The Film Daily (1934)

>Jnesdav,Aug.29, 1934 THE '%2H DAILY » » REVIEWS of the NEW FEATURES and SHORTS « « « )UNT OF MONTE CRISTO" /ith Robert Donat, Elissa Landi id Artists (Reliance) 115 mins. ST-RATE ENTERTAINMENT FOR tl WITH ROBERT DONAT A SWELL |AS THE HERO OF DUMAS NOVEL. ^generally good job was done by RePictures in bringing the Dumas clasIfB the talking screen, and a happy it ; was made in Robert Donat for the Erole. Though unknown on this side, Iritish actor has personable qualities twill win him a quick following, and ' 'jilities fit well into the part of EdH Dantes who daringly escaped from a iiion exile and returned to French %\ life as the Count of Monte Cristo A an end to the trio of political ters who framed him. Louis Calhern, Vi Blackmer and Raymond Walburn \ cry effective as the villains, while AS Landi fits nicely into the role of , eroine who marries Blackmer when jji is supposed to be dead, and later rinited with her real lover. Other 1 are in good hands, and the direction tslooth. Kit: Robert Donat, Elissa Landi, Louis (frn, Sidney Blackmer, Raymond Wal(TiO. P. Heggie, Georgia Caine, Walter I'lir, Luis Alberni, Irene Hervey, Doug/alton, Juliette Comptcn, Clarence Ii, Eleanor Phelps, Ferdinand Munier, lis Herbert, Mitchell Lewis, Clarence )S| Lionel Belmcre, Wilfred Lucas, Sid 3rvis, William Farnum, Paul Irving. Ji'Ctor, Rowland V, Lee; Authors, Alex I Dumas; Screen Play, Philip Dunne, 7i'~crherch, Rowland V. Lee; Camera i Peverell J. Marley; Recording Engi■nVintcn Vernon; Editor, Grant Why u >i:ction, A-l. Photography, Fine. RAIGHT IS THE WAY" v;h Franchot Tone, May Robson, Karen Morley 59 mins. A HUMAN INTEREST DRAMA IN ±TEER BACKGROUND LACKS MOXING FORCE AND PUNCH. 'a^n from the 1927 Broadway play, ul Walls," this racketeer yarn suffers it from the dozens of much more jljangster stories offered by the screen Tent years. Basically, it is the story | a! young Ghetto racketeer, Franchot ,iewho wants to go straight after havcved a five-year stretch, but gets gh up with the old crowd and his -ining former sweetie, Gladys George, • pas appropriated by the new ring'U Jack LaRue, when Franchot was * p. The old gang all want to ditch nd put Franchot on the throne, but leadings of his old mother, May , and the incidental influence of ;ol girl, Karen Morley, help him reIb evil influences. Despite a smooth "prion, the play's locale is depressing characters evoke little sympathy. : Franchot Tone, May Rcbscn, Kaorley, Gladys George, Nat Pendle?ck LaRue, C. Henry Gordon, Ray fcHatton, William Bakewell. »ii:tor, Paul Sloane; Authors, Dana ni George Abbott; Screen Play, Ber i >chubert; Cameraman, Lucien AnEditor, William S. Gray. >ii:tion, Fair. Photography, Good. "A GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST" with Louise Dresser, Ralph Morgan, Marian Marsh Monogram 86 mins. WHOLESOME DRAMA OF BACKWOODS HAS THE HEART APPEAL AND HUMAN TOUCHES FOR THE CROWDS. Adapted from the novel of Gene Stratton Porter, the film version follows the original very closely, and should click with the legion of readers of the book on that account. Louise Dresser plays the part of the mother who hates her own daughter whom she holds responsible for the death of her husband. On the night of his death he was returning from a meeting with the woman he really loved, and is drowned in a swamp near his home. His wife answers his frantic cries for help, but owing to her condition imminent on the birth cf her child, is unable to help him out of the bog. Thus she blames the innocent babe for her loss, and her hatred continues through the years till the day when she meets her rival accidentally, and learns that the man whose memory she had worshipped was unworthy of her. Then the surge of smothered mother love for her child, and the happy ending. Today it scunds all very saccharine and oldfashioned for the sophisticates, but there is no dcubt that it will go over big with the neighborhoods and the small town audience;. Cast: Louise Dresser, Ralph Morgan, Marian Marsh, H B. Walthall, Edward Nugent, Gigi Parrish, Helen Jerome Eddy, Betty Blythe, Barbara Bedford, Robert Ellis, Tommy Bupp. Director, Christy Cabanne; Author, Gene Stratton Porter; Screen Play, Adele Comandini; Editor, Carl Pierscn; Cameraman, Ira Morgan. Direction, Fair Photography, Good. Reb Russell in "MAN FROM HELL" with Fred Kohler Willis Kent 55 mins. GOOD WESTERN UNFOLDS WITH LOTS OF ACTION AND EXCITEMENT. This picture introduces an actor new to westerns. Reb Russell, former Ail-American football star at Northwestern U., and a handsome and well-trained animal. Rebel, the Wonder Horse. Both seem likely to develop into favorites in this field. Story oDens with Russell's return home after a three-vear jail stretch on a framed charge of robbing the stage. He foils an attempted ambush as he rides to visit Ann Darcv, daughter of the local banker. At her home he finds Fred Kohler, the town's mavor, forcin" her into a marriage agreement. Russell informs her that Kohler is an escaped murderer. Returning to town, Russell whips Kohler in a fist fight and a bit later overhears one of the Kohler gang "•p'ating how he (Russell) was framed. Whrn Russell wires Kohler's whereabouts to the state penitentiary, Kohler decides tn round up the citizens. Russell frustrates this in a good windup and wins the girl. Cast: Reb Russell, Fred Kchler, Ann Darcv, Yakima Canutt, Chas, Whittaker. Director, Lew Collins; Author, E E. Reprv Screen Plav, Melville Shyer; Cameraman, Wm, Nobles; Film Editor, Roy Luby; Recording Engineer, Bud Myers. Direction, Okay Photography, Fair. Reb Russell in "FIGHTING THROUGH" with Lucille Lund Willis Kent 55 mins. LIVELY WESTERN WITH ACTIONFILLED PLOT MAKES GOOD FARE FOR THRILL FANS. Hard-riding and plenty action are served up in this one. Reb Russell, a ranger, is shown being warned by the sheriff that he has a tough proposition to round up the rustlers in that section. Wandering into town, Russell rescues Yakima Canutt just as he is about to be hit with a gun butt by cwner of the town's saloon after a card game frameup in which Yakima lost his horse. Russell and Canutt get jobs at the ranch cf Lucille Lund. The salccn cwner, who is also the leader of the rustlers, seizes Canutt during Russell's absence from the ranch and is about to lynch him when Russell arrives to frustrate the scheme. In a second raid, the rustlers steal Lucille's cattle and kidnap her after killing several hands on the place. Russell and Canutt trail the outlaw band. Cast: Reb Russell, Lucille Lund, Yakima Canutt, Edward Hearn, Fred McCarrcll, Benny Corbett, Wally Wales. Director, Harry Fr.aser; Cameraman, Jas Diamond; Recording Engineer, Earl Crain; Film Editor, Roy Luby. Direction, Good Photography, Fair. FOREIGN "THE PROBLEM OF FATIGUE", with English titles; produced by Sovkino; directed by Ivan P. Pavlow. At the Acme Theater. Designed to show the fatigue that follows muscular exertion, the subject of this picture is of insufficient interest to run feature-length. Material for the picture was prepared by the Russian Academy of Science. SHORTS "Tripping Through the Tropics" with Frank Albertson and Lois January Columbia 19 mjns. Nifty Musical Comedy For nicely balanced entertainment values, this is one of the best of the two-reel musical comedies in Columbia's series, although the previous ones have been mighty good, too. For story background, the fathers of Frank Albertson and Lois January, desiring to see the youngsters married, take them on a trip to the tropics as a way of throwing them constantly together. The kids pretend they are courting, just to please their dads, then make faces at each other when they're alone. But in the end they get together as expected. Musical numbers are judiciously interpolated, and there is considerable satisfactory comedy, especially by Frank's chubby father, who has an effective style of laughmaking. Archie Goettler directed. Clark and McCulIough in "Hey, Nanny, Nanny" RKO Radio 20 mins. Fair Slapstick More of the familiar Clark and McCulIough nonsense, taking place this time in Sidney Jarvis' home, where Bobby Clark entertains a group of dinner guests by doing tricks that don't work out. In the course of his performance he ruins his host's silk hat and frock coat, along with doing other damage, winding up with an attempt to make a goat appear from nowhere and getting a surprise when the object in his blanket is his host instead of the goat. 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