The Film Daily (1932)

THE Sunday, April 17. 1932 DAILV REVIEWS OF SOUND SHORTS i. "Extra! Extra!" with Frank McHugh RKO Pathe 20 mins. Clicks Very good newspaper comedy, with Frank McHugh doing a swell role as the drunk reporter who stumbles onto a big scoop after he has been fired from the paper. The editor is after the lowdown on a fake spiritualist, and McHugh gets into the house under the delusion that it is a speakeasy. Some very funny gags happen between the reporter and the gang who are assisting the fake medium. This comedian is there, and makes this a real laugh number. "Beautiful and Dumb" disporting in the snow, followed by a mountain climbing sequence. Subject and photography are okay, but the painful attempts at humor by a feminine narrator go pretty far toward spoiling the enjoyment of the picture. Radio 11 mins. Misses A one-reel subject that misses as a comedy by a mile, and cannot be classed as anything but a total loss. Lew Cody is the slick gent posing as a count out to trim the rich dowager, Dot Farley, out of her diamond necklace. He uses as an innocent decoy Mary Nolan, the dowager's beautiful but dumb niece. The dumb girl gums up all his attempts to steal the necklace. It's flat and unfunny, and there seems no excuse for its release. "A Slip At the Switch" Radio 18 mins "Chic" Sale Wow A typical "Chic" Sale comedy, with the comedian doing his usual role as a simple hick in a backwoods town. He is in temporary charge of the agent's office at the railroad station, when a couple of yeggs rob him of a money consignment. There is a very funny sequence where "Chic" is on a handcar chasing the robbers, and is caught between two trains rushing along on the same track. It moves fast, and is filled with Sale's inimitable touches. Surefire where they like this ace comic's style. Vitaphone "Bosco's Party" (Looney Tune) Good 7 mins, tion at a shipyard, where they proceed to doll up a vessel for christening, with poor Edgar on nervous edge all the time for fear something will happen to the bottle. And it does. Joe Penner in 'The Toreador" "Remember When" Vitaphone 5909 8 mins. Amusing Oldtime Shots This is the ninth in the series of "Pepper Pot" novelty subjects from the Vitaphone studios. It presents a series of clips of noted personages and incidents back to the early dajs of the screen. There is the familiar scene of Fifth Avenue in the nineties, an Easter parade of about the same time, the Rough Riders parading on their return from Cuba, Mrs. Parkhurst of woman's suffrage fame, the Prince of Wales as a youth, the ex-Kaiser taking a carriage ride with King George of England, the Russian Imperial family, and other scenes. The shots are both interesting and amusing, but the running comment does not extract anywhere near the humor from the scenes that some similar subjects have had. Vitaphone 6412 17 mins. Funny In this two-reeler of the Vitaphone "Big Star" series, Joe Penner poses as a bull-fighter and stows away on a southbound steamer. Mistaken lor a famous toreador, who is traveling to the same port incognito. Penner is inducted into the bull ring, where he goes through an amusing performance. Just a lot of slapstick hokum, designed solely lor the laughs, and succeeding with fair satisfaction. Alf Goulding directed. "Voice of Hollywood" (No. 13) Tiffany 10 mins. Very Good Among the personalities appearing more or less informally in this issue of the fan reel are: George Bancroft, El Brendel, John Wayne, Farina, Gary Cooper, Lupe Velez. Eddie Quillan, Thelma Todd, Jackie Cooper, Jack Dempsey, Estelle Taylor and others. There is a bit of byplay concerning some stolen jewels that adds interest to the continuity. An excellent subject of its kind. "Magic Art" Radio 7 mins. Good Cartoon An Aesop cartoon fable, with the funny cat having some wild experiences with his friend, who is a magician in art. He creates all kinds of animals from drawings, which lead the hero into a variety of funny and novel adventures. The cartoon work is very good, and the animated moves fast. An entertaining animated cartoon. Bosco brings a flock of his animal friends to Honey's house, where they throw her a surprise birthday party, raising a lot of lively rumpus. "Empire of the Sun" (Vagabond Adventure Series) RKO 12 mins. Usual Stuff Nothing particularly distinguishing about this one, though it's okay as a travel subject of its kind. It embraces scenes of Japan in blossom time, with the accompanying native festivals, and other familiar sights of life in Japan. Gayne Whitman is the narrator. 7 mins. "Keep Cool" Talking Picture Epics Fair Scenic Some attractive and interesting scenic shots of St. Moritz, with kids Edgar Kennedy in "Giggle Water" RKO Pathe 20 mins. Fair Comedy In the present edition of his Average Man series, Edgar Kennedy goes through another round of domestic tribulation piled on him by wife, mother-in-law, and brother-inlaw, played respectively by Florence Lake, Dot Farley and William Eugene. Edgar has a bottle of champagne in his possession and plans to enjoy himself with it. But the family decides that champagne should be used for launching a ship, instead of being wasted on the human stomach. So they take a vaca AMERICA'S FIRST TRULY CONTINENTAL HOTEL TMME St. Moritz OIV THE PARK 50 Central Park South iVeti; York City Old world hospitality in the spirit of the new world; old world service with the newest of the new world's comforts. A cuisine that is the essence of Europe's finest, under the inspired direction of U/9ryL£^f7^< of Paris, London and the Riviera. Rooms single or en suite, facing Central Park and but a moment Trom the city's amusement and business sectors. Personal Direction of S. GREGORY TAYLOR "What a Knight" (Krazy Kat Cartoon) Columbia 7 mins. Okay A satisfactory animated. Krazy goes to the dentist for a tooth extraction. The doc gives him gas, and Krazy goes into a dream while the tooth-yanker works on him. Krazy is in the middle of a necking party with a swell bimbo just as the dentist brings him to, so the smart kat reaches for the gas and ;jj puts himself back into the trance. ^