Harrison's Reports (1930)

November 8, 1930 179 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Laughter” — with Nancy Carroll (Paramount, October 25; running time, 79 min.) Excellently produced, direction, acting and atmosphere being of high standard. But it leaves one cold, tor the reason tnat i\ancy Carroil, as the heroine, does not awaken any sympathy. She marries a wealthy man, but she does not love mm, being in love with an artist (hero). There is a third man who loves her, and who commits suicide towards the end when he despairs ot ever winning her. Her act of abandoning her husband to follow the man she loved is not justihed, because her husband had treated her with utmost consideration ; he satisfied every wish of hers in the way of clothes and jewels, and even torgave her when her name was mixed up in a scandal. Besides, one feels that she married her husband with the full knowledge that she did not love him and she should have stood by her bargain, particularly because he was extremely kind to her. H. D’Abbadie D’Arrast directed it from a story by himself and Douglas Doty. Frederic March is the man the heroine loves, and Frank Morgan her husband. The talk is clear. “The Playboy of Paris” — with Maurice Chevalier (Paramount, October 18; running time, 72 min.) Well directed and entertaining, with Chevalier predominating. There are many amusing situations, especially one in which the hero is to fight a duel with a man he insulted. When his opponent finds out that the hero is only a waiter he refuses to fight him because he is not a gentleman of his social standing ; — The hero is a waiter in a cafe in Paris. A law clerk, who was in love with the heroine, daughter of the proprietor of the cafe, finds out that the hero had inherited a fortune. He rushes to the proprietor and they concoct a scheme whereby they inveigle the hero into signing a twenty-year contract at an increased salary, the one who breaks it to pay the other 400,000 francs. He cheerfully signs it. When he finds out that he had inherited money he realizes how he was tricked and rather than pay the money he works during the day and plays at night. This is very fatiguing. While out with a young lady who was his night club companion, he insults the owner of the cafe and is challenged to a duel. When the heroine hears of this, she realizes that she is in love with the hero, and rushes to the scene of the duel. She reveals the fact that the hero is a waiter and when the hero’s opponent refuses to fight with him, he (the hero) insists that he should. The heroine faints and the hero calls the duel off. He leaves with the heroine, and after explanations, they are united, the hero having been in love with her all the time. The plot was adapted from the stage play by Tristan Bernard, called “The Little Cafe.” It was directed by Ludwig Berger. Others in the cast are : Frances Dee. O. _P. Heggie, Stuart Erwin, Eugene Pallette and Dorothy Christy. The talk is clear. “Feet First” — with Harold Lloyd (Paramount, November 8; running time, 90 min.) Entertaining comedy ! Here again as in “Safety Last” Harold Lloyd finds himself scaling the walls of a very tall building. This scene is particularly funny, breath-taking, and nerve-racking. Each time he is about to be saved, he loses his clutch of the thing he has been clinging to, and this goes on for some time, until he is finally hoisted, on a scaffold, to the roof of the building, only to lose his foothold again and this time to fall to the street. The hero finds himself in many mirth provoking situations, because of his love for the heroine, and also because of his ambition to become a shoe salesman : — The hero, a clerk in a shoe store, dreams of the day when he would become a shoe salesman. One day. while assisting the window dresser, he notices the heroine looking in the window, and he immediately falls in love with her. They eventually meet. She thinks he is a big business man. and he thinks she is a wealthy girl. She, however, is the secretary to the owner of the shoe store in which the hero works. He is sent to a steamer to deliver shoes to a lady who is sailing. There he encounters the heroine and is introduced to his employer. Thinking he is sailing also, they do not leave him for a moment. The hero, not wishing to disclose his identity, goes along. He discovers the true identity of the heroine when he overhears her being scolded by his employer. He intercedes on her behalf and offers to deliver papers, which she had neglected to mail. He hides himself in a mail bag which is sent ahead of the boat by aeroplane. He has the papers delivered and when his true identity becomes known, his employer promotes him to the position of manager ol the store. The hero and the heroine are united. The story was written by John Grey, Alfred A. Cohn and Clyde Bruckman. It was directed by Clyde Bruckman. In the cast are ; Barbara Kent, Robert McWade, Lillianne Leighton, Alec Francis and Noah Young. The talk is clear. “The Doorway to Hell” ({Varner Bros., October 18; running time, 78 min.) Although this picture is well directed and ably acted, exciting and suspensive at times, it is not one for children to see. Nor is it pleasant for adults. The theme is gruesome and there are many unpleasant situations, such as one in which the heroine, although married to the hero, who loves her and trusts her, carries on an illicit love affair with one of the hero’s henchmen. It is also unpleasant to see the hero, a young man, engaged in the bootleg racketeering business. There is one deeply emotional scene in which the hero attends the burial of his young brother who had met his death through two men who belonged to the racket. There is much blood shed, as one murder follows another. No one sjanpathizes with the hero, because of the murders he commits : — The hero, having made a great deal of money from the beer racket, which he had organized, decides to leave that profession when he marries the heroine. His younger brotlier, whom he was sending to a military school, was very much attached to him, an affection which the hero reciprocated. Once the hero leaves the city a war breaks out between the different gangs in the racket. Because the hero refused to go back to that business two of the men decide to kidnap his brother and thus get him back. In their attempt to do so the child is killed by a truck when he tried to escape from them. The hero comes back to the city and kills the two men who are responsible for his brother’s death. He is put in prison but manages to escape. His hideaway is discovered, however, by his enemies and they lie in wait for him to “get” him when he leaves the building. He decides to meet his death like a man when he finds out that there is no escape. The plot was adapted from the story by Rowland Brown. It was directed by Archie Mayo. In the cast are : Lewis Ayres, as the hero, who gives aoi extremely fine performance, Charles Judels, Dorothy Mathews, Leon Janney, Robert Elliott and James Cagney. The talk is clear. “Kismet” — with Otis Skinner (First National, January 18; time, 87 min.) If “The Thief of Bagdad,” which was one of the most artistic pictures that have ever been produced, made a failure at the box office, when none of those who saw the picture expressed an adverse opinion as to its quality, what chance has “Kismet,” which also is an oriental story? .\t least we have the facts to guide us — the facts of the silent version, which was produced by Robertson-Cole, the predecessor of RKO ; it made a success in New York City and in some other large cities, but a dismal failure in the smaller cities and in towns, particularly in the middle west and in the west. It is the kind of story that appeals to cultured picture-goers, particularly to those who follow the stage ; but the rank and file will go to sleep on it. There is no denial as to its artistic worth ; it has been produced most artistically, and Mr. Skinner does as good acting in it as he did on the stage. But pictures founded on oriental stories have never been successful in the United States. “Kismet” revolves around the doings of an oriental rascal, a thief, who, having been arrested for stealing, is given the preference by the Wazir (Chief of Police) of being decapitated or of killing the Caliph. The hero accepts the latter. But in carrying out his mission he fails. For this he is cast into prison, to be executed at a given time. But he escapes. He, however, is caught again. But when the Caliph finds out that the woman (heroine) he was in love with was the rascal’s daughter, he pardons him with the understanding that he is to leave Bagdad for ever. Edward Knoblock’s play furnished the plot. John Francis Dillon directed it. Loretta Young, Mary Duncan, Edmund Breese. Montagu Love, John St. Polis and others are in the cast. The wide pictures add beauty to some shots but it does not mean anything in action situations. The talk>T^ fairly clear. “Wav for a Sailor.” M-G-M. mediocre, and unsuitable for children. Review next week.