The Film Daily (1932)

DAILY Wednesday, Nov. 23, 1932 THE CENSOR HAS HIS SAY (Continued from Page 1) handle in a mature way some of the great problems in our national life, as many critics have already pointed out. This would add to the screen's dignity and would win it friends among the country's thinkers and doers. However, be the screen as sophisticated as it may be, more pictures of homely theme and meaning are certainly desirable; which means less that is frothy, risque and fraught with double meaning. This applies equally to shorts, comedies and features. The moral tone and effect of any given film may be debatable and may vary according to tastes, standards and opinions of different audiences which see it; but flagrant suggestiveness is always self-evident, and when irrelevantly injected into a film, is doubly offensive, for the reason that its intent becomes bold and callous because of its being made only too clear. Whether there is too much sex in films, again, is a matter of opinion. Young people today are not thinking as older people did yesterday, but all of us were created after Nature's fashion. The screen's province dramatically, it may be said, is to acts as Nature's mirror, which is different from following the decadent principle of "Art for Art's sake"; nor should the principles of "Sex for Sex's sake" be followed by producers of motion pictures. Let us have a happy medium in the themes of films and strike a balance in the forces that are to be blended into these themes. Let us have more sincerity, more meaning and more variety in screen entertainment. The screen has made its most lasting appeal through its ability to fix and hold our human interest by showing us things that are human; the permanency of the screen's appeal resides in its ability to continue to do this. Producers should think this over carefully. Less fury, and less sound; and instead greater attention to the things that go on in people's hearts and people's souls. Certain films are striking a higher level of intelligence and a greater degree of dramatic appeal today than ever before. The screen in drawing newer talent is showing re perception as to its nature as a medium of expression, but the important films still jut high out above the average and producers should ntly to raise the general 1 of production toward the standards the film3 set. This would be good art, good judgment, and good box-office. Leo's Portion Looking back over the Academy award-, and other "best" selections of various yean, it is noted that M-G-M generally manages to get the lion's share. Joan Bennett and Charles Farrell in "WILD GIRL" with Ralph Bellamy, Irving Pichel, Eugene Pallette Fox 78 mins. GOOD OUTDOOR MELODRAMA OF THE EARLY WEST CARRIES NICE SUSPENSE AND IS WELL HANDLED ALL AROUND. Based on Bret Harte's "Salomy Jane," this vehicle contains plenty of good old reliable melodrama and also gives Joan Bennett and Charles Farrell some neat romantic opportunities against a background of the pioneer west with its stage coaches and bad men. Jane is a sort of tomboy who doesn't care for any of the several whiskered gents who are competing for her hand. But she falls for a stranger, Farrell, who has come from Virginia to even matters with a four-flusher who did wrong by his sister. Farrell kills the man, then makes a bold getaway just as he is under the hangman's noose, and with Jane's aid he eludes capture until matters are straightened out all around. Action is fairly plentiful, the picture having been made entirely on location, and some enjoyable comedy touches are supplied by Eugene Pallette as the blustering stage coach driver. Cast: Joan Bennett, Charles Farrell, Ralph Bellamy, Eugene Pallette, Irving Pichel, Minna Gombell, Sarah Padden, Willard Robertson, Ferdinand Munier, Morgan Wallace, James Durkin, Murdock MacQuarrie, Louise Beavers, Alphonz Ethier, Marilyn Harris, Carmencita Johnson, Delmar Watson. Director, Raoul Walsh; Author, Bret Harte; Adaptors, Doris Anderson, Edwin Justus Mayer; Dialoguers, same; Cameraman, Norbert Brodin; Recording Engineer, George Leverette; Editor, Jack Murray. Direction, Natural. Photography, Fine. "FALSE UNIFORMS" Amkino 68 mins. WEAK AND ONLY MILDLY INTERESTING RUSSIAN DRAMA WITH MUSICAL BACKGROUND AND ENGLISH TITLES. This is an historic folk legend that is built around a tale of one of the last of the romantic Russian outlaws. The Robin Hood of the film is Karmeliuk, who belongs to an Ukrainian lord of the manor. Tha lord disregards the hardships of his peasants, all of whom work for him as slaves. Kermeliuk revolts when he learns that one of the young girl serfs is about to be abused by a guest of the lord. Karmeliuk and the girl flee into the forest and are pursued by the lord's soldiers. Escape is made possible by a former slave who poses as a friend of the master. The film drags and has nothing in its direction, acting or photography to attract much attention. Stephan Shagiada, as the rcbellous slave, is adequate in the part. Cast: L. Podorozhny, Stephen Shagaida, Zinaida Pigulovitch, Velenfia Rovinskaya, Boris Karlash-Nerbitzky, A. Nikitin, Maxirr Astafiev. Director, Faust Lopashinshi; Authors, Samushkin and Whiting; Adaptors, same. Art Direction, M. Simashkevitch; Cameraman, A. Kaliushny. Direction, Weak. Photography, Fair "BREACH OF PROMISE" with Chester Morris, Mae Clarke World Wide 67 mins. DRAMA WITH UNUSUAL LOVE ANGLE CLICKS WITH FINE STORY AND WORK OF MORRIS AND MAE CLARKE. Based on a story, "Obscurity," by Rupert Hughes, this author's exceptional skill as a plot constructor is everywhere apparent. It is entirely out of the beaten track, filled with little surprise twists and unexpected developments that keep building the suspense to an unusual ending. The obvious seldom happens in this film, but always the unlooked for, which makes it very refreshing and intelligent entertainment. Chester Morris gives a convincing and stirring performance as the candidate for Senator who is almost ruined socially, politically and financially by the breach of promise suit instituted by Mae Clarke. Miss Clarke plays her role with fine repression and understanding. Worthy of special commendation is Charles Middleton for his part of a hard, narrow-minded foster father, which conveys a sense of gripping power. The girl's final atonement for the wrong she has done the man she loves is cleverly handled in a succession of very moving scenes. Cast: Chester Morris, Mae Clarke, Mary Doran, Theodore Von Eltz, Elizabeth Patterson, Charles Middleton, Lucille La Verne, Eddie Borden, Edward La Saint, Alan Roscoe, Harriett Lorraine, Philo McCullough, Tom McGuire. Director, Paul Stein; Author, Rupert Hughes; Scenarist, Ben Verschleiser; Adaptor, John Goodrich; Dialoguer, Anthony Veiller; Editor, Charles Kraft; Recording Engineer, William Fox; Cameraman, Art Miller. Direction, Very Good. Photography, Okay. "THE VARMLANDERS" (In Swedish) Scandinavian Talking Pictures 90 mins. LIVELY AND INTERESTING RURAL ROMANCE WITH SOME GOOD SINGING AND DANCE MUSIC. An old Swedish legend of folk lore has been interestingly presented in picture form, and no doubt will appeal strongly to all Swedish audiences. It tells the romance of Erik, the son of a rich farmer, and Anna, daughter of a poor farm tenant. The rich farmer has been forced to promise his son in marriage to the daughter of another farmer to whom he is financially obligated. Then the story shows how the hero's true love is forced to give him up in order to save her family from being evicted from their poor farm. So she writes a letter to Eric, pretending to be in love with someone else. Brokenhearted, he consents to marry the girl his father has picked out for him. Then of course the happy ending in a surprise climax, with the father relenting when he finds that his son's happiness means more to him than anything else. An "Old Homestead" idea done in Swedish. Incidental dance music and some folk songs lend brightness, and the rural scenes are very lovely. Cast: Mathias Taube, Hilda Borgstroem, Goesta Kjellertz, Ivan Hedquist, Anna Lisa Ericsson, Linnea Edgren. Director, Gustaf Edgren; Author, F. A Dahlgreen; Music, Andreas Randel; No other credits listed. Direction, Satisfactory. Photography, Good. Short Shots from Neti> York Studios "FUGITIVE" HOLDS IN PHILLY Philadelphia — Warner's "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" is being held over at the Mastbaum. "Richthofen" "Richthofen, the Red Ace of Germany," now being generally distributed by Symon Gould, is the same production which had limited showing in 1929 under the title of "Richthofen, the Red Knight of Germany." The picture at that time was accorded favorable newspaper notices and THE FILM DAILY rated it as "good entertainment." In its present release, some sound effects have been added, and one version has a German talking sequence at the finish. — By "C. A." — i QASTING for the first of the series I of 12 two-reelers titled "Broadway On Parade" to be produced by the Souland Productions has been started under the direction of Charles A. Stone, with production schedule to start within the next two weeks. • Fred Waring and his band have temporarily forsaken their vaudeville and concert engagements to make a picture at the Brooklyn Vitaphone studio. It is being directed by Roy Mack." • "Love and Passion," produced by Yugoslavian Pictures, Inc., the first all talking feature picture ever filmed in the Yugoslav language, with an all star cast headed by lakel Davidovitch, Yugoslavia's leading dramatic actress, has been completed and it is now being edited and cut. Frank Melford directed under the supervision of Joseph H. Nadel, production manager. • "Gentlemen Be Seated," a Minstrel Show in two-reels, has been completed at the Brooklyn Vitaphone studio. Roy Mack directed "Gentlemen Be Seated," from a story by Jack Henly and Glen Lambert. • Titles, effects and animation has been completed at the F. A. Dahme studio for the Black & Decker Tool Co., industrial feature recently made at the Caravel Studios. • Ed Dukoff,.in charge of publicity for the William Rowland & Monte Brice Productions, is back at his desk after having spent a week of happy honeymooning in Atlantic City. F. P. Pictures have completed cutting and editing of their first feature production, "The Horror," to be released through Stanley Distributing Corp., and are now preparing for their second production, "Dance Hall Dames," which goes into production Dec. 1.