The Film Daily (1931)

12 DAILY Sunday, May 24, 1931 REVIEWS OF SOUND SHORTS Charlie Chase in "Rough Seas" with Thelma Todd M-G-M Time, 27 mins. Swell Comedy Evidently a follow-up to the enjoyable "Hich C's", this Charlie Chase comedy is right up to standard in laugh action and gags. It concerns an enlisted man who wants to smuggle his sweetie and her monkey lard an army transport. Plenty r>i complications arise, resulting in iisistent string of laughs, winding Up with the captain of the ship performing the marriage ceremony. Thelma Todd is swell opposite Chase. A theme song also accompanies the storv. "Handy Guy" Vitaphone 1209-10 Time, 16 mins. Weak A race track skit, with the well known jockey featured. The story is pretty weak, telling of Sande, who as the hero, has lost his punch, and gets to be a down-and-outer, with only the girl sticking by him. He meets an old pal, a trainer, who has been doctoring up a famous racer that has gone lame, and got it back into condition again. The climax comes in the race, when Sande and the horse are out to stage a comeback together. But the horse goes lame again when Sande had the race well in hand. A rather pointless story, with the only interest the appearance of the famous jockey, who makes a good try at being a screen actor. "The Hudson and Its Moods" Paramount Time, 9 mins. Neat A neat little novelty, on the travelogue order, made along the Hudson River with "Moods of the Hudson" as musical accompaniment. The wellknown charms and beauties of the landscape on either side of the famous river have been nicely caught from a river boat. Good photography enhances the value of the short. Eddie Buzzell in "Wine, Women, But No Song" Columbia Time, 11 mins. Fair Eddie Buzzell hands out another batch of his gags in this number, wherein he masquerades as a butler in a girl's apartment in order to help out the young lady when her uncle calls. Things all go wrong, however, although neither the action nor the gags are more than fairly amusing. "The Fly Guy" RKO Pathe Time, 7 mins. Fair A pleasing Aesop's Fable, with a funny bug as the hero doing his goofy antics in the usual routine insect cartoon. The musical theme is stressed as usual, at the expense of the "them," which is very slight. The cartoon work is funny, and it rates about the average of the current crop ol animateds. Gilda Gray in "He Was Her Man" Paramount Time, 15 mins. Pleasing Gilda Gray's famous shimmy is the highlight of this novelty short, which combines dancing, music and melodrama in a manner that ought to fairly please audiences generally. The Frankie and Johnnie theme is back of the action. Miss Gray's name value, of course, is the chief asset of the short, but her shimmying may prove a little strong in some parts of the hinterland. "Believe It Or Not" Vitaphone 1189 Time, 9 mins. Entertaining A Ripley number that is well presented in the form of a sort of parlor it-vue, with the famous cartoonist addressing a drawing room group about the various oddities he has encountered in various parts of the world. These are flashed on the screen, with his comments which are very entertaining. Finishes with a trick pianist playing the piano with mittens on his hands. The subject matter is very good, up to the standard always presented by this celeb. "Tigers vs. Elephants" Talking Picture Epics Time, 19 mins. Good This is an unusually effective entertainment of its kind, compiled from the Commander Dyott feature recently shown under the title of "Hunting Tigers in India." It has continuity, dealing with a herd of elephants surrounding the tigers until the latter start jumping out of the grass, whereupon they are shot down. It makes a very thrilling story, especially since it has been put together so well. A lecture accompanies the film. Herman Timberg, Barbara Blair in "The Geography Lesson" M-G-M Time, 18 mins. Amusing With the principal assistance of Barbara Blair, a very agreeable line of vaudeville entertainment is handed out in this Colortone Revue by Herman Timberg, the popular stage headliner. A country estate supplies the locale, with Timberg acting in the capacity of entertainer © PRESENTATIONS © By JACK H ARROW ER Paramount Presentation Built Around Radio Act Good novelty idea on the Paramount stage, "Round the Dial," being a few highlights on the various well known radio programs. Charlie Davis and his band carry a good percentage of the entertainment. Morton Downey is the featured player, and does some of his radio warbling to a good hand. Other acts are Sisters of the Skillet, Pierre Brugnon (of the Evening in Paris Hour), Irene Beasley, Reis and Dunn, and of course Rubinoff. The Paramount vocal ensemble aid considerably. It is a Harry Gourfain production, and has been handled with snap and class, and affords pleasing and popular entertainment throughout. Ann Pennington Heads Peppy Show at Capitol Plenty of pep is displayed in the Capitol presentation this week. Ann Pennington, cute and sprightly as ever, is featured. A few songs and many nimble dances are performed bv Miss Pennington, assisted by the Chester Hale girls, who display unusually picturesque costumes. Wesley Eddy, master of ceremonies puts across a line of breezy chatter The bill is rounded out by a clever routine performed by The Three Sailors and Olive Sibley. The opening number, "Rain Melodies" plaved by the Gorgeous British Revue Brightens Roxy Stage With British Empire Day occurring on Sunday, the Roxy show is built around the International Revue idea, devoted in this instance to India, South Africn, Scotland and England. Opens with the overture, "Pomp and Circumstance." The first spectacle is India, with a set of the famous Taj Mahal. Oriental magic, and atmosphere stuff in the way of street scenes. The ballet and chorus help out the fire eaters, snake charmers and dancers. The second episode is Africa, with Harry Losee featured, performing a primitive African dance on an immense drum. For atmosphere there is a set showing the diamond mines, with Ruth and Eddy, dance team, featured. Then Scotland, employing the male chorus and the Roxyettes in a medley of Scotch songs and dances. Finally England, showing a hunt scene. A Hunting Ballet with Patricia Bowman; the Roxyettes in a fine routine, and Beatrice Belkin, soprano, and the Chorus in English folk songs and hunting songs. Lots of color and life, and a swell show all around. Capitol pit orchestra under the direction of Yasha Bunchuk, introduces many "rain" songs and near the finish, motion pictures of M-G-M stars, singing in the rain, are thrown on the wide screen. "Diamond Experts" RKO Pathe Time, 10 mins. Good Baseball A Grantland Rice Sportlight, with the sport expert interviewing Ty Cobb. The Georgia Peach shows a squad of young college boys just how he used to handle a bat in his palmy days. Then Jack Coombs, former Athletic ace, coaches his team at Duke University. Followed by Dazzy Vance, the Dodgers' star, lining some fast ones over the plate. Finishes with some exciting scenes at the New York baseball grounds, showing Babe Ruth doing his stuff while the mobs go wild. Fine baseball stuff, that ought to go strong with all the regulars. Herman Timberg, Barbara Blair in "Ambitious People" M-G-M Time, 17 mins. Good Comedy and Music Herman Timberg's well-known tomfoolery is the main thing about this enjoyable comedy of the musical variety. Timberg is engaged in the production of the musical comedy and wants to give a special part to a certain girl. But he runs counter with the angel of the show who has a sweetie of his own in mind for the part. Vocal finale is exceptionally effective. Barbara Blair does nicely as the chief feminine interest. "Water Bugs" RKO Pathe Time, 9 mins. Okay A fairly entertaining Sportlight, with Johnny Weismuller, the swimming champ, doing his stuff in a clearwater lake in Florida, exhibiting his strokes to a squad of young boys, who try to imitate him. Finishes with some comedy stuff with the help of Stubby Krueger, who does some of his fancy and goofy dives from a high springboard. Also an underwater fight with Stubby and a sparring partner, which carries a novelty comedy kick. Will please the swimming fans and others. "Chip Shots" Vitaphone 5202 Time, 11 mins. Great Golf Bobby Jones in the second of his golf series. Starts out with a fussyfoursome making bets with each other. One of the old boys runs into Bobby Jones on the course, when he goes out to practice a few shots to help him win the wager. Bobby starts to help him in his game. This makes a good opener, and from there on it is all Bobby, demonstrating the J chip shot, and many other fine points of the game. His approach shots to j the pin are corkers. The closeups of his work will enable golfers to see J in detail just how Bobby holds his 1 club, and all the other fine technical | points that every golfer can appre ciate. The photography is exceptionally good, and Bobby's comments are short and clear. A swell number that is bound to go over big.