The Film Daily (1931)

THE 10 2S DAILY Sunday, June 28, 1931 J, Eddii Quilldii SWEEPSTAKES" ■>> James Gleason, Minimi Nixon, Cody, Paul Hurst RKO Patke Tims, 78 n GOOD NUMBER FOR THE POP CROWDS WITH ITS RACING ATMOSPHERE. HEART INTEREST AND GLEASON'S CHARACTERIZATION. 1 1 l.i r number and ought to go strong with audiences that like i sentiment and action mixed in althy gobs. It h;i> the racek for it- atmosphere, and with limmie Gleason as the trainer of the roughbred, in the picture a Rood proportion ot the time, it I tertaining all the way. Gleason pracllly take the picture over without struggle. He uives his usual fine formance in his typical roughneefc• heart manner. Nothing particularly new in the theme, with Eddie key barred from ng through no fault of his own. He drifts to Tia Juana, where his trainer. Gleason, tracks him down. Gleason buys Quillan's old racer, with the help of three bartender partners, and stages a comeback for lie and cops the big purse. Comedy touches in abundance. Cast: Eddie Qtrillan, J ison, Mar m, Lew Cody, Fred Burton. King .[■II. Hilly Sullivan. Lillian LeiRhton, Jackson, Paul Hurst. Director. Al Rogell; Author, Lew Lipton ; Adaptor, same; Dialoguer. Ralph Murphy; Editor. .1 Cameraman. Edward Sny der: Recording Engineer. Charles O'Loughlin. Direction, good. Photography, okay. Ken Maynard in ALIAS— THE BAD MAN" Tiffany Time, 61 ?/ SNAPPY ACTION WESTERN MADE FOR THE KIDS THAT WILL PLEASE 'EM WITH HEROICS OF STAR. GOOD STORY PACKS PUNCHES. This is a typical Ken Maynard that moves along at a fast clip all the way. The store is above the averwestern opus material, having an intelligent plot, with plenty of surprises and twists to keep the suspense always at fever heat. It is the type of western that will please the kids, as well as the older fans who like their action fast and plenty. Maynard hits into a tough proposition as a ranger under cover trying to prove that his father did not come by his death in a gun duel with another rancher. He eventually pins the double murder on the leader of the gaiiR who is running the town, but not before he has placed himself in some tight spots that make it look as if his hash is cooked. How he extricates himself and turns the tables on the gang is cleverly worked out. Virginia Browne Faire lends good support as the girl. You can go out and ballyhoo this one, for they will like it. Cast: Ken Maynard. Virginia Browne Faire, Frank Mayo. Charles King. Robert Horaans, Irving Bacon, Lafe McKee, Ethan Allen. Director. Phil Rosen: Author. Ford Becbe: Adaptor. Karle Snell : Dialoguer. same ; Editor. Martin G. Cohn ; Cameraman, Arthur Reed. Direction, snappy. Photography, good. Lawrence Tibbett in "THE PRODIGAL" M-G-M Time, 76 mint. A WEAK SISTER. FRAIL AND DULL STORY MAKES THIS COMEDY DRAMA WITH MUSIC SLOW STUFF. This is so meaningless that it doesn't look like an M-G-M picture. Rased on "The Southerner," the story is antique and has not been helped at all by Harry Pollard's direction. Its dialogue apparently tries to kid the theme. Tibbett sings several times and there is an entire sequence devoted to negro group singing against a barbecue background. All this is excellently done, but it only tends to give the entire business an even slower tempo. Tibbett does a hobo son of a wealthy Southern woman. Returning home after some years his family, except mother, despise him. He prevents his sister-inlaw from running away with the heavy and eventually falls in love with her. At the end a divorce is pending to clear the way for a happy marriage. Good comedy is furnished by Roland Young and Cliff Edwards. Cast: Lawrence Tibbett. Esther Ralston, Roland Young. Cliff Edwards. Purnell B. Pratt, lledda Hopper. Emma Dunn. Stepin Fetchit. Louis John Battels. Theodore Von Elt7. Wally Albright. Jr., Suzanne Rensom, Gertrude Howard. John Larkin. Director, Harry Pollard; Authors, Bess Meredyth. Wells Root ; Adaptors, same ; Dialoguers. same ; Editor, Margaret Booth ; Cameraman, Harold Rosson ; Recording Engineer, Doug'as Shener. Direction, weak. Photography, fine. "ANNABELLES AFFAIRS" with Victor McLaglen, Jeanettt MacDonald and Roland Young Fox Time, 76 rains. FAIRLY AMUSING FARCE WITH COMEDY HONORS TO ROLAND YOUNG AND SAM HARDY. Clare Kummer's "Good Gracious Annabelle," which proved a success on the stage, fails to carry with it to the screen its speed and volume of spontaneous laughter material. There are many funny situations and hearty laughs, but they are separated by volumes of dialogue and unneces-4 sary scenes. The plot is about Anna-j belle Leigh, played by Jeanette Mac-1 Donald, who takes a position as coolJ in the household of a wealthy but saturated bachelor, Roland Young.] Annabelle, who is separated from her wealthy husband, to whom she was married when he wore a long! beard, enters Young's employ in al effort to secure some valuable stockcertificates which Young holds, bun which rightfully belong to her. Mc-J Laglen, her husband, shows up and, I because he is shaven, is not recog-l nized by his wife. It all works out J all right, but without the expected! mirth. Cast: Victor McLaglen, Jeanette Mac1 Donald, Roland Young, Sam Hardy, William Collier, Si.. Ruth Warren, Joyce Compton. Sally Bl;_ne, George Andre Beranger, Walter Walker, Hank Mann, Jed Prouty. Louise \ Beavers, Wilbur Mack. Director, Alfred Werker ; Author, Clare Kummer ; Adaptor, Leon Gordon ; Dialoguer same ; Editor, Margaret Clancy ; Cameraman, Charles Clarke. Direction, fair. Photography, good. "WOMEN LOVE ONCE" with Paul Lukas and Eleanor Boardman /'urn mount Time, 71 mins. PAUL LUKAS" ACTING IS BEST THING IN WEAK TRIANGLE-DRAMA WITH POORLY WRITTEN DIALOGUE. There i< little value to this sophisticated story, due to inferior direction and stilted dialogue. The latter fault is most pronounced in the part played by little Marilyn Knowlden, who is about 10 years old and whose speaking lines are of mature construction with five and six syllable words for her to deliver naturally. Other parts fail to assume a convincing atmosphere. The story concerns an artist, played by Paul Lukas, who wishes to be free to live, and do what he pleases, leaving utiful wife and child to carryon with home cares. His wife, Eleanor Boardman, attempts to re-mould her life according to the double-standard but fails. There is little suspense in the obvious situations that follow. well picked but looses strength on account of storv and -loppy construction. Cast: Paul Lukas. Eleanor Boardman. Juliette ( ompton, ( ;< it, Helen John lyn Knowlden. Claude King. Mi-cha Auer. D rector. Edward G Iman; Author. Zoe Akins; Adaptor, not credited; Dialoguer not credited; Editor, not credited; Cameraman. Karl Struss; Recording Engineer. U M. Paggie. Direction, spotty. Photography, good. John Gilbert in "GENTLEMAN'S FATE" with Leila Hyams, Anita Pac/c M-G-M Time, 90 mins. RACKETEER DRAMA WITH GOOD CAST BUT SUFFERING FROM WEAK STORY, BROKEN UP LOVE INTEREST AND TOO MUCH GUNPLAY. Apparently made during the recent crest of gangster films, this one has gone in for open gunwork and killings in a pretty big way. but without much dramatic effect. The story itself is a curious and weak affair, dealing with liquor smugglers and highjackers operating between the U. S. and Canada. Gilbert has the role of a liquor racketeer chief's favorite son, who has been kept in gentlemanly style away from the money business and under the care of a guardian, all the time believing himself an orphan. But when the father is plugged by a competitor, the young son is dragged into the racket, which results in his fiancee leaving him. He then falls for the moll of a rival gangster, whom he had killed, and later is shot himself on the eve of his honeymoon trip. The unhappy ending is the death blow to the piclure. Plenty of good talent in the cast, but they can't overcome the story handicaps. Cast: John Gilbert. Louis Wolheim. Lelia Hyams, Anita Page. Marie Prevost. John Miljan, George Cooper, Ferike Boros, Ralph luce. Frank Reicher, Paul Porcasi. Tener II. .It/. Director. Merwyn LeKoy : Author, Ursula ParrottJ Adaptor, Leonard Praskins ; Dialoguer, same; Editor, William S. Gray; Cameraman. Merritt B. Gerstad ; Recording Engineer. Douglas Shearer. Direction, fair. Photography, okay. "COLDIE" with Jean Harlow, Spencer Tracy, Warren Hymer Fox Time, 73 mins. FAIRLY AMUSING YARN OF TWO MERCHANT SAILORS FOLLOWING THE USUAL FORMULA OF THE BUDDIES ALWAYS FIGHTING OVER A GIRL. Here is another version of the old formula of two sailor buddies traveling the wide world over, and having difficulties over their various dames. The picture is too repetitious for half its length, with one sailor following the other around the world, and finding the other chap's mark of identification on a gal in every city he strikes. Finally he catcher uo to him, and they become buddies. Then the sappy gent, played by Warren Hvmer. falls for Jean Harlow in a French seaport. Spencer Tracy, the "wise" member of the partnership, tries to show his nal she is onlv a gold digger, she having been his former sweetie. It finishes in a wild fight in a waterfront saloon, with Hymer coming to the rescue of his pal, and then beating him up for "taking advantage" of his gal. Fair number of laughs, but not for the kiddies to see with its sonhisticated slant and rough conversation. Chst: Spencer Tracy. Warren Hymer. Jem Harlow. Jesse De Vorska. Leila Karnelly. Lina Basquette. E'eanor Hunt Maria Alba. Ivan Linow. Eddie Kane. Director, Benjamin Stoloff ; Author, not listed : Adaptors. Gene Towne. Paul Perez : Dialoguers. same ; Editor. Alex Troffey ; Cameraman, Ernest Palmer. "HjARTATS ROST" ("Sarah and Son") Paramount Time, 90 mins. GOOD SWEDISH ADAPTATION OF AMERICAN FILM THAT FOLLOWS STORY CLOSELY AND CARRIES GOOD DRAMATIC PUNCH. This was made abroad with an allSwedish cast, featuring Margit Manstead, who does a very commendable piece of acting throughout. She has fine emotional power, and a very pleasing personality. The story is the same as that of "Sarah and Son," as originally produced in Hollywood. The girl is a singer who marries a cheap actor, and after a quarrel he departs with their baby and places it in the home of a rich English couple. While singing to wounded soldiers in a hospital after the war, he gets from the dying lips of her husband the name of the wealthy family who have her baby. Through the lawyer of this family, she attempts to secure her child, but they will not even let her see it or admit that it is her child. From here it works up to some very poignant scenes with the mother and the child, and the mother eventually securing her boy again. Cast: Margit Manstead. Richard Lund. Ivan Hedquist, Mathias Taube. Jessie Wessel. Rodnar Billberg. Leopold Rosensohn. Stellan Windrow. Helda Fredricksen, Inger de Friis. Director, Rune Carlsten ; Author, Timothy Shea ; Adaptor, Per Stille ; Dialoguer. credited : Editor, not credited ; Cameraman, not credited. Direction, adequate. Photography, fair.