The Film Daily (1935)

THE s%^ DAILY Tuesday, Oct. 1, IVis REVIEWS OF THE NEW FILMS "PERSONAL MAID'S SECRET" wilh Margaret Lindsay, Warren Hull, Anita Louise, Ruth Donnelly (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) Warner Bros. 60 mins. PLEASING ENTERTAINMENT FOR AUDIENCES IN GENERAL. WELL ACTED AND DIRECTED. Enjoyable comedy drama which should play to regular average business. Director Arthur Greville Collins deserves a lot of credit for making this picture so pleasing. The players do their work with such ease, they seem so human and natural at all times, and things happen right along, holding one's interest throughout. There are lots of leughs all nicely spotted. Ruth Donnelly, as a maid, has the big role and she handles it especially well. Arthur Treacher, as a butler, is outstanding. His bored deadpan facial expression, plus the manner in which he delivers his lines, gets laughs every time he appears. The rest of the cast all do very well, with Warren Hull, a newcomer, showing a nice screen personality. In living up to Lizzie, their maid, Warren Hull, a young insurance salesman, and Margaret Lindsay, his wife, are forced to the top of society. Anita Louise, a member of a socially prominent family, turns out to be Lizzie's daughter and, after nearly gett'ng mixed up in a scandal, marries Frank Albertson. Lizzie, having done her job of seeing her daughter happily married, herself marries the butler. Cast: Margaret Lindsay, Warren Hull, Anita Lcuise, Ruth Dcnnelly, Arthur Treacher, Frank Albertson, Henry O'Neill. Ronnie Cosby, Gordon Elliott. Director, Arthur Greville Collins; Author, Lillian Day; Screenplay, F. Hugh Herbert, Lillie Hayward; Cameraman, Byron Haskins; Editor, Thomas Richards. Direction, First-rate Photography, A-l Buck Jones in "OUTLAWED GUNS" with Ruth Channing Universal 62 mins. REGULATION WESTERN WITH ALL THE FAMILIAR INGREDIENTS REHASHED FOR FAIR RESULTS. Lacking any novel touches in the handling of its familiar plot elements, this outdoor action drama emerges as just a fair attract on of its kind. Buck Jones has a kid brother with a gambling yen. Losing heavily in a clip joint, the kid signs over Buck's cattle to a couple of heavies. When Buck finds cut about it he goes on the hunt for the brother, and along the route runs into a stagecoach holdup, which he is unsble to stop and thereby gets himself suspected as one of the gang. But the sheriff knows Buck's pal, Slim, and lets them go free to continue the search for the kid, whom they find innocently involved with the crooks and who dies just after telling Buck about a gold cache in a canyon. Buck goes there, with the villains coming upon him, and then follows the usual fighting, hard riding and shooting until the crooks are finally landed. Cast: Buck Jones, Ruth Channing, Pat O'Brien, Frank McGlynn Sr., Roy D'Arcy, Joseph Girard, Joan Gale, Lee Shumway, Charles King, Jack Rockwell, Monte Montague, Bob Walker, Carl Stockdale, Cliff Lyons, Babe DeTreest. Director, Ray Taylor; Author, Cliff Farrell; Screenplay, Jack Neville; Cameramen, William Sickner, Allen Thompson. Direction, G:od. Photography, Good. Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper in "O'SHAUGHNESSYS BOY" M-G-M 88 mins. GREAT FATHER-AND-SON DRAMA OF CIRCUS PACKS BIG EMOTIONAL PUNCH WITH THRILL SCENES. This rates as just about the best circus film with real sawdust ring atmosphere ever produced. But above that is the fact that it is essentially a grand human story of a father's love for his boy that has an emolional kick that will get every father and mother. The animal scenes combined with the thrill stuff as Beery works as the animal trainer in the cages with the big cats carry a genuine punch and plenty of suspense. This one is sure-fire with the jrown-ups because of the father-son appeal, and the youngsters will eat it up because of the circus and animal atmosphere. Beery as the animal trainer loses an arm as a big Bengal tiger claws him, and also loses lis nerve, when he learns that his wife has deserted him, taking with her his infant son whom he worships. He finally lets him back years later for the summer session while the boy is on vacation from a military school where he has been placed :fter his mother's death. Then the real story starts as Beery fights to regain the 'eve of his son which has been killed in the boy by the guardian aunt who hates 3eery. The big scenes comes when Beery eventually wins the boy's love and goes in :n the strength of it to put on a dangerous kuble act with a tiger and an elephant. 3eery gives a grand performance that is ntensely human, and gets you. Cast: Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Spanky McFarland, Henry Stephenson, Sarah Haden, Leona Maricle, Willard Robertson, Clarence Muse, Ben Hendricks, Wade Boteler, Jack Daley, Oscar Apfel, Granville Bates Producer, Philip Gcldstcne; Director, Richard Boleslawski; Authors, Harvey Gates, Malcolm Stuart Boylan; Screenplay, Leonard Praskins, Wanda Tuchck, Otis Garrett; Editor, Frank Sullivan; Cameraman, James Wcng Howe. Direction, Excellent Photography, Firstclass. "WILLIAM TELL" with Conrad Veidt General Foreign Films 70 mins. PICTORIALLY BEAUTIFUL DRAMATIZATION OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY SWISS REBELLION. Outstanding camera work, beautiful natural settings and good characterizations are the foremost attractions of this historical drama of Switzerland in the fourteenth century. The world-famous William Tell legend is only an incident in the film which tells of the persecutions brought on when the Swiss rebel against the governors appointed by the Austrian emperor of the "Holy Roman Empire". The climax is reached when the leaders of various sections of the country unite, overthrow the foreign governors and drive out their soldiers. Appeal of the picture is limited to audiences able to appreciate authentic backgrounds, costumes and performances. Marr and Veidt give fine performances. Cast: Hans Marr, Detlef Willecke, Emmy Scnnemann, Conrad Veidt, Edmond Willard, Dennis Aubrey, Charles Cullum, Werner Schott. Director, Heinz Paul; English Supervision, Manning Haynes; Musical Score, Herbert Wmdt. Direction, Good. Photography, Fine. « « FOREIGN » » "MARTIN GARATUZA," In Spanish; produced by Aguila; directed by Gabriel Soria; with Leopoldo O.tin, Josefina Escobedo, et al. At the Teatro Campoamor. Entertaining comedy drama along the lines of oldtime melodrama, with enough action, romance and comedy to put it over among the Spanish trade. SHORTS • "Pluto's Judgment Day" (Mickey Mouse Cartoon) United Artists 7 mins. One of the Best This ranks away up among the best of the Mickey Mouse creations turned out by the Walt Disney studios. From idea conception to the details of execution, it shows a vast amount of ingenuity and painstaking effort. Action deals with a nightmare experienced by Pluto, Mickey's dog, in which he goes through a lot of punishment for his bad deeds to little cats. "The Band Concert" (Mickey Mouse Cartoon) United Artists 7 mins. Swell Released earlier in the year but missed until now, here's another topnotch Mickey Mouse color cartoon, packed with action arid fun, plus a background of cleverly utilized music. Mickey, conducting a band concert, is beset with interference by Donald Duck, who keeps throwing the band off by playing a different tune on his piccolo. Then a tornado comes up, making a wreck out of Mickey's band, but leaving the Duck as sprightly as ever. "Stars of Tomorrow" with N.T.G. Columbia 11 mins. Very Good N. T. G. is supposedly introducing a group of amateurs, who will be the stars of tomorrow, but they are all quite professional and perform very divertingly. There is a Jimmy Durante imitator, a hillbilly band, a hot girl dancer and other good performers. "Monkey Love" (Color Rhapsody) Columbia 8 mins. First-rate An exceptionally fine use of color is made in this subject, which concerns the romantic tribulations of a monkey swain and his chimpanzee sweetheart. She plays coy and hard to get. When a giant ape grabs her and carries her off, the monkey enlists a horde of insect allies and rescues her. Animation is excellent. "Star Gazing" with The Radio Rogues Columbia 19 mins. Very Amusing After a background is divertingly built up for their specialties, the Radio Rogues offer their diverse and excellent interpretations of such celebrities as Eddie Cantor, Parkyakakas, Bing Crosby, Popeye, and others. Windup is good. "Scrappy's Trailer" (Scrappy Cartoon) Columbia 7 mins. Very Amusing . . Scrappy's wanderings in an auto trailer, an astonishing contraption which houses a cow, tree, backyard, lawn and fences, all of which can be drawn back in again, makes for very diverting entertainment. The trailer's mad careenings and, of course, a chase, are managed excellently. Cleveland Clips Cleveland— The Variety Club will hold a clam bake Oct. 26 at the Allerton Hotel. Frank D. Drew is in charge of arrangements. Joe Leavitt, owner of the Independent Screen Room, was rushed to Charity Hospital last week following a gallstone attack. T. J. Healy, Vitagraph auditor, is spending a few weeks in the local office. First-run circuits have signed new agreements with projectionists. The subsequent run houses signed a week ago. Agreements are for two years. Milt Mooney, Vitagraph branch manager, winner of some two or three national cash prizes, celebrated last week by buying a new automobile. "Top Hat" broke the established house record in its opening week at Warners' Hippodrome, went 50 per cent over average in its second week, and has moved over to the Allen for a third consecutive week downtown. Max Lefkowich circuit will take over the Mall, subsequent run downtown house now operated by Meyer Fischer, about the middle of October. James E. Scoville of the Scoville, Essick & Reif circuit, recently was elected president of the Lake Shore Mortgage & Investment Co. Nate Schultz has postponed the opening of his Pastime Theater, Barberton, to tomorrow. Martin Printz broke the established double feature policy at the Alhambra last week for a four-day engagement of GB's "39 Steps" and did so well that he held the picture a full week. Carl Shalit, Columbia district manager, and Ed Rosenbaum, exploiteer, were here for the opening of "She Married Her Boss" at Warners' Hippodrome. Harry Bickel, Majestic and Tivoli theaters, Akron, has motored to Florida to join Niles Krickbaum, also an Akron exhibitor, who will return with him. J. S. Jossey of Republic Pictures was in New York last week.