The Film Daily (1931)

(unday, September 6, IVil DAILY 23 Nancy Carroll in I "I AM FROM SIAM" picture Classics Ti7ne, 39 mins ■ INTERESTING AND IMPRESIVE TOUR OF SIAMESE CITIES t^ITH INTIMATE VIEWS OF NAIIVES AND ROYALTY. 1 The coronation of King Prajadhipk, who recently visited this coun[•y, and the cremation ceremony of ing Rama VI are the outstanding liatures in this travel film, although score of novel and curious scenes f native sports and customs add pnsiderably to the entertainment. l!uch footage is given over to the oronation sequence which shows 'uch royal pomp and majesty, some ' it a relic of medieval days. The emation shots are unusually incresting. Novelty is added to the [Im by scenes of a Siamese prizebht in which the contestants use iDth hands and feet; a theatrical erformance; elephants at work and L play, and many other items new nd novel to American audiences, lusical background is well selected Ind satisfactorily synchronized. D. j. Garden, editor of the Bangkok laily Mail, delivers the descriptive ilk in a breezy, graphic manner. Production Supervisor, M. J. Weisfeldt , jlitor. Russell Shields; Musical Director, .ithaniel Shilkret ; Lecturer, D. S. Garden ; jimeraman, Karl Robelen. Tallulah Bankhead in "MY SIN" Paramount Time, 80 mins. FAIRLY ENTERTAINING DRAMA OF PANAMA AND NEW YORK. BANKHEAD AND MARCH BIG LURE IN THIS ONE. This picture offers additional evidence to the effect that Miss Bankhead is first class starring material. She has both glamour and ability. Able support comes from Frederic March opposite her. The story is inclined to be a variation of "should a woman tell?" It is not strikingly original but it speeds up in the last two reels, thus giving the audience a better impression than it really deserves. It concerns a hostess in a Panama cafe who kills her man when he tries to grab her savings. A drunken young attorney reforms to save her in the court sequence. She returns to New York and is about to marry a wealthy young chap when her past is exposed. Eventually she turns to the lawyer in a cleverly-handled ending. Cast: Tallulah Bankhead, Frederic March, Harry navenport, Scott Kolk, Anne Sutherland. Margaret Adams, Jay Fassett, Lily Cahill, Averell Harris and Charles Fang. Director, George Abbott ; Author, Fred Jackson : Adaptation, Owen Davis and Adel-iide Heilhron ; Cameraman, George Folsey ; Editor, Emma Hill ; Recording Engineer, Ernest Zatorsky. Direction, okay. Photography, fine. "You And I" with Lewis Stone, Evalyn Knapp First National Time, 76 min^. ADAPTATION OF STAGE PLAY MISSES SPARKLE OF ORIGINAL, SHAPING UP AS ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE SELECT FEW. This one misses the pop appeal a mile, with the motivation and action a little too subtle for the mob to get. As a stage play, "You and I," by Philip Barry, it was one of those intimate affairs over the footlights that scored. The transposition to the screen seems to have clouded some of its values. It wobbles around uncertainly, with no definite building toward any strong climax. The theme is that of a father who yearns to quit the business grind and devote his life to painting. This he does eventually, urged by his loving wife. Meanwhile his son's life starts to duplicate that of his father, rushing into a business career so he can marry a girl, and sidetracking his ability as an architectural student. Finally the son's wish is gratified through a compromise with fate on the part of his father. Interesting, but won't create any furore. Fine cast throughout, with clever dialogue. Cast: Lewis Stone, Evalyn Knapp, Charles Butterworth, Doris Kenyon, John Darrow, Oscar Apfel, Una Merkel. Director, Robert Milton ; Author, Philip Barry; Adaptor, Robert Presnell ; Dialoguer, same; Editor, Jack Rawlins; Cameraman. Sol Polito ; Recording Engineer, not listed. Direction, very good. Photography, fine. Joan Crawford in "This Modern Age" M-G-M Time, 76 mins. FINE NUMBER FOR SOPHISTICATED AUDIENCES WITH SEX VALUES CLEVERLY TIED UP IN UNUSUAL MOTHERDAUGHTER THEME. They put a splendid cast to work on a very unusual story that packs some powerful dramatic punches and real heart throbs, all done with a sophisticated touch that will delight the intelligent audiences. It is group-up entertainment in every respect. Joan Crawford finds herself in Paris with her mother, a divorcee, who is being supported by her French lover, without Joan's knowledge. Then comes Joan's love affair with a fine youth of a splendid family. The mother sees that she must sacrifice herself to save the girl's happiness, when the youth's family and he himself discover the mother's relationship with the French daddy. Pauline Fredrick handles the mother part with dramatic power and a fine delicacy that almost steals the picture. But Joan Crawford is excellent, too, and all in all it is real entertainment done with class. Of course the ending works out happily for all. Cast : Joan Crawford, Pauline Frederick. Xeil Hamilton, Monroe Owsley. Hobart Bosworth, Emma Dunn, Albert Conti, Adrienne d'Ambricourt, Marcelle Corday. Director, Nicholas Grinde ; Author, Mildred Cram ; Adaptors, Sylvia Thalberg. Frank Butler; Dialoeuers, same; Editor, William LeVanway : Cameraman, Charles Rosher ; Recording Engineer, Douglas Shearer. Direction, smart. Photography, excellent "HEADIN' FOR TROUBLE" with Bob Custer \ig 4 Time, 56 miyis. (GOOD WESTERN MELODRAMA ITH STRONG APPEAL FOR OP HOUSES. HARD RIDIN' BY lUSTER AND A CLEVER PERORMANCE BY MASTER DUKE EE, OUTSTANDING. This is the type of melodrama of e west that will make "pop" auj.ences stand up and shout when \e hero and his gang, ride madly 'er the plains, to arrive "just in me" to save the heroine and her )or old father from the clutches ' the villian. Bob Custer, first appars as a cattle-thief but after any fights, some hard ridin' and enty of gun-play, he turns out to a "rider of the range" out to get murderer. A rather pretty rolance runs through the picture beveen Custer and Betty Mack, aidI considerably by Duke Lee, a venile, who knows how to act, and ',ho becomes an integral part of the ■ory. Colorful and scenic locations ive been chosen for the locale. A w sequences, wherein cowboys ay and sing, are also enjoyable, arton King turned in a good job ■V supervisor and the recording is '^ar and distinct. fcast: Boh Custer. Betty Mack, Andy juford. Bob Walker. Jack Hardey, John j:e, Duke Lee. Pirector, J. P. McGowan : Author, George organ ; Adaptor, same ; Dialoguer, same ; iitor, Fred Bain ; Cameraman, Edward ill; Recording Encineer, L. John Myers; ipervisor. Burton King, pirection, good. Photography, good. "Shanghai Love" with Richard Cromwell, Sally Blaine and Noah Beery Columbia Time, 75 mins. TYPICAL SEA-MELODRAMA WITH FIGHTS, MUTINY. BAD MEN AND ROMANCE. RICHARD CROMWELL FINE AS LOVESICK YOUTH. Fast action, strong dialogue and good performances by the leading players place this raw-boned seadrama in the better class list of two-fisted melodramas. Noah Beery as the captain of a "hell ship" shanghies a crew and finds among his seamen, the man from whom Beery had taken his wife and child, years previous. Also on board as an able-seaman is Richard Cromwell, a youth who had once befriended Sally Blaine, the captain's daughter. The presence of the two men is resented by Beery who orders his first mate to "get" them both. Mutiny, with some hard fightintr. breaks out, and in the end. Beery and the mate receive their just deserts and Cromwell gains Sally as his wife-to-be. The picture is verv melodramatic in theme and direction. Cromwell appears to find advantage and Beery is excellent. Cast: Richard CrnmwHI. Noah Beery. <?.illv B'nrip Willard Rnbertson. Sidney Braov. D'rk Alexarder. Fdwin J. Br-.dv. Krville Aldersnn Tpck Cheatham, Fred Tnnmes. Lionel Belmore. Director. Geortrp B. S-itz : Author, Norman Snrineer ; Adaotors. Roy Chanslor. Jack Cunnirtrbnm : Dialoeuers. same ; Editor. Gene Milfo-d ; Cameraman, Teddy Tetzlaff ; Recordim? Eneineer, Glenn Rominper. Direction, good. Photography, fine. "Explorers of the World" Raspin Productions Time, 76 mins. BIG KICK FOR THRILL AND ADVENTURE-LOVERS IN CAMERA RECORDS OF FAMOUS EXPLORERS. This is primarily planned for roadshowing, but it will stand up as very absorbing entertainment for those who love their thrills and the spirit of adventure. It's chief value is in its stark realism, presenting very graphically the inside stories of the adventures of six world-famous explorers on their scientific expedition to the far corners of the world. The reels were assembled by explorer Harold Noice, who employed an interesting device for injecting the personal and human element into the photographic records. He assembles his five explorer friends at a banquet table, and gives a brief introduction of each celebrity, and they in turn take up the narration work on their own camera record as it starts to unreel. These cover Harold McCracken, in his Siberian Arctic trip; Gene Lamb, conducting the trek to Tibet for the Chinese government; Commander Attilio Gatti, leader of the ItalianAfrican expedition; Lieutenant Commander J. R. Stenhouse, captain of the "Aurora," on the Imperial TransAntarctic expedition, Dr. Laurence M. Gould, second in command of the Byrd Antarctic trip; and finally Harold Noice, leader of the Tariano Italian Ethnological expedition to Northwestern Brazil. Plenty of thrills and action. "The Horse Ate the Hat" ("Un Chapeaii de Paille D^ Italic") Moviegraphs Time, 63 mins. POOR FRENCH SILENT FILM HOLDS LITTLE ENTERTAINMENT IN FARCE IDEA THAT IS WEAKLY PRESENTED. This is an adaptation of a French stage satire, which in its original form created quite a furore. But in transposing to the screen, they lost all the subtlety of the idea, and in many spots it goes slapstick, with the cast rushing around rather aimlessly and frantically, and not at all humorously. Rene Clair, who made "Sous Les Toits de Paris," directed this weak number some two years ago, and shows little of his masterful direction displayed in the later highly successful film. The yarn is all about a flirtatious wife whose new hat is destroyed by the hero's horse. Then into the typical French farce situation, with the wife's sweetheart involved, and the frantic efforts of all hands to protect themselves, or to find out what scandal the others are involved in. The cast is far superior to the material, but are made to act in a very amateurish manner more often than not. Cast: Albert Prejean, Vita L. Ceymond, Olga Tschekova. Paul Olivier. Alex Allin, Volbert, Jim Gerald, Alice Tissot, Alexis Bendi, Molle Maryse Maia. Director, Rene Clair ; Authors, Eugene Labi.sche. Marc Michael; Adaptor, Rene Clair ; Editor, not listed ; Cameraman, not listed. Direction, weak. Photography, fair.