy and thoroughly enjoyable farce in French dialogue that is interspersed with a most cleverly worked-in explanation m English. No one in this country who sees this production will fail to understand its goings-on, or be deprived of enjoying its theme because of the foreign tongue. Director Rene Clair has undoubtedly shown sparks of genius in his treatment. The winning of a million-dollar lottery, the losing of the cash-in tickets, a chase all over Paris, into robbers' dens, the opera house, through the streets and over roof tops, keeps the action at a swift speed. Musical numbers are not only well sung, but Rene Clair has handled several sequences in operetta style, giving the production an interesting twist. The cast is well selected and clearly understands farce-comedy work. Cast: Annabella, Rene Lefebre, Paul OIlivier, Louis Allibert, Constantin Stroesco, Odette Talzac, Yanda Greville. Director, Rene Clair ; Scenario, same ; Settings, L. Meerson; Cameramen, G. Perinal, G. Raulet; Music, A. Bernard, Ph. Pares, G. van Parys ; Supervisor, Frank Clifford. Direction, exceptional. Photography, excellent. Richard Dix and Jackie Cooper in "Young Donovan's Kid" with Marion Schilling RKO Time, 77 mins. JACKIE COOPER GIVES REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE IN TEAR-PRODUCING RACKETEER DRAMA. GREAT AUDIENCE APPEAL. This picture is all Jackie Cooper. It is a tear-jerker par excellence and will "get" everyone in the audience from the weepers to the strong men. The story concerns Richard Dix, a racketeer who promises to care for and be a father to Jackie Cooper, young son of a gangster, who dies in Dix's arms. Dix does his best, but the kid, holding Dix as his ideal, continues to be a rough youngster. A child welfare worker hales Dix to court and Jackie is dragged from Dix's arms and sent to an institution. Dix tries to go straight. Then things happen that cause exciting situations and give Jackie a fine opportunity to show his juvenile talent. It is a surefire audience getter, if only for the presence and acting of the Cooper lad. Especially good performances also are given lv Marion Schilling and Frank Sheridan. Cast: Richard Dix, Marion Shilling, Jackie Cooper, Frank Sheridan, Boris Karloff, Dick Rush. Fred Kelsey, Richard Alexander, Harry Tenbrook, Wilfred Lucas, Phil Sleeman, Bob Wilber, Charles Sullivan, Jack Perry, Frank Beal. Director, Fred Niblo ; Author, Rex Beach; Adaptor, J. Walter Ruben, Dialoguer, same; Editor, not credited ; Cameraman, Edward Cronjager ; Recording Engineer, John E. Tribby. Direction, spotty. Photography, fair. "Stepping Out" with Charlotte Greenwood, Reginald Denny, Leila Hyams, Cliff Edwards M-G-M Time, 73 mins. GOOD LAUGH NUMBER WITH CHARLOTTE GREENWOOD'S COMEDY AND' CHARLES RIESNER'S DIRECTION COVERING UP RATHER WEAK STORY. Charlotte Greenwood's comedy antics, plus the good efforts of Cliff Edwards, Reginald Denny, Harry Stubbs, Leila Hyams and other members of the supporting cast and the well-paced direction at the hands of Charles Riesner, make this comedy a satisfactory entertainment in spite of its rather commonplace story. Miss Greenwood is almost a continuous laugh, and the merriment is aided considerably by some good comedy dialogue. The yarn deals with a couple of husbands, Denny and Stubss, who delve into the production business and mix in a little playing with a couple of mercenary babies, Merna Kennedy and Lillian Bond. They are caught by their wives, Miss Greenwood and Miss Hyams, who thereupon oroceed to get even by going to a Mexican resort and do a little high-flying with a pair of collegiate lads, the husbands chase after them to square things. Cast: Charlotte Greenwood, Leila Hyams, Reginald Denny, Lillian Bond, Cliff Edwards, Merna Kennedy, Harry Stubbs, Richard Tucker, Kane Richmond, Wilson Benge. Director, Charles F. Riesner; Author, Elmer Harris ; Adaptor, same ; Dialoguers, Elmer Harris, Robert E. Hoipkins ; Editor, William S. Gray ; Cameraman, Leonard Smith ; Recording Engineer, Douglas Shearer. Direction, snappy. Photography, good.