Inside facts of stage and screen (July 26, 1930)

PAGE FOUR INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1930 Picture Reviews ~ Previews ~ ‘LOVE AMONG THE MIL- LIONAIRES’ PARAMOUNT PICTURE (Reviewed at Paramount) Clara Bow’s latest picture pro- vides addenda to the' widely held theory that the essential talent of a movie scenarist is an excellent memory. It is a banally conceived and very trite production, calculat- ed to have a further astringent ac- tion upon the “It” girls’ boxoffice draw. Imagine yourself an unknown scenarist walking into the office of a film producer. The lucky fellow seats himself, lights a cigaret and says, “Mr. Producer, I’ve got a new idea for a picture. The girl, a great part for your star, works in a hash- house at a railroad center. Two comedy characters are in love with her. But she sighs for romance amidst the atmosphere of hambur- ger and coal dust, while a mechan- ical victrola plays haunting rrfelo- dies. “Then comes a handsome young brakeman and they fall for each other like a ton of bricks. The brakeman turns out to be the son of the railroad president, keenly disliked by the girl’s father, who, learning of the affair, forbids the girl seeing the youth. “She goes to the president’s car to see him off, and he persuades her to go with him. They arrive at the president’s estate in Florida and the boy’s father tries to halt the affair also. The girl, con- vinced she will ruin the boy’s fu- ture, if they persist in their mar- riage idea, promises to turn the boy against her and stages a dis- graceful drunken scene at a party given in her honor. “Meanwhile, the girl’s father, and the two comedy lovers with a cute little sister, with a talent for imi- tations, arrive at the scene and then, the two fathers forgetting their old grudge after an argument, everything is worked out happily for the young pair—isn’t that a pip of an original idea?” “H-m-m*” says the producer with a recollective gleam in his eye. “But what is the comedy punch?” “Ah,” says the author, “the two lovers own a Ford jointly and con- stantly bicker over their half of the car. All through the picture the tires blow out with a snappy sound effect and it gets big laughs with some smart dialogue' built around the idea.” “But,” asks the producer uncer- tainly, “what kind of a title—one with plenty of boxoffice—would you have for such a yarn?” “Simple as anything,” says the author, leaning forward to drive home his clinching point. “I’d call it ‘Love Among the Millionaires,’ even if it hasn’t got anything to do with the story.” What would you do if you were forced to listen to that story, which is the story of Clara Bow’s latest film? You would! EXHIBITORS’ VIEWPOINT: Big assets for this one are Clara Bow’s name, two good comics, Stu- art Erwin and Skeets Gallagher, and clever little Mitzi Green as the young sister. Don’t tell your audiences about the story. They’ve seen it too many times already. MOSCOHI BROTHERS I Special routines, stage I and screen. Tap, toe, I ballet, musical comedy, 1 acrobatic, new ‘Heel-It’ I 1747 N US PALMAS HOUYWOOO.PHONE HE 9986 PRODUCERS’ VIEWPOINT: In spite of certain opinionated commentators, we think Clara Bow has the possibilities to do fine act- ing. Certainly her work has stood out over her recent vehicles. If the Paramount studio wizards don’t put their heads together and get Clara some good stories, they’ll have another expensive personality making flopping sounds at the box- office. The story was credited to Keene Thompson with adaptation by Grover Jones and Bill Consel- man, and dialogue by Herman Mankiewicz, and was directed by Frank Tuttle. A number of catchy songs interpolated into the action were written by Wolfe Gilbert and Abel Baer. CASTING DIRECTORS’ VIEWPOINT: Miss Bow is cer- tainly looking her best in some time, "'and gave a good perform- ance. Stuart Erwin and Skeets Gallagher did fine work as the comic duo, while Mitzi Greene was apparently the hit of the picture with the audience as Clara’ sister. Stanley Smith played the boy fairly well and Charles Sellon and Claude King gave their usual skilled performances as the two fathers. Theodor von Eltz and Barbara Bennett had minor roles. GIBBONS. “SHE’S MY WEAKNESS” RADIO PICTURE (Reviewed at RKO Theatre) A photograph of the stage play “Tommy,” filled out with different camera angles of the same set and the addition of a bazaar scene. It makes pretty fair entertain- ment, and the comedy has been developed. The audience got plenty of laughs out of the homely domestic situations. “Tommy” is played by Arthur Lake, a young man in love with Sue Carol but so unfortunate as to have the support of her par- ents. She happened to be tired of having all decisions made for her. She appears to favor the suit of Alan Bunce, one of that cocksure type, who enjoys the opposition of Pa and Ma. That is the situa- tion on which one leg of the story stands. The other leg stands on a projected municipal golf course. Both Pa and Tommy own desirable lands and have bids in. William Collier, Sr., keeps the story moving in the guise of Uncle David, local politician, who works both ends against the middle and almost gets caught in the collision. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT: A safe programmer, good for all ages, lots of homely comedy. Some local W. C. T. U.’s might object to having Tommy getting drunk to enlist Sue’s sympathy, but in the main it is as pure as mountain-top air. PRODUCER^’ ' VIEWPOINT: Well cast, acceptably photographed, and reasonably well directed by Melville Brown. CASTING DIRECTORS’ VIEWPOINT: Arthur Lake was a trifle high-schoolish, but gener- ally satisfactory. He handled his business well. Sue Carol was O. K. She is more of a woman and less of a flapper than she was just a little while back. Alan Bunce. is a natural with his ju- venile “menace,” and William Col- lier, Sr., troupes professionally. Lucien Littlefield is there in his regular type role as Pa, and Helen Ware assists as Ma. Walter Gil- bert does a nice little comedy character bit, and Emily Fitzroy speaks a couple of dynamic lines. It is a good job of casting, gen- erally speaking. YEATES. “ROMANCE” M-G-M PICTURE (Reviewed at Loew’s State) “Romance” is strictly a star- tailored vehicle. It supplies Greta Garbo with a role that, under Clarence Brown’s direction, she has most satisfactorily adapted to her personality. She gives a bet- ter performance than in “Anna Christie,” and the picture is pat- ently aimed right for the box- office. However, the glamour of the Garbo personality can not ob- scure the fact that Edward Shel- don’s famous stage play is quite a bit out of date, both in its reac- tions to personalities and its them- atic conflict. Then, too, the star is handi- capped by a combination of vocal difficulties, which resulted in what our friend, Edwin Schallert of the Times, described as “the strangest Italian accent that ever fell upon the ears of an audience.” It cer- tainly was. The role of the exotic opera star, Rita Gavallina, which served Doris Keane so well for years, is ideally adapted to the Garbo per- sonality, but the Italian accent proved a puzzle, and at times, the conversatoin was hardly distin- guishable. The story is too familiar to retell again, but it has been compara- tively well handled from the talk- ing film standpoint by Clarence Brown, who managed to get con- siderable screen technique into a tale that is essentially very the- atrical, and thus, very talkatively delineated. But, though the treatment breaks toward the screen style in an attempt to hide the prepon- derance of talk, it fails in pre- senting the tale with the imagina- tive warmth that it might have been accorded. One is always conscious that Greta Garbo is giv- ing a “great performance” rather than that one is viewing a senti- mental tale of “the thing that makes the world go ’round.” Nevertheless, the picture is a competent piece of workmanship from the accepted standards, such as they are, and a production that looks like one of the box-office hits of the summer. And that to theatre managers, is the important thing right now. EXHIBITORS’ VIEWPOINT: Don’t miss this. It’s a story for all audiences with that Garbo draw well worth reckoning on. The story itself, has a not inconsider- able appeal. Fox West Coast han- dling for the opening here is the key to exploitation, restraint and dignity, with emphasis on “Garbo the alluring—here is a story so beautiful and fragile — so tender and touching you will never for- get it.” PRODUCERS’ VIEWPOINT: Though they managed to get an increased degree of action Bess Meredyth and Edwin Justus Mayer didn’t show much imagination in . the adaptation, while Clarence Brown’s direction, though com- petent and workmanlike, displayed no distinct improvement over the play as done on the stage. It was very lavishly produced. CASTING DIRECTORS’ VIEWPOINT: Miss Garbo may surmount the obstacle of dialect. Her personality certainly carries over to the' talkies nicely. But It remains to be seen how the public will react to the peculiar accent displayed here. Gavin Gordon, screen newcomer, cast as the youthful minister, will still have to have his mettle tested. The role is not a very grateful one, with its combination of re- ligious snobbery and naive amor- ousness, and his personality, as revealed in the part, did not seem particularly striking. Lewis Stone gave another of his good performances as Cornelius Van Tile, while the balance of the cast, all support roles, revealed capable work by Florence Lake, Clara Blandick, Mathilde Comont and Elliot Nugent. GIBBONS. “DIXIANA” RADIO PICTURE (Previewed at RKO Studio) “Dixiana” may be rated within the limited group of satisfactory screen operettas. It makes a part- ly successful attempt at combining screen and stage musical produc- tion techniques. It has a story far superior, particularly in its treatment, to most of its kind, first-rate comedy, a well-selected cast and lavish production. Bebe Daniels and Everett Mar- shall top the cast as the two lovers with Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey lending some great comedy supp’ort. A neat story idea is built 1 up with songs and dance bits worked smoothly into the action in most instances in nearly straight mo- tion picture lines with the big flash coming in the later sequences in a tony New Orleans gambling house and winding up with the Mardi Gras sequences done in Technicolor. Action opens with some beauti- ful shots along the Mississippi through a series of fades, while the darkies sing at their work to the home of a Pennsylvania Dutchman, played by Joseph Caw- thorn, who has inherited a great plantation. His son, played by Everett Marshall, is in love with the star of a New Orleans Hip- podrome show, and brings her home to become his wife. Wheeler and Woolsey, assistants in her act, come with them, while the “sinister figure” of Ralf Har- olde,, playing a notorious gambler, has already “crossed their path.” Cawtborn’s wife, played by Jobyna Howland, is a would-be society dame, and when it is re- vealed at an elaborate party in honor of the young couple, that Bebe came from the circus, the haughty aristocrats leave in dis- gust, while the old girl nearly has fits. Bebe decides to leave, also, “because she loves the boy.” Back in New Orleans, Bebe and her faithful duo, are kept from work by the gambler, who offers them a job in his gambling palace. They are forced to accept. Bebe becomes a big hit and is nomin- ated for Queen of the Mardi Gras. Meanwhile a comedy love duel is being carried on by Wheeler and Woolsey over the charming little Ginger, played by Dorothy Lee. Marshall comes to the gambling place and loses money in a stud game in which Bebe persuades the gambler to let her play against the boy with the gambler dealing. She gets all his money and a note for a large sum to which Mar- shall had forged his father’s name, “saving his honor.” Marshall dis- covers he is being cheated and starts a row, when in comes the escort for Bebe as Queen of the Mardi Gras. At the steps of the Mardi Gras throne, Bebe is kidnapped by the gambler’s men, on the pretext it is a joke. The father sees the kid- napping and tells the boy the girl loves him, etc. “He rushes to the gambling place and challenges Harolde to a duel. Meanwhile, Bebe has learned that the boy’s uncle, whom Harolde had shot in Shorts a duel, had met with foul play, and begs the boy not to fight. When he persists, she locks him by a ruse and dressed in his holi- day costume, takes his place for the duel, and at the crucial mo- ment charges the pistols have been tampered with. The one intended for Marshall has not been loaded, etc., and then into the spectacular Mardi Gras scene for the finale. Action from the argument in the gambling house is in Technicolor to the finale. Worked into the story are a number of snappy songs, music by Harry Tierney, and lyrics by Anne Caldwell, who also wrote the book. Outstanding are: the name song, “Dixiana,’ “A Kiss, a Tear, a Smlie,” “My One Ambi- tion Is You” and “A Lady Loves a Soldier.” An outstanding bit is a tap dance done by Bill Robinson at the start of the Technicolor sec- tion, Robinson appearing as a darky, dusting off the Mardi Gras throne, then going into his tap dance in an imaginatively photo- graphed sequence on a series of stairs. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT: A first rate film operetta, well worth booking. This is one Radio Picture that very nearly lives up to the extravagant advertising claims of this concern. It has everything needed for an enter- taining production of its type with two outstanding personalities in Bebe Daniels and Everett Mar- shall with some great comedy from Wheeler and Woolsey. PRODUCERS’ VIEWPOINT: Script and photographic treatment of this production are much more imaginatively handled than in others of its kind. Luther Reed did a smooth job of adapting and di- recting and due credit should . be accorded Roy Hunt, cinematog- rapher, Pearl Eaton^ dance di- rector, Max Ree, art director, Lloyd Knechtel, handling photo- graphic effects, and William Ham- ilton, film editor. Excellent work was done on the musical end by Musical Director VictorbBaravalle, Max Steiner, ar- ranger, and Hugh McDowell, sound recordist, with one outstand- ing exception. They fell into that error that has marked all screen musicals to date, too much high pressure tempo, with the constant recurrence of tremendous orches- tral fortes to build up numbers. In a full-length production, this mechanical stimulation is invari- ably very tiring. Many of these screen musicals would seem much less annoying if their musical sup- port was handled in piano style, except for the really big moment. Marshall’s fine operatic baritone, however, was very well handled from a mike standpoint, and none of the blaring obviously overdone baritoning of Lawrence Tibbet’s picture was in evidence. A com- mendable absence of over-emphasis (Continued on Page 10) SYHCHRONIZIHS SERVICE JlfreOPOtlTAH SlUDD; Houywdoo Behrendt-Levy-Rosen Co., Ltd. General Insurance Insurance Exchange Building VA. 1261 THAT SENSATIONAL OFF-RHYTHM DANCER FEATURED NOW IN LARRY CEBALLOS’ NEW PRESENTATION AT WARNER BROTHERS’ THEATRE, HOLLYWOOD