Harrison's Reports (1930)

HARRISON’S REPORTS February 15, 1930 26 “So Long Letty” (100% T-D) ( l-Vanier Bros., Nov. 16; syn. time. 65 min.) A pretty good entertainment. It is the musical comedy, by Robert Lord and Arthur Caesar. In the talking picture, music plays a secondary role, giving way to comedy. Most of the comedy is caused by Charlotte Greenwood, by her long legs. A substantial share of it is contributed by Claude Gillingwater, who again assumes the role of an old crank. There isn’t very much to the plot. It is about two married couples who, feeling unhappy, change mates for a week in a sort of try out to see if they would be happier. The entry of a rich uncle complicates matters, for he happened to meet his nephew’s wife and to take a dislike to her. When he calls on his nephew he finds him in the home of his “temporary” wife. The “wife” is young and pretty and the uncle congratulates the nephew for having been lucky enough to “marry” such a girl. The heroine, who lived next door, and who had become the “temporary” wife of the other man, was giving a party. The uncle is so annoyed that he complains to the police. The nephew “steals” into his own home next door and takes part in the affair. He is asked to sing a song. The uncle recognizes his voice and angrily rushes into the house to reprimand him. The police arrive and arrest them all, the uncle included. All are taken to the police station, where everything is explained. The uncle, who loves children, forgives the wife of his nephew when she whispers to his ear that she is about to have a child. Lloyd Bacon directed it. Grant Withers, Bert Roach, Helen Foster, Marion Byron, Patsy Ruth Miller, Hallam Cooley, Harry Gribbon and others are in the cast. The sound reproduction is fair. (Silent values, fairly good. Silent length not yet determined.) Note : The picture, which has just been shown in a fir.strun house in this city, although it was released nationally November 16, does not seem to draw. At the show given between eight and nine o’clock last Sunday night at the Strand, the house was hardly two-thirds full. “Not So Dumb” (100% T-F&D) — with Marion Davies (MGM. Jan. 17; syn. time, 75 min.) A good light comedy entertainment, in which the heroine, engaged to the hero, is presented as a light-brained sort of girl, who, in her efforts to help the hero land a big business deal, makes a mess of everything. In the end. however, her stupid meddling brings about the hero’s success. There is considerable comedy caused by the heroine’s efforts to see that every one of her guests, including the “big butter and egg man from the west,” have a good time, no matter whether any one else had the same idea as the heroine of what constituted a good time. The big businessman was of quiet disposition and wanted to rest. Another player that provokes laughs is Donald Owen Stewart ; he takes the part of a harmless lunatic, whose only imagination was that he was a rich man. The fact that the other characters discover that they were talking seriously to a lunatic provokes laughter. Marion Davies does excellent work. Elliot Nugent is good as the hero. Raymond Hackett, Franklin Pangborn, Julia. Faye, William Holden, and others are in the cast. The plot has been founded on the stage play “Dulcy,” by George Kaufman and Marc Connelly. It was directed by King Vidor. The lines are clear. (Silent values, good.) “The Mounted Stranger” (AT-F&S) — with Hoot Gibson (Universal, Feb. 16; syn. time, 66 min.) While there is not as much comedy in this Gibson picture as in others, yet it should make an amusing program picture where Westerns of this class are popular. Mr. Gibson’s pleasing personality is enhanced by his agreeable talking voice. The scenes are laid along the Mexican border. This time Gibson is a sort of Robinhood, robbing to help the poor. His ambition is ot get the leader of the gang of bandits who killed his father when he was but eleven years old. In bis wanderings he meets the heroine, daughter of a border saloonkeeper. She is living at her father’s mine with her mother and a caretaker who likes the heroine very much. At first she does not like the hero because he seems to be too “fresh” but later she saves his life when she learns that the caretaker has tricked him to .going back to the saloon to be killed by the bandits. He then saves her life by rushing for a doctor when she had fainted as the result of her efforts to warn him, and is almost cau,ght in town. He makes his escape by working his way through the deserted mine. Eventually he fals in love with the heroine. Ixjuise Lorraine is a vivacious heroine, speaking Ixith English and Spanish. Francis Ford is good as the peculiar saloon-keeper and F'red Burns is the leader of the bandits. Artliur Rosson directed it from the story “The Ridin’ Kid of Powder River” by Henry Herbert IGiibbs. The sound is pretty good, the words being intellgiible. ( Silent values as good as the sound. Silent footage, 5,554 ft., 64 to 79 min.) “The Ph.?intom of the Opera” (40% T-DN) ( Universal, Dec. 15 ; syn. time, 89 min.) This is the old version, made several years ago, with about forty per cent, of it remade with talk, the other being fitted with sound effects and music. The story has not been changed. It is a regular thriller, but a bit gruesome ; it holds the spectator breathless all the way through. The closing scenes, where the phantom traps the hero and a representative of the prefecture, who went into the subterranean passes to find the heroine, who had been abducted by the phantom, are the most suspensive. The two had fallen ac identally into the chamber of mirrors and could not find their way out. When the phantom discovers them, he causes intense heat in the chamber, with the intention of suffocating them. The hero discovers a trap door, which he opens, and both descend to another chamber. The phantom opens a valve and causes water to pour in. They are about to drown when the heroine bargains with the phantom for their safety. But soon a mob reaches the place ; they were led by a man whose brother the phantom had murdered. The phantom tries to escape. But he is eventually caught by them and killed. The scenes where the phantom cut loose the huge chandelier, which falls on the floor, endangering many lives, are extremely thrilling. There a''e seventeen minutes of technicolor work in it. This was also in the original version. The picture was directed by Rupert Julian. The voice of Miss Philbin is pretty good but that of Norman Kerry is extremely poor. It seemed as if he were afraid to talk. There will be no silent version. The old review was published in the issue of September 17, 1925, on page 151. “Second Wife” (100% T-F&D) (Radio Pic., Feb. 9; syn. time, 64 min.) Though there is some lack of fine logic in some of the situations, “Second Wife” is an appealing picture, thanks to the e.xcellence of production. An atmosphere of refinement prevails throughout, which shows good taste on the part of the director. The most appealing situation is that near the close of the picture where the heroine telephones to her husband’s little son, in a boarding school, inviting him to come home. Up to that time, she and the hero had been estranged because of a thoughtlessness the hero had shown towards her once. The storjr shows the hero, a widower, father of a boy about nine, marrying the second time. The second wife (hcro’ne) induced the hero to give up his old home and to make a new one, so that nothing in it might remind him of his first marriage and spoil their happiness. The hero, in order to please his wife, sends his son to a school in Switzerland. But he did this without the wish of the heroine, who loved the little fellow. Just as the heroine is about to give birth to a child, the hero receives a telegram from Switzerland informing him that his son was seriously ill and asked for him constantly. The doctor urged the he'o to go to his son as the only chance to save his life. Without thinking about the child that was on its way, the hero departs for .Switzerland. This so wounds the heroine that when he returns she receives him coldly. They live as strangers. The heroine decides to leave the hero and to follow a young man, who wanted her to marry him. even though she did not love him. But when he asks her to leave her child behind, she is shocked. From her own e.xperience she is made to realize what the hero felt when his child was in danger and needed his help. She forgives her husband and becomes reconciled with him. The play “All the King’s Men” has furnished the plot. The direction is by Russell Mack. Conrad Nagel is the hero, Lila Lee the heroine, and Freddie Burke Frederick the little boy. Hilary Carr is the old family servant ; she is excellent in her part. Hugh Huntley is the other man. The sound reproduction is excellent; every word is clear. (Silent values, good.)