Inside facts of stage and screen (October 4, 1930)

PAGE FOUR INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN OCT. 4, 1930 Pictures — REVIEWS By LOU JACOBS Legit “THE SEA WOLF” FOX PICTURE (Reviewed at Loew’s State) It indeed gives one a queer feel- ing to see a man in the full pos- session of his health and virility, hear his voice and watch him die, all the while knowing him to be dead. Its unnatural, and we did not intend to comment upon it were it not for a leader on the screen, which brought attention to Milton Sills’ recent passing. It would perhaps have been bet- ter tact and more consideration for the feelings of the audience, if this opening had been postposed a few weeks. Postponements have been occasioned for less impelling rea- sons. However, this picture is a fitting climax to the career of Milton Sills, and truly a monument to his genius. It is the fourth filming of this story, and by far the greatest. Although post-mortem recognition, it must bring to Sills’ name the glory of having been one of the screen’s greatest actors. His performance of Wolf Larsen is the most powerful ever given this character of Jack London’s and the production of the sea story is as fine as any yet filmed. The story of the girl, who went on a hell-ship to be near her lover whom she knew to be aboard shanghaied, and how she handled the brutal Wolf Larsen, is too well known to need repeti- tion. But along with the passing of Sill, a new personality was given to the screen. Jane Keith, who played the lead, is a newcomer who springs in this picture into instant favor. She resembles Dorothy Mac- kaill in appearance and acting. Her emotional work was superb and well timed. She filled the bill per- fectly, and is sure to be heard from. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT. This picture will do a tremendous business aside from the fact that it is the last Sills. It is a well told tale, and that’s the finest kind of picture you can book. PRODUCER’S VIEWPOINT. It took courage to make a fourth version of this classic, but it was a worth while effort. The direction of Alfred Santell showed that good judgement was used in assigning him to this opus. The sea stuff was done splendidly, especially the shots aloft. It had kick and thrill aplenty and the fights were excellently rou- tined and well handled. No little credit must be given to the photo- graphy, which was uniformly of high grade. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT. Raymond Hackett was well cast as the boy. While he started out weakly, he wound up by giving a very likable performance. Mitch Harris, as “Death Larsen,” was very good also, and put up a fine, fight with his brother. The best performance, next to Sills how ever, must be accredited to John Rogers as the cockney cook. He had a wealth of comedy, and showed viciousness and cowardice to fine effect. His work, after the shark bit off his leg, was- extremely good. Harold Kinney, Harry Tenbrook and Sam Allen completed the cast. “HALF SHOT AT SUNRISE” RKO PICTURE (Reviewed at Orpheum) Wheeler and Woolsey cavorting through a war, with Dorothy Lee, is the subject; the effort to capture the two, who are A-W-O-L, is the verb, and giggle getting is the object. There are some modifiers of little consequence but funny is the adjective. That’s the analysis. It’s impossible to give the plot of this electric light opera, which flickers from situation to situation, with Dorothy, the daughter of a Colonel in Paris during the war. She accidentally meets Tommy, while they are trying to avoid cap- ture by the M. P.’s who are on the lookout for them. They get into a restaurant and act as waiters. They volunteer to take a message to the front, and get caught in a barrage, in fact, they run into all sorts of ludicrous situations, and sing songs as well. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT: If Wheeler and Woolsey have any influence with your audience you will not be disappointed in this. War comedies are the vogue, and while this one may not be as potent as some of the others, it will give satisfaction. PRODUCER’S VIEWPOINT: Paul Sloane had no difficulty in putting this one over, as it is en- tirely built about the stars who can be depended upon to take care of themselves in the clinches. There is much production value, meaning plenty of war stuff turned to laugh- ter making. The songs of Harry Tierney were jingly. The three of them, “Kiss Me, Cherie,” “Whist- ling the Blues Away” and “Nothing But Love,” should sell. Dialogue of Ann Caldwell and Ralph Spence was good, with quite a few laughs. James Ashmore Creelman is cred- ited with the story, which is mostly an idea for the boys to cavort through. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: Dorothy Lee is an ideal flapper type, with the in- soucience of youth sticking out all over. She is not pretty, but has an ingratiating way that gets under your skin. Hugh Trevor and John Rutherford had parts, the principle duty of which, were to keep the boys harassed, which they did ade- quately. George MacFarlane was the irate father-colonel, who not only had to capture the deserters, but keep his own pecadillo from becoming known to his wife. His daughter possessed his secret, which put the Colonel on a spot. George was very good in the part. Leni Stengel, as the Colonel’s nemesis, was also prominently cast as a French vamp., and quite con- veyed the character. Edna May Oliver as the Mrs. Colonel, gave evidence of having much dramatic talent. She speaks in a splendidly modulated voice, and with a dis- tinctness that shows fine training. We should like to see her in a dramatic role worthy of her evident talent. Eddie De Lange, Capt. E. H. Calvert and Alan Roscoe round out the cast. “OUTSIDE THE LAW” UNIVERSAL PICTURE (Reviewed at RKO Theatre) One might pass this picture over with the remark that it is just an- other crook play, were it not for the fact that it possesses some features that make it different. It’s basic idea is the rivalry be- tween crooks over the exclusive right to territorial privilege. A bank robber comes to the town of his rival and engages to loot a vault. He has, as his confederate, a beautiful young girl. They rent an apartment and are quite won over by a neighbor’s kid, the son of a police captain. The robbery is committed and they are laying-low waiting for a chance to make a get-away when the rival comes for the money. While peeking through the key- hole, the policeman, coming home Christmas eve, sees him and a gun battle ensues, in which the cop is wounded. Crooks have a scene, in which the robber shoots the rival. For the sake of the kid, he then undertakes to get a doctor for the cop, rather than make his get-away. The rival finds the money, and dies, while trying to make off with it. The cops, sensing something wrong, come to see what is the matter with the captain and arrest the crooks. They are convicted at the finish with the silent promise to each other that they will reform and go straight after they complete their stretch. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT: This picture has many points of merit if your trade still goes for underworld heroes. The picture is reedemed by the work of a kid, of the appealing type of Davey Lee. A sensational bank robbery, shown in detail, will keep the customers on an edge for about ten minutes. • PRODUCER’S VISWPOINT: Tod Browming’s direction is excel- lent, and. as he wrote the story with Garrett Fort, he knew exactly what it required. The bank robbery scene, and the scene in the room with the rival crook were excel- lently done. This film ranks with the best of the latter crop of crook stories. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: Mary Nolan was given an ideal opportunity to show her stuff, and she handled the part admirably. It had everything in it from the hard boiled chorus girl in a joint, to the emotional mother- love of a love-starved woman. She was beautiful, and magnetic, and at times her acting was powerful. Owen Moore as the crook was splendid. He showed all subleties of the gentry and came through it with he-man attributes that were convincing. Perhaps the best performance was given by Edward G. Robinson as the menace. For a villain, no more polished performance Has been given in recent years. He was about the most sinister figure seen on the screen since talking pictures. Delmar Watson as the kid, is something to look forward to. His performance was given with an in- telligence way beyond his years. He appeared to be about four years old in the character and easily gave a performance, the peer of any kid’s part since Davey Lee knocked them over in “The Singing Fool.” Others, who played lesser roles, were Edwin Sturgis, John George, De Witte Jennings, Rockcliffe Fel- lowes, Frank Burke and Sydney Tracey. “MONTE CARLO” PARAMOUNT PICTURE (Reviewed at Paramount) Here we have a type of musical comedy that can set a vogue in talking pictures. It remained for the masterful touch of Ernest Lu- bitsch to solve the problem of the singers in talkies, and while he has done away with the stage chorus, he has shown the way to produce a musical that the public will buy and like. The musical setting of this is perfect. For instance, a train is seen crossing in front of the screen with the wheels close-uped and the clicking rails fit into the melody as though written in.. It was an ideal piece of synchronization and deserved the hand it drew. The singing, too, was of a very high order and fitted in just as if it be- longed to the plot. The songs were tuneful and destined to be hits. The story, an incident in the life of Booth Talkington’s and Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland’s “Monsieur Beaucaire,” was adapted by Ernest Vadja from .Hans Mueller’s “The Blue Coast.” Somewhat compli- cated credit, but that’s the way it’s given. It tells of a countess, who deserts her fiance on the moment of the wedding and runs off half-naked to Monte Carlo. Here she is seen by a count who falls in love with her, and bribes her hair dresser to let him take his place. The countess loses all she has at the gaming tables and the count manages to offer valuable services and in the end they live happily—it is hoped. The picture is distinguished by direction and acting of a high cal- ibre. It is Lubitsch at his best and quite up to the quality of “The Love Parade.” The play is highly sophisticated and the humor de- lightful. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT: We have here a picture that will draw them and draw them. It is flawless from any angle. The story is logical although fanciful, and, the entertainment value 100 percent plus. This picture could be adver- tised as “Treat Week.” PRODUCER’S VISWPOINT: It’s regrettable that each studio does not possess a Lubitsch. Then there would be many more worth while pictures, and this is with all due respect to the other top-notch directors in the game. There are few pictures that so made so com- pletely ideal by direction of this order. Imagine what any other director might have done with this story and you will get our point. Or, rather, imagine what they would have failed to do with it, for a clearer example. Then, too, we are not going to take a single thing away from Jeanette MacDonald, nor Jack Buchanan, nor Claude Allister, whose performances in this were little short of marvelous. Also, set up a big score for Victor Milner, whose photography was ex- cellent. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: Don’t allow Jean- ette MacDonald to do anything ex- cept comedy. She is a star as a comedienne, but just another ac- tress in the emotional roles. Jack Buchanan makes a fine appearance as a leading man. He knows his comedy values as well as the in- gratiating business of love making. Claude Allister as the sap husband was ideal. His performance stood out like a lighthouse on a cameo cut cliff, Zazu Pitts, again as a maid, called forth her share of the plati- tudes deservedly, and Tyler Brooke, too, earned rewards of merit. Others, who contributed in no mean measure, were Edgar Norton, John Roche, who by the way, is also possessed of a fine singing voice, Albert Conti, Helen Garden, Donald Novis and Erik Bey. “MADAM SATAN” M-G-M PICTURE (Reviewed at Criterion Theatre) While it has been customary for everybody to humbly say “Yes, Mr. De Mille”, we want to go on record with an emphatic “No, Mr. De Mille, farce is not your forte.” This scenario, credited as_ an original story to Jeanie MacPherson, has been lifted bodily from the old farce “Pink Dominoes.” The story of a wife whose husband has a penchant for another woman, stepping out in masquerade and making her hubby fall in love with her all over again while in competition with the other woman, is what caused the fuss. The film lumbers through an hour or so of its length with the exception of one bright scene, in a bedroom, in which the friend tries to conceal the wife from her hus- band, which was made brilliant be- cause of the exceedingly excellent acting of Roland Young who plays the friend. Other scenes dragged painfully. Then, for no reason at all, the masquerade ball was held in a pri- vately-owned zeppelin, an airship so large that hundreds of people were taken on board while it was moored to its mast. While the ball is in progress, a storm comes up and the ship is wrecked by light- ning, the guests, going over the side in parachutes. The zep sequences were very well done with the usual De Mille flair for the dramatic but the thing was preposterous. If anything is an excuse for a spectacle, then our criticism of Madam Sata,n faf,ls, but we are inclined to believe that when an attempt is made at a story, the story should be paramount. True, costuming of the masked ball was magnificent. One might use the word stupendous to advant- age. Judged from the standpoint of elaborateness, the picture is gi- gantic, but so far as it fitting into this story is concerned it’s a lot of wasted effort. EXHIBITOR’S VIEWPOINT: Your customers will come to see this thing because of its unusual production value, but will smile at Mr. De Mille’s efforts to produce comedy with tragedy’s tools. Also, there are a lot of names in the cast that are well known although their possessor’s will hardly be other- wise recognized. Here you have Wallace MacDonald, Tyler Brooke, Theodore Kosloff, Betty Francisco, Tulanne Johnston, Martha Sleeper, Doris McMahon, Vera Marsh, Al- bert Conti, Earl Askam, Countess De Ligouro and others, who are but little more than mere atmos- phere. PRODUCER’S VIEWPOINT: The scenes of the collapse on board the zeppelin and the panic of tak- ing to the parachutes was handled in the usual De Mille extravagant manner. No picture made by this director can be simple. The minia- ture zeppelin work was mechanical- ly excellent and the effects very powerful but the simple side of the tale suffered by contrast. CASTING DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: The picture was quite pilfered by Roland Young, who gave a comedy performance that was so well balanced as to be easily one of the best of the year. Reginald Denny as the lead was quite alright although the part was unworthy of him. Kay Johnson was admirable in the lead. She was beautiful to look at and the transi- tion from the placid wife to the fiery French “Madam Satin” was very well done. Her accent was perfect and her dashing manner not overdone. Lillian Roth, too, gave a fine performance. She looked the vamp and had the class but it seems that this young lady is not always photographed at her best. Some of her closeups are either lighted bad- ly or shot from unflattering angles. Her performance, however, was well up to par. “TEMPTATIONS OF 1930” MAYAN THEATRE (Reviewed Sept. 25) Broadway, N. Y., in all its efful- gent glory is transplanted to Hill Street, L. A. Franklin Warner has brought us samples of the Follies, Vanities, Scandals, Artists and Models and others that we have forgotten, all stirred into a melting pot and dished up as Temptations. Nothing is lacking in the way of pretty girls and costumes, or should we say lack of it, for nudity is ram- pant, or so it seemed from where we sat. LeRoy Prinz knows his stuff, but suffered from the handi- cap of those pretentious presenta- tions that have been produced at the picture houses. It was difficult to show any new angles. Then, too, the finale of the first act went haywire, so we failed to witness this piece de resistence, and some of the costumes of the bull- fight number got sidetracked on their way home from San Diego, and so that had to be alibied. Also, the lights on this opening night failed because of inadequate rehear- sals and consequently the effect, as well as the tableau missed, but we could see what was intended and no doubt it has become the big hit of the show. If it tops the “En- chanted Forest” number and the “Birth of the Golden West,” it is certainly something to get excited over. The show is sadly lacking in fe- male voices. In fact, the only real voice in the revue is that of Fred Scott, whose high baritone showed to advantage, but it seemed as though he were singing for the prima donna as well as for himself, for Leota Lane helped in no wise. She may have had something wrong with her voice, but her speaking voice was all right. The music of Ted Snyder was average, nothing outstanding, but good production tunes, smart and lilting. The book by Billy K. Wells and Paul Gerard Smith was a well remembered collection and some camouflaged bits that have been seen by those who visit their New York frequently, but most of them were new out here. Then, too, there wene some original blackouts. The Chicago burlesque was a pip. __ Here let us. hand a bouquet to Charles Judels. It is some trick to manipulate a company of about 75 people and keep things moving smoothly and on its toes. This show kept going without let-down through its length, which was en- tirely too much so, the final curtain not ringing down until 11:40, but this was first night. If there is anyone who can be selected as having scored a distinct personal triumph it was Leonard Sillman. His usher number scored the first hit and his “Back to Har- lem” offering floored them. As a singer, dancer and interpretative comic, he’s the best yet. He is youthful and of fine appearance and seems to have a bookful of stuff. Next, a palm of achievement must be handed to Lester and Garson. These boys, also unheralded, step- ped into the party and were the life of it. If any of these Broadway revue scouts were in the house, these boys would have a job for next season on ice. In passing 'around the reward medals, Bert Prival should be awarded a blue ribbon for his dance contributions. This lad’s feet are made of the stuff they put in golf balls. Solly Ward is a comedian of the old school, the worried lan- guage sort made famous by the late Sam Bernard. He knows his stuff thoroughly and never muffed a giggle. Robert Emmet Keane mastered the ceremonies and appeared in many of the bits. He has an ease and grace of manner that made his every appearance welcome. He fed the comics and did his wise snapping with much charm. Billy Gilbert also ornamented the picture. He is a laugh to view and can measure a giggle to the fraction. In fact, there wasn’t a sour note among the entire line-up of men, which also included Clarence Nord- strom, Dick Stewart and others. Coming to the femmes, slip the Behrendt-Levy-Rosen Co., Ltd. General Insurance Insurance Exchange Building VA 1261 Proficient Pupils Placed In Paramount Theatres