Inside facts of stage and screen (September 20, 1930)

PAGE FOUR INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SEPT. 20, 1930 Pictures — REVIEWS By LOU JACOBS Legit “WHAT A WIDOW” UNITED ARTISTS PICTURE (Reviewed at United Artists Thea- tre) What a show is “What a Wi- dow.” The customers must have sensed something unusual, because an hour before the doors opened Friday morning, they were stand- ing in line at the box office. It was a brand new Gloria Swanson that was dished up, this time as a come- dienne, and never has she been seen to better advantage. The play is sheer hokum, not slap stick, mind you, but the veriest kind of farce, which is the most difficult form of entertainment, from the acting point. Gloria is a widow whose aged and invalid husband dies and leaves her in the blush of her youth with $5,000,000. She starts out to spend it under the sup- posedly watchful eye of a member of her law firm. They fall in love. But then there is a Russian vio- linist and a Spanish singer who also falls in love with the dashing widow and she promises to elope with both of them, at the same time, when she believes that her lawyer friend has fallen for the former wife: of a perennial souse for whom he has obtained a divorce. The souse accidently spent the night in her state room aboard ship, which furnished the divorce grounds, but afterwards, Gloria, through the compelling force of cocktails plus, reverses the situation. She be- lieves she has been compromised, and is rushing to a hasty wedding with the souse when errors all around are disclosed, and she flies home with her lawyer. It seems silly to try and tell the plot of such a fast moving farce that is so meaty with situations. Let it suffice to say that this is about the biggest refined but naughty laugh hit to date. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT: Gloria Swanson, comedienne. How her fans will delight in the new fun making qualities of this star. And the ladies will revel in the pro- fusion of stylish clothes that she wears. This picture is a cinch, gentlemen, a real lead pipe. PRODUCER’S VIEWPOINT: It’s too bad there aren’t enough Glorias to go around. Just when you think she has shot her bolt, she bobs up with a new bag of tricks. Those songs she sung are sure to be among the ten best sellers and no one so far, singing from the screen, has a better trained, sweeter nor more alluring voice. If you assume from this we rather like Gloria, you’re gosh darn absotively right. Let us compliment you, and on behalf of the credit recipients and audience, express thanks for the first time screen credits have been properly presented. Two masks, comedy and tragedy, appear and presumably mix the ingredients which went into the making of the picture, giving the names of the one lesponsible for each ingredients in an interesting and impressive man- ner. It was artistic, well done and worthy of emulation. Allan D w a n accomplished a splendid job of direction. Almost all of his shots were well thought out and most of them from very in- teresting angles. The photography was brilliant and well lighted throughout. The story of Jose- phine Lovett was excellent, and the dialogue bright and intelligent. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: Gloria is more ef- fective as a comic than she is as an emotional actress, or at least as much so. Among the men, hand the laurels to Lew Cody. As the souse he was never out of charac- ter and kept the house thirsty, hop- ing he would pass those cocktails around, he did it so naturally. Then we must hand a palm to Margaret Livingston, who in a blonde wig, played the other lady. For tough, noisy, abused ladies with vampish proclivities, no better selection can be made than Margaret. She is a combination of blase sophistication and wistful allure. She registers better than anyone else, those sup- pressed desire complexes. Owen Moore in the lead was very convincing. He, who has dis- covered the secret of perpetual youth, contributes artistry as well as experience to good looks. He is an asset in any man’s picture. Gregory Gaye as the violinist strong man, and Herbert Braggiot- ti as a Spanish singer, contributed interesting and important charac- terizations in excellent style. Ad- rienne D’Ambricourt, Nella Walker and William Holden contributed lesser roles. “LAST OF LONE WOLF” COLUMBIA PICTURE (Reviewed at RKO) Another fanciful tale of glorify- ing the clever thief, which started with Raffles, continued with Alias Jimmy Valentine, and reached its apex with the series of Lone Wolf Stories by Louis Joseph Vance. It is a comedy of intrigue and ad- venture with a little of mystery sprinkled 'in. It is a tale similar in theme to the “Diamond Neckless” of Dumas. A queen of an imag- inary kingdom, who has disposed of her ring, is betrayed by the Premier. She has to get the ring back to save her honor, so she sends her dearest friend to fetch it. The Premier, sensing a difficulty sends one of his henchmen also. On the train, he attempts to rob the countess and is foiled by the Lone Wolf, who also is after the ring. The Lone Wolf gets the ring from the safe at the embassy and the Countess; the Premier is foiled and the queen able to intrigue some more in comfort. The play is very humorous, made so by the excellent work of Bert Lytell. Bert is at his best in these Lone Wolf stories and if this is really the last of them, there are a lot of hero worshippers who will be disappointed. It’s a tale such as we used to enjoy in our youths, and confidentially, we don’t sneer at them even now. EXHIBITORS’ VIEWPOINT. This is a play that will make friends. It is full of action and sus- pense and until the final minute you are not certain of how it will turn out. There is a laugh in the most tense situation, and altogether it is excellent entertainment. PRODUCER’S VIEWPOINT. There is a lot of excellent direc- tion in this piece, directed by Rich- ard Boleslavsky. He knew his for- eign customs and procedure, which helped make the opus very convinc- ing. There is much of production value to recommend it and the race of the Mercedes was very thrilling. The photography and dialogue very commendable. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT. Patsy Ruth Miller was exceptionally effective in the leading role. She exhibited a de- lightful flair for comedy and her reading showed the effects of her two years’ stage training. It wasn’t the same girl whom we first saw in “A Man’s Man.” Lucion Prival was a sinister threat. His voice however is a trifle too high pitched and should be given a foreign in- tonation, to harmonize with his ap- pearance. His acting left nothing to be desired. Otto Mathiesen as the Prime Minister, showed a lot of reserve talent which he was not given an opportunity to use. He is about as good a character actor of foreign types as we have. Alfred Hickman as the king also presented a type that was left behind in much more than to be present. Mayland Morne played the queen. She failed to appear even patrician, much less royal, and it was apparenj she was EARLE WALLACE Always Busy Developing Dancing Stars 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. HARVEY KARELS 7377 Beverly Blvd. SCHOOL OF DANCING VALUE OR. 2688 wondering what it was all about. Others in the cast were James Liddy, Pietro Sosso, Henry Daniel and Haley Sullivan. “LET’S GO NATIVE” PARAMOUNT PICTURE (Reviewed at Paramount) A type of picture that the studios threaten they are not going to make any more. For some crazy reason the trade has thumbs down on musicals from the screen and then comes along a picture like this that makes them all look like a lot of saps. If the exhibitors don’t buy this one, I’m a wall-eyed rhinoceros. Jack Oakie as Voltaire McGinnis, is as ever the mischievous bad boy, and from the minute he walks, or rather rides into the picture as a taxi driver, until he loses his pearl crown overboard, he is a panic. There isn’t any plot to the tale much. That is, any more than a musical show requires, but it is an excuse for taking the beauties and cuties from place to place, and that’s all that is necessary. A ship wreck, a raft scene and they land on a desert island where the native girls know what to do with the cos- tumes of a musical show and are quite Broadwayish. EXHIBITIR’S VIEWPOINT: If all your trade lost on the elec- tion, this will pull them back in good humor. It has every ingredient of laugh provoking in balanced pro- portion plus a lot of beauty and much quite capable acting. PRODUCER’S VIEWPOINT: This is the type of musical comedy that will always do business. The direction of Leo McCarey showed a keen perception of fun values and did not let the laughs tread on each other. It was full of action and no dead spots. Gerge Marin, Jr., and Percy Health did an excellent job of the dialogue, while George Whiting con- tributed some tuneful ditties. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: Jack Oakie is al- ways a treat. In this he frolics along in his carefree style just pil- ing up laughs. Skeets Gallagher, his side kick, gets snowed under in this one. He is all too little seen and, as the native king, gets almost no chance at all. Jeanette MacDonald takes second honors, her looks and singing would win for her in any man’s show. Kay Francis also has a part that will win the lovelorn. She is pleasing to the eye and ear. James Hall and William Austin played parts that added to the merriment. “LET US BE GAY” M-G-M PICTURE (Reviewed at Loew’s State) Rachel Crothers’ comedy lends it- self particularly well to the screen. Some liberties were taken with it, but to good advantage. Especially clever was the drab, matter-of-fact appearance that was given Norma Shearer at the start. It was amaz- ing how completely she was robbed of all her good looks by simply putting up her hair, donning a pair of rimless glasses and wiping off make-up. Her splendid acting also had something to do with this. It made the transition into the gay society belle the more effective. The story of the young wife who discovers her husband with another woman, gets a divorce and steps out into society to panic every other home, is well known here, having recently been seen on the stage twice within the past year. But for those who do not know, we will state that at the home of an old dowager she finds her former hus- LIBERTY PRODUCTIONS Have Selected Us To Super- , [vise the Music for Their Initial Picture "Ex-Flame” SYNCHRONIZING SERVICE ^Mhropoiitan Siudo,Houywood_ Behrendt-Levy-Rosen Co., Ltd. General Insurance Insurance Exchange Building VA 1261 MOSCOW ■ BROTHERS M Special routines, stage and screen. Tap, toe, ballet, musical comedy, acrobatic, new ‘Heel-It’ band about to marry a sub-deb, and wins him back. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT: Norma Shearer at her very best is a good enough magnet, but with this you have about the peppiest society comedy imaginable. It has two other stars in it, too. Marie Dressier and Rod La Roque. For the younger element, it has the strongest kind of modern appeal. It’s better than “The Divorcee.” PRODUCER’S VIEWPOINT: Robert Z. Leonard has turned in as fine a piece of directing as has been seen recently. The smartness of his handling of the complicated situations was highly commendable. The photography is good and the dialogue closely followed the text of the stage version. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: Norma Shearer is closely pressed for top honors by Marie Dressier in the role of the old dowager. This does not mean that there was anything left to be desired in the work of Miss Shearer nor her appearance, but Marie, fin- ished trouper that she is, turned in a masterful performance that all but reaches perfection. Rod La Roque has been seen in many things which he has played better. His work in this seemed very stiff and his reading of the lines impressed one as of a school boy delivering a recitation. His love making was ineffective. Rod has done much better work in other pictures. Sally Eilers, as the cihld who for- sakes her boy friend for the di- vorced man, was splendid. She has all the charm of youth and the dash of the baby vamp. Her drunken scene was particularly well done. Raymond Hackett had a small part that did not give him half the op- portunity he deserves, but he did it well. Hedda Hopper was very effective as the society lady with a crave for unnecessary attention. She looked dashingly seductive and read her lines well. Tyrell Davis as a lisping poet was splendid. His attempts at love making were screamingly funny, and Gilbert Emery as an English- man was also very satisfactory. “THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST” FIRST NAT’L-VITAPHONE (Reviewed at Warner Bros., Hollywood.) This film has been horribly bun- gled, sickly adapted and atrociously cast. The classical tale of golden days in the Southern mines was made into a screen version directly from the stage play, with little thought that time, tide and stage mode await no man. But little attempt was made to illustrate the story, word of mouth being depended upon to express situations, of a consequence, long drawn out speeches of ancient vin- tage, making explanations that were either obvious or unnecessary in language never used even in the days it depicts. It’s a very purile effort to depict the life and customs of the time and place, but it regis- tered merely theatrical entertain- ment with no logic or realism, r3636 kBEVERLY ■ BLVDl which, might easily have been inter- preted into the work. Thirty years ago, when David Belasco first produced the drama with Blanche Bates and Frank Keenan, he was cutting and fitting his material to his stars. Nobody else on the stage ever quite satis- fied in these two roles of the Girl and the Sheriff, and for that reason but few stock companies ever at- tempted it, but those who did, must have given as good performances, as did the cast in this picture. It was a shame to do this thing to Ann Harding, just as she is reaching for the' top in her ascen- dancy. This will gain her no new friends and it’s not her fault, be- cause she gives an intelligent read- ing of the lines, but temporarily and in appearance, she lacks the hard boiled appearance of the mining town saloon keeper with a soft streak, who falls in love with a bandit, and gambles with the sheriff for his life against her possession by the officer-gambler. It was not the same girl who is playing Holi- day just across the town. EXHIBITOR'S VIEWPOINT. I believe you will find this one a dud. It has nothing to intrigue the younger generation, and the old- sters who know their girl when Blanche played her, will be disap- pointed. PRODUCER’S VIEWPOINT. This is a striking example of the fact that if you must do the old suc- cesses of a quarter a century ago, they must be modernized in tech- nique. Long closeups that make scenes appear as monologues or vice versa; holding up action to de- liver long tiresome speeches, groups standing still while talk is being talked and little or no action, other than a posse chase of the bandit on horsegack, is all wrong. Ann Harding’s growing popularity, and the name of the picture, will perhaps deceive enough customers to attend the box office, but they will come out mad. John Francis Dillon’s direction was very stagey and full of commonplace antiquity, while Waldemar Young must have just torn pages out of the Belasco manuscript and pasted them in his, in making the adaptation. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT. If we did not know Harry Bannister to be an excellent actor when properly cast, we would have thought some one was playing a joke on us. He was nothing like Jack Ranee ought to be. He read his lines a la meller-drammer of the repertoire days. There was no nu- ance that was other than acting, and his expressions of love and honor differed no whit with his commands of duty. It was his biggest break to date, but he needs another to do him justice. Bert Roach had the laughing honors with his recital of the run of cards in a school room. That's all he had in the picture. The mas- culine honors go to Johnny Walker in the role of a barkeep. He was the most consistent player in the cast. Arthur Stone as a Mex ban- dit had a little scene. James Ren- nie, as the lead, was altogether too TEL. 6721 DUNKIRK, Associates—Gladys Murray, Lafe Page Ballet Dept.—Mary Frances Taylor PRACTICAL DRAMATICS AND STAGE DANCING Tap, Off-Rhythm, “Modernized Ballet” and Acrobatic “MODERNIZED BALLET” by Mary Frances Taylor (Premier Danseuse) “Oh Susanna,” “Gone Hollywood,” “Student Prince," "Broadway Melody” “Tap and Off-Rhythm” by Bud Murray and Lafe Page “THE ORIGINAL MURRAY SCHOOL’* iOF NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND LOS ANGELES, WALTER S. 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