The Film Daily (1933)

THE Thurs., March 2, 1933 •%tk DAILY "WHAT PRICE DECENCY" Equitable-Majestic 67 mins. LURID TALE OF TROPICS WITH BROAD SEX ANGLE HAS SLIGHT APPEAL AND IS OUT FOR FAMILY TRADE. This is a very indifferent production rather carelessly thrown together as to construction and direction, with the only saving grace being the good performance of Dorothy Burgess who makes a difficult role appear plausible and quite human. As a woman of the streets she marries a Dutch trader in the tropics, who takes her to his trading post where he deals in pearls secured from the natives over whom he rules despotically. She puts up with his cruel and indifferent treatment till another trader and adventurer comes along. Love springs up between them, and the newcomer tries to persuade her to flee with him back to his home in Ireland. But she is loyal to her hubby who has given her a chance to go straight. Then she learns from his lips that the marriage was a fake. She beats him into blindness with his own cruel whip, and joins her sweetheart. Pretty weak, and certainly out for respectable trade with its broad implications and some dialogue. The jungle atmosphere is the best part of the film, but action is slow and lacks the punch that this type of film needs to get it over. Cast: Dorothy Burgess, Alan Hale. Walter Byron, V. Durant, Henry Durant. Director, Arthur Gregor; No other credits listed. Direction, Poor. Photography, Fair "HE LEARNED ABOUT WOMEN" with Stuart Erwin, Alison Skipworth, Susan Fleming Paramount 68 mins. SATISFYING COMEDY ROMANCE WITH STUART ERWIN DOING A GOOD JOB AS THE CHIEF LAUGH-GETTER. With Stuart Erwin and Alison Skipworth in the cast, no picture can miss very far unless it is pretty badly hampered by story. In this case, though the action is a little slow getting under way, it finally hits a good stride and hands out plenty of good fun that ought to satisfy most any pop audience. Erwin is a studious chap who unexpectedly comes into a lot of dough and is advised to crawl out of his book shell and go out and see real life. Without formality he engages a couple of secretaries, Alison Skipworth and Susan Fleming, and proceeds to have a romance with Susan, while Miss Skipworth trails along as mama. Some crooked business is injected in the form of a shakedown attempt on the part of Miss Skipworth's husband and an accomplice, but the girls, who at first agreed to go in on the deal, back out and side with Erwin, thereby averting the holdup, and ending in Susan and Erwin bound for the altar. Cast: Stuart Erwin, Susan Fleming, Alison Skipworth, Gordon Westcott, Grant Mitchell, Sidney Toler, Tom Ricketts, Claude King, Gertrude Norman, Gertrude Messinger, Geneva Mitchell, Dorothy Granger, Irving Bacon. Director, Lloyd Corrigan; Author, same; Adaptors, Harlan Thompson, Ray Harris; Cameraman, Charles Lang Direction, Good Photography, Good. A LITTLE from "LOTS" !■■.!! PH IV ILK HOLLYWOOD TJOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, JR., will be co-starred with Leslie Howard in Warner's "Fellow Prisoners," based on a story by Sir Philip Gibbs published in "Liberty" Magazine. * * * John Warburton has been signed for World Wide's adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes story. "A Study in Scarlet." Featured players include Reginald Owen, Warburton Gamble, June Clyde, Anna May Wong, Alan Dinehart, Alan Mowbray, Billy Bevan, Doris Lloyd, Wyndham Standing and others. * * * Shooting1 on Educational's fourth Moran and Mack comedy, "A Pair of Socks," has been completed. The cast, headed by the "two black crows," includes Iris Lancaster, James Burke, Philip Hurlick, Billy Engle and Jack Kenny. Charles La mont directed. * * * "Knight Duty" replaces "Wise Dummies" as the title of the new Mermaid comedy starring Harry Langdon. Langdon is supported bv Lita Chevret, Nell O'Day, Billy Bevan and Vernon Dent. * * * Editing on "Krakatoa," Educational's three-reel special, has been completed by Forrest Izard. Betty Furness, RKO starlet, will have the leading feminine role opposite Tom Keene in "Cross Fire." * * * Frank LaRue and Willie Fong have been signed by Columbia for "The Lovable Liar," Buck Jones vehicle. George B. Seitz is directing from a story by Harry 0. Hoyt. Dorothy Revier plays the feminine lead and Arthur Rankin and Ed LeSaint have feature roles. * * * Irving Lippman, known as the "Roaming Photographer," is now shooting "stills" at Paramount. He was formerly with Warner Bros. * * * Bert Marx, formerly with Nat Goldstone, has joined Bren and Or satti. * * Fox cast assignments: James Marcus, Blanche Friderici, for "Adorable," Victor Jory for "I Loved You Wednesday," in which Elissa Landi will have the feminine lead Harry Beresford and Yolanda Patti for "Bondage," Henrietta Crosman for "My Lips Betray," Preston Foster for "Husbands Cost Money" (formerly "Department Store"l. Paramount cast assignments: Lew Cody, Dorothy Burgess for "I Love That Man". Stuart Erwin, Lumsden Hare for "International House Gloria Stuart for "Dead on Arrival", Charlie Ruggles for "Don't Call Me Madame." Helen Twelvetrees. Cary Grand. William Harrigan for "Apartment Nine," Cary Grant in "The Eagle and the Hawk," William Farnum for "Supernatural." WARNER BROS. HAVE AGAIN SIGNED WITH LEON SCHLESINGER FOR // LOONEY TUNES" AND // // MERRIE MELODIES FOR THE 1933-34 SEASON