Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Dec 1932)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH 13 "HOT SPOT" REVEALS NEW STAR SCREEN FUNSTER IN BEN BLUE Someone new, to make us really laugh, flashed on the screen at a preview recently, when Hal Roach-M-G-M Studios showed us "Hot Spot." We watched a comedian cavort on the stage of Loew's State Theatre recently and felt sure that some astute producer would realize his value in screen entertainment, and so some executive at Roach Studios did the trick. Ben Blue was the boy we saw, and he is a comic of the "first water," a real clown, who, after a few mannerisms are eradicated, should be up in the big money. He doesn't depend altogether on the dialogue furnished by the writers, which so many other comics do, but pantomime is his forte. "Hot Spot" is just a froth of a story that concerns two taxi drivers and the many delicate situations they fall into. One of them is so simple and the other just short of thinking ability. The new comedian has fine support in Billy Gilbert, the other member of the team. Billy is a fat man and equally clumsy, which always gets the laughs. Muriel Evans supplies the necessary amount of pulchritude, which all comedies demand. She can also take the rough stuff, if you know what we mean. Harry Wood was always our favorite villain, and we find him here always suspecting his lovely wife, and in this story he has reason because of the delicate situations she gets into. Del Lord's great experience supplied the necessary direction to keep the theatre in howls of laughter during the unreeling of the story. What more do you want? We all want to laugh, and the box office should reap great benefits from the new find of the Roach Studios. "HERITAGE OF THE DESERT" SHOWS US RANDOLPH SCOTT IN STAR ROLE The first picture of a player who has recently been discovered, should always be interesting. Randolph Scott comes off with flying colors in a Zane Gray story for Paramount pictures. The production opened with a bang, which showed gorgeous scenery and shots of cattle that held your attention. After that it slowed up considerably. The story is interesting and concerns a surveyor, who is sent into the cattle country to survey a ranch. He is waylaid by a rival who shoots his horse, turns him loose on the desert where he is almost lost, but the daughter of a rancher rescues him in the nick of time. Of course, the result of this is gratefulness, and finally love develops. The only obstacle is the fact that she is engaged to another man, who conspires with cattle thieves and is shot for his interference. Then everything is well. Quite an elaborte production was given by Paramount Pictures. Henry Hathaway directed cleverly. Randolph Scott has a great personality and should click with the fans, especially with the girls, although he should also interest the men. As for Sally Blane, whom they assigned the feminine honors, she is getting more beautiful in every picture we see, and her acting ability is founded upon solid ground. David Landau is gradually being recognized as an asset to any picture with his forceful work, and J. Farrell McDonald is too well known to say much about. Gordon Westcott made z fine villain, and Big Boy Williams always fits into any outdoor picture. As for Vince Barnett, he is a welcome addition for his laugh creating qualities and they were much needed here. We almost forgot Archie Stout, the photographer. He clearly showed us some lovely Western scenery. This is good entertainment and Paramount has a good bet in its latest find, which should appeal to the family trade. "THOSE WE LOVE" PROVES ANOTHER WINNER FOR K-B-S TIFFANY All the old formula is reversed in this latest K-B-S TIFFANY-World Wide picture. Where the villain formerly pursued her it is the villainess that does the dirty work, and where the little child reconciled them, here quite a big boy is used. However, it's grand entertainment and K-B-S have given this a first class production, with a good director and a fine cast of experienced players. Taken from the story by George Abbott and S. K. Laurens, Hugh Herbert has written an interesting screen play around a young couple very much in love with each other, with the addition of a young son to cement the ties. Life goes along merrily for these three until the family is separated. Then a woman steps in and plays havoc with these people, which threatens the extinction of their happiness. Just as everything looks quite dark, the boy decides that they are really suited for each other, although the father has made his first false step. Everything finishes as bright a the proverbial marriage bell. Robert Florey did a nice bit of directing different situations in a natural manner, which could have easily swayed to the ridiculous. Mary Astor was a "gorgeous wife" and Kenneth McKenna made a splendid "weak husband." Lillian Tashman is our favorite as a "bad woman," for she does her dirty work so nicely and in this instance she excelled even herelf, both with her clever ways as well as the lovely clothes that she wore. Tommy Conlon is a great boy actor and at times he had the audience in tears with his struggles to hold his little family together. Two clever bits were played by Virginia Sales and Forrester Harvey, and Earle Foxe made a great deal of the role of the husband of the naughty woman. Pat O'Malley, Harvey Clark, Cecil Cunningham, Hale Hamilton and Edward Maxwell added greatly to the success of the story by their clever work. The photography of Arthur Edeson was well up to the standard established by Tiffany S'udios. "PAYMENT DEFERRED" This play of Jeffrey Dell may have been interesting on the New York stage where it received much praise, but as a screen vehicle, it got on the nerves of the audience, and everyone seemed relieved when it was over. The screen play by Ernst Vadja and Claudia West, had much of merit and centered around an English bank clerk and his little family. The bank clerk got into financial difficulties and was at the end of his rope, when a nephew from Australia makes him a visit. The nephew has a considerable sum of money on his person. The uncle poisons him with cyanide and buries him in the back yard, which causes the murderer to be haunted by his deed at every turn. He sends his wife and daughter on a vacation, and while they are away, he becomes friendly with a modiste and takes her into his home. The wife returns, learns of his infidelity and commits suicide with the same poison with which the nephew was killed. The authorities suspect him of murdering her, and he is convinced and hanged. A morbid story throughout, without one moment of relief, but Charles Laughton, who reminds us so much of Emil Jannings in his work and appearance, did a fine bit of acting; but not for motion picture audiences who demand "action" in their entertainment. Dorothy Peterson was poignant as the disappointed wife, and Maureen O'Sullivan showed great promise in one scene where she denounced her parents. Vera Teasdale was exceedingly clever as the philandering modiste, and Neil Hamilton, who had little to do, is always pleasing. Ray Milland played the murdered nephew. Lother Mendes directed capably, and the photography of Wm. B. Gersted was excellent. We are afraid that M-G-M will reap little financial benefit in this one, which only shows that Charles Laughton is a remarkable actor. 'KLONDIKE" Trem Carr has turned out some winners for Monogram but the latest, produced by W. T. Lackey, with the frozen north as a background, is one of the best. The screen play, adaptation and dialogue by Tristram Tupper is excellent. The direction of Phil Rosen demonstrated his fine experience, and the photography of James Brown was pleasing. The story centered around a young Metropolitan doctor who had experimented upon a man, with an operation that had never before been performed. The man, unfortunately, died and public sentiment forces the Medical Association to cancel his practice. In his predicament he turns to a hobby in which he has indulged — that of flying. When the decision comes that he can no longer carry on his profession, he embarks with a friend on a trip to the north country but the machine cracks up. The aviator is killed and the doctor is seriously wonded, but is found by some trappers and taken to a trading station. There he is nursed by a beautiful girl, the daughter of a store keeper. While she is engaged to an invalid, the doctor falls madly in love with her. In an emergency the doctor is forced to operate on the other man, and while he recovers his health, he pretends that he is speechless. Later on he inveigles the doctor into a cellar and there tries to kill him. The girl overhears this however, and comes to the rescue of the doctor. There is a novelty in this story whereby the radio is used to help the other man with his nefarious scheme. Lyle Talbot carried the difficult role of the young doctor with dignity by his naturalness. As in "The Thirteenth Guest," this new Warner Bros, "find" easily steals the picture. The gorgeous Thelma Todd was the prize for which the men fought, and she gave us a surprise by her fine acting ability. Captain Frank Hawks was the flyer and proved to be an excellent actor, while Jason Robards put the disagreeable part of the invalid through successfully. H. B. Walthall, George Hayes, Ethel Wales, Tully Marshall, Pat O'Malley, Priscilla Dean, Myrtle Steadman and Lafe McKee were other players of merit who deserve individual notice. An interesting and clever story that the many theatres carrying the Monogram pictures on their program will enjoy. "THE MILLIONAIRE CAT" R-K-O-Radio — Louis Brock have made a typical "knock 'em down an drag 'em out" short reeler, in "The Millionaire Cat," with Clark and McCullough, like they made in the good old Mack Sennelt silent days. It is built for laughing purposes, and tab if you will, Ben Holmes and Tom Lennon, with digging up plenty of old gags and putting new overcoats on 'em, are great. The adaptation and dialogue was written by Bobby Clark and Mark Sandrich, the latter also capably directed this fun-film. Outside of the funmaking of Clark and McCullough, you will find Jimmy Finlayson, Stuart Holmes, Anita Carvin, Carol Pevis, Nora Cecil and Catherine Courtney. The last two mentioned artistes Were a howl as the aunts. Bobby Clark hogged the rest of the picture. Nick Macuraca photographed this short reeler so it moved swiftly and clearly. Sam While edited. Mark Sandrich knows his comedy and he created laughs where others would have failed. —ARTHUR FORDE. AND ^^ ^-> »%^Q£^_, *^^^r3^~^^LMir\OAL SPRINGS BY TUt SLA" CfcCLSBAD, CALIFODN I A HA&QY D. CLACK LEJV-ttTMAMASEe. ON THE LOS ANGELES-SAN DIEGO COAST HIGHWAY r c r e e n Play TOM REED "Merry-GoRound"