The Film Daily (1936)

12 » » REVIEWS OF THE NE FILMS "ANTHONY ADVERSE" with Fredric March, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Woods, Anita Louise, Edmund Gwenn, Claude Rains, Steffi Duna, Ralph Morgan (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) Warners 136 mins. OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION ON VAST SCALE SHOULD RANK AS ONE OF LEADING TALKIES TO DATE. Big in scope, "Anthony Adverse" easily ranks among the leading pictures of the talking screen. It is a triumph for Mervyn LeRoy, Henry Blanke, its supervisor, and Sheridan Gibney, scenarist. Music by Erich Wolf Korngold, photography by Tony Gaudio and settings by Anton Grot are also important factors. The acting is flawless, with Fredric March, Edmund Gwenn, Claude Rains, Olivia de Havilland, Gale Sondergaard, a newcomer, Anita Louise, Louis Heyward, Rollo Lloyd, and Billy Mauch as the boy Adverse, standing out. The story starts in 1773, with Anthony born to Anita Louise, wife of Rains, a Spanish grandee, and Heyward, an Irish adventurer. The boy is reared in a convent and at 10 gets his first contact with the outside world when he is adopted by Gwenn, a merchant, who does not know he is his grandson. Anthony falls in love with Olivia, daughter of Luis Alberni, Rains' cook. As a young man, Anthony, played by March, works for Rains and goes to Havana and later to Africa, where he deals in slaves. He finally returns to Italy, searching for his wife, Olivia. He traces her to Paris, only to learn she has become a favorite of Napoleon. The picture closes with March sailing to America with his son, Scott Beckett. Cast: Fredric March, Olivia de Havilland, Dcnald Woods, Anita Louise, Edmund Gwenn, Claude Rains, Louis Hayward, Gale Sondergaard, Steffi: Duna, Billy Mauch, Akim Tamircff, Ralph Morgan, Henry O'Neill, Pedro De Cordoba, George E. Stone, Luis Alberni, Fritz Leiber, Joseph Crehan, Rafaela Ottiano, Rollo Lloyd, Leonard Mudie, Marilyn Knowlden, Mathilde Comont, Eily Malycn, J. Carroll Naish, Scctty Beckett, Paul Sotcff, Frank Reicher, Clara Blandick, Addison Richards, William Ricciardi, Grace Stafford. Director, Mervyn LeRoy; Author, Hervey Allen; Screenplay, Sheridan Gibney; Music, Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Musical Director, Leo F. Forbstein; Cameraman, Tony Gaudio; Editor, Ralph Dawson. Direction, Distinguished Photography, Best. Johnny Mack Brown in "ROGUE OF THE RANGE" (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) Supreme Pictures 58 mins. SATISFACTORY WESTERN WITH GOOD QUOTA OF SUSPENSE AND ACTION WELL HANDLED ALL AROUND. Suspense coupled with fast action makes this western a good number for houses showing this type of fare. Although the plot follows conventional lines, its development is logical and S. Roy Luby's direction gives the piece an air of mystery that causes interest to be maintained throughout. The gun play and fist fights are han dled nicely and do much to add to the excitement. Johnny Mack Brown does nice work as do Lois January, Alden Nash, and the other members of the cast. The photography shows up nicely. Brown holds up a stage and is sent to jail where he meets George Ball. Through him, Brown learns of the activities of a gang whose man behind the scenes is the local banker, Alden Chase. In a fake jailbreak, Brown and Ball escape. Lois January believes Johnny loves Phyllis Hume and when Johnny prevents the marriage of Phyllis to Alden, Lois is sure of it. Johnny is forced to reveal to Lois the fact that he is a government man hunting for the criminals. After getting the gang, he is able to convince Lois that she is the girl he really loves. Cast: Johnny Mack Brown, Lois January, Alden Chase, Phyllis Hume, George Ball, Jack Rockwell, Horace Murphy, Frank Ball, Lloyd Ingraham. Producer, A. W. Hackel ; Director, S. Roy Luby; Author, Earle Snell; Screenplay, same; Cameraman, Jack Greenhalgh; Editor, Roy Claire. Direction, Good Photography, Good. Jean Hersholt in "SINS OF MAN" with Don Ameche, Allen Jenkins (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) Twentieth Century-Fox 77 mins. POWERFUL EMOTIONAL DRAMA SCORES FOR ALL-TYPE AUDIENCES. STORY, DIRECTION, ACTING RATE HIGHLY. This is a powerful drama that will wring tears from all audiences. It is a picturization of Samuel Roth's book, "Job" and has been ably directed by Otto Brower and Gregory Ratoff. It is an ideal vehicle for Jean Hersholt, who plays the role of a sexton in an Austrian Tyrol church. He opposes progress and clashes with his son, Carl, who is interested in aviation. His opposition results in Carl's leaving home and going to the United States. Another son, Gabriel, is deaf and can hear only high-pitched tones made by the bells in his father's church. After two years, Hersholt relents and agrees to come to New York, where there is a noted surgeon who may help Gabriel. Shortly after Hersholt arrives, Carl is killed in an airplane accident. It is 1914, war has started and Gabriel is among the missing. After a lapse of years, Mario Singarelli brings his orchestra to New York. Hersholt has heard a Singarelli record, featuring a bell arrangement and feels certain the music was inspired by the bells of his church. He has a tearful meeting with Mario, who, of course, is his son, Gabriel. Gabriel explains he had been cared for by an Italian family, who gave him a musical education and that his deafness had been cured by the bombardment of a battle. Don Ameche, a newcomer, does good work as Carl and as Gabriel, grown up. Sam Engel turned in an excellent screenplay. Cast: Jean Hersholt, Don Ameche, Allen Jenkins, J. Edward Bromberg, Ann Shoemaker, De Witt Jennings, Fritz Leiber, Francis Ford, Christian Rub, Adrian Rosley, Gene Reynolds, Mickey Rentschler, John Mi Item, Paul Stanton, Edward Van Sloan, Egcn Brecher, Fred Kohler, Jr., Maxine Reiner, Ruth Robinson. Producer, Darryl F Zanuck; Associate Producer, Kenneth Macgcwan; Directors, Otto Brower, Gregory Ratcff; Author, Joseph Roth; Screenplay, Samuel G. Engel; Adaptation, Frederick Kchner, Dr. Ossip Dymow; Cameraman, Sidney Wagner; Editor, Barbara McLean. Direction, Sympathetic. Photography, G:od. Richard Dix in "DEVIL'S SQUADRON" with Karen Morley, Shirley Ross, Lloyd Nolan Columbia 80 mins. STRONG ACTION STORY ON AVIATION SUBJECT PACKS GOOD PUNCH FOR THE MALE TRADE IN PARTICULAR. Glorification of the airplane pilots who give the machines their final and hardest test before the planes are accepted by the government is the subject of this production. Which means plenty of action and thrills, and no small number of casualties. The story shows how the lives of test pilots frequently are sacrificed in order to ascertain whether a plane is in perfect condition to stand military usage, and a breathtaking nose-dive is the climatic item in the testing routine. After her father and brother have been killed in this kind of duty, Karen Morley tries to talk Richard Dix out of continuing in their footsteps, but he eventually makes her understand that the work is necessary and that the sacrifice of a few lives is comparatively a small price to pay for the progress and safety for millions achieved thereby. The direction, camera work are particularly good. Cast: Richard Dix, Karen Morley, Lloyd Nolan, Shirley Ross, Henry Mollison, Gene Morgan, Gordon Jones, William Stelling, Gertrude Green, Boyd Irwin. Producer, Robert North; Director, Erie C. Kenton; Author, Richard V. Grace; Screenplay, Howard J. Green, Bruce Manning, Lionel Houser; Cameraman, John Stumar; Editor, John Rawlins. Direction, Action. Photography, Unusual Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray in "THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS" with Douglass Dumbrille, Alison Skipworth, William Frawley, Porter Hall, George Barbier (HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW) Paramount 76 mins. PLEASING SUMMER FARE. MURDER MYSTERY WELL HANDLED IN COMEDY STYLE. Very pleasing summer entertainment. Even though it develops into a murder mystery, it is handled in a light vein throughout, tending toward comedy. It should meet with popular approval. Carole Lombard does an impersonation of Garbo that stands out. It is one of the most enjoyable features of the picture. Fred MacMurray works along in the light-hearted manner that makes him so pleasant. There may be a couple of questionable spots in the plot, but as a whole the situations are well motivated and interesting, the dialogue clever and sprightly, and William K. Howard's direction keeps the affair moving at a good pace. The cast includes a number of first rate players who all handle their roles well. MacMurray sings a song number, by Phil Boutelje and Jack Scholl, that the public should like. This Arthur Hornblow, Jr., production shows first rate production in all departments. On board the ship is Miss Lombard, masquerading as a Swedish princess on her way to Hollywood to become a star, MacMurray, a concertina player on his way home from a European tour, five internationally known detectives on their way to a convention, a shakedown artist, and a killer wanted by the police. Carole and Fred have met, but Carole has to take an aloof attitude. The shakedown artist, Porter Hall, is found dead and circumstantial evidence implicates them and the well known criminal. Fred suspects that Carole is only a fake, but being in love with her, he gets on the trail of the murderer, who turns out to be one of the detectives. Carole is tired of posing as a princess, especially since she is in love with Fred, and they both admit they have that love sickness bad for each other. Cast: Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, Douglass Dumbrille, Alison Skipworth, William Frawley, Porter Hall, George Barbier, Lumsden Hare, Sig Rumann, Micha Auer, Tetsu Komai, Bradley Page, Bennie Bartlett. Producer, Arthur Hornblow, Jr ; Director, William K Howard; Author, Philip MacDonald; Screenplay, Walter DeLeon, Francis Martin, Frank Butler, Den Hartman; Adaptation, Louis Lucien Rogger; Music and Lyrics, Phil Boutelje, Jack Scholl; Cameraman, Ted Tetzlaff; Special Photography, Farcict Edcuart, Dewey Wrigley; Editor, Paul Weatherwax. Direction, Lively Photography, Fine Jessie Matthews in "IT'S LOVE AGAIN" with Robert Young GB Pictures 82 mins. HIGHLY ENTERTAINING MUSICAL DOMINATED BY THE APPEALING AND CHARMING JESSIE MATTHEWS. Doing a femme Fred Astaire, Jessie Matthews contributes a load of charm and appeal to this GB musical, which she dominates with her grand dance and vocal work. Her presence injects gayety and tempo in the production, which in many respects is comparable to the best in Hollywoodmade product of this type. Ably supporting her are Robert Young and Sonnie Hale. The story, in character with virtually all of the musical crop, is a fluffy thing which becomes hilarious and smash-comedy in its final sequences. It tells of the efforts of an unknown girl to break into London show business. When a society columnist is forced to invent a sensational and colorful character in order to cope with his opposition, she impersonates the fictional lady and plenty of complications follow. The windup finds her in love with the columnist and just outside the portals of stardom. Genuinely tuneful melodies afford Miss Matthews an opportunity to score, and she never misses. Cast: Jessie Matthews, Robert Young, Sonnie Hale, Ernest Milton, Robb Wilton, Sara Allgcod, Cyril Wells, Warren Jenkins, David Heme, Athene Seyler, Glennis Lorimer, Robert Hale, Cyril Raymond. Director, Victor Saville; Authors, Marion Dix, Lesser Samuels; Screenplay, Marion Dix, Austin Melford; Music and Lyrics, Sam Ccslcw, Harry Woods; Dances, Buddy Bradley; Cameraman, Glen MacWilliams; Editor, Al Barnes. Direction, Excellent Photography, Gccd