Film Daily (1931)

THE 10 "Smart Money" with Edward G. Robinson, /times Cagney tranter Bros. Timef 90 nuns. SURE-FIRE BOX-OFFICE. FAST-MOVING GAMBLER STORY WITIT DOMINATING PERFORMANCE BY EDWARD G. ROBINSON. SWELL DIRECTION. I xcept that it has a gambling background and only a single killing — an "k-ntal one — this is a fitting sequel to "Little Caesar." Edward G. Robinson again dominates the action from start to finish in an arresting and fascinating characterization. His role is that of a lucky gambler known as Nick the Barber, whose friends finance him from bis small-town barber shop to the big city gambling ring. After being tricked in his 6rs1 game, he returns with new backing and gives the cheaters a dose of their own medicine. But he has a weakness for blondes and they keep making a sucker out of him, finally landing him behind the bars. It's high-powered entertainment all the way, with never a lull or let-up. James Cagney's role is not extensive, but he does justice to what he has. Alfred E. Green directed with a punch, and there is a strong surrounding cast. Cast : Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Kvalvn Knapp, Ralph Harolde, Noel Francis, Margaret Livingston, Maurice Black. Director, Alfred E. Green ; Authors, Kubec Glasmon, John Bright, Lucien Hubbard, Joseph Jackson ; Adaptors, same ; Dialoguers, same; Editor, Jack Killifer ; Cameraman, Robert Kurrle. Direction, aces. Photography, fine. "The Viking" •/. J). Will iii >ns Time, 70 n THRILLING ADVENTURE WITH AMAZING ICE SCENES COUPLED WITH SIMPLE MELODRAMA. STRONG EXPLOITATION BET AND FINE FOR KIDS. Varick Frissell's saga of the Labrador coast, with its startling ice scenes, hazardous chances taken by hardy men afoot on floating ice cakes, sights of stupendous bergs, attacks on seal herds, together with a homely and simply acted romance about the conflict between an old-time villain and a similarly old-fashioned belle of the camp, is an absorbing and sometimes decidedly thrilling entertainment. Its weakness in story, cast and direction are pretty much offset by the kick it carries in the reality of its battles with the elements. The dangers that were involved in making the picture are evident almost throughout the footage and lend a gripping fascination to the scenes. While it may not be an attraction for the de luxe houses, it should go big in the general run of theaters. The kids will find it quite enthralling and the picture has plenty of exploitation possibilities that can be turned into money. Cast: Louise Huntington, Charles Starrett, Capt. "Bob" Bartlett, Arthur Vinton, Director, George Melford ; Author, Varick Frissell; Adaptor, Garnett Weston; Dialogues T. Bell Sweeney, Jr.; Editor, R. P Carver. Cameramen, Maurice Kellerman Alfred Gandolfi, A. E. Penrod ; Recording Engineer, Joseph Kaufman. Direction, weak. Photography, good. Traveling Husbands" with Evelyn Brent, Frank Albertson, Constance Cummings, Hugh Herbert RKO Time, 73 miru. EXCELLENT DRAMA FILLED WITH SNAPPY DIALOGUE AND GENUINE COMEDY RELIEF. CAST WELL SELECTED. Thoroughly worth-while entertainment from every angle. The pace is fast, the comedy smooth and spontaneous, and the cast is capable and convincing. The plot concerns several traveling salesmen during one of their "playful" business trips on the road. There is the grouch, the Hebrew, the not-to-be-trusted playboy and the youth who is out to make good. There is a shooting during a wild party in a hotel followed by a sensible sequence of events and situations in which Evelyn Brent, as a woman of the world, plays the outstanding part. Hugh Herbert contributes some side-splitting comedy and Constance Cummings, as a society girl, is beautiful and talented. Any audience, anywhere will like this picture. Cast: Evelyn Brent, Frank Albertson, Constance Cummings, Carl Miller, Spencer Charters, Hugh Herbert, Frank McHugh, Purnell Pratt, Dorothy Peterson, Rita La Roy, Gwen Lee, Lucille Williams, Tom Francis Stanley Fields. Director, Paul Sloane ; Author, Humphrey Pearson ; Adaptor, same ; Dialoguer, not credited; Editor, not credited; Cameraman Leo Tover; Recording Engineer, Clem Portman. Direction, very fine. Photography, excellent. "Confessions of a CoEd" Paramount Time, 75 mins. MILD ENTERTAINMENT IN CO-ED SCHOOL DRAMA BASED ON BANAL STORY. LACKS PICTURE NAMES. This is just about as exciting as one would expect to find a co-ed school. Meaning the usual goingson, with a dash or two of sex. Sylvia Sidney falls in love with a youth who is something of a lady-slayer. After a squabble with said youth she gets herself compromised with him in the usual mountain cabin. He is kicked out of school because of another jam and leaves the country. Sylvia weds his opposition, principally for protection's sake. Old sweetheart returns, reformed, and Sylvia ditches hubby for him. The story ijust about as frail as this sounds. Miss Sidney does a sincere piece of work as the girl and Phillips Holmes and Norman Foster are both oke I he subject has been handled discreetly. g^it^n!^"' DOr0,,1>: "■£? &Tton^TuZ'r DAU<"CV M"rp,,y and Daviti Bur ^.Direction, Good Enough. Photography. "The Skin Came" British International Time, 85 mins. SLOW-MOVING ADAPTATION OF GALSWORTHY'S DRAMA OF ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE LIFE. WELL CAST BUT POORLY DIRECTED. American audiences will find it difficult to understand the pronounced English accent in the dialogue of this melodrama. Lines are spoken too quickly and many words cannot be distinguished from mumbles. The acting is adequate, although a bit too melodramatic in spots. The story concerns a feud between two wealthy country-side owners. One wishes to despoil the landscape with factories and "chimneys," and the other, for sentimental reasons, desires to have the land retain its rural beauty. There are entanglements and complications, one of which brings about the solution of the whole situation and terminates in the suicide of the daughter-in-law of one of the principals, when her past is disclosed. Majority of the parts are well handled. Cast: Edmund Gwenn, Phillis Konstam, T ,1, , V T"' r-He \e\ Haye J'" Esmond John Longden, Frank Lawton. Herbert Ross Dora Gregory, R. E. Jeffrey, George Ban croft. Edward Chapman, Ronald Frankau Director, Alfred Hitchcock; Author. John Galsworthy; Adaptor, Alfred Hitchcock lu'n 8lT\rA'ma Ke^"e; Editors' A. Gob: but. R. Marr.son; Cameraman, J. J Cox • Recording Engineer, Alex Murray. ' Direction. Weak. Photography, Fair. "Men Call It Love" with Adolphe Menjou, Leila Hyams, Norman Foster M-G-M Time, 72 mina.\ FAIRLY AMUSING COMEDYDRAMA ABOUT MISBEHAVING WIVES AND HUSBANDS WITH MENJOU IN A MILD ROLE AS A DON JUAN BACHELOR. Taken from Vincent Lawrence's play, "Among the Married," this story comes out rather unevenly as screen entertainment. It might have been made into a good farce, but in its more or less serious vein it sometimes falls into dullness despite its occasional laughs — some of which have all the earmarks of not having been intended. The action is somewhat of a continuous whoopee affair, with a bunch of wives going in for playing around with other men and winding up in divorce, and the husbands for the most part being the saps. Through it all Adolphe Menjou is the engaging bachelor who goes from married woman to married woman, but who fails to get the one he wants (Leila Hyams) because she happens to be too much in love with her erring husband (Norman Foster). The reconciliation of the latter couple supplies the fadeout. Cast: Adolphe Menjou, Leila Hyams, Norman Foster, Mary Duncan, Hedda Hopper, Robert Emmett Keane, Harry Northrup. Director, Edgar Selwyn; Author, Vincent Lawrence ; . Adaptor, Doris Anderson ; Dialoguer, same; Editor, Frank Sullivan; Cameraman, Harold Rosson ; Recording Engineer, Douglas Shearer. Direction, weak. Photography, good. "Die Drei Von Der Tanksrelle" (The Three from the Tankstelle) ufa Time, 90 mins. VERY ENTERTAINING GERMAN FILM OPERETTA WITH CATCHY MELODIES, FINE COMEDY AND CAST THAT PUTS IT OVER STRONG. Looks like another German musical film to follow up the success originally achieved by "Two Hearts in Waltz Time." This one lacks the haunting melodies of the latter, but the four numbers written by Werner Heymann are catchy enough. It is a well staged. production, with good directorial touches. It is an Erich Pommer production. It seems to be the answer to the proper way for Hollywood to handle filmusicals, for the musical comedy theme is made incidental to the story interest The sequences hold the story continuously, and build to a good climax. it tells of three young men who are buddies, in love with a rich girl, whose heart goes out to only one of them. Through the girls father, they are made directors of a big company, but the question of the girl remains undecided to the very end The comedy touches are delightful, and the lines clever. An American audience can follow it so clearly is the business indicated. Lilian tom^ y FritSCh make dn enSaei"g Hirft:BVV!ly Fri'sch °skar Karlweis, Heinz Ruehmann, Fritz Kampers, Lilian r T'eS' m? ?a Jschechowa, Kurt Gerron, Gertrud Wolle, Felix 'Bressart. Director, Wilhelm Thiele ; Authors, Franz Schulz, Paul Frank; Adaptors, same; Dialoguers, same; Editor, Victor Gertler ; Cameraman, Franz Planer; Recording Engineer, Hermann Fntzsching. e ' Direction, Very Good. Photography, Okay. ' "Nomadie" Dr. Alexander Singelow Time, 63 mins. GOOD TRAVELOGUE WITH FINE PHOTOGRAPHY AND WELL EDITED, COVERING INTERESTING VIEWS OF NORWAY, SWEDEN, DENMARK AND GERMANY. This is a very intelligently presented scenic, and one of the best of its kind ever produced. The director, Dr. Alexander Singelow, who took the shots, has caught the spirit of the different countries, and strung his views together with a fine sense of proportion and balance, with contrasting shots that keep the succeeding pictures building with the atmosphere of a continuous story. The photography is excellent, and the accompanying talk is very adequate. The director has caught the romance of the various countries, as well as their beauty and artistic qualities. Some unusual scenes are presented in the four different countries that are out of the usual routine of the average travel film. To peoples of these various nations, the reel will certainly exercise a strong appeal. The German sequence is especially interesting. Where such films have a play, this one can be recommended without reservation. It should prove ideal summer fare, with the leisurely atmosphere that pervades the many beautiful scenes, reflecting the Continental life that is so different from our own hurried existence. No credits, as Dr. Alexander Singelow handled the entire production.