Hollywood Spectator (1938)

Hollywood Spectator Page Seven charm accentuates the story value of her husband’s neglect of her, William being the husband who is so intent on chasing criminals that he leaves the way open for some other man to chase his wife. Miss Patrick impresses me more with each performance that she is destined to do big things on the screen. Constance Moore, a newcomer to me, is a charming young thing with beauty and screen personality which should take her places. William Lundigan, who plays opposite her, is her male counterpart, an agreeable young fellow with ability and an ingrati¬ ating personality. Cecil Cunningham is cunning but by no means a ham in her engaging characterization as the district attorney's secretary. Lillian Yarbo, a clever young colored woman, contributes comedy which makes it impossible for us to believe her as the maid in the home of such a mistress as Gail Patrick. Jonathan Hale weaves in and out of the story in a capable manner, but leaves us in doubt as to who he is and why he is there. Milburn Stone is another who helps things along satisfactorily. Edmund Grainger, producer, mounted the picture handsomely, some of Jack Otterson’s artistic and atmospheric sets giving George Robinson opportunities to present some fine photography. POOR DIRECTION SPOILS IT . . . • THE TOY WIFE; MGM; producer, Merian C. Cooper; di¬ rector, Richard Thorpe; screen play, Zoe Akins; photography, Oliver T. Marsh; musical score, Edward Ward; art direction, Cedric Gibbons, Harry McAfee and Edwin B. Willis; women's costumes, Adrian; men's costumes, Gile Steele. Cast: Luise Rainer, Melvyn Douglas, Robert Young, Barbara O'Neil, H. B. Warner, Alma Kruger, Libby Taylor, Theresa Harris, Walter Kingsford, Clinton Rosemond, Clarence Muse, Leon¬ ard Penn, Alan Perl. ICTIM of poor direction. Richard Thorpe, who directed successfully many of Metro’s smaller pic¬ tures, proves himself unable to develope all the values of the story material he had here. Physically, the picture is a big one, beautifully mounted by that master craftsman, Cedric Gibbons; generous in its use of characters to people its scenes, and rich in the costuming of the period. Brilliantly cast by Pro¬ ducer Merian Cooper and provided with a good script by Zoe Akins, its director had all the ingredients for an outstanding success, but what comes to the screen is ninety minutes of cinematic dawdle and slowly paced action which will weary the majority of people who see it. Thorpe’s direction has ele¬ mental flaws. In one sequence we see a large dinner party gathered around a table in a private house. After an establishing shot, there is a cut to two of the guests whose conversation we hear. It is all we hear. Apparently all the other guests are stricken speechless by the grandeur of the occasion and are rendered incapable of causing even the tinkle of a fork against a plate. The story is set in the genteel period of the social life of New Orleans of a century ago, yet two of the chief characters, Luise Rainer, the carefully reared daughter of a gentleman of the day (H. B. Warner), and Robert Young, the scion of an aristocratic family, while dancing carry on what should be an intimate conversation, loudly enough to be heard by all the other dancers. Miss Rainer in Monotone . . . UT the greatest weakness of the picture is the direction of Miss Rainer. Her performance is flightiness in monotone, without a relieving, wholly human touch to reduce its monotony. Her goose¬ neck gestures, wide-eyed glances and panting dia¬ logue will wear away the resistance of the stoutest audience. The other characters fare better. The abil¬ ity of Barbara O’Neil, Melvyn Douglas and Robert Young proved strong enough to weather the stilted direction in as far as their individual performances were concerned, but not strong enough to put the picture in the best-seller class. The Toy Wife is not box-office, but it could have been if given a more ac¬ celerated pace. While we tire of the story itself and the characterization of the leading woman, we do not tire of the three performances I have mentioned and those of Alma Kruger, H. B. Warner, Libby Taylor, Theresa Harris, Clarence Muse (the last three talent¬ ed colored players) , Walter Kingsford and others in small parts. Visually the production is a smart one, beautifully photographed by Oliver Marsh. Adrian once more commits the fault of attiring his women so elaborately that our attention constantly is drawn from what they are doing to what they are wearing. Metro stars com and go, and sometimes I wonder how much Adrian’s costuming figures in their going. In a perfect art creation no one element should be made to attract our attention at the expense of the creation as a whole. Adrian’s gowns always are in¬ dividual attractions. FOR THE YOUNGSTERS . . . • SPEED TO BURN; 20th Century-Fox; associate producer, Jerry Hoffman; director, Otto Brower; screen play. Robert Ellis and Helen Logan; based on original by Edwin Dial Torgerson; photography, Edward Snyder; art direction, Ber¬ nard Herzbrun and Chester Gore; film editor, Fred Allen; musical director, Samuel Kaylin. Cast: Michael Whalen, Lynn Bari, Marvin Stephens, Henry Armetta, Chick Chand¬ ler, Sidney Blackmer, Johnnie Pirrone, Chas. D. Brown, Inez Palange. Reviewed by Bert Harlen EEING this picture is like reading a story from one of those pulp magazines devoted to sport yarns. Dialogue is obvious and stilted, the characters have about as much depth as a mud puddle. There is plenty of action in it, but the plot is fabricated with little ingenuity, being another variation on the form( Continued on page 9 )