The Film Daily (1934)

THE ■Sim DAILY Saturday, Sept. 15,193 A Little from "Lots" — By RALPH WILK — HOLLYWOOD "QORE SCHARY, Warner scenarist, will leave Oct. 1 for New York to finish his play, "Violence," and make arrangements for its production. Sidney Harmon, co-producer of "Men in White," is the producer. Schary is writing the screenplay for "Blue Moon Murder," a S. S. Van Dine story. T ▼ T Our Passing Show: C. B. DeMille, Frank Lloyd, Stanley Bergerman, Sid Grauman, Edwin H. Knopf, Jack Gardner, George Marshall, Dudlev Nichols, Oliver H. P. Garrett, Ed Chodorov, Howard Emmett Rogers, Nat Goldstone, Abe Meyer at the opening of "Mary of Scotland." T T V Alan Mowbray is playing an important role in "Night Life of the Gods," which Lowell Sherman is directing for Universal. T T T Walter Lang, who directed "Whom the Gods Destroy," "The Warrior's Husband," and several other pictures, will direct "The Mighty Barnum," which will be made by Twentieth Century Prods. Wallace Beery and Adolphe Menjou will be featured. T T T Francis Edward Faragoh has completed the screenplay for "The Three Musketeers," which RKO will produce, with Francis Lederer as the star. T T T Alf Goulding, popular comedy director, has been given the directorial assignment on the second release in Educational's new Frolics of Youth series which features Junior Coghlan. t v ▼ Roy Del Ruth, who is to direct Ronald Colman in 20th Century's "Clive of India," was selected by Darryl Zanuck in response to requests of exhibitors as a result of the good job done by Del Ruth with Colman's recent release, "Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back," according to Zanuck. Del Ruth's last directorial effort was "Kid Millions," the Eddie Cantor vehicle for Samuel Goldwyn. ▼ ▼ ▼ Paramount studio helped Roscoe Karns celebrate his birthday by presenting him with a new contract. The comedian starts his fourth year with the company under the new deal. T T T Simile — As busy as a summer resort in the winter. Roth Directs Hammett Story West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Murray Roth will direct "On the Make," original story by Dashiell Hammett, for Universal. « « REVIEWS of the NEW FEATURES » » "DESIRABLE" with Jean Muir, George Brent, Verree Teasdale Warner Bros. 68 mins. DELIGHTFUL ROMANTIC COMEDY SPARKLING WITH LAUGHS AND HUMAN INTEREST AND ADMIRABLY DONE ALL AROUND. Here is a bright little love comedy of light texture but so scintillating in the way it has been handled that it should give plenty of pleasure to any audience. George Brent, one of the many admirers of Verree Teasdale, a Broadway star, goes to her apartment and finds her grown-up daughter, Jean Muir, who has been kept in boarding school because the mother was too busy with a career. The bubbling life in Jean comes to the surface as she finds a kindred soul in George, but the mother quickly takes sly measures to break up the romance. She throws Jean into a social whirl where she meets and becomes engaged to Charles Starrett, whose snobbish family eventually cause Jean to fly back into the arms of George, whom she really loves. The parts, especially those played by Miss Muir, Miss Teasdale and Brent, are beautifully played, while Archie Mayo's direction catches the spirit of the story with full effectiveness. Cast: Jean Muir, George Brent, Verree Teasdale, Arthur Aylesworth, Jean Wheeler, Barbara Leonard, Charles Starrett, John Halliday, Jim Miller, Virginia Hammond, Doris Atkinson, Pauline True, Russell Hopton. Director, Archie Mayo; Author, Mary McCall, Jr.; Screen Play, same; Cameraman, Ernest Haller, Editor, Thomas Pratt. Direction, Aces Photography, Fine. John Wayne in "THE TRAIL BEYOND" with Noah Beery and Noah Beery, Jr. Monogram 55 mins. LOTS OF ACTION AND SPILLS IN TALE OF TANGLED INTRIGUE IN THE NORTHWEST. There is plenty of action in this one and some thrilling spills, though the tale is somewhat lacking in suspense. On a mission to the northwest to find a girl, John Wayne leaps from a train with a friend who faces a murder charge. Chased by a sheriff who was warned of their coming, they take shelter in a cabin where they find the map of a gold mine in the bony fingers of a skeleton. At a settlement further on, an associate of an outlaw band sees the map and in making an unsuccessful attempt to steal it, kidnaps pretty Verna Hillie. Wayne and his friend go to rescue her and en route are captured by one of the outlaws wearing the coat of a Northwest Mounted police officer. Left tied up with the real Mountie, who was sent to get them, Wayne works himself free. Wayne outwits the outlaws and finds both the mine and the girl. Windup is a running battle in which the outlaw band is captured and Wayne and his friend cleared. Cast: John Wayne, Noah Beery, Noah Beery, Jr., Verna Hillie, Iris Lancaster, Robert Fraser, Earl Dwire and Ed Parker. Director, R. N. Bradbury; Author, James Oliver Curwocd; Screen Play, Lindsley Parsons; Cameraman, Archie Stout; Recording Engineer, Ralph Shugart. Direction, Gocd. Photography, Fine. "THE HUMAN SIDE" with Adolphe Menjou, Doris Kenyon Universal 61 mins. GOOD HUMAN INTEREST DRAMA OF MODERN FAMILY LIFE HAS WHOLESOME APPEAL. Adapted from the stage play by Christian Ames, here is a down-to-earth story that will exert wide appeal because of its very human touches. Adolphe Menjou has the role of a theatrical promoter who for 28 years of married life has been going *o do great things but scores nothing but flops. His wife, played by Doris Kenyon, has been forced to divorce him for the sake of the four children. But they all are still pals together. The husband and father is always dropping in and acting as if he were still the head of the family. He promotes a would-be prima donna into backing a musical comedy with herself in the star role, and it proves a terrible flop. She crowns him the next day in her apartment. The wife determines to marry a rich suitor, but reconsiders. Cast: Adolphe Menjou, Doris Kenycn, Charlotte Henry, Joseph Cawthorn, Reginald Owen, Betty Lawford, Dick Winslow, George Ernest, Dickie Moore, Ward Bond, Lcis January, Anne Darling, John Sheehan, Eddie Kane, Richard Powell, Charles Wilson, Jack Mulhall, Arthur S. Hull, George Kirby, Bernardine Hayes, Leland Hodgson, Ara Haskell, Lew Kelly, Lew Phelps. Director, Edward Buziell; Author, Christian Ames; Screen Play, Frank Craven, Ernest Pascal; Cameraman, Robert Brodir.e. Direction, Gcod Photography, Okay. Marlene Dietrich in "THE SCARLET EMPRESS" Paramount 103 mins. STAR'S NAME AND LAVISH PRODUCTION ARE CHIEF POINTS OF HISTORICAL DRAMA. From the standpoint of spectacle, this production has plenty to engage the eye, but as entertainment for the masses it is likely to prove more or less spotty, and the drawing power of the star will have to be depended upon largely. Story theme is strictly adult, dealing mostly with the amours of Catherine, the Great, who came from Germany as an innocent Princess and ascended the Russian throne after the murder of the crazy Grand Duke just as he was plotting to kill her and marry a mistress. Weak in human interest. Cast: Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser, Maria Sieber, C Aubrey Smith, Ruthelma Stevens, Olive Tell, Gavin Gordon, Jameson Thomas, Erville Alderson, Marie Wells, Edward Van Sloan, Jane Darwell, Harry Woods, Hans von Twarkowski, Davison Clark, Phillip Sleeman, John Davidson, Gerald Fielding, James Burke, Belle Stoddard Johnstone, Nadine Beresford, Eunice Moore, Petra McAllister, Blanche Rose, James Marcus, Thomas C. Blythe, Clyde David, Richard Alexander, Hal Beyer, Julianne Johnson, Elinor Faire, Bruce Warren, George Davis, Eric Alden, Agnes Steele, Barbara Sabichi, May Foster, Minnie Steele, Katherine Sabichi, Dina Smirnova, Anna Duncan, Patricia Patrick, Elaine St. Maur. Director, Josef von Sternberg; Screen Play, Manuel Kcmroff. Cameraman, Bert Glennon; Recording Engineer, Harry Mills; Editor, Sam Winston. Direction, Good Photography, A-l. NEWS of the DAY Lincoln, Neb.— The $156,000 pr tection suit filed by three Nebras exhibs is still marking time in t courts. It is expected to come in the winter. Plaintiffs are C. Robinson, Home Theater, Blajjs Neb.; Eric Wesselman, Strai Pierce, Neb. and G. Griffin, Ritz a Platz theaters, Plattsmouth, Net Portland, Ore. — Eddie Rivers h been engaged by John Hamrick manage the Music, succeeding A drew Seso, transferred to Hamricl Orpheum, which is the former Pa tages. Akron, O. — Dark for sevei months, the Portage, neighborho house, has reopened. r : Ji Washington — Monogram's "Ja Eyre" set a new record for inc pendent pictures in its run at t RKO Keith Theater. Hollywood — "A Girl of the Li berlost," Monogram production, r. been booked for first-run at t Pantages. Lake Charles, La. — Bert Til has severed connections with Sou ern Amusement Co. • Rayne, La. — Craig's Opera Hov is remodeling at a cost of abc $3,000. New Orleans — Paramount, E and M-G-M 1934-35 product is ready playing the Saenger circi subject to contracts which will agreed upon later. Lincoln, Neb. — Wages have be boosted here with the advent of Si day shows. In some cases pec. were added, in order that all ( ployes be still allowed a day but in most instances hours w. added and the payrolls upped ::■: l Ada, O. — Cal Moore failed to new his lease on the Odeon and stead has leased the 1200-seat Lt auditorium for first-run films thf. nights a week starting Sept. l1 Ashtabula, O. — The Caste, d several weeks for alterations, reopened. RKO Signs Astaire for Three M West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DA Hollywood — Fred Astaire, who cently finished in "The Gay vorcee," has signed an exclus contract for three more RKO tures. 'i: nkli Continue Saturday Closing Major companies which have beer closing shop Saturdays during the sum mer months are expected to continu this policy indefinitely. Paramount ha notified its employees to this effect.