Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Jul 1930)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH 21 Preview "THE BAD ONE" United Artists all-talking production, starring Dolores Del Rio, with Edmund Lowe. Previewed at the Belmont Theatre. Never have we tapped our typewriter with a more blithesome touch than when we cut in on a criticism of "The Bad One," exploiting Dolores Del Rio's first vocal effusion. The enchanting Dolores, superbly supported by Edmund Lowe, turns in, to our way of thinking, her best silver sheet portrayal to date. Her voice of marvelous clarity is given an added filip by a musically foreign accent— an accent, in this case, that admirably blends with the character she delineates. "The Bad One's" yarn runs the gamut of a cheap cafe dancer's life, in which a rollicking American sailor plays the leading role. The story as a whole has a dash here and there of Monte Cristo and Les Miserables, and is essentially French in its fabric. Lida (Dolores Del Rio), a Spanish siren in a cafe dansant in the slums of Marseilles, intrigues Jerry Flanagan (Edmund Lowe), who bids his shipmates goodbye and is about to return to Brooklyn. Jerry is gay hearted, flippant, devil may care, with an easy, Celtic flow of humor and a finality of assurance in his ever-ready maxim, "everything is under control, baby." Lida adores him, but the drab life she has led makes coquetry second nature with her. The impetuous sailor maneuvers an early marriage day and all is ready for the nuptials, when up turns one of Lida's old flames, Barloff (Mitchell Lewis) with an arm full of presents, topped off with a sumptuous necklace. Flanagan surprises Lida, as Barloff is forcing his caresses, and floors him with a right to the jaw. Barloff is killed by the blow; Jerry arrested; tried and is sentenced to ten years imprisonment in a French prison on a small island. From here to the thrilling catastrophe, the sequences fairly abound in highly exciting incidents and pulsating suspense, but we will let the auditors find out for themselves the fates of Lida and Jerry. Dolores was gorgeous in the scenes of dramatic intensity. Her sustained emotional burst in the trial episode is a cinema masterpiece. Unless we miss our guess, the talkies will raise her to higher thespic flights than she has ever reached in the silents. Edmund Lowe's Jerry Flanagan was a sterling bit of characterization. He grabs one the moment he rollicks onto the scene. Never for the shortest space does he overdraw the part, and his unctuous humor and spontaneity soon creep into one's blood stream. We say it in all candor — he is one of the greatest character actors on the screen today. We have words of high praise for Mitchell Lewis' Barloff; George Fawcett's warden and Ullrich Haupt's Pierre. Others in the cast were Don Alvarado, Adrienne de Amdricourt, Ralph Lewis, Yola D'Avril, John St. Polis and Henry Kohlker. George Fitzmaurice's directing was superb and Karl Struss' photography wonderful. Don't miss "The Bad One"— it's one of the greatest films of the present season. ED O'MALLEY. Preview "THE GAY TROUBADOUR" The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer all-talkie production, starring Ramon Navarro. Previewed at the Belmont Theatre. "The Gay Troubadour" is shadowed forth against an essentially Spanish background and exploits Ramon Navarro at his best. The scenes are laid in Madrid and Santiago and are thoroughly steeped in the romance of surreptitious serenades, moonlight balcony dalliance, fandangos, chivalrous deeds, and daring love adventures. Navarro's exquisite voice, ranging between a baritone and tenor, is heard in several erotic ballads, incidentally giving him ample opportunity to exhibit his vocal wares in keeping with the present cinema vogue that requires stars to sing. His voice is vibrantly rich and mellow and he handles it with the technical ease of a grand opera star. It is one of the sweetest and most captivating we have heard on the screen to date. Ricardo (Navarro), son of the grandee, hits up the high spots of Madrid during the wee hours he borrows of the morning. He is prone to get bemused in rare vintages and extend his whoopees to the parental home. His father, a Marques, then bundles him off, pronto, to Santiago where he enters the House De Troya as a student. He immediately establishes himself as a favorite among his yokefellows, and falls heavily for the rare charms of Carmina, who is betrothed to Octavia. Then things happen fast. Ricardo, in the guise of a troubadour, lays siege to her heart; wins her love, after shouldering Octavio out of the running, and all is set for the wedding. Then up bobs one of Ricardo's castoffs from Madrid, brought to Santiago by the jealous Octavio who maneuvers to have Carmina discover Ricardo and the girl in a compromising position. The unfolding of the gripping denoumement we pass for the auditor's pleasure. Navarro's interpretation is excellent throughout. He has just the slightest foreign accent to his voice, which in our opinion gives it an added grace. He lends a slap-dash, virile manliness to the character of Ricardo in the final sequences, that throws it out in bold relief against the love-dazed youth's frantic wooings as the troubadour. Dorothy Jordan was rather apathetic and wooden as Carmina, but Beryl Mercer's Dona Concha was superbly hit off. She is one of the talkies' best bets. Claud King made a competent Marques but he seemed to measure his words as if laboring for microphonic perfection. Good portrayals were turned in by Lottice Howell, Eugenie Besserer, W. V. Mong, Nanci Price, Herbert Clark, David Scott and George Chandler. Robert V. Leonard's directing and Oliver Marsh's photography were excellent in every particular. The music is catchy, and the glee songs are thrillers. Don't miss "The Gay Troubadour," for it is one of Navarro's best pictures and is sure to go fine at the box-office. ED O'MALLEY. Review "THE ROMANTIC YOUNG LADY" Civic Repertory Theatre (Hollywood Music Box). By Martinez-Sierra. Directed by Ian McLaren. Cast — Rosario, Estelle Brody; Dona Barbarita, Daisy Belmont; Maria Pepa, Tempe Uiggott; Irene, Marion Clayton; Amalia, Marguerite Fisher; The Apparition, Boyd Irwin; Emelio, Eric Snowden; Mario, Kenneth Duncan; Pepe, Carleton Young; Don Juan, Harold Minjir; Giulermo, Frederic Harrington. It's nice to know that people give their time and energy in the service of the theatre. One need not look for the early demise of the legitimate players when a play by Martinez-Sierra is put on by such earnest efforts. A delicate romance coupled with light comedy is embodied in the play this week. A delightful offering which is sheer entertainment throughout. Estelle Brody, an actress of distinct personality, playing the rather difficult role of Rosario. Seeking a way out of the traditions under which girls of her class are born. While Irene Clayton as "Irene" is only seen in the second act, she is delightful and natural. Boyd Irwin is rather of the stage in this part, but his voice and diction are perfect. The two real stars in this performance are Tempe Piggott and Daisy Belmore. Their work is a delight and shows what training and experience can do. Marguerite Fisher, a former screen star, fills her role adequately and the remainder of the cast is acceptable. The settings are distinctive and the direction shows finesse. Altogether a delightful evening's entertainment and were more people cognizant of these really fine offerings an artistic as well as a financial success could be shown. By all means patronize these really fine offerings from a body of people who are deserving of support. Miss Elsie Bartlett, one of the organizers, received the hearty plaudits of the audience as she told of their future plans. ARTHUR FORDE. 1 i 1 "RADIO KISSES" The Mack Sennett comedy, "Radio Kisses," which is the first short feature employing the new Sennett color process, has reached the cutting room. A'luch enthusiasm is expressed over the new Sennett color. The theory of the new Mack Sennett process is natural color and is shot under the same conditions as black and white film, using less light than any other color process, and the same make-up is employed as now used in black and white. "Radio Kisses," which features Marjorie Beebe, Rita Carewe, George Duryea and Lou Kelley, is based on the story of advice to Love Lorns and offers many comical situations arising from heart-aches and love interests. Stage Review "YOUR UNCLE DUDLEY" "Your Uncle Dudley," which opened at the President Theatre last Sunday night, is one of the most genuinely aiiiUiing comedies that we have witnessed for some tunc The play has been woven around the talents of Taylor Holmes and Florence Roberts, and they leave nothing to be desired in their performance. Taylor Holmes, as Uncle Dudley, unquestionably won the most laughs throughout the performance. However, Florence Roberts, as the grandmother, in her quiet, droll way, shares honors with him, and in one quite unexpected scene she secures the heartiest laugh of the evening. The play deals with the ambitions of a mother to launch her daughter on an operatic career, and who is willing to sacrifice the life of everyone in the family in order to realize her ambition. Leah Winslow, as the mother, gives a splendid performance and makes one understand why matricide at times is justifiable. Flora Bramley, as the daughter, was very charming. Charlotte Treadway returned to the Los Angeles stage as the sweetheart of Taylor Holmes and makes the most of the small part that she has. Others in the well-chosen cast are Russell Cushing, Kenneth Garnet and Harry Hollingswcrth. "Your Uncle Dudley" was written by Howard Lindsey and Bertrand Robinson and was well staged by Edwin H. Curtis for Henry Duffy. Don't fail to see this play; you will enjoy it immensely. B. M. ELLETT. Theatre Review "DAS RHEINGOLD" Los Angeles opera lovers turned out en masse at the Shrine Auditorium last Monday evening for the opening of the German Grand Opera Company, brought here by L. E. Behymer through his arrangement with S. Hurok. Even those who could not understand the German actors and singers will have to admit that their action carried the theme of the story, which was a musical drama in four scenes, with words and music by Richard Wagner, which was first produced at Munich, September 22, 1869, and for the first time in America January 4, 1869, The music, in itself, was very entrancing as conducted by Ernest Knoch. The settings and effects proved a great acquisition to the opera as enacted by Gotthold Ditter, Franz Egenieff, Max Wiederhold, Johannes Sembach, Hans E. Hey, Alexander Larsen, Carl Braun, Laurenz Pierot, Juliette Lippe, Milo Miloradovich, Sonia Sharnova, Edna Zahm, Merran Reader and Helena Lanvin. Music lovers should not fail to patronize the German Opera Company. First, because unless you have seen and heard the works of Wagner you have never had an opportunity of enjoying a more pleasant and entertaining evening. Second, because the program offered is of such a great variety that, no matter what one's tastes are, musically speaking, they will find much in common to enjoy at the performances.