Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Jul 1930)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH 29 Preview "THE FLORODORA GIRL" M-G-M all-talkie, musical production. Previewed at the Belmont Theatre. Now brother — get us right, and from the very start — the "Florodora Girl" is replete with side-splitting incidents and fast-fire comedy, and in our opinion it is sure to go over big with the rank and file of cinema lovers. Frequently throughout it is greeted with ripples of laughter, punctuated now and then with a dynamic peal of merriment that speaks well for its humorous sequences. Marion Davies is the star, and she makes the most of her slapstick opportunities. We have never been very much het up on Marion since her superb performance in "When Knighthood Was in Flower." This was the apogee period of her cinema life. Since that time (thespically speaking) the sand in the wasp-waisted glass has slithered through very fast on dear Marion. She has met with some success as a comedienne in the talkies, mainly in farcical effusions, but she lisps at times, has an unmusical voice, and sings like a mockingbird with part of a raw potato lodged in its gullet. Napoleon in his palmiest days was never press-agented so liberally as Miss Davies has been, and yet that publicity, in our opinion, has had a reverse-English effect on her real merits. Toward the end of "The Florodora Girl" she is called upon to do a little serious bit of acting at a road house. The effort comports with a high-school rendering of Shakespeare. Miss Davies is just one of at least a half dozen cinema stars who are clinging desperately to the delusive phantom of hope, and who are mad-bent on husbanding out their movie-picture-life's taper to the end. Sic transit gloria mundi. But to "The Florodora Girl." The thin plot is just a fabric to hang on a cento of comedy episodes in which Miss Davies, as one of the famous sextet, is the leading spirit. The funniest scene bobs up in a ballroom, where her swell gown frequently becomes unripped just above the gluteal regions (Mack Sennett comedy quirk). All the old songs of the late '90s are spun off in the various sequences, and the ancient tallyhos and victorias, including the original Brush automobile, come in for their share of laughter. The final sequences are twirled off in technicolor, featuring the stage presentation of the Florodora Sextet, and this is splendid. However, we should advise Miss Davies to have the spotlight removed from her features while dancing at the end of the sextet line, for she is not a modern Cleopatra, and in the glare of that light it is truly a case, with her, where age withers and custom stales her infinite variety. Excellent performances are registered by Walter Catlett, Lawrence Gray, John Bartels, George Chandler, Ilka Chase, Vivian Oakland, Jed Prouty, Claud Allister, Sam Hardy, and Nance O'Neil. The film is well directed by Harry Beaumont, the photography good, and the dialogue breezy and sparkling. "The Florodora Girl" will go over big at Preview "HIGH ROAD" Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer singing, alltalkie production, starring Ruth Chatterton. Previewed at the Belmont Theatre. The consensus of expert opinion of the rank and file of cinema critics would, to our way of thinking, acclaim Ruth Chatterton as the cleverest actress in the talkies, just now. After pre-glimpsing her excellent performance of Elsie Hilary in "High Road," we are confirmed in our belief that Miss Chatterton is without a peer in Shadowland today. While "High Road" hardly boasts her test characterization, it still serves as a vehicle to display her infinite versatility. In this, her latest effusion, she hits off a sort of comic-opera star and favorite. She not only sings "Say It With a Smile" in a melodious, well-modulated tone of voice that is arrestingly pleasing, but also dances with grace and consummate ease. The effort brings to the screen a new Ruth Chatterton. The plot and mis en scene are essentially English, and while the tempo is rather slow throughout, one finds relief from slight qualms of ennui, through frequent flashes of diamond-tipped dialogue. Through Lord Crayle's son's infatuation for Elsie, she suddenly finds herself in the midst of nobility atmosphere. Young Crayle, John (Ralph Forbes) seeks her hand in marriage, but the Lord is scandalously shocked at the idea of an actress cutting into his exclusive set. Comes then Edward (Basil Rathbone), a relative of Crayle's. He is immediately smitten with Elsie's charms and she lends a kindly eye to his covert love sallies. Edward, however, has a sweetie in the form of a real married lady — a secret that is tipped off to Elsie. Then the plot thickens, but we're going to let you get a first-hand delineation as to just how the clever Miss Hilary, in a subtly diplomatic manner, worked out her destiny in this delicate love imbroglio. Suffice to say that Miss Chatterton turns in a marvelous bit of sophisticated characterization, polished to the finger tips with rare finesse and restraint. Basil Rathbone's Edward was hit off with the cunning and cool assumption of one used to easy conquests in love tilts. It was a rare morsel of thespic deftness. Ralph Forbes was smoothly suave as the enamored John. A cast of exceptional merit and which gave Miss Chatterton wonderful support included Nance O'Neil, Frederick Kerr, McKinzie Ward, Herbert Bunston, Cyril Chadwick, Effie Ellsler, Robert Bolder, Moon Carroll and Edgar Norton. Sidney Franklin's directing showed the hand of a master mechanic throughout, and Arthur Miller's photography was exceptionally fine. "High Road" is essentially an adult's picture. It is a gem of its kind and is sure to bring a material increase to Miss Chatterton's fan mail. the box office simply because it is chock full of fast-fire comedy. ED O'MALLEY. Review "THE IMAGINARY INVALID" Hollywood Music Box. John Sheehan, who is no stranger to Los Angeles theatregoers, scores heavily in Moliere's robust gesture of the comic spirit. But the droll Sheehan is ably supported in this, the Civic Repertory Company's fifth offering of the current season. Elsie Bartlett turns in her best delineation in many months and Marion Clayton is bewitching as Argan's daughter. Margarita Fisher, possessing all her old-time loveliness, is both charming and capable as the conniving wife of the imaginary invalid. The story, of course, is that of a sick man who makes much ado about nothing and wants to marry his daughter to a physician's son — so that he may have always at hand an obliging doctor to minister to his ills. How Toinette, an amazingly frank serving-woman, defeats this little scheme furnishes the peg upon which Moliere has hung his dramatic vesture. Moliere, like Rabelais, was not averse to coarse and vulgar wit and the strong smell of the stable permeates this offering. It is said that the old boy was sick unto death when he wrote this comedy as a last fling at the doctors. The production, as directed by Paul Irving, follows the pattern of Max Reinhardt, rather than the French style. However, the costumes are rich and impressive .while the work of Marion Clayton as Angelique has the verve and the eager spontaneity of Parisian youth and beauty. This girl has much to commend her to stage and screen. She displays brightness and a butterfly loveliness in her seventeenth century costume. Aside from John Sheehan, who is a masterly Argan, masculine honors fall to Carleton Young, Alfred Jenkin, Eric Snowden, Paul Irving, Mears Pitcher and Warren Ash. The authentic make-up of these actors, together with their faithful portrayal of the quaint figures of the period, baffle description. Seen on the stage the characters are like animated cartoons of rare old figures copied from wood cuts. Incidental music of the seventeenth century specially composed by Einar Nilson lends atmospheric charm to the sets and the action. Corliss McGee designed the scenery, painted by John Lynch. Alfred Kaufman directed the string quartette. Especially clever bits were contributed by tiny Jean La Verne, as the younger daughter, and by S. Ericson, who was cast as the notary. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the management for the thorough manner in which this difficult but sparkling comedy is presented. Leading characters, particularly Mr. Sheehan, Mr. Young, Miss Fisher, Miss Bartlett, Miss Clayton and others, have numerous and lengthy speeches which must be sharply pointed to maintain the tempo. They handled these with the ease of veterans and the opening performance was virtually letter-perfect. This speaks volumes for those silent workers who pull the strings behind the scenes. TOM LEWIS. Review "SONG OF THE FLAME" At Warner Brothers' Hollywood Theatre. Warner Bros, evidently refused to be outdone as far as producing operettas on the screen in technicolor is concerned, for "Song of the Flame" is the last word in such a production and it establishes Alexander Gray as one of the finest of the youthful operetta stars. Something he has failed to do, although no fault of his, in "Sally." The operetta is by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach, with music by Herbert Stothart and George Gershwin with Alan Crosland, director of the first singing picture, "The Jazz Singer," credited with this most beautiful of Warner product. The work of Alexander Gray and Bernice Claire dovetailed so beautifully that we are prone to believe that the more pictures they appear in together, the greater their popularity. Miss Claire also showed that she is a dramatic actress of no mean ability. One of the big surprises of the picture was the singing voice of Noah Beery as the leader of the Revolutionists, and it is needless to say that Alice Gentle sang at her best. Others who contributed to make the picture what it has proven to be were Bert Roach, Inez Courtney, Ivan Linow and Shep Camp. We invite the Warners to continue to make their singing Vitaphone Technicolor operettas if they make them all as good as the "Song of the Flame." HARRY BURNS. i 1 1 Stage Review "JUNE MOON" At the Belasco Theatre. The Belasco Theatre's run of shows the past year has been chock full of variety and novelty. The current show, "June Moon," which George G. Holland is producing through an arrangement with Sam H. Harris, has the smallest cast and the cleverest dialogue sent across the footlights here in many a day. The play is by Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman, while the music and lyrics are credited to Mr. Lardner and Mr Kaufman is responsible for the staging of the play. Cleve Moore easily is the star of the production. He surprised the wiseacres by his stage mannerisms and voice and never for one minute did he leave his character. It was indeed a fine piece of stage acting. The same can be said of Nancy Dover and James Spottswood, while Edith Van Cleve and Ruth Abbott helped matters along materially. Murray Smith, as the song plugging pianist, gained many a hearty laugh. Ross Hertz gave a fine characterization and the same can be said of Fred Irving Lewis, while Joseph Hollicky and Adeline Ogilvie aided and abetted the farce comedy to carry itself to real heights. Go and see "June Moon"; you will enjoy every minute of it. It is full of good fun, written by men that know music row and theatre reaction. HARRY BURNS. !<