Inside facts of stage and screen (March 29, 1930)

PAGE FOUR INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1930 Picture Reviews ~ Previews ~ Shorts I By A. H. FREDERICK “HOLD EVERYTHING” WARNER BROS. ALL-COLOR (Reviewed at W. B. Hollywood Theatre) This is an experiment, but whether noble or not remains to be seen. It is a midway between the tab type semi-burlesque, in which people dash in and out to deliver a gag or two, and a re- vival musical comedy. The revival part comes in the jokes; there may have been some of the age- worn standbys omitted, but this reviewer thinks he checked off all the best humor of the past two decades. In addition there are a couple of very funny original ones, the topnotcher being a remark to a ham prizefighter that “when you were crossing a street the other day and heard a street car bell, you lay down right on the tracks.” But the dialogue gen- erally is way off, and the cast at- tempted to make up what it lacked in humor by the vociferousness of its delivery. They yell it out. And thus some will describe the picture as the peppiest yet shown. Not only is there a run- ning in and out of the frame con- stantly, but the continuity flashes from scene to scene with the general effect of a merry-go-round. The high point of the picture is a championship prizefight for the light - heavyweight champion- ship of the world, and is pre- ceded by a burlesque fight in which Joe E. Brown has the laugh as- signment. Neither have anything new to offer, though the former has real class fistic work by Georges Carpentier and his op- ponent. The latter is a revision of a favorite Mack Sennett gag of the early picture days, and Chaplin did it better than does Brown. It is a picture primarily for those who like the exceedingly broad, laugh-begging type of com- edy work Joe E. Brown does. Kids go for it strong, and many grown-ups still adhere to the rule that nonsense now and then is relished. Joe is given the major laugh assignment, and Winnie Lightner is used to foil him. As Winnie is the funnier of the two, it should have been the other way round. Song and dance numbers inter- rupt the action of the story' fre- quently, making it a hybrid be- tween a motion picture and a stage show, and the ancient prac- tice is followed of putting through an orchestra number for its full, tiresome length. How this ever survived the cutting room experts is a mystery, no such inexpert bit of shearing for interest having been seen for more than a year. The story, which is from the stage play, is the old plot of a contender for the world prize- fight championship, who refuses to lay down for the champ, and comes home with the crown atop his brow. EXHIBITORS’ VIEWPOINT: This film is dedicated to laughs, and with the public laugh-hungry, it should do well. Georges Car- pentier should be a draw to some extent, and Joe E. Brown and Winnie Lightner have their fol- lowers. PRODUCERS’ VIEWPOINT: Roy Del Ruth directed it, and obviously planned it for an appeal to the lower of the lowbrows. As such it hits a bull’s-eye. There’s some good musical num- bers. including the favorite from the original, “You’re the Cream in My Coffee” and “Red Roses Are Blue.” Joe Burke and A1 Dubin have some new tunes in, which are very good. Robert Lord did the adaptation, which was little more than a ‘CONTRARY MARY' W. B. SHORT SUBJECT (Reviewed at W. B. Downtown) This all-color short, directed by Roy Mack, runs along with a fluency which makes for delightful entertainment, and a clever inter- spersing of singing and dancing with wise-cracking and story inter- est makes it click. The story interest is carried by MONTH’S BEST IN PICTURES BEST PICTURE: 'LUMMOX’ (United Artiste) The month brought forth a number of good pictures, with “Lummox” the best because of direction, acting of Winifred Westover and sincerity of the story. Others, in the runner-up class, were Paramount’s “Street of Chance” and Fox’s “Men Without Women.” Bests of the month follow: Best performance: Winifred Westover in “Lummox” (U. A.). Best performance, opposite sex: William Powell in “Street of Chance (Paramount). Be !L. cha J acter Performance (above excluded): O. P. Heggie in The Vagabond King” (Paramount). Best character performance, opposite sex: Clara Langesner in Lummox ' (U. A.). Bes A,r h £ a ^ : Francis x - Bushman, Jr., in “The Girl Said No” (M-G-M). Best heavy opposite sex: Dorothy Revier in “Hold Every- thing” (W. B.). 3 Be A < r,°A e , d ^ Performance: Marie Dressier in “The Girl No. (M-G-M). Best direction: Herbert Brenon’s “Lummox” (U. A.). Best story: “The Case of Sergeant Grischa” (R. P.). Best music: Irving Berlin’s “Putting On the Ritz” tunes. Honorable mention for performances: George Arliss in me Green Goddess" (W. B.); Bessie Love in “Chasin’ Rainbows” (M-G-M); Ruth Chatterton in “Sarah and Son.” Honorable mention for direction: John Cromwell in “Street of Chance (Par.); Alfred E. Green in “The Green Goddess” (W. B.); John Ford in “Men Without Women” (Fox) • R William Neill in “The Melody Man” (Columbia). Candidates to date for ten best pictures of the year: “Romance of the Rio Grande” (Fox—Alfred Santell, director; Warner Baxter, star); “Seven Days’ Leave” (R-K-O—Richard Wal- lace, director; Gary Cooper, star); “Show of Shows” (War- ner Brothers—John Adolfi, director; all-star); “Anna Christie” (M-G-M—Clarence Brown, director; Greta Garbo, star) • The Rogue Song” (M-G-M—Lionel Barrymore, director • Lawrence Tibbett, star); “Son of the Gods” (F. N—Frank d Pj ec f or ’ Richard Barthelmess. star); “Lummox” (U. A.)—Herbert Brenon, director; Winifred Westover, star). Said “The BEAUMONT STUDIOS SCENERY Drop*, Curtain*, Drape* RENTALS Lo* Angeles, Calif. 400 W. 96th St. YO. 8346 series of gags. Dialogue, as before remarked, is generally old, and owes much credit to the currency of jokes; but there are some exceptionally good cracks every now and then. CASTING DIRECTORS’ VIEWPOINT: Joe E. Brown is not, in this reviewer’s opinion, to be classed with such real comics as Jack Oakie, Stuart Erwin and Frankie Albertson. But he is unique, working his mammoth cave mouth for its full comic value, and will hold a following. Winnie Lightner again fails to touch the laugh-getting heights she rose to in “Gold Diggers of Broadway,” but nonetheless con- tributes many good moments. Georges Carpentier does his greatest dramatic stuff when he’s in the ring with padded mitts, As an actor, a sex-appealest and a singer, he is extremely so-so. Sally O’Neill goes through her usual routine, and her voice is still as graty on the mike as ever. Bert Roach is always funny, but has been funnier than here; Doro- they Revier puts her usual ability into a semi-vamp role; and Ed- mund Breese gets out what there is in his part as Carpentier’s man- ager. Also in the cast are Tony Sta- benau, Carpentier’s ring opponent; and Jack Curtis. Jimmie Quinn does excellently with a small but forceful menace assignment. IN “DIXIANNA” Raymond Maurel, Radio Pic- tures’ opera singer, has been as- signed a singing role in “Dixian- na,” original operetta starring Bebe Dan! els. ,4 Bobby Watson and Vera Marsh with, however, a kick to the de- nouement which has an O. Henry twist, and considerably changes the romantic trend. Bobby displays an engaging per- sonality, while Vera is a screer type who can well be cast foi good assignments without hazard Evelyn Hayes, former vaude per- former, offers triple ability, ir screen personality and acting, anc in singing and dancing. In every one of these departments she click: thoroughly, and there is litth doubt that her future is as a lead- ing woman who needs no dubbing B.B.B. offers some very gooc moments as a cabaret announcer his well-known line being as effec tive from the screen as in person— and that’s a lot. EVELYN HAYES 18 YEARS OLD — 8 YEARS IN VAUDE As Featured Dancer, Singer, Comedienne and Personality Girl IS NOW WORKING IN HER EIGHTH TALKING PICTURE FORMER HEAD OF THE EVELYN HAYES DANCING SCHOOL, SEATTLE. ORIGINATES HER OWN DANCES GR. 8402 Management The Blanchards MASTER ART PLANNING SERIES AND FEATURE Master Art Productions are go- ing to start a series of physical culture one or two reelers as soon as Ray Boswell, president of the concern, returns from a trip to New York, in about three weeks. It is also planned to start an all-kiddie fairy tale picture at that time. The physical culture series, which will be a film demontsra- tion of proper exercise methods, will feature three physically per- fect girls, with probably other of the fair sex added for support. Shooting probably will be at Tec-Art, with headquarters main- tained at the present address at 1040 North McCadden place. Pic- tures will be shot in Harriscolor, and will be all sound and dia- logue. Andy Stone will direct the kid picture. Master Art may also do a series with Gus Arnheim and his or- chestra. PHYLLIS LEAVING Phyllis Nicholson, who was fea- tured in the coast “Wishing Well” company, is returning Thursday to Australia aboard the SS. Sierra. CULLEN WITH MARBE SAN FRANCISCO, March 27.— Bill Cullen, old showman, is here as manager of the Fay Marbe company which is currently at the Curran for a week’s stand. “SARAH AND SON” PARAMOUNT PICTURE (Reviewed at Paramount Theatre) “Sarah and Son” is very like U. A.’s “Lummox,” but lacks the artistry of that picture, and can- not boast any such outstanding performance as Winifred Westover gave in it. But it works down to the usual happy ending, and critics and the part of the public which think anything otherwise is “sor- did,” probably will rate this one higher. Which is ridiculous, but true. The stories are so similar that had they not both been from pub- lished books the thought would have been natural that the one had inspired the other. Sarah, a Dutch girl who aspires to be a stage singer, marries a lazy bum, who finally leaves her, taking their baby son with him. He goes to war and is killed, but she finds him just before he dies and manages to get from him the name of the people with whom he left the baby. So the widow goes to the peo- ple and demands the boy back again, but they tell her she is crazy, the child is their own, and refuse to allow her to see him. So she goes abroad and be- comes a grand opera star, striv- ing to get sufficient money so when she at last wins the child back she can give him more ad- vantages than the foster-parents. Her dealings formerly had been with the lawyer for, and the brother-in-law of, the foster-father, and when she returns she goes to him again. A romance de- velops between these two, and he invites her down to visit his mother and himself at his coun- try place. Meantime the boy, now grown to around twelve, has run away from home and is also there. The mother meets him by accident, and they take a motor boat ride to- gether. not knowing their rela- tionship to each other. But this is disclosed to the mother when the foster-parents arrive, and the boat capsizes, and when the boy, suffering delusions because of his narrow escape from drowning, and still not knowing his foster-mother is not his real mother, opens his eyes and calls mother, he turns to his real mother (a very un- natural happening, by the way) and there you have it. EXHIBITORS’ VIEWPOINT: This has the cheerio which “Lum- mox” lacked, being the usual type of screen story, to-wit, hokum, and so it probably will go better, by the large, than did the more worthy U. A. product. Generally it should do around average, or somewhat under. PRODUCERS’ VIEWPOINT: Dorothy Arzner directed “Sarah and Son” adequately from the Timothy Shea novel, with adapta- tion by Zoe Atkins. CASTING DIRECTORS’ VIEWPOINT: Ruth Chatterton has a congenial role as the mother, playing the part with her usual touches. Frederic March, in the male lead opposite, handles his assignment with the smooth, sure ability which is always his. Fuller Mellish, Jr., makes a striking character of the lazy hus- band, putting himself well within the ranks of truly capable talkie artists. Philippe de Lacey is excellent as the boy of the story, whose parents are making a sissy out of him, and develops the humor of THE MELODY MAN’ COLUMBIA PICTURE (Reviewed at RKO Theatre) Thanks to a most excellent char- acter portrayal by John St. Polis, to smooth and sympathetic direc- tion by R. William Neill, and to a story which is unusual and well related, “The Melody Man” is an above average program picture, well worth a booking on its merits. St. Polis, playing a music-mas- ter type of character, not only completely wraps up this picture for acting honors, but also brings credit to himself for one of the very good character performances of talking pictures. Otherwise the cast is quite ade- quate to its assignments, with both the story and the adaptation from the stage play of the same name most commendably handled. The theme is the not unique one of Classic Music vs. Jazz, which Ted Lewis hi-hatted himself through to poor returns in his W. B. picture. But here it is different. The scene opens at the court of the Austrian Emperor, with St. Polis leading his orchestra through a rhapsody he has just composed. It is a triumph, but his happiness is short-lived, for, upon returning to his home, he finds his wife in the loving embrace of another man. He kills them both, then flees, taking with him his baby daughter. The scene then shifts to America, with St. Polis now one of a trio of musicians who are playing in a restaurant, and his daughter grown. She has devel- oped considerable ability as a mu- sic composer, and when a jazz band outfit down the hall gets stuck, she puts them over by re- arranging their score. That night the boy leader tells her that he has a wonderful job, but only to discover a few mo- ments later that he and his jazz players have supplanted the trio of which her father was a member. The father then forbids the boy to see his daughter again, but when she says she loves the lad, he consents to their marriage. At last the jazz band, now vastly augmented, gets a chance to play at a Philharmonic bene- fit, and to surprise the father they decde to play his rhapsody, which they have discovered by accident. The police of Austria have waited for just such a happening, thinking that through this compo- sition they will some day trace the murderer. Two of the police agents are in the auditorium, and make the arrest. But the old mu- sician pleads that his daughter shall not know of this, and the final scene shows a banquet of celebration over the success of the rhapsody, at which the father tells the girl that he is going back to Europe with an old friend. EXHIBITORS’ VIEWPOINT: This is a good average program booking, and better than average progranq entertainment. PRODUCERS’ VIEWPOINT: R. William Neill, who has a habit of turning out excellent program material, has made an exception- ally good job of this one. He has directed with an extreme sympathy (Continued on Page S) his role as surely as the more dramatic moments. Gilbert Emory, Doris Lloyd and William Stack bring their proven troupership to their parts, and Sut-Te-Wan as a maid is most pleasingly natural and effective. EARLE WALLACE Always Busy Developing Dancing Star* but Never Too Busy to Create and Produce Original DANCE ROUTINES and REVUES That Sell Belmont Theatre Bldg., First and Vermont Phone Exposition 1196 Los Angeles, Calif. (Associates) Gladys Murray Lafe Page 5636 BEVERLY BLVD. — Los Angeles — Tel. DU. 6721 PRACTICAL STAGE TRAINING STAGE TAP DANCING (In All Its Branches) B , SIGNOR G. V. ROS1 ■n J T T pt (Cecchetti Dn. L>LeIL 1 ““Technique)